"This was supposed to be a training exercise!" Shirley shrieked as Voltron ducked underneath the swing of their foe.
The day before…
"Not again, Suzaku, cut it out!"
Kallen blinked as she approached the Black Lion's main hangar in the castle. She had found a note on her bed to meet there when she had come out of the shower. As she got closer, a wave of déjà vu flowed over her at the sound of Lelouch's voice.
"Sorry, Lelouch, Milly's orders."
"Just hold still, Lelouch. If you do, this will be over sooner! And it's not even half bad," Rai's voice sounded as Kallen turned the corner and entered.
"Urgh, easy for you to say! This is ridiculous!"
"Hey, come on, Lelouch, you put the costume on! You've got to have a complete look!"
"The only reason I'm wearing this Rivalz is that somehow all my clothes mysteriously disappeared after I got back from showering! All except for this!" Lelouch glared at Milly, who just looked away and hummed innocently.
She blinked as she saw Lelouch being pinned down by Suzaku and Rivalz, and Rai was holding a marker over Lelouch's head, attempting to draw something on his face. She did a double-take when she noticed that the four boys were wearing one-piece cat costumes, each in the color of their Lions, complete with hoods with cat ears on top. She could only see Rai's face and saw that his nose had been colored brown with black whiskers on his cheeks. Milly and Shirley stood to the side, giggling at Lelouch's predicament. They wore tight, long-sleeved leotards with cat ear headbands and knee-high socks. They were yellow and orange to match their Lions. C.C. was also there, wearing a white cat outfit like the others. Kallen then noticed that all seven of the Lions were sitting around them in a circle. How they got there, she wasn't sure…
Milly turned to Kallen when she noticed her entering.
"Good meowning, Kallen!"
"Good morning, I guess. What's going on?" Kallen muttered, still looking confused as everyone turned to see her.
"Kallen! I command you to rescue me from this!" Lelouch shouted.
"Oh, it's our Naming Party for the Lions!" Shirley informed her, ignoring Lelouch's protests.
"Naming Party?" she asked.
"Yeah! Didn't Prez tell you? We know that you and Rai already did it, but we're trying to come up with names for our Lions too," Rivalz said.
"And… you're dressed up as cats because…?"
"Milly said it was to help us 'get in tune with the Lions' better," Suzaku laughed.
"We've had nothing to do the past couple of days due to Allura still recovering, so we might as well have a little fun," Milly shrugged.
"We set a costume aside for you too," Shirley said, pulling a red cat costume down from Aka's paw, with a headband to match. "Here, I hope we got your size right."
"How did you get your hands on these?" Kallen asked as she took the costume and saw that it was identical to Milly and Shirley's, save the color.
"The Princess was more than happy to lend them some older dresses for them to work with," C.C. said.
"Wait, you made these?" Kallen asked, holding the leotard up in front of her.
"Well, Shirley helped a little," the Yellow Paladin shrugged, "and as I said, we had some extra time on our hands."
"Come on! Get changed so we can get started, Kallen!" Rivalz exclaimed as he held Lelouch's face still as Rai carefully applied eyeliner. Seeing no room to argue, Kallen complied and returned ten minutes later in her leotard.
"All right! Now's the fun part! I do hope you've all been thinking of names lately. It's time to see what ones your Lion like best!" Milly cheered.
Since Kallen and Rai had already named their Lions, they were allowed to just sit out and watch. Though they were also allowed to give their input as well.
"Well, what name are you thinking of for the Yellow Lion, Milly?" Suzaku asked.
"I'm glad you asked Suzaku. I've narrowed it down to two so far. I was thinking of Maeraka or Stella. What do you think?" she asked the Paladins and her Lion.
"Stella? That's a bit cliché, isn't it?" Rai asked from his position on Zerith's paw.
"On the contrary, Stella is actually Latin for 'star,'" Milly explained.
"And what does Maeraka mean?" Rivalz asked.
"I believe it's 'battle' in Arabic, correct?" C.C. asked.
"Yep!" Milly nodded.
"I personally like Maeraka more than Stella," Suzaku said.
Milly jumped a little as she felt her Lion purr behind her, quite fond of the name herself.
"All right, Maeraka, it is then!" she smiled back.
This pattern continued for the rest of the group as well. Rivalz shot out various names, such as Calypso, Sheila, Nori, Cassie (short for Cassiopeia), Miranda, and even Ariel. But for the friendliest Lion, the Blue Lion was being surprisingly picky about what name she wanted.
"Man! I'm starting to run out!" he exclaimed, sounding a little frustrated, "Um… I have Hailey, Aurora, Polaris-"
The Blue Lion suddenly roared when he said 'Polaris,' making Rivalz drop the list he'd made.
"Oh! You like Polaris? All right then, that's your name then!"
Suzaku already had his name ready. Yoru. It meant 'night' in his native language. The Purple Lion liked it a lot and accepted her new title.
Shirley was struggling with her name a little. She had wanted to name her Lion after a flower or something else involving the earth. However, none of them seemed to fit the heavily armored Lion.
"You could try Zinnia," C.C. suggested.
"Zinnia?" Shirley asked.
