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The Purity of Sin

Two

Lance came to with the terrible feeling of pins and needles stabbing every limb. He groaned, burying his face into his raised shoulder. Had he fallen asleep in the hangar again watching Hunk work?

No, he decided. Hunk would most certainly have moved him. His eyes narrowed. Pidge. This would be something she would do, the little gremlin. Payback for taking the last garlic biscuit Hunk had made at dinner the other night. A smirk twitched his lips up even as he moaned at the reawakening limbs. It had been delicious.

Knowing that the best way to wake up his sleeping body was to move, Lance rolled over, half-expecting to see the cavernous hanger ceiling and the Green Lion and a smug Pidge looming over him. Instead though there was intricate stonework in shades of brown and red and a glowing red light that looked like an energy barrier.

Lance sat up with a jerk as he remembered why he was in this position. The Mackans had attacked him and Keith and – Keith! Where was Keith? Swiveling his head left and right, Lance let out a soft breath as he spotted his fellow Paladin a few feet away, still unconscious and with the same energy barrier surrounding him but looking unharmed.

Keith had been stripped of his outer armor and after a glance down Lance realized his was gone too. Along with his bayard. Great. Nothing like being absolutely defenseless with a pack of wizard bobcats that had sharp teeth on top of magic. Lance bit back the shiver of fear.

"Positives," he told himself, tapping his cheeks lightly. "Think about those." Okay, well, positives. They were alive. That was good. And other than the painful tingling that was slowly subsiding as he bounced his legs on the ground neither he nor Keith appeared injured.

They were clearly at the Mackans' base, which they had been trying to find. That was good too. And maybe here they could meet with the leader and figure all of this out. Obviously there had been a giant misunderstanding and the Mackans had taken them to be enemies. Well, as soon as Lance spoke with them he was sure they could iron everything out. Allura did say he had charm and he was certain he could turn this around.

Carefully standing, Lance stomped his feet to return them to feeling. The energy barrier was taunting him and although Lance knew it probably wouldn't work he couldn't stop himself from reaching out a tentative finger to touch it.

He yelped as a sizzle of energy shocked him and he stuck the burning digit in his mouth, eyes narrowing. Okay, so as figured no strolling out of here. He couldn't even reach Keith either, as both of them seemed to be contained in their own energy force field prison, sharing a front energy wall but divided down the middle keeping them separated. He looked again at said mullet in question, reassuring himself that he did indeed see Keith breathing and that meant he was alive.

He wondered how long it had been; there was no window in this room not that he knew the first thing about this planet's daylight cycle. Hopefully not too long, he hoped. His stomach wasn't growling yet and he considered it a pretty good indicator of meal times, so maybe two hours at most?

Keith let out a soft groan and twitched on the ground, breaking Lance from his evaluation of his stomach.

"Hey man, you waking up?" Lance called out.

Keith made another garbled noise. One bright purple eye flicked open. Unlike Lance he seemed to realize immediately what had happened and pushed himself to sitting.

"Don't touch it," Lance advised as those amethyst orbs looked at the barrier. "It'll shock you."

Lance didn't know why he tried as Keith pushed his whole hand against it, only to remove it a tick later with a tiny hitch of his breath. "Told you," he sighed. "What are you, a masochist or something?"

"What the quiznack?" Keith muttered, ignoring Lance and also rising to his feet. Lance was secretly jealous of how quick he had shaken off the pins and needles that were still plaguing his hands. But hey, he'd take that any day over the absolute pain as he felt all of his insides freeze. Just thinking about it made him wince.

At that moment the door across the chamber opened and in strode three Mackans, the lead one in a white robe while two in green flanked it. The one in white seemed to be in charge, as in addition to the different colored robe a series of jewels hung from its ears and a ceremonial sash angled outside the robes, which contrasted against its near black fur. Lance would bet an entire week of cryo-pod cleaning that this was the High Priest.

"Hey there," Lance greeted as cheerfully as he could, raising a hand up in a wave. "There seems to have been some misunderstanding here. I was hoping we could talk about it."

