Oh hey, have an update! Hope it finds you all well! I just realized as I started typing this that I can't actually think of anything else to say, but if I don't write something here the chapter dropbox can sometimes mess up the centering of the titles... so, I guess thanks for reading and I hope to see y'all next update! Until then~!


crimson

chapter nine

ingredients


"If you weren't the one flying the black lion... then who was?"

Lance's words continued to echo in her head even after the blue paladin left. It was a question she had already been asking herself, ever since the black lion had first left its hangar with seemingly no one in control. If she wasn't the one flying it- then who was? She'd racked her brain for an answer, but hadn't turned one up.

But Kyix had.

Even if he wasn't reazit, his sudden utterance of Shiro's name when he shouldn't remember the black paladin would have been enough. But he was, and therefore she couldn't help but feel that there was something more to his words than a memory abruptly jolted loose by the sight of the black lion in motion.

"Kyix?" Allura asked, crouching next to the shrunken Galra. "Might I ask you a question?"

Glancing back at her, Kyix tilted his head. "What?"

It was just the two of them- she'd asked Lance to give her some time alone with Kyix. She wasn't certain if she could actually get anything out of him, given his current state, but...

...but right now, he was the closest thing she had to an answer. She had to try.

"Do you know who Shiro is?" Allura inquired.

"Shiro?" Kyix blinked. Though he squinted a little in thought, there was no apparent recognition. "Weird name."

"It is, isn't it?" Allura agreed. "Human names are awfully strange."

"Yeah, they're dumb." Kyix agreed. "But I don't know any Shiro. Who's that?"

The question stung, not surprisingly. She felt a wrench of sympathy for the vanished black paladin, given how close the two had been. The black lion itself seemed to feel it in kind, Shiro's image briefly flashing through her mind.

It was a good thing they would be getting Kyix back to normal soon, she decided. Pidge and Hunk should already be setting out to pick up what Coran needed, and with any luck, Antok and Lance would shortly be joining them. She wished she could help, but leaving Kyix alone on the Castle with just Coran for company did not exactly seem wise.

"It's not important," Allura lied through her teeth, "-don't worry about it."

Kyix frowned, but eventually shrugged. "Okay. If you say so."

Allura nodded, before extending her hand. "Now, it sounds as if you have had a rather busy day. What do you say to taking a bit of a nap?"

"I don't need a nap." Kyix said, crinkling his nose. "I'm not a baby."

(She was quite certain he muttered something to the effect of I already had one underneath his breath, but she refrained from commenting on it.)

"I am quite sure you are not," Allura agreed, "-but a little quiet time as certainly never hurt anyone."

And it would be a good distraction whilst the paladins left to go and collect the ingredients they needed for the antidote. She would be hard pressed to explain why they all had to suddenly leave. The last thing she wanted was for Kyix to lose trust in them- without his memories, she wasn't sure if she could even get him to believe the truth, even with Antok here to help. Personally, she would much rather not have to try.

Kyix bit his lip, glancing down at her hand, before he slowly nodded his head. His hand was so small in her own, that for a tick she swore she couldn't understand why the Blades had ever agreed to let him onto the battlefield, recovery or not. But that was the difference between her and the Galra, she supposed. Even before Zarkon's tyranny had devastated the universe, they had always been a warrior race. Asking them to be otherwise was no different than asking her to adopt their traditions.

"Okay," Kyix said, before pointedly adding, "-but I'm not tired."

Allura bit back a laugh, sensing that it wouldn't be appropriate. Kyix unfolded himself from the pilot's seat, his legs just barely brushing the ground. He kept hold of her hand as he got down, and she smiled to herself, helping him out of the black lion. She briefly paused once they'd left, glancing back at it, but it seemed to have returned to normal, showing no signs of whatever it was that had caused it to move on its own.

Or whoever it was, she thought, her gaze darting down towards Kyix.

But that was a question that would simply have to wait. First and foremost, they had to fix this problem.


"Ah, Lance, you're just in time for your mission assignment!"

"Mission assignment?" Lance froze, a knot of apprehension hastily forming in the pit of his stomach. He'd expected to see Hunk and Pidge, or at least Antok- he hadn't expected to find Coran completely alone on the bridge. "What mission assignment?"

"Why, for gathering the antidote ingredients, of course!" Coran chirped. "The blue lion should be extremely useful in obtaining the nectar of the safir flower!"

