Chapter thirty-three: Back In The Saddle Again
"But still though, you don't mess around." Lance mentioned after a moment of silence. "I mean all that fancy stuff you learned to do with your bayard already? How long have you had that thing back from Zarkon? Like,.. two weeks already? A month?"
"Woah..wait, that's kind of a big gap, don't you think?" Hunk reeled in disbelief, arms folding out from being crossed to gesture down and out, then resumed their crossed fashion.
"Just a movement over one phoeb.." Coran corrected precisely.
"See?.." Lance emphasized, gesturing a hand to the Altean man.
"What I don't understand,.." Sam began again, turning to Shiro. "Is how Zarkon still had your bayard after all this time."
"Actually, he had it all along." Shiro answered simply. "And..I..think it's very likely that it was what he used to,.. assassinate.. King Alfor during.. their..last.. stand.." The lightening and slowing of his tone was notably so, as gazes lowered all around, but no one's hearts sank deeper than the two Alteans among the group. To which the older one placed hands on both shoulders of his princess, hoping it'd lift her spirits even just a little.
"The fact of the matter is.." Shiro began again, after a long pause; opening his eyes to look up at the Commander again. "That Zarkon has been building his bond with the Black Lion this whole time,.. and his connection to the bayard, I imagine, was a part of that."
"How would that help?" Lance wondered lightly, crossing his arms now too.
"Well,.. Lance.." Shiro sighed dynamically. "Allura did say they amplify each paladin's life-force. Right?"
"When they are fully in touch with their Lion." The princess interjected to correct him. "They do amplify the Paladin's life-force.. But they also have to have that strong personal connection with their Lion… that is why you have made such a more substantial growth with the Black Lion than Zarkon could ever accomplish."
"Wha-a.. I'm.. not sure I follow." Shiro wondered, taken aback by this statement when turning to her in clear surprise.
"It's no secret to us, now, that Zarkon has a strong bond with the Black Lion,.. But that has come from years of experience and I'm sure some time away from it hasn't hindered it much in the least.." Allura reasoned. "But you understand the true meaning of being a paladin.. and have always worked so hard to live up to that greatness. Never once have you fallen from that.. and if you have, it's because someone like Zarkon tried to tear you down. But I've seen you build a bond with your lion that Zarkon may never feel for himself again. Just how quickly you've been able to learn your lion, is what has always been the key for you. I think, in the short amount of time that you've had to bond with the Black Lion, has been far more effective and powerful.. than all the years Zarkon has spent building it." Shiro's eyes lightened at this even as she continued.
"I'd almost go so far as to say you've forged a stronger bond with your lion far faster in the short time you've had together, than Zarkon has as had for all ten-thousand years of his." The Princess finished, sincere as she could be.
"That's,.. nice of you to say, Princess.." Shiro murmured softly; Keith barely noticed the shift at his side. "But I think Zarkon's link is still strong.. and we need to figure out how to sever it completely. The Black Lion still senses him.. I can feel it.. he's gotta be completely separated from the Black Lion in order for our bond to be as strong or stronger than his. And I think once we start training again we'll begin to figure that out."
"Agreed.." Allura concurred with a nod. "Everyone take five.. we'll begin once Shiro's had a chance to recover from that earlier fight."
"Really? What for?" Lance wondered still standing cross-armed, while everyone else was beginning to walk away; and in hearing this they all stopped to look back at him
"Shiro's been under enough stress from all he's been through.." The Princess explained, turning to him squarely and pacing toward him a couple steps. "We must try to make sure his recovery is the least bit stressful, if we can help it."
Lance stood there a moment longer, blinking intently as his eyes cocked from one person to another then back again.
"Ok,.. whatever." He decided, turning to walk after them with hands in his pockets now.
"Call me when we're ready." He said, strolling right on through everyone; and they stared after him.
"What was that about?" Keith wondered, turning to Pidge on his left, across from the divide Lance had made between them with his exit. And all she could do was shrug.
As Shiro stood there, another urge pulled at him and he tightened the fist of his hand and eased it back behind him once again; beyond anyone else's view. And even as the sensation grew slightly, he tightened his jaw to discourage any vocal response.
Straightening up from it again, he followed the group to the door and split off from them to head toward his room.