"Sáta buiy schio nadoá," the Mackan in white replied in what sounded like a cross between a purr and a growl.

"Sorry," Lance apologized. "I'm not following."

The Mackan cleared its throat. "It seems you speak the universal tongue," it said, voice less accented by growls now and very masculine, and Lance started in surprise. "That is convenient."

"The universal tongue?" Lance repeated.

The Mackan inclined his head. "What you are speaking."

Lance's eyes widened and he turned to Keith. "Keith! Did you know English was the universal tongue? How crazy is that? Wow, no wonder we've never had trouble communicating with all of the different aliens!"

Keith was not as amused. "Why did you attack us?" he demanded.

"What my buddy here means to say," Lance interjected as the Mackans bristled, "is there seems to be a misunderstanding. We're Paladins of Voltron and came here to ask for your assistance and offer our own. I think we got off on the wrong foot."

"The Paladins of Voltron?" the Mackan repeated.

Lance nodded. "Yeah, I'm Lance, the Blue Paladin… er, well, I suppose I'm the Red Paladin now because I pilot the Red Lion but I still wear the blue armor… or, well, I was wearing it but it looks like you guys borrowed it for a bit. Keith here is the Black Paladin and the leader of our team, but he wears red so I guess he's also the Red Paladin."

Lance looked at Keith, confusion crossing his features. "How exactly are we introducing ourselves now? I mean, Allura pilots Blue but she wears pink armor and there's definitely no Pink Lion and the Pink Paladin sounds kind of lame, no offense to her."

Lance could hear Keith's teeth grinding and he grinned at him. Good. At least if Keith was getting irritated with him then he wasn't getting angry at the Mackans because Lance really, really needed Keith to not go off on their captors-soon-to-be-turned-gracious-hosts. He shot a wink at the grumpy mullet and Keith gave a slow nod back, yielding for now.

"Anyways," Lance said, turning back to the trio and giving off a mega-watt smile that had always made the alien girls blush. "We're here representing the Paladins of Voltron and also Princess Allura of Altea. The universe is currently at war with the Galra Empire and we were hoping that based on your old alliance with Altea ten thousand years ago you would join forces with us once again. We'd love to discuss it with you some more, so if you'll just let us out of here…" He nodded helpfully at the barrier.

But to Lance's surprise the Mackan shook his head. "We know of no such war, Paladin of Voltron. Our Lady Leora protects and provides for us and we seek nothing further."

"Could we speak with Lady Leora?" Lance asked. "I'm sure if—"

"How dare you speak our goddesses' name so freely!" exclaimed one of the green-robed Mackans, lilt giving her away as female.

Lance held up his hands placatingly. "I apologize," he said, tipping his head in deference. "I meant no disrespect."

"Our goddess is a supreme being," the black Mackan said. "She will not converse with outsiders. As High Priest I speak in her place and will say this: we have no desire to get involved in outside matters. I know not of this old alliance you speak of, but Macka will not partake in such things again."

"I understand," Lance said. "But, please, listen. The Galra Empire will not simply bypass Macka. It seeks to overtake all planets in the universe and yours will eventually be in grave danger. We would like to help you."

"And help us you shall," the Mackan said, a grin showing sharp incisors. "You have come at a wonderful time, Paladins of Voltron. It is nearly time for us to cast a Purity of Sin ritual and if what you say is true, then Lady Leora will require additional strength to repel these invaders."

"The Purity of Sin?" Lance repeated. "That sounds… very interesting. Perhaps we might be permitted to watch?" After all, the more time he had with them the more Lance was certain he could show them how truly dangerous the Galra Empire was and how an alliance with Voltron would benefit them. He didn't want to fail on his first diplomatic mission.

"Oh, Paladin of Voltron, you shall do more than watch." The grin widened and Lance suppressed a shiver at the look that seemed to steal across the Mackan's face. "You shall be the sacrifice."

Lance stared, for the first time in his life at a loss for words.

"You will release us now," Keith snarled, stepping right up to the edge of his barrier. "And that is not a request."

