Ryou jerked upright, instantly alert as he looked around for whatever it was that had woken him and groping under his pillow for a weapon. His hand came up empty and he blinked, shook himself, and reprocessed his surroundings. Right. Lounge on the Castleship. Not a dig site. Nothing was trying to jump him here.

He took a deep breath, scrubbing at his eyes, then lifted his head to look around again. Dig site or no dig site, something had still woken him up, which probably meant someone else was awake too. And given that it was the middle of the night, judging by the stars being blacked out by mountainous silhouettes, in this group that probably meant nightmares. Sure enough, a moment's careful scan picked out the faint glow of something electronic around the corner of one of the couches, the user hidden from view.

Rising to his feet, Ryou picked his way carefully around the tangle of limbs sprawled every which way on the floor of the lounge and made his way over to the couch in question. Kneeling on the cushion and peering over the back of it, he blinked. "Princess?" He asked softly, not bothering to keep the surprise out of his voice. "What are you doing up?"

Allura startled violently at the unexpected voice from above her, flinging the tablet in her hands several feet forward and sending two of the mice tumbling from her shoulders with squeaks of dismay. Ryou winced and quickly leaned over the back to scoop up the one closest to him, checking the little creature-purple, but otherwise looking quite mouse-like for an alien animal-for any sign of injury. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you. Any of you." He added, because the mouse in his palm was giving him an unmistakable glare of annoyance. "Everything okay?"

"…It's quite alright." Allura muttered on a slow exhale. She retrieved the other fallen mouse, murmuring an apology to them as she returned them to her shoulder, and leaned forward to grab the tablet. "I wasn't able to fall asleep, so I thought I might as well review my mother's notes. I apologize if I woke you, I didn't think I would disturb anyone here."

"I'm a light sleeper by habit. Not your fault." Ryou waved away the apology. He transferred the mouse in his hand to his own shoulder as he pushed back off the couch and moved around it to sit beside her. "Mind if I keep you company?"

"If you like." Allura tapped at the screen to open it. "I can't imagine it'll be terribly interesting, however."

Ryou shrugged, then hastily steadied the mouse again as it squeaked in his ear. "Archaeology isn't a profession for people who are bored easily. I'll be fine." He chuckled.

Allura smiled, ducking her head. "Very well, then. I suppose some company would be nice, if you're sure you wouldn't rather go back to sleep."

"I can nap while you're all training later." He waved a hand dismissively. Settling back against the couch, he arranged himself cross-legged and watched out of the corner of his eye as Allura bent her head over the tablet screen. He couldn't help noticing the bags under her eyes, and the troubled expression on her face as she scrolled through the files. "Princess…" he hesitated, then pressed ahead. "Listen, I know we don't know each other that well yet, so I completely understand if I'm not someone you feel comfortable talking to. But…are you sure you're alright?"

Allura was silent for so long after his question that he was about to take it as an implied rebuff and withdraw when she finally sighed and set the tablet down in her lap. "…I don't know. It's…it's rather a lot to take in." She admitted, one hand coming up to stroke the mouse perched on that shoulder. "Everything that we learned today, that is."

Ryou nodded sympathetically. "I can imagine." He murmured. "I'm really sorry about your dad."

"I shouldn't have been caught by surprise by it." Allura shook her head. "If he'd allowed himself…been allowed by that scheme of his, he would have rejoined us as soon as he thought it wouldn't matter anymore."

"As soon as he thought you'd won." As soon as that battle against Zarkon was over, the one that Fiorin had foreseen and, fatally for the paladins and the universe, misjudged the outcome of.

"Yes. But…" She swallowed, tucking her knees up to her chest. In the dim light of the stars reflected off the snow and ice surrounding the ship, she looked every bit as young as her paladins. "I knew…ever since we woke up from cryo stasis a cycle ago and he wasn't there with us that he must surely have perished with Altea, protecting the retreat of the Lions and the fleeing ships. I've had a cycle to mourn and accept the fact that he's gone. So why…" She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"You never quite believe it until you have proof." Ryou said quietly, respectfully looking away as she tried to regain her composure. "When Takashi lost his parents, he didn't cry until he saw the coffins. I don't think you ever quite give up hope." He suppressed a surge of gratitude for the fact that he'd been lucky so far in his life, that he'd yet to lose anyone closer to him than his aunt and uncle. His grandparents had either died while he was too young to remember them, or were elderly but still going strong.