"Oh yeah!" Rai agreed, "it's those bright orange flowers. They bloom shortly after being planted and usually stay in bloom for much longer than most flowers. Because of that, one of the things they symbolize is endurance, but it also stands for lasting affection and daily remembrance."
"How do you know that?" Kallen asked incredulously.
Rai blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I may or may not have camped out in the library for a couple of nights and read every informational book I could get my hands on back at Ashford. And one of them happened to be on the symbolism of flowers. I figured if I don't remember who I am, I might as well learn everything I can about the world, right?"
Kallen nodded with a shrug. Everyone else seemed to accept that answer as well.
Before Shirley could even suggest the name, she felt the familiar nudge in her mind and an affectionate purr of approval. Zinnia was the Orange Lion's moniker now.
"All right, last but not least, Lulu," Milly smiled, turning to the Black Paladin, "what fantastic name have you thought of for the Black Lion here?"
"Well," Lelouch said, "considering that the Black Lion is the head of Voltron, and the head of this rebellion, I thought of this one. Zenobia."
"Zen-what now?" Rivalz cocked his head.
"Zenobia. On Earth, she was known as the Rebel Queen of Syria. During her reign in the third century, she waged war against East Roman forces and drove them back enough to allow her country to annex Egypt. Though she remained subordinate to Rome, she did attempt to make her son the current Emperor's successor. Though the coup failed, she's still known today as a cultural and intellectual monarch and has many tales and legends in her wake. So, Zenobia, or Zen for short."
Lelouch felt the Black Lion consider it for a minute before he felt an approving growl in his mind, and he genuinely smiled at her. "Then, it will be an honor to keep flying with you, Zen."
"Yay! Party objective accomplished!" Milly cheered as the other Paladins laughed.
"Man! That was fun!" Rivalz said, falling on his back from where he was sitting. "You know, giving the Lions their own names makes them more alive in a way you?"
"Understandable," C.C. said, "when one has a name, it gives them an identity. In a way, it gives them another reason to be alive."
"Speaking of names, no offense C.C., but what kind of name is C.C. anyway?" Rai asked.
"Well, why are you 'Rai,' Rai?" C.C. asked.
"Huh?" the Green Paladin asked.
"What do you mean?" Shirley asked.
"Is this really a time for a philosophy lesson, C.C.?" Lelouch asked, though he was curious why she called herself that as well.
"What I mean is, for example, you, Lelouch. You changed your family surname to 'Lamperouge,' but you kept 'Lelouch,' the name that was given to you at birth. How sentimental, you just can't let go of the past, it seems."
"Yeah, well, doesn't 'C.C.' swing to the other extreme? It's not even a human name," Lelouch countered.
"Well… let me ask you all this then. Do you know why snow is white?" C.C. asked.
Everyone in the room paused, not understanding what C.C. meant. The snow was always white; that's just the way it was.
Seeing they didn't know the answer, she replied, "Snow is white because it's forgotten what color it's supposed to be."
"Huh? Wait, are you saying that-"
"You all look like you've been having fun."
The Paladins jumped at the sudden amused voice from the hall that interrupted Kallen. Coran stood in the corridor, amusement sparkling in his jeweled eyes.
"Just finished naming the Lions," Shirley smiled nervously.
"I see that," the advisor laughed, "and as much as I hate to break up this little party, I'm afraid I have to. I suggest you all get dressed in your uniforms. We're going on a trip!"
"A trip? Where are we going?" Rivalz asked.
"Is there anything we can get you before we leave, Princess?" Coran asked. He and the rest of Team Voltron were crowded around Allura's bed as the princess was lying down for a rest. C.C. was there as well, having fully recovered from the rejuvenation ceremony three days ago.
"Coran, I am fine. I needn't be doted upon like a-" as the princess attempted to sit up, a ripple of pain spasmed down her back, causing her to lie down again. "...All right, perhaps I am a bit off-color."
"Returning life to an entire Balmera is nothing to sneeze at," Coran said anxiously.
"You should take your time and rest up," Suzaku agreed, "we'll only be gone for about a day or two anyway."
"And where are you going again?" Allura asked.
It had been three days since Balmera X-95 Vox had been liberated. Three days since Lelouch introduced his alter ego, Zero, to the known universe. The strategy of causing uprisings and rebellions seemed to slowly be working. Just yesterday, the team had received news that several resistance groups that had almost lost hope and given up were rising again and joining Voltron in their fight against the Galra. This news pleased Lelouch immensely. Voltron's job was a little easier with so many groups beginning to fight. It gave them the time to focus on other things, like training.
"Coran says he's going to take us to some sort of training grounds," Rivalz said, hands on his hips.
"Yeah, it sounds exciting," Kallen agreed.
"Yeah, relax, Princess, you won't be missing anything. Nothing at all," Milly purred mischievously with a wink.
Allura groaned at Milly's antics, "Now I am ill."
"I still don't understand why I'm not coming with you," C.C. said with a small frown.
"You're still recovering yourself, C.C.," Lelouch said, "and someone needs to stay behind to help Allura. We don't know if the Galra will attack again,"
C.C. scoffed, "So I'm a glorified babysitter now? Fine."
