"It's me." Keith hailed the castle, and a slight sound of pleasure arose from the opposite line. "So don't blast me. I have someone you have to meet."
"Keith, welcome! We're looking forward to seeing...whoever it is with you." Allura greeted him, and he could practically picture the smile spreading on her face. "Please dock in hanger XX-Y59. All others are being used by Galra civilians, freedom fighters, and of course, the...Lions."
"Of course." Keith nodded, glancing behind his shoulder at his mother. The latter stood in a corner, her arms crossed, slightly bent over by the slope in the ship. Her yellow eyes were downcast, her purple skin shadowed by her mullet. "We'll be there in a minute."
Krolia raised her head as he shut of the coms, a curious expression written on her face. "They'll let us in just like that?" She snapped her fingers, making sure to put a certain air to it. "I thought there'd be more to it then that."
"Eh. They're not the best at security, but I like it that way, because they don't put in too much fuss in my visiting. Can you imagine that every time Kolivan gives us a break, we have to answer hundreds of questions just to enter the castle?"
Krolia snorted at his statement. "You did that to me." She recalled her son collapsing at her feet after she admitting her origins, and then, as soon as he came to again, bombarded her with questions. "And may I say, that is not proper behavior for a son."
"It is when his mother has been missing for fifteen whole years." Keith grumbled, gently easing the pod forward as he pulled the topic back to his friends. "I wonder how they're all doing. I haven't spoken to them for a few months."
A soft smile touched Krolia's face as she remembered something from long ago. "I felt that same way after leaving the Blade to go to Earth, leaving you and your father, and after being sent to that base. I know how you feel."
Keith glanced at her, a question on his lips, but one he didn't dare ask until Krolia prompted him. "Why DID you leave us?" He ventured, worry lacing his brow.
"I was immature back then, only seeking after my own glory. After having you and A...uh, I left. To go to space again, to look for my destiny."
Keith pressed a button and the chair backed up to the point where he could stand up. He pushed himself to his feet as the pod, which was in autopilot, pulled into the hanger, hovering. "And who?!" He demanded, pressing his palms to his hips as he arched an eyebrow.
"That...that was a misspeak! I mean...er, uh...I hate it when you back me into these situations. Just like your father." Krolia was making a vain attempt to change the subject, to distract Keith until further notice at the very least.
Keith would not be swayed, however. He deftly raised his noise, a motion he was accustomed with. "And WHO?! Are you saying I have a sibling?"
"I don't want you to get your hopes up, she left me three human years ago. She may be dead."
"So basically you're saying I have a sister." Keith sniffed, arching a black eyebrow quizzically at at her.
"I...guess I am. Somewhere. She may be in a grave somewhere."
Suddenly a memory surged back Keith, a black and white sword pressed against a gun, a young women's young eyes narrowed into slits as she stared at him. And then another memory occurred to him. Back to back the two spun, sniping and slicing at the tan blobs, a perfect duo. He remembered her teammates shouting for her, and his lips instinctively formed the words, almost without his brains consent. "Acxa."
Krolia's face seemed to lengthen as she stared at him, her mouth dropping open as her eyebrows reached in the opposite direction. "Acxa." She repeated. "You've met? Or at least...heard about her?"
"Yeah." Keith's face darkened. "I can't believe I didn't make the connection before. Stupid!" He exclaimed, face palming.
Krolia's face twisted with an emotion similar to guilt, but not quite. Fear? "Acxa IS your sister. I didn't want you to get your hopes up, in case she's...dead. We stopped communicating two years ago, ever since she joined the prince."
Keith scowled, anger flooding his gaze. "She's alive. Or at least, she WAS three months ago."
"That's better then nothin'." Krolia mused, glancing at the dash board pointedly, and Keith took her point.
The subject was dropped as Keith lowered the ship, frowning to himself in thought.
Upon exited, the two relatives were met by the Paladins, although Keith noticed in the back of his mind that Pidge was missing. He figured that she was out looking for her father.
