Pinky, Voltron & the Brain
A Crossover Literary Work of Shameless Fandom
By KittyLynne and The Bandit
Voltron and all associated characters are owned and copyrighted by WEP. Original/new characters belong to the author. 'Pinky and the Brain' belongs to Warner Brothers/Amblin Entertainment. Other relative disclaimers may apply to obscure references to other shows.
Chapter 4
Thanks to a good tail wind aidingd Allura's penchant for speed, the Blue Lion was the first to return to its home base.
The Brain and Pinky blinked in astonishment when Allura carried them into the castle from the launch chute. The area commonly referred to as Castle Control was even more impressive than it appeared on television, its cavernous size emphasized by a towering fifty-foot ceiling.
The mice blinked again as a stately looking, middle-aged gentleman came forward and greeted them with a stiff bow. His clothes and manner of speech echoed the formality of his gesture.
"Welcome friends, and may I say we are sorry for the misfortune that has befallen you. I am Coran, the Castle Diplomat and Advisor to Her Majesty the Crown Princess Allura; I am here to serve." Faded brown eyes looked upon the rodents with kindness, the creases at the corners indicating that a smile lurked behind the luxuriant mustache. "Anything that you need, please name it and I will do my best to accommodate you. All I ask in return is that you and your home world wherever it is will consider joining our New Alliance against Zarkon; we value and need all potential allies."
Cheddar translated rapidly and Pinky relayed the speech to Brain, who nodded graciously and bowed. It appeared to be a sufficient response for Coran, who bowed even more deeply, the hem of his greatcoat brushing the floor.
The Brain was pleased. ~This fellow has impeccable manners. I could use a diplomat/butler/greeter once I become the beloved leader of Earth. I wonder if he'd consider a transfer if things don't work out for him on Arus?~
Silence fell. Coran seemed at a bit of a loss as to how to continue. "I, er, am most eager to hear about your adventures-"
A loud growling interrupted him, and Pinky blushed.
"I think storytelling will have to wait until my guests have been fed!" Allura chuckled.
Coran nodded. "Of course! There are suitable morsels for them in the kitchen, why don't you go ahead; when they arrive I will inform the others where you have gone."
Once again, Cheddar translated the dialogue and Pinky told his companion, while clapping his paws in glee. The Brain nodded again, graciously, although he cast a last longing glance around Ops,
wishing he could take a much closer look.
"We shall see you later Coran, I will be taking them on a short tour as well."
The Brain smiled suddenly; things were looking good, and he had the best seat in the house to observe them.
He glanced down from his perch on her shoulder, at the soft hills protruding from the Princess' uniform.
Well, maybe not the best seat, he corrected himself, wryly.
As Allura turned and started to exit the room with her passengers, the Royal Advisor called out, "I believe Nanny is in the kitchen, Your Highness."
The Princess half turned. "Is that a warning, Coran?"
The crinkles around the Castle Diplomat's eyes deepened and his mustache twitched. "Of course not. I'm simply imparting useful information."
"I see." Allura said, giving him a tiny smirk. "Thank you for the information."
"You're very welcome."
Twenty minutes later...
"Eeeeek!"
The black cast iron skillet came crashing down repeatedly, centimeters away from Pinky as he squeaked and scurried around to avoid being flattened. "Begone! This is no place for vile vermin!"
The rotund woman's flushed cheeks and bulging eyes coupled with the clanging of the pan were too much. Pinky began to cry piteously.
"Tears will not help you, I do not tolerate strange mice in my pantry! Now I will teach you a lesson!" The skillet rose menacingly over a visibly trembling Pinky.
"STOP!" The Princess cried, The Brain and Cheddar still riding on her shoulders. "Nanny, what do you think you're doing?"
"Defending my foodstuffs from this repulsive creature." The skillet wavered, then lifted into the air once more.
"Nanny, I command that you stop! He's my honored guest, we just rescued him from the woods, where he and his friend had crashed after Zarkon shot them down!"
Her governess sniffed skeptically.
"It's true!" Allura insisted. "But in any case, Coran has already welcomed them and you should do the same."
"Ach! Of course, he always welcomes the strange when he would do well to be more wary." The Royal Governess sighed and lowered her weapon, then pointed an index finger at the Princess, exclaiming in what the Brain thought was a Germanic accent, but wasn't quite sure, "The lions preserve us, what is that monstrosity on your shoulder?"
"You're not exactly the Aphrodite type yourself, Madam," The Brain muttered, while scowling fiercely at the overwrought female.
"Nanny, you are being terribly rude! Apologize to- to, um..." The Princess' voice trailed off uncertainly. Cheddar immediately whispered in Allura's ear and she quickly finished with, "Apologize to Master Large Noggin, and the honorable Antonio Banderas, at once!"
