《The Wells of Eioa》


 Chapter 1

    Kolivan stood in the spacious cockpit of the Blade¡¯s ship behind the pilot, his face twisted in its usual grim expression. Ahead of them was a small green planet, growing steadily larger as they approached it.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost ready to descend into Eioa¡¯s atmosphere. It looks like there is some debris that we need to watch out for,¡± the pilot said. Kolivan nodded, but he looked no less worried.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get in contact with the Castle to let them know we¡¯ve made it safely,¡± Kolivan said to an officer standing near him. Behind them, the doors opened and Keith stepped inside.


    Kovilan turned and acknowledged him. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked him. Keith came up next to him and looked out onto the planet.


    ¡°You already know how I feel about Lotor,¡± Keith said. ¡°It¡¯s been almost ten years since he¡¯s been to this planet. Even if it¡¯s not a trap, we have no idea if the status of his alliance with the Eioans is still in intact and if the Galra he sent there are even still alive.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of uncertainty,¡± Kolivan agreed. ¡°But whether we like it or not, Lotor offers the potential of good resources. We¡¯ve already come this far. We need answers.¡±


    Keith frowned but thought against saying anything. While the thought of walking into a potential trap had him on edge, he was growing ansy just waiting on the ship and needed some action. It had been almost a month since the fight at Naxzela and he hadn¡¯t had much contact with the others back at the Castle; his biggest concern was what Lotor was up to, but he trusted them to keep an eye on him.


    ¡°Something is coming up on your left,¡± the officer said to the pilot. Keith peered out and spotted a large shape float towards them amongst the space debris. While it wasn¡¯t very large, its dark purple hull was unmistakable.


    The officer turned back to the pilot. ¡°Wait! It¡¯s not debris-¡±


    ¡°A Glara ship,¡± Kolivan growled. ¡°Take us down now!¡± he ordered the pilot.


    The pilot launched their ship forward as a beam of vibrant purple light shot out from the Galra ship and hit them dead on, causing the cockpit to shudder. Another shot fired, hitting the end of the ship as they veered towards Eioa.


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be out this far!¡± The officer cried. ¡°We¡¯ve lost power to our launch bay. It will take us while to get access to our fighter ships.¡±


    ¡°We stay the course then,¡± Kolivan said firmly. He looked at the officer. ¡°Omek, have you made contact with Coran?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡±


    Kolivan scowled. ¡°We can¡¯t risk getting stuck out here. Prepare for a crash landing.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just let them get away,¡± Keith argued.


    ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we can lure them down close enough and Eioa¡¯s defenses can take care of this.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re already catching the Eioans off guard. What if they¡¯re not prepared for a Galra ship?¡±


    They shot back at the Galra ship, but it didn¡¯t stop the larger vessel from advancing. Keith clenched his fists and ran out of the cockpit.


    ¡°Keith, don¡¯t!¡± Kolivan ordered, but Keith was already making his way down the hall and past other blade members. The ship was hit again, knocking him to his knees. He held on to the lip of a door as the ship began a slow spiral towards the planet. The lights gave out, plunging him into a brief darkness until the alarms started blazing, flashing an eerie red. The ship lurched once again, causing Keith to lose his grip. He fell back down the hall, smacking his head on the metal floor and causing him to instantly lose unconsciousness.


    ***


    Keith awoke to the sight and sound of the alarms still blaring around him. He slowly pulled himself to his feet and formed his mask over his face before cautiously checking the cockpit to see if they had landed. Kolivan and the others were still in the cockpit, a little shaken, but not hurt. Keith looked out to see them surrounded by the thick foliage of a jungle with massive trees and flowers; they had luckily landed near the edge of a wide river.


    ¡°Did it follow us?¡± Keith asked Kolivan.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably not too far behind,¡± he said with a snarl. ¡°Don¡¯t run off like that again. It didn¡¯t do you any good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Keith said, glancing down at his feet, but he was glad that Kolivan couldn¡¯t see his face. He only wanted to find a way to help; he didn¡¯t regret running out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Kolivan said, leading them out of the cockpit. ¡°We should try to find any Eioans and warn them about the ship.¡±


    ¡°What about the Castle?¡± Keith asked.


    ¡°The signal was received, but Coran didn¡¯t respond. We can¡¯t risk staying in here though.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Kolivan led the dozen blade members out of the ship and they started along the river. Keith looked back at the ship and noticed the sizable damage on its left side. He reluctantly left the ship, taking up the rear of the group.


    They walked along the water¡¯s edge, carefully scanning the jungle for any signs of Eioans or any other life. Keith held his blade close to him, on edge as he gazed out into the dense jungle. Flowers, with sturdy purple and red petals stood nearly twice his size, swaying slightly in the breeze; , he had to admit Eioa was beautiful. The sky above him was a rich mix of orange and pink, painting a fiery sunset, but leaving them little time to find anyone before night fell. He focused back to the path in front of him, noticing that he was a bit behind everyone else. Ahead of him, he heard Omek yell and panic shot through Keith. He raced along the river when a hard force hit him from behind.


    Keith rolled forward and caught himself on his feet, quickly pulling himself up and activating his blade. In front of him, someone stepped out towards him. Their suit was a myriad of colors, constantly changing to mirror its surroundings and blending seamlessly into the terrain. Keith focused on them, holding his blade out.


    The Eioan touched their shoulder and their suit changed to white with a silver mask obscuring their face.


    ¡°Now it can be a fair fight,¡± a female voice said lightly, pulling out a metal rod about a foot long. It extended in length in her hand, stopping once it had reached her shoulder. Keith scowled and took the initiative, racing towards his attacker, ready to swing his blade down across her. She easily dodged, coming around to his side and countering. Keith spun around, stopping her attack, causing the two metals to grind against each other. She pulled back and swung her weapon over her head. Keith attacked again, but she was quickly able to deflect it. Using the pole, she pushed herself up and flew over him, landing behind him and swiftly swinging it down near his legs.


    Keith jumped out of the way, smiling to himself as he caught an opening. He brought the blade across again, but the Eoian whipped the pole up with impressive speed, hitting his wrist. His blade fell out of his grasp and he dived for it, only to be hit again across the chest with the polearm. He stumbled back, but managed to grab the pole by the end.


    The Eioan pressed a button, and three blades at Keith¡¯s end jutted out, forcing him to let go before it cut him. To his surprise, she threw the polearm away over to where his blade lay and rushed towards him. Catching him in the stomach with a forceful kick, she sent him flying backwards into the river. Before he could bring himself to his feet, she lunged at him and kicked him down again. Without hesitation, she crouched on top of him and brought an elbow down onto his mask. The mask crackled and the purple lights went out after she gave another strike. With one hand she held him around the neck while she grabbed at the mask with her other hand and ripped it away from his face. She let out a faint gasp and briefly touched his forehead. Keith stopped fighting for a moment and looked at her in shock.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± she said. She let go of him and stood up, offering her hand out to him. Keith pushed himself away from her and stood up on his own. ¡°I thought you were a Galra.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you touch my face?¡± Keith demanded angrily.


    ¡°To see what you were up to,¡± she said simply. ¡°But I can now see that you¡¯re not here to attack us. You need help.¡± She ran and grabbed her polearm and shrunk it down to its original small size. She grabbed his blade and held it out to him.


    Keith approached her carefully. ¡°Why did you throw your weapon?¡±


    ¡°I told you I wanted it to be a fair fight. I¡¯m not gonna fight someone without a weapon.¡±


    ¡°... But you¡¯re the one who knocked it out of my hand in the first place.¡±


    She nodded and started racing towards the rest of Blade members. Keith ran after her.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good fighter,¡± she said as they ran along the river. They stopped when they got to the others fighting with the Eioans. Because they still had the camouflage on the Eioans¡¯ suits, the Blades were on the edge of chaos in the fight.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Keith¡¯s attacker yelled, leaving his side. ¡°Rixel wait!¡± She rushed out to meet Kolivan.


    ¡°Hey, wait-¡± Keith sprinted towards her. She put herself in between Kolivan and his unseen adversary and Kolivan brought his blade up to strike her down.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Keith cried, putting up his blade to stop Kolivan. Kolivan struck the blade down, but stopped when he realized it was Keith.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He growled at Keith.


    ¡°We thought you were from the empire.¡± the female Eioan said. ¡°But you¡¯re here looking for the Grangint.¡±


    Kolivan called off the Blade members. And the other Eioans revealed themselves in matching white suits; glancing around, Keith noticed five of them, including the one that attacked him.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Kolivan asked her.


    The Eioan behind her removed his mask and hood, revealing an angled face with dark gray skin and black eyes. Dark horns curved around his forehead.


    ¡°We protect the Grangint and their research,¡± he said smiling. ¡°Are you allies of Lotor?¡±


    Kolivan removed his mask as well and regarded the Eoian skeptically. ¡°We are the Blade of Marmora. We¡¯ve come here on behalf of Prince Lotor. I¡¯m Kolivan.¡±


    ¡°Rixel,¡± The Eioan said putting out his hand and Kolivan took it and shook it firmly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Kolivan said. ¡°How did you know we were looking for the Grangint?¡± He looked to Keith who just shrugged.


    ¡°Oh Jira probably figured that out,¡± Rixel said, gesturing to the female Eioan and she gave him a small wave. ¡°We¡¯ll explain everything to you later, but your ship was shot down. Who did it?¡±


    ¡°That was a Galra ship,¡± Keith explained.


    Rixel¡¯s smile fell. ¡°We need to get back to the Kafa. Come with us.¡±


    Rixel took off, the other Eioans doing the same. Kolivan followed and the other Blades obeyed and they ran after them. The Eioans stopped in a batch of flowers where a group of large hover bikes were stashed. They climbed on to them, taking 2 or 3 Blades with them before zooming off.


    Jira climbed onto hers and looked to Keith and Omek. ¡°Get on,¡± she said. Keith gave Omek an uneasy look before they hoisted themselves up and joined her. She sped off through the jungle, skillfully driving them away from the river.


    ¡°What¡¯s the Kafa?¡± Omek yelled behind Keith.


    ¡°It¡¯s where the Grangint are,¡± Jira said. ¡°And where we keep some fighter ships¡­ I hope you two know how to fly.¡±


    ¡°I can fly,¡± Keith smirked. As they neared the edge of the jungle, he looked up and saw that they¡¯d need to get to the Kafa quickly; the Galra ship had broken through the atmosphere and was making its way towards them.

 Chapter 2

    As soon as she stepped out of the Blue Lion, Allura eagerily removed her helmet.  As much pride as she had in wearing the suit, her hair got uncomfortable in the helmet and it sometimes  left her with a headache after awhile.  She was glad to be back in the Castle in good spirits;  they had made a lot of progress in the last month, checking up on the members of the Voltron Coalition and making sure that they were in good shape after the fight at Naxzela.  Everyone seemed to be doing well, which made her feel a little better about having to deal with Lotor.  His presence made things tense at times, but Pidge had set up various ways to keep an eye on him throughout the Castle;  Allura had her own way of keeping tabs on him, but for now, she kept that secret to herself.


    Allura joined the others as they made their way to the bridge.  Hunk and Pidge were arguing over some game from earth that Allura didn¡¯t understand, and Lance was gloating to anyone who would listen.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t complain if we went back to Puig just for fun,¡± Lance said.  ¡°They definitely have some of the finest babes this galaxy has to offer.¡±


    Shiro frowned at him.  ¡°After forcing Lotor to free Puig, we might be going back soon, but that doesn¡¯t mean-¡±


    ¡°Say no more,¡± Lance stopped him.  ¡°I¡¯ve already set up some dates. Now I don¡¯t have to worry about bailing on them.¡±


    ¡°Dude, we haven¡¯t even been gone that long,¡± Hunk said.  ¡°How did you even?¡±


    ¡°A master never reveals his secrets.¡± Lance stroked his chin as they entered the bridge.  Allura couldn¡¯t help but groan, but she was glad his attention wasn¡¯t on her at the moment.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± Coran beamed at them, looking a little too relieved at their return.  Beside him stood Lotor, who regarded the Paladins with indifference.  Allura forced a smile on her face and stepped forward.


    ¡°I hope nothing too exciting happened to you while we were gone,¡± She said, her eyes falling to Lotor.


    ¡°Oh you know, we¡¯ve just been having a blast,¡± Coran smiled, twirling his mustache nervously.  ¡°Lotor is a great conversationalist.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Princess, how are the Puigians?¡±  Lotor smirked.


    ¡°Just fine,¡±  She said tursly.  ¡°Coran, have we set coordinates on the next planet?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, we¡¯re ready to leave.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡±  She said, standing at her podium.  While the other paladins had gone off to change, understandably not wanting to be in the same room as Lotor, Shiro remained beside her.  He gave her a concerned look before taking his seat.  Allura inhaled deeply as they continued on with their journey.  Lotor constantly had her on edge, and if she wasn¡¯t careful, he¡¯d get the better of her.


    ***The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Later that evening, Allura stood alone on the bridge, looking out into the field of stars.  She never got tired of being in space.  Something about it made her feel less alone; maybe it was because it was were she got to spend the most time with her new family.  A soft squeaking sound interrupted her thoughts and the family of mice came up to join her.  She sat down on the edge of her podium and scooped one up in her hands.


    ¡°Do you have any news for me?¡±  She asked them.  They responded in a series of squeaks and she smiled.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s good, but if you¡¯re not watching him, then who is?¡±


    ¡°I put Pidge and Hunk on spying duty,¡± Shiro said, coming up behind her.  ¡°I thought the mice could use a break.¡±


    Allura jumped slightly and set  the mouse down.  She turned around and frowned at him.  ¡°... How did you know that I was using them?¡±


    ¡°Because it seemed like a smart idea,¡± Shiro smiled.  ¡°So it was no surprise that you would use them.¡±


    ¡°Well, it does feel a bit nice that someone else knows about it now¡­ not that I don¡¯t appreciate the effort that Pidge put forth.  I just felt like he would expect us to use technology to spy on him.  I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be expecting a group of mice.¡±


    ¡°Probably not.  But I won¡¯t tell anyone if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    Allura stood up and smiled up at him.  ¡°Thank you, Shiro¡­ I know I haven¡¯t been acting like myself since Lotor arrived.  And don¡¯t think that I haven¡¯t noticed that you stay in a room if Lotor is there with me, but I appreciate that.  Sometimes I don¡¯t trust myself to be a good leader when I¡¯m around him.  I don¡¯t like the idea that we have to put some trust in him, but I understand that we need him for now if we¡¯re going to make any progress with Zarkon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been handling it fine, but you don¡¯t have to make any difficult decisions on your own,¡± Shiro said, his expression softening.  ¡°The fact that you considered all of your options before accepting Lotor into the Castle shows that you¡¯re a good leader.  I think we made the right decision, even if it was a hard one to make.¡±


    Allura glanced out the window.  ¡°You¡¯re not concerned about the Blade?  We don¡¯t know much about Eioa¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I am¡­ but they knew the sacrifice when they left.  Hopefully this risk pays off.¡±  Shiro¡¯s gaze went to the window and he seemed a little lost in thought and Allura watched him carefully.  Ever since escaping from the Galra, she knew that he was still getting headaches every so often, though he never showed it in front of the other Paladins.  He snapped back into the swing of things quicker than expected, but it still worried her to a degree.  Shiro was never one to show any weakness and Allura worried that he was forcing himself at times; he hadn¡¯t given himself enough time to adjust to being back.  It was harder than she would have liked to admit while he was gone.  She valued his skills and friendship, but she pushed herself to carry on while he was missing;  she had to be a leader at that time, but she never got to tell him how much she missed him.


    ¡°Are you alright, Princess?¡±  Shiro asked, looking at her.  Allura didn¡¯t realize that she had been staring at him and gave him a weak smile.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to stare, it¡¯s just¡­ Are you alright?¡± She asked hesitantly, trying to find the right words.  ¡°Ever since you came back- I¡­ I  suppose I worry about you sometimes.¡±


    Shiro smiled, but it masked how tired he really was.  ¡°Allura, I¡¯m-¡±


    A red light blinked on Coran¡¯s dash and Shiro went to address it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Blade,¡± he said with a puzzled look.  He pulled up a screen, but it remained black.  A brief image appeared, showing the cockpit in disarray.  The image on the screen distorted then went black again.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Shiro panicked.


    Allura quickly moved to her podium again.  ¡°Alert the others,¡± she said fiercely.  ¡°We¡¯re going to Eioa.¡±

 Chapter 3

    In a large clearing in the jungle was a smooth, white structure.  It sat low to the ground, like an egg that had been cut vertically and laid on its side.  Other buildings were scattered around it, but it dwarfed them in comparison.  Keith noticed that the large structure had suffered some damage; one end of the building was crumbling and crushed, as if something had come through and knocked into it.  As they drew closer, he spotted several fighter ships fly out of the smaller structures.  They flew to intercept the Galra ship that was quickly approaching them.  The top of the smooth structure opened up and a green laser shot out from it.  The Galra ship managed to avoid it, but was being swarmed by a dozen fighter ships.


    ¡°We have to get to the ships!¡± Keith yelled to Jira, peering over to her shoulder to see the rest of the group still making their way to the hangars.  The laser shot out from the structure again and again, finally hitting its target.  Keith and Omek whipped their heads to see the Galra ship start to fall to the ground; the tip crashed behind them, the force jolting Jira¡¯s hoverbike forward.  She grumbled and made a sharp turn, slowing them down, but taking them out of the way of the crashing ship.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Omek screamed at her over the noise.  Jira ignored him and continued to turn the ship around.  She sped around the side of the ship as the structure continued to fire at it.  They rushed through the dust as Jira steered them to the back of the ship.  Keith tried to squint through the dust, wishing his mask hadn¡¯t been destroyed.  She slowed down, eventually bringing them to a stop and hopped off the bike.  Omek grabbed her arm and stopped her.


    ¡°What are you planning?¡± he demanded.  She pulled away from him, and though Keith couldn¡¯t see her face, her body tensed up and was enough to express her frustration.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let them send any signal back.  Eioa has gone this long without being under the Empire¡¯s rule, I¡¯m not gonna stop fighting now.¡±


    Keith hid a smile from Omek and gestured to the ship.  ¡°We¡¯ve been on a ship like this before.  We can get you to the center and try and stop any signal that may have gone out.¡±  He led her to an opening and Omek followed them.


    ¡°Most soldiers in ships like these will be just robotic sentries,¡± Keith explained in a whisper as they made their way down a dim hall in the ship.  ¡°But since their uniforms are the same as the other soldiers, it may be hard to tell them apart.¡±


    They hid down another hall as soldiers ran past them with large laser rifles.  Once they had passed, the three continued forward through a maze of halls.  They stopped in front of a large pair of sealed doors and Omek went to work on disabling them.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± A soldier ran out from around a corner and began shooting at them.  Keith whipped out his blade and sliced it through the soldier, but the noise attracted others, who began making their way towards them.


    ¡°Omek, you go ahead!¡± Keith yelled to his companion.  Jira pulled out her polearm, extending it and releasing the three blades at the end.  Omek managed to get the doors open and took off through them.


    Keith glanced back to Jira.  ¡°Get ready-¡± but she already sprinted head on to meet the small group of soldiers.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Keith called after her while fighting his way through soldiers and sentries alike.  Nearly a dozen had swarmed into the hall, leaving little room for maneuverability, but he managed to make the best of it.  Luckily most of them were sentries, which he usually didn¡¯t have much problem with.  Two came at him together and he rolled past them, landing on the other side and slicing through the back of their legs.  One managed a shot at him, nicking the side of his suit in the shoulder before it fell to the ground.  The shot only caused light surface damage to the suit, so he stood to finish them.  He then turned around, ready to take on more, but they all laid on the ground, their bodies lifeless.  Jia stood down the hall, a sentry skewered on the end of her polearm.  She kicked it off and let it crumple to the ground before racing down the hall to reach Omek, Keith following closely behind her.  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    They found him standing at a control panel, were he was working furiously.  ¡°Any luck?¡±  Jira asked, coming up behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve managed to isolate the signal and stop it before it reached any Galra outpost,¡± he said.  ¡°They didn¡¯t send it out until right before they were taken down, it seems.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t think they¡¯d need any help,¡± Keith said smugly.


    ¡°The only problem is that a missing ship might cause other ships to come this way,¡± Omek continued.  ¡°I¡¯m not sure why one would be out this far outside of the empire in the first place¡­ unless it was here against orders.¡±


    ¡°Smaller battleships like this have gone missing before,¡± Keith said.  ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out here, so unless it had specific orders to explore the outer rim, it¡¯s disappearance wouldn¡¯t bring about too much attention.¡±


    ¡°Even still,¡± Jira said glumbly.  ¡°Other than the Grangint and Lotor, the Galra have never been out here before¡­¡±


    ¡°We should get back outside and see if they need anymore help.¡± Omek said.  ¡°But first¡­¡± he paused and pulled out a thin rectangle disk from the middle of the panel.  ¡°Do you youre people would allow me to study this further?¡±  He asked Jira.  ¡°There should be some insight as to what they were doing here; it should hold a communications log, or orders from central command.¡±  Jira nodded and he tucked it away.   Omek then pulled out a laser rifle and shot the control panel a few times.  ¡°Just to be safe,¡± he grinned at them before leading them out of the room.


    While still alert for any other Galra soldiers, they made their way outside back to Jira¡¯s hoverbike.  She led them back around the front of the ship where any remaining Galra had been shot down or taken out by the Blade or other Eioans.  Jira stopped the hoverbike underneath a hangar and they got off to made their way over to meet the others.  She slowed her pace, falling behind Keith and Omek.  Keith glanced back to her and noticed her attention seemed to be fixed on the Galra ship.  Keith stopped, caught between following Omek and talking to her.  He knew exactly how it felt to have what you loved threatened by the Galra¡­ He took one last look at Omek and waited for Jira to catch up to him.  He was hoping she¡¯d speak first while he tried to think of something comforting to say.


    ¡°Did they attack your home too?¡±  She asked finally.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Keith said.  ¡°But they¡¯ve still hurt people I care about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the Blade of Marmora,¡± Jira said.  ¡°You must have some Galra blood, even if you don¡¯t look like it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I-¡± he stopped.  ¡°I¡¯m from a planet called Earth though.¡±


    ¡°So are you half Galra, then?¡±  She asked and Keith nodded.  ¡°So am I,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really?¡±  Keith furrowed his brow.  ¡°I guess I wouldn¡¯t know... ¡° he pointed to her mask.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Jira laughed, taking off her mask and hood.  She had grayish-blue skin and bright golden eyes similar to that of a Galra.  Her face was narrow with high cheekbones like the other Eioan Keith had seen, Rixel.  She had black hair that was pulled back in a thick, loose braid that fell down her back when she removed her hood.  ¡°My mom is a Galra.  She¡¯s part of the Grangint¡­ Oh also, I¡¯m sorry about your mask.¡± she said, looking up at him.  ¡°I think your eye is gonna bruise.¡±


    Keith smiled and lightly touched under his right eye.  It was a bit sore, but he really hadn¡¯t given it much thought.  ¡°It¡¯s okay.  I¡¯m Keith, by the way,¡± he said extending out his hand.  Jira grinned and shook it.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jira, but I figure you already know that by now.¡±

 Chapter 4

    Once they were all together, Rixel lead the group up towards the large, white structure.  As they got closer, he could see that it had no windows and was completely smooth on the outside.  He had never seen a building so peculiar before; or at least, he assumed it was a building and not just some giant weapon.


    ¡°What is this?¡±  Kolivan asked Rixel.


    ¡°This is the Kafa,¡± Rixel gave him a wide grin.  ¡°It¡¯s basically a lab and living facility over the largest source of Quintessence on Eioa, but it also has an impressive defense system¡­ as you could see.¡±


    Keith looked skeptically at the end of the Kafa where the damage was.  ¡°What happened to that end?¡±


    ¡°We were attacked by the Hauhet recently,¡± Rixel explained casually like he expected Keith to know what he was talking about.  ¡°It knocked out our communications and took down our camouflage defenses, but we¡¯re getting it fixed up right now¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Jira said quietly beside him.


    ¡°Camouflage?¡± Omek looked thoughtfully at the building.  ¡°It looks like it¡¯s made out of the same stuff as your suits.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is,¡± Rixel said.  ¡°Eioan technology that, when activated, only we can see it as it truly is.¡±


    ¡°It makes you effective in battle,¡± Kolivan grumbled.  Rixel brought them to the outside of the Kafa and laid a hand on it; a door formed in front of them and slid open.


    The inside of the monstrous dome was dimly lit apart from several pools emitting a pale green light from the center of the ground.  Surrounding the pools stood several pieces of strange equipment and monitors and there were almost a dozen people operating them or standing near the peculiar, green light.  Keith looked up to see a walkway and railing that wrapped all the way around the inside of the Kafa.  People were walking along it, going in and out of doors and the room was filled with a nervous energy.  He could tell the Eioans apart from the few Galra that were there; their eyes were black and their skin was various shades of gray.  If their hair wasn¡¯t white or black, they were completely devoid of hair.  Like Rixel, many had horns and he even spotted a couple with gray tentacles coming off their heads instead of horns or hair.  There were also a few, like Jira, whose skin was more purple or blue, and their eyes golden.


    A Eioan dressed in a trim military uniform with long white hair that flowed freely down his back approached them, accompanied by another Eioan wearing a black robe with a flat face and tentacles on his head.  Rixel stopped and gave the Eioan with long hair a quick bow.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± The Eioan asked Rixel, looking first at Kolivan, then to Keith.  Kolivan and the other Blades removed their masks.


    ¡°We are the Blade of Marmora,¡± Kolivan reiterated, gesturing to the Blades behind him.  ¡°I¡¯m Kolivan.  Prince Lotor told us about your planet and we¡¯ve come here at his suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Zalko,¡± the Eioan introduced himself, but he looked at Kolivan with scrutiny.  ¡°It¡¯s strange that you would arrive here right before a Galra ship,¡± he said coldly.


    ¡°They shot our ship down,¡± Kolivan said calmly.  ¡°We know that Galra have been living her for nearly fifty years.  I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware of the situation of the Galra empire, but Lotor thought that we would be welcome here.¡±


    ¡°I know enough of the situation to know that the Blade of Marmora doesn¡¯t stand much of a chance against an empire that size.  I just hope that you coming here doesn¡¯t bring any more unwanted attention.¡±


    The Eioan beside Zalko gave him an amused smile and stepped forward.  ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± he said in a hoarse, but friendly voice.  He took Kolivan by surprise and shook his hand eagerly with both of his.


    ¡°I¡¯m Horm!¡±  he beamed.  ¡°I¡¯m sure if our communications were functioning properly, we would have received word from you or Lotor beforehand.  That Hauhet is a persnickety thing but we¡¯re working through it!¡±


    ¡°- we did try to contact this district- Olorin, correct?¡±  Kolivan asked.


    Horm nodded quickly.  ¡°Olorin is the right place to be if you¡¯re looking for other Galra.  It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve had visitors! You¡¯re more than welcome here, after all, you actively fight against the empire. Why would we have any qualms against you coming here?¡± he glanced over at Zalko and gave him a smug look.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t think that a Galra ship would be out this far,¡± Kolivan said.  ¡°We apologize for causing you any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Well you and Zalko¡¯s Elites already took care of the issue, so we¡¯re already working together.¡±


    ¡°Elites?¡± Keith said, looking at the Eioans wearing the white suits.


    Horm swept up next to Keith and gave him an unsettling grin.  ¡°The Elites!  They¡¯re Eioans personally selected by Zalko to defend the Kafa and everyone living on this base- can I touch your face?¡±  he asked, poking Keith¡¯s cheek.  ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a specimen with skin this pale before¡­ what do you call yourself?  You must have some Galra blood in you, you¡¯re wearing that fancy getup.¡±


    ¡°Horm don¡¯t do this,¡± Zalko warned, but Horm ignored him and circled Keith.


    ¡°I¡¯m from earth,¡± Keith said, annoyed with the eccentric alien.  ¡°I¡¯m half human.¡±


    ¡°Half human,¡± Horm said, lifting up Keith¡¯s arms and inspecting them.  Keith pulled away and took a step back from him, noticing Jira trying to suppress laughter.


    ¡°Fascinating!¡±


    ¡°Sorry about Horm,¡± Jira said.  ¡°he doesn¡¯t get out much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very busy, would you like to see what the Grangint and I have been working on?¡± he said, eagerly clapping his hands.


    ¡°Wait, we should-¡± Zalko said, but Horm was already bounding back to a large monitor.  Zalko let out an exasperated sigh before continuing.  ¡°I¡¯m sure you have plenty of questions,but tell me what you know about Eioa.¡±


    ¡°Well, we formed a loose alliance with Lotor about a month ago,¡± Kolivan explained.  ¡°After a large battle over a planet with the empire, we needed a chance to regroup and stay out of the empire¡¯s way until we plan our next step.  Lotor said he had allies outside of the empire¡¯s influence; a small planet that he had sent a group of scientists to in order to study its unique form of Quintessence.  We weren¡¯t able to contact you, but we decided to come anyway after Lotor was worried about the empire taking the planet as their own.¡±


    ¡°Where is Lotor now?¡±


    ¡°He is back with our own allies, Voltron.¡±


    Zalko¡¯s dark eyes grew large.  ¡°Voltron?¡±


    ¡°You know of it?¡±  Omek asked.


    ¡°Even if our system is small and fortunate enough to be safe from the empire, we¡¯ve heard many things about Voltron.  Are they planning on coming to Olorin as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, soon.¡±


    ¡°Rixel,¡±  Zalko turned to the talk Eioan.  ¡°Send word to President Drundlo and General Wunrik.  Tell them to come to the Kafa as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t an intrusion,¡±  Kolivan said.


    ¡°No we should feel honored that Voltron is coming¡­ and it¡¯s been nearly ten years since Lotor has been here.  President Drundlo is the leader of Olorin district and was the one who established the treaty between the Eioans and the Grangint.  He¡¯ll want to be here to meet with him again, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for accepting us.¡±


    Zalko still didn¡¯t look to sure, but he gave Kolivan an attempt at a smile and gestured to Horm.  ¡°Horm can answer any questions that you may have.  I should take care of the enemy ship.¡±  He bagan walked away and stopped.  ¡°And we¡¯ll get a crew to bring in your ship and start on repairs.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kolivan said, giving him a nod.


    ¡°Come this way!¡± Horm yelled over to them, waving his arms madly.


    ¡°Is he always like this?¡± Keith mumbled to Jira.


    ¡°No, sometimes he¡¯s even more eccentric.¡±


    Keith grimaced as he approached him.  Horm twiddled his fingers together and stepped up close to a glimmering pool.


    ¡°I will now accept any questions.¡±


    Keith peered to the end of the dome, looking at the damaged wall.  ¡°What is this Hauhet that everyone keeps talking about?¡±


    Horm¡¯s face fell in disappointment.  ¡°Alright, don¡¯t mind the glowing well of mystical substance, it¡¯s fine,¡± he grumbled.  ¡°The Hauhet is a creature that has been on Eioa far longer than we have.  It has incredible camouflaging abilities and it¡¯s what we modeled our clocking technology after.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Why did it attack the Kafa?¡± Omek asked, giving the green pool a wary glance.


    ¡°It¡¯s very protective of Quintessence and attacks if it feels that it¡¯s being threatened.  It¡¯s what has made our research here very stressful at times- alright, most of the time- It¡¯s incredibly difficult to extract any Quintessence without angering the Hauhet, so most of our research comes from observation.¡±


    ¡°Why not just kill the Hauhet?¡± Keith asked which earned him another hard poke on the cheek from Horm.  ¡°Hey-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t disrespect it like that,¡± Horm warned.  ¡°If the Hauhet dies, the planet dies with it, as does the Quintessence.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Keith said, rubbing his cheek.  ¡°So kind of like the Balmera, but more¡­ violent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of other creatures that are connected to Quintessence in a unique way, so yes,¡± Horm said, putting his hands behind his back.  ¡°Lotor was interested in this planet because of the unique form of Quintessence.  He understood that it couldn¡¯t be extracted for selfish purposes, but still saw potential in it.  Drundlo respected that the prince was not like his father in that way, so he agreed to let Lotor send some scientists here to study it.  Plus Drundlo didn¡¯t want to fall to the empire, so he sought to be proactive by forming a sort of alliance with Lotor¡­ despite Lotor¡¯s questionable motivations at times, but that¡¯s a different story,¡± Horm added with an uneasy smile.


    ¡°We can understand that,¡± Kolivan said with a sneer.  ¡°So what about this Quintessence makes it so unique?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been the head researcher here for¡­ well a long time,¡± Horm chuckled.  ¡°While Quintessence was discovered on Eioa thousands of years ago, it wasn¡¯t until several hundred years ago that we noticed something about it; over time we realized that in the areas with the most Quintessence, there were people born with extraordinary abilities.  At first it seemed to be a random occurrence, and it wasn¡¯t hereditary, but when the Grangint came to Olorin and married into the Eioan race, the children of the two races had a higher chance of being born with an ability.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean an ability?¡±  Omek asked skeptically.


    ¡°Oh, you know, they could be many things,¡± Horm shrugged.  ¡°Many of Zalko¡¯s Elites have abilities since they¡¯re usually good in a fight.  Jira is a good example of one.¡±


    Keith and the others looked at her and she smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Is that how you knew what we were up to?¡±  Keith asked her.  ¡°Do you have telepathic powers or something?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly¡­¡±


    ¡°Hers is less of a combative nature, which is not uncommon, but it did get me thinking about the nature of the Quintessence,¡± Horm continued.  ¡°It¡¯s not yellow, so it¡¯s not raw Quintessence, but it¡¯s not concentrated either-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve dealt with concentrated Quintessence before,¡± Kolivan interjected.  ¡°It¡¯s very powerful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly not concentrated¡­ it¡¯s more like it¡¯s filtered, if you will,¡± Horm said.  ¡°We think that the Hauhet affects it in some way, but as you can imagine, it¡¯s difficult to study the creature.¡±


    Kolivan scratched his chin and stared at the deep well.  Behind them, the door opened again and Rixel had returned with two more Eioans behind him.  One looked regal, with white hair tied in a knot at his neck and horns adorned with thin gold bands that curved back on his forehead.  The other was tall and gaunty with piercing black eyes, a sharp angled face, and a bald head.  They walked up to Kolivan briskly and introduced themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯m President Drundlo,¡± The horned one said in a soft but commanding tone.


    ¡°General Wunrik,¡± said the other.  He scanned the Blades individually with an icy gaze.


    ¡°Kolivan,¡± Drundlo continued.  ¡°Rixel informed me of the situation.  Please, I¡¯d like to discuss with you privately.¡±  He turned his attention to the other blade members.  ¡°The rest of you are welcome at our barracks here at the Kafa.  Rixel, show them to our vacant rooms.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.  Follow me,¡± He smiled at them.  While the other Eioans they met out in the jungle had dispersed and went about their own business, Jira followed them outside.


    ¡°Do you live in the barracks?¡±  Omek asked her.


    Jira nodded.  ¡°They¡¯re really pretty nice.  I get my own room which is great¡­ but I room next to my brothers, which is less great.¡±


    ¡°Brothers?¡± Keith piped up, walking up next to her.  ¡°Are they Elites too?¡±


    ¡°They are!¡±  Rixel said, his demeanor more casual and relaxed.  ¡°They also have abilities, as do I, but I¡¯m a full blooded Eioan.¡±  Beside him appeared another image of himself; a perfect copy with the same impish grin.  ¡°But I was lucky enough to be born with an ability.¡±


    ¡°Rixel, you don¡¯t need to brag,¡± Jira said, clenching her teeth.


    ¡°This is my Mirror,¡± He explained.  ¡°It does and says whatever I want it to.¡±  The Mirror stopped next to Keith and put an arm around his shoulder.  If Keith concentrated on the figure, he could tell it was transparent and could see blurred shapes through its body.  It was almost weightless as it leaned on him.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Rixel said, and the Mirror disappeared.  The abilities of the elites really vary.  You guys will probably meet the others soon though.¡±  He led them to a plain white building in a courtyard with three other identical buildings.


    ¡°This one is mostly empty, so you should all be able to have your own rooms,¡± Rixel said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Keith said, looking up at the building.  He glanced back to Jira.


    ¡°You never explained your ability,¡± he said to her.


    Jira scratched the back of her head nervously.  ¡°People tend to get a little weird around me after I explain it¡­ but I¡¯ll tell you what, let me shower and change and then you can ask me any questions you want.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°My room is on the second floor,¡± she said, pointing to the building right across from the one the Blades were staying in.  ¡°Meet me in 20 mins?¡±


    Keith nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ***


    Keith had already gotten into the shower before he realized his extra clothes were back on the ship.  Though his room really had nothing more than a bed, and a dresser, he found a plain white t-shirt and a pair of pants in one of the drawers.  The pants drowned him in length, but they were a light fabric that he could roll up easily enough.  He snuck down the hall, and back outside.  Darting across the courtyard, he slipped inside the barrack and crept up the stairs.  Though once he got to the top step, he realized that Jira didn¡¯t tell him which room was hers.


    ¡°And I¡¯m the idiot who didn¡¯t think to ask,¡± he mumbled under his breath.  He snuck down the hall, trying not to cause too much noise.


    ¡°Jira?¡± he called out in a hoarse whisper.  He stopped at the first door and knocked lightly.


    The door flung open.  ¡°For the last time, I did not take yo- oh?¡±  On the other side of the door stood a slim Eioan boy with short black hair.  He squinted at Keith and stuck out his hand, touching his face delicately.


    ¡°Are you a ghost?¡± he asked Keith, smushing his cheeks now with both hands.  Keith pushed his hands away.


    ¡°What is it with you people and touching my face?¡±


    ¡°-But you¡¯re so pale?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly normal for my race,¡± Keith cried defensively.  ¡°...kind of.¡±


    The boy folded his arms and sized him up, though he stood no taller than Keith.


    ¡°What are you then, Ghost boy?¡±


    Keith sighed.  ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t mean to bother you, I¡¯m just looking for Jira.¡±


    The boy gave him sly smile.  ¡°Now that changes things.  Tell me who you are and I won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    The door across the hall burst open and another, more strapping boy busted out into the hall.  He towered over Keith and glared down at him; his head was without hair and he instead had two horns and a few spikes atop of his head, and a stern crease on his forehead.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± he demanded of both of them.


    ¡°This lover boy is looking for Jira,¡± The shorter boy grinned mischievously.


    In a swift motion, the taller of the two scooped Keith up by the scruff of his shirt and hoisted him up to his face.  Keith wanted to fight against him, but given his size, he figured it would be best to cooperate.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Keith said hastily.  ¡°She just told me to meet her here after she got out of the shower- I mean, uh- I didn¡¯t mean it like-¡±


    ¡°Stop talking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s probably a good idea.¡±


    The shorter boy cackled.  ¡°Junx, you don¡¯t have to scare him to death, but please continue.¡±


    Another door opened, heightening Keith¡¯s embarrassment.  Rixel stepped out into the hall in a towel and a toothbrush in his mouth.


    ¡°Keef! Whaut are you doin heerf?¡± he struggled through the toothpaste.


    ¡°Regretting my decisions,¡± Keith mumbled.


    ¡°Junx, let him down,¡± Rixel ordered.


    The giant dropped Keith and he landed unsteadily on his feet.  ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, rubbing his neck and glaring at Junx.


    ¡°What do you want with our sister?¡± Junx asked menacingly.


    Keith¡¯s stomach dropped.  ¡°Wait, you¡¯re Jira¡¯s brothers?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Jinx to you,¡± the shorter one said, puffing out his chest next to his brother; not that it made a difference.


    The door next to Jinx¡¯s opened and Jira stepped outside, her hair wrapped up in a towel.


    ¡°What is your problem?!¡± she spat at her brothers.


    ¡°You tell us, you sneaky minx!¡± Jinx said.


    Jira rolled her eyes.  ¡°Keep it down, or you¡¯re going to wake everyone else up.¡±


    ¡°Who is this pale alien?¡±  Junx asked with a stoic face.


    ¡°Holy Hauhet, his name is Keith,¡± Jira said.  ¡°And he¡¯s part of the Blade.¡±


    The brothers¡¯ expressioned changed to that of awe and confusion.


    ¡°A Blade?!¡± Jinx said excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re not very purpley for a Galra.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re a Blade, prove it.¡±  Junx demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m only half Galra,¡± Keith said, getting a bit tired of explaining his heritage.


    ¡°Relatable,¡± Jinx smiled.  ¡°But really, what are you doing over here? I heard the Blade members were staying in the barracks across the way.¡±


    ¡°He just had some questions about us and our abilities,¡± Jira explained.  ¡°So if you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯ll be going now.¡± She took Keith¡¯s arm and started to lead him to her room.


    ¡°Wait, I want to explain things!¡± Jinx said, following them.


    Junx did the same.  ¡°You two shouldn¡¯t be left alone.¡±


    ¡°Look Jira, we can wait another time,¡± Keith started, his face hot with discomfort at the situation.


    Jira¡¯s turned to her brothers and sly smile spread across her face.  ¡°Actually, I have an idea; why don¡¯t we go show Keith the Fountain?  That way everyone is happy and he¡¯ll get to see something really cool?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Jinx beamed.  ¡°I want to drive though.¡±


    Jira pulled her towel off her head and let her damp hair fall onto her shoulders.  ¡°Oh, I¡¯m taking my own hoverbike then. You¡¯re too reckless.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Jinx said leading the way down the hall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay out too late,¡± Rixel said, going back into his room.


    ¡°I will drive,¡± Junx said, pushing Jinx out of the way.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s not fair!¡± Jinx protested, jumping on Junx¡¯s back as they made their way down the stairs.  They continued to argue all the way to the hangar with the bikes.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m taking my own bike with Keith,¡± Jira said.  ¡°You two can fight over your own, but don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±  Keith asked, climbing up behind her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Jira smiled as she braided her hair down her back.  ¡°I know a shortcut.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Jira made sure to give herself some distance from her brothers as they sped away from the Kafa.  Junx, like usual, had won the argument with Jinx, but Jira knew that Junx must have used his ability on him; he had no qualms with using it on Jinx freely just to annoy him.  Junx led them down a road that paved through the jungle, until he veered to the left, taking them through the trees.  Jira slowed the bike down as soon as they left the road and put further distance between the two bikes.


    ¡°Um, what are you doing?¡± Keith asked her.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Jira said.  She abruptly kicked the bike into reverse and could feel it take Keith by surprise.  He grabbed onto her shoulders as she pulled them back on to the road and raced down it.  The wind rushed through her hair, loosening her braid, but she didn¡¯t mind; the sensation was liberating in a way.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Keith yelled to her.  He was still clinging to her shoulders, as if expecting her to pull another sudden move.


    She turned her head slightly and yelled back, ¡°We¡¯re losing those two flubgrubbers! Besides, I have a better place to show you anyway.¡±


    After years of exploring the jungle surrounding the Kafa, she had discovered secret pockets that she liked to go to for some alone time.  Having learned the way by heart, she navigated them through the foliage and over a few streams until she found a good stopping place in a small clearing.


    ¡°If you were looking for a good, isolated place to kill me off, great job,¡± Keith said as they got off the bike.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you,¡± Jira laughed and started to walk through the thick line of trees.  It was dark, but she knew the way well enough to trust her senses.  ¡°Though I could definitely take you if I wanted,¡± she said, turning to stop and grin at him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too sorry about attacking me earlier today,¡± he said with a smirk.  ¡°So what is the Fountain and why is this place we¡¯re going to better?¡±


    ¡°The Fountain is a hot springs just up the mountain.  Quintessence has seeped into the rocks, which has made it a popular spot to go to.  But where we¡¯re going is better, in my opinion, and not many people know about it.¡±


    ¡°Do your brothers?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Yeah, but I think we bought ourselves some time¡­ I¡¯m sorry about the confusion in the barracks.  That was my bad.  I should have clarified and my brothers can be really embarrassing.¡±


    Keith was walking closely behind her, but she glanced back to see him with a small smile.  ¡°It¡¯s okay.  Are you the youngest?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re triplets, but I¡¯m the middle one right after Junx.¡±


    ¡°Your poor mom.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Jira muttered.  Ahead of her, she saw a dim light in the distance and knew that they were getting close.  The trees were now closer together, so they had to carefully wind their way around them.


    ¡°What about you?¡± She asked him.  ¡°Do you have siblings?¡±


    Keith didn¡¯t answer right away and she paused to see that his expression looked conflicted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you don¡¯t have to tell me.¡±


    ¡°No, it was just me and my dad growing up,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°On earth?¡±


    Keith nodded and Jira kept walking, not wanting to push him further.  If she had to guess, his mom was a Galra, but she didn¡¯t think it was the best time to bring it up.


    Jira pushed pass the last line of trees and brought him to their destination.  They were now in a large clearing, at the edge of a small body of water that glowed with a pale green light.  In the middle of the water, was a massive tree with roots that twisted up over the water and curled all around them.  The green Quintessence glowed within the tree as well; a faint light shone through cracks in the bark, leading up into the branches.  The tree was so large that it covered the water like a large canopy of leaves, making the area seem more private and enclosed.


    ¡°Well?¡± Jira waited for his response, but Keith was transfixed by the sight in front of him.  Jira smiled triumphantly and looked around.


    ¡°My brothers and I stumbled across this place a few years ago.  I haven¡¯t seen anything else like it in Olorin, but there¡¯s probably as much Quintessence here as there is in the Kafa,¡± Jira said. ¡°¡­ we promised not to tell anyone though; we kinda wanted to keep it our secret.  But it¡¯s not like anyone would try to extract the Quintessence here, so we didn¡¯t think any harm would come by just keeping it secret,¡± she said defensively.


