"I can find you anywhere."

Keith jackknifed upright, his eyes struggling to interpret what they were seeing. Everything seemed disjointed and blurry and he vaguely recognized the healing pods in the center of the med bay, but it was as if his mind was still trapped in a dream. He couldn't be sure if what he was seeing was real.

The sound of the door opening had him stumbling to his bare feet. As he raised his fists the room spun around him and he felt himself tipping sideways, the floor sliding away beneath him.

"Whoa, easy!" Shiro materialized at his side, steady hands keeping him from face planting as he guided him back to the edge of the bed. Keith gladly sat down as the world continued titling around him.

"Hey, you with me?" Shiro asked, hands still gripping his shoulders.

"I'm alright," Keith grumbled, batting Shiro's hands away. "What happened?"

Shiro kept close by as he surveyed Keith with a concerned look. "You were supposed to be asleep. I leave you alone for five minutes and come back to find you trying to make a run for it."

"I don't remember how I got here," Keith admitting, glancing around.

"Maybe you should try to get more rest," suggested Shiro. Keith wracked his brain for any recollection of what had happened, but it was all a jumbled mess. The headache wasn't helping.

Shiro noticed his confusion. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Keith replied automatically, unsure of how true that was. His head was pounding and his vision kept flickering, but he wasn't aware of any other injuries.

"You've got a concussion," Shiro explained. "Some dizziness and confusion is normal." Keith opened his mouth to ask how the hell he got a concussion when Pidge's voice echoed through the castle's intercom.

"Allura is ready to make the wormhole jump to the coordinates you gave us. Is Keith still sleeping?" they asked.

"He's awake, we'll be on the bridge in a minute," Shiro replied.

"Tell mullet head I'm glad his hair protected him!" Lance chimed in.

"Everyone's been worried about you," Shiro chuckled, holding out his hand. Keith took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, shaking off the worsening headache. He spotted his armor and boots sitting on a nearby chair and quickly pulled them on. There was no way he would let his team fight against Zarkon without him.

"You sure you're feeling okay?" Shiro asked as they walked down the hall towards the bridge.

"Getting there," Keith admitted. "What coordinates was Pidge talking about?"

Shiro flexed his robotic arm. "I had a dream or a memory, I'm not sure. Someone helped me escape the Galra and when I had Pidge check there were coordinates uploaded into my arm's hardware. We decided to go check it out."

"Wait, go check it out?" Keith demanded, stopping in his tracks. "It could be a trap!"

"Allura said the same thing," Shiro said, turning to face him. "But we have to know if we have allies out there, willing to help us fight against Zarkon. And there was this image I kept seeing that I swear I've seen before."

"What image?"

Shiro pulled out a scrap of paper and handed it to Keith with a small drawing of what looked like an ancient glyph. And every argument that Keith had been preparing to force Shiro to see that going to some mysterious coordinates was a bad idea died in his throat. Because he KNEW that symbol.

"What is it?" Shiro asked as Keith reached behind him and pulled out his dagger, etched with the same symbol on the hilt. Slowly he handed it to Shiro and watched as he compared the dagger and the drawing and realization dawned.

"How do you have this?" he asked, looking at Keith.

Keith swallowed, trying to think of a way to explain that would make any sense. "My dad told me it was my mom's, but I...I don't know how she could be connected to whoever saved you."

Shiro handed the dagger back and Keith quickly tucked it into its scabbard strapped to the back of his belt.

"Please just don't tell the others until we find out more," Keith begged.

Shiro gently placed his hand on Keith's shoulder. "When you're ready, we'll tell them," he promised.

Keith nodded, trying to stay optimistic. On one hand they would hopefully meet some allies to help them save the universe and he might finally learn more about his mother. Or it could be a trap and his mom might not be the wonderful person his father had always told him she was. His dad had died before giving him any real details about her, and he was always vague whenever Keith asked where she had gone to.

Reluctantly Keith followed Shiro onto the bridge.

"Since we don't know what to expect I've raised the particle barrier," Coran said, watching his monitors while Allura guided the castle through the wormhole. Hunk, Pidge and Lance were already in their battle positions, each turning when they heard Shiro and Keith approach.

"How are you feeling?" Pidge asked, looking at Keith.

"Better," he replied. He felt his face warming having everyone staring at him but as the castle exited the wormhole thankfully their attention was diverted.

"What is that?" asked Hunk. Two black holes circled a giant blue star with a small asteroid nestled in the very middle, the coordinates guiding them straight towards it.

Lance shook his head. "This must be a joke."

"We are NOT going in there!" Allura said.

