Hello everyone, I hope you like this chapter and sorry for it being short, next one will be much longer as I've been preparing it as well as I'm using inspiration and ideas from other stories to add more to this one, so some stuff most likely will seem familiar.
Chapter 6
AT THE CASTLE OF LIONS, OUTSIDE THE DINNING HALL
"Great job training today, guys. We're really getting the hang of Voltron." Shiro told the other four Paladins as they entered the dining hall.
"Seriously, how far do you think my Lion kicked that broken alien ship? Must have been like a mile!" Lance asked while he stopped next to an annoyed Keith.
"Yeah, that'll come in handy when the Galra challenges Voltron to a soccer match." He told Lance who also gets annoyed at his attitude.
"Hey, I did something cool and you can't handle it. I get it." His words only sparked disagreement with the Red Paladin.
"Your kick ruined our balance. We fell." He told blue while walking towards the table.
"Well that falling part was Hunk's fault." When Lance said that, Hunk showed clear disagreement with a single word being uttered before Shiro finally spoke up as he was sitting down.
"All right, save your energy for fighting Zarkon." With that said, he and the others finally sat down just as Coran enters the room with a plate being covered.
"Hello, guys! How was the Voltron workout?" He asked the Paladins who turn to him.
"We're getting there. Are the I and Allura almost done fixing the Castle so we can leave this planet? I feel like we're sitting ducks here on Arus." When he asked that, he got a surprising answer.
"Sorry but I haven't checked, been helping Naruto with his training to help him better understand the weapon he holds." When Coran said that, Keith just doesn't bother to say anything but stare at his helmet.
"But just between you guys and me, Naruto's been acting...a little odd lately." When they heard that, a couple of the Paladins were surprised.
"Odd how?" Lance asked which Coran places a hand on his chin.
"Well, for some reason he's been more consistent on training these past couple of days. Even when I urge him to take a break he either flat out refuses or only uses it to use the bathroom and grab a quick snack. But that's not the strangest thing..." When he said that, it was than that Keith's attention was drawn just as Coran turns looks to at them all.
"You see a couple of Dobash's ago he just got done training with the old' Gladiator yet unlike how he and you all lost a Quintent's ago...he finally won, not only that, turns out I...accidentally set it one level higher." When he said that, he gained only surprise from the other Paladins with Keith showing shock. Seeing their expressions the Altean continues with a smile.
"Yeah, who knew he had it in him, when he first started he had trouble but under my guidance, I was able to turn him into quite the formidable warrior...well when comparing him to you all." When he said that, everyone had slightly annoyed expression with sweat falling from their faces but his smile than disappears to show a trouble expression.
"But, that's not the strangest part...it was what he did to win and how he reacted." His words caused the other Paladins to look at each other.
WHERE NARUTO WAS AT THAT TIME
Currently waiting impatiently was Pidge who was tapping a leg on the floor repeatedly as she waited to talk to the Prisoners before she was snapped out of it to hear the door opening and looks up to see Naruto entering with helmet in hand.
"Ya' know their not going anywhere, right?" Questioned the smoking blonde who caused her to look down before at the aliens.
"These aliens we saved know something about my family. They have to!" Hearing that, Naruto just looks up at the sleeping aliens before at Pidge which he goes to sit next to her.
"Well I can't deny that theirs a chance but how are you so sure?" He asked the green Paladin who turns to him.
"When they saw Shiro, they recognized him. They called him "Champion." Yet I don't know what they mean by that?" Hearing that, Naruto was a little surprised before he turns to look at the ceiling with a hand in his chin.
"Well, from what I've seen of the Galra, it could be a title he earned for something he did, like a fight?" His words sparked surprise which caused Pidge to place a hand on her chin as she wondered about that before they heard a door open and look to see Shiro entering which he blinks in surprise at seeing Naruto next to Pidge.
"Oh hey Shiro." Naruto said in a half wave but before he could say anything, all of a sudden one of the pods opened with steam, gaining their attention as they stood up. It was only a couple of minutes for all the pods to open up so they could tend to them.
"So, how long were you held captive by Zarkon?" Pidge asked while handing XI a drink
"Some for years. Decades, maybe. It's hard to tell. Time becomes a blur." He said before taking a drink.
"Then you must have been there when my dad and brother arrived. Sam and Matt Holt?" Hearing that, he shakes his head causing her too look down when Naruto spoke up.
