Chapter 7

Keith's heart did a backflip in his chest as he dodged the sword thrust his way, blinking in horror at Macidus as he glared at him.

This guy wasn't messing around. Sure, Keith already knew that, but this was the first time it had really hit him. Even with Zarkon and Lotor he had mostly shoved it into the back of his mind, but there was the occasional moment when all his thoughts surfaced and mad him blind with rage.

Keith swung his sword, but failed to lodge it into Macidus's chest as the ex-Druid teleported, giving Kosmo a sharp kick and sending the dog flying.

Keith let out a cry of protest and took a step towards Kosmo when Macidus appeared behind Keith and giving him a rough blow that sent the young Paladin flying.

Keith groaned, blinking up at the knife, oh-so-close to his face. Normally, Keith would accept his fate and succumb to death. But his friends depended on him.

Just then, the roof exploded. Like, literally exploded. Allura and Krolia were first to land on the ground, the other Paladins and finally Romelle and Coran following in suite.

Who'd they get out of whatever trap Macidus set for them? Keith would ask later.

Lance summoned his Bayard, firing several shots at the Druid.

However, Macidus teleported behind them and smashed Romelle and Shiro's heads together, smirking before tossing the ex-Black Paladin at Coran like a sack of potatoes.

"Oh!" Allura growled angrily, summoning her whip and launching it at Macidus.

Macidus instead spawned next to Hunk and gave the Yellow Paladin a well-timed kick in the head, disappearing before Lance and Allura could react to his change in direction. Macidus, in two quick teleports, took out both a Paladins, smirking in victory.

Keith had risen to his feet by now, gazing in shock at his unconscious friends as Macidus sent Krolia rolling.

Keith ran to Macidus, swinging his sword in a daze. Macidus teleported, laughing like mad.

Wait…laughter…

Keith closed his eyes, focusing on the laughter echoing around him. Straining his two ear drums in each ear, Keith was able to make out Macidus's position, and threw his knife.

He briefly wondered if his calculations had been wrong when Macidus appeared in the predicted area, the knife digging into his gut.

Keith watched, without mercy, as Macidus collapsed, not yet dead, but dying. Slowly. Painfully. He deserved nothing less.

Keith felt very tempted to spit on him, the highest form of human disrespect, or to rest his heel against his head, the highest form of Galra disrespect.

He didn't end up doing either, because he remembered Kolivan, staring at the former leader of the blades sadly. Now, how would he get him out of his restraints?

"He doesn't look good." Krolia hummed, gazing down at the gauntlet's chart. "But, according to the scans, he'll recover."

Kolivan coughed in response, raising his head to look Krolia up and down. "Krolia. It's been deca-phoebs since we last spoke.

"Yes." Krolia put a hand on his shoulder kindly, smiling. "It has."

Kolivan looked over the group, blinking in surprise, though his expression did not betray his emotion. "Where is the small one? Pidge?"

"We had a run in with Lotor's generals, Ezor and Zethrid." Keith admitted.

"She's not…?" Kolivan began, cutting himself off to raise an eyebrow.

Everyone flinched at the possibility.

Allura and Krolia could just imagine the younger Paladin, her armor completely destroyed as she leaned against the cell wall, blood seeping out from her lips.

Hunk and Lance could imagine Ezor throwing Pidge away in disgust after choking her, the youngest never awakening again as she rested upon the ground.

Keith and Shiro both pictured the Green Paladin lying in a pool of her own blood, armor ripped apart around her neck and chest, arms and legs broken and mangled.

"She's not dead." Shiro assured Kolivan, nodding curtly. "Zethrid broke her legs, however. She's resting."

Kolivan tilted his head questioningly. "Are you sure Macidus hasn't teleported to the Lions and killed her yet?"

"Yes." Keith informed him. "He was too busy trying to kill me; I had my eyes on him almost the entire time."

"Of course." Kolivan snorted, shaking his head. "A Druid can not resist fresh blood, especially that of a hybrid." He let out a string of coughs, his body shuddering.

"You must rest." Krolia told him, fingers resting elegantly upon his shoulder.

Keith felt a flicker of dread as he watched her, knees shaking. No, no! Kolivan was a good mentor, but…no, just because Krolia touched him, didn't mean-! Oh, sweet Quiznak no. It probably did.

"I need to collect the remaining Blades. There is no time for rest." Kolivan rasped, changing the subject. "There must be some out there who have yet to be killed."

"I'll come with you." Krolia decided on a whim, squaring her shoulders. "You'll need all the help you can get. But first, we'll need a ship."

"The druid has one stored not too far from here." Kolivan informed her, his breaths becoming more controlled.

Krolia smiled kindly at him, pressing her hand into his shoulder firmly. "That is the first bit of luck we've had in a long time. Rest."

He followed her order, closing his eyes as a dreamless slumber overtook him.

Krolia sighed, rising to her feet as she left the hollow, closing her eyes before turning her attention to her son. "I'm sorry." She hummed, dipping her head slightly. "To have to say goodbye a second time."

