Chapter Seven
Tragedies of the Past
Lead to Treasures of the Future
The night was long, but sleep had managed to come and soon Keith's eyes were blinking open to a crisp morning air. Unfortunately a heavy fog had settled around the camp dew to an unexpected but not unprepared rainfall from the night before. Keith had been safe and dry under his well constructed hutt, but he was rather cold because he had not made some kind of roof to protect his fire against the rain. He had wrapped himself in a cocoon of warmth with his cloak, but was hesitant to move despite his uncomfort for fear of letting any warmth slip out.
Keith knew he'd have to get up and get moving eventually, so with a burst of movement he sat up and instantly the cold air rushed to greet him. Keith shuddered from the cold and regretted the hasty move, wondering if it might have been better to easy himself into the cold air rather throwing himself into it. Either way, he would still be cold. The growling of his stomach reminded him he had gotten nothing to eat the night before and was hungry for food. Keith gathered up his cloak into a ball and made sure it was safe and dry in a secure spot in his hutt. Then, standing up, he began to move out of his hutt.
His shoulder though unintentionally bumped a post holding the hutt up and the sudden bump caused all the water trapped up on the roof to drizzle down in at least a small cup's worth. Much of it doused Keith's head and he froze as the cold water ran down his back and dampened his shoulders.
"Really?" He said in irritation. Keith sighed as he felt a wave of frustration coming on. He knew nothing about this planet, so he didn't know what was good to eat or where he could find civilization. He didn't really know what he was looking for, and he didn't expect it to find him. He didn't even have a way to get off this planet! Keith sat down to clear his head for a moment.
'Patience, yields, focus.'
He told himself, closing his eyes and feeling his mind begin to clear as he breathed in and out. The only thing he could really do was keep heading north and hope to find something that would help him. He would have to take each step at a time, but always be looking ahead. Keith opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to start pulling up camp when suddenly–he jumped to find a small being standing not far away from him. It was very small, no taller than two feet. It had gray skin with wrinkles marking great age and a small and rather round head.
With a sharp, square chin, small nose, slightly hollowed cheeks, white hair tied back in a bun, and two eyes that were squinted so tight that they mine as well been closed, the little creature didn't seem to be much of a threat; though it still made Keith jump with a small shout and draw his blade. The little creature, dressed in an old robe made with many once bright but now dulled colors, held a small cane in its right hand. It's hands only had three fingers, and it's bare feet had only three toes. With a round body and small arms under drooping sleeves, the creature looked at Keith with a seemingly delighted smile.
"Good-morning." It said in an older female voice. Keith blinked.
"Uh, good-morning." He said, unsure of if the creature was friend or foe. The alien's smile widened a little.
"Such lovely manners you have young man." She complimented as she waddled over to where Keith's campfire had once burned. Keith watched her suspiciously, lowering his dagger but not yet putting it away. The old alien looked at his fireplace and poked it with her cane.
"An unexpected rainfall came last night," the alien said, and she examined Keith's hutt, "but luckily both of us were indoors. Sort of speak. I too live in a hutt, though it's much more bigger than yours is."
"I don't live here." Keith said, letting his guard down. He decided this little alien wasn't a threat by sheathing his blade. The old lady looked at him suddenly with one, rather crazy looking eye.
"But you did once, long ago." she said mysteriously.
Keith blinked again, this time in confusion. The old alien looked at him with one eye for a second after she spoke, her face and expression looking different. As if she knew something that Keith didn't and was testing him to see if he'd figure it out. Keith saw all this and wondered who she was and if she could help him. He was just about to ask but suddenly the old lady brightened, that rather crazy, mysterious look gone in a flash as she then said rather quickly,
"Well, good day."
With that, she turned around and walked at a surprisingly quick pace away. If the ground had been dry, Keith might have expected a puff of dust come from her as she sped away. Keith made a sudden and frantic move to follow her, but stopped and looked back at his camp. He couldn't pack it all up and still follow her, she would be out of sight within the trees and the patting of her bare feet on the ground wasn't loud enough for him to follow by ear. She was so light it seemed that she barely made any tracks he quickly noticed, and so Keith hesitantly raced after her.
