(~)
"How long are you going to be gone again?"
Shiro chuckled. "Relax, Keith. It's only for two months."
"I still can't believe you're actually going on this mission to Kerberos. Not surprising, but still."
"I promise I'll bring you a souvenir from the Kerberos gift shop."
Keith rolled his eyes at Shiro's attempt at humor. It wan't particularly funny, but it was funny that he still tried at least. Keith's expression fell. "I'm really going to miss you. Things won't be the same without you around. Who am I going to talk to?"
"You still have Allura."
"Yeah, but we mainly talk at night after the day is over, and she's-" Keith quickly caught himself before he revealed too much. "In England."
Shiro placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "As long as you don't get into anymore fist fights, I'm sure you'll manage alright without me."
The words didn't reassure Keith was well as Shiro had hoped. The idea of going two whole months without his best friend was very hard to swallow. He had come to count on Shiro on almost everything, even about his secret relationship with Allura. It took a while for him to actually get used to the fact he now, technically, had a girlfriend. Shiro himself had to force it out of him at one point, which winded up with the two of them laughing it up, and Keith blushing like mad at the confession.
Yet, not having Shiro around to talk to, guy to guy, would be strange. At least after the day was done he would have Allura to speak to. He could always confined in her on everything else going on in his life that Keith couldn't tell Shiro about. Primarily the "Voltron" stuff.
Shiro playfully ruffled Keith's messy black hair. "I'm gonna miss you too, buddy. Send Allura my regards, okay?"
"I will." Keith waved farewell as Shiro left to start getting ready for the trip, which was only a week away. With the hallways empty, Keith casually made his way out, got on his hover bike and returned to the area in which he saw the lion carvings. He took various pictures of cave paintings, as many as he possibly could. He used his flashlight and a lantern to light the cave, giving him better lighting to take the pictures with, added with the flash feature which greatly helped with the clear resolution of the images.
Afterwards, Keith returned back to the Garrison before nightfall. It was five minutes till curfew and he snuck back into his dorm window before anyone could see. He got ready for bed, early as always, and slept with the pictures close to him. Once he was back in the Astral Plane and spread the pictures out on the table in front of them while the two sat on a couch together. Allura casually wrapped her arm around Keith's, sitting close beside him, looking in amazement at the images.
"This was what I could gather so far." Keith said, resting his hands on his knees, while Allura still had her arms wrapped around his left arm. "They all tell a slightly different story, but they're all pretty much the exact same creature. A large blue lion."
"And look at these designs." Allura pointed at one of the images, tracing her fingers across the lion's head. "They're identical to that of the blue lion. No question about it." the Altean princess let out a happy laugh and snuggled closer to Keith while gripping his arm happily, which made him smile at the reaction. She then proceed to kiss his cheek. "This is amazing! All this time, the blue lion could possibly be on earth. Did you find anything regarding the other lions?"
"Nothing yet. I would have found more, but the Garrison is very strict about its curfew."
Allura groaned. "Oy, I know what you mean. My father used to go berserk if I came at least two doboshes late for my curfew." she then laughed, which in turn got Keith to laugh. However, the laughter slowly died, as found memories of her father flooded Allura's memory. "I miss him so much."
Keith placed his hand over Allura's to comfort her then placed a loving kiss on her forehead. "We're getting close." he said in reassurance. "You'll see him again soon enough."
Allura nuzzled her head on the crock of his neck. "I can't wait for you to meet him. I know he will really like you."
Keith's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, well, uh." he chuckled nervously.
Allura sat upright, folding her arms. "What?"
"Well, back on earth, most fathers don't always approve of their daughter's boyfriends."
"Why not?"
"It's this overprotective father thing."
Allura laughed. "Oh, please! I'm more than positive he won't want to interrogate the man who woke me up from a frozen slumber and discovered the whereabouts of the lions."
"We haven't discovered their exact location yet." Keith corrected. "If I can just scout the perimeter more, maybe get a few rock samples, dig for some kind of-" Keith stopped halfway, when Allura cupped his face and placed an eager kiss on his lips. If Keith didn't know any better, he would presume he was becoming addicted to tasting Allura's lips. As always, anything he had been saying before complexly withered away, and all of his focus landed only on the kiss.
Once they parted, Allura and Keith pressed their foreheads together. "He will like you. Regardless of where you come from. Did Shiro think any less of us when you told him about me?"
"No, but to be fair, I didn't tell him the part about you being an alien princess in an Astral Plane created by advanced alien technology while on the search for five mysterious robot lions."
"Still, from what he did learn he was happy for you. My father will be no different. If anything, Shiro does kind of remind me of bit of my father." Allura noticed Keith's eyes had saddened. "Is he still going on the kerberos mission?"
