Allura sat in the center of the large hanger circled by the black, green, and yellow lions. She needed to gain a connection with at least one. Perhaps if she did, they could find Blue and Red. And, more importantly, Lance.
Lance... How long had it been since he first vanished? The days and nights seemed to merge together as Allura spent all her waking hours attempting to locate her lost brother. For all Allura knew, Lance could've ran away as little as a week ago, yet it felt longer than a lifetime.
Stress marks appeared in creases between the dark brown features of her face. There was absolutely no time to keep up the kingdom. She placed Coran in charge as she attempted to bond with, or find candidates who could bond with the lions. So far, the mission had turned out unsuccessful. It wasn't an easy task. The lions could be picky about their paladins, especially when the kingdom needed them most. Stubborn quiznakers, they were. It was a mystery how Lance even managed to pilot Blue, though it was historically the most accepting one.
And the bodyguard - What was his name? Keith? Yes, the Galra. Allura knew it was a mistake trusting him with protecting Lance. Four quintents, and what did he do? Followed Lance through a mysterious wormhole to who knew where. Not even the castle could track them, and that's what it was built to do! Anyone's guess to the horror the Prince could have, or could be still facing! Lance may have gotten sucked into a black hole, or ended up on a course straight into an expanding supernova.
Allura concentrated on the Black Lion. She stood, and cleared her mind of anything but the machine. Though she wasn't typically swayed by the supernatural, Allura no longer had a choice but to believe. This concerned Lance, the most important person in her life. Though they had their arguments, as all siblings do, Lance was Allura's one and only brother, and she would do anything for his safety. He was a person she would gladly take a bullet for, and only wished to see him grow into the best prince he could be.
"Please... I need you." She mumbled, a drop of sweat rolling down her cheek. "Lance. That's all I desire. To find is Lance. I won't ask for anything more, if only you grant me this one favor."
There was no response.
Allura stood, and walked to the wall. She placed a hand on the cold gray surface, then let all her anger out in a single punch. She screamed out as she gripped her bloodied hand, and saw the massive debt she had created on the wall. The entire room shook with the impact, echoing across the halls of the castle.
In that moment, the door slid opened, revealing the redheaded royal advisor, Coran. "Your majesty!" He ran to Allura's side, and inspected her injury. "Please be careful. I told you not to strain yourself so much. Even a Queen needs her beauty sleep once and awhile."
Allura hid her hand behind her dress, and furrowed her white eyebrows. They've had this conversation before. All the same useless chatter. "I need to find Lance. That's my top priority."
"Your majesty... you've been working non stop for weeks now. Don't you think it's time to let someone else take charge of the search while you rest up? Your subjects need their queen in the best shape she can be."
"My brother needs me!" Allura snapped, then took a breath to cool down. "I'm sorry Coran, but I can't. You must take care of things for me until I get everything settled. Is that clear? Oh, and please send a message to the people informing them we are searching for potential Paladins."
Coran paused for a tick, then nodded. "Yes, Queen. But please. Consider eating a meal before you continue."
And with that, Coran exited, leaving Allura alone once more. Allura walked in front of the Black lion, and closed her eyes. "I know your past... I've heard the stories of your time with Lord Zarkon. But, please. I know deep down, you are on the side of good."
No response.
"I'm on my hands and knees begging. Please, I need you. My kingdom needs you... My brother needs you... Lance... poor, poor, Lance. He's lost... I - I can't just-" Allura collapsed to the ground, face balled, and tears streaming from her eyes. "I'm so, so sorry brother! I should have never locked you in here! You were right. Everyone deserves to live their own life, and not be chained down by what their family believes is best." Allura tightened her fists around the fabric of her dress, tears, along with a bit of snot dripping from her face. She put a hand up to her nose, sniffing whilst wiping away the mess. The noises she made were anything but pleasant. Earsplitting cries, and breathing that gave off the impression of suffocation. A state unfit for a Queen, she thought. But how was she to react when the world crumbled around her?
"Oh my. What a tear jerking display of brotherly love." A voice came from behind.
Allura gasped, snapped her head back, and swiftly got to her feet. "Who the... oh my Voltron..."
"Queen Allura." Lotor smirked. "Is that any way to greet a Prince?"