"Shiro?" A voice stopped him, which he knew by heart by now, and stopped to look back at the curious bluish-grey eyes that stared at him with concern.
"Are-.. you..o-kay?" Keith asked him uncertainly, his gaze wavering a bit.
"Um,.. of course.. uh,.. Keith." Shiro answered loosely, turning his shoulder to face the younger man.
"Look,.. recovery has been rough," he continued. "But we'll get through it.. slowly but surely." He finished this by placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. And even though his touch seemed unsteady, the warmth it gave him seemed to shroud any doubt from his mind and he nodded once and turned to leave again.
Shiro watched him go until he was seconds from disappearing, his instincts sensing his full departure as he lifted both hands to the wall in front of him. Palms pressed to its cool surface, he lowered his head with a sigh. And only after his brow furrowed then tensed, did his hands take on this same act with trembling fists forming and bringing his elbows in to touch the wall with them.
Now weighing on his forearms his tense muscles seemed to shake like his strength was leaving him, yet he remained standing all the while. But the rising agony that attacked his very nerves, with such an awful accuracy, made him seeth further; as his arms slid down the wall to where his knee could touch the floor.
XXXX
"Do you think Shiro's really ok?" Pidge wondered, looking up from her phone, which she'd been quietly tapping on this whole time; with her family engaged in their own devices as well.
"Sure seems that way, kiddo." Sam mentioned lightly looking to her from his alien-tech laptop. "Why?"
"I don't know,.." the Green Paladin ventured. "I just get this strange feeling,.. that something's not right with him? Like.. something's different?" Her eyes lifted from their wandering. "Ya know?"
"I've known Shiro for like, ever." Matt answered, his gaze meeting hers with a deep fondness rolling across it. "If he's ever had anything to not seem right about.. it's hard to name what that might be."
"What Matt is trying to say.." Sam spoke up to put his daughter's confused glance to rest. "Is that Shiro has had many things change his life.. and not always for the better as you could imagine. But he's one of the most resilient people I know. Whatever he's going through.. he'll know when he's ready to share it while he learns how to handle it."
And this still kept her mind wondering.. but at least it wasn't in total confusion.
XXXX
Keith's hand held the deep blue blade with its amateurly wrapped handle, and its bright glowing insignia; and he stared at it with deep questionable eyes.
Just the thought of where it came from,.. on both fronts,.. wasn't even the heaviest thought on his mind..
xxxx
"It was your mother's." His father told him, holding the small blade out to him in both his big, calloused hands.
"She wanted you to have it.. for when you were a little older.." he told him with deeply painful, brown eyes, which lifted with a forced smile. "Maybe I can teach you how to use it sometime." He offered lightly.
A much younger Keith took the dagger with one hand and lifted it to the light, mainly curious at first of what it was. But it didn't take long to realize how effective it could be in a fight. And he knew it was something special by the glare that flashed across his own reflection, and it gave him some feeling of hope that he couldn't quite understand at the time.. and it made him smile a bit at this feeling of closeness, which he didn't feel as often as he'd like to..
xxxx
This still made him smile.. even now.. but by now it'd only last for barely a second before fading to the heartache that came after it..
He never told me what happened to her. He recalled deeply, the sting in his heart returning. But if this was hers,.. it must not have ended well..
XXXX
Lance strode by the kitchen, hands in his pockets with a gentle whistling tune on his lips, only to stop short and back pedal and few paces to the door and peered in.
"What're you making now?" He asked entering the room, as Hunk was pulling a tray from the oven. "Not more of those Scaultrite cookies, right?"
"Ugh! Come on, Lance, do you really think I'd make the same rookie mistake of making cookies with the wrong ingredients?" The Yellow Paladin replied in his articulant tone, setting the tray down on the counter in front of him; opposite Lance. "I think not." He finished, certainly.
Lance stared at him for a moment, blinking dryly as if trying to decide if he was trying to sound sarcastic or not.
"Alright.." he finally gave in.. "let's give this one a try.." Taking up one of the cookies, all golden brown and with reddish purple center for filling. Realizing how hot it was, he tossed it from one hand to the other until it wasn't so hot. Then hastily took a bite, before plopping it down on the counter next to him. It took him a second,.. but the flavors that attacked his tongue and danced around his mouth hit him all at once and he made five different faces till, he realized the positivity behind it.
