Author's Notes:

Thank you for reviews. Thank you Chris for editing.

Chapter is Rating T.

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Crystal"

Seated on an assortment of lounge chairs at the veranda, Keith and his extended family faced the expansive green lawn which led towards an empty wharf. A wide fabric awning shielded them from the noontime sun, gently flapping in the cool breeze.

When the lavish buffet had been served, the Sande delegation jovially dug in and the entire earlier skirmish forgotten. He saw palpable relief in his parents' expressions.

Sated from their heavy luncheon, a banquet fit for royalty, Allura pressed against him, pushing tendrils of his long black hair off his face.

With his arm behind Allura's shoulders, he felt her edge closer to him, cuddling him. An unmistakable contentment enveloped his heart. Keith recalled how surprised she was to see such a variety of food on offer. Tilting his head to gaze at her, he drank in his wife's features. Snuggled beside him, her expression was dreamy, languid. No longer pale and ashen, Allura's colour had returned after she partook of a generous portion of the nooning meal.

Taking his time to indulge, his attention shifted. He revelled in her luscious, soft curves pressed against him. By the gods' bones! Her fragrance and warmth were distracting. She looked like a goddess in her off-the-shoulder ivory gown, tempting him with her smooth skin and her golden hair draped for him to run his fingers through. Grinning, he realised he was still acting like a giddy young squire around her. Pushing his lusty needs a few notches back, he decided to simply enjoy the moment. Heaven knew how many days were left for them to enjoy moments like this.

Relaxed, his fingers smoothed her arm then played with the fringes of her golden tresses while his eyes panned across the unique company they held. Pidge sat on a wicker chair on his right. Across them, Lance and Hunk were talking loudly while Coran, Damon and George were speaking with the king; the group stood at the edge of the veranda. ShannonLynne and Garry had just shuffled back into the dining area. It appeared the toddler was in need of a nap and Cate and Cybil accompanied them to the guest rooms.

Even the lion spirits appeared relaxed, lounging near their warriors. The green lion cub pounced on his parents while the Yellow Lion showed blatant interest toward Red Lion.

Keith pointed towards the wharf. "That's where Blue's pedestal will be constructed. She will be like a sentinel, watching over the sea and beyond." He grabbed two cups from the low table in front of them and handed one to Allura. "Yellow will guard the lands facing the north."

Allura hummed her reply as she sipped her tea.

Pidge leaned forward. "Is it safe to assume that since Green Lion is naught yet born, then there is no sense sitting an incomplete lion mecha on a pedestal?"

Keith eyed the young lord seated on his right. "We will assess the condition of your lion mecha when we haul it out of the sunken pool in your kingdom," he replied and then drained his cup.

"Fair enough." Lord Darrell scratched his ear, then plucked off his eyeglasses to rub the lenses clean with his linen tunic. "If it's okay with you, my lord, I would like to join you when you go back to my kingdom with... additional manpower?" he asked hesitantly.

"I suppose you have all the right to oversee the transition." Keith set his empty cup on the low table in front of him.

"There are still trusted key people in the city. There are lines of succession when a position becomes vacant. I need to speak to the new leaders who took over my uncle and father's positions."

The Altean prince leaned forward, planted his elbows on his knees, and laced his fingers between the spread of his legs. "I am waiting for the King and the council's vote when to send troops. The archduke should have expedited the release of more troops. We expect an update by this afternoon when council session is adjourned," Keith explained. He had been observing the youth throughout their luncheon. Even though Darrell was mostly quiet, his large, emerald eyes sparkled with interest. Did he enjoy the company of the jovial bunch from Sande delegation? Was he enthralled by all the families in his midst? After all, the young lord was now part of his extended family. He even bravely spoke to the lion spirits. Keith watched him approach the unobtrusive and mostly quiet Red Lion.

Unafraid, Darrell stood up and approached the other lion spirits. "Are you related to any of the lions? Are you a sibling to Lord Alpha?"

