Special thanks to my wonderful editor!
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.- Albert Einstein
13. Deceptive Illusions
The perfect day. That's what Pidge called it after they had left the castle and headed to the lake. The group took one of the castle transporters, ideal to fit the seven of them. Lance wanted to drive and took the helm, almost immediately, with Sven and Romelle in the front seat. Hunk and Pidge sat in the middle and that left Keith and Allura behind them.
During the ride, the princess saw Keith lay his head back against the seat and close his eyes. A moment later, she noticed him cringe in pain.
"Keith, what's wrong?" She asked suddenly.
He opened his eyes immediately, "Nothing, I'm fine, your Highness," he told her with a slight bow of his head.
Noticing the commander's sudden unnatural demeanor, Allura slid over to him and whispered in his ear, "What's with being so formal with me all of a sudden?" She widened her eyes in anger.
"What are you talking about?" He whispered back to her defensively.
She noticed the anger in his eyes. Backing away, she replied, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean anything by it."
Keith shook his head slightly, his thoughts becoming jumbled and heavy in his head. "I'm sorry too Allura; I didn't mean anything by it either."
The princess nodded, but didn't say reply. He still must be angry with me. She thought as she directed her eyes onto the landscape around her.
VVVVVVVVVV
The rest of the morning and the afternoon passed rather quickly. All of them were on call in case an immediate attack occurred, but after a couple of hours, they all relaxed, noting that neither Zarkon nor Lotor planned to attack anytime soon.
After brunch, the group spoke for a while and played cards. During that time, Keith had been quiet, mostly listening to their conversation. When it came time to play, he told them he'd rather watch them. When asked what was wrong, he dismissed their worries by saying that he hadn't slept much the night before and was just tired. Allura noticed how at times, he tried to hide the annoyance from his face. Somehow, she felt that they were annoying him. While playing the last game, he excused himself, telling them that he had to speak to Coran and walked off.
After the last game, they broke out and separated around the lake, trying to relax for the rest of the afternoon. Romelle and Allura talked quietly by one end of the lake. Hunk pulled a long blanket and laid on it blissfully snoring the afternoon away, after eating whatever was left over inside the picnic basket, while Pidge read a book under a tree close to the entrance of the forest. A large oak stood tall toward the edge of the lake. Sven and Lance sat there and discussed their worries.
"It doesn't make sense," Lance shook his head as he spoke to Sven, "Not one communication signal or an angry snarl from either of them."
"I know! And that escape…way too easy man. I can't help to think, what is their plan?" Sven asked perplexed as well.
"Have no idea," Lance as he played with the empty bottle of cola he finished consuming minutes earlier. Looking up at his friend, he said, "Maybe Keith has some thoughts. He's been quiet most of the afternoon anyway. We should hear what's on his mind…if he cares to tell us, he's been rather moody all day."
"I know," Sven answered, concerned as he surveyed the area, "Where is he?"
"He's still not back?" Lance gazed around the area as well.
"Where did he head?" Sven asked while standing up.
"Deeper into the forest, over where Pidge is sitting."
"Let's go find him."
xxxxxxxxxx
Keith heard the voice calling for him from the moment they arrived at the lake. He tried to dismiss it as his friends talked and played cards. But, as time passed, it grew louder. Seeing the entrance of the forest, he concluded that the voice called him to go there. He made an excuse to separate from his friends and followed the voice….
Son...it's time to go.
Son...it's time to go. Son...son...son...it's time to go.
The voice sounded familiar, yet it wasn't. Keith looked around...trees, the breeze...the voice... Son...it's time to go.
"Where?" he barely breathed out.
The trees, the breeze, the sound of the wind whispering to him, Home
Home. Keith looked up and found he was no longer in the forest, but walking up a golden staircase as figures with blank faces vowed to him. Son...it's time to come home.
He looked up…a throne, large and golden, with diamonds sparkling around it as if floating on nothing. Keith's father sat upon it. He smiled and spoke to him, Son...it's time to come home.
"Father?"
Keith saw his father. The same dark hair, the same dark eyes, an image of himself as an older man, but then it wasn't. His father suddenly turned into large grandiose figure in blue with yellow eyes and a sly smile. The same voice he heard earlier beckoned him. There's work to be done. It's time to come home.
"What must I do?" Keith asked as his view distorted and a whirlwind of images passed through his mind faster and faster until he was in the forest again, listening to the voices of his friends.
"Keith!" Lance voice yelled. "Where the hell are you?"
Gasping, he looked around and ran his hands through his hair, "What the hell is happening to me?" Keith whispered as the voices came closer to him.
"Keith!" Sven shouted.
He had to control himself. There was no choice. His heart pounded at the realization that he had no idea how he got to the forest in the first place. Coran. I said I had to speak to Coran. Why did I say that? Keith had to know what was going on first before he could tell the others. If not, they'd think he'd gone crazy. "Here guys. I'm here."
From behind him, through some bushes, Sven and Lance appeared. "Why did you come out so far?"
"I...I don't know. I must have been lost in thought after speaking to Coran," He answered, trying to come up with a reason, which was hard since he still felt incredibly uneasy.
Sven must have noticed because he walked up to him looking concerned, "Tell me what's going on, Keith?"
"Nothing really," he answered with a small smile. "Must have gotten lost in my thoughts."