"Yeah, he is." Keith looked even more crestfallen than before. "I'm really going to miss him." he said. It was now Allura's turn to comfort him. The two sat together on the couch in tranquil silence. Keith had wrapped his arm around Allura's waist, while she rested her left hand on his heart. His free hand covered hers and he showered her forehead with loving kisses, and she in turn would kiss his cheeks.
(~)
Allura laughed when her father recalled the memory of her favorite dress getting stained by berry juice during the Summer Berry Festival. The little princess cried for hours it took her mother, who knows how long to finally calm her down. While Allura was recovering from the rejuvenating ceremony to rescue the Balmara, she took the time to speak with the hologram of her late father. The mice were stirring her hot tea while the two conversed about their most favorite memories from Altea. The happy times before Zarkon and the his empire took over.
Allura sat on the hologram of the Juniper berry fields wearing her long pink nightgown. Normally, it had an equally long jacket to go with it, but Keith had so kindly given her his red jacket to wear instead. It started out as just a sweet gesture when the princess, surprisingly due to her exhausted state, was feeling a bit cold and Keith wrapped it around her shoulders. He allowed her to keep it, seeing her comfortable she was wearing it.
"I miss Altea so much. I miss you, Father." Allura said. Every moment she remembered that her home, everything she had ever known, was now gone, tore her heart in two. It was like a never-ending cycle. One moment, she was happy to be around those she cared about. Coran, Keith, the mice, and yes the paladins included, but as wonderful as they all were, there was no replacing the gigantic hole her home planet had left on her heart. Even when speaking to her father's conscious memories, it could never replace the aspect of actually speaking to him, face to face, with solid flesh and blood. To be able to hold him again and to feel his loving embrace once more. He was so close, and yet still so far.
"I wish it didn't have to be this way."
"I know, Allura. But as leaders we have to do what is right for our people, even if it means great sacrifice."
"I know, Father. That's what you always say."
"Besides, you are not alone in this fight. You have Coran, the paladins, your little mice friends…" Alfor gave a soft, knowing smile. "And this fine young man you have grown fo fondly of." he said, rising a brow, which only made Allura blush in embarrassment.
"Yes. If it wasn't for him I would have never awoken. I wish he could have met you in person. You two would have gotten a long so well."
"I may not be with you as before, but it brings me great peace to know that you have found happiness amongst all of this chaos. I am happy for you, Allura."
"Thank you, Father."
The door behind her opened and Coran ran into the holographic paradise. "Princess, there you are. What are you doing up and about, you should be resting."
"Oh, Coran, can't I stay?" Allura pleaded softy.
"The Balmara rejuvenation ceremony took a lot out of you. Come along now, to your room." Coran said as he assisted her back up to her feet. Even standing up was a bit of a struggle. Allura hated feeling this helpless, even though it was inevitable. She hoped she would get better quickly to get back into action and defeat Zarkon. Only then would she be able to sleep soundly again.
"Get your rest, darling. I will be here for you when you're well." said King Alfor.
"I love you, Father. I'll see you soon."
Once Allura and Coran left, the chamber reverted back to its original state. The fields and Alfor now having been sucked back into the computer. The two stumbled upon Keith in the hallway.
"Hey, how was the talk with your dad?" he asked.
"Wonderful. Thanks for asking. Have you made any progress with Sendak?"
"Not yet. That's why I came looking for Coran since he's the only one who knows how the technology works."
"I will be there as soon as I take Allura back to her room." Coran said, leading Allura while holding onto her hand.
"I wish you didn't have to." Allura whined. "I hate not being able to do anything to help."
"It's only for a little while." Keith reassured while cupping her right cheek. "Besides, the sooner you rest the sooner you'll be back in full fighting shape."
Allura sighed. "Alright, fine." she smiled when Keith placed a gently kiss on her cheek… to which she instead replied by gripping his shirt and pulling him in for a full blown kiss. She smirked once they parted. "Did you seriously think I was going to leave with just a peck on the cheek?" she said with a smug grin and a wink before being escorted by Coran to her room.
All Keith could do was smile and wave from where he stood. One of the mice scurried up his shoulder and squeaked into his ear. He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know."
With Allura resting peacefully in her room, the rest of the paladins all gathered at the containment room where Coran adjusted the equipment to the pod that currently contained a deeply unconscious Sendak. The plan was to extract Sendak's memories in order to gain insight information on Zarkon's troop locations. This was the same technology used to King Alfor's memories into the Castle of Lions.
"So how does this work?" Pidge asked, pressing her face against the glass containment. The alien technology never ceased to amaze her.
Coran tampered with the computer as he explained, "As the memories are extracted, they're written bit by bit on individual molecules of the micro-storage strands."
