And here we have the beloved Space Dad going through all odds to save his Space Child. Will his journey be as smooth and eventless as the others'? We shall find out…

Enjoy!


Shiro was silent throughout the journey. His steeled face bore the same neutral face, even though a storm raged in his grey eyes and his hands clenched the controls with deathly grips. His thoughts were also completely calm, being pushed aside so that flying the Lion to Hirdayakoprakreti was his sole focus.

And that was what terrified Black the most.

In the past, her Paladin's thoughts had always been active. While he would focus on his mission, he would also concentrate on his flying and worry about his fellow Paladins. Even on a peaceful flight, he would think about how well his Cubs had performed. He would be proud of their strengths and accomplishments and mull over how he could guide them to help improve their weaknesses. He always had a million thoughts running through his head…

Except for now.

Black was worried for he Paladin. She knew about his condition and understood that he was very physically and emotionally dedicated to keeping his Cubs as safe as he can. But now, one of them was injured and dying, and her Paladin was pinning blame upon himself.

"Takashi?" Black gently and warily intrudes Shiro's thoughts. "How are you?"

Shiro sighs but says nothing. He pushes his controls forwards slightly to speed up their journey.

"Takashi, please," Black whines. "Your silence worries me! We will make it to Hirdayakoprakreti in good time; talk to me."

Shiro remains silent and Black only grows even more frustrated.

"Takashi Shirogane," Black growls. "I know that you are frightened for your Blue Cub, but you must not push me out! This is not healthy for you and you know it! Blue's Cub would be most disheartened if you were to grow distant to suffer in pain alone!"

"I'm not suffering!" Shiro bites back. "I'm focusing! The sooner I get this mushroom, the sooner Lance will be better."

"But you shouldn't isolate yourself like this!" Black protested. "You will only hurt yourself even more by wallowing in your own self-guilt!"

"Well, yes, of course I feel guilty!" Shiro snapped impatiently. "Lance was injured because I didn't keep a close eye and now both he and Keith are in danger of dying! They were literally in the next room to me; I could have at least done something!"

"You of all the Paladins know what the Druids are like." Black tried to explain to her Paladin. "You know that you could have done very little to prevent the events from occurring as they did."

"That's not true!" Shiro growled angrily. "I could have sent them back to Earth and found some more grown up and experienced fighters to form Voltron! I could have decided not to get them lost on the other side of a wormhole! I could have just gotten rid of them!"

"And yet they are still here."

"Of course they're still here! I love their company! I love being around them! I love hearing their laughs and cheers and seeing how far they have come! I love them!"

Shiro tensed as he panted heavily. He already knew that he loved his teammates; Keith was his brother (maybe more like a son now), Pidge had been a part of his extended family since Matt had introduced her to him, Hunk was like his incredibly adorable and likable son and Lance was his over-optimistic and rambunctious toddler (despite him being older than Hunk). Coran had become like a parental figure to him – he admitted that the 'Crazy Space Uncle' role fit him perfectly – and Allura…Allura was Allura.

Shiro sighed and suppressed a blush. Allura was amazing. She was wise and tough and strong - well, yeah she was strong! She freaking flung him over her shoulder like a pillow into an escape pod! And before that, she had knocked out a guard by slamming a door into his face! In a way, he felt safer having her out in the field with them. While she was helping to protect the children, Shiro didn't have as much to stress about.

"I know you love your Cubs." Black told him softly. "I understand your worry for them. While I waited for you in the Castle of Lions, I thought constantly about my Brothers and Sisters. We were too far away from each other to feel or speak to each other. I had no idea that my Red Sister had been apprehended by the Galra. I was worried about them; had they reached safety? Had any of them survived? How long would we be apart for? How long would it take for our Paladins to find us? When you arrived at the Castle with my Blue Sister, I relieved myself of my worries for the first time in then thousand years. I was so happy! I was going to be reunited with my family and I was going to have a new one as well. I understand how important your family is to you Takashi, and you know how important you are to them."

Shiro did.

Every time he met with one of his Paladins, he was met with relief or a smile or just pure happiness. He knew that his team needed him just as much as he needed them. He knew how important they all were to each other.

