Shiro's POV

"Great job training today, guys. We're really getting the hang of Voltron" I commended the team as we walked into the dining hall, truly believing what I said about how forming Voltron has become almost second nature to us; especially after relaying Allura's apology for her action yesterday, with Lance accepting it because 'how can he stay mad at a beautiful lady'.

"Seriously, how far do you think my lion kicked that broken alien ship?" Lance questioned, "It must have been like a mile!"

Hunk and I continued to the table, wanting to sit down.

"Yeah," I can hear my brother reply sarcastically, "that'll come in handy when the Galra challenge Voltron to a soccer match."

"Hey, I did something cool and you can't handle it." Lance countered, "I get it."

"Your kick ruined our balance. We fell." Keith criticized him by bringing up that one moment.

"Well, that falling part was Hunk's fault." Lance defended himself while throwing Hunk under the bus, earning a 'Hey!' from the latter.

"All right, save your energy for fighting Zarkon." I cut in to put an end to their squabbling as I sank into a chair while Hunk removed his helmet.

The door leading to the kitchen opened as Coran walked out with a covered dish, "Hello, guys! How was the Voltron workout?"

"We're getting there. Are you and Allura almost done fixing the Castle so we can leave this planet? " I asked as the Altean advisor approached the table, "I feel like we're sitting ducks here on Arus."

"Just about." Coran answered as he set the dish down on the table, not paying any heed to my calling the Princess by her name. "In the meantime, to get your minds off those duck seats you're worried about, I made you guys an authentic ancient Paladin lunch!"

With that, Coran pulled the cover away to reveal a steaming pile of… something green with slimy, yellow substances oozing out. A horrendous stench fills the air, making Lance, Hunk, and Keith shirk away in disgust. While I usually set an example for my brother by being the bigger man and bravely eating it, something tells me that would not end well.

"Coran, you just got me hooked on that goo and now you're switching it up?" Hunk questioned the advisor,

"This is packed with nutrients."

I watched as Hunk cautiously smelled the dish, "It smells disgusting." He commented.

"I know! That's how you know it's healthy!"

I try not to dwell on how familiar this scenario is… I noticed Hunk pulling from the armour's pouch the alien plant he found outside the Castle before making a beeline to the kitchen. I look around to see Lance and Keith sitting toward the other end of the table, and Coran helping himself. Perhaps it's a common delicacy in Altea… but why do I keep seeing an Altean in Lance's armour avoiding it like a plague? I shook my head and noticed that one other paladin was missing.

"Where's Pidge?"

"He's probably checking on those… prisoners we rescued from Zarkon." Coran replied with his mouth full, "They'll all be waking up soon in the infirmary."

I should have figured, she would be anxious for them to wake up. I might as well go support her, but almost had one of the yellow… whatever those were… shoved into my face when I got up from the chair.

"Open the hatch. Food Lion coming in!" Coran said before making plane noises. Okay, I may be used to the jokes regarding my real birthday happening once every four years… but Coran trying to get me to eat this takes the cake.

"No. Just… no." I carefully leaned away from the advisor's spork before continuing to the infirmary, only for Coran to call out "You don't know what you're missing!"

Actually, I have a feeling that I would know exactly what I would be missing. And I have a feeling that my body would thank me for it.

Pidge's POV

Since we finished our latest Voltron training, I've been waiting for the prisoners to wake up. I know I may be getting my hopes up, but they should at least, know something about Dad and Matt. Minutes passed, and I sat down on the steps leading up to the pods. Rover is charging up, so I don't have anyone to talk to. The infirmary echoed from my left heel tapping against the floor, an old habit of mine whenever I'm impatient or nervous.

"You're as anxious as me."

I looked up to see Shiro walking in; at least it was him. And it makes me feel a little calmer since he was with me when we rescued the prisoners.

"These aliens we saved know something about my family." I said while looking back at one of the pods, "They have to!"

"I hope so."

I turned my attention back to Shiro and remembered something.

"They recognized you, didn't they?" I asked, "They called you 'Champion.' What does that even mean?"

Shiro looked uneasy, "I don't know. I can't remember very much from that time. But the way those guys looked at me when we freed them… I don't know if I want to find out."

A sound brought our attention to see the pod on our right opening, allowing the alien that recognized Shiro to open his eyes and exhale a condensed breath.

Allura's POV

I entered the dining hall to see Coran and Hunk watching Lance and Keith eating some appealing dishes.

"They like the Paladin lunch." I commented, only for Coran to pout.

"I don't want to talk about it."

I looked over to see the Paladin lunch Coran prepared and realized that he used the same recipe from 10,000 years ago, making me remember how even Isamu avoided eating it. But I turned to Coran, knowing that the good news I had would cheer him up.

"I just got the final nebulon booster working." He turned around in surprise, "We should be able to leave Planet Arus tomorrow and take the fight to Zarkon."

The five of us were surprised when the Castle's alarms suddenly blared, Lance slurped his latest mouthful as he and Keith stood up. I turned around and got the screen to see what caused the alarms to go off. There was movement near the bridge connecting to the Castle's entrance. I zoomed in to see something peeking from behind a rock.

"What is that?" Keith asked.

"I don't know what it is. Maybe it's a local Arusian." I replied as we watched the Arusian yell while running toward another rock and hiding behind it, "He's approaching the Castle."

The Arusian did it again, only this time waving his weapon.

"Aww!" I heard Hunk's comment, and I have to admit the Arusian is kind of cute.