"When I go, I want all the stuff in my brain stored in a giant ship." Lance said, already proudly envisioning all of his knowledge being passed down to the future generation.
"The amount of information in your brain could be stored in a paper airplane." Keith said, arms folded.
"Oh, yeah? Well, the amount of information you have, Keith, could be…"
"Yeah?"
"Uh… it's less than what I have!"
"Oh, good one, Lance!" Hunk said, but Keith was far from impressed.
The process began and the paladins awaited patiently for the information to come pouring in. Time became a blur after a while. No less than two hours and thirty minutes had gone by, and yet still no information. Either the technology took longer on an unwilling participant, or Sendak's will, even while unconscious, was incredibly strong.
Hunk had fallen asleep, Lance sat on the floor, and Pidge stood bored, while observing. Coran inspected the computer every few minutes and Shiro remained in the exact same spot from when they started, unwavering. His eyes remained glued to their slumbering prisoner, still as a statue.
Keith leaned against one of the empty pods. While he often enjoyed a little peace and quiet, it didn't serve him any good if he just stood idly by not doing anything, and who knows how long this would take. He needed to keep his mind sharp, and silently dong nothing was not helping him stay awake for this.
He stretched his arms. "Well, I can't wait around anymore. I'm going to hit the training deck." he said, making his way out. Nobody bothered to stop or even comment on it, they just allowed him to leave. Nobody even volunteered to join him. Not that it mattered, since a short while after he was gone, everyone else, minus Shiro, left to do their own thing.
Once he arrived at the training deck, he traced his hands through his messy black hair, "Huh. Kind of weird doing this by myself." he said to no one in particular.
He had grown co accustomed to training with Allura that now being here without her felt very empty. He then had the urge to want to see if she was resting as Coran had requested, but he quickly stopped himself not wanting to disturb her.
At least he could practice with the graduator, so he wouldn't be entirely alone, right?
(~)
The day for Shiro's departure was close. Very close. Literally a day way.
Keith and Allura were sparing once again, literally one of their favorite past times to do together, but Allura noticed that Keith's movements were slow, tentative, out of sync. She didn't need to ask to know what was bothering him.
The two ceased their sparing and Allura tucked her stray silver hair behind her ear. She tossed her staff aside and placed a hand on Keith's shoulder.
"This is really bothering you, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay, you don't have to apologize. I understand it's difficult to say goodbye to someone you're close to, but he's going to come back in two months. Back on Altea, a space exploit like this was a mere walk in the park. And it's to collect ice samples from a small moon in your solar system."
"I know, I know. It's just…" Keith paused for a moment. "What if… what if he runs into the Zarkon?" the entire room fell into silence. Allura's eyes widened in horror and realization, letting out an audible gasp. "I know it's far fetched, but there is no telling where he is, or even if he's still out there. We still don't know how long you've been asleep and-"
"Keith." Allura spoke and the young man stopped, his girlfriend's voice was solid and firm. "You have a very valid reason to be concerned, but from what you have told me, your planet, your entire solar system, have never witnessed anything that has looked even remotely Galra. If they had invaded or planned to, you would have known by now. You say your Garrison has the best technology your planet has to offer, which you have shown me."
"But what if it's not enough? Nothing I have found could help us in waking you up. Compared to your technology, ours is just as impressive as that antique clock you find at a flee market. I just wish I knew for sure."
Allura bit her bottom lip. "Then… maybe you should tell him the real truth."
"What?"
"Tell him about what I really am. About Zarkon and even Voltron. If he knows then he will be better prepared."
"Are you sure?"
"If it will put your mind at ease, then yes. You trust Shiro more than anyone you know, so it's only fitting that I trust him too."
Keith didn't know what to say in return. Hard to believe how far they had both come for Allura to trust a man she had never even met before, but she trusted Keith enough to trust Shiro. He thanked her by kissing her full on the lips.
"I know it's not much I can do." Allura said, her voice trembling with regret.
"No. It's more than enough."
(~)
Training with the gladiator was a great workout. He managed to break a sweat and the robot gave him a run for his money. But, at the end of the day, it really wasn't the same as sparing with someone else. His mind would often drift back to Allura. How drained she looked after she had revived the Galra.
They didn't dwell on it too much but… he could have lost her. The very thought fueled his rage and he sliced right through the gladiator, causing it to disappear in a small, light blue colored explosion.
What was he thinking? Allura was the strongest person he knew, there was no way one rejuvenation ceremony would weigh her down. Still, as confident as he was in her power, and astonished as he was that she was willing to give her life for the Bamarans and their home, the thought of loosing her was still difficult to swallow. He wondered if, the time ever did call for it… would either of them be willing to make such a sacrifice?
