Chapter 8 – Fractures

Just as most people tended to be, Almira was a creature of habit. There were moments created for variation, just to keep herself on her toes, but she was predictable for the most part. It was in her morning and nightly routines that she found solace and peace, even on deployments far away from the palace, in new and surprising places. Most of the time it was the action of waking up a few minutes early to meditate and gather her thoughts, losing her mind in the simplicity that came with effortless awareness. The familiarity of routine made even the most strange and foreign environments a little more like home.

Waking up early—and forgoing her morning meditation—to attend the emergency call from Queen Isolda was one thing she could handle. Moments and surprising events like those were permissible, even crucial to prevent her wanderlust from kicking in. But the walking and arguing with Arden had stuck an additional wrench in her plans, which forced her to attend the first strategic morning of the day on an empty stomach. And that, frankly, was the second stone in her shoe, so to speak. She was already fuming from Arden's words and actions, and was completely irate and moody through the rest of the morning.

There was no hiding from the paladins. Fortunately, they chose not to address the elephant in the room, mostly due to the fact that there had been little opportunity to do so with the speed of the meetings. She simply looked and listened to whom she was supposed to, feeling the curious glances bouncing between her and the brother that stood on the other side of the group, the paladins wedged in between. Almira spoke little, only responding to those that addressed her and agreeing to various details that required her consent. Not once did an errant glance shoot to her brother's direction. She kept her expression schooled into a neutral mode for the entire morning, little to no emotion escaping from her.

Arden was much the same, although his brooding had taken on a repentant vibe and his sulking was still visible to those who looked closely. No one else in the room dared question him or inquire about his personal thoughts; everyone wisely avoided the general, who was already known for his moodiness and rapid swings of emotion. His responses were less clipped than his sister, but still carried a similar brevity and severity.

Salvation came at noon; various snacks and sandwiches were brought to the meeting rooms as the midday meal began, many of the members present taking the time to grab a bite and meander around the palace. A large portion of members grabbed handfuls of food before taking their leave for the day, returning to their workstations to update the members of their command. It was in this group that Almira and Arden found themselves, being charged with babysitting duty and having other members of their squads attending the meetings in their stead. Grabbing food and making their way into the clearing hallway, Arden turned to address the group.

"It crossed my mind that none of you have seen anything outside of the castle yet, have you?" With various muttering as his response, the first honest smile lit upon his face. "Since we're done, I figured that I'd take you all on a tour. That is," he look around the group, eyes flashing at Almira's placid face before returning to Pidge and Hunk, "whoever's interested."

Cheers came from various paladins, and at Arden's lead the group made their way down the hallway, talking amongst themselves and refreshed by the snacks, ready for another adventure. The mood was jovial, infectious amongst one another even as the hallway became quieter and quieter. Keith took a few steps in their direction before pausing, a thought popping into his mind and forcing him to stop in his tracks. Turning his head, he looked to the back of the group, the rest of the paladins passing him by without much of a thought.

All alone, Almira stood in the middle of the hallway, arms crossed and eyes trained on the group as she watched them walk further and further away. She still wore a carefully neutral look on her face, and Keith had to wonder how she had done it, and what she was trying to hide. Even as she noticed his lack of movement, she only raised an eyebrow as she questioned him. "Aren't you going to follow?"

She was too calm, too collected. From yesterday to today, she was reserved and unwilling to engage in any frivolities, any pokes or prods or even witty comments silenced. Something was wrong, and it bothered Keith. Hadn't she given her all with him the day before in their sparring and lessons? A wave of stubborn determination came over him; whatever it was, he was going to get to the bottom of it. If she had managed to crack him open over the past two days, it was only fair that he look to her. Shaking his head, he turned and walked in her direction, coming to stand next to her. "Spar with me. You said you'd teach me."

Scrutinizing over his figure, her eyes drifted over his expression. He schooled his face into determination. Something was wrong, but he didn't want to overstep any boundaries; sparring always seemed to clear his mind, and he hoped that whatever was going on between her and Arden would—would what?—Frankly he wasn't sure, but it was the only thing he had to offer. He wasn't good with words, but he figured that there was nothing wrong with a little action.

