Chapter 1-A Little Adventure and The Road Home
I don't own Voltron Legendary Defender. Just taking the characters out for a spin.
Thanks to Puff the Ninja for allowing me to bounce ideas off her.
Everyone ranged themselves around the cryopod inside the Black Lion. Hunk glanced around, "Is-Is he gonna be okay?"
Allura gazed at the Yellow Paladin, "Only time will tell if this body will accept Shiro's consciousness."
Lance gazed at the princess, "Is there anything we can do to help?"
Pidge brought up a holographic screen on her wrist gauntlet, "I've tried contacting the Voltron Coalition. It doesn't make any sense. There might be some distortion I'm not picking up on. Maybe we need to get into the upper atmosphere for a better signal?"
Hunk shook his head, "The Lions aren't going anywhere without recharging their power cores."
Allura folded her arms over her chest, "The battle with Lotor severely depleted them. If we had the Castle of Lions, we could recharge them, but…"
Pidge asked, "Is there another way to charge them?"
Coran crossed his arms over his chest. "They can recharge naturally given enough time and ambient energy, but that might take phoebs."
Keith looked away from the cryopod, "There's gotta be something we can do."
Coran looked up, "Well, we are on the Dalterian Belt, home to the element faunatonium. We may be able to use it as a temporary solution."
Lance stared at Coran as he scratched the back of his head, "Faunatonium?"
Coran placed his hands on his hips, "Well you see it involves gluon field fluctuations—"
Lance held up a hand as he shook his head, "You know what? Never mind. Magic or something? Sure."
Coran held up an index finger, "You're not far off. We're going to use the element to expand the energy particles within the cores. But first, we need a Yalmor."
Hunk leaned forward, "Wait, there are Yalmors on this planet?"
Coran huffed out a slight chuckle, "How do you think we find the faunatonium? Yalmors have a nose for the stuff."
Keith gazed at the other as he made a command decision, "Okay. You guys find a Yalmor and get this faunatonium stuff. I stay with Shiro."
Krolia moved up and smiled as she gazed proudly at her son.
Allura gazed at the cryopod, "I'll stay as well. I may have exhausted the limits of what I learned on Oriande, but I still might be able to help in some way."
"I'm staying too. I might not be magical like Allura, but I have to stay," Maya said as she stared at the cryopod.
"All right we'll get started," Coran replied as he ushered the others out.
Romelle stared with her blonde eyebrows squished together, "Wait, you fought Lotor, defeated him, stopped an explosion that could have destroyed reality, took your friends consciousness from the Black Lion, and put it inside his clone, and now we're simply moving on?"
Hunk gazed at her, "Trust me, I'm always saying the same thing, but these guys like to move on."
Maya heard them leave. The only concern she had right now was Shiro and Keith. She didn't exactly know what was going on, but the reading on the pod concerned her.
Allura gazed at the current Black Paladin, "He's going to be okay, Keith."
Keith glanced away for a moment as he replied, "I hope so. You can't imagine all he's done for me."
Maya snaked an arm around the current Black Paladin's waist. She was startled but happy that she could finally feel Shiro again in her mind. It was nice that she could sense him still after not being able to touch him since his disappearance and return. But knowing he'd died, she didn't want to lose him again.
Allura studied the readings, "His levels are getting dangerously low."
Krolia placed a hand on Keith's shoulder letting him know she was with him as he leaned toward the tube, "Fight. I won't give up on you."
A tear slid down Maya's face. Her heart hurt. This can't be happening again. Get him back only to lose him again?
Nimel sat on a crate behind Allura as she watched the scene play out before her. Her heart ached for the pain Maya was in.
Allura wiped at the moisture collecting in her eyes, "I'm afraid the clone body is rejecting Shiro's consciousness."
Maya stared down at Shiro's face as she sobbed. "No. Please, Shiro. Don't leave me."
Krolia pulled the Zenoxian into her arms, letting her weep.
Keith gazed at Allura, "There must be some way you can help?"
Allura shook her head, "There's nothing I can do."
Keith slammed his fist down on the pod which echoed, "Shiro, please. Fight!" He sobbed, "You can't do this to me again."
Maybe it was Keith's outburst that did it, but suddenly the pod beeped. Keith stood up.
The lid dissolved as Shiro coughed several times.
Keith with a slight smile tugging at his lips, "Shiro!"
The man's eyes opened as he stared up at the younger man, "Keith? I was dreaming. Keith… You saved me."
Keith embraced the man that was as close to him as a brother, "We saved each other."
The present Black Paladin helped the former sit up as Maya wiped her eyes and a beaming smile lit her face.
The others reentered the cargo hold of the Black Lion. Lance's eyes lit up, "Shiro's looking better. All right!"
Keith looked their way, "Where were you guys? We couldn't get ahold of you."
