Canis Major | Keith Kogane

11

As Elle finished pulling Allura's hair into a sleek ponytail, Allura was petting the Space Mice. They back squeaked as Allura gave them responses that let Elle know half of their conversation.

"Arielle," Allura said while giving the brush to the mice to put away,  "You haven't mentioned yet, why you come out to the bridge on occasion during the night." Allura's eyes sparkled in pure curiosity. Elle couldn't refuse to give her an answer.

Elle took a moment to reminisce the fond memory of her relationship with Claire. She remembered laying down on the cool roof with her hair tied into a bun to act as an uncomfortable pillow. She remembered being just turning sixteen years old. She remembered looking over to her left to see Claire pointing up at the night sky at a constellation.

"See that star right there? Sirius of Canis Major?" Claire asked with her hand still up in the air. "It twinkled different colors throughout the night. But it's best to look at a long exposure photo to see the different colors," she explained.

"Yeah, but what about it?" Elle asked.

"That star is us!" Clare said happily. "It can be both our pride symbol and a sign that we're better than the rest of those around us." Claire smiled as she interlocked her fingers with Elle.

"How are we better?" Elle asked.

Claire turned her head, a soft grin on her face. "Because no one is as crazily in love with each other as we are."

Elle set down the dress Allura picked out for her on Allura's bed. "Yeah, of course. She was my first love. Back on Earth, Sirius of Canis Major is the brightest star of the night sky, and because of the distance, it can look like it's changing colors. But that's only through something called long-exposure pictures." Elle scratched the back of her neck, thinking what else to tell Allura. "I guess it's really important to me because she was my first love," Elle said scratching her temple with her finger.

"How did you know that you were in love?" Allura looked at Elle the same way her little brother tilted his head curiously when discovering something new. Elle poked at the neckline of the dress placed on Allura's bed. She smiled sadly, thinking of the memory.

"When you see a future with them, or when you're doing something fun and you subconsciously think that it would be better with them. That's what I think love is," Elle sat down on Allura's bed, "But I can't know for sure. I've only felt it once. And it's been a while since I've been in a relationship."

"Are you two not together anymore?" Allura asked. Elle sheepishly shook her head 'No.'

"I'm so sorry. You don't have to tell me about it anymore," Allura looked regretful in asking. Elle quickly disarmed her worry with reassurance.

"No, no don't be. Let's get dressed, shall we?"

At the top of the staircase leading into the ballroom was Allura and Elle standing dressed in two beautiful dresses. Allura was wearing a dress similar to the one she had been wearing all day, except it bore more signature Altean details. Elle was dressed in one of Allura's older dresses since Elle was a bit shorter than her. Allura picked out a solid burgundy dress that had a skirt that 'poofed' a little too much for Elle's liking, but it was from when Allura was a bit smaller.

The duo escorted each other down, the other paladins waiting in the ballroom for Allura to open the doors to the Arusians. The sun was beginning to set and a vibrant orange painted the sky. Lance and Shiro stepped forward to greet the two girls.

"You two look cute," Shiro complimented. All the other paladins were dressed completely in their armor.

"Why are we the only ones that dressed up?" Elle asked. It felt unsettling for Elle that she was the only one other than Allura, the actual princess of the group, to be dolled up.

"Because it was fun!" Allura exclaimed taking Elle's wrists excitedly. "Come! Let us welcome our guests!"

The large doors opened, and really small cuddly creatures entered the ballroom. They were all very cute, a bit rowdy, but they were very good guests.

Elle watched as the Arusians put on a show about how Voltron defeated a Robeast that fell from the sky. She stood near the path that the floating trays took which served finger food to the guests, they were quite delicious. After the Arusians took a bow, Keith and Hunk joined Elle and they all began joking and chatting up a storm. Hunk bore a great smile and Keith laughed 

In the midst of Hunk doing something goofy with food, Pidge walked by and motioned for the three to follow. Elle walked behind Rover and everyone had ended up in one of the hallways. Shiro's tense face made it obvious that there was something serious that needed to be said.

"Is everything alright?" Elle asked, smoothing out the rumples in her skirt. Pidge's body carried tension in the shoulders and looked at the floor, seemingly ashamed of what was to say next.

"I'm leaving Team Voltron to find my family," Pidge announced. Elle's heart felt as if it dropped down to her stomach. Pidge? Leaving? Elle had just started getting to know Pidge, she didn't want to say goodbye so soon. 

"The download from the Galra ship was enough to get me started in the right direction for the search. I have a pod all ready to go." Elle clenched her fists in her skirt nervously. Without Pidge, they're down a Voltron Paladin. It's not like the White Lion could be of any assistance in that matter.

"You can't leave," Keith said with his voice cutting into the air like a blade. 

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"If you leave, we can't form Voltron. And that means we can't defend the universe against Zarkon. You're not the only one with a family in the universe," Keith said with his temperamental antics flaring up. Keith continued to rant at Pidge, Hunk chiming in how he also wants to go see his family. The thought of leaving to see family was something Elle understood, but it didn't sit well with her if it meant leaving the universe to the hands of the Galra.

From the side, Elle could see Keith seething with anger. "You're putting the lives of two people over the lives of everyone else in the galaxy!" Keith shouted as he marched closer to Pidge. Elle and Shiro both reached out to pull him back from cornering Pidge.

"Keith, that's now how a team works," Shiro reprimanded. "People have to want to be a part of it. They can't be forced." Shiro turned to face Pidge, a hint of sadness tinted on his face. "If you want to leave, we won't stop you. But please, just think about what you're doing."

Pidge refused to make eye contact and kept a gaze down at the floor. "I'm sorry, you're going to have to find someone else to pilot the Green Lion." Elle watched silently as Pidge walked away from the crew. 

"I can't believe it," Allura said with despair, "This team is falling apart. How will we ever form Voltron?" Elle placed a supportive hand on Allura's shoulder, providing her with silent comfort. 

Suddenly the castle shook with a violent boom emitting from the core of the castle. Screams filled the ballroom and the Arusians fled. The lights in the castle dimmed as Elle ran in the direction of the explosion with her fists holding her skirt tightly. She sped down the halls with everyone else in tow as she found herself standing before a smoke-filled room. Trying to see beyond the smoke she spotted Lance lying helpless on the floor.

"Lance!"

"The crystal!"

Elle ran forward and picked up Lance by the shoulders. Across from her, Shiro observed Lance's wounds while Elle checked for a pulse and breathing signs. 

"We have to get Lance to the infirmary!" Pidge said as Shiro cradled Lance in his arms.

Elle looked to Allura with distress as Allura broke the terrible news. "Without the crystal, the castle has no power." She looked back down to Lance, who was completely unconscious and covered in soot.

The Arusian King came running in, his village was just attacked and the paladins couldn't get to their lions.