If she suspected something, she filed it away in her mind. With a nod, she began walking in the other direction of the group, leading them back into the royal apartments and away from the chatter and movement of the palace. Keith knew that the training room was in the other direction, but he said nothing, trusting her movements to take them somewhere else.

No one seemed to notice their leave from the group, save for Shiro, who tossed a glance backward at the duo. From what he had seen this morning, it was probably better that Arden and Almira had some space, the tension awkward and seeping into the paladins themselves. Whatever the problem was, they needed time apart. From his own conversation with Arden the day before, he knew that there was no better person to figure out what was going on in the warrior princess' end, even though the friendship was young and still growing. Turning his mind back to the group, his final thought towards the red paladin and their white haired guide was one of hopefulness, that something would be resolved, and quickly.

Their path took them back through the palace and through the apartments. With their casual pace, Keith finally took the time to observe his surroundings, marveling at the ingenuity of Fleogan architecture and design.

The area was located upstream of the palace, a large swath of private land that Keith had no idea how large it truly was, the borders beyond his sight. The river had been diverted into multiple creeks, some parts flowing swift and shallow or deep and slow, each varying in width and depth. They snaked through the area, each carrying a different burble that relaxed the listener and brought peace to the soul. On the landmasses, the housing units were built up out of wood, a few feet above the ground most likely due to flooding. Stone pathways and bridges connected everything, some paths wandering through the forest and into the unknown, around the grand trunks of the massive trees that stood with boughs impossibly high above their heads, filtering the sunlight that streamed through the leafy branches.

Some of the houses were built around the trees, others standing by themselves in the distance. All the open space in between was carefully landscaped, with various bushes and plants decorating the paths before them. As Almira took the lead, they continued to move down paths that were no longer familiar to Keith. He paid careful attention to their journey, making notes of small landmarks for future reference.

After a few minutes of wandering they came to a particularly large tree with a housing unit attached to the side, extending out into the water. Walking up the steps, she removed her boots, beckoning her partner to do the same before moving the door panel to the side and entering the space.

The doors and walls were made out of paper-like panels, allowing some light to penetrate while allowing privacy for the inhabitants. Similar panels had been set up inside as well, most likely dividing the house into smaller rooms. Wooden floors stretched out, encompassing the entire space. As he marveled at the simplicity of it all, Almira moved to the left side of the space, approaching a nondescript door. Opening it up, she turned briefly back to Keith, beckoning him forward with a tilt of her head before plunging into the dark room. He followed tentatively, pausing at the threshold and peering into the abyss.

With the snap of her fingers, the space lit up, candles around the entire space igniting instantaneously and revealing the enormity of the space. While marble tiles lined the floor, the wooden walls were smoothed and polished, extending high above their head some thirty feet or more. It was then that Keith realized that they were standing inside of the massive tree that he had noticed earlier, and his breath was drawn from his chest at the beauty hewn from inside the great wooden beast.

On the far side of the room were multiple wooden panels, engraved into the tree itself. Almira crossed the threshold, feet silently gliding across the marble as she came to open one of the panels up, drawing out combative gear and gently setting pieces on the floor. "Since you're a little bit taller than me, you can use Eaghan's set."

"Eaghan?" He had so many more questions now that they had apparently arrived to their new destination, like what this place was and why Almira had chosen it over the sparring arena. But for the moment he stepped down onto the marble floors, crossing quickly to Almira's side as the coolness of the marble floors hit his feet. She was in the process of pulling out two sets of protective gear, and she set a pair of boots down in front of him as he approached. Golden eyes glimmering, her eyes seemed distant, for the first time all morning displaying something other than cool boredom and neutrality.

"Fourth prince, and my older brother. I'm the youngest of six. Eaghan works with the tacticians. He was with us today."

