no chatter, only story this time :3 excuse any jumping points T.T

Mother lions incoming ^^

Mention of Olkari and Pidge connecting deeper with Green so about some time after S2E4 'Greening The Cube'.


~Chapter 2 - Bonds and Take Downs~

Keith.

Little cub.

Keith sat up rubbing his eyes and looked around his room to find who spoke but found it empty and so he stood up and put on his boots and walked past the mirror, backtracked and snorted at the complete mess his mullet was. "Lance would have died if he saw me right now. Now where was the comb or brush?" Keith looked around and got his bed-hair sorted out.

Kieth.

"Red? Wait you can talk?!"

Our bond has a telepathic link as well. It makes our partnership equally tighter.

"I was so sure you would make a fire related pun in that sentence but okay." He made his way to her hanger and found her in sphinx pose and lowered her head to him. Where we are going you will need your armor. We have to be fast before Black catches on and you know who else would catch on? Keith nodded and soon he was in the pilot seat taking the controls and silently they left the Castle of Lions. "Red where are we going really? In the middle of the night?" He air quoted 'night' and waited for a response.

As Paladins you are also bound to an element. Ours is that of fire-

"Oh joy, more proof I'm a hot head."

-Laughter- And I wouldn't have my Paladin any other way. Do not get me wrong, Alfor was a great friend and Paladin and we Lions owe him much for making us. And while we shared a trait or two it isn't like you and I right now. You humans picked up our links far quicker then the Paladins of Old. Black as you can understand is more cautious with her link as Zarkon most likely still has a connection.

"Coran mention something about that. I'm guessing this is a long flight so why not tell me more about the old paladins?"


Shiro bolted into Red's hanger to find it empty and Black roaring in the back of his mind in what could only be panic. He had woken up from a nightmare and had gone to talk to Keith about it but found his room empty, his red jacket hanging on the wall, went to see if he was in the training deck but it was empty, ran to find his armor missing and now found Red's hanger empty. Shiro ran his hands through his fringe and took deep breaths.

"Okay okay let's not wake the whole Castle up yet. Keith loves flying, he probably couldn't sleep and training clearly didn't do anything... Uh... Oh who am I kidding I'm about to lose it!" He threw his hands up and Black growled.

Red is impulsive but this is just ridiculous! And her Paladin equally so! Get your armor so we can find them and wake the Castle. I hope you have a good lecture thought out because I will certainly give Red one.

"I'm getting the feeling you lions are leaning more to the mother side right about n-"

Now Takashi!"

Shiro grinned as he jogged to get get changed and before he used the exit to Black's hanger he woke up the Castle. "Everyone get up. Reds have left the Castle." That must have been the fastest they had ever moved because they arrived in armor and headed for their hangers, Lance yelling the whole time about Keith being nuts, reckless and hothead. Allura was almost red with fury and Coran tried to lock on to Red. Shiro got into Black and they deployed from the Castle following Coran's lock on and Shiro finally muted Lance.

Instead Pidge appeared. "Any quiznaking idea why Keith would leave?!"

"Just because I've known Keith before Kerberos doesn't mean I always know how he acts and when. Besides I've been away for a year, he may not be the same Keith I knew." Pidge slowly deflated at that. "Yes you're right. I'm sorry I forgot what you've been through. Heck your arm should be enough reminder but-"

"Uh Pidge? Rambling." Hunk warned and Pidge blushed. "Gah! Curse my random talking!" Shiro chuckled as her feed closed and Hunk smiled with a shrug. "Well she was suddenly called out of bed and into a chase so I think we can forgive her." "I'm not mad Pidge." Shiro called out and her feed appeared again, her face almost pink. Lance appeared with a pout and Shiro cringed.

"Sorry Lance, forgot I muted you. I'm guessing you have an input?"

Lance crossed his arms and sighed. "Well yes but- Blue told me she may know what Red is up to. She thinks this is Red's way of bonding with Keith outside of battle but of course Red can't pick a more reasonable time for it."