Allura exhaled slowly. "I suppose not." She admitted. Another sigh, then a firm straightening of her back as she rearranged her legs in front of her and picked up the tablet again.

Tipping his head back against the couch, Ryou let himself relax. He'd almost dozed off again when he was startled by the sudden movement of Allura dropping the tablet back into her lap. "How am I supposed to do all this…" she muttered, seemingly talking to the mice.

"Do what?" He asked, sitting back up and glancing over curiously.

She sighed, gesturing vaguely at the tablet. "Father left me my mother's research in the hopes that I would find the techniques useful. But with everything else that needs to be done, I can't imagine where I'll find the time to learn them. Between mastering the basics of quintessence manipulation, the combat missions we need to do to continue towards freeing the universe from Zarkon's tyranny, and I really ought to start participating in the group training sessions with the paladins…there are only so many vargas in a rotation." She tugged at a lock of hair irritably. "And it's going to take me rotations just to read through the experimental logs of her work on the five-colour quintessence aspects to see how they work before I can even think about trying to unlock them myself…"

"Then don't work on them." Ryou offered with a shrug.

Allura stared at him as if he'd suddenly grown three more heads. "I beg your pardon?"

"Don't work on them." He repeated. "Like you said, only so many vargas in a day, right? Working yourself into the ground isn't going to do anyone any good, and you got this far without them, right?"

"But…" There was an unexpected hesitance in her demeanour, a resistance to what they both knew was a perfectly reasonable suggestion.

"But what?" He prodded.

She grimaced, looking down at the device. "…Mother was able to not just learn them, but discover them, and work out the parameters of the abilities through extensive experimental research. And not just the five-colour aspects, but also the paladin variations of the single-colour aspects and the metaphysical aspects. She did, and accomplished, so much. It would hardly be appropriate for me to simply toss aside the results of all her hard work."

Ryou frowned, sensing that there was something more to her reasoning than what she was saying outright. But it wasn't his place to pry. He'd have to put his head together with Takashi later, in the hopes his brother would be able to shed some light on the issue. "Princess…" he said slowly, choosing his words with care. "With all due respect, when your mother did all that she wasn't leading one of the primary factions in a ten thousand year old war. She could afford the time to work on that kind of thing. And yeah, they'd be nice skills to have in our arsenal, but it's not the end of the universe if we don't." He offered her a small smile. "Obviously I don't know your mother personally, but…if she's anything like mine, she wouldn't want you working yourself to exhaustion for the sake of something that's not a priority. Not when so many other things are. Including," he poked her shoulder disapprovingly, "your health. Pretty sure she'd be telling you to go get some sleep. You've had a long day, and you've got another one tomorrow."

He accompanied his words with his best imitation of his Mom's disapproving stare, and was rewarded by a giggle and an embarrassed duck of the head. "You're quite right, she would." Allura admitted, giving him a grateful smile. "Thank you. You give very good advice, Ryou."

It was Ryou's turn to blush. "Just calling it like I see it. Sometimes we get so lost in our own heads it's hard to see the sensible answer."

Allura hummed softly, and nodded in agreement. "We do. It's very fortunate that I have all of you to keep me from losing sight of what's most important." She sighed, reaching up behind her to set the tablet on the back of the couch, and pushed herself to her feet before offering him a hand. "And what's most important at the moment is, as you said, a good night's sleep." She cocked her head at him as she hauled him to his feet as easily as if he weighed no more than a feather, drawing a startled noise from him. "Will you be able to get back to sleep alright?"

"Absolutely." Ryou grinned as he recovered his balance. "Go on back to bed, Princess. Sleep well."

"Sleep well, Ryou. And thank you again."

"Anytime."

000000

Kurogane paced down the hallway, socks kicking up dust motes that danced in the mid-morning sunlight pouring in through the broad window making up the outer wall. The paladins and Allura were deep in discussion about yesterday's discoveries, Colleen had enlisted Ryou, Kovirak, and Matt for some research she was doing, and Alejandro was spending time with Blue who had been complaining that he never visited her, so Kurogane had nothing to do but consider the thought that had occurred to him the night before as he made himself comfortable beside his partner.

Well, saying that it had occurred to him last night wasn't quite true. It had been lurking in the back of his mind for days now. But now, in solitude and quiet, he could take the time to examine the idea and everything attached to it. Instinct had saved his life many times over the years, but for something like this...even if it felt right, he wanted to be sure of why so that when it came time, he could explain it to someone else, not just to himself.

