Inspired by sleapyGazelle's Absolute Zero story which is a Voltron AU that has zombies.

Cover Image by kiriiglumanda on Tumblr.

Chapter 1

The bare trees were guardians, standing watch over the young woman as she blew on her hands and held them over the small fire in front of her. White strands of hair fell out of her bun as the woman shifted closer to warmth. The branches crackled under the flames, breaking the silence, as the shadows grew long and wrapped themselves over her.

The sun had started her descent onto the horizon's bosoms not too long ago.

Something echoed from the forest, soft, like snow falling from above, and the woman was gone, steady hands leading her up a nearby tree. She pulled a gun from under her jacket and stilled, her breath the only hint of her presence.

A beat, two, passed before a man emerged. One hand came up to push a pair of goggles up to his hair; the other held a sword at the ready. The man almost looked like a samurai from soon to be forgotten movies and books. A shock of white hair protruded among the black like a black ship silently pulling into harbor. He knelt near the dying embers of the fire and traced the edges of an imprint…

It was a bootprint. The woman in the tree muttered under her breath and gripped her gun tighter as the man's head turned from the ground to the sky.

Their eyes met and didn't turn away.

There was a pointed moment where the shadows engulfed them more as the sun slid further to rest in the embrace of the horizon. The man suddenly smiled and put both hands up in a gesture of peace.

"I don't want any trouble. I'm just passing through." The smile was small, warm, reminded the woman of the dying fire behind him. She lowered the gun slightly, still wary, as the man took a cautious step forward, sword held loosely in one hand.

When the woman still didn't say anything, he continued his way across the small clearing until he was stopped by her calling out to him.

"It's getting dark. Only fools wander in these parts at night."

The man's dimples grew more prominent as he replied, "Are you concerned about a stranger like me?"

The woman rolled her eyes; the action was visible even from where the man was standing as she slid her gun back into her jacket and pulled rope from her belt in one smooth motion. "I couldn't care less about you," she said as she started to tie her legs to the wide tree branch she was on with steady hands. It was clear that this wasn't the first time the woman had sought refuge in the trees.

She was tying the first of a series of knots when she finally looked back down to the man. "Now are you just going to stand there and become fodder for the walkers or do you wanna live?" Her white hair spilled out as she unwound her hair, untangling it into a wave of comfort around her.

The sun with her rose gold fingers kissed the horizon harder; the man couldn't help the growing smile on his face. He sheathed the sword and swung the entire thing, scabbard and all, onto his back as he pulled himself up into a neighboring tree. Reaching a comfortable spot that was conveniently at the same eye level as the woman, he too started tying himself to the tree.

"So are you always this nice to strangers or is it just me?" Finishing up the final touches to the ropes that would secure him, the man looked across at the woman who looked back at him, eyes inspecting one another.

Her ears were unlike his. He had a scar across his nose.

She replied, "Maybe I just have a soft spot for fools like you."

"Hey now," he bickered back, his posture relaxed. "You know it's always the fools who save the day, right? You've gotta give us more credit." His playful tone carried across the space between them and the woman couldn't resist wrinkling her nose in amusement.

"So I didn't exactly catch your name there." The man sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and the woman let out a small laugh.

"I didn't give it."

The man shifted and wrapped his jacket closer for warmth as the sun waved her rose gold fingers in farewell. "Yea but I'd like to have it."

A beat, two, passed before the woman answered, "Allura."

"Shiro," the man said in return and settled further into the tree, moss and leaves acting as a cushion.

Silence reigned as Allura did the same, trying not to think of Shiro across the way.

The sun had finally found her rest among the stars.

- Shoutout to sleapyGazelle who is always inspiring me with new ideas! I never would have thought of zombie AU on my own.

- Reviews are really appreciated! Even if it's just you telling me that you liked it! :)

- Enjoy!