Hello everyone, I hope you like this chapter and I decided to split it up in parts so they can get out faster.
Chapter 7: The Attack; The Blade of The Past Awakens Part 1
THE VERY NEXT DAY AT NIGHTTIME, WITHIN THE CASTLE OF LIONS
Currently, the entire group of Voltron, Naruto, the Princess, and Coran were watching a play being a shown to them courtesy of the Arusian King who has his civilians reenacting his version of Voltron's battle against the Galactic Gladiator before a party of Arusians.
"The monster fell from the sky! It was an epic battle, but Voltron was victorious!" He told them all just as the Arusians pretending to be the Robeast knock down the other Arusians pretending to be Voltron.
"... No. I said, Voltron was victorious!" His correction caused the Arusians end the battle accurately which gained cheers from the civilians.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for that... wonderful production. It saddens me that we must leave tomorrow, but we must continue our battle with Zarkon and spread peace throughout the universe." As she said that, she proceeded to take out an Altean communicator.
"Your Highness... please accept this gift. This will allow you to contact us anytime you need help. Arus will be the first planet in the Voltron Alliance." With that said, the king cheers while holding it up, gaining many more cheers from the civilians. Watching this scene was Naruto who stood by himself against a pillar, his suit still damaged from the damage he took protecting Pidge. Not only that, ever since he saw that vision he's felt...very off and wasn't in the actual mood to converse like the others. His gaze travels to the others to see Lance, Keith, and Hunk conversing with each other.
"Mm-hmm. Yeah, okay. How about, uh... I say 'Vol' and you say 'Tron.' Vol—!" Lance said to Keith yet he didn't get it and spoke.
"Uh... Vol-tron?" He honestly said which gained a half blank and half annoyed expression from Lance.
"No! No, no, no, no, no. The cheer includes the instructions. I say 'Vol' and you say..." He tried again yet once again Keith repeats it, not knowing what that means.
"... Vol-tron?" In the end, Lance just gave up just as Naruto heard a voice.
"You don't seem to be having much fun." Hearing that, he turns to look at the smiling Allura who was approaching him which he just looks down.
"I'm...just not feeling well actually...I might go lay down soon." He told the Princess who showed a little worry.
"Is everything alright? You look very bothered by something." Her words caused him to be more bothered before he finally sighs.
"I've...been having visions...I don't know what they mean but it started happening ever since we found the Blue lion." Hearing that, she showed surprise and spoke to try and help him.
"Do you know what it was you saw?" With that question he answered honestly.
"I'm not exactly sure, but only three, darkness...some kind of machine I couldn't make out...and I think my sword." He said, motioning to the sword he touched. His words caused Allura to feel worried by what she heard but still put up a smile.
"After this party, why don't we go ask my father Alfor of what he thinks, he may know what your seeing as well as it would give you a chance to learn more of your Altean heritage." Her words caused him to blink in surprise before he smiles.
"Ok, after the partly I'll talk to him since...I also want to know more about me." His words caused her to smile and with a nod, she left him by himself, just as he then moved his gaze to focus on the others to see Keith spitting out his drink on Hunk who turns away and then reveals the Arusian food stuck to his eyes.
"Ow, my eyes!" With that being said, both he and Keith merely laugh with joy like the Arusians around them, seeing this as caused Naruto's eyes too narrow as he starts gritting his teeth.
(No...this doesn't change anything at all between us. This training was only about me, Shiro, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge getting along and bonding to form Voltron, it was never about you, not even a little bit.)
(We may have to be teammates, but we will never be friends.)
And he remembered those words, his left hand was already made a fist and he was gripping so hard, he hadn't noticed it was starting to bleed until he noticed from the comer of his eye that Pidge was entering the room with a bag in hand, that was what snapped him out and he looks to see the palm of his hand had deep nail marks which surprised him before turning back to her while her machine, Rover floated behind her.
"Let's see..." Pidge said while looking around until she saw a floating plate come by her which she packs all the food in her bag before taking one of the sticks in the food to use in order to clean her ear until she sniffs it, and retch.
"What's with the bag Pidge?" When she heard that, she turns to see Naruto was behind her, staring at her questionably yet didn't realize she had a glad look on her face.
"There you are, I wanted to talk to you..." She stops to look away, a bothered expression appearing in her face while Naruto moves his gaze onto her bag.
"Listen Naruto, I've been thinking and...I'm leaving Team Voltron." The moment he heard that, Naruto's eyes widen all the way in shock.
"What?!" Was all the blonde could say after what he had heard Pidge tell him.
"I decrypted the information from the Galra ship about where my family might be, or at least where they were. I've made up my mind. I'm leaving tonight." Even after hearing it, Naruto still couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"W-What?! Pidge, I know you want to see your family but your the pilot of the green lion, without you than how—" He was cut off by his friend speaking.
"I know, that's why I you to take my place as pilot of the Green Lion." The moment he heard that his eyes widen all the way at what she said before turning away from him.
"I'm sorry. I should go tell everyone else." As she said it, she walks away while Naruto looks down at his feet, not believing she wants him to pilot the Green lion.