"Hey! Wait!" He shouted, trying to catch up to the old alien. He ran for several minutes, the little old lady just barely visible through the trees. She seemed to weave between them, as if both trying to be out of sight and leading him somewhere. The thought that she could be leading him to some kind of danger crept into Keith's mind, but he just felt like he had no other choice. Finally, Keith stumbled upon a hutt made of old wood and grass in a small clearing.
Keith saw the little alien sitting in a rocking chair in front of the hut, rocking back and forth casually, as if she had been waiting for some time. When she saw him come into view, she smiled.
"At last you arrive at my doorstep. I've been waiting for you for a long time." she said.
Keith opened his mouth to say something, but with a pause, he ended up saying something other than what he had originally planned.
"You've–been expecting me?" He asked, coming closer.
"Indeed I have." The old alien said, her cane in her lap as she rocked still. "Though–I hadn't dared to hope you would arrive so soon. Your just barely on the doorstep of adulthood, yet I imagined you being far older before you returned."
"Your saying," Keith asked, wonder filling his mind, "I've been here before?" The alien looked deep into his eyes, and Keith could barely tell that she was squinting.
"I'm surprised you do not remember. Yet again, you were so very young when it all happened." She said, a certain sorrow detectable in her voice. After she said these things, Keith heard distance voices in his mind, as if coming on que to a unheard note. Like the ghosts of a forgotten past. He blinked, and was distracted by the voices for a moment until they faded away like mist.
The alien noticed this, as if guessing what it was. She then, with some effort, slowly stood up from her chair.
"Come with me. Perhaps seeing where it all happened will help you remember." She said. She then turned and walked away, and Keith followed.
"What's your name?" Keith asked as he came to walked beside her.
"Malla." The little alien replied as she waddled on. Keith recognized the name a little but couldn't place from where he heard it. He assumed it was another lost memory he had.
Malla led Keith past her hutt, through a few trees and into a large clearing. Keith looked out at the clearing and saw ruins of some kinds of small buildings. They were spread out a little but not so much that the space between them was too much. They were all somewhat lined up, as if they had once been houses and a streets had divided them. Some were bigger ruins while others were smaller. They were all mostly made of wood and stone, but much of the wood was black, as if it had been on fire and the stones looked as if they had experienced intense heat. Keith walked closer to a small ruin which had probably once been a very small, one room house.
He ran his finger tips over the black wood and discovered the wood had once been burnt.
"What–what is this place?" Keith asked, looking around at the ruined structures.
"This was once a town of refugees who were hiding from the Gulran Empire. They thrived for many years here, growing from a small camp, to village, and from village, to small town." Malla said, staying where she was and looking at the ruins with a sorrowful gaze. It was after hearing these words that Keith began to remember. He recognized the placement of the buildings, and he slowly began to slip into the past as it began to unfold in his mind's eye. Malla could tell he was beginning to recall, so stayed silent and looked on.
Keith began walking through the town. The more he walked and looked around, the more he saw. The sun was shining bright in the sky. The lush colors of warm weather were all around. Farmers sold their goods and all kinds of friendly merchants were about their work in crafting, keeping or selling their goods. Young alien children ran about in a game of tag, laughing and smiling. Colorful things that resembled kyts danced in the sky, children holding the string and their parents helping them keep it in the air. It wasn't as silent as the forest, but it wasn't roaring loud either. It was a calm, peaceful noise in the town. Like a peaceful noise you find in the countryside. Alien farm animals talked back and forth to one another as did the people.