"What about Humans in general, like u—well, them?" He said, realizing he doesn't look exactly human anymore with the markings and eyes.
"I never knew their names, but I certainly remember the earthlings I saw, rather two Earthlings that arrived with Champion." His words sparked confusion from Shiro.
""Champion." Why do you keep calling me that?" He asked the alien who answers with surprise.
"You really don't remember? Unbelievable! You were a legendary gladiator, undefeated in the ring. You defeated an infamous Galra gladiator known as Myzax. That was the day you earned the name "Champion." I was there, as was the young Earthling." With that said, he recounts his memories of the Arena.
"We were all prisoners, forced to fight for the entertainment of Zarkon. That day, we were set to fight Myzax, a vile beast many thought could never be defeated. Slaughter, awaited us all. This 'Matt' was the first of us sent to fight. But fate had other plans. You were so thirsty for blood, you injured your fellow Earthling." When he finished, Naruto and Shiro showed complete shock as almost immediately Pidge showed rage upon her face.
"You attacked my brother? Why?!" She demanded the confused Black Paladin.
"No... it can't be true." He said, trying not to believe what he just heard.
"I was there. We all were." He told the Paladin before Pidge spoke up.
"After my brother was injured, where was he taken?" She asked the alien who shakes his head.
"I know not." Hearing that, Pidge looks down with disbelief and seeing it, Naruto felt uncomfortable as he thought about his mother and missing father, it was then that something very unlike him popped into his head and spoke before Shiro could.
"What about that ship you guys took down, it had prisoners meaning it could show connections to files they have on other prisoners or at least something we can go by." Hearing that, Pidge's eyes widen.
"That's it! They'll have logs of prisoners, some... information." With that said, she runs out and Shiro was about to follow When Naruto got in front of him with a hand raised.
"You should keep asking them questions, it may help you remember faster on what happened during your imprisonment." After saying that, he hurried after Pidge while putting his helmet on, leaving Shiro by himself as he thought about what Coran said which worried him.
(—when I finally realized that I had set it a level higher, I was about to stop the training when all of a sudden he turned the tables and began swinging his blade with great speed and strength, to the point he ended the fight by slicing the gladiator in half, I congratulated him yet he didn't even respond but stood still, after a few ticks he finally responded.)
Remembering that, Shiro could only hope for the best that nothing is wrong with Naruto yet that hope was all it was, just a wish.
30 MINUTES LATER, AT THE CRASHED SHIP SITE
Slowly the two enter the fallen warship quickly with Pidge making her way to the controls.
"This looks like the master control board, but there's no power." She said while pressing it a few times yet nothing happens which Naruto proceeds to take out his Swiss Army knife as he proceeds to open up its bottom panel to reveal wires that he messes with, causing sparks to form as he rewires it, until...
"RAHHHGHH!" Naruto shouted as he was electrocuted and falls backwards with his body switching.
"Naruto, are you—" Pidge stops when she saw lights turn on and turns to see the computer back on.
"You did it!" She said with a smile while Naruto stood up none too happy at being electrocuted yet he lets that annoyance pass him as he watched Pidge continue to work.
"My dad's and Matt's whereabouts must be logged in here somewhere. Once I download this information, I'll find some way to decode it back at the Castle." She told Naruto who smiled yet stops when he felt rumbling and turns in the direction to be greeted by a meteor falling in the sky.
"Ah crap." Naruto muttered, having his a glance from her.
"What is it?" She asked the blonde who looks at her with concern.
"There seems to be some large object, a meteor maybe coming from the sky and from the looks it...heading right for us. Pidge we—" He was cut off by the Green Paladin turning towards him with determination.
"Naruto, I'm only 15 percent done. I'm not going anywhere." She told the shocked Naruto who shows a lot of concern.
"If you haven't noticed, THEIRS A GIANT METEOR HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US!" He shouted at the girl who faces him with anger.
"This may be my only chance to find out where my family is, I'm not leav—" She was cut off by Naruto grabbing her with force as he picks her up and starts charging for one of the openings as he makes it out, both landing on the ground outside the crashed ship.
"N-NO, LET GO OF ME! I'M TRYING TO FIND MY FAMILY!" Pidge shouted as Naruto grabs her by her shoulders.
"WILL YOU GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, KATIE! I know it's hard and I know you want to save them but—" He was cut off by the girl showing anger as she shouts back.
