This is long overdue, but I guess I am back to this fandom hell. AGAIN.
"The Green Paladin, Lady Katie Holt of Earth!"
Shiro smiled proudly as Pidge made herself known on the balcony above. She lifted her chin up and descended down the wide staircase with a dignified and elegant air of a powerful Holt. A soft smile curling her lips as her gaze descended down on them gathered at the base of the staircase. The applause died down and the guests watched her with bated breaths of equal awe, envy, and shock. Whispers of didn't know there is a female Paladin, she looked like a goddess, and is that how female humans looked like? were scattered in the air. A stray What did he say? came from Lance who was trying to make sense of the chamberlain's introduction. Shiro almost forgot that it was only him who actually know of Pidge Gunderson's real name.
Keith met Katie at the last step of the stairs and offered his arm which she gratefully placed a hand on. "You okay?" Keith whispered; eyes trained at front.
"Yeah…" Pidge gave him a sideways smile. "Just a little frazzled."
"I know the feeling."
Keith steered her toward where the others were waiting. Lance swept into an exaggerated bow and mimicked the chamberlain's voice. "Lady Katie Holt." He looked up with a grin. "What an honor to finally grace us with your true name."
Pidge let go of Keith and rolled her eyes but she was smiling pleasantly. "You could have asked Shiro. He knows my name before any of these."
Lance placed a hand on his chest in a mock hurt. "I feel slighted, Milady. A lady's name must not be requested so brazenly." They burst out laughing. The other guests looked at their direction and wondered what the matter is. "But seriously, that's a pretty name." Lance popped his mouth as he pronounced her name. "Katie. Katie. I think I will start calling you as Katie from now on."
"Don't you dare."
"But Katie!" Lance pouted. "Oh, don't be like that. You're gonna get ugly."
"Oh?" Pidge snorted. "Just like you?"
"Hey!"
Pidge giggled. The chamberlain descended down and beckoned for them to follow him. Striding past the gathered guests, he led them to the royal dais where the king and queen were seated waiting. The queen rose from her throne gracefully and welcomed them with open arms.
"Paladins of Voltron." She smiled. All four eyes twinkling in delight. "In behalf of my people, we welcome you to Hyperia. I cannot express how delighted we are to finally lay eyes to the best of heroes the universe has."
Allura swept in a low curtsy. "As we are, Your Majesty. Your people has been most kind to us in the brief time we are here. We could not be more thankful for such hospitality."
"Nonsense, Princess Allura." The king said good-naturedly. "Voltron has helped many, including my people who roam in other worlds. Consider it as our way of paying forward and a token of friendship. Hyperia will be at your side until the last of Zarkon's forces is quelled to the ground."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Now, I believed introductions are of the past." The queen took Allura's hand excitedly. Behind her, the king stood and walked to his wife's side. A soft smile wrinkling his face at the queen's antics. "It is time for Damitre. Come, my dears."
The royal couple led them to a chamber hidden past the curtains behind the thrones. It was a circular room with a surprising size that can house more or less fifty persons inside. Crystal torches were affixed on the walls, glowing in a soft, blue light. In the middle of the room was a lone column and on top of it was a transparent crystal wrapped in what seemed to be threads that extended out throughout a room like an umbrella.
"This is the sacred chamber where we hold Damitre." The queen said as they stopped in front of the pillar. "Damitre is a sacred ritual that only we, the royal family, can perform. It is through it that we see a part of an individual's intentions and judge them if they are fit to stay in our planet or not."
"Like some kind of precautionary measure." Keith was impressed. "No wonder Zarkon hasn't gotten to you yet. If he's planning to send in spies to your planet, they'll be discovered before they could do anything."
The king nodded approvingly at the Red Paladin. "Yes, but it is more than that." He gestured to them. "Now, I believe you are all due to the same. In ordinary circumstances, we will seek each of you separately but we sensed a strong bond from each of you the moment you set foot in the ballroom. It would only be appropriate for us to perform the ritual with all of you together."
Hunk raised a hand. "Uh…I have a question. What are exactly are you going to see? No offense but I'm really particular with my privacy. Does it hurt? I'm not really pain-tolerant."
"Relax, Hunk." Shiro gently patted the Yellow Paladin on the shoulder. "They're just touching a part of our clothes. Nothing to worry about."
"Well then!" The queen clapped her hands together, drawing their attention to her. "Let us begin. Each of you shall hold a part of the clothes of the person beside you. Go on. Don't be shy."
"Uhh…like this?" Keith reluctantly gripped the hem of Lance's suit.
Lance, who has his hand on Hunk's shoulder, looked affronted. "Careful, Mullet! That's Gucci."
"No. It isn't."
"Might as well!" Lance said, glancing at Pidge who was carefully clutching on the feathered layer of Allura's skirt. "That's one of Katie's masterpiece."
A Shut up, Lance! came from Pidge who then offered a part of her shawl for Shiro to hold. Hunk gently clutched Shiro's cuff, asking every now and then if he was holding it too tight. Allura held a portion of Coran's white cape, careful enough not to wrinkle the fabric.
"Aren't you a lively bunch?" The queen chuckled. "By creating a physical link, we can draw the memories woven within the threads and form these fragments into one."
She reached out a hand and Coran let her touch the other side of his cape. The king did the same, though Keith seemed to be displeased with the hand latching on his sleeve. With the king and the queen's hands clasped together, they began to chant in their native language. The residents of the Castle of Lions watched in awe as the umbrella-like threads above them shimmer in colors, seemingly dancing in synchrony with the Hyperian chant. Glittering light swirled inside the crystal and lit the room as the chamber melted scenes into familiar and not familiar to them.
They saw Lance, Shiro, and Coran running around the Space Mall to buy the sewing supplies they needed – from needles to fabrics and even the electrical sewing machine from the early 2000s from Earth. They watched themselves scouring the Castle for their elusive Green Paladin and trying and failing miserably to create their own attires for the ball. It was a series of excitement, disappointment, wasted fabric cut-outs, empty bowls of food goo, and swear words. However, what was truly memorable and heart-touching of them all was not what started it, but who continued, finished, and gave her all when the rest of them have given up.
Pidge.
They witnessed their own Green Paladin and the mice standing in the mess made by their sewing circle. They listened on the plans they conspired and watched themselves get caught up with it unaware. Day and night, Pidge worked in her room with the mice – designing, cutting, sewing, and decorating with utmost care that the Green Paladin only shows with her technological projects. She has temporarily put aside searching the Universe for her lost family and shut herself in her small quarters for weeks to do her best for the second family she has.
Every design was thought in consideration of who will wear it. Every mug of alien coffee emptied until the last drop. Every prick of the needle on her delicate fingers ignored and only treated under the mice's insistence. All of it for them.
"I don't have much time." Pidge was saying one time as she was surrounded with three finished attires and three more to go. The mice were sprawled on the bed, clearly exhausted. She was staring at her swollen, bandaged fingers. "But I'm not done yet."
The Green Paladin clenched her hands. Despite her disheveled and weary state, her eyes were awake and alight in determination. She leaned forward to adjust the red thread through the eye of the needle. The sewing machine whirring to life as she plugged and flicked it on. "They are also my family so," She gripped the red fabric that seemed to be part of Keith's outfit. Her eyes drifting toward the picture of her and her brother Matt. "I can't give up here. Not ever."