Celestia looked around at everyone.
Hunk is teaching Romelle the human game of Tic-Tac-Toe in the dirt. Krolia, Allura, Shiro, and Lance are watching with Shiro helping Romelle with some pointers. Coran is finger counting, Pidge had disappeared inside her Lion, and the wolf is stretched out in front of Black Lion as he slept.
Celestia walked around the corner, disappearing just as Keith walked out of Black Lion. He paused when he saw her disappearing.
He walked around the wolf, and followed Celestia.
XxXxXx
Celestia had walked down a path far from the team. Coming up to the end of the path, she walked over to the river's edge sat down on the edge. She sighed heavily as she grabbed a lock of her hair, pulled it over her shoulder and stroked it.
Keith walked over to her and sat down next to her. "You ok?" He asks gently.
She scrunched up her face and shrugged. "I dunno, I guess." She answered lamely.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "It was the only way." He said gently.
"I understand that."
He pulled away to turn to her fully. "There's more that you're not telling me."
She turned to him, then reached up and placed her hand on the side of his face where his mark is, he reached up to place his hand over hers. "Somehow I believe that all of this is my fault."
"No." He told her firmly. "Why would you even think that?"
"I am the holder of more quintessence then anyone. Both Hagger and Zarkon wanted that, that witch killed my sister while I was restrained. Zarkon."-
"You don't have to say it." He cut her off gently, and kissed her cheek.
"Then Lotor wanted to use my quintessence. My family has guarded and protected the quintessences since the beginning of time." Celestia pulls away and walks over to a big rock and sits down. "Lotor wanted to use my quintessence cause he knew that mine would speed up the process."
"How did you get into the healing pod?" Keith asked gently as he moved and sat on his knees in front of her.
"I told Lance I was going to go heal myself cause I didn't feel good, I went to my room to heal." She looks at her hands as they shake. "When I heal myself, my staff would hover over me and shine a warm light around me. That part only takes a sliver of magic." She closes her eyes tightly. "When Lotor tried to steal my staff, he fought with it cause only a friend could touch and hold my staff without being singed. After my staff broke I felt it."
Keith leaned towards her and gathered her in his arms. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to stop him." He apologized as she clung to him tightly.
Celestia pulls away, she grabs his face to study him. "You're here now."
He leans towards her and kisses her gently, she wraps her arms around his neck as the kiss deepens and he lowers her to the ground onto the grass with her arms still locked around his neck.
XxXxXxXx
Lance sat Indian style and his arms folded, his leg bounced.
"Lance, will you stop that!?" Pidge said in annoyance as she sat next to him and typed on her wrist computer. "You've been doing that for the past two hours!"
"I can't help it!" Lance complained. "When can we head out!?"
"We have to wait for Keith and Celestia to return." Krolia told him as she watched him.
"We're all thirsty on seeing Earth again and seeing our families." Hunk said as he looked up from his game with Romelle. "Besides we're still far from home."
"If Keith would hurry up already and get back here." Lance huffed. "We'd be gone half an hour ago." He grumped.
"Lance, put a cork in it!" Shiro scolds, glaring at him.
"Well, what are we suppose to do while Keith is planting his flag on Mount Olympus?" Lance continued to grump.
XxXxXxXx
Pidge had disappeared back into her Lion, the wolf's ears perked up and he lifted his head, gaining Krolia's attention and turned to look at the wolf, but the animal started to wag his tail as he looked in a direction.
Keith and Celestia walked around a corner, holding hands with their fingers laced. Keith pulled her towards the wolf and with his free hand petted the animal.
"Can we now get started already!?" Lance demanded.
"What's wrong with you?" Keith wanted to know.
"He has ants in his pants." Hunk answered for the Blue Paladin, causing Lance to glare at him.
"Can we please get going already!?" Lance demanded with irritation.
Pidge walked out of her Lion and up to Shiro, who was sitting on a crate and turned to her.
"Were you able to contact Earth?" He asked as she leaned on the crate.
She frowned and looked to the ground. "No luck. The lower levels are probably affecting our broadcast distance. I'll keep trying as we head for Earth."
Lance looked off into the distance. "I can't believe we're finally going home."
Hunk smiled as he wrapped his arms around himself. "I'm gonna hug my parents and never let go."
"I can't wait to see how dad integrated Altean and Earth technologies." Pidge said with a smile, then it grew with excitement. "I bet he came up with something amazing. And my mom."- Realization hit her and the enthusiasm quickly fade. "Oh, she's gonna be so mad at me for running away. I hope I'm not grounded."
Keith turned his attention to Coran. "How long do you think it'll take us to get home?"
"I was calculating that now." Coran answered as he held up his hands. "Without the luxury of a wormhole and with diminshed power cords. Let me see, carry the one ... oh it's gonna take us approximately one hundred thousand Earth years." He answered.
Everyone gasped in horror and fright.
"One hundred thousand years!?" Keith yelled at Coran.
"Coran, I think your finger counting is a little off. It's gonna be one and a half years." Pidge corrected, and the team groaned in relief.
Coran blinked, then his cheeks flushed pink. "Oh right. I didn't carry the three."
Allura turns her gaze to the ground. "It's going to be a very long and difficult voyage, but it's our only chance to replace the Castle Of Lions."
Shiro looked down at the ground. "There were times when I thought I'd never see Earth again. To be able to go back, it seems like a dream."
Lance suddenly jumped in front of him. "Well, what are we waiting for guys?! Let's hit the space road!"
"I suppose we need to figure out who's flying with who." Krolia said as she leaned against a crate.
"What about the animals?" Coran asked.
"What about them?" Pidge asked.
Coran explained his reasons, causing Lance to shake his head.
"No. Elephants are afraid of mice." He corrected, then explained what an elephant looks like using his arms as he explained.