"We have to go! There is no other option!"

All eyes were once again on Keith. Even he was amazed he had voiced his opinion so resolutely. Normally it was easier to stay near the back, blend in and not be too vocal rather than have everyone looking at him like they were currently…

"Geez calm down," Lance said, motioning downward with his hands.

"We're being hailed!" Coran shouted.

"Open a frequency," ordered Shiro, watching Coran enter the command into his monitor. "We are the paladins of Voltron, sent here by Ulaz."

For a tense moment it was quiet. Then, "Four may enter. Come unarmed."

"Unarmed?" Allura demanded as the communications link with the base ended. "This doesn't feel right."

"We didn't come all this way just to give up now," Shiro said, turning to look at the others. "Lance, Keith, and Pidge will go with me in the red lion, since it can withstand the heat from that sun. Hunk, you stay on guard here with Allura and Coran."

"I'll hold down the fort," Hunk agreed.

"They just sent us a route to the base, but we'll have to be quick about it. It's only open for another varga then it closes for two quintants," Coran said.

"They're gonna close it for two years?" asked Lance incredulously.

"Two days," Pidge corrected.

"Oh."

"Be careful!" Allura warned. "Once the route closes we won't be able to help you if something goes wrong."

"This is cozy," Keith grumbled as Shiro, Lance and Pidge crowded around him while they flew towards the base. His head was hurting worse than before but he refused to mention that, not when he was so close to finally getting some answers about his mom.

"Are we sure this is the right place?" Lance asked after they landed. Keith turned to snap at him when a doorway in the side of the asteroid opened before them and two masked guards stepped out.

"Looks like it," said Shiro.

They were led into the base, passing numerous closed doors and branching hallways. It had seemed much smaller from the outside. Finally they entered what appeared to be a large gathering hall where more guards stood at attention. Keith noticed they all wore the same mask and armor, including the leader standing at the top of the steps in front of them.

"I am Kolivan, leader of the Blade of Marmora."

"My name's Shiro, and this is Keith, Lance and Pidge. We are paladins of Voltron."

"I know who you are," Kolivan said. "Ulaz should not have divulged this base's location to you. He had a tendency to ignore orders and always followed his impulses. That's what got him killed."

"He gave his life to save us!" Shiro argued. "He brought us here, and Voltron is ready to assist you in your fight against Zarkon. Are we welcome here or not?"

"You were told to come unarmed," Kolivan said as one of the guards standing behind Keith grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, slamming him down onto the ground and unsheathing his dagger.

"Keith!"

"He has one of our blades. Who did you steal this from?" the guard demanded, pressing down harder on Keith's arm.

"I didn't steal it! My father gave it to me," Keith replied.

"Liar!"

Keith fought to stay calm as the weight on his arm and back increased. "He said it belonged to my mother."

"We can't trust them," the guard declared, looking at Kolivan.

"I saw Ulaz had a knife like this. Tell me what it means," Keith begged, looking up at Kolivan.

"Our organization is built on secrecy and trust. If your father claims the blade belonged to your mother then she should give you the answers you seek," Kolivan replied.

"She left when I was a baby!" Keith shouted, growling in frustration. He would never in a million years share such personal information with his teammates, let alone complete strangers, but he had to gain their trust somehow.

"We came here to form an alliance but obviously we're not welcome. Let him go and we'll leave," Shiro said.

The guard released Keith and he slowly rose to his feet, holding his bruised arm. He glared up at Kolivan. "I'm not leaving without some answers."

He could feel Shiro, Lance and Pidge staring at him but he didn't care. "Somehow one of your knives ended up with me on planet Earth. Tell me how. Did you know my mother?"

"Your friend is right, you should go," Kolivan said, turning to leave.

"Who was she? I have to know!"

Kolivan stopped, slowly turning to look back at Keith. "You seek knowledge? There is only one way to attain knowledge here."

"I'll do it!"

"Should you survive the trials, you may keep the blade and its secrets will be revealed," Kolivan explained.

"Survive? Keith, this is crazy! If they're not going to help us we should get out of here," Shiro said, grabbing Keith's shoulder.

"I can't leave. I have to do this," Keith said, looking from Shiro to Pidge and Lance. He hoped they would understand.

"The trials result in only one of two things : knowledge or death."

"I guess I really wasn't supposed to go through that door," Keith mumbled, holding his left arm stable as his shoulder throbbed. After exiting the chute he'd expected to be faced with more fighters but thankfully the hallway was empty.

Crouching low, he pulled his arms in tight against his body as he fought to calm his breathing. Panicking wouldn't help him, and if he stopped the trials he might never know who his mother really was.

