Chapter 11: Having Some Fun at a Festival(Allura's POV)

Allura leads Shiro through the crowd of Sandieans, kind of blushing. She hadn't known Shiro would join them in celebrating Clear Day with them. And it was perfect too, since they would be alone, since Pidge and Hunk wanted to go on the rides the Sandieans provided.

Getting alone time with her crush, ahh. This day is perfect now. It couldn't be better. She stops letting go of Shiro's hand and looks around for what they could do. She spots a ride line, though the ride looks to be in some kind of plastic tunnel thing.

However, that doesn't stop her from pointing it out to Shiro by saying, "Looks like a ride there. Want to go on it?"

She notices that Shiro relunactly nods to do so,but assumes that it's because they have not had a lot of fun during the war. Sure there were fun times, like hanging out Marinette and Pidge, the days spent on Arus before they had to leave it, the paladins being the paladins when we were not fighting the Galra, but those were often overshadowed by training and battling the Galra.

So since coming here, it feels like she can not be serious, after all the Festival is creating a festive mood and all around her the Sandieans are laughing, playing games, and just being so joyful, so in general just having a good time. And it helps that the lights are on a warm glow.

Allura walks toward the ride with Shiro in toe. The line of Sandieans doesn't look too long, at least two groups of two waiting for their turn.

Standing in line, she looks around, not really knowing what to say to Shiro.

Even though they've been fighting in this war, she hardly knows anything about him. Which is quite shocking since he's been around since she had woken up from her cryo-sleep.

So nervously, but making her voice calm, Allura asks, "So what is Earth like? Pidge and Marinette told me some things but not much."

"Well, Earth mostly consists of water, but it does have pieces of dry land called Continents which house a bunch of countries and each Continent has a name. Earth tech isn't that as advanced as all the Alien tech we've been exposed to. Our ships can go to Pluto and its moons but it takes months."

This is not exactly what she had in mind when asking him about Earth, but she guesses it's better than nothing at all.

The line moves forward a little bit as a group ahead of them go in.

"So what's Altea like?"

She looks at him and answers, "Well the tech was pretty advanced for its time. But we had the help of Altean Alchemy on our side. Which helped us improve our spaceships much faster than any other race. Though only a few Alteans could tap into Altean Alchemy. Most Alteans were just builders or scientists doing research. Our planet was a hub for intergalactic travel and trade."

Allura sighs, wistful. She wishes she could be back on Altea, when things were much simpler, and be with her parents. But then…She wouldn't have met the paladins. They are her family now. And then she wouldn't have met Shiro. If this war hadn't started she would be long gone before Shiro was even born. As Alteans mostly have a lifespan of 600-700 years old.

"Allura, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." But her heart isn't in those words, as grief still plagues her mind.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I just thought…"

"You're fine," Allura interrupts him, not wanting him to get down just because of how she's feeling. Honestly since she met the paladins her emotions have come out more and more, whereas normally she could pretend and smile and not show any emotion except that she was a proper princess and heir to her father's throne.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I just….. I miss Altea. Though I'm sure you understand because of how you've been away from Earth for so long."

Shiro nods.

Hunk's POV

Hunk spots another booth with some Sandiean cuisine, which immediately peaks his interest. "Come one Pidge!" He grabs his companion's arm and drags her to the booth. Strange looking grey meat, with some which looks to be like hot sauce and some red rocks outline the plates. The other one sold something similar to rock candies back home, except without sugar.

"Weird looking meat," Pidge comments.

The red Sandiean running the booth looks offended. "It isn't weird meat! This happens to be one of our main sources of food underground, other than eating rocks of course."

"You guys eat rocks?" He asks, intrigued. The only lifeform on Earth he knows that eats rocks, sand and dirt is the Earthworm(maybe other worms too) and plants(except they only eat the minerals in the dirt).

As humans eating dirt and rocks is possible but isn't very good for our health and our teeth would break just trying to eat a rock.

"Yes, our sharp teeth aren't just for eating whatever life forms are in the tunnels we build, as life is very scarce in the tunnels, but also to eat rocks of every kind." The Sandiean replies proudly, their dust brown eyes shining.

Interesting. So they kind of live like the people in the City of Ember(the tech used to accomplish that in that book universe has fascinated me, as to build supplies that last for generations and a way for the people, once their supplies start running out, to escape their underground lives…)

"Wow, than that must mean your bites hurt a lot." Pidge comments, almost trying to attempt a joke.

The Sandiean laughs, "True, true."

Hunk looks up at the sky, they have visited so many planets and seen so many alien lifeforms, yet this seemed the strangest and weirdest to him. A planet that blows wind 24/7 except for one day doesn't seem like the type of planet that could produce intelligent lifeforms, or make a person want to live here. Yet the Sandeians do.