"I cannot do that," the Mackan said, although he did not look apologetic at all. "The Lady Leora requires a sacrifice for her protection. And while we all accept when we are chosen and go forth to accept Purity with joy, why should we offer up one of our own when two kits have so generously offered themselves? We accept your offer to help us with much thanks."

"I'm not sure we're on the same page as to the word 'help,'" Lance said, trying to keep his voice even despite the pit that was growing in his stomach. "See, where we come from it doesn't involving sacrifice rituals and the like. And as much as we would really like to assist you, um, well… you can't kill us," he finally said. "It's terrible manners to murder your guests, after all."

"You are not guests," the Mackan responded. "You have graciously offered your help and we with great thanks accept it so we may spare the life of one of our own kin. You shall both henceforth be considered sacrifices for Lady Leora."

"Dude, that is not cool," Lance protested. "Seriously. We'll leave peacefully if you aren't interested in the alliance, but this is a bit extreme."

The head Mackan merely smiled and turned his back to them, the other two Mackans copying him and huddling to speak quietly in their own language. Lance exchanged a glance with Keith, and he was relieved to see that rather than the fear that was plaguing him Keith didn't look scared. Keith looked pissed.

"Any ideas, oh fearless leader?" Lance murmured, hoping his voice didn't tremble as much as he imagined it to.

"They'll have to lower the barriers," Keith said just as quietly. "We'll rush them then."

Lance barely held back a squeak. "That's your plan?" he hissed. "They have magic. And claws and teeth. I don't know about that Galran half of yours, but there is no way I'm overpowering even one of them."

"Then distract one and I'll take care of the rest," Keith said bluntly.

"With what?"

Because while Lance knew Keith's hand to hand skills were nearly unrivaled this was more than a one-sided battle. The Mackans may be relatively small in height, but Lance had no qualms that their stockiness was from muscle and they weren't above using their predatory features. Meanwhile he and Keith were unarmed and as far as Lance knew being half-Galran had not imbued Keith with super-strength even if he did have insane reflexes.

"Trust me," Keith said.

Lance gave a slow nod. "All right."

Because Lance did. For all his faults and how he hated the mantle of leader, Lance knew Keith would not hesitate to protect all of them. And, as Allura had pointed out, he did have excellent instincts. Instincts he should have listened to when Keith first warned him about the Mackans, Lance thought bitterly. But there was nothing to be done about it now. Now he just had to listen to what Keith said so they could both get out of this.

The Mackans seemed to have finished up their whispered conversation as well and the head Mackan approached again. "It has been decided," he said. "The tall one shall be our first sacrifice." To Lance he said, "I commend you, Paladin of Voltron, for this honor. And thank you." He bowed low.

"I'd really rather decline," Lance told him to no reaction as the High Priest turned to face Keith.

"We shall keep you alive, Paladin of Voltron, until our next no-moon cycle where you too will then become bathed in Purity and sacrificed to our Lady Leora." He bowed again to Keith.

Lance braced his feet as they turned to look at him. This was it. Any second now the barrier holding him captive would fall and ignoring every self-preservation instinct he had he was going to rush a wizard bobcat alien. He was ready. Sort of. Not really. But Keith was counting on him to do something and Lance knew that he could at the very least provide a distraction while Keith did whatever he was planning. Although all of this was sort of banking on Keith's barrier being lowered too, but it was a little late for anything else and Lance just crossed his fingers that something went right for them.

The black Mackan raised his paws and they glowed a red that matched the barriers. Lance took a deep breath, preparing himself. "Nována," the Mackan said.

But the barrier did not fall.

Instead agony unlike anything Lance had ever experienced exploded across his senses as the barrier turned to a ring of fire and shrunk inwards and collided with him. Lance screamed, crashing to the floor. He was on fire. Literal fire, tongues of flame racing across his skin and angrily devouring every bit it could find.

He scream turned into a shriek as the flames seemed to sink inside him and his insides were alight with lava. He could dimly hear Keith screaming his name over his own cries and the sizzling of flesh meeting the unyielding barrier.

