Disclaimer: WEP still owns Voltron...
Beta: Thanks again Dawn!
This is the fourth installment in my "Chivalry arc. 1. Chivalry, 2. Lion House Restored (2A. LHR - Allura's POV), 3. Doomed Quest, and 4. Alternate Choices.
Rating/Setting: Rating is T bordering M in some chapters. Nothing graphic or overly violent. The setting for this is rather unusual once the quest begins. It shall truly be AU in nature... just read and see.
Chapter Four
It was a week before he had another vision, but it occurred at a very inopportune time – Lion practice.
"Okay team, let's try high altitude dives to simulate falling. Our goal is to be flying parallel to the ground when we reach the 1,000 meters mark." Keith heard his teammates' affirmative answers and they began taking turns with the dives. Each pilot went as close to the 1,000 meter mark as they could before pulling out of the dive. All had made it so far.
"Okay, Chief, your turn," Lance called out. "See if you can get closer to the mark before pulling out than I did."
Laughing, Keith responded, "You're on, hot shot." The Black Lion shot high in the sky and hovered for a moment before beginning its high speed descent toward the surface. As the Lion picked up speed, Keith felt that familiar feeling steal over him. He managed to start a deceleration sequence before he blacked out. However, he knew that gravity would take over and pull him down if the team didn't intercept him.
Lance watched the Black Lion decelerate and immediately began to move to intercept. "All lions intercept and stop Black Lion."
Allura's panicked voice came across the com, "Keith!? Keith! Respond!" When no answer came, she knew what Lance had already deduced. Keith was having a vision.
Hunk and Lance positioned their lions underneath Black while Allura and Pidge each grabbed a leg with their lion mouths. The force of Black Lion crashing to the surface jarred them all, even with the decreased speed produced by their efforts.
Hunk moaned as he lifted his head from his console. "Everyone okay?" The team all responded. All except Keith.
Once the Lions were righted, Lance and Allura climbed into Black's cockpit. Lance immediately called out to Hunk and Pidge that Keith was okay and coming out of his vision.
Keith had pulled off his helmet and was holding his head in his hands. Glancing up at Allura and Lance, he said, "Hell of a time to have a vision." Moaning, he closed his eyes and rubbed his head.
Allura knelt next to his seat. "Let me fly you back in Blue."
Shaking his head and grimacing, he said, "No, I can get Black back. Then I'm going to need some aspirin."
"What you will need is to be checked over by Dr. Gorma." Allura shot back.
Keith didn't respond but just put his helmet back on and told them to return to their Lions and the castle.
The princess was irritated as she climbed out of Black. Lance slid down behind her. As they walked back to their Lions they heard Keith take off in Black. "I'm sure he'll go to Gorma, Princess."
Glancing over her shoulder at Lance, she responded, "Oh, I'm sure he will. It will give him even more time to decide what he wants to tell us and what he wants to hide."
Lance ran up behind her and caught her arm, stopping her. "Allura, don't you think you're being a little unfair?"
"You're one to talk. I know how frustrating you've found this whole ordeal. He's your best friend and all you've been allowed to do is make sure he gets training and proper medical care."
Dropping her arm, he replied, "Yeah, I admit to being frustrated. But I'm frustrated at what he's been forced to do. I'm not angry at him." Shrugging, he continued, "Sure, he hid some things from us at the start, but he's been a lot more open about it since then."
Allura dropped her eyes, "I know, Lance. It's just… it's just that he was so emotionally wounded after the last quest. I'm just concerned that this one will hurt him even more. I don't have any grounds to base it on. It's just a feeling I have."
Nodding, Lance said, "Well, let's go back and check on Lord Kogane and find out what we can. I have my concerns too. However, I'm hopeful that when he's done with these quests, the two of you will find the happiness you both deserve."
The princess rewarded him with beaming smile as they moved once again toward their lions. "I hope so too."
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Keith sat patiently on the bed in the medical ward while Nurse Olga ran a scanner over his head. He heard her grunt and say that she would take the results to Dr. Gorma and he would be right in. This meant he had maybe five or ten minutes before he'd be allowed to leave.
Closing his eyes, he let his mind go back to the moment he blacked out in the cockpit…. He was in pain… and he was being dragged. He could hear comments from the men who were dragging him. There were comments about the queen being upset and that nothing good was in store for him. In fact, they sounded sorry for him. Before he could force his eyes open in the vision, he returned to the present.
The door hissed open and Dr. Gorma came in. Bumps and bruises were the extent of his injuries. The doctor was actually surprised that he wasn't more injured.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Doc," Keith said with a lopsided smile on his face.
With a horrified look on his face, Gorma replied, "Oh, no, Lord Kogane! You come into my Med Bay injured way too often for a young man. It's just that at the velocity that you crashed with the Lion, I would have expected a concussion at the minimum." Seeing the smile on Keith's face, he added, "I'm pleased for once to send you out of here with nothing more than meds for a headache and sore muscles."
Hopping off the table, Keith patted the doctor on the back and thanked him. As soon as he exited the room, he found the team waiting for him. The hospital hallway was not the place to tell them about his vision.
"I know that you all want to know what I saw. Head to the conference room. I'll be there after I call Coran and Nanny."
Fifteen minutes later they were all assembled and Keith told them all that he knew.
Coran stroked his moustache as he replied. "A queen was displeased with you. Were the voices Arusian, Drule, or something else?"
"Arusian. I'm certain."
Lance spoke up next. "Then it seems like we should look at the reigns of Arusian queens then."
Everyone nodded.
"I wish I had more to give you," Keith said. "Since I couldn't open my eyes, I couldn't see where I was or what my captors were wearing. All of which would give us some clues."
Nanny stood up. "It's okay, Keith. We at least have a starting point and something to go on. We'll go with the thought that the queen mentioned was a ruling queen and not only the wife of a king."
Once again there were nods and everyone filed out of the room.
Allura stopped at his side and then caressed his cheek. "Did you take the meds Dr. Gorma gave you?" At his affirming nod, she said, "Then I want you to get some rest and I won't take no for an answer." She had seen the shadows in his eyes.
Keith stood and took her hand.
The princess walked him to his room and when he went to bid her good-bye at the door, she shook her head no.
With eyebrows drawn together in a frown, he asked, "What do you mean?"
"I'm not sending you into your room to brood. I want you to rest. And the only way that I'll be sure that you are doing that is for me to be with you." Allura's eyes held his.
Ever so slowly and gently, Keith pulled Allura toward him. Holding her against him, he closed his eyes. This was his last quest and the visions weren't giving him any clues. He heard her voice muffled against his shoulder, telling him it was time to rest.
Releasing her from the hold, but not releasing her hand, he led her into the room. They moved over to the bed where he laid down and she snuggled against him.
From where her hand rested on his chest, she felt his breathing even out and knew that he had fallen asleep. Her wish had been granted. She just wished she could sleep as well, but this final quest was wearing on her nerves as well. She feared for him. He was being asked to choose. He was injured and dragged to face what seemed to be the wrath of a queen. When and where were the spirits of Arus sending him? If only she knew….