"What are you doing here Lotor? My father banned you from this kingdom. Don't get any closer, or I'll call the guards."
Lotor took a step forward, holding his hands up defensively. Allura scrunched her nose at him, grabbed his wrist, and spun him around into a chokehold. His knees were slammed down forcefully onto the concrete. If Lotor was in pain, he showed no sign of it. "I said, don't get any closer." Allura growled, her voice deep and intimidating. "Why are you here?"
"Such a powerful display. I see you've inherited your mother's spirit."
"Answer me! Why are you here?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. No need to get heated. I only came here to offer my assistance."
"Ha! Yeah right." Allura scoffed. "Assistance with what?"
"Finding your brother of course."
Allura loosened her grip around Lotor's neck only slightly, and perked her brown, pointy ears. "How?"
***
Keith sat beneath the shade of a seemingly ever stretching oak, attempting to get some shut eye. He was only a few feet from Red and Blue's din. It had already been a week since his and Lance's fight. Now Keith had no idea where to go. He couldn't beg forgiveness from Shiro, Hunk, or Pidge, and he sure as hell wasn't crawling back to Lance. Keith supposed he'll just have to suck it up for the rest of his life, and live off the land. Maybe shapeshift into a human, and get a job or some crap. It wasn't as if anyone was going to rescue him anytime soon. If Allura did one day arrive, she would find Lance, take him, and never give Keith a single thought.
Perhaps Lance was right... Maybe he should've accepted Lance's invitation to live together. At least that way, they would've still had that chance of survival. And being with Lance wasn't such a bad thought. Still, it was too late now. He wanted to escape far, far away before deciding to chase after the Prince like a helpless baby in search of its mother's milk. Because, for some reason, Keith couldn't get Lance out of his mind. His stupid face, his dumb laugh, the way his nose crinkled when he smiled that terrible, gorgeous smile. The images haunted Keith like a lucid dream he couldn't quite shake.
Perhaps it was the fact that Lance was Keith's first ever friend - besides his mom that is - and, more importantly, his first ever kiss. Now, that was a moment Keith believed he could never forget. Every time he closed his eyes, Keith saw that scene play over and over again in his mind. That slow, sweet, inexperienced kiss. It was wonderful... In all his years, he never thought an Altean would like him, let alone a Altean Prince. No, he never imagined anyone liking him physically. Because, well, just look at him! He wasn't exactly a knight in shining armor. And, dang. It was a good kiss, even considering it was both their first. Like, really good. Keith only wished he could experience it at least one last time before leaving for good. During their fight, Keith had the sudden itch to grab Lance by the cheeks, and pull him in for one final kiss. Maybe he should've thought of that before hitting Lance in the face. That was a pretty douche move on Keith's part, even considering Lance's harsh words.
Keith sat up and opened his eyes. He looked from the bleak sky to the stationary lions. What time was it? Morning? Night? Keith couldn't tell with the swirling gray clouds clustered high above in the air. The scene reminded him of that night... God, he felt awful. Like some force was attempting to dig his eyes out of their sockets.
Keith ran his nails through his hair, and yawned. He looked up once more just for the hell of it, and... what the heck? A white blur flashed behind an opening in the clouds. Keith squinted, focusing on the strange, distant object. The enormous... thing stood out considerably as it burst through the air, getting increasingly closer to Earth's surface. Almost like a ship or something... Wait a tick... It was a ship! Keith hopped up, and widened his eyes. "THE CASTLE!" He screamed. "IT'S THE CASTLE OF LIONS! LANCE, THEY FOUND US... they..."
Keith paused, looking from the lions to the ground. Right... Lance was... elsewhere.
Keith waited as a private pod was shot from the castle, and came speeding down in his direction. When it got closer, Keith saw that it was actually Queen Allura riding the vehicle. Her hair in a messy bun, eyes baggy, and face sunken. She looked awful.
Allura landed, immediately tossed the pod aside, and ran to Keith. "You! Where is he? Where is Lance?"
"Queen Allura! Um..." Keith mumbled.
Allura grabbed Keith's collar, and hoisted him off the ground. "Where is he?" She repeated more forcefully through gritted teeth.