~Antonio Banderas?~ The Brain thought, incredulously. He glanced at Cheddar and the mouse gave him a large smile and the inevitable peace sign. He then looked sternly at Pinky, who shrugged and gave him a gap- toothed grin.
"Not until I find out what he was doing in my pantry," Nanny said firmly, folding her ample forearms across her ample chest and glaring at the scrawny looking rodent.
"I sent him here, we were all coming down to get some food for our guests." Allura explained. "Antonio just got a little ahead of us, because he seemed to know exactly where he was going. I have never seen anyone with such a well developed sense of direction!"
Pinky stared at his feet and tried to look modest. The Brain gave a soft snort.
"Vell, Princess, I am sorry I frightened your little mouse guests," the older woman huffed, "but someone has to be on guard, and I am taking no chances when it comes to strangers in the palace." She gave Pinky a stiff curtsy. "Master Banderas, I hope you will forgive me. I mean you no harm."
Cheddar translated. Pinky clasped his paws, bowed low in acknowledgment, and then blew the governess a kiss.
"Such cheekiness!" Nanny sputtered, but not looking entirely displeased. "Let me get you some cheese so you can be on your way."
She set down the skillet on the counter, opened the nearest cupboard, and pulled out a large wheel of cream- colored cheese. She then located a knife and cut out a large wedge for each mouse. "Here you go, Master Large and Master Antonio. This is some of the finest cheese Arus has to offer. It has been aged for forty years, it should be at its peak of perfection."
Pinky's lower extremities wiggled in pure delight as he accepted the treat.
The Brain sniffed his section suspiciously before taking a small bite. He closed his eyes in bliss as the pungent yet smooth flavor exploded on his taste buds. ~All I need now is a glass of German Auslese, vintage 1983.~ He thought as he savored the exquisite treat. ~Something sweet to go with the pungent.~
"Care for some Honey Nectar?" Allura offered, while Cheddar and Pinky translated rather sloppily, as their oral cavities were stuffed with cheese.
The Brain inclined his head in affirmation and soon was sipping the liquid out a small sugar spoon. ~Very nice bouquet; full-bodied, but And extremely high in alcoholic content.~ He critiqued privately. He needed to keep his fiendishly clever mind clear as a bell, so he refused a refill.
Pinky tossed back his portion and two more, and then looked hopefully at the Princess, who laughed.
"No more for you, my young friend! The nectar is delicious but it packs quite a wallop if you aren't used to it. Anyway, I need to finish your tour."
Cheddar translated, a trifle inarticulately, as he had imbibed as much as Pinky, then reeled away to hide and take a nap before the Missus could box his ears for tippling before lunch.
Allura reached down to help the staggering Pinky climb aboard her shoulder. The inebriated mouse curled up next to Brain and promptly fell asleep.
After a whirlwind tour (that the snoring Pinky completely missed) the Princess and her guests finally ended up in what was affectionately called Pidge's 'Think Tank'. It was a room located in the pilot's living quarters, a cross between a den, a laboratory and a workshop. The boy prodigy and Hunk were off to one side, attentively perusing a mass of wires and computer circuitry, but greeted the visitors with friendly smiles upon their arrival.
On a large rectangular table in front of the two pilots lay the salvaged pieces of the Big Suit and several weird looking tools and gadgets. The Brain began to salivate at the sight of such advanced engineering components.
Pinky awakened and stretched and looked about him in bleary eyed puzzlement. "Poit! Hey, Brain, hic!... oh dear, 'scuse me! Where are we?"
"In the laboratory of the one they call Pidge." The Brain muttered. "And please keep your voice down, I wish to observe everything without being observed."
"How come I never saw this room on the show?" Pinky asked in a loud whisper.
"How should I know?" His friend whispered back. "Perhaps because you happened to miss an episode?"
This rapidly sobered the half-drunk rodent, whose large pink nose wiggled in indignation at the very idea. "Absolutely not! I've seen every one!"
"Then maybe the production company is making new shows that will be aired in future, and this room is an addition." The Brain said with a shrug.
"Oh lovely, more Voltron! It would be beyond my wildest hopes!" Pinky murmured happily. "To have more time with the team...and maybe Keith will even get to kiss the Princess now."
"Whatever," The Brain muttered. "I'm more concerned with attaining the secret of Voltron at the moment."
As if sensing the mouse genius' eagerness, Allura placed her passengers with great care upon the table next to the Suit ship. "Here you go, boys. Please make yourself at home."
Feigning nonchalance, Brain strolled over to inspect the new and highly developed computerized components that the two mechanics were going to install in the Big Suit. Here was technology beyond his wildest dreams, even beyond the artistic capabilities of WB artists, with brand new parts instead of rebuilt ones. And not one of them was labeled 'Acme'! The mouse genius was filled with uncharacteristic sentimentality as he surveyed the intricate apparatus, and a tear came to his eye at the absolute splendor of it all.