:: Nay, Lord Darrell. I am a distant, very distant relation of Lord Alpha, :: Red Lion sat on his haunches. Still and unmoving, Red was like a stalwart sentry on duty.

"Just like their warriors?"

Red bobbed his head. He winced when Yellow prowled around him, batting him with her tail.

"Is that why Yellow Lion's flirting with you?" Pidge asked, curious.

:: Very perceptive, Green warrior. :: Xienna purred and rubbed her golden yellow fur against Red Lion.

:: My lady Xienna... :: Red Lion coughed awkwardly.

Blue lioness rolled her eyes while Black chuckled at Red's uncertain reaction to the Yellow lioness. They shifted their attention to their energetic cub that was pouncing and pawing Black's swishy tail.

Unlike his bed-hopping warrior, Red Lion appeared every inch an honourable, chivalrous beta lion.

Keith grinned, amused as he watched Pidge and the lion spirits. He realised it was the very first time they'd interacted as a pride.

Then he saw his Aunt Bee, who came from the dining area, approach all the five lion spirits for the very first time.

Facing the lions, Princess Cybil swept a graceful curtsey; her eyes danced in adoration. Was she telepathically talking to all the lions?

The lion spirits formed a semi-circle in front of her and bowed.

Then, she abruptly turned towards the lion warriors, her silver gown swirled in the swift movement. She swept her arms in an open gesture. "I would like to speak with the lion warriors in our private library, please."

King Kenneth invited Coran and the Garrett brothers to join him in the recreation room for a game of chess, or backgammon.

Pidge walked apace with him. "By the way, what's with your aunt?"

"She has the gift of sight." Keith offered his arm to Allura, who sauntered beside him.

"Is she a sorceress? If your mother's the queen, then your aunt's a princess too? Does your mother have the gift of vision like her sister?" Pidge asked questions in rapid succession.

"I..." Keith paused and scratched the back of his neck. He never thought of his aunt and his mother that way. To him, they were just normal everyday aunt and mother. But then again, they were royalty, possessing two of the five lions in their kingdom. That was naught simply...ordinary. And yet, he grew up knowing it that way.

As they entered the private library, Cybil pressed a panel hidden among a row of books in one of the shelves. A large, octagon-shaped platform rose a few inches from the parqueted floor. It was large enough to fit everyone, including the lion spirits.

Holding Allura by the waist, he whispered, "Hang on, love."

She tilted her head, her eyes confused. "Hang on?"

With a jolt, the raised dais covered them in a protected glass bubble and began a slow descent beneath the library.

xoxoxoxo

"We're going underground?" Allura's eyes widened and held her breath; her fingers tightened around Keith's arm, gripping his hard bicep. By all the goddesses! Where were they headed? Were they going to the source of her earlier heightened sense of a pulsing energy beneath the city?

Keith didn't speak but held her tighter. She saw his jaw set tight, his mouth forming a thin line. Had Keith been here before? If he had, how long had he kept this a secret? Allura's brows creased as a thousand questions raced through her mind.

After what felt like an eternity, the dais came to a full stop and the glass bubble vanished. They were hundreds of feet below the capital city.

Stepping off the dais, they gazed upon a brightly lit, cavernous hall. At the end of the hall was a large cluster of iridescent crystals, in glittering columns so immense, they rose from the cavern floor up to the ceiling.

Speechless, they all walked closer towards the colossal crystals.

:: Here, in the crystal chamber, you are all able to hear us and speak with us," Blue Lion announced.

"Brilliant. I can finally hear what Blue lioness sounds like." Lance let out a wry chuckle.

Allura searched Keith's face. "Did you know about this?"

"Since...I was a lad."

"How about Lance?"

"He knew about this since he became the Red Lion warrior."

"And when was that?" Hunk asked; his arms crossed, his expression tight. He strode between him and Allura.

"After we were knighted," Keith replied. "But this is the first time he's gone down here to the crystal chamber. And no one else knows. We were sworn to secrecy as part of our bonding agreement with our lions."

