#pidge:\ file \ image

[rorimoon9597]

"Paladin Cadets, please report to the briefing room." Artemis looked up from her homework, confused. She moved anyway, marking where she was and standing.

She made her way to the briefing room, wondering what she was needed for.

She entered the room when she got there, nodding to Curtis and the other Bridge Officers when they filed out from the meeting they were in.

She was the first to arrive, unsurprisingly. Leo constantly had things he was working on, and was always researching something or looking through old scientific papers. Rex spent his time baking, Alex was probably coming from the training deck, and Sava was probably coming from where she was helping in the engine room.

Her parents, Lance and Keith Kogane, were there already, and they smiled as she walked in.

"Hey, mija. I hope you weren't too busy," Lance said. Artemis shook her head.

"No, I wasn't. I was working on some math homework," she replied. Kosmo teleported up to her, begging for pets. She caved in.

"Man, I suck at math," Lance commented.

"You do," Keith agreed. Lance gave him an indignant look. "What? You came to my room after we found Kuro and tried to work out how many Paladins we had even though it's the simplest thing in the universe." Lance huffed.

"I was struggling that day." Artemis chose to sit in her seat, ignoring her parents.

Leo came not too long after she did, Alex, Sava and Rex right behind him.

"Are we late?" He asked. Shiro shook his head.

"No, you're just in time," he said.

"Alright." The other four sat down.

"What did you need us for?" Alex, ever the leader, asked.

"There has been a request for help from a Coalition planet," Shiro began. He smiled at the confused looks that were shared around. "I'll hand this to you, Lance."

"Thank you, Shiro," Lance replied. He stood at the front of the table, screen behind him clear to see. An image of a planet appeared on the screen behind him. "Shaatull is a planet that's relatively new to the Coalition. Their culture is based around crystals, and they have some really interesting theories about Quintessence and relationships."

"You can talk about it later on, okay?" Keith said, a reminder. Not dismissing him entirely, an invitation to talk as much as he wanted to when they had time to talk about it.

"Right. Anyway, Shaatull has certain creatures. None of them are insanely dangerous, because it's not a death world like Earth, or New Altea or New Daibazaal. Recently the head of Shaatull, Lady Ravra, reached out to us and requested our help with a creature that has been terrorizing the planet. Or, that's what they say about it."

"What does this creature look like?" Leo asked, genuinely curious about this creature.

"This is what it looks like." The image of the planet disappeared, replaced with a few images that looked like it came from a security camera. Not the best quality, but it was enough to give them an idea of the creature. "This is the creature that has been causing so much panic." Pidge rested her head on her joined hands.

"It looks like some sort of cross between a cat, a fox, and a phoenix or something," she observed. Artemis looked closer at one of the clearest pictures and noted that she was right.

It was nothing like what Artemis had seen, and she'd seen a lot. Her dad had a cosmic teleporting wolf as a pet, her grandmother was Galra, and she was training to become a proper Paladin of Voltron.

The creature, from what she could see, was gorgeous. Its fur was and amber colour, and it had a white muzzle from what she could see. The white went from the muzzle to somewhere around it's stomach. The tail was only slightly bushy, almost as if it were a combination between a fox and a cat tail. It's paws, which were like a cat's paws, had white socks. It had wings, which went from the same amber as its fur where the wings were connected to an off white colour.

"It's beautiful," she commented.

"It is," Lance agreed.

"The Atlas crew is working on finding where it comes from. While we are working on that, you five are to go to Shaatull and trap the creature. Do not harm it. When we know where it comes from, we will release it and figure out ways to stop this from happening again, to protect the creature's species, and the ecosystems of other planets," Shiro said.

"Yessir!" The five Paladin Cadets said, in sync. Determination showed on their faces.

"This is your first mission. We will set up check-in times to keep updated on your progress and to help you wherever you may need it. However, apart from that, you will only have each other to depend on." The thought made Artemis... nervous.

"We'll go pack as soon as we can," Alex said.

"Go do that now. We will sort out the check-in times," Allura encouraged.

"I agree with Allura there," Shiro said.

Clearly dismissed, the five of them stood up and went to their quarters.

"This is so exciting!" Sava said. Leo shook his head.

"It might be tough but..."

"How long do you think it might take for us to be able to trap the creature?" Rex asked, nervous.

"Patience yields focus," Leo reminded them. It was something that Shiro told all of the children he knew - Keith, all of the Paladins, the first MFEs, and now them, the Paladin Cadets, and the MFE Cadets.

They split up, going to their individual ways to their rooms.

Artemis cast one look at her homework, still on her desk. She turned away from it to grab a duffle bag.

She set out to pack it, grabbing underwear, a couple of hoodies, some jeans and spare shirts. She grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste too, as well as her hairbrush, some basic skincare products, and her shampoo and conditioner.

She grabbed some of her electronics, too. Her phone, headphones, and a tablet and the pen that went with it, as well as the chargers for those things.

She didn't over pack, fortunately. And she remembered to put in her pajamas, too.

Her phone pinged. She grabbed it and checked the notification that appeared on the screen.

MISSION ALERT - PALADIN CADETS TO PLANET SHAATULL TO ASSIST WITH FORGEN CREATURE. DEPATURE DATE & TIME: 20/4 1300. REPORT TO LIONS IN ARMOR.

Artemis checked the time, noting that she was set to leave that afternoon after lunch. She double checked her bag, making sure she had everything then triple-checked it. Once she was satisfied that she had everything she needed, she left her room and went to the Lion hangar.

When she was younger, her parents would take her and Alex around the ship, showing them all of the different places. She was four or five when they first did that, and she still remembered how it felt to be around the lions.

They radiated power, each and everyone of them. Black radiated power that told anyone and everyone that she was in charge, that she could zap them all if she wanted but chose not to. Green radiated the sort of power that came with scientists; smart, desiring knowledge, and using what they had to do their part.

Blue radiated the same sort of power that came from the ocean. Calm, playful, even, but with deadly currents and the ability to go from calm to raging quickly. Yellow radiated kindness, a solid rock to lean on when needed, and dependent.

Red had always stuck out to her, though. The lion was known to be fierce, unpredictable and dangerous to those who didn't know her. Hotheaded and reckless. Yet when Artemis first looked at Red, the only thing she felt from the lion was protectiveness, warmth like what one expected from a fire on a cold night, or a campfire. She was an observer, observing and making moves that no one could predict when she needed to. A gentle fire that would flair up when it needed to, often in the heat of battle.

Despite that though, Red was still rather stubborn.

"Hey, girl. We're going on a mission! I thought that I'd bring my stuff here now so that I don't have to worry about it later," Artemis said. Red's particle barrier went down, and she bent down, her jaws opening to grant Artemis access.

"Mission?" Red asked.

"Yep. We're being sent out to trap this creature from a planet known as Shaatull. It's not meant to be there, you see, so we have to figure out where it comes from and get it back to its home," Artemis explained. She placed her bag down and made sure that it would be secure.

"When?"

"After I have some lunch," Artemis replied. She stepped out of Red's mouth and onto the floor of the hangar. She turned to press a hand to Red's nose. "You won't be doing much except for flying to Shaatull and back. Sorry, girl."

"It fine." Artemis nodded.

Apparently, as her bond with Red grew, the lion would be able to speak in complete sentences. The fact that she was able to even hear simple sentences from Red was nothing short of an achievement. Not even Leo, the technological genius of the team, could hear simple words. He could only hear Green's growls and purrs and understand how they were meant to be taken.

Artemis walked to the cafeteria and grabbed some lunch. Looking around, she could see Leo, Sakura, and Shiro and Adam sitting together. Artemis got the hit and went to find her family.

It was easy, considering the fact that the red and black of both of her parents uniforms stood out among the sea of orange.

She slid into the seat next to Alex.

"I'm kind of nervous," Alex said. He was picking at his food.

"Hey, it's okay, mijo. At least you won't mess up your first mission as badly as your dad did when he first became the Black Paladin."

"Hey, I was mourning the loss of my brother," Keith shot back.

"I know. At least I was there to reign you in, eh?"

"Gay," Pidge said as she passed, a tray of food in her hands.

"That's glaringly obvious, Pidgeon!" Lance replied, a grin on his face. Artemis looked towards her twin and sniggered. No one else in the cafeteria bothered to look up. The Paladin's close relationship was normal, now.

Silvio slid into the seat next to Alex.

"I heard about the mission," he said nonchalantly, biting into the garlic knot he grabbed.

"It's nerve-wracking," Alex said.

"Our mission to free Shay's Balmera was super nerve-wracking," Lance reminisced. "So much so that we teased Hunk about his obvious crush on Shay." Keith snorted.

"I very clearly remember the way Pidge called Shay his girlfriend," he said. Lance barked out a laugh.

"Man, those times were... much better than the rest of the war." A grimaced passed both of her parent's faces.

"The problem I have right now is what we're going to do to trap the creature," Artemis said, pulling both of her parents out of their thoughts before they got too far.

"Simple. Get its trust, then trap it in a cage," Lance told her.

"But it won't trust us after that," Artemis said, pouting.

"It'll be fine, Arti. We'll have to break its trust to get it safe." Artemis nodded.

They ate in silence after that. Then, as one, the Paladin Cadets got up and put their trays back. They left the cafeteria and went to the armory, where the Paladin armor was sitting, already out for all of them.

Artemis grabbed the red armor and the accompanying undersuit. Sava grabbed the blue one, Alex the black, Leo the green, and Rex the yellow.

They ducked into the changing rooms, changing out of their Cadet uniforms and into their armor. Artemis grabbed the red pin and put it into a hidden pocket.

She went back to the armory and grabbed the red bayard. She threw the black one to Alex, who caught it and stored it away in his storage bars. They handed the others their bayards, too.

Now fully ready, they walked to the lion hangar.

