"Ya know, I hate that I agree with Keith, but I don't get why Voltron isn't enough to impress them either," Lance said. "I mean c'mon he's a giant robot that shoots lasers and swings around a big-ass sword!"

They were headed back to the Terrapin village. Nayni was adjusting the particle shield generator on her wrist. It was so tight her hand was starting to go numb. She was certain that the dusty blaster on her hip wasn't calibrated properly either. She'd done what she could but engineering wasn't exactly in her skill set. Their footfalls kicked up a cloud of white dust on the road behind them.

"I'm honestly surprised this issue didn't come up earlier," Coran said. "Voltron may have inspired hundreds of other systems to rebel against the Galra but we can't expect it to have the same effect on everyone. There's just no pleasing some people."

It was funny to hear that coming from Coran's mouth because he was remarkably gifted at pleasing people.

"Hopefully utilizing their cultural traditions will be enough to appease them," Allura said.

Coran had given specific instructions on how to act and what to say. He was going over the plan with Allura. Lance was by Nayni's side and she did not particularly like the look that he was giving her. It was going to take every ounce of her strength not to smack him across the face if he opened his mouth. It was inevitable though. She knew he couldn't resist making a snarky comment.

"So, you and Coran, huh?" Lance teased.

Maybe she'd find a way to accidentally get him killed during this gauntlet. Possibly something horribly painful. Allura would be very cross if Nayni allowed that to happen though.

"I'm glad you find this all so amusing. Truly your happiness is all I care about," Nayni said dryly.

Her sarcasm was emphasized by the stone cold scowl on her face.

"I think it's actually kind of cute," Lance said. "It's like something from a romance novel."

Nayni had to pause for a moment to let that sink in. She thought maybe she'd misheard the Blue Paladin but she, in fact, had not. Lance had just admitted to reading romance novels. The Earth versions of romance stories couldn't have been that drastically different from Altean ones. Nayni had devoured plenty of romantic teledramas and novels back in her day. By Altea, she actually had something in common with Lance.

"I expected something a bit more sassy to come out of your mouth," Nayni said.

There was no way she was going to actually admit to him that they shared an interest.

"Coran's been a good friend to me. It's nice seeing him happy," Lance admitted.

Her lover hadn't been wrong when he'd told her that there was much more to Lance than what was on the surface. Nayni expected more teasing from him and immature snickering, not this.

"He wasn't happy?" Nayni pried.

"Well, I mean he was good at looking like he was happy," Lance explained. "But we talked a lot about Altea and what his life used to be like. He was pretty devastated. I miss Earth too but it's still there. My family is still there. He didn't even have that going for him."

It was hard for Nayni to imagine Lance and Coran bonding like this. But she couldn't see him showing such vulnerability to the Princess. He must've felt an immense pressure to be strong for her. Nayni felt her guilt returning. She hadn't been there when she should've. She'd had no control over it but she still wanted to be there for him. This boy had been there for him in her absence though.

"Thank you for being there for him," Nayni said. "Truly."

Nayni watched Allura and Coran walking ahead of them as they came upon the cluster of red clay buildings. Lance's gaze darted over to the pair of Alteans and then he looked back at Nayni.

"You want some gossip, Nanny?" Lance said.

He was looking rather coy. She used to reprimand her Guardsmen for spreading rumors and talking behind the backs of their colleagues but when it came to anything involving Coran she was willing to devour up any morsel of information she could.

"We talked about you quite a bit," Lance said.

He was incredibly pleased with himself. Even after the events of last night Nayni was still rather overwhelmed to hear about this. The Terrapin Elder and his entourage were already approaching them. Nayni was blushing furiously but she needed to put on her game face. It was Allura who greeted the Terrapin this time. She beat her fist against her chest and held her head up high. Some of the other Terrapin had arrived clad in their stark grey battle armor. They seemed more than ready to try and coerce the lot of them to leave by force.

Nayni and Lance flanked Allura on either side of her. She exchanged a look with Coran. He wasn't displaying the concern on his face that she knew he was harboring. Nayni would have to ensure that they all returned without a scratch. The Elder's neck jiggled as he waddled over to them. His thick legs scraped along the dirt road. His one eye was boring right into them. He was not pleased to see them.

