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*
Lance sometimes got so pissed off at the flight simulation, that he snuck out and stormed off into the middle of the desert.
He'd already been somewhat stressed that day, and he messed up while flying through a loop, making - what he would call - the best line ever about “threading the needle” and then, Iverson’s scathing remarks about the people on the Kerberos mission, about how they were better than Lance, it just pushed him right off the edge. Without warning his friends, Hunk and Pidge, Lance had snuck out and chose a direction, planning on walking straight until the Garrison was only a speck in the distance.
The sky was slowly becoming more and more lighter, and Lance had left right before dark. Taking this a sign, Lance turned around, fully expecting the speck that is the Garrison to be there. Cursing, he started searching all over the horizon, yet Lance could only find a valley, and, having no other ideas, went strolling through.
Immediately, Lance had started to feel calm and cool, sensing a pull forward, further into the valley. Submitting to the pull, Lance stumbled forward, feeling more and more at ease as he went. Finally, Lance found himself in the middle of a cave, surrounded by blue lights on the wall. The color was soothing, a wave of cool air washing over him. And, just like that, a large, blue, robotic, lion stood proudly in front of him. Lance was never known for his reasoning, being more curious than anything, so he followed his curiosity straight into the jaws of the Blue Lion.
Surprisingly, Lance didn't die! He actually ended up at what appeared to be a cockpit. Instinctively, Lance turned the power on, looking for ways to understand. Instead, a rumble came from the lion and a nudge sent his mind to her flight controls.
He really should've seen this coming. You should never enter a portal in the sky. But, look where it got him. Making friends with an alien girl and her weird alien uncle and being a Paladin of Voltron. The aliens were called Allura and Coran, and they were very nice to Lance, even though they had said his ears were weird.
“Lance, will you help us on the quest to find the rest of the Paladins, and to protect the-” Lance cut Allura off.
“To protect the world from devastation?” Lance snickered. Too bad nobody from Earth could hear that.
“Precisely, Lance, to protect the world - the universe, more like - from devastation,” Allura said, smiling widely. “We believe that if we let the Lions free, they would instinctively find the other four Paladins.”
“Sounds like a plan! Can't wait to get more humans in this castle!”
As soon as they let the Lions loose, they lost the Red one. She had gone straight into the Galra ship, kind of the opposite of what they wanted, really.
The Yellow, Green, and Black Lions all went through the same wormhole, and right after them was the Castle of Lions.
*
Hunk and Pidge had gotten worried when Lance hadn't come back and it was already nearing noon. In their worry, they decided to head off into the middle of the desert, reasoning be damned, they would take years away from training, just to find their friend.
It hadn't taken years, actually. More like a couple of hours, in which they'd taken shelter in a small shack in the middle of the desert with the guy! The Kerberos guy! He'd crash landed the last night, wanting to take at least a day before being violently thrown into the public again from a year of being in space. After recuperating and talking to Shiro for a bit, they hear four rumbling noises from outside. They all run outside, astounded to see a castle and three, robotic, lions. The castle opened up to reveal Lance and two aliens.
“Hunk! Pidge! Man, am I glad to see you guys! Who's- holyshit- is that- are you really Shiro?! Like, the Shiro?!” Lance shouted. Shiro winced and nodded, looking self consciously to the side.
Maybe it won't be so bad, even if there may only be four humans.
*
It takes a couple of days but they finally have it down. They've made a foolproof plan to sneak into the Galran ship and steal the Red Lion. If the Red Paladin happens to be Galran, again (because that'd been the case for three generations of Red Paladins. They'd all been Galran, but the rebel alliance Galra, not full fledged Galran soldiers) then they have to either trust them if they say that they are part of the rebellion, or capture them if they're a soldier.
Sneaking in had been easy, but now they all have to split up to find either the Red Lion, the Red Paladin, or - best case - both.
Lance is intensely creeped out by this place. He can hear faint echoes of screams and his footsteps seem deafening. Finally deciding, Lance swings open one of the many doors on this hallway alone. Inside is small and dark, with only a dim purple light on. Lance nearly turns and walks right out when he hears a whimper by the wall. Squinting, he sees bare feet, dark hair with feline ears sticking out, and arms wrapping around legs. Lance walks over to the figure. Judging by the ears, the creature must be Galran, but it seems too small to be Galra, though it seems to be just a bit taller than Pidge. So, either not a full sized Galra, or not all the way Galra.
“Hey, hey, are you okay?” Lance asks in a soft voice. The creature looks up at Lance, because nobody’s ever spoken to Keith like this, only commands and grunts and hard words, never soft and soothing. Keith looks at this creature with shock evident on his face. “It will all be okay, don't worry. I'm a Paladin of Voltron, and I have sworn to protect all innocent beings from any space tyrants. We will protect you.”
“Lance! Shiro found the Red Lion, but she's not opened up yet! We need to get back the castle to see if we can pinpoint the Paladin!” Pidge barks in the communicator.
“Got it. I've also got a prisoner. It looks like they've been here...for a while. Can I bring them back with me?”
“Yes, Lance, we protect the innocent!” Allura’s motivational tone spurs Lance to gently take one of the prisoner’s hands.
“I'm taking you with me. An innocent being should never be treated like this.”
“We've been waiting for you, Paladin. My mother had only long forgotten stories to tell. Her great grandmother was married to a Paladin. She told me that you would come to save us once again, she spoke of you as heros that would once lets us see the stars again. Thank you, Paladin,” Keith speaks with such a passion about his mother that it makes the Paladin stumble as they board the Blue Lion.