"A flower?" Lance asked. "That doesn't sound so bad. Is it underwater or something?"

"Oh no," Coran said, handing him a data pad, "-it's located on the frozen tundra of the planet Lor. Make sure to bundle up! I'm told it gets quite nippy there!"

...you know, getting his limbs ripped off by Antok was sounding a lot more appealing now.


"Yeah, this sucks."

Rubbing his arms, Lance's teeth chattered as he trudged through the snow. Sure, his armor had the ability to regulate his body temperature, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep him from freezing. He didn't see how anything could grow out here, much less flowers.

"Ugh," he crinkled his nose, "-mullet had better appreciate all the work I'm putting in for him. If I catch a cold because of this, it's his fault."

Hopefully Pidge and Hunk were having a better time than him.


"Ugh, this place is the pits."

Groaning, Pidge swatted away another bug. Logically she knew that they couldn't penetrate her armor, but they were still a massive nuisance. The fact that they were nearly the size of her hand did not help at all.

"Go to the forest," Pidge muttered to herself, "-dig up some roots for the antidote. It'll be easy. Well you kind of forgot to mention the giant bugs, Coran!"

Swatting away another one of the monstrous fuckers, Pidge finally managed to uncover one of the roots Coran said he needed. Gritting her teeth, she dug her heels in, putting in all the force she had to rip it out of the ground. It came slowly at first, before coming out all at once, her own momentum knocking her own her ass.

Coran also hadn't mentioned the screaming.

"Great," she muttered, tossing the still writhing root into the basket Coran had given her, "-space mandrakes. Just what I needed."

And she still had four more of these things to dig out.

Ugh. She knew she should have traded with Hunk.


"Man, I am so glad I didn't trade with Pidge."

Blue skies, sandy beaches, the sound of crashing waves... this was the life.

The warm sunshine on his back was a welcome relief from the artificial lights in the Castle, and the pleasant cry of seabirds was already helping to melt some of his anxieties away. Plucking another few berries from the bush he was crouched in front of, Hunk tucked them into the little pouch Coran had given him. If he popped one in his mouth every now and again, that was fine too- not only were they safe for humans to eat, they were also pretty damn tasty.

No Galra troops, no nasty space worm insides... finally, a mission that didn't suck. Honestly, he could get used to this.

He wouldn't though. He knew better. Just because space wasn't throwing something at him now didn't mean it wouldn't later. He knew how this worked.

Didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it while he had the chance.


Perhaps he should accept missions from the paladins more often.

Flicking blood off his blade, Antok returned it to his sheath, before surveying his kill. The grayish purple tusked lizard lay on its side, several long gashes oozing bluish blood. Combat was second nature to the Galra, but it was rare these days that he got to engage in it for reasons other than fighting the Empire. And while hunting was not exactly quite the same thing as true fight, he could not deny that this beast had put up a good one.

Kyix would be thrilled to hear the tale, if they ever returned him to his proper age.

Stooping down, Antok pulled open the beast's mouth, yanking out one of its massive tusks. It gleamed white, nearly the size of his two hands put together. Tucking it into a pouch, he took a moment to survey the fallen beast itself, before baring his teeth in a fierce grin. It would be a shame to let all this meat go to waste. Perhaps in honor of their new alliance with the paladins, he should treat them all to a glass of freshly made cibum.

Kyix, he thought, would love it.


"Is he-?"

"He's asleep, for now." Allura replied, glancing over her shoulder just to be sure.

Kyix was right where she'd left him, in the makeshift cot that they'd set up for him in the medical ward. It hadn't seemed wise to bring him back to his own quarters- there was doubtlessly something there that could have given away their lie. It hadn't seemed worth the risk.

"Is everyone-?"

"-on their way to their individual assignments?" Coran finished for her. "Just sent Lance off a little over a dobosh ago."

"Good," Allura said, allowing herself to return to her natural form at least for the moment, "-the faster we can get this all sorted out, the better."

"No worries!" Coran chirped. "So long as everything goes smoothly, we should have that antidote whipped up and ready to go before the quintant is over!"

"Let us hope that it does." Allura said. "Losing Shiro was bad enough. We cannot afford to be down yet another paladin for long. And I cannot help but worry that the longer he's like this, the more risk there is of long term consequences."