    ¡°Why did you show me then?¡±  Keith asked as he neared the water.


    ¡°Because I trust you,¡± she stated.


    He squatted down over the water and ran his hand through it.  ¡°But you don¡¯t really know me.¡±


    ¡°True¡­ but I know that you have good intentions.¡± She squatted down to join him and cupped some water in her hands.  The Quintessence didn¡¯t actually turn the water green, but it was in the ground, making the water seem that way upon first glance.  Jira let the water seep slowly through her hands and avoided looking at Keith.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    A nervous lump caught in her throat.  She didn¡¯t really like having this conversation with people, but after attacking him earlier today, she felt she owed him an explanation.  ¡°I don¡¯t have telepathic powers, but I can sense people¡¯s true intentions¡­¡±  Keith¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion, so Jira hurried to explain herself.  ¡°The more I interact with someone, the easier I can read them.  Physically touching them works well, especially if they¡¯re asleep or unconscious¡­ so that¡¯s why I ripped your mask off and touched you.  I wanted to know why you came to Eioa.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t just¡­ ask me?¡±


    Jira chuckled.  ¡°How would I have known that you were telling the truth if I had just asked you?¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Keith rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his mouth.  ¡°So you can detect lies, kinda?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess?  Sometimes I know someone¡¯s intentions before they even realize it themselves.  Sometimes what I read from a person doesn¡¯t make any sense until later down the road.  With you, I knew right away.  You were looking for the Grangint because you were in trouble.  You weren¡¯t here to cause any trouble.¡±


    Keith eyed her nervously.  ¡°So have you been¡­ reading me this whole time we¡¯ve been together?¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Uh, well,¡± Jira averted her attention and stuck her hands back in the water.  ¡°I¡¯ve been trying not to.  When people find out about my ability, some act kinda¡­ weird around me for a little bit.  Can¡¯t say I blame them.  It¡¯s a pretty intrusive ability.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel bad,¡± Keith said hastily.  ¡°I just- sorry.  You said you trusted me though. So you must have read me after we first met, just to be sure that you could trust me, right?¡±


    Jira looked at him hesitantly.  She really had been trying not to read him and she didn¡¯t think doing so without telling him was a good way to start off a friendship.  Even still, she wanted to be sure that she made the right call in bringing him here.  Jira reached out to touch his arm, but stopped herself.  She sometimes hated relying on her ability in order to put trust in others.


    ¡°If you want to be sure, I get it,¡± Keith said.


    ¡°You sure?¡±  Jira asked.  Keith gently took her hand and pressed her palm against his cheek.


    ¡°People have been touching my face all day, so I guess I should get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have to be touching your face to read you.¡±


    Keith tensed up and his eyes grew wide.  ¡°Oh! I just assumed-¡±


    Jira couldn¡¯t help but laugh, which only made him tense up more beneath her touch, but he didn¡¯t move away from her hand.


    The pale light from the water shone on his face and reflected back into his eyes.  She had never seen someone with skin like his before and found herself fascinated by it, but she didn¡¯t want to be like Horm and weird him out.  Compared to his dark hair and eyes, she thought his skin was a nice contrast.


    Jira could sense a warmth radiating from him and she smiled.  ¡°I trust you,¡± she said.  ¡°And I want to be your friend too.¡±


    Keith quickly turned his head away from her, breaking their contact.  ¡°Great,¡± he said, his voice subtly cracking.  Jira smirked and stood up.


    ¡°Come on, I want to show you something else,¡± she said.  She rolled up her pajama pants up and walked into the water a ways.  Keith did the same and tentatively followed her.  Jira put a hand in the water and pulled out a decent sized rock.  With both arms, she swung back and flung it back into the water.


    Keith scoffed.  ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±  The water rippled around them for a moment, then bubbles slowly started to rise to the surface.  They grew larger, filled with the same pale green, and rested on the surface of the water.  Jira stepped up on to one and quickly hopped to the next bubble before it had the chance to pop.


    She darted from bubble to bubble, getting closer to the massive tree in the center.  ¡°Come on!¡± she yelled, quickly glancing back to Keith.  He shook his head slightly and hopped onto one; he was faster than she expected and he soon caught up to her.  They raced to the edge of the tree, where Jira jumped onto a thick root and waited for him to reach her.  He followed her up the root to the trunk of the tree where she rested her hand on the bark. Where her hand rested, the light glowed brighter beneath the bark.  Keith stood beside her and placed his hands on the tree and the Quintessence reacted the same.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Quintessence like this before,¡± he said.  ¡°What was Horm saying about the Hauhet affecting it in some way?¡±


    ¡°Because the Hauhet¡¯s life source is connected to the planet, he believes that it¡¯s somehow refining or filtering it; that the Hauhet is the reason some of us are born with abilities.  We know more about the Quintessence than we do the Hauhet, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°It seems like it would make this planet dangerous to live on.¡±


    If we just left the Quintessence alone, then I don¡¯t think we¡¯d ever have problems with the Hauhet¡­ but sometimes you risk your safety in order to uncover the truth,¡± she shrugged.  ¡°Eioans have always held that belief.¡±


    ¡°Knowledge or death,¡± Keith said quietly.  ¡°That¡¯s what the Blade of Marmora believes.¡±


    Jira eyed him carefully.  ¡°I grew up hearing stories about the Blade from the Grangint.  You¡¯ve done a lot to fight back against the empire. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been all kinds of places¡­¡± she said wistfully.  ¡°... how long have you been apart of the Blade?¡±


    Keith slid his hands down the tree and folded his arms.  ¡°Not very long... I was a paladin before that.¡±


    ¡°A paladin?  Wait¡­ you were apart of Voltron?¡± She asked, her curiosity and excitement growing.  ¡°Why did you leave that for the Blade?¡±


    ¡°To uncover the truth,¡± he said, avoiding her curious gaze.  Jira knew he didn¡¯t intend on telling her right now, so she reluctantly changed the subject.


    ¡°Well... ¡° she smiled at him.  ¡°I told you you could ask me any questions you had.  So if you want, ask away.¡±


    Keith looked relieved that she didn¡¯t press him any further.  ¡°What¡¯s the deal with your brothers?  What abilities do they have?... and should I be worried about them hating me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jira laughed.  ¡°Junx takes awhile to warm up to people, but he doesn¡¯t mean any harm.  Jinx just likes to egg people on and push their buttons.  Junx can manipulate emotions, but I don¡¯t think he used his ability on you tonight, so I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it.  Jinx can manipulate a person¡¯s speed and strength to match his own, which makes him a pain to deal with in a fight.  Arguments between my brothers can lead to some interesting results.¡±


    ¡°Remind me to not pick any fights with them, then,¡± Keith said.  ¡°Why did you all decide to join Zalko¡¯s Elites?¡±


    ¡°My brothers liked the chance to use their fighting skills¡­ and I just think Jinx likes the suits.  As for myself, it was a good compromise.  Our mom didn¡¯t want us to join General Wunrik¡¯s troops; he keeps Olorin safe from the Hauhet.  They also go on campaigns to track it down and try to study it.  Staying at the Kafa keeps us closer and safer.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you wanted to join Wunrik though,¡± Keith said, sitting down against the tree.  Jira joined him and braided her hair again.


    ¡°I thought it was my best chance at seeing more of Eioa¡­ but I can understand why she wanted it this way, and I can respect that decision.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been outside of Olorin?¡±


    Jira looked at Keith and felt a tinge of longing.  He had travelled all over the universe and seen seen so many planets and cultures, all for a noble cause.  She had never even been outside of her district.  She shook her head and pulled her legs up to her chest.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± she smiled, but it felt forced.


    ¡°AH HA!¡±  A voice cried from across the water and Jira and Keith looked over to see Jinx and Junx standing near the shore.


    ¡°I knew you were gonna sneak off and come here,¡± Jinx said victoriously.  Jira rolled her eyes and stood up.


    ¡°Go away!¡± She hollered back to him and her two brothers gave them cross scowls.


    Jinx turned his attention to Keith.  ¡°Because you intruded on this planet and snuck off with our sister, I challenge you to a fight, Ghost Boy!¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Keith replied and Jinx¡¯s face twisted in anger.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that! He can¡¯t do that, right?¡± he said to Junx who just shrugged a response.


    ¡°He just wants to show off,¡± Jira said.  ¡°But we should probably head back anyway¡­ before they come out here and join us.¡±  The bubbles had disappeared, so they opted to find a root that would connect them back to the other side.  Once they got over to the shore, Jinx and Junx met them.


    ¡°Did you tell him about my ability?¡± Jinx asked, looking worried.


    ¡°All I told him was that you sore so loud, you scare yourself awake, is that what you mean?¡± Jira sneered at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, remember that time during basic training?¡± Junx said with a low chuckle.  Jinx harrumphed as the four of them made their way back to the bikes.  Jira gave Keith an apologetic look, but he seemed amused at their interaction.  Once they reached her bike, Jira waited for him before getting on.


    ¡°Do you want to drive it back?¡± She asked.


    Keith¡¯s face lit up.  ¡°Really?  It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve driven a hoverbike,¡± he said, eagerly getting on to the bike.


    ¡°Just try not to kill us.¡±  She climbed up behind him, unsure of where to hold on.  It had been a long time since she was a passenger on a hoverbike and they didn¡¯t really have great handles in the back.  Keith whirled the bike on and leaned forward.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked, taking off before she could give him an answer.  Jira grabbed onto his shirt and pulled herself closer to him.


    ¡°Guess that was payback,¡± she grumbled.  He maneuvered the bike with impressive speed and skill through the jungle, leaving Junx and Jinx behind.  Jira realized she was still holding onto his shirt tightly and loosened her grip.  Though, he was going fast enough to where she felt uncomfortable letting go completely.  Keith made a sharp turn and Jira instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist.


    ¡°I thought I said not to try and kill us!¡± She yelled in his ear.  Keith laughed; a loud and genuine laugh that she hadn¡¯t heard from him since they met and Jira realized with a sharp pain in her chest that she enjoyed the sound of it.

 Chapter 6

    The Kafa was isolated in the middle of the Olorin jungle and it was rare for any outsiders to go out of their way to visit the base.  Outside of the jungle sat Olorin¡¯s largest city, Cadamur, where the largest population of Eioans were born with abilities.  Though the city was founded almost two thousand years ago, small pockets of Quintessence were still being discovered.


    Jira sat on a boulder and looked down over the beautiful, expansive city.  She had never actually lived in Cadamur, the Kafa had always been her home, but she enjoyed any chance she got to visit.  Junx came and sat down next to her and began digging into his lunch.


    ¡°They¡¯re arguing again,¡± he noted, looking over to Keith and Jinx who were standing off in the distance.  Jinx had been egging Keith on all morning, trying to convince him to fight him.  Jira had warned Keith not to give into his taunting, but she wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he¡¯d be able to hold off.  She quickly found that while Keith was skilled and talented, he was stubborn and eager to prove himself.  Jinx discovered that just as quickly and was using it to his advantage.


    ¡°Well, Keith agreed to come out on patrol with us,¡± Jira said.  ¡°He and Jinx are going to fight sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Just one quick match,¡± Jinx said with a grin.  ¡°Your choice of weapon.¡±


    ¡°I already told you, I¡¯m not interested,¡± Keith said with a frown, trying not to look at him.  Jinx folded his arms and gave Keith a disinterested look.  ¡°Okay, I get it¡­ It¡¯s just weird that a Blade member and a former Paladin doesn¡¯t want to try out their skills¡­ makes me think that you really aren¡¯t all that you¡¯re cracked up to be.¡±


    Keith grumbled at him and pulled his blade from his suit.  ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go then.¡±


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Junx said, rolling his eyes.  He offered Jira some food.  ¡°Hungry?¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jira said and the two siblings sat on the rock and watched as Jinx pulled out his own blade.  It was shorter than Keith¡¯s, but he swung it with confidence.


    ¡°Ready when you are,¡± Jinx said.  Keith ran at him, but Jinx avoided his attacks with apparent ease.  Keith went in for an attack again and again, but Jinx simply deflected them.  As they fought, they got closer to Jira and Junx.  Keith narrowly avoided Jinx, and rolled over to the rock.


    ¡°I can¡¯t land anything,¡± he said to them, his breathing labored.  ¡°It¡¯s like I can¡¯t control my body.¡±


    ¡°Jinx is slower than you, so you¡¯re not used to being that slow,¡± Junx said.  ¡°You may be stronger than him too, so he¡¯s probably manipulating that as well.¡±


    Keith glanced to Junx.  ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be stronger than him, how do you get used to it?¡±


    ¡°Practice,¡± Junx said simply, crossing his arms.


    Jira shook her head.  ¡°It¡¯s about fighting smarter than him, not faster or stronger than him.¡±


    Jinx leapt forward and swept down with the blade, barely missing Keith.  He pushed Keith further to the edge of the jungle and Jira could see the frustration in his eyes.


    ¡°I gotta say, I¡¯m a little disappointed,¡± Jinx chuckled.  While he could manipulate others in a fight, he was force to be reckoned even without his ability; his attacks were precise and decisive.  Jira had grown up training with both of her brothers, but when it came to refining her skills, Jinx was the one that she gleaned the most from.  It was from him that she learned how to level the playing field against an opponent and overpower someone stronger and quicker than herself.


    Keith dodged once more, but Jinx caught the edge of his suit, taking a small chip off of his side.  He stood up and twisted his blade around him, breathing in deeply.  Wiping the sweat from his brow, he moved for Jinx once again.


    ¡°He¡¯s letting Jinx get into his head,¡± Junx commented.  ¡°Want me to make things fun?¡±  Jira looked over to her brother, who was showing a rare smile.


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    Keith had managed to close in a gap between them, but Jinx deflected his attack and sent him a few steps back.


    ¡°Whenever you wanna quit,¡± Jinx said, holding out his blade.  His face contorted in a grimace, then he bent over as if he were in pain.  Keith stood awkwardly over him and looked over at Junx and Jira.


    ¡°Um¡­ is he okay?¡±


    Jinx threw his head back and let out a disturbing cackle.  ¡°Junx!¡± he cried between his laughter.  ¡°KNOCK IT OFF.¡±  Keith stepped further away from Jinx, looking uncomfortable.


    ¡°Only when you agree to leave Keith alone,¡± Junx said.


    ¡°No, I want to fight him,¡± Keith said stubbornly.  Jinx, with his hands on his knees, composed himself.


    ¡°Ahhhh¡­. Fine.  let¡¯s fight,¡± Jinx said.  ¡°No abilities.  Just two Galra hybrids testing each others skills.¡±


    "Do you mean it?¡± Keith asked him skeptically.


    ¡°Try any funny business and I¡¯ll make you cry next time,¡± Junx warned.


    ¡°Yes I mean it,¡± Jinx groaned.


    The two picked up where they left off, and it was apparent that Keith was much faster than Jinx.  Even still, Jinx was calm and calculated, and the pair were matched well.  They fell into a good sync and their sparring became more lighthearted, even to the point where Jinx was joking with him.


    ¡°Not bad, Ghost boy,¡± Jinx said as they agreed to stop.  ¡°You¡¯ve got the speed, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Keith said.  ¡°You¡¯re not too bad yourself¡­ But I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to fight you again anytime soon if you¡¯re going to be using your ability.¡±


    Jinx beamed.  ¡°Yeah, a lot of people say that.¡±


    ¡°You two finally ready to eat?¡± Jira asked.  Keith and Jinx joined them on the boulder, Keith sitting next to Jira.  She noticed the chip that Jinx had taken off his suit and pointed it out to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they can fix it when we get back to the Kafa,¡± he said.  ¡°By the way, you still owe me a new mask.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­ I¡¯ll get right on that¡± Jira said slyly.


    They enjoyed their lunch and the sunshine on the rock until it was time to move onto their next post on the day¡¯s perimeter patrol.  After the Hauhet had attacked the Kafa a few days ago, no one had seen any sign of it near the jungle and Cadamur had been safe from the attack.  By the time evening had rolled around, they were almost done at their last post.


    Jinx had brought along cards and was attempting to teach Keith a new game, which just led to more arguing between the two.


    ¡°Look it¡¯s not that difficult,¡± Jinx said. ¡°The highest card gets the lowest value only when you have the two lowest and second highest card in your hand.  If you have the lowest card, it gets the highest value only when you have three of the same card, or if you¡¯re playing on your birthday.¡±


    Keith stared at him blankly.  ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules, that¡¯s just how it works.¡±


    Keith groaned.  ¡°What idiot came up with this game?¡±


    ¡°I did, and apparently only those up to my level of intelligence can understand it!¡±


    Keith threw the cards down and left Jinx to clean up.


    ¡°Hey come back and play me, you flarf!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one likes playing that game with him,¡± Jira said, coming up next to Keith.


    ¡°Only because you can¡¯t handle its sophistication,¡± Jinx said.


    ¡°Quit arguing,¡± Junx said, walking back from a watch tower that they had stopped at.  ¡°I just got word from Zalko; Voltron has just arrived at the Kafa.¡±


    Jira perked up.  ¡°Really? Do they want us back there now?¡±


    Junx nodded and Jinx took off for the hoverbike before Junx had a chance to fight him for it.  Jira looked over to Keith who¡¯s expression seemed to cloud over.


    ¡°They¡¯re here sooner than I thought,¡± Jira said, trying to gauge his emotions.  ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯ll get to see your friends again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Keith said slowly.  He looked at her and seemed to snap back into focus.  ¡°I feel like it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen them.¡±


    ¡°Well I can¡¯t wait to meet them,¡± Jira smiled.  She watched him closely as they mounted their bikes, noticing that his mood had shifted after Junx mentioned Voltron¡¯s arrival.


    ***


    Night had already fallen by the time they returned and even from a distance, Jira could see a slim white structure towering over the Kafa.  Keith had told her and her brothers what to expect when they arrived, so Jira remembered from his description it was the castle of the lions.  He told them about his friends, but he didn¡¯t go into great detail.  While the castle was impressive, she was a little disappointed to not see any of the lions or Voltron in its full form.     A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    When they entered the Kafa, the scene was livelier than she anticipated.  Jira could tell that most of the residents of the Kafa had come to see the paladins, but they had mostly dispersed by now.   The paladins easily stood out amongst the everyone else due to their skin color and suits; they were spread out in different places around the center of the Kafa, Grangint members and Eioans trailing behind them in fascination.


    ¡°Keith!¡± One of them called from the center of the room.  A boy with brown skin and dark brown hair with yellow on his suit quickly made his way to them; another paladin with green on her suit and pale skin  noticed and followed behind the dark haired boy.


    ¡°It¡¯s been awhile!¡± the boy beamed.  He had kind eyes and Jira could read him easily without having to touch him; she could sense immediate trust in him.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Keith said, folding his arms and looking slightly uncomfortable at the newfound attention.


    ¡°This place is amazing!¡± said the girl, looking around in awe.  ¡°I met Horm- that weird guy with the tentacles- he wants to show me how all this equipment works.¡±


    Jira laughed at the thought of Horm finally finding someone who was as interested in the monitors as he was.  The girl turned her attention to Jira and her brothers and held out her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Pidge,¡± she smiled.  Jira took her hand and shook it.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jira,¡± she said.  The other boy introduced himself as Hunk and gave them a friendly wave rather than a handshake.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡± Junx asked.


    ¡°Not too long ago,¡± Hunk said.  ¡°Long enough to meet some guy named Zalko?  And then we met Horm and Chalna and they kinda showed us around and kinda gave us the low down of this place.¡±


    ¡°Chalna?¡± Jinx said.  ¡°Mom¡¯s back?¡±


    ¡°Wait- She¡¯s your mom?¡± Hunk said.  ¡°She did mention her children were Elites¡­ so you¡¯re all siblings.¡±


    ¡°Triplets,¡± Jinx said proudly, earning a wide eye response from Hunk and Pidge.


    ¡°You guys!¡± Another boy came from outside and walked towards them.¡±Have you seen the plants on this planet? They¡¯re insane!¡±  He approached the group and gave Jira an impish grin.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said, his voice suddenly lower.  ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me that Zalko¡¯s Elites had such attractive soldiers¡­ The name¡¯s Lance.¡±  He leaned towards her, his bright blue eyes twinkling.  Jinx promptly pressed himself between them and grabbed Lance¡¯s head.


    ¡°Your eyes are blue,¡± he said in awe.  Junx pushed Jinx away and did the same.


    ¡°This is unexpected,¡± Lance mumbled, his cheeks squished by Junx¡¯s large hands.


    ¡°They have a thing about touching faces,¡± Keith said.  Lance pushed Junx away from him with some effort.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jira apologized for her embarrassing brothers.  ¡°Everyone on this planet has dark or golden eyes¡­ you¡¯re the first person we¡¯ve seen with light eyes.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lance suddenly looked flattered.  ¡°Then by all means, gawk away.¡±


    ¡°You remind me of someone¡­¡± Jira said, trying to place a finger on it. As if her mind was read, the main door opened again and her friend Viltri walked through.  ¡°Ah nevermind, I remember.¡±


    Viltri stood taller than Jira and though she was also half Galra, she took after her father, President Drundlo, with gray skin, small horns, and dark eyes.  She had a palpable confidence about her that only emphasized by her striking beauty.  While she was still wearing her white Elite suit and had just returned from outside of Cadamur, her lilac hair fell perfectly around her shoulders.  She spotted Jira and the others and made her way over to them.


    As she walked towards them, Jira watched her closely as she took in the new company.  Viltri¡¯s eyes lingered on Keith, then she looked at Jira and gave her a smirk.  Jira frowned at her friend, knowing exactly what she was up to.  She then looked to Lance, and her smile grew.


    ¡°Hope I didn¡¯t miss anything too exciting¡­ I¡¯m Viltri,¡± she said to the Paladins, though her gaze kept coming deliberately back to Lance.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Pidge said.  ¡°I¡¯m Pidge, this is Hunk, that¡¯s Keith.  The guy staring at you like an idiot is Lance.¡±


    Viltri seemed amused and came up closer to him.  ¡°Well since you¡¯re new to Eioa, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be needing a guide to show you around.  There¡¯s a hot springs not too far from here that I can take you to.¡±  Lance blinked slowly at her, trying to process what she was saying.


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± Hunk said, rubbing the back of his neck.  ¡°I¡¯ve been really tense lately, a hot springs should do the trick.¡±


    Viltri expertly disguised her annoyance and nodded.  ¡°Definitely.  We can all go tomorrow, if that works.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, let¡¯s go in the evening,¡± Jinx said.  ¡°That way the light from the Quintessence is even stronger.¡±


    ¡°Just how common is Quintessence around here?¡± Pidge asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s small pockets of it all over the planet, but it¡¯s untouched,¡± Junx said.


    ¡°Right, the Hauhet¡­¡±


    ¡°The hot springs has a good amount, so it would be kinda cool to take you guys up there,¡± Jinx said.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Hunk said.


    Viltri looked back at Lance who still hadn¡¯t found his voice.  ¡°It¡¯s a date then,¡± she winked at him before walking away.  After a moment, Lance turned around and watched her leave.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything stupid, right?¡± He asked, his voice cracking.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Pidge said flatly.  ¡°You just stood there... gawking at her.¡±


    Jinx patted lance on the shoulder.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it.  Viltri finds people¡¯s inability to flirt attractive.¡±


    Lance scowled.  ¡°I can flirt.¡±


    ¡°Not from what I saw.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to get along great,¡± Jira mused.  She turned to Pidge.  ¡°Would it be okay if you introduced us to the other paladins?¡±


    ¡°Sure.  They¡¯re around here somewhere with Lotor and Drundlo.¡±


    Jira hesitated and shared a worried look with her brothers.  ¡°The Blade did tell us that he was coming as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t like him anymore than you do,¡± Hunk said, noticing their expressions.  Pidge led them around the side of the Kafa where a beautiful woman was standing next to Drundlo.  Her white hair flowed down her back and she carried herself with importance and dignity.  Beside her was another man with orange hair and a mustache that curled at the ends.  When they noticed the group come up to her, the two excused themselves from Drundlo.


    ¡°Keith, it¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re safe,¡± said the woman said with a warm smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you got our signal,¡± he said.  ¡°Otherwise we¡¯d still be waiting on you guys to show up.¡±


    ¡°It really was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time that we were able to catch it so quickly.¡±  She looked at the triplets and gave them the same genuine smile.  ¡°Zalko told me that his Elites have been taking great care of the Blade.  Thank you for being so welcoming to us.  I¡¯m Princess Allura, but please just call me Allura.¡±  They exchanged introductions and Jira was able to discern that she had pure intentions to get to know the Eioans better.


    ¡°I¡¯m Coran!¡± The man with the fun mustache beamed at them.  ¡°Thank you for having us.¡±


    ¡°Of course.  How long will you be on Eioa?¡± Jira asked them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure yet,¡± Allura said.  ¡°But we spoke with President Drundlo about the possibility of Eioa joining the Voltron Coalition.  Tomorrow we¡¯ll meet with other leaders to discuss things.¡±


    ¡°With Lotor there as well, I¡¯d assume,¡± Junx glowered.


    ¡°Well yes,¡± Allura¡¯s smile fell.  ¡°Naturally he¡¯d need to be there.  It will help us better understand what he wants out of an alliance with Voltron and Eioa.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act as if you¡¯re not eager to work with me,¡± a voice said behind Allura.  Jira peered around her to see Lotor approaching them with the last paladin; a handsome man with a tuft of white hair to contrast the black and a scar that ran across the bridge of his nose.  As they approached, an overwhelming sense of unease came over Jira.  She felt it before whenever Lotor visited the Kafa, though she was just a child then.  This time it was stronger, more sinister and secretive.  Because of her ability, Lotor always kept his distance from her to protect his secrets, but ten years was a long time; he might not recognize her anymore.


    Lotor eyed her suspiciously and stopped.  ¡°You¡¯re Chalna¡¯s children, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Junx said through a clenched jaw.


    Lotor laughed softly.  ¡°You¡¯ve grown up quite a bit.  I¡¯m sure your abilities have only improved since the last time I saw you.¡±


    ¡°They have,¡± Jira said, challenging him.  Keith gave her a subtle look of concern and she relaxed her fists that were curled in tight fists.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Lotor said simply, but he came no closer to her or her brothers.  The last Paladin, however, stepped around him and greeted Keith.


    ¡°Your suit and face look a little banged up, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay,¡± He said, laying a hand on Keith¡¯s shoulder.


    Keith let slip a smile and touched his black eye.  ¡°Yeah that was just a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re making friends, so that¡¯s good,¡± Pidge said smugly and Keith frowned at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m Shiro,¡± the paladin said, turning to Jira and her brothers.


    ¡°You pilot the Black Lion,¡± Jinx said respectfully.  ¡°That¡¯s awesome.  Will we get to see the lions anytime soon?¡±


    ¡°Ah, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll keep my fingers crossed.  I¡¯m Jinx by the way.  Keith told me you¡¯re great in combat.  I¡¯d like to challenge you to a fight.¡±


    Shiro¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise.  ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me.¡±


    Junx shoved his brother aside.  ¡°Just ignore him, he thinks his ability is untouchable.  I¡¯m Junx.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Jira.¡± Jira tried to smile at Shiro, but her eyes fell to his bionic right arm.  The same feeling of unease swept over again as she looked at it.  She caught herself from stepping away from Shiro, but the nagging feeling wouldn¡¯t leave her alone.  Thankfully, he didn¡¯t seem to notice her odd behavior.


    ¡°Zalko wanted me to tell you that we¡¯ll be having dinner soon in the dining hall,¡± Shiro said.  Hunk, Jinx and Lance cheered and took off with Pidge and Junx following closely behind.  Shiro left with Lotor, much to Lotor¡¯s chagrin.


    ¡°Thanks again,¡± Coran said to Jira, before he left with Allura.  Jira nodded, but her mind felt a bit hazy.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Keith said, giving her an odd look.  Jira jumped slightly, forgetting that he was still beside her.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± she didn¡¯t know how to best say it.  ¡°I got an uneasy feeling when Shiro and Lotor approached us.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever read Lotor?  He acted kinda weird around you.¡±


    ¡°He knows my ability, so he keeps his distance¡­ He¡¯s also just hard to read to begin with.... But I¡¯ve never felt that uneasy around him before.¡±  She looked at him and could detect worry in his expression.  It wasn¡¯t just Lotor that she felt uneasy with¡­ but Keith seemed close with Shiro.  How could she explain what she felt.  ¡°But I¡¯m fine,¡± she lied.  ¡°Are you good?  You¡¯ve been kinda quiet since we got back.¡±


    Keith nodded and started to walk to the dining hall.  ¡°All good.¡±


    Jira raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°Now we¡¯re both lying,¡± she mumbled before following him.

 Chapter 7

    The kitchen in the castle the next morning was a bit rowdier than usual when Allura made her way there for breakfast.  She could hear a commotion before she even reached the room and braced herself for a disaster. Upon entering, she wasn¡¯t surprised to find the kitchen packed.


    Hunk was busy making breakfast, leaving a trail of food behind him as he worked. Lance and Viltri were on fruit chopping duty, but she was too busy flirting with him to be productive, and Lance was too nervous to be any better at his job.  Allura quite enjoyed seeing him flustered by a girl for once; she could get used to having Viltri around.


    Jira and Jinx stood next to Hunk, watching him intently while he worked, while Junx argued with Hunk over everything he did.  Shiro sat quietly at the counter with a content smile on his face as he watched everyone.  Allura came and sat next to him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Pidge and Keith?¡± She asked.


    ¡°She left pretty early to go hang out with Horm and my mom,¡± Jinx explained.  ¡°Not sure where Keith is¡­ I asked if he wanted to go on patrol with me this afternoon, but he didn¡¯t seem too interested.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s just off moping on the training deck again.,¡± Hunk said.


    ¡°Does he do that often?¡± Jira asked, giving Hunk a wary look.


    ¡°Only when he gets in his loner emo moods.¡±


    Jira furrowed her brow. ¡°Emo?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, you probably don¡¯t know what that is¡­¡±


    ¡°I just think he needed some alone time,¡± Shiro said diplomatically but Allura could tell that Jira didn¡¯t look satisfied with that answer.


    ¡°Hunk, what are you making?¡±  Allura asked him, coming to stand next to Jira.


    ¡°An abomination,¡± Junx frowned.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Hunk growled at him.  ¡°I decided to make a fruit pizza with the native fruit here, but some people seem to think that there are certain things that you shouldn¡¯t do with fruit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what pizza is,¡± Allura smiled.


    ¡°Trust me, you¡¯ll love it.  Now if those cutting up the fruit would quit flirting for two seconds, we could eat soon.¡± Hunk looked expectantly at Lance and Viltri.


    ¡°That is not what we¡¯re doing,¡±  Lance said defensively, and Viltri scooped the chopped fruit into a bowl and handed it to Hunk.


    ¡°Should that be enough?¡±


    Hunk squinted at contents.  ¡°It should be fine,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Hunk takes his food very seriously,¡± Allura stated to Jira.


    ¡°I can see why.  It looks great.¡±


    Hunk carefully spread the fruit out and expertly cut the pizza into equal slices.


    ¡°This is amazing!¡± Allura beamed after taking a bite.


    Jinx and Junx ate quickly before they took off for their patrol shift.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Jinx hollered as he walked out of the kitchen.


    Junx stopped in the doorway before following his brother.  ¡°It wasn¡¯t¡­ bad.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Hunk looked genuinely offended.  ¡°But you ate so much of it!¡±  Junx didn¡¯t bother to stay and explain himself and quickly left the castle.


    ¡°I should get going to,¡± Viltri said after eating.  ¡°I¡¯ve got to prep for the next scouting mission.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Lance perked up.  ¡°Scouting mission?  For the Hauhet?  You actually go looking for that thing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do you wanna come?¡±


    Lance rubbed the back of his neck.  ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, I might be needed back here at the castle. You know, in case I need to bust out my lion- save some people- the usual.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have anything going on today,¡± Allura said ecstatically.  ¡°You deserve the day off.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Viltri beamed, taking Lance by the arm and leading him away.  Hunk started cleaning up and Jira helped him.


    ¡°What do you two have going on today?¡± Allura asked, hoping that Jira wouldn¡¯t be too busy.


    ¡°I told Keith I would try and fix his mask on his Blade suit today.  He said it broke pretty bad, but he didn¡¯t say how¡­¡±  Hunk said, and Allura saw Jira making a weak attempt at hiding a smirk.


    ¡°I see,¡± Allura said, tapping her fingers together.  ¡°And you, Jira?¡±


    ¡°I actually have a long patrol shift with Rixel in a bit, but I should be free to go to the hot springs.  Are you coming with us?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately not.  President Drundlo isn¡¯t going to be free until this evening, so we¡¯ll have to go some other time with you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jira smiled.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to meet with Rixel soon, do you mind if I walk with you there?  I want to get a good look at the base today.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Prefect,¡± Allura said.  ¡°Just let me go change.¡±


    Once in her room, she debated on what to wear; she needed to make a good impression today.  Her old suit would help her stand out as a leader, but her paladin suit symbolized her unity with the other paladins and voltron.  She eventually settled on the paladin suit, leaving the helmet behind.  When she left her room, Shiro was outside waiting for her.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡±  He asked, folding his arms.


    Allura laughed nervously and started walking down the hall.  ¡°I¡¯m just getting to know the base and the residents better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken an interest towards Jira though,¡± he said.  ¡°... Are you meddling?¡±


    Allura raised an eyebrow at him.  ¡°I¡¯m not meddling¡­¡±  she sighed.  It was hard to lie to him.  ¡°Okay, maybe a little bit.  It¡¯s just curious to me that Keith has made friends here already.  It took him a while to warm up to us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± Shiro pointed out.  ¡°... They¡¯re not kids.¡±


    ¡°I just want to get to know her a little more, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Shiro relaxed and smiled.  ¡°Fine¡­ just tell me how it goes.¡±


    ¡°Now you sound curious too,¡± she teased.


    ****


    ¡°So how long have you been an Elite?¡± Allura asked Jira as they walked past the Kafa.


    ¡°I started training when I was a kid and I¡¯ve been one for a few years now.  Zalko keeps an eye on the kids growing up in the Kafa and recruits them if they show enough promise.¡±


    ¡°So this is all you¡¯ve known growing up?  The Kafa?  Training and protecting your home?¡±


    Jira nodded.  ¡°Life outside of the Kafa is different and more relaxed, I know, but this is what I¡¯m used to.¡±


    ¡°Did you always want to be an Elite with Zalko?¡±


    ¡°Um, no¡­¡± Jira said, staring straight ahead and Allura could sense her shutting her out.  ¡°No, I actually wanted to be apart of Wunrik''s Elites.  They get to go all over Olorin.  We do a lot of training with them; that¡¯s actually how I became friends with Viltri.¡±


    ¡°Both seem like rewarding jobs,¡± Allura smiled.


    ¡°They are,¡± Jira said hasilty.  ¡°It¡¯s just, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve always wanted to see more.  Having the Blade come and Voltron¡­¡± her voice trailed off.


    ¡°Have you never seen anyone else from another planet before?¡±


    ¡°Eioans do have ties to other planets in our system, but travel isn¡¯t common.  We figured it was one more thing that could attract the empire,¡± Jira laughed.  ¡°Keith was the first person I met whose skin wasn¡¯t purple or gray¡­ which is kinda lame now that I say it out loud.¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡±  Allura grinned, but saw Jira looked a little discouraged.  ¡°Your mother told me about your ability. You would make a great asset to any team you joined.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jira said, her expression a bit happier.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that Keith found you¡­ and other good friends here,¡± Allura said carefully.  ¡°Even if he¡¯s only been here a short time.  Ever since he left Voltron, we just like to know that he alright; especially Shiro.¡±


    Jira fidgeted with her braid.  ¡°He never told me why he left, and he didn¡¯t tell me which lion he piloted.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll leave it to him to explain why he left,¡± Allura said.  ¡°But he was the Paladin for the red lion, then for a bit he was the paladin for the black lion, until¡­ well, until Shiro got back.¡±


    ¡°Keith did tell me about that,¡± Jira said, looking away from Allura as if something was bothering her.  ¡°... But it¡¯s great that you¡¯re all together again.¡±  She stopped in front of a hanger and glanced at Allura.  ¡°Well this is my stop.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Allura said and Jira began walking away.


    ¡°Jira,¡± Allura called back to her and she stopped.  ¡°Did you by chance get a reading on me after we met?¡±


    Jira nodded and smiled.  ¡°You were pretty easy to read, which is usually a good thing. Eioa is lucky to have you here.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Allura sat anxiously in a conference room in the Kafa, waiting for President Drundlo to arrive.  She eyed Lotor skeptically as he sat across from her.  He had kept his head down since they had arrived in Olorin, but Coran and Shiro had gone above and beyond in keeping an eye on him; she was grateful that the two of them were with her now. Though she had spoken with countless leaders about joining the coalition, Eioa was a special case.  The Eioans ties with Lotor and her distrust of him complicated things.  It did comfort her to know that not all the Eioans trusted him.  Many, like Horm and Chalna who were also present at the meeting, were quick to express their dislike for the prince.  Allura looked over to Chalna who gave her a comforting smile.  She shared a striking resemblance to Jira with her long black hair and golden eyes, though Chalna¡¯s presence was more more intimidating and commanding.


    Drundlo quickly entered the room, flanked by General Wunrik and Zalko.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting,¡± he said, taking his seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright,¡± Allura said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste any time here with you, Princess,¡± he continued.  ¡°Olorin is grateful to have the paladins of Voltron, but I know that you have many other duties to attend to.  So that being said, I want to accept your invitation to join the Voltron coalition.¡±


    Allura looked at him in surprise; that was easier than she expected.  ¡°I see,¡± she said.  ¡°We do feel that it would benefit your planet if you joined us.¡±


    ¡°There is one concern however,¡± Drundlo said, his expression hard.  ¡°I¡¯m only over one district, so my influence is limited, even if Olorin is the largest district on Eioa.  I will have to consult with the presidents of the other 20 districts to see where they stand on the matter.  By now, all of them know about the Blade and the Galra arriving.¡±


    ¡°How did they take the news?¡± Kolivan asked roughly.


    ¡°Olorin is the only district that the Galra have come to, so many other districts are not very trusting towards them,¡± Wunrik said.  ¡°While an empire ship coming confirmed our suspicions that the Galra were closer than we had anticipated, the Blade¡¯s arrival actually inspired some hope among the districts.¡±


    Shiro leaned forward.  ¡°When will it be made public that Voltron is here?¡±


    ¡°Once the other districts have made their decision,¡± Drundlo said.  ¡°For now, only those at the Kafa know.¡±


    ¡°But we can count on Olorin to join the coalition?¡±  Allura asked.


    ¡°Of course.  Olorin is at the greatest risk because of the Kafa and amount of Quintessence here.  It would be in our best interest to join.¡±


    Allura smiled.  ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.  And if I may, I would love to join you when meeting with the other district presidents.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Drundlo nodded.  ¡°Your presence there should greatly influence them.  Hopefully they can all meet soon so that we don¡¯t waste anymore time.  In the meantime, we need to discuss the threat of the Galra attacking again.¡±


    ¡°It would be foolish to think that they wouldn¡¯t send another ship here,¡± Lotor said, sitting back in his chair with a perpetual smug grin on his face.  ¡°Word has probably already gotten back to my father.  It¡¯s just a matter of time before they send a larger battleship this way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why were sending some of my troops to the Kafa,¡± Wunrik responded, unphased by Lotor¡¯s sneer.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have some of the best soldiers will here.  Some of those soldiers being ones that you wanted in your own ranks,,¡± Zalko said, narrowing his eyes.  Lotor shot him a harsh look, but said nothing.


    ¡°And for the time being, you will have us here,¡± Shiro interjected.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you have planned for this,¡± Lotor said, his sharp gaze still on Zalko.  ¡°But eventually you will have to take the fight to the empire.¡±


    ¡°When we make that decision, it will be on our own terms, in our own ships, with our own army¡± Wunrik said.


    Allura looked nervously from Lotor to Wunrik and Zalko.  Drundlo raised a hand, and smiled.  ¡°We have kept our alliance and truce with you for over fifty years, Lotor, let¡¯s not let the threat of Galra put a strain on it now.¡±


    Lotor smirked at Drundlo, but he held malicious fire in his eyes.  ¡°I wish nothing more than to maintain this alliance, Drundlo.  I just want us to be realistic about this threat.  Sending some of your strongest troops out under someone with the best experience is an effective way to fight against the empire.¡±


    ¡°Do you not think we can¡¯t lead them ourselves?¡±  Zalko spat.


    ¡°Well seeing as Eioans rarely partake in space travel and battle, no I don¡¯t.¡±


    Zalko clenched his fists and Drundlo laid a hand on his arm to stop him from outbursting.  Allura glanced at Shiro and Coran who seemed equally startled at the turn the discussion had taken.  She snuck a glance at Horm and Chalna who regarded Lotor with disgusted looks.  If so many Eioans hated Lotor, she wondered why Drundlo formed an alliance with him in the first place.


    ¡°Our first concern is keeping the Kafa safe from the Galra right now,¡± Drundlo said firmly.  ¡°I know you came here all those years ago to offer your protection in an alliance, but you¡¯ve lost a lot of leverage recently.  It¡¯s our decision in how we will prepare for the Galra, and right now that does not include sending my people into your ranks.¡±


    Lotor stared at Drundlo for a moment and Allura half expected him to attack the president, but he plastered on another fake smile and relaxed his shoulders.  ¡°You¡¯re right, Drundlo.  I trust your judgement in this seeing as I haven¡¯t been to Olorin in several years.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±  Drundlo focused back to Allura.  ¡°Tonight, I will reach out to the other districts and set up a conference with them.  For now, please make yourself at home,¡± he said with finality.  He stood up, gave Lotor one last hard glance, and left the room with Wunrik.  Zalko lingered before walking out with them, giving Lotor a look of disdain.


    ¡°Well that went better than I expected,¡± Horm said brightly.  ¡°No one threatened to kill you, so I¡¯d say it was a success,¡± he said to Lotor.  Lotor glared at the Eioan as a response.  ¡°I¡¯m going to check the monitors one last time before turning in for the evening.¡±


    Coran stood up.  ¡°Do you mind if I join you?¡± He asked, visibly uncomfortable at the tense atmosphere.  He and Horm quickly left the room, leaving Shiro and Allura alone with Lotor and Chalna.


    Chalna turned to Allura and asked, ¡°Allura, would you mind having a word with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ ¡° She paused, looking at Shiro, not wanting to leave him alone to watch Lotor.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Shiro encouraged her, but she could tell he wasn¡¯t too happy about the situation.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Allura said to Chalna, giving Shiro a grateful smile before following her out of the room.


    *****


    The hot springs, more simply known as the Fountain, were a popular spot for residences of the Kafa and Cadamur so Jira was surprised to see it empty when they arrived that evening.  The sun was beginning to set, causing the multiple pools to glimmer intensely against the dying light.  The Fountain was made up of one large pool surrounded by a few smaller ones of various sizes; they were all left to nature in fear that the disturbance of the Quintessence would bring the wrath of the Hauhet.  Because the Quintessence came up through the ground itself rather than in the loose rocks or the water itself, it was safe for people to visit as long as they didn¡¯t go out of their way to disturb the foundation of the springs.


    Jira had always enjoyed going to the springs, but for a reason she couldn¡¯t quite pin down, she felt a bit hesitant to go now; maybe it was just her embarrassing brothers¡­ or that she had new friends that she wanted to impress.  Either way, she was slow to get into the water once they had arrived.  Jinx and Hunk wasted no time in splashing loudly into the largest pool while Junx made his way to the smallest and hottest one.


    ¡°This is so cool!¡± Pidge cried, looking around her.  ¡°There¡¯s almost as much Quintessence here as there is in the Kafa, why don¡¯t they study this?¡±  She asked Jira.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t want to disturb the natural flow of the springs by building over it.  This way, anyone can come and visit the fountain.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Pidge said.  ¡°I like it.  It¡¯s peaceful.¡±  She dipped a toe into the water and promptly pulled it out.  ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s warm.¡±


    ¡°Have you never been to a hot springs before?¡± Lance asked, sneaking up beside her.


    ¡°No¡­¡±  Pidge stepped away from him, noticing his sly grin.  ¡°And don¡¯t even think about pushing me in,¡± she warned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t,¡± Lance said, just as Jinx grabbed her hands and pulled her in.


    ¡°You guys!¡± she roared, splashing water at them.  Lance crackled triumphantly and moved on to his next victim.  Viltri was standing near the water as if she were waiting for Lance to approach her.  Jira noticed that Lance seemed less nervous around her, so their time spent together today must have gone well.  She quickly figured out that that Lance was flirty like Viltri was, but Viltri wasn¡¯t afraid to really chase after what she wanted.  Lance seemed to be taking things well, but Jira wasn¡¯t surprised that he was a bit thrown off by her at first.


    Lance quickly grabbed Viltri around the waist and went to pull her into the water with him, but she didn¡¯t budge from where she was standing.


    ¡°What the Quiznak, how are you not moving?!  Your body¡¯s hard as a rock!¡± He pulled her by both her arms and Viltri just laughed at him.


    ¡°Maybe if you try hard enough, you¡¯ll get it,¡± she teased, folding her arms.