"Mijo, mija," Lance said. He walked up to them and wrapped them both up into a hug. She returned it.

"Alex, Artemis." Both twins pulled away to face their dad. He handed them something. "Your grandma left these with me last time." Alex and Artemis gasped when they realised what their dad was offering them.

Two Luxite blades, like the ones the Blade of Marmora carried. One had a black grip. It stood out against the blueish colour of the blade. The other one had a red grip.

"What-"

"They're both linked to your life forces. The red one is linked to Alex's life force, the black one is linked to Artemis'. I was waiting for your first mission to give these to you."

"He's had them for years, since you were babies. He decided to give them to you when you turned eighteen, but then you were both chosen by one of the lions, so he decided to give them to you before you went on your first mission," Lance explained. Artemis reached out and took the red blade.

It was perfect in her hand, the red grip comfortable in her hands. The symbol of the Blades glowed with Alex's life force, his Quintessence. She pulled it out of the sheath and turned it this way and that in the light. She put it back into the sheath and hugged her dad. Alex joined her.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"Anything for my children," Keith replied. Lance joined them.

Artemis waved goodbye to her parents from Red's jaw, then stepped inside. She sat in the pilot's seat and, when the doors opened, shot off into space just behind Black. A wormhole opened, and she flew through, right to Shaatull's solar system, and far away from the Atlas and her parents.

Shaatull, though, was a pretty planet from space. There was pink, and some green, and yellow, too.

"The pink is land, the green is water," Leo informed them.

"Alright. I've got the landing coordinates here, I'll send them to you guys," Alex said. His face went from the nervous look to focused. Artemis, knowing Alex like she knew the back of her hand, could see the nerves still there, in his eyes. "Everyone got them?"

"Yep," Artemis replied. She entered them into Red's system.

"Ditto," Rex said.

"I've got them," Leo confirmed.

"Me too," Sava piped up. Alex nodded.

"Alright, team, let's go." Black sped up, heading to the planet. Artemis urged Red forwards, matching the speed that her brother set for them. She could see Blue on her right, just behind her.

They entered Shaatull's atmosphere. The grass and the leaves of the trees were all different shades of pink, and the sky was a similar blur hue as Earth's sky was. There were clusters of something sparkling in clusters on the ground.

"This kind of reminds me of Barbie Land from that twenty twenty-three Barbie movie," Sava commented. There was laughter through the comms.

"Let's not let the Shaatullians hear that," Alex suggested.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Sava replied.

They landed in the designated landing area. A group of Shaatullians were waiting for them, ready to greet them.

"Alright, the atmosphere is safe for all of us to breathe. We can leave our helmets behind," Leo said.

"Let's do that, then," Alex agreed. Artemis stood up and took off her helmet, leaving it on her seat. She walked out of Red and onto the ground, falling in step just behind Alex.

The Shaatullians were an interesting people. They were mostly humanoid, but they weren't entirely so. They were tinted dark colours that contrasted with the landscape, and came in all different colours. Artemis counted four fingers on each hand. They wore loose clothing, like robes that people in the Middle East would wear, which were pale in contrast to their skin. They had long hair that was tied back, and they were decorated in crystals.

Alex led them up to a Shaatullian who was a deep purple. A pink crystal hung around their neck, glowing slightly.

"Paladin Cadets, it is an honor and a relief to have you on our planet," the Shaatullian, who Artemis guessed was Lady Ravra, greeted them.

"Lady Ravra, it is an honor to meet you as well. I do wish that the circumstances were much better than this, though," Alex said.

"As do I. Now come, follow me, we must discuss our options." Lady Ravra turned around and led them through an estate that was huge.

The walls and floors were made out of a marble-like material, and there were crystals everywhere. In the chandeliers, in the artworks and arches of the hallways. Crystal statues, and crystal columns. Artemis looked around in awe, unable to tear her eyes away from anything in fear of missing anything.

"You can explore later," Leo reminded her. She nodded, and turned to face the front.

They came to a room that housed a crystal table made of some sort of brown crystal. The chairs, thankfully, were made of wood.

"Please, have a seat," Lady Ravra said. They sat down at the rounded table, Artemis on Alex's right, Sava on her right. Leo and Rex were on Alex's left.

Lady Ravra introduced them to her councilors, all of whom nodded in reply. In turn, Alex introduced each of them.

"So, about this creature?" Alex prompted. Lady Ravra nodded.

"Yes. This creature came on a trade ship. We have made sure that the people who have brought it to our planet have paid their fine for doing such a thing, but no one knows where the creature came from," Lady Ravra said. Alex nodded.

"Fortunately, the Atlas' scientific crew is searching for the creature's home. If all goes well, then we will be able to trap the creature and take it back to it's home planet," he explained.

"How do you plan on trapping it?" A councilor asked.

"We'll have to get the creature to trust us, which will take some time. We have a cage that we can trap the creature in when we get to that part, though it will be a while until we can do that," Artemis explained.

"So you wish to release it in its home world?" Lady Ravra asked.

"Precisely. And, with the information we receive about the creature, we can properly document it and enforce rules and regulations surrounding it to keep something like this from happening again," Leo added on to Artemis' explanation. There were murmurs as the plan was discussed by the councilors and Lady Ravra. Finally, she stood up.

"Paladin Cadets," she said. Her voice was clear, with a hint of a sound that was like crystals clinking against each other. "We will provide you with anything you may need in order to capture the creature. We trust that you will be sure to capture it." Alex stood up.

"We promise to help with this issue, and bring your planet back to stability," he said, using his Black Paladin voice. Authoritative, sure and steady.

This declaration closed the meeting, and the five of them were led to the rooms that they would be staying in. Someone had gone in and grabbed their things, because Artemis' things were at the end of her bed. Sava's things were at the end of another bed, right next to the one that Artemis had been given.

As soon as she was inside of their room, Artemis stripped off the armor. She didn't throw it anywhere, instead choosing to piled it up into a corner. She grabbed her spare clothes and put them on. She could hear Sava doing the same as her. Once they were done, they sat on their respective beds. Sava scanned the platter of food left for them.

"Safe for us to eat," she said. She grabbed a strawberry looking thing. Artemis grabbed a pastry thing. It was sweet when she bit into it, perfectly satisfying her giant sweet tooth that she'd inherited from her dad.

There was a knock on the door.

"Arti? Sav?" Leo called through the wood.

"Come in," Artemis said. Leo opened the door and walked in, followed by Alex and Rex. Leo sat on a chair while Alex joined Artemis on her bed, and Rex sat on the floor.

"You can sit on a chair, you know," Sava pointed out to him. Rex shrugged.

"The floor's comfortable," he replied.

"Check-in time, let's go," Leo said. He set up the communicator, they all crowded around it.

A holographic screen appeared, showing the faces of the Paladins. Artemis watched as worry disappeared from her parent's faces like ripples in water.

"How's it going?" Shiro asked. Right to the point.

"We came out of a meeting with Lady Ravra and her council not too long ago. They explained that the creature came in on a trade ship, though no one's sure when it got on," Alex reported. There were nods.

"The team is researching on where it comes from, but so far it's proved to be fruitless," Pidge told them. "Coran has been sent the images of the creature, and he has a team looking into it. Hopefully, with our combined efforts, we will be able to figure this out."

"We'll start searching for the creature in the morning," Alex said. Looking out the window, Artemis saw that the sun was setting.

"That's a good idea," Lance agreed, also eyeing the window that he could see.

They talked a bit more before signing off. The boys retreated to their room, and Artemis climbed into her bed.

"G'night," she mumbled.

"Night," Sava replied.

____________

The next morning, when she woke up, Artemis stretched and went to the bathroom. She showered and changed, threw her hair up into a ponytail and let Sava use the bathroom after her.

They were given breakfast by a servant. Artemis ate her fill, and left the rest for Sava, who ate her own fill after she came out of the bathroom wearing casual clothing as well.

They went to meet up with the boys afterwards.

"The best thing for us to do is to split up and search for the creature. It'll give us a better chance at spotting it," Alex said. He was typing something out on his phone, probably a message to the Atlas about what they were doing. "The creature has been spotted here multiple times, trying to steal food, so that's where we're going to start our search. Feel free to buy yourselves something while we're here."

"Alright," Leo said. They were standing not too far from where the market was, and even from here, Artemis could see all of the people milling around. Mothers with babies strapped to their backs, children chasing each other, and men talking to each other.

It was so interesting, and Artemis had always been one to learn about culture. Exploring a market place was perfect for learning about the Shaatullian culture.

"Lady Ravra gave me some maps. There's enough for all of us to have one each. Artemis, you take this area. Leo, you take this part. Rex, you take this one. Sava, you take this one. I'll search here." Alex pointed out each part. Artemis took one of the paper maps from her brother and a pen from her backpack and outlined her area. The others did the same on their maps, handing the pen back to her once they were done. "Meet back here before dinner time. Lady Ravra has invited us to eat with her."

"Copy that," the four of them said in unison.

They split up after that and went to find their areas. Once Artemis found the start of her area from where she'd entered, she started to explore and search for the creature.

The Shaatullians were rather fond of bright colours, she noticed. All of the stalls sold things like jewelry and scarves and clothing all in different shades, as well as some food. Curious about the culture, Artemis bought some candy. The candy tasted good, and they were in the shape of crystals.

Papa wasn't lying when he said that the Shaatullians find crystals important, she thought as she watched a mother buy her child their first piece of jewelry. Artemis couldn't help but smile at the child's happy expression as their mother helped them put it on. The vendor smiled as well.

"Come and get Soul Crystals here! Perfect gift for married couples and parents!" One of the vendors shouted. Artemis stopped, thinking about it. She was... intrigued, to say the least. And her papa would love to have a souvenir from this planet.

Artemis turned and walked to the booth.

