A/N: Hello. Sorry for the temporary hiatus. It wasn't intentional. I got inspired to write Foxfire and had to push that out while I could. Then life drop-kicked me. Long story short, my car was broken into and ransacked last Saturday while parked in a church parking lot. I never keep anything of value in my car for that very reason, but the thief(ieves) did take my emergency cash and some earrings that look gold but aren't. After they busted open a window and bashed my doors in with a brick.

So I've been dealing with insurance and police on top of my thesis and work this past week. I had two good cries and finally got the strength to take a mental health day. Thus I'm writing for fun now. I feel thrilled. Especially now that I binge-watched Season 6 of VLD and oh shit guys I have FEELINGS HELP! Also, I seem to have called several things in this fic that ended up happening one way or another in canon and I'm both surprised and impressed. Keith's dog is precious and will absolutely make an appearance in this.

All that said, here's chapter 56. We should be getting off Vuana within the next two chapters. It depends on how long it takes to write everything. ^^;

Chapter summary: In which Lance seeks help, Keith witnesses something he wishes he hadn't, and Taavi is accepted.


55: Florona

The first gulps were always the worst. It was one thing to change his body so it would more readily accept water instead of air. It was something else entirely in practice. It felt like he was drowning.

He had to fight past the instinctual mental resistance claiming that his body was not meant to breathe water and then breathe water. The first gulp tended to be mildly painful as his brand new gills twitched into use. Every gulp of water after that was easier. He had to resist respirating through his nose and only do it through his mouth.

After the initial hesitance to adapt to his aquatic form, Lance began swimming. He made a oscillating warble that traveled swiftly through the water. He could already see movement from the shadowy depths below. A sweep of his arms and he noticed the tattoo was glowing brighter the deeper he swam. Good.

A streak of bright red and yellow caught his eye and Lance warbled again, twisting his body towards the Myr. The answering call was everything he wanted to hear. Florona darted up to him, swirling around his in a whirlpool of red and yellow and trills. Pink tipped white feelers swept up his body from the tips of his fingers to the tips of his toes, nuzzling the tattoos on his skin when they touched.

He spun around in the water to follow the Myr's movements. It didn't bother Lance and looked down where Florona's head was by his feet. Oh, well, the ocean's surface was actually behind Florona so technically that meant he was looking up not down. It was easy to forget which direction was up and which was down in the dark water. It didn't usually matter unless he needed to surface for some reason.

Florona trilled punctuated by a series of clicks drawing Lance's attention once more. Her solid ebony eyes gleamed in the storm darkened sea as she slithered through the water. Her sinuous tail looped around his legs as she nuzzled him, her feelers brushing Lance's scales. The sudden rush of sensation was like opening the floodgates.

:Podmate. Welcome. Missed you. Stay? Play?:

There was more, so much more, but Lance couldn't cognitively follow every single nuance of Florona's mental messages. The Myr were much more reliant on empathy and touch telepathy than the Vuana. There was always some that was missed. Even an Oceanborne with a dozen Myr pod tattoos could have trouble following every strand of thought. But that didn't stop them from trying.

:Missed you. Love. Fear. Young. Oceanborne. Podless. Breeders coming. Help. Please?:

He drew memories of his siblings to the forefront of his mind, funneling his love and fear for them to his podmate. The familiar tickle he knew was her mind brushed every memory, locking curiously on the image of Taavi's leaf green eyes, the same shade as his tiny scales. Carefully, she sorted through each memory he presented to her and some she drew up herself.

As the the head of her pod, Florona knew Lance like few ever could. She was the mother he couldn't remember. When she chosen him and accepted him into her pod, she had done something much like this and knew him. Everything he ever thought, ever felt, everything he was, she knew. And she accepted.

So when she drew a particular memory of little Taavi playing with Keith, he didn't think anything of it. However, when she focused on Keith rather than Taavi, he couldn't hide his curiosity. He couldn't hide anything from Florona. He could feel her fascinated :Mate?: and blushed deeply. His body still ached from… everything. And Florona knew and she was so pleased. Pleased and worried.

:Protect. Vulnerable. Young will-be-podmate. Breeder dares. Hunger. Prey.: Then she retreated back to her own mind, releasing Lance from her influence. She would help so long as Lance promised to remove the Red Lion from Uryd. Since that was what he intended from the beginning, Lance had no problem with his pod-leader's stipulation.

All of the Myr were eager to get the Red Lion out of their waters. Fire and water could and did coexist on Vuana, but they clashed as often as they meshed. ...meshed… Head out of the trench, Lance. Now was not the time. ...even though it would have been if Pidge and that stupid Blade of Marmora hadn't shown up.

