Chapter 61: In Which the Others Find Out That Shiro Isn't Dead(Shiro(Clone)'s POV)

Shiro looks around the Bridge a little nervous. Waiting for his teammates to wake up. Marinette had woken him up. Was she unable to sleep?

Just what happened while he was away abroad on that Galra ship and that escape pod?

He didn't remember much from his time being captive. Expect hsi memory being of a purple liquid, and maybe a clone of him on a table. But that's about it. His escape was also a little fuzzy. As he didn't have to fight his way out.

Just got to an escape pod and hoped for the best really.

Still Marinette wasn't in Red, she was in the Black Lion when she found him. Which didn't make sense. As Black was bonded to him, wasn't he? Shiro sighs, nothing makes sense to him. Granted he wasn't here for all the things that had happened.

"So, Marinette. How exactly did Black choose you to be it's next paladin?" He asks. As this silence is reminiscent of those days spent on the escape pod. Where he was alone and it was so silent. He would've gone crazy if not for the thought that he would see Keith again and the rest of the Team.

As if he didn't get to Voltron and he helped stop this war, then he might never see Keith again. And that wasn't a comforting thought, especially since he thought of Keith like a little brother ever since he took him under his wing at the Galaxy Garrison. And losing him would be gut wrenching.

Which would make the nightmares even worse.

"I…It would be best if someone else explained it to you Shiro."

Her blue eyes looked at him suspiciously. But why? He hadn't done anything…Oh..It dawns on him that Marinette must be thinking of the timing. After all Black had only brought Marinette to him after days of travel on that escape pod.

That also was bugging him.

Considering he went through so much to gain the lion's trust. Like fighting Zarkon on the Astral Plane where if he lost then he would've died. Another comforting thought, he said in his mind sarcastically.

'Okay then," Shiro replies, now feeling out of place. Those blue eyes of Marinette kept studying him. Over and over, making him uncomfortable.

Suddenly he hears the doors to the left behind him open. The others! He felt a little guilty about wanting to meet the others so quickly, but with Marinette's gaze studying him. Well, he didn't feel quite comfortable being alone with her right now.

"Shiro?" gasps Princess Allura.

He turns around just as Lance runs up to him and squeezes him tight. "We thought you were dead!" Lance then pulls away from him. "I'm not dreaming, right?"

Marinette answers for him, her tone casual, "No he's not a figment of your imagination, Lance. He's real. The Black Lion guided me to him last night."

Lance walks over to Marinette, "Really? Why didn't Black.."

"I don't know and neither does Shiro." She turns her gaze back onto him. "I was out flying last night, not feeling like sleeping when Black told me to let him guide the ship. I let him and found a Galra escape pod where I found Shiro. I then brought him home."

She didn't mention the sleeping on his bedroom floor part. Which was just fine with him. As the others, especially Lance, would get the wrong idea about that.

Hunk whimpers, "Then what does this mean for Voltron. We now have two Black Lion paladins and I doubt the lions would just go back to the regular team setup after having been doing months with this one and bonding with each of you."

Marinette nods, "My kwami Tikki can consult the Black, Red and Blue Lions about this development. In the meantime however if we get into a battle, Shiro can man the Castle with the Ship and if he feels the need to spout out ideas while fighting he can do so.."

Shiro didn't exactly like that and he didn't know why. It made sense that the Team would continue to go on as nothing happened until the three lions made their decision on whether or not they should have the same team setup.

"And while Tikki does talk with the lions, I'll take Shiro and make him some clothes and clean him up from that hairstyle he now sports."

No one objects, while Shiro is surprised. Marinette can make clothes? That explains why everyone is wearing a sweater with the lion they pilot's color and the design of said lion on that sweater. As well as the yellow lion plushie Hunk is holding.

Marinette grabs his hand and leads him through the corridors. He replays the scene, it wasn't exactly what he had expected.

Lance and Allura were the only ones who showed much reaction to his return. But why had Marinette pulled him away so soon? Well he did need to get a trim and some better clothes on. Is it because Marinette wants to keep an eye on him?

He still doesn't know why Marinette is acting this way. He has done anything to hurt her in any way.

"Alright, let's start with that haircut."

Shiro blinks at her , and realizes that Marinette had managed to drag him away and make him sit down in a chair and that now he was facing a mirror.

"Ummm. Why did you drag me away so soon from the others? I thought you wanted the other to explain to me what happened while I was away." He blurts out. Then he notices that sadness has come to Marinette's blue eyes.

Taking an Altean comb, which looked like a regular comb and some scissors into her hands, Marinette replies, "Well… I guess my fashion designer instinct came in. At the moment I couldn't tolerate your fashion when we were about to talk about serious stuff about the things that have happened recently. As I always haven't been able to tolerate people who are dressed wrong for an occasion."

"Fair, I guess." Shiro says, unsure how to respond. As he has never been a fashion person. More interested in exploring space and piloting spaceships. And helping Keith…Again a sadness washes over him as he thinks about the boy he saved and now thinks of as a little brother.

It's unfair that the universe stripped Keith away from him, after going through all the horrible things this Space War has given him. He still has nightmares about his prison experience with the Galra the first time around.

"You okay?"

Shiro manges a smile, "Fine." But that was a lie. He isn't fine. If he ever had to be parted from Team Voltron or Keith again, well, he would snap. The universe did it twice with Keith. He was taken from Keith as he was the Galra's prisoner. Then during the Blade of Marmora Battle that Keith had roped himself into, he disappeared and Marinette took his place.

Life is often unfair, but that was going too far. Hadn't he suffered enough? Hadn't everyone in Team Voltron suffered enough? Or was this war going to bring more suffering and heartache.

"That's good. Team Voltron is going to need a veteran's advice."

"I'm not a veteran! I'm only twenty-five!" Shiro protests.

Marinette smiles, "Really? Could have fooled me with that white streak of hair you have."

Shiro pouts, it was child-like to pout but it wasn't his fault he received that white streak. It was from all the stress being the Galra's prisoner that had made it appear. As he had to fight in Gladiator matches and then they took his arm from him.

Then he realizes that Marinette is trying to get him to loosen up by playing with him. But how did she know he wasn't fine?

"Well then what hairstyle would you like, Monsieur Non-Veteran."