Happy 2019!
...
Chapter 21: Mirror Gem
"Come oooooon!" Keith whined into the phone. "They might actually have a copy of the first Killbot Phatasm."
"I know! I would love to be there, but I've got soccer practice today." Acxa explained. "Wouldn't Plaxum love to go to the shop with you?" she asked.
"She already has a copy." he answered.
"Then why do you need one? Can you just ask to use hers?" she asked.
"I already spent two hours begging her to let me play it. You spill one Gatorade on a console and suddenly no one trusts you." he muttered.
Acxa's face broke out in smile. "You still owe me an X-box."
"So anyway!" Keith said cheerily. "When can you hang out?"
Acxa snorted, aware of his attempt at a subject change. "Actually, other than Tuesdays, I can hang out anytime now that it's summer vacation."
"So no more fancy boarding school?" Keith inquired.
"No more fancy boarding school." she agreed. "Speaking of school..." That's how you change a subject, take notes Keith, "where exactly do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school on account of me being part magic space rock. Coran gives me a lesson on math and stuff every week, but that's about it." he explained.
Acxa frowned. "So you don't go to school at all? Not even for Voltron stuff?" Keith pursed his lips. A school for Voltron Stuff? Hmmm.
...
"Shiro!" Keith screamed, startling Shiro and causing him to rip part of his newspaper. "What's wrong? Is there an attack? Are you hurt? Is the inner magic of the temple causing a total collapse of all existing matter within a hundred mile radius?" he loudly asked, panic in his voice.
"No!" Keith answered, just as loud.
Shiro's entire demeanor changed. "Than what else could be so important that it was worth the sports section?"
Keith smiled, and prayed that his eyes would dilate slightly to give that innocent look his knew his friends couldn't resist. "I want to learn more about gem stuff." he explained.
Once again, Shiro's entire demeanor changed. "Really?" he asked. Keith confirmed it with a nod. Shiro smiled wide. "Then I have just the thing." He went into his room, and emerged a few seconds later with some sort of hand mirror. It was a simple circular mirror, nothing particularly special about it. It almost looked exactly like the ones at the Dollar Hut except it had a large, blue gemstone on the back. It was teardrop shaped and cracked, sparkling from the damage edges.
"We found this mirror by the Earthen Teleduv. It's an old tool used by gems to document historical events and such. It can play back anything it's witnessed over the centuries. You could learn so much about gem culture from it." He handed the mirror to Keith.
Keith looked into it, and he snorted. "Guess we're very important to gem culture, huh?" he asked, gesturing to their reflections. Shiro glared at the young Paladin through the mirror. "No, it just hasn't been activated, smart aleck."
He leaned over his shoulder. "Show us the Teleduv." he commanded. The mirror didn't do anything. Shiro frowned in confusion. "Show us the Teleduv." he repeated. Still, nothing happened. "I know you've seen it!" he told the mirror. He sounded like an old man yelling at slow internet. "Hm." Shiro hummed. "Must finally be broken." he realized. Keith stared at the mirror. Seems alright to me. he thought.
"If it's broken, can I keep it?" he asked.
Shiro nodded absent mindedly, too busy reading the newspaper again. "Go for it." he agreed.
...
Keith happily walked through town, fifty dollars and a grocery list in his pocket, the mirror in his hand. He couldn't wait to show it too...
Keith crashed into someone, and they both fell to the ground. "Watch where you're going!" The person shouted. It took Keith a second to realize it was Plaxum, surrounded by spilled ice cream. "Hey Plaxum. Sorry about the ice cream." he apologized.
She rolled her eyes, and began to wipe the sticky substance from her shirt. She was about ready to chew him out, but she paused when she noticed the mirror. "Keith, what's that?" she asked.
Keith smirked. "Just an old gem tool." he explained.
Plaxum's eyes widened in awe. "Cool. What does it do?"
Keith shrugged. "Shiro said that it could play back everything it's witnessed, but apparently it's broken."
"Uhhhhh." she whined. "Why is all the magic stuff I'm allowed to see broken?"
Keith laughed. "Probably because the last time I let you use a magic tool, you used that duplicator to clone all those action figures."
Plaxum blew a raspberry at him. "You say it like it's a bad thing."
"The whole town was covered in X-Men! It took three weeks to clean up!" he argued. Plaxum giggled. "Come on! Don't act like you've never misused magic, Mr. Paladin of Voltron."
Keith rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to humor you, Miss Assistant Manager of Luxia's Fry Stand. I'm going to go grocery shopping."
...
Keith picked up the bag of chips, convinced it was the right brand. He checked the list again. It was totally the right brand, if he was reading Blue's cursive writing right. Which he probably wasn't, but it's Blue's fault for not writing in print.
What was next on the list? Pickles? Okay, pickles. As Keith walked to the preserved foods section, he unfortunately failed to notice a vibrating tower of canned tuna. He did notice, however, Plaxum's voice yelling, "Watch where you're going!" Keith jerked around, and saw the tuna display just as the cans toppled. He barely managed to get out of the way.
