"race ya to training!!" I called out, already running down the hall, I heard Mateo call out "hey! no fair! you got a headstart!" I just giggled and kept running. He's much faster than me, it'll take him just a few minutes to catch up to me if he's trying. And just as I thought, a few minutes later I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned their direction "see, you didn't need-" but who was next to me wasn't Mateo "hey y/n" h-hey Tyler" I awkwardly smiled. Tyler Toshiro Shirogane-Wright, 20, Adam and Shiro's son, spitting image of Shiro but has to wear glasses thanks to Adam. He was the first kid that Allura created with what she learned at Oriande, but it didn't work out completely, he was born without his left leg. Allura blames herself and thinks she didn't do something right, ut Shiro and Adam didn't care, they got what they wanted, a son
To "make up" for what happened, Allura promised to make him the best artificial leg possible, and with help from Pidge, that's what she did, and keep doing every time he breaks one of them. A couple years later, Keith and Lance wanted a kid and ended up with Mateo, then they went crazy and had Lana. I wasn't here for any of this, only heard stories of how the paladins had kids through magic. I lived with my mom on the outskirts of New Altea at the time. My dad left when I was a baby when he was called to help with rebuilding on other planets, but, his ship was taken over by pirates, he was reported dead. I never got to meet him, I don't even remember him and my mom never talked about him, she didn't even have pictures of him anywhere. All I know is that I'm Altean, that's it
"you ok?" Tyler asked, still running with me "yeah, just warming up" I said a little breathlessly, I'll have you know, I'm not very athletic "you had another dream, didn't you" wha- no!" I said trying to pick up my pace, Tyler knows me too well to know that I'm lying "you know I'm faster than you, right?" he chuckled. I tried speeding up more and called out "shut up!" but he grabbed my hand and made me stop. He held both my hands now "y/n, I know you hate to talk about these dreams, but you need to talk about them sometime, with someone," he said in a sincere tone. I had to look up at him, I'm not short, he's just tall. He has a look of worry on his face but that's just him, he worries for everyone on this team and that's how I know he'll be our leader
"can we not talk about this right now? Keith already asked, and I don't need to be in that kinda headspace for training" I said, trying to walk away, but Tyler kept me still, quiznack, why does he have to be so stubborn? "look, just think about it, talking to someone might be what's best for you" I was about to answer but was cut off by Mateo calling from way ahead of us "you guys coming?!" I immediately let go of Tyler's hands and started running off towards Mateo, but of course, Tyler caught back up, and decided to change the subject, "ok, so, my Pop was telling me about this movie theater that he used to go to with dad all the time back on earth, I thought maybe we, as a team, could go and check it out, you know, like a team building exercise" you know, this is why I know for a fact that you'll be the paladin of Black" I chuckled, he always does this, he cares about everyone and is a natural leader
"I highly doubt that, but if you say so" he shrugged, "I know so" I stated right before we got to the training deck to find Ivy and Christina already practicing, and Mateo punching a dummy. Christina Garret, 16, Shay and Hunks daughter, she looks human but can speak with a balmera like a blameren, looks like a girl version of Hunk but is skinny and has long wavy deep brown hair. She's the mama bear of the group, she hates fighting and when someone gets hurt or falls she's the first to help them. She also inherited the cooking gene, she cooks amazing food with her dad. Then there's little 14-year-old Ivy, Matt's daughter, no one met her mom, Matt had gone to a planet to help rebuild and soon later, fell for a woman that lived there, not long after they had Ivy but her mom died in childbirth. A few months later Matt came back, a baby in his arms, no one asked, no one questioned, they helped Matt raise her into who she is today
Christina saw me then tripped Ivy, making her thud to the training mat "sorry" Christina apologized then she ran over my direction "if you had - had a wider stance she wouldn't have been able to knock you over that easily" I criticized "I'm working on it!" Ivy called back annoyed. Ivy is more of a tech wiz than a fighter but she at least needs to know the basics. That's how I know she'll be the green paladin, just like her aunt. Before I knew it, Christina had me in a bone-crushing hug "good morning!" she chirped "g-good morning" I croaked. Chris just kept me in the hug for who knows how long and it was getting hard to breathe, "h-hey, Chris?" yeah?" I-I can't breath" I breathlessly said "Oh! Sorry!" she exclaimed. With that, she set me down with me heaving in air
Mateo came over looking very smug "don't even-" you had a headstart and I STILL beat you here!" he teased, I gave him a death glare, "you quiznacking-" but I was interrupted by a booming voice "cadets!" it was the one and only, Shiro "line up!" and without question, that's what we did. "today we'll be learning to fight with a beyard, but since we don't have the beyards we'll be using beyard like weapons. they still take shape to the weapon best suited for you but, they're not as reliable as the real deal" Shiro explained. I've always wanted to know what weapon suits me, I've been trained in the use of all sorts of weapons, but I never really figured out which one I'm best with. Guess I'll find out today.