Lance managed to turn his head in the throes of pain beyond description and locked eyes with Keith, surprised to see actual tears sparkling in the overly bright eyes as Keith pounded his fists against the spelled wall.

He was going to die. The horror was dulled by the absolute anguish taking over his body, but that thought remained clear. He was going to be burned to death without even so much as a good bye.

It hurt. Dios, it hurt. Another screech of agony was torn from him, even as he fought to hold Keith's gaze for as long as he could, desperately seeking some sort of comfort, peace.

He screamed and cried until he had nothing left to him except never-ending pain. And then finally, blackness crept across the hellish red and bore him away from all of the suffering.

Keith's scream turned inhuman as Lance's eyes slipped closed – you killed him, his mind whispered, you let him die –and the fire continued to feast around the prone body. He screamed until he wasn't sure he had a voice left, his hands bleeding and raw from the barrier. The Mackans looked on indifferently while the head one kept his glowing paws outstretched.

Keith slumped down against the wall, the sting against his cheek and hands not even registering as he stared at what was once Lance. How had… how had this happened? Lance couldn't be… couldn't be…

Lance had trusted him. He'd looked to Keith to get them out and Keith had failed. He'd beyond failed. His incompetence had just gotten one of his team killed.

A tear trekked down his cheek, hitting the barrier with a hiss. No, Keith amended. Teammate was too impersonal now, had been for a while even if he refused to acknowledge it. Friend, he realized. Lance was a friend. And he'd just gotten him killed.

"Lance," he rasped, throat aching from abused vocal chords. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He just lost Shiro. He couldn't… he couldn't have lost Lance too.

The Mackan spoke another word, a spell, and the flames went out without even a whoosh. And Keith's eyes widened at what they'd left behind, a tiny ember of hope flickering in his heart.

There was no burnt corpse on the ground, no flaking pieces of ash and white bone. Lance was there, whole and solid, mocha skin untouched and not a hair seemingly disturbed on his head. The only thing that appeared to have suffered was his under armor, lying in mounds of burnt leftovers and leaving Lance without a stitch on. But he drew breath, his shoulder rising ever so slightly from Keith's limited line of sight.

Keith released the sob that had been building. He was alive. Lance was alive.

"His body has been purified by the Fire of Sin," the High Priest intoned, drawing Keith's attention. "We shall now prepare his soul for the Purity of Sin."

The other two Mackans stepped forward, each grabbing one of Lance's limp arms to heft him forward.

"Don't touch him," Keith growled, rising back to full height and mustering the deadliest glare he could, which wasn't too hard as if he had the ability they would all combust on the spot, relief giving way to burning anger.

"We are doing you a great service, Paladin of Voltron," the head Mackan smiled. "We are freeing you from your bodies of mortal sin and allowing you to ascend to enlightenment. This war you speak of will no longer weigh heavily on you for it is no longer your burden to bear."

"Get back here!" Keith yelled as all three turned and exited, dragging Lance between them. He pounded uselessly on the barrier to no effect, screaming at them long after the door slammed shut.

Okay, calm down, he told himself, taking a shuddering breath and then another. He couldn't help Lance like this. Patience yields focus as Shiro always said. Breathe, wait, listen.

Take inventory. He was still in his under armor, bayard and communications systems gone. Still... His hand lighted on his lower back, feeling the sheath of his knife pressing uncomfortably just above his tailbone. His luxite blade. He normally carried it while in full Paladin armor in a sheath that the armor had made for him on his leg opposite his bayard.

He wasn't sure what it was, maybe that feeling of unease he'd had since Allura had announced the mission, but he had chosen not to display it and kept it hidden instead. He had never been so grateful for whatever had prompted such a decision.

The room they had been kept was reduced now to just his energy barrier, the one that had encircled Lance gone. The room did not appear to have any technology, but given the use of magic Keith was not surprised. He couldn't say for sure whether or not they had a different way of observing him though.

His eyes lighted on a small green orb that hovered in the far right corner near the ceiling. It wasn't a light source, as that was provided by the torches in brackets around the room, and Keith didn't see any others. That must be their camera system, he concluded, baring his teeth at it.