Glancing over her shoulder again, Allura frowned at Kyix's sleeping form. For all that he'd put up a fuss, he'd fallen asleep almost as soon as his head had hit the pillow. This was his second nap of the day, and while that might be relatively normal for a true Galra youngling, Kyix was not. The faster they got this resolved, the better she'd feel.

Huffing slightly, Allura turned away. It was strange to think how angry she'd been with him when the truth had first come out, given how concerned she felt now. Perhaps it was a sign of hope- if the daughter of King Alfor and a Galra could work together, then perhaps there was a chance for the universe yet.

At the very least, it was nice to think so.

"I understand, princess." Coran said. "Fortunately it seems as if we can synthesize most of the remaining ingredients here on the Castle, so this should be the only trip they'll have to make before we obtain the final ingredient. And don't worry- I made sure to send Antok to collect the rangor's tooth and not one of the paladins."

"Oh," Allura blinked rapidly, trying to recall if that had been on the list she'd skimmed over, "-that's... great, Coran. Smart choice."

Perhaps she should have done more just skimmed the list. And after she'd promised Hunk that none of the ingredients were particularly difficult to obtain! Perhaps if she didn't mention it, he wouldn't know.

Oh, who was she kidding? Hunk always found out about these things eventually. The best thing she could do was to prepare an apology ahead of time and be thankful that Coran had the foresight not to send any of the paladins up against a rangor. The only paladins who might be capable of defeating one were Shiro and Kyix- neither of whom were available at the moment. And that was provided they could even isolate just one- rangors were known for being pack hunters, and savage ones at that.

"Rangors aside," Allura began, "-you mentioned something about synthesizing the other ingredients?"

"Indeed I did." Coran said. "No worries there- should be about done with all of it by the time the paladins and Antok return. In fact, I was just about to go check on it."

"I'd offer to come with you, but..." Allura trailed off, casting yet another glance over her shoulder. Suddenly she understood why her mother had been so unwilling to let her out of her sight when she'd been this age.

"No worries, I understand." Coran said, idly twirling one end of his mustache. "Something tells me that this little fellow has a bit of a mischievous streak. Best not to give him the chance to wander off on his own."

Allura quirked a smile, easily able to imagine as much herself. It was somewhat tempered by the knowledge that during his actual childhood, Kyix would have likely been unable to do anything of the sort. To him, waking up with a healthy body must have been nothing short of a miracle.

And it was all because of Lotor.

Clenching a fist, Allura narrowed her eyes. What had he even said, to convince Kyix's father to betray the Blade so thoroughly- to do such awful things, and to his own son, no less?

Just what sort of man was he?

"Princess? Is everything alright?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Allura offered Coran an apologetic smile. "I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"A dangerous past time, or so I'm told." Coran joked. "Speaking of dangerous, how was-?"

"-the black lion?" Allura finished, shaking her head. "I am not sure. I didn't sense anything out of the ordinary, but I've only been its paladin for so long. I am not certain if I even could notice if something was wrong."

"Have more confidence in yourself, princess." Coran reassured her. "Your father always said that you had talents that he lacked. You showed as much when you healed the Balmera on your own."

"I only did what needed to be done." Allura insisted. "The Balmera would have perished otherwise, and taken the poor Balmerans with it."

"Ah, but not just anyone could do what you did." Coran smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm certain that whatever is going on with the black lion, you'll figure it out in good time."

"Thank you, Coran." Allura said, giving him a weak smile. She still wasn't so sure about that herself, but somehow when Coran said it, it sounded much more possible. "I really do appreciate it."

"Wouldn't say it if it wasn't true!" Coran chirped. "Now, I really should be checking on those ingredients. I trust you have things handled here?"

"Quite," Allura said, "-but I will be sure to let you know if I require any assistance."

"And I will come flying should you!" Coran said. "Have faith, princess. We'll work this all out."

Sensing he meant more than just the Kyix situation, Allura nodded. She might have had doubts if she were on her own, but with the other paladins around, things always felt more possible than they should.

It would just be far more reassuring once they were all together again.


"I am never going anywhere cold ever again."

"That bad, huh?" Pidge asked. "At least you didn't have to deal with giant bugs and screaming plants."

"Yeah, hard pass." Lance scrunched up his nose at the mere thought of having to deal with either of those, before glancing over his shoulder back towards Hunk. "So what awful place did Coran send you?"

They'd all more or less returned from their individual missions at the same time, so they'd just sort of naturally drifted together on their way to meet up with Coran. He'd told them to meet him in the replication room- a part of the Castle that he'd somehow never been in, in spite of being out here for what... months now?