"While you were missing," Black continued. "I was worried for you. I felt guilty because I hadn't been able to keep you safe. Red's Paladin had been the most broken out of them all. I was guilty and sad, but I knew that I had to move on. I moved on for you…whether to find you or just because it was what you would have wanted, I hardly knew. All I could think about was that Voltron had to continue. I accepted Red's Paladin because you wanted him to lead Voltron. My reason was because we needed each other; we had both lost you, and our first priority was to find you. But Red's Paladin had not been very willing at first."

Shiro nodded. He already knew this from the debrief he had been given upon his return to the Castle.

"And Blue's Paladin, so kind and caring as he is, was able to restore his faith. He made it so that Voltron could form again; he fixed Voltron. I would have gladly accepted him as my Paladin as well, but I feel that he is too carefree to suddenly have so much responsibility thrust upon him."

"I don't know. "Shiro countered thoughtfully. "Lance has definitely come a long way. When I first met him, he was all-around distracted and arrogant in a way. He was also incredibly lacking in self-confidence and any skills in planning. He used to be reckless and thoughtless in his actions which led to some petty arguments. But now, he's gotten more confident and wiser with his choices. He's more mature and strategic, but also still childish and bubbly in a way that makes everyone else happy. He's – how do I put it? – more refined as a person now. I think he's more of who he wants to be now! I don't see why he couldn't be the Black Paladin if the need ever arises."

Shiro felt a surge of smug and relieved satisfaction from Black.

Huh?

"What is it?" Shiro questioned, confused.

"You are thinking again." Black replied happily. "You are no longer closing yourself from me."

Shiro huffed again. Despite how annoyed he was at allowing himself to be distracted, he also felt calmer and less stressed. Black was right. Cutting himself off from everything didn't help. However, thinking about his Paladins did. Thinking about their development helped him to relax.

He thought about Pidge, who was such a young child and one of the strongest members of their team. She had countlessly proven how adept her skills and intelligence are and had time and time again saved them from the other side of a computer screen. She was also unwilling to accept s**t from any one and could easily stand up for herself physically and verbally. But most of all, she had learned how to adapt to changes while remaining focused on her main goal. Despite everything, she was still able to maintain her own order.

He thought about Hunk, who used to be terrified about everything. He used to be unconfident about fighting and flying. Now he was a strong fighter. Of course, he still had a heart of gold and an unyielding empathy for all of the alien races they had liberated. On top of that, he had looked after the team with his amazing cooking skills and ingenious additions to the Lions. He was everyone's support, everyone's rock.

He thought about Keith, who was now more trusting and open while still being cautious of strangers. He had also excelled in his combat skills and had learned how to be more social and civil. Most importantly, he had learned how to love, how to open his heart to someone else, and Lance had been the one to do that, to let the fire burn freely.

And Lance…

Lance was just simply amazing.

He was Lance's Space Dad…and Lance was his Space Son.


"Yeah! I have officially dubbed Coran as our Crazy Space Uncle!"

"Lance, seriously?" Keith groaned. Shiro could read what Keith was thinking: 'It is far too early for Lance to be this enthusiastic'.

"Yes, seriously Mullet." Lance retorted. "You're the moody, distant cousin who sits in the corner at family reunions being all emo and broody."

Keith flicked a spoonful of his food goo at Lance, who only just about managed to avoid it.

"Lance," Shiro gently reprimanded. "Stop teasing Keith."

"I wasn't teasing him! Honesty!" Lance raised his hands defensively. "Besides, he's not the only one; Pidge is they really scary and cunning younger sister who is basically the main character of everyone's worst nightmares!"

"I'll take that over 'Eagle Two' any day." Pidge mumbled tiredly as she scooped up some food goo and stuffed it into her mouth.

"And Hunk is the cuddly angel who everyone wishes they had as an older brother. Well, too bad suckers because Hunk is my cuddly big brother!"

"Aww, thanks buddy!" Hunk simply smiled as he as he chowed on his own food goo.

"Allura's the really stern and spooky older sister who doesn't understand the modern trends."

"Oh!" Allura said, surprised at Lance's openness. "Thank you, I suppose. And what is a 'trend'?"