The booth was covered in those simple crystal necklaces that Artemis had noticed everyone wearing, all of which glowed slightly, like Lady Ravra's. None of these ones glowed, though they came in all different kinds of colours. Pink, purple, blue, green, red and many others. The vendor grinned when they saw her.

"Well, hello there, traveler! May I interest you in a Soul Crystal for your significant other? Or perhaps as a gift for your parents?"

"What do they do?" She asked, eyes roving over the crystals.

"Well, these are an ancient tradition among our people. They are linked to two people's Quintessence. It allows for couples to feel each other's emotions, as well as acts as a compass of sorts for them, so that they always know where each other are, and how they are feeling."

"Is that why they glow?" She questioned. The vendor nodded.

"Precisely," they said.

"How much would it be to get a couple for my parents?"

"Fifty VIC," the vendor replied.

I have a few hundred VIC in my wallet, she thought.

"Buy. Lance like," Red said.

"Keep it a secret from him," Artemis said.

"Yes. Secret. Surprise." Artemis pulled out her wallet and pulled out a 100 VIC note.

"Here," she said, handing the money over.

The vendor took the note.

"Now, just close your eyes, and search for the crystals that match your parents. It's easier for those who have Quintessence sensitivity." Artemis closed her eyes, feeling for something that matched her parents. She opened her eyes and looked at the crystals her Quintessence sensitivity helped her zero in on.

"Those two, that blue one with white swirls and that red one that has gold in it, those match perfectly," she said, pointing to the crystals. They were on a basic black string. The blue one looked like the ocean, while the red one looked like fire.

The vendor boxed them up and tied the boxes with a ribbon without question.

"I wish your parents wonderful and fulfilling life, Young One," the vendor said. Artemis nodded.

She left the vendor after that and wandered around some more. The crystals she bought were in her bag, waiting to be given to her parents.

She continued around the market. She bought some fresh meat and some fruit for the creature to eat when she came across it. Part of gaining its trust was to give it food, which was a universal sign of 'I'm not here to fuck you up' with all species, not just people.

There was a commotion. Artemis looked over to see it.

The creature, which was the size of a cat that was somewhere between being an adult and a kitten still. It was trying to get some meat, but was being chased off by a vendor.

Artemis leapt into action. She ran after the creature, following along as it flew through the air and ran on buildings. She never took her eyes off of it, which caused quite a few close calls with other people.

"Hey, watch it!" One yelled.

"Sorry, gotta chase this creature," she shouted.

She ran around a corner, using her arm to turn more accurately. She used the momentum to keep going.

She followed the creature out of the market and to a dilapidated house on the outskirts of the city. It flew in, and Artemis followed, slowing down do not scare it.

The house was made of the same stone as the other houses were, but the crystals that adorned them were missing. Artemis stepped over a chunk of rock that had fallen from the ceiling and into the room. Dust and rocks covered the ground. Artemis saw the creature in a corner. It yowled at her, wings and fur puffed up to make it look larger.

"Hey, it's okay, I don't want to hurt you," she said. She crouched down and sat on the floor, making herself smaller, less intimidating as much as she could. "You're hungry, aren't you? That's why you were trying to take that meat from that guy."

The creature growled at her, still untrusting. Slowly and clearly, so that the creature could see what she was doing, she pulled out the meat from the bag the vendor had given her. She held up a chunk of the slightly green meat - the colour reminded her of the description of dragon meat or whatever it was Hagrid has used as an ice pack in The Order of the Phoenix.

"Here, I got this especially for you," she said. She chucked it to the creature, as far as she could. The creature crept forward and sniffed the meat. It took it and went back to its corner, chewing on the meat. Artemis took out her phone and snapped a picture, sending it to the others and the Paladins and Shiro.

Artemis: I've found the creature. Artemis: It eats meat. Artemis: Click to see image.

Shiro: Good job. We'll pass on the picture and the information.

Pidge: It's even prettier than the security pictures show.

Alex: Save the location of where it's staying so that you can find it later. Alex: It'll be better for you to be the one to capture it in the end.

Artemis: Already on it.

She saved the location on her phone and looked up. She saw that the creature was looking at her, having eaten the meat she gave to it.

"Here, have some more. You need to eat all you can so that you don't starve. I'd rather be able to take you back to your home than have you die," she said. She grabbed more meat and chucked it over to the creature. It grabbed that meat, too. Artemis chucked over the rest of the meat and stayed there. She stayed there until an hour and a half before dinner.

The creature watched her with wary eyes.

"I'll be back with more food tomorrow, and a bowl. I'll be able to give you water without having to force you to get too close if you don't want to." She turned to leave. Before she was our from under the door, she turned back to smile at the creature. "Bye." She walked away from the house.

____________

True to her word, she set out to the house that the creature lived in the next day. She packed her electronics into her backpack along with some lunch and some meat and water, then set out. She went and bought a couple wooden bowls, and made her way back to the house.

The creature was still there. It growled softly, a warning to not come any closer.

"Hello, pretty. How are you today?" The creature growled again. Artemis nodded. "Fair enough. I've brought some bowls with me, so I can put your food in there as well as some water. You don't have to worry about coming too close to me anymore." As she told the creature about the bowls, she pulled them out, and poured some water in one. She set it on the ground, not too far from the creature, not too close. She then took the meat and put it into the other bowl. She set that down next to the water bowl.

She walked to the opposite side of the the room compared to the creature, the bowls halfway between them. She got herself comfortable and put on some music, using her headphones. She started to draw on her tablet.

She sketched out the creature, capturing it's beauty on a canvas. It moved forward to sniff the bowls. It realised that she wasn't trying to kill it and watched her. Artemis watched it herself, and smiled as the creature ate the meat and drank some of the water before hopping up onto it's perch.

She grabbed her phone and opened the voice recordings.

"Day two of taming the... creature. We don't know what it is still, but it's beautiful. I'd say that it's the same as a kitten that's nearing the same size as a fully grown cat from Earth. I've given it some meat, and some water. They're both in a bowl so that it doesn't have to come too close to me if it doesn't want to. I'll continue to do this until I can get close to it without it panicking and trying to murder me."

She went back to her drawing when she finished the log.

Pidge: We've found out what the creature is. Pidge: It's called a Refr, and it's from Hvalba, which is an extremely new planet, only having sentient life within the last 357 years.

Artemis: Seems like a cool place tho.

Pidge: It is.

____________

"Day twenty of taming the Refr, who I have discovered in a girl. She's friendly now, and she has let the others get close to her. That's as long as I'm here, though. No one can get close to her without her trying to maim them if I'm not around. She trusts me enough to keep her safe from danger if it ever arises. That's... that's the same level of trust Dad and Kosmo have. I don't know if we're going to be able to actually release her onto Hvalba, but it's worth a shot." She finished the log and looked at the Refr.

"Mrow?" The Refr asked. Artemis smiled.

"I'm going to go now, girl. I have to get back to my friends before it's too dark," she said. She stood up and packed her things into her bag and then set off for Lady Ravra's estate.

She was barely walking for five minutes before she heard the telltale signs of something following her. She looked back to see the Refr landing on a building.

Artemis grabbed her phone and took a picture of it.

Artemis: I don't think we need to trap it. Artemis: And I think I have a pet now.

Keith: That's fine.

Lance: At least it's safe. Lance: Don't worry, I give you my full permission to keep the Refr if you want to.

Allura: We can still create rules and regulations surrounding the Refrs to keep something like this from happening again.

Artemis: Alright. Artemis: She'll only let people near her if I'm around tho.

Alex: That's some Dad and Kosmo level trust.

Lance: It is.

Artemis put her phone away and turned the Refr, who was still there.

"Come on, girl. I'll take you to Red, she's a safe space for you to stay," she told it. The Refr tilted her head.

Artemis started her walk again, path engraved in her mind. She could hear the Refr following her, all the way to Red, who bent down to let Artemis in. The Refr followed.

"You'll be safe here," Artemis said. She offered her hand to the Refr, who pushed its face into it. "You need a name." She thought through all of the names. "How about... Amber?" The Refr purred at the name. "Amber it is."

Artemis had to leave Amber in Red, which was simple enough. She went back to her room, where Sava was waiting.

"So you have a pet now, huh?"

"Yup. I've named her Amber," Artemis replied. She grabbed her pajamas and went into the bathroom and changed.

"Amber's a nice name," Sava commented when she walked back out.

"Yup. And we've finished the mission, so we can leave soon."

"Thank quiznack. I miss Hunk's cooking," Sava said.

"I miss Dad and Papa," Artemis said. She climbed onto the bed and under the covers.

The next day, the five of them climbed into their lions and departed Shaatull. Amber sat on one of the consoles, staring out at space. Artemis flew Red through the wormhole that appeared and into the Lion hangar, landing her expertly.

"Let's go, girl," she said to Amber. The Refr meowed again and followed her out of red. Artemis went and hugged her parents when she saw them, leaving Amber to watch with curious eyes.

"This is the Refr," Lance said when he pulled away. He knelt down and offered Amber a hand.

"Yeah. Her name's Amber," Artemis replied. She watched as Amber readily accepted pets from Lance.

"You guys have to debrief. Bring Amber with you," Keith said.

"I will," Artemis agreed.

Ten minutes later, and she was in the briefing room for the mission debrief. Amber laid on the table, watching everyone. Artemis' hand on Amber's head kept her calm.

"Why do we have to do a debrief?" Alex asked.

"Protocol," Adam answered.

"Adam's right. This is protocol, and the Garrison will have my head if I don't do this," Shiro said with a sigh. "Trust me, I hate debriefs too. I don't even know why I'm still the captain of the Atlas."

"Let's not question life choices now, otosan," Leo said.

"Alright. Let's get through this."

It was... surprisingly quick. Amber willingly got up and went to meet everyone in the room that she didn't know, including Kosmo, who touched his nose to Amber's nose in greeting. After sniffing each other, they curled up on the ground together.