Recalling the individual in the meeting, he vaguely recalled the man who had introduced himself to their party, and who had stood near Almira the entire time. The trade offs between him and Arden had seemed tense at times, but Keith had noticed that a single look from Almira could silence either side. He had chalked it up to Almira's frostiness, but now that he knew that they were siblings, the interactions made a lot more sense. "He doesn't seem to get along with Arden much."

Lips twitching, Almira began pulling on pieces of her gear, beginning with the chest plate. "They've never cared for one another. Both are too big of assholes to realize the others' talents and assets." Sparing a glance at him, she paused for a moment before resuming her actions. "Take off your paladin armor and put these ones on. I don't want the marble or walls to get demolished."

Her tone was monotonous, and it was that very lack of inflection that gave her away. Keith knew that if she had been talking normally about Arden, she tended to embellish her sarcasm in an endearing manner. It was obvious when she was joking, or only pretending to be bitter and angry. This was something different, and while it gave little insight as to what exactly set her off, it was enough to tell that she was honestly angry with her golden-eyed brother. Peeling off his own armor before putting the new pieces over his black shirt and pants, he glanced one more time at his sparring partner. There was still very little emotion breaking through, and it was beginning to worry him.

Pulling her helmet over her head, she moved to another cabinet, taping on the outside lightly for it to slide away, revealing a compartment of wooden weapons. "When I had this room created, I had the wood made into various pieces of furniture, as well as these weapons." Pulling two sword-like weapons out, she ran her fingers along the wooden dowels with a fondness. "These come from the very core of the tree. To me, it reminds me to put my heart and soul into every fight." She patiently waited for Keith to finish pulling on his pieces before tossing him one of the swords, tapping the closet panels to close before moving away.

The room was nowhere as large as the previous day's sparring room, but it was comparable to some of the classrooms at the Garrison, or even inside the castle. Mirroring her movements Keith set himself up on one side of the room, fiddling with the sword and twirling it around to learn its balance points and weight. Almira did the same, her face still schooled in its blank state. It was beginning to irritate Keith, the way that she carried herself so coolly that she ignored other people. Compared to the liveliness she had shown on the previous days, this was a nightmare. It made his blood boil, but he breathed in a deep breath, settling into his stance to prepare for their fight with as level as a head as he could get.

"Are you ready?"

Keith nodded. "Yeah."

He barely had time to bring his sword up as she dashed forward in the blink of an eye; he was almost certain that she had used that warping technique like she had done in her fight with Arden, but there was no time to spare thoughts. Every moment was consumed by his strain to match and parry every strike that she delivered, her strikes hard and purposeful. It was nothing like the previous day, where she had hung back at the beginning before taking the offensive. If anything, yesterday's training felt easy compared to what aggression this was, and he almost regretted asking to spar.

Too slow to react, he stumbled as she took a jab at his hip. Backing away slightly, he resisted massaging the offended appendage, knowing it was going to bruise anyway. His limbs were already burning from yesterday's stretching session, aching from the movements, but he readied himself again anyway, matching Almira's careful set up and watching the way her eyes moved about his body.

Before he could decide to attack, she moved again, this time swinging at his head. Instead of blocking like he usually would have, he decided to duck underneath the horizontal swing, sticking his own leg out and looking to trip her up. To his surprise, it worked, sending her flying forward. She tucked her head into her torso, somersaulting and standing back up with grace, turning in time to meet his onslaught. He couldn't let her take over this fight, no matter how much of an advantage she held over him. Mimicking her movements, he sliced quickly through the air, pushing her backwards as she ducked and swung out of the way.

When she finally did meet his blow, it was with the same intensity as the beginning. It was enlightening in a way to know exactly how much she had been holding back the day before; she was absolutely stronger than she looked, using her whole body and momentum to her advantage. Pushing past him, she managed to hit him on his back with the hilt of her sword, sending Keith stumbling for the second time. His anger was inevitably building; no matter how hard he pushed, she continued to out maneuver him, all with that incredibly annoying blank look on her face. Her eyes stared back at him emptily, like he was nothing beneath her blade and feet, and by god it was making his blood boil.

