A/N: Ok, so it has been a long time since I updated. Sorry about that. I had to take a break because I had to focus on my thesis proposal which is now in committee. Then I'll defend that, then work on my actual thesis, defend that, then I'll have my Masters. Thing is, I gotta do it by August or I'll be homeless and thesis-less. ^^; No pressure or anything.

Chapter summary: In which Darja is frantic, Keith takes charge, Pidge is confused and not liking this, and Alve has to be the big sister.


54: Big Sister

Her first thought was annoyance because Alve and Ran had yet again dodged her watch. This wasn't this first time those two had escaped nor would this be the last. At least Taavi was still here. Her baby brother was clinging to her skirts with a death grip the likes of which she had only ever seen him give to Lance on bad nights.

Perhaps that was what first disturbed her calm. Or maybe it was the mysterious ripple in the shield earlier that night. Whatever it was, Darja was no longer sedately looking for her siblings. She was frelling near frantic.

She scooped Taavi into her arms and began running to the higher branches of Yggdrasil. More than a few times, Taavi had begun whimpering, stopping when she turned and ran in another direction. Breeders. Frell. Judging by the frequent fits her baby brother had suffered already, the Breeders were out in force. She tsked, biting her tongue against a curse word.

Still, no amount of looking, running, and asking revealed a hint of Ran or Alve. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she refused to panic openly. That would draw undue attention and possibly push Taavi over the edge. She couldn't risk either of those outcomes.

She reached another platform with a blazing bonfire in the center. There weren't as many dancers here as there had been earlier in the evening, but there were a few lingering Vuana near the food tables. Unfortunately, she didn't get that far. One step on the platform and Taavi began crying.

Instantly, she stepped back into the dim light over the branch path and considered her options. She could backtrack to the last branch or push forward and hope she made it to one of the far paths without being stopped. Neither option was preferable.

Ran. Alve.

"Frak," she muttered. Taavi hiccupped and Darja grimaced. "Taavi, do as I say, not as I do. You did not hear me say that."

Bless the poor boy. Soft hair brushed her shoulder in a faint nod and she shifted him to a more comfortable position.

Darja never regretted being unable to use quintessence. She had no desire to be a Druid. She'd seen what it did to a person by watching Lance's slow, steady progression into someone she barely knew. The Lance who returned to her dragging his grumpy charge behind him was the brother she missed.

But even returned to his usual self, Lance still acted like a stranger she had never met before. She didn't know the full story of what happened to drive Lance back to Vuana, but she had her suspicions. Lance had told her very little verbally, most likely too afraid of someone overhearing. But he had shared some with her through their scales.

Zarkon had done something unacceptable and driven Lance to action. Judging from Lance's obvious affection for Keith, Darja suspected Zarkon had forced Lance to choose between his duties and his Chosen. Stupid. No Druid would go against their Chosen, particularly a Druid.

Few Druids even had Chosens among the Vuana and those who did tended to keep it secret. The chances of either one of them vanishing one day was always there, a subliminal threat permeating every tick of every quintant. Even fewer could claim having a Chosen who was not Vuana. The Oceanborne got away with their bonds with the Myr because of who and what they are, but even that was risky.

Lance had Chosen Keith. It was so painfully obvious to anyone who could see. Darja was so proud of her brother and so terribly afraid for him. Now with Ran and Alve missing, her fear had soared to new heights. She couldn't do this by herself. She needed help. But who could she trust?

Lance and, despite her misgivings, Keith. She seen the way Keith looked at her brother by heart. Keith trusted Lance. Heaving a deep sigh, Darja gripped Taavi close and ran as quickly as she could towards the upper globes. She knew that's where Lance would have taken Keith by now, she had no doubt.

Technically, Taavi was much too young to be allowed up there. But frak the rules, Darja needed help to find her family. She would make sure to personally introduce anyone who tried to stop her from finishing her search to Zarkon's fat smeg.

She blushed. Her language did always sink to the depths when she got stressed. Ugh, she tried so hard to fight it. Oh whatever.

Shoving her thoughts aside, she raced up the branch paths and stairs until she finally reached the upper levels. Now, she just needed to find her brother and his Chosen. That shouldn't be too hard. Please don't prove her wrong.

"Taavi," she whispered to her frightened little brother. "I need you to do something very important for me. Think you can do that?"