Keith's hands flailed for his neck. He could barely breath with his shirt suffocating him, let alone talk. "He's not here!" Keith gasped, his voice distorted with the low oxygen supply. "He's not here, I swear."
Allura let go, causing Keith to fall to the ground. He landed hard which sent a wave of pain coursing from his hands down to his feet. Keith didn't have much time to recover however, as Allura slammed his body down on the ground with her high heeled foot, and held him there, hovering over him with an evil scowl. "Then where is he?"
"He's um..." Keith didn't know what to say. Should he rat Lance out? That didn't seem smart. Lance was too stubborn, and Keith knew he would rather die before going back to Altea. Keith couldn't tell Allura. He just couldn't. But still... What else was he to say? What was a believable excuse? Keith knew the only one which would work, yet he didn't want to think about it... Still, it must be done. For Lance's sake... One last friendly gesture before they officially part ways. "Lance... He didn't make it."
"D-didn't... What? What are you saying? I- I don't believe you! What happened? Didn't make it where?" Allura pushed her foot harder against Keith's chest. His lungs gasped for air.
"We crash landed. The lions broke down, and he was flung into the ocean. I attempted to recover his body... but he was eaten by one of the creatures." A grotesque image, yet a necessary measure. Keith couldn't have her looking for the body.
"How the hell am I supposed to believe a story like that?" Allura's eyes became watery. "Ocean? W-what is that?"
"It's the mass of blue liquid that populates the majority of this planet. When Blue was being drawn in by the gravity, he broke down somehow, and ejected Lance into the sea. I didn't have time to save him, because Red also stopped responding. But, Red didn't drop me."
"WHY NOT!" Allura demanded. Tears streamed down her red, puffy eyes, yet she still managed to sound intimidating.
"I'm not sure! Maybe it's because I've... I've been with Red longer, so we had a stronger bond."
Allura widened her eyes, her brown face going pale. "You've been with... Excuse me? How long have you been Red's Paladin?"
"Um... Since..." Keith swallowed back his nerves. "About... when his majesty took back Voltron from Lord Zarkon."
Allura gasped, and quickly removed her foot from Keith's chest. She was in shock for only a tick, then seemed to remember the far more important, troubling news. "Of course... That's why Father chose you..." Allura's knees shook until she couldn't hold herself up any longer. She collapsed to the ground, and clenched her fists in the dirt. Her eyes looked forward, but at the same time, saw nothing. A expression of one's soul crumbling into dust and drifting away with the wind. "You were a part of Voltron alongside Father... And Lance... He was destined to pilot Blue. But... but, this..."
Allura burst out into a fit of sobs. She didn't need to say any more. Keith understood her feelings completely. Because he ran, Lance discovered his true potential as a Paladin. The potential that he would have known sooner, if only his family gave him access to more. But since they locked Lance away, an awful chain of events unfolded. Allura lost her brother, Alfor lost his son, Lance lost his home, and Keith lost his only friend. His love
If only. A powerful pairing of words. If only...
Keith sat up, and bowed his head. He felt a lump forming in his throat, but suppressed it. Keith had already cried enough tears. Lance wasn't dead. He was here, where he wanted to be. And Keith. He was going home, just like he wanted to do. But... Why did he feel so... lost?"
***
A time later, Keith found himself on Altea standing in the very back corner at Lance's funeral. How long had it been? A week? A month? And yet, Keith couldn't get Lance off his mind. Especially now, the throne room decorated in white ribbons, and dreary black curtains. A cluster of mourning Castle residents, and branches of royal cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmas, grandpas, and more, standing around an empty coffin.
Allura silently wept as she held tightly to her father's arm. Everyone was dressed in all black, including Keith, which wasn't much of a deviation from his usual getup. The atmosphere was dreadfully grim, yet Keith somehow found himself angry more than anything. These people... did they even know Lance? Who he truly was on the inside, behind the layers of kingly clothes and snarky remarks? His interests, personality, passions? How he liked spooky stories, or drifting off in the grass, letting the sounds of nature rock him to sleep. Even Allura or Alfor. How well did they understand Lance? Not very, judging from the newly 'dead' Altean Prince's attitude. And yet, here they all were. Mourning a complete stranger.