I told you. Red is rash. She acts more then she plans.

"Like Keith then."

"Sorry?"

"Replied to Black who says Red acts before planning. Kinda like Keith."

"Geez alright! Point made already!"

Red was on an asteroid that moved into their view and her yellow eyes locked on them like they were more prey then hunters. Black growled at her and Shiro felt the anger rage through. "Okay Black let's not slag them before we hear them out?" He pleaded for Keith hoping to get his friend back in one piece. Red suddenly took off towards the planet below and they scattered.

"Whoa! Where is Red going?!" Pidge cried out from Green's cute upside down state. Hunk looked out the window and saw them enter the planet's atmosphere. "Um... Entering the planet's atmosphere but they aren't burning up."

Allura appeared in view. "That is because the Red Lion is built to resist heat. You could say it is Fire rela-"

"Ah yes that make very much sense now! King Alfor built the Lion with an Element in mind! We know Pidge is Forest thanks to the Olkari helping them connect, Lance felt faster underwater with Blue. Red must be trying to deepen their bond by going to a more fire related planet!" Coran appeared in view and the Paladins blinked at him.

"Oookay so Red was actually planning." Lance spoke up and then grinned. "Hey Shiro? What is Black's re-"

Black roared loud and angry enough to make the others hide behind asteroids. All Shiro could do was to hold his hands up in a don't shoot pose and gulp. "Uuuh..." Was all he could get out and Blue appeared her hiding spot. "Yeah okay we get it. Reds are still slagged!" Lance chuckled nervously.


Keith listened to Red's tale when the radio picked up chatter and he realized it was Voltron. "Well, I think they found out we were gone." He hid behind an asteroid and slowly their temper ticked down as team Voltron kept talking about the two making rash choices.

And Blue was not rash for bringing you light years from Earth without warning?

"Hold that comment until we're done. This the planet?"

It is one of the more fire related planets we were near. I thought now was a good enough time as any. Don't want the last place do you?

"So long as you convince Black not to stomp me." Keith replied deadpanned and Red laughed. He turned on the leg thrusters and barked into the radio. "Geez alright! Point made already!" The asteroid moved them into view and they heard Shiro speak up.

"Okay Black let's not slag them before we hear them out?"

Red however now took control and took off from the asteroid and down to the planet. Keith gripped the controls looking over his shoulder. "Are you nuts?! Black is going to shred us for this!" He yelled as they entered the atmosphere like a meteor. Black would listen yes but not likely understanding. Her element is Air-"

"In human terms air gives fuel to fire!"

Oooh! So that is what Shiro is to you?

Keith was almost darker then red at that point turning on his helmet and blacked the screen to hide his embarrassment. Red was so taking the mother thing seriously and she loved to see him so flustered, he didn't even defend himself!

I did not hear any back talking? She pressed on and felt him wanting to bale out of the cockpit before he exploded with embarrassment. They entered the planet that mostly made up of volcanoes, lava pools and rivers and rocky land patches. Red swung around to look and saw the other Lions enter as well.

"Keith! What are you doing?!"

"Come on Mullet... Stop playing games!"

"Coran how much heat can the Red Lion stand?!"

"Keith... Keith please stop this!"

Deactivating the black screen Keith looked at them and then at the pools below. "You're going to dive right in aren't you? Sure I want to connect with you but Shiro would probably either get more white haired or have a heart attack!" He couldn't deny the strength he felt being near the fire related theme but he wasn't that rash. He wanted to tell Shiro how this place felt and calm him... Red dove straight down into a pool and the lava rose on the impact. Keith could hear the radio explode with screams from the team and the Lions roar. Coran was freaking out and Red made the radio crackle and then made it appear like it had gone out. Keith could hear the team panic and could only imagine Shiro right now.

"So we're in a pool of lava, we just gave them heart attacks or strokes and I can feel how much strong I am in this... But there's something you haven't told me?"