Dust settled on his shirt sleeve, glinting and sparkling in the sun. Kurogane paused, turning his arm this way and that as he watched it flash. Then he smiled softly. "Guess you approve, then." He murmured to the dust motes.

Straightening, he took off at a jog back to the room he and Alejandro shared. He should be able to make it over to the pack cavern and back before anyone noticed he'd been gone.

0000000

"End simulation."

What would have been a fatal slice through the neck instead swung wide as the gladiator robot froze mid-lunge, and Kovirak stumbled, recovered, and spun to face the intruder with her borrowed sword held in a defensive posture. She lowered it at the sight of the black paladin standing in the doorway, dressed in workout clothes and with a water pack clutched in each hand. She raised an eyebrow questioningly, although she suspected she knew why he was here now rather than waiting for her to finish her session. She'd known he would likely approach her at some point.

Shiro shrugged a shoulder in response to her look, throwing her one of the waters in an underhanded toss. "Sorry for interrupting your session. I was thinking I could use a good spar, and I didn't think you'd mind the change of opponents."

"Not at all." So they were going to dance around the issue, then. Fine by her. Kovirak punctured the water pack and took several sips, rehydrating while Shiro set his own and a towel on the ledge off to one side of the room and began a series of stretches. She took her time returning the blade to the concealed armory behind one of the wall panels, returning just as he stepped forward toward the middle of the floor to meet her.

Shiro struck first, a couple of testing jabs toward her midsection that she danced back from easily before closing again, circling before ducking and lunging for his midsection as she tried to get the measure of his reflexes in return. Shiro grinned as he evaded easily and she pulled back, returning to their cautious circling and study of their opponents.

For a while they simply traded blows back and forth, the only sounds in the room their breathing and their feet on the floor and the occasional grunt as a blow hit home or the dull thud of a blocked strike. Shiro was a fast and agile fighter, Kovirak noted, well-used to being the smaller combatant and able to turn that to his advantage, but so was Kovirak, and between them the fight moved constantly around the room, leaving both of them panting slightly from the exercise. He was right, though, that fighting an intelligent, versatile opponent was a welcome change from the robotic gladiators, no matter how intricately programmed.

Caught up in the exchange, Kovirak was caught off guard when Shiro did finally speak, almost casually as he blocked a strike towards his shoulder and returned it with a sweep of his leg that she jumped to avoid. "So. You feel like telling me what happened earlier?"

Kovirak stumbled on the landing, distracted by his unexpected question, and had to hastily back up to avoid his follow-through punches. "You mean on the mission." She responded once she'd steadied herself. It wasn't a question and they both knew it, but he nodded anyways as they circled again.

Sighing, Kovirak's ears laid back slightly as she moved forward to deliver a flurry of punches and kicks that had the black paladin backing up in turn. "I promised Keith I would protect him." She growled softly. "That's all I wanted to do."

"Even if it meant compromising the safety of your allies and his, and jeopardizing your team's portion of the mission?" There was no judgement in Shiro's tone, she was surprised to realize. He was simply clarifying the facts of the incident even as he countered her attack with a kick to the gut that sent her staggering back and allowed him space to reset his defensive position.

Shame-faced, she nodded. That was exactly what she had done. She'd been assigned to an Icebringer group, helping to clear the command center and raid the database, on the hope that the sheer size of the Galra Empire meant that not every computer and base and ship had yet been protected against Blade hacking techniques or had the security and access codes changed. Partway through navigating the maze of tunnels under the surface of the Balmera, though, Keith's group in another section of the base had run into trouble and the sounds of the fight had echoed through the comms. All thoughts of her current mission had gone right out of Kovirak's head, replaced by the knowledge that the son she'd only just got back was in danger, and she had bolted from her group only to run right into a pack of sentries not far away. By the time she'd disposed of them, Keith had his own situation under control and she was forced to return to help her team fight off another group that had come up on them from the other side.

Shiro heaved a sigh as he made a feinting rush at her right side before twisting to tackle low on the left. For a moment they tumbled, grappling, before she threw him off and rolled back to her feet to rush him before he could do the same. He met her charge on one knee and they strained against each other for a moment in a contest of pure strength that was surprisingly close. Then he twisted, throwing her down again. Kovirak braced for the pin but it didn't come. Instead Shiro pulled himself to his feet and offered her a hand to rise as well.