No, he couldn't think like that now. Now was not the time to be dwelling on what could go wrong. He wiped the sweat from his bangs and told the computer to start the third training level.
With the second gladiator, Keith managed to hold his own once again, but his distracted mind caused him to fluke and he was thrown off. He managed to slide to a stop, his bayard sword still in his grip.
"End training sequence." he said, panting from exhaustion. Maybe he could find something else to occupy his mind. Fighting the gladiator now was only adding more fuel to his original worries.
Only, even after he told the computer to shut it off, the gladiator continued to move. It marched towards Keith. The circular light on its face went from its normal blue glow to a frightening red color.
"End training sequence." Keith repeated, his voice slightly trembling in confusion. His eyes widened when the gladiator came at him with his sword, with very obvious intent to slice him in half.
"End training sequence, now!" Keith yelled, but the computer still refused to reply. The Gladiator threw Keith's weapon right out of his hand and kicked him to the ground, but the red paladin made a swift move right past him and grabbed his bayard and ran towards the door, sealing them shut. He leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath, but the gladiator forced open the door with its sword.
The gladiator chased Keith all across the castle towards the hangers, where he heard a countdown in process, followed by slightly girlish screaming and possibly crying.
It had to be Lance.
The blue paladin screamed Keith's name, desperately calling for help. Once the countdown ended, the hanger opened and Lance was being sucked into the vast void of space, while the gladiator had Keith in a forced sword fight.
Thinking fast, Keith pushed the gladiator against the opening and pushed the nearby button on the wall with his sword, opening the hatch. The gladiator was sucked out into space and Keith managed to pull a terrified Lance back to safety before closing the doors shut. The two boys finally managed to catch their breath.
"What were you doing out there?!" Keith asked, literally yelling. He didn't know what was more horrifying, the fact one of the robots just tried to kill him, or that one of his friend was about to die in space. Frankly, both of em combined were terrifying. As if he didn't have enough worries.
"Who was that guy?!"
"He was trying to kill me?!"
"Well is he the castle? Because that's who's trying to kill me! I told Coran this place was haunted!"
At the mention of Coran, Keith's mind went straight to Allura. He quickly grabbed Lance by the jacket and dragged him out of there.
(~)
"Shiro, I know this is going to sound crazy, but you have to believe me. I wasn't being entirely honest about Allura. She's not really from England. She's actually an alien princess from planet Altea, and she's been frozen for we're not sure how long. Her planet was invaded by a dictator named Zarkon, who was the king of the Galra, and we have a hunch he might possibly still be out there. I know you aren't really equipped to handle alien technology, but I'm telling you this so you can at least watch your back… yeah, he'll believe that, right?"
He asked his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He sighed and hung his head. "Even I wouldn't believe it. What can I do to prove it to him?" his eyes caught sight of the time on his phone. "Oh, no, I can't miss it!"
Keith dashed right out of his room and ran at full speed to where the three pilots were bidding their farewells before the launch. He saw Dr. Holt and his son, Matt, bidding farewell to their family. His wife took a picture of Matt and, whom Keith assumed was his younger sister. A pretty little thing with a lovely pale purple dress. Keith stopped for a moment to smile at the family moment. His heart swelled when they said their tearful farewells.
"There you are." Shiro called out, grabbing Keith's attention. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it."
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it."
A temporary silence surrounded the two. They weren't entirely sure how to say a goodbye because, in a way, they already knew how much they would miss one another, and Shiro knew how proud Keith was of him. Just as Shiro was proud of him too. He spread his arms open, welcoming Keith into a hug. He happily accepted it.
Shiro was, literally, the closest thing he had to a brother. No, not the closest, to Keith, Shiro was his brother, heads down. Which only made this departure a lot harder. It probably wouldn't have been if he would just tell Shiro the truth.
Should he? Would he believe him? Or would he completely dismiss it? What proof did Keith have to show Shiro he wasn't making this up? None, that's what.
"Keith, before I go, I just want you to know something."
"What?"
"I have never been more proud of you."
"Really? Why?"
"Well, you seem… different from when I first met you. I'm not sure if it's maybe you're time with Allura or not, but you not only seem happier but… more ambitious. You always used to look lost and unsure about what you want to do. Even if you haven't told me exactly what it is you want now, I can see that whatever it is, you're aiming high for it. You've got the makings of greatness in you, Keith. I have no doubt that, if you really want it, that will be you on that rocket, soaring far beyond the stars."
Not only were his words meaningful, but it also made the confession even harder than it already was.
"Shiro, I… I…" Keith hesitated. He breathed in deeply before saying, "I really apreciate that. I really do. You're right about one thing. There is something that's been on my mind for a long time, and it's something that I feel… very determined to accomplish. And, it's-"
"You don't have to tell me."