"I'll tell you later." Pidge said. "When my brain has finally gotten out of bed."

"And Shiro is the loving Space Dad in denial!"

Shiro suddenly inhaled and started to choke on his food goo. He pounded on his chest while Hunk reached across and gave him a few slaps on the back. When he had finally dislodged the annoyance from his wind pipe. He gasped and panted while looking at Lance with wide eyes.

"Space Dad!?" He repeated indignantly. "In denial!?"

"Well, of course!" Lance beamed proudly.

"I can't argue with that one." Keith grudgingly agreed. "You do tell him off a lot."

"Hey!"

"And you make us stick to a bed time schedule." Pidge pointed out, glaring at Shiro. She still didn't like not being able to stay up on her laptop all evening, every evening.

"And you're super protective over all of us!" Hunk added.

Shiro blushed so that his face was the same colour as Keith's Lion. He began to splutter his protests.

"I-I am most definitely not Space Dad!" He denied.

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that." Lance grinned cheekily as he spooned some food goo into his hungry mouth.

Shiro sighed. He was never going the live this down.


Lance sat beside him at the kitchen. Neither of them spoke a word to each other, but they didn't need to. Just having the other there brought them comfort and reassurance. The hot milk he was drinking was so smooth and creamy that the feeling of it on his tongue was just pure heaven.

This had become an unspoken agreement between them. Every time they had a nightmare – which was almost always at the same time – they would meet in the kitchen and drink some hot milk.

Lance was so brave and strong. He had overcome his trauma rather well considering his age and how shaken he had been at the start. Shiro knew that Lance was still suffering from killing that Galra soldier about a month ago and was so pleased that he wasn't as broken as the older man was. Lance's smiles were now genuine, and his eyes no longer had that haunted glaze over them. His nightmares had drastically decreased in frequency. It wouldn't be too long now until they were gone completely.

Shiro had said that he was selfish, and he was. Lance's presence on the Castle was the anchor to real life that Shiro needed, so he would the 'Space Dad' that Lance needed.

And Lance, he could be the adoring and doting Space Son that he was.


"Takashi?" Black interrupted his thoughts.

Shiro snapped back to reality.

"Sorry Black." Shiro apologised.

"All is well." Black assured him. "I am happy that you are seeking solace with your happy memories. It is healthy."

"I know." Shiro said, having heard the same from everyone else already. "I'm sorry Black, about shutting you out earlier. I know that you only wanted to help me. I was just-"

"You don't need to explain." Black said kindly. "I understand. I am worried for my Blue and Red Sisters' Paladin too. They are both so fretful for his well-being. We will not fail any of them."

"I know we won't." Shiro reassured her. "Thank you Black. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Nor I you, Takashi." Black replied happily. "Hold on tight; we're entering Hirdayakoprakreti's atmosphere now."

Shiro looked through Black's eyes at the dark, cloudy planet before them. Hirdayakoprakreti was indeed gloomy and the clouds seemed impenetrable, just as Pidge had showed him. As Black entered the atmosphere, she was rattled around by the torrential winds outside. Powerful gusts bombarded her durable exterior from all sides, rocking her back and forth like a ship on stormy seas.

"Come on Girl." Shiro encouraged his Lion, holding the controls as firmly as he could. "Keep us steady."

Black growled in reply, conveying the concentration and power she was putting into descending towards the planet safely. Howling could just about be heard over the rattling. Shiro couldn't see anything through the clouds, which were as black and thick as smoke. He couldn't tell how far away the ground was or how long it would take to reach it; he could only trust that Black knew what she was doing.

Soon enough, Shiro could see stars! Wait, no. Stars are in the sky. These lights were something else – the mushrooms! Pidge said that the ground was covered in luminescent mushrooms. They were the perfect beacons for Shiro to use to land Black safely. The wind was weaker this further down, so the landing wasn't as shaky as it could have been – than goodness!

Looking out of Black's eyes, Shiro could see a field of multicoloured lights going on forever. Teal, pink, green, red, orange – you name the colour, it was there. He could also just about make out tall cliffs with waterfalls spilling over the edges and streams crawling away from the rock and around the field. It seemed to be the perfect mix of beauty and fear-fuel. After all, Shiro wasn't all too keen on shadows, and this planet was full of them. They seemed to cover the cliff faces; caves, he guessed. His cells during his captivities with Galra had all been dark, as well as Haggar's lab. Needless to say, Shiro was scared.