Wide, teary green eyes locked on her own black and the little boy nodded, swallowing thickly. She smiled encouragingly and nuzzled Taavi's cheek, brushing her violet scale against his skin sending :Thanks. Encouragement. Pride. Love. Trust.: flowing into him.

"Thank you," she murmured. "I need you to find big brother Lance. Think you can do that for me?"

Green blinked and dropped to the branch they stood on. The boy's pink tongue slipped out and licked his lips before Taavi finally nodded. Vuana bonded with each other. Vuana families could always feel one another no matter how far away they wandered. It was just a faint feeling, a gentle tug constantly pulling them back together. It was stronger in some Vuana than others. It was strongest between Chosen partners, but families, yes even those as broken as Darja perfect mixed family, had strong bonds too.

But Taavi was the closest to Lance. Ever since Lance had rescued little Taavi in the Uryd sea three deca-phoebs ago, the little boy had all but imprinted on Lance. Strange since Taavi was much too old to be imprinting. That was usually reserved for the very young. Nonetheless, if anyone could find Lance right now, it was Darja's little Taavi.

Please find him.

Taavi tilted his head and his green eyes grew distant as if listening to a single tone amidst a symphony of sounds. Then green looked up and Darja hiked her skirt up and ran.

XxX

"We need to get out of here now!"

Lance was not ok. He hadn't spoken a word since that faint whisper of "both." Both who? Both what? Killed both? Shit, whatever. The Breeder was probably just trying to get under Lance's skin. She succeeded and Keith was seething with fury.

But Pidge was right. They needed to get out of here. Problem is, there were an extra two people -actually four, but it wasn't like Keith was counting or that he'd been busy or was mad about the intrusion or anything Pidge!- in the globe right now. They needed to get Ran and Alve to safety with Darja before he and Lance could slip away from here with Pidge and the Blade of Marmora. He'd have his well deserved revenge for cutting his night short after everyone was back where they belonged.

"Lance?" Ran called, his too-young voice wobbling with tears and fear. "Lance? "

"Ran," Keith said, shifting so he could face the young boy and his sister and that creepy, glowy dragon-thing. "Look, we need to-"

"Is Lance really a traitor?" Alve asked, fear and confusion in her voice.

Oh. Keith could practically feel Lance flinch at his siblings' words.

"No, he didn't," Keith said in his best impression of Shiro's firm, no-nonsense voice. Both Ran and Alve turned their bright gray and brown eyes to his in hopeful surprise. "Your big brother made a promise and someone tried to make him break it." Keith bit his lip. How far should he take this. "You know about Zarkon, right?"

"Y-yeah," Ran said, unsure.

"Who doesn't?" Alve said, her brown eyes wide.

"Well, Zarkon tried to force Lance to break his promise," Keith explained carefully. "He also killed a bunch of noncombatants who-"

"Whodiwhats?" Alve chirped in blatant confusion.

Crap. Okay. "Innocent people who can't fight back," Keith said. "Zarkon killed a bunch of people who couldn't fight back and tried to get Lance to join him." The horror in the children's eyes was painful. This wasn't something kids should be privy to. "But your big brother fought back. He fought against Zarkon to keep him from hurting people and now that bastard declared Lance a traitor for it. Oh, and, um, don't tell anyone I said that," he added quickly. "It's a secret. Can you keep a secret?"

Alve nodded faster than Ran, but there was still doubt in their eyes. There wasn't much Keith could do about that right now. Or was there?

"Hey idiot," he snapped to the hooded creep still sitting by the globe's entrance. "Next time watch what you say in front of other people." He deliberately tapped his knife safely hooked in his pants. "Or you'll deal with me, that clear?"

For a moment, the hooded person was silent and still. Then they nodded and Keith sat back, satisfied for the time being.

"Look, you boys can swing around your testosterone later," Pidge said. "Right now, we gotta skedaddle. I left Green just outside the shield. Where're Red and Blue?"

"Underwater," Keith said. "We had to move after the volcano erupted."

Keith crawled out of the globe first followed closely by a still silent Lance. Ran and Alve and their little dragon-thing predictably followed their big brother, latching onto Lance's long shirt tails and staying close. Then Pidge made her way out then the hooded person came last. Keith made sure to shoot an angry glare at that guy.