"I don't?"
"No. I trust that, whatever it is you're determined to accomplish, it's gonna be something that you'll never regret."
Keith hugged Shiro one last time before Dr. Holt called him. The two gave one final wave and Shiro boarded the rocket. Keith watched as it took off into the sky, passing the atmosphere and into worlds far beyond their land.
(~)
Allura had woken up to an unusual sight. The hologram of her father had come to visit her in her room. Confused at first, but Allura accepted her father's desire to come and see her. It felt like going back in time where she was young and ill, and her father would keep her company. She could already feel her fever withering.
Alfor took Allura back to the holographic chamber. The princess blew on the juniperberry flower, admiring its petals blowing in the wind.
"Altean flowers are the most beautiful." Alfor said, watching the petal float off like a slow breeze.
"It is sad that I will only see them in my dreams. But when I awake, my memories are like these spores. Scattered in the wind."
"Altea is not merely a dream, Allura. It still exists."
"How?" Allura asked. How can Altea still be real? Oh, but how she wished it still could be.
"The Altean flower, you can see it. You can touch it." Alfor handed Allura another flower, which she happily took. The idea of being able to be surrounded by a real field, be underneath a real sky, and breath the real Alteans winds was everything she wanted.
"I can take you there. I can take you home."
Allura stared at her father in confusion. "You can?"
"Would you like to go home?"
Home… Altea… with her father. There was nothing her heart yearned for more. The very idea was planted into her brain like a small seed, which rapidly grew and grew, enwrapping her consciousness with brambles of the possibility of returning home.
"But, what about Keith? And the others?"
"They can be with you as well. Picture it. You and your beloved, sitting in the real fields of Altea. Sharing your world with him. Free from this war, free from Zarkon. All of us, together at last."
"Together…" Allura muttered softly, her eyes tearing up. The brambles in her mind gained a tighter grasp on her sense of reality. "Yes. I want to go back to Altea, father."
"Then come with me, and I will show you the way."
While King Alfor led Allura down to the ballroom to relive even more memories of the past, Keith and Lance bumped into Coran.
"Where are you two heading in such a hurry?"
"Coran, where's Allura?"
"She's still in her room, I just checked on her not too long ago. She's sound asleep."
"Oh, good." Keith said in relief.
"Yeah, okay, while you're worried about your girlfriend, I was almost ejected into space!"
The trio heard screaming coming from the lion's hangers and rushed inside, seeing Pidge and Hunk on the floor, sounding as if they had fallen. The two explained that they were floating in zero gravity with no way of escaping, while Lance yelled about being blasted into space, and Keith told them of his near death experience with the gladiator. Coran theorized that the corruption from Sendak's Galra crystal could be effecting the Castle's system.
It was then Keith remembered Shiro was still not present and the group hurried to where they had originally left him. Watching over Sendak. However, they saw the black paladin having some kind of panic attack and had ejected him right out of the ship, while still in the pod, unconscious.
An alarm went off, signaling that the ship was starting a wormhole jump. There was only one person on the ship who could create wormholes.
The team hurried towards the control room, seeing Allura in her nightgown, still wearing Keith's jacket, commanding the castle ship and going into the wormhole she had just created.
"Allura, what's going on?" Keith asked. Something didn't feel right. When she turned around to face him, she looked strangely happy. Content even. Everything was the same, but her voice, it was almost as if she were in some kind of half-trance. Half-aware, yet half-asleep.
"We're going to Altea." she said, in an state of calm, content bliss. "We're going home. My father is taking us."
Keith's first instinct was to ran up and grab Allura by the shoulders to snap her out of it. The others followed right behind him with no hesitation, but were stopped when holograms of King Alfor's face appeared on all sides of the screen.
"Stay away from my daughter!" he shouted in vengeful furry, something the still half-slumbering Allura was completely unaware of.
"I'm assuming he's not very found of you yet, Keith." Hunk said, already trembling at the threateningly terrifying Altean king.
"Allura, snap out of it!" Keith cried out.
"The crystal must have corrupted King Alfor's artificial intelligence." Coran said. "It's taking over!"
Once the castle reached the other side of the wormhole what awaited for them on the other side was not Altea or any other planet, but a star. A very large star and it was about to explode. The Corrupted King Alfor was leading them right to it.
But all Allura could see was her beloved Altea, perfectly preserved and as breathtaking as it had always been. Keith started banging his fists onto the force field that surrounded Allura, keeping her trapped beside her father. He didn't care how the electrical currents hurt his hands, he kept on hitting, calling out to her.
"Allura! Allura, wake up! Can you hear me?" he pounded his fist onto the force field again, this time getting her attention.