"The Witch isn't here." Black encouraged him. "I will protect you this time. I will not let you down again."

"I know." Shiro smiled, showing that Black's words were appreciated. "Besides, this planet is toxic to the Galra. Just promise you'll stay with me."

"Always."

And with that confirmation, Shiro made his way out onto the planet's surface.

The first thing Shiro noticed was the ground. It was squishy and bouncy, like a mix of rubber and sponge. Water squelched around his boots with every step. The second thing he noticed was the wind. While it wouldn't knock him off his feet, the breeze was certainly strong. It reminded him of the decontamination chamber back on the Castle. It had been ages since Shiro had felt the wind brush through his hair.

Just for a few moments. He thought.

Shiro pulled his helmet off and shook his hair to straighten it out. Instantly, a cool gust brushed through his hair like a gentle, soothing hand. It reminded him of the times when he had been ill as a child and his mother stroked his fevered skin. It was so comforting, so relaxing…

And that is when Shiro noticed the third thing; the smell.

Shiro coughed when the stench of damp burned his nostrils. He brought a hand up to his face in an attempt to block the deadly aroma, but to no prevail. When his eyes began to water, he put his helmet back on and sealed it.

"Green's Paladin did warn you." Black laughed at him amusedly.

"I know." Shiro replied, now flustered with embarrassment. "I'd forgotten about that part. Now then, green mushroom…"

An image of his required mushroom flickered into existence above his wrist. This mushroom glowed a bright green and had teal spots littering its surface like freckles.

"Now then," Shiro muttered to himself. "I need to pick the right one or else the antidote will explode."

'No pressure.' He could hear Lance saying with his cheeky tone and dazzling grin.

Shiro stepped between every mushroom, closely inspecting every mushroom that had a green glow. Some had red spots, some had orange, and some were covered with triangles instead of spots!

"Sore wa, hoshikusa no naka de hari o mitsukeyou to suru yōna monodesu!" Shiro mumbled after around half a varga.

"Patience yields focus." Black reminded her Paladin. "You will find it."

Shiro kept his 'I hope so' silent as he continued to search through the millions of mushrooms around him. He briefly wondered if Hunk could cook up anything with any of these – providing that they were safe to eat, of course.

While Shiro focused on mushrooms, Black subconsciously thought about Blue's Cub. That boy was an irreplaceable part of Voltron. He had helped everyone. Not only the Paladins, but also the Lions as well. His first good deed for them hadn't even been direct!


My Sisters and Brothers and I are finally reunited. I haven't felt such happiness in ten thousand years! And I now have a new Paladin – Takashi Shirogane, but the other new Paladins call him 'Shiro'. I am not entirely sure what to think about him. He seems decent enough – a strong and wise leader – but will this all work out?

My Brethren are also unsure about their new Paladins.

Yellow feels that his Paladin may be too nervous in future battles. Yellow's Paladin is also a genius and a skilled 'chef', as the other Paladins say. I know that he will support his team, no matter what.

Green feels that his Paladin is not focusing on Voltron enough. The young child certainly thinks more about her missing family than her teammates. I understand her though because I, too, have experienced great loss. We all have. I am sure that she will learn how to use Voltron to her advantage soon enough.

Red feels that her Paladin will not be as close to her as King Alfor had been. She is not happy about this new change. Her Paladin, however, is, in my eyes, perfect for her. Both of them are so closed and distant that maybe they can teach the other to open up to new people. They need each other.

Blue feels that her Paladin is perfect. This surprised me because she and Blaytz had been incredibly close. I thought that, out of all of us, she would be the most reluctant to have a new Paladin. It would appear that this is not the case. For the past Varga, she has spoken of nothing but her Paladin. She speaks of how happy and playful he is, and how close the two of them are already. The even says that she will be incredibly happy fighting alongside her optimistic and overly-friendly Paladin.

This annoys my Red Sister though.