Yes. He was holding a grudge. Who's asking?

Florona reached the surface a few ticks before Lance. Taavi's awed gaze was the first thing he saw. Ran and Alve were still by Darja's side but they quickly ran up to the edge of the dock, staring at Florona in amazement. Even Keith joined them despite his newfound wariness of the Myr.

"Lance," Keith called. "That was fast."

Not wanting to lose his gills and go through that unpleasant shift if he didn't have, Lance kept his throat underwater and didn't speak. He did, however, beckon Keith closer, waiting patiently for his Chosen to get close enough.

Finally, Keith reached the edge of the dock and knelt so he was within Lance's reach. Gripping the wooden dock, Lance held his watery breath and pulled himself up out of the water so he could brush his scale against Keith's cheek sending :Watch. Protect. Wait. Trust her. Florona. Be back. Blue Lion. Bringing Red Lion. Coming.:

Before he could sink back into the water, Keith caught Lance's cheek, deliberately brushing his other scale with his thumb and planting a quick kiss on his other cheek. :Sexy. Waiting. Hurry. Slow. Cute fishie. Mermaid.:

...Lance wasn't a fish… He sank back into the water and flashed Keith a disgruntled glower. Dear 'Verse, that answering smile lit up Keith's entire face. Lance was so weak. The water was getting a bit warm. That was the only reason why he let himself sink deeper into the water. The only reason.

Florona's tail tapped one of Lance's legs and he glanced at her curiously. She ducked back underwater briefly to swim circles around him, trilling a jovial song that his submerged ears could still hear. Then her tail smacked his behind and he flailed in surprise, splashing the water and slapping his hands on the dock.

Keith squawked, flinching back when water splashed in his eyes but he didn't back away. He just glared mildly at Lance who was definitely blushing now. Knowing exactly what she did and not feeling any remorse for her actions whatsoever, Florona surfaced once more. But instead of teasing Lance any further, she ignored her podmate's disgruntled scowl and drifted towards where Taavi knelt on the dock.

Leaf green eyes locked on her bright red and yellow appearance with a child's wonder. Florona's tail looped around Lance's legs, her fins flattened against his damp skin. She ducked her head back under the water and chirped before releasing him. She would stay while he retrieved the Lions.

Lance wanted to stay. But a deal was a deal and as long as he was in the water, Florona commanded him as was her right as his pod-leader. Humming in reply, Lance dove back beneath the surface and swam as fast as he could. The sooner they escaped Vuana, the sooner his little family would be safe and they could continue working on removing Zarkon from power.


"Woah."

Keith agreed wholeheartedly. The last Myr he saw and interacted with had been shades of blue fit to blend in with the underwater currents. She had been fascinating but mysterious. This Myr, however, was anything but subtle in her colors. Vibrant red and yellow splotches decorated her scaly skin. She couldn't blend in with the water if she tried. She almost looked like a tropical fish from Earth.

Keith was fascinated and awed, but also wary. He kept one eye on the Myr's closed mouth and another on Pidge and the children. Lance told him to trust the Myr and he did, with some reservations. He wasn't going to ignore his survival instinct after all. He wasn't sure what to make of the way the Myr was gazing at Taavi or the way Taavi was gazing back at her.

He had only been among the Vuana for a few days. Even with Lance's guidance, that was nowhere near enough time learn the nuances of the Vuana-Myr relations. So he kept his silence and waited and watched.

Trust her. Florona.

Keith remembered Lance mentioning that name the other day. This had to be Florona.

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he lifted his right arm, active bayard blade in hand. "Don't move," he said, keeping his voice calm and steady.

"I just want a closer look."

Pidge. Of course.

"She's pretty."

Crap. The kids too.

"Ran, stay with me."

Good. Darja had the kids handled for now. That still left tall, dark, and creepy.

Warily, Keith glanced back at the creepy guy -what did Lance call the dude again? Blade of momma-somethin'- to be sure he hadn't moved. He hadn't. Actually, the guy with the glowing mask hadn't moved at all since Lance first dove into the sea. He just stood there staring…

At Keith.

Not creepy at all.

A soft gasp jerked his attention back to Taavi and the Myr. Florona had pulled herself further out of the water and pressed her fuzzy looking antennae against Taavi's scales. The boy didn't look like he was in pain. In fact, he looked amazed and positively joyful.

"What's going on?" Pidge asked, wisely keeping her voice low.

Movement in the corner of his eye made Keith glance back to see Darja squat down, a firm hand around both Ran and Alve. She was smiling proudly which eased Keith's nerves.