10 MINUTES LATER, INSIDE THE CASTLE OF LION
Currently, Pidge spoke with almost the entire team in the halls, away from the civilians except for a few missing ones not among them.
"Pidge, no...!" Shiro said, not believing what he heard her say.
"The download from the Galra ship was enough to at least get me in the right direction to start my search. I have a pod all ready to go." She told the leader just as Keith approaches her.
"You can't leave!" He told her, showing an annoyed expression on his face while Pidge faced him.
"You can't tell me what to do!" She told the red Paladin who shows anger at her wanting Naruto to take her place.
"If you leave, we can't form Voltron. And that means we can't defend the universe against Zarkon. You're not the only one with a family. All these Arusians have families. Everyone in the universe has families." When she heard that, she showed anger before retorting.
"What is with you, whenever it involves Naruto you immediately show anger and treat him badly! The only reason you don't want me to leave is that you don't want to work with Naruto!" When she said that, Naruto shows hurt as he looked away but slowly anger appears just as Keith becomes enraged and aggressively closes in on Pidge who starts taking steps back.
"YOU'RE PUTTING THE LIVES OF TWO PEOPLE OVER THE LIVES OF EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ENTIRE GALAXY—" He was stopped when a hand rested in his shoulder.
"Calm down." Naruto said, in a calm yet a tone that held authority that caused Keith to turn in anger.
"OR WHA—" Keith froze when he saw the anger on Naruto's face, it was the first time in his entire life he's even seen Naruto show anger that caught him off guard. Whatever would have happened next was stopped by Shiro speaking up.
"Keith! That's not how a team works. People have to want to be a part of it. They can't be forced." He told his student who silently relents while pulling himself away from Naruto's grip just as the leader turns to Pidge.
"If you want to leave, we won't try to stop you. But, please, just think about what you're doing." Hearing that, she just spoke as if already making a decision.
"Naruto will be a better pilot I ever could be..." After she said that, she turns her gaze to her friend who was surprised.
"I know you still don't feel like piloting but, I know you can do it." Pidge told him while walking away from the group which Naruto looks down before all of a sudden the entire castle shakes, alerting everyone as panic spreads everywhere as many of the Arusians evacuate the castle while said castle loses power. It was than they knew where to go, heading to the Bridge yet what they found was Coran sitting up as Hunk and Shiro help him up.
"What happened?!" Shiro asked with alarm yet Coran didn't know whine the smoke that consumed the room was already clearing to reveal the Power Crystal destroyed.
"The Crystal!" Allura said in shock before the group saw the badly hurt and unconscious Lance on the floor, shocking them all more as they hurry towards them except for Naruto who starts to hyperventilate. Watching Shiro hold Lance in his arms.
"Lance...? Lance!" Shiro yells but all he does was groan.
"We have to get Lance to the infirmary!" Pidge told the others yet Allura has to say what was the problem with that idea.
"Without the Crystal, the Castle has no power." The Princess told the genius with Shiro stating that Lance is in a horrible condition. Watching this was Naruto who was gripping his chest as he began remembering his mother's devastated corpse being taken out of the wreckage of the ship before it changes to Lance's current state before he jolts the moment the Arusian King enters the room, last Naruto.
"Lion warriors, our village is under attack! We need help!" His words caused Keith to immediately suggest getting to their Lions Yet was shot down by Allura saying the doors are sealed without the power, leaving them to be defenseless.
"Will you not help us?" He asks them, just as Lance groans again in pain before an idea was suggested.
"We have to get a new Crystal to get the Castle working again. But, to get a new Crystal, we need a ship." Coran told the group which was when Pidge decided on the ship.
"The pod I was loading, we can use that! I left the bay door open." Hearing that, Coran thought of what was needed next.
"I can use the scanner in the pod to see if there's a Balmera nearby. Hunk, you come with me. I'll need someone big to help me carry the Crystal." When they heard that, almost all of them didn't know what that was.
"A Balmera?" Hunk finally asked what most of them was thinking.
"It's where the Crystals come from. I'll tell you about it on the way!" He said before he, Pidge, and Coran leave for the flight pod.
"I'll go see what's happening at the Arusian village." Keith said, about to leave when Shiro spoke up.
"No, I'll go. Something doesn't seem right and I need you two here to tend to Lance and stand watch over the Castle." Shiro said, causing both of their eyes too widen just as Allura spoke up.
"I'll go with you, Shiro. I brought this on the poor Arusians." She told him before the two hurry, leaving Naruto and Keith to Lance as well as guarding. The darker haired one looks away in annoyance before he goes to Lance's side, focusing his gaze on Naruto who appeared to be having trouble.
"What are you doing, help me!" He ordered Naruto who jolts again which he does as told and goes to Lance's other side as the two hurried for the only entrance to the castle but as they did so, Naruto kept looking at Lance which made him think of his mother before looking down again as they finally reached the entrance, laying Lance down as the two looks at him.
"Why..." Naruto muttered while looking down at his left hand, seeing it was shaking badly as he was trying his hardest to hold himself together yet the images of what happened to his mother were making their way back into his mind. It was seeing this, that Keith had finally had it.