Using his rage to push onward, he let out a frustrated cry as he dove forward, gripping the wooden handle of his sword tight and bringing all of his weight into his blow. This time, as Almira moved to meet his own, her sword gave slightly under his weight, her brows furrowing as she considered the strength with which he moved again. Encouraged by this, Keith continued to press down harder, holding all his weight against her as she struggled to counter. However she eventually reacted by sliding her sword away, spinning out of his way with a flourish and slapping his back with the dowel, pushing him off his balance for a third time. The protective plate had thankfully cushioned most of the power, but it had still knocked his breath out of his chest.

Panting, he turned to look back at Almira. Nothing had changed about her persona, and Keith yelled in frustration, swiping the air with the sword in his frustration. He had nearly thrown the damn piece, but the last piece of his sane mind kept it clenched in his hand. "What's wrong with you?!"

"What do you mean?"

Anger flooding his system, he groaned, pointing his sword at her face. "You're so unemotional, it's creepy! And there's clearly something wrong between you and Arden, and you refuse to let it out!"

At this accusation she narrowed her eyes, gold irises glittering in the lamplight. "What happens between Arden and I is none of your business."

"Except it is. We're supposed to work with the both of you on this assault, and you can't even work with one another. How are we supposed to get anything done if you can't even look each other in the face?"

Nothing seemed to break through to her, as she instead reassumed her stance. "It's none of your business, Keith." Her voice hissed her words out, but Keith refused to hear any of it, let alone feel any of the intimidation that she was attempting to throw at him in order to divert his attention. Raising his sword, he burst forward again, determined to win.

They met at the center of the room, clashing in a fury. Keith had to force himself to get even more creative than the day before; spinning, jumping, ducking, and rolling in and out of combat he clashed again and again with his sparring partner, neither willing to submit to one another's rage.

It was after she had ducked below one of his swings that it happened. Instead of stopping his momentum and redirecting his sword, Keith swung around again, catching Almira off guard with the movement. With no time to move, the wooden sword collided with her temple, sending her flying into the ground with a grunt. Instinctively she rolled onto her arms and legs to get up, but instead she stopped, putting her sword on the ground. Keith held his stance, waiting for her to make her move.

Pushing off her hands, she tucked her legs underneath her as she kneeled, removing the helmet from her head and placing it on the ground. The only sounds in the room were their heavy breaths at they fought to regain a normal breathing pattern. As it became obvious that Almira was finished with their fight, Keith dropped his stance. Walking over to her position he sat down, crossing his legs and putting his sword over his lap. As he looked at her face, he saw that her eyes were closed, in some sort of meditation as her breathing slowed and he placed her hands in her lap. There was no point in breaking her concentration, so he waited, looking around the room and taking in the space.

When Almira opened her eyes again they were serene, no longer devoid of emotion. It wasn't the look he had been expected, but Keith had to admit that it was better than before. Breathing in deeply, she released a quiet but audible exhale, continuing to look straight ahead. "My mentor once told me that anger accomplishes nothing. I guess," she turned to look at Keith, a ghost of a smile on her lips, "that isn't necessarily true."

Keith scratched his ear sheepishly. "I hope I didn't hit you too hard."

"The protective gear absorbs most of the brunt, as you probably noticed. Plus, I guess I deserved that. Needed to get some sense knocked into me." Shifting her weight to her side, she scooted her legs around to the front of her body, mimicking Keith's positioning and crossing her legs. She looked into his eyes, the light restored in them. "Thank you. I needed that."

"Wish it didn't have to be literally." He muttered under his breath, but Almira's ears caught it all the same, the first honest smile of the day spreading across her lips as they quirked up at the corners in amusement.

"Perhaps not." Turning her body to face hers, she placed her hands on her knees. "I suppose an explanation is due for what happened this morning."

He matched her position, scooting his body around to face hers. They were sitting in the same positions as yesterday as they had stretched, and Keith found the familiarity and situation quite calming. There was little need for words as he looked expectantly, a small nod encouraging her to continue.

