A/N: Since I hadn't said it before (never occurred to me...) please don't swear in the comment section, or it will be removed.
Random thought. Remember that big memorial on the planet that Matt "died?" Did anyone else see a Caneen among the figures? Or is it just me?
I actually have several head-cannons in this chapter... Probably the most I have done without definite canon proof. I also ended up giving more background character names, as well. If you know the names they have canonly, please say something!
"How did he even find us?" Lance asked. "How did he get here?"
No one had an answer, so no one bothered speaking. Pidge didn't move from her seated position in front of the cryo-pod currently holding Keith. She had her knees tucked up to her chin, and didn't take her eyes from Keith for a moment.
A cracked skull. That had been the diagnosis when Shiro had rushed their injured paladin to the med bay. Coran had scanned him and started babbling something about pressure on the brain. Shiro had put Keith straight into a cryo-pod.
Now, an hour later, Lance and Hunk had returned. Since there wasn't anything they could do for Lance, Shiro had insisted they continued their search for Keith's companion. Their efforts had turned up nothing, much to everyone's dismay.
"What has he endured since we last saw him?"
Shiro's murmured question made Pidge turn. He was standing beside a table with Keith's discarded armor and cloak. Shiro held up a piece of armor, showing its scarred surface to the others.
"He must have fought his way here," Allura said sadly.
Coran glanced up from a monitor to add, "In addition to the head injury, his left ankle was sprained and inflammation around his right shoulder suggests recent dislocation."
Everyone winced sympathetically. Shiro absently began sorting through Keith's belongings again, then frowned. He dropped his head as he reached into one of Keith's pouches that usually hung around his waist.
"Where did he get this?" Shiro asked, the amazement in his voice enough cause Pidge to stand and walk over.
In Shiro's hand was a four-inch glass statue of -there was no denying it- Keith. It was unfinished, but the details already etched into the glass was beyond anything Pidge had ever seen.
"So why's Keith got a statue?" Lance sulked.
"We made you one before," Hunk said.
"Of food goo! The mice ate it."
Pidge had to laugh at the memory. She turned away from the statue and back to Keith. Coran had assured everyone that he would be fine, but they all knew it would be some time before Keith actually woke up. Everyone was afraid to leave the room, though. Afraid that Keith would wake up alone.
So, everyone stayed.
Pide thought back to when they had first found Keith. He had obviously been confused, having mistaken her for Matt. As far as she knew, Keith had never even met-
Pidge gasped, eyes widening.
"Pidge?" Shiro questioned.
Pidge spun to face Shiro. "Did Keith and Matt ever meet?"
"Well, sure. I worked pretty close with Matt and Dr. Holt, and Keith…" Shiro slowly lowered his hands to rest on the table, his expression turning to confusion. "Keith was never with me."
"So, how did he mistake me for Matt, if he's never seen him?"
Shiro shook his head and regained control of his expression. "He's seen the picture of Matt, and heard about him. He must have just used the wrong name. He did call you 'Pidge' after a bit."
"Yes, but how did he know my real name?"
"Are you sure you never mentioned that?" Shiro asked.
"No one ever asked my real name!" Pidge exclaimed in frustration.
"It took me a week to fully comprehend you were really a girl. No one mentioned you had made up your name," Lance defended himself.
"Maybe he heard it someplace?" Hunk suggested.
"Any of the cadets could have mentioned the Holt kids at the Garrison," Shiro added.
Pidge growled and stomped a foot. "There is another possibility, guys, that makes more sense."
"What?" Everyone asked, looking at the green paladin.
"Think about it," Pidge said, unwilling to voice her thoughts herself. "He mistook me -who he's spent months with- for someone that he's supposedly never seen. He asked 'Matt' when he had gotten here, and referred to something and someone I have never met."
The others only stared blankly.
"He must have seen Matt while he was missing!" Pidge finally said.
Pidge wondered if she should have kept the thought to herself when everyone's expressions turned sympathetic. Hunk had to turn away, his face was so sad. Shiro stepped forward and put a hand on Pidge's shoulder, which only made her scowl.
"Hear me out, Pidge," Shiro said before Pidge could speak. "If he had seen Matt while he was missing, why wouldn't Matt have been with him when we found him? The mind does strange things with head injuries."
Pidge pulled away from Shiro and left the room, glad when no one tried to follow her. She wandered the halls for a few minutes before coming to a stop in front of a large window.
As she stared out across Olkarion and what space she could see, Pidge considered what Shiro had said.
Sure, her thought was a long shot, but still possible, right? Matt had always had a "bigger picture" mentality then her, so there could have been any number of reasons that he hadn't stayed with Keith. Maybe he was needed elsewhere, or the ship wasn't big enough for three.