"Alright, listen," he said, catching Pidge's attention. "We need to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Which means you two," he pointed to Ran and Alve, "need to hide your little friend, okay?"

"Too late."

Keith grimaced. "Shit, wha-"

"Lance!"

Now what?!

"Darja?"

Surprised by his boyfriend's voice, Keith glanced at Lance's haggard appearance before drawing his knife and taking a position between his friends and their newest unwelcome guest. It felt weird but familiar when Pidge got up and stood next to him, her inactive bayard in hand and ready to use. It was only after Keith was battle ready that Lance's word sank in.

"Darja?" he gasped. Because that was definitely Darja standing there breathless and sweaty with a tearful Taavi barely sitting on her hip. "What are you doing here?"

Lance's sister ran her obsidian eyes over Keith and Pidge standing protectively between her and Lance, Ran, and Alve. Then her eyes locked on the kids at the blue Druid's side and her eyebrows drew down in confusion.

"Ran? Alve?" she demanded. "What are you two doing up here? You know you're not allowed up here."

"We had to find big brother Lance," Alve whined, clutching her dragon-thing close.

Darja's eyes narrowed as her mind began racing as fast as she'd probably run to get up here.

"Don't be mad at them," Lance said, standing and stepping in front of Keith. "It's my fault. A Breeder came."

All the color in Darja's face drained. Her eyes flashed over Lance and her siblings. She stretched out a hand and immediately both Ran and Alve raced to her. Keith saw the instant she noticed the purple glowy dragon-thing. Her eyes grew impossibly wide and lifted to Lance's in pained shock. Lance winced and nodded.

Keith was missing something.

"Look, this all nice and everything," Pidge interrupted, "but we really have to go."

"We need to go to the water," Lance said, shaking himself visibly. Keith winced. Lance's back had to be aching after their… erm, activities last night. "We need to get them to the Myr."

Darja nodded. "How many can you take with you right now?" she demanded, all business.

Keith could see the grimace on his boyfriend's face. "Only three at the time at most," he admitted.

"Alright," his sister said. She knelt and pulled Ran and Alve into a close hug, nuzzling her scale to each of their cheeks. "Ran, Alve, I need you both to go with your big brother. He's going to take you to the docks then come back for us. Can you promise me you'll stay there until I can join you?"

"Why can't you come too?" Alve said, hugging her dragon-thing close with wide eyes.

"I will be," Darja said, patting Alve's red-brown hair. "But you and your brothers have to go first. Taavi," she said turning to the youngest, "you'll be going with your siblings. Alve, I expect you to watch out for your brothers. Ran," she said before the white-haired boy could argue being 'watched', "I need you to make sure Taavi and Alve stay safe. Is that clear?"

She waited until all three children nodded. Only then did Lance approach and crouch down in front of her, pulling his siblings close to his chest. The next second, he was gone.

"Now," Darja said, standing tall and commanding, "what the frakking quiznak is going on here? Who the frell are you two?" she hissed, glaring viciously at Pidge and the hooded person standing silently behind Keith. "Keith, I trust you because you're my brother's Chosen, but do not think I will let this treachery slide without one quiznak of a good reason. Now, explain."

XxX

Alve was the big sister. Well, actually Darja was, but Alve was next biggest. And big sister Darja had told her to watch her little brothers while Lance brought them all to the docks. When they landed there, Alve was a bit dizzy. She always got dizzy when Lance did his blinking places thing.

He called it 'teleporting' but that was such a big word. She much preferred 'blinking.' Blink, and he was gone. Blink, and he was back. So much easier. Like now, he blinked them to the docks. There wasn't anyone else here except them, but she wasn't surprised. Those waves were huge!

The ones inside Yggdrasil's shield weren't as big as the ones outside, but they were still big than she ever remembered them being. Lance had blinked them to the highest dock but the waves were almost touching it! The lower docks were all underwater. Wow.

Then her big brother blinked back to get the others leaving Alve alone with her little brothers. She held her pet close. He'd be back.

"Taavi," she called, holding out her hand, "come here."

Her littlest brother's eyes were big and green and she could see him edging towards the water. He jumped when she called him and flushed, crossing his arms huffily.

"I'm not scared," he said.

Alve tried not to roll her eyes at that dumb lie. "Sure you're not," she said.

"I'm not!" Taavi insisted.