"Again you approach with no Lotor," The Elder seethed. "Do you wish to be crushed, squishy ones?"

The Terrapin guards stamped on the ground and held their gatling guns in position. They all whirred and buzzed as they started to charge up. If they opened fire, they'd all be ripped to shreds. Nayni readied herself to deploy the particle shield. It wouldn't do much against such heavy weapons though. Allura stepped forward. Her chest was puffed up and her eyes were narrowed with determination.

"As the leader of my people, I wish to attempt the ancient rite to join your tribe," Allura said.

The Princess projected her voice as loudly as she could. Her voice resonated with such strength that it gave Nayni chills.

"Once we pass your trial, you will compare sticks with us," Allura said.

The Elder looked to his entourage. He said nothing before he turned to them. They all huddled together and whispered in hushed tones. The wait during the private conference was a bit nerve-wracking. Coran had said this tradition was very old and didn't seem entirely sure what was going to happen. They could very well turn around and send them packing.

The Elder finally turned to face them again. His entourage looked upon them with all their beady eyes blinking. The Terrapin didn't have very expressive faces but they seemed to do an exponential amount of blinking.

"Tradition say we cannot refuse you," The Elder said.

Nayni wanted to let out a sigh of relief but it would ruin the show they were trying to put on.

"Even Lotor did not attempt the rite. You must be brave and have many big stick," The Elder went on.

He was hesitating. The Elder craned his neck around to look at the Terrapin behind him.

"Then let us begin," Allura said.

She looked like a triumphant warrior queen as she stared them all down. The Princess was giving a stellar performance. Nayni thought she saw Lance blushing out of the corner of her eye. A younger Terrapin shuffled forward. He was tapping his claws together as he bobbed his head up and down.

"Well, see—um-it's been a while since anyone's done this so-" The Terrapin began.

He looked to the Elder and he retracted his neck back into his shell a bit. The Elder stamped his gnarled staff on the ground and the younger Terrapin immediately stuck his head out higher.

"We don't have the old gauntlet anymore, it's been dismantled," The Terrapin explained. "But if you can make it through one of our training exercises that would be—um—sufficient."

Allura's shoulders sank. They'd gone into this thinking they were going to enter some ancient temple full of traps and mysterious monsters. Now they would just have to pass some stupid training exercise? This was a joke.

"If you would just—um-follow me?" The young Terrapin said.

He gestured for the three of them to follow him. Nayni looked to Coran one last time before they followed the Terrapin into the village. They acknowledged each other with a nod. It seemed that his plan might pay off. It might be much simpler then they'd been expecting too. Coran would still fret. It's was the only natural response he could have. Allura and Nayni were heading off into a situation where they could get hurt. And if what Lance had told her was true, Coran was probably worried about the boy too.

It was the height of summer on Altea. Allura had wanted to go to the beaches just as the 'normal children' did. The Princess had started becoming very conscious of what life was like for the average Altean. It wasn't as though Alfor had kept her locked away, he'd tried to expose her to many different lifeforms and cultures in the universe. But Allura had gotten wise enough to realize that the universe was made up of an incredible amount of just ordinary average people. These outings were stressful no matter how many times they'd made them and Nayni's ever-mounting emotional issues were doing nothing to alleviate that fact. Nayni was confident that she could protect the Princess no matter where they went on Altea but her constant state of fatigue had left her rather irritable.

Allura was nursing the last of her sweet icicle. When she'd been younger she would've smeared the red juices all over her face. The Princess still had stray droplets of juice that had made their way to her dress but that was nothing compared to how she used to be. They walked along the white marble walkway that looked out over the seashore. The aquamarine waves of the Great Easterly Sea where lapping at the yellow sands of the beach. Allura's gaze was glued to the horizon. She watched the tiny, white water skimmers fluttering up into the air and diving back down into the ocean.

Nayni found little joy in this. It was not the norm for her. The Princess had never failed to put a smile on Nayni's face even on her hardest days. Nayni just felt numb. Everything that she'd found some kind of satisfaction in had started to lose its effect on her. There were nights where sleep would never come and then there were days where she could do nothing but lie in bed. When sleep did come it was always torturous. Her dreams about Coran had evolved into something crueler.

