Hello, hoping everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July, at least those from the USA. My editor was too busy to help me edit this week, so I'm going it alone and hoping all of you don't find too many errors. If she gets back to me with any needed changes, I'll update the chapter. Enjoy.

I make no claims to Voltron or any WEP characters.

Origins: A Legend Unfolds: Chapter 10

Thirty minutes later, Keith replies, "That's great Pidge!" into the microphone in the control room. He feels briefly relieved until he remembers that they still need to retrieve two more lion keys. Remembering that Pidge is waiting for him, he hits the button to the microphone once more, "When are you moving onto Earth Kingdom?

"The others are leaving now. I'm bringing Green lion back to Storm Kingdom. Barden, the guy in charge here, was less than happy with me when I returned with the key. He basically told us to take the lion and get out."

Keith sucks in a deep breath and shakes his head, "Not a good idea Pidge, we don't want the Drules to see the lions until we have all the keys."

"The service tunnels between the kingdoms are narrow, but the ones between the lion caverns are big enough to run the lion through it Keith. I won't be above ground," Pidge explains.

"Very well, check in with me when you return and tell Coran to check in as well when they reach Earth Kingdom," orders the commander.

"Will do Cap…out."

Sitting back in the command chair, Keith thinks through the conversation and his promise to check on the princess. Thinking, 'She would want to know about this…' he rises from the chair and informs the nearby guard, "Take my place, I will return in a few minutes."

At the guard's nod, he leaves the room. Walking down the hallway, his mind is on the upcoming lion challenges Sven and Hunk will be facing. Barely noticing where he is, he stops abruptly when he realizes he has reached the princess' room. Knocking on the door, he waits for an acknowledgement that does not come. Keith knocks once more then reaches for the button and the door glides open. "Princess?" he inquires as he walks into the room to find it empty.

Swearing broadly, he runs back to the control room. Hurrying inside, Keith gestures to the man in the command chair to move. He quickly switches on the princess' tracking tag then looks up at the spot on the map. His gaze moves back to the soldier next to him as he demands, "Where is that?"

"Near the lion's cavern. Take the first right when you leave the compound instead of going toward the cavern. It will lead you there," the man informs the commander.

Nodding, Keith rises as he quickly leaves the control room again. Running down the hall, he soon reaches the stairs that lead down to the tunnel for the Black lion. Taking the right tunnel as instructed, he hurries toward the end to find a single large hole in the wall. Entering it, he finds two small pools of steaming water.

His eyes move over them in quick succession only to find them empty. In desperation, he calls out, "PRINCESS ALLURA!"

"I am here…"

Keith turns to find a third pool he missed on his entrance. His mouth drops open as the princess rises from the water nude, the water sliding off her body in a rush as she pushes her wet hair back off her face. Quickly turning around, he gives her his back. However, the image in his head of the water running off her high tipped breasts and down her narrow hips with her wet hair hanging down to her waist and clinging to her body causes him to harden. He takes a deep, calming breath then says, "Princess, could you cover up, please?"

Climbing out of the pool, Allura picks up her towel and starts wiping herself dry as she looks over at the commander to find him facing the way out. Curious, she inquires, "Is there something wrong?"

Trying hard not to choke with nervous laughter, Keith replies, "You could say that. Don't you have a bathing suit?"

"A bathing suit?" she pauses to ask, a bit perplexed, "You wear clothes when you bathe?"

Shaking his head, he turns to look at her then quickly turns back to face the door, having seen that she is still standing in the nude. Feeling the heat of his embarrassment creeping across his cheeks even as his groin throbs with need, Keith pleads, "Princess, please…cover yourself."

"Have I offended you?" Allura asks as she picks up her robe and slides it on. Slowly, she limps over to him in her bare feet, "Do you not bathe in the nude on Earth?"

He glances back once more then sighs. Relieved to find her body covered, the commander faces her to answer, "In private bathrooms, yes. In public places, no." He pauses then says, "Well, some people do, but the majority don't."

"Well, I am sorry if I have offended your sense of modesty Commander Kogane. I did not realize people from Earth were so…prudish," replies Allura as she uses the towel on her hair.

"I am not a prude…" Keith states emphatically, his eyes narrowing on her.

"No? Then why did you become upset? It is only the human form…a body like any other," she questions him.