Lance replied, "Well, we were shrunk by a magic skunk, but we ended up by using that sparkly dust that makes electricity bigger or whatever. We used it to unshrink ourselves. So ready to charge up the Lions?"
Shiro sighed, but chuckled, "It's good to be back."
The Green Lion sat like it was at attention. A signal came from inside it. "This is Katie Holt, Paladin of the Green Voltron Lion, broadcasting to Earth. Does anyone copy? Over. I repeat this is the Paladin of the Green Lion, and part of the Voltron Coalition. If you hear me, please respond. Over."
Nimel placed a hand on the girl's shoulder as the human drew her legs up in her seat and wrapped her arms around her knees. "When we get to your planet we'll see your family again."
"I hope so, Nimel."
Pidge and Nimel rejoined the others. Shiro turned as she sat on the corner of the crate he sat on. "Were you able to contact Earth?"
She stared down at the ground, "No luck. The low power levels are probably affecting our broadcast distance. I'll keep trying as we head for Earth."
Lance smiled, "I can't believe we're finally going home."
Hunk wrapped her arms around himself, "I'm gonna hug my parents and never let go."
Pidge added, "I can't wait to see how Dad has integrated Altean and Earth technologies. I bet he came up with something amazing," she said as she grew excited. "And my mom…" her face screwed up, "Oh, she's gonna be so mad at me for running away." Her face fell, "I hope I'm not grounded."
Keith turned to Coran, "How long do you think it'll take us to get home?"
"I was calculating that now. Without the luxury of a wormhole and with diminished power cores, let me see carry the one… oh, it's gonna take us approximately one hundred and fifty thousand Earth years."
Everyone gasped while Hunk and Lance nearly freaked out.
Keith nearly shouted, "A hundred and fifty thousand years?"
Pidge glared at the royal advisor, "Coran. I think your finger counting is a little off. It's gonna be one point five years."
Everyone released a collective sigh of relief.
Maya was glad they had someone as smart as Pidge with them.
Coran laughed, "Oh, right. I didn't carry the three."
Allura frowned, "It's going to be a very long and difficult voyage, but it's our only chance to replace the Castle of Lions."
Shiro glanced down as he sounded almost wistful yet also sad, "There were times when I thought I'd never see Earth again. To be able to go back—"
Lance jumped up brimming with excitement, "Well, what are we waiting for, guys? Let's hit the space road."
Krolia said, "I suppose we need to figure out who's flying with whom."
Coran said, "And what about the animals?"
Pidge looked at him and asked, "What about them?"
Coran replied, "Well, the wolf can't go with Kaltenecker, wolves eat cows. And the cow can't be in the same area as the mice because aren't cows afraid of mice?"
Lance chuckled, but smiled, "No, elephants are afraid of mice."
"Elephants?"
"Yeah. They're giant gray animals with long noses that grab things."
Allura sounded perplexed, "Giants with long, grabbing noses? Earth seems so strange."
Keith said, "The wolf is riding with me, but that means Hunk will have to take the cow."
Hunk shook his head as he waved his hands in front of him, "Me with the cow? Not a good idea."
Maya spoke up, and her expression made her look fierce, "Wherever Shiro goes, I go."
Lance gazed at nothing as he thought about it. He focused on his leader, "Hunk's right. Keith, you're keeping the cow. Some else is gonna have to take the wolf."
Shiro, Lance, and Hunk all turned to Pidge. "Not me. I'm allergic."
Allura looked thoughtful but then smiled, "I'll take the mice."
"How come you get the smallest passengers?" Lance asked.
Hunk looked around, "I say we go old school and draw straws."
Nimel blinked a couple of times as she stared at the Yellow Paladin.
Allura deflated, "But I'm terrible at drawing."
Coran quickly agreed.
Lance preened, "Guys, you're all overthinking this. I know exactly where everyone should go."
After Lance came up with the arrangements for the lions, Maya set up cots in the Black Lion's cargo hold.
She returned to the cockpit to see a picture of the mice sleeping, but Coran's singing of the Altean alphabet was enough to get on anyone's nerves.
Lance came up on the comms, "Guys, I think I did a bad job choosing the passengers."
Keith finally got to the point he couldn't take it anymore, "That's it! We're switching passengers."
Allura quickly agreed.
Hunk asked, "Hey, why haven't we heard from Pidge?"
Lance said, "Yeah. Wait who's in her lion again?"
Keith replied, "I don't know, you're the one who came up with this grouping."
Hunk thought about it, "Well she must have— no they're with Keith. The wolf is with Allura. I have Nimel and the mice."
They touched down on the nearest oxygenated planet and quickly switched passengers.
Pidge now had Coran and Romelle. She groaned, "Oh, come on guys. This is so not fair."
Maya put her hand on Shiro's shoulder. "You should rest."
He didn't put up a fight or argument as she guided him into the cargo bay of the Black Lion and helped ease him down on one of the cots she'd set up.