    Lance stood up straight and frowned down at her.  ¡°Alright, what¡¯s your ability?  I¡¯ve waited all day for you to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Telling you takes all the fun out of it,¡± Viltri beamed at him.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Lance huffed and he tried pulling on her arms again, but his hands passed through her and he fell with little grace into the water.  ¡°What just happened?¡±  he asked once his head popped out of the water.  Viltri sat down on the edge and slid into the water and joined him.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told him yet?¡± Jinx asked between fits of laughter.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s not that funny,¡± Lance glared at him.


    ¡°Viltri can manipulate her body¡¯s density,¡± Jinx said.


    Viltri hit jinx in the shoulder.  ¡°Blabbermouth.¡±


    Pidge and Hunk swam up next to her excitedly.  ¡°That awesome!¡± Hunk said.  ¡°So you can like make your body intangible, or really hard and well¡­ dense?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Viltri smiled.


    ¡°Whoa, show us again.¡±


    Viltri entertained Hunk and Pidge, but Jira could spot the jealousy on Lance¡¯s face that they had swooped in and taken her attention away from him.


    ¡°Jira, aren¡¯t you gonna get in?¡± Jinx called to her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she called back, but she stopped before pulling her shirt off.  Keith was on the far side of the large pool, sitting along the edge.  She hadn¡¯t really talked to him today, and he still looked a little off, as if he was trying not to bring attention to himself.  Jira had never felt self conscious in a swimming suit, but for the first time, she was nervous about being in one.


    ¡°Holy Hauhet,¡± she muttered.  ¡°This is ridiculous.¡±  she threw her shirt off and made her way over to him, but the closer she got, the more she wished that she had just kept the shirt on.


    Keith looked up when he saw her approach and quickly averted his attention back to the water.  Jira ran her hand over her braid and forced herself to keep going and sit next to him.


    ¡°So what do you think of the Fountain compared to the tree?¡± Jira asked, sitting next to him.  She made it a conscious effort to not stare at him, but she could easily discern that he was fit despite being lean.


    ¡°You were right,¡± he said, glancing at her.  ¡°This is pretty, but I like the tree better.¡±  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re sitting here by yourself?¡± Jira teased and she felt herself relax a little.


    Keith laughed softly.  ¡°No-¡±


    ¡°Cuz I mean we can always sneak away and go there since you seemed so bummed about being here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not bummed about being here,¡± he said defensively.


    Jira slid into the water and grabbed his wrist.  ¡°Coulda fooled me,¡± she said, pulling him towards her.


    ¡°Hey-¡± Keith fell into the water, lightly bumping his head into Jira¡¯s.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, rubbing his forehead.  Jira laughed, then realized she was still holding onto his wrist.  She quickly let go of him, but also noticed how close he was to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she laughed nervously, pushing herself away from him, then cringing when she realized she touched his bare chest.  ¡°Aha¡­¡±  she stepped further away from Keith, garnering a confused look from him.


    ¡°Umm¡­ you okay?¡± he looked about as uncomfortable as Jira felt.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you got in,¡± Lance smirked at them.  ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet, Keith.  Let¡¯s see who can last the longest in the hottest pool¡­ unless you don¡¯t think you can handle it.¡±


    Keith scowled at him.  ¡°Fine, you¡¯re on.¡±


    Junx, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, glared at both of them.  ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said, mostly to Lance.


    ¡°Come on, big guy!¡± Lance grinned.


    ¡°Ahh, I wouldn¡¯t test him,¡± Viltri said, putting her hands on Lance¡¯s shoulders and leading him away from Junx.


    ¡°No biggie,¡± Lance said.  ¡°I brought a ball.  Why don¡¯t we play volleyball or something?¡±


    Viltri¡¯s face lit up.  ¡°What¡¯s volleyball?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.  Who¡¯s in?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, count me in!¡± Jinx said and Hunk offered to play as well.  Pidge came over to Jira and Keith and Jira was actually grateful for the distraction from feeling like she had made a fool of herself.


    ¡°So what did you end up doing all day today?¡± Pidge asked Keith.


    ¡°After some training, I helped out Omek with ship repairs.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t go on patrol with Jira again.  I¡¯d love to see more of the jungle.¡±  She looked to Jira.  ¡°Do you ever go down into Cadamur?¡±


    ¡°Zalko¡¯s jurisdiction is only the Kafa and the surrounding jungle.  Everything else in Olorin is divided up and overseen by a number of Wunrik¡¯s officers.  They, including Zalko, report to him.¡±


    Pidge frowned.  ¡°Quiznak¡­ I was hoping to get a better look at things around here.  I don¡¯t Wunrik would take the time to show us around, huh?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, but a scouting mission is going out to look for the Hauhet in a couple of days.  I¡¯m sure Wunrik would be okay if the paladins tagged along.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever go on scouting missions?¡± Keith asked her.


    ¡°When I get Zalko¡¯s permission, yeah.  They like having me around because I can sense whether or not the Hauhet is going to attack.  It allows them a window of safety to work in, though I¡¯ve never actually come close to it before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± Pidge said.  ¡°I¡¯d love to go if we can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my mom about it.  She¡¯d be a good one to convince Wunrik.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!  Say, Keith, you wanna come too?  It¡¯s been awhile since we¡¯ve done something all together.  Not since Naxzela.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Keith said with a noncommittal tone.


    ¡°That was a while ago, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Jira asked Pidge.  She wanted to know why Keith put up walls when it came to the other paladins.  He had been pretty open with her up until they showed up.  ¡°What have you been up to since the Blade left for Eioa?¡±


    ¡°Mostly just traveling around to different planets in the coalition.  Believe it or not, but not everyone is happy to see Lotor hanging around us.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why,¡± Jira smirked.  ¡°But I guess right now, he¡¯s kind of a necessary evil.  He has good insight into the inner workings of the empire.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but it¡¯s been a little hard to get some people on board with things.  We¡¯ve been doing a lot of public appearances and putting on a good face, but it¡¯s difficult when Allura and shiro mistrust him so much.  I mean, we all do, but some days are better than others.¡±  Pidge then smiled.  ¡°But I¡¯m making it sound like it¡¯s way worse than it is.  It really hasn¡¯t been too bad.  We¡¯ve been to a lot of exciting places, and the empire has kept off our tail for the most part.¡±


    ¡°That still sounds pretty fun,¡± Jira smiled.  She stole a quick glance at Keith and could see the same far off, distracted look.  She wondered if something had happened between him and the other paladins from the way he acted around them.  They didn¡¯t act that way around him though, and Hunk had mentioned something about him being in a loner emo phase¡­ whatever that meant.  Jira looked back to Pidge as to not make it evident that she was caught up in her thoughts.  ¡°I¡¯d give anything to explore different planets and systems like you have.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re half Galra, right?  Have you ever thought about the Blade?¡±  Pidge asked and Keith¡¯s eyes grew wide at the suggestion.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Jira¡¯s face felt hot.  ¡°No, not really¡­ It¡¯s a little more complicated than that, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, just throwin¡¯ that out there,¡± Pidge grinned.  ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna go hide Lance and Jinx¡¯s clothes.¡±


    ¡°Have fun,¡± Jira laughed nervously, but she could feel Keith¡¯s eyes on her.  Pidge swam away, and Jira stood uncomfortably with her back facing him.


    ¡°Have you really thought about joining the Blade?¡± He asked her.  Jira turned to face him and folded her arms defensively.


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± She looked away from him, afraid of what his expression would be.  ¡°It¡¯s just wishful thinking of me to join.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s...¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if now was the best time to talk to him about her hesitations.  She had entertained the thought of joining the Blade only briefly, but didn¡¯t want to dwell on it too much.


    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned wanting to explore outside of Eioa before,¡± Keith pressed.


    ¡°I know-¡±


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Hunk hollered behind them.  He collided into Jira, pushing her forward and into Keith. He grabbed her around the shoulders and stumbled backwards.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Hunk said, coming up to them.  ¡°That was totally an accident.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Keith said.  His hands lingered on Jira¡¯s shoulders for a moment before he briskly removed them.  Jira¡¯s face burned with heat again and she turned to Hunk.


    ¡°Uh, do you think I could play with you guys?¡±  She asked him.


    ¡°Sure!  Sorry again about running into you. I¡¯m not the best at volleyball,¡± Hunk said as he led her to the others.


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be much better since I¡¯ve never played before,¡± she assured him.


    Viltri slid up next to Jira and gave her a smarmy grin.


    ¡°What were you two talking about?¡± She asked Jira quietly.


    ¡°Who, Hunk?  Just volleyball.¡±


    Viltri narrowed her eyes at her.  ¡°You know who I mean.¡±


    Jira looked back at Keith who had pulled himself out of the water and moved into a smaller pool.  ¡°Oh¡­ nothing important, really.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just ask again when you¡¯re ready to tell me the truth,¡± Viltri said, swimming away to join Lance again.


    Jira learned the rules of the game quickly and even enjoyed herself, but she couldn¡¯t help but be a bit distracted.  She promised herself that she was going to talk to Keith about what was bothering him about the paladins being there, but Pidge¡¯s bringing up the Blade and Keith questioning her about it threw her off.


    After a couple of matches of volleyball, they decided to call it a night and head back.  Jinx and Lance spent a good amount of time looking for their clothes and threatening to throw Pidge into the water, but Junx protected her, seeing as he got to watch in satisfaction as they struggled.  Viltri opted to stay behind and help them look while the rest of them returned to the Kafa.  Jira felt like she and Keith were avoiding each other as they made their way back and headed for the barracks; that felt even worse than being questioned by him and she made a new resolution to talk to him tomorrow.  She only hoped that if she was honest with him, he¡¯d return the favor.


    *******


    Chalna led Allura around the outside of the Kafa and Allura was grateful to be out of the stuffy conference room.  The night air was refreshing and she could sense rain was on its way in.  Chalna walked with a calm purpose, but Allura felt at ease around her.


    ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡±  Allura asked her.


    Chalna looked over to her, her golden eyes glowing against the dark of the night.  ¡°Sorry, I wanted to be far away from Lotor before I speaking.  I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not surprise to you that I¡¯m just one of many that don¡¯t trust Lotor and I get the sense that you don¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Allura said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about what the Zarkon did to your home planet,¡± Chalna said softly.  ¡°I am so sorry¡­ You probably have more reason than most to despise the Galra.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but if there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned, it¡¯s that a few bad people don¡¯t account for an entire race.  I distrust Lotor because I worry that he may follow more closely in his father¡¯s footsteps then he¡¯d lead us to believe¡­ why do the Eioans distrust him?¡±


    ¡°Well, most do for that same reason.  Drundlo is well aware that Lotor may turn his back on this alliance if he takes Zarkon¡¯s place.  He¡¯s taking a very calculated risk right now, and many worry that it may not pay off in the end, but at the time, Drundlo considered it to be better than to do nothing and have to face the empire alone.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame Drundlo for doing what he feels is right.  Unfortunately, we¡¯re in the same position with him, but what was that talk about Lotor wanting Eioan troops?¡±


    Chalna sighed.  ¡°That¡¯s mostly why I distrust him.  Lotor has always taken an interest in those with mixed Galra heritage- and the assimilation of the Galra here with the Eioans worked out perfectly;  they accepted us into their society and as an added bonus, many children between the two races were born with an ability.  Last time he came to Olorin, he made it clear that he wanted Eioans to help him in his campaign against his father, but I fear it¡¯s just for his own selfish reasons.  Drundlo wouldn¡¯t hear of it, and that¡¯s when they had a bit of a falling out, leading to him not coming back until now.  For a few years, we worried that we¡¯d be attacked, but I always underestimate Lotor¡¯s patience.¡±


    Allura furrowed her brow.  ¡°If you don¡¯t trust Lotor, why did you agree to come to Eioa?¡±


    ¡°It was a much better option than staying in the empire under the rule of Zarkon¡­ I¡¯ve never regretted coming here.  I made a home here, found satisfaction in my work, married and had amazing children¡­¡±


    ¡°Has Lotor taken a special interest to the triplets due to their heritage and abilities?¡±


    ¡°Jinx and Junx, definitely,¡± Chalna said, then she laughed.  ¡°Not Jira though.  She¡¯d see through his lies eventually.¡±


    ¡°Are there any Eioans that wish to join Lotor?¡±  Allura asked, worried.


    ¡°In the past there were some, but that has kind of died down over the years.  Since only the Kafa residence knows about him being here, it helps keep things calm, but Drundlo is worried that with everyone here and the threat of the Galra, there will be those who wish to join him.  At the end of the day, there¡¯s not a lot that can be done, I just worry that I¡¯ll be right in my suspicions about Lotor and he will have sacrificed good Eioans for his own personal gain.¡±


    Allura stopped she was suddenly overcome with exhaustion.  Chalna put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  ¡°I didn¡¯t want to discourage you, princess,¡± she said.  ¡°I want you to know that you¡¯re not alone in this fight.¡±


    Allura looked up and smiled at her.  Chalna continued.  ¡°Whatever happens, just know that the people of Olorin will always stand by you and Voltron¡­ For now, we just need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡±  Allura said, gratitude welling up inside her.  Chalna gave Allura a hug, which took her by surprise, but she eagerly accepted it.


    ¡°I should go,¡± Chalna smiled.  ¡°It looks like someone else here wants to speak with you.¡±  Allura looked to see Shiro making his way towards them.  Chalna gave Allura a comforting pat on her arm before walking away.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lotor?¡±  She asked him, suddenly on edge.


    Shiro put up a reassuring hand.  ¡°Zalko sent Rixel to keep an eye on him.  How do you feel about things after that meeting?¡±


    Allura looked back at Chalna and smiled.  ¡°Honestly, I feel a little better about the situation.  We can trust these people, even if we can¡¯t fully trust Lotor.¡±


    Shiro followed her gaze.  ¡°Did speaking with Chalna help you come to that conclusion?¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes¡­ I¡¯m glad that we came here, despite the uncertainty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not letting Lotor get to you,¡± Shiro smiled.


    ¡°You say that like he¡¯s not getting to you.¡±


    ¡°Well he is, but¡­ We¡¯re supposed to look out for each other.  You don¡¯t need to feel like you have to handle this on your own.¡±


    Allura¡¯s chest tightened.  ¡°I know¡­ If I¡¯m pushing anyone away, I don¡¯t mean to.¡±


    ¡°You just expect a lot out of yourself.¡±


    Allura took a inhaled deeply and looked away from him.  She knew he was right; she pushed herself too much at times.  She was glad that Shiro was there to be the voice of reason, but she had never expressed that to him.  In fact, whenever she did want to be open with him lately, she felt as if the opportunity never allowed for the occasion.  She wasn¡¯t even sure how to go about expressing how grateful she was for him; or even how much she cared for him.  Since they had a moment of peace, she figured now was as good a time as any.


    She looked back at him.  ¡°Shiro, there¡¯s something¡­¡± she paused.  ¡°... I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re back,¡± she said weakly.  ¡°Well, it¡¯s not just that, I just- I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, and safe.¡±  She bit her lip; telling him how she felt was harder than she expected.


    Shiro put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn¡¯t feel any comfort in his touch.  ¡°I¡¯m glad to be back,¡± he said.  ¡°... It¡¯s been a long day, princess.  Are you heading back to the castle soon?¡±


    Allura pulled away from him.  ¡°Yes, in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, his expression difficult to read.  ¡°... Goodnight.¡±


    She slumped against the Kafa once he left, wishing she hadn¡¯t said anything to him in the first place.

 Chapter 9

    The long couch in the castle was packed when Jira sat down next to Pidge the next afternoon. She had just gotten off patrol and had time to shower before heading over to see the paladins. They had promised to teach her, Viltri, and her brothers some things about their home planet and Jira could hardly contain her excitement. She squished herself between Jinx and Pidge as Lance and Hunk argued over who would go first.


    "Alright," Lance said. "Here''s how it''s gonna go. Let''s tell them about where we grew up first and-"


    "No, let''s tell them about different landmarks," Hunk argued.


    "What about seven natural wonders?" Pidge offered. "Or famous and influential people."


    "Or you could just ask us what we wanted to learn about first," Junx pouted at the end of the couch.


    Viltri smiled at Lance. "I kinda like the idea of you telling us where you grew up. Tell me more about Cuba."


    "So it''s settled then," Lance beamed.


    "No, we should vote on it," Jinx mumbled, but Lance went ahead with what Viltri suggested. The three of them explained their home in great detail, then went on to explain that their planet was made up of continents and divided into countries rather than districts like Eioa was. In many ways, it wasn''t too different from Eioa, Jira realized. Earth sounded amazing and her longing to leave Eioa that she tried so hard to keep at bay was starting to build up again.


    "Well, that should give you a bit of an idea of where we come from," Hunk said proudly. "Any questions?"


    "I have one," Jinx raised his hand. "Where is Keith from?" He pointed behind the couch where Keith had slipped in halfway through the lesson. Jira turned to see him in a casual black shirt, standing uncomfortable by the door.


    "Yeah, everyone else told us about their home," Viltri said excitedly.


    "Um... It''s really not that exciting," Keith said with a shrug.


    "Everything is excited to us. We still don''t know a lot about Earth."


    "Where did you say he was from?" Jinx looked to Hunk. "Texas? Is that¡­ a state?"


    "Yeah. A really big one."


    "Well cool. Tell us about Texas."


    Keith frowned. "Really guys, there''s not much to say."


    "Well if it''s so big, I''m sure there''s plenty to say," Jinx countered. "Why are you so reluctant to talk about it?"


    "Because maybe I just don''t want to," Keith said, anger starting to rise in his voice.


    "Look dude, if you don''t want to, whatever," Lance said. "Just don''t suck the fun out of this for everyone else."


    Keith glared at him. "Don''t let me stop you then," he said, walking out of the room.


    "Uh¡­ So is he always like that?" Viltri asked.


    "Just ignore him," Lance assured her. "He gets pretty touchy about his personal life¡­ Now where were we?"


    "Why don''t you tell us more about Eioa since we''ve never been outside the Kafa and Jungle," Pidge suggested.


    "I''d love to!" Viltri said, rising to her feet. Everyone seemed to get over the tension with Keith quickly and they were soon caught up in asking Viltri dozens of questions. Jira watched the door, almost hoping that he''d walk back through it, but she knew he wouldn''t. The paladins didn''t really seem phased by it, so she wondered if that was a normal thing for him to act like that. She still had yet to talk to Keith like she had promised herself she would, but was now the best time? Something didn''t sit right with her and she no longer felt okay with just sitting there like nothing had happened.


    "Where''s the training deck?" She asked Pidge quietly.


    Pidge gave her an odd look, but gave her the directions. Jira managed to slip away without detection thanks to Jinx and Lance getting into a friendly argument. She followed Pidge''s directions and found the training deck. She was right in her assumption that Keith would be there, practicing with his blade against two training droids.


    Now that Jira was there, she didn''t know what she was going to say. He hadn''t noticed her yet so she could still leave without any harm done. Jira hesitated by the door, trying to make her decision. He looked focused and upset, his brow furrowed in concentration as he attacked the droids carefully. Jira took a steadying breath and approached him; still unsure of what she wanted to say.


    At the sound of her footsteps, Keith turned around, looking a bit taken aback. "Jira? What are you doing here?"


    "You''ve seemed a bit¡­ off lately. I just wanted to see if you were okay," she said cautiously, trying to gauge his reaction. Keith looked away from her and swung his blade a few times.


    "I''m fine."


    "You say that, but you don''t really act like it."


    "Well you don''t really know me, so how would you know?" He asked with a slight edge. Jira instinctively clenched her fists and tried to keep her composure.


    "I know that you''ve been acting differently since the others showed up."


    Keith ignored her and kept training. Now more annoyed at being ignored, Jira pulled out her polearm that she kept clipped to the back of her pants, even when wearing her casual clothes. She extended it and twirled it.


    "Okaaay," she said, glaring at the back of his head. "How about this? I challenge you. I pin you, you have to tell me what''s going on. You pin me and I''ll drop it and leave you alone."


    Keith stopped and scoffed at her. "I''m not fighting you again."


    "Why, because you know you''ll lose?"


    "Just drop it, okay?" He swung at the droid on his left, but Jira launched forward and stopped his blade.


    "What was that for?!" He asked, his voice rising.


    "Fight me." Jira gave him a hard stare.


    "Knock it off." He went in for the droid again, but Jira revealed the blades on her polearm and whipped it across the droid''s neck, sending the head flying across the room. She shoved the pole forward and strung the droid up through the chest, causing it to shortage and stop moving.


    Keith gave her a look of anger and shock, his blade hanging limply in his hand.


    "Fight <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">me," she said again, and delivered the same fate to the other droid. Keith tightened his grip around the blade, but refused to move in towards her so she took the initiative, frustration pushing her forward.


    "You''ve been acting like a jerk to your friends," She said as their weapons collided. Keith pushed her back and she readied for another attack. "Why? Does it have to do with you leaving Voltron?" She asked, smacking the tip of her pole against the blade, sending a sharp ringing sound through the air.


    "I told you," Keith said through gritted teeth as he fought to give himself distance. "I don''t want to talk about it."


    "So it does, then," Jira smirked. "You''ve been distancing yourself ever since they arrived. I''m not stupid! And neither are they." She swung at his legs and he rolled out of the way. "What happened when you left for the Blade? It caused some sort of rift between you guys¡­ one that seems to be your own fault."


    "Stop," Keith said, his concentration cracking under her questions. He made a sloppy attack, but his strength was enough to push Jira into a corner. She pushed against his blade with her pole.


    "Why did you leave in the first place?" She asked, starting to feel out of breath. She used the leverage of the wall to push herself against it and Keith''s stomach and kicked him away from her. "I''ve tried to give you some space and tried to get you to open up, and you''ve been pushing me away too," she spat at him. "Why''d you leave in the first place?" She asked more forcefully.


    Keith held his stomach and glared at her. "To learn more about my mom!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "... She was part of the Blade."


    Jira paused and lowered her pole. "What happened to her?"


    "I don''t know," Keith said quietly. "She... left me and my dad." He didn''t look at her.


    Jira gripped her weapon tightly in her hand. "Keith," Jira caught her breath. "I didn''t realize¡­ but that doesn''t mean you can treat people like that. People who care about you-"


    "-You don''t get it," he said tersely, and Jira struck his blade with a furious warning blow.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Why wouldn''t I get it?" She challenged him. "Tell me."


    "You-" His eyes shone with fear and anger, but he didn''t finish his thought.


    "What do you think I don''t get? My dad was killed by the Hauhet when I was a kid. That''s why I''m part of the Elites and not with Wunrik. <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">That''s why my mom doesn''t want me leaving the Kafa." She yelled back. "Quit acting like you''re the only one around here who''s having a hard time! Just because my dad was taken from me doesn''t mean I don''t <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">get it. Everyone is having a hard time with something, and you don''t seem to care because you''re so focused on your own problems. All of the paladins have been taken from their homes and they might never see their families again." She stuck the blade and again and again with Keith making weak attempts to fight her back. "They found a family with each other and you''re the one who pushed yourself away from that. That''s on you. Not them."


    Keith swung back at her, nearly knocking her to her feet. "It''s easy for you to say." he said fiercely. "You grew up in a place where people don''t question your family or heritage. You didn''t have to make the discovery that you were part of a race that is hated. People accept the Galra here; some of the paladins couldn''t look at me the same way when they found out."


    Jira let out a cry of frustration and hit the pole against the ground. "No," she said firmly. "That''s just some excuse. I don''t run away from my problems. My home and family are what they are because <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">that''s what I have worked for. The paladins are your family!" She dropped the pole arm and let it roll away from her. "You''re just hiding behind your own insecurities and you''ll be the only one to blame if you wake up one day and realize that your family isn''t there anymore because you pushed them away." She could feel hot tears start to form in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. Keith dropped his blade and looked down at the ground. Jira stormed out of the training deck, leaving her weapon behind her.


    *******


    Keith kicked his blade away from him and tried to steady his breathing, anger and shame coursing through him. He walked in a slow circle before resting against the wall and sliding down to sit. His mind went over Jira''s words again and again; what she had said was hurtful and it caught him off guard, but he knew that it was deserved. He had always managed to keep people at a distance because it always seemed easier that way, but now he was being forced to see the effect of his actions. Now he felt like an idiot for allowing Jira to see through him so easily, and the thought of that made him want to shrink away and push those feelings down deeper¡­ Though, she had told him about her dad and he hated seeing she could be so open about things while he only pushed her away more. Guilt ate away at him as he looked at her polearm still lying on the ground; he knew he should at least return it¡­ and apologize to her, but that task was far more daunting.


    He pushed himself off the ground and retrieved his blade and with shaky hands he picked up her polearm. She wielded it skillfully, but what really put him on edge was the fact that she was able to throw off his concentration so easily with just her words. Gripping the weapon tightly, he made his way out of the castle, careful to avoid anyone else. The last thing he wanted was people asking him where he went off to. He had no idea as to where Jira could have gone, but he figured he''d start with her room.


    Creeping into the barracks and up the stairs, he found himself in front of her door, unsure if he really wanted to speak to her. He need to talk to her, to explain himself and apologize, but considering what had just happened, it might be pointless to try and talk to her at that moment. He cautiously rested her weapon against the door, trying not to make a sound. He knew he shouldn''t have come, why would she want to talk to him now? Keith laid a land on the door, her name caught in his throat.


    To his right, Junx''s door opened and he stepped out into the hallway.


    "Why are you here?" Junx asked gruffly. Keith quickly back away from Jira''s door and struggled for an excuse.


    "I uh¡­ I was just returning this," he said, gesturing to the polearm. "She left it on the training deck, but I''m not sure how to shrink¡­ it back¡­" his voice trailed off when he noticed Junx''s frown. Keith rubbed the back of his neck. "Um¡­ okay, I''m looking for Jira. Have you seen her?"


    "What makes you think you deserve to talk to her right now?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at Keith.


    "Well I-"


    "I saw her leave the castle on my way over here." Junx stepped closer to Keith. "You know in order to effectively manipulate emotions, I have to be good at perceiving them. Do you want to tell me why you''re the reason she''s upset?"


    Keith took a step back from Junx, but he moved in dangerously close to him. A sudden rush of guilt overcame Keith and he looked up at Junx who regarded him with a satisfied smile.


    "I need to apologize," Keith blurted and grabbed his chest as if it pained him to speak.


    "Why?"


    "Because¡­ She was right." Keith gritted his teeth. "... I have been acting like a jerk¡­"


    Junx folded his arms and leaned over Keith. "Anything else?"


    "Please. I just need to talk to her."


    Junx sighed and stepped away from Keith and the intense guilt quickly faded away from him. He rubbed his chest, trying to rid himself of the unwanted emotion.


    "She goes to the tree when she''s sulking," Junx said.


    "Oh." Keith held his arm awkwardly.


    "Do you remember how to get there?"


    "... I think so." They stood for a moment in silence, Keith unsure if Junx was really going to let him leave.


    "Well leave before the sun sets, at least."


    "R-right." Keith started down the hallway. He stopped at the head of the stairs and turned to see Junx still standing outside his door.


    "Why are you helping me?" He asked Junx.


    Junx rolled his eyes and opened the door to his room. "Just hurry, you idiot."


    Junx was right in the fact that Jira would be at the tree. Keith didn''t have too much trouble finding it, but he took his time in making his way to her, trying to collect his thoughts. She was sitting on a root, dangling her feet into the water and lazily splashing them around. She looked up and saw him from the shore, but turned her head and ignored him as he climbed his way over to the root and sat down next to her.


    They sat quietly for a while so Keith took off his shoes and socks and dangled his feet in the water, pleasantly surprised by the cold. He finally looked over at Jira who was steadfast in her decision to not make eye contact with him.


    "I''m sorry about your dad," He said quietly, hoping he chose the right topic to start off with. Jira shifted away from him, pulling her feet out of the water. "I shouldn''t have said that you didn''t understand what I felt, I-" He paused. "You were right¡­ about me pushing people away. I think that''s just always been easiest for me, or at least I thought it was, I don''t know, but I have a hard time letting people in¡­ That includes the paladins... And you."


    "Is that because of your mom?" Jira asked softly. She turned her head slightly and looked at him and he could see tears still in her eyes.


    "I think so¡­ I think because of that, I''ve spent so much of my life looking for a place to fit in or a home, that I didn''t realize that I had one when I found it." His face grew hot once he had said the words aloud. He had never admitted how much the paladins meant to him. They were his family and he was risking that by his behavior. "I was the pilot of the Black Lion for a while when Shiro was gone, but I know I didn''t make a very good leader. I joined the blade shortly after he returned¡­ I was so set on learning more about my heritage that I think I took them for granted¡­ but they always supported my decision."


    Jira wiped her eyes again and focused her attention on him, her golden eyes shining brightly. Her hair had fallen out of her braid and draped around her shoulders and down her back. Even though she was so open and vulnerable with him, she had a strength and confidence that Keith couldn''t quite grasp. He was pushing himself far outside his comfort zone, but she deserved to hear what he had to say, and he knew that he needed to hear himself admit to his insecurities.


    "I''ve spent a lot of my life running away from my problems," he said slowly. "And I think being apart of Voltron kinda scared me in a way. Like, maybe I got too comfortable and was afraid of that comfort¡­ or afraid that maybe it was really too good to be true. But then I came here and saw how you were with your brothers, and saw how well you guys got a long with the paladins, and I realized that I was missing something. I wanted to be apart of something, a family¡­ I guess? But I started pushing people away again because I sometimes feel guilty about leaving Voltron and I thought it would be easier if I pushed people away before they did that to me." He looked down at his hands, embarrassed that he had said as much as he did. "I''m sorry, that was a lot, I just¡­ I don''t know."


    "Thank you," Jira said, a smile starting to form.


    "What do you mean?"


    "For opening up to me. I know that''s not easy for you, and I''m sorry if I pushed you too hard¡­" her smile widened. "Well, only a little sorry. It <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">did feel good to get all that off my chest."


    Keith laughed softly. "Yeah, that''s really the first time I''ve been called out like that¡­ But I deserved it."


    "I hope you know that you have a lot of people that really care about you." Jira''s tone grew serious again. "And I know I haven''t known you very long, but¡­" She stopped and glanced down at the water. Keith could feel heat growing on his cheeks again. He cleared his throat, hoping that his voice wouldn''t crack.


    "I know. Sometimes it''s just hard to remember that... Sometimes I think it would be easier if people didn''t care. That way, I wouldn''t have to worry about letting anyone down."


    "That''s no way to live, though," Jira said. "You need people to care about you, whether you want them to or not."


    Keith looked over to her and sighed. "You''re right."


    Jira scooted closer to him and dropped her feet back into the water. "Look, there are still things that I have a hard time opening up about¡­ maybe we can both work on that?"


    "Okay."


    "Good," Jira smiled. She twirled her feet in the water, looking more content than when Keith had first arrived to the tree. He liked sitting there with her and wanted an excuse to keep talking to her, but perhaps about something not quite as serious.


    "Umm," he glanced over to her. "Do you want me to tell you about Texas?" He offered, realizing how lame he sounded once he said it. "I mean- if you really want to, if not, that''s cool too."


    Jira''s eyes lit up. "Yeah¡­ though I have a question first."


    "What''s that?"


    "What does ''Emo'' mean?"


    Keith''s shoulders slumped and he frowned. "Where did you hear that word?"


    "Hunk used it to describe you."


    "Hunk..." Keith grumbled. "It, uh, it doesn''t mean anything really," he fibbed.


    "Hmm, okay I''ll just ask him later," Jira said mischievously.


    Keith smirked. "Do you want me to tell you about Texas or not?"


    Jira brought her legs up, crossed them and rested her chin on her hands. "I''m all ears!"


    Keith didn''t go into great detail about his family life, but he explained his home state and answered any question she had about America. A wistful look crossed over Jira''s face; the same look that she had gotten any time another planet was mentioned. He was grateful that he was able to be honest with himself and with her, but he realized talking with her that he really did want to help her open up more. They both had insecurities and doubts that they were struggling with and he was surprised to find that he wanted to be the one that she confided in.

 Chapter 10

    The base was busy the following morning as the final preparations were being made for the next scouting mission. Viltri explained to Allura the night before that their last mission led them to discover that the Hauhet was somewhere east of the Kafa before they lost track of it. The Eioans used technology fused with Quinessence that they gathered slowly over the years as to not attract the Hauhet''s attention. While it meant their supplies were limited, this technology enabled them to track the Hauhet more effectively, especially when it camouflage itself or buried into the ground. Drundlo suggested to Allura that she accompanied the scouts while he waited to hear back from all of the district presidents and Allura was more than willing to tag along. He allowed Viltri to bring Lance as well, though Allura suspected Drundlo''s decision was made mostly on the fact that he had such a soft spot for his daughter.


    After breakfast, Allura made her way inside the Kafa to find Pidge and Hunk with Horm; they had worked tirelessly with him to better understand the planet and its unique Quintessence, but Allura really hadn''t had the chance to talk to them about it yet. Pidge was spinning around slowly in a chair, reading one of the large monitors near the wells.


    "Hey Allura," Pidge greeted, not taking her eyes off the monitor. "You excited to leave today?"


    "I am. I''m sorry that Wunrik is only allowing me and Lance to go."


    "It''s okay. Horm has actually been showing me and Hunk a lot of cool stuff so we''ve been kept busy-" Pidge''s eyes grew large. "Whoa!"


    "What?"


    Pidge looked at her. "Move closer to that well," she said, pointing to the one nearest to them. Allura stepped closer to is while Pidge eyed the monitor closely.


    "How cool! Hunk, come check this out."


    "What''s going on?" Allura asked. Hunk came over from a different monitor and his expression lit up as well.


    "That''s one of the biggest reactions we''ve seen," he noted.


    "Would you care to explain what''s going on?" Allura asked, hating the feeling of being out of the loop.


    "Well we''ve learned some interesting things about this form of Quintessence from the Grangint and Horm," Pidge said. "We already know that this form is unique to anything else we''ve seen, which you can obviously see from its color."


    "Right¡­"


    "But the scientists here told us that the Quintessence in the Kafa is more concentrated than in other areas in Eioa, like the Fountain for example."


    "But if that were the case, wouldn''t it be a different color? We''ve seen concentrated Quintessence before," Allura said.


    "Right, the theory is that it''s concentrated, but it''s also somehow refined <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">because of the Hauhet," Hunk said. "The Grangint believes that areas where the Quintessence is more refined in areas where the Hauhet has lived for a good amount of time."


    "So where the Kafa stands now was once where the Hauhet lived? Horm did mention that they believe the Hauhet has the ability to filter it, or at least I remember him describing it that way¡­ and they think it''s doing something to the Quintessence to where some Eioans are born with abilities."


    "Exactly," Hunk beamed. "But even still, the Quintessence in the wells reacts differently to people. The monitor went pretty crazy and that was just you standing <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">close to the well."


    Allura peered down into the well, seeing nothing but a glowing green light shining back at her. "Strange¡­ What is the monitor recording exactly?"


    "It''s uh-" Pidge looked away from the monitor and was suddenly very fidgety. She smoothed down her hair and adjusted her glasses.


    Hunk and Allura gave her concerned looks.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Hunk asked.


    "Nothing," Pidge giggled. She glanced over her shoulder to where Jinx and Junx were talking with Lance. Jinx and Lance were trying to stifle their laugher while Junx held a concentrated expression on his face.


    Pidge shook her head and cleared her throat. "Sorry about that." She giggled again and covered her mouth with horror. "... Something''s wrong with me!" She peered over her shoulder again and gave Jinx a timid wave.


    "Oh I see what''s going on," Hunk smirked. "You have a crush on somebody!"


    "NO I DON''T." Pidge crossed her arms and rocked back and forth on the chair. "It''s like I don''t have control over my emotions."


    Hunk patted her shoulder. "I know this can be a confusing time in your life-"


    "Shut up!"


    By that point, Lance had lost all composure and howled with laughter. "Oh man, please do someone else now!"


    Pidge stood up and stormed over to them. "What did you do to me?!"


    Jinx wiped the tears from his eyes and nudged Junx. "We finally convinced Junx to show off his ability," he said.


    "You did this?" She demanded of Junx. "Make it stop!"


    Junx shrugged and Pidge breathed in a sigh of relief. "That was the worst."


    "Are you alright Pidge?" Allura asked.


    "Do someone else now," Jinx said.


    "Ooh! Let me choose!" Lance said excitedly, waving his arms in front of Junx. Junx frowned at him and Lance stopped immediately and lowered his head.


    "I...just-" Lance''s voice quivered and he wrapped his arms around Junx as he stood there stoically. "What is this feeling?" He sobbed into Junx''s chest.


    "Don''t cry buddy," Hunk said, patting lance gently on the back of his head while trying to keep himself from laughing.


    Lance pulled away form Junx and wiped his eyes. "I don''t like this," he blubbered.


    "Yeah, now you know how I felt," Pidge fumed.


    Lance fell to his knees and cried out. "No one understands me!" He curled into fetal position and a blank look fell over his face.


    Allura nudged his shoulder. "Lance¡­ get up."


    "Just leave me here," he bemoaned.


    "Man, emo Lance is a real bummer," Hunk said. "Good thing Viltri isn''t here to see this." They watched for a moment as Lance whimpered pathetically on the ground. Footsteps approached them and they turned to see Keith and Jira joining them from outside. They slowed down and eyed the group warily after seeing the state Lance was in.


    "Why is he crying in the middle of the floor?" Keith asked while looking at Junx.


    Lance suddenly sprung to his feet and ran at Jira. "I''m so glad you''re okay!" He pulled Jira into a tight hug and pressed his face against hers.


    Jira shoved him off of her, and fought to keep him at arms length. "What are you talking about?"


    "You left the castle so suddenly yesterday, I haven''t seen you since you left." He said, holding onto her arms tightly, worry in his expression. Allura noticed Jira and Keith share a brief and nervous look.


    "Uh-" Jira tried pulling away from him again.


    "Were you hurt? Were you upset about something? ARE YOU OKAY?" He shook her firmly. "Don''t go running off like that again, you''ll give me a heart attack!"


    "Who are you, my mom?"


    "-His emotions are actually really easy to manipulate," Junx chuckled.


    "And you, young man-" Lance turned to Keith and jabbed a finger in his chest. "You need to watch your temper!"


    Keith flicked Lance''s finger away from him and Lance screamed in horror and grabbed his hand. He jumped behind Junx and cowered behind his broad shoulders, his eyes wide with fear.


    "Do you see them too?" Lance hissed, clinging to Junx''s suit. "I see them¡­ they steal tiny bits of my breakfast each morning. They think they''re so sneaky, but I see them."


    "See what?" Jinx asked with a wide grin. "Where?"


    "They''re allll over the place," Lance replied in a sing songy voice. He let go of Junx.


    "Wait, what was I talking about?" He closed his eyes and hummed, swaying like a mad man. He leapt to Pidge and swung her around.


    "Let go," She growled at him. Lance, now with a wistful and dazed look, came up to Hunk and rubbed his hand over Hunk''s face. "You''re my best friend." he said, embracing him around the neck.


    "Ah, thanks dude."


    Lance laughed and slumped forward, Hunk catching him in his arms. "I''m a little sleepy," Lance mumbled, his body limp.


    "Oops. Pushed him too hard." Junx said. He and Hunk helped Lance stand back on his feet and Lance wobbled for balance.


    "That was¡­ so awesome!" He cried. "Do it again!"


    "Uh, I don''t think that''s a good idea," Allura said. "You looked like you were about to faint."


    "I''ll be <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">fine," Lance argued, but he started to fall forward again and Hunk propped him up.


    "How does it affect you?" Keith asked Junx.


    "As long as I can maintain my concentration, it doesn''t have too much of an effect on me emotionally or physically. And don''t worry too much about him," he said, patting Lance firmly on the back. "The effects aren''t long lasting, but in the moment they''re pretty intense."


    "You said Lance was pretty easy to manipulate. What makes it different from person to person?" Pidge asked.


    "Well, for one, teens are probably the easiest because¡­ well hormones and stuff¡­ but If someone''s more reserved or level headed, they tend to be a bit more difficult."


    "Level headed, huh?" Pidge said, a smug grin spreading across her face. "What if you tried it out on Shiro?" She pointed to the other side of the wells where Shiro was speaking with Chalna.


    "Hmm, I''ll try¡­ he''s kinda far away though."


    Allura looked at Shiro anxiously. She had been somewhat avoiding him since they spoke after their meeting with Drundlo, but he seemed as calm and put together as ever. A part of her was curious to see what Junx could do to him with his ability.


    They watched as he and Chalna parted ways and he started to make his way over to them. He smiled at them, but his smile slowly fell and was replaced with a grimace. He slowed his pace, eventually stopping by one of the monitors and leaning against it.


    "Junx¡­" Keith said hesitantly. "What emotion are you manipulating?"If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Shiro started visibly shaking and grabbed onto the monitor, his breathing heavy. He squinted his eyes and shook his head violently as if he were trying to dispel an unpleasant memory.


    "Junx, stop!" Allura said harshly and Shiro fell to his knees. She rushed over to him and approached him carefully and laid a hand on his shoulder. Shiro whipped his head up and looked at her with a terrified expression. Keith appeared next to her, angry and worried.


    "I''m sorry," he said, his voice slightly trembling. "I- it was just another-" he quickly tried to push himself to his feet and Allura and Keith helped him.


    Junx and the others soon followed and Keith turned to Junx furiously.


    "Sorry," Junx said. "I didn''t realize it would be that effective."


    "Just lay off him," Keith said.


    "No, it''s okay," Shiro said in a strained voice. "I was¡­ just caught off guard. That''s all." He gave Junx a smile, but it was clear Junx still felt guilty.


    Lance stepped in and gave Junx a reassuring pat. "Uh, you have patrol today, right? Why don''t you show us around some more before we leave this afternoon?"


    "Okay," Junx said, and Jinx and Lance followed him out of the Kafa, Junx giving Shiro one last sorry look before turning away.


    "Hmm, well this turned awkward pretty fast," Hunk mumbled to Pidge.


    "Ah, yeah, we should probably go monitor¡­ something," Pidge said, and they took their excuse to leave as well. Jira stayed, but didn''t come much closer to Shiro. Allura had noticed that while she was becoming closer with the other paladins, she didn''t interact with Shiro, which made Allura a bit curious in regards to what her opinions of Shiro were and if it had anything to do with her ability. Allura could feel Jira''s steady gaze on her, which only made her nervous considering she was still holding onto Shiro. She promptly let go of him and put some distance between them.


    "You sure you''re okay?" Keith asked, stepping away from him.


    "I''m fine," he said. "Junx didn''t mean any harm by it. Go easy on him."


    Keith nodded slightly and Allura noted that he again made a quick glance at Jira. "I should get going too¡­" he said. "I told Omek I''d be back soon."


    Before Keith left with Jira, she caught Allura''s attention and gave her a small smile which immediately filled Allura with nervous dread. Just as Allura had noticed something growing between Jira and Keith, Jira must have had some inclination as to what Allura was feeling in regards to Shiro. Allura tried to play it off like she''s wasn''t shaken by the small gesture, and it helped that Shiro seemed completely oblivious to it all.


    "I take it it''s not the first time something like that has happened," Allura said to him quietly.


    Shiro''s expression softened and he looked relieved, but he quickly covered it up. "Nothing that intense."


    "It''s understandable if you do struggle with that¡­ after everything you''ve been through. I can''t imagine what horrors still haunt you."


    "It''s getting better," Shiro smiled, but his eyes told a different story.


    "Right, well if you ever need someone to talk to¡­"


    "Thanks."


    "You''re welcome," Allura returned the smile, but she realized that it was just as forced as his.


    ********


    There were very few times in his life that Lance would have considered himself more blessed than right now. He wouldn''t normally consider tromping through a hot jungle an ideal activity for him, but he couldn''t complain that he was surrounded by three beautiful women¡­. Well, and Wunrik and his lieutenant general, Manazu; <em style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px">that he wasn''t too thrilled about. He was grateful that Viltri invited him along, but he was a little nervous about Allura being there. Lance still liked and respected Allura, and didn''t want to pass over a chance to be with her if she wanted that, but he had to admit that Viltri was different. She was certainly beautiful, outgoing, and brilliant, but she was a lot more straightforward when it came to her romantic intentions; almost to the point where it intimidated him.


    He wasn''t used to a girl being so flirty with him; he was usually the one that did most of the pursuing and now being on the other side of that left him in uncharted territory. While he had spent a few hours with her the other day, it was mostly just light hearted flirting. For the most part, he felt like he was over being nervous around her, but sometimes she still surprised him. He was hoping this scouting mission would be a good chance to pin down exactly how he felt about her.


    After leaving the Kafa earlier that day, they travelled far east into the Olorin jungle. The trip was made quick with the hoverbikes and they were able to make it to where they last saw the Hauhet in good time. Before settling in for the night, Wunrik wanted them to scout the area for any evidence that it had either burrowed underground or camouflaged itself.


    Lance spotted Allura near one of the hoverbikes, inspecting a massive flower that was shedding large, iridescent petals. Since she was alone, it was as good as any a time to get some flirting in with her; just to give him a better idea as to who he should be pursuing. It was the least he could do for the benefit of his love life. He smoothed his hair down and approached her.


    "You know, if Wunrik has us split up to go search the area, I''m looking for a partner," he beamed at her.


    "I would have thought you already had one, considering you''ve been spending a lot of time with Viltri," Allura said sharply.


    Lance''s face flushed, but he recovered quickly. "I like to leave myself available for all my fans," he winked.


    "Lance, we really need to focus. If you''re looking for someone to flirt with, I''m sure Viltri will gladly take you up on that offer."


    "Playing hard to get, still." Lance leaned casually against a tree. "That''s okay. Eioa is pretty romantic, so maybe we can find some alone time after we get back from this mission."