"You should not trust him so easily." She hisses. "How can we be sure that these Paladins won't turn their backs on us? Remember Zarkon?"

I growl. How could I forget?

"Lance is not like Zarkon!" Blue growls defensively. "I know it! He is already trusting me with his thoughts! Today he came to sit with me for a Varga before going to bed. I think that you lot just need to spend some time bonding with your new Paladins!"

"I am sure that the Princess has already planned that." I say.

"I wonder how the invisible maze exercise will go?" Green ponders amusedly.

"I just hope that we don't have to do the whole 'look through your Lion's eyes' exercise." Red grumbles. "I don't want to crash again."

"I'm a bit worried about the mind meld." Yellow confesses. "Most of the Paladins hardly know each other, let alone trust each other. I highly doubt that the meld will go well."

"Well, if I can bond with a new Paladin, then I am sure that the rest of you can as well!" Blue chirps happily.

"You say that as if you have forgotten about Blaytz already." Red comments unkindly.

Blue flinches.

"I do remember Blaytz." She replies sadly. "Blaytz was like my brother, and I do miss him, but I know that he would want me to continue fighting against the evils in this Universe and be happy. I am happy with Lance – it is hard not to be with his infectious joy – and with him and the other humans, we can form Voltron and fight against Zarkon's forces. You should have more faith in me, my Brothers and Sisters! Do you really believe that I would bring you Paladins whom I didn't feel were right for you?"

I didn't. Blue is the most loyal out of all of us. She brought me Shiro. Whether he is right for me or not will all be revealed in time, but for now, I do sense that his soul does reflect the protective and leading nature that I need.

"Blue is right." I announce. "I feel that all of our new Paladins are worthy. We just need to give them time to adjust to us, and us to them. For now, we shall cooperate with the humans. Red," I turn to my fiery Sister. "Play nice."

Red grumbles and looks away but does not protest.

"We will form Voltron again." I continue. "Today happened without the Paladins knowing how they did it. Soon enough, we will all be bonded together so strongly that we will be able to form Voltron just with a single thought. For now, we trust our new Paladins and get to know them. They need us just as much as we need them."

By Brothers and Sisters all bow their heads in understanding. I am still worried, but I feel more confident than I had before. After all, if Blue can form a strong bond with her Paladin so quickly, then surely we can do the same.


I have been mourning for many days.

My beloved Shiro is gone. I could not protect him, and now he has disappeared.

The Princess suggested that I take on a new Paladin, so I chose Red's. His pain was just like mine. We both cared for Shiro so deeply and his disappearance has impacted us both devastatingly. Red is upset that she has had to take on Blue's Paladin instead and Blue is unhappy that she has had to lose her Cub. The Princess has been a great Blue Paladin so far, but the balance had been so drastically shifted that we could not work harmoniously at first. We have now gotten better, but I and Red's Paladin still grieve.

I am surprised to see Blue's Paladin approaching me. He has no shoes on. Surely his feet must be freezing? Human skin is very sensitive, after all. He also has a bucket filled with water, a brush and a towel.

"Hi Black." He greets me with a pearly smile. I can see what Blue meant about his infectious joy now. His smile is sad, however. This does not surprise me because everyone has been affected by Takashi's disappearance.

"How are you?" Blue's Paladin continues.

I keep quiet, wondering where he is going with this train of conversation.

"I know you must be feeling really down right now." He says. "I understand. We all miss Shiro. Red has been really grumpy recently about the whole Lion swap, so I've just finished giving her a wash!"

His smile brightens as he lowers his bucket next to my barrier and holds out his brush and towel.

"She's feeling better now. I mean, obviously she is; she was graced with my wonderful presence, after all."

I chuckle. He is so theatrical!

"I thought that a wash might cheer you up as well." He says. "I mean, I know you can't see dirt against your black paint, but none of our girls deserve to be filthy! So, what do you say?"

I consider remaining silent, but I find myself wanting Blue's – Red's now – Paladin to stay a while longer. I lower my barrier and move my head down to the ground as an invitation.

"Okey-dokey-lokey!" He beams.

I am not even going to ask.

He climbs up onto my snout with his bucket and brush. He dips the brush head into the water and begins to scrub between my eyes. I cannot deny it; the sensation is indescribably relaxing!