"Lelouch, why aren't you wearing your Zero outfit?" Shirley asked.
"Well, seeing this is just a training mission, I don't think it's necessary, is all," the Black Paladin answered.
"Oh, okay," she shrugged.
"So Coran, what is this place you're taking us?" Rai asked as the seven Paladins departed in their Lions, Coran riding in Zen with Lelouch.
"The Karthulian System, the ancient training grounds of the original Paladins. The planets there have a variety of extreme natural environments to test your piloting skills," Coran said as they began to approach a cluster of planets. One looked white while another looked similar to Earth. Another looked more yellow, and the other looked similar to Mercury in their own Solar System.
"The volcanic world of Yendalian is continually exploding, requiring lightning-fast reflexes to survive its deadly blasts.
"The sweeping blizzards on ice planet Bluve will force you to fly blind as you try to maneuver through the blue crystal spires.
"Then there are the shifting sands of Niloofar. High winds create moving columns-living obstacle courses.
"Weaving through the rainforest of Griezian Sur at high speed is hard enough, but avoiding the constant barrages of the Muldoks is nearly impossible.
"The labyrinthine caves of Talwar Six were created by giant space wombeasts before they began their mating cycle migration four million years ago. You've never seen hairpin turns 'til you've seen a wombeast tunnel!"
"Sounds great! Where should we start?" Suzaku asked enthusiastically.
"Down there!" Coran said as they came closer to a smaller planet that was a dusty brown color. Right below them was what appeared to be a massive whirlwind.
"What's down there? Some kind of mud tornado?" Kallen asked.
"Looks like a rust storm," Rai said.
"No, it's a gravy halo," Coran corrected as they flew into the storm. There was little to no turbulence as they descended. Down below the halo was a small collection of buildings, the biggest one situated right in the middle of them, and spaceships of all sizes surrounding them like a disorganized parking lot.
"A gravy halo?" Rivalz asked, feeling saliva building in his mouth, "I didn't think those would exist until I got to heaven!"
"If you mean a place that serves breaded turtle scallions by the dozens, then this might be heaven!" Coran said with a smile and a reminiscing look in his eyes.
Suddenly, from down below, the Paladins saw a giant alien smash another alien right through the towering stone walls.
"Or if you go in there, heaven might be your next stop," Shirley said nervously as the Lions landed lightly outside the building.
Lelouch frowned, smelling something fishy as they all disembarked their Lions, "Coran, where are you taking us?"
"The Fripping Bulgogian!" Coran exclaimed as he ran up to the large building. Now that they were all closer, they could see a giant neon sign in a different language, and a picture of an alien getting whacked on the head with a mallet above a large stone door. A large, muscular, grey alien was standing outside, almost acting like a guard for the place. Despite this, though, he didn't seem overly concerned at the Paladins, presence. This place likely got many shifty people coming in and out to act so aloof around them.
"What is it?" Kallen asked as they approached the door.
"Only the best nunvillary in the fourteen tangents!" Coran grinned. Milly and Shirley both shivered as they remembered that disgusting beverage.
"Uh, it looks a bit dangerous," Rivalz muttered nervously as they were all herded inside.
"This has always been a favorite Paladin hangout. It's not dangerous," Coran reassured them.
At the sound of another crash, the Paladins turned to see another alien go flying outside.
"We just saw someone get thrown out of a window!" Shirley gasped.
"Oh, that's not a window. The air inside is so greasy that you can just see through the walls," Coran said matter-of-factly as if taking them on a museum tour.
Inside looked like a scene taken straight out of Star Wars. It seemed uncannily similar to the Mos Eisley Cantina on the fictional planet of Tatooine. A large variety of robust and unusual aliens were sitting around many large tables, drinking what they could assume was this place's version of alcohol. Some were even arm wrestling.
"Follow me. I want to show you something," Coran motioned more towards the back of the building.
"The meat they serve here must be tender. A lot of these things don't even have teeth," Milly observed.
As they moved more towards the area Coran was talking about, the Paladins couldn't help but notice the strange looks they got from the aliens surrounding them. They knew there were probably some planets and species that didn't have the technology yet to hear Zero's big entry speech. Therefore, they couldn't tell if they were being stared at because they were the Paladins or because they simply stood out due to being… well, human.
"I can't tell if he's smiling or snarling," Kallen whispered as they passed by two multi-eyed, beaked aliens.
"That one does!" Shirley whispered back, openly spooked.
"That's a Tronagan. They're always smarling," Coran cheerfully informed them, "They're happiest being angry."
Finally, Coran approached a reasonably large table near the back, but three aliens were already seated there. Two were male; one was large and muscular, while the other was smaller. But both looked pretty sinister. The other had a female wearing a fancy scarlet dress with a pink feather boa.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, but I believe you're at our table," Coran said authoritatively, approaching the trio with a frown.
The giant alien, who also had a row of sharp teeth, growled at the advisor, slamming an empty keg down, "I'm sittin' here now, mustache. That makes it my table."