"This isn't goodbye." Keith assured her, fumbling for his sheath, then pulled out his knife. "Here. You can have this, and give it back to me when I next see you."

Krolia smiled, taking it from him gently. "Of course."

"Thanks for everything you taught me, Mom." Keith whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Krolia responded likewise, taking in a shuddering breath.

"Keith." Shiro said, hating to break up the family farewell. "It's time to go."

Keith pulled back, looking at Shiro sorrowfully, then at his mother one last time.

"Return this to Pidge." Krolia ordered him, pressing Pidge's gauntlet into his hand. Then her face softened to a grin. "Tell her that I grant her permission to fly the Green Lion again. Keith, no matter where you travel, or how far you get from me, remember this; I love you, Keith."

"I love you, too, Mom." Keith smiled back, touching the hilt of the knife as a parting farewell.

Krolia gazed out over the faces she had grown familiar with over the last several weeks. (Or was it technically years?) "I will miss you all greatly."

"Thank you, Krolia. It'll be a pleasure when we see you again." Hunk smiled, diplomatic as ever.

Before they could all burst into tears and hug, like they normally would, they separated, the Paladins shuffling out the door.

Krolia stood at the doorway, one hand raised, until they went over a mound and vanished.

When they were only a short distance from the house, Hunk broke the thick silence.

"Was that the first time you've called her Mom?"

"What? No. I didn't call her Mom." Keith protested, keeping down an embarrassed flush

"If that's how lovey-dovey between you and your mom, how romantic did it get between you and Acxa?"

"What? No. She's just a friend." Keith snorted, really wanting to end this conversation.

"I don't believe that." Lance hummed. "It took you TEN MINUTES to say goodbye to her. It was probably romantic at heart…"

"Lance has a point." Shiro smiled, enjoying the teasing that he had missed so much while in the Black Lion. "When did you finally get the courage to talk to girls?"

"Shiro." Keith warned, flashing him an angry look.

Unfortunately, the damage had been done.

"What? Mullet used to be shy around girls?" Lance grinned, enjoying this new information.

"Shiro!" Keith glared, his adopted brother only shrugging off his look playfully. "See why I never open up to you guys?"

"What's a 'mullet'?" Romelle inquired, drawing a blank. "Is Keith a 'mullet'?"

"Earthlings are extremely strange." Allura sighed, setting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry that I haven't been able to give you proper instructions on Earthling etiquette." Then, in a louder voice so that everyone could clearly hear, she boomed "we begin tomorrow! Romelle, you'll be riding in the Blue Lion again with us."

"Alright!" Romelle nodded, eager to learn all the strange arts of the humans.

"So, Keith, do you and Acxa have, like, a secret way to communicate, to send your love letters to each other?" Lance prodded, a wide smile coming across his face as he nudged Keith pointedly.

"No. How would we do that?" Keith grunted, rolling his eye. He really just wanted Lance to shut the quiznak up.

"I dunno…you, like, snuck a communicator into the Black Lion?"

Keith decided to give him a look like he was stupid.

"I dunno man," Hunk mused, grinning, "Shiro used to say that you always used to sneak things into the Garrison. What was it you said he got into there? How many mechanical pencils?

"Twenty of them that he hid in his jacket." Shiro chuckled. "He said 'it was as close as he could get to real knives without looking suspicious'."

"I never said that!" Keith huffed. "I said that they were a good, reliable source of self-defense. Jam it into somebody's neck, he's out of the fight."

"Right, right." Shiro shook his head, not really caring about Keith's reasonings.

"Well, despite everything, didn't you still manage to sneak a knife into the Garrison?" Hunk prodded, laughing now.

"Uh-huh…" Keith didn't like how the direction this was going in. "…why do you ask?"

"What else did he get into there?" Hunk asked, turning to Shiro.

"Didn't you once sneak a rabid puppy into the Garrison?" Shiro suggested, tilting his head.

"Shut. Up." Keith grunted.

"You got a puppy into the Garrison?" Lance giggled. "What'd they do with it when they found it?"

"Well…" Keith trailed off, sending Shiro a rotten glare. If looks could kill, his adopted brother would be in the Black Lion again. "They never did. Shiro here found out and told me off.

"It's not my fault animals are against Garrison policy." Shiro shrugged helplessly, smiling slightly. "Besides, you know that it's wrong to give a rabid animal to someone."

"It was James! He deserved that! You delayed justice!"

"Did I?" Shiro asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Remember, you instantly had a backup plan."

"Ah, yes. The poison ivy." Keith reflected, smiling. "I completely forgot about that."

"How'd you get it into the Garrison without getting rashes?" Lance asked, invested in the story.

"I never get rashes."

"Or rabies." Shiro muttered, causing all the Paladins to laugh.

For a time, they forgot about all their problems, and let down their guard. How good it felt just to laugh.

Alright, guys. Time to get serious. This is the last scheduled update, because I'm going to be focusing on my other books. So…sorry! When I lift the hiatus, I'll tell you guys and inform you which days will be my new update days, but, for now, I bid you fairwell.