"Hey," Shiro said, causing Keith to jerk to his feet. Shiro, Lance, Pidge and Hunk were there, all smiling at him.

"You can do this!"

"We're all here for you!"

"Don't quit now!"

"His suit has the programming to create a virtual mindscape, reflecting the wearer's strongest desire or fear. And at this moment, your friend desperately wants to see you," Kolivan explained to Shiro, Pidge and Lance as they stood in front of a large monitor watching Keith talk to their holographic doppelgangers.

"You're messing with his head!" Lance objected, glaring at Kolivan. "How is that a fair fight?"

More fighters filled Keith's hallway while the team's holograms vanished. Keith looked stricken for a moment as he realized he was alone before he lifted his knife and prepared to fight.

"We've seen enough, you need to stop this," Shiro demanded.

Kolivan looked at him, his expression unreadable through his mask. "Knowledge or death."

Keith began fighting the latest wave of fighters, pushing his body well past its limit. It was obvious he was exhausted and injured, his left arm hanging useless at his side and blood coating the right side of his face from a deep cut on his forehead. But he would not stop. He couldn't. He HAD to know who his mother was, even if it killed him.

Everything slowed down to the swinging of his blade and staying upright. Nothing else mattered.

Slash.

Stab.

Duck.

Slash.

Dive.

Kick.

Block.

Each thrust made his arm burn and his chest ache, but Keith refused to stop.

Suddenly the base shook and dust fell from the ceiling.

"What was that?" Pidge asked, glancing around fearfully.

A guard raced into the room. "The red lion is attacking our base!"

Kolivan whirled on them. "Call off your beast!"

"The red lion has a link with Keith, it knows when he's in danger. It's coming for him!" Shiro explained, gesturing at the monitor where they watched as Keith slowly grew weaker.

"He won't stop, no matter what. And if something happens to him, his lion will destroy your entire base," Lance said.

Kolivan and Shiro watched each other in silence before Kolivan looked at the guard still standing in the door.

"End the trials."

Shiro, Lance and Pidge didn't wait for Kolivan's permission before racing from the observation deck towards the sound of fighting, knowing that's where Keith would be.

Keith staggered, his eyesight going black around the edges. Something was wrong. All of the fighters had stopped and were standing around him, their heavy breathing the only sound in the room.

"Keith!" Shiro called. Keith turned, surprised to see Shiro, Lance and Pidge running towards him. He couldn't tell if they were real or imaginary like last time but as his knees hit the floor he hoped someone really was coming for him.

"It's okay, we've got you," Shiro said, he and Lance pulling Keith to his feet. Shiro wrapped his arm around Keith's side to avoid his injured shoulder while Lance pulled his other arm around his neck and Pidge held their bayard out and ready.

"Red is attacking the base, can you make her stop?" Lance asked, looking at him.

Keith nodded. So that was what she was doing. She had been progressively growing more and more agitated over the course of his fight, but he had tried ignoring her as the trial continued. Maybe that had been a mistake.

"Red? Hey girl, I'm okay. Just a little banged up. You can stop trying to kill everyone now," he said telepathically, hoping she would listen.

"We need to get out of here," Shiro said as they hurried from the room. Keith wanted to ask where they were going and if this was part of the trial but his thoughts kept slipping away before he could speak. He tried to stay awake as they followed numerous hallways back to the main entrance, where Kolivan and two guards stood waiting for them.

"He doesn't look happy," Pidge said as they approached.

"Your beast has stopped their attack. The trial may commence, if you wish."

"We're leaving," Shiro said, tightening his grip around Keith's waist.

"Wait, no, I can't leave!" Keith shouted, trying to weakly pull away from Shiro and Lance to no avail.

"Without finishing the trial, you will not be granted knowledge about your mother," Kolivan said, looking directly at Keith. "We can not answer your questions."

"I have to know!" Keith argued, mortified as he felt hot tears splash down his cheeks.

"Keith, this knowledge isn't worth your life," Shiro said softly. "We'll find it another way."

"I have to know," Keith cried, the tears falling harder. He was so close, he couldn't give up. Kolivan nodded once at Shiro and then they were walking outside, back towards red, but Keith didn't stop fighting to break free from his friends tight grips.

"It's okay," Lance murmured as they climbed the ramp into red and gently lowered him onto the floor behind the pilot's seat. As red lifted off Pidge knelt beside him, repeating that he was going to be alright.