Geez, he hadn't even noticed it had been that long. With how busy they'd been, it sure as heck didn't feel like it.

"Oh, you know," Hunk said, sounding way more chipper than someone who had just come back from a hell planet should, especially for him, "-the usual."

"Wait," Lance squinted, instantly suspicious, "-did Coran send you somewhere nice?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Lance." Hunk said. "You know I always get the worst missions."

That was true. Hunk did always get the worst missions. And if it weren't for the fact that the yellow paladin proceeded to quicken his pace so that he was now several steps ahead of them, he might actually believe it. But he knew Hunk, and he knew exactly what him trying to hurry along meant.

Unbelievable! He-!

"You did end up somewhere nice!" Lance exclaimed, stomping after him. "I can't believe this! I had to deal with an icy wasteland while you got... whatever you got!"

"Don't know what you mean!" Hunk said, quickening his pace even more so that he was basically just speed walking at this point. "Gotta take these berries to Coran! Bye!"

"Wha- come back here, you jerk!"


Pidge watched Hunk and Lance round the corner, before glancing down at her basket of thankfully no longer writhing roots.

"Ugh," she said, "-I knew I should have insisted on that trade."


"Ah, paladins! I see you all made it back in one piece!"

"Why does that make it sound like you didn't expect us to?" Lance frowned, even as he passed Coran a small vial.

"Oh, nonsense!" Coran chirped. "I had full confidence that each of you could complete your missions. And just in time too! The synthesizer just finished the replicating the last of the remaining ingredients. Now all we need is that sap and the tusk I sent Antok to get, and we'll be as right as a wizblatter!"

"Oh hey, that's great news!" Hunk exclaimed, handing Coran his pouch of berries. "That means we should be able to finish the antidote today, right?"

"With any luck, yes!" Coran said. "Now where's- ah, there you are Number Five!"

"Hey, Coran." Pidge said, holding up her basket. "I got those screaming roots you wanted. Would have been nice if you warned me about that part."

"Oh yes, they do do that, don't they?" Coran said absently as he took them from her. "Begging your pardon, Pidge. With all the commotion it completely slipped my mind."

Pidge squinted at him like she didn't entirely believe that, but apparently chose not to press the issue, instead yanking off her helmet and shaking out her sweaty hair. Which, not to be rude, smelled every bit like you'd think sweaty hair would smell. You would think for a super advanced alien society, the Alteans would have spacesuits with better breathability.

"Phew," Lance crinkled his nose, "-you thinking about taking a shower there, Pidge?"

"No, I was just going to languish in my own stink." Pidge shot back. "Coran, can I-?"

"Oh, feel free." Coran said. "Not much we can do until Antok gets back with that rangor tooth anyhow, and I'll still need to process all these ingredients before we can actually use them. In other words, take your time!"

"Cool, thanks." Pidge said, before promptly ducking out.

"Yeah, what's Antok's ETA anyways?" Lance asked. "The sooner we can get mullet back to normal, the better."

"Shouldn't be much longer." Coran remarked. "In fact, I think- ah, here we go. His ship is approaching as we speak."

"Speaking of Keith, where is the little guy?" Hunk asked.

"Last I checked, he was with Allura in the med bay, taking a nap," Coran said, "-though I imagine he'll wake up in a little while. Hopefully by then I'll have most of the ingredients processed and ready to go so we can head straight to Elzat."

"Do we really have to go to the creepy ruin planet?" Hunk shivered. "Aren't there any of these atpa trees on other planets? You know, ones that haven't had an entire civilization just disappear?"

"Oh, sure," Coran said, "-unfortunately, they're all Galra occupied."

...ah. Yeah, that's kind of what he thought.

"Yeah, on second thought," Hunk said, "-I think I'll take the creepy ruins. I'd rather avoid having to fight the Galra again."

"Yeah, plus we don't know if the black lion's going to freak out like it did last time again." Lance said. "Any chance Allura figured out what was up with that?"

"I'm afraid not." Coran said. "I can't recall any of the lions doing something like that during Alfor's day, unless of course it happened that week we spent on planet Nakewameke. Hit my head and knocked myself out for three days! Oh, that was a wild time."

"Sure sounds like it." Lance said, letting his gaze wander. "So anything we can- holy crap!"

