Chapter 4

A castle of white, blue, and black. Naruto recognized the design as Altean. 'It's not in ruins, but there's no telling what's inside.' He mused as they walked inside with little reservation. It was dark inside as the lights were off.

"From the size of the lion, I expected this place to be bigger." Pidge said. Before they explore any further something spoke.

"Hold for identity scan." A security system scanned them.

"Why are we here?

"What do you want with us?" Shiro questioned, but he would receive no answer.

"I think it's an automated security system, it's only doing what it was programmed to do." The blonde said as the lights began to turn on one by one. Each one going down a set path.

"I guess we're going that way." Pidge said, it wasn't like they had much of a choice. They followed albeit reluctantly.

"Naruto, slow down we don't want to get separated." Shiro said.

"Oh, sorry I'm just really excited." He stated. The group went down at least 2 flights of stairs before coming to a control room.

"This looks like some kind of control room." Pidge said walking up to the controls module that lit up; it brought up what Naruto recognized as a cryogenic pod. There was someone inside, the blonde got closer. "Naruto, get back." The blonde was lost in his own curiosity.

'Is it possible?' he wondered as another pod came up, it was occupied as well. 'Alteans from Old Altea survived?' he smiled. 'Amazing, just amazing!'

"Are these guys…dead?" Hunk asked.

"No, definitely not dead." Naruto muttered not realizing that the others had heard him. The pod he was standing in front of suddenly opened, revealing a young altean woman. She had not brown hair, voluptuous white hair, and her marking were pink.

"Father!" she exclaimed effectively scaring them as she reached out and fell forward. Naruto caught her.

'I can't believe some of them survived.' He was beyond happy. The young woman looked up to him, and he had to admit. 'She's pretty cute I guess.' He smiled. "Good morning."

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"Well, I'm Naruto and it's nice to meet you." He stated.

"Your ears."

"Ears?"

"Yes, they're hideous." She said. "What's wrong with them?" the blonde frowned.

"Well, you're very rude." He said only for her to grab his ears and then his right arm, she managed to get him on his knees. "Really, is that how it's going to be?" he was going to break out, and retaliate.

"Who are you? Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my castle?!" she demanded to know, the second question caught Naruto off guard.

'King Alfor, the last king of Old Altea?' he remembered that name from his studies. "In that order, a giant blue lion brought us here, and that's all we know." He said. The young woman suddenly took notice of how odd Naruto's ears felt, but that could wait.

"How do you have the Blue Lion? What happened to its paladin?" She questioned. "What are you all doing here? Unless…" she was afraid to ask, but she had no choice. "How long has it been?"

"We don't know what you're talking about." Shiro stated though Naruto had a good guess as to what was going on. "Why don't you tell us who you are? Maybe we can help." She examined them for a few moments before speaking.

"I am Princess Allura of Planet Altea." She stated. Naruto immediately backed away a little bit, this was Alfor's daughter; the Princess of Old Altea who was thought to be dead. Things had just gotten really awkward. The Prince of New Altea was in the same room as the supposed to be dead Princess of Old Altea.

"Oh shit." The blonde cursed lowly.

"I've got to find out where we are and how long we've been asleep." She walked over to the control module, Naruto's marking glowed a bit when she walked away.

"Naruto." Keith whispered gaining the blonde's attention. He pointed to his own cheeks. "Glowing." The blonde turned around and did his best to stop them from glowing, it was easy enough and he turned around awkwardly. Allura brought up the holographic controls and began inspecting the files.

"Ok, that's how that works." Pidge said. Moments later the second pod opened to reveal an older Altean man with short orange hair and an oddly impressive mustache. He noticed them moments later and screamed.

"Enemy combatants!" he jumped out and damn near kicked Naruto in the face, but he sidestepped with ease. "Quiznak! You're lucky I have a case of the old "sleep chamber knees."

"I'm lucky?"

"That's right, otherwise, I'd grab you head like this, wrap you up like so. One, two, three…" he snapped his fingers. "Sleepy time." Already Naruto was amused by this man.