"Pidge and I made these with some help from Allura in the Altean magic department, these are prototypes, so, please be careful," Matt said as he passed out white "bayards" to each of us. Christina got one first, hers turned into a bow-staff, perfect for her since she hates hurting people "cool!" she exclaimed as she twirled it around. Next was Ivy, hers turned into a bow, and as for arrows, every time you pull the string back, an energy arrow appears. Mateo was next, his turned into a small pistol and he didn't look too happy about it "seriously? a pistol?" he whined, I couldn't help but chuckle which made Mateo give me a Keith worthy death glare. I was last in line, so next was Tyler, his turned into a double-edged sword, meaning a sword on both ends. Tyler started twirling it around and checking the balance "aww, I want that" Mateo complained. What I meant this morning when I said "Mateo is a spitting image of Lance but with the attitude of Keith" what I didn't tell you is he has alot of Lance moments
Last was me, grabbed the beyard Matt handed me and it immediately turned into a thin blade with a thin handle "huh, a sword, didn't see that coming" I said, getting a feel for the blade "that's not just any sword" Allura said, wait, when did she get here? "that's an Altean broadsword, my father had one when he was a paladin of old, Lance ad one as well" she continued, "it takes skill and honor to wield such a weapon, which you obviously have" really?" I questioned in disbelief. I mean, seriously, why would the perfect weapon for me be an Altean broadsword? A weapon that takes skill and honor to wield? I guess I've always been drawn to blades of any kind but I think this thing read me wrong, I do NOT have the skill and definitely not the honor to wield this. Then I remembered something that happened when I was just a kid, one, maybe two, years old
~flashback~
All I could see was an odd-looking knife with a symbol on a gem in the middle of its handle. A big purple hand was holding it in front of me, just showing it to me. Then a deep voice spoke out "just wait my little blade, soon this will be yours, just wait" then it all faded
~end of flashback~
"y/n?" I hear Shiro ask, but I was too dazed to respond "y/n, you ok?" Tyler asked, then I felt someone touch my shoulder, which snapped me out of my daze but I still felt off. Then I made the blade go back to being a beyard and shoved it at Matt saying "here" Mat took it with a look of surprise on his face. I looked around to find everyone had a look of worry or concern on their faces, "I need some air" with that, I made a b-line for the nearest exit
~third pov~
y/n dashed to the nearest exit, that memory made her feel off and she didn't like it. "I'll go talk to her," Mateo said as he started off to the door y/n dashed out of, but Tyler stopped him "no, I'll go" no, I'll go, we basically grew up together, she'll talk to me" Mateo stated, trying to push past Tyler, even though Mateo knows he won't be able to make Tyler budge, he still tried. "well she might open up to you, if, you didn't tease her every five seconds!" Tyler retorted, keeping his ground and not letting Mateo pass "she doesn't need the person that teases her every day, to check on her" I still care about her and you know that!" Mateo exclaimed as he tried to make himself look bigger
Mateo and Tyler kept arguing and arguing. The others tried to intervene, but they were quickly cut off by one of the boys. Matt and Shiro know what the boys were really fighting about, and it wasn't just about who got to check on y/n, they also know that trying to break up their fights is very difficult, especially when the fight is about y/n. But little did they know y/n had gotten the air she needed, and came back inside to apologize for her outburst, but instead, she came in on a fight
~your pov~
I took deep breaths and calmed down. Something about that blade just made me feel off, an also...sad? anyways, I calmed down and decided to head back inside and apologize for my outburst. But when I got inside I found the boys fighting, again "so what? you think that y/n wants you to check on her? big, strong, nice, Tyler Shirogane to the rescue!!?" well she definitely doesn't want the guy who teases her twenty-four-seven to check on her, so yeah, maybe she does want me to" Tyler exclaimed, leaning forward and getting in Mateo's face, and Mateo didn't hesitate to do the same. They always fight, and it's always about the most stupid quiznacking things. I walked over to the fighting pair and called out "boys!" no answer, instead, Mateo kept fighting "oh, so you think since you've known her for, what? three years, you know her better than me? I've known her since she was ten, I stood up for her in school, I know how she thinks I know way more about her-"BOYS!!" I exclaimed, separating the two "enough!"