    "Did you ever consider that maybe I''m not playing?" She raised an eyebrow at him and Lance smiled back at her nervously. "We really need to remember why we''re here. Being at Eioa may seem like a vacation in many ways, but we need to stay focused on the task at hand. We can''t waste time when we don''t know what neither Zarkon nor Lotor are up to."


    "Yeah, no, absolutely..." Lance said, a bit crestfallen. "I am 100% ready for anything."


    "Good¡­" Allura said, looking a bit uncomfortable. "... We should see what Wunrik wants us to do tonight."


    "Okay, cool," Lance said casually, but he lingered behind after Allura walked away. Admittedly, he was a little hurt by her words. He usually got positive responses from girls when he flirted with them, but Allura was an exception. Maybe that was part of the reason that he still tried with her; it was a fun challenge for him because he always held out hope that she did have some feelings for him. They had grown closer lately, especially since she was now the pilot for the Blue Lion and he was starting to see that she was more comfortable around him, for the most part. Even still, that didn''t guarantee that she actually liked him. Maybe he was just thinking too much into it.


    He watched as Allura spoke with Jira and helped her finish setting up the tent. He thought about her a lot, but he doubted that she spent even half that time thinking about him. She was probably preoccupied with more important things. He pulled his gaze away from her and caught Viltri''s attention. She was sitting casually on a hoverbike and smirking at him as if she had been watching him for while. If that was the case, she probably watched him strikeout Allura. Lance cleared his throat and walked away, trying to look busy, but from the corner of his eye, he could see Viltri grin with satisfaction and hop off the bike. He had embarrassed himself in front of Viltri a number of times, which was kind of sad considering he hadn''t known her that long. He could normally brush things off when it came to girls, but he felt like Vitri could see right through him. Maybe that was part of the reason she intimidated him; he couldn''t just effortlessly flirt his way through things with her. While she was a huge flirt herself, she seemed to expect more from him.


    Trying to convince himself that he was thinking too much into it, he joined Wunrik and Manazu.


    "Manazu and I will head further East," Wunrik said. "Jira and Allura, you go North. Viltri and lance, I want you to secure the area. Since we''re in Zeloo territory, we''ll want to make sure we won''t be bothered tonight."


    "Yes sir," Viltri said, coming up beside Lance.


    "Uh, what the quiznak is a Zeloo?" he whispered to her.


    "You''ll see," she grinned and started to walk away from the camp. The sun was starting to sink as she led them into a denser part of the jungle. He thought about explaining himself about what happened with Allura, but thought against it since she hadn''t brought it up. Instead, he frantically thought of something else to say before she actually had a chance to tease him about it.


    "So are you going to explain them, or¡­ am I just going to have to wait until one jumps out of nowhere and attacks me?" He asked.


    Viltri looked back and snickered at him. "Don''t worry so much. They''re pretty harmless. They just secrete a really gross and sometimes poisonous mucus if they feel threatened. That''s why we just need to find some so they get familiar with our scent."


    "Gotcha. So what do they look like?"


    Viltri stopped abruptly and Lance bumped into her. "Sorry."


    She pointed up into the trees and Lance could see small, white creatures in the branches and hanging off the vines.


    "Don''t move," Viltri whispered. "Let them come to you."


    Lance stood close behind her and waited as several crawled down the trees and made their way towards them. He could now see them better; they were completely white with thin bodies,flat faces, and large black eyes that took up a good portion of their heads. Flowing from the top of their heads were stringy tentacles that reminded him of sea anemone. One made its way close to Lance, stopping at a branch just a couple of feet from his face. He slowly turned his head and made eye contact with it. It made a high clicking sound and smiled at him.


    "Hey, they''re actually pretty cute," He smiled back at it. The Zeloo reached out an arm towards him and Lance slowly extended his finger. "Ah, they''re friendly!"


    The Zeloo opened its mouth and white foam started to fall from its lips. It reared back its head, ready to fire.


    "Oh no-"


    Viltri shoved Lance to the ground and landed on top of him just as the Zeloo shot out a surprisingly powerful stream of mucus. "I said¡­ don''t move," Viltri said, her voice a bit strained. Lance froze under her, aware that her face was just inches from his.


    He swallowed hard. "... Okay."


    The Zeloo that shot at Lance was followed by the rest as they swarmed Viltri and Lance. He instinctively pulled her head down into his neck to protect her face. Zeloo crawled over them and he closed his eyes, hoping that they would at least spare his face since he wasn''t wearing his helmet. To his surprise though, they just crawled over them, making the same clicking noises. Afraid to move, Lance laid there rigidly as one approached his face; it purred and rubbed tiny hands over his chin. Viltri laughed softly, her breath hot on his skin, and lifted her head.


    "That went better than I expected," She said. "... But we should wait a little bit, in case they change their minds." Her lips were painfully close to Lance''s and her hair fell down, softly brushing against his skin and his body burned beneath her. He tried to speak, but gawked instead, embarrassed that he was reverting back to when they had first met and he couldn''t even greet her properly.


    Viltri gave Lance a satisfied grin and pushed herself off of him, the Zeloo jumping off of her as she did so. She crouched over him and helped him into a sitting position. Lance managed to close his mouth, but still was a little shaken.


    "You surprise me," she said and a few Zeloo started to climb on them again, getting comfortable with their presence.


    "What¡­ what do you mean?" He asked, mind still preoccupied about how close she was to him.


    "There''s just a lot of things I''m learning about you," she shrugged. "You''re really selfless, even if you put on this act that you''re the cool guy."


    "Act?!"


    "Yeah¡­ come on, you think I don''t notice what you''re like when you don''t realize I''m watching? You put on this face that you''re sauve and collected, but everyone can see through it."


    "Gee, thanks," Lance said, his face now burning with humiliation.


    "And I peg you as someone who''s a huge flirt, but a lot of times, you act nervous around me. Why is that?"


    "Well, I- um¡­"


    "Are you not used to a girl chasing you in the way you chase other girls?" She asked. "Or maybe you''re not as smooth as you think you are?"


    Lance looked away from her, now self conscious from all her questions. Viltri laid a hand on his cheek and turned his face back to her. Her expression was soft and inviting, different from her usual energetic and flirtatious one. "To be honest, I first picked you out because I thought you were cute and would be fun to flirt with," she said, gently running her thumb along his cheek. "But I knew I made the right choice once I got to know you more. You go out of your way to protect others-"


    "How do you know-"


    "I did my homework. Talked to Shiro and Hunk. ," Viltri smiled at him. "Why don''t you let that side of you show more?"


    His throat felt dry as he tried to speak. "Um¡­"


    "You seem really insecure," she said bluntly and Lance pulled away from her hand, stung by her words.


    "Well, not everyone can be like you," he said defensively and Viltri just laughed again.


    "No, you''re right... But I just don''t get why you''re that way."


    Lance glanced back at Viltri, trying to find the right words to explain himself. "I don''t-" he sighed. "... Nevermind, It''s stupid."


    Viltri smiled again, but he could tell she was a bit disappointed. "You can tell me in your own time... but you''re exactly where you need to be and you''re here for a reason. Don''t discount that just because you can''t see past your own nose."


    "I''ll try to remember that," he said, glad that she wasn''t pushing him on the matter. He was right; she easily saw right through him, but still wasn''t demanding answers as to why he sometimes felt insecure in his place in Voltron. For that he was grateful and he thought that he''d be able to tell her eventually, though right now it was too sore of a subject for him.


    Viltri''s eyes narrowed and she gave him a mischievous grin, her demeanor changing suddenly. "Now in terms of flirting," she said, grabbing his suit and pulling him close to her face again. ""Was I right in thinking that you''re not as experienced as you''d like people to believe? Because I can teach you a few things." She smirked at him. His eyes fell to her lips again and he could feel himself starting to sweat nervously under his suit. Viltri held him there, their faces almost touching, waiting for him to make the next move.


    Lance brought a timid hand up and rested it around her waist, but he hesitated to move in for the kiss. He hated himself for not being able to move or take his eyes off her mouth. Viltri leaned in even closer, lips nearly brushing against his.


    "That''s what I thought," she whispered, smiling, and pushed him away. Lance fell back in defeat and was ready to let the Zeloo carry him away from his shame and humiliation.


    "Come on, lover boy," Viltri said, helping him to his feet once she had stood up. "You can try again next time."

 Chapter 11

    Allura followed Jira further into the jungle, noticing that as it got more dense, more of the trees were damaged or crushed completely.  Considering their impressive height, Allura was a little more anxious about the size of the Hauhet.


    ¡°¡±This is a pretty good sign,¡± Jira pointed out, gesturing to the trees.  ¡°It looks like the Hauhet stopped here for a bit, given the damage.¡±


    ¡°Just how big is it?¡±


    Jira scratched her head.  ¡°Well¡­ to be honest, I¡¯m not really sure.  Only a few people have seen it without its camouflage.  Even when it attacked the Kafa a couple weeks ago, it mostly hid itself from us.  Wunrik has seen it before though and he said it was nearly the size of the Kafa, if not larger.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Allura¡¯s eyes grew large.  ¡°That means it¡¯s larger than the Black Lion, certainly.  How tall would you guess it is?¡±


    Jira shrugged.  ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll track it down tonight and find out.¡±


    ¡°Were you there when it attacked the Kafa?¡±


    ¡°Not at first. I was on patrol, in the opposite direction of where it appeared.  I got there just as it was leaving¡­ it wasn¡¯t there long, which was good because it did so much damage to the Kafa in such a short amount of time.  Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but still... Jinx and my mom were there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad they¡¯re alright,¡±  Allura smiled.  ¡°So when the Hauhet isn¡¯t destroying things, what is it up to?¡±


    Jira went down the path where the tree damage was the worst, holding up a small radar that blinked with a Green light; with their refined Quintessence, the Eioans were able to track the Hauhet better because it reacted to the creature.  The blinking had steadily increased in speed as they got further into the jungle.  ¡°It¡¯s created a series of tunnels all over Eioa; massive tunnels that we don¡¯t even know the extent of them,¡± she said.  ¡°Usually after an attack, it will go into a tunnel and hibernate for a while, which is good because when it¡¯s in a deep sleep, it usually takes a big disturbance with Quintessence to wake it up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only slightly comforting,¡± Allura laughed nervously.  ¡°Has anyone ever gone deep into the tunnels?¡±


    Jira¡¯s eyes clouded over and her mouth fell into a firm line.  ¡°It¡¯s been explored plenty of times, but it never ends well.¡±


    Allura regretted bringing it up and her thoughts went back to what she knew of Jira¡¯s father.  Chalna had mentioned that her husband was one of Wunrik¡¯s most trusted soldiers and had passed away years ago, and now Allura had a sinking suspicion that she knew how he died.


    ¡°Jira, I didn¡¯t mean-¡± Allura stumbled, but Jira gave her a comforting smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jira assured her.  ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know what my mom might have said to you, but my dad died while exploring the tunnels¡­ So even though the Hauhet protects our planet, I guess I kinda have mixed feelings about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s completely understandable.¡±


    Jira cast her eyes down.  ¡°I really have no room to talk though, considering what¡¯s happened to your family and planet-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Allura said, laying a hand on Jira¡¯s shoulder.  ¡°Losing anyone you love is difficult.¡± She sighed.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing it up, but I¡¯m glad you told me.  It just shows how strong you and your family are.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jira said, the hint of tears in her eyes.  ¡°... Uh, since we¡¯re apologizing, I¡¯m really sorry about what happened earlier today with Junx.   Sometimes he takes things a little too far and doesn¡¯t realize it.  I know he didn¡¯t mean any harm with Shiro, but it looked like it shook him up pretty bad and you seemed pretty upset.  I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t like to see him hurt.¡±


    Allura¡¯s eyes bulged and she whipped her hand away from Jira.  ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ why would I-¡±  she stammered.  ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried about him, I just, uh-¡±


    ¡°Oh, I just thought that was a thing¡­ that you cared about him¡­ in that way.¡±  Jira twisted her braid anxiously.  ¡°Maybe I just read too much into it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­¡±  Allura bit her lip.  She had told no one about how she felt about Shiro.  Now that Jira had a hunch, it would be kind of nice to confide in someone about it.  She had so many mixed feelings, having a second opinion might be helpful.  Considering Jira had already guessed, Allura figured it wouldn¡¯t do much good to lie at this point.  She was stumbling over her words as it was; there¡¯s no way Jira would actually believe her if she told her she didn¡¯t have feelings for Shiro.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very convincing, am I?¡± Allura asked her.  Jira shook her head and gave her a slight smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s been... difficult,¡± Allura continued.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean when he disappeared, I realized how much I cared about him¡­ but I was good at hiding it.  To the point where I feel like I didn¡¯t care enough.  I felt like I had to be strong in front of the others, and while we all moved on, Keith still held out hope that Shiro was still out there.  I can¡¯t begin to describe how guilty I feel over that.¡±  She paused, collecting her thoughts.


    ¡°Have you told Shiro this?¡±


    Allura shook her head.   ¡°... When he came back, I was a bit lost as to what to do.  I convinced myself that I needed to be a better leader and focus on dealing with Zarkon, but it¡¯s getting harder to not say anything.  I tried bringing it up the other night, but¡­ I don¡¯t know, he seems¡­ different?¡±  Allura looked at Jira with apprehension, unsure how to broach the subject.  ¡°Whatever happened to him changed him in some way that I can¡¯t describe.  He seems more distant, I suppose.  Less¡­ warm and approachable¡­ it¡¯s a bit hard to explain to someone who just met him, sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, I get what you mean, kinda,¡± Jira said, glancing away from Allura.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ve noticed that you don¡¯t get very close to him,¡± Allura noted.  Her mind raced, afraid to ask Jira the question that had been bothering her for a couple days now.  ¡°Did you¡­ sense something about him?¡±


    Jira tensed up and reluctantly looked up at Allura.  ¡°Well, I mean, it may have been because Lotor was there with him¡­¡± her voice trailed off and Allura¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡°So you did.¡±


    ¡°It could be nothing,¡± Jira said hurriedly.  ¡°Meeting him with Lotor there just threw me off, is all.¡±


    ¡°But you still kind of avoid him.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, Jira,¡± Allura said softly.


    Jira sighed.  ¡°... It was just a feeling.  When I saw Lotor, I got a strong, uneasy feeling, and when I met Shiro it was similar to Lotor, but not as powerful.  I haven¡¯t been close enough to him to really know what it could mean¡­ I know how important he is to you and the others, I guess I¡¯m afraid to be right in my suspicions.¡±


    Allura quickly turned her head from Jira, and clenched her jaw to stop any tears from falling.  ¡°I see,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jira said miserably.


    Allura shook her head, refusing to cry.  ¡°No.  No, don¡¯t be sorry¡­ Um, this may be an odd request, but do you think you could find out more¡­ or get a better reading on him?  I just need to be sure.  If I can get a better sense of what happened to him- I need to know if there¡¯s any way I can help him.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡±  Jira nodded.  ¡°I can do that... I get the best readings on people through physical touch when they¡¯re asleep, as creepy as that sounds,¡± she let out a tense laugh.


    ¡°Right.  I can help you with that,¡± Allura said firmly, though she wasn¡¯t quite sure what to expect now.  Hearing Jira confirm her fears wasn¡¯t what she wanted, but she could at least take comfort in the fact that she wasn¡¯t alone in her concerns for Shiro.


    ¡°So after we get back to the Kafa?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±  Allura caught Jira by surprise and hugged her tightly.  ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jira returned the hug and Allura was overcome with gratitude for her.  Even if Jira¡¯s suspicions were right, Allura no longer felt quite as alone.  She pulled away and composed herself.


    ¡°We should carry on.  We¡¯re supposed to be back at the campsite soon,¡± Allura said.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Jira said, smiling at her then looking down at her radar again.  They took off, winding their way through thick vines and  colossal trees and ferns.  The radar began blinking rapidly and they hurried their pace; the sun was gone and was now replaced by a weak moon that left them with little natural light.  Jira pulled out a light and guided them to the edge of the trees where they came to a clearing.  Jira stopped suddenly and held out the light; before them was a massive hole in the earth, nearly twice as large as the Kafa.  Cold air blew up in their faces, keeping them at bay from the haunting darkness of the tunnel entrance.  A soft growl sounded from the tunnel and a strong rush of air hit them.


    The radar blinked wildly and Jira shut it off.  She stared at the entrance in awe and stepped backwards.


    ¡°We need to find Wunrik.¡±

 Chapter 12

    After Wunrik left with the others for the scouting mission, the Kafa was a bit more lively and relaxed from what Keith could tell.  Ship repairs were going well for the Blade and Drundlo had gotten a few districts to agree to meet with him; things were starting to look up.  Keith would have liked to go on the scouting mission, but Wunrik was pretty strict about who he wanted tagging along with him.  He knew Lance only managed to go thanks to Viltri, but he couldn¡¯t complain too much.  After talking to Jira yesterday, he knew he needed to smooth things over with the other paladins, starting with Shiro.


    He had scoured the castle and Kafa, looking for Shiro, but only managed to run into Lotor.  He was standing on the walkway inside the Kafa with a disgruntled looking Zalko.  Keith was reluctant to approach them, but he knew Shiro spent most of his time watching over Lotor, so it was worth asking.  Lotor gave Keith a grin that made the hair stand up on the back of his neck, and he remembered what Jira had said when he came to the Kafa the other day; he had too many secrets to be trustworthy.  Keith frowned at him and forged ahead.


    ¡°Have you seen any of the Paladins?¡±  He asked them.


    ¡°Pidge and Hunk went off with Horm somewhere,¡± Zalko said.  ¡°I think Shiro mentioned checking out the area where your ship crashed.¡±


    Keith furrowed his brow.  ¡°Why?¡±


    Zalko just shrugged.  ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he left a while ago.  He might not be there anymore.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha.  Can I borrow a hoverbike?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Keith raced off to the hoverbikes, and hurried his way through the jungle towards the river.  He found Shiro standing along the riverbank, hands on his hips, deep in thought.


    ¡°Shiro, what are you doing out here?¡± Keith asked, walking up behind him.  Shiro turned his head and looked at him.


    ¡°I just needed to get some alone time away from Lotor,¡± Shiro said.  ¡°And I wanted to see for myself where your ship crash landed.  I¡¯m glad no one was hurt.¡±


    ¡°Kolivan handled things well, but we¡¯re lucky that the Eioans are friendly, otherwise we would¡¯ve been killed before you ever showed up.¡±


    Shiro nodded.  ¡°How do you feel about Eioa?¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± Keith shrugged.  ¡°I¡¯ve met great people here and they seem really willing to help us.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d make great allies¡­ What about things with the Blade?  I know it¡¯s only been about a month, but have you gotten any closer to finding out more about your mom?¡±


    Keith¡¯s shoulders slumped a bit.  ¡°Ah, no¡­ but actually I was uh¡­ the Blade is why I wanted to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I know that when I left Voltron, I had everyone¡¯s support but I-¡± Keith paused and held his arm.  ¡°I guess a part of me still feels a little guilty¡­ for leaving.  I miss everyone- sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice.¡±


    ¡°Keith, you¡¯re still fighting Zarkon in your own way,¡± Shiro said.  ¡°And the Blade is the best chance you have of learning about your past.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­even though I left, would everyone still¡­¡±  he dropped his gaze and looked at the ground.  Shiro put a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ll always have a place with us,¡± he said.  ¡°That hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°... Yeah,¡± Keith smiled, but he was a little disappointed that Shiro hadn¡¯t used the word ¡®family¡¯.  It felt childish to him to want that, but he knew it was what he needed to hear at that point.  Shiro sighed and looked back at the river.  The landscape from where the ship once lay was scorched and the vegetation destroyed.  It was a glaring defect in an otherwise colorful and beautiful area.


    ¡°Even though your ship survived the crash well enough, we need to be sure that the Eioans'' defenses are strong enough to take on another Galra attack.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Wunrik overseeing that?¡±


    ¡°His focus is now a bit divided, thanks to the Hauhet-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the Hauhet is a pressing threat too.¡±


    Shiro frowned.  ¡°It is, but we can¡¯t afford to let down our guard in any area.¡±


    ¡°And Drundlo gets that.  They¡¯ve gone this far without the Galra attacking, beside we have all of the lions here.¡±


    Shiro squared his shoulders and looked back to Keith.  ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said.  ¡°We have to do everything we can to protect this planet.  Regardless of how they fall into line with Lotor and his plans, the Galra would destroy this planet due to their ignorance.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ready,¡± Keith said, but he only felt more discouraged.  Not in regards to Shiro¡¯s persistence in protecting Eioa, but more in the fact that he seemed to brush Keith off.  Keith was ready to be open with him, he had wanted to be, but was only left feeling disappointed.  ¡°I¡¯m gonna go.  You don¡¯t need a ride back, do you?¡±


    Shiro shook his head and Keith turned to leave.  ¡°Alright, see ya later.¡±


    As Keith returned to the Kafa, his mind became weighed down with his thoughts.  Though it had been months since the Black Lion found Shiro, Keith still worried about him.  Whatever had happened to him, he hadn¡¯t recovered fully.  Keith used to be able to confide in him and they were close; now Keith felt at times like Shiro was distant towards him and the others, or going to through the motions of being a leader perfectly without his heart being in it.  Shiro put on a good act, but Keith worried about how it was affecting his health.  He hadn¡¯t mentioned this to anyone else, but he wondered if the others on the team had any concerns about Shiro.


    He pulled the bike back into the hangar and started the trek back to the barracks.  From the entrance of the Kafa, he saw Pidge and Junx walking towards him.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Pidge called to him and Keith stopped and waited for them to catch up.


    ¡°Are you busy right now?¡± She asked.  Keith looked to Junx, still a bit mad at what he did to Shiro earlier this morning.  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Uh, no¡­ Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°We were going to meet up with Hunk and Jinx to do some Tridi racing.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Keith asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re like Eioan kangaroos... except less dangerous, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going Tridi racing?!¡± Rixel appeared behind Pidge and she and Junx tensed up.


    ¡°No¡­?¡±  Pidge said with uncertainty, but Junx just rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You can come with us as long as you don¡¯t say anything to Zalko,¡± Junx said and Rixel gave them a wide grin.  Another Rixel walked up behind Keith and the original disappeared.


    ¡°Sweet!¡± Rixel said.  ¡°Hope you¡¯re ready to lose.  I am an undefeated Tridi racing champ.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Keith smirked.  ¡°But no abilities.¡±


    Rixel gave him a feigned, offended look.  ¡°How dare you, I would never.  Let¡¯s go!¡±


    He eagerly led them into the jungle, arguing with Junx.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going,¡±¡± Junx grumbled.


    ¡°Of course I do.  There¡¯s only a few herds in this area, and the one I¡¯m leading you to is the closest.  Jinx and Hunk would be at that one.¡±


    Junx continued to argue, though it was clear Rixel knew plenty about the tridi.  They found Jinx and Hunk in a clearing, surrounded by large, furry creatures that stood a few feet taller than them.  They had powerful hind legs like kangaroos, but their arms were longer and their tails resembled that of a horse.  The strangest thing about them was how colorful and unique their fur was, each one looking different from the last.  Considering their surroundings, however, it only made sense that they would have brightly colored fur.  The tridi leaned further forward in their stance, which Keith figured would make them easier to ride.  Jinx had already climbed on top of one and was prancing circles around Hunk.


    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Hunk waved them over.  He was standing next to a tridi and petting its neck.  Their faces were shorter and wider than kangaroos as well, and Keith had to admit that they were pretty cute¡­ though he¡¯d never admit to that out loud.


    ¡°So what do we do?¡± Pidge asked, coming up to one with purple and white fur.  It nuzzled her face and she laughed.


    ¡°They¡¯re really friendly, so once you get familiar with one, you should be able to mount it easily enough,¡± Junx explained.


    ¡°Okay, but have you seen how short I am?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Junx said.  He cuffed his hands together and helped Pidge onto the purple tridi.


    A smaller tridi completely covered in green fur approached Keith and licked him on the cheek.


    ¡°Blech,¡± Keith reeled away from it, but it nuzzled up to his arm like a cat.


    Keith stretched his hand out and patted its nose gently.  ¡°... Okay, buddy.  You wanna race?¡±  The tridi bobbed its head excitedly and Keith climbed onto its back.  The fur on the back of its neck was long enough to give him a good grip, but he held it cautiously, fearing that it would hurt the creature.


    ¡°You ready?¡±  Hunk asked, bounding up next to him on his own tridi.


    ¡°Uh, no. Where are we racing to, exactly?¡±


    Jinx stopped prancing and pointed straight ahead.  ¡°A few miles from here we¡¯ll come up on a waterfall.  First to the water, wins.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this thing,¡± Keith said, bracing himself against the neck of the tridi.


    ¡°Ready¡­.¡± Rixel said,looking around.  ¡°...GO.¡±


    The group took off into the jungle, alerting the rest of the tridi without riders to follow suit. They ran a lot faster than Keith expected them to and he found himself clinging to his tridi¡¯s neck.  The creature brayed in excitement and it ran neck and neck with Jinx¡¯s tridi.  Keith stole a look around, seeing that Rixel had taken an early lead with Pidge and Junx close behind.  To his right, Jinx and Hunk fought to close the gap.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Keith urged his tridi, and it sprang forward.  He steered it a little to the right, to cut off Jinx and Hunk.  He gave Jinx a smug grin as he pulled ahead of him.  He turned his attention forward again and focused on catching up to Pidge and Rixel.


    ¡°Wooooohooo!¡± Rixel cried as Keith approached him.


    ¡°Get back here, Ghost boy!¡± Jinx yelled behind him.  Keith laughed, no longer caring if he won or lost.  He was free, and for a moment, didn¡¯t have a single care.


    True to his word, Rixel won the race with ease, finishing several feet in front of the others.  Once they had all reached the waterfall, they took off their shoes and socks and waded into the pool of water.  While there wasn¡¯t any Quintessence around, their surroundings were still stunning.  Keith walked out into the water carefully, the green tridi closely following him.  He scratched its chin and watched the others.  Rixel, and Jinx had removed their shirts and were already climbing up the waterfall to cliff dive into the pool below.  Hunk had accrued a small following of tridi was kept busy by petting and playing with the young ones.  Pidge was inspecting different plant life that was growing along the river with an impressed look on her face.


    Keith really did enjoy being at Eioa and it pained him to think that he would eventually leave.  He thought about Jira and grew a little sad at the notion of not seeing her anymore.  His chest tightened when he pictured her face when they talked about the Blade the other day.  She seemed so torn about joining, he wondered if she had actually considered it.  Things weren¡¯t as awkward between them as he thought they would be after last night.  They were able to move past their argument, but Keith hadn¡¯t thought to bring up the Blade again.  But he was curious to see what her thoughts were; she had never explained herself the night at the hot springs.  His chest tightened again and his face flushed when he thought of the hot springs; of how close she was after pulling him into the water¡­ Of how she had touched his chest.  Keith shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts.  He could sense someone¡¯s presence behind him and he flinched when he turned to see Junx frowning down at him, arms crossed.


    ¡°You seem a bit distracted,¡± Junx said with a smug look.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Keith said carefully.  While Junx had seemed more timid before the race, he seemed to be taking advantage of Keith¡¯s discomfort.  He needed to level the playing field and just bury the hatchet with him.


    ¡°Look Junx, I¡¯m sorry about getting on your case earlier today with Shiro,¡± he said.  Junx¡¯s arrogant expression immediately fell and his eyes grew soft.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to hurt him like that,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°I know.  You don¡¯t know what he¡¯s been through and I got mad over something you couldn¡¯t have predicted.  Jira vouched for your intentions, but I was slow to apologize.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too,¡±  Junx smiled.  ¡°Not only for Shiro, but I think I misjudged you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Keith asked, his brow furrowed.


    Junx scoffed and leaned closer.  ¡°... Just remember that if you do anything to make my sister upset again, you¡¯ll have to answer to me personally.¡±


    Keith stepped away from him, hoping that Junx couldn¡¯t tell his face was burning from embarrassment.  ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Junx squeezed Keith¡¯s shoulder tightly, sending him a warning that Keith was sure to remember.  Keith gave him a nervous smile, hoping to reassure him.  He wanted Jira¡¯s brothers to like him, and Junx was the one that needed the most convincing.  His size and demeanor certainly intimidated Keith, but despite that, he respected Junx.  And to his credit, it seemed that Junx was beginning to reciprocate that respect.

 Chapter 13

    Even with everyone using a light source, it did little against the heavy darkness of the tunnel. Lance fixed the light to his chest and gripped his rifle tightly in his hands; every sound echoed off the walls, putting him on edge.


    ¡°Remember; don¡¯t shoot anything you can¡¯t see,¡± Wunrik said to him in a gruff whisper.  While he didn¡¯t seem very pleasant in the best of circumstances, Lance had the growing suspicion that Wunrik didn¡¯t want him there.  Looking around, he couldn¡¯t really blame him; Allura had so many strengths, she¡¯d make a good asset to anything, and Jira and Viltri¡¯s abilities and training made them more than qualified for the mission.  Compared to them, he was just¡­ Lance.  He nodded his head at Wunrik, who frowned at him before moving ahead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Viltri said, coming up beside Lance.  ¡°... You nervous?¡±


    Lance focused straight ahead.  Admittedly, he was, but it wasn¡¯t the Hauhet that he was really nervous about; he had been in countless dangerous situations since becoming a Paladin.  It was more the fact that Viltri didn¡¯t seemed phased by their earlier conversation while Lance couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it.  He knew she was smiling at him, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at her.


    ¡°What? Who, me? Totally good over here.  I¡¯ve dealt with plenty of giant, planet destroying monsters before,¡± he said, trying to sound casual.  He was no longer sure if he was attempting to show off to her, because he figured she¡¯d be able to see right through it anyway.


    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Viltri smirked.  ¡°We probably won¡¯t even see the Hauhet while we¡¯re in here¡­ it¡¯s the other monsters we should be worried about.¡±


    Lance looked at her.  Viltri¡¯s dark eyes gleamed playfully and she grinned at him.


    ¡°What do you mean, other monsters?  I thought only the Hauhet lived in the tunnels.¡±


    ¡°The tunnels attract all kinds of creatures that like giant, dark places¡­ creatures that love the taste of fresh meat.¡± She leaned in closer to him and lance gripped his rifle tighter.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Would you two can it?¡± Jira said behind them.  Lance turned to see Jira¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration.  She seemed even more anxious than he was.


    ¡°Uh¡­ She really looks like she doesn¡¯t want to be here,¡± he whispered to Viltri.


    Viltri gave her friend a concerned smile, and her expression softened.  ¡°She has her own reasons for not liking the tunnels, she said simply.


    ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t see why anyo-¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± Wunrik hissed.  He held up a hand and the group stopped.  Somewhere ahead of them,Lance could hear the faint sound of hissing and what seemed like scuttling along the rocks.  He swallowed a lump in his throat as the sound got louder and louder, until it seemed to be right on top of them, though there was no sign of any creatures there in the tunnel with them.


    The sounds suddenly stopped, and Wunrik aimed his rifle directly above his head.  He made one single blast and rolled out of the way, just in time to dodge a winged creature that fell to the ground.


    ¡°Be ready!¡± Wunrik ordered, as more of the creatures suddenly dived at them from above.  Lance jumped out of the way, nealy running into the creature that Wunrik had killed. It lay in a dark, crumple pile, but Lance could see large leathery wings connected to a smooth body.  A long tail with several sharp barbs coiled around itself.  Lance scrambled to his feet as another creature flew at him; it opened its mouth to reveal jagged fangs and a forked tongue.  It had the body of what looked like a stingray, apart from its hard, round head, and spindly arms and legs that reached out towards him.  He steadied his rifle to aim, but the creature whipped its tail, catching him around the wrist.  Lance yanked on the tail, which caught the creature off guard, but it also brought it closer to him.  It landed in front of him and unhinged its jaw.


    ¡°Oh quiznak,¡± he breathed and grabbed for his gun, knowing he couldn¡¯t reach it before it attacked.  The creature screeched as Viltri phased through its body and landed in front over Lance.  She crouched over him, wielding dual blades that glowed green.  The creature howled and lunged at them, its jaw finding its way around her body.  It clamped into her suit and cracking the shell of her suit.


    ¡°Viltri!¡± Lance yelled, but the creature pulled her away from him.  Viltri phased through the creature again, and turned around, ramming the blades up into its throat.  The creature¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of its head and it slumped forward, covering Viltri in blood.


    Now that the creature was dead, its grip weakened around Lance''s wrist.  He grabbed his gun and ran to Viltri who was inspecting her suit.


    ¡°Are you okay?!¡±  He said, looking down at the significant damage on the suit.


    Viltri laughed and wiped the goopy blood off her face.  ¡°Wunrik isn¡¯t gonna be very happy that I ruined another suit.¡±


    ¡°But it just bit you!¡±  Lance said in disbelief.


    ¡°Well yeah,¡± she said, showing him where it had bit clean through to her skin, but she had no wounds or bite marks.


    Lance sighed.  ¡° Thanks for saving me¡­ again.¡±


    Viltri smiled at him.  ¡°Well, you can¡¯t kiss me if you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°I, uh-¡± Lance fumbled, but Viltri just winked at him and took off to take out another winged creature.  She effortlessly used her ability to weave between the creatures, slicing through them in a complicated dance.  Lance watched her for a moment, suddenly unaware of the chaos that surrounded him.  The howling of a creature in his ear snapped him back into reality and he turned to see another one flying towards him.  Something grabbed the back of his suit and flung him backwards with tremendous strength. When he landed, he saw Allura fighting the creature off.


    ¡°Lance, focus!¡± She yelled at him.


    Lance groaned and pulled himself to his knees.  Jira ran up to him, blood on her face as well, and helped him to his feet.


    ¡°You good?¡±  She asked, handing him his gun.


    ¡°This might sound weird, but this is probably the best and worst day of my life, I think.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, that does sound weird.  You sure you didn¡¯t take a bad hit to the head?¡±


    Lance nodded and set his sights on the task at hand.  Allura was right; he needed to focus.  There were still several creatures left, all within shooting range.


    ¡°Give me some cover,¡± he told Jira.


    ¡°You got it.¡±


    He took a steading breath and aimed at one coming directly at them. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°One down¡± he whispered, and shot it, sending it plummeting to the ground.


    After getting into the groove of things, he shot down three more before they were all taken care of.  He wiped the sweat from his brow and rest his rifle on his shoulder.  They were surrounded by over a dozen dead creatures, but the tunnels had gone silent again.  They paused, waiting for a sign of another attack.


    ¡°Jira,¡± Wunrik said.  ¡°Can you sense it from here?¡±


    Jira shrunk her polearm down and clipped it to her suit.  She slowly approached Wunrik and knelt down on the ground.  She laid both hands on the ground and scrunched her forehead and closed her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s asleep,¡± she said, breathing out a sigh of relief.  ¡°We didn¡¯t wake it up.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear.¡±  Wunrik turned to Manazu.  ¡°Set up the monitors.  We shouldn¡¯t stay here much longer.¡±


    Manazu set to work, installing small devices along the walls of the tunnels.  They blinked, similar to the radars used to track the Hauhet.


    ¡°What happens now?¡± Allura asked Wunrik.


    ¡°These devices have a signal that will go back to the Kafa.  This will allow us to track the Hauhet within a certain range.  If it wakes up or nears the Kafa, this should help warn us.  We have dozens of signals in this jungle, but this tunnel looks fresh.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ we can go back then?¡±  Lance asked.


    Wunrik nodded.  ¡°We¡¯re safe for now.¡±  They waited until Manazu had finished and they quickly made their way out of the cave.  They were all but silent as they made their way back to the campsite.  Because it was late and Wunrik dubbed the campsite safe, they opted to go back to the Kafa tomorrow morning.


    Lance was grateful to be able to clean up a bit and change, but once he laid down for bed, he had trouble sleeping.  His body ached all over from being thrown around today and it hurt him more to lay down than it did to be up and about.  He snuck out of his tent and saw Viltri sitting on a rock, holding the hard shell of her suit.  Lance debated going back inside his tent and avoiding her; he knew he¡¯d only make a fool out of himself again.  But he also knew the only way he¡¯d get over being nervous around her was to actually talk to her.  Right now, he would have rather fought off more of the tunnel creatures than talk to Viltri, but he forced himself to approach the rock and sit next to her.  She smiled up at him as he joined her.  She had taken her hair out of her bun and it swept just below her shoulders and she looked at peace with herself.


    ¡°What are you doing up so late?¡±  She asked him.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°Same¡­ You¡¯re an impressive shot, you know.¡±


    ¡°You saw that?¡± Lance scratched the back of his neck, feeling heat rise to his cheeks and ears.  ¡°I really didn¡¯t do much tonight, though.  I only managed to take out a few.¡±


    Viltri turned towards him, and her shoulder brushed against his arm.  She set her mouth in a firm line, her eyes set on him. ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say that out of humility,¡± she said.  ¡°You act like you¡¯re not good enough to be apart this scouting mission.¡±


    ¡°We-well, I mean compared to everyone else-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about everyone else.  It¡¯s about you,¡± Viltri said firmly and Lance fell silent.  ¡°... Is that what you think about yourself as a Paladin?  That you¡¯re not good enough?¡±  She asked, her voice softer.


    Lance¡¯s throat tightened and he shook his head, afraid to speak.  ¡°... You ask a lot of hard questions,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry.  I told you that you could tell me when you¡¯re ready.  I don¡¯t mean to push you, I just-¡± Viltri breathed in deeply and closed her eyes for a moment.  ¡°... I just want to understand you better.¡±


    Lance nodded slowly.  ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ and thanks. For not pushing me...I want to understand you better, too¡­ because you really do intimidate me,¡± he said with a small smile.  Viltri laughed loudly and grinned at him.


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± She said, then her eyes grew soft again.  She gave him the same look from earlier tonight when she had caressed his cheek after saving him from the Zeloo.  He suddenly found himself wishing that she¡¯d touch his face again; anything to feel her skin against his.  Viltri confused and even scared Lance to a degree.  It scared him that she was so confident with herself, but still went out of her way to pay him attention.  It scared him that she might realize that there were better options out there and forget about him¡­ but mostly is scared him that he may never be as open or confident as she was.


    Lance found himself leaning closer towards Viltri, unsure what his plan of action was; he just wanted to be closer to her.  His eyes dropped to her lips for the third time that night and he froze.  Was now the best time for this?  Did he really like Viltri for who she was, or because she was showing the attention he wished he got from Allura¡­ or maybe Lance just liked her because she was the type of person that he wished he could be.  Doubt crept into his mind and he started to pull away, but Viltri quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, stopping him from pulling away further.


    Lance hesitated to hold her, feeling undeserving of her touch.  Viltri ran a hand from the back of his neck to his cheek and held it there.  ¡°I think you¡¯re more than enough,¡± she whispered to him.  She began to pull her hand away, but Lance quickly brought up his own hand to keep hers on his face.  She ran small circles with her thumb over his cheek and he finally brought his arms around her and held her tightly.


    Viltri¡¯s ruined suit caught his attention, and now that the blood was washed off, Lance could see just how bad the tunnel creature had damaged it.  He wondered if Viltri would have jumped in to save him if she didn¡¯t have her ability to ensure her safety.  She had said that he was selfless, but Lance suspected that she was no different.


    ¡°Thanks again for protecting me,¡± he said, running his hands up her back, grateful that she hadn¡¯t pulled away from him.


    ¡°That¡¯s twice now that I¡¯ve saved you.  I think that¡¯s deserving of at least two kisses.¡±


    Lance laughed, trying to keep his nervousness at bay.  ¡°I¡¯m serious¡­ you¡¯re pretty selfless yourself.¡±


    Viltri pulled away from him and rested her arms on his legs.  ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­ Maybe you can repay me,¡± she smirked.


    Lance¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Teach me how to shoot like that.¡±


    ¡°You- you want me to teach you how to shoot?  Isn¡¯t that something that you would already know how to do, though?  You¡¯re like a soldier¡­ or an Elite, afterall.¡±


    Viltri rolled her eyes and stood up.  ¡°Of course, I can shoot.  I just wanted to give you an excuse to be close to me again, but if you don¡¯t want to, I get that-¡± she began to walk away and Lance jumped up after her.


    ¡°Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait-¡± he moved himself in front of Viltri to stop her.  ¡°I¡¯d love to teach you how to shoot.¡±


    Viltri beamed at him stepped in closer.  She laid a hand on his chest, running it slowly up to his neck.  ¡°You don¡¯t need an excuse to be close to me,¡± she breathed in his ear.


    ¡°... Okay, ¡° Lance croaked.


    Viltri gave him a satisfied grin and patted his cheek.  ¡°Goodnight!¡±  She walked back to her tent, leaving Lance alone, too weak to move.

 Chapter 14

    A shower was the best reward after a day of intense training.  As soon as she got back from the scouting mission, Jira was sent to train with Rixel, giving her no time to relax.  Now that the day was nearly gone, she trudged her way back to the barracks to wash up.  Her mind went over the plan with Allura, over and over;  she hoped that she was wrong about Shiro, but as the time grew closer for her to go to the castle, she had difficulty fighting back her nerves.  She had never been wrong about someone¡¯s intentions before, and she doubted tonight would be any different.


    On her way to the barracks, Jira spotted Keith speaking with Omek outside.  As she neared them, Keith turned and gave her a timid smile once he noticed her.  Jira played with the end of her braid and gave them a small wave.  She hadn¡¯t seen him in over a day, but she wasn¡¯t expecting to be nervous around him.  Yesterday before she left, they had spent some time together, but she didn¡¯t think too much about beyond enjoying his company.


    ¡°We heard about your mission,¡± Omek said.  ¡°Glad everything went well.¡±


    ¡°It was a pretty standard one,¡± Jira smiled.  ¡°But it¡¯s good to be back.¡±  Her thoughts went back to the tunnels for a moment and she fought off a shiver that crept up her back.


    ¡°Where have you been since you got back? Keith asked.


    ¡°Training¡­ I¡¯m just gonna hit the showers,¡± she said, now self aware of how tired she must have looked and she didn¡¯t want to dwell on how much she probably smelled too; she stepped away from Keith and Omek and awkwardly cleared her throat.  ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Keith raised an eyebrow at her.  ¡°... Goodnight.¡±


    She picked up her pace and raced up the stairs  once she was upstairs.  ¡°Why am I like this?¡± she muttered to herself as she got ready to shower.  She took her time washing her hair and recounted her conversation with Allura.  She was even more anxious about things than Jira was, and with good reason.  Jira didn¡¯t want to let her down, but she knew it was something that she needed to do.  If she were in the same position as Allura, she would want to know too.


    After her shower, Jira changed and plopped down on her bed.  She¡¯d have some time to at least take a nap before having to leave, so she bundled up in a blanket and happily closed her heavy eyelids.


    Soon after Jira had gotten comfortable, she heard a soft knock on her door.  She suppressed a groan and opened her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s open.¡±


    The door opened and Chalna popped her head in.


    Jira sat up, a little surprised to see her there.  ¡°Hey, mom.¡±


    Chalna sat on the edge of the bed and leaned back on her hands.  ¡°I talked to Allura tonight,¡± she said.  Jira glanced away, fearing what they had spoken about.  She didn¡¯t think Allura would say anything about what they were planning on doing tonight, though she did know why having her mom find out would bother her.


    ¡°About what?¡±  Jira asked hesitantly.


    ¡°She told me about the details of the mission.  It¡¯s great that you¡¯re able to use your ability to help, but it sounded like you guys ran into a little trouble at one point.¡±


    Jira¡¯s heart sank.  ¡°It was nothing, really.¡±  Chalna frequently expressed her concern when it came to her children being invited on scouting missions and this time was no exception.  Now that the triplets were officially Elites and no longer children, they had their own choice as to whether or not to join Wunrik.  Jira had always wanted to join Wunrik¡¯s troop of Elites, but she knew that her mom would disapprove and she didn¡¯t want to fight her about it.   Even still, Chalna knew that Jira wanted to follow in her father¡¯s footsteps, so it was usually a touchy subject between them.


    ¡°What was it like being in a tunnel?¡±  Chalna asked in a soft voice.


    ¡°It was¡­ harder than I expected,¡± Jira admitted, looking down at her hands.  She didn¡¯t want her mom to think that she couldn¡¯t handle going down into the tunnels, but she couldn¡¯t hide from the fact that she only thought of her father while she was there.  Chalna shifted closer to her and put her hand on Jira¡¯s knee.


    ¡°But do you regret going?¡±


    Though it brought back memories of her father and reminded Jira of her loss, she felt useful and valued and it gave her the taste of adventure that she longed for.  Jira shook her head, sensing the hint of hot tears coming to her eyes.


    Chalna ran her fingers through Jira¡¯s wet hair and smiled.  ¡°That¡¯s what I thought¡­ I know your dad would have loved to have been there with you.¡±


    Jira looked up at her mom and smiled through her tears. Chalna seemed to have a harder time talking about her husband to her children than she did with others, so it wasn''t very often that Jira and her brothers got to talk about him with their mom.


