Chapter twelve

"Keith." A familiar voice called. Keith's eyes shot open, and he was amazed with what he saw. He was standing in the castle infirmary, but his body was still lying on the table. It was like a dream of an out-of-body experience. He looked down to see his arm was still slit open, and the scratches and bruises were still there. But, yet, he felt no pain, only the distant heat/cool of the fever he, no doubt, had. He stared awestruck at what he saw, watching Coran and Allura working briskly to help him.

"Keith." The voice said again. Keith quickly broke his gaze from the scene to come face to face with...

"Dad?" The older man stepped close enough to place a hand on his shoulder.

"You've finally come." His father said simply.

"Come?" Keith echoed, "for what?"

"To learn the truth." James implied.

"What am I doing here?" Keith asked, looking around.

"I thought you were hear to see me? And.. learn..about your mother?"

"What?" Keith stared at him. His father stared back. The stood like that for a while, neither one of them moving...

"Come on, Keith!" Allura murmured under her breath. The sensors they placed on him tracking his vitals, which, unfortunately, were very low. Keith's breaths were shallow, and labored at that. Her fear gripping tighter and tighter on her, like the room, itself, was closing in on her. She finished wrapping his arm up, wondering if it'll hold.

"I think he's ready for the cryopod." Allura said, with a gasping sigh. Coran gave a definitive nod from across the table. Heaving him up, they slowly walked him into the rotunda that housed the cryopods. Shiro, noticing movement in his peripheral vision, looked up quickly. Upon catching a glimpse of Keith, he stood up immediately. Allura and Coran placed him in the pod. Shiro stepped forward as the shield materialized; and placed his hand to it, gazing through the glass-like cover. The team looked on from where they stood; as Shiro lowered his head, remaining how he was otherwise.

Shiro sat on the top step. His head down, and his left knee up, with his corresponding arm braced across it. He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh through his nose, then glanced at Keith in the pod to his left. He then glanced back to the right, as though hearing something. And to his surprise, there in they doorway, was Pidge. She'd brought him food from the kitchen, and he realized what time it was.

"You missed supper." She said, coming to set the tray down next to him, despite knowing that he couldn't hear her. He motioned his thanks, then looked back at Keith. Pidge squatted down beside him, on his right side, and placed an hand on his shoulder; then stood up and left...

Shiro struggled against the shackles, they burned marks into his skin. Suddenly the table shifted upright and dropped him, and the pain he felt all over ceased. He gazed around, as the room spun around 180 degrees. A mirror slid in between him and the table, but his reflection wasn't there. Instead it was Keith's, staring back at him in a Galra prisoner uniform. Shiro seemed to be pulled through the mirror's frame, as Keith's arms and legs adjusted to be locked into the shackles instead. His arm was slit open before the Black Paladin's eyes; a sudden sharp pain emanating from his own right forearm. He looked down, to realize his original flesh arm was there. But as the Galra techs worked on Keith's arm, his own seemed the melt away. The pain was immeasurable, Shiro cried out and Keith's echoed with it. He could have sworn that Keith's voice had come from his body. More pain followed, and he cried out again.

Opening his eyes again the scene had changed. He looked to see that he held a sword in his hand. The arena full of Galra who cheered and booed at the same time. Suddenly he felt an intense pressure, like electricity surging through him. He felt as though he was being split in half, another body seemed to step forth out of his own. He figured it was just a copy of himself, but then he recognized the mullet from behind and Keith's eyes turned to meet his. He held the same sword in a Galra prosthetic right hand same as his own, the sight made his blood run cold. Sweat poured down his face, his pupils shrinking as small as they possibly could. Keith suddenly threw his sword up, and sliced down at him...