It made Keith sick. He wanted to scream out, protest, something to call out the kingdom's wrongdoings. To tell them this was all their fault, and how if only they gave a tick to connect with Lance, and not attempt to change every aspect about him, this living nightmare would've never been! Keith and Lance would have never gotten into a fight, and the kingdom wouldn't have had to shed fake tears of grievance. It was all their fault...
Keith clenched his taloned knuckles. Why was he feeling this way? A few weeks ago he would have argued against himself. But, after all the time spent away from Lance, he seemed to grasp a better understanding of the Prince's situation. That terrible longing feeling for the outside world. That sense of adventure that sorely lacked trapped between these grand castle walls. That was the same way Keith felt. He wanted to be free. Free to be who he was, and not be judged for it. Just like Lance had described. A world of equal opportunity for all.
Those words rang over and over again in Keith's head. Even now, he saw the other Alteans eyeing him accusingly. They were all hunched around the coffin, yet no one seemed to wander anywhere near Keith. They were likely wondering what a Galra was doing at a royal funeral in the first place, and had no clue of Keith's many achievements during the war. No one ever knew... Everyone erased those terrible memories from their heads, and decided to keep the secrets of Voltron undiscovered for decades to come. Life seemed easier that way. Much more black and white.
No one would ever appreciate Keith, the same way no one would ever understand Lance. Well, with one acceptation. Did Keith understand Lance? With the distance and their time apart, he seemed to. Keith only wished this reconciliation happened sooner. Perhaps... Keith would have been persuaded to stay.
"Thank you all for coming." Allura spoke, holding her golden cup of dark, red liquid high in her hand. She stepped in front of her father, and grabbed everyone's attention. "The kingdom... We are all sharing the same grievances. This... this tragic event-" The queen's voice began to waver. It must have taken so much courage to speak at all. Keith hadn't had the chance of seeing her since she first arrived on Earth to find Lance, but he had a nagging suspicion of what she was up to. Crying most likely, and praying desperately for all of this to be untrue. Some sort of mad trickery with perception. He could relate. Keith wanted all of this to be a dream as well.
"So, let's... let's raise a cup... and honor the... the life of-" Allura's cup fell from her aquiver palm, crashing down onto the white, tiled, throne room floor. The golden cup rattled, the drink which it held splattering across the blue carpet, and at a handful of guest's feet. Everyone gasped, then feel silent. Allura had ceased all movement.
Alfor paused, then attempted to reach his daughter's shoulder. Allura pushed him away. "I- I apologize... I have to go..."
Allura ran. Her heels passed over the spilled drink, down the steps, and out the door. The guests all turned with blank expressions, and shared startled, thoughtless whispers. Without a tick of hesitation, Keith chased after Allura.
He found the Queen huddled in the corner of a secluded part of the castle. Her arms were tied around her knees, and she was whispering a sequence of uncompromisable murmurs. Keith knelt down next to her, but reverted his eyes, unsure of how to act. "Queen... I-"
Allura flung her arms around Keith's shoulders, and pulled him in. Her face fell into the crook of his shoulder, making it wet from all the tears. "I'm sorry!" She wailed. "I'm so, so sorry!"
Allura tightened her grip, her nails digging into Keith's back. Keith sat frozen in shock for a brief moment, then moved to place his arms around the Queen. He didn't need to say a word. Sometimes actions held a bigger weight than words. And in this case, all Allura needed was someone to hold. "I'm sorry." She repeated, more broken than before. "Please forgive me. I wish I could- I wish I could do it all over again. Please... I'm sorry!" Keith could no longer tell if it was himself Allura was speaking too, or the projection of Lance through him.
Keith felt the lump in his throat expand, and eventually take over. They both sat there for a long while, wordlessly letting their emotions slip and consume them. It wasn't until what felt like vargas later, Keith was finally able to speak. "Don't worry Allura. I'll make everything right again."
Allura sat back up straight, facing Keith directly. Her eyes were narrowed, but still foggy. "What are you-"
"I've made up my mind." Keith responded vaguely. He couldn't explain now, but she would soon understand. The whole kingdom would soon understand. Keith needed to bring Lance back. If not that, then at least make amends. "Allura, set a course for Earth."