Eyes darting to the entrance briefly, they then returned to her hands. "I can't quite tell you the details, due to confidentiality, but Arden and I got into an argument early this morning. He accused me of not being concerned enough about the problem, and I accused him of not listening to the finer details. He," she paused at this, debating how much information to spill, head tilting as she considered the repercussions, "reminded me of my past. He used things that he knew hurt me to this day.

"I've tried so hard to earn my place here. I try not to show my anger anymore, because it could jeopardize my standing among the nobility."

Keith crossed his arms. "Why do you get to be so different?"

The thought jolted Almira out of her musings, back straightening and face furrowing. "What?"

Her partner shrugged, looking off into space sheepishly. "I mean, no one's perfect. Why do you have do be? Why can everyone else show anger except for you?"

A glimmer of sadness and hurt flashed across her face, but it quickly smoothed out. "Politics. It's complicated."

"Then let's do something."

Head tilting in confusion, Almira couldn't help but feel completely lost. "What do you mean?"

"Well, no one else is here, right? Which means you can let loose." Keith couldn't help but smile in a reassuring manner as a complete look of confusion came over her face. There were few times where she had looked so perplexed, making her seem more human and less intimidating than she usually portrayed herself to be. "So, let's do something. What do you do to feel better when you're angry?"

Finally beginning to see the picture, the white haired girl thought to herself for a moment, leaning her head into her palm and staring off into the distance. For a few moments, she seemed completely lost, sorting through ideas to no avail, but an idea flashed through her mind, lighting up her face. "I like meditating." When nothing but a raised eyebrow met her response, she frowned. "What?"

Keith shook his hands in a placating manner. "Nothing, it's just that I, well, expected something more violent."

Head tilting further, Almira found herself wanting to dig deeper. "Well, what do you do when you're angry?"

He seemed sheepish for a moment again, a hand moving to scratch the back of his head. Obsidian eyes moved to the ground, staring at it like it had become the most interesting thing in the world. "Well, I mean I always feel like punching something, or fighting. Doing something aggressive to get the anger out?" He peeked back up at Almira, who covered her mouth with her hands. Was she giggling? A smile breaking out on her face, she waved her hands.

"I mean, there's nothing wrong with that. But my mentor always taught me to release anger through meditation. That way, your thoughts are cleared, and you can really let it go."

Adjusting his position on the ground, Keith sat up straight. "Well then, let's do that."

The smile still hadn't left her face, her entire complexion lightening up and seeming to make the room even brighter. Even if he had been knocked around their entire spar, with bruises most likely forming from the harsh blows she had dealt, he felt like his soul rested easier with her normally positive personality back. She mirrored his position, placing her hands back on her knees and correcting her spine to a completely upright position. "Right. Let's start with some breathing then."

The impromptu meditation session ended up turning into another stretching session, and it was three hours later that the duo finally got up from rolling around on the smooth marble floors. Almira had sent for tea and snacks, and the two found themselves taking a break on her back porch. To Keith's half surprise, the entire building was inhabited by Almira and her few servants, whom she had dismissed for the rest of the evening. As the afternoon light trickled through the trees high above their heads, they found refuge on the wooden patio, seated comfortably on cushions and looking out to the nature that surrounded them.

Pouring cups of tea, Almira demonstrated the grace expected of a princess, and Keith had to remember that she was royalty in addition to a fierce combatant. Looking around the large complex, he thought back to his companion's comment about her past. After a minute of debate, he decided to bite the bullet. "Can I ask about your past?"

To her credit, she didn't even flinch. Setting the kettle down and picking up her mug, she blew on the steaming liquid, eyes staring over the rim and out to the river that ran in front of them. "You may."

Pausing for another moment, he debated on what he really wanted to ask first. Suddenly, he recalled their first encounter, giving him an idea. "Do you want to continue our exchange game?"