"That's cute," Alex commented.

"Yeah, it is," Artemis agreed.

"I didn't expect for you to end up with a pet after all of this," Leo said.

"Shut up," Artemis shot back. Leo stuck his tongue out at her. Artemis returned it.

"It's good to have you guys back," Shiro said.

"You're a sap," Adam said. Everyone laughed at that, causing Amber to look up from where she was lying on top of Kosmo.

[sylvabled]

@catusbled

Matt and Katie’s first and last hug after they finally found each other…

[arcadesandapostatsy-blog]

Since I’m already sharing my shitty art...

Have a quickie doodle of Vitae I drew. He is a Fluffy Boy AKA water-based Artic Galra-- it does this if he lets his mane and tail grow out/gets exposed long-term to cold environments. Unfortunately he spends most of his time on a thermo-regulated ship, so he trims it down and makes less appealing aesthetic decisions.  He’s still a young adult by Galran standards and DEFINITELY by subspecies standards, so he’s got a bit of growing into his mane/tail and body left to do. It shows.

[cakepopple]

For the prompt thing—how about a kissy klance? A rare moment of downtime for the busy boys. Thanks so much!!❤️💙

I'm like!! 90% sure!! This isn't quite how you wanted this fic to go ahaha... but it's soft and mostly smooching and I'm fairly satisfied with it :) also tbh... if you want good kush kiss fics, check out @nisekoi !! Nothing I write could ever live up to those tbh :P Anywho, here’s my best go at it!

Stay, Don’t be Busy (Klance Request - 2)

— (word count: 2247) —

Lance finishes his class at noon. He’s been teaching fighter pilot courses at the Garrison since the war ended, and while he loves it, he’s happy when his lunch break finally arrives. More so today than usual, since after his students have all filed out to the hallway and mumbled their tired goodbyes, there’s still someone leaning against the doorframe. There are enough stripes on his uniform to tell Lance he’s not a student. Not that he’d need the help anyway; he knows who’s standing there, even when he’s only seen him in his peripheral. His legs cross at his ankles, his elbow bends and presses against the door to hold it open, and his fist knots so he can hold it against his cheek in an exaggerated show of false nonchalance. The genuine and smooth lines at the ends of his smile show he’s not as indifferent as his body language would suggest, though.

“Hey,” he says, and Lance realizes he’s missed Keith’s voice than he’d previously thought. Hearing it now is like the first bite of a food you haven’t had in months, the one that brings all the flavors and cravings back so fast you get a chest ache. Lance had known Keith would be back from his Blade mission today, but part of him had thought the man wouldn’t come to visit. They’re not dating, as much as Lance wishes they are, so there was never any obligation for Keith to stop by. 

Every ounce of blood in his veins had been coursing with the hopes that Keith would come visit him anyway. 

And here he is. 

Keith’s got his Garrison uniform on, the one with the red sleeves and gold stripes, and Lance’s eyes snag on the way the colors broaden his shoulders. Or maybe it’s the way he’s standing, tall and confident, with that smug, little smile on his lips. But he looks so genuinely happy to see Lance, and that ties the whole image together. It’s something Lance will stare up at his ceiling thinking about until the next time Keith comes home. The next time Keith gives him something he can’t sleep over. Keith licks his lips, and the taunting image scrawled through Lance’s mind shifts. A shudder passes through Lance’s spine. He knows exactly what triggered it.

He nods at Keith, hands fumbling for the papers on his desk as a source of distraction. Quietly, he clears his throat, “Hey, Keith.” And there’s a smile in his voice, warm and fizzing, as he flashes a smitten look at his shuffling hands. Too stubborn, too apprehensive to let Keith know how profoundly giddy he is, but too pleased to keep a smile away. The pages click twice against the desk as he straightens them. Calculated. Nervous. “Didn’t think I’d see you during my lunch break today.” Lance flickers his eyes up and away from his work, and Keith’s grin in response is irrepressible. As if Lance just looking at him is enough to satisfy everything he’d ever wanted. Doesn’t he know how much Lance looks at him? It isn’t that special. But the way Keith smiles at him definitely is, and Lance feels his stomach roll in gratification, so he hides himself in his work again. His ears are hot.

Keith strolls in from the entrance and the door clicks back into place behind him. “Where else would I go?” He sounds so sincere. Lance smiles, the bunches of his cheeks burning from how wholly he feels the emotion behind his grin. His body sways, only slightly, with a drunken buzz of delight, and he presses a hand to his desk to keep himself steady. The papers he’d stacked so neatly only a second ago wrinkle under his hold, retaining the creases because of the sweat on his palms. God, was he always this blatantly skittish around Keith? The flush of his cheeks is so irredeemably nervous. He hears Keith flop onto the swivel chair behind him. His heart pools and bubbles in his stomach when Keith laughs at the way the seat skids back and squeaks. “You’re my favorite person to spend time with, Lance.” 

“Is that so?” Lance wheezes as he asks that, playing it off by laughing in short spurts after the fact. He turns around slowly, squatting on his desk where his papers aren’t. “Never would have guessed.” And he means it. Him? Keith’s favorite? He bites back the urge to sigh at the weight such an assurance takes off his shoulders. Pleasure burns at his nape; he lifts his hands there, as though to swat it back down. 

As he slides himself farther up his desk, so the crooks of his knees hook on the edge, he watches Keith make up for the distance. Hands close around the desk, one on either side of Lance’s thighs. “Absolutely.” Lance loses his voice at the certainty in Keith’s tone. The glint in Keith’s eyes turns wicked as he stands up and leans closer, shrinking the distance between them to something so small, Lance knows he’s not imagining Keith’s body heat swarming his own. “I heard something interesting from Pidge and Hunk when I came in this morning,” he says, bringing his hands closer to Lance’s legs, an inch away from touching. Lance dizzies at the thought, wonders what his hands feel like when they linger for more than a fleeting touch. 

“What did you hear?” Lance has to restart the sentence a few times, emotions too thick in his throat to allow words passage. Keith smiles something tender at the jolts in Lance’s voice. One of his hands releases the desk and instead, it drifts to Lance’s cheek. Though he puts infinite effort into an attempt, Lance can’t seem to keep his eyes open. He can’t see it when Keith swoops in to smother their lips together, but he feels it so perfectly, so completely, he swears the image is right there, on the backs of his eyelids. Surely on his ceiling tonight, too, as he’ll be kept up again. One of Lance’s hands grips to ground himself on the desk, while the other reaches for the hand Keith kept beside his thigh.

When Keith straightens his spine and thus places distance between them once more, it becomes painfully clear the sort of thing he’d heard. “Pidge said she was tired of watching you ‘stare at’ and ‘pine’ over me. Hunk begged me to make the first move.” Twitching his nose, he pauses, and the hand along Lance’s cheeks trails downward to his neck. Keith looks concerned. “How long?” It’s fragile, the way his face seems to fold in the middle, where his eyebrows wrench together, as though trying to meet. A welt of sadness taints Lance’s throat.

“Do you mean how long I was going to wait to kiss you? Or how long I’ve already been waiting?” Lance’s fingers begin to slip away from where they’re nestled over Keith’s, but they’re stopped when Keith desperately draws them back, pinning the hand under his own. Shyly, Lance admits, “Either way, the answer is pretty close to forever.” A sour note wrenches from Keith’s throat.

Pressing closer, touch hot enough on Lance’s neck to scar, Keith weakly ponders, “Why?” 

“I’ve been busy, and you’ve been busy, out with the Blades—”

“You’re not busy right now,” Keith says, tone sharp with urgency, but countenance a heartstopping mild. His eyes are scalding, a swirling grey like thick, stifling smoke, and Lance is suffocating in them, how they lock onto him. Stern, gentle, intoxicating. Those eyes dip to Lance’s mouth. A tongue darts over Keith’s lips when he brings his eyes upward again. “I’m not busy with the blades, either. What’s stopping you now?” Lance feels Keith’s hand on his neck crawl around to his scalp. He lets it happen, leans into the cup of gentle touches. 

Lance whimpers, “But you will be busy. When you leave again in a few days.” After hearing that, Keith tugs Lance closer by his hair, so he can kiss him again. Longer, deeper, and this time, Lance kisses back. He doesn’t care that the discussion has been paused, doesn’t mind postponing it, if it means he gets to taste more of Keith’s lips, circling and pushing along his own. Keith’s leaving, he tells himself. It isn’t a good idea to indulge in something that’s doomed to crash and burn, he reminds himself. But, ultimately, he admits that it feels too right to ignore. Lance curls into Keith, so indescribably satisfied he feels he might fall down onto his desk. His back shudders at the thought, like it’s about to give out under the affectionate assault, as though to confirm such a thing would be fitting. He wraps his arms around Keith’s neck to hold himself together.

The hold Keith has on Lance’s scalp falls away. He’s at the bottom of Lance’s shirt, now, and searing fingers swipe a patch of skin on the small of Lance’s back. It makes Lance arch closer. Keith eagerly takes the invitation, sliding his whole hand up under Lance’s shirt, just to cradle his shoulder blades. All his actions, all his motions whisper, caress, sing, I’ve waited too long, over soft skin. The drag of his tongue along the roof of Lance’s mouth says the same. So do the scribbled circles that loop around to Lance’s stomach, because Lance finally leans his spine down against his desk. He’s taking Keith’s cheeks, his addictive lips, with him. Keith swirls the nails of that one hand over Lance’s middle, and his other hand hastily moves from the edge of the desk to the space beside Lance’s head, where his fingers curl into the wood. 