Keith walked to a certain house which he recognized. The house had a small porch which was shaded by a roof. It wasn't in good shape, but Keith's mind's eye imagined it being the opposite. With the walls covered with some kind of cream colored wallpaper, and the stone structure easily seen, the brown wood porch looked quite nice with the house. Keith remembered standing on the porch as a young boy, watching the kids in the street play. He remembered one day in particular. He was playing with the children his age in the street in a game of tag, when suddenly—
—the bright sun went dark and disappeared as the sky turned to night. Smoke and ash polluted the air, sparks from fires flowing in the wind. Keith remembered hearing screams and the cracking of fire as it burned. He remembered seeing the houses and buildings on fire, some of them already beginning to collapse. Keith remembered standing in the middle of the street as people ran past him to escape some kind of other danger than the fire. As Keith stood in the midst of a wave of fleeing people, he suddenly heard the loud bang of a blaster and an alien fell dead at his side. Keith remembered seeing the alien's eyes were still open, and seeing the smoking round hole left by a laser bullet in its back.
Someone in the crowd of fleeing people accidently knocked Keith to the ground in a panic. Keith heard more blaster shots and watched as more aliens fell dead around him. Soon, the crowd of fleeing people became a crowd of Gulran senteries in pursuit. Keith was just small enough to not be noticed as he lay on the ground, but he covered his face with his arms and clenched up into a small ball because he was afraid of being hit in the face or trampled. Soon the senteries passed and Keith was soon standing in the midst of the dead aliens laying around him. Keith suddenly saw a single sentry who had fallen slightly behind and was hurrying to catch up to its group. It saw Keith from a few yards away and stopped to aim its blaster at him.
Keith remembered how he couldn't move. It was as if his body had been frozen with fear. He remembered hearing the weapon fire and seeing the streaming bolt flying for him. Suddenly, someone scooped him up as they dashed out of the bolt's way, rolling to safety in between two buildings who had yet to be burnt.
"Don't worry buddy, I got you." Keith remembered hearing his rescuer say, and he recognized the voice as the voice of his father. Keith remembered how tightly he held onto his father as he sheltered him in his arms. He remembered looking down and seeing his father holding a knife in his hand. Keith suddenly remembered what kind of knife it was. A blade of Mamora. As Keith looked at his own reflection in the dagger, he suddenly saw something move in the corner of the reflection. When he looked behind to see what it was, he gasped to see a Gulran sentry aim its blaster at Keith and his father. Keith remembered how he had just begun to warn his father when the shot was fired. The bolt flew towards his father, who seemed to be unaware of the danger, and then-
Keith knocked himself out of the memory, his instincts telling him there was danger and compelling him to draw his dagger from its sheath. He stood in the abandoned street of the town, dagger drawn. Keith shook his head. He could feel the memory slipping away suddenly, as if this was his only chance to remember before it was lost forever. But although Keith wanted the truth, he was also afraid of it. Afraid of what it could be. Afraid that he would be left alone. He was confused. Confused at why his father, who was human, had a Mamora's blade. Keith found himself not knowing what to do. His mind felt clouded. Every time he felt the memory begin to playback, he stopped it, and it would begin to trail away before he was pulling it back. He didn't know why he was hesitating. Perhaps it was because he felt unprepared for what the truth might be. As Keith kept drawing in and pushing away the memory, he grew frustrated with his own fear and clouded mind.
He grunted as he shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to push away the fear. No matter what he did though, the fear and all the emotions still clouded his mind.
"Stop fighting," Malla said gently, seeing Keith's struggle, "let it flow."
Her words caused Keith to remember something very, very important which had always helped him with times like these.
'Patience—yields—focus—'
With those three words spoken in Keith's mind, Keith felt everything clouding his mind begin to clear: like a cool breeze blowing away a dense fog. Keith breathed in deeply, and with the calm breath and the calming words, he felt ready for whatever truth was illuminated. Keeping his eyes closed, he used his Mamora's blade to bring back the memory. Feeling the memory coming closer, he raised the blade until it was level to his head, and right as that happened–
–the bolt flying for Keith's father hit the Mamora's blade, bouncing off as his father deflected it. Keith's father rushed towards the Gulran sentry and with just one strike in the head the sentry fell to the ground with a thud. Keith remembered holding onto his father still as his father began to flee the burning town. His father ran through the streets, avoiding conflict unless unavoidable. Soon, Gulran senteries were close behind in chase, firing their blasters but narrowly missing.