They call this their home, despite the planet's hostility and the seeming inability to live here. The Sandieans are definitely more brave than him. Yes he does fight, but often he lets others take charge first, do the fighting first. Never brave enough to do it by himself, or to lead.

"You okay?"

He turns to look at Pidge, "Yeah, just thinking."

"About what? The Sandieans biology, the tech they must use to help them thrive on this planet? What?"

"About how brave they are for living here, living underground for most of the year with only a single day to come up to the surface and see the stars and the sky."

Pidge raises an eyebrow, "Really? Well I guess they are. But it's been their home for generations, it's all they know. So I don't think I'd really call it brave…."

"I guess so."

Still, it seems brave to him. To embrace this planet as their home and never abandon it for something new and something that would allow them to see the sky everyday.

He then realises that they're away from the booth with the grey meat and he sighs. Didn't even get to try that weird dish that kind of looked like streak, except for the grey meat and the little rocks around the plate, like vegetables.

But he doesn't stay defeated for long, after all they are at a festival, might as well enjoy it.

"Let's go Pidge!" Pidge nods and they start walking around the fair. It's nice to have his best friend with him while walking around this festival. If it was anyone else it would be so awkward, since he and the others don't really have much in common except coming from Earth and being chosen to fly the lions of Voltron.

Lance is the goofball, Marinette is their fashion expert and leader, Shiro is their advisor now, Coran is like their uncle, and Allura is a princess. And he and Pidge are the tech experts, and inventors(though Pidge is mainly the inventor, while I just bring it together, being an engineer and all).

Which isn't a bad thing, just that it shows that they are different people, chosen by Voltron. Though it doesn't mean that they haven't become a family all this time. Even if we have almost nothing in common.

Allura and Marinette are like big sisters to him, Shiro is a big brother, Lance a brother, Coran his uncle and Pidge his sister, but she is also his best friend. He wonders if the others ever feel this way, as fighting in this war, not being able to go home until it's finished, we are pretty much all we have in this war. Sure we have allies, who are our friends, but we aren't very close to them.

And we don't spend all day with them.

He is afraid that this war won't end anytime soon, even though they have Voltron. And scared that like Keith, they will lose friends in this war, but unlike Keith, be unable to see them again.

Scary thought.

Hunk shakes his head, no time to focus on his fears as that's future pacing. Just focus on the present and don't worry about what might happen in the future, as we are supposed to enjoy our time at this festival instead of worrying about things that may or may not happen.

Shiro(Clone)'s POV

Shiro slides out of the ride. God that was so kiddy, and with that little Clear Day song, ugh. He did want to talk to Allura about what he's been feeling lately, however he did not feel comfortable.

That and he didn't know what to think of his feelings. Like how he believes that he is an imposter. That his memories aren't his and that he isn't the real Shiro. That and his head sometimes hurts when he tries to recall things that happened before the Galra escape pod, and remember. As if his brain is saying that those memories aren't his to remember.

It doesn't make sense and he can't place why he feels that way. He has thought that perhaps it's due to Black rejecting him and Marinette being the new leader of Voltron. But he isn't mad at that, well he kind of is, but not really.

Marinette does know the team better and the recent battles they fought and how to proceed, whereas he's been on a Galra espace pod for who knows how long.

"Shiro are you okay? Did that ride really bother you that much?"

He looks at Allura, and lies, "I'm fine. The ride didn't bother me that much. I just wonder how long this festival is going to last."

That lie makes his mouth dry, but he really isn't comfortable yet telling his teammates what he feels. As they were all so happy to see him again,so to say that he feels like an imposter? Yeah no. Can't happen.

Besides this feeling only comes when he's alone, or has too much time to think.

"Me too. I believe it has been hours since we came."

"The ride wasn't that long!"

Allura looks at him, "Well it was a few hours before I found you."

Was it really? He didn't remember looking for the team that long. Though it was a blur since he was thinking the whole time and not really paying attention to his surroundings and then that Sandiean interrupted him and…

Yea it could have been a few hours.

"I guess so.."

Allura nods, smirking at the fact that she won that little argument. Shiro sighs inwardly, his friends have all been so kind to him, and they are like family to him. Yep, he can't hurt them with his thoughts. Just push forward and everything will turn out fine, right? And even if he wanted to tell them(not that he wants to do so now, as it will hurt them, which he doesn't want happening) it would distract them from winning this war so we can all go home.

Maybe meeting Keith and Adam would help with his convoluted feelings. But that's after this war ends, which could take years.

Shiro mentally slaps himself, that sad thought won't help. He just has to have hope and all will be well. Maybe, probably.