Allura turned her head, giving him a sideways glance. A glimmer of something sparkled in her eyes. "Keith?"
"Allura, listen to me! This isn't real! Sendak's crystal corrupted your father's AI! You can't listen to a word he says!" he pounded his fist again when it seemed like he was loosing her attention. "Allura!"
Allura's vision was plagued with the image of the juniperberry fields, complete with the mountains and the small winged animals of the land. She picked one of the flowers, entranced by its beauty. The image was fractured when a silhouette of someone she knew started to flicker before her.
"Allura, please! You have to listen to me!" the voice came off rather static, but she recognized it all the same.
Another voice was heard, the voice of her caretaker. "This isn't real!" Coran shouted. "Wake up!"
"Is this real?" Allura asked, acting as if she didn't catch what Coran had just said.
"Of course it is real, daughter." Alfor said, "That flower your touching is real."
"Smell it!" Keith cried out. "Smell the flower!"
Allura did so, expecting to inhale the calming aroma of her favorite flower in the world… but all she could smell was metal and the skin of her hand. There was nothing remotely resembling the smell of the Altean Flower. None whatsoever.
The brambles which had gripped her mind began to split and crumble as the image around her faded and the scorching intensity of the star finally brought her back to reality.
"That's not Altea!"
"When that star goes supernova it'll destroy the entire system!" Pidge said. "Allura, you must reset the course and get us out of here!"
Allura placed her hands on the controls, but was forced back when an electrical current strike her hands. She cried out in pain and was forced out of the barrier, landing into Keith's arms. Alfor manifested and took the controls himself.
"Father, please! I beg you to turn this ship around! If we don't do it soon we will all perish!"
"I know. That is my intention."
"What? Why?!"
"Don't you see, dear daughter? Zarkon can never be defeated. He's been ruling for ten thousand years."
"But we must continue to fight!"
"Fight for what? It is all over for Altea. You don't have to live a lifetime of war. You can be with me and the rest of your people."
"Father, please! The paladins and I can still stop Zarkon! Somewhere in there you must want that to happen!"
The image of her father began to flicker. One moment he was standing still and proud, the next he was crunching down as if he were in pain. His voice called out once more, this time sounding more like his normal compassionate self.
"Allura, my AI has been corrupted! You must disconnect my power source-" his image flickered again, reverting back to the terrifyingly calm stranger who had bewitched her a moment ago by using her most precious memories against her.
"We can smell the juniperberries every morning, just like we used to. Remember how much you loved that."
Allura hung her head. "I do remember." she said sadly, but she was not falling for those lies again. She turned to the others, "I've got to get into the AI chamber to disconnect my father's power source manually."
"But that means… loosing King Alfor forever!" Coran said.
Judging by the look on her face, Allura was well aware of the risk. Just as well, the shimmer in her eyes gave a clear indication how she could feel her heart breaking at the thought of loosing her father all over again.
"Allura?" Keith didn't know what else to say. The princess gave her most stern look, trying to suppress the pain she was feeling.
"Get to your lions. I need you to slow the castle's descent into the star." Allura said as she made her way towards the chamber and the lions did as they were told. Each one pushing the castle back with all of their might as the star grew closer and closer.
Allura arrived at the chamber, where the corrupted King Alfor once again pleaded with her to not go through with it, while her true father kept intersecting, pleading with her to do so, knowing it was the only way to save them all.
"If you want to live, we must say goodbye."
Goodbye… how many times would she have to say it? It hurt every single time.
"I'm sorry about this father." Allura tapped on the controls and the image of her father disappeared. A pod rose from the ground, where a spiraling orb with intertwining mystical floating mist surrounded it. These were her father's knowledge and memories. Reaching out her hand towards the orb send a soft radiant shock wave that engulfed the room in a pitch black blanket. Allura was standing in a vast void, surround by nothing by precious memories of her childhood. The sound of laughter filled her ears and she could barely move.
While Altea was indeed beautiful, what took her breath away the most were the images of her younger self, carefree and adventurous, beside her loving and courageous father. Her hero. Her best friend. The one who would happily grant her the moon and stars if she so asked, not that she ever needed it. His love was all she could ever ask for. If she went through with this, all of these memories would be gone… forever.
"No." she told herself, shaking her head. "This is not real. This is all in the past." Allura ran forward, narrowly dodging more flooring orbs of past moments. Some happy, some sad, some funny, some scary, but regardless, they were her past. Her life from before. She finally stopped at the image of her father holding a newborn baby princess. Never had her father looked so happy.
She knew in her heart this had to be done, but at the same time, her heart didn't want to let this go. She had been alone, yearning for this kind of happiness again. The fact that all of this would soon be gone for good was enough to bring her to tears. The image of the memory shifted into that of her father, once again, pleading with her to stop this before it was too late.