"Please, I'd have you begging for mercy before you could touch me." He said while making an arm breaking motion. "Mom taught 101 ways to make your enemy submit." He cracked his neck. "But, please try your luck." He got into stance.

"Oh, well then come at me!" they weren't actually going to attack each other. 'Huh, that stance looks oddly familiar.'

"This can't be." Allura said.

"What is it?"

"We've been asleep for 10,000 years." She stated.

"Wait, that cryogenic pod kept you both alive for 10,000 years?" Pidge asked in amazement, but Allura was silent as the memories of what happened all those years ago came rushing back. "Planet Altea and all the planets in our solar system have been destroyed." She stated much to the man's horror. "Coran, Father is gone. Our entire civilization is…" she wasn't just sad. "Zarkon." She clenched her fists in absolute hatred.

"Zarkon?" Shiro said.

"He was the King of the Galra." She stated. "A vile creature and enemy to all free people."

"I remember now…I was his prisoner." This was a surprise, Naruto had to wonder how Shiro was even still alive if he'd been a prisoner of the Galra. But, this did bring something extremely important to light.

"He's still alive? Impossible!" she stated.

"I can't explain it, but it's true." He stated.

'He must've stopped looking for Alteans after he destroyed Old Altea, that's why we've been able to stay hidden for so long, that and it's impossible to find our planet without special means.' Means that the blonde knew.

"He's searching for a super weapon called Voltron."

"He's searching for it because he knows it's the only thing that can defeat him, and that's exactly why we must find it before he does."

"It must be the only thing he truly fears, 10,000 years of ruling only to be defeated." Naruto said with a sigh. 'I have to tell dad about this, I hope that those new weapons are done, we might need them defend New Altea.' He bit his nails. 'Should I tell the others now, just get it over with?' his gaze went to Allura. 'I swore to keep New Altea a secret until the time was right, damnit this is killing me!' he hated keeping secrets and he really wanted to tell someone. He looked to Shiro. 'In private, I'll tell him.' The others wouldn't understand, they were too young.

"I haven't eaten breakfast and I'm starving." Hunk stated.

"Yeah, but you've thrown up, like, 5 times." Pidge stated.

"Food…ramen." Naruto's stomach growled. "Oh, man." He took a bit of the green food goo, and ate it. "Are there any wild animals around here? Because I'm seriously about to start hunting for some good meat." He looked to Hunk. "Can you cook alien animal meat?"

"I can try." He said.

"Oh thank the anci—god, thank god." He couldn't slip up.

"We're the last Alteans alive." Coran said to Shiro. Naruto kept quiet, he couldn't say anything until the time was right. But, he felt so bad for them; they had no idea that there were over 10.8 billion alive and safe Alteans, their population was larger than Earths along with their planet. They were thriving and ready for a fight if need be. Seeing Allura softly sobbing only served to increase his guilt. The sound of squeaking caught their attention, she looked inside her pod to see four mice. "I guess we're not the last, after all." She smiled.

The alarm suddenly went off much to everyone's dismay. The screen, now red showed something that they didn't want to see any time soon.

"A Galra battleship has set its tracker to us!" Coran exclaimed.

"How did they find us?"

"Not sure, but…" he had no idea.

"How long until they arrive?"

"At their speed? Oh, well carry the two… I'd say a couple of days." Coran said.

"Good, let them come!" Allura exclaimed. "By the time they get here, you 5 will have reformed Voltron, and together, we will destroy Zarkon's empire once and for all." She wanted revenge as well, but she couldn't show it.

"Wait, but there are 5 lions. Where are the rest?" Naruto questioned.

Castle of Lions – Control Room

'Old fashion, but impressive.' Naruto mused. As Allura brought up the universal map.

"These are coordinates." Pidge stated. "The Black Lion is in the same location as the Blue Lion, in the castle." She said.

"Aw, look at your primitive synapses firing away in their little brain cage." Coran teased.

"That's right, the Black Lion is in the castle." Allura said, she hadn't expected any of them to figure it out immediately.

"To keep the Black Lion out of Zarkon's hands, King Alfor locked it in the castle." Coran said.