Pidge sighed and rested her head against the glass. All she knew was, that Matt was alive and free. For now, she just had to accept that was all the information she had on him.
"I'll find you, Matt," Pidge whispered, lifting her gaze to the sky. "I'm gonna bring you home."
How was he still standing?
Keith blinked his eyes open, confused by his own train of thought. He looked down at his feet and experimentally wriggled his left foot. It didn't hurt now to put his weight on it. That question solved, Keith lifted his head again.
He was standing in one of the Castle's cryo-pods, which explained his ankle and why his head no longer felt split in half. The front was open, so he took a couple wobbly steps outside, holding onto the side of the pod for balance. There, he was greeted by a -thankfully- familiar face.
"Keith, how you feeling?" Coran asked.
Keith gave a little shrug. "Better. Nothing hurts. And… and I can remember now."
"Remember?"
"I had amnesia." At Coran's blank look, Keith sighed. "I'll explain later."
"Does that have anything to do with mistaking Pidge for her brother?" Coran asked.
Keith started. "I what?"
"When Shiro and Pidge first located you, you were calling Pidge 'Matt,'" Coran explained.
Keith stared at Coran, wondering if he was trying to fool him. But, Coran's face was sincere. He was going to have some explaining to do.
"Where is everyone else?" Keith asked to divert the conversation.
Coran gave a fond chuckle as he pointed to the side.
Shiro, Lance, Hunk, and Allura had fallen asleep. Hunk seemed to the the designated pillow, with Allura and Shiro on either shoulder, the trio slumped against the wall. Keith couldn't be sure where exactly Lance had started, but he was sprawled across Hunk's lap -hugging Hunk's arm, no less- with one arm tossed across Shiro's lap and his legs across Allura's. The space mice were cuddled up in a line down Lance's back.
"Where's Pidge?" Keith asked, noticing the absence of the smallest member.
Coran pointed down, causing Keith to realize the missing paladin was leaning against the side of the cryo-pod, also asleep.
"How long has everyone been here?" Keith asked in a low whisper to avoid disturbing the others.
"For the last quintant," Coran informed him.
Keith blinked. "Really?"
"Don't look so surprised, my boy. You were missing for two movements," Coran's voice softened. "No one wanted to leave you alone."
Keith looked back at his teammates, now sharing Coran's fond look. After a moment, though, he realized that someone else was missing.
"Where is Olia?"
Coran cleared his throat, and Keith's good mood vanished before Coran even started.
"I'm sorry. Hunk and Lance scoured the land, but we couldn't find any sign of your friend," Coran said sorrowfully.
Keith closed his eyes, not willing to believe Olia was gone. After all they had gone through… after knowing him for such a short time… Olia had sacrificed herself for him.
He turned and started walking for the door, holding up a hand to Coran's protests. "I just need a moment. I'll be back before anyone wakes up."
Luckily, Coran decided to leave him be. By the time Keith had left the room, his legs were steadier. His pace picked up until he was jogging through the halls.
Unsurprisingly, Keith soon found himself in front of the hangers. Or, more specifically, Red's. He rushed inside and into the shadow of a sitting Red, who rumbled and lowered her head.
"I'll go back soon," Keith assured her, laying a hand on her muzzle.
Keith could feel her presence in his mind, and smiled. How had he ever forgotten her? Then again… Keith leaned away, a frown taking the place of his previous grin. There was still something missing. After a moment's thought, he realized what it was.
Memories.
While he could remember the team, there were some strange gaps. He could remember the days at the Garrison, but couldn't access any memory of the days after Shiro left. He remembered Arus, but when had they left? There had been an explosion and a fire, but what else? He knew of the Olkari, but what was their leader's name?
Ryner.
Keith glanced up at Red, his smile slowly returning. With Red and the team, maybe filling in the gaps would be easier this time around.
Of course, that still left the two week gap of him missing. He remembered that time, but still felt like there were bits he was forgetting.
Most notably, was Matt. Keith didn't know where the teen was headed, and the coordinates of Kraydah's moon -the best shot of a direction- was one of the missing pieces. Pidge was going to have so many questions, questions he didn't have an answer to. The only person with answers was gone.
Or was she?
Keith gazed up at Red. He thought back to Travis' confidence in Olia's ability to survive. Her own life testified to that. He didn't know that Olia was really gone, right? The Clunker had been out of his view for a few moments; Olia could have gotten out. Maybe it was a hopeless thought, but Keith clung to it.
Keith leaned his head against Red's muzzle, murmuring, "If you're still out there, Olia… I'll find you. I promise."
"...nearest medical base?"
"At least a quintant, maybe two…."
"Do you think she can hold out that long?"
A brief silence, in which Olia fully dragged herself to consciousness. She was laying on a bed, or at least something flat. Her head and chest hurt, but the pain was dull and distant. Her left leg was numb.