"Is it because of Zarkon or Lotor's strange attitude all of a sudden?" Sven replied. "Or is it because of what's going on between you and Allura?"
"Yeah...that...both..." Keith sighed. "Too many things."
"You want to talk about it?" Lance asked, looking just as concerned and even feeling responsible for what he partly caused.
Shaking his head he replied, "No, it's okay. We better get back." Keith gently slapped Lance on the shoulder as he walked past them. He needed to get out of the forest.
The voice was back.
VVVVVVVVVV
Haggar smiled as she stared into her crystal ball. She paid close attention to the commander throughout the day. She watched everything from the first feed he received in the forest, to the continuing ones he had throughout the rest of the day. They were short, not nearly as fast she wanted them to be, but she noticed how each had a longer duration than the last.
"Soon, he will reach the second phase and we will be a step closer," the witch spoke to herself as her cat sat on a chair listening to her. "Coba, soon he will come home to us and finally Zarkon will have someone who will take us where we belong."
She watched now as he prepared to go to bed, another feed had entered his mind. He looked stressed, maybe he would have longer feeds while asleep. "Yes my Prince...get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning." She cackled as her cat ran up to her and purred by her feet. "Yes, my dear Coba...soon our prince will come home."
VVVVVVVVVV
"Come back…I'm coming back…I'm coming to you father!" Keith yelled as he jolted out of his bed. He looked around his dark room. Breathing heavily, he ran his hands through his hair. A feeling of anxiety overtook him as he rose from his bed only to be quickly stopped as flashes of images appeared to him in his head.
Doom
Zarkon
Crown
He sat back down in the bed. The flashes of images began again,
Doom
Zarkon
Crown
"Home?" he said aloud, surprised by the word he chose. Keith walked out of his room as the flashes continued in his head and the voice soon rang in his ears as well.
You're not a soldier!
There's work to be done.
It's time to come back!
It's time to come home!
He found himself in the Control Room, between the changing of guard. You're fighting the wrong cause! You are not defending freedom!
Alone, he sat on the chair and punched the codes to Doom. Immediately, planet Doom appeared on screen. The massive dark planet revolving around black space called to him. Keith stared at it. An immense feeling of nostalgia hit him like a tidal wave. Keith looked at it and softly whispered, "Home."
He lifted his hand as he reached to touch the screen, engulfed in a trance.
Doom
Zarkon
Crown
Doom, Doom, Doom
"Keith?" Lance's voice jolted him back to the present.
Keith immediately stood up, looking around, "What am I doing here?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing," Lance answered him with the same confused look the commander had as well.
Keith walked toward him, shaking his head, "Lance, I have no idea. I must have been sleepwalking."
"I've never known you to sleepwalk."
"Me either," Keith sighed in frustration. "I'll go back to bed."
As he walked out, Lance called him, "Hey, Keith."
"Yeah?"
"Have Doctor Gorma check you out tomorrow. You don't look good."
Growing angry, Keith looked at his best friend with a sudden fire in his eyes, "I'm fine!" he replied. "See you in a couple of hours."
"Keith!"
Lance received no answer. Alone now at the Control Room, he turned and looked at the view screen to find Doom still rotating on its axis. "What's is going on with him?"
He closed the image and sat down at the console, quickly dialing MedTech.
"MedTech services, who may I direct your call to?" the computer operator states.
"Doctor Robert Gorma."
"Transferring…"
Moments later the doctor appeared on screen. He was not on call, but always requested calls from control to be forwarded to him, not matter what time. At the moment he looked like hehad been sleeping, "Lance, is something the matter?"
"Yes Doc. I'm sorry for waking you, but I'm worried about Keith. I need you to check on him tomorrow."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"I don't know. He just doesn't look good," the lieutenant answered before proceeding to tell Gorma about Keith's behavior for the day before telling him was he just witnessed.
"He didn't have a concussion when he came in here after your mission," the doctor replied thinking back to prior days. "I don't understand these symptoms. And now you're telling me he is displaying behavioral ones as well?"
"Looks like it," Lance shrugged.
I'll run a CT tomorrow. I'm not sure he should fly," he sighed with concerned, but immediately knew it would be a lost battle to ground Keith for no apparent reason. "Unless you see something very wrong, get him to MedTech after practice."
"Not sure if he'll go willingly, but I'll figure out a way. Thanks!"
"I'll request a follow up," the doctor thought. "I'll talk to Coran."
"Thanks, Doc." Lance replied with a satisfied nod.
"Don't worry, Lieutenant. We'll figure it out. Good night," the doctor offered a reassuring smile.
"Good night," With that, Lance terminated the call. He sat back and wondered what could be happening to his friend.
Xxxxxxxxxx
Keith made it to his room, still unsure as to how he ended at Control. Still feeling nostalgic, he made every effort to fall back to sleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, however, the images came back, the voice did not cease and he began to feel a heat all over him.
You're not a soldier!
There's work to be done.
It's time to come back! It's time to come home!
He felt like screaming, but the voice told him not to. It told him to wait it out. Soon, the commander felt his eyelids close. Darkness fell over him. And although the voice continued to chant, it now felt easy on his mind.
You're not a soldier!
There's work to be done.
It's time to come back! It's time to come home!
Perspiration seeped through his forehead, Keith wiped it away subconsciously. Soon, he not only listened to the voice, but began repeating the words aloud in his sleep.