"Oh my gosh! Kid, are you okay?" a store worker asked, placing a hand on his shoulder and shooting him a concerned look. Keith nodded. "I'm fine."
The store worker's eyes widened. "You're not going to mention this to my manager, are you?" she asked.
"Only if you count my expired coupons." he replied.
The girl scowled. "Fine, but you can't say a word."
...
As Keith left the store, he couldn't help but wonder who had warned him. Plaxum wasn't in the store, so either there was an impressionist, or...
"Don't suppose it was you, was it?" Keith asked the mirror. The mirror didn't respond, as Keith had expected, but after a few seconds, a ripple skimmed across the surface. An image of Shiro spread across the glass. "No, it just hasn't been activated." it played, before returning to normal.
Keith gasped. "Did you just talk?" he asked.
Shiro appeared again. "No."
Keith scowled. "Yes, you did. Admit it." he scolded the mirror. The mirror rippled for a second. The store girl appeared. "Fine, but you can't say a word."
"All right. I won't." he agreed. "So, why didn't you say anything earlier?" he asked.
The mirror rippled into another version of Keith's face. "I'm not going to humor you."
Keith snorted. "All right."
Keith was heading back home, but unfortunately, Mayor Lubos was giving some speech on the lake shore. There was no way to get home without walking through the crowd.
"My fellow citizens of Garrison..." Lubos voice broke through the mixed conversations of the crowd. "Once again, it is summertime. A time to make new friends and enjoy the warm breeze."
The mirror replayed Plaxum's raspberry. A few people in the crowd giggled.
"We all look forward to backyard cookouts and the smell of the summer season."
Another raspberry interrupted the speech, followed by a few more from other people, and even more citizens giggled.
"It's a time to take that pressure that builds up all year and just let it out!"
That was the final straw. Everyone in the crowd copied the mirror's antics, and Lubos threw his hands up in defeat.
...
When Keith finally had a chance to leave, he felt compelled to talk to the mirror again. "You're pretty funny for a mirror." he complimented.
The image instantly played back. "You're pretty funny for a mirror."
Keith smirked. "I'm not a mirror."
"You're pretty funny-" Shiro appeared in the glass "-Smart aleck."
Keith laughed at that. "You made something new! Say something else."
If mirrors could smile, this one would be grinning from ear to ear. "Keith is-a new friend." It spliced a couple of different clips together.
Keith smiled. "Huh. I'm friends with a mirror. Is it sad that that's not the weirdest thing to ever happen to me?"
"No." the mirror replied.
Keith and the mirror shared a laugh. "I'm going to show you to the others." Keith decided.
"NO!" The mirror said. "Bad thing!"
"It's okay. They won't hurt you." he reassured. The mirror didn't answer.
...
"Hey guys! I've got the groceries." Keith said, plopping the plastic bags on the counter. "And a surprise." Each gem shuffled through the bags. Shiro and Hunk put up the fridge products, while Blue picked up the chips. "You got the wrong brand." she said.
Keith scowled. "Not even going to ask about the surprise?"
"All right." Blue sighed. "What's the surprise?"
Keith scowl changed into a confident smile. "I got the mirror to work." he said, holding it up.
Shiro looked at the young Paladin. "That's wonderful! Good job, Keith." he praised.
"Why didn't you tell me it was like a person?" Keith asked. It was a strange question, one that should probably be asked in a gentle manner and in a calm environment, not in the blunt manner Keith asked.
And to say that the Paladins were shocked at this question would be an understatement. "It talked to you?" Shiro asked, horrified.
"Yeah!" Keith answered, oblivious. "See?" he said, and held it out. The mirror didn't do anything. "Really? Nothing?" Keith asked the tool. It still didn't say anything. "Come on, please!" he begged. The mirror replayed the raspberry. Keith snorted in amusement. "Really?" he asked.
"I'm-pretty funny." it said. Then it echoed the laughter from earlier, and Keith felt compelled to join in, but couldn't when he saw the look on Blue's face.
"Keith, you need to give us back the mirror." she said. "It'll be safer in a bubble."
The mirror stopped laughing, and screamed out a slurred "No!" Keith clutched it to his chest, and shook his head. "It doesn't want to go with you." he protested.
Blue's frown deepened. "Keith." she said sternly. "It's just a mirror. It can't want anything." She reached a hand for the tool, and the mirror let out one final protest. Keith visibly trembled. He had to protect it. "It wants to be with ME!" he yelled, and smacked Blue away. The force from the blow knocked Blue slightly to the side. Shiro and Hunk let out short gasps. Had Keith really just...?
Blue looked back to the boy, and three angry yellow eyes stared into his scared violet ones. Keith squeaked in fear. "I'm sorry!" he yelped, and bolted out the door.