"I get where you're coming from." He told her as he pulled her upright. "I'm really happy that you care about Keith and Kurogane, and that you want to be there for them, believe me. But you need to remember that they're not the little kids you left behind anymore. They know how to take care of themselves, and ask for help when they need it."

Kovirak winced at the subtle reprimand, only reinforcing her own thoughts about the situation. "I know. Believe me, I'm all too aware of how much time has passed and how much has changed." She only had to think of the deserted shack that had once been a family home, the place she had run to somehow expecting her family to be waiting nearly as she'd left it. A foolish notion, she now realized, for a thousand and one reasons, but she'd spent so many cycles trying not to think about them that it was hard, at first, to recognize that things would have changed from what she remembered. "I just...can't stand the thought of losing him-either of them-again."

Shiro's nod was sympathetic. "I know. But you're not going to protect him by saving his life at the cost of others, and I think you already realize that. If you want to keep him safe, focus your energies on winning this war and making the universe safe for him." He offered her a sad smile, one so knowing that she had to look away from it. "The same thing you were already doing, Kovirak. Only now you'll be able to be there if he calls."

"...I'm starting to understand why the Black Lion would accept someone so young, set or no set." Kovirak said after a long moment. She exhaled slowly, stepping away from him and pacing over to the side wall to grab her water pack. She took a long sip from it to organize her thoughts, and heard Shiro towelling off sweat-damp hair behind her. She waited until he was finished before glancing over her shoulder at him. "Keith tells me that for a long time, you were the closest thing he had to family."

Shiro paused, wrapping the towel around his neck. "Pretty much, yeah. I was assigned to mentor him when he came to the Garrison. It took a lot of work and a lot of patience to get through to him, after everything he's been through. Why?"

Biting her lip, Kovirak looked away from him again, staring into space. "I know there's a lot he isn't telling me. And I understand why. I wasn't there. He doesn't remember me. I may be his mother by blood, but relationship-wise we're still little more than strangers. I just...want to know if you think he-if either of them- will ever open up to me. If I can be family to them like you are, even if I may never be their 'mom'." She only just managed to keep her voice even. There was something about Shiro, about the understanding and acceptance that he seemed to offer to everyone he met, that made it hard for her to conceal her feelings despite all her training. But then, why should she hide? That part of her life was over.

To her surprise, Shiro chuckled behind her and she heard his footsteps approach. "You've only been around them a few weeks, it's too soon for you to be doubting yourself like that. It took me years to get through to Keith, and Matt even longer. He's still guarded around the other paladins, but not as much as he was with me after the same amount of time." He shrugged as he stopped beside her. "The paladin bond might have something to do with that, though. Anyway, the point is, give him time. Kurogane..." He paused, considering his words. "Kurogane's got his own reasons for acting the way he does. He's loved and lost too many times, more than just the ones he chewed you out for. Just...keep doing what you've been doing, honestly, and eventually he'll want you around in your own right, not just because you're someone who finally came back."

"Understood." Kovirak murmured, taking another long swallow from her water pack before setting it back down. "Thank you, Shiro." She used the name cautiously, testing the waters of familiarity, and was rewarded by an accepting smile. "I'm very, very glad that Keith and Kurogane have you for a brother." She said as she smiled back.

0000000

Voltron clashes with the massive battle armor of Zarkon, metal screaming against metal as the titanic combatants strike, block, evade. The light of the fire coating their sword is nearly blinding to him, flickering and colouring the cockpit in shades of orange and crimson

Slash, counter, dodge, slash again. The battle seems to go on for an eternity. And all the time he can feel something probing and pulling at the edges of his bond with Black, searching, testing, clawing, and he's forced to block that all-too-familiar intrusion as well, fighting a war on two fronts that's draining the strength from him little by little.

But the tide is edging in their favour. They strike, every part of them intent on their target-

And for that critical moment, he leaves himself vulnerable. Lightning strikes, burning him from without, something wrenches at him from within, even as he screams he grapples with that agonizing internal assault to turn it aside and something else roars up around him and pulls-

Shiro lurched upright with a gasp, his chest heaving for air and an afterimage of blinding red-white-purple-black dancing across his vision. He clutched at the sheets, struggling to draw breath, trying to separate himself from the pull of chaotic memory.