The alien growled some more, hoping to get Coran to back off, but the Altean stayed planted in place. The Paladins couldn't help but shift nervously as they didn't want to start a scene with this.
"Okay, okay, wh-why don't we just order some crab puffs and talk about it, huh?" Rivalz suggested, hoping to pacify the situation.
"Oh, I beg to differ, but if you'll just check right here," Coran placed his finger on the table, leaning reasonably close to the alien's face. The group then saw that his finger was on top of a name inscribed on the tabletop in Altean. "See what it says here? Alfor. Names in red, green, blue, yellow, orange, purple, and black. Seven assigned seats and none of them is for you."
"Yeah? Who's they for?" the alien asked, he and his companions standing up threateningly. Lelouch groaned. He did not want to make a scene.
Suzaku had walked up behind Coran to pull the advisor away when a low, booming voice stopped everyone in their tracks.
"The Paladins of Voltron!"
The muscular alien jumped, and panic flickered in his vision. Coran's eyes also widened momentarily before he smirked victoriously.
"Wuh-oh. Time to cheese it, fellas," the giant alien said as he and his companions promptly fled the scene.
"Well, I'll be a wabble's plonk! Kythylian Mu!" Coran exclaimed as a giant, armadillo-looking alien trekked towards them. He towered over Coran and had sky blue scales over his skin and a long muscular tail. On his back were smaller pink creatures that were possibly babies. Kythylian was also wearing a dark blue jacket and a utility belt. Despite his intimidating appearance, the alien jovially hugged the Altean as he came up to him.
"Ha, ha! Coran, Coran, the Gamblin' Man," Kythylian laughed as he released him.
"Is that Karvallian there?" Coran asked, gesturing to one of the pink babies on Kythylian's shoulder, "Last time I saw him, he was just a little grimble."
"Yeah, they grow up fast," Kythylian said, "How long's it been?"
"Ten thousand years."
"Ten thousand years? My, my, where does it go?"
Coran turned to the Paladins, who were watching the interaction curiously. "This is Kythylian Mu. Entrepreneur, raconteur, nunvill aficionado, and the current Mu of this quadrant," he said as he introduced the sizeable blue alien.
"Pleased to meet ya," the Mu said.
"Oh, Kythylian, let me introduce you to the new Paladins of Voltron," Coran motioned to the humans watching the foreign exchange. "This is Kallen, Rai, Rivalz, Milly, Shirley, Suzaku, and Lelouch."
"Wait, this… the little one is over ten thousand years old?!" Kallen asked, spotting Karvallian on Kythylian's shoulder.
"Kallen, the Mu typically live over a hundred thousand years before they convert to their gaseous phase," Coran informed, which Kallen blinked in shock.
"Unless they eat the pepper-fried wokfrat here. Then it comes on a little quicker," Kythylian laughed.
Kythylian took a second to really look over the new team, seeing how young they all seemed compared to the last group of Paladins.
"Kind of scrawny, ain't they?" he asked, noting Rivalz's height in particular.
"Hey!" the Blue Paladin exclaimed, sounding offended.
"Well, they just started," Coran said with a grin, "I haven't put them through all their training yet."
"I don't care how much training they get. Nothing can prepare them for that Paladin Lunch you cook up," Kythylian grinned.
"I know, right?" Milly laughed, remembering the lunch from the first few days. Too bad they never actually ate it.
"It builds muscle and character! Anyway, we're here to run the planet-course in the Lions," Coran informed the Mu.
The Mu's face suddenly shifted from jovial to threatening, "Yeah? 'Cause when I was informed you was coming back to the Bul, I assumed it was to lay our unfinished business to rest. Or am I mistook?"
Lelouch, sensing the sudden tension, decided to try and pacify it with a question of his own, "What exactly does it mean to be the Mu of this quadrant?"
Kythylian grinned as if pleased to hear the interest in his kind when he answered, "The Mu is kind of a family organization. We make sure things in a territory are run a certain way," Lelouch noted that they were basically space viceroys. "Standards are kept," the Mu suddenly leaned closer to Coran, narrowing his eyes, "debts are paid in a timely fashion."
Coran blinked until realization appeared suddenly in his eyes, "Oh, sorry, I was in cryosleep for ten thousand years. I completely forgot!"
"Forget what?" Suzaku asked.
"Coran used to be a pretty big supporter of the Melgregian Fitzers," Kythylian explained.
"Best Humple Tug Team on the sprat!" Coran boasted, "Whatever happened to Ig Crater? He would really welt the haver."
"Killed by Zarkon," Kythylian informed him regrettably.
"Oh," Coran sighed.
"Pretty much the whole league got executed when the Galra Empire attacked Ultimate Conflux Twenty-Three. Anywho, Coran was pretty sure the ol' Fitzers were gonna be Humple Tug Champs. So much so that he put down five Altean Crown Bills on the match."
"Ah, well. I think I might have that here in my pocket… Here! Five Groggeries," Coran held up the bills to the Mu to take. The Mu just looked at the money with almost pity.
"Well, that's a start. There's just a few problems. One, these bills are worthless. The whole universe runs on GAC these days."
"Uh… GAC?" Shirley asked.