Shiro glanced at Krolia, then turned his attention to Keith, and back to the Galra woman, exchanging his attention between them, a odd expression on his face. Lance was considered her carefully, his eyebrows knit together. Coran and Allura shook his hands excitedly, enjoying the Earth custom and ignoring Krolia completely.
Krolia wasn't as comfortable with everything that was happening as Keith was, partly because Hunk wouldn't get out of her face, trying to figure out why she looked so familiar. She noticed Lotor behind the Yellow Paladin's head, and frowned. This was the man who had recruited her daughter, the man who had ordered them not to communicate, for the sake of HIS mission. And where was her daughter now? That was the question lurking in her mind.
"Hello." Lance, the Red Paladin, shoved Hunk to one side with his right hand. "I'm Lance. And who the heck are you?"
Krolia realized that he was flirting, so she decided to play along, offering a typical Kogane grin. "I'm Krolia. I'm flattered to have the chance to meet a Paladin of Voltron!"
"Yeah, we're a big deal." Lance wiggled his eyebrows, and Krolia forced herself not to roll her eyes. Out of her peripheral vision she witnessed Keith watching them, rolling his eyes and smirking at Lance's obliviousness. "I can...I dunno, give you a tour later?"
"Yes, I'd enjoy that. Maybe I can see you form Voltron sometime, too?" Krolia prompted, her last sentence the only one she actually meant the entire conversation.
"I'd love that! Except...we're a Paladin short." Lance suddenly froze, his eyes widening as he obviously said something she shouldn't have.
"Lance, what?" Keith breathed, taking a step towards the lanky Paladin. When Lance didn't answer, he continued sharply. "Step away from my mother and answer me!"
"What?" Lance didn't comprehend the rest of Keith's sentence, taking two steps away from Krolia. "You're his mother?! But you're...purple. Hmm... but that mullet IS a dead giveaway..."
"Ugh! Allura? Shiro? What's going on?!" Keith snapped, his eyes darting around nervously as his fingers clenched into fists.
"W...well...Pidge, you see, is...well..." Allura hesitated, pursuing her lips as she glanced at Shiro, shifting her weight.
The Black Paladin, calmly, evenly, responded to her pitiful look. "Pidge is currently in a coma. We don't understand the details yet."
"I need to see her." Keith tried to barrel past them, but Lotor held him back.
"Listen to me, young one. She is in a COMA. That means she can't be disrupted."
"That's EXACTLY what it does NOT mean!" Keith snapped, yanking himself out of Lotor's grasp. "You couldn't spare to tell ME?! DON'T I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN MY FAMILY?!" Keith tried to wrangle out of Allura's grip, for the princess was clutching him tightly, trying to hold him back.
The princess sent a pleading look over at Krolia, who understood. She approached her son, grabbing his hair. She thrust him against a wall, her eyes glowing a sinister yellow.
"Man up! You're nineteen, and you better start acting like it!" She growled, her nails digging into his scalp enough to draw blood.
"I'm not nineteen!" Keith glared, and, before any of them could blink, practically climbed up the wall, gaining momentum. He swung himself onto Krolia's shoulders, leaning backwards and making her collapse to the ground.
There was a collective gasp as the Paladins simultaneously took five steps back, waiting.
Keith easily rolled of her shoulders, and she recovered from her shock within milliseconds. She backflipped, landing on her feet, her legs bent.
As Keith rose to his feet, her back facing him, he began to back away, hoping that she wouldn't...
She did. She suddenly sprang her body backwards, clutching his legs as she pulled him towards her, eyes flashing.
Keith flipped from her grasp, rolling towards Shiro and Lance's legs. Both stepped three steps away from, him, exchanging an unsure glance.
Keith rolled away, this time having control of his body, just as Krolia landed squarely where his body had been a second before. Her arms were outstretched, her haunches close to the ground as she looked at her fleeing son as he barreled onto his feet.
He whipped around, his blade flashing as he unsheathed it, a low growl arising from his throat.
"Shiro!" Allura hissed, swerving around Lance to get to the man in question. "Hit me!"
