The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption

Author's Notes: Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series (Keith's and Allura's eye color, Lance's physique, etc.) as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

Chapter 6

The sight that welcomed Allura back in her quarters both disturbed and confused her. Keith was fighting with Counselor Vonn Horner in their living room with runes all over his face and body. The counselor in Space Explorer uniform fought back with the skills of a veteran soldier. Furniture was toppled over and the coffee table smashed. The four teammates stood at the entrance, stunned.

"Keith," Allura finally said, loud enough to pierce through his concentration. But the eyes that looked back at her were black, not the deep sea blue that she was so familiar with.

Allura took an involuntary stepped back hitting Lance in the process. Sven was right. Alexander Sigis has taken over Keith's body. The dark orbs that were looking back at her were filled with rage and hatred.

That split second pause was enough for the counselor to take the upper hand. He seized Keith and locked him in a choke hold.

"You need to sedate him!" the counselor exclaimed but the team was shocked to hear the familiar Norwegian accent of Sven coming out the counselor's mouth.

Pidge was the first to move, pushing some buttons on his Voltcom, he produced a syringe and plunged it onto Keith's neck. Keith struggled against Counselor Vonn's grip until the sedative took effect. After a couple of minutes, his body stopped struggling and went limp.

"About time you guys showed up," the counselor said, but everyone was still shocked to hear Sven's voice coming out from his mouth.

"Sven?" Lance inquired the look of disbelief shown on his face. "What the hell is going on?"

"We need to restrain him first before I start explaining," Sven/Vonn answered. "There's no telling what he'd do now that you guys are here."

Lance and Hunk lifted Keith and deposited him on the same chair he was bound in. They tied him up once more doubling the restraints. Sven reapplied the runes, as he realized that some of them already wore off from the fight. He once again did the same thing with the chair and floor.

"Binding runes," Allura observed. "Romelle taught you how to draw them?"

"Yes," he answered. "It's very useful when you're dealing with magic users. I can't use magic myself but at least I know how to protect myself if ever I was attacked. It came in handy when I was dealing with him."

He tipped his head sideways to Keith's location.

Once they were satisfied that Keith was secure, they retreated to the dining area where a long table was located. They sat down with Hunk and Lance near Keith in any case he tried to escape once the sedative wore off. Once they were settled, Sven began to explain everything that he knew.

Sven began his narration from the day Keith sought him out in Pollux. He explained how Keith sought him out for help in locating the Third Sphere. He narrated Keith's experience when Alexander Sigis entered his body and consciousness, that he was the only one among the Force who could sense his presence before it happened. Then, Keith read him in about the Voltrons that were commissioned by the Galaxy Alliance and what he knew about the Voltron that attacked and destroyed the moon, and that it was the reason why the Third Sphere have come to destroy them. Sven mentioned Sigis' role in training Keith in using magic and provided however much information that he can provide for their search for the Sphere to be easier. Finally, Sven explained how they had convinced Counselor Vonn to go into hiding while Sven pretended to be him so that they could utilize the counselor's resources in locating the Third Sphere while they kept the counselor and his family safe in a location known only to both of them.

"Keith had mentioned several times that Sigis was always nagging him about his attachment to the Princess," Sven said concluding his recount. "Before Sigis took over his body, Keith had mentioned he was dreaming about you, Allura. Sigis has some issues with the Royal House of Arus for trapping him in Voltron for decades, that his idea of revenge is killing the man who have captured the heart of their beloved monarch. I don't know what his real plans are in stopping the Third Sphere but I'm guessing it involves sacrificing Keith, with him piggy-backing a ride to the afterlife."

Allura looked from Sven to Keith's unconscious form on the chair where they tied him up. A look of worry etched over her face. She wanted to go over there and hold Keith in her arms. She couldn't believe how much Keith endured just to make sure she was safe.

"We can't let that happen," she said. "We need to get Alexander Sigis' consciousness out of Keith!"

"I'm still a little confused about the Third Sphere thing," Lance remarked, shaking his head. "But that could wait. Our first order of business is how are we going to separate Alexander Sigis' consciousness from Keith's body? Do I need to call a priest for an exorcism?"

Finally, Allura stood from her seat and approached the unconscious form of her beloved. Once she was near him, she tentatively reached out and touched his cheek, giving it a gentle caress.

"Hang in there, Keith," she said softly as she leaned down so that they can be face-to-face. "I'll get you out of Sigis' hold once and for all."

Keith stirred and started to become conscious. When he opened his eyes, Allura gasped as she stared at deep sea blue eyes that she knew so well.

"Allura?"

"Keith!"

"I – "

Before he could say anything further, sparks flew around him once more as another form of mental torture coursed through him. He groaned in pain, struggling from his restraints. Allura backed away while the rest of the team shot forward, forming a barrier between her and Keith. Pidge readied another dose of sedative, as Lance and Hunk were on each side of Keith flanking him in case he broke free of his restraints. Sven was beside Pidge, ready to defend him when the need arose.

They were not surprised when Keith opened his eyes once more and black orbs once again replaced blue ones.