"Are you okay?" Shiro asked. Blue stood up, keeping her composure.
Unflinchingly, she replied, "That little mullet is in big trouble." and stormed off after him.
...
Keith ducked behind a rock, and crouched down. He looked at the mirror. "Why are they after you?" he asked. The only answer he got was a distorted moan.
Keith stared at the magical mirror in his hands. "What's wrong?"
Images and flashes danced across the glass. They formed into so many different people it had seen through out the day, each one screaming, "I want to get out!"
"What do you mean?" he asked, desperate for an answer.
"I WANT OUT!" it shrieked again.
Keith let out a dry sob. "What do you want me to do?" he pleaded. The mirror vibrated, and it let out a high-pitched whine. Soon, a silhouette of Keith spread across the glass, and the imaginary Keith held up the mirror. He turned it around, revealing the broken blue gemstone. The image of Keith ripped the gem out of the back of the mirror, and the mirror whispered one word. "FREE."
Keith's hands shook, and he reached out to the raindrop-shaped gem. He carefully wrapped his fingers around it, and pulled the stone. He struggled to remove it. It was like the gem was super-glued.
But when the gem finally popped out, the mirror shattered, and Keith screamed at the explosive noise that came with it.
Keith watched as the cracked gem flew from his hands. It floated up into the air, hovering just a few feet away from the young boy. Then, something Keith would have never thought possible happened. A form of blue light emerged from the gem, a person. They hovered in the air for a moment, but they soon collapsed onto their knees.
Keith walked over to them, and the person turned around. Finally, Keith got a good look at him. The first thing Keith noticed was the cracked gem was embedded in his cheek. Next, Keith noticed how tall he was. At least as tall as Shiro, maybe even taller.
He was completely blue, from his dark blue hair pulled back into a ponytail to his light blue skin. Even his clothes were blue. The only part of the man that wasn't blue was his eyes. They were like endless pool of water, reflective, pupiless, and haunting. But the silly smile that broke across the man's face chased away all the fear the eyes could cause.
"You actually talked to me. You helped me." he said. He tipped forward slightly, and Keith latched onto his arms to support him. "You let me out. Thank you so much." he whispered, voice breaking slightly at the thank you. He straightened up. "It's Keith, right?"
Keith nodded, and the stranger's smile grew. "I'm Matthew Holt. But you can call me Matt." he introduced. He held out his hand, and Keith shook it. "Are you really a Paladin of Voltron?" he asked.
Keith smiled. This guy had actually heard of them? "Yeah." he confirmed. Matt's smile shrunk a little bit. "But you actually talked to me." he voiced.
"What?" Keith asked, confused. What was that supposed to mean?
"KEITH!" Blue angrily cried out. She and the other Paladins appeared then, drawing their weapons. "Wait!" Keith said. "Don't hurt him!"
"You." Matt spoke, his voice cold and harsh. His gem began to sparkle, and a large column of water rose up from the lake. "You three knew I was in there, and you didn't do anything. Did you even wonder who I used to be?" he demanded. Behind Matt, the water slammed onto Blue, and struck Shiro and Hunk back several feet. "I'm Matt Holt, and you can't keep me trapped here anymore!"
"What are you doing?" Keith demanded.
Matt's face contorted in rage. "They're not going to let us leave." Matt explained. He held up a hand, and the waters parted. "Let's go." he gestured to the path.
"Where?" Keith asked, confused.
Matt frowned. There was so much fear in his features. "Home." he answered.
Keith shook his head, and gestured around. "This is my home." he said. Matt pursed his lips. The lake returned to normal. "Fine." he said coldly. "Just do yourself a favor: Don't trust them." As Matt finished his request, Blue managed to break free. She ran at the blue gem, and tried to strike him. A wave rose up and consumed Matt before she got the chance.
The wave pushed the two Paladins back. Hunk and Shiro made their way over to them. "Are you okay?" Hunk asked, wrapping Keith up in a hug.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Keith stared at the spot Matt had been. "Was that another gem?" Keith asked.
A somber mood filled the atmosphere. "Yeah." Shiro said, tone dark. "Yeah, it was."
...
Not going to lie, when I first started to plan this, I wanted Lance to be Lapis, but then I realized he was better suited for another role. Of course, with that decision came the challenge of finding someone else to be Lapis.
Then I realized, "Hey! What about Matt? They're very similar! Both were prisoners, they both have amazing hair, they both have had traumatic experiences, they both have expressed the desire for home, and both of them are close friends with a short, slightly annoying tech-genius who loves the color green and wears glasses!"
So Matt it is. Tis a shame what happened to poor Matthew's hair at the end of season 8, though. T~T
Also, just imagine Matt is wearing his clothes from season 7, but blue and a lapis gem embedded in the his left cheek. Matt has that scar, so it's kind of poetic that the gem is cracked like how a scar is a sign of past damage...
You get it, yeah. You guys get it. ;)