"Doesn't look too dangerous."

"You never know." I turn to see Keith summoning his bayard,

"No. Alteans believe in peace first." I spoke up, "Let's go welcome them."

I made my way toward the Castle's entrance, with Coran following close behind.

Keith's POV

"That's adorable." Hunk commented as he decided to follow the Alteans,

"Hey, maybe we can knit him a little sweater!" Lance agreed.

I stayed behind for a bit before following them, just to be on the safe side. I'm not taking any chances. The five of us made it to the Castle's entrance and I spotted the Arusian running to hide in a little shrub as the door opened. I pointed it out to the princess and we walked over until we were standing in front of the shrub.

"Greetings." Allura spoke up as she leaned closer to the bush, "We know you're there. No harm will come to you."

The Arusian leapt out of the bush and pointed his sword at the princess, earning an 'Aww!' from Hunk. Do they not know about judging something by its appearance?

"Wait! He could be dangerous." I reminded them as I got myself in front of Allura and had my bayard ready, just in case. "Drop your weapon!"

"No one takes Klyzap's weapon!"

"Keith, put that away!" Allura reprimanded me; I couldn't be too careful, but I relented out of respect for the princess. "Please, kind sir, accept my most humble apologies."

"I am Klyzap, bravest of our warriors." The Arusian introduced himself, "Our village is over Gazrel Hill. I come seeking answers as to why the Lion Goddess is angered with her followers."

Normal POV

"Followers?" Coran asked, followed by Hunk's "Lion Goddess?"

"The one the ancients spoke of." Klyzap explains while showing them a nearby stone slab with a carving of Arusians worshipping a lion-headed deity,

"What makes you think she's angered?" Princess Allura asked the Arusian.

"Destruction is everywhere." He answered, "In the past few suns, fire has rained from the heavens and a giant has danced in the sky."

"I think he's talking about Voltron." Hunk whispered to Lance,

"Yeah, I got that." The Blue Paladin dryly replied.

"You have not angered the Lion Goddess." Allura gently reassured Klyzap,

"How can you be certain?" the Arusian warrior asked, sounding unsure of what Princess Allura had said.

"Because I am Allura," the princess introduced herself, "and this is my castle."

Klyzap gasped in realization of who was in front of him, "Lion Goddess!" the Arusian warrior then bowed in reverence.

"Please, bravest warrior, take us to your village so that we may meet our neighbours."

"What about our mission to get off this planet and fight Zarkon?" Keith questioned the Princess.

"Part of the Paladins' mission is to spread peace and diplomacy." Allura reasoned with the Red Paladin, "Arus has been our host for 10,000 years. These people deserve our thanks."

Shiro's POV

Ever since the first prisoner… Xi… had woken up, Pidge and I worked together gathering blankets and providing a warm tea-like beverage to the prisoners when they woke up. I can imagine how cold they would be after being in those pods for almost two days, so I focused my attention on tending to the last prisoner to leave the pod.

"So, how long were you held captive by Zarkon?" Pidge asked as she handed Xi a cup.

"Some for years." Xi answered, "Decades, maybe. It's hard to tell. Time becomes a blur." he then took a sip.

"Then you must have been there when my dad and brother arrived." Pidge said, with hope in her voice. "Sam and Matt Holt?"

"I never knew their names, but I certainly remember the other two Earthlings that arrived with Champion." That name again…

"'Champion…' Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked, causing Xi to look at me with astonishment.

"You really don't remember? Unbelievable!" Xi commented when he realized that I don't remember anything from that time, but decided to answer nonetheless, "You were a legendary gladiator, undefeated in the ring. You defeated an infamous Galra gladiator known as Myzax. That was the day you earned the name 'Champion.' I was there, as was the young Earthling."

Xi's POV

As painful as they were, I thought back to that memory.

"We were all prisoners, forced to fight for the entertainment of Zarkon." I continued telling Champion and the young Earthling in front of me, "That day, we were set to fight Myzax, a vile beast many thought could never be defeated. Slaughter awaited us all."

I noticed the younger of the Earthlings' similarity to the one I'm assuming to be 'Matt' and concluded that they were indeed siblings.

"This 'Matt' was the first of us sent to fight. But fate had other plans." I can still remember how a Galra Sentry offered the bladed weapon to the younger Earthling, only for Champion to steal it and use it to attack him. While I hate to tell the two Earthlings about it, I feel they deserve to know.

Pidge's POV

"You were so thirsty for blood, you injured your fellow Earthling."

My eyes widen in horror when Xi finishes, and my brows furrow as I turn to Shiro, the man Matt and I considered to be our honourary eldest brother— even before our parents brought him and Keith under their wings.

"You attacked my brother? Why?!" I demanded the shocked Takashi, feeling somewhat betrayed.

"No…" He said shakenly, "It can't be true."

"I was there." Xi insisted, "We all were."

I turned my attention back to the alien, "After my brother was injured, where was he taken?" I asked him.

"I know not."

"I don't believe it. There's got to be more to the story." Shiro spoke up, trying not to believe what Xi had told us, "I- I couldn't have my friend."

His eyes widen as he suddenly remembers something, "Wait. That ship we were held captive on crash-landed on this planet. They'll have logs of prisoners, some… information." He walked out of the infirmary.

While I don't want to leave the prisoners alone, there's no way I'm letting him out of my sight– especially when there are files regarding my family that can be salvaged. What if he tries to destroy them?

"I'm coming with you."