"You don't have to fight Allura. You don't have to make this sacrifice."
The tears stopped. She now knew she would rather have her father be remembered as the hero he was rather than stay with this wicked version of him who only wanted her to think of herself. She couldn't be selfish. Allura may have had to bid her home farewell, but that doesn't mean she would sit back and watch the same happen to others. That's why she wanted to help the Balmara's, because she how it felt to loose everything. She now understood what sacrifice meant.
It meant placing the needs of others above your own. Something her father had taught her, something Shiro had taught Keith… and something they brought out of each other.
"Goodbye, Father." With a heavy heart, Allura embraced her father one last time. His image began to crack, and his real voice spoke to her once more.
"Goodbye, Allura." Alfor hugged her in return right before his body became engulfed in a blinding light. The bod had broken and all of his memories flew out into the air, fading away into the darkness, never to be seen again.
The castle reverted back to normal and the lions returned to their hangers, with the castle soaring into the wormhole right at the very moment when the star exploded. Once all was quiet once again, Allura finally allowed her exhaustion to take over.
She sat on the floor, with Keith wrapping a comforting arm around her while she rested her head on his shoulder while Coran sat on the opposite side.. As strong as she demonstrated herself to be in front of the paladins, she always felt at ease with showing a bit of her vulnerability when with Keith. With good reason.
"Allura, I'm so sorry about your dad." he said, his voice always as soft and caring whenever he spoke to her.
"We all are." Hunk said. He and the other paladins all shared her grief. Shiro even placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a warm sympathetic smile. Allura returned the gesture.
"Thank you. But that was not my father." Allura's expression once again turned hard and fierce as she stood back up. "The real King Alfor was a great man, and a great father. He may not be here with us anymore, but his dream lives on through all of us. And his legacy is Voltron."
(~)
"You didn't tell him? Why?"
"I don't know, if I did he would have thought I was crazy or trying to be funny."
Keith and Allura sat on the front porch of his desert shack, discussing about what had happened before the launch.
"Maybe I'm over reacting. Like you said, we would have known if the Galra had come to earth, or were planning on it. Guess all of this talk about Zarkon and Voltron and stuff just made me get a bit paranoid."
"I think I'm the one at fault for that." Allura said, looking away in regret, only to have Keith remove his jacket and wrap it around her shoulders. She didn't know why he did it, but it was a sweet gesture none the less.
"Not at all." he said, smiling. "Shiro's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Besides, it's not like I'll be bored with him away. I've got something to keep me occupied."
"Yes… we can continue our search for the Voltron lions."
"Okay, make that two things."
Allura's cheeks turned red as she and Keith snuggled closer together. Maybe Shiro being gone wouldn't be the worst thing. After all, he wasn't wrong when he said Keith had something he was aiming more. He was aiming to finding Allura and defeating Zarkon.
Two months had past, but rather than Shiro returning home, Keith's word shattered.
It was all over the news. The Kerberos rocket had crashed due to pilot error. Nobody survived.
The entire Galaxy Garrison held a memorial in honor of the deceased pilots. Words were said and tears were shed, but Keith probably cried the most, and he wasn't even with the rest of the crowd. He cried silent tears away from everyone else who placed their flowers and handles near the photographs. He even saw Dr. Holt's family there as well, dressed in black, crying more than everybody else.
Only once everyone was gone did Keith finally approach the picture of his old best friend. At least he didn't perish in the hands of Zarkon, but that didn't make the pain go away. Not in the slightest. With everyone else gone, he broke down and cried in front of the image. He didn't scream, he didn't shout, he just cried, weeped and sob.
Afterwards, he told Allura everything. The princess mourn alongside him. She allowed him to cry on her shoulder. She couldn't help but cry with him. As someone who had been separated from her family, she knew his pain better than anyone.
Several days had passed, and the news was still hard for Keith to deal with. If people didn't think he was distant before, this time the students sometimes forgot he was still attending the academy. He was so quiet they often didn't even acknowledge his presence unless he walked right by them or accidentally bumped into him.
Never the less, Keith did his best to carry onwards. Shiro's words echoed in his mind one day while he was exploring the caves with the mysterious markings.
"You've got the makings of greatness in you, Keith. I have no doubt that, if you really want it, that will be you on that rocket, soaring far beyond the stars."
A single tear rolled down his eyes and a small smile formed on his face. He would not let Shiro's death go in vain. He would continue searching for answers. He will find Allura, and they will defeat Zarkon together. Shiro may be gone, but his memory will live on through Keith.
Of that, he would make sure of.