Ran snickered but Alve would be the big sister Darja wanted her to be. Which meant maybe lying, a little bit. Just a little bit.

"Okay, you're not scared," she said, focusing her best wide-eyed look at Taavi. She'd been working on it for deca-phoebs. It wasn't perfect yet because it didn't work on big sister Darja, but she' figure out what she was missing later. Right now, she needed it to work on Taavi.

"But I'm scared," she said. She added a little sniffle to make Taavi believe her.

Ran looked at her strangely. "What?" he said. "No you're not."

She elbowed him in the stomach just like Lance taught her to do during rough housing.

"Yes I am," she said in her best innocent voice. "Can you give me huge?" She made her eyes as huge as the waves outside. "Please?"

She saw Taavi frown and pick at his lip with his fingers. His green eyes glanced back at the sea and Alve unleashed her secret weapon.

"I'll let you pet him," she said, holding out her quintessence pet.

Instantly, Taavi darted over and hugged her quick and tight. Then he let go and began playing with her pet.

"Like it?" she asked, watching her pet flap its wings and wrap its long tail around her littlest brother's arm. "Ran and I made it."

Taavi's eyes grew impossibly wide. "You guys made this?" he breathed. "Wow."

Ran puffed out his chest and propped his fists on his hips. "Well, I actually made it. Alve just designed it."

"Hey!" she snapped angrily. "I put just as much effort into this as you. I just don't go around bragging about it," she said haughty, tossing her long hair over her shoulder like big sister Darja did when she turned someone down. "Unlike some people," she added gleefully.

Before Ran could reply, Lance blinked back to the dock nearby with Darja, Pidge, and that spooky black hooded almost-Druid person. She knew whoever that person was wasn't a Druid. They didn't feel like a Druid. Not like big brother Lance did, or like Keith sometimes did. Then Lance blinked away again.

"You look funny," Taavi said, pointing to the hooded person who tensed.

Alve snickered but smiled proudly when big sister Darja kneeled next to her and nuzzled her. :Proud. Well done. Love.: Alve smiled and nuzzled back.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but Keith didn't get the chance to finish explaining. What's a Breeder and why did she look like Allura?" Pidge asked.

The Witch of Altea?! Alve felt Taavi cling tighter to her and, although she'd never admit it, Alve held him just as tightly. Even Ran inched closer to her. Big sister Darja stood, planting herself between Alve and her siblings and Pidge.

"I listened to what you had to say," Darja hissed, "but they haven't. You will not speak that name here. Is that understood, interloper?"

Pidge flinched and opened her mouth to reply when Lance blinked back with Keith by his side. They appeared between Darja and Pidge.

"Is everyone here?" Lance asked, looking around at each of them.

"Yeah," Pidge answered. "Just one thing. How are we going to get to the Green Lion from here?"

"I'll call the Blue Lion," Lance said. "But first, I need to call the Myr. Blade of Marmora," he said, aiming a sharp glare at the hooded figure.

What was a blade of marmaroo? That sounded weird.

"If you want to stay alive," Lance said, "the do not interrupt me or approach the water until you are told to. I won't be held responsible for anything that happens if you break that rule."

The hooded figure nodded.

"Pidge" Lance added. "That goes for you too. The Myr are dangerous and just as suspicious of outsiders as my people are. They'll sooner eat you than look at you."

The Myr? She'd get to see the Myr? For real!?

"What?" Pidge asked in confusion. "What do you mean 'eat' me?"

"He means that literally," Keith said. "Trust me."

"Can I see them?" Alve called excitedly.

"When big brother Lance says you can," Darja said, resting a hand on Alve's hair. "Just be patient. He has to call them first."

"Duh, Alve," Ran mumbled, elbowing her in the side. She elbowed him back and Taavi snickered.

When she looked up again, Lance was kneeling by the edge of the dock getting splashed by the waves and making a weird, warbling sound through his hands. He made another warbling sound. Then, he turned back to the ground.

"Keith, stay here and make sure they," he nodded to Pidge and the hooded person, "don't do anything stupid. I'll be right back."

Keith nodded. "And if anyone comes?"

Lance's eyes narrowed. "If they're a Breeder, kill them on sight. If not, just hold them back."

Keith drew his knife and another thing from his belt. The other device glowed red then extended into a red and white sword.

"Woah!" Ran cried. "Do that again!"

Then Lance dove into the angry sea.