She'd dream of them living together. They'd act as if they'd been together for years, cooking meals together and laughing about memories that hadn't actually happened. She'd wake in the middle of the night and be greeted to an empty bed and silence. The more intimate dreams she had in the past seemed so much less frustrating now. It was agony to live in the warmth of that dream life and to be forced to face the bitter reality day in and day out. They could never be.

As much as Nayni had tried to distance herself from him, Coran's grasp on her only grew more intense. Every time she saw him she felt this warmth and light digging deeper into her heart. She lived for the tiniest of acknowledgments. She thrived on the casual interactions they had at work. He seemed to have taken the hint from her previous actions though and had started to pull away as well. He was still so good to her. He was so kind and sweet. She hated it. She feared that he'd move on and would be disgusted that she felt that way.

Coran had every right to move on. She'd put up this barrier. She was the one shutting him out. If someone more beautiful came along, he deserved that. He deserved to have that shot at happiness. Nayni was too afraid to be with him. She was too afraid of all the possibilities that could be but she could not impose these fears on him. The idea of him kissing someone else or holding their hand or caressing their cheek; it made her sick with jealousy.

It was an endless loop of self-flagellation. Everything she'd done was a failure. It was Nayni who had put herself in this position. Coran was just being the gentleman that he'd always been and doing as she wished. She ached for their old talks. She longed to even smell him. If she had been strong enough to free herself from him then she could have her life back. She could completely focus on Allura and she would be perfectly content. No matter where she went or what she did, Nayni was haunted by that devilish grin of his.

Nayni watched Allura slip out of her shoes. The Princess scampered across the soft sands. The other Alteans along the shore would point and gasp with excitement when they saw her splashing in the briny waters. Nayni scooped up Allura's shoes and dusted off the sand. She watched Allura run along the damp sand, her silver hair whipping in the wind. Nayni thought about how calm of a death it would be to walk into those waves in the dark of night and never return. That was not an option. It could never be an option. As awful as it got, she had to be there for Allura. She could never leave that girl behind.

Allura had come running back to her without Nayni even noticing. This bothered the Guard Captain. She needed to be ever vigilant and she'd been letting her thoughts drift off far too much lately. There was no joy in Allura's face. Her little brown lips were drooped into a frown and her eyebrows were furrowed.

"Why have you been so sad, Nanny?" Allura asked.

That question made it feel like her heart was going to burst. Nayni sat down in the yellow sand. She patted the spot next to her but Allura lept in her lap instead. Allura was getting too big for this but Nayni didn't want to stop her. She missed having that little cuddle monster constantly latching on to her leg. It wouldn't be long before Allura would have outgrown this and she knew she'd really miss these days when that came to be.

"You don't need to fret about me, Princess," Nayni cooed. "You should be enjoying your outing."

Nayni wasn't going to impose her problems on this precious child. It wasn't Allura's burden to bear.

"But you seem so sick," Allura pressed. "You're always so tired and sometimes you just stare off into nothingness."

She didn't like to hear about this. She didn't like to think that it was so noticeable. Allura was not going to let this go without some kind of explanation. She was already far too empathetic and wise for a child her age.

"Sometimes we just get sad, Princess," Nayni explained. "It happens to a lot of people for a lot of different reasons."

Allura didn't need to know Nayni's reasons. Nayni dipped her gloved hand into the sand and watched the grains run down between her fingers.

"Father gets sad sometimes," Allura confessed. "He tells me its because he misses my mother."

This was the first time that Allura had ever brought up her mother. Nayni had been bracing herself for this moment as soon as she'd taken on the job. It finally had come after all these years. Allura toyed with the ends of her hair as she spoke.

"He takes me to go pick flowers and he tells me stories about her," Allura said. "It makes him smile and he feels much better."

Nayni knew about these secret outings but it had never been any of her business. If the King dismissed her she did as she was ordered.

"I want you to feel better too, Nanny," Allura said.

A wave crashed into the shore. The green foam crept up along the beach and tickled their toes. Nayni felt her boots get cold and soggy but she didn't really care. Allura wrapped her arms around Nayni's neck and squeezed her tightly. Her silver hair smelt of the sea and fresh flowers. Nayni patted her back gently.

"I love you so much, Nanny, I don't want to see you sad anymore," Allura said.