"'Galra Authorized Currency,'" Kythylian explained briefly, "Two, you owed me five bills ten thousand years ago. But that's compounded weekly, plus the juice has been running, then if you adjust for inflation… Well, let's just say if I impounded all the Lions in the parking lot and sold them to Zarkon at double what they're worth, it'd still be less than what you owe me now."
That explained everything. It was the face Lelouch saw all too often when nobles didn't have the money to pay him when he cleaned them out at chess. Though there was that one time when…
"But Kythylian… can't we just let this one slide? For old time's sake?" Coran asked anxiously, backing away slightly.
"Aw, Coran, you know…" Kythylian placed a hand on his shoulder before one of the younger mus snatched Coran off his feet and lugged him up onto Kythylian's shoulder, "...lettin' things slide ain't the Mu way."
The Paladins snapped into action, drawing their bayards while Lelouch readied his Geass, attempting to catch the Mu's eye, "Put him down!"
But the Mu was undoubtedly smarter than he looked because as he towered over Lelouch, he made sure not to make eye contact, looking just below his nose. "No," he growled.
"If you hurt him…"
"You gonna do what?" Kythylian interrupted Kallen, sounding amused, "Cut me open with your Bayard? Leave me oozing out my last on these greasy boards like a tossed out glob of urk cheese? Heh, heh, I already knew that."
"He wants something," Rai said with a frown.
"As a matter of fact, I do. Something that nobody's been able to get as long as I've been around. Something worth so much I'd give you three Coran's for it, if'n he wasn't just one of a kind," Kythylian said with a sneer.
"What is it?" Lelouch spat.
"A Yalexian Pearl." the Mu said.
"What?!" Cora squawked, "That's impossible!"
"For the Paladins of Voltron?" Kythylian laughed, "Nothin's impossible for these thunderbolts."
"Where do we get one?" Milly asked.
"Hear one's about ready to pop on planet Krell. Not too far from here," the Mu said.
"It's too dangerous! Save yourselves! The Yalex is a horrifying monster! It's unstoppable!" Coran exclaimed.
"Coran, that's just stinkin' thinkin'. Just 'cause somethin' never has been stopped don't mean it can't be stopped. How are these kids gonna fight Zarkon if you're feedin' 'em that kind of negativity?"
"Don't worry, Coran. We'll beat it," Suzaku reassured him.
"That's the old Paladin spirit! Now you got one week. Bring me that pearl…" he pointed over his shoulder, "...and I'll give you this one."
"Well, our training mission is off to a great start," Kallen quipped sarcastically as the Paladins flew off in their Lions.
"Seriously! We lost Coran and didn't get a single breaded turtle scallion!" Rivalz complained, causing the others to cringe. Rivalz and his priorities sometimes...
Soon the team came up to their destination. A medium-sized planet mainly consisting of rolling hills and rocky terrain. There was barely any plant life insight.
"Well, this is Krell," Lelouch confirmed from the star map in Zen.
"Not exactly a vacation wonderland," Milly observed.
"Rai, see if you can rig your scanners to find whatever kind of killer beast this Yalex is," Lelouch ordered.
"Copy," the Green Paladin replied as he adjusted some of Zerith's controls.
"I'm picking up multiple large-scale life forms on the planet," Suzaku informed everyone, "Very few humanoids, though."
"Probably because they're inside the large-scale life forms," Lelouch replied dryly.
"Wait, there's a settlement up ahead," Rai announced, "maybe they can point us in the right direction."
"Let's set down over there then," Lelouch said as they drove the Lions towards the small town. The buildings looked similar to termite nests, with towering columns and sand dunes.
"All right, let's go talk to these people-"
Before Lelouch could finish, a giant, green insect-like monster with large pinchers and mandibles broke out of the sand. Its jaws caught Zinnia's leg and started shaking the Lion harshly back and forth.
"It's got us!" Shirley shrieked.
"Fire!" Lelouch shouted as the Lions started open firing at the insect. None of the shots could penetrate the armor of the bug, though, nor did it irritate it enough to let Shirley and Zinnia go.
"Its outer shell is too strong for the lasers!" Kallen shouted.
"It's gonna tear Zinnia's leg off!" Shirley shouted in a panic.
"Hold on!" Milly shouted, firing a supernova at the insect. It let go of Shirley and Zinnia in surprise from the light, and they quickly returned to the formation.
"This thing's armor is too strong for our weapons!" Rai exclaimed.
"Our armor isn't too strong for it!" Shirley shouted, "Another second, and I would have been a leg without a leg!"
"If it can chop through Zinnia's armor, the rest of us are cooked!" Rivalz shouted.
"I think we know what we need to do!" Suzaku exclaimed.
"Form Voltron!" Lelouch ordered.
The Lions all converged, and the juggernaut landed on the stony ground, prepared to fight. The monster lashed out with its pinchers, and Voltron raised its left arm as a shield.
"Kallen, Suzaku, split it open!" Lelouch shouted as Suzaku formed the sword with his Bayard.
Kallen screamed as she swung the sword at the monster. It dodged a couple of the swings, and the ones that did connect couldn't pierce through the armor. She attempted to stab at the mouth, but the mandibles blocked that as well.