"Woah!" He gasped, after gulping this first bite down. "Dude, that's amazing! How did you do that?!"
"Good huh?" Hunk smiled. "I calm them Lava-Berry cookies.. cause -you know-.. the filling kind of erupts out of the cookie with the first bite?"
"Yeah, no kidding!" Lance agreed, picking up the rest of the cookie and wiping away the glaze that had gotten on the counter, and took another bite with more enjoyment of the taste.
"Anyway I put it together with some of those berries we found on that lava planet awhile back,.." Hunk went on. "And some of the dried spices Shea gave me the last time we stopped by to see them on the Balmera,you know the one that reminded me of cinnamon? And then, just.. used a standard cookie recipe with what I had available and.. added the glaze to the inside."
"Nice." Lance commented, feeling more genuine about this than usual. "You gonna share this with the others?"
"Well I was thinking about it.. but I'm wondering about trying for a better batch.." Hunk wavered.
"Ok.. Nope.. we're sharing this with the others.." Lance decided loosely. "Let's go!"
XXXX
"Alright guys, we're ready." Coran announced, placing his ear piece on and turning from his control panel to the group around the Teludav.
"Just as soon as everyone gets back here." Pidge mentioned and lo and behold the doors opened.
"Hey guys, you gotta try these new cookies Hunk made." Lance announced leading the way with a tray with hunk behind him with another. "They're literally.. out of this world."
"Is that good or bad?" Pidge quipped, waiting to hear the reaction from this.
"Very funny.." Lance remarked dryly, as Pidge concealed a smirk.
"Well I'm all in.." Coran decided, tanking the tops of his royal garments back into place, then leaving his control panel to head on towards the two Paladins at the back of the bridge. "nothing wrong with trying new things you know."
"Funny that you say that now, Coran." Allura smiled, taking a cookie and thanking Hunk with a nod. "You didn't you'd to think so when the Paladins first arrived at the castle if I recall correctly." And while Coran acted confused, and even denied such a thing, the team snickered knowing that it was actually true.
Wow! These cookies really are amazing!" Pidge gasped.
"Thank you.. thank you very much." Hunk answered proudly. "My compliments to the chef.. which.. I guess I me.. so..- thank you."
"Hey.. where's Shiro?" Pidge wondered grabbing her third cookie. While Matt grabbed for a second."
"He said he'd be down in a minute." Keith told him, leaning against the side of the Green Paladin's chair after finishing his cookie. "Just hang tight." He'd barely finished this statement when the bridge doors slid open and the man in question entered through it in silence.
"Hey,.. you ready?" Keith asked him, dropping his hands to his sides as he leaned off the chair to fully stand on his own feet.
"Uh yeah,.. of course." Shiro answered and a light shrug.
"Something wrong?" Pidge wondered, catching onto his off tone, after licking her fingers clean of remaining cookie.
"Uh.. no,.. uh nothing, I'm good." Her leader responded lightly, as if pondering his words carefully.
"Ok." Pidge nodded after a time, taking on a slightly awkward stance. "Then I guess let's go." Rising from her spot on the teludav platform. And walking on past him. He stepped aside, despite not having to, but did so to watch her go. Then glancing up at Keith and the others, now right behind him, and turned to follow her with everyone else following suit.
Hey guys.. finally got a new chapter done!
Oh my gosh, I've left this story hanging for so long! I can't even tell you how crazy that has made me knowing that I haven't been able to do anything with it.. whether it be because I couldn't get in and write on the story cuase I have other things needing my atttention, or.. writers block.. or the lack of drive for this story.. or.. Ugh! A lot of things!
But I'm back and now, with some outlining I've been doing for the coming future, I feel like I have a better grip on the story and where I'm going with it! Hopefully that'll make it easier to get chapters going and get this this rolling once again! And rest assured.. there is still.. a LOT left of this story! I mean a LOOOTTT! So hopefully that means this story will be going for quite a while before it concludes!
Anyway.. enjoy this new chapter(which happens to be longer than my usual word count XD) and I'll see you next time for when I get the next one done! Thx!