Keith's father carried him for what seemed like seconds as the time was blurred to Keith. They ran through the streets, laser fire constantly blazing past them and just barely being avoided. They turned a corner and there was another squad of sentries coming their way. Keith's father didn't stop. While keeping Keith tight in one arm, he broke through the sentries and continued running. In the process, one managed to get a good shot and took it. Keith remembered how his father stumbled a little as a laser bolt hit through his lower side through his back, burning right through. The hot bolt burnt through and sealed the wound, keeping it from bleeding, but the pain was unimaginable. His father kept running despite the pain, but Keith knew he was just barely able to keep his pace. His father ran for a bit longer, turning around and corner and then he stopped.
"Logan," a familiar voice said, "where's Eliza? Did she make it out?"
"I…." Keith's father was hesitant in his answer, "...I hope so. I couldn't find her. I need to get to the pods, how many are left?"
"Just a few." the person responded, and Keith looked at him to see who exactly it was. Another Blade warrior, his helmet on like his father.
"Then let's go." Keith's father began to move, but the person stopped him.
"Logan, the mission here isn't finished." The warrior said. There was a long pause. Keith's father looked down at Keith for a minute before he looked back up at the Blade warrior and spoke.
"No, it isn't. But I have one that's far more important." With that, Keith's father, Logan, broke into a run, going past the warrior while still holding his son tightly with one arm.
The Blade warrior, with a pause, turned and followed.
"Logan-"
"This isn't a discussion, I'm getting my son out or here."
"They have already infiltrated the first barrier!"
"Then get back there and do everything you can to keep them back! I'll join you after I get my son out of here!"
"Logan-"
"Just shut up and trust me! I'll be there!"
The Blade warrior soon broke away from Logan and disappeared as he ran down a seperate street. Logan ran for a while until he came to a large, but not very tall building. It was a landing bay for spacecraft, and towns people were rushing through the huge doors to get on large escape pods. Logan hurried through the doors, not finding it hard to rush through the crowd since there was barely a crowd at all. Many of the townspeople had either been killed or were already loaded onto pods and had escaped. Logan rushed to the last pod.
"Branch!" Logan called to a specific alien. That alien saw him and waved.
"Logan, over here!" the alien said. Logan rushed to the alien.
"Branch, I need you to keep an eye on Keith for me." Logan said urgently. Keith recognized the alien as a shape shifting species. The alien, Branch as he was called, looked at Logan as if he was slightly unsure as well as surprised.
"Please Branch," Logan pleaded, "look after him while I'm gone." Branch looked from Keith to Logan, then he nodded.
"Okay, I'll look after him."
"Promise me."
"...I promise." Branch answered. Logan nodded to Branch in gratitude.
"Thank you." he said.
Logan then set Keith down on the ground, moving a little slow because of his side wound.
"Alright now kiddo," Logan said, kneeling down to his son and looking him in the eye, "you remember Branch, don't you?" Keith nodded.
"Good. He's gonna be watching over you, so you need to listen and obey every word he says as if he were me, you hear?"
"But I don't want you to go." Keith said, holding onto his father's hand. Logan paused, those words making it all the more harder to leave.
"Neither do I Keith," Logan said, and he let his helmet fade away so his son could look into his dark blue eyes, "I know you're scared, but i need you to be brave now." Logan put a hand on his son's shoulder, holding Keith's hand in the other.
"I won't be gone for long, just a little while. I'll come get you as soon as I can, I promise." Logan comforted.
"But how will you find me?" Keith asked. Logan looked like he wasn't sure to respond, and the pilot of the escape pod was impatient to take off and ushered for everyone to get on quickly. Logan then looked down at his dagger. Then reaching behind his back, he brought out another one just like it.
