~~~~Keith~~~~
All of us were sitting in the lounge, thinking about their next move for the Lions.
"How are we supposed to find a new Black Paladin?" Saoirse asked, "We're on limited time so we can't stop fighting to find our newest Paladin."
"I wish Shiro were here to tell us how to go on without them." Lance depressingly said.
I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. Everyone is eager to find a replacement for Shiro, and even though I accepted that we needed Voltron, I still didmt think that Shiro could be replaced so easily.
Pidge sighed and turned towards Allura, "Allura, when we came here, you told me that I would fly the Green Lion, and I thought there was no way. But then I found it and I flew it. And then, Hunk flew the Yellow Lion, and he's not even a pilot. In fact, you told everyone who would fly which lion."
"Yeah, how did you do that? Did we ever find out how you did that? Can you do that now?" Hunk asked, nervous and freaking out.
"Sadly, no." Allura replied, "When you arrived at the castle, I immediately recognized the special qualities in each of you. But I don't know how to search the entire universe for a new Palidan."
Coran turned towards me, "Keith, you piloted the Black Lion when you had to save Shiro. Perhaps you're the one." I looked away, down towards my feet. Saoirse leaned forward off the wall to see my face and frowned at my expression.
"Keith would be the worst leader of Voltron." Lance voiced his thoughts aloud.
"Yeah we all have our thing. Keith's the loner. I'm the brain. Hunk's the nice one. Allura's the decision maker. Coran's the wise old guy. Saoirse's the sweet older sister. And Lance is the goofball." Pidge said as she pointed and described everyone.
"Mm-hmm. Yeah, exactly. Totally right-- Wait a minute." Lance exclaimed annoyed by his title, "I'm not a goofball! I'm like the cool ninja sharpshooter."
"Are you joking?" I scoffed, resulting in Saoirse lightly hitting my chest.
"I'm being completely serious when I say, I do not want you to lead me anywhere." Lance shouted abruptly jumping out of his seat.
"I don't want to be the leader! That's just what Shiro wanted!" I quickly realized what I said and turned away from the group again.
"What are you talking about?" Hunk asked, surprised like everyone else about what he had said.
"Nothing." I quickly answered
"Shiro wanted you to be his successor, didn't he?" Pidge asked. I didn't answer.
"I think Shiro was right in his decision to make Keith his successor." Saoirse said, "Think about it, if Keith was able to pilot the Black Lion, that must mean he has enough qualities and the Lion's trust to pilot it."
"Saoirse makes a good point." Allura said, "In the past, I chose Shiro because he was ideal leader, however, I think Keith would make a good pilot for the Black Lion."
"Well, I didn't hear Shiro say that Keith was his successor, and how convenient that you're bringing it up now, when Shiro is gone." Lance said, annoyed by the fact that Shiro made the decision.
"You want the job so badly, you can have it." I shouted standing straight off the wall.
"Now, now, hand on. I've called being the head since the very beginning." Hunk claimed.
"What about me? I'm the one who picked up the radio waves that lead us to Voltron in the first place." Pidge interjected.
"Hold your gazurgas, everyone!" Coran silenced the group, "It's not our decision to make. We must let the lion decide."
"Coran is right." Allura agreed, "We must all present ourselves to the Black Lion to see who will bear this glorious burden."
"What? You, Princess?" Coran asked.
"My father created Voltron. How can I allow others to risk their lives in battle and not be prepared to do so myself? I must try."
We walked down to the Black Lion hangar ready to test who the Lion will choose as it's new Paladin.
~~~~Saoirse~~~~
As I stood in front of the lifeless lion, I couldn't help feel something strange from it. A weird sensation of loss and pain.
"So, who goes first?" Hunk asked.
"Should we draw straws?" Pidge suggested.
"I have it!" Coran exclaimed, "I'm thinking of a number between one and 50! Allura, you go first, Pidge is second, and then the others."
"Wait, don't we get to guess the number?" Lance asked.
"But I already know the number."
"Allura, just go."
Allura proudly walked into the Black Lion, sat down and waited with her hands on the controls.