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, UNLIKE YOU I HAVE PARENTS!" The moment she said that, she immediately regretted it with her expression showing regret as she was met with Naruto who's eyes had changed to reveal blood-red irises and slitted pupils.
"What did you just say?" As he asked that, venom laced his tone that caused her too take a step back as she felt it, bloodlust coming off of Naruto just before he flinched and grabbed his head in pain as he stumbled forward with Pidge catching him to see he was showing pain with his eyes returning to normal but their eyes widen as they look up fast to see how close it was.
"MOVE!" Naruto shouts, forgetting the pain as the two start flying away yet it was pointless as the object had crashed into the ship, causing a shockwave explosion to be sent in all directions as they were right in its path. Naruto looks back to see the terror in Pidge's face as the explosion was directly behind him and what he saw, through his eyes was a momentary flash of seeing his mother about to exit a blazing ship, making eye contact with him just as the ship exploded.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Naruto screamed as his sheathed sword unleashed a powerful light as he turns fast, outstretching his left arm out to Pidge who takes it as he pulls her into his embrace just as he pulls out the shinning katana as they were consumed by the shockwave that finally ended after moments to reveal a crater where it crashed. While this was happening, darkness consumed Pidge as she was still closing her eyes but slowly she opens them.
"W-What—..." She stops to see they were on the ground and slowly she looks up, finding Naruto who was holding her close to himself with his left arm wrapped around her waist while he was kneeling. After a few moments, she realized his helmet was broken as pieces had broken off to show a part of his face while his right hand up to his elbows clothing was completely destroyed yet that's not what shocked her the most. In his right hand he held a large shield that took the shape of a crab-like shell with spikes all over it, and three shrimp-like tails, one on each side.
"It...responded, but—" Naruto stopped cooks as he felt it, a connection is made as he turns fast to find a massive machine covered in darkness with its eyes glowing red directly behind him, in an instant, it roared as a massive darkness headed directly for the wide-eyed Naruto. While this was happening, Pidge saw Naruto freeze as his eyes widen as he fell forwards.
"Naruto!" Pidge shouts while the shield turns back to a sword as she holds him up in her arms just as her lion arrives while she directs her gaze at the massive object opening up to reveal a giant robot.
"Oh quiznak." Pidge muttered as she quickly dragged Naruto towards the green lion that bent down while the sword began to release a red aura that starts to give out a pitch-Black color that mixes with the red before it disappears as the blade skids and moves into Naruto's right hand which he grabbed as he was pulled into the green lion. With this, the battle finally began yet in the end it ended in victory.
THAT VERY SAME DAY, SUNDOWN ON THE TOP OF THE CASTLE OF LIONS
Currently sitting by herself was Pidge who was looking down sadly as she thought about what transpired today.
(YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, UNLIKE YOU I HAVE PARENTS!)
"I just had to go there..." Pidge muttered to herself at knowing Naruto's reaction of anger was expected yet, his eyes gave her a worried feeling.
"Whatcha doin?" When she heard that, she turns fast to see Naruto approaching her which she immediately looks away with shame that surprises him.
"Something wrong?" He asked his friend who just looks at him sadly yet couldn't make eye contact.
"I'm...sorry, for what I...said. I wasn't thinking clearly and I'm—" She was cut off by Naruto who sat next to her as the two watched the sunset.
"Don't worry about it. That ship could have given you a lead on your families location so it was expected. Tho you're technically not wrong..." His words only caused her to look at his eyes to see the sadness in them yet he than turns to her with a smile.
"Anyways, no need to act all gloomy after what happened Katie—" He stood after realizing what he said and gives a small laugh while scratching the back of his head during which Pidge was just staring at him with a slightly annoyed and half opened eyes before she sighs.
"Well, since you keep saying my real name...you can call me that, only when we're alone so at least try to not say it with the others around." Hearing that, Naruto was surprised yet smiles brightly while Pidge was looking away with a blush of embarrassment yet she didn't notice Naruto's eyes flash red. During that moment, the two hadn't realized what was happening. Naruto's shadow which formed from the sunset was human in shape yet had nine tails coming from it while two glowing red circles could be seen as eyes.
xxxxxCHAPTER ENDxxxxx
NEXT TIME, THE ATTACK; THE BLADE OF THE PAST AWAKENS.