"Harsh. But fair." Hunk scratched his chin. He'd barely said anything to them since after lunch.

"As you will all now swear to never reveal all of this." Cate outstretched her arm as she addressed the lion warriors.

The lion warriors nodded, agreeing to the queen's request. They laid their clenched fists on their chests and bowed their heads.

"Come, Lord Darrell," Cybil offered, "See where your precious lion egg is resting."

Pidge glanced at Green's lion spirit waiting patiently beside him. They followed Cybil and stood in front of the green crystal column. His gaze rested on the lion egg inside the crystal.

Cybil smiled, encouraging the young lord. "Go ahead, Darrell."

With the seer's permission, Pidge held up his hand and touched the crystal. It felt smooth and oddly cool to the touch, flattening his face on to the crystal to gain a better look of his lion egg.

"Long, long ago," Cate began, her gaze swept across the crystal chamber, "It was written in the ancient texts, they landed, blazing in five different colours—"

"—So, the lion spirits are not from Arus?" Lance interrupted.

"—Can they not go back to their own world?" Pidge added.

"Nay, they cannot." Cybil shook her head. "They couldn't exactly pin point where their planet was located, in which galaxy or universe."

"Wait, hold on," Lance interrupted again, raising his hand. "Are you telling us there are beings from other planets?" he asked; an incredulous look plastered on his face.

"It all sounds like poppycock, the stuff of children's fairy tales." Hunk grumbled.

Digesting the new information, Allura stared in silence; a million thoughts running in her head. But as her gut roiled, she knew. Deep in her heart, she knew something like this was possible. Did her link with the lions prepare her for this revelation?

Instead of replying, Cate motioned the warriors to join her and sit at a nearby round table tucked to one side of the vast empty hall. Once seated, a glass panel appeared in front of her. She began pressing buttons that lit up each time her fingers brushed on the glass panel. An immense spherical holo-globe appeared, hovering above the round table.

"The universe is vast," Queen Cate began. "But we recently discovered there are an infinite number of universes. Some exist at this very moment; some are yet to be born." Cate paused as images panned on the holo-globe. "Legend says there are universes where we all meet. In some universes, we don't come together completely, or coming together hasn't happened yet. The possibilities and avenues are endless."

"And there is our universe—where we are now—ready to form the mighty giant robot," Cybil said, standing beside her sister.

"A giant what?" Hunk's mouth hung agape in disbelief.

"Legend has it that eons ago, a mighty giant was formed. Someone wielded the giant metal creature and then broke them apart. They now exist as both mecha and spirit. Separate and together," Cate explained.

"You are not making sense." Hunk scratched his head.

Blue Lion bounded up near the hovering holo-sphere. :: We shall try to speak plainly, within your current knowledge and grasp. There are things we can't explain in your language and there is no direct translation that could fully encompass the full meaning. ::

:: What we are saying, :: Xienna interjected, appearing slightly impatient, :: There are forces outside your galaxy that have been known to conquer and destroy worlds. Some planets are weaker than others. Some are far more advanced, able to defeat these powerful invading forces across their galaxy. ::

:: They come from uncharted regions of the universe, :: Red Lion added.

As the lions spoke, images of galaxies appeared from the glowing spherical screen.

:: And soon—we don't exactly know when it comes to your planet's historical timeline—this horrible menace will threaten your galaxy. While we are here on your planet, we have a mission to warn, prepare, and help defend your young population, :: Black Lion said.

:: Long ago, we crashed on your planet, and we were separated from our mecha bodies. Someone needs to move the mecha through a symbiotic mind link with us. And it was you, in your previous lives, who first witnessed our descent from your blue skies, whom we had chosen to become capable warriors; strong in both body and spirit, :: Blue explained.

:: You have been reborn so many times, and will continue to be reborn in the future, :: Black said in a matter-of-fact tone. :: When that time comes, you, or as your future selves, must be able to defend the planet from total annihilation. ::

Before Allura could raise any questions, Queen Cate spoke, "With the warriors, the lions are supposed to form into a mighty giant robot with a blazing broadsword." Cate raised a holo-image of the five lions forming the giant warrior.