For the first time since he'd disappeared, he looked at her. "Maya," his voice broke as he spoke. "I'm sorry for what the clone did to you. You didn't deserve that."
She felt the turmoil brewing inside his mind. She knelt in front of him and placed her finger to his mouth. "It's not your fault."
Moisture formed in his eyes, as he moved her hand from his face. "Every time I look at Keith now, I-I see what the clone did to him. The burn on his face. "How can either of you trust me again?"
She didn't hesitate a bit as she wrapped her arms around him. "We love you, Shiro," she replied as she hugged him tightly. "We'll never leave you," she whispered in his ear.
As she released him, she said, "You should rest now, and stop thinking. Everything will be okay."
He nodded as he lay down on the cot. "Thank you," his voice was soft as he closed his eyes.
Maya and Shiro joined Krolia and Keith in the cockpit of the Black Lion. An alert appeared on the screen.
Krolia stared at it for a couple of ticks, "This is the Klii-Nyn System. There's a Blade of Marmora rally point located on a moon here. We should check in with them and get an update on operations."
Maya went back to the cargo bay and changed into her armor. She hung her weapons belt around her waist.
She returned as Keith said, "Team, we're going to make a quick stop. Everyone follow me."
As the Lions neared the rally point, Krolia spoke into the comm, "Hailing Zailox Station. Please respond. Repeat Zailox Station. Please respond."
Static answered her hails.
The Lions landed on the station.
Maya gazed at Keith, "I'll stay here with Shiro."
Keith nodded, "If anything happens contact me over the comms."
"I will be careful."
After the Paladins entered the base, the proximity alarm went off in the Black Lion. She brought up the screen, but she was just a tick slower as Coran came over comm's, "Enemy ship incoming!"
The Paladins returned to their Lions and took off chased by Galra fighters. They flew into a cloaked Xanthorium crystal minefield.
The Cosmic wolf for whatever reason began to distribute the passengers around. Depositing Coran in the Black Lion.
The Black Lion flew directly into one of the cloaked crystals. Maya threw an arm across Shiro holding him safe from the bouncing around as Coran was thrown down onto the floor plating.
Three of the Galra fighters combined their beams firing at the Lions. Their targets were able to avoid the blast.
Keith, as the head of Voltron, came to a quick decision, "We have no choice. Everyone into the cyclone. Hunk that means you and I are gonna have to push a hole through the storm and create a path for the team. You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
The forces inside the storm shook the Lions. They scanned the area for anywhere they could use for cover.
Pidge spoke up, "There's a volcanic ice planet nearby. It has geysers, steam vents, ice tunnels, extreme changes in temperature and an unstable core. It's super dangerous. It's perfect."
Keith replied, "Okay, team, let's do this."
Maya smiled as she felt the pride that radiated from Shiro seeing how Keith had become the leader he knew he could be.
They exited the cyclone and entered the atmosphere of the volcanic ice planet with the Galra fighters hot on their tails.
As the Lions dove into an ice canyon Keith said, "All right, everybody stay in formation and follow me."
Hunk hollered, "Geyser! Geyser!" as some of the Galra lasers struck the walls of the canyon and water spewed out.
Lance dodged some of the shots aimed at the Red Lion. "Ha! You missed."
The Galra lasers struck an overhang causing ice to fall as Shiro seemed to come back to himself a little, "Watch out for falling ice."
As dangerous ice chunks fell in front of the Black Lion Keith's eyes spotted something that might help them. "A cave. That gives me an idea," he said. "Lance, bring up the rear when everyone's through the tunnel, fire above the cave opening. Red should be fast enough to get in before the avalanche completely blocks the way."
"Roger that, team leader."
"We'll see each other on the other side."
Maya hoped Keith's plan would work. She closed her eyes as she silently prayed for Lance.
Lance said, "Uh-oh! Some of them still made it through."
Keith said, "Split up, we need to thin our attackers."
An icon showed up on one of the Black Lion's display screens showing contact with the hull. Shiro said, "He's trying to break in. I'll take care of him."
"No," both Maya and Krolia said at the same time.
Krolia continued, "You're still recovering. I'll do it."
"All right," Shiro replied reluctantly.
Keith yelled, "Wait!" He pulled out his knife from its sheath. "Take this," he held it out for her.
She took it and ran off with it.
Coran turned, "I'll help, too." He raced after her.
Keith hollered, "Hang on!" as he sent the Black Lion into a series of barrel rolls.
Keith asked, "Is everyone okay?"
Hunk replied, "Clear."
Allura added, "Me too, thanks to Romelle."
Pidge and Lance got away from their attackers with the help of the Cosmic wolf.
The Lion's escaped the cave only to be caught in a tractor beam. Instead of the normal tractor beam pulling them up, this one pushed the Lions down pinning them to the ground.