"We have enough supplies on our ship, I think she will make it."
Olia pricked her ears, realizing there was two unfamiliar voices talking above her. And probably about her.
"Did you see that?"
Olia opened her eyes to two strangers standing over her. She was laying in a small room. Outside the door, someone passed, too quickly to make out.
"Ah, you are awake," said the taller, green-skinned one with a bald head that was slightly darker than the rest of his body, as well as darker green-gray horn-like appendages. Olia recognized his voice as the second speaker.
"I'll let the captain know," said his companion, a shorter, also green-skinned one, with four arms, a red bandana tied around her hair, and a scar sealing her right eye shut.
While the smaller one ran out of the room, the other pulled a chair beside the bed and sat. He smiled gently as Olia as he picked up a tablet from beside the bed.
"Hello, my name is Renus from the planet Olkari," he said.
"Olia Dustpaw of-" Olia grimaced and took a breath, "the Sandlopers. Planet Cana."
"Alright, where does it hurt, Olia Dustpaw?" Renus asked.
"Just call me Olia," Olia said with a chuckle. "My chest and head hurts some. I can't feel my left leg."
Renus nodded. "Good. We have already treated those injuries. Your leg was… badly damaged. We are doing what we can for it."
Olia lifted her head to see a very odd sight. A green tendril of vine was wrapped around her leg. Renus had a hand on it, and the vine was moving! Slowly, it twisted and untwisted from her limb, touching the skin delicately as if inspecting it.
"Old Olkari trick," Renus said when he noticed Olia staring. "It will keep your leg stable, and has healing juices in its leaves."
Olia looked up, excited. "I'm on Olkarion?"
Renus quickly shook his head. "No, praise Lubos. I was there when the Galra took over. Barely escaped a deca-phoeb ago. That place is still lost to the Galra."
Olia frowned. "So where are we?"
"On a resistance ship. We were passing nearby when we got your distress signal."
"But that's not right. Blade said the planet was safe!" Olia tried to sit up, but pain flared in her chest, making her fall back again. "Where's Blade?"
Renus looked down. "I'm sorry, there wasn't time to search for anyone else. What happened to you two?"
Olia tipped her head back with a sigh. "Our ship was damaged. We were going to use it as a decoy while we hid, but the auto-pilot wasn't working like we planned. Blade got to the ground safely, but I accidentally launched our ship again. We had already taken out one fighter and I soon destroyed the other, but the ship was too damaged to even fly by then. Just before it crashed, I jumped out with a parachute, but it was pretty useless that close to the ground. I remember hitting something and falling, but nothing after that."
"You fell into the Diron burrows." Olia cocked her head, so Renus explained. "They are a secretive, underground race. None of the Olkari actually knew of their existence, despite being just a short flight away. As skittish as they are, they can't leave someone in need alone. I crashed on their moon when I first escaped the Galra, and they took care of me until a rebel ship happened by. Anyway, you fell straight into one of their burrows. When my team landed to search for you and Blade, I went to the Diro. They gave you over to me. We were ready to search for Blade as well, but we spotted ships coming and had to leave."
"Is there any chance of going back?" Olia asked.
Renus shook his head. "I'm sorry, we can't risk it."
"Who's the captain of this ship? Surely, I could convince them."
"Have you ever heard of Captain Breck?" Renus asked.
Olia groaned. "Are you serious?"
Renus nodded. "But your friend, Blade. He wasn't hurt, right? There is still a chance that he will remain unfound."
Olia thought about that. "Well, I did play the decoy. There weren't any Galra around up to the time that my radar broke, at least. Do you really think he could hide until help comes?"
"I asked the Diro to keep watch for another stranger. They will protect him and keep him safe," Renus said.
Olia tried again to sit up, and succeeded in raising herself to her elbows. "How long until I can get on a ship headed that way?"
Renus lowered his gaze to her leg. His stare was quite intent, making Olia wish she had something to cover her injury.
"It will be several phoebs before you can even walk, I believe," Renus informed her.
Olia looked down at her leg again. She still couldn't feel anything. "Is it really that bad?"
"We won't know until we get a proper check on it," Renus said. "But I'm afraid so."
Olia turned her head to the side, where she found a window at her elevated level. She stared out into space, frustrated.
Frustrated that she was injured. Frustrated that Captain Breck of all aliens had to be the one to rescue her. Frustrated with the knowledge that Blade wouldn't have simply hidden when she zoomed off.
"I'll find you," Olia promised to the empty space. "I'll find you, Blade."
A/N: This was supposed to be the last chapter, but I found myself with too many loose ends to coherently tie up. I really wanted to do the focus on the three characters, so the discussions that need to happen will have to wait until the next chapter.