"The Final Frontier..." he murmured. "I'm about to boldly go where no mouse has gone... oh for the love of Pete, Pinky, try to concentrate, don't you care that we are about to learn about some fascinating and advanced new technology!""
But Pinky had already wandered off, having noticed a red clad figure hovering in the hallway. Captain Keith was tailing them again, keeping an eye on the Princess.
Allura noticed the Captain as well, and made her excuses to the others, trying not to seem too eager as she approached the doorway to greet the dark haired pilot. Pinky crept after her, curious as to what would be really said between the couple, now that he and Brain had managed to bypass all of the network's 'sensors'...well, except for Nanny of the Very Large Skillet, the human equivalent of the alarm and huge rubber stamp that got used where he came from.
"Keith? Is everything all right?" The Princess asked softly. "Did you need me for something?"
"Yeah! I mean, no, everything's fine!?" Keith said without his usual poise. As he straightened, he met the incredibly beautiful eyes that had the power to hold him captive and tie knots in his tongue and tried to ignore the heat rising in his face. "Uh, I just got back and I wanted to see how everything was going with our guests."
"Couldn't be better." Allura assured him. "They seem to be no worse for their horrible experience, and Hunk and Pidge are going to help them fix their space craft now." She walked closer to him and put a hand on his bicep . "I wonder...if you would do me a big favor, Keith?"
Blue eyes glimmered and pink lips glistened as she gazed at him. The golden head tilted inquiringly as her other hand rose to trace an imaginary line down his arm. Keith sucked in a tortured breath, and Pinky saw the Captain's eyes darken and his Adam's apple bob as the Black Lion pilot swallowed hard.
"Anything for you, Princess."
Pinky's eyes were wide with delight. "Now's your chance!" He hummed, doing a little dance. "Kiss her, kiss her!"
Allura was blushing too, but she didn't move away, and in fact, inched closer. She looked around, as if to check for spies, and then leaned forward to whisper her request. As she did so, her right breast brushed his left arm.
Keith's eyes grew wide and he gave a start that had his elbow jerking into her chest, jabbing into the softest, most tender flesh imaginable.
"Owww!" The Princess cried, staggering back as pain moistened her baby blues, and shock pushed the request to the back of her mind.
"Oh dear, that didn't go at all well." Pinky clucked.
"Oh God, I am sorry..." Keith instinctively reached out to inspect the damage that had been inflicted, then thought better of it and snatched his hand away. "Er, can I get you something, Princess? An ice pack maybe?"
Allura glared at him, while crossing her arms over her chest. "No thanks, it really doesn't need to be chilled right now on top of everything else." She looked down at the right side of her chest. "It might be puffing up a little, but my bra should contain it."
"Oh-okay." Keith felt a suspicious tightening in his nether regions and shifted uneasily. Damn the tightness of his flight suit, and the blazing red that outlined every bulge!
Allura's eyes lowered and widened.
Pinky clapped his paw over his mouth in shock. ~Egads! She said 'bra'! Nanny is going to show up any minute and spank the naughty Princess for sure!~
Much to his amazement, the overprotective governess didn't materialize. Pinky scanned the corridor. Maybe Coran would be the one to break up this rendezvous- it was usually one or the other, and it always happened that way on T.V. But nope, no Coran to be seen on the horizon, either, so Pinky happily returned to his surveillance of Keith and Allura.
The couple still stood as if frozen in place, each trying desperately not to check one another for signs of 'swelling'.
"I'm really very sorry," Keith began again.
"It's all right, these things happen," Allura replied quickly.
~No they don't!~ Pinky thought gleefully. ~ That was a bit of a blooper, Zort!~
"Ahem. You had a favor you wished to ask of me?" The Captain reminded her, doubly determined to make up for his clumsiness.
Allura suddenly smiled and her eyes began to sparkle once more. "Oh yes. There is something I need, and I..." She paused as the beeping of the communicator broke her train of thought.
To the on-looking rodent, Keith looked nervous, titillated and perturbed all at once.
"Come in, Commander," a disembodied voice crackled into the hall like a shot. "Keith, do you read? Are you there?"
Pinky sighed as he watched the Black Lion pilot reluctantly take the security call from Coran. ~I guess that's more like it. I was starting to wonder why they'd actually have a chance to smoochy- woochy. Zort!~
He watched Keith regretfully take his leave of the beautiful Princess and saw her yearning expression and her gaze follow the dashing Commander as he strode away.
"Someday, Keith." She murmured, and then slowly turned and strolled off in the opposite direction.
Pinky instantly decided to follow her. Maybe, just maybe he could cheer her up.
To be continued...