Kieth POV-
I change into my paladin armor and head straight for the battle. By the time I arrived everyone is engaged in combat and it seems the others have already taken down the ship that the blades guy is on. I easily bypass the ship since the shields are down and board. Once I board I tell red to go so he doesn't get me caught and make my way through the shadows until I find the blades operative. The man is Galra like the rest of the blade but is cornered by Haggars witch friends.
I pounce on them using everything I have they get a few hits in on me before I finally take them down. Exhaustion plagues my body and the magic induced burns hurt but I carry the unconscious operative out. I shake him awake once we get to a quiet corner.
"Did you finish you're objective?" I ask him.
"Yes.." he says before going unconscious again. I pull his and my weight to the hanger which is surrounded by guards. I take out my bayard and my blade and they both turn into swords. I fight off the guards while protecting the blade operative. By the end of the fight I have more burns from blasters and am in more pain so I use my link to call for red.
Once red arrives I pull the blade operative into the lion and buckle him in. I then join the others in the fight. I know I should go back to the castle or blade HQ but I just can't stop I need to help them. Once I arrive I open the lion com link.
"Finally Keith what took you so long we need to form Voltron." Lance says.
"I just had to make a quick stop and you guys were doing just fine on you're own." I answer.
"No we we're getting our space buts kicked!" Hunk states.
"Enough let's form Voltron!" Shiro says. We then follow his lead and the fighting keeps on going. We fight until we finally win. Once we do we separate the lions and head back to the castle. Time for me to face Allora and the other paladins. I let out a worried sign as red tries to comfort me. "I'll okay red, I'll go get checked out by a blade medic along with this other guy and I'll face the team." I say trying to reassure red.
Since red is the fastest we are back in our hanger first. I try to force my sore, exhausted, and wounded body up from the driver seat in reds cockpit. My first try is a fail, so is the second and third and forth. And the finally on my 5th try I am on my feet even though my aching body is heavily protesting. I use the narrow walls as my support and make my way over to the operative who is sadly still unconscious. I lift the grown Galra over my shoulder and make my way to the part of the castle that Kolivan and the other blade visitors reside in.
After a long walk and a lot of protesting from my body we both make it to the blade's temporary residence. As soon as we enter we are met with Regris. I think he is saying something his mouth is moving but it sounds muffled. My vision starts to blur at the ends and black spots begin to dance around my vision. I fell someone take the blade member from my grasp then more muffled talking and then my vision goes black.
I jolt out of bed my from my night terrors again. I look around this is not my room in the castle but it's still has identical white and blue walls. I sit back and force myself to hold back a whimper or to Yelp out in pain instead I let out a groan. The cuts on my body burn. I look around the room for answers to where I am and my gaze lands on Ulaz.
We just stare at each other for a good minute. I finally decide to ask, "What happened all I remember is landing back in the hanger?" I ask him.
"You carried Thance with you through the palace and collapsed when Regris found you." Ulaz answers. I nod my head slightly.
"I'm going to go report to the princess and the other paladins." I say with a shrug. I then get up off the table.
"I wouldn't recommend walking in your current state." Thace says with a concerned tone.
"I'm fine," I say and start to make my way out the door. I ignore the protests from Thace and make my way to the bridge.
Once I arrive the paladins gazes fall on me. "Umm hey guys," I say giving a slight wave.
"WHAT THE QUIZNACK!?" Allura and Hunk both yell at the same time. I wince at their volume.
"Umm well I found out I'm actually part Galra," I say with a shrug.
"That's. So. COOL!" Pidge yells as he runs over to me. Shiro also makes his way over and pats me on the back. I look at the others Lance looks confused, Allura looks mad and Hunk and Coran seem to be in shock.
"GET OUT!" Allura shouts.
"Allura I-" I try to defend myself but she cuts me off.
"GET OFF MY SHIP GALRA!" Allura screams.
"Princess-" Shiro and Coran try to say something but Allura interrupts them again.
"NO! NO GALRA WILL EVER PILOT A LION MUCH LESS MY FATHERS LION AND NO GALRA WILL LIVE IN MY PALACE!" Allura screams. I back away with tears starting to brim my eyes. Soon Shiro, Coran, and Pidge are fighting with Allura and I can't take it so I run. I run to red, he is the only one who understands. I make a stop and gather my things from my quarters on the way.
When I finally make it to reds hanger his jaw is already open and ready for me to board and tears are running down my face. I run into the cockpit and just huddle into a ball in the pilots seat after I place my things in the copilot seat. I AM A MONSTER! Allura hates me. They'll never look at me the same way. I rock my body back and forth trying to calm down so I don't have an anxiety attack. Just relax Kieth it's all right, everything is okay. I tell myself. Finally I am calm enough to think rationally.