"Here, this is your mother's. Keep it with you, and as long as you do, I'll be ale to find you." Logan offered the dagger to Keith, the dagger still in its sheath, and Keith took it with care. Keith then looked up at his father, tears in his eyes, but then he nodded bravely. Logan gave a proud smile.
"That's my boy." he said. Logan then gave his son a kiss and brought him close in a hug. Keith hugged his father tight.
"What if I never see you again?" Keith asked, his voice muffled against his father's chest.
"You will kiddo," Logan replied, "...you will."
Logan forced himself to let go of Keith.
"Be good. I'll see you soon and…. I love you kiddo." Logan said as Branch ushered Keith into the escape pod. The doors closed before Keith could reply, so he moved to the window so he could look out. Keith saw his father watching as the pod lifted off the ground.
"Dad!" Keith shouted, trying to be heard through the glass.
"Dad! Dad I love you too!" Keith shouted, putting his hands on the glass to steady himself, the tears in his eyes blurring his sight. His father stood and watched the ship take off, and he didn't leave until the ship was out of his sight. And then the whole scene seemed to blurr and move like water.
Keith opened his eyes. They were still blurry, and he knew why. His body trembled with emotion, and Keith brushed away the tears in his eyes to see. He now stood in the same spacecraft bay, in the same spot his father had stood as the pod left. Keith thought about what his father said.
"I'll come get you as soon as I can." he had said, and Keith wondered what kind of mission would have held up his father so long except if….
Keith sighed. His father had probably died during that last mission. Keith found though that he still had more questions. What happened to his mother? Was she also dead? If his father died here, then who was the man who had raised him all his life on Earth? How did he get to Earth? Keith sighed again, sorrow filling him. If his mother and father were dead, that meant Keith had no other family. He was alone. Keith did feel alone at this thought, and he gazed at the place where the escape pod had once been so many years ago.
"So, you have finally found the truth of what happened here so long ago." Malla said as she walked to where Keith stood, stopping a few feet behind him.
"I'm not sure if it's helped at all. It's only brought more questions." Keith said in despair. Malla was silent for a moment.
"Some questions were never meant to be answered dear boy. But perhaps this is the time to stop asking questions and simply answer one. What part did this time in your story play in your life?" Malla asked.
"What?" Keith asked, not understanding the question.
"Sometimes the past is difficult and full of pain, but what happens in the past affects your future, for good or worse." Malla tried to give Keith a hint of what she meant with these words, but he wasn't quite getting it yet.
"Dear child, you've endured through much over the course of your young life. Where would you be if all of this had never taken place? You might have had more than what you have now, but in gaining more, one will always gain less. What happened in the past took place for a reason. There are things no one can change, the past being one of them. But notice, dear child, how the tragedies of the past, lead to the treasures of the future."
Something then dawned on Keith quite suddenly.
'Where would I be if this hadn't happened?' he wondered. All the sudden, memories flashed back. Memories of his past, but these ones were not a mystery or ones he didn't remember until just now; these were memories of his other family. His team. He remembered how it all started.
Hearing the news of Shiro disappearing on the Kerberos mission. When he was booted from the Garrisons, and afterward when he spent much of his time out in the desert and wild lands, searching. When he saw something in the sky one night and discovered it was an alien ship. Going down to the crash sight of the ship, breaking through Garrison security, rescuing Shiro and meeting three other teens in the Garrisons. Fleeing the scene, taking all of them with him on his speeder as they sped for home. Finding the Blue Lion and seeing Lance activate it. Leaving Earth and going out into space, barely escaping from an alien ship before going through a wormhole to a seemingly hole different univers: one which Keith hadn't even known existed. Meeting princess Allura and her trusted friend, Coran. Learning that patience yields focus. Finding the Red Lion of Voltron in a Gulran ship bay. Earning the Lion's loyalty and trust and bonding with it. Feeling the controls in his hands. Forming Voltron for the first time and over and over and over as they fought to save the universe. Keith had grown close to his fellow paladins and would gladly give his life for all of them in a heartbeat.