Resisting the urge to retort "Not like any other body," Keith clamps his mouth shut for a moment and looks away from her. Taking a deep breath, he asks, "Do you bathe down here often?"

She smiles at his topic change, but answers him, "Sometimes. My knee was not hurting as much and the warm water always makes me feel better, especially when I have a headache." Gesturing to the pools, the princess adds, "Many people use these pools. Sometimes groups come down here."

Keith is silent for a moment as he contemplates that statement then asks in a low voice, "Men and women together, in the nude?"

Laughing delightfully at his hesitant tone of voice, Allura states, "You really are a prude Commander Kogane." His face turns an even brighter shade of red, from anger or embarrassment she does not know. She does not wait for him to reply before adding, "Usually the women will be in one pool, the men in another, but yes, the groups will be mixed."

When he does not respond, she decides to tease him, "If you still have your headache, perhaps you should undress and soak in the pool for a while." Her eyes flash with mischievousness as she adds, "I can stay and keep others out if you wish." Allura almost laughs at the startled sound that escapes the commander before he clamps his mouth shut again. He refuses to meet her gaze and only shakes his head at her in reply. A moment passes then he quietly mutters, "I need to return to the control room soon."

She nods then a thought occurs to her, "Why did you come down here seeking me?"

Reminded of why he had sought her in the first place, Keith says, "I went to your room to give you an update," his tone is a bit accusatory as he adds, "But you weren't there." Clearing his throat, he finishes, "Pidge passed the trial for the key to Green lion. He's bringing the lion back here and the others are on their way to Earth Kingdom now."

A bright smile crosses her face as she excitedly exclaims, "That is fabulous news. I am sure they will be able to gain the other keys."

Keith nods at her then glances around once more at the steaming pools, "If you are finished here, I can escort you back to your room before I return to the control room."

Fighting not to laugh at the commander as he looks at everything but her, Allura replies, "That would be very kind of you. My knee is still a bit sore. I should probably put it up again." She takes his pro-offered arm and slowly walks with him from the cavern.

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A while later, Keith sits in the control room, rubbing his throbbing temple. He hears the doors to the room opening behind him and turns the command chair to face the arrival. Pidge smiles broadly at him as he quickly crosses the room and holds up the key to the lion. Keith smiles at him in return then asks, "How was the ride back?"

"Cap…" The young man's eyes shine with excitement, "that lion is unlike any ship I've ever been in before. Even though I haven't had any training, it just seemed to come naturally to me. Like I knew how to work the controls!"

Smiling at his enthusiasm, Keith replies, "I felt something similar in Black lion."

Nodding, Pidge looks around, "Where's Princess Allura?"

"Resting in her room…I hope," states Keith then turns around in the chair and presses the controls to activate the tracking chip on the princess. It shows her location to be her bedroom and he sighs in relief. Turning back to Pidge, he finds the younger man studying him closely and asks, "What?"

"You still have a headache, don't you?" Pidge gestures at him, "I was so excited when I first came in, I didn't notice it. But your face is white and your eyes look funny too." His eyes narrow on the commander, "Did you have Dr. Gorma check you over again?"

Irritated by the questions, Keith retorts, "No, with the rest of you gone, I had to cover control."

"Well, I'll take your place then and you can go get checked," Pidge rationally replies then gestures for the commander to get out of the chair.

Resisting the urge to tell the younger man where he can go, Keith slowly rises, the throbbing in his head increasing with the movement. He manages to utter, "Fine…" then walks out of the room without saying another word.

Pidge watches him go then sighs as he sits down in the command chair and starts checking the status of each post.

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Riding in the glider on the way to Earth Kingdom, Hunk feels his anxiety increase with each mile. He glances behind him into the backseat to find Sven looking uncharacteristically edgy. The Norwegian is known for his unflappable manner, but right now, he looks like he will snap the head off the first person who speaks. Hunk turns back around and glances over at the advisor. Coran stares straight ahead as he flies the glider along the passageway leading to Earth Kingdom. Feeling Hunk's regard, the older man turns his head and smiles reassuringly at him then turns his attention back to his flying.

Taking a deep breath, Hunk closes his eyes as he tries to calm himself. Finally, Lance speaks from the backseat, "Jesus you two, quit acting like you are about to face the guillotine and relax."