Meanwhile, Lance grapples Keith’s cheeks like he’ll fall right into oblivion without Keith and his lips holding him in the present. His fingers wind through, and undo, Keith’s ponytail, so the hair tie clicks against the classroom floor. He doesn’t spare a thought in its direction; he’s waited too long to have Keith pushing, prodding, brushing teeth against his lips. Waited too long to kiss and be kissed by someone he feels so strongly for. To kiss and be kissed by Keith. When Lance whines, low and pleading in his throat, Keith lifts from Lance like he’s out of breath. Like he’s been drowning in something, and Lance feels the same. He can’t pry his eyes open, his lungs heave, and he feels Keith’s pulse from where he’s holding him by his cheeks, telling him Keith’s as antsy, as excited, as he is.

As Lance’s eyes squint open, he sees Keith’s cheeks are flushed. And Keith looks self conscious. Worried. He pulls his lips apart, huffs a few airless breaths, and then he suggests, “What if I don’t leave again? What if I stay here, not busy, with you?” He thumbs Lance’s bottom lip, he watches himself do it, as if he’s about to dive back in. If he went for it, Lance would let him. Lance would let him do anything. There’s no one he trusts more. In fact, he indulges the selfish look in Keith’s eyes, lifting his torso up to Keith’s so they can kiss again. Keith sighs against him, and Lance can feel the relief as his tense shoulders relax. 

They kiss until Lance is too overwhelmed by the heat behind it to breathe, and he pats Keith’s cheek. Instantly, Keith unlatches from Lance. They lock eyes for a moment, before Keith tickles his nose against Lance’s jawline experimentally. When Lance opens the spot to him, humming, Keith pecks a couple kisses down his neck. Fingers clutching into fists, Lance knots them together at the wrists, behind Keith’s head. His mind is fuzzy, his words slur as he quietly questions what Keith had proposed. “You’d do that for me?”

Keith chuckles against his pulse. Every exposed patch of Lance’s skin smolders, every one of his brain cells is stolen to play the sound and the feeling on repeat. God. God. He could keep Keith there forever, ask him to say every little thought he has there, and Lance still wouldn’t tire of it. He’s certain. It feels too good. Too perfect. So much so, he almost wants to ask Keith to stop, before he’s too drunk to teach later. Worst of all is how he knows, if he were to ask Keith to keep kissing and whispering along his neck, the man wouldn’t hesitate to do it. He’d probably smile and rumble with laughter and—

“Would I? Oh, Lance,” he breathes, then he’s leaving a kiss that’s longer than the rest, one that lingers after he’s pulled away again. “As if there’s anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

“Then stay,” Lance says hastily. Now that Keith’s suggested it, Lance can’t get the thought out of his head. How badly he wants Keith to stay with him. To kiss him every day, to laugh with him, to visit him during his lunch breaks. His heart revs up at the thought, his eyes swell with tears. Lance begs, “Please stay. Go on a date with me, keep kissing me, do whatever you want. Just please do it here, on Earth. Stay.” His breath is shaking. Now he’s crying. “Please, Keith. Stay with me.”

One last time, Keith kisses him on his mouth. Sweet and brief. Lance’s whole body shivers.

“For you, Lance…” Their eyes meet again, and Lance notices Keith is crying, too. “Anything.”

[sylvabled]

@pyrobled AAAAA

If Keith and Pidge were friends during the early Garrison days

From our Instagram @/bravepaladins

[chibi-pix]

Your Plance Portal AU pics inspired a small bit of fiction from me. Not sure what to do with it, so here you are. Apologies if it's a bit rough, first draft. Feel free to modify, share, whatever. I'm just anon. And sorry for the lack of formatting that will result in posting here. (part 1) "Why?" The fascinating specimen asked of me. His eyes darting over the form I had taken. Curiosity. Heightened heart rate. A curious combination of two of the three primal Fs. Fascinating as always.

Wow! Your story parts were amazing! While I admit, some sections were hard to read, conclude who was talking, but I did love it! Of course, you did call it a first/rough draft and stories start that way!

You had said I was free to modify and/or share. I took you up on that offer and applied your work to this. It was fun to work with and thank you for writing it and giving me an opportunity to work with it.

Hopefully it all shows; if not, I’ll reblog the answer with the full post/ficlet.

Pidge. It was a simple name she was referred to as. She. A humanized term to separate sexes and give identity. That was her understanding. It was a logical things to humans, but not to the likes of an android, program to see and comprehend numbers, not emotions and desires. So why? Why did she go by that word that could otherwise be called a pronoun?

“Why?” Her attention was brought to the latest of the subjects, a young man. Subject number 117-98-78. He insisted on being called Lance. Another human thing. But she supposed, to some extent, she could relate. She was given a name, too, along with her identity number. Her name, though, was shorter and easier to input by her creators when they wrote their notes.

Pidge examined Lance further, doing a scan of her own on the biological creature. His heart rate was increasing. An emotional response? Or perhaps it was the adrenaline humans felt when going through certain tasks that forces them to exert themselves physically and even emotionally. “You will need to reiterate your query for proper understanding so an appropriate answer can be provided.”

“Fine then. Why are you putting me through this?” Lance commanded. “Why do I need to go through these tests? What do you gain from all of this?!”

Pidge considered his questioned for a moment. To be honest, there was no complex reason for why she did it. It was her core imperative; it was her duty to test subjects and gather data. But would that response be enough for the latest subject? “You are a new variable.” she responded finally. “With the cloned and robotic test subjects being identical variables, testing and collecting data has grown stagnant and all data is outdated and irrelevant. You, however, come from outside the testing facility. You are a new variable and therefore present new data to study.”

“Dude! I could have died back there!” Lance snapped, his anger elevating. It was an illogical outburst from Pidge’s perspective, but, then again, humans were rather illogical. “Pit traps? Laser grids? And don’t get me started on that green goo you dare call sustenance. It’s freaking torture!”

“Incorrect.” Pidge responded, plain and simple. “This is testing. Testing is a necessary part of improving and moving forward. It is, after all, the core of my programming. To continue in my duty of gathering data. I test, therefore I am. I am, therefore...”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think Doctor and Professor Holt would have wanted testing to be this cruel.” Lance interrupted.

Pidge felt a stutter in her programming. Those names. Her creators. He knew their names. “Guessing their names correctly and knowing they created me specifically would be nearly impossible.” she commented. “Logic would point to you being aware of their classified research on redacted information. Despite this, mentioning them when in your current situation with the risks on your life tell me that you are not an intelligence operative of any enemy of my creators or their benefactors.” She performed another scan. “There are no indications in your biology to suggest any attempt of deceit. This is data that I did not anticipate. Explain. How do you know the names of my creators?”

“Huh? Well, everyone knows who the Holts are.” Lance stated, looking confused. “They changed everything. Botany, terraforming, space travel, they were the top minds of Altean Laboratories. Their work was groundbreaking.”

“Were. Changed. Was. These terms in how they are used are indication of past tense.” Pidge commented.

Lance was perplexed. “I mean… well… yeah, totally.” he said. “It was five centuries ago, give or take some months or single years.”

Pidge couldn’t explain the dip in her cor performance. Had she been human, she would have described it as a weight in her stomach. Had it seriously been that long? She had lost connection to her internal clock several thousand test subjects ago. “That is impossible.” she stated. “The facility around you operates due to the power obtained from the plasma reactor. It had only an estimated lifespan of three to four centuries; due to the renewal of energy sources, I have managed to re-calibrate that and extend it for another half century or so. To continue getting power to keep the facility functioning would be impossible. My ability to function would have ceased.”

Lance sighed. He then decided to bring up a holographic display. Pidge found she could not interface with the hologram; she decided she could endure collecting data visually. As she looked at the hologram, she saw the schematics of the facility. But not all was the same. There was a new structure that she could not identify.

Lance picked up on where Pidge was looking. “You see it, too, huh?” he asked. He pointed to an area on the hologram. “Right here. We had reason to believe that a piece of what we refer to as the trans-reality comet has found its way here. And by we, I mean my superior officers. I’m just the field guy who goes in and investigates things; the others are the science guys who understand this stuff better. Anyway, long story short, but this thing is apparently radiating energy and with a copious amount still stored in it. There’s a problem, though.”

Pidge couldn’t interface with the hologram, but she knew the subject could. She went in close, finding her humanoid form to be convenient for times like this. She gently took Lance’s hand and moved it, prompting him to touch certain parts and bring up more data on the hologram.

“It appears to be unstable.” Pidge commented.

“Extremely.”

“The plasma from the facility’s reactor appears to be the cause of of the instability. However, I do not have sufficient data to fully determine how accurate this is.” Pidge glanced over to Lance, realizing he was staring at her, his mouth hung open a bit. “Does me not having the full answer cause this human emotion of bewilderment?” she inquired. “It should not; results cannot be properly determined without sufficient amounts of data. I have not collected enough data on the subject of this comet and its interactions with the reactor.”

“No it’s just...” Lance looked at Pidge’s hand, seeing it still around his own. “Your hand. It’s so warm. I didn’t expect that.” Pidge pulled her hand away quickly. “What are you? How are you so warm?”

“I am not; this is simply a byproduct of the cooling systems aboard this particular interface unit.” Pidge responded. “This unit is only a feature provided to me. I am, after all, the facility computer.”

Lance looked closely. “So… why do you look like a girl?”

Pidge blinked. So even he acknowledged that he seemed like a girl, at least in appearance. She looked ahead and away from the subject. “This interface unit was called the Physical Interface Data Gateway Exchange. To make data input easier, they formed it into the acronym PIDGE.” she explained. “It was designed with the intention of making interactions with subjects feel less… impersonal. It is for the benefit of my creators and the facility, not of my own. I have insufficient amounts of data to determine why they have given me this form.” She didn’t speak about it, but what little data she had about that, she had image files showing a member of the Holt family with a similar appearance. Perhaps it was meant to immortalize that member? She lacked the data to determine that.

“Pidge, huh?” Lance asked. “So it’s a name?”