    ¡°What was it like?  When you met him?¡±


    Chalna laughed.  ¡°Hmmm¡­ well honestly, things were a bit tense at first, what with the Galra coming to Eioa without warning.  Many Eioans didn¡¯t want us here, which I can understand their worry.  But they were admittedly fascinated with us; your dad included.  But they had only known the bad things that the Galra had done.  It was an adjustment for everyone.¡±


    ¡°How did dad act when he first met you?¡±


    ¡°He had just gotten back from a scouting mission- he was new to the Elites at that time- and came back to Cadamur where we had met with Drundlo.¡±  Chalna smiled to herself as she spoke.  ¡°He warmed up to us quickly and was curious as to what we were doing there.  He offered to escort us to the Kafa after things with Drundlo went well.  But for a while after coming to Eioa, we always had security around because there were still those who didn¡¯t want us there.  Your dad was stationed at the Kafa for that, and that¡¯s how we got to know each other.¡±


    Jira pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.  She loved talking to her mom about her dad; it actually helped ease the pain of losing him.


    ¡°What was he like when he was younger?¡±  Jira asked.


    ¡°I see a bit of him in you and your brothers,¡± Chalna said, her voice thick with emotion.  ¡°He was curious and dutiful, and intuitive¡­ and he loved making people laugh.¡±


    ¡°When¡­ when did you know that you loved him?¡±


    ¡°He never treated me differently because of my race,¡± Chalna said softly.  ¡°... I loved him long before I admitted it to myself or him.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell him sooner?¡±


    ¡°Because that sort of thing is complicated,¡± Chalna smiled.  ¡°Even when it seems straightforward¡­ but if I¡¯ve learned anything, it¡¯s that you should tell people how you feel about them, because you¡¯ll always regret it more if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±  Jira started braiding her hair.  While she was still young, she had a couple of relationships in the past.  It was nothing serious with any boy, and looking back on it, she knew she never talked about them in the way that her mom spoke about her dad.  She wanted that.  She wanted to know what it was like to feel that kind of love for someone else.  Jira was glad that her mom had opened up to her more because she craved her guidance and wanted to talk more about her dad.  She also wanted to bring up to her that she had been thinking a little about the Blade and what it could offer her, but she feared to ruin the precious moment that they were sharing; she would save that for another day.  Jira leaned forward and hugged her mom.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Jira said as her mom brought her arms around her.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± she said, pulling away and kissing Jira on the forehead.  ¡°You¡¯ve had a long day so I¡¯ll let you get some sleep.¡±  Chalna stood and made her way to the door.


    ¡°Alright¡­ good night,¡± Jira said, waiting for her mom to turn off the light.  Once Chalna left, Jira fell back into her bed, knowing that she didn¡¯t have much of a chance of sleeping now.  She thought of her dad and how he had always told her growing up that she would go on twice the adventures that he experienced; that she would find those outside of the Kafa.  What had Jira sacrificed to maintain a good relationship with her mom?  And with the arrival of the Blade and Voltron, was this her chance to finally live out the dreams that she and her dad had once talked about?


    ***


    Allura waited in the dark on the bridge for Jira and tried not to let her nerves stop her from going through with their plans.  She paced a bit, clenching her fists as the mice followed her back and forth.  The door finally opened and Jira stepped inside.


    ¡°Jira,¡± Allura sighed with relief and hurried to meet her.  ¡°Thank you again for coming and doing this.¡±


    Jira nodded, but the trepidation in her face was clear.  ¡°Of course,¡± she said.  ¡°Ready?¡±


    Allura took one last breath to steady herself and led Jira down the hall.  They crept silently past the paladins¡¯ rooms, taking extra care when passing Hunk¡¯s since he was sleeping with the door open.  Shiro¡¯s room lay at the end of the hall and Allura hesitated once they had reached it.  She had never been in his room before and now felt like she was prying into his privacy, even if she thought she was doing the right thing.  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Allura?¡± Jira whispered,  waiting by the door.  Allura clenched her jaw and looked at Jira.  She opened the door and the two of them stood in the threshold, both afraid to move forward.  Shiro¡¯s head poked put from beneath the blankets, his breathing slow and heavy.  Allura slowly followed Jira as she edged herself to the side of the bed.  From the dim light of the hall, Allura could see Jira¡¯s hands shaking slightly as she reached out towards Shiro.  Jira bent down and laid a timid hand on his shoulder; she closed her eyes and furrowed her brow in concentration.  Allura held her breath as Jira stood over the bed, her expression quickly souring.  Jira gasped, almost in pain, and retracted her hand swiftly, which caused her to stumble backwards.


    She fell to the floor, her eyes wide, and covered her mouth to keep from crying out.  Allura found herself caught between wanting to help Jira up and not wanting to move and make more noise.  Shiro shifted under his covers and rolled onto his stomach.  Allura looked to Jira and offered her hand, but Jira shook her head; in suspense they waited until Shiro¡¯s breathing slowed again.


    Jira allowed Allura to help her to her feet and they left the room as quickly as possible.  Once safe to speak out in the hall, Jira fell against the wall and steadied her breathing.


    Allura laid a hand on her shoulder, fighting to stay calm.  ¡°What happened?¡±  She asked in a sharp whisper.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, it was-¡± Jira shook her head slowly and put her hands on her knees.


    ¡°How bad was it?¡±  Allura asked, though she really didn''t want to hear the answer.  Jira looked at her with the same fearful expression.


    ¡°... They¡¯ve done something to him,¡± Jira said in a brittle voice.


    ¡°Zarkon?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s being used as tool for them, I¡­I don¡¯t know, it involves Quintessence, but it¡¯s not like the Quintessence here on Eioa¡± Jira looked away from Allura.  ¡°....They¡¯re using him to get the Black Lion back.  What does that mean?¡±


    Allura reeled away from Jira, her head spinning.  Of course, it did made sense, but to think that Zarkon had the capability to do that to Shiro...  How did Zarkon do it?


    ¡°Allura?¡±  Jira stood up straight and held Allura¡¯s arm, bringing her back into focus.


    ¡°How¡­¡± Allura shook her head.  ¡°What did they do to Shiro?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Were any of his intentions¡­ violent?¡±  Allura asked meekly.


    ¡°No.  No, just that he¡¯s being used as a way to re-establish the connection between Zarkon and the Black Lion.  Does that mean that the more Shiro flies it, the stronger that connection gets?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I fear... ¡°  Allura said, anger starting to replace her concern.  ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s a good thing that Shiro hasn¡¯t flown the lion since we¡¯ve been here.  We could risk Zarkon coming to Eioa if he found now to be the best time to try and reclaim it¡­ You said that they used Quintessence with Shiro?¡±


    Jira nodded.


    ¡°The Galra use a form of refined Quintessence¡­ if they used that to alter Shiro in some way¡­¡±


    ¡°-Then what would a different form of Quintessence do to him?¡±  Jira finished.


    Allura sighed, suddenly feeling emotionally drained.  ¡°It may be a long shot, but¡­ Perhaps we could help him?¡±


    ¡°But how do we bring this up if he seems to have no idea what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Maybe we just observe him for now... ¡°  She racked her brain, trying to think of something useful.  What did she know about the Quintessence on Eioa that could help them?  An idea sprung to her mind and she held onto it hopefully.  ¡°Pidge!¡±


    Jira gave her a confused look.  ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°Pidge¡­ yesterday I spoke to her about the Wells.  She said that in places where the Hauhet had made its home, were places thought to have more concentrated and refined Quintessence.¡±


    ¡°Right, the Wells are the best example of that.¡±  Jira smiled.  ¡°We could work with that.  We¡¯d have to be extremely careful though.  Being too reckless will have the Hauhet on our tails.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not much to go off, but¡­ if that Quintessence can help him in someway¡­¡±


    ¡°We can bring it up to my mom tomorrow.  She could help.¡±


    Allura nodded eagerly.  ¡°That would be wonderful.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡±


    Allura had no idea, but now was the time to be decisive, regardless of how she felt.  ¡°For now¡­ for now we¡¯ll keep to ourselves until we know more.  I don¡¯t want to worry the others until we know more.¡±


    ¡°But they could help.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t see Shiro like this,¡± Allura said, her voice breaking.  She hated seeing him like this, but the others looked up to him so much¡­ for now, it was her burden to carry.  At least she didn¡¯t have to carry it alone, though she hated doing that to Jira.


    ¡°I understand.¡±  Jira said.  ¡°... I¡¯m sorry that this happened.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Allura smiled.  ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, by any stretch, but¡­ but at least I know.  And at least I have some hope.¡±


    That hope was small, but it was all Allura had right now.


    ******


    The moon was still high when Jira made her way back to the barracks.  She regretted leaving Allura alone after what had just happened, but she had insisted that she needed some time alone.  Jira attempted to push the guilt of leaving her aside, because she knew that she¡¯d probably want the same if she was in Allura¡¯s situation.  She didn¡¯t really know Shiro and the Paladins that well, but she took up the responsibility to to help resolve the situation the moment she promised Allura she would read Shiro.  Jira wanted to believe that they were doing the right thing by keeping to themselves for now, but she hated to think that she was keeping such a big secret from everyone else.


    By the time she had reached the barracks, Jira was lost in her thoughts, distracted by her own worries.  She was still on edge, but tuned out her surroundings as she recounted what had happened at the castle.


    The sound of someone moving in front of Jira snapped her out of her thoughts, and she instinctively reached for her pole and extended it, cursing herself for not being more aware.  Keith stood at the other end of her pole, the retractable blades inches from his face.  He looked at her, wide eyed and held his hands up defensively.


    Jira caught herself taking in ragged breaths, her heart pounding.  ¡°Sorry-¡± she uttered, shrinking the pole back down.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±  Keith asked as he slowly lowered his hands.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Jira said a little too quickly.  ¡°What are you doing out so late?¡±


    Keith frowned at her and put his hands on his hips.  ¡°I¡¯ve been up for a while¡­ I saw you sneak out to the castle.¡±


    Jira¡¯s heart pounded fast, but she couldn¡¯t let him find out what she had been up to.  No, she¡¯d just have to do her best to play it off.  However, she knew she wasn¡¯t great at hiding her expressions.  ¡°So you¡¯re keeping tabs on me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Keith huffed.  ¡°You¡¯re just acting really weird.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Jira¡­¡± Keith said quietly, his voice taut.  ¡°We said we were going to be more open with each other¡­ Something¡¯s bothering you. Please.¡±


    Jira looked away from him sheepishly.  She wanted to tell him, but how could she?  Keith was so close to Shiro, how could she possibly tell him what she knew?  And she had promised Allura¡­ but the way that Keith looked at her made her want to divulge everything.  Didn¡¯t he deserve to know?


    ¡°I, uh¡­ I want to tell you, It¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°Does this have anything to do with your ability?¡± He asked blunty.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Jira pulled an arm over herself and held her elbow, keeping her eyes glued to the ground.  She questioned if she could trust herself to not say anything.


    ¡°And you went to the castle,¡± Keith said, stepping towards her.  ¡°... Who was it?¡±


    Jira finally looked at him, realizing that he wasn¡¯t upset or angry with her.  He was afraid.  ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± she whispered, and Keith¡¯s body tensed.  He was quiet for a moment, but when he finally spoke, he sounded hoarse and defeated.


    ¡°It¡¯s Shiro, isn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 15

    Keith was quiet for a long time after Jira divulged the truth to him.  They sat outside the barracks, and she fought off a chill, despite the warm weather.  Guilt ate away at her while she waited for Keith to respond; guilt that she couldn¡¯t keep a secret, and guilt that she originally wasn¡¯t going to tell Keith, especially after seeing his reaction.  In a way, she felt she had let them both down.


    ¡°... Keith?¡±  Jira finally said and he looked at her, as if remembering that she was still sitting beside him.  ¡°I would have said something sooner about how I felt something was wrong, but I¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t finish the sentence.  She had no excuse for it.  ¡°I know how much you look up to him,¡± she said weakly.  ¡°... I didn¡¯t want to be right.¡±


    Keith nodded and looked away from Jira.  ¡°I feel like this is partially my fault,¡± he said in a tremulous voice.  ¡°... part of the reason I left for the blade was because I knew Shiro was a better fit for the Black Lion.  He always was.  But he was so adamant that I stay in my place as the new head of Volton¡­ it wasn¡¯t until I screwed up that he was the pilot again.  If I hadn¡¯t, maybe¡­¡±


    Jira watched Keith¡¯s face contront in confusion and remorse.  She could see the struggle he still faced with leaving Voltron, only to be heightened with the news of Shiro.  She had never seen him look so vulnerable before, and she suspected that he didn¡¯t allow himself to be that vulnerable around others often.  Jira wanted to comfort him, but didn¡¯t know how to best go about it.  He didn¡¯t seem like he was really one to enjoy hugs, but she couldn¡¯t stand to do nothing.


    ¡°No one knew what was going to happen,¡± Jira said. She settled on resting a hand on his arm.  When she did so, she felt him him go rigid and he turned his head further from her.  Jira quickly retracted her hand, now regretting that she had tried to be comforting.  She attempted to recover, though his reaction stung a bit.  ¡°You couldn¡¯t control what they did to him.  All we can do now is move forward with helping him.¡±


    ¡°So you and Allura do think there¡¯s a way to help him?¡±  Keith asked hopefully.  He shifted his body so that she could now see his profile.  His eyes were downcast, as if he were afraid to look at her.


    ¡°We think we have a shot, at least.¡±


    Keith didn¡¯t respond, and Jira began to think that he wanted to be left alone too.  She stood and looked down at him.  ¡°I can leave you alone, if that¡¯s what you want,¡± she said, trying to sound indifferent.  ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry about not saying something sooner.¡±


    Jira turned to leave, grateful to get away before she could say or do anything that she might regret.  She heard Keith stand up and follow her, but she didn¡¯t really want to turn around at that point.


    ¡°Jira, wait-¡± he said, moving to cut her off.  They stood close to each other, and Jira stepped away from him, but didn¡¯t look away.  Keith¡¯s eyes held the same soft vulnerability that he had been trying to hide from her earlier.  ¡°I¡¯m not mad that you didn¡¯t say anything.  I¡¯m just¡­ worried¡­ and I guess I still blame myself a little bit, even though I know I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Jira swallowed a lump in her throat and fought the urge to hug him.  She wanted to hold him until he no longer blamed himself¡­ or maybe she just wanted to hold him.  She couldn¡¯t tell at this point.  Taking a step closer, Jira tried to read what he wanted, though she tried not to use her ability on people often.


    Keith looked at her, like he was expecting her to read him, wanting her to discern what he couldn¡¯t say for himself.  Jira tentatively brought her arms up around his neck and pulled him into a hug, having to stand on her toes.  His body relaxed in her arms, but he took a moment before returning the hug.  When he did, he held Jira close but gently, as if he were afraid to hold her too tight.


    Jira¡¯s heart pounded against her chest, though this time she knew it wasn¡¯t because she was on edge.  She thought about what her mom had said earlier that night and considered what Keith meant to her.  They hadn¡¯t known each other long, but they had already talked about things that she normally wouldn¡¯t be too open about with others.  They had already established an understanding and resolved conflicts to help their friendship progress.  That had to account for something¡­ Jira tried to shake the thoughts away, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to pull away from the embrace.  She waited for Keith to decide since he had the intention to hug her, though he was too hesitant to actually go for it.  Since initiating the hug, Keith had gradually tightened his grip around her, until she could feel the full pressure of his arms and hands around her waist.


    Jira tried to relax and just enjoy being in the moment, taking in the faint, clean smell of the soap that each barrack shower contained.  His hair brushed against her arms, and she blushed when a rogue thought of running her fingers through it popped into her head.


    ¡°Thanks for telling me,¡± Keith said finally, his voice soft in Jira¡¯s ear.


    ¡°You know we¡¯ll have to tell Allura now, right?¡±


    Keith laughed lightly and loosened his grip around Jira, breaking their hug.  ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be too mad.¡±  His expression hardened.  ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that she was also worried about Shiro¡­ it makes me feel better that I wasn¡¯t the only one. While I wish I had said something to someone else, I¡¯m glad she talked to you¡­ I think coming to Eioa was just what we needed.¡±


    Jira gave him another hug, this one feeling more comfortable between them.  Keith was faster to respond and Jira found herself unwilling to pull away from him.  ¡°I think Voltron and the Blade coming here was just what Eioa needed,¡± she said.  She reluctantly pulled away but kept a hand on his arm.  ¡°Tomorrow morning we can tell her.¡±


    Keith smiled.  ¡°Deal.¡±


    They soon parted, Jira glancing back at him before heading into her barrack.  She took a deep breath, realizing that she was starting to better understand what her mom was talking about when it came to letting someone know how you felt about them.  But now she also better understood that it was something that tended to get complicated, even when it seemed so straightforward.  Things may seem straightforward on the surface, but she knew herself well enough to know that she would unnecessarily complicate things.  And even if she didn¡¯t, dealing with Shiro, the Galra, and the Hauhet could just as easily complicate things for her.


    ****


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Allura furrowed her brow at Keith and Jira as they stood on the bridge the next morning.  ¡°Shall we go, then?¡±  She asked them.  Though Allura looked feisty and determined now, Keith could tell how relieved she was when he and Jira told her everything.  She wasn¡¯t angry with Jira, but was grateful that she wasn¡¯t the only one concerned Shiro; thinking back on it, Keith regretted not saying anything sooner.  He wondered if they could have done anything had they expressed their concerns for him before now.  He had to remind himself that they couldn¡¯t change the past, but it was painful to think that Shiro had gone all this time as a pawn of Zarkon.  All they could do was move forward and look for a way to help him.


    Jira gave Allura a grateful smile and nodded.  Keith noticed them share a knowing look earlier, and he wondered if there was anything else that they weren¡¯t telling him, but he felt like he had already pushed his luck with Jira last night.  As they walked out of the castle and made their way to the Kafa, he fell in step behind Allura and Jira and quietly watched as they conversed.


    Jira got along well with the paladins and she had earned Allura¡¯s trust quickly.  She was open with others and allowed herself to be vulnerable with people to build trust with them. She had even gotten him to open up to her after just a few days of knowing each other; a feat not easily accomplished.  Keith was well aware that he tended to push people away, but just being self aware wasn¡¯t enough to change things.


    He knew he needed to be better, and he wanted to be.  Being around Jira made him realize that it felt good to open up and confide in others.  It gave him an odd sense of relief to do so, like he was letting go of a heavy burden that he had been carrying and trying to ignore.  But even when he wasn¡¯t confiding inJira, he still had mixed feelings when he was with her.  He couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it, but she set him on edge, though not in a way that he had really experienced before.  She simultaneously made him nervous, yet feel relaxed in her presence.  Perhaps because they had been vulnerable with each other and he wasn¡¯t very used to being that way with very many people.


    Jira glanced back at Keith and gave him a reassuring smile as they entered the Kafa.  He hoped that he looked confident and smiled back, but could feel the insecurity behind it.  He needed to focus on the task at hand.  Chalna was waiting for them at a monitor and regarded Allura and Jira warmly as they approached.  When her eyes fell on Keith, she eyed him quizzically, which only heightened his self consciousness.  Jira¡¯s brothers were still warming up to him, but her mother was a different story; he hadn¡¯t really spoken to her, and he could never tell how she felt about him.  Chalna turned back to Allura and her expression grew serious.


    ¡°Jira told me earlier this morning about what¡¯s going on,¡± she said in a low voice.  ¡°I won¡¯t promise anything, but I¡¯m hopeful that the Quintessence can provide us with some answers.¡±


    Allura nodded gratefully.  ¡°I know it¡¯s risky doing this.  Thank you¡­ what do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Chalna sighed.  ¡°It¡¯s a slow process to collect Quintessence because of the Hauhet, but we do have some stored that we can use for experimentation.  We¡¯ve experimented with the refined Quintessence here to see how it reacts to living things.  We¡¯re still trying to figure out how it¡¯s making it to where some Eioans are born with an ability, unfortunately, but it didn¡¯t take long to discover that it¡¯s behavior changes based on the individual.¡±


    Keith furrowed his brow.  ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It might be better to just show you.¡±  Chalna pressed a button on the monitor and a small latched opened on the side, revealing several small vials filled with glowing Quintessence.  She pulled one out and popped opened the vial and handed it to Allura.  Once Allura took the vial, the green shone brightly and the glass shook in her hand, shattering in her grasp.  Allura dropped the broken glass in surprise, but the Quintessence rose around her, casting her in an eerie glow.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°As an Altean, Allura has great strength and abilities,¡± Chalna said.  ¡°The Quintessence can sense that and heightens those abilities.  She could wield the Quintessence power to great advantage.¡±


    Allura stuck out her hand and the Quintessence gathered in her palm.  ¡°What should I do with it?¡±  Allura asked in awe.


    ¡°Well, considering that took us years to collect, be careful,¡± Chalna said with a tight smile.  She grabbed another, empty vial and held it out.  Allura clenched her fist and the green light slowly collected in the vial.


    ¡°Another example would be anyone Eioan with an ability,¡± Chalna continued, putting the vial away and closing the latch.  ¡°The Quintessence makes those abilities much stronger, but a law was passed years ago forbidding Quintessence injections.  It can become addictive and can permanently damage a person if used too long or frequently.¡±


    ¡°So how do you think this will help Shiro?¡±  Allura asked.  ¡°This may put him at a greater risk of getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen firsthand what the Quintessence the Galra use can do to people,¡± Chalna said, her eyes growing dark.  Keith looked uncomfortably at the ground.  He had forgotten that Chalna had fled the empire.  Since she was a scientist, she had undoubtedly experienced what Quintessence could do.  ¡°The Quintessence is refined by an external force; the Hauhet.  When we¡¯ve tested it with the refined Quintessence that the Galra use, we found that it did two things: it either rendered Galra Quintessence useless, negated its effects so to speak, or it exacerbated its effects.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­.¡± Allura said.  ¡°This could be a gamble then.  We don¡¯t know what to expect if we used it with Shiro.¡±  Her eyes clouded over with doubt.


    ¡°Still,¡± Keith said with determination.  ¡°It could be worth it.  This could be our only shot, Allura.¡±


    ¡°We could try just a small dosage,¡± Chalna offered.  ¡°Expose him to a vial and see what that does.¡±


    ¡°How would we know if it works though?¡± Jira asked.  ¡°Shiro doesn¡¯t know what Zarkon has done to him.¡±


    ¡°Well there¡¯s his arm,¡± Keith said.  ¡°Either the Quintessence would either make it more powerful or deactivate it completely, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true...¡± Allura said, looking a bit more hopeful.  She set her shoulders and gave Chalna a hard look.  ¡°We should do this as soon as possible.¡±


    Chalna smiled.  ¡°How about right now?¡±  She discreetly pointed to the entrance and Keith, Allura, and Jira turned to see Shiro enter with the other paladins.  He smiled at them, walking confident and collected as always.  Behind him, Hunk and Lance were still rubbing the sleep from their eyes while Pidge strode excitedly over to them.


    ¡°You guys are up and about early,¡± Shiro said.


    Pidge approached the monitor they were standing by and took a seat.  ¡°What have you guys been up to?¡±  She looked down at the shattered vial at Allura¡¯s feet and squinted suspiciously at them.


    Keith and Allura exchanged nervous glances, but Chalna took everything in stride.  ¡°Glad you asked,¡± she said.  ¡°I was just telling them what I told you and Hunk the other day.¡±


    Hunk yawned.  ¡°What? About the Quintessence reactions with people?  I¡¯d love to see what it would do to me,¡± he mused.  ¡°Maybe improve my cooking skills¡­ nevermind, you can¡¯t improve something that¡¯s already perfect.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m confused,¡± Lance said.  ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Simply put,¡± Pidge explained.  ¡°The Quintessence from the Wells takes someone¡¯s strongest traits, physical and otherwise, and enhances them.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lance beamed.  ¡°Then I¡¯d really like to see what it does for me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get any wild ideas,¡± Pidge said flatly then turned to Chalna.  ¡°We¡¯ve never actually tested it out though.  Did you try it with Allura?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Chalna nodded.  ¡°We did, hence the broken vial.¡±  She opened the latch again and pulled out a fresh one.  ¡°The Quintessence mixed with her powers was enough to shatter the glass without any effort.¡±


    ¡°Sweet!¡± Hunk said.  ¡°Can we try it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ We need to conserve what we have, but I am curious to see what it would do with some of you.¡±


    ¡°Oohh, do Shiro, then.  With his sick Galra arm, it would be cool to see what he could do,¡± Lance said, swinging his right arm around ridiculously.


    Pidge and Hunk heartily agreed and Keith held his breath, hoping Shiro would take the bait.  Shiro looked concerned, but didn¡¯t protest.


    ¡°Ah¡­ sure,¡± he said.


    Chalna opened the vial and handed it to him.  He held it with his bionic hand and the Quintessence began glowing brightly and his hand reacted, emanating purple light.  The heat burst the vial as well and the Quintessence settled in around his hand.  It choked out the purple light and crept up the rest of Shiro¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Lance said, his wide eyed expression mirroring everyone else''s.  ¡°Did it just¡­ break your arm?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±  Shiro looked at his arm that was now glowing bright green rather than purple.  His arm began to tremble and he held it down with his other hand, worry painted on his face.  The trembling suddenly stopped and the light green faded, sinking into the metal of his arm. Shiro let out a timid sigh of relief.


    ¡°... That was¡­ different,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Did that hurt?¡±  Hunk asked cautiously eyeing his arm.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Shiro flexed his hand.  ¡°I can¡¯t activate my arm now, though.¡±  In one swift motion, he swung down his hand, but his arm remained dormant.  He turned his hand over, puzzled at the outcome.


    ¡°Welp, now you just have a boring, metal arm,¡± Lance said and Pidge frowned at him.


    ¡°Did you expect that to happen?¡± Shiro asked Chalna.  Chalna shrugged, struggling to answer him.


    Shiro¡¯s arm began trembling again and a soft green light glimmered from the metal, growing steadily brighter.


    ¡°Shiro?¡± Keith stepped towards him, panic building in his chest.


    The trembling quickly became more violent and Shiro moved to hold his arm down, but he cried out in pain when he touched it.  Sweat shone on his forehead and he bent forward.


    ¡°Chalna, how do we stop it?¡± Allura demanded.  Shiro fell on his knees and Lance and Keith moved to help him up.  Once they touched Shiro, a overpowering force threw them both back and onto the floor.


    In a daze, Keith pushed himself up to see the others huddled around Shiro who was shaking uncontrollably on the ground, the Quintessence consuming his body.  He bent forward on his knees and moaned in agony, clenching his bionic hand.  Shiro slammed it down on the ground forcefully, cracking the concrete with ease.  When Lance and Keith joined the others, Shiro¡¯s breathing had slowed, but was still ragged and heavy.  His head lolled to the side and his body lurched forward, but he caught himself from falling over.  They stepped back as he pulled himself to his feet.  Body still encompassed in the green light, he looked at them, revealing sickly yellow eyes.


    ¡°S-shiro?¡± Lance asked, brave enough to step forward.


    Shiro licked his lips, and gave Lance a wicked grin.  ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± he spat, his voice harsh and foreign.  He snatched Lance by the neck and threw him mercilessly.  Lance landed roughly near the edge of one of the Wells and laid in a limp heap.  Hunk rushed to help him up while the others stared at Shiro in shock.  He activated his arm, and without hesitation, ran straight at Keith.

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Keith!¡±  Jira¡¯s voice echoed in his ear, but Keith could no longer process what was happening.  In a flash, Shiro sprinted towards him, arm extended and eyes burning with hate.  Keith hit the ground and his head rang as he struggled to make sense of the situation.  A weight kept him pinned down and panic rushed through him as he envisioned Shiro above him, ready to strike.


    Keith focused his blurry vision to see Jira pushing herself off of him.  She rolled onto the ground, clutching her shoulder, as Allura rushed to their aid.  Though his head still pounded, Keith could see on Jira¡¯s shoulder a severe burn mark that ran from her shoulder and up along her collarbone.  .


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Allura said frantically.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jira said through gritted teeth.  Keith gingerly moved to help her sit up, but she reeled away from him and shook her head.  ¡°He¡¯s headed for the Black Lion.¡±


    Allura shot up.  ¡°Everyone get to your lions.  We have to stop him before he leaves Eioa.¡±  She looked back to Lance who was still leaning against Hunk.  ¡°Can you walk?¡±  She asked him and he nodded slowly.  ¡°Hunk help him get to the castle.  Hurry!¡±  She barked at Hunk, Lance, and Pidge and they took off.  Chalna helped Jira sit up while Keith pulled himself to his feet, still in shock from what was happening.  Allura grabbed his shoulder and looked at him, afraid yet determined.


    ¡°Keith,¡± She said firmly.  ¡°You need to get to the Black Lion.¡±


    Keith shook his head.  It had been too long since he had piloted it.  ¡°But I-¡±


    ¡°You have to,¡±  Allura said fiercely, but her voice trembled.


    Keith glanced at Jira who was leaning against her mom, her face contorted in pain.  She gave him a pained, but reassuring smile.  Keith nodded at Allura and sprinted towards the castle, his head still throbbing.  Running through the castle to where the black lion was was surreal to him; he felt as though he were in a nightmare and expected to wake up at any moment.  Shiro was okay¡­ Everything was okay¡­ It had to be.


    By the time Keith reached the Black Lion, Shiro was already inside and the mouth was starting to close. In a desperate attempt, Keith leapt towards it, catching the edge as it clamped shut.


    ¡°Please!¡± He cried, beating his fists against the cold metal.  ¡°Please...  I need to stop him.¡±


    The lion¡¯s eyes illuminated yellow and it purred to life.  Keith stumbled backwards and rolled out of the way.  The lion opened its mouth just enough for Keith to squeeze in.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered.  Keith pulled himself to his feet and crept inside, not sure how to prepare for who awaited him inside.


    ****


    Allura pulled the blue lion out of its hangar and took in her surroundings.  Now that she was outside, she could see the Black Lion racing upwards into the sky.  She held onto the controls with clammy hands and sweat dripped down her brow; this was not supposed to happen.  How could they have been so reckless?


    Her communications screen popped up and Pidge¡¯s face appeared.  ¡°What¡¯s the plan?!  Where¡¯s Keith?¡±


    ¡°With any luck, he¡¯s in there Black Lion as well.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in there with Shiro?¡± Hunk¡¯s voice sounded.  ¡°What if Shiro tries to hurt him again?!¡±


    ¡°We need to stop Shiro from taking the lion to Zarkon.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Allura, what is going on?¡± Pidge demanded.


    ¡°I-¡±  Allura¡¯s words scratched against her dry throat.  How could she explain everything now?


    Lance¡¯s image replaced Pidge¡¯s on the screen.  ¡°Allura, What do we need to do?¡±


    Allura smiled at him gratefully before setting her focus back on the Black Lion.  ¡°That lion is not to leave the atmosphere.  Do whatever you have to.¡±


    Above them, the Black Lion began to dip down lower, losing some of its speed.  Allura scrambled to patch into its communications, in hopes to figure out what was going on between Keith and Shiro.  She successfully connected, and the cockpit of the black lion appeared on her screen, but neither Shiro or Keith were in the seat.


    ¡°... Keith?¡±  Allura said hesitantly.  From the screen she could see Keith fly into the control panel.  Keith slumped to the floor weakly, and from behind the seat, Shiro approached him.  Keith waited right until Shiro was ready to lunge, then jumped at the controls, grabbing and yanking them away from Shiro.  Shiro tumbled over and the Black Lion took a sickening swan dive straight towards the jungle below.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Lance warned, sending a cable shooting out from his lion.  It caught onto a back leg of the Black Lion; Hunk did the same, and it started to slow the Black lion¡¯s descent into the treeline.  Allura kept her eyes glued to the screen, helpless as she watched Shiro pick Keith up by his arms and throw him back over the chair with inhuman strength.  Allura lost sight of what was going on, but she could hear Keith begging for Shiro to stop.


    ¡°Shiro, please-¡±  Keith gasped, before his words were cut off by what Allura had to assume was Shiro closing his hands around his neck.  She fought back tears and she heard Keith struggle for breath.  This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.  They were supposed to save Shiro.


    ¡°Keith, hold on!¡±  Allura yelled.  She took a deep breath and flew at full speed into the head of the Black Lion.


    ****


    Blood filling his mouth, Keith fought the urge to vomit as Shiro kicked him to the ground once more.  He covered his head, preparing for the next blow.


    ¡°St-¡±  A sharp pain vibrated through his chest with Shiro¡¯s next ferocious punch.  Keith gasped for air, only to feel metal fingers wrap around his throat.  Shiro held him up by the neck and shoved him against the wall.  Black started to outline Keith¡¯s vision and he clawed desperately at Shiro¡¯s arm.  Yellow eyes filled his mind, bearing into him; a cruel reminder that his friend was gone.  Angry and fearful tears fell down Keith¡¯s face.  He couldn¡¯t fight Shiro.  He just couldn¡¯t bring himself to fight back.  But as his sight started to dim, Keith knew he needed to make a choice.  He needed to stop him before anyone else got hurt.


    Keith held on to what he knew would be his last breath.  ¡°Shiro please-¡± he pleaded one last time.  Shiro pulled Keith closer to him, relishing in his suffering, and Keith took advantage of their proximity.  Grasping at the blade secured at the back of his pants, Keith grabbed it and slashed it across Shiro¡¯s chest.  Shiro cried out and dropped Keith to the ground.  Green light gleamed brighter around Shiro and he activated his arm once more.  He pounced down onto Keith, and Keith shoved the knife upwards, feeling the unmistakable warmth of blood as it stained his blade and hand.


    Shiro inhaled sharply and looked down at his chest, wrapping his hand around the hilt of the blade.  Keith¡¯s body trembled in horror as he slid the blade out, and Shiro fell onto his back and clutched his chest.


    Keith threw the blade away from him and leaned over Shiro, tears obstructing his vision.  ¡°... Shiro?¡±  he said hoarsely.  ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, I-¡±


    Shiro¡¯s breathing fell from fast and jagged to slow and weak.  He closed his eyes and a faint smile played at his lips.  Keith grabbed Shiro¡¯s shoulders and shook him.  ¡°Don¡¯t-¡±  Keith pulled Shiro up so his head could rest in his lap, the rise and fall of his chest getting slower.


    ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± Keith shook over him, his body paralyzed from shock and denial.  ¡°... please.¡±  Keith held Shiro until his breathing stopped.  He could feel the weight of the Black Lion as it plummeted to the ground, but he didn¡¯t care.  He could hear the other paladins call out to him, and his mind spun, but no coherent thoughts came to him.  He was numb.


    He closed his eyes, ready to crash into the ground.  A blinding light penetrated the head of the lion, its colors shifting from a violent shade of green to violet, until it suddenly faded to black.  The darkness was stifling, but Keith found himself feeling weightless in the dark.  He waved his hand in front of him and felt for the chair behind him to get a sense of his surroundings, making sure not to let Shiro slip off his lap.


    The Black Lion lurched forward on its own without warning, pushing Keith backwards.  He held on to Shiro, and shut his eyes, hoping to wake up from this nightmare.  The Black Lion slowed to a stop and landed softly.  When Keith opened his eyes, his heart sank; he knew immediately that they were no longer on Eioa.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Lance asked timidly and Allura slowly opened her eyes.  The Blue lion was just on Eioa, but after being drowned in Quintessence, had transported to somewhere completely foreign to Allura.  The same must have happened to the others.  The five lions were sitting in a circle on what looked to be a barren planet.  Stars surrounded them and the very ground itself gave off a violet glow.  It was beautiful, but something about it set Allura on edge.  She secured her helmet before stepping outside; her first priority was getting to the Black Lion to be sure that Keith was safe.


    Allura stepped down carefully on the ground, still unsure about what she thought of the strange place.  The others followed her outside, and they stood outside of the Black Lion; Allura tried to calm her breathing, but the last thing she remembered was flying straight at the Black Lion as Keith begged Shiro for his life.  She feared the worst.


    The Black Lion stretched its head forward and opened its mouth.


    ¡°Should¡­ we go inside?¡± Hunk asked, looking to Allura.  Lance and Pidge already had their bayards at the ready, but Allura didn¡¯t know what to do in that moment.  Her ability to lead and keep a level head was wavering, and looking at the terror in the paladins¡¯ eyes, she felt like a fraud.  The thought of Shiro covered in Keith¡¯s blood sent a new wave of grief over her, threatening to break her.  She could do nothing but stare into the dark entrance of the Black Lion.


    ¡°Keith?  Shiro?¡±  Hunk called, mustering up the courage.  In response, they were met with the dull sound of someone slowly pulling themself out of the lion.  Allura held her breath as she saw a shadow emerge; Keith limped out to meet them, struggling to hold Shiro up as he walked.  Shiro slumped onto Keith, and Lance and Hunk rushed to help them.  They took Shiro from him, but nearly dropped him when they noticed the blood.  Allura staggered away from them, her head swimming with crazed thoughts; she bit her lip to hold back a sob, breaking skin.


    Keith looked at them, his skin sickly pale, with blood on his hands.  Tears stained his cheeks and he shook his head slowly.  ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± he said, his voice cracking.  Lance and Hunk carefully laid Shiro down on the ground and crouched around him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Pidge asked Keith, her voice trembling as she joined Hunk and Lance.


    ¡°He¡­ he attacked me,¡± Keith said quietly, looking at Allura.  It was as if he were trying to justify himself to her. She turned away from him, not out of anger, but because she didn¡¯t want him to see her tears.


    Allura squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists, trying to force herself to regain her composure, but she shuddered as a sob escaped her lips.  She felt a gentle hand on her and she turned to see Keith standing close.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± his voice broke.  Allura nodded and pulled him into an embrace, feeling the guilt that he carried with him.  She closed her eyes, trying to forget, even if for just a moment, that Shiro¡¯s body wasn¡¯t lying on the ground next to them.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±  Lance asked, finally breaking the silence.  They all looked to Allura, but she couldn''t pull her gaze from Shiro¡¯s face.  He seemed at peace, finally free from everything he had struggled with.  Allura¡¯s lip trembled and she averted her attention elsewhere.  She longed to hold him, even if he was gone.  She never had the chance to tell him how she felt, despite all the opportunities to do so.  But telling him wouldn¡¯t have made a difference.  Regardless, he was never hers the moment he came back all those months ago.  Maybe he never was¡­ She felt foolish for thinking otherwise, and now it didn¡¯t even matter.


    ¡°We need to give him a proper burial,¡± Pidge said.  ¡°And we need to figure out how to get back.¡±


    ¡°But why did the lions take us here in the first place?¡± Hunk asked.  ¡°It must have been with good reason¡­ Do you think it has anything to do with Shiro¡­¡± his voice trailed off.  ¡°... what happened back at the Kafa?  What happened to him?¡±


    Allura took a deep, calming breath.  ¡°... When Shiro disappeared, the Galra¡­ did something to him.  They were using him as a tool to bring the Black Lion back to Zarkon.¡±


    Lance stood up.  ¡°How do you know this?¡±


    Allura swallowed a nervous lump in her throat and glanced at Keith before continuing.  ¡°Jira¡­ Jira could sense something off about him, and eventually discovered what his true intentions were.¡±


    ¡°... You both knew about this?¡± Lance demanded, looking at Keith and Allura.  ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell us?¡±


    ¡°Everything happened so suddenly,I-¡±  Allura did her best to ignore the fresh tears falling from her face.  ¡°I wanted to believe that he was going to be alright, I never thought this would happen¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Lance¡¯s expression softened and he took Allura by the arms.  ¡°We¡¯re a team,¡± he said.  Hunk came up behind them and pulled them into a gentle group hug.  Allura noticed Keith linger off to the side, until Pidge grabbed him and pulled him into the hug as well.


    Allura still fought back her tears, though sorrow and gratitude welled up inside of her.  Through her tears, she could see the Black Lion directly in front of her, and for a moment, it looked as though it were smiling.  Its eyes lit up and it slowly pulled itself to its feet.


    ¡°What the Quiznak?¡± Lance said as the lion stepped off to the side.  On the ground behind the Black Lion, lay a man in a white and black suit and helmet.  The group stood in shock for a moment before Keith broke away and approached him.  He fell to his knees as soon as he reached him and started to remove his helmet.


    ¡°It¡¯s-¡±  Keith shook his head in disbelief.  The rest of the paladins ran over to investigate, and Allura¡¯s breath caught in her chest as she got closer.  Shiro, in his paladin suit, laid in front of Keith;  She whipped around to see the Shiro that Keith had killed still over by the Black Lion.  This had to be some sort of trick.  Her hands shook as she went down on her knees, a spark of hope playing at the back of her mind.  She touched Shiro¡¯s face softly, afraid that if she pressed too hard, he would disappear.  Her fingers moved to his neck and she nearly cried when she felt a pulse.  He didn¡¯t stir when she touched him, but she could see his eyes moving rapidly beneath his eyelids and a faint purple light surrounded him.


    ¡°... Is anyone else freaking out right now?¡±  Hunk asked, peering over Shiro.  ¡°If this is Shiro¡­ and that is Shiro¡­ who is the real Shiro?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still wearing his paladin suit from when we fought Zarkon,¡± Pidge said.  ¡°Before he disappeared¡­ What if the Black Lion didn¡¯t send him to the Galra¡­ What if it sent him here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, wherever here is,¡± Lance said, looking around.  ¡°... Does, uh, anyone actually know where ¡®here¡¯ is?¡±


    ¡°That would make more sense,¡± Hunk said in response to Pidge.  ¡°It was always weird to think that the Black Lion would send him straight to the Galra.  Maybe it really was protecting him and thought this was the best place.¡±


    ¡°So how do you explain the guy we¡¯ve been living with the last few months,¡± Lance said, looking back at the other Shiro¡¯s dead body.


    ¡°Simple,¡± Pidge shrugged.  ¡°A clone.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°What?  Come on, we fight space aliens on a nearly daily basis.  A clone wouldn¡¯t be a crazy theory.  Especially if Shiro was a captive of the Glara before.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise to me if Zarkon¡¯s witch had done a number of terrible things to him,¡± Allura agreed.  ¡°She already took his arm, how do we know she didn¡¯t do other things?¡±


    ¡°So what now?¡± Hunk asked.  ¡°Do we still take that Shiro back?¡±  He pointed to the dead Shiro.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Keith said fiercely, but Allura could still see the guilt in his eyes.  ¡°He may not have been who we thought he was, but he was still Shiro¡­ in a way.  We need to pay our respects.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take both of them back,¡± Allura said and she scooped Shiro up into her arms.  ¡°Lance, Hunk, you take the other one.  We need to find a way to get back to Eioa.¡±


    She paused next to Keith once the other three had continued on.  ¡°No one blames you for what happened¡­ Thank you for saving the Black Lion.¡±


    Keith gave her a sad smile and looked at Shiro who was resting peacefully in Allura¡¯s arms.  ¡°We still have a lot of unanswered questions,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ But we¡¯re going find the answers together, as a-¡± she paused.  ¡°... As a family.¡±


    Keith smiled again, though this time it was more sincere.  They walked back to their lions together, Allura taking Shiro back to the Blue Lion with her.  She carefully set him down against her seat and laid his head back, her hands lingering on his face.  She rested her forehead against his and finally allowed herself to break down, still afraid that he would slip away at any moment.  She could have stayed there, happy with the lie that they were safe, but she knew that the lie wouldn¡¯t last.  There were too many uncertainties and she wasn¡¯t sure if Shiro would actually wake up.


    She caressed his cheek, wishing she had the power to snap him out of his sleeping state.  Before today, she had never touched his face before and she felt guilty for doing it while he lay unconscious.  ¡°You¡¯re safe now,¡± she whispered, though she was saying it mostly to reassure herself.


    A soft, violet light fell on them, filling up the cockpit and growing steadily brighter until Allura could no longer see.  She closed her eyes and held Shiro close to her as the Blue Lion was transported once again.


    ********


    ¡°Jira, wait!¡± Chalna called as Jira ran towards the castle.  Sirens wailed overhead and people rushed to their stations to prepare for the worst.  The signal went off soon after the lions disappeared from Eioa; the Hauhet was coming.


    Jira held her shoulder as she sprinted, the smell of her burned flesh overloading her senses.  Her eyes watered from the pain and smell, but also because everything had gone wrong so quickly.  Shiro¡¯s reaction to the Quintessence was far more drastic than she could have imagined, and once it had taken effect, she could instantly sense the malicious intent behind his actions  He was going to take the Black Lion to Zarkon, and he wasn¡¯t going to hesitate to kill anyone who got in his way.  Her heart pounded at the thought of Keith being alone with him.  After the lions triggered the Quintessence in the Kafa and disappeared, there was no way for her to know if he was going to be okay.


    She hurried onto the bridge where she ran into Coran.  He looked at her injured shoulder and his mustache twitched with surprise.


    ¡°Jira, what¡¯s going on?¡±  He asked.  ¡°There are sirens sounding from the Kafa, and the paladins-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where the paladins went,¡± Jira said, breathing heavily.  She leaned forward on her knees and touched her shoulder gingerly.  ¡°But they set off the Quintessence and the Hauhet is coming-¡± she winced and a fresh set of tears came to her eyes.


    ¡°We need to get you to a healing pod, what happened?¡±  Coran said, starting to lead her away from the bridge.


    Jira shook her head.  Everything was happening so suddenly and she couldn¡¯t keep up.  Her head spun at the thought of the Hauhet invading her home; the very creature that killed her dad. ¡°No, we need to do something-¡±


    ¡°Jira, stop.¡±  Chalna had reached the bridge and gave her daughter a sharp look.  ¡°You can¡¯t do any good if you pass out from the pain.¡±


    ¡°Mom-¡±  Jira wanted to protest, but her throat tightened with emotions, rendering her speechless.  She knew her mom was right, but she couldn¡¯t just sit and do nothing.