She laughed freely this time, shoulders shaking in amusement as she lowered the cup from her lips. As she looked back at him, he noticed the way that her eyes shone in the afternoon lighting, vibrant and filled with life. "If you're up for it."

Giving another nod, he returned to his thoughts. What did he want to ask first? "You mentioned keeping your place among the nobles. Why?"

Thoughtfully, she swirled her cup, taking another sip before setting it down in front of her. As she gathered her thoughts, she toyed with her communicator on her wrist, eventually removing it and placing it beside her. "It's a long history, if you're up for it." Taking in the nod from his dark haired head, she picked up a small confectionary treat filled with nuts, popping it in her mouth as she processed where to begin. Swallowing, she closed her eyes, letting her memory recall as much as she could.

"My true mother was the third queen. Her romance with my father was so sudden, so unexpected, that many of the nobles expected some sort of magic, or blackmail. They drove her to madness, so she fled to an obscure crater to the north."

Her hand traced over the lip of her mug, Almira seemingly unaware of her movements as she opened her eyes to stare out at the lush canopy in front of them. "But she was already with child, and so I was born far away from the palace. Then the crater we lived in was attacked by the Galra, and she perished." Eyes dimming, they looked down at her hands, head bowing in memory. "I survived, the Mystic of the Seventh Crater taking care of me and returning me to my father."

Keith's curiosity piqued, he tilted his head. "The Mystic?"

The smile on Almira's face was fond and filled with warmth. "A magician, or psychic of some sort. They can see the future, and have always been with our people. When they die, they are reborn again, continuing the cycle. They give prophecies for newborn children." Picking at another snack, she chewed thoughtfully, covering her mouth as she spoke. "The current Mystic, Emrys, is the one who found me, and still lives. She's getting old though."

He had thought it strange that the nobles had thought the king was ensnared by a magician or a witch, but hearing about this Mystic questioned his sense of reality. Was it true that truly magical people could exist in the universe, outside science and explanation? Keith supposed that he drove a sentient robot lion, and that was proof enough that anything could happen. Picking up the same snack that Almira had been eating, he popped it into his mouth, finding he enjoyed the savory and sweet flavors it bore. "So why do the nobles hate you?"

Shrugging, she lifted the tea to her mouth again, taking a short sip before answering. "A grudge, mostly born toward my mother. Few people actually know that I'm the daughter of the third queen; most believe that I was an orphan that the king pitied and took in. Still, those that do know like to hold their superstitions against me."

It was absolutely absurd, in his opinion, but he thought of it little more as he saw a jubilant smile cross her face. "My turn!" He rolled his eyes at her exuberant antics, but found that he was getting accustomed to her mannerisms. Taking a tentative first sip of his tea, he found it to be extremely bitter, setting it down and popping another one of the nut snacks into his mouth to compensate. The flavors certainly complemented one another, but it was certainly going to take some getting used to the tea.

"Sure."

"On the topic of parents, where are yours?"

Keith swallowed hard. He should have known this question was coming, from the questions he had been asking her. "Dead." Looking up, he saw Almira's face drop, remorse covering her features. "My father died when I was young. I never knew my mother. She left when I was a baby."

Quiet and reserved, she fiddled with her cup for a moment, pulling together a response. He was a little surprised when she pulled together a smile, looking warmly at him. "Then you can't give up on that thought, can you?"

A frown. "What do you mean?"

"Your mom. She could still be out there."

Their conversation became quiet again, unsure of how to move forward. Keith's thoughts turned inward to the questions he had asked over and over again, a constant state of grappling with his self worth and the idea of someone he truly didn't know. "But what if she doesn't want me?"

A hand came to rest on his wrist, nearly making him jump at the contact. When he looked back at his partner, he was engulfed in the gentle confidence that radiated from her, and he couldn't help but feel reassured as she spoke. "That doesn't mean you're not worth it. I know how it feels to be left behind. But you can't give up, because there are others who won't give up on you." Removing her hand left him feeling empty, a warm sensation lingering on his skin. "Besides, I don't think that's the case. Maybe she had to leave because she was needed somewhere else."