"What's the-?" Hunk began, turning to look in the direction Lance's gaze was fixed on- and instantly snapping his mouth shut.

Yeah. Okay. Fair reaction.

"Paladins," Antok greeted them coolly, like he wasn't dragging a giant purple lizard monster behind him, which yeah, he totally was, "-interesting choice of greeting. Is it common amongst your people?"

"Ah, Antok!" Coran chirped, not batting an eye at the giant beast. "You know, I seem to recall saying that we only needed a single tusk. I'm not quite sure what we can do with a whole rangor."

"I was thinking of using it to make cibum." Antok said, handing Coran a tusk that had no right being as big as it was. Coran stumbled under its sheer weight. "Where can I find your kitchen? I'd like to get started on the stewing process while the meat is still fresh."

Cibum? Hunk frowned, his brows knitting together in thought. Now where had he heard-

-oh. Oh no.

"Wait, Antok-!"

...and he was gone already, giant lizard monster in tow. Great. He'd known the universe would throw something awful at him again, but honestly? He hadn't expected it to happen this fast.

(Ugh. Maybe he should have traded with Pidge.)


"Uh, why's Antok in the kitchen with a giant lizard?"

"Trust me Pidge," Hunk met her eyes, despair and horror equal partners within his own, "-you don't want to know."


Kyix stirred in his sleep.

She didn't think anything much of it at first- it was just a small twitch, and his previous nap had come and gone without any complications. She had no reason to believe that this one would by any different.

At least, that was until he started to growl.

That she picked up on right away, immediately switching her attention away from the intelligence report she'd been passing the time reading. Kyix was thrashing in his sleep, growling defensively as if he were in some kind of danger. A surge of fear shout through her, wondering if this could be some other effect of the rire's toxin, before abruptly realizing that it was likely just a nightmare. Which didn't necessarily make it better- especially not when he started to claw at his throat.

"Kyix!" She cried in alarm, quickly moving to grab his hands to stop him. He squirmed in her grip with a surprising amount of strength for someone so small, but she held fast until he finally stopped squirming.

"Kyix?" She asked softly. "Are you alright?"

For a tick, there was no response. She almost thought that perhaps he'd fallen back into a dreamless sleep, before his eyes slowly fluttered open. For the briefest of moments he seemed confused, before they landed on her and he gradually relaxed- and suddenly, she was quite glad she'd had the foresight to resume her disguise. The last thing she wanted to do was risk exposing her lie when they were so close to hopefully fixing all of this.

"Alora?" Kyix asked, before his gaze dropped to her hands. Scrunching his nose in confusion, he frowned. "Why are you holding my hands?"

Abruptly she realized she very much was still doing that. Letting them go, she offered him what was surely an awkward smile, her own hands darting behind her back. "No reason!"

Kyix looked skeptical, squinting at her in a way that reminded her a bit too much of his near adult self. "You're lying."

She flinched slightly at the accusation, it striking a little too close for comfort. "You were simply... having a bad dream, that's all."

"Oh," Kyix's cheeks flushed, "-um. Sorry."

"It's hardly anything to apologize for." Allura said. "We all have them sometimes."

Kyix just frowned, turning his head away. "It's okay. You don't have to pretend."

Blinking, Allura frowned, wondering if she'd said something wrong. "I... what makes you think I'm pretending?"

(She was, of course, but she didn't think Kyix was talking about that.)

For a long moment, Kyix said nothing, seemingly resolute on staying silent. Then finally he turned back around, meeting her eyes with a surprisingly sharp gaze.

"You're a Blade," he said, "-Blades don't have bad dreams."

"...not real ones anyways," he added under his breath, quiet enough that she was almost positive that he hadn't intended for her to hear it.

Oh. Oh. In hindsight, it made so much sense. Compared to everyone else around him, he must have felt practically useless. Even for someone so young, that had to hurt. And even if she knew that Kyix would eventually grow up to be the Blade he'd always dreamed of- and more- currently, he didn't know that. He must have felt like this for a long time, spending lonely days isolated to the medical ward. No wonder he was so willing to throw himself recklessly into missions. He was making up for lost time.

"Nonsense," Allura said, crouching next to his cot, "-I have bad dreams all the time."

(She might not be a Blade, but...)

Kyix blinked, looking up at her. "You do?"

"Of course." Allura said, a sad smile touching her lips. "It is difficult not to, what with all I've been through."

(...well, it wasn't as if she was lying either.)