Hunk turns around in the seat to face Lance and growls, "Easy for you to say…you already have your key, asshole."

Smiling unapologetically at the big man, Lance retorts, "I highly doubt you will be set on fire like I was, so relax!"

"Well…" Sven retorts from beside him, "It's what they will do to us that we are worried about." He glares at Lance a moment longer then turns his head to look out the window at the passing rock walls.

Turning back around in his seat, Hunk stares ahead, not seeing the scenery around him as he mentally goes over what might be awaiting him in Earth Kingdom.

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Trying not to cringe at the light shining in his eyes, Keith quickly blinks his watering eyes several times when the doctor finally turns off the flashlight. Dr. Gorma plays with the small flashlight in his hand as he studies him then asks, "How long has the headache been bothering you?"

"It started yesterday on the ride back from Fire Kingdom. I got dizzy and sick on the way there and my head started pounding on the way back," explains Keith as he starts re-buttoning his shirt.

Dr. Gorma leans against the counter next to him, sets the flashlight on it and stares at the commander for another moment. Finally, he sighs as he pulls away, "Well, I do not think it is anything more serious than the concussion you suffered when your ship crashed." Keith looks relieved until the doctor adds, "However, I do think that you are trying to do too much too soon. I am giving you an order now."

Keith's eyebrows go up as Dr. Gorma sternly states, "You will rest for the remainder of today. No combat, no training, you will remain off duty until your headache goes away or you could cause yourself more damage." The doctor finally smiles as he suggests, "There are some hot springs in a cavern off the tunnel that leads to the Black lion." Keith feels his cheeks burning at the memory of his earlier visit to those springs as the doctor finishes, "I think you should go relax in there for a while then return to your room to rest."

Keeping silent, Keith nods then hops off the examination table. He does not look at the doctor as he walks out of the examination room then makes his way out of MedTech. Continuing down the hallways, he walks to his room then stops after entering it. Keith looks at his bed with longing but makes his way to his dresser instead. After pulling out a pair of shorts, he grabs the comm. unit off his belt, "Kogane to control."

"Hey Cap…how'd you turn out?"

Instantly irritated, Keith answers, "I've been ordered to rest for the remainder of the day. I'm going to the hot pools to relax..."

"Hot pools?"

Sighing, he explains, "There is a cave with some spring-fed, hot pools to the right of the tunnel that leads to the lion cavern. I will be there for a while. Call my comm. unit if I'm needed."

"You won't be," Pidge replies then states, "Control out."

Feeling his irritation rising, Keith resists the urge to radio back in to tell the young man off for his imprudence. Feeling his temples throb with pain, he returns to the task at hand and starts stripping off his uniform. Five minutes later, he wraps his robe around himself then leaves the room.

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Feeling his muscles tense as Coran stops the vehicle near another cavern, Hunk gets out of the glider and forces himself to stretch his sore muscles before looking around. He glances at Sven and Lance as they climb out of the glider then over at the advisor to demand, "Now what?"

Coran smiles at the broody man and replies, "The Yellow lion is just around the corner, follow me."

"Why didn't we just stop inside the lion cavern?" Lance questions as they move down the tunnel.

"Because he didn't want to alert someone to our presence immediately if they are in there," answers Sven for the advisor as they enter the cavern. Coran smiles at him as he responds, "That and the noise might alert the guards of Earth Kingdom. They may not actively guard the lion, but that does not mean they will stand back and just let us take it either."

Hunk listens to the conversation but does not comment as they enter the cavern holding the lion. He feels a surge go through him as he looks up at the big mechanical cat, almost as if seeing an old friend for the first time in years. He hears Sven next to him sigh and say, "Well, like the other lions, it is impressive, but I feel nothing toward it."

A hand falls on his shoulder as Lance asks, "Well big guy? What about you?"

It takes all Hunk has to pull his gaze from the lion to look down at Lance. The lieutenant smiles up at him, "You feel it…I can tell."

Nodding, Hunk looks back at the lion then to the side when the sound of a lion roaring draws his attention. A large wooden door has a mountain with a lion in the center, looking ready to pounce, etched into it. He moves toward it, unaware of the others following him. Reaching it, Hunk hears the roar of the lion again and finally glances back.