"She's offering him a place in her pod," Darja said.

"Her what?" Pidge muttered in confusion.

"Her pod," Darja said. "She's the leader of Lance's pod."

Pidge frowned. "Yeah, that makes no sense."

"Later Pidge," Keith said.

Her light brown eyes settled on him warily, but she thankfully didn't press. Something about talking during this just didn't feel right. It felt disrespectful somehow. Fortunately -or unfortunately depending on how he looked at it- because Keith was looking in Pidge's general direct, he noticed the first transport ship descend from Yggdrasil's branches towards the dock.

"We've got incoming," he said, getting to his feat and hefting his blades. "Darja, keep Ran and Alve back," he said, not bothering to check to be sure the Vuana obeyed. "Pidge," he continued, "get your bayard ready. Don't hit to kill until we know they're Breeders. And you," he glared at Glowing Mask, "no one gets past us. That clear?"

There was a beat of silence, before the black and dark purple hooded figure nodded. "Understood," he said, drawing his own short knife.

Keith's eyes flickered to the knife in approval, then lingered in shock. It wasn't the same shape or length as his own, but the symbol glowing a soft violet was identical. How…? The mechanical whir of the transport ship became audible over the low roar of the sea snapping Keith back to the hear and now. Right. He'd ask later.

Even though he wanted to ask now.

"Declare yourself!" he shouted, deliberately turning away from Glowing Mask's eerily familiar knife to face to oncoming vehicle. There were two Vuana visible over the transport's dashboard, their hair whipping in the open air. Please don't be Breeders. Please don't be-

"Dodge!" he cried, ducking and rolling to the side as a dark bolt of violet tinted black flashed out from one of the Vuana's hands. The bolt struck right where he'd been standing an instant earlier, sending sparks flying on contact.

The children screamed and hid behind their older sister's skirts. Keith had no doubt Darja knew how to handle herself, but that didn't mean he was going to let those bastard Breeders anywhere close to her if he could help it. He heard Taavi whimper from his left followed by a splash. If that Myr just left them when she could be of use, Keith was going to be even more pissed off than he already was.

The transport swerved briefly out over the open water so one of the Vuana could safely leap from the ship onto the dock. Keith got to his feet and hefted his bayard blade, ready to slash the bastard in two. He never got the chance.

Before the Breeder could land, water splashed and colors flashed. In the span it took Keith to blink, Florona leapt from the angry sea, soaring high into the air, her powerful, colorful tail wriggling and her bright arms reaching. The Breeder's eyes widened and he had just enough time to start a terrified scream before claws ripped into his flesh and razor sharp teeth bit mercilessly into his neck.

The Myr fell back into the sea with her bloody prize, shrieking around the blood and flesh in her mouth. She splashed back into water, sinking below the surface with her prey leaving a pool of blood red water on the foaming on the surface.

Then the water foamed with the motion of fins and flippers and tails and colors. Myr. Lots of Myr. They moved to swiftly and fluidly to make out exact number, but Keith thought he could count at least five individual Myr in the crimson froth. With a sinking stomach, he finally realized what he was seeing. A feeding frenzy.

Another Myr launched herself up into the air, her colors just as bright as Florona's but in shades of green and yellow. Her claws reached for the transport but missed when the Breeder piloting it raised the nose and climbed sharply, increasing the engine power to maximum. She fell to back to the water with a furious scream that grated mercilessly at Keith's ears.

Two more Myr soared into the air, reaching and shrieking, while others lurked just below the water's surface gorging themselves and circling in anticipation. But it seemed they would only have one meal tonight. Good. Keith wasn't sure he could take another sight like that.

"My God," he heard Pidge whisper.

He heard his own fear reflected in her voice. At least he wasn't surprised. Terrified and sickened, yeah. Oh yeah. But not surprised. Lance warned him, had told him exactly what the Myr do to any Breeder who wandered too close to the water. Keith believed Lance, but he wasn't ready to actually see it firsthand. It took everything he had to not start dry heaving.

The motion beneath the surface eased then ceased completely. The Myr must be sated. Ah shit. Don't think about it, Keith. Don't think about it.

Then Florona appeared once more, her beautiful countenance marred by the crimson speckles of what Keith knew was blood on her cheeks and around her mouth. She trilled softly in a nonthreatening manner, calling.

Darja hadn't moved from where she crouched, Ran and Alve held close to her breast, her hands covering their eyes. Her own midnight gaze was hard and fierce as any mother watching a potential predator suffer for threatening her children. She was frigid and pitiless and Keith swore to never get on her bad side. Ever. No matter what the cost.