    ¡°Coran, go ahead and take her,¡± Chalna said firmly and Coran took Jira by the elbow.  She reluctantly began following him when the door to the bridge opened again.  Allura stepped through, carrying an unconscious Shiro, followed by Pidge and a bloody and bruised Keith.  Jira pulled away from Coran, heart pounding in her chest.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Hunk and Lance?¡±  She asked them, her attention drawn to Keith.  His gaze was fixed to her wound and he refused to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯re alright,¡± Allura said hastily.  ¡°We have a lot to explain, but now doesn¡¯t seem to be the best time.  What¡¯s going on outside?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Hauhet,¡± Chalna said.  ¡°We don¡¯t have much time before it gets here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Allura said.


    Pidge turned and ran towards the door.  ¡°I¡¯ll tell Lance and Hunk!¡± she hollered.


    Allura laid Shiro down in front of Jira and Coran.  ¡°Keep an eye on him?¡±


    They nodded eagerly and Allura smiled at Jira. She could see relief on Allura¡¯s face, despite the circumstances.  Allura ran to join the others, but Keith hesitated, looking back at Jira before leaving the bridge.


    ¡°He shouldn''t feel guilty,¡± Chalna said to Jira, watching Keith leave.  She then looked down at Shiro and furrowed her brow.  ¡°He wasn¡¯t wearing his suit earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°I noticed that too,¡±  Jira said, bending down and resting on a knee.  His breathing was stable and there was no sign that the Eioan Quintessence had taken any affect on him.  She touched his forehead, hoping to fill in the gaps of what happened while the paladins were gone.


    ¡°Get anything?¡± Coran asked, peering over her.


    ¡°Just... ¡° Jira cocked her head, trying to make sense of what she was reading.  ¡°He just seems¡­ at peace?  I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s hard to read him.  Maybe it¡¯s hard because I¡¯m hurt, I don¡¯t-¡± she sighed in frustration.  ¡°It¡¯s¡­ different though, from when I read him before.¡±


    ¡°Before?¡±  Coran looked puzzled.  Jira shot her mother a worried look, remembering that Coran didn¡¯t know anything about her reading Shiro last night.


    ¡°Uh... Maybe we should wait until everyone is back to explain.¡±


    ¡°Should we take Shiro to a healing pod?¡± Chalna interjected.  Coran looked frustrated, but nodded.  Jira stood to move out of the way so that Coran and her mom could pull Shiro up and felt a slight tremor in the ground when she did so.


    ¡°... Did you feel that?¡± She asked.  The castle shook again, now more violently.  Jira fell to her knees next to Shiro and looked out the window on the bridge.


    Coran asked and he and Chalna rushed over to the windows.  ¡°... Quiznak,¡± Coran breathed, looking out at the Kafa.  Jira pulled herself to her feet, and caught a brief glimpse of something yellow flicker over the roof of the Kafa before disappearing.


    The green lion touched down between the Kafa and the castle, obscuring their view, but Jira could see a part of the Hauhet appear once again on the other side of Pidge.  A long tail, covered in yellow fur with a stinger at the end flicked in the air, but the rest of its body was camouflaged into the surroundings, but it¡¯s faint outline towered over the green lion.


    ¡°It¡¯s bigger than the Black Lion,¡± Coran said in awe.


    The yellow and red lion took position on either side of the Hauhet and slowly closed in, forcing it to either attack or retreat.  The Hauhet revealed itself; a colossal creature with shaggy fur with ever changing colors.  Jagged claws dug into the earth and it watched the lions warily with two pairs of glowing green eyes.  It had a feline head with a short snout and a wide mouth that opened to reveal a snarl of fangs.  Large ears perched at the top of its head, twitching at every sound around it.  The creature crouched back on its hind legs and leapt over Pidge, landing on top of the castle.


    *********


    Lance stared at the Hauhet with a sense of both wonder and terror.  ¡°... It¡¯s like a giant cat!¡± he yelled to the others over the communication system.


    ¡°Well spotted Lance,¡± Pidge mumbled.


    ¡°We need to get it away from the Kafa without harming it,¡± Allura said.  ¡°Keith?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Keith sounded distracted.  Lance had noticed he was still shaken up over Shiro.  He couldn¡¯t blame him.  Keith thought he had killed him¡­ maybe he did, they still didn¡¯t know enough about the situation to make any hard conclusions, but Lance wanted to hope that the Shiro they had rescued was the real one.


    ¡°Get into contact with Coran,¡± Keith said, finding his voice.  ¡°And try to do the same with the Kafa, Pidge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡±


    The particle barrier activated on the castle, knocking the Hauhet off and sending it back amongst the lions.  It was quick on its feet, however, and steadied itself; green eyes gleaming with fury.  With a quick qhip of its tail, it wrapped around the green lion and began pulling it towards it.  She fought against it, but it dug its stinger into the neck of the lion, sending an electrical shock through it.


    ¡°Hang in there, Pidge!¡±  Lance looked around frantically, though he wasn¡¯t sure what he was looking for.  Normally he could just shoot an enemy and be done with it.  With the Hauhet, he couldn¡¯t be so straightforward.  His hands gripped around the controls and he shot off a blast right above the Hauhet¡¯s head, drawing its attention to him.  His breath caught in his throat when its eyes flickered and it bore its fangs; a forked tongue licking its chops.  ¡°Ah ha¡­ good kitty.¡±


    ¡°Lance¡­¡± Keith warned.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± Lance lied, but he hadn¡¯t given much thought as to what he was going to do once he drew it away from pidge.  The Hauhet jumped straight at him, swiping at the red lion¡¯s chest and sending it and Lance tumbling off to the side.  Lance fell out of his chair and slammed against the ground.  He pulled himself up in a daze and looked out to see the Hauhet digging its claws into the lion¡¯s head.


    Scrambling back into his seat, Lance grabbed the controls and tried to pull himself out from under the creature.  ¡°Little help, please!¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you just shoot at it?¡± Keith demanded angrily.


    ¡°Enough, you two,¡± Allura said.  ¡°Lance, give us a warning next time, but you may be onto something.¡±


    She steered the blue lion up into the air and shot down next to the Hauhet and the red lion.  It whipped its head and focused on her next.  It snarled and extended its tail out, catching a leg of the blue lion and bringing it crashing to the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s fast,¡±  Allura muttered.  ¡°And strong¡­ we may not be able to lure it away so easily.¡±


    ¡°Well we can¡¯t just let it run wild until it tires itself out,¡± Keith said.


    ¡°Maybe if we just ask it nicely, it will go away,¡± Hunk piped up.


    ¡°What if we shot something off into the distance?  Pidge asked.  ¡°Distracted it enough to send it away¡­ it kinda messed up the wiring in here¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, Pidge?¡±  Allura asked her.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good.  What about you?¡±


    ¡°Good for now.¡±


    The Hauhet panted and looked at the lions uneasily; its hair standing on its end.  Despite how angry it looked, Lance could see how frightened it was.  It was a scared animal, protecting its home and the lions must have looked like the biggest threats to it; no wonder it was eager to attack them.  Lance racked his brain and tried to think of a different solution.  The Hauhet attacked after he and Allura shot at it, but it also attacked Pidge and she hadn¡¯t done anything¡­ Lance looked up, an idea slowly forming.  Pidge was right in front of the castle when the particle barrier went up, it may have thought that she was the one to do that since she was the closest to the castle.  It attacked when someone or something made a sudden movement.


    ¡°Wait-¡± Lance said, grinning to himself.  ¡°Wait, I got it.¡±  His thoughts went back to when he was Viltri on the scouting mission.  She had warned him about the Zeloo and how they attacked when they felt threatened.  He had learned his lesson quickly, but if they were lucky, the Hauhet would react in a similar fashion.  He slowly lowered his lion down onto the ground and bent its head down, the Hauhet eyeing him suspiciously as he did so.


    ¡°Um... What are you doing?¡± Hunk asked.


    ¡°Just gimme a sec,¡± Lance said, hoping his gamble wouldn¡¯t result in the Hauhet attacking again.  He painstakingly took his time in laying his lion on its belly and resting its head on the ground.  The Hauhet crept towards him and laid a rough paw on the lion¡¯s neck, running its sharp claws along the metal.  Lance covered his ears and cringed as the metal creaked underneath the Hauhet¡¯s weight.  It brought its face up next to the lion¡¯s and sniffed it thoroughly while growling softly.  The paladins waited silently while the Hauhet walked around each of the lions and inspected them.


    ¡°Pidge, did you get in touch with the Kafa?¡±  Keith asked quietly, as if he feared the Hauhet would hear him.


    ¡°... Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Tell them not to attack¡­ I think we got this.¡±


    ¡°Dude,¡± Hunk said to Lance.  ¡°Smart move.¡±


    ¡°This just might work,¡±  Allura said with relief as the Hauhet continued to stalked around them, but its body language implied that it felt more relaxed.  ¡°Good work, Lance.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Lance smiled.  ¡°Can¡¯t say this was all my idea though.¡±


    ******


    A sharp jolt shook the ground, rustling Shiro from a deep sleep.  He struggled to open his eyes and his body felt like it was pinned down by his own weight;  he tensed up with fear and panic, trying make sense of his surroundings.  If only he could open his eyes, or move, he could figure out a way to escape, but his thoughts were muddled.  He tried to open his mouth, but he felt separated from his body; without control.


    He breathed in deeply; his face twitched and he fought to gain control over himself.  He needed to focus.  Why couldn¡¯t he just focus?  Shiro slowly cracked his eyes open enough to sense that he was in a well lit room.  It felt familiar to him in a way, but the light hurt his eyes and he was tempted to close his eyes and fall back into his peaceful sleep.  He rolled his head to the side in an attempt to stay awake.  He needed to knew where he was so he could escape.  He shouldn¡¯t be here, he should be somewhere else¡­ but where was that?  Thinking back on it, Shiro couldn¡¯t actually remember where he was before falling asleep.


    ¡°Shiro?¡±  A muffled female voice called out to him.  The voice didn¡¯t sound familiar so he forced his eyes open.  A Galra woman with dark hair was leaning over him with a surprised look on her face.  Adrenaline shot through Shiro, giving him enough strength to push himself up and away from her.  His heavy limbs weighed him down, but he managed rolled over and distanced himself from the woman; panic started to overwhelm him.  He was on the bridge in the castle, but why was there a Galra here?


    The woman reached out to him, which only made him more wary.  He clenched his hand, ready to activate his arm.  He pushed her arms away and tried to stand in vain, and fell back onto the floor.  The sound of hurried footsteps came towards him and from the corner of his eye, he could see two more people approach him.  He clenched his jaw and made another attempt to stand.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Said another, younger female voice.  She held his shoulders and Shiro whipped around to fight her off.  He was met with a young woman with similar dark hair, but her skin was more blue than purple and she didn¡¯t have the tall physique of a Galra.  She gave him a warm smile and a reassuring squeeze on his shoulders.  ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡±


    He looked her over, spotting the glaring burn on her shoulder that had ruined her shirt and seared into her skin.  He relaxed his hands, suddenly feeling exhausted.


    ¡°Did I-¡±  His voice was weak and throat parched.  ¡°Did I do that to you?¡±  He asked, fearing the woman¡¯s answer.  Her eyes darted away for a just a moment and she smiled and shook her head, but Shiro knew the truth.  He had hurt her and he had absolutely no memory of it.


    He gained control of his breathing and looked from both of the women to a familiar face.  Coran stood next to them, his mustache twitching excitedly.


    ¡°Good to see you up and about,¡± Coran beamed.  To be perfectly honest, I don¡¯t have any idea why you were passed out or why you¡¯re in your suit, but we have bigger problems at the moment.¡±


    The castle rumbled again and they all turned to see the lions just outside, surrounding a strange creature that was circling among them.  The lions were all lying down on the ground as the the creature rubbed its tail along all of them, pawing one occasionally before moving on.  But if he was in the castle, then who was piloting the Black Lion?  He immediately thought of Keith since he had used the lion before to save Shiro, but did that mean Allura was piloting the red lion?  His head spun and began to ache from trying to force his memories to come back.  Beyond the lions, nothing was familiar to him.  They were on a beautiful, green planet, stationed on what looked like a military base.  It was foreign to him, but he had an odd suspicion that he should already know where he was.  He focused his breathing once more to remain calm.  He needed answers, but Coran and the two women seemed preoccupied by what was going on outside.


    The creature had finally stopped moving amongst the lions and let out a deafening roar.  It crouched down and leapt over the Black lion and took off towards the jungle.  Its bright yellow fur coat transformed to green then it disappeared completely into its surroundings.


    Shiro pulled himself to his knees, Coran helping him up.  His body still felt weak and he leaned on him for support.  ¡°What was that thing?¡±  He asked.


    ¡°That was the Hauhet,¡± the older woman said, looking out to the jungle.  ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it act that way before¡­ It usually strikes fast and leaves quickly after causing damage, but this¡­ it actually interacted with the lions.  That was amazing.¡±


    They watched as the lions retreated back into the castle.  After several moments, the door to the bridge opened and the paladins and Allura filed in.


    ¡°Shiro!¡± Lance yelled and he, Hunk, and Pidge ran at him and yanked him into a hug, almost knocking him over.  Shiro looked over Hunk¡¯s head to see Keith, battered and bruised, and Allura.  Keith hesitated before joining the group hug, but Allura hung back, staring at Shiro with wide eyes.  She looked vulnerable; something he didn¡¯t see often.  She attempted a smile, but caught herself, clearly trying to suppress her emotions.  Shiro hated to see her like that and it made him question even more why everyone was acting so strange.


    ¡°Does anyone want to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±  He asked, nearly strangled by the tangle of arms.


    Pidge popped her head up and gave him a nervous grin.  ¡°Uh¡­ we¡¯ve got a lot to explain.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Allura had found a number of excuses to walk past Shiro¡¯s room several times, but she still hadn¡¯t found the courage to knock on his door and check up on him.  After waking up, they had carefully explained things to him, but it was a lot to take in.  He took it well, but Allura could sense in him something that he always tried not to show in front of the others; he was overwhelmed.  She knew the feeling all too well and he had every right to be so.  After they brought him up to speed, Allura insisted he rest, but knowing Shiro, he would push himself to put on a smile and carry on as if nothing was wrong.


    Finally stopping in front of his door, Allura knocked on his door.  If he didn¡¯t answer, she¡¯d take that as a good sign that he had fallen asleep.  She held her breath and waited for a response.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±  Shiro called quietly from the other side of the door.  He sounded exhausted.  Allura¡¯s heart beat ferociously against her chest.  Shiro was back and safe; she still couldn¡¯t process everything that had happened that day.


    ¡°... It¡¯s Allura,¡± She said hesitantly.  ¡°I just wanted to see how you were doing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Princess,¡± he said, now sounding surprised.  ¡°Come in.¡±


    Allura opened the door and found Shiro sitting at the edge of his bed.  The bed was still neat and made, appearing as though he hadn¡¯t laid down despite being in his room for a while.  He looked up at her and gave her a weak smile.


    ¡°I thought you would have fallen asleep by now,¡± she said and approached him slowly.  His room was dim and shadows covered his face, obscuring his tired expression.  He stood as she neared the bed.  ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Shiro looked down, reluctant to speak.  Allura had never seen him so torn before; in front of the everyone else, he put on a brave face, but not now.  Allura wanted to comfort him, but they had never physically been close and she didn¡¯t know if she would be pushing her boundaries.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be alright.  No one expects you to be right now,¡± she whispered, trying to find the right words.  Shiro¡¯s eyes softened.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to come back from this,¡± he said.  ¡°I¡¯ve missed so much, how do I-¡±  he glanced away from Allura.  ¡°...  How do I just pick up where I left off?  After you woke up, how did you adjust?¡±


    Allura let out a small, bitter laugh.  She was still adjusting, if she had to be honest.  While she loved exploring new places and helping people, Allura was still overcoming the grief that came with losing her family and planet.  She knew that it would never truly go away, and she hated having to face that truth.  That was a similar truth that Shiro would have to come to accept.  ¡°Honestly,¡± she said, finding her voice.  ¡°You¡¯ll never be the same person you were before you disappeared, and that is perfectly alright, but someday you¡¯ll realize that you¡¯re happy with your life as it is now¡­ I apologize if that¡¯s not what you were wanting to hear-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Shiro gave her a warm smile that comforted her, even though she felt like that was her job to be comforting at the moment.  ¡°You would understand more than anyone, so thanks for your honesty¡­ are you¡­ happy with your life as it is now?¡±


    ¡°I-¡±  Allura¡¯s eyes grew large as she thought over his words.  She had never really asked herself that, which seemed hypocritical to her now.  There were definitely things that she loved about her life, but she still needed more.  She was still chasing down a piece of happiness that alluded her, and she wasn¡¯t quite sure what that was yet.  ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure yet,¡± she said quietly, glancing down at her feet.  ¡°I feel as though I have found a new family, but it¡¯s still difficult¡­ I still miss my home.¡±  She shook her head.  ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t want to make this about me.  I wanted to see how you were doing.¡±


    ¡°... I think it¡¯s gonna be awhile until I can answer the question I asked you,¡± Shiro said.  He said it lightly, but his eyes held back his worry.  ¡°I guess one of the biggest things I¡¯m worried about is finding my place again after so long.  Everyone has grown so much, and I¡­ haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to adjust seamlessly back into your former life all at once, but what if you just took your time getting familiar with everyone again?¡±  Allura asked.  She knew that the paladins would love to spend time with Shiro; herself especially.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Spend some quality time with each of the paladins¡­ when you¡¯re feeling up to it, of course.  You¡¯ve been gone some time and it would be nice to reconnect with them.¡±


    Shiro laughed softly.  ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.  I need to make up for lost time.¡±


    Allura nodded, wanting to stay with him longer, but knowing she needed to go.  ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯re meeting with some Eioans and the Blade to explain everything that happened today.  Try and get some rest?¡±


    ¡°I should go too, to explain myself and meet everyone,¡± Shiro said, stepping forward, but Allura held out a hand and stopped him.  Shiro looked down at her, surprised, but he didn¡¯t fight it or move away.  Allura¡¯s hand lingered just above his chest and she caught herself from laying it down.  Her fingers trembled as she lowered her hand and she clenched her fist to maintain her composure.


    ¡°You still have plenty of time for that¡­ what¡¯s important now is that you recuperate.¡±


    Shiro¡¯s posture relaxed with relief.  He looked at Allura gratefully, which she hated, because it only made her want to stay with him more.  This was such a soft side to him that he rarely, if ever, showed and Allura loved it.  She felt supported and comfortably vulnerable when she was with him, something about him was familiar to her; an old familiarity that she felt once, long ago and had let slip from her memories.  Perhaps he was that piece of happiness that she was missing.


    ¡°Thank you-¡± Shiro said, pulling her away from her thoughts.  ¡°For coming to check up on me.¡±


    Allura smiled at him, though she felt flustered.  ¡°Shall I come back later to update you on anything important?¡±


    He hesitated, but then gave her a small smile. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    ******


    Horm had immediately taken a great interest in Shiro¡¯s clone, already inspecting him as he lay on an operating table in a large room in the Kafa.  A soft glow of Quintessence emanated from the table, keeping the body from decomposing while in Horm and Chalna¡¯s care.  Allura couldn¡¯t stand to look at the body; the shell of a man that she trusted and respected was a mere puppet of Zarkon¡¯s.  They had all been played for fools.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what we can learn from this,¡± Chalna said, looking down at the clone.  She and Horm took the news better than President Drundlo and Wunrik after the paladins explained everything.  Drundlo refused to let Lotor into the room, a decision heartily supported by Zalko and Kolivan.  Understandably upset, Drundlo lost any remaining shred of trust that he had with Lotor, despite Lotor insisting that he had no idea that Zarkon had done anything to Shiro.If the Galra were able to create a clone that they could use to separate Voltron, there was no telling what else they knew.  Eioa was starting to feel the pressure of the Galra closing in on them.


    Now that the clone had been triggered and killed, the biggest worry now was that the planet wasn¡¯t as safe as they initially thought.  Allura feared that their welcome was wearing thin in Olorin, and she couldn¡¯t blame Drundlo for being apprehensive about them staying much longer.  Most of the other districts had agreed to meet with Drundlo, but they couldn¡¯t wait forever for the rest of the district leaders to respond.  They didn¡¯t have that kind of time anymore.


    Drundlo stood and neared the table, looking at the clone with disgust.  ¡°We meet with the other districts in three days time, regardless of the response from the remaining leaders.  My wife, Zati, is returning from District Bezirk with their president.  Bezirk has been the district that has taken the longest to accept the Galra into our society, so I don¡¯t want to waste this opportunity of President Rashnek coming to Olorin to meet you.  Princess, I would like Coran and Shiro to attend with you.  I hope he¡¯s feeling better by then.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ready,¡± Allura said firmly and Drundlo nodded at her.


    ¡°Good.  Then in the meantime, we will continue to fortify the Kafa and prepare for an attack from the Galra.  His hard expression softened slightly.  ¡°Thanks to you paladins, we don¡¯t have to worry about repairing any new damages from the Hauhet.¡±


    ¡°Just doin¡¯ our job,¡± Hunk beamed.


    ¡°Let me know if there¡¯s anything we can do to help Shiro recover.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Allura said.  Drundlo gave her a smile, but his eyes still shone with fury over their current predicament.  Wunrik and Zalko accompanied him out room, leaving the others in a moment of tense silence.


    Jinx finally spoke up hesitantly.  ¡°So how is Shiro?¡±


    ¡°He just needs some rest,¡± Allura said with uncertainty.  She couldn¡¯t speak for how he was doing emotionally, but physically he just seemed fatigued.


    ¡°He¡¯s been through worse before,¡± Lance said.  He sat next to Viltri who was eyeing the clone, her brows furrowed with concern.


    ¡°He just feels a bit¡­ alone at the moment.  This is quite an adjustment for him.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t blame the guy,¡± Rixel piped up.  ¡°Imagine if you woke up after months and couldn¡¯t remember anything¡­ and this isn¡¯t the first time it¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°Plus, Shiro doesn¡¯t even know half of us,¡± Junx said with a shrug.  ¡°He¡¯s starting over at Eioa.  It¡¯s gotta be overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°Does he¡­ blame himself for hurting Jira?¡± Viltri asked abruptly, still looking at the clone¡¯s body, and Allura and Chalna shared a worried looked.  Jira had managed to stay alert long enough for them to explain to Shiro what had happened to him, but she nearly passed out from the pain once her adrenaline had faded.  Coran took her to a healing pod soon after the paladins got back, and they explained to Shiro that what the clone had done, but it was clear he still held guilt over it. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Jira will be fine,¡± Chalna said.  ¡°And she doesn¡¯t blame Shiro over what happened.  None of this was his fault.¡±


    ¡°Then what about Keith?¡±  Viltri asked, not afraid to bring up the sensitive topic.  Keith hadn¡¯t shown up to the meeting and he refused to go into a healing pod even though Coran suspected that he had a few broken ribs among other, minor injuries.  If Allura had to guess, he was probably off alone somewhere and hurting, though this time it was more than just him being in one of his moods.  He had killed the clone, thinking it was someone as close to him as family.  She couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what Keith was feeling right now.


    ¡°Keith will need some time too,¡± Allura said quietly.  ¡°... This has been quite a day for everyone.¡±


    ¡°What can we do to help?¡±  Horm said, looking up from the clone¡¯s body, and showing genuine concern.  It wasn¡¯t often that he was so calm, but Allura was grateful for him.  She was grateful for everyone in that room.


    ¡°We need to make sure that we help Shiro adjust here and that Keith doesn¡¯t feel isolated,¡±  Coran said with a smile.  ¡°I know it may seem odd because you have gotten to know a different Shiro, but you¡¯ll like this one too.¡±


    Jinx perked up.  ¡°Well I look forward to meeting him¡­ again?¡±


    ¡°Shiro is awesome,¡± Hunk said, bringing a much needed lightheartedness to the conversation.  ¡°He¡¯s more than just a leader, he¡¯s like a cool older brother that you actually want to spend time with.¡±


    Pidge suddenly stood up and headed towards the door.  ¡°I gotta tell Matt everything that happened!¡±  She sprinted out the door excitedly.


    The atmosphere in the room was now more relaxed, thankfully, but worry still ate at the back of Allura¡¯s mind.  While the others had caught up in their own conversations, Chalna approached Allura quietly.


    ¡°If Shiro wants, we can see what we can do to help recover any memories.¡±


    ¡°I can ask him¡­ and I know this may sound odd, but I¡¯m glad that we used the Quintessence on the clone¡­ if we hadn¡¯t, I don¡¯t know when or if we would have gotten Shiro back.¡±


    Chalna laid a comforting hand on Allura¡¯s arm.  Though she had come to find that not every Galra was cruel and cold, it still surprised Allura that Chalna could be so motherly.  She hadn¡¯t felt that kind of comfort since her own mother passed away.


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for everything you¡¯ve done,¡± Allura said.  There were still many uncertainties that they would be facing, but Allura was glad that they came to Eioa.  She knew that in the days to come, the paladins and Eioans would need to rely on each other even more than they were now.


    ***********


    The Blue Lion had always been a great listener for Lance, and after everything that had happened today, he needed someone talk to.  Although he was no longer Blue¡¯s paladin, he still enjoyed sitting in front of her, legs stretched out and leaning back on his hands, talking to a trusted friend.


    ¡°Things have been¡­ weird,¡± Lance said, looking up at Blue.  ¡°Well, you were there for most of it, so you get it, but it¡¯s a lot to wrap my head around.  Not gonna lie, sometimes I just wish things would be a little less crazy, you know?  I¡¯m glad Shiro¡¯s back, though.  I feel bad for him¡­ This is gonna be kinda weird for awhile, but I guess I should just be grateful that everyone is safe right now.¡±  Lance sighed.  ¡°Do you ever just wish that you didn¡¯t have to worry about things so much?  Well probably not, considering you¡¯re a giant¡­. Metal lion, but you get what I mean.  Since being here, there¡¯s just a few things that I¡¯m not quite sure how to handle... I just wish that I knew what to do-¡±


    Footsteps echoed behind Lance and he clamped up, turning his head to see who had interrupted him.  Viltri, uncharastically timid, approached him and smiled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± She said.  ¡°I just noticed you disappear after we were done talking at the Kafa, but I can go if you want to be alone.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine,¡± Lance said, his heart pounding fast as she came closer.  It was nice to have some alone time with Blue, but he wanted to see Viltri too.  After how patient she had been with him, she had certainly earned the right to disrupt his quiet time.  She sat down close to him, her bare shoulder brushing his arm.  When she wasn¡¯t wearing her white Elite suite, she was usually dressed casually and in loose tank tops and shorts and always looked effortlessly confident.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a busy day. How are you holdin¡¯ up?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I''m okay. I uh¡­¡± Lance found himself hesitant to speak. He had been wanting to talk to Viltri, but he hadn''t really thought about what to say. There was so much he wanted her to know but he found it hard to express his feelings. Viltri¡¯s dark eyes bore into him, urging him to continue; he cleared his throat before trusting himself to speak again.


    ¡°I wanted to thank you,¡± he said quietly and Viltri have him a confused look but she said nothing.  Lance took it as his que to continue.  ¡°When dealing with the Hauhet, I remembered what you said about the Zeloo and how they attacked when they felt threatened?  I thought that maybe the Hauhet was attacking the same way because it thought the lions were threatening the Quintessence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you did that,¡± She grinned.  ¡°I saw you lay yourself down in front of the Hauhet from the Kafa.  But that was all you, not me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but if I hadn¡¯t remembered what you told me-¡±


    ¡°Your idea is what stopped the Hauhet.  Good job, Red Paladin.¡±


    Lance looked to her hand resting beside his and in a brief moment of courage or stupidity, he couldn¡¯t tell, he reached over and brushed his fingertips across her knuckles.  Viltri looked more pleased than surprised and took his hand, weaving their fingers together.  She laid her head on his shoulder and Lance took in a shaky breath.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the only thing I wanted to talk to you about,¡± Lance said, feeling his face burn.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s about the other night, when we were talking about uh, me being insecure.¡±  Viltri raised her head and looked at him, which only made Lance more nervous to continue.  ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ or I guess I should say¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot since becoming a paladin?¡± Viltri offered.


    ¡°Well I guess you could put it that way¡­ When Shiro got back, I mean the not real Shiro, I had a hard time knowing where I fit in.  Allura was doing great with Blue and Keith didn¡¯t want to pilot the Black Lion.  Keith left soon after for the Blade, but a part of me wonders what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t left¡­ it took me awhile to find my place with Red¡­ and the team.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±  Viltri asked.


    Lance smiled weakly.  ¡°I had to step up when I became the Red Paladin, but I¡¯m learning more about myself and what I bring to Voltron.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re growing up,¡± Viltri said, resting her head back on his shoulder.  Lance leaned his head down, taking in the sweet scent of her hair, and enjoying the peaceful silence between them.  He knew he had to tell her how he felt; now was the best time for that, but he still had his hesitations.  Lance still clung to his feelings for Allura, but he could feel himself falling for Viltri, but he still wasn¡¯t sure if those feelings were completely genuine.  Regardless, he needed to tell her.  Lance pulled their hands and rested them on his lap.  He took a deep breath, trying to find his voice.


    ¡°There was one more thing,¡± he said in a hushed tone.  Viltri lifted her head again, her face just inches from his and he briefly forgot what he wanted to say.  Viltri looked at him patiently with a hint of a smirk.  ¡°I uh¡­¡± He tried to find his words, but only felt more lost the longer he looked at her.


    ¡°I sure hope it¡¯s important,¡± Viltri whispered, moving closer to him, her eyes moving down to his lips.  She stopped just shy of the kiss; testing him.  With his free hand, he held her face and committed to the act.  This time he was determined to follow through, and he closed the small gap between them.  Viltri let out an amused sigh as their lips pressed together.  Lance pulled away, embarrassed that she seemed humored by his kiss, but Viltri took his face with both hands and kissed him back; this one stronger and deeper.  Lance relaxed and searched for a place to rest his hands, settling on wrapping his arms around her waist.


    He pulled her closer to him, trying to find any excuse to bring their bodies together.  Viltri responded eagerly by leaning into him and folding her legs underneath her into a kneeling position.  Lance¡¯s hands ran from her waist, down to her bare thighs at the hem of her shorts and he explored the soft skin of her legs.  He wanted more from Viltri, finally giving into the strong attraction that he had been feeling towards her, ignoring the guilt that he didn¡¯t tell her what he needed to.  Viltri pressed into Lance and he leaned back, pulling her onto his lap.


    Their breathing became heavier between their kisses and Lance found himself easily surrendering to the gentle yet knowing touch of Viltri¡¯s hands.  She brushed her fingers through his hair and down his neck before wrapping her arms around him.  She broke their kiss, catching her breath and resting her forehead against his.


    ¡°So I¡¯m guessing whatever you needed to tell me wasn¡¯t all that important?¡±  She asked while laying soft kisses along his jawline and running her hands down his chest.  Lance bit his lip in an attempt to suppress a moan.  He needed to tell her, but his mind was clouded and he didn¡¯t want to pull himself away from the moment.


    ¡°Well, I-¡± he said feebly.  Viltri found her way back to his lips and pulled him into another deep kiss.


    ¡°I...¡± he tried again breathlessly.  Viltri looked at him triumphantly, her dark eyes shining.  He fought the urge to kiss her again.  But she was so close, and to be with her excited him¡­ Lance closed his eyes and bent his head down.  ¡°... It is important,¡± he said quietly.  ¡°... I really like you-¡±


    ¡°But you still have feelings for Allura,¡± Viltri finished.  Lance looked up to try and read her expression.  She didn¡¯t seem surprised, or angry even, which made Lance feel worse somehow.  Of course she knew.  Viltri had been able to see through him since they first met.  Lance dropped his hands from her thighs, deeming himself undeserving to touch her.


    ¡°I want to be sure that my feelings for you are genuine, not just there because you¡¯re giving me what Allura won¡¯t¡­¡± Lance¡¯s face burned with embarrassment as he said it, but it was the truth and the truth pained him.


    Viltri laughed.  ¡°That¡¯s true, I don¡¯t want to hang around just because you¡¯re lonely.¡±  Lance dropped his gaze, too ashamed to look at her.  ¡°Lance, I¡¯ve shown interest in you from the beginning, so you know what my intentions are,¡± Viltri continued, her tone a bit firmer.  Lance timidly looked at her.  ¡°You¡¯re not going to be in Olorin forever, and neither am I.  I know what I want, but I can¡¯t wait forever for you to decide what you want.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Lance said miserably.  ¡°... I shouldn¡¯t have kissed you, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be.  I kissed you, knowing you weren¡¯t fully committed.  It was fun and now I know you¡¯re a good kisser,¡± Viltri shrugged and smirked at him.  She leaned down and gently kissed him.  Her lips lingered against his after breaking the kiss.  ¡°Once you¡¯ve figured things out with Allura, let me know,¡± she whispered.  ¡°Until then, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea we spend a lot of alone time together.¡±  She chuckled and pulled herself off of him.  Lance watched as she walked away, leaving him alone with the Blue Lion once again.


    Lance sighed and laid back on the floor.  ¡°Sorry you had to see that, Blue¡­. Quiznak¡­ I¡¯m such an idiot.¡±

 Chapter 19

    A couple of hours had passed since the other paladins had met with the Blade and the Eioans, and Keith was almost relieved that no one had come to track him down.  It wasn¡¯t like he was hiding, but he hoped that they respected him enough to give him his space; though, he had to admit that a small part of him wanted to be comforted.


    Keith¡¯s legs began to fall asleep after being in the same sitting position for hours.  He looked up at Jira in the healing pod, guilt and anger overcoming him.  He was so shocked that the man he thought was Shiro would attack him, he couldn¡¯t even move or fight back.  Jira was hurt because he couldn¡¯t act fast enough.  Keith dropped his head and focused on his breathing, though it pained him with every inhale.  A large bruise had formed on the right side of his ribcage and his cheek was swollen and tender.


    ¡°Keith?¡±  Shiro said behind him, causing Keith to flinch.  He tried to stand, but his numb legs and a sharp pain in his side kept him on the floor.  ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Shiro said, noticing Keith¡¯s struggle.  He sat down next to Keith and pulled his legs up, resting his arms on his knees.  Keith kept his attention forward, unable to look Shiro in the eye.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Keith asked in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be good...¡±  Shiro said hesitantly.  ¡°What about you?¡±


    A lump caught in Keith¡¯s throat.  He didn¡¯t know what to say, even if he could speak at the moment.  Shiro put his arm around Keith; his human arm, which pushed tears to Keith¡¯s eyes.  He looked down and caught a tear before it could roll off his cheek.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Shiro said quietly.


    ¡°He may as well have been you,¡± Keith¡¯s voice broke when he spoke, making him feel like a child.  ¡°... I thought I killed you, Shiro.¡±


    ¡°I know...  And I can¡¯t even begin to know what you''re going through because of it. Just please¡­ don''t blame yourself for killing him. And don''t blame yourself for Jira getting hurt either.¡±


    ¡°You looked pretty torn up over that too.¡±


    ¡°Seeing her injured was a reminder of what the Galra did to me¡­ because I wasn''t here, people got hurt. So yeah, I feel guilty about what happened; about everything that happened while I was gone.¡±


    Keith finally looked over at Shiro, pain etched in his face, causing him to appear older than he was.  ¡°How am I supposed to be a good leader if I''m not even here?¡± Shiro said, more to himself than to Keith.  He glanced back at Keith, his eyes shining with genuine pride. ¡°... But I''m sure you made a great leader.¡±


    Keith wanted to argue with him, but he knew it was pointless.  Shiro always expected the best out of Keith, even though he probably already knew that Keith wasn''t as great of a leader as he would have liked to have been. That was one thing Keith missed about Shiro; he always saw potential in others, even if they didn''t see it themselves. Despite his flaws, Shiro always believed in him.


    ¡°I''m just really glad you''re back,¡± Keith said.


    ¡°I am too¡­¡±  Shiro responded quietly.  Keith laughed, relieved that Shiro was actually there and safe, but tears still surfaced on his face.  They sat in silence until Keith composed himself, finally taking in a deep breath and trying to let go of his guilty emotions.  It was still hard to look at Shiro and not think back to the fight in the Black Lion, but he could take comfort that Shiro was actually there, alive.  It still felt surreal to him that they had been living with a man who wasn¡¯t actually Shiro; just some imposter.  Even though he wasn¡¯t the person everyone thought he was, that man had taken Shiro¡¯s place for a time and was still apart of the team.  He meant something to them, and he deserved to be mourned.


    Shiro stood and reached his arm out to help Keith up, and slowly pulled him to his feet.  ¡°You sure you¡¯re going to be okay?¡± Shiro asked, giving Keith a hug.  Keith nodded.  It may take him some time to recover, but he knew he wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°Good.¡±  Shiro pulled away and laid a hand on Keith¡¯s shoulder, some of his older brother persona coming through.  ¡°Now would you please get into a healing pod,¡± he smiled.


    Keith fought the urge to roll his eyes and looked at Jira again in her pod.  Her injury had nearly healed, showing now just a thin scar that ran along her collarbone, a light contrast to her skin.  Her long dark hair was out of its braid and floated loosely around her; she looked serene and beautiful, and Keith suddenly felt embarrassed that Shiro was still in the room with him.


    Jira turned her head slightly, eyes still closed, but she was starting to wake up.  Shiro and Keith took a step back and waited for the pod to open; Jira opened her eyes, initial confusion in her face.  The pod opened and she stumbled out.  Keith and Shiro moved forward to assist her, but Keith caught her before she fell, pain erupting through his side, but he managed to push it aside.  Jira clung to his arms and looked between the two men, her brow furrowed.


    ¡°Glad to see you up and about,¡± Shiro said warmly. ¡°But it doesn''t look like you''re completely healed.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Jira looked down at her scar.  ¡°... Hmm¡­ well it doesn''t look too bad. It looks pretty cool, actually.¡± She laughed softly.  ¡°Plus, those pods are kinda claustrophobic.¡± She relaxed her grip on Keith''s arms, but didn''t let go.  She looked up at him, her eyes wide and concerned.


    ¡°You don''t look so good,¡± she said.  She was close to Keith, closer than she had ever been before, and it took him a moment to process what she had said.  He briefly hesitated, but he pulled Jira closer and embraced her, no longer caring about his own injuries.  It didn''t take long for Jira to wrap her arms tightly around his neck; he enjoyed the feeling of her arms around him.  He glanced over to Shiro who was giving him a perplexed, but amused look; a knowing smirk growing on his face.  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Keith stiffened, but he still didn¡¯t want to pull away from Jira, despite his discomfort.  Shiro began to back away, but Jira let go of Keith, aware of Shiro now feeling like he intruded in on them. She gave Shiro a small, embarrassed smile.


    ¡°I''ll go tell the others you''re awake,¡± Shiro said casually.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Shiro raised his eyebrows at Keith one last time before leaving the room, and with a sick feeling in his stomach, Keith knew he¡¯d have some explaining to do later.  They waited until Shiro had left before Jira turned back to Keith.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get into a pod too?¡±  She asked him.  ¡°What has happened since I was out?¡±


    ¡°There was a meeting with the others to explain what happened today,¡± Keith said, purposefully avoiding her first question.


    ¡°Who was there?¡±


    ¡°Shiro wasn¡¯t, he was resting and Drundlo refused to let Lotor be apart of it.  But your family was there, the other paladins, Viltri, Horm, Kolivan, Drundlo, Zalko, Wunrik, Rixel¡­¡±


    Jira furrowed her brow again, looking at him skeptically.  ¡°But you weren¡¯t, were you?¡±  When Keith didn¡¯t respond, her eyes grew larger and her expression changed to that of sympathy.


    ¡°What happened to the body?¡±  She asked in a gentle voice.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Allura wanted to take him to Horm and your mom¡­¡±  Keith said, angry with himself that he was fighting back his emotions again.  He couldn¡¯t talk about the clone without his throat clenching.


    ¡°Is that why you weren¡¯t at the meeting?¡±


    Keith dropped his gaze, trying to concentrate on not crying again.  Jira reached up and brushed Keith¡¯s hair out of his face; he looked at her, a bit surprised.  Her golden eyes were shining brightly, and she was on the verge of tears herself.  Keith noticed her eyes always seemed brighter when she was about to cry.


    Jira wrapped herself up underneath his arms and rested her head on his shoulder.  She held him carefully, and though she was pressed up against his chest, his ribs didn¡¯t feel the pain of the pressure.  Keith returned the hug, allowing his fingers to get caught in her hair.  The warmth of Jira¡¯s hands penetrated through his shirt and she slowly moved her hands up his back, offering him support.  He closed his eyes and savored the comfort he had been shown today, forgetting for the moment his own grief and pain.  Silent tears still managed to fall from his eyes and he briskly swept them away before they landed on Jira¡¯s head.  He sniffed and Jira tightened her grip on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± She whispered, breathing softly on his neck.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it will be.¡±


    Keith would have been fine with standing there with her, holding her, but he heard footsteps approaching.  He didn¡¯t let go of Jira, but he knew they¡¯d soon be interrupted.


    ¡°Jira!¡±  Hunk was the first to appear, beaming at them.  Jira and Keith pulled away from each other as soon as they saw him  ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±  He was oblivious to ruining their moment and looked at Keith and grimaced.  ¡°Keith, dude.  Your bruise looks bad.¡±  He pointed to his own cheek and Keith touched his face delicately, remembering his face was swollen and he probably looked ridiculous.


    Jira¡¯s brothers followed after Hunk, along with Pidge, Chalna, Coran, and Allura.  Shiro lingered behind everyone else while they asked Jira how she was feeling.


    ¡°What did I miss?¡± Jira asked.


    ¡°Oh, not too much,¡± Jinx said, shrugging.  ¡°We can talk about it over dinner.  Keith, you¡¯re out of the loop too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Keith¡¯s not going anywhere until he¡¯s gone into a healing pod,¡± Coran said adamantly.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go,¡± Keith said, trying not to smile.  ¡°Just save me some dinner, okay?¡±


    ¡°I can make no promises,¡± Hunk said.


    Everyone else had taken Jira into the fold, starting to lead her away to eat.  She looked back at Keith, grinning at him.  Keith wanted to follow after them, but Coran stood impatiently by a pod, waiting for him to get in.  Before following the others, Shiro looked to Coran and Keith.


    ¡°See you in a bit,¡± he said.  Then he turned his attention solely to Keith.  ¡°Then you can update me on anything else I need to know about this planet.¡±  Keith frowned at him, but Shiro just looked pleased about his cryptic message.


    Despite being close with Shiro, Keith wasn¡¯t quite ready to talk about his feelings for Jira.  Partially because he was still figuring out what those feelings were.  But Shiro was back and everyone was happy, and with that, Keith couldn¡¯t complain.

 Chapter 20

    It wasn¡¯t very often that Jira had the chance to spend time with Viltri inside of work, but since Wunrik was at the Kafa, she had spent more time with her friend than normal. Usually they had to take the time when they were both off duty to see each other; VIltri lived in Cadamur, closer to her parents with Wunrik¡¯s Elites, but they always made time for each other. Ever since Jira was a kid and began her training, Viltri was there. She couldn¡¯t remember a time when they weren¡¯t friends.


    Viltri was always the most confident and carefree person Jira knew, but she never made others feel any less because they weren¡¯t like her. Despite their different personalities, the two got along and balanced each other out. Jira was more level headed and Viltri helped Jira be honest with herself; that was why Jira was nervous to spend one on one time with Viltri since she had been at the Kafa. She knew it was only a matter of time before Viltri brought up Keith. She had plenty of experience with boys and was perceptive about those sort of things.


    Rixel had assigned Jira an early morning patrol shift, and thanks to Jinx overeating with Hunk the night before, he was too sick to join her. Once Viltri found out, she jumped at the opportunity to volunteer, which only heightened Jira¡¯s nervousness. They¡¯d be on the outskirts of the jungle today, at the easternmost watch tower, spending hours doing nothing but watching grass grow and talking about feelings. Jira was left with little time to prepare before they were out on their way into the jungle.


    Once they had reached the watch tower and made their way to the top, Jira braced herself for whatever Viltri was going to say. Viltri, on the other hand, surprisingly just looked happy to be out and about. She looked out over the edge of the jungle where the outskirts of Cadamur could be seen. The tip of the skyscrapers fought the top of the trees for dominance, only standing out because their glass gleamed against the morning sun. Viltri stood at the window with a smile plastered to her face.


    ¡°Remember when we were little and went on our first patrol shift?¡± She asked Jira, who was standing behind her.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the time we snuck bugs in Jinx¡¯s lunch, was it? Or was it the time Junx made Rixel wet himself from laughing so hard?¡±


    ¡°No, the time we climbed out on the roof of a watchtower and had to spend a week cleaning the floors of the Kafa as punishment,¡± she grinned.


    Jira smirked. ¡°I¡¯m still surprised that we were accepted as Elites.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised we survived that long honestly¡­ but now that we¡¯re not kids anymore¡­. And there¡¯s no one else around¡­¡±


    ¡°... We might as well take full advantage of it,¡± Jira said, making her way to the window. Viltri helped her open it and the two climbed up onto the slanted roof. A warm breeze licked at the back of Jira¡¯s neck and she debated taking the shell of her suit off for a moment before remembering she was still on duty. She felt like a kid again, getting into fun and foolish situations with her best friend. She sat down next to Viltri on the roof and closed her eyes, taking in the sun. Viltri unraveled Jira¡¯s braid and rebraided it slowly.


    ¡°Sometimes I wish I hadn¡¯t cut my hair,¡± Viltri mumbled as her fingers expertly twisted Jira¡¯s locks.