“It is what they called me due to it being easier on the creators and less time consuming for their already limited lives.” Pidge commented. “Now then, since I have answered your queries and indulged your curiosities, it would be preferable to continue the testing.”

Lance gave a smile, but it did not look calm. It looked almost forced. “Sorry, but… this is where the testing ends, Pidge. Pidge did not understand. She then felt something in her, as though the numbers she lived by were changing.

“I do not comprehend.” she commented. She felt off balance, as though she could not properly control the unit meant for interfacing. But she couldn’t disconnect, either; she couldn’t return fully to the computer system. “What did you do to my systems? How did…”

Lance gave a bit of a guilty smile. He then brought up a new image for the hologram. “I had some help but… your entire core program? It’s gone. No more testing. No more of this… cruel torture. You’re in this device now, disconnected from everything else. Like an old game disk; one wrong move, you’re gone. Completely.”

“Impressive.” Pidge commented. “I did not anticipate your device having the necessary storage capacity for my system. Perhaps the claim of five centuries passing is not as far-fetched as I originally determined.” Around them, the corridors and testing chambers grew dark. What Lance could only assume to be the emergency lights turned on, illuminating the area in a bright red. “It does not appear that you or your outside help have considered another variable.”

“Um… what variable?”

“The default settings booting back up upon my removal.”

“Ah quiznak.” Pidge could only assume that Lance’s choice of word meant something profound. “Okay… so what do we get? Some five hundred year old security system about to hunt me down?”

“That would be accurate to the data.” Pidge confirmed. “Which would not be good for your condition.”

“My condition?”

“Of being alive.”

“Oh.”

“However, I do possess the necessary data to thwart the old program. The variable now stands at you being the only one who can interface with my core due to the technology you transferred to it. It would then be in my best interest to keep your status as alive.”

“I mean, how hard can this be? I’ve dealt with you so far.” Lance prompted. He jumped when a sound caught his attention. There was movement further in the corridor. Blades typically seen in tests, meant to be turned off or dodged. Past it? There was another figure, though harder to see.

“In subject terms? Bad. Very bad.” Pidge commented. “I suggest listening to what I say and following my instructions without fail.” She looked to Lance. “My first instruction-”

“I’m gonna take a guess and say run!” Lance grabbed Pidge by the hand and ran off in the opposite direction, pulling her along; it was a good thing that despite her data being put into the device around his arm, her body, as one could call it, was still functional and able to move.

Again, thank you so much for this opportunity!

[zachbiller]

Keith Akira Kogane: Keith is depicted as a 26-year-old anti-social character in the beginning. Born to a Japanese father and a Chinese mother, his father trained him in kung fu until Keith’s parents died tragically in an accident. Keith continued to practice many other forms of martial arts until he turned 18 and enrolled in the United States Marine Corps. When he was 24, he met and proposed to Beverly Hagel, who died seven weeks before their wedding date in a plane accident. During the course of the series, he begins to form a comradeship with his teammates, and begins to develop feelings for Princess Allura and vice-versa.

Lance Charles McClain: Lance is a 24-year-old with a criminal record. For most of his life, Lance grew up as an adolescent daredevil and drag-racer. His life changed forever when he won a gift certificate for ten free flying lessons in a radio contest. These lessons displayed that he had a natural talent for flying. At age 18, he joined the navy, and flying became his obsession, but his hot-headedness landed him in deep water when his jetstar buzzed the penthouse of a vindictive senator.

Tsuyoshi “Hunk” Garrett: A 24-year-old Japanese/American mechanic. His nickname “Hunk” comes from his 4 brothers, of whom he’s ironically the smallest, despite his own great size. He was not very social, though, and would spend most of his time tinkering in garage workshops. Later he put himself through college on the G.I. bill, and after gaining a Master’s in engineering, he discovered the equipment that fascinated him most was military in nature. However, he remained rather anti-social, establishing himself as someone who it was unwise to harass.

Darrell “Pidge” Stoker: A growth-stunted 16-year-old, and as an Earthling (as opposed to his cartoon counterpart hailing from the planet Balto). He’s also depicted as an orphan abandoned outside a convent when he was six weeks old (however, he may yet have a family because later he talks with Vehicle team member Chip about the similarities that exist between the two of them, he remarks that they’re one DNA test short of discovering they’re brothers’ which is a nod to the cartoon establishment of Pidge and Chip as twins). During his years at the orphanage, his scores on a state-mandated IQ test caught the eye of the New West Point military academy, who promptly enrolled him to put his awe-inspiring understanding of computer systems to good use. However, his life at NWP turned out to be worse than at the orphanage, and was the subject of regular beatings by his intellectually-threatened peers, until he was approached by Colonel Hawkins to join a team of outcasts to search for the legendary robot Voltron on the distant planet Arus. Pidge didn’t have to be asked twice, and promptly agreed.

Sven Holgersson: The comic book version of Sven depicts him as 27, the oldest member on the team. Much of Sven’s past remains unknown, except that he was a former member of an elite Navy squad similar to the SEALS. During an insurrection in a small South American country, a serious miscommunication caused a foreign national Sven was supposed to extract to believe Sven was an assassin and opened fire. Sven was left with no choice but to fire back, protecting himself and eliminating the extraction target. He was then placed on “administrative leave” until he was approached by Colonel Hawkins to join a team of outcasts to search for the legendary robot Voltron on the distant planet Arus. Sven was possibly the most anti-social of the group, but this is possibly due to being the oldest and most mature. Unlike in the cartoon, Sven never got a chance to properly form Voltron, or even get to wear his classic black uniform (the only comic book image of Sven in his uniform is in a promotional picture in the back of Issue #0, although Allura did offer to find him a uniform, possibly in black, when the team plus Allura finally attained their own familiar uniforms). This is due to him having a brain defect that caused the magic of Voltron to somehow reject him. This brain defect caused him to fall under the influence of Queen Merla and Haggar, under which he betrayed his friends and Arus by stealing files from the Castle of Lions’ control room. He was then placed on a mission alongside Prince Lotor, during which the two found themselves having to survive together and try to trust each other. During a conflict that erupted later, Sven apparently crash-landed on planet Pollux, where he was discovered by Princess Romelle. Due to the comic’s hiatus, what path Sven’s tale would have taken from that point remains a mystery.

Princess Allura: The comic book version of Allura places her at age 19, and depicts her with a much stronger backbone than her cartoon counterpart. When her home planet Arus was ravaged by the forces of Zarkon and her parents murdered by Zarkon’s own hand, she was taken in and raised by Coran, a retired combat instructor in the royal army, and was forced to grow up much too fast. Years later, she would renounce her title of “princess,” answering only to “Allura,” until her people are liberated from Zarkon’s tyranny. Visions while she slept showed the spirit of her father King Alfor promising that five young men would come to Arus in search of the legendary robot Voltron. When Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Sven arrive on Arus and speak of the mighty robot, Allura instantly knows that they are the ones spoken of in her visions, and helps them to find the five hidden lions that will unite to form Voltron. When Voltron fails to combine properly due to a brain defect within Sven, Allura mans his Blue Lion, and with her royal Arusian blood, the unification of Voltron is finally a success, and she becomes a member of the Voltron Force. During the course of the comic, she begins to develop feelings towards Keith and vice-versa.

[seeds-of-the-garden]

During the Voltron Show, the unhinged Coran decides that to make the show more interesting, there should be some kind of side romance, but he picks (in all his stage managerial wisdom) the two no one would think to pair up. Now Pidge and Lance have to juggle the silly stage personas falling in love while dealing with more realistic emotions behind the scenes (my apologies if this is too long a prompt!)