"You'll feel better in no time!" He boasts. "Or as better as you can feel right now, I suppose. Pidge and Hunk have been working really hard on trying to find Shiro and Keith has been training harder and longer than he ever has before."

The boy's expression drops. He is sad.

"I'm worried about him." He admits. "He's been on edge ever since he became our leader because he knows that he can't lead like Shiro used to. Well, no one can lead like Shiro used to. He won't relax until Shiro is safe at home."

He then looks at me.

"You're not mad at Keith, are you?" He asks. "He made some reckless and thoughtless mistakes back on Thayserix and endangered all of us, but he has learned from those. He just doesn't want to let Shiro down since he was the one who wanted Keith to be leader."

Blue's Paladin smiles.

"I'm glad you chose him and not me. Keith would be horrible as my right hand! He's just so assertive and reckless and I'm more…supportive than he is. I can see why I'm the Red Paladin now. Allura wouldn't support Keith in the way he needs it; she's be more of a speaker than a listener and an observer. Perhaps, together, you and I can make a better leader out of him."

Maybe he is right. Red's Paladin, while unrefined, holds a lot of potential with leadership; he just needs to learn how to let others help him.

"Maybe I'll get him to help me wash you some time!" The boy suggests while drying my snout with his towel. "Some supervised cleaning ought to help him bond with us more."

Blue was right. She had brought us the perfect Paladins. I will get Shiro back, but until then, I shall look after his Cubs.


Black had noticed something off about Shiro though. When he'd come back, he'd seemed…different somehow. She had to let him pilot her again when the team were in danger and she was almost convinced that this was her Takashi. However, she still had – has – a strange feeling about him. She'll bring it up with Lance the next time he comes to clean her.

Shiro, meanwhile, had begun to grow frustrated and was close to tears.

WHERE ARE THOSE DAMNED MUSHROOMS!?

Every green mushroom he had come across had not had even a speck of teal on them! Shiro wracked his brains to think about anything else that Pidge had said about the mushrooms. Um…they were green with blue spots…the locals used them…

Yes! The locals used them, but why?

Because their light could be turned on and off, making them more efficient and ideal for when they wanted to go out searching and had to hide from predators. But the whole marshland was illuminated…meaning that this was not where they used the mushrooms. Their predators must lurk somewhere else, along with the mushrooms he needed.

Shiro's gaze wandered over to the pitch-black caves that spewed out darkness. He gulped as the realisation hit him like a truck. He had to enter the caves. He had to go into those dark, shadowy, cavernous caves.

"I am sorry Takashi." Black whines. "The caves are too small for me to accompany you."

"But-" Shiro protests. He didn't want to be alone!

"You will not be alone." Black assures him. "I will still be with you. You must do this, for Lance."

For Lance.

Shiro breathed deeply and rolled his shoulders. He strode into the caves while the flames of his courage still burned brightly. At the mouth of the cave, he switched on his headlight to reveal the cave's contents. The tunnel seemed to continue onwards for a short distance. With a shudder, Shiro walked in.

Water dripped everywhere and the little splashed echoed all around him. The brown walls looked like they were made of mud, for a touch confirmed that they were strong and firm rock. He glanced back and saw that the entrance was now no more than a small speck of light now. How much further did he have to go!?

He could hear whispers now. He could hear…Haggar?

It's just your mind playing with you. Shiro tells himself.

"The Witch is not here." Black tells him again. "You are still safe from her. Do not let the monsters in your mind stop you!"

Shiro presses onwards.

He can no longer see the entrance now.

And the tunnel had not reached an end yet.

How long had he been walking for? Dobashes? Vargas? Was Lance already dead? Has he been walking for too long?

"Blue's Paladin still lives," Black confidently informs him. "But he does not have long left. You must hurry!"

Then, like a miracle, Shiro's foot encountered something soft and rubbery. As soon as his foot touched it, a green light filled the tunnel. Shiro looked down and almost began crying with joy! Right there beneath his foot was a mushroom with teal spots! There was also another one next to his foot…and another. And another! Shiro wasted no time in picking it up. He pulled a few more out from the mud as well, just in case. Besides, Pidge would find this mushroom interesting indeed!