    ¡°I like your short hair, it suits you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± They sat in silence for several minutes while Viltri continued to play with Jira¡¯s hair. Combined with the warm weather and early morning, Jira had to fight to stay awake, nearly forgetting that she was apprehensive to go on patrol with Viltri in the first place.


    ¡°So what are you going to do when Voltron and the Blade leaves?¡± Viltri asked casually. Jira¡¯s heart sank. She knew it was too wishful to think that Viltri wouldn''t bring it up eventually. She decided to try and play it off.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jira asked, opening her eyes, but not looking at her.


    ¡°I mean, they¡¯re not gonna stay here forever, but are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Jira knew she had already lost. It was hard to not show her emotions on her sleeve and Viltri knew her too well. In the past it had been a cause of tension between them when Viltri joined Wunrik¡¯s troop and Jira didn¡¯t. They had always talked about joining that troop when they were kids, but after Jira¡¯s father died, Jira let go of that dream. She felt that same old tension from years ago arise now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Jira finished quietly.


    ¡°Have you talked to your mom about it?¡±


    Jira shook her head. She hadn¡¯t told anyone about wanting to join the Blade, but those who knew her would know that she¡¯d be interested. ¡°... I don¡¯t know how to bring it up.¡±


    ¡°Have you talked to anyone about it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Viltri sighed and let go of Jira¡¯s hair. ¡°For as long as I¡¯ve known you, you¡¯ve always wanted to explore outside of Eioa, but now that you have the chance-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s an easy decision to make,¡± Jira interjected. ¡°I¡¯d be leaving my home, my family, and my mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Your mom has to accept that you can make your own decisions, J¡­ but you you have to at least talk to her. How is she gonna know if you just keep it bottled up?¡±


    ¡°You know, I really didn¡¯t come here for a lecture,¡± Jira scowled at her, but Viltri just smiled.


    ¡°Okay, but you know I¡¯m right.¡±


    Jira rolled her eyes. ¡°... My mom and I have never really seen eye to eye¡­¡± Jira said slowly. Jira was never close to her mom like Viltri was with hers, so sometimes she felt like Viltri didn¡¯t understand, even if she was sympathetic. ¡°I think things are getting better though.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°We talked about my dad the other day and she was pretty open about it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe because he¡¯s starting to realize that you and your brothers are growing up¡­ this would be a good time to talk to her. Because either way, you have to make your decision before the Blade leaves.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything to Kolivan though. I don¡¯t even know how that process works.¡±


    ¡°Well, have you thought of asking Keith?¡± Viltri asked, her eyes now gleaming mischievously.


    Jira could feel her face get hotter, but she forced herself to maintain eye contact with Viltri. ¡°It was a special case with him. He already had a blade and was forced to do the trials. I don¡¯t think it would be the same for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t hurt to ask¡­ granted that means you¡¯d actually have to talk to him about joining the blade, which you haven¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Keith-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna have this conversation anymore¡­¡±


    Viltri gave Jira a smug look. ¡°What have you two talked about? I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve gone all this time and you haven¡¯t told me anything about what¡¯s going on between you two!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s nothing to say,¡± Jira said adamantly, causing Viltri to laugh. Viltri never had any problems when it came to expressing her feelings, and she always seemed to know what to do when it came to boys. It made it a little more than intimidating when it came to Jira and her own romantic troubles.


    ¡°Liar,¡± Viltri grinned. ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious that you like him, and it¡¯s pretty obvious that he has feelings for you too¡­¡±


    Jira dropped her gaze, an odd mixture of hope and embarrassment rising in her chest. Viltri saw Jira¡¯s hesitation and continued. ¡°I¡¯ve never really seen you this reluctant to tell a guy how you feel¡­ is it because he¡¯s leaving?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, I think that¡¯s part of it.¡± She didn¡¯t like hearing Viltri say it aloud, but it was something that was constantly at the back of Jira¡¯s mind. She had the option to join the Blade, explore the universe and fight the empire, and see where things would go with Keith¡­ but when it came down to it, she was hesitant to leave. Was it out of respect for her mom¡¯s wishes? Or was it out of fear? Jira still couldn¡¯t answer that question.


    ¡°You are going to talk to him, right?¡±


    Jira kept her attention firmly in front of her, and Viltri looked at her expectantly. ¡°Come on, J. You know you¡¯ll hate yourself if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Jira whispered, feeling more defeated than frustrated or angry. She thought about what her mom told her; that she would always regret it more if she didn¡¯t say anything. What would have happened if her mom didn¡¯t tell her dad how she felt? Things were so uncertain for the Galra on Eioa at that time, and yet her mom was brave enough to go after what she wanted. Why couldn¡¯t she do the same?


    ¡°Okay, well then I¡¯m gonna bug you about it until you do,¡± Viltri smirked. ¡°It¡¯d be a shame if nothing came out of this. He¡¯s hot.¡±


    ¡°Dude,¡± Jira shoved Viltri playfully and laughed. ¡°Stop hounding on me about boys, what about you and Lance?¡±


    Viltri smirked and tucked a flyaway strand of hair. ¡°Things have¡­ progressed.¡±


    Jira raised her eyebrows. Knowing Viltri, that could mean a number of things. Viltri saw her surprised expression and chuckled.


    ¡°We only kissed¡­ a lot.¡±


    ¡°When?!¡±


    ¡°Last night¡­ but he still has feelings for Allura, and I knew that going into it¡­. Even still. It was worth it,¡± she said, smiling.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize he liked Allura¡­ so what does that mean for you two?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my work cut out for me,¡± Viltri said, biting her lip. ¡°But I told him I wasn¡¯t gonna wait around forever, waiting for him to decide, so¡­¡±


    Now it was Jira¡¯s turn to return a smug look. ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve ever seen you this torn up over a guy. Miss cool and collected, having to compete with another girl.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Viltri scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not too worried about it. I¡¯m not worried about Allura liking him back, so really it¡¯s just up to Lance to be sure if he really likes me or just appreciates the fact that I¡¯m a good kisser.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Jira said, grinning. ¡°Well, then let me know how that goes for you. You¡¯re already way ahead of me in that department, so I think you¡¯ve got things pretty well handled.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but only if you and Keith figure things out will I keep you up to date on me and Lance.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Jira stood and stretched before helping Viltri to her feet. She was actually relieved that she had talked to her. They made their way back down to their hoverbikes and moved on to their next station, Jira thinking the entire time what Viltri had said. She always made Jira confront the things she hated to admit to herself and today was no exception. She had to make a decision regarding the Blade and she needed to sort out her feelings for Keith. She hated to admit it, but Jira was running out of time.


    *********


    Lance woke up later than usual, still in a daze over what happened the day before. When he got into the kitchen inside the castle, however, he was surprised to see that he wasn¡¯t the only one who had gotten a late start in the day. Hunk was finishing up some sort of breakfast casserole, using native Eioan ingredients, while Pidge was tinkering with some gadget. The biggest surprise was to see Keith there as well; Since they had been at Eioa, he hadn¡¯t joined them for breakfast, but Lance supposed with Shiro being back Keith may have been feeling more sentimental than usual. Which was a bit odd considering Shiro wasn¡¯t even around at the moment.


    Plopping down next to Pidge, Lance rubbed his eyes and rested his head on the table. ¡°How long have you guys been awake?¡± He muttered.


    ¡°Not too long,¡± Pidge said distractedly. ¡°It was a long day for all of us. It was nice to have a break, but now I feel really behind today.¡±


    ¡°Why? What are you doing today?¡±


    ¡°Horm and Chalna are letting me observe while they, uh-¡± she glanced over at Keith before continuing. He looked as though he was pretending to ignore them. ¡°- they want to see what they can figure out about the clone. They were going to start on that today, remember?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ You don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonna be kinda weird? I mean, he was basically Shiro for months. Wouldn¡¯t that be like doing tests on one of us?¡±


    ¡°When you put it that way, it does sound really creepy,¡± Hunk said, setting the casserole out on the counter. Pidge dropped the gadget and focused in on the food. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t really Shiro, though. It¡¯s not like he was actually one of us,¡± Pidge said.


    ¡°Even still¡­¡± Lance was still wrapping his head around it, and he wasn¡¯t too keen on hanging around the body.


    ¡°Can we talk about something else, please,¡± Keith piped up, crossing his arms and taking a seat at the counter.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on Keith with that one,¡± Hunk agreed. ¡°I¡¯m glad that the Eioans are still cool with us hanging around though. For a minute yesterday, it seemed like Drundlo would have been fine if we left. I mean, I can¡¯t blame the guy, but still¡­ That meeting was kind of intense.¡±


    ¡°I hear ya, buddy,¡± Lance said. ¡°I need a break after everything yesterday. Maybe today I¡¯ll just relax; hit the Fountain later on.¡±


    Pidge raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Need a break? Isn¡¯t that what you did right after the meeting? You didn¡¯t stick around too long.¡±


    ¡°I had things¡­. To do. Important things.¡± Lance blushed and frowned at her. He wasn¡¯t about to admit that he spent a notable amount of his free time talking to the Blue Lion, and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to admit he was with Viltri either.


    ¡°You missed dinner,¡± Hunk said. ¡°... And now that I think about it, Viltri wasn¡¯t there either¡­¡± he leaned forward and grinned at Lance.


    ¡°Look, nothing happened last night. Viltri and I are just friends.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Keith scoffed, looking at him skeptically.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Lance could sense an edge in his own voice.


    ¡°I mean, obviously Viltri likes you for some reason, it¡¯s not really fair to her if you¡¯re gonna be that flirty and not mean anything by it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t- I¡¯m not¡­¡± Lance looked around him, the others silently waiting for a good response. He glared at Keith, pinning his frustration on him. ¡°I¡¯m not leading her on. Besides, you¡¯re the last person who should be giving dating advice.¡± Anger flashed in Keith¡¯s eyes, and Lance could tell he set off a nerve, but he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°At least I¡¯m not going around, flirting with every girl that I see,¡± Keith said, his voice rising slightly.


    Hunk¡¯s eyes shifted between them. ¡°Uh¡­ guys-¡±


    ¡°Well maybe I just haven¡¯t found the right girl, yet,¡± Lance said, ignoring Hunk.


    ¡°Maybe you have, and you¡¯re just too dumb to realize it.¡±


    Lance stood abruptly from the counter and narrowed his eyes at Keith. ¡°Too dumb? Like you¡¯re one to talk! Why haven¡¯t you gotten anywhere with Jira? You¡¯re both part Galra, I would¡¯ve thought a loner like yourself would¡¯ve liked bonding over something like that. Or are you afraid we won¡¯t take you seriously anymore if you show any emotion besides anger?¡±


    Keith stood as well, clenching his fists. ¡°Unlike you, I can take these kinds of things seriously,¡± he spat. ¡°That¡¯s probably why Allura never had feelings for you, and why you don¡¯t deserve Viltri either. Everything¡¯s a joke to you.¡±


    A shock of humiliation and fury rang through Lance, and he took a step back. Pidge and Hunk gave him worried looks, which made him feel sick. He didn¡¯t want their pity. He was at a loss for words, knowing that he didn¡¯t have a comeback for Keith. The four of them waited in a tense silence for a moment, until Coran entered the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s all the ruckus in here?¡± He asked cheerfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Lance said, turning towards him. ¡°I just lost my appetite, is all.¡± He walked briskly past Coran, leaving the room and making sure not to look back.


    ********


    While Pidge, Keith, Lance, and Hunk were still sleep, Shiro had taken the time to get a little more familiar with his surroundings. He officially met Chalna who introduced him to Horm and some other members of the Grangint. They gave him a tour of the Kafa and Wells and they told him about the history of how the Galra assimilated into Eioan society and made their homes here. Chalna was patient with him and answered the dozens of questions that he had; it was clear that she was the mother to triplets because her patience and understanding was unwavering. Horm was quite eccentric, but he reminded Shiro of Coran, so he took a quick liking to him. He also briefly met met Drundlo, Wunrik, and Zalko, and he gained immediate respect for them and how they had handled everything with Lotor and the Galra.


    Shiro told himself that he was going to ease back into things and take it easy, but his curiosity of what he had missed over the months was overwhelming. After spending time at the Kafa, he met with Kolivan who filled him in on everything he had missed: the coalition and the progress they had made against Zarkon, but most importantly Lotor. Shiro decided it was for the best that he wait and get his bearings before meeting Prince Lotor. There was still too much that he needed to focus on for himself before he tackled the issue of Lotor¡¯s level of trustworthiness.


    When he returned to the castle, he made his way onto the bridge for some alone time before joining the others. It shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise to him to find Allura already there. In the past, whenever he found it hard to sleep, he would go onto the bridge, and on many occasions, Allura would either already be there or show up at some point. She too had trouble sleeping some nights, so it just became commonplace for them. It was a good time for them to work in a comfortable rhythm of silence, exchanging words when necessary, but Shiro fondly remembered the last few times he had found Allura on the bridge they had meaningful talks. She had told him a lot about her home planet and what it was like for her growing up and in return, he shared his own stories about earth. To him, their late night talks had become an unpredictable, but cherished time. He had always admired and respected Allura, but it was during those times that Shiro realized that his feelings for her ran deeper than just mutual respect and understanding.


    He always struggled with those feelings because he knew that his duty had to come first. It was best for everyone that he focused on being a good leader over anything else, but after waking up yesterday, he kept thinking about how much he missed spending time with Allura. Coming back felt like he had missed out on a lifetime of opportunities and he pondered over what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t disappeared in the first place. As he approached her on the bridge, it was clear to him that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to go all those months without saying anything.


    She didn¡¯t notice him at first, concentrating on what looked like to Shiro to be a map of Eioa. Shiro didn¡¯t want to startle her, so he slowed his pace. ¡°Good morning, Princess,¡± he said, coming up behind her and she turned and smiled at him.


    ¡°Shiro, did you just wake up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually been awake for a while. I met everyone and took a tour of the Kafa.¡±


    Allura maintained her smile, but concern clouded her expression. ¡°Oh. Are you feeling better, then? You didn¡¯t really get that much rest yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good, really.¡±


    Allura was clearly not convinced. ¡°How well did you sleep last night?¡±


    ¡°... not great,¡± Shiro said, faltering. Truthfully, he hadn¡¯t slept at all since returning. ¡°My bed just doesn¡¯t feel the same. It¡¯s like stepping into someone else¡¯s life that doesn¡¯t belong to me, I¡­ I don¡¯t know if that makes any sense-¡±


    ¡°No, no, it does,¡± Allura stepped off the platform and walked up to him. ¡°Do you want to change rooms?¡±


    ¡°That might help,¡± Shiro said gratefully, but regardless of how tired he felt, he worried he would still lie awake tonight. The attempt to make sense of his situation and remember what had happened to him nearly consumed his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m still adjusting.¡±


    ¡°I would hope so,¡± Allura said. ¡°I¡¯d be worried if you didn¡¯t take time to adjust to things¡­ I think that was one thing that¡­¡± she glanced away, her voice trailing off.


    ¡°One thing that what?¡±


    Allura looked back to him hesitantly. ¡°That was one thing about him that I found odd. After we rescued him, he didn¡¯t really seem to have much trouble recovering. After the initial confusion and fatigue wore off, he never seemed to struggle with what had happened to him¡­ Now that I look back, I should have seen that as some sort of sign, but¡­ at the time, we were all so preoccupied with what was happening with the Galra and Lotor.¡±


    The way Allura spoke about his clone left Shiro confused. She seemed to shift from pity to disgust to distain, like she couldn¡¯t make up her mind as to how she felt about him. Shiro wondered if they were as close to each other; he was surprised to find that he was a bit jealous at the thought of that.


    ¡°Regardless,¡± Allura continued. ¡°The important thing is that you¡¯re not pushing yourself too hard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, Princess,¡± Shiro said. He wanted to ask more about the clone, namely how Allura really felt about him, but he decided to save it for a later conversation. Allura looked at though she had something more to say, but she simply nodded her head.


    ¡°So what else are you going to do today?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°Well, I want to see what Hunk is doing today and spend some time with him. Then I guess I¡¯ll just take it one step at a time...¡± Eventually he¡¯d have to spend time with her, but the idea of designating that time made him more nervous than he cared to admit. Their interactions were usually serious and focused on some sort of mission; rarely did they see each other alone in a relaxed state, and even then, it was never planned. Shiro felt like a schoolboy all over again, trying to decipher the complex emotions of a woman. He also knew that he couldn¡¯t go much longer, spending alone time with her and not say how he felt. He was always the type to be straightforward and express himself effectively, but there were too many uncertainties with Allura. They were leaders, first and foremost, and he had never met a woman who was so utterly out of his league.


    ¡°I believe Hunk is in the kitchen,¡± Allura said, disrupting his thoughts.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh-¡± Shiro suddenly felt uncomfortably hot, grateful she couldn¡¯t read his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll go and find him, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Allura smiled, taking her place back at the platform. Shiro hesitated but left the bridge, disappointed in himself that he didn¡¯t ask Allura when she¡¯d be free. He set a goal for himself to talk to her again by the end of the day and ask her. As he neared the kitchen, he wiped the sweat from the palm of his hand that he didn¡¯t realize had accumulated.


    ********


    Shiro found Hunk sitting alone in the kitchen, cleaning up, though it looked as though the others were there recently.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Shiro asked Hunk as he started helping him clear the table.


    ¡°Well Pidge went off to see Chalna and Horm, I have no idea where Coran ended up, and Keith and Lance got into a fight.¡±


    Shiro had a hunch Pidge was going off to see the clone, but he wasn¡¯t surprised to hear about Keith and Lance arguing. ¡°What was it about this time?¡±


    Hunk smirked. ¡°Girls... It was kinda awkward, though to be honest. Some things were said, and Lance left really mad. Totally ruined breakfast.¡±


    ¡°What happened exactly?¡± Shiro furrowed his brow. He didn¡¯t know Jira that well and had only briefly met Viltri, so he was really out of the loop. After seeing how Keith acted around Jira yesterday, he wanted to talk to him, but Keith was always so tight lipped when it came to that sort of thing. Shiro could only imagine how easily offended Keith would be with Lance¡¯s teasing.


    ¡°Hmm to sum it up, Keith accused Lance of leading Viltri on, and Lance called Keith a loner and said he had no right to give out advice. And then Keith said the reason Allura doesn¡¯t like Lance was because he¡¯s never serious about anything¡­ and that¡¯s when Lance stormed out.¡±


    Shiro frowned. He was usually impressed with how mature the paladins were becoming, but he often forgot that they were just teenagers at the end of the day. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them later¡­ What are you up to today?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± Hunk smiled. ¡°Did you need something?¡±


    ¡°Oh well¡­¡± It struck Shiro that he had never spend that much time with Hunk outside of training and fighting. He needed to find a good way to reconnect with Hunk so he figured he¡¯d start with something that Hunk loved to do. ¡°I was wondering if you could teach me how cook?¡±


    Hunk looked pleasantly surprised and grinned at Shiro. ¡°Okay, sweet! I wouldn¡¯t really peg you as someone who cooks a whole ton.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I want to better my skills, I guess,¡± Shiro said, already feeling out of his element. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite dish?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s creme brulee, but we won¡¯t start with that,¡± Hunk laughed. ¡°Baby steps. Why don¡¯t we work on some thing for lunch? The native fruit and vegetables on Eioa are incredible, we can do like¡­ some sort of kabobs or something.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great,¡± Shiro said, happy to see Hunk so comfortable with himself in the kitchen. He was patient with Shiro, who was not skilled in the kitchen by any means. After picking out fresh vegetables, they made their way back to the castle¡¯s kitchen to begin marinating the meat.


    ¡°Things have really been kinda chill on my end since you¡¯ve been gone,¡± Hunk said while cutting up meat. ¡°I didn¡¯t change lions, join the blade, or find my missing brother sooo¡­ there¡¯s really not much to fill you in on.¡± He shrugged, but Shiro sensed that Hunk was holding more back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not true,¡± Shiro said. ¡°How is Shay?¡±


    Hunk nearly dropped the knife he was holding and laughed nervously. ¡°Shay is¡­ Shay. She¡¯s good. Totally fine- I mean, she¡¯s doing fine. She is¡­ well.¡±


    Shiro couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his nervousness. ¡°So you still talk to her? That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hunk looked down at the counter. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s not like I think anything serious will happen soon. It¡¯s kinda hard when we¡¯re always off fighting, but yeah, I still talk to her a lot.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s great. It¡¯s good to have someone outside of the castle to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Talking to her is great, especially when I miss my family. In a way, it makes me feel less lonely¡­ not that having you guys around isn¡¯t great,¡± he added quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It doesn¡¯t make a whole lotta sense-¡±


    ¡°She reminds you of home,¡± Shiro smiled.


    ¡°Yeah... I guess that¡¯s a good way of putting it. That doesn¡¯t sound weird though, does it? I mean, if I told her that, she wouldn¡¯t be weirded out?¡± Hunk asked.


    ¡°No, I think Shay would really like that. It sounds like she means a lot to you, so you should let her know.¡±


    ¡°I think I will,¡± Hunk grinned. ¡°Thanks, Shiro.¡±


    Shiro felt like a hypocrite, but he was glad that Hunk seemed to have things figured out. ¡°No problem.¡± He observed how comfortable Hunk was in the kitchen; how he effortlessly prepared food and put so much care and attention into everything he did. It was impressive to watch. ¡°Hunk, where did you learn how to cook so well?¡±


    ¡°My grandma,¡± Hunk beamed while carefully cutting up the vegetables. ¡°She started teaching me at a young age. I can¡¯t remember a time when I didn¡¯t love cooking. I think I learned to love it because she loved it so much¡­¡± He eyes drifted down to the counter, a distant look clouded his face. ¡°She would go crazy over all the stuff I¡¯ve made while being out here.¡± He gave a chuckle, pulling himself out of his funk. ¡°If you think I¡¯m a good cook, you should see her work her magic.¡±


    ¡°Well, how about when this is all said and done and we go back home, I can see for myself?¡±


    Hunk suddenly looked serious. ¡°When do you think that will be?¡±


    Shiro felt guilty for bringing it up; like he had given Hunk some sort of false hope, even though they all knew the risks of being apart of Voltron. He needed to be honest with him, but he didn¡¯t want to be misleading. Hunk knew better than that, anyway. ¡°I wish I knew,¡± he said softly and Hunk gave him a sad smile.


    ¡°I mean¡­ we¡¯ve made it this far¡­ and we¡¯ve been through a lot. I¡¯d like to think that we can make it all the way to the end.¡±


    ¡°I do too.¡±


    ¡°... Besides, if anyone around here was gonna make it out alive, it¡¯d probably be you,¡± Hunk said, his smile slowly returning. ¡°If you haven¡¯t been killed off by now, you can probably make it through anything.¡±


    Shiro¡¯s eyebrows shot up with surprise. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, too soon?¡±


    ¡°Not soon enough,¡± Shiro laughed, feeling more relaxed now than he had all morning. ¡°I feel like things have been really serious since I¡¯ve been back. It¡¯s good to be laughing again.¡±


    ¡°Glad I could help,¡± Hunk said, focusing back on the food, but Shiro wondered if Hunk realized how grateful he was to talk to him. Allura was absolutely right. Spending time with each of the paladins was just what Shiro needed to help transition into his new life.

 Chapter 21

    The training droids didn¡¯t move quite as smoothly as they used to after Jira took their heads off and ran her pole through their chests.  Hunk had done his best to repair them, but they needed another look before functioning normally again.  Keith smiled to himself, accepting that he had himself to blame for them being destroyed.  He was so stubborn then; that fight seemed so long ago.  He was so angry at Jira when they had that argument, but he felt foolish when he looked back and realized that he was angry for being called out by her.  He tried to justify what he said to Lance by thinking he was just calling Lance out like Jira had to him, but it was that familiar stubbornness coming back with a vengeance.  He didn¡¯t regret what he said to Lance, but mostly because Lance said hurtful things himself.


    Sure, Keith had been called a loner before, but the way Lance said it was what really stung.  It reminded Keith that it was that persona that helped him push people away, and even though he was trying with Jira, he knew it would be easier for him to shut her out.  He hated that Lance could recognize that; he wondered who else had seen him interact with Jira and notice that he was still closing himself off.  Being defensive about that caused him to say some hurtful things back to Lance, though he was being honest.  Keith also knew was speaking out of some jealousy; even if Lance was leading Viltri on, it was clear that they were attracted to each other and had most likely talked about their feelings at some point.  Keith hadn¡¯t even gotten that far.  He just felt like a coward who couldn¡¯t tell Jira how he really felt about her.


    Keith sheathed his blade and leaned against the wall in the training deck.  The droids stood silently beside him, waiting for him to make another move.  Thinking over his time at Eioa, Keith knew he needed to do something soon.  He wouldn¡¯t be here for much longer, and he still hadn¡¯t talked to Jira about joining the Blade.  She dodged his questioning before, and then with everything happening with Shiro, it didn¡¯t seem to be the right time.  A part of him felt selfish for wanting her to join; if she did, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about leaving Eioa.  But he knew that she had always wanted to leave Eioa for more, so why not join the Blade?  Though, all this thinking about the Blade was just an excuse to put off telling Jira about his feelings.  It was a convenient distraction.


    He wiped sweat from his forehead and looked up when he heard the door on the training deck open.  His heart leapt into his throat when he saw Jira step through, wearing a dark tank top and slim pants tucked into boots.


    ¡°Jira-¡± he said hoarsely, standing up straight and already feeling nervous.  ¡°When did you get off your shift?¡±


    ¡°Just barely,¡± she grinned.  ¡°I was gonna take a shower, but I figured I better get some training in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna train with Rixel?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been avoiding him.  He¡¯s been working us to death lately, so I figured I¡¯d do some easy training by coming and finding you.¡±  She smirked at him, which put him more at ease with her teasing.


    ¡°To be fair, you didn¡¯t technically win last time.  You didn¡¯t pin me.¡±


    ¡°True.  But I don¡¯t doubt my ability to do so.¡±  She unclipped her pole and extended it.  ¡°So you up for round two?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Keith said lightly, but his heart was pounding.  ¡°... But new rules this time.  I pin and disarm you, you have to tell me why you¡¯re hesitant about joining the Blade.  If you pin and disarm me, it¡¯s your secret to keep.¡±


    Jira¡¯s eyes grew wide with surprise, but she managed to crack a smile.  ¡°... Okay¡­ best two out of three?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±  Keith unsheathed his blade and swung it a few times to warm up.  Jira twirled the polearm with impressive speed, but didn¡¯t release the blades at the tip.  She set the end on the ground and waited for Keith to make the first move.  He decided it was best to approach cautiously since she had taken the initiative when they fought before.  She had more range than him, but he could use his speed to his advantage, deciding to strike her non dominant side.  Keith extended the blade and approached her left side, striking low and fast.  Jira was quick to react, however, using the momentum of his blade to push him aside and come up behind him.  She playfully pushed Keith in the back with the end of her pole.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty fast,¡± Keith said, smiling to himself.  He whipped around and swung, their weapons clashing.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve probably been training a lot longer than you have,¡± Jira smiled, her eyes shining intensely.  Keith felt sloppier than usual as they sparred, equating it to the fact that he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how Lance called him out earlier this morning.  Jira was right here and they were alone, he had every opportunity to say something.  Though, seeing her skillfully swing a weapon at him left him a bit more apprehensive than usual.


    ¡°How did you know I was here, anyway?¡± He asked as their weapons met again.  Jira had extended her blades on her pole, catching them on Keith¡¯s own blade.  The two metals grinded together and Jira swiftly lunged to the side, pulling both the pole and blade down to the ground.  Keith quickly recovered and rolled along the ground with the downward motion.  Jira didn¡¯t hesitant and whipped the pole across Keith as soon as he landed, knocking it hard against his blade.  A tremor of pain vibrated up his arm, but he managed to hold on to his weapon.  He stood up and managed to get out of the way before Jira could catch him again.


    ¡°I saw Pidge on my way over here, and asked her.¡±  Jira eagerly struck first this time and Keith cursed to himself when he realized she was pressing him into a corner.  ¡°She said you and Lance got into an argument and that this is where you¡¯d most likely be.¡±


    Keith faltered a moment, embarrassed that Pidge had told her.  Jira took that hesitation and attacked ruthlessly, pushing him closer to the wall.  She retracted the blades on her pole and pushed the end into his chest.  Turning the polearm at a sharp angle, she smacked it down on his wrist again, causing him to drop his blade.  Pushing her body weight against the pole, she caught the back of Keith¡¯s legs and swept his feet out from underneath him. His head hit the floor hard, his eyes rolling back for a moment and he shook his head to clear his vision.  She had him pinned to the ground, kneeling over him with her left foot pressing down on his right arm.  He reached over with his free hand and grabbed her ankle, but with a vicious grin, she released the blades on her weapon, just barely scraping against his neck.  He felt the warm release of blood on his skin and he froze, keeping a keen eye on the sharp blades in front of his face.


    Sweat had started to coat her forehead, but Jira looked at Keith triumphantly, unwilling to release him.  ¡°You lose focus too quickly,¡± she smirked.  ¡°Something on your mind?¡±


    Keith chuckled nervously, his left arm starting to lose feeling underneath her boot. ¡°Did Pidge tell you what we argued about?¡±


    ¡°... No,¡± Jira said cautiously, leaning down closer to him.  ¡°What was it about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing important,¡± he lied.  Jira narrowed her eyes and brought the tip of the pole down to his chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a very good liar.¡±  She carefully pressed the blades into him, enough to where he could feel the sting against his shirt, but not enough to cause him to bleed.  He slowly released his hand from her ankle and she eyed him as he set his free arm down at his side.


    ¡°You must really not want to talk about the Blade, huh?¡±  She was taking this sparring a lot more serious than he anticipated.  ¡°Or do all of your trainings involve making your opponents bleed?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t handle it?  I get that you train with droids with Voltron, but I would have thought that things were a little more tough with the Blade.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re curious, I¡¯m sure you could ask Kolivan about it.  I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love to tell you more about the Blade,¡± Keith said smugly.  Jira scoffed, but amusement flashed in her eyes.  She retracted the blades again and moved her foot off of his arm, now just keeling over him.  Keith waited on the ground, letting the blood flow back into his arm and trying to catch his breath.  Jira finally moved her polearm off of him and let it hung at her side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to ask Kolivan anything,¡± she huffed, wiping her forehead with her left hand.  ¡°Besides, you haven¡¯t pinned me, so we¡¯re not talking about this-¡±


    Keith took her brief moment of distraction and grabbed her around the hips.  He pulled her down and used her momentum of trying not to fall on him to roll over on top of her.  He grasped at her wrists before she could use her polearm and pressed them down on the floor above her head.  Jira¡¯s eye grew wide again and her mouth fell open slightly and Keith tightened his grip.


    ¡°Let go,¡± Keith hissed, a bit shocked that he had managed to pull it off, but the element of surprise seemed to work in his favor.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t even have your weapon-¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t make any rule saying you had to have one to disarm and pin the other.¡±


    Jira frowned and released her weapon and Keith slid her hands down away from it and closer to her neck.  Her hair was starting to come out of its braid and loose strands stuck to her skin, plastered by sweat.  Keith was close enough now to see how heavy her breathing was, mirroring his own; his eyes followed her loose hair strands over to the scar that now framed her collarbone, and to her chest which was rising and falling rapidly against his.  He glanced down, spotting that he had positioned himself between her legs; something that he hadn¡¯t thought through when making his attack.  Keith blinked slowly, embarrassment flushing his face.  He looked back at Jira who was so painfully close to him, he hadn¡¯t expected to be in this position.  His hands were suddenly clammy against her burning skin and he was tempted to let go.  He relaxed his grip and blinked again, unsure of where to go from here.


    ¡°... So this makes us tied,¡± Jira said, thankfully breaking the silence.  Keith nodded and cleared his throat, trying not to think about how close they were pressed together.  ¡°I was not expecting that move, I¡¯ll give you that.¡±  She let out a tense laugh, breaking their eye contact and glancing away from him.


    She let out a heavy sigh.  ¡°... Even though I¡¯ll win the next round,¡±  She laughed again and looked back at him.  ¡°... I¡¯ll still tell you.¡±  Eyes locked on Keith, her expression reminded him of when they spoke at the tree after their fight.  She carried a quiet confidence about her that Keith was still trying to make sense of and he wished he had it himself.  Instead, all he could think about was how he wanted to be closer to her; to kiss and hold her.  His thoughts raced, like a dam that had finally burst, no longer holding back the feelings that he had been able to keep at bay.  Keith let go of her wrists but he kept himself propped up on his elbows by her head, though he didn¡¯t know what to do next.


    Jira slowly moved her arms down and rested her hands on Keith¡¯s chest, still not breaking eye contact with him.  He swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, unable to speak; he knew anything he would say would probably sound stupid anyway. He had never done this before and had never felt more out of his element. Keith bit his bottom lip anxiously and moved Jira¡¯s hair off her neck with trembling fingers.  He braced his hand against her warm skin, focusing on her mouth.  He brought his head down and prayed that he wouldn¡¯t make a fool out of himself.  Jira clung to his shirt, and pulled him to her, guiding him closer.


    Keith closed his eyes when he heard the unmistakable sound of the doors of the training deck open.  He whipped his head up to see Shiro standing at the doorway, already backing away from them.


    ¡°Sorry! I¡¯ll just uh-¡±  He looked everywhere but at Keith and Jira.  Jira pushed Keith off of her and he scrambled to his feet, his entire body shaking with humiliation .  She then hopped to her feet as well after grabbing her polearm, and made it a point to not look at Keith.


    ¡°It-it¡¯s okay,¡±  she said.  Keith could see from the corner of his eye that she was looking down at the ground and trying to smooth out her braid.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Shiro looked to Keith, his face red.  Keith would have been okay with crawling in a hole to die after Shiro showed up.  There was no way he could get away with hiding from him now.  It was probably the reason Shiro came to the training room; to talk to Keith about Jira and no he had no choice but to tell him the truth after what he saw.


    ¡°I uh¡­¡±  Shiro cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.  ¡°I actually came here to talk to you¡­ if that¡¯s okay?¡±  He asked Jira.  She snapped her head up to look up at him, but tried to play it off casually.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± she said, her voice faint.  She finally glanced at Keith, looking just as embarrassed as he felt, probably mortified that she didn¡¯t get to leave.  Keith quickly grabbed his blade off the ground and hurried past Shiro who was still at the doorway.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go too far,¡± Shiro whispered to him as he passed.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Keith managed, barely finding his voice.  He left Shiro and Jira alone, grateful to be away from Shiro¡¯s watchful eye, but hating himself that he didn¡¯t have the chance to kiss Jira.


    Coran spotted him at the end of the hall and stopped briefly.  ¡°Are you alright, Keith?¡±  He asked, his brow furrowed with concern.


    ¡°... I¡¯ve been better.¡±


    **************


    Jira was still hot with embarrassment after Keith left the training deck. She was grateful, however, that her skin tone didn''t give away her humiliation like it did with some of the paladins with lighter skin. Regardless, it was clear that Shiro could sense her embarrassment as he stood across the room from her.


    ¡°I, um, just wanted to thank you,¡± he said as he walked towards her. His face was still burning red, but he approached her confidently.


    ¡°Thank me?¡± Jira furrowed her brow.


    Shiro gave her a warm smile.  It was easy to see why he meant so much to the other paladins.  ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t know when I would have come back¡­if I would have come back.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±  Jira hadn¡¯t considered the fact that Shiro still could have been stuck wherever he was.  She thought the Shiro she read was the real one, but considering it now, the result of her reading the clone left everyone with a lot more than they bargained for.  On one hand, Shiro was alive and safe.  But on the other hand, Zarkon¡¯s influence felt much closer to them than they initially thought.  It was impossible to tell what else the empire was up to at the moment.  ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Jira said.  ¡°But it was Allura¡¯s idea.  She was really worried about you.¡±


    Shiro¡¯s expression softened when she mentioned Allura.  ¡°I know¡­¡± he smiled again.  ¡°I also came here to see if you would do me a favor.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Could you read me?¡±  Shiro¡¯s gentle expression hardened, showing worry in his mature face.  ¡°I know you don¡¯t know me very well, but¡­ I need to be sure.  I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone.  And I need to know that I¡¯m not subject to anymore of Zarkon¡¯s schemes¡­. Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Jira breathed.  She wasn¡¯t quite used to someone she didn¡¯t know well wanting her to use her ability on them.  Growing up, some people kept their distance when they discovered what she could do; she was used to others pushing her away in order to keep their secrets safe.  It wasn¡¯t until she joined the Elites that she found a place to use her ability and feel like she wasn¡¯t a burden on others.  It was surprising to her that the paladins trusted her so much, but she loved that they did.  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Shiro stepped in closer to her and waited for Jira to act.  He tensed up when she laid a hand on his arm, but she held it there until he relaxed.  Jira was overwhelmed with a comforting sense of security as soon as she touched him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±  Shiro asked, still nervous.


    ¡°Just that you want to reconnect with everyone,¡± Jira said carefully, gathering her thoughts.  ¡°You really care about them.¡±  She smiled.  ¡°And you want to make sure your connection with the Black Lion still stands¡­ and you¡¯re willing to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to you.¡±  She looked at him with concern.  ¡°... Just be careful with that.¡±


    Shiro nodded firmly.  ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Jira¡¯s face grew warm again; Shiro was planning on talking to Keith after this.  She had seen him say something to Keith on his way out, but they were too far away for her to hear what was said.  She opted to not mention that specifically, but she searched for anything else that she could read about Shiro.  Allura¡¯s face and name flashed in her head, and Jira swiftly dropped her hand from Shiro¡¯s arm, feeling too intrusive into his thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, worry and stress creeping back into his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I-¡±


    ¡°I need to know.  Whatever it is, please tell me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing bad, it¡¯s just uh¡­¡±  Jira¡¯s eyes shifted back to him apprehensively.  ¡°Just¡­ Good luck with Allura.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±  Shiro¡¯s cheeks burned a deeper red, something Jira was starting to find endearing of humans.  She laughed, releasing some of the tension between them.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to pry, but you just had a very strong intention to talk to her about¡­ something.¡±  She gave him an amused grin.  Though she didn¡¯t know Shiro well, it was clear that he didn¡¯t talk about this sort of thing often.  It was odd to see such a man get nervous over anything.


    ¡°I guess if you were to read me, I should have been expecting that to happen,¡± Shiro said, rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°When are you thinking of telling her?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±  Shiro laughed softly.  ¡°I don¡¯t know... Things are just a bit¡­ unpredictable at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a little bit.¡±  Jira shuffled her feet.  She didn¡¯t want to be caught in the middle of whatever was going on between them and she didn¡¯t think Allura had said anything to Shiro yet.  She also didn¡¯t want Shiro to take this opportunity to bring up Keith.  ¡°But things will work out,¡± Jira smiled, trying to look for a way out of the conversation.


    ¡°I hope so¡­ but I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t say anything to the others.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Jira said hurriedly.  ¡°They need to hear it from you.¡±


    Shiro smiled, finally looking relieved since coming to see her. ¡°Thanks.  And thank you for helping me.  I gotta go, so I¡¯ll leave if you want to finish your training.¡±  He turned slightly away from her.  ¡°And uh¡­ sorry again for interrupting-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, it¡¯s okay, really,¡± Jira stumbled over her words, wishing more than anything that she could leave.  ¡°We didn¡¯t actually- I mean, nothing happened so¡­ yeah, so no worries.¡±  She tried to sound convincing, but knew it was too late.  Shiro laughed, slightly uncomfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± he said, starting to walk towards the door.  He paused once he got to the doorway.  ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Keith¡¯s a good kid.  So I hope things work out for you, too.¡±


    ***********************


    Shiro was hoping to find Keith waiting for him outside the training deck, but he knew Keith better than that to think he¡¯d stick around.  He had never seen Keith so flustered before so he wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if he had gone somewhere to hide.  It was strange to Shiro, who had spent so much time around the other paladins, to see them continuing on with their lives.  They were all maturing and seemed so grown up since the last time he saw them, Shiro was desperately trying to play catch up.  His life had been on pause for months, he was still scrambling to feel like he had settled back into his position in Voltron; his position with his friends.


    Rounding a corner, Shiro saw Coran approach him from down the hall.  The Altean¡¯s moustache twitched when he smiled, and the wrinkles around his eyes scrunched as he looked at Shiro.


    ¡°Good Morning, Shiro!¡± Coran said happily.  ¡°What have you been up to today?¡±  He stopped abruptly once he got closer and squinted at Shiro.  ¡°Your face is redder than a than Quayworian Dimmlersnout! And that''s saying something! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Shiro said, still regretting that he had walked in on Keith and Jira.


    ¡°I feel like this castle has been in a tizzy for the last several days.  There¡¯s been a lot of excitement with everything that¡¯s happened¡­ how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Better than I thought I would,¡± Shiro said, though he wasn¡¯t actually sure if that was the truth.  It was different than when he was first captured by the Galra, but the adjustment wasn¡¯t any less disorienting.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?  Just don¡¯t overexert yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying not to¡­¡±  As much as he appreciated everyone being so worried about him, it was a bit tiring.  Maybe because he knew he wasn¡¯t following their advice and relaxing.  ¡°Um, have you seen Keith?¡±


    ¡°I spotted him coming out of the training deck just recently.  Not too soon before you came out, actually.  He seemed quite jittery¡­ and red in the face too- do I need to take a look at the ventilation in there?  Are we not getting enough air?¡± He asked, suddenly looking frantic.


    ¡°No,¡± Shiro laughed softly, trying to calm Coran.  ¡°Keith was just¡­ exercising.  Look, I just need to talk to him- and Lance.  I guess they got into an argument earlier this morning.¡±


    ¡°I knew he was lying¡­¡± Coran said ominously.


    ¡°... Right.  I told Keith I wanted to talk to him, but he didn¡¯t wait for me out here.¡±


    ¡°Why did you go in there if it wasn¡¯t to talk to Keith?¡±  Coran asked, pointing to the doors of the training deck.


    ¡°I needed to talk to Jira.  She was there with him.¡±


    Coran¡¯s eye lit up and a smile quickly spread across his face.  ¡°Well it¡¯s been an eventful morning for Keith, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea where he was headed?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Coran scratched his chin.  ¡°Well if he were upset after an argument, the training deck would be the best place to find him¡­ but if he was already there, and it sounds like he¡¯s avoiding you, I would be willing to wager he left the castle.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t really know the area well enough yet.  Is there anywhere isolated around here that you think he¡¯d go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d check his room at the barracks first¡­ if that doesn¡¯t do the trick, then maybe check the Fountain?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the hot springs, right?¡±


    Coran nodded.


    ¡°What about Lance, have you seen him around?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well I noticed he usually goes down to see the Blue Lion when he wants alone time, but he may have gone somewhere a little more isolated.  Wouldn¡¯t be a bad place to start though.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Coran,¡± Shiro smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±  He started to walk away, but stopped and grinned at Shiro.  ¡°You know, I¡¯d recommend you visit the Fountain for yourself.  Not only is it beautiful, but it¡¯s quiet, relaxing, and isolated¡­ I think spending some time there would do you some good, whether or not you have company.¡±


    Something about Coran¡¯s smile made Shiro uneasy and he immediately thought of Allura.  If Coran knew something, he was doing a good job of being cryptic about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll uh, try and keep that in mind,¡± Shiro said.  ¡°Thanks again.¡±


    After not finding Keith in his room at the barracks, Shiro borrowed a hoverbike and got directions to the Fountain from Jinx.  The cooler temperature at the Fountain was welcoming after being in the hot jungle down at the Kafa.  Shiro spotted Keith in the largest pool, his back facing him.  He called Keith¡¯s name, causing Keith to jump and slump lower into the water.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Shiro,¡± Keith said quietly, not looking at him as he neared the water.  Shiro sat down on a boulder next to the pool and crossed his arms.


    ¡°Keith, are you okay?  This isn¡¯t exactly what I had in mind when I said to not go too far.¡±


    ¡°I know.  I just needed to clear my head...¡±


    ¡°... So is now a good time, or¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±  Keith pulled himself out of the water and sat on the edge with his legs still dangling in.  ¡°I can only avoid you for so long.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m guessing that you avoiding me has something to do Jira and your fight with Lance?¡±


    Keith shrugged.  ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Shiro struggled with where to start, seeing as Keith would be reluctant to openly share with him.  ¡°What is going with you and Jira? Are you two-¡±


    ¡°No,¡±  Keith said quickly.


    ¡°But you do like her¡­ and that wasn¡¯t a question,¡± Shiro added with a laugh.


    Keith laughed and shook his head.  ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±


    ¡°Then why go through all this trouble to not talk to me about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just¡­¡± Keith looked away from Shiro.  ¡°It¡¯s just kind of¡­ embarrassing.  For me.  I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing with this whole relationship¡­ thing.  And I knew you¡¯d want to talk about it and I haven¡¯t said anything to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Have you talked to Jira?¡±


    ¡°Not yet¡­¡±


    Shiro smiled.  ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t be too worried about her not feeling the same way, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡±  Keith looked back at Shiro, his eyes wide.  ¡°I think she might want to join the Blade, and I want her to, but¡­ doesn¡¯t that make me seem selfish if I want her to?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ are you wanting her to join so you can still be close to her or are you wanting her to join because you support her decision to do what she thinks is best?¡±


    Keith furrowed his brow and sighed.  ¡°Is it bad that it¡¯s both?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Shiro laughed.  ¡°But if you haven¡¯t talked to her about joining, you should.  She¡¯d want to know you support her in making that decision.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ This means I should probably apologize to Lance too, huh?¡±  Keith grumbled.