Lance gestures to him to go ahead while Sven tries to smile encouragingly at him. His gaze moves to the advisor, who nods as he says, "May the gods be with you on your quest."

Without another word, Hunk turns around and yanks hard on the handle to the door. As it opens, he walks inside then waits. He hears the door shut behind him but his attention is on the room in front of him. High rock walls line the room with torches providing a small amount of light. In the center of the room, the same etching that was on the door lines the floor. A bright light shines down onto a small object suspended in midair at the end of the room.

Recognizing it to be the key to the lion, Hunk steps forward then stops abruptly at the sound of a gravelly voice saying, "You are not of Arus…why have you come here?"

Hunk looks around the room, trying to locate the origin of the voice then giving up, replies, "I want to protect Arus from the Drules."

"But you are not Arusian. Why do you care what happens to Arus?" the voice questions.

Getting angry now, Hunk balls up his fists as he retorts, "The Arusians can't protect themselves so have asked for my help."

"Interesting…" the voice replies then questions, "so you feel you are up to the task of becoming a protector of Arus?'

"Yes! Or I wouldn't be here!" Hunk yells into the surrounding darkness.

Amusement slips into the voice's tone as he states, "Many have tried and failed, what makes you think you can complete the trial?"

"Because I won't quit!" answers Hunk as he shakes his fist in the air.

"Very well Earthling…let's see how far you will go," the voice replies then becomes silent.

Hunk looks around the dark room then starts to walk toward the key. Suddenly the sand from the cave floor swirls up around him. It soon takes the form of men and they grab at his arms and shoulders. Hunk yells as he yanks his arm away then throws a punch at the closest sand man. It dissolves back into sand and falls to the ground. The big man barely notices as he continues to punch at the remaining two.

As they fall back to the floor as sand, Hunk grunts in satisfaction then starts forward again. The sand swirls around him once more, forming six men this time. A growl of anger escapes the big man as he starts punching his way through them once more. This time the sand barely falls to the floor before the sand men are reformed, each time doubling. Hunk starts yelling in frustration as he keeps striking the sand men while continuing to try to move forward.

The sand men surround him then start trying to fall on him, dropping away when his fist goes through them only to reform and charge him once more. Hunk screams as the group finally falls on him, burying him in sand. The mound moves until Hunk bursts through the top a minute or two later, yelling, "NO!" as he claws his way out of the pile of sand. Reaching the stone floor, he gasps for breath as he stands up and finds the key just a few steps out of reach.

About to take the necessary step forward, the sand suddenly swirls around him. It moves faster and faster until Hunk cannot see the light or the key in front of him anymore. Holding a hand in front of his eyes to protect them, he forces his body into the swirling sand. Screaming in pain from the sand striking his body, Hunk keeps moving forward, step by slow, agonizing step. He stops when he feels something hit against the back of his hand. Blindly reaching out, he grabs something small then the sand suddenly drops.

Standing upright, Hunk looks down at his hand in disbelief to find the key to Yellow lion. He yells in surprise the next instant as he feels a surge of energy go through his body leaving him struggling to stay on his feet. The surge is gone a moment later, leaving Hunk gasping for air. He looks back down at the back of his hand to find the symbol of Earth Kingdom tattooed onto the skin. A tall mountain range covers the entire hand with a small lion in the center that looks like it is ready to pounce. Shaking his head at it, Hunk turns around to start for the door but stops when the voice says, "Congratulations Earthling on your victory. May your perseverance and strength serve Arus well."

Refusing to answer the voice, Hunk stalks across the room and yanks the door open. He steps out only for Lance to grab him in a back slapping hug, "I knew you could do it big guy!" Pulling back, Lance grabs Hunk's right hand to stare at the symbol tattooed into it.

Coran steps forward with a smile on his face, "Congratulations Hunk."

Nodding to him, Hunk notices the short but nervous smile Sven gives him before the Norwegian turns away from him and walks back across the cavern. Turning back to Lance, the big man finally angrily speaks, "I never want to hear you whining about being lit on fire again…I was buried alive in there!" then starts walking toward Sven's direction.

The look on Lance's face turns to one of confusion as he follows Hunk, "What do you mean buried alive?"

Trying hard not to laugh at them, Coran glances at the closed door once more then follows the men.