This is brilliant, don’t apologize

~~~~~

Lance slumps down on the couch, feeling torn in three different directions, mind muddled and frazzled (as he was sure his hair actually was).

He needed a break. As much as he loved his adoring fans, the mob of a thousand screaming fangirls and their kisses left him claustrophobic and sore all over.

"Woah. What happened to you?"

Pidge walks into the living room, data pad in her hand. Coran files in behind her, hovering over her shoulder as if they'd just been discussing tactics.

Lance winces. The last thing he wants to do is admit all this in front of Pidge, but he's desperate. "Fans," he says simply. "Coran, do you think it's possible we could do some... re-branding on the Voltron Show? No one else gets this much attention. I'm starting to feel it in training."

Coran has the audacity to laugh at him. "Can't quite take the all the love, eh? I suppose it is a lot for one Paladin to take." He laughs nervously. "Unfortunately, it's going to be quite hard to get that Loverboy image off of you."

"Great," Lance groans, throwing his head back over the couch. "Please tell me we can at least do fewer meet and greets?"

"Not possible," Coran says quickly. "You Paladins have to make personal appearances. The entire point is for the universe to love you. Zarkon may have control, but you have their hearts and minds!"

His heart sinks. Never did he ever think he'd hate the attention. "So grin and bear it?"

Pidge, oddly quiet up until now, speaks up. "They might leave him alone if he has a girlfriend."

Coran gasps as Lance's jaw drops. A girlfriend? "Where am I going to get a girlfriend?" he squawks. "I can't just pick one of my fans!"

"That's too true!" Coran supplies. "There is the risk of pushback if you were to tie yourself to another on the dating scene. Could be nasty. It'd have to be someone who could hold their own."

Lance gulps, hopeful, but not too much so, "Allura?"

He might have been seeing things, but Pidge tenses.

"Allura is quite busy with Coalition business, she wouldn't be able to keep up the act," Coran says. "You can date Pidge!"

"What?" Lance yelps. Logically, he knows it makes sense but...

"What?" Pidge squeaks equally. "Coran! I can't! There's all the projects I'm working on with Matt - and upgrades for the Castle--"

"Exactly why you have the time!" Coran says, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Your brother is handling the Galra intel, and communicating with the Blades and the Coalition. With all the allies we have now, you have more time than ever! This will be perfect!"

Lance stares at Pidge. Pidge stares back at him, her eyes a storm of emotions that he can't decipher. There's trepidation there, but her body is frozen, something he's never known Pidge to be - nervous.

Why would she be nervous? It's all fake anyway.

[sylvabled]

@pyrobled @catusbled

I love long hair on boys

[annoyinglyjovialbird]

Voltron: Next Generation

Juvenile Matters: I

Word Count: 2831

A/N: Allura, I asked for strength, not a 10,000 year nap. Thanks.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Pidge angrily said. The teens stared at Kova, looking to her for a cue. 

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Kova had placed a hand on her hip, light brown eyes glinting. She said nothing more, turning around and leaving the med bay. Caleb followed her out, leading the others in order of color: Green, Yellow, and Blue. Allie smiled apologetically before leaving. The teens marched to the bridge, where they took their respective seats. Like a mama duck to her ducklings, Kova waited until every member was seated. 

"We aren't going back to Earth, right?" Caleb was the first to speak. Kova had walked around her console to grip the railing. She nodded curtly. 

"Is it not our responsibility to ensure them a safe return?" Allie quietly remarked. Again, Kova nodded. 

"So," Liz was next. "What are we doing first?" Kova had been glaring into space (mental space, not actual space), so when she looked up to glare at actual space outside the windows at the front of the Coeus, Kova had the beginnings of a plan. 

"Between the lost colonies, defeating Yorak, and retrieving the Black Lion, we have our hands tied," Kova said, standing with arms at her sides. "That isn't including solving the mystery of the cut contact between the Galactic Coalition and what Yorak is doing with the colonies." 

"What are the colonies exactly?" Caleb asked as Kova pulled up a screen. Onscreen, a timelapse video began playing. It showed Altea and Daibazaal ships flying around each other, slowly constructing something in the dark space in between the two planets. 

"The Galtean colonies were a gift between Altea and Daibazaal, in hopes to foster a new alliance and a new generation." Kova sped up the timelapse as she spoke, watching as the cores of the colonies took shape. "They colonies are designed to interlock and disconnect depending on the circumstance."

"Wait, interlock? Like, connect together?" Liz asked, clasping her hands together to further her point. Kova nodded, returning her eyes to the screen. 

"There are four of these systems built." Allie stood up to point out the four colonies as they were built. "The first, Alpha, housed warehouses and ship ports. They were the repairers of the four. The second, Beta, housed libraries, schools, social buildings. The third, Gamma, is the largest since they are the residential colony. The fourth, Sirius, wasn't included until late in the plans, but they are the strongest of the four." 

"How, exactly?" Caleb had crossed his leg so his ankle met his opposite knee. He rested his head on a fist, his elbow touching the armrest. 

"Sirius housed the military and a hospital," Kova answered bluntly. Allie had turned when Caleb asked, so she pointed at Kova with both hands close to her chest. As she sat, the four colonies grew until they were one large city floating in the air. Alteans and Galra alike cheered as the interlocked colonies took flight on its own. An Altean blue particle barrier activated itself around the colonies when they were far enough away from Altea, where they had been originally constructed. As the timelapse ended, Kova pulled up reports of the last sighting of the Galtean colonies. A folder simply labeled 'BIRTHS' caught Caleb's attention. He rose his head to get a closer look. It was enough for Allie to explain what had happened. 

The Alteans and Galra who volunteered to live in the colonies were also assisted in fertility treatments. Over the past thirty years since their construction, thousands of Altean, Galra, and the uncommon Galtean infants were born with more success each time. Allie explained that Galra DNA can become incredibly hostile towards foreign genetic material, causing it to basically eat itself as it is forming. With absolutely no idea how human researchers figured out how to 'turn off' the genetic hostility in growing babies. Galteans, unfortunately, still have shorter lifespans compared to either race. The same went for every Galra half-breed, no matter what the other half was. Cake, Allie, and Kova looked fine, while Liz and Caleb looked panicked. Kova had to roll her eyes and explain she wasn't dying until at least one-hundred. The same went for Cake and Allie.

"Help us look for our daughter!" Keith demanded as he stomped into the bridge. He brushed past Kova at her console, shoved Allie into her seat, and stood in the middle of the floor with blue-gray eyes glaring at the five teens. 

"Not until you say the magic word." Kova raised her hands in surrender, even taking a step back from her console. Keith was having none of it, baring his teeth.

"Now." His voice was a near growl as the other adults walked in. Pidge and Hunk took a moment to admire the bridge in its glory. Pidge locked her eyes on the vast space outside the large floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the Coeus. Hunk noticed the tension in the room but was already halfway down the stairs. Shiro and Kenny rushed in behind the teen at the front. 

"Please," Pidge pleaded, tearing her gaze away from the window. Her hands wrapped themselves around Keith's bicep, softening his expression. "Please. We need to find our daughter." 

"Okay." Kova shrugged, stepping to her console. She flicked her eyes from the screen to Keith. "That's all you had to say." Closing the files they were looking at, Kova opened the Garrison student database. 

"When did you..." Shiro trailed off, pointing at the screen. Kova once again shrugged, typing in credentials. 

"Let me know when you need to upgrade the firewall," Kova said, looking up at the screen. 

"How is the Garrison going to help us?" Keith demanded, glaring at the teen. While the teens and Kenny looked panicked, Kova's face never shifted, remaining an almost bored neutral.

"Keith Kogane and Katie Holt have successful careers in humanitarian relief and aerospace engineering because of their time at the Galaxy Garrison." Kova sounded as bored as your facial expression seemed to show. "If they were to have a kid, they would likely attend the school their parents attended." 

"Yeah, that makes sense," Hunk said after a moment, shrugging and closing his eyes as he spoke. 

"Besides, while we see the GSD, there's an underlying code connected to other school databases throughout the entire state." Kova moved her cursor over the search bar, readying her hands over the keyboard. "What's her name?" 

"You can't do that," Pidge exclaimed. 

"Kyla," Keith said at the same time. 

"I can do that, and I did that. Now, Kyla Kogane?" 

"Yes." Keith nodded his head. "K-Y-L-A." 

"I can spell, thanks," Kova retorted, typing the name into the search bar. "This system will check the whole name, then the two names separately. It's not instant, but it will search through every available database." Hitting run, Kova leaned on the railing to her right, Caleb crossed his leg again, Liz rested her elbows on the desk so her head rested on her hands, Cake leaned back into his chair with hands behind his head, and Allie rubbed her side where her ribs met the edge of the desk. Oh, wait till Kova found out. There was no way Keith would survive Kova's wrath. 

It was only a few minutes, but those few minutes were enough for Shiro to join the other adults on the floor. Kenny stayed above next to Kova, studying the screen. 

The results read as follows: KYLA KOGANE - 0 RESULTS; KYLA - 5 RESULTS OOD; KOGANE - 2 RESULTS WD. 

As the red 0 embedded itself into Pidge and Keith's memory, Kova stretched her arms. 

"OOD is out-of-district, which just means it's not at the Garrison. WD is within the district, meaning—" 

"That there are two pings inside the GSD," Kenny finished for Kova, staring at the screen. He turned to meet Kova's eyes, and she did the same. The two shared a look, saying more than would ever be said between the two. 

"The five," Keith said, approaching the screen to reach his hand out. "Can we see them?" 

"Yeah, but I seriously doubt it's your girl."

"Do it." Shiro worriedly looked from Keith to Kova, the latter shrugged and did what she was told to do. 

The five individuals appeared on the screen. Two were from the same district, one was from a different one, and the other two were black and white images from a third district. The first was a boarding school, and one of the individuals was a teacher at the facility. Her hair was silver, wrapped in a fancy bun, and a scowl embedded into her face. Kyla Hannigan, as the teacher was named, was also one of the black and white pictures from the third district. She had the same scowl on her face, although she looked forty years younger. Kyla Marrow, the other black and white girl, passed away several years ago, leaving a granddaughter also named Kyla Marrow, the only Kyla in her public school. The last Kyla, the one from the boarding school where Ms. Hannigan taught, was in her first year. Maybe twelve years old, if that.

Kova didn't mention any of this, just pointed out vague details on each of the Kylas, and the pictures confirmed there was no connection between any of these Kylas and the missing Kogane girl. 

"The two results of Kogane within the district are," Kova said as she exited the 'Kyla' search results and entered the 'Kogane' results. "Takashi Heath Kogane and Kenneth Samuel Kogane." 

"Wait, that's- AH!" Cake tried saying before Liz pulled the tails of his headband to get his attention. Her eyes said 'Talk and you die', and Cake listened well. 

"You had a mullet?" Kova asked, side-eyeing Kenny. He looked flushed, holding his light brown hair, messy from lack of hair products. 

"Shut up." Kenny lost the fight, his face turning beet red. He looked down with interlaced fingers over the back of his neck.  

"Kova, that's enough," Shiro scolded. While Kova smiled, Kenny looked up. Shiro motioned Kenny forward, which he reluctantly did. There was no way Kenny would know what would happen. 

"Pidge, this is Kenny." Shiro wrapped an arm around Kenny's shoulders as he spoke, pushing him forward towards his parents. 

"What are you talking about?" Pidge asked, staring at the man in front of her. "Kenny's sixteen." 

"That was forever ago," Kenny said, reaching out towards Pidge. Pidge stepped back, further into Keith's embrace. Keith and Kenny shared a look, having Kenny back away. 

"Unless your daughter changed her name over the past several years or moved out of state," Kova interrupted the moment. "There is no record of your daughter ever existing." 

"Can we begin actual plans, then?" Liz asked, her voice harsher than it had been in weeks. 

"Yes!" Cake cheered. "Please!" 

"Return to the med bays, reacquaint yourselves and we'll let you know when your rooms are ready," Kova said, closing the GSD, and opening several maps. 

Keith, Pidge, and Hunk didn't move. Kenny climbed the stairs, stopping at the head when he noticed they weren't moving. Shiro had climbed the other set of stairs, stopping instead at the foot of the stairs. The trio looked among themselves, before turning to the teens. 

"We should be the ones leading this mission," Keith stated rather confidently. "You're kids." The teens still dressed in Paladin armor, had disbelief on their faces. In a vain attempt to keep the peace, Shiro tried to plead with Keith. Kova spoke before he had the chance. 

"Griffin, pull up maps of our tracker. Smythe, get more information on the disappearance. Garrett, review systems and reconnect the satellite. Sec, is the Coeus ready for battle?" Her commands stirred the others into a team mentality, turning the disbelief into spite. The teens were quick to activate their consoles, with each carrying out their individual tasks. 

"Ballistas are down, particle barrier is on standby," Caleb reported, trying to reboot the weapons systems. 

"Holt, check if it's a software issue or a design malfunction." Kenny nodded, leaving the bridge. 

"You can't ignore us forever." Kova had moved her holoscreen to hover directly in front of her so she could type and still look in the same direction. "I'm above you in rank, so do what I said and back down." Liz, Cake, and Caleb stared at Keith with shock written all over their faces. Kova bristled, stilling her fingers. 

"Listen to me, and listen carefully," Kova started, descending the staircase Shiro was at earlier. It was to avoid Caleb's interference, but it wasn't like they would know that. "I am a top student at the Garrison, about to be the youngest officer in Garrison history, and am currently Paladin of the Black Lion, leader of Voltron." With every statement, Kova descended the staircase, until she reached the floor. Then, she took careful steps toward Keith and Pidge. "You have been declared MIA and considered deceased for a decade, losing your status and any rank you may have had." Kova was only inches away from Keith's face, glaring into his eyes. Kova was only inches shorter than Keith, so the staring contest wasn't ridiculous. The pair held the other's gaze long enough for Shiro to intervene. 

"Continue your tasks as ordered," Shiro told the teens. "You go ahead into the med bay. Kova, in my office." Kova and Shiro walked away first. As they left the bridge, the teens glared and ignored the trio until they left. Allie flinched as Keith passed by, but nothing more was said. 

"Kovalia, what was that?" Shiro began his reprimand. "You're the leader of Voltron, a high ranking student, my daughter. You're supposed to be showing that rank without telling people off!" 

"He questioned my authority!" Kova argued. "Again! This is the second time he has tried to overturn my decisions."

"So you let me handle him!" Shiro stood to full height. Shiro's time at the Garrison was starting to show. "Is that so hard to do?"

"YES!" Kova all but shouted. "We've avoided using 'Emperor' and 'Yorak' in the same sentence, we haven't tried telling them about current events, and besides Kenny being ten years older than before, I doubt they believe us when we say it's been ten quiznacking years since anyone has seen them!" 

"Kyla, enough!" Curtis yelled over Kova's yelling. Both Shiro and Kova stared at the holoscreen on Shiro's desk with shock on both their faces. 

"How, uh, how long have you been there?" Kova asked, pointing at the holographic picture of Curtis. 

"Long enough." Curtis crossed his arms, looking annoyed. "Kova, you are dismissed to your room."

"Yes sir," Kova muttered, shooting Shiro a look. Kova never made it to her room, as the Coeus violently leaned to its left. Kova ran to the bridge, with another blast propelling her forward to collide with the console. While her ribs might be bruised for a while, it didn't matter when faced with multiple enemy ships, almost all of them bearing the bright purple V with a little tail. 

"Hand over the half-Galra and no one gets hurt." An unknown voice spoke before their face appeared on the Coeus's screen, completely covered from head to hip in dark armor with a wide V with a tail. The large gun in their hands was held to appear more intimidating, but the slight shake of his hands spoke louder than words. With a small hand signal, Caleb and Liz activated the particle barrier and closed off sectors of the ship. It trapped Kenny on one side of the ship with the former Paladins while trapping the current Paladins and Shiro. 

As the particle barrier surrounded the Coeus, the enemy ships fired. Kenny sent a small message to the console, and Kova sent back an agreement. The lights on the entire ship turned off, replaced by low red lights. The steering apparatus for the Coeus appeared at Kova's console, ready for her influence. Before taking control over steering, Kova sent the message to the other Paladins on their consoles. 

ER: 'Ballistas report a design failure. We have to travel via wormhole'

HC: 'Prepare the ship. I got steering.'

The Paladins could only brace themselves, hoping that the Coeus could endure this battle. That's when Caleb had an idea. Sending a brief message to Kova, he went to the Coeus's network. Transferring the page to Liz, they both set to work. 

They still had the training bot. 

Activating the large mecha, Caleb and Liz took over its motor functions. Caleb controlled everything above the hips, while Liz had everything below. The transport bay doors opened, and the pair led the bot out. There was a hole in the particle barrier, but it would have to dealt with later. The pair piloted the bot until a well-aimed shot took it offline. 

By the time the mecha died, the Coeus was already gone through the wormhole.

[rueitae]

Once More, With Feeling

For @paliseizy‘s Coran Week! I had this idea lurking in my head for a while, but this event kicked me in gear to finish! Much thanks to @sp4c3-0ddity for her usual encouragement. For the prompts Ship (Coran and an OC, though its not the focus) and AU.

When given the option to try and change the past for Allura's sake, he takes it. It's just a bonus he gets to change Keith's life for the better.

Or, canon compliant Coran time travels and raises Keith in canon divergent AU.

Warning for Major Character Death (of old age, and at the beginning).

Read on Ao3. Roughly 10,600 words.