"And you're not... the other Blades don't think less of you?" Kyix asked.

"Of course not." Allura said. "Do you think they think less of you?"

Kyix shook his head vigorously, propping himself up in his makeshift cot. "No. Mom would fight them if they did, and she's even tougher than Kolivan."

She fought the urge to chuckle, unsure if that were true, or if it were simply an adoring son's boasting. Based on what little Shiro had mentioned about his meeting with the woman who was very likely Kyix's mother, it was easy to imagine it being the former.

(She wondered what he would say, were he here.)

"I'm sure she would," she said instead, "-but I promise the others have bad dreams just the same. There's no shame in having them, especially at your age."

Chewing on his lip, Kyix slowly nodded his head. "Okay. If you say so."

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Allura said. "Now then- is there anywhere you'd like to go? Provided we stay on the ship, of course."

Kyix deflated slightly at that. "But I'm feeling better now!"

"I am quite certain you are," Allura agreed, a faint smile touching her lips, "-but rules are rules."

Kyix grumbled, muttering something underneath his breath that she couldn't quite make out. The look on his face alone was enough to earn a chuckle, which only soured his expression even more so she quickly stifled it. It was in moments like these that she could absolutely understand just how he'd grown into the person he had.

"Fine," he finally grumbled, "-I guess I can stay on the ship."

"Good." Allura stood up, holding out a hand. "Now that we have that settled, why don't we see about getting you something to eat?"

As if on cue, Kyix's stomach growled. It was all she could do to keep herself from laughing.

(Alright. Perhaps she did laugh.)


"Antok!"

One ear twitched, picking up on the sound of Kyix's approach long before the shrunken youngling barreled into the room. No doubt he had been pulled in by the scent, judging from the way his nose twitched. He'd only just begun the process of stewing the first set of organs- the heart and brain- but already the acidic aroma of the beast's blood was filling the room. It was quite pleasing, if you asked him.

Judging from the look on the Altean princess' face when she walked in, he'd hazard a guess that she disagreed.

"What in the world are you-"

"You're making cibum, right?" Kyix asked, standing on his toes so that he could peer over the counter at the half-butchered rangor. "Where'd you get the meat?"

"I retrieved it myself." Antok said. "I thought I should show the paladins a gesture of our appreciation for looking after you."

"How... kind of you." Allura said, her tone anything but convincing. "I am certain they will greatly appreciate the gesture."

Perhaps Alteans had weak stomachs- or perhaps the princess simply couldn't stand the smell of blood. He was somehow more inclined to believe the former.

Antok hummed, taking care in separating the beast's stomach from its body, before throwing it into the pot alongside its heart and brain. "It is the least I could do."

"You're making some for me too, right?" Kyix asked, squinting at him suspiciously.

Antok let out a bark of laughter. "Of course, youngling! How could I ever leave you out?"

Pleased with that, Kyix beamed. Clutching the edge of the counter, he bounced up and down on his heels with an energy he hadn't possessed when he'd truly been this age. An unpleasant bitterness twisted in the pit of his stomach at the sight, and he quickly drew on his Blade training to bury it.

It could have been like this, he thought, if not for the boy's father.

If not for Lotor.

"And how long will this take, exactly?" Allura asked.

"The meat only needs to stew for a few quintants," Antok remarked, retrieving the kidneys and tossing them into a pot, "-and the organs for only a few vargas after it. Nothing that needs constant attention. Just the occasional stir."

Allura opened her mouth to say something else, before her gaze darted towards Kyix and she quickly snapped it shut. Heaving a slight sigh, she seemingly resigned herself to simply watching before a timely growl from Kyix's stomach reminded her of the likely reason she had come down here with him in the first place.

'Well," she began, "-I suppose since the cibum won't be done for several quintants, we will simply have to reheat something Hunk made."

"You think he has more of those pancaked things?" Kyix asked.

"I think they were called pancakes, actually." Allura corrected, opening up the food storage. "And I don't think those save particularly well. But perhaps... ah! Here we are!"

Producing a container, the princess set it down on the counter, before staring at it with a frown. Dimly, he realized that perhaps she had no idea what to do next, as at odds not knowing how to heat up a meal was with her otherwise competent leadership. A stark reminder of the fact that she came from a much different time- a time that he himself had no experience with, other than the stories that had been passed down through his family line, back when the universe had been at peace. He'd once thought that he wouldn't live to see the return of such times. But with the appearance of Voltron, perhaps...