Keith pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face. Even though the position tore at his aching ribs and made his head pound and shoulder throb even worse than before. Even though he knew it was futile nearly dying for information about a mom he had never met and didn't even know. Even though it wouldn't help him find her. He wanted nothing more than to return to the Blade and seek the knowledge he so desperately wanted.

In the background Lance and Shiro were talking quietly. Allura and Coran's voices soon joined the noise bouncing around inside his head, but Keith couldn't focus on any of them. All he could handle was the shattered heart thumping wildly in his chest.

He had failed.

The flight back to the castle was short. Before the ramp was even fully opened Keith was stumbling to his feet and out of his lion. Shiro was calling his name but he ignored him, needing to put as much distance between himself and the others as possible before he completely lost it.

He was nearly out of the hangar when someone grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. He tried shaking them off but he nearly blacked out as the movement pulled at his shoulder which began pulsing with renewed vigor. Then there were hands gripping either side of his face and Shiro was there and he couldn't breathe…

"Hey, it's okay," Shiro soothed. "Just breathe. Come on, you gotta calm down."

Keith tried to do as he was told, fighting against the well of despair threatening to engulf him. He recognized that soft tone, the one that sounded like Shiro was talking to a wounded animal. It was the same one he'd used on Keith when they first met and he felt cornered. It was what had broken through the fog of confusion.

Now all it did was make his heart break a bit more. Because as Keith mourned his mom he was holding onto the only brother he'd ever had. The only one that ever believed in him, that made him feel like he wasn't a waste of time. That he had potential and was a valuable member of the team.

"Nice and slow."

Slowly the panic ebbed leaving Keith weaker than before. He wanted to tell Shiro he was fine but once again Shiro had wrapped an arm around his waist as he guided him towards the infirmary. Soon enough he was being deposited back onto one of the beds against the far wall while Pidge, Allura and Coran argued nearby.

"What's wrong?" Keith asked after Allura shouted something about humans and their barbarism.

"The pods still aren't functional, so we might have to use some good 'ol fashioned Earth style first aid to patch you up," Shiro explained. Hunk and Lance approached with a box of what appeared to be never before used medical supplies.

"This is all the castle has," Hunk said, setting the box down on the chair beside Keith.

"We'll have to make do with that then," Shiro said, rifling through it. He looked at Keith. "We don't have any anesthesia so you'll feel every bit of this, but your head definitely needs stitches and your shoulder might too."

"Just do it," Keith huffed resignedly. Using his one good arm he scooted himself further back onto the bed, his legs stretched out in front of him. Lance and Hunk helped cut off the ruined fight suit that Kolivan had given him while Shiro pulled out a roll of gauze and a needle and thread.

"Allura, do you have anything we could use for disinfectant?" Shiro asked, glancing over at the princess.

"I think we might have something like that, one tic," Coran said before hurrying over to the other side of the room.

"Oh man," Hunk groaned, looking green. Keith turned his head to try and see how badly his shoulder was damaged but he couldn't at that angle.

"That's...bad," Lance whistled. Keith glared at him.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Allura asked as she and Pidge joined them. "This seems so counterproductive."

"The pods aren't working, and without them he's at risk of infection or blood loss. Stitching the wounds closed will help the healing process. It's what we do on Earth since we don't have any magic," Pidge explained. Allura opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to object, but then she saw his shoulder and her argument died. Then Coran was there with the antiseptic.

"Alright Keith, just try to stay as still as possible," Shiro instructed as he poured some disinfectant onto his hands then the needle and thread before splashing more onto Keith's shoulder. Hunk and Lance stepped forward to hold down his legs while Coran took hold of his uninjured shoulder and Pidge stood at the ready with the supplies. Allura stepped forward, tightly gripping Keith's elbow and forearm so as to give Shiro as much working space as possible.

"This is gonna hurt," Shiro warned. Keith nodded once, mouth gone dry. He almost wished for something to bite down on when the needle slid into the inflamed skin of his shoulder. He groaned, his active nerve endings sparking.

"Keep breathing," Allura said, rubbing his arm with her thumb. Keith tried to do as he was told but the pain was worsening and he could feel himself teetering on the edge of unconsciousness as Shriro threaded the needle through his skin yet again. He hissed, closing his eyes as he waited for the pain to subside.

A third stitch and Keith's head was tipping back against the wall, his breathing ragged. A fourth stitch and he could feel the hot and cold waves lapping over his body. A fifth stitch and the ringing in his ears was deafening, drowning out the sound of his friends around him.

"Almost done," Shiro said, his voice coming from a great distance. Keith wanted to say he was fine but the sixth and final stitch sent him careening into the darkness and he knew no more.