Meeting Hunk, the leg of Voltron who always lifts the team up. Meeting Pidge, the inquisitive pilot of the green lion, who seemed to be able to solve any riddle with her top notch brain. Meeting Lance, a razzle-dazzler and lover of ladies, but a strong and caring friend who's always with you and ready to put himself and his wants last because he knows it's not all about him; the leg of Voltron as he will always hold you up when he can. Meeting Allura, the caring, peace seeking, skilled warrior and strong willed princess of Altea. Meeting Coran, the crazy uncle figure who has somewhat odd sayings but truly is a good and uplifting friend. Shiro, who Keith had known for years, the decisive head of Voltron and pilot of the Black Lion. The born leader whose men are always eager to follow. The man Keith knew he could never replace or even resemble. Keith's best friend and brother-like figure. The person who had inspired him to be more than the orphan he was. To be a pilot. To have patients to gain focus. To be the pilot of the Red Lion. To do what he felt was right. The way Shiro would always pull him into a secure and loving hug. The wisdom he gave which always made sense and got through to Keith. The way they all embraced Keith when he left the team. They way they all embraced him when he woke up from the healing pod. The new family he had found on this journey, was worth all the pain and loneliness of the past. He knew he would never forget them, regardless if they did or not.
Keith looked down at his dagger, and it was then that he let go of the questions regarding his past and embraced the answer of the most important one.
"WIthout this tragedy, I would never have met my new family. I would have never gotten this far…. I don't have all the answers, but that's alright with me. I've answered the most important question of them all." Keith said aloud, now turning and looking at Malla. She nodded proudly, glad that Keith finally saw what was most important and what she had been trying to tell him. Keith looked back to his dagger thoughtfully.
"My father put family before the mission, and after he knew I was safe, he went back to finish the mission...even if he knew he might not ever come back...." Keith trailed off as he thought about the sacrifice his father made.
".........Wellll," Malla suddenly said, as if unsure of the fact. Keith looked back up at her in confusion and questioning. Malla gave a small chuckle at his expression.
"Well what?" Keith asked. Malla chuckled again before she then turned back to a serious -more or less- face.
"Come here for a minute child." she said, and Keith came closer. She ushered him closer and to kneel down. After Keith did so, she steadied herself by holding his arm as she lifted her cane to point at something.
"See that mountain?" she asked.
"Yeah." Keith responded as he looked at the single peak.
"There is one at the very top who knows of your father's real fate."
"Who is he?"
"You will find out once you ask him. Now go. Alone, neither of you will ever leave this place, but together, you may find a way."
"Why haven't you gone to see him?"
"Do I look like a young alien capable of traveling long distances?"
"...I see your point."
"Indeed. Now enough questions. Be on your way!"
"But wait, what if I can't find him?"
"You will."
"What do I say to him?"
"Ask him about your father."
"How does he know about my father?"
Malla suddenly hit Keith -not terribly hard- on the head with her cane in inpatients.
"For someone who was just telling me about how he didn't need all the answers you sure do like to have them, don't you?" Malla said, partly teasing and partly serious.
"Listen. You must hear the words that I am saying and trust them. Go up to the mountain. Once you are at its foot, you will know how to get up and you will know where to find the one who knows about your father."
"...but what if- (WHACK!) Ah! Hey!"
"No more questions! Go! You waist the daylight! Up and at 'em! Skat! Roll out! Whatever you younglings say these days that means hurry! You must get up the mountain while there is still light!"
Malla ushered Keith urgently with her cane, not hitting him but making her point clear that he must go. Keith quickly stood up and after a last look at the old alien, who waved goodbye, he headed for the back doors of the hanger and on his way to the mountain.
"Don't worry about where to go or what to say! Just follow your instincts!" Malla said as Keith walked on.
Follow your instincts. Now that was something Keith could definitely do.
*note to readers* hello readers, thank you for reading another chapter of this crazy story! chapter eight will hopefully be out sooner than later so stay tuned! XD Have a wonderful day and week! Flicout!