He quietly pushed the thought aside. The Blade hadn't survived this long by allowing themselves to be taken in by hope. Even if Zarkon were truly dead, the Empire would not be so easily dismantled. Lotor taking control had only proved that.

"If you need help-"

"Ah, there you all are!"

"Coran?" Allura blinked in surprise, glancing over her shoulder. "I thought you were-"

Stopping herself short, her gaze briefly flickered towards Kyix, before darting back towards the older Altean. Kyix frowned, tilting his head in mild confusion, but otherwise seemed unbothered. He was more focused on the prospect of cibum than he was on anything else.

"Just about finished with that, actually!" Coran said, wisely darting around any talk of what that was. "Thought I would come and find you both myself. How's the cibum coming?"

"It will take several quintants to be ready," Antok said, extracting the beat's intestines and throwing them in the pot with the rest of its organs, "-but it is coming together well."

"Glad to hear it!" Coran chirped, sounding far more enthusiastic than the princess had at the prospect. "I take it you were trying to whip Kyix up a quicker bite to eat then, pri- Alora."

"More like heat up something Hunk had already made." Allura said, opting not to comment on Coran's near mistake. "But I admit to being at a bit of a loss as to how that works."

"No worries, just leave it to me!" Coran said, all but taking the container out of her hands. "Give me just a tick, and I'll have it all ready for our resident youngling."

Stepping aside without argument, Allura busied herself retrieving silverware while Coran heated up the container of food. She set them down on the counter that he wasn't in the middle of butchering a rangor on, pulling out a chair for Kyix. He spared the cibum pot another glance, before he made his way over towards Allura, carefully pulling himself up on the chair. Not a dobosh later, Coran dumped the now warm contents of the container onto his plate, the smell of aromatic spices briefly filling the air before being taken over by the acidic scent of the rangor's blood.

"Now then," Coran began, glancing between the two of them, "-might I have a word with you both?"

"Of course." Allura said without hesitation.

Antok hummed in agreement, setting down his knife. It was not difficult to guess what he might want to talk about. "I can spare a moment."

"Excellent!" Coran said, before beaming at Kyix. "I don't suppose you'd mind if I borrowed these two for just a few ticks, would you? We'll be just outside if you need us. Official paladin business, you know."

Kyix paused mid-bite, glancing up at Coran. "Paladin business? Can I hear?"

"Unfortunately I believe the paladin business Coran is referring to is the more boring kind." Allura quickly said. "It's not always about fighting imperial cruisers."

"Oh," Kyix frowned, scrunching up his nose, "-then I don't care."

Antok had to bite back a laugh. He certainly had inherited Krolia's bluntness. Wiping down his hands on the cloth he'd fished out of the drawers, he followed the princess and Coran out of the kitchen, far enough so that Kyix wouldn't be able to overhear their conversation while also staying close enough to keep an eye on it. He was distracted by his meal now, but there was no telling what a healthy young Kyix might do.

(It was hard enough to tell what he might do next at his real age. He had, after all, left to find the blue lion and ended up becoming the paladin of an entirely different lion.)

"So?" Allura said. "What was it that you needed to discuss with us?"

"It's about the antidote," Coran began, "-I've just about finished processing the ingredients. We should be ready to make our final stop soon."

Sensing that there was something else, Antok tilted his head. "And?"

"We'll need to take Kyix with us to get it, I'm afraid." Coran said. "The sap of the atpa tree isn't exactly known for preserving well, so we'll have to finish the antidote there."

The princess said something in response, but Antok didn't hear it. All he could think about was the last time he'd taken Kyix to a planet with atpa trees- and what had followed after. Swallowing, he forced himself to listen to the Alteans, reminding himself that Elzat was far from the only planet with the trees- there were at least a dozen others where they had been successfully transplanted so that the properties of their sap might be more readily available.

All of which, he abruptly realized, had been conquered by the Empire.

"What planet," Antok began, feeling hesitant for the first time in many deca-phoebs, "-what planet would this be?"

"Well, there are quite a few planets with atpa trees," Coran began, "-but when I went to match them against your intelligence, I only found one that wasn't currently occupied by the Empire.

"Elzat."

Coran blinked, vaguely surprised. By his side, the princess went stiff.

"Why yes," Coran began, "-how did you-?"