Both Princesses frowned at him. "Giants with long grabbing noses?" Allura questioned. "Earth seems so weird."
Keith continued to have his arms folded. "The wolf is riding with me. But that means Hunk will have to take the cow."
Hunk quickly shook his head. "Me with the cow? Not a good idea!"
"Hunk's right." Celestia agreed. "The cow is still inside of Red Lion." She folds her arms as Lance gaps at her. "So, that means Lance has to keep it."
"Free purchase!" He cried.
"I'll take the mice!" Allura exclaimed, and Keith looks at her.
"Why do you get the smallest passengers?"
The team began to argue, until Lance exclaims.
"Guys, you're all overthinking this! I know exactly where everyone should go."
XxXxXxXx
Just like every long car ride, this was no exception. Everyone had the wrong passenger to complain about. But Celestia was the only one happy about hers, she has the wolf.
Celestia is currently scratching the wolf behind his ears, and he's loving it. But both jump startled by Keith's very angry scream.
"THAT'S IT! WE'RE SWITCHING PASSENGERS!"
"Agreed." Lance agreed.
"Uhh, guys. Has anyone heard from Pidge?" Hunk asks. "Who's in her Lion?"
Celestia closes her eyes to concentrate. "Green Lion, who is with you and Pidge?"
"It is just myself and my Paladin, my Princess." Green Lion answered.
"Princess, who's with Pidge?" Shiro asks over the linkcoms.
"She is alone." Celestia answered.
The look on Keith, Lance, Hunk and Allura's faces are comical as they learn this.
XxXxXxX
After making a quick stop to move Coran to Green Lion, and Romelle to Yellow Lion. Team Voltron continued on.
"Team, we're going to make quick stop." Keith's voice came though the linkcoms. "Everyone follow me."
XxXxXxX
The Lions landed by the Zailox Station. The Paladins exited and walked up to the entrance. Krolia walked up to the control panel, but the station had no power. Allura grew to a large size and punched the door, the metal door slammed onto the floor with a loud bang. The team walked inside.
"Are we sure this is an active base?" Celestia asked, looking around as the Paladins, and Krolia used their jetpacks to get across the catwalk.
"It doesn't look like anyone's been here for years." Keith added, they made their way to the main control panel where Pidge pressed a few buttons, but nothing worked.
"The system won't boot." She informs. "Looks like the backup generator has been out for awhile."
"If the Blade of Marmora abandoned this place, that means something really bad must've happened." Hunk said with worry.
"That's impossible." Krolia said. "This base was still fully operational during my last check in with the Blades."
Suddenly the base shook violently, and the team stumbled to stay on their feet.
"What the hell was that?" Lance asked.
"Enemy ship incoming!" Coran's warning came through their helmets loud and clear.
"Everyone, back to the Lions!" Keith ordered.
XxXxXxXxXx
Celestia dropped into her chair inside White Lion's cockpit. As White Lion flew with the other Lions, Keith's voice is heard.
"It looks like a small fleet. Mostly Galra fighters."
"That's good." Lance's voice came next. "We should be able to take them out pretty easily."
"Yeah, but remember, we're not flying at full power." Pidge's voice is next.
"Pidge is right." Keith said. "Everyone stay sharp."
"Keep an eye out." Celestia brought her voice in. "They cannot be alone."
"Yeah. Where there's fighters, there's usually a cruiser nearby." Lance states.
The Lions tried to evade the fighters, but they still couldn't loose them.
"We need to get out of here!" Keith said into the linkcoms.
"Guys they got me!" Hunk's voice tried in panic. "I can't move!"
"Hang on Hunk. I'm gonna get you out of there."
White Lion backfliped to avoid a Galra ship, then shoots lasers from it's mouth at the Galra and turned to see Black Lion break Yellow Lion free.
"Thanks Keith."
"We're getting our quiznacks handed to us!" Lance yelled. "We need to do something! We need to form Voltron!"
"Ok. Everyone in formation." Keith commanded.
"Wait!" Celestia cried as she watched from White Lion. "Keith!"
But he couldn't hear her.
"The Lions can't take much more of this!" Allura yelled.
"Abort!" Keith yelled.
"What the hell just happened!?" Lance cried.
White Lion flew up to them. "The Lions are weak." Celestia answered. "They don't have enough energy to form Voltron."
Hunk frowned. "So, what now?"
"We run!" Keith answered.
XxXxXxXx
Soon the Lions ran to dodge the enemy. Celestia screamed as her Lion spiraled out of control, Pidge's Lion soon followed as a chain of explosions that clouded the sky.
"Is everyone ok?" Lance asked once the two Lions got back under control and the Lions stayed together, and both girls confirmed they were.
"What'd we hit?" Hunk asked.
"Xanthorium crystals." Coran answered from surprising inside of Black Lion. "They've been cloaked!"
"I've never seen the Galra use weapons like these before." Hunk replied.
"And they're not using standered Galra battle formations." Allura said.
"How are we going to get away?" Hunk asked.
"They're trying to trap us by chasing us through this tunnel of crystals." Keith answered.
"He's right." Pidge said. "Look, there's more crystals ahead."
"They're corralling us like we're space cattle!" Hunk said.
"They backed us into a corner." Lance said. "We got xanthorium crystals around us, pirates behind us and a cyclone blocking our exit."
"We have no choice. Everyone into cyclone. Hunk, that means you and I are gonna punch a hole through the storm and create a path for the team. You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
Celestia closed her eyes tightly. "I prey to the ancients. Please help us! Grandmother, please us." She whispered.
"Guys, we can't take much more of this!" Lance yelled.
White Lion began to glow, and she suddenly screamed in pan and soon she slumps forward onto her console.