"We don't have any weapons strong enough to hurt it," Rai shouted.
"So, maybe we should just leave?" Shirley suggested.
"No, we can't!" Milly shouted.
"Milly's right! We're the only thing standing between that monster and those houses!" Lelouch agreed.
"What we need is some of those shoulder blades it used on Shirley!" Rivalz shouted.
"That's it! I know how to beat it! Put the shield away. We'll do this just with the sword," Suzaku shouted.
"I hope you know what you're doing!" Kallen said with a scowl as Voltron leaped away from the insect. The bug wasn't about to let them go, though, as it jumped after them with a vengeance.
"Get ready…" Suzaku said. As the bug's frontal claws came down, the sword blocked both of them and pushed it back, "On my mark, push down and in with everything we've got. Ready? PUSH!"
With a thrust from the legs, Voltron pushed the trapped claws inward. They punctured into the chest, green goo spraying everywhere from the blow. The monster roared in pain and reeled backward. Its legs wobbled from underneath it before it collapsed underneath itself. Green goop continued to spew out underneath it, creating a pool of green below.
"Yeah!" Milly shouted.
"Nice job, Suzaku!" Rai cheered.
"Using its own weapon against it. Brilliant," Lelouch smirked.
"Sharp work, Samurai!" Rivalz commented.
"So was that the Yalex?" Shirley asked curiously.
"I don't think so. That was way too easy if it was," Kallen said.
"I don't see any pearls either," Suzaku observed.
Down below, the townspeople, which resembled giant termite-like insects, started exiting the buildings and approaching the downed monster.
"Looks like the welcome wagon is here," Rivalz grinned proudly.
"What happened?" one of the bug-people asked, kneeling by the bug's corpse. They assumed he was the leader considering the expensive-looking clothing he wore compared to the other people. He was also carrying a staff in his hand. His hands suddenly flew to his head in shock, "Oh no! The guardian has been slain!"
"GUARDIAN?!" the Paladins all gasped in shock.
The looks of horror made more sense now. They weren't scared because of the monster. They were scared of them!
"You guys heard that, right?" Rivalz asked apprehensively.
"Yeah, he just said 'guardian,'" Shirley agreed.
"Paladins, disperse and land!" Lelouch ordered as Voltron separated into Lions again, "We need to find out what he means."
As the Lions landed and approached the crowd, the townspeople seemed to get more agitated with every step they took. The Paladins hoped they hadn't just made an enemy for life.
"Surely he couldn't mean his guardian was that bug?" Rai reasoned.
"Yeah, let's just sit down and talk about this, huh?" Rivalz tried to suggest instead.
"Why did you destroy our guardian?!" the leader demanded, still horrified with the events.
"Okay, when you say 'guardian,' do you mean that giant, gross bug that attacked us?" Kallen asked, sounding pissed off.
"How dare you!" the leader shouted, his two guards raising their weapons, "Our guardian protected us from the most terrifying beast in the galaxy. Abomination."
"Wait, hold on. There's another monster? No, nonono, not again," Milly denied, "We just got out of a fight! We're here looking for the Yalexian Pearl."
"You killed our guardian for the Yalexian Pearl? What kind of monsters are you?!" the leader gasped.
"We're not monsters," Lelouch said as calmly as he could, "we're Paladins. The Lions that are behind us transform into Voltron. Defender of the Universe."
"Never heard of it," the leader said.
"It has been ten thousand years," Rai groaned.
"My name is Lelouch. This is Suzaku, Kallen, Rai, Shirley, Rivalz, and Milly. We're on your side."
"I am Elderbug Blate, the town's leader," the bug frowned, "I'm in charge of keeping everyone safe from squashing. Something you just made much more difficult."
"Can you please tell us where the pearl is?" Shirley asked, hoping she didn't sound too desperate, "Our friend's life is at stake."
"I'm not telling you anything, and I'm the only one here that knows where it is," Elderbug scoffed.
"Okay, what if we defeat your monster, this Abomination thing?" Suzaku suggested.
"How can we possibly trust you? You've doomed us all!"
Rivalz suddenly sniffed the air, "What's that smell?"
"We understand if you're scared, but we will protect you," Lelouch tried to reassure them, half tempted to use his Geass on them.
"Why should we trust you and your robot felines? Maybe we should be seeking revenge?" Blate said threateningly as more of the villagers started to gather around them.
"That smell…" Rivalz muttered again as he sniffed some more.
"Great job, Suzaku! You destroyed their guardian!" Kallen exclaimed at the Purple Paladin.
"What?! Me?! That was your fault!" the Purple Paladin countered, looking offended.
"Holy crow!" Rivalz exclaimed as he reached near the center of the crowd. In front of him was what looked like a giant pile of mashed potatoes, with green and red veggies mixed in. "Look at all this food!"
"It was for the Guardian Feast," the younger girl bug explained as she scooped up a shovel full and held it out to the Blue Paladin. Rivalz dipped his finger into it and tasted it. Though it looked like mashed potatoes, the substance he put in his mouth tasted like cheese, some tomatoes, and… and…
"This tastes like pizza!"