Suddenly, I felt my heart jump. I gasped out of breath and placed my hand over my heart. I was in the back of the grouo and my gasp was quiet, so no one noticed my actions. Then my fingers began to tingle. I took off my glove and saw my blue markings shining on my skin. However, they weren't as bright and changed to a deep purple that faded into pink. But then, the colors forced each other apart, the purple color taking over the pink.
After a few minutes had passed, Allura exited the lion after the failed attempt. And strangely, the markings disappeared.
Next up was Pidge. As soon as she entered the Black Lion, the markings appeared again with the strange thump in my chest, only this time, the markings were green and purple. The result was the same as when Allura tried. The green and purple colors forced each other out, lettimg the purple take control. Pidge came out grumbling about height.
Up next was Hunk, who sat in the seat for one minute and went out after he felt uncomfortable in the lion. I didn't even need to look at my marks to see if he was compatible with the Black Lion.
"Nope. Not it." He said as he got up and walked out.
"You didn't even try." Coran said.
"Yes, I did." Hunk claimed, "I sat down."
Coran gave him a judging look.
"I don't want to leave the Yellow Lion, okay? I mean, it's big, it's got thus super armor, it's safe." Hunk claimed. But with a little persuasion, he went back in the Lion and tried out for real, calling out random orders like a leader on the battlefield.
Unfortunately, he was not the chosen to pilot the Black Lion.
Next was Lance. I looked dowm at my hand and saw the marks turn blue and purple, but the blue color wavered.
Half an hour passed and Lance still didn't come out of the Black Lion.
"So, how long are we gonna let Lance sit in there?" Pidge asked.
"Yeah, it's been like half a varga." Hunk added.
"Saoirse, what's going on with your hand?" Keith suddenly asked, turning all attention towards me.
I lifted my hand and showed everyone the blue and purple marks on my skin.
"Saoirse, this is freaky, what's happening to your hand?" Hunk asked freaking out as usual.
I shrugged my shoulders, making a mental note to check my mother's journal later on tonight.
"These are Teshirian markings." Allura said fascinated, "Siofra had markings similar to these, but they've never shone in different colors like this."
"I guess this is my form of Teshirian powers." I said unsure of my answer, "But the markings shome different colors everytime one of you went into the Black Lion. I think the purple color is the Black Lion."
"So, what's the blue color?" Coran asked. Just then, the blue was overpowered by the purple and the markings disappeared.
"Lance isn't the chosen pilot." I said. Lance came out disappointed, sulking as he put his helmet on the floor and sat on it pouting.
"It's useless. The Black Lion hates all of us." He summed.
"Saoirse, you go next." Allura said. I felt uneasy. I didn't want to part with my mother's lion.
"I'm sorry, Allura, but I can't go in there." I said shaking my head.
"Please, Saoirse, we need to rule everyone out. That includes you." Allura pressed.
I sighed, knowing that she wouldn't let it go, so I walked closer to the Black Lion. I walked up the ramp and into the cockpit, but before I could sit down, my human appearance disappeared leaving me in my Teshiran-Altean form. I looked down at my hand and saw my marks appear, a silver color fading into purple, but slowly, the silver overpowered the purple, fighting each other for dominance.
"You are not my chosen Paladin, young Angel." A deep and powerful voice said to me.
"I understand. I don't want to give up being the Silver Lion's Paladin anyway." I answered the Lion, "You're going to choose Keith, aren't you?"
"It was the wish of my former Paladin, Takashi Shirogane. I intend to keep his wish alive."
I nodded and turned away from the cockpit, putting up my human appearance again before leaving the cockpit.
I walked out of the lion, happy that I coulr stay with my Silver Lion. After all, she chose me from birth, how could I leave her behind for another Lion?
"I'm not the one." I said, "Actually I'm glad about this choice, I can't part with Silver."
"Keith, the Black Lion hasn't responded to any of us. You have to try." Allura said.
Keith was hesitant. I grabbed his hand and he looked at me with uncertainty and worry.
"Shiro wanted it this way." I whispered, "Go on."
Keith nodded and went inside the Black Lion.