Still kneeling by the edge of the dock, Taavi's sea-green eyes were wide with horror and glistened with tears. Keith made a move to approach when a sharp look from both Darja and Florona stopped him cold. Swallowing, he stayed where he was and waited. The Myr made another soft trill sound and moved effortlessly through the water towards Taavi.

"What is that thing going to-"

"Don't," Keith hissed, catching Pidge's arm and stopping her before she could get too close. "She won't hurt him."

"Won't-" The Green Paladin's eyes were huge and terrified and angry. "She- Those things just ate that person and you're telling me she won't hurt that kid?!" she cried.

Keith tightened his grip on Pidge's arm. It probably hurt but neither of them acknowledged it. "I warned you," he said simply. "Don't approach the water unless you have to or you're given permission."

"She could eat him!" Pidge snapped. "I'm not going to let you-"

"She won't," Darja said, her voice cold and firm. "You do not know our ways, stranger. Do not presume you do."

Pidge aimed her fear-fueled anger at the Vuana woman. "That thing-"

"The Myr are our allies, stranger," Darja said. Her voice was calm and left no room for argument. "Keep your opinions out of what you do not understand."

"I know you don't like it Pidge," Keith said quietly when he felt his friend shivering in his grasp. "I don't like it either. But Darja's right. You don't understand what's going on."

"Oh, and you do?" Pidge hissed.

Keith met his friend's gaze and sighed. He knew what Pidge was feeling. Hell, he felt the same way most likely. But he had a better grasp of the situation. He didn't understand it completely, but he accepted it.

He trusted Lance.

"I know who the enemies are," Keith said, returning his gaze to Taavi and the Myr.

The little Vuana boy appeared enraptured by Florona despite the bloody massacre that had occurred before his very young eyes. Florona's Myr had been vicious with the Breeder, but her with Taavi she was gentle, almost maternal. Her claws were mostly retracted and she kept her teeth mostly hidden behind her lips. Her unblinking eyes held Taavi's sea-green captive as she trilled what sounded like a lullaby.

The water around her rippled as Florona swished her powerful tail, forcing her body up out of the water and onto the dock in one smooth motion. She never stopped trilling as she wrapped her long, sinuous tail around the little Oceanborne Vuana like a coiling snake. Her water arms encircled Taavi's shoulders in a loose embrace as she leaned down to brush her antennae against the boy's scales once more.

"He is ours now," Florona purred, leaning back and pulling Taavi to her formless bosom. "My pod wishes to welcome our newest youngling." Her obsidian gaze turned to Darja's. "Will you allow this Mother-by-heart?"

"I will," Darja said, getting to her feet.

Ran and Alve stood silently by her sides clutching her skirts and not quite hiding from the Myr's inhuman gaze. The small ampithere robeast chirped from its perch on Alve's shoulders drawing Florona's attention. Her pupiless eyes widened then narrowed.

"Ah," Florona sighed. "We see. You have much to protect, Mother-by-heart." Her tail slapped the water. "You will have our aid, should you wish it. We do not take harm to our pod lightly." She smiled, revealing the sharp, needle-like teeth dyed red by blood and torn flesh.

"You aid is welcome," Darja said, bowing respectfully.

A low thrum echoed from the water drawing all of their gazes. Florona frowned and made a high-pitched scream punctuated by several clicks and slap of her tail on the water. A lyrical call was her reply followed by a trill.

"You are wise to seek the water, Mother-by-heart," Florona said. "But your people should keep the shield up for a while yet. The water has become… unsafe."

"Plaxum said that too," Keith said, finding the courage to speak up.

The Myr's ebony gaze darted to her thoughtfully. "Did she?" She allowed herself to sink lower onto the dock, flicking one of Taavi's scales with her antennae in a playful manner before beginning to uncoil. "There is something beyond the shield," she continued. "Something we are unfamiliar with. The Oceanborne know of this threat. The will speak of it if they have not already."

"What is it?" Keith asked.

"We do not know," Florona hissed, the faintest hint of frustration giving her voice a hissing dangerous edge. "It is a serpent unlike any we have encountered before." She clicked harshly. "It feasts on Vuana and Myr alike." A hiss. "It is not from this world."

She broke off suddenly and stared at the sea. Her toothy smile stretched across her face once more, but there was no threat this time. Only triumph.

"Our podmate returns," she purred, running long, clammy fingers through Taavi's light brown hair.

A moment later, the sea surface convulsed, sloshing over the dock and soaking them all. The Blue Lion had arrived.