"We prepare it every year," the girl explained, "after the guardian ate the bowl of food, he would only eat a few of our people."
"Okay, if you just add a little of this and some of that…" Rivalz muttered as he sprinkled a few leafy-looking spices on top before he processed what the girl said as she took a bite of the meal herself, "Wait, did you say 'ate a few of our people'?! What kind of a guardian eats villagers?!"
"Well, after we made the feast, he would come and eat our food… and a few villagers. But he always kept Abomination away. We would eat whatever was left in celebration of another year protected. But our guardian probably wouldn't have eaten any villagers if he had a meal as delicious as this one!" she exclaimed, eyes sparkling.
"What is the meaning of this?" Elderbug demanded as he came up to the food bowl, "You destroy our guardian and desecrate our sacred meal?!"
"I-I didn't know it was sacred!" Rivalz protested, "It just tasted like it could use a little more seasoning-"
"It's delicious! Everyone should try it!" the girl exclaimed happily.
"Enough! You've ruined too much. I'd rather this village be smushed by Abomination than deal with one more insult from the likes of you! It's time we snuffed you out," the chief shouted, the town folks surrounding them with weapons. The Paladins all back away. Lelouch's hand flew up to his face, planning to use his Geass to get them out of this and make them forget they were there. Though it was unlikely, he didn't want to be connected to Zero quite yet.
Fortunately, he didn't need to do that as the girl saved them from having to do so, "Just try it, Dad! I know you'll like it!"
The chief tasted some of the food, and his eyes lit up in shock and happiness.
"This is incredible!" he exclaimed as more villagers came up to taste some of the food, each exclaiming in glee over the great food.
"Perhaps we misjudged you. Maybe after you defend us from Abomination, I will tell you where the pearl is," the chief promised, "Let us commence the feast in celebration. To our Paladins!"
The crowd cheered happily and was about to sit down to eat when large quakes shook the ground.
"What's that noise?" Shirley asked, turning around.
The creature behind them looked like something taken out of a horror movie. It was a massive, purple quadrupedal beast with six red eyes, a spiked beak, two jagged horns, and a back full of tentacles lashing and writhing in the air.
"Oh boy," Rivalz moaned as he felt Suzaku grab onto his arm and drag him back to their Lions. The townsfolk began to run away, screaming in fear.
"All right, Paladins! It's time to form Voltron!" Lelouch exclaimed as they all returned to their Lions and joined once again. Without wasting another second, they slammed into the monster and beat it into the ground.
"It's trying to get to the town!" Milly shouted as Abomination struggled underneath them. It eventually could wriggle itself out, standing a distance away from them.
"Shirley! Watch your foot!" Suzaku shouted.
"I got it!" she shouted back, only for one of the tentacles to wrap around Voltron's legs and pull, knocking them all off balance and landing with a thud behind the creature.
"Nice going, guys!" Kallen growled as Voltron struggled back to its feet.
"That one's on Rivalz!" Shirley shouted, annoyed, knowing that that fall was not her fault.
"Oh, sorry!" he said sheepishly, "I was still thinking about food. I'm too hungry to fight!"
"Actually, fasting promotes many positive health benefits," Rai said with a small smile. "You're body is modulating hormones to enhance your senses, thus making you a better hunter."
"So… my body is making me even more aware of how hungry I am? Great…" the Blue Paladin groaned.
"Suzaku, I think it's time we form sword!" Lelouch ordered as Suzaku thrust his Bayard into the keyhole of his Lion. The sword burst to life in Voltron's hands. With a downward swing, Voltron practically split Abomination in two down its back. However, to their shock and horror, the skin started stitching itself back together!
"What's it doing?" Shirley asked.
"I don't know, but it doesn't look good!" Rai shouted as one of Abomination's tentacles took a swing at them. It sounded like the monster was getting mad now. That wasn't a good sign.
Lelouch grit his teeth. If close combat didn't work, then… "Shirley, we need your bow!" Shirley shoved her Bayard into the keyhole, and the bow appeared in Voltron's hands.
"Fire!"
With a single shot, the arrow fired, splitting into multiple arrows in its wake. They all hit straight through Abomination in various places, but like with the sword, the wounds started healing on their own.
"Guys, nothing we throw at Abomination is working!" Rivalz shouted, starting to panic.
"Well, why don't I just use my Bayard upgrade?" Milly asked indignantly, "I'm sure it can do something!" She shoved her Bayard into Maeraka's keyhole. Nothing happened, though. This distraction cost them as Abomination charged them again and pushed the team to the ground.
"Milly," Lelouch groaned.
"You might not be ready to unlock that upgrade, Prez," Rai reasoned.
They saw that Abomination was trying to get to the town again, so with a giant leap, Voltron grabbed onto Abomination's tentacles and pulled it back with all its might. They slowed him down a little, but he was still stubbornly trying to get to the town, and the more Voltron pulled at the monster, the more the tentacles started crawling up their limbs and trapping them again.
"Huh, Abomination must really like the smell of that food down there," Rivalz observed. He then blinked, "Wait a minute… Smell… Guys! It's the food!"