Lightning couldn't have made his eyes open faster, he was upright in a split-second. His breaths were more like gasps as he peered around the darkness. He looked for Keith; and found him still in the pod, but his expression informed him of his mental state. Shiro could see that he was dreaming... as he had been. He knew that the Galra had now damaged him too, his fists tensed in the anger and regret he felt. He had hoped Keith wouldn't have had to go through the same thing he did. He, himself, had been trying rid himself of those memories. But to no avail had be successfully diminished the torturous reminders of his past endeavors as a prisoner; as much as he wished he had. Shiro's eyebrows scrunched together, furrowing across his face to show his distaste for the whole situation. His own past was haunting him just by seeing it recreated in front of him; and by Keith no less. He didn't blame the boy, though it still angered him. But this fire of anger burned for another, one who was the true cause of their pain. The one who caused all of this, and the one who killed the noble King Alfor and destroyed his Altean home-world. The knife in his chest was not from that of the failure of him and his friends, but of that menace of a warlord who has taken countless lives; and continues to do so. He seems to be impossible to eliminate, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying. The Black Paladin knew that they had to stop Zarkon... no matter what it takes! His mind thought so loud he thought he was hearing his own voice again; but soon realized the falseness of this wishful thought. Shiro saw the shield go down out of the corner of his eye, and a gasp from Keith made him turn toward him. Shiro leapt up as Keith nearly fell over, but the Black Paladin reached him in time to stop his fall and helped him to the bed in the other room.

Conveniently enough, the rest of the team returned as Shiro settled Keith down. Shiro took a step back as they caught up to him, Pidge placed a hand on his back as she joined him from his left side. The Red Paladin's chest rose and fell steadily, signifying the healing that had taken place; but he looked exhausted, still. Pidge glanced up and Shiro, his face telling all. She cautiously slid a tablet onto the table in front of him, knowing he had something on his mind. Shiro tapped down his thought, for her to read. And she read made her heart break...

"Why isn't he better? He should be doing much better than this, right? How come he's not awake and talking to us?"

Pidge solemnly typed down the answer...

"The pod is smart enough to know how much healing he can take. But he IS doing better. A little rest outside the pod will help him heal more thoroughly. We'll give him a few hours to hydrate him, then put him back in again."

Upon reading this, Shiro nodded slowly, seeing no other option. Pidge's heart tensed, she felt as though it were being ripped from her chest. She had never seen Shiro so depressed in all her lifetime of knowing him. That horrible feeling got worse in seeing Keith's tired, weak face.

"Why am I not waking up?" Keith asked, staring at his motionless body; and the worried people around it. His father stood casually leaning against an invisible, dark wall; his arms folded across his chest, and a tenderly loving look on his face.

"Wish I knew, son." He shrugged. "So what do you want to do about it?"

"I-... I don't know." The Red Paladin sighed.

"You know you got to do something." James reminded him.

"I know!" He said firmly, turning around. "But what?" His voice softened as their eyes locked, both showing the unfortunate lack of the answer.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and catch up? There's so much to tell you." James said.

"I don't know, Dad, I-" Keith cut himself short, trying to find the right words.

"I know. You care about your friends. I get it." His father shrugged one shoulder.

"It's not just that..." Keith started, gazing off into the dark abyss around them. "They're my team. And Voltron... were supposed to be the Defenders of the Universe... They- can't do it without me."

"Why not?" James wondered. Keith stared at him, searching his face.

"Because- the..Red Lion chose me." Keith answered. James dropped his gaze and nodded.

"Your mother would be proud of you, Keith." Was all he said. Keith held his glance on his father.

"Yeah," he finally said, softly. "I know." James smiled caringly up at him. Keith then turned back to the sight before him, his gaze somehow wandering to Shiro. Something felt off about him... but what? He could feel a change, but couldn't quite place it. The feeling was dark and twisted... one he'd never felt before. 'That's got to be his memories of being a prisoner.' Keith thought to himself. Then his eyes widened in the realization of what this meant; and his heart instantly shattered within him. He fell to his knees and lunged down onto all fours, a sob jerking his chest and tears beginning to drip from his face. And as they hit the ground, ripples on the floor seemed to result, like water being disturbed by rain. His own reflection staring back at him, as he threw his head up in a loud, angry scream!

Shiro felt his heart pound in his chest, and knew that he was still alive. But he felt as though he had died and wasted away, remaining an empty husk. The room still felt distant, and almost dream-like, though it felt more like a living nightmare. Keith shifted to his other side as, the Black paladin's vision blurred completely. The next thing he saw was the ceiling and then darkness. Only brief flashes of the Paladins standing over him came, and then... blackness completely ensued upon him.

What is up everybody!! So this chapter, again, was a lot of fun! Though it kinda took me a while to get it figured out, so I apologize! Anyway, as I said, it was a lot of fun to do, and I've already started working on chapter thirteen! Hoping to make it to twenty chapters with this story. ;) Hope you guys are still enjoying this story and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can. Thx!!! 3