“We're still not Voltron yet, but I can assure you that we will save you and all the other innocent’s from the Galran Empire.”
*
“My name is Lance, what's yours?”
“My mother used to call me Keith,” he responds with a smile. Lance gets a strike of anger as he realizes that Keith had said his mother used to. Not “I am called” or “they call me.” No, instead it's, his “mother used to” as in his mother in dead and nobody else calls him Keith.
As they walk out of the mouth of the Blue Lion, Keith is wary. No one has ever been this kind to him, even if they do claim to be the savior he's been looking for.
The other Paladins are waiting for Lance and his rescued in the dining room. Allura gasps as they walk in, taking in the sight of an unnaturally small Galra, only clothed in ripped black pants that end below the knee, ripped black shirt, and a tattered brown shawl that ends mid thigh. No shoes and a bloody nose, obviously favoring his left side and Allura runs up to them. Keith turns his eyes onto the others in the room. He immediately shows confidence and proudness to them.
“Princess Allura?” Keith is in awe just to be around her. He's heard many stories of how Allura has rallied her Paladins and saved so many civilizations. Allura nods. “I am Keith. I just want to thank you for all you've done. You've freed so many people, and if not for your Paladin, I surely would have died. I would just like to whole heartedly thank you, and wish you all the best of luck with completing Voltron and defeating Zarkon.” They were all taken aback by Keith's passion.
“Keith, I will do my best to deserve your thanks. I can only imagine what I have done to have it now as opposed to after the defeat Zarkon and the Galran Empire,” Allura smiles warmly at her guest. “I would love for you to join us for evening meal, as you look to surely need it.”
“Of course, but only with the approval of everyone present,” Keith looks to the other Altean present, as well as the Paladins. They all nod, making a seat free for him next to Allura. They all sit on one side of the table, save for Allura and Coran. After Keith is Lance, Pidge, Shiro, and finally Hunk.
They all tuck in, with Keith, Allura, and Coran all eating more slowly than the rest. Their bodies need to become more accustomed to eating, as the Alteans have gone thousands of years without eating, and Keith was fed only scraps.
*
“Please, Keith, do stay to rest. It would be unsafe to let you roam about at night where you could be easily mistaken for a soldier.” Allura and Keith seem to be getting along well even though it hasn't even been that long.
“Alright, but only tonight, I'd hate to make this place feel unsafe, or cause the Paladins to become uncomfortable because I am residing here more than my welcome intended,” Keith says with a warm smile.
*
Instead, Keith does roam about at night, but only in the castle. It would be unwise for him to become unfriendly with the princess. Keith ends up walking around the common room. It has a soft couch and the ceiling is a window to the sky above. Keith spends the night there, staring at the stars, trying to keep the memories back. Around halfway through his night, Lance walks into the room.
“Hey man, lift your head up.” Keith eyes him skeptically.
“Why?”
“C’mon, just do it.” Keith lifts his head and Lance sits on the cushion below it. He guides Keith's head back down to lay on his lap, slowly carding his fingers through Keith's hair (-fur? Probably hair).
“My mother used to do that,” Keith whispers. Lance swallows. He doesn't want to give any bad memories to Keith, but Lance is known for his curiosity.
“Can I ask? What happened to her?”
“It's alright,” Keith sighs sadly. “My mother was a great rebellion soldier. She was an amazing warrior, one of the few Galra rebels in our group. A couple years after I was born, she led an attack on a Galran ship, while the Galran Empire led an attack on our group. Many died, and half were taken to the ship. I was among them, obviously, and I had already thought the worst had happened to my mother. And then I saw her across the hall as they were escorting me to a cell. She was bloodied and broken but she still smiled as she saw me. They denied her any medical services, and in the cell I had patched her up as best I could, but her wounds were already fatal. I could do nothing but give her my support as she died. That night, she gave me the knife she had hidden from the guards. She said that a warrior must always be prepared and she called me strong. She said that Voltron would rise one day and beat Zarkon to the ground, and she said I must never work for the Empire. Her passion for rebellion will live on with me. I swear it,” though it was a sad story, neither person was even close to tears. Lance fully believed that Keith would be able to live up to his mother and Keith knew that Voltron had saved him, so they will continue to save others until they beat Zarkon and the Empire, until everyone is free again.
They stayed that way until morning.
*
Alarms start blaring as the Red Lion pulls down her particle barrier and tries to start to make her way into the castle. It doesn't work, obviously, the door is too small. So, she takes to sitting at attention at the door.
“I don't understand! Why is she doing this?!” Allura shouts.
“Uhh, maybe it has something to do with her wiring? I could take a look if you want?” Pidge suggests.
“Let's all go, so that we will be ready if someone is inside,” Shiro reasons. Allura nods and they all make their way outside.
Keith suddenly feels a warm breeze settle over him. It's not too hot, and it actually seems to be soothing him for whatever reason. Something inside him seems to tug him forward, and Keith feels something like a soothing rumble.
Once everybody is outside, they all look for something wrong, for something that isn't supposed to be, when the Red Lion gets up and walks straight toward them. Nudging them out of the way with her nose, she finally corners and settles her gaze on Keith. As her jaw drops open, so does everyone else's.
“The Red Paladin,” Allura breathes, wide grin on her face. “What a pleasure.”
*