Everyone crowded around me as I lifted my hand and saw my marks glow red and purple. Slowly, the colors began to merge, turning into a beautiful red-violet color.
Suddenly, the Black Lion's eyes glowed, standing up on its feet and roaring to life. Keith was chosen as the next Voltron Leader.
The lion lowered its head and Keith walked out with a sad expression, holding his helmet under his arm.
"I'm proud of you, Keith. I wish you were getting the job under better circumstances, but congratulations." Allura said happily.
"Congratulations, Keith." Pidge said.
"Yeah, man, ditto." Hunk chuckled.
"I'm glad the Black Lion chose you, Keith." I said.
But Keith was in no mood for congratulations on his new position.
"No, I don't accept this." Everyone shocked to hear Keith refuse the position of Voltron leader, but I understood his rejection. He didn't feel up to the task. And on top of that, he didn't feel as if he deserved the position of leader.
"You must. The Black Lion has chosen you." Allura urged on.
"I can't replace Shiro! You guys were right. I'm the loner. I'm not the leader Shiro thought I was." Keith fell silent when a hand landed on his shoulder.
He lifted his gaze to see Lance lookimg at him with a serious yet disappointed expression.
"Keith, no one can replace Shiro. But the Black Lion wouldn't choose anybody it didn't fell was worthy to lead Voltron. I respect its choice. And you should too." Lance said, accepting the fact that Keith was now the leader of Voltron.
I walked up to Keith, smiling at him before wrapping my arms around his waist.
"Congrats, Keith. I know Shiro would be proud of this decision." I said as I hugged him.
~~~~Keith~~~~
"Congrats, Keith. I know Shiro would be proud of this decision." Saoirse said as she hugged me. I sighed, closing my eyes and hugging her back.
She may believe in me being a good leader, but I can't replace Shiro. And what Lance said is true, no one can replace Shiro, but I don't know if I could be the leader Shiro wanted me to be.
I don't know. I just don't know.
"But who's gonna fly the Red Lion?" I asked.
~~~~Saoirse~~~~
After we were all done trying to activate the Black Lion, I made a detour to my room, grabbing my mother's journal to read in the lounge.
Allura had went to try and take control of the Red Lion, now that Keith couldn't pilot the Red Lion anymore. We've heard about her father being the original Red Paladin, so I could understand completely as to why she wanted to pilot it.
I got to pilot my mother's lion, why shouldn't she have the chance to pilot her father's?
I walked back to the lounge and sat next to Keith on one of the sofas, opening up the journal and began reading.
"What are you reading, Saoirse?" Pidge asked.
I smiled as I continued to read the beautiful cursive writing.
"It's my mother's journal." I answered.
"Amazing, writing from the original Silver Paladin." Coran said happily twirling his mustache, "She was a very wonderful woman. One of a kind really. Able to make anyone smile."
Lance chuckled, "That sounds a lot like Saoirse." He said.
I laughed, "Yeah, the more I read about my mom, I find that I'm almost exactly like her."
We stayed silent for a minute until Keith broke the silence.
"What did she write about?" He asked, "What was your mother like?"
I was surprised to hear him ask about my mom. He never really brought it up ever since I revealed my true heritage, no one did actually.
I looked up at Keith and then back at the journal.
"She wrote about how she lived on Altea, how much she loved it there more than her own home planet." I explained, "She was appointed to the Castle as Allura's personal maid. When she was nineteen she was chosen as the Silver Paladin and fought with other original Paladins. She married a few years later and when Allura turned nineteen, they announced that she was pregnant with me. Every entry she wrote was always happy and filled with joy and peace, speaking about how she's helped people, and how the people helped her. She is an amazing woman."
Everyone smiled as I talked about my mother. And most of what I said wasn't even half of what the journal had inside its pages.
Just then, Allura walked back into the lounge and met all of us with a sad expression on her face. I guess the Red Lion didn't choose her as its Paladin.
"I'm sorry, Princess. I know how much you wanted to pilot the Red Lion." Coran said solemnly. Allura was brave, and shook off her sadness and disappointment.
"I'm fine." She said, "Let's move on. We must find a new palidan... again."