"Enough with the food already, Rivalz!" Kallen snapped.
"No! Not for me! I think this guy's hungry! I think he's after the village's food! I have an idea-" Rivalz wasn't able to finish his sentence as Abomination once again threw Voltron off of him and smashed him into the ground head first. Had Voltron been a person, this no doubt would've snapped his neck. But the force of it still jarred the Paladins, Lelouch especially. Thank goodness for seatbelts!
Abomination was now just at the edge of the town, and Voltron could barely grab onto him again. However, this time they were literally being dragged into the village. The townspeople below began running in fear as one of the tentacles smashed to the ground, nearly destroying a building.
Shirley grit her teeth and dug her feet into the ground, managing to slow them down, much to everyone's relief, but it would work for long.
"Guys! I have an idea!" Rivalz shouted again, "It might sound cuckoo-crazy, but I think we can distract this thing by cooking it a meal!"
"Are you sure?" Suzaku asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, uh, I'm with Suzaku. I don't know if I buy that," Kallen agreed.
"I think that the monster is trying to get to the food in the town. Trust me. I can be a slave to my stomach sometimes too. I say we make this guy a meal he can't refuse!"
"Are you sure, Rivalz?" Lelouch asked with a grunt as the tentacles continued to try and engulf them.
"Honestly, Lelouch, it's just a gut feeling," Rivalz replied.
Lelouch sighed. Obviously, attacking this thing wasn't working. They didn't have much more to lose if this plan of Rivalz's didn't work, "All right, I trust you. How do we do this?"
"Okay, first, we're going to have to disband Voltron…" Rivalz said just as the Lions all separated and flew to the sky.
"...Lelouch, Milly, and Suzaku, you three are going to have to keep it busy." Zenobia, Yoru, and Maeraka flew in and charged at the creature, not necessarily trying to hurt it, but enough to keep it occupied.
"Rai, we're gonna need some of those shrubs for the stew. But only the ones with the orange-ish leaves." Zerith swooped down towards a small forest close to the town and scooped up a mouthful of the plants into her mouth.
"Shirley, we're going to need some water for the stew," Zinnia plowed through the ground until an underground spring surged up to the surface. Shirley and Zinnia shook the dirt off as they soared back to the sky.
"And Kallen, someone's gotta heat that stew up," Aka's flame cannon was already active and fired at the spring, clouds of smoke and steam filling the air around them.
"And what are you going to do?" Shirley asked.
"...Cook!" he exclaimed with a smirk as he and Polaris flew to the downed Guardian's corpse. He cringed a little as he lifted it up and dragged it to the stew pool. Rai was just lowering the plants into it.
"Kallen, wait! You're overcooking it! Less direct heat!" Rivalz shouted as he dropped the insect into it. The water turned a bean green color as the flesh and insides of the bug were absorbed into it.
"I hope that's as delicious as it looks," Rivalz said, crossing his fingers that this worked. The steam began wafting in Abomination's direction just as it batted Zen away with a tentacle.
Abomination suddenly stopped, started sniffing the air, and turned its head towards the source of it.
"Come on," Rivalz coaxed, "I know you want it!"
Abomination started panting excitedly as it approached the pool as started lapping up the stew greedily. Within ten minutes, the stew was gone, and the monster had fallen asleep with a satisfying thud, its stomach distended from its meal.
The Paladins all cheered. Rivalz's crazy plan actually worked!
"Phew! Thanks for trusting me, Lelouch!"
Lelouch couldn't help but laugh, "I'm just glad it worked! Remind me to never go against your gut again!"
"Thank you for saving us," Elderbug said as he and his people sat around the food bowl. Everyone had a plate in front of them and was enjoying the tasty meal. The Paladins were all also there as honored guests. "With the new cooking system you created, we will be able to feed Abomination easily, and he should leave out village alone."
"Our tradition had lasted so long that no one realized it was the cause of our suffering," his daughter added.
"We're glad to hear that," Rai smiled before getting serious, "Now… about that Yalexian Pearl?"
Elderbug suddenly paled as if he'd been caught with his hand in a cookie jar before dinner, "Oh, yes… I may have overstated my knowledge on the subject. I don't know where the Pearl is, per se… But I do know who does know where it is: Princess Malocoti. But she's been captured and is being held captive. You'd have to rescue her to find out where the Pearl is."
"Welp!" Milly said, standing up with a grin, "I guess our next course of action is rescuing a princess!"
AN: As you can see, this isn't Crystal Venom yet. This is part of a comic that came out with the Voltron series. It takes place between Crystal Venom and Rebirth. There will be one more chapter of this, then I will begin Crystal Venom.
I did struggle a little bit with this chapter since I'm not as familiar with it, and this is supposed to be more of a filler/fun episode, so... yeah, I got this.
So the names of the Lions are:
Black: Zenobia
Red: Aka
Green: Zerith
Purple: Yoru
Yellow: Maeraka
Blue: Polaris
Orange: Zinnia
Also, on another note, I noticed that my Tvtropes page hasn't been updated in a while. So if anyone is a site member, would you be willing to go and update it? Thank you!
Edited and revised 08/02/2022