He prowled around his cage like a captive lion. He tried calling out to Black and even Red, but no welcoming presence touched his mind. Whether they were too far away or the Mackans had done something was anyone's guess though.

Time was of the essence and he felt that he was wasting it trying to think of a better plan than hit the barrier with his blade. He had no idea how long this ritual would take and Lance didn't have time for him to dawdle. They called him reckless, he knew, but nothing else was coming to mind.

Decision made, Keith managed to worm the sheath free from under the shirt. As soon as it was in his hand he felt a wave of reassurance that even canceled out the sharp sting as the handle met abused flesh. Perhaps he shouldn't have pounded so hard on the barrier in hindsight, but he still had full mobility and the grip wasn't too painful.

He channeled his power into it and the blade grew into the chosen near-scimitar short sword. Keith gave it a few seconds, waiting to see if anyone was going to charge in now that that he had a weapon, looking defiantly at what was the presumed camera.

After near thirty ticks he decided that was enough. Without any further hesitation he swung the blade straight into the barrier.

And to his absolute shock it bounced off, sending him stumbling forward with the momentum.

"What the quiznak?" he gasped, eyes darting between the barrier and the sword. Luxite was one of the most powerful elements in the entire universe. There should be nothing it couldn't cut through.

Keith tried for a stabbing motion, but the sword skittered lengthwise along the barrier. He attacked it then in a flurry of hits, desperation growing as not a single one made so much as a hairline crack. No wonder no one had come, he thought bitterly. They knew he couldn't escape.

And if he couldn't break himself free with even a luxite blade then he wasn't breaking out at all. And then… then Lance would die. For real, this time, as if being burned to death in front of him hadn't been scarring enough. Keith knew he'd likely be saved; when they didn't come back in two quintants Allura would know something was wrong and they'd come down and bust him out.

But Lance didn't have two days. Keith didn't even know if he had two varga. Or even two dobashes, although he liked to think a ritual as big as the one they were describing would at least take some degree of preparation.

What did he do?

He wished Shiro was here. Shiro would know what to do, he was sure of it. But no, it was just him. Lance was relying on him, Keith, the impulsive hothead whose plan of attack was generally just attack. And a lot of good that had done him, he thought bitterly, eyeing the impenetrable magic wall.

Think. Think. What would Lance do in this situation? Keith snorted at the picture that popped up of Lance flirting with the Mackans. Yeah, charm had already clearly not worked and he knew any attempts by him would fall flat anyways. He distinctively lacked ability in that department.

Thinking in terms of Pidge or Hunk didn't help either as small stature, brute strength and technological skills would be useless here given the fact there was no tech to hack. Possibly Shiro's arm could have cut through it, but otherwise Shiro's approach of calm discussion would be useless as well because Lance had covered that angle quite well and it had failed too.

What did he, Keith, have? A reckless abandon for his own safety and a sword, that's what.

Reckless abandon and a sword, huh? A sharp grin crossed his face.

He could work with that.

xxx

Author's Notes:

So, two chapters in and I've already near burnt my blue boy to death. Egads I am terrible.

As you can see, the Mackans have a very different interpretation of an offer of help. Poor Lance, he was just trying to assist them and I guess he sort of still is… Just not quite in the intended manner. Anyone have any guesses as to what Keith is planning?

Huge thanks to the lovely reviewers for their encouraging comments! Posting the first chapter of a fic is always nerve-wracking for me as it doesn't matter how many other stories I've written in the fandom, I always worry if anyone will like *this* one.

So big hugs to the amazing: WindGemini, Justanangryfangirl,dragoscilvio, Oliviadbell, Jennyfish26, Jadegem02, Alexa, hobbes101, wingedflower, Guest, Bryler, imagine forevermore, Rookblonkorules, Gay Legs, LishaChan, eyeore1994, HetaRosFangirl, Adrianna Agray, ShiroHichi891, Subtle Shenanigans and PaintedWings45. You guys seriously know how to make a girl feel special.

Please do drop a comment below before you head out! Favorite part, line, theory, etc. I love hearing from you!