"Takashi?" A familiar, gentle voice, and movement beside him. "Easy there, Takashi. It's okay. You're safe. I need you to breathe with me, okay? In for four, hold for two, out for four. Nice and easy." An audible demonstration was being made, and Shiro did his best to match it with lungs that didn't quite seem to want to cooperate. But the speaker didn't seem to mind, simply counting him through another breath, then another and another after that.

Slowly his breathing settled and he managed to blink the spots away from his vision to register Matt kneeling beside him with a concerned expression. The corners of his lips quirked upwards in an anxious smile as he saw Shiro's gaze focus on him. "There we go. You with me now?" He asked softly.

Shiro swallowed hard and forced himself to nod, concentrating on the sensations of soft blankets between his fingers and against the skin of his bare feet, the steady rhythm of his breathing, nothing like the worn-out heaves of his dream, and, when he tilted his head towards Matt in silent invitation, a soft hand cupping his cheek as a calloused thumb rubbed in small circles alongside his nose. The contact was grounding and he finally felt the last traces of dream-fear fading, leaving his body on the breath of a sigh as he sagged tiredly where he sat.

"Sorry." He whispered hoarsely, although he knew Matt would reject the apology as unnecessary.

Sure enough, his boyfriend huffed, shifting beside him to wrap an arm around his waist and rest his head against Shiro's shoulder. "I've told you before to stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault or are beyond your control, 'Kashi." Matt muttered, yawning. "It's not as if I haven't woken you up before too. Want to talk about it? Go for a walk? Hot chocolate?"

Shiro shook his head, leaning against Matt's sturdy support and closing his eyes. "Not much to talk about. Just...reliving an old fight."

"Mind if I ask which one?"

"...The one against Zarkon." The one where he'd been forcibly merged, body and soul, with the Black Lion, utterly vanishing from the world for two months. "I just remember light, and pain, and feeling like something was pulling me apart inside."

Matt winced, his arm tightening around Shiro's waist. "Where Black pulled that stunt to save your life, right?"

Shiro nodded, running the memory through his mind again. "I don't know if the pulling was her or not. It could just as easily have been Zarkon trying to interfere with the bond again. He'd done that before." He sighed. "And now that I think about it, he was probably able to do that because of the aspect, too."

Since they'd learned the true nature of the black personality aspect, the ability to manipulate quintessence in ways that even the strongest amvel nayeta could only dream of, Shiro had found himself re-examining everything from the last two years. From his desperate struggle for control against Haggar aboard the Weblum's Breath to Zarkon's ability to freely change the form of his bayard, from the way his arm's ability never faltered no matter what kind of beating it took to Zarkon's ten thousand year reign. Everything raised questions. How much was the aspect? How much was simply the advance of technology and Haggar's research? Question upon question upon question. And now another one added to the pile, Zarkon's interference with Shiro's paladin bond. Aspect or simply an artifact of his own bond with the Lion? Was the aspect the reason Black could not break free from his control?

"Was it Black who pulled you into her? Or did she have your help?" Shiro hadn't even realized that he'd been muttering under his breath until Matt contributed the question. He opened his eyes and glanced over, to be met with Matt's contemplative gaze. "Or, hell, were all three of you involved in that particular mess?"

Groaning, Shiro pulled away from him and wriggled back down under the covers, pressing his hands over his face. "It is way too late...or early...whichever...to go down that rabbit hole again. And it's not like I have any answers. All Black can tell me is that I merged with her, and something about an emergency protective measure. Whatever she or I did was pure instinct."

A shift of Matt's weight beside him on the bed that might have been a shrug before the other slid back under the blankets as well and curled himself close against Shiro's side. "Fair enough. Best way to get answers is through experimentation, and we have another mission tomorrow. You gonna be able to sleep?"

Shiro tried to answer but found himself yawning instead, his body becoming heavy as the last of the adrenaline faded away. "Does that answer your question?" He muttered, rolling onto his side instead so he could cuddle Matt against his chest.

Matt laughed softly, his breath warm against Shiro's collarbone. "Sure does." He tucked his head under Shiro's chin, humming contentedly as he wriggled a bit to make himself more comfortable. "Love you, 'Kashi." He mumbled, voice thick with sleep already.

"Love you too, Matt." Shiro closed his eyes and let himself bask in the warm weight of his loved one in his arms. Questions, fears, and hopefully the war would wait until morning. For now, this was all he needed to be.