"Let's leave," I hear red say. I think about that offer... if I leave I would be leaving Shiro, but then I could leave Allura and Lance. I look up and see that the castle is behind us. Red chose for me I guess... "It wasn't a choice cub," Red tells me. I just curl more into the pilot's seat and let my tired body rest I know red will take care of both of us.
I am in a void? Everything around is black. I look down at my body witch is still filled with color. I then look around again. I see a man that looks kinda like Allura. He is definitely Altean, the man has white hair, Altean markings, pointy ears and is wearing the same paladin armor as me.
"Who are you?" I ask the man.
"You can call me Alfor child but I was formerly known as king Alfor of Altea and father of Princess Allura of Altea." Alfor tells me.
"Why- no how are you here?" I ask.
"I am here because when I died my mind got fused with the red lion. We became one even though the red lion already had conscious on its own. We work together we both talk through every battle strategy and all the advice we give you."Alfor tells me.
"Well um thank you Alfor and red." I respond.
"The lions name is not red his name is Athen." Alfor informs me in a happy tone. "I would like you to know that I do not agree with Allura. She has no knowledge of what truly happened between me and Zarkon." Alfor tells me.
"What really happened if you don't mind me asking?" I ask.
"It's alright child. Me and Zarkon were lovers. But since we were royalty we were forced into arranged marriages. Me with the mother of Allura and Zarkon with Honerva. Honerva found out about me and Zarkon being with each other behind her back and poisoned me with the quintessence. Zarkon had Voltron enter the quintessence field to save my life. But his suit failed him and while I got healed he died. But his body survived, his soul got trapped in the lion void like mine and he merged with the black lion. The quintessence had a mind of its own so it possessed Zarkon's body. We fought the quintessence but Allura thought we were fighting Zarkon." Alfor answers.
"Does that mean you're okay that I pilot your lion?" I ask hesitantly.
"It tis not my lion, but yours. Athen has chosen you as his pilot now. And you get along with him way better than I did. You two understand each other way more than the two of us did." Alfor states. I give him a small brief genuine smile. Then just as quickly as I went into the darkness of my mind I am back in Re-Athen's cockpit. It seems we are at a stop I look around and I see we are in front of the BOM base.
"So this is where you want me to be re-Athen?" I ask. Athen gives his response through our link witch is a yes. I put on my helmet and wait. I eventually lose track of time waiting for the other blades to show up but eventually they do. It shows an incoming transmission on the computer in front of me, I take a minute to compose myself then I except the transmission.
"Red paladin, why are you here?" Kolivan asks as he appears on a hollo screen.
"The princess said she didn't want a Galra piloting her fathers lion and to leave. So I did but, Athen brought me here." I answer.
"May I ask who Athen is paladin?" Kolivan asks.
"Just Kieth is fine and Athen is the name of the red lion," I answer tiredly.
"Ok then Keith, let's head back to base then I'll have a blade assign you a quarters." Kolivan says in a calm tone. And then he ends the transmission. I follow the BOM ships into the headquarters. Even though Zarkon is gone the Galran empire has not fallen and I know that. The generals are still loyal to whatever cause Zarkon had, and they are still willing to act upon their beliefs. They will find a new leader and then they will just go back to attacking the planets and concurring them one by one. Haggar is probably still out there with her apprentices and many other Galra commanders and solders. There will be not end until the whole chain of command is taken down.
So I guess there is an upside to Allura kicking me out and that is I will be able to become a solder again. Even though I lost the best family I ever had, the only family I ever had. We make our way and land on the asteroid of the base. I grab my belongings and exit the cockpit. After I exit I turn to Athen and say "Go back to the palace Athen, they will need you. Please except a new pilot you don't have to fully give them your powers if you choose not to." Athen answers through our link and we go back and forth for a bit until he agrees and I watch him depart. I then make my way with Kolivan into the base. After a while I am given my uniform, a tour, and am brought to my quarters where I am left to unpack.
I guess I'm no longer a paladin. I'm also back to being an orphan. I sigh and stare at the wall longingly. If only I had a family, every time I get a chance to be happy it gets thrown out the window. Maybe that is my destiny, to be alone I mean. I have always spent all my time and energy fighting. Is there ever a end? It started with me fighting to survive now I'm fighting for something greater but I'm so tired. I just want happiness, I just want a family....
But my chapter as a paladin and with the other paladins is coming to an end I guess.
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Word count 2142
TBC