(~)
It was probably best to leave Allura alone right now. That's what everybody told him. Yet, the look on her face would not leave his mind. He gently tapped on the metal doors, which slid open at the princess's command. Keith entered her chambers, seeing her still in her nightgown and wearing his jacket.
Silence filled the space between them until the princess finally broke down and weeped in his arms. Keith held her close, allowing her to let out all of her pent up anger and sorrow.
"That was the worst thing I ever had to do!" she cried out. Thankfully, the doors were closed so nobody else could hear her. "I didn't want to say goodbye!"
"I know. I know." he said softly while rubbing her back.
"I hated having to do it. But I knew it was the only way."
"It's okay, you don't have to explain it."
Allura wiped away her tears with her wrist, while placing on hand on Keith's shoulder. "No, you don't get it. I knew it was the right thing to do, but a selfish part of me wanted to him to stay. I wanted things to go back to the way they used to be." she sobbed harder, "But I know that can never happen!"
Keith wiped her tears with his thumbs, and cupped her face to stare into her eyes. "You're right. You can never go back to the way things were, and I understand how hard that is to accept. When I thought Shiro had died, I would have given anything to go back and time and prevent it. Some things are juts beyond our control. But, Allura, you're not wrong for wanting your family back. We all want that. As much as it hurts, sometimes we have to give up what we want to do the right thing. Most people wouldn't have the courage to do what you did." Keith caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead. "It's okay to feel sad. Just promise me you won't loose hope."
Allura managed to smile softly. "Keith, just because I'm sad right now doesn't mean I've given up hope."
Keith smiled and the two shared a soft, yet loving kiss. As they did so, they were reminded of the fact that while Allura had to bid farewell to her father yet again, at least she still had Keith. Alfor would want Allura to keep on fighting a good fight and to find happiness. But, what if at some point, she would need to sacrifice Keith as well?
The same worries that filled Keith's mind at the training deck were now filling hers as well, which coaxed Allura to deepen the once innocent kiss. Keith did not hesitate to kiss her back with the same amount of passion as she was giving. What once was a slow, innocent kiss was starting to transcend into a fast, fervid act of affection. Light moans were heard and their bodies were pressed together with Allura pulling him even closer than he already was with her arms wrapped around his neck, and Keith leaned in further, opening his mouth to welcome hers.
Their moral sense eventually won over and they both willed themselves to stop, panting with their faces as red as Keith's jacket, or even his lion while panting from the intense kissing.
"I'm sorry." Keith said, feeling embarrassed at his action.
"It's fine." Allura replied, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I think we both just need to get some sleep. It's been a rough day for all of us."
"Yeah. Good night." Keith placed a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Good night." Allura watched as Keith left her room, still feeling lightheaded over what had just happened. She and Keith were normally very self respecting people, but the experience with her father, and the reality of the stakes of their mission just weighted down on her like a pile of bricks at that point that she just… she wanted to hold on tight.
Allura pulled all her hair back, her entire face feeling as warm as that star that had nearly blown them all up hours ago, while whipping away some of the sweat from her neck. After everything she had been through today, she did not want to place any more stress on herself.
Meanwhile, Keith was feeling just as lightheaded and rather distorted from what just happened. He shook his head, trying to snap himself back to reality. Keith had to remind himself that nothing was going to happen to Allura. Though, the realistic side of him was still worried about being proven wrong.
No, he couldn't be selfish about this. Allura had gone through too much today, he had to let her rest and take it easy. That was what he could do for her right now. Once she was back to her full strength, they would take the fight to Zarkon and put an end to his Empire once and for all.
… right after a cold shower.
(~)
Okay, I'm pretty sure a lot of you guys have already seen, or heard depending on who was there, about season 3 of Voltron at SDCC. Originally, I was going to continue another chapter of a different story, but this just got me too hyped up. Also, and please don't take this the wrong way but I kind of need something to simmer down my slight, possible annoyance about… other things I feel no need to mention… you can connect the dots.
But seriously, Keith piloting the Black Lion? Allura possibly piloting Blue? Lotor finally making his debut? AND his kick butt female warrior brigade? How Epic is that?! Well, here's hoping you enjoyed it, and I'm eager for season 3!
This is probably my "spiciest" addition to the story, but I am keeping this with a PG rating, so sorry to disappoint anyone but nobody is gonna be getting "wild" anytime soon. Or, at all, actually. This is as far as you're gonna get. Besides, I picture these two have FAR too much respect for themselves and each other to do that. Just saying.
Not to mention, I'm an old fashioned kind of gal. You wanna get the goods boy, you gotta put a ring on it first! Yes, I know it's 2017, *ring, ring* Hello? Oh, it's for you, it's the "I don't care" hotline!… Oh, that's a good one!
Until next time. God bless, *kiss kiss*