...Yes. You saw the large mountain when we arrived did you not? I felt Galra there. There's a hidden base on this planet.

"Aaand you want to take it out by going the lava way? Can we at least tell the others? Have them nuke out on the Galra and not us?"

Oh fine. Radio works now.

Keith smiled and breathed out. "Guys... Guys I'm fine. Red felt a Galra base in the largest mountain. We're taking them by surprise from the lava and no this was not my idea Red moved on her on accord!"

"Keith... Oh thank the-"

"Dude I can't decide who wants to kill you first! Black or her Paladin!"

"Don't ever scare us like that stupid! Just because my biological brother is missing doesn't mean I want any of my found brothers dead!"

"Wait what?"

"Seriously?"

"...Oh can it you two..."

"Piiidge!"

Keith huffed a quiet laugh when a private feed appeared of Shiro, eyes red rimmed and his arm going down like he had just wiped the tears. "Keith you- Please don't even do that again! At least tell me what you're planning to do!" "Shiro I'm sorry I- Red was acting before I know what was going on! I didn't want to scare you that badly! We're close to the surface now. Galra flight hanger... Guess they couldn't make anything that withstood lava. Hanger doors all over the ceiling... And tanks of that glowing stuff again. Purple instead of yellow being loaded to a ship..."

Shiro wiped his eyes again and took a deep breath to try and fall into leader mode again. "So another processing station, that means there must be a druid nearby too. Let's cue up with the others... We'll try talk in private later."

"I'm getting grounded aren't I?"

"Well let's see I'm 7 years older and Coran is I don't know what but yes you are so grounded. Allura might slag you in training for this stunt so yes you are so getting grounded and punished for this!"

"Lovely." Keith sighed as he switched to the team channel to hear Shiro explain what they had talked about, he gave them a heads up that a ship was leaving the hanger now and Hunk called out that the ground split up. "Let me know when to wreak havoc or should I make another try to get that quin-thingy?"

"Not with a druid nearby. I heard you tried once before."

Keith pouted at the giggles he heard from the Garrison trio and hung his head. "Matt would agree with me!"

"And then I would punch him after grounding you." Shiro shot back and Keith was bone deep sure Shiro was grinning when he said it and that had really happened before! Shiro had given Keith 2 extra assignments as punishment and Matt had been dragged to Sam who laughed at the grin Shiro had on his face. Red growled him back to the present when alarms blared and sure enough a druid stepped out to see what was going on, from the open hanger doors Keith saw Blue fly around and freezing fliers left and right and then Yellow would smack into them.

He caught sight of Black making a large tear in the ship's hull and Green zipping past. Keith checked Red's vitals to see how long they could stay in the lava and so far it showed nothing, Red growled in his mind as more fliers were taken out. "Yeah I think this is their way of united punishment and then individual ones await back at the Castle." More fliers left the hanger and Keith saw that there was plenty of them.

"Hmm... You said we are connected to the fire element. Can we rise the lava and destroy them? Any prisoners here?"

Yes, yes and no.

With a smile Keith closed his eyes and concentrated. Visualizing an empty rock pool slowly fill up from the bottom with lava and Red's eyes flared up as the lava around them rose up and from the other points, the force field around those spots appearing and going out flooding the place, sentries turning just to be destroyed and the druid taking off in a cloud of black smoke. Keith could hear the Team over the radio.

"Uh guys! The lava is rising!"

"Is it Keith?!"

"It has to be! Look in the hanger! The floor is gone!"

"But there's none by the control room! Pidge I think he wants you to hack into it."

"In that heat?! No can do!"

Keith finally saw through Red's eyes and flew to the control room's window and there was nothing but the controls for the bay doors, similar to the one in the Balmera. "Just bay door controls." He reported and Red looked down. "Shall I flood the place?"

"We're done up here with the Galra ship. Lance broke into one and snagged a tank of purple quintessence, Hunk a yellow one. Get out here Keith!"

Red shoot up in a gazer of lava and joined the others. Lance appeared on a feed looking out the window.