"Wha...?" Shiro began, staring at her, gaze flickering over to the Koganes, who were literally at each other's throats.
"Hit me!"
Shiro, puzzled, slapped her with his human hand.
"No!" Allura hissed through clenched teeth. "Hit me with your Galra arm. Activated."
"I'm not going to-"
"Com'n! You never held back before!"
"I'm not sure that's tru-"
"Hit me!"
There was a surge of purple light as Shiro brought his hand across her face, bruising her face, nearly slitting it open.
"Thanks!" Allura nodded, her face beginning to glow pinkish-purple. The glow left her cheek and tracked to her fingers, and magic burst from her nails, freezing Krolia and Keith, levitating them. The magic began to fade, and sweat trickled down her face. "You two! What can you possibly have to gain by dueling one another? I WILL show you to Pidge, Keith, but first you must get a hold of yourself! Ms. Kogane, please. You must know you are not acting as a mother should!" The light finally disappeared and both Koganes collapsed, and both managed to land on their feet, sending Allura identical glares.
Lotor responded to their expressions before Allura had the chance. He rested his arm around the exhausted Altean's shoulders, gently pulling her to him as he glared at the duo.
Keith and Krolia switched their burning glare from the princess to each other, narrowing their eyes as they got a hold of themselves. They could have been twins if their skin, eye, and hair colors were the same.
Eventually the two broke way from their angry daze, facing the Paladins.
Hesitantly, Keith answered Allura's suggestion. "Thanks, Princess. That'll be great." He took a deep breathe as if to prove that he was okay, and Allura nodded curtly. He was ready to see Pidge.
"Allura, if you don't mind, may I borrow Coran and the remaining Paladins for a moment?" Lotor offered, and was given a simple hand gesture that granted permission.
The two Koganes trailed after Allura, one's mind was set on the Paladin, and the other was studying everything they passed.
"How...what happened?" Keith decisively asked after a few moments of silent walking. "To Pidge?"
"We...we have no idea." Allura admitted, freezing so suddenly that Keith narrowly avoided collision. The princess's hands twisted into fist her shoulders shook. "It all happened so suddenly. We noticed that Pidge hadn't attended breakfast,"
"Which is unusual," Keith broke in.
"Yes, but we didn't call her because we didn't want to interrupt a project. Then she didn't come for lunch,"
"Which is strange, considering if she misses breakfast she usually fills up the absence with lunch." Keith continued.
"Indeed. We began to look for her, and eventually discovered her two Vargas later, collapsed in Green Lion's cockpit."
"Did you put her in a pod?" Keith asked, his fingers clenching and unclenching.
"That was the first thing we did, but it released her within ticks. Nothing was wrong with her except..." Keith could see a tear trickle gently off Allura's chin and frowned to himself.
"Except she's in a coma." He finished, biting his lip.
"She...hasn't woken up for nearly two days now. Our camera recordings say that she just got up out of bed, walked into the Green Lion, and never exited." Allura had been continuing in her brisk walk during the last bit of their conversation, and was now cracking open the infirmary's door.
Pidge lay still and emotionless on one of the spare beds, her hair strewn out in a mess all over the pillow. A tube, filled with water, was stuck in her left arm, and her glasses were removed. Her lips were parted, moving ever so unnoticeably, it almost appeared that she was talking to someone.
"She's so frail..." whispered Krolia, leaning down at the girl's side. "She's so small, weak...she's just a child...did you say that she was a Paladin? Children shouldn't be so good at war..."
"Yeah, the Green one. I know, I know. It threw me off at first too..." Keith grumbled. "Allura, a word."
Krolia ignored the distant sounds of the two talking, instead staring intently at the small girl.
Pidge's eye lids twitched, and then, it seemed like magic, her eyes opened, turned, and focused on Krolia.
In a tired, frail, frightened, sad, determined voice, and also slightly flabbergasted, Pidge mumbled "Keith?"
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Author's Note; I have already posted this story on FanFiction.net, so if you want to check it out there, I already have seventeen chapters loaded. Just so you know! Hope you like the continued version!