"Takashi, hurry!" Black suddenly cried out urgently. "I sense something coming towards you!"

Shiro froze in terror and looked up slowly. He heard movement in the tunnel ahead of him. Slowly, he straightened himself and drew his Bayard. Whatever it was, it didn't sound friendly.

Suddenly, two red eyes appeared in the shadows in front of him. In a split second, Shiro's heart stopped and all of the air left his lungs. Then came an ear-piercing, terrifying screech!

"RUN!"

But Shiro was already running back towards the exit. He could hear the creature's pounding steps behind him, could hear its grunts and hungry growls. He also could have sworn that he could feel its breath against his neck, even though he was wearing a suit!

"Be ready for me!" Shiro told Black. "I'm coming straight in!"

Shiro cried out in terror as he stumbled a couple of times on the bumpy ground. He lost one mushroom from his stash but kept on running. Soon enough, Shiro let out a cry of relief when light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

"You're almost there!" Black said.

Shiro practically flew out of the tunnel like a rabbit and headed towards Black, whom he pinpointed by her yellow eyes. He raced up the ramp and flung himself into the pilot's seat. The mushrooms rolled onto the floor, but Shiro was far too fixated on leaving the planet!

Shiro yanked the levers towards his chest as hard as he could and felt Black leap into the air and begin ascending into the atmosphere. An angry screech pierced the air and got quieter as the two got further from the ground. Once airborne, Shiro finally released a huge sigh of relief.

"What was that thing?" Shiro panted.

"I do not know." Black replied.

Shiro glanced down at the floor. He still had four mushrooms, which would be more than enough for Lance's antidote.

"At least we won't ever have to go back there." Shiro smiled, crossing his fingers in hope. Then he frowned. "I am going to bloody kill Pidge when I get back!"

"She and my Green Brother are almost back at the Castle," Black informs him. "As is my Yellow Brother. My Blue Sister has already arrived."

"What about Keith and Red?" Shiro asked.

"I am not sure yet." Black replied. "But I am sure that they are both alright. After all, no force in the Universe can stop someone in love."

Black's words are tinged with despair, and Shiro knows why. Zarkon had acted out of love when he tried to save Honerva. Shiro had no doubt that he would have liked the old Zarkon. Maybe he was still around somewhere…deep down.

Shiro smiled. That would be Lance's influence showing through. At the thought of Lance, Shiro urged Black to speed up.

Hurry Keith. He thought urgently. Lance doesn't have much time left. Please…please don't let me lose you both!


Shiro: I hate you.

Warryn: I'm sorry! I didn't mean to trigger your PGSD!

Shiro + Keith: PGSD?

Warryn: Post Galra Stress Disorder. I don't think 'Traumatic' quite cuts it.

Shiro: Oh. That…actually makes sense!

Warryn: IKR? And I'm soooooo glad that you're finally admitting your feelings for Allura!

Shiro: (Sputters) W-what feelings!? Anyway, this story is about Keith and Lance, not me! (Even though everyone else had had more screen time than Lancey-Lance D; )

Warryn: I know! I'm the one writing it! Moving on, next week, we will see what Keith has been up to! How is he faring?

I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet.

Writing about Shiro's relationship with the Black Lion was really interesting, as well as the relationship that the Lions share. The series has shown Shiro to have a really strong relationship with the Black Lion – so strong that it's practically perfect! However, I think that the two of them would argue sometimes since they are both leaders who want to lead their team. They may both come up with different plans. On top of that, humans in general can be rather difficult.

Anyway, (SPOILER!) Clone Shiro is being hinted towards in this chapter. While the show has confirmed that Shiro is a clone (or possessed), I, personally, think that Shiro is unaware of it. He seemed really genuine in his worry for the other Paladins' safety and well-being. Either that, or he is just a really good actor. What do you guys think? (Also, can you count how many times I used the word 'really' in this A/N? Thank you!)

Sore wa, hoshikusa no naka de hari o mitsukeyou to suru yōna monodesu! - It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack!

Anyway, until the next chapter, my wonderful readers!

WarrynSparklegem