"Geez dramatic exit much?"

"Sorry. And I'm sorry for taking off like that guys. I didn't meant to-"

"We will speak later Keith." Allura appeared on their screens and Keith could feel the hair on his neck stand as her eyes seemed to want to freeze him solid.


On the bridge was Allura and Coran waiting for them when they arrived after changing out of armor and as the others took their seats Shiro stayed beside Coran as Allura walked up to Keith who was staring down the floor, his violet eyes tired and filled with fear. Shiro wanted to comfort him but the princess had higher status then him right now.

"Please explain your actions tonight Keith. We have time so make it a long one if you can. Short answers are not tolerated right now." Allura said as she stopped before him.

Keith closed his eyes and started telling them how Red woke him up and how they left the Castle for the planet, how Red had passed most of the flight telling him about the Paladin's of Old and when the others caught up, how Red shot to the planet and they dove into the lava scaring them to death, how they discovered the Galra base inside the large mountain and how they worked to take it out and that they had samples with them now in Blue and Yellow's hangers and finished off with that.

There wasn't much emotions in his voice as he spoke but his hands had clenched several times and Shiro couldn't help but think that if Keith didn't have the gloves on his palms would have bled by now. Allura stood quiet for a dubosh and frowned. "Please return to your quarters for now Keith. I will not have another run off for tonight." Keith turned and left the bridge and half a dubosh passed before Allura turned to Shiro.

"Can you back up your end of this event? How did you discover he was gone?"

"Nightmare. Keith offered to hear me out if I had them so I decided to take up on it this time, other times I tried to clear my mind of them and go back to sleep. Anyway I checked his room and found it empty and tried the training deck but couldn't find him there either so I checked the armors and only found ours there and bolted for Red's hanger. Red was gone, I nearly panicked and Black was pissed about it so I changed and called everyone out and we took off after Red, caught up and suddenly Red shot towards the planet, Coran told us about the elemental bonds and we followed to see her hover over a lava pool. We called over the radio and I swear I got a heart attack seeing Red nose dive into the lava and the knowledge of Red's fire resistance just left my head." Shiro tapped his head and let his arm fall back to his side.

"The radio crackled a bit before nothing and we got more nervous thinking Red did have a heat limit after all. Pidge scanned several times, Hunk and Lance were mute and frozen and- I tried to not dive in myself to fish them out." Allura remained quiet before sighing. "We'll speak more about this later. If you wish to have a word to Keith feel free to do so. Shiro only, the rest of your will have your turns. Message him if you can't hold it."

The Paladins left the bridge and Shiro went to Keith's room to find him where he had wanted to find him the first time tonight, in his bed staring up at the ceiling or asleep. Keith turned to find Shiro there and for once he turned his back to him. "I don't want to talk about it any more..."

"That makes two of us... All this started because I had a nightmare and went to you to talk about it. Can't say it made my mind calmer not finding you anywhere on the ship." Shiro stepped in and sat by the end of the bed and by then Keith had turned and sat up.

"What? A flashback?" Keith had long figured out Shiro had PTSD and was glad he had memorized everything about it should he one day find Shiro. The older Paladin nodded and then he realized the question and shook his head.

"No. Funnily enough it was about you and fire... But you didn't come back and Red was trapped by a tractor beam, you having been thrown out when an ion blast took out most of Red's face hull... And..." Shiro's breathing was a little faster now and Keith dove for him, his chin resting on Shiro's head. "I'm here. I'm so sorry I wasn't here to calm you the first time... I'll ask Red not to repeat this again... And I promise to be here when you need me..."

Shiro slowly lifted his arms and rested his forehead on Keith's wonderfully breathing chest. "I still have to ground you for this stunt."

Keith groaned a laugh and held on until they rearranged for bed and woke up still holding each other.


heck this one got long o.O

but i hope you enjoy it o/ and i'm sorry if there's any mistakes, as i said i tend to get ideas at night and even if i edit before post i re-read it later and find mistakes