Nayni had to hold back the tears from spilling out. This girl was the only thing keeping her from the brink. She couldn't keep doing this. She had to be strong for Allura. She couldn't keep letting her love for Coran eat away at her. She couldn't let her fear and despair consume every last bit of strength that she possessed.

"I love you too, Little Lurie," Nayni said.

She planted a little kiss on top of the Princess's head.

Two Terrapin soldiers were working a control panel at the entrance to the training grounds. The imposing black steel door was a stark contrast to the pink and white cliffs that surrounded them. The facility was massive and dome-shaped. The thick walls were studded with short, fat spikes. It didn't look particularly inviting. The blistering heat from the red Terrapin sun had thick globs sweat running down Nayni's back. She really desperately needed another set of clothes to wear. The trek to the training facility had left the three them coated with a thin layer of pink dust. Nayni imagined Lance and Allura were probably sweltering under all that Paladin armor.

The massive set of doors slid open and then closed abruptly again.

"Don't set it to Level Ten," One of the soldiers snapped. "Our best warriors can't even handle Level Five."

The two soldiers looked over to the trio and then back to the panel.

"We'll do Level Ten," The other soldier replied. "Did you see what Voltron did? They can handle Level Ten."

It seemed that the other Terrapin didn't harbor the same opinion as their Elder did. They typed into their control panel yet again with their long claws. The imposing steel doors slid open. There wasn't much to be seen in the dark chamber that was stretched out beyond them. Cold air spilled out of the open chasm along with swirls of grey mist.

"Retrieve the payload," The Terrapin soldier said.

He gestured rather unenthusiastically toward the dark chasm.

"Uh-what payload?" Lance asked.

The two Terrapin exchanged looks again.

"In there." The soldier said.

He again gestured to the chasm. Well, it appeared that they weren't going to give them much more information to work with. Nayni toyed with the blaster at her hip. Allura led the way into the chamber. Nayni felt a shiver run down her spine once they entered the frigid air. The doors slammed shut behind them. The sound echoed down the long chasm. Dim white lights flickered on. They continued to tick on down the length of the hallway. It looked as if it reached on forever.

The halls seemed to be completely empty. All that they could see were their reflections in the sleek black walls. The only noise they could hear was the sound of their own breathing. Allura clutched onto her blue bayard and took a step forward. As soon as the tip of her boot touched the floor a rain of red laser fire poured down on them. Allura scrambled backward and the lasers ceased firing. Nayni tried to deploy her particle shield. It flickered a few times and nothing happened. She smacked the strap on her wrist and it finally deployed.

"Well, we're off to a good start aren't we?" Nayni sighed.

Lance deployed his shield and charged forward. He was met with even more laser fire then Allura had. It ripped right through his shield and he jumped back to them. The chamber fell silent again. Smoke rose up from the charred marks that the laser fire had left behind.

"Is everyone from Earth that stupid or is it just you?" Nayni snapped.

Lance got back to his feet and redeployed his particle shield.

"Look, Nanny, I know you're not my biggest fan but if we're gonna get through this we've got to work together," Lance said.

He had a point, she couldn't deny that. Allura typed into the console on her wrist and deployed her particle shield.

"Set the shield strength to maximum," Allura said. "And we're just gonna have to make a run for it."

It wasn't exactly a solid plan but it was what they had. Lance typed into the panel on his wrist. Nayni tried fiddling with her's and her shield flickered out again. She was starting to wonder if she would, in fact, die on this little mission. That would be most disappointing especially since she had finally gotten around to bedding Mister Smythe. They tried to position themselves around each other so they could cover themselves from all sides. Their back was still completely exposed.

They charged forward. The red lasers exploded everywhere. They rounds ricocheted off of the walls in every direction. They had to keep running. Nayni could barely keep up with them. Every hit that bounced off of her shield was a gamble. She wasn't sure how long it would hold. They continued to push forward with Allura at the lead.

Allura stumbled as the floor in front of her fell away, leaving nothing but an open pit before them. Allura's chain whip flew out and wrapped around one of the turrets on the ceiling. She swung across the pit and landed gracefully on the other side. Lance leaped across the gap. His legs flailed through the air. He grabbed on to the edge of the floor. He scrambled up the side of the pit. There was no way Nayni was making that jump.