"And the only way to get to it is if all the other lions are here at the same time, right?" Naruto asked.

"Y—yes, well it looks like I won't have to explain much." Allura said. "Now, as you have found, the lions choose their pilots." She stated. "It is a mystical bond and it cannot be forced."

"So, the lions really are alive and sentient?"

"In a way, yes." She said. "But, the quintessence of the pilot is mirrored in his lion."

'Or her.' Pidge silently stated.

"Together, they form something greater than science can explain." She stated. "The Black Lion is the decisive head of Voltron, and it will take a pilot who is a born leader and in control of all times, someone whose men will follow without hesitation; that is why, Shiro, you will pilot the Black Lion." It didn't take a genius to place the rest. Pidge would pilot the Green Lion, Hunk would pilot the Yellow Lion, Keith would pilot the Red Lion, and he was already piloting the Blue Lion. Each lion matched their personalities, but they would soon find that there was something more. Sadly, the Red Lion was missing.

"Once the lions are united, you will for Voltron the most powerful warrior ever known, the Defender of the Universe." Allura finished.

"That is by far the most amazing thing I've seen in my 17 years of living." Naruto said. "So, when are we heading out?"

"Right now since we don't have much time." Shiro said. "Pidge and I will go after the Green Lion." He then looked to the blonde. "Naruto, you take Hunk and get to the yellow one."

"You got it, but…"

"What is it?"

"I have to tell you something in private, and it can't wait." He said now slightly distressed.

"Alright." He looked to Keith. "If you locate the Red Lion, go get it." The teen nodded in affirmation. "Naruto, come one." He said ushering the blonde to follow. The two went far enough away so that nobody could hear or see them. "Alright, what do you need to tell me?" Naruto Tom a deep breath and let down the disguise after so long. His Altean features now showing. "Naruto what—"

"I am Naruto the First Prince of New Altea." The blonde stated.

"New Altea, so there are Alteans that survived?"

"Our population is much larger than Earths, and we having thriving for over 10,000 years ever since Old Altea was destroyed by Zarkon." He stated.

"The others, they don't know do they?"

"No, I've been hiding this from them and it's killing me, I want to tell them so bad but I can't do that yet?"

"Why not?"

"Shiro, I was on Earth to study humans to judge if they could be trustworthy allies to New Altea, my people were going to give them a chance on my word, but I was also there to date my own curiosity and desires." He smiled. "I care about humanity and my human friends since, well, they're the only friends I have." He chuckled. "Shiro, I have to report this to the King of New Altea, to my father, but the others can't know."

"Naruto, what about Allura and Coran; don't they deserve to know that they aren't the last Alteans alive? It's wrong for you to keep this from them."

"Shiro, Allura was once the Princess of the Altean people 10,000 years ago, but that's no longer the case; that title that duty is now on me, and if she finds out then you can probably guess how complicated things could get." He said. "Some people blame King Alfor for the destruction of Old Altea, can you imagine what'll happen if they find out that his daughter survived when zillions of others died and we were pushed to near extinction?" Shiro was starting to get the big picture. "My father has been ruling for 10,000 years, he saved the Altean race and found them a new home…they have to be ready for a fight, I have to tell them everything."

"Alright, I—I'll keep this a secret, but this is going to come back to bite you, you know that right?" to this Naruto simply chuckled.

"Eh, I can take it…there's something else." He then proceeded to explain his body, and the amount of quintessence he was producing. Shiro grabbed his shoulders.

"Naruto, listen to me, if you ever feel that you're becoming a danger to yourself and others then you need to tell me; this team can't risk losing you. Your Kingdom and people can't risk losing you." He said. Naruto transformed his hands into large gauntlets.

"Don't worry, I'll keep in control, and if something goes wrong then I'll wormhole away so that none of you get hurt because of me; aside from that I'll use everything in my arsenal to protect everyone." He stated with confidence. Shiro wanted to argue, but something told him that getting through to the prince would take a bit more time and trust. So he would wait, hoping that everything would work out on it's own.

Chapter 4 End