"It was Elzat, wasn't it?" Allura asked, looking up at him. "Where Kyix was-"

"-possessed by strange forces that left him incoherent for several movements?" Antok finished, unconsciously rubbing where the lingering rune from that time had once been. It was gone now, having protected him in his hour of need. "Yes."

"Wait, that was Elzat?" Coran asked. "Well, that certainly does complicate things."

"Are you positive that we couldn't try one of the other planets?" Allura asked. "There must be at least one where the Galra presence is less significant. Perhaps if we used the green lion's cloaking-"

Coran shook his head. "I'm afraid not, princess. Elzat is our safest option, at least in terms of Galra interference."

Antok's brow furrowed, his tail flicking behind him. He did not like the idea of bringing Kyix to Elzat, but Coran was right- it wasn't a place they were likely to run into Empire forces. The legends surrounding it were enough to keep not only the Empire away, but also those outside of it. Even the Blade rarely paid it a visit, and even then only when they required something that could only be found there. The ill-fated raid with Kyix had been the last time any Blade had set foot there.

"Perhaps if we keep him away from the temples...?" Allura ventured.

"That... may work." Antok agreed after a moment of thought. "It was not until after we entered the temples that Kyix first began to act strange."

"I'll make sure to choose a landing site as far away from them as possible, then." Coran said. "Unless you think it would be better to risk going to one of the other-?"

"No," Antok shook his head, "-Elzat is the safest choice."

Were Kyix his right age, he would no doubt come to the same decision. Should the worst happen, they knew from past experience now that it would wear off. He may have even built up a certain amount of resistance since then. He had been able to handle dying Balmeras and the vile creations of Zarkon's witch- perhaps he could handle this too.

(Or perhaps Krolia would challenge him to a blood duel the next time they saw one another. He would be unlikely to win.)

"Are you certain?" Allura asked. "We could try one of the others."

"Undertaking such a mission would not be wise in with your current circumstances." Antok shook his head. "You currently only have four paladins. And with all due respect, princess, you have only recently begun to pilot the black lion."

"I suppose you're right." Allura admitted, a slight frown on her features. "We will just have to be cautious."

Antok gave her a curt nod, before turning back to Coran. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that's it." Coran shook his head. "I'll brief the paladins on the updated situation. Between the six of us, I'm sure we'll be able to keep the lad from wandering off anywhere dangerous! Or the five of us, rather, since I'll likely be concentrating on actually making the antidote."

"But you do think it will work?" Allura asked.

"Oh, quite certain!" Coran chirped. "No worries there, princess!"

Allura's sigh of relief was external. He kept his own internal. As amusing as it was to see Kyix in his youthful state again, he could not deny that he'd been concerned. Knowing that the solution was at hand was a relief, even if it did require a bit of risk. As a Blade, he knew they could not risk losing yet another paladin so soon, but his concerns were not solely due to that.

He was a Blade, yes, but he was also someone who had watched Kyix grow with pride. To see him lose all that progress...

...it would not do.

"Good," Antok said firmly, "-then we should not waste time."

"Agreed." Allura said. "If you can keep an eye on Kyix, I can set a course for Elzat right away."

In spite of himself, Antok felt the edge of his lip curl upwards. Between missions he had spent countless vargas keeping Kyix occupied. A few more would hardly hurt.

"Yes," he said, "-I believe I can manage."


"I have our new heading."

Snapping to attention, Acxa greeted her prince with a salute. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Narti doing the same. Ezor and Zethrid had both retired from the bridge to the training arena, having grown bored of sitting around and waiting for Lotor's next order. He'd been mostly silent since they'd sent Commander Yut to Caligo, barely even reacting to the report of his failure there.

If anything, he seemed to have expected it.

"At ease, the both of you." Lotor waved a hand, casting a quick glance over the bridge. "I suppose Ezor and Zethrid are training?"

"Should I call them back?" Acxa inquired.

"No need." Lotor said. "You and Narti should be more than enough to handle our next task. It will require a more... subtle hand than either of them are capable of."

Acxa frowned slightly, curious. "What task?"

Lotor merely smiled, taking his place at the center of the bridge. Acxa glanced in Narti's direction, but she had already returned to her station. Taking that as her cue, she turned back to her own, beginning the process of making a hyperspace jump. He had said something about a heading, so she could only presume they were changing locations.

"Where shall I set the coordinates to?"

"Set a course," he said, "-for Elzat."