Her particle shield was starting to flicker again. If she didn't at least try to get across she was going to be nothing but a pile of ash on the floor. She made a run for it. Her shield fizzled out just as she made the leap. She was falling too quickly though. She wasn't going to be able to reach the ledge to grab it. Lance held out his hand. She was barely able to grab it.

"I got you, Nanny, don't worry!" Lance assured.

She started to slip out of his grasp. He tried to grab onto her with his other hand. He was still struggling to hold on.

"Nevermind, you're way heavier than I thought," Lance grunted.

He'd just called her fat. It was quite rude of him. Allura wrapped her arms around his waist and tried pulling them both back. Lance looked a little flushed. They pulled Nayni up over the edge. The laser fire had stopped but they knew it couldn't be over yet. Three massive turrets rose from the floor. Their barrels aimed for the three of them. They threw up their shields and crouched to the ground just as the turrets started to unload their cannons.

Every blast from the cannons made them slide back just a little bit. If they didn't push forward soon they would fall down that pit. A blast slammed into the ground next to them and left a pillar of smoke in its wake.

"I don't think we'll be running through this one, Lurie," Nayni said.

Another round slammed into their shields and they slipped back again.

"Maybe I can take 'em out," Lance said. "Shoot 'em in a weak spot."

The heavily armored turrets turned and fired another barrage at them.

"If you're going to try something, I suggest you do it now!" Allura shouted.

The Princess and Nayni propped their shields in front of him. Lance poked the barrel of his rifle out from between them. He kept trying to line up a shot but another barrage slammed into their shields. It pushed them so far back that Lance's foot nearly slipped over the ledge. The turrets began to whir and clank as they reloaded. Lance took his shot. When the round hit its mark the first turret exploded. Lance ducked behind their shields as shrapnel flew everywhere.

The jagged pieces of metal slammed into the other turrets triggering another set of explosions. They watched as the bright flashes bounced down the hallway. The chamber rumbled as the explosions thundered along throughout it. The lights on the ceiling popped and shattered. Glass and debris rained down on them. When the chaos finally ceased they peeked out over the tops of their shields.

Whatever Lance had hit had set off the entire facility. Explosions had ripped through the thick walls. Jagged warped steal ran the full length of the chamber. The walls and floors were smoking and scarred from the destruction. Allura coughed and tried to wave some of the black smoke away from her face. Nayni turned off her shield and looked the Blue Paladin up and down. He just flashed her a wink.

"And that's why I'm the sharpshooter," Lance declared.

He'd made their task significantly easier but she still wanted to punch him in the face. They made their way down the hallway. They jumped over the blown up portions of the floor. Twisted remnants of hidden traps poked out from the now exposed sections of the wall. It was much easier to get down the hallway now that the only thing opposing them were piles of smoldering metal. Lance was right on Allura's heels as they wound their way through the maze of destruction. He'd impressed Nayni today. She didn't like admitting it but it was the truth. It had been a combination of dumb luck and his own skill but Nayni wasn't sure she would've been able to pull that off herself.

They finally reached the end of the hallway. They were met with a set of clear thick glass doors. The room beyond was painted a soft and pleasant blue and had plush green carpet laid out on the floor. Toys were strewn everywhere and a baby Terrapin sat in the middle of it all. It babbled and bounced around. Its shell was still soft and underdeveloped. The glass looked like it had barely been touched. It was charred along the edge of the floor but there wasn't a single crack through it.

"Is that the payload? It's so cute!" Allura cried.

Nayni scowled. She stared at the squirming babe on the floor and wrinkled her nose.

"If it poops on me, we're killing it," Nayni said.

A grand bonfire was roaring in the center of the Terrapin village. The orange glow illuminated the faces of the Paladins and the villagers. The night sky was draped over the desert landscape like a thick blanket. The air was filled with the scent of the burning wood. The crackling of the fire was drowned out by the sound of the excited chatter among the villagers. Hunk was stuffing his face with some of the local delicacies that had been prepared. Pidge and her brother had run off to examine the structure of a Terrapin soldier's armor, very much so against his will. Lance was chatting up Allura while Shiro sat by the Elder's side. Keith and the Blades were nowhere to be seen.