Allura's eyes widened when she saw the image of the broadsword. Why did it look so familiar?

"It's a spitting image of my broadsword," Keith whispered, surprised.

Allura tore her gaze from the holo-sphere. Realisation struck: Keith didn't know everything. She thought he had known all this information beforehand.

The queen continued, "There will be destruction and chaos. And you, or your future selves, shall wield this giant robot to defend both the planet and the galaxy."

"See? What did I tell you? Our ancient sand stone spoke the truth," Hunk voice boomed across the cavernous hall. "Doom shall fall upon the land."

"All this talk of destruction and rebirth is making my head hurt." Lance groaned, rubbing his palms on his forehead.

"Preparations had already begun during my grandparents' lifetime," Cate continued.

"And you'd be surprised that it has all been complete, sitting and waiting for the warriors to come together," Cybil added. "We have used much of the special material from this cavern's crystals to construct a special fortified castle, which we hope could withstand the alien force."

Hunk jabbed an angry finger on the holo-screen, "Are you telling us, there are people who look like us or more powerful than us, and they're from outer space?"

:: Why do you find it all difficult to believe? :: Blue asked.

"I'll believe it when I see it from my own eyes." Hunk folded his arms.

Allura finally spoke, "What if this invading force never comes? Then all your preparation will have been for naught?"

"Then, in your lifetime, you shall experience peace. Your future selves would still need to prepare."

Allura's muscles tightened. She crossed her arms, silently digesting what was revealed to them. With narrowed eyes, she watched Blue Lion motion to the rest of the lion spirits.

Huddled together, they uncoupled their links for a moment. They had been doing so for some time, without the knowledge of their warriors.

:: I...I have this gut feeling that ... :: Blue began, hesitant.

:: That they have already found out where we are? :: Yellow asked her twin.

:: Have they pinpointed our location? :: Red growled.

:: When did you feel this? :: Black asked.

Blue sighed heavily. :: The moment the last of the five lion mechas was located. But the feeling was faint then. A while ago—::

"Ahem." The Crown Princess cleared her throat loudly, deliberately. She stood directly behind the lion spirits.

Startled, the lion spirits turned to face her.

"I heard all that. Every. Word."

:: It's not possible, :: Blue said, shocked.

"Yet, it is. Mayhap, because we are all here in your crystal chamber."

Blue Lion growled.

"Stop it, Blue." Allura growled back. In an assertive stance, her hands on her waist, she challenged her lion. "Whatever you're worried about, surely we would be able to handle it."

:: There is a steep price to pay for this knowledge. ::

Warrior and lion stared, glowering at each other.

With her jaw tight, Allura clenched and unclenched her fists. Then she heard movement. Her fellow warriors joined her; Keith squeezed her hand.

"You must trust that we can do this," Allura said. "We are knights, trained warriors after all."

:: Are you willing to accept the sacrifices? :: Black challenged.

"We'll handle it," Keith answered.

:: Stubborn cub. :: Blue growled again.

"Stubborn lioness." Allura snapped back. Why were they now at an impasse? She couldn't remember having this kind of argument with her lion. What had Blue discovered that she refused to share? Allura softened her stance and crouched in front of her lion. "We'll manage. We always have," Allura said quietly. She reached out and scratched Blue's furry neck. Blue always loved when she scratched that spot.

:: You drive a hard bargain, my cub. ::

"Tell us, Blue." Allura rubbed her cheek against Blue's forehead.

Blue hesitated for a long moment. :: I... I didn't see it coming. But it's faint and well cloaked, well hidden. I felt it... just moments ago. Promise me you must be on your guard. ::

"You're telling us that your enemy is here already? Those people from other planets?" Keith brows furrowed as he helped Allura to her feet.

:: Aye, and if I'm not mistaken they've been here for quite some time as well, watching the mechas. I don't know why I didn't even consider that before. :: Blue groaned.

(TO BE CONTINUED)