"How are you so sure?"

A serene smile graced her face as she responded. "I'm old, Keith. I've seen a lot in this world."

"Then, how old are you?"

Tilting her head, her eyes became thoughtful as she seemed to count in her mind. "Hmm, in Fleogan years I'm ninety-eight, but—"

"What?"

Her laughter this time was unrestrained, head thrown back as her voice rang out. Keith's face had frozen in absolute confusion, disbelief, and horror at his expectations being shattered by reality. If he had been holding his cup, it most likely would have slipped from his hands as he stared at the white haired girl in shock. After she calmed down, she shook her head, another wide smile on her face. "But time doesn't always pass the same on every planet. I don't know how old I'd be somewhere else. Why?" She nudged him playfully. "How young are you?"

A scowl crossed his face, still in disbelief that he had thought the girl next to him was his age or potentially even younger. "Eighteen," he muttered half to himself, sulking in the newest revelation. Still as he stole a glance at his companion, he saw that there was nothing that had changed between the two, even if she was apparently almost seventy years older than him. She still looked at him in amusement, as a friend and companion, and not as a child, and the thought made him perk up just a little.

"Look at you, so angry and full of life!"

"Whatever, grandma."

Her laughter was infectious, and although he couldn't bring himself to laugh fully, a wide grin was plastered on the red paladin's face. As the mirth simmered down, both took the moment to take another sip from their cups, Keith immediately reaching for another confection to pop into his mouth.

"I think it's your turn again."

Shrugging in acceptance, he swallowed his food, contemplating his next question. Thinking back to their spar and the words they shared, he recalled an intriguing piece of information that she had thrown at him briefly. "You mentioned a mentor."

The light in her golden eyes dimmed slightly, while she nodded her head. "I did."

"They must be great, if you're already so successful."

Dipping her head lower, she gripped the tea mug in her hands tightly. "She was."

Realizing his mistake, Keith hunched over slightly. "I'm sorry."

"Her name was Aisis." He hadn't been expecting an explanation and a story, given the current state of Almira, but she continued on anyway, her words soft. "She was like a sister to me. She was the only other woman in the Warpers, and she took me under her wing."

"She sounds incredible."

Solemnly nodding her head, a smile touched her lips as she reminisced. "Every once in a while, there are people who get us to believe that we can achieve things beyond what we can see in front of us. I learned to begin to accept myself through her." Turning her head once again, she smiled. "You have someone like that?"

"Yeah." It was the first question where he barely had to think about his answer.

"Can I ask who?"

"Shiro."

"Ah." Another smile crossed her face as she thought about the black paladin. "He's quite a leader. Even Arden is impressed with him, and that rarely happens."

It was Keith's turn to think back on all the times that Shiro had extended a helping hand, had lifted him up from the dumps. All the times in the Galaxy Garrison, where he had vouched for the small, troubled, kid who always seemed to get into fights, never once doubting what he could accomplish or giving up on him. It warmed his chest to think of all the memories with him, and the relief and gratefulness that they worked so closely together now, even a few million miles away from Earth. "He's stuck up for me since day one. Even if I wanted to give up on myself, he never gave up on me."

Grabbing her mug, she raised it to Keith. "Then here's to all the people who make us believe in ourselves, and here's to us, learning all that we can."

Responding in kind, their ceramic glasses clinked delicately together, Keith continuing to sip away in small portions while Almira downed the rest of her glass, pouring herself another cup. They reached a comfortable silence, taking in the golden afternoon in peace, each person sifting through their memories and thoughts while finding companionship in the presence of one another. It was the beginning of an unlikely friendship, and as Keith stole glances at Almira, he found it was one that he didn't mind.

It was something he enjoyed.

AN: I'm alive. Barely. I'm getting a little frustrated as I'm getting to the next chapters. Things just aren't flowing right, but I'll figure it out somehow.

Please review if you can. I'm getting to the point where I don't know if I can keep this going.