Nayni stared at the plate of food in her hands. It was filled with strange vegetables that she had never seen before. Some of them resembled the cacti that were scattered about the desert but they'd been stripped of their spines and charred slightly. She lifted up one of the leaves and sniffed it nervously.

"It's really not that bad, you should try it," Coran said.

He sat down next to her. She was covered with dust and soot. Strands of her messy hair were flittering in the breeze. He still looked pristine, like a jewel. He looked very nice by the light of the fire. She'd spent a good deal of time thinking about what she'd do to him in front of a fireplace. This wasn't exactly the prime opportunity for such things though. She rather not have an audience for that.

"Your plan seems to have worked out quite nicely," Nayni said.

She took a bite out of the cactus. The green juice ran down her chin. It was rather regrettable. She wiped it away on her sleeve and looked to him sheepishly. He had been right, it really wasn't that bad.

"It's a shame Keith isn't here for the celebration," Coran said. "He insisted that he remain on the Blades ship and keep an eye out for the Galra fleet. There's never a moment to rest for that one."

Nayni looked to Allura. The Princess seemed quite content to sit with her comrades and share the tales of their glory with the Terrapin Elder. She'd grown into quite the diplomat.

"I used to be that way," Nayni sighed. "But I don't really need to tell you that."

She slipped her hand into his. It was quite a thrill for her. The firelight illuminated the lines of his face and his prominent nose. He'd only grown more distinguished looking as he'd aged.

"You've got to savor moments like these, they don't come very often anymore," Coran said.

She desperately wished she'd given herself the chance to have more of these moments in the past but it was impossible to go back. Nayni wanted to cuddle up next to him in front of the fire but she was still a bit hesitant to do that in front of the Paladins. It was hard to undo the rigid programming that had been instilled in her by the Royal Guard.

"Now that we've got the Terrapin to join the Coalition we should have no issue holding off that Galra Fleet," Nayni said. "Though, Lotor's absence is a bit troubling."

It didn't sit right with her. She took another bite of her cactus, taking care not to make a fool of herself this time.

"Let's refrain from talking business for one night," Coran said.

If they didn't talk business than there was the high probability that he'd get her flustered.

"I've got a rather burning question," Coran said.

He gestured to the fire and winked.

"Get it? Do you get it?" Coran said.

She hated that it made her laugh but she got it. He could be an idiot sometimes but he was her idiot now. She took one last bite of her cactus and chewed it slowly.

"What's eating at you, Mister Smythe?" Nayni teased with a mouthful of mushy cactus.

He threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. She loved watching the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he did that. She set her plate of food aside and scooted a bit closer to him.

"You really wanted to dance with me at that ball didn't you?" Coran asked.

Her comment last night must've really stuck in his head. He was scheming up something. She could tell by the way he was looking at her.

"I did but there isn't much to be done about that now is there?" Nayni said.

He just smirked and twirled the end of his mustache between his fingers. There was definitely more to his question but she wasn't going to press him about it.

"No, no you're right," Coran said. "No point in worrying about it now."

She didn't believe a word coming out of his mouth. He was not the best liar in the world. He draped an arm around her. She was a bit nervous at first but it didn't take her long to relax. She rested her head on his shoulder. They watched the flicker of the flames as they licked at the cold night air. He was worth fighting for. She'd protect this man until her very last breath. Coran radiated more warmth than the bonfire in front of them. He had a habit of stealing away all her fears now. After losing everything they ever knew, they had to hold onto each other. Nayni could've lost him and by some magnificent twist of fate, she'd been delivered right back into his arms.

Nayni caught Allura's gaze from the other side of the fire. The Princes was covering her mouth with her hands, trying to hide the wide grin on her face. Her eyes seemed to glitter in the light of the fire. Coran leaned over and kissed Nayni on the cheek. The bodyguard's ears flushed. It looked as if Allura was holding in a squeal. She grabbed Lance by the arm and shook him as she excitedly started gossipping with him. There was no hiding it now. She was too exhausted to care. Nayni looked up to Coran. There was a twinkle in his eye.

He leaned over and she could feel his breath tickling her neck.

"Shall we retire for the evening?" Coran whispered.

Nayni smiled.

"Most definitely," Nayni said.