    ¡°From what Hunk told me, what you said seemed kinda hurtful¡­¡±


    ¡°I was only being honest-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been one to be honest, but I¡¯m sure Lance has been going through a hard time too.  Maybe give him the benefit of the doubt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Keith said begrudgingly.  ¡°... sorry I skipped out and left the castle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Shiro grinned.  ¡°You know, I kinda like this Keith.  You¡¯ve always been so focused on the mission, it¡¯s fun seeing you all flustered when it comes to a girl.¡±


    ¡°Knock it off,¡± Keith rolled his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t hide a smile.


    Shiro stood up and enjoyed the cool weather.  He was grateful that Keith hadn¡¯t shut him out completely.  After Keith believed he had killed him, Shiro worried that Keith would take it too hard and not forgive himself.  But Shiro was happy to find that Keith had made himself comfortable with the others while here on Eioa; It was a bittersweet reminder that the paladins had grown without Shiro while he was gone.

 Chapter 22

    President Rashnek was known throughout Eioa to be a stubborn and short tempered ruler.  He was what many considered to be an elitist, so when the Grangrin first arrived to the planet, his district was the last to accept them into their society.  It wasn¡¯t until recently that members of the Grangint were allowed to travel within the district, thanks to the efforts of President Drundlo¡¯s wife Zati.  The marriage between an Eioan and Galra was unheard of at the time, but it helped paved the way for the Galra to be fully accepted and assimilated into the Eioans¡¯ world.


    Though she was a scientist and a longtime member of the Grangint, Zati prided herself on her diplomatic skills.  She had a way of connecting to others different from herself; a skill that was undervalued in the Galra empire.  When Lotor proposed the idea of going to Eioa, Zati was the first to accept a position, knowing that she could finally put her talents to good use.


    She was scheduled to arrive with President Rashnek two days prior to the meeting with the other district leaders so Allura taken it upon herself to prepare herself as best she could for their arrival.  She studied the geography of Eioa and the district Bezirk in particular, familiarizing herself with its trade and resources; Drundlo had told her that Rashnek was vain and loved to be flattered so Allura wanted to be sure to impress him.  On the other hand, Allura was excited to meet Zati.  She was impressed with the work that Zati had put forth to better the relationship between the Galra and Eioans, and if she was anything like her daughter and husband, she¡¯d be easy to get along with.


    Allura had been alone on the bridge all morning until Shiro showed up.  She wanted to remind him about Rashnek coming today, but after seeing how worn out he still looked, she thought against it, despite feeling guilty about it.  Hearing him say that he didn¡¯t sleep well brought back all the memories of them staying up and talking on the bridge.  She knew that he struggled with sleeping because of his trauma, but they never talked about it.  There were a lot of unspoken words between them.


    Now that Shiro was back, Allura felt even more compelled to talk to him.  Even if he didn¡¯t feel the same way, she didn¡¯t have the luxury of waiting for the right moment; there was always a threat on their lives.  She wanted to believe that she didn¡¯t have to sacrifice her ability to lead by being with him, but a part of her knew that just an excuse.  After everything that Allura had been through, it was almost funny to her that this was something she was so hesitant about.


    Promising herself that she would do something about Shiro later, Allura left the bridge to find Coran.  Once she found him, they made their way to the Kafa, all the while Allura¡¯s mentally prepared herself to meet with Rashnek.  Coran glanced over to her and cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Shiro?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure, to be honest,¡± She said cautiously.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see him earlier this morning?  Did you not tell him we were meeting Rashnek and Zati?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±  Allura slowed down before they reached the Kafa.  ¡°Not exactly¡­¡±  Coran squinted at her, urging her to explain herself.  ¡°I was going to,¡±She huffed.  ¡°Alright, I didn¡¯t tell him because I don¡¯t think he¡¯s quite ready for the stress of everything yet.¡±


    Coran¡¯s expression quickly turned sympathetic.  ¡°He didn¡¯t look well when I saw him.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep at all last night¡­ I suggested to him to spend time with the paladins, so hopefully that¡¯s what he¡¯s doing.  Drundlo will understand if he¡¯s not there.  He can meet Rashnek later.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re concerned about him,¡± Coran said.  ¡°Just don¡¯t leave him in the dark in an attempt to protect him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I need to talk to him later anyway,¡±  Allura said, already feeling sick at the thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty you need to tell him.¡±


    Allura gave Coran a skeptical look as they stepped through the Kafa¡¯s entrance.  ¡°What do you-¡±


    ¡°Ah look!¡± Coran beamed, his demeanor suddenly changing.  ¡°That must be them!¡±  He pointed across the room to a couple who were speaking with Drundlo and Viltri.  The Eioan who had to be Rashnek was short compared to the others, only coming to Viltri¡¯s shoulder.  His skin was dark gray that clashed with his bright yellow suit and slimy tentacles draped from his scalp and down his shoulders.  Small, black eyes darted about on his round head and he licked his fat lips like a toad when he saw Allura and Coran approach them.  Allura suppressed a shudder and looked over to the woman who must have been Zati.  She mostly fit the description of a typical Galra with purple skin and yellow eyes, but her face held a calm sincerity that put Allura at ease with a simple smile.  Viltri obviously took after her father in her looks, apart from her lilac hair, a trait Allura could now see she got from Zati.  She stood slightly taller than Drundlo, but her body was lithe and she carried herself elegantly; She was the kind of refined and dignified that Allura hoped to be as a diplomat and leader, but she didn¡¯t feel uneasy or threatened by Zati.


    ¡°You must be Princess Allura and Coran,¡± Zati said in a smooth voice.  ¡°I¡¯m Zati, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Allura smiled.  ¡°Your husband has spoken very highly of you and what you¡¯ve done for Galra and Eioan relations.¡±


    ¡°I would hope so,¡± Zati grinned and gave Allura a wink.  ¡°I want to introduce you to President Rashnek, leader of District Bezirk.¡±  She gestured to the slimy Eioan who squintee3d back at her.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Allura said with a nervous smile.  ¡°I have learned much about District Besirk and the technological advances it has made for your planet.¡±


    ¡°Hmm yes,¡± Reshnek smacked his lips.  ¡°Who else do you think built the Kafa?  President Drundlo wouldn¡¯t be nearly as far with his Quintessence research if it weren¡¯t for my funding.¡±


    Drundlo¡¯s mouth twitched with thinly veiled frustration, but Zati was unphased by Rashnek¡¯s attitude.  ¡°Some of the best Eioan scientists are from Beszirk, it¡¯s true.  Olorin is very grateful that we¡¯re able to work with them to better understand our world.¡±


    ¡°We would love to have the privilege of visiting Bezirk while we¡¯re here,¡± Coran said, which caused Rashnek to frown at him and smack his lips loudly again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that if I feel I can trust you being here.¡±


    Allura nodded.  ¡°Certainly, we-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see this Voltron business first before I consider taking you to my own district.  I can¡¯t just believe the word of a nearly extinct race that was incapable of protecting their own planet,¡± Rashnek grumbled.  ¡°I want to see it for myself.¡± Allura instinctively clenched her fists and bit her tongue to keep herself from losing her temper.  He was even more insufferable than she imagined he¡¯d be and she began to doubt how willing he¡¯d be to join the coalition.  If a majority of the district leaders don¡¯t agree, she could forget about Eioa being an formidable ally.


    ¡°O-of course,¡± Allura said, trying to keep her composure.


    ¡°Rashnek,¡± Viltri said quickly, taking him lightly by the arm.  ¡°Did Hurb come to Olorin with you?  I haven¡¯t seen him in so long!¡±


    A smile quickly spread across Rashnek¡¯s face, his expression turning to that of delight.  ¡°Of course he did!  He¡¯s around here somewhere¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go look for him!¡± Viltri said, wrapping her arm around his and leading him away from the group.  Allura looked to Zati and Drundlo in confusion.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Coran asked.  ¡°Who the Quiznak is Hurb?¡±


    Zati sighed and Drundlo rolled his eyes, looking more like an exasperated father than a stoic leader.


    ¡°He¡¯s Rashnek¡¯s son, and somehow even more tiresome than his father,¡± Zati said.  ¡°He has always liked Viltri and Rashnek would love nothing more than to see them get married.  Rashnek would do anything to please his son, despite his initial hatred towards the Galra¡­ those two are like spoiled, petulant children.¡±


    ¡°Children who have no business leading a District,¡± Drundlo mumbled.


    ¡°Viltri didn¡¯t need to do that,¡± Allura said, but she was grateful that Viltri was able to change the subject and distract Rashnek so effectively.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be worried about her,¡± Zati smiled.  ¡°She¡¯s more than capable of handling herself, plus Hurb isn¡¯t much of a threat¡­ he¡¯s just¡­ very, very annoying.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Allura laughed, relieved that Rashnek was gone.  ¡°So¡­ do you think he¡¯ll vote to join the coalition?  I didn¡¯t feel like we made a very good first impression...¡±


    ¡°I think if we continue to stroke his ego, we will have secured his vote by the time the other district leaders get here,¡± Drundlo said.  ¡°Maybe we can give him a tour of the castle?  Show him the lions?  Rashnek was fortunate enough to be elected president to a district that has long established itself as very advanced technologically.  It¡¯s thanks to his family money that he was elected, but Olorin has benefited from that money and as a result, the whole planet has never been more secure in our research.  If we impress him, we¡¯d be able to put that funding into helping you take down the Galra empire.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely¡­ Though I have to ask, how did his family get so wealthy?¡±


    Drundlo frowned.  ¡°Bezirk has had a¡­ questionable history.  When Zarkon first came to power, it was long rumored that there were those in some districts that sold weapons to the Galra empire.  It¡¯s been so long since then, and it¡¯s never been proven, but in times of war, it¡¯s a great way to make money...  Rashnek would never admit to it, but his family rose to prominence in Eioan high society too quickly for it to be for anything reputable.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Allura felt sick at the thought.


    ¡°Rashnek is no better than his ancestors and can¡¯t be trusted, but he¡¯s a leader of a very influential district,¡± Zati said.  ¡°We¡¯ll need to get along with him if we want his vote.¡±


    ¡°We understand,¡± Allura said.  ¡°I¡¯ll start making arrangements to give him a tour of the castle¡­ and I¡¯ll need to make sure the paladins clean their rooms,¡± she said under her breath.


    ¡°Honestly, I think that meeting went better than I thought it was going to,¡± Zati said.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what he said about your planet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Allura smiled.  ¡°But would it be too much trouble to ask you to accompany him on the tour?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!  After spending so much time with him, I¡¯m nearly immune to his terrible personality,¡± Zati laughed.  ¡°Plus, I¡¯d love to see the castle myself.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Shiro?¡±  Drundlo asked.  ¡°I saw him this morning, but he still didn¡¯t look well rested.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯ve been wanting to meet him,¡± Zati beamed.  ¡°It¡¯s incredible what he¡¯s gone through¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still adjusting, so he¡¯s spending some time with the other paladins today, but I¡¯m sure he would love to meet you,¡± Allura said, looking to Zati.


    ¡°I look forward to it.  Coran has told me you two make a wonderful team.  We¡¯re lucky to have you here.¡±


    Allura glanced over to Coran who twisted his mustache nervously between his fingers.  She scowled at him before turning back to Zati.  ¡°We¡¯re glad to be here.¡±


    ***************


    After getting back to the Kafa and doing some searching, Shiro managed to find Lance back in his room at the castle.  He was sitting in the dark playing a video game, but thankfully the door was unlocked and he let Shiro in.  Lance didn¡¯t look at Shiro and kept his eyes glued to the screen.  Shiro sat on the floor next to him and fidgeted with his hands in his lap while Lance continued to play.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re in here when it¡¯s so nice outside,¡± Shiro said, trying to gauge Lance¡¯s feelings.  Lance frowned, but continued to play.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little hot out so I decided just to kick it indoors today.¡±


    ¡°Lance, you¡¯re from Cuba¡­ Besides, Hunk told me what happened this morning,¡± Shiro said, deciding to just address the elephant in the room.


    Lance glanced over at Shiro.  ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.  Keith is just an idiot.¡±  He continued with his game, trying to ignore Shiro.


    ¡°If it¡¯s no big deal, then why are you hiding out in your room?¡±


    Lance sighed and paused his game.  He set the controller down and leaned back on his hands.  ¡°I just needed some time to cool off, I guess¡­¡±  He looked at Shiro, then down to the floor.  ¡°Shiro, do you think¡­ I don¡¯t take things seriously enough?¡±  He asked, his voice timid and quiet.


    ¡°Are you wonder if that¡¯s really the reason Allura doesn¡¯t feel the same way about you?¡±  Shiro asked, already feeling a bit uncomfortable.  He knew talking to Lance would bring up Allura, but he wasn¡¯t ready to admit his feelings for her to a boy who felt the same way.


    ¡°It¡¯s just- Keith said that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t and why I didn¡¯t deserve to be with Viltri¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°You know, when I came back, it didn¡¯t take long to see that you¡¯ve grown a lot.  All of you have.  You¡¯re now piloting the Red Lion and you¡¯re maturing individually and with the team.  You can¡¯t be perfect with everything, Not even with girls,¡± Shiro smiled.  ¡°You¡¯ve still got some growing to do, but do discount the strides you¡¯ve already made.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­ I just don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s forget about the fight for a second¡­ have you been worried about what to do about Allura and Viltri before your argument with Keith?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, why exactly?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ things kind of happened quickly with Viltri, and I¡¯m attracted to her, but a part of me isn¡¯t sure if I like her just because she¡¯s into me.¡±


    ¡°Because your feelings for Allura are holding you back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big part of it.  What if¡­ I don¡¯t know, what if I miss out something really good with Viltri because I¡¯m too caught up on Allura?  But what if I miss out on a chance with Allura?¡±


    Shiro hesitated to answer, unsure if he could give Lance the best advice he needed.  It would be too easy to tell Lance that he didn¡¯t have a chance with Allura to give himself a better chance, but he cared far too much for Lance to do that.  He wanted Lance to be able to make the best decision for himself and to grow from this sort of experience.  ¡°I think¡­¡±  Shiro sighed and started over.  ¡°Have you had an honest conversation with Allura about this?¡±


    Lance shook his head.


    ¡°What about Viltri?¡±


    ¡°We talked about it the other night¡­ She said she didn¡¯t want to wait forever for me to make a decision and to let her know when I¡¯ve made that decision,¡± Lance laughed softly.  ¡°She¡¯s been really patient with me¡­ It makes me feel even more dumb that I can¡¯t make a decision.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like she¡¯s a girl who knows what she wants,¡± Shiro smiled.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lance smiled back at him.  ¡°She¡¯s really great¡­ maybe I should stop going after girls that are way out of my league¡­¡±


    ¡°Give yourself a little credit.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I am great,¡± Lance laughed, but his tone quickly became serious again.  ¡°There¡¯s something about Viltri that scares me¡­¡±


    Shiro furrowed his brow.  ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s confident with herself in a way I¡¯ve never been.  It¡¯s a little intimidating¡­ she¡¯s the type of person to constantly push herself to be better, how can I keep up with someone like that.  What if she realizes that I¡¯m really¡­ not that special¡­¡± Lance¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Have you told her this?¡±


    ¡°Well, uh¡­ no¡­¡±


    ¡°You know, a lot of good can come out of just talking to someone,¡± Shiro smirked.


    Lance groaned and sat forward.  ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then just talk to them.  It will help you make a decision¡­ and don¡¯t worry about what Keith said.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ Keith wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong,¡± Lance said begrudgingly.  ¡°And I didn¡¯t necessarily say nice things to him either.  Even if it was true,¡± he added quickly.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you add him to your list of people to talk to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Lance grinned.  ¡°... You know, Shiro, with all this relationship talk, you really sound like an expert, but I haven¡¯t seen you make any moves towards anyone since we¡¯ve been out here.  A handsome guy like you, totally out and alone in space,¡± he teased. ¡°It¡¯s surprising.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Shiro laughed uncomfortably.  ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busy disappearing and losing my memories.¡±  Lance had a point though and Shiro could now see his own hypocrisy.  With all the advice he had given out today, he hadn¡¯t done much to follow what he had told the others.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Lance shrugged.  ¡°Thanks for coming to talk to me¡­ I¡¯m really happy you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±  Shiro rested a hand on Lance¡¯s shoulder before standing up.  ¡°Keep me updated with Viltri, okay?¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Taking Shiro¡¯s advice to heart, Lance soon set out to find Viltri after a few more rounds of his game to muster up the courage.  He still wasn¡¯t quite ready to talk to Keith and make amends, but he figured talking to Viltri was a step in the right direction.  What had him worried the most, however, was the thought of talking to Allura about his feelings for her.  It was no secret that he liked her, but he had never had open with her about it; all his effort went into flirting with her rather than have an honest conversation.  Having that talk would confirm his worries that she didn¡¯t see any future with him, so it was always easier to keep a comfortable distance with his flirting both with her and other girls.  He hoped talking to both Viltri and Allura would help clear things up.  He hoped Shiro was right¡­


    He made his way to the Kafa, remembering that Viltri had gone on patrol with Jira earlier that morning.  If she wasn¡¯t there, there was a good chance she was at the barracks.  When he entered, he spotted Drundlo talking to a Galra who felt oddly familiar to Lance.  As he neared them, the Galra turned to him and smiled.  Her hair held a striking resemblance to Viltri¡¯s and Lance realized with dread that she had to be Viltri mother, Zati.  Lance slowed down, now regretting coming to the Kafa.  Drundlo was always so busy, that Lance assumed that Viltri didn¡¯t go into great detail about her dating life with him.  But when they first spent time together, Viltri noted that she was really close with her mom.  Seeing her now drained Lance of any courage he previously had.


    Zati waved him over, noticing his hesitation.  ¡°Are you Lance?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said meekly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Zati, Viltri¡¯s mother.  She¡¯s told me a lot about you.¡± Zati smiled again.


    ¡°Sh-she has?¡±


    ¡°Of course!  I just got back from Bezirk, so we had a lot of catching up to do.  You¡¯re every bit as handsome as she described.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks¡­¡± Lance¡¯s face flushed and Drundlo smirked at him.


    ¡°She wanted me to make sure that I met you before you two leave Olorin.¡±


    ¡°You two?  What¡­¡±  Unease crept into the back of Lance¡¯s mind, remembering the other night when Viltri said she wasn¡¯t going to stay in Olorin forever.  ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Viltri going?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±  Zati glanced over to her husband.  ¡°I thought she would have told you by now.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what?¡±


    ¡°You should hear it from Viltri herself,¡± Drundlo said with finality.


    ¡°Um¡­ okay,¡± Lance said, trying not to panic.  ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I think she went back to the barracks to change,¡± Zati said.  ¡°She took it upon herself to keep Hurb entertained today, so she¡¯ll have her hands full dealing with him.¡±


    ¡°Hurb?¡±  Lance backed away from Viltri¡¯s parents, feeling like he was quickly losing control of the situation.  First, Viltri was leaving Olorin, now she was spending her time with another guy.  ¡°I¡¯ll try and find her,¡± Lance said quickly.  ¡°It was nice to meet you,¡± he smiled weakly.


    ¡°You too,¡± Zati smiled, but she looked guilty.  Lance walked briskly out of the Kafa and broke out into a run once he was out of the line of sight of Drundlo and Zati.  He swiftly made his way to the barracks where Wunrik was staying with his troops.  He hadn¡¯t been to Viltri¡¯s room before, but he caught Jinx outside and hoped he would be of some help.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Jinx asked.  ¡°Your face is all sweaty and red.  Does that happen a lot with humans?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where Viltri¡¯s room is?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± A cruel smile played at Jinx¡¯s lips.  ¡°Why do you need to know?¡±


    ¡°Jinx, just tell me.  I need to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t see why you need to be in her room to just talk-¡±


    ¡°Dude!¡±


    Jinx rolled his eyes and laughed.  ¡°You¡¯re no fun.  Her room is the last one on the left.  First floor.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Lance mumbled as he pushed his way through the doors and down the hall.  His apprehension grew as he approached her door.  She was warning him the other night that she wasn''t going to stay in Olorid, but he was too worried about his own feelings to consider what her words meant.


    His knuckles rapped on the door nervously and his heart sunk when there was no immediate answer.  Lance tried again, bit louder and more frantic.


    ¡°Hurb, I said to wait-¡±  Viltri¡¯s voice sounded on the other side of the door.  She swung the door open, wrapped in a long towel, her hair wet and hanging loosely off her shoulders.  ¡°Lance?¡±


    She looked unphased from being seen in a towel, but Lance more than made up for the embarrassment.  He caught himself from looking down her body and turned his head away from her, face and ears burning.


    ¡°Uh-¡±  He looked down at her feet.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She asked calmly.  Lance swallowed a lump in his throat, unable to move his gaze off the floor.


    ¡°Would you at least look at me?¡±


    Lance crossed his arms and hesitantly looked at Viltri, trying to focus on just her face.  She told him that it probably wasn¡¯t a good idea for them to spend a lot of alone time together, but they hadn¡¯t put themselves in the best situation to follow her advice.


    ¡°I think I should go¡­¡± Lance muttered.


    ¡°Have you never seen a girl in a towel?¡± Viltri laughed.


    ¡°Well, I mean there¡¯s Pidge, but I thought she was a guy at the time...¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ So what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I met your mom¡­ She said you¡¯re leaving Olorin,¡± Lance said slowly.  ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Viltri sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.  ¡°I¡¯m planning on joining the Blade when they leave.¡±


    A knot in Lance¡¯s stomach tightened, but a weak tremor of hope remained.  If she joined, he wouldn¡¯t have to just leave her on Eioa.  ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want it to affect your decision on what to do with Allura.  I waited until my mom got back to talk to my parents about it, and I haven¡¯t even said anything to Jira yet¡­ I wanted to give you time to talk to Allura and decide what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lance fumbled to speak.  He knew he had no right to be mad that she hadn¡¯t said anything. Still, the fact that she had kept if from him hurt.  ¡°You don¡¯t know if it wouldn¡¯t have changed things¡­¡±


    ¡°Well have you even talked to her yet?¡±  Viltri raised an eyebrow.  ¡°Regardless of if you try to work things out with her or not, I¡¯m joining.  I¡¯ve wanted to since they got to Olorin.¡±


    ¡°No, I get that¡­¡± Lance¡¯s eyes fell to floor once more.  He couldn¡¯t keep up with Viltri and still hold onto his feelings for Allura.  ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to her¡­ but I¡¯m going to.  It¡¯s just hard.¡±


    ¡°Hard because you¡¯re afraid she won¡¯t like you back?¡±  Viltri asked.  Lance nodded slightly, not wanting to look at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s also hard liking a guy who can¡¯t make up his mind,¡± Viltri said quietly.


    The knot in Lance¡¯s stomach tightened.  ¡°Viltri¡­¡±


    Viltri gave him a small smile and put her hand on the handle of the door.  ¡°I don¡¯t want to pressure you.  That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t say anything, and I don¡¯t expect you to make a decision so quickly¡­ but I¡¯m still going to stand by what I said the other day.  I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea that you¡¯re here.¡±  She glanced down at her chest and gave a weak laugh.  ¡°Especially now.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lance said hoarsely, guilt eating at him.  ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll just go.  Sorry to bother you-¡±


    ¡°Lance,¡± Viltri said softly. She reached out to him, but stopped before touching his arm.  She brought her hand back to the door and shut it slightly, hiding half of her body behind it.  ¡°You haven¡¯t once bothered me.  I want you to stay, but¡­¡±


    Lance didn¡¯t want to leave, but he knew it would only make things worse if he stayed.  Viltri didn¡¯t seem embarrassed or angry, but he could tell she was hurt, despite being patient with him.  The fact that she wasn¡¯t angry somehow pained Lance even more.  Keith¡¯s words echoed in his head; Keith was right.  He didn¡¯t deserve Viltri.  Or Allura.  He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything, though she deserved an apology.  He simply nodded and backed away from her bedroom.


    He could hear Viltri shut the door behind him as he numbly made his way down the hallway again.  Head down and feet shuffling, Lance was stopped abruptly when he bumped into someone outside.


    ¡°Watch it, will ya?¡± Said a gruff voice.  Lance looked down to see a short Eioan with light gray skin and large black eyes.  Lance had to guess that he was no taller than Pidge, but he was stout and well built.  He scowled up at Lance and shoved a pudgy finger into his chest.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lance mumbled, pushing past him.  It only upset the Eioan more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize who you¡¯re talking to?¡±  He snapped at Lance.


    ¡°Only the biggest flubgrubber in Eioa,¡± Jinx mused from the corner of the barracks.  The Eioan whipped around and glared at him.  ¡°Hurb, to what do we owe the displeasure?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Jinx.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Hurb?¡±  Lance asked, admittedly a bit relieved after seeing him in person.


    ¡°Who else would I be, idiot?¡±


    Jinx approached Hurb and Lance, a wide grin on his face.  ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Viltri she¡¯s not in her room.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where she told me she was going,¡± Hurb frowned.


    ¡°No, she had to go on another patrol last minute.  Junx got sick.  She¡¯s covering for him.¡±


    Hurb pouted.  ¡°Well I¡¯m not going to wait around for her here.¡±


    ¡°Well I can take you to her.  I know what route she¡¯s on.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure¡­¡± Hurb eyes him skeptically.  ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be allowed out on patrol.¡±


    Jinx shrugged.  ¡°I don¡¯t see why you couldn¡¯t.  She mentioned that she wanted to see you, but had to go to the northernmost tower.  You can surprise her!¡±


    Hurb glared at Jinx again.  ¡°Fine, but you can¡¯t stick around.  I¡¯m not going to be in Olorin very long, so I want to make sure I get to spend quality time with her while I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I may not like you Hurb, but I can see where you¡¯re coming from.  I¡¯ll take you to see Viltri out of my respect for her.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Jinx led Hurb away from Lance and gave a him discreet wink as they passed by.  If anything, at least Lance could be grateful that Hurb wouldn¡¯t get to see Viltri fresh out of the shower.


    *********


    After Shiro left the Fountain, Keith stayed for a bit longer.  He knew what he needed to do now, but he just wasn¡¯t sure how to get started.  Things with Jira had escalated faster than he intended and now he felt himself floundering as to what to do or say.  At this point, it would be easier to avoid her until he had a better grasp on his emotions.  For the first time, he had admitted his feelings aloud, which was relieving, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t feel better about things until he had told Jira himself.  He needed a place to start; to work up his courage to be open with her.


    Shiro had told him he should talk to Lance about their argument, and Keith thought it was a better alternative to apologize to him than talk to Jira.  He dried off and got dressed, reluctantly leaving the Fountain.  Taking his time to get back to the castle, most of the day had slipped away from Keith by the time he found Lance sulking in his room.  Keith knocked softly on the doorframe, and Lance pulled his head up from his pillow.


    ¡°What do you want?  I¡¯m busy.¡±  Lance mumbled, turning towards the wall once he had seen it was Keith.


    Keith frowned and stepped inside.  ¡°Have you just been moping around all day?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t see why you care.¡±


    Keith inhaled, trying to fire back with a sarcastic comment.  ¡°Look¡­ I just wanted to say I¡¯m sorry for what I said earlier.  I was out of line.¡±


    Lance lifted his head from the pillow again and smirked at Keith.  ¡°Wow, that¡¯s surprising that you were humble enough to come apologize.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be serious here, the least you could do is pretend to care,¡± Keith said, his frustration flaring up.  Keith started to back out the door, doubtful Lance would actually be candid with him.


    Lance sat up and looked sheepishly at the ground.  ¡°Wait¡­ I¡¯m sorry.  What I said earlier today was out of line too¡­¡±


    Keith stopped at the door and Lance continued.  ¡°... I think I just got defensive about what you said cuz uh¡­ You weren¡¯t exactly wrong.  I don¡¯t think I deserve either of them.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make it sound so harsh,¡± Keith said, folding his arms.  ¡°I got mad because you made some good points¡­ I am kind of a loner,¡± he laughed softly.  ¡°And liking Jira kinda freaks me out.¡±


    Lance¡¯s eyes widened, but he smiled.  ¡°So you do admit you like Jira.  Have you told her?¡±


    Keith shook his head.  ¡°No, not yet¡­ I¡¯m not¡­ very good at this sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°When was the last time you saw her?¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s the thing,¡± Keith laughed nervously.  ¡°I did see her today, and um, we almost kissed-¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±  lance demanded, his eyes growing larger.


    ¡°Shiro showed up-¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s rough,man.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I will, I just don¡¯t know when or how I¡¯ll go about it, but¡­ I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will,¡± Lance shrugged.  ¡°Sorry again for being a jerk this morning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I was a jerk too.¡±  Keith slowly made his way back into the room and sat on the far edge of the bed.  Despite their time together as paladins, he didn¡¯t spent a lot of one on one time with Lance and a lot of their interaction was spent arguing.  But there were rare moments when they were able to open up to each other and Keith would be slow to vocalize it, but he did consider Lance his friend.  ¡°... Do you know what you¡¯re going to do?¡±


    Lance shook his head.  ¡°I don¡¯t know, man¡­ Can I tell you something and you have to promise not to tell anyone else?  Especially Jira.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Sure,¡± Keith said hesitantly.


    ¡°I talked to Viltri today and I found out she¡¯s planning on joining the Blade-¡±


    Keith raised his eyebrows.  ¡°Really?  I¡¯m kinda surprised.¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t told anyone but her parents, and her mom let it slip to me.  So I confronted her about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she tell you?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t want it to affect my decision in what to do about her and Allura.¡±


    ¡°Now that you know, does it change things?¡±


    Lance looked at the ground and shrugged, hesitant to speak.  ¡°This might sound weird, but it really made me realize that I can¡¯t keep up with Viltri.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ I really like her, but she knows what she¡¯s doing and what she wants and she¡¯s not going to wait around for me forever.  I think I¡¯ve been taking that for granted?  I thought I had more time to decide what I wanted, but I realized that I can¡¯t like both of them and have it work out the way I want it to¡­ because I don¡¯t know what that would even look like.  For so long, I¡¯ve been holding onto this idea that Allura would break down, especially lately I felt like we¡¯ve been closer, but maybe I¡¯ve been wishing for something that won¡¯t ever happen¡­ and I think I¡¯ve been avoiding actually talking to Allura about it because I¡¯m afraid that will actually be the case¡­ That she really doesn¡¯t have feelings for me.¡±  Lance put his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes.  ¡°I feel like an idiot.¡±


    Keith sat awkwardly on the bed, unsure of what to say.  He wished Shiro was here; he always said the right thing.  Keith could only go off of his own experience, as limited as it was, but maybe Lance just needed someone to listen to him.  Whatever Lance needed, Keith couldn¡¯t just sit there in silence.


    ¡°Look¡­¡± Keith finally piped up, still unsure of how he wanted to proceed.  ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re going through, to be honest.  I¡¯ve never been in this kind of situation¡­ But I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll feel any better unless you talk to Allura.  It sounds like you¡¯re not going to move anywhere with Viltri until you¡¯ve talked to Allura¡­ And even if Allura doesn¡¯t feel the same way about you, you do mean a lot to her.¡±


    ¡°I should probably prepare myself for rejection, huh?¡±  Lance said, giving a forced laugh.  ¡°But you¡¯re right¡­ Thanks Keith.  You sounded a lot like Shiro there.¡±


    Keith chuckled, taking Lance¡¯s comment as a compliment.  ¡°You¡¯re welcome, buddy.¡±   Lance did look more relieved and Keith was grateful that he came to see him.  He didn¡¯t know what to expect for him from this point on, but he was glad that they were able to come to some better understanding.  ¡°And uh¡­ If you ever need someone to talk to, Hunk is right down the hall.¡±


    Lance laughed and leaned back on his elbows.  ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember that¡­ Hey, I gotta ask¡­ I know I said not to say anything about Viltri joining the Blade to Jira, but I said that because I wanted Viltri to be the one to tell her.  But, have you talked to Jira about Joining the Blade?  Viltri said that Jira¡¯s wanted to leave Eioa for years, but has never done anything about because of her mom or something.  I was just wondering how you would feel about it if she did join.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to her about it, but I¡¯m going to,¡± Keith said.  ¡°I want her to, but mostly because that¡¯s what she wants.  Even if she¡¯s too afraid to admit it.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck talking to her.  I hope she joins,¡± Lance smirked.  ¡°Maybe then, you wouldn¡¯t be so grumpy all the time.¡±


    Keith scoffed and got off Lance¡¯s bed.  He didn¡¯t really have a comeback for him, but at that point he didn¡¯t care.  The more he thought about Jira joining the Blade, the more he liked the idea and after to talking to Shiro about, he knew he wanted her to join for the right reasons.


    Keith left Lance¡¯s room, feeling better after talking to him.  The thought of approaching Jira again made him nervous, but he owed it to her to talk to her, especially after leaving the training deck in such a hurry.  Even though he knew she¡¯d no longer be there, he check just in case before making his way back to the Kafa.  He promised himself that if she was still free, he¡¯d talk to her about the Blade and about how he felt tonight.  His footsteps weight him down as he entered the Kafa, almost relieved when he didn¡¯t see her in there.


    Instead, he found Horm and Chalna speaking with Rixel.  Keith hesitated to approach them, especially Chalna.  She had never done anything unkind to Keith, but He always felt as if she could read his thoughts when he was around and considering his feelings toward her daughter, he didn¡¯t like that idea.  He waited for them to finish talking to ask Rixel since he would be one of the best people to ask about Jira¡¯s location.  Rixel neared him at the door and grinned.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a tridi racing rematch, you¡¯ll have to wait until I get back,¡± Rixel laughed.  Keith followed him outside.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Drundlo actually approved for Lotor to venture outside of the Kafa, so we¡¯re taking him on a scouting trip to check up on the Hauhet.  After the other day, we want to be sure that everything is okay and that it¡¯s not hurt.  It shouldn¡¯t be a long trip, but with the other district leaders coming, Drundlo thought it might be a good idea to give Lotor a way to blow off some steam, rather than just have him cooped up here.  Things are gonna be interesting from here on out...¡±


    ¡°What, like they haven¡¯t been already?¡±


    Rixel laughed again.  ¡°That¡¯s true.  Things have been a lot more exciting since the Blade and Paladins got here.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s all going on the scouting mission?¡±  Keith asked.


    ¡°Wunrik and some of his Elites, of course.  Along with Kolivan since he wants to keep an eye on Lotor still.  But from Zalko¡¯s troop, I¡¯ll be going with Jira and Junx.  From the trackers we¡¯ve set out, the Hauhet went back to the newly discovered tunnel, so we should be back by tomorrow.¡±


    Keith nodded, but he couldn¡¯t help but be disappointed.  He could see what Jira would be wanted for the mission with Lotor being there, but he wished he had the chance to talk to her before she left.  ¡°When are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°Really soon.  It was kinda last minute notice for me, to be honest, but I¡¯m glad to be going.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone else?¡±


    ¡°At the hangar nearest the barracks.¡±


    ¡°Mind if I come and see everyone off?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Keith followed Rixel to the hangar where the others were preparing to leave.  He spotted Jira by a hoverbike with Junx, her hair secured in her signature long braid that draped down her white suit.  His heart leapt into his throat when she turned and gave him a brief smile.  Junx frowned at him, and didn¡¯t leave once Keith had gotten to them.


    ¡°I just heard from Rixel that you¡¯re leaving for a scouting mission,¡± Keith said, feeling his face burning just from being near Jira again.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take very long, but Zalko let us know about it not too long ago.¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t know about it when we-¡± Keith glanced at Junx and reconsidered his words.


    ¡°- I didn¡¯t know until I came back from the castle,¡± Jira finished carefully.  ¡°I guess if I had gone to see Rixel sooner today like I was supposed to, I would have known about it earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Rixel asked where you went after you were done with your patrol shift,¡± Junx said to Jira, though his eyes bore into Keith.  Keith¡¯s throat tightened and he thought it best to just stay silent.


    ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± Jira said, nudging Junx in the arm.  ¡°... We should get going.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m driving,¡± Junx said, climbing onto the bike before Jira had a chance to protest.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Jinx?¡±  Keith asked.


    ¡°Not sure.  I saw him earlier and he said he was helping Lance with something?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird, I just talked to Lance back at the castle.¡±


    ¡°I never really know what¡¯s up with Jinx,¡± Jira shrugged.  Her expression softened and she lowered her voice.  ¡°Did uh¡­ did Shiro ever have a chance to talk to you?¡±


    Keith¡¯s face flushed again and he stood uncomfortably warm in front of Jira.  ¡°Yeah, he did.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ okay,¡± Jira smiled nervously.  ¡°Good¡­ that¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°What he talk to you about?¡±  Keith asked, not wanting to tell her what they had talked about with everyone else around.


    ¡°... He wanted me to read him, to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone like his clone did.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad he came to see you then,¡± Keith said softly.  He knew he couldn¡¯t talk to Jira there, but he wanted to let her know that he wanted to.  He glanced around at Junx and the others who were getting on the bikes.  He looked back to Jira who seemed like there was more she wanted to say and he felt like there was more that she and Shiro talked about.  Knowing Shiro, he probably brought Keith up, especially after walking in on them on the training deck.


    ¡°Um¡­ when you get back, can we go to the tree?¡±  Keith asked, anxious to hear her response.  ¡°I feel like it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve been and I just¡­ want to make sure that I get to see it one last time before I leave.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Jira smiled genuinely up at him.  ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ be careful,¡± Keith said, moving to hug her, but he doubted himself and stopped.


    ¡°I will¡­¡±  Jira said, noticing his hesitation.  She rested a hand on his arm, giving Keith the que to embrace her.  He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his head next to hers.  Jira tightened her grip around him and he wished once again that they were alone.  It was a brief hug, but he didn¡¯t fail to notice Lotor watching them from a distance and give Keith an amused look.  Keith pulled away from Jira and held her by the shoulders.


    ¡°Keep an eye on him?¡± He said to her, not moving his attention away from Lotor.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, actually.  No one really trusts him still, but he does a good job of avoiding me.¡±


    ¡°Just be careful.¡±


    Jira squeezed Keith¡¯s elbow and grinned.  ¡°You already said that.  I¡¯ll be fine.  Keep an eye on Jinx for me?  Just make sure he¡¯s not doing something stupid with Lance.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Keith let go of Jira and waited as she mounted the bike behind Junx.  He knew Jira could handle herself, but as the group left into the jungle, he could help but feel uneasy at the thought of Lotor being there with her.  Even if Jira could sense people¡¯s true intentions, Keith believed Lotor had a way of manipulating others to doubt themselves.  He wondered how much Lotor had manipulated them already in the past month without them realizing it, which did nothing to help his unease as he watched him disappear into the trees.

 Chapter 24

    Nights at the Kafa were usually peaceful, but Drundlo found himself unable to sleep that night; his mind going over the conversation he had with Wunrik earlier that evening.  Wunrik and the others had reached the mouth of the tunnel where the Hauhet was supposed to be, and he was given Drundlo his normal report, but that night things were different.  Lotor was with them, and Drundlo was still questioning himself for giving him the permission to go. He didn¡¯t doubt Wunrik and Kolivan¡¯s ability to keep him in check, but it was the first time that he wasn¡¯t within close proximity of Lotor.


    Prince Lotor hadn¡¯t change much over the last several decades; he was still the same, ambitious and clever man Drundlo had met all those years ago, and that thought worried him.  He had his doubts about Lotor then, and he had no reason to trust him now. Even with the Blade and Voltron on Eioa, Drundlo always thought it was better to expect the worst out of people like Lotor; he was a politician after all.


    After pacing in front of his window for nearly an hour, Drundlo finally settled back into bed next to Zati.  She rolled over and laid a hand on his chest.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± Drundlo whispered.


    Zati laughed softly and snuggled into his shoulder.  ¡°You know I can¡¯t sleep if you can¡¯t¡­ Everything will be alright with Lotor.  I trust Wunrik to keep everyone safe.¡±


    ¡°I do too, but it¡¯s not just that that worries me.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re worried about meeting with the other district presidents too-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long since we¡¯ve all come together for something this important¡­ And for some reason, I keep getting a headache whenever I think about Rashnek.¡±


    ¡°How do you think I¡¯ve felt dealing with him after all this time!¡± Zati laughed.  Drundlo chuckled and pulled her closer, running his fingers through her hair. His lips brushed against her cheek, leaving soft kisses until he reached her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about Viltri too,¡± Drundlo said after he pulled away from kissing Zati.  ¡°Do you really think she¡¯s ready to join the Blade? I don¡¯t want her to rush into this.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s always been one to push herself, so being part of Wunrik¡¯s troops was never going to be a permanent thing for her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be so far from us¡­¡±  Wunrik said weakly. Viltri was no longer a child and had been trained to fight from a very young age, but she was still their only child and Drundlo sometimes had difficulty letting her grow up.  She was still young and made mistakes; he didn¡¯t want joining the Blade to be one.


    Zati caressed Drundlo¡¯s neck and rested her head against his.  ¡°Is that what¡¯s been bothering you the most?¡±


    ¡°I am only so limited in protecting Eioa, but I feel like I should be doing more to protect my family.¡±


    ¡°Now Viltri¡¯s going to be apart of something that will help protect us.  I¡¯m happy for her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not happy for her, it¡¯s just¡­ A lot is happening at once and I can¡¯t do much to control it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to,¡± Zati soothed.  ¡°You¡¯re expecting too much out from yourself, but you¡¯re doing everything you need to and more.¡±  Zati shifted her body and propped herself up on one elbow, leaning next to Drundlo. ¡°Trust Viltri to take care of herself.  This is what she¡¯s been training her whole life for.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°She grew up faster than I wanted her to,¡± Drundlo sighed.


    ¡°They always do¡­¡± Zati smiled and smoothed Drundlo¡¯s hair away from his face.  ¡°And I know that you¡¯re worried about the other districts voting to join the coalition, but even if they don¡¯t, you did something that everyone else afraid to do; you gave my people a chance for redemption.  That¡¯s why Olorin will always be a symbol of hope in Eioa because you never let fear stop you from doing what you think is best for your district.¡±


    Zati¡¯s eyes shined with what Drundlo knew only as pride.  Zati had always been hopeful and optimistic, but never foolish.  Without her, Drundlo wouldn¡¯t have been able to effectively lead Olorin for this long.  His fingertips traced the outline of her spine, his hand warm against her cool skin. ¡°How are you so calm about all of this?¡± He asked with a smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had over fifty years to accept what will happen to me and the other Grangrint members if the Galra took Eioa,¡± Zati said solemnly.


    ¡°That just makes me more worried¡­ Which is why Olorin won¡¯t fall.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one I trust more to keep me safe.¡±  Zati leaned her head down on Drundlo¡¯s chest and wrapped her arms around him.  Drundlo held her tightly, still not ready to fall asleep; he wanted to wait until her breathing was heavy and peaceful before he closed his eyes.


    After a time, Zati raised her head and grinned at Drundlo.  ¡°What do you think about Lance?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°I like him!¡±


    Drundlo laughed and kissed the top of Zati¡¯s head. ¡°Hmm I don¡¯t hate him.¡±


    Zati chuckled.  ¡°So you do like him.¡±


    *******


    It had been a long time since Coran had genuinely been annoyed by someone, but Rashnek had done more than enough to earn Coran''s intolerance. After putting up with his rude comments and sour attitude during a tour of the castle, Coran was ready to turn in for the night. After the paladins had gone to bed, he checked the bridge, knowing that Allura would still be awake.  Sure enough, she was sitting on her podium with her head in her hands.


    ¡°You look as exhausted as I feel,¡± Coran smiled, sitting down next to her. Allura smiled weakly and nodded.


    ¡°If I have to spend one more quiznaking day with Rashnek, I may very well lose my mind.¡±


    ¡°He is a menace in every sense,¡±Coran agreed.  ¡°Just try not to let him ruin your time here in Olorin.¡±


    ¡°I''m trying not to let him get to me¡­ I''ll be grateful when we''ve met with the other presidents and a decision has been made.  Even if Olorin is the only district to join, it will be good to just know.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Coran patted Allura¡¯s shoulder.  ¡°But, try to get some sleep tonight please. You need to rest.¡±


    Allura nodded, but Coran knew her too well to know that she¡¯d stay up out on the bridge longer.  He reluctantly stood up and left for his room. The mice were waiting on his bed for him and he carefully sat down next to them.


    ¡°What I wouldn¡¯t give to be a mouse right now,¡± Coran said.  He scooped one mouse up and held it gently in his hand. ¡°Have you had a chance to explore the place a bit?  Eioa is quite beautiful¡­ though I don¡¯t know if you would fare well out in the jungle¡­ perhaps it¡¯s best if you just stayed in the Castle,¡± he chuckled, but the mouse stared at him blankly.


    Coran sighed, his smile fading.  ¡°I have to be perfectly honest with you all, I¡¯m a bit worried about this situation.  Things are calm now, but that only seems to last for a brief moment before trouble strikes again.  After a while it gets exhausting¡­ but I suppose that is the life I have been given. I wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything.¡±  He set the mouse back down with the others. ¡°I just want to see the paladins and the Princess happy and safe. After everything, they deserve peace.


    The largest mouse squeaked, as if in agreement.


    ¡°Will you keep an extra close eye on the Princess for me?  I can see the stress of this trip is starting to take a toll on her.¡±  All the mice squeaked in response and Coran patted them individually on the heads with his finger.  ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The mice started to clamber off his bed, but Coran reach out to them.  ¡°Wait! Um¡­ If I may, would you mind keep an eye on Shiro for me too?¡± The mice squealed in excitement and left Coran alone, but he could sleep a little better knowing that they were looking out for him.