"I'm done with this!" When Naruto heard those words, he jolted and turns to see Keith glaring at him.
"WILL YOU STOP THAT ALREADY?! I'VE ALREADY GOT ENOUGH ON MY PLATE TO DEAL WITH AS IS, I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH YOU!" Keith shouted at Naruto who showed shock and disbelief as he starts to take a step back until he felt it, it wasn't fear but again anger he didn't that was bubbling up inside him before he shows anger.
"OR WHAT, AT A TIME LIKE THIS YOU CHOSE NOW TO WANT TO BEAT ME UP AGAIN?!" He shouted back at Keith who was very surprised by Naruto's outburst and backtalk that in the end resulted in the Paladin sheikh even more anger as they got in each other's faces.
"Shut the hell up, just because you've got a sword and armor doesn't mean you can just change like that!" Keith told Naruto with anger which he retorts.
"Really? Didn't you yourself change, we were once friends, best friends until YOU CHANGED! AFTER MY MOM DIED, YOU BEGAN TO ACT TOWARDS ME WITH ANGER, WITH RESENTMENT, FOR WHAT?! IN THE END YOU ATTACKED ME, BEAT ME, AND GOT YOURSELF KICKED OUT OF THE GARRISON!" Naruto shouted at Keith who grits his teeth in even more anger.
"YOU STARTED IT!" Keith shouted, confusing Naruto yet he felt even greater anger at hearing something he can't understand.
"AND HOW THE HELL DID I START ANYTHING, HUH?! WHAT THE HELL DID I, OR ANYONE DO THAT CAUSED YOU TO CHANGE?!" Naruto demands but the answer he got was something that he never even thought anyone would ever say to him.
"Your mother made you a coward the day she died." The moment that sentence was uttered, a fist came barreling into Kieth's face that sent him down the hall, rolling as he was starting to stand up when he found Naruto already in front of him, delivering a second strike to his face that draws blood yet Keith went for a punch as he throws one with his right fist yet the blond just moves his head to the left while moving forward, slamming a fist into the rib area of his armor, yet shockingly that punch left a mark as Keith felt the impact of it to the point he coughed out blood.
"I've had enough of you." Naruto said, having enough of this while Keith stumbles back yet he spits out blood, still showing that anger on his face before he charges again.
"NOT YET!" He shouted at his first friend with anger as he throws a punch at Naruto who immediately grabs it and pulls it back, forcing Keith to be pulled and with that, his abdomen area was met with a devastating knee that broke one of his ribs and cracked a few others, resulting in him stopping as he starts stumbling back a little from the sheer pain he was feeling yet he didn't stop.
"KEITH!" Naruto shouts while charging at the red Paladin, slamming into him full force that sent him into one of the pillars hard before he was forced to block the powerful punches Naruto was sending at him, not giving him a chance to counter until he does by throwing a right punch at Naruto who caught it and turns pulling the arm over his shoulder before slamming his arm hard on shoulder, gaining a loud "break" sound from Keith's right arm which he shouts in utter pain before he was thrown over Naruto's shoulder where he hits the ground with a roll. After that, he starts getting up regardless of now having a broken arm as well as staring at the enraged Naruto.
"No...I...I can't stop yet...not until..." Hearing that, Naruto didn't bother listening as dashes for Keith to begin his assault of punches where he continues to punch his once best friend, his first friend in the face, abdomen, back, shoulder, nonstop as each punch left bruise after bruise, some resulting in the armor's pieces cracking badly or outright breaking off. It was this scene that Naruto's left eye began to change, showing that his already slitted eye was turning red. By the time he stops, Keith falls to his knees only to be grabbed by the throat and lifted in the air.
"After my mother died, you began to treat me differently. I only truly noticed it after you beat me...yet after all this time you now sprout shit...THAT MY MOTHER MADE ME A COWARD?!" Naruto demands as he drops Keith to deliver a kick to his side, slamming it into his already broken arm, gaining multiple loud breaking sounds as he sent him to the ground as he continued to shout.
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT, MY MOTHERS DEATH NEVER MADE ME A COWARD! ARE YOU JUST TRYING TO ENRAGE ME?!" Naruto demanded of Keith who instead of answering forced himself to start to stand up, causing Naruto's eyes to widen before anger at seeing that despite how beaten he was he still got up wobbly.
"I...I...I..." As he tried said it, Naruto charged at him but as he did, Keith spoke and every word caused his attacked to slow down.
"... Needed you to punish me for everything I've done to you." It was after what he said that Naruto's right fist had stopped inches away from his face while his very eyes were completely wide with the red disappearing.
"What...did you—" He stooped just as Keith falls forwards which Naruto catches him in his arms, his eyes just wide as he tried understanding what he meant before his eyes widen to see that a large group of Galra was approaching the entrance, led by the same Galra that was in charge of the ship, Sendak.
xxxxxCHAPTER ENDxxxxx
NEXT TIME, THE ATTACK; THE BLADE OF THE PAST AWAKENS PART 2