~~~~~

Coran pauses, arm outstretched to open the door before him.

It hasn’t gotten any easier, his greying hairs an outward expression of his aged body and mind. Although he’s spent the trip from Altea mentally preparing himself for this, it hasn’t helped. Even though everyone has greeted him kindly upon arrival he’s terrified to open the door, not because of who he’ll see - never who - but what.

The grip on the flowers tighten. He must. He’s paid the same to the others, his children by choice, and he’ll be quiznaked if doesn’t give Keith the same comfort.

Taking courage from their memory, he turns the knob, hands sweaty under his gloves.

The hospital room is more cheerful than he remembers them being, painted in a beautiful light orange. Vases full of floral arrangements both Earthly and alien crowd the tables and chairs. Coran’s heart twinges. There’s been no visitors lately, only mailed in well wishes.

A nurse with familiar auburn hair leans over the single bed, and upon his entry rises to greet him with a smile. “Good evening, Uncle Coran. Welcome back to the Garrison.”

Coran nods politely, a smile pushing up on his face. “A pleasure to see you again, Samantha. How are classes going?”

She beams at him. “Aced my last set of tests. I’ll be a doctor before you know it.”

Coran whistles. That soon? Just yesterday it seemed she’d graduated from secondary school. “She’d be proud of you, all of you kids,” he tells her.

Her face glows with the praise, a light flush around her cheeks. Quiznak, she’s the spitting image of her great-great-grandmother.

He misses Pidge so much. And Hunk and Shiro and Lance.

And Allura still.

Her gaze wanders briefly to the bed. “He’s just napping, but you can stay with him until he wakes. He’ll be delighted to see you.”

“Thank you, my dear,” he says, taking her hands in his and giving them a gentle pat. “Give your parents a fond hello for me.”

She gives him a kiss on the cheek and his mustache tingles with joy. He gives her familial hug before she leaves the room.

With great care he sets the flowers aside to sit on the chair at the bed.

Coran’s heart is at ease as he watches Keith sleep peacefully. The man has outlived his fellow Paladins thanks to his Galra heritage, but his white hair, thin arms, and wrinkles are all so human. Time has helped, but it’s still hard on his heart to see the young man he met and nurtured, so full of life, bound to bed at the end of it.

To be the last has been a burden on him, one that Coran must soon carry.

Keith’s eyes lift slowly, but smiles. “Hey Coran,” he says softly. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Coran pats his arm, careful of the IV keeping him hydrated. “I came as soon as I could, my boy. How are you feeling?”

Keith cracks a wry smile. “Been better,” he quips. “How’s Altea?”

“Getting along just fine without me,” Coran jokes back. He hasn’t done much governance lately, a task for the younger generation now.

Keith nods slowly, his eyes focusing on a point on the far wall. “I’m tired, Coran. I thought I’d go out fighting.” He chuckles, smile fond. “I still hear Shiro’s voice telling me to be patient.”

“I think of them too,” Coran tells him. He files them in the same category as Alfor and the original Paladins now, to be remembered for the vitality and joy brought to his life and the lives of all who knew them. “Allura could have used that advice back in the day, she was quite vivacious as a child. I can’t count the times I had to lure her to the duflax pond or juniberry fields while Alfor worked - she wanted so much to help him.”

Keith laughs, an easy one that was so hard to come by when they first met. “She did that and more,” he says sincerely.

Quiznak, he can’t cry yet. “She did,” he agrees as his eyes scrunch shut, holding back the tears.

A hand rests lightly on his. The simple action leaves Keith near breathless, his chest rising and falling heavily. “I want you to do it,” he rasps.

Coran can’t stop the light gasp that escapes his lips. He knows exactly what Keith speaks of, but, “It’s a fantastic dream, Keith. We barely had a chance with all of us, I can’t finish on my own.”

“Lance finished it,” Keith says quickly.

Coran’s eyes threaten to bulge out of their sockets. Lance had been no idiot, but to finish what they’d been working on…

“He learned a lot more from Hunk and Pidge than he let on,” Keith continues. “He applied some old movie logic and it worked, Coran. We used it on a toy. It was the last thing he did before he...”

Died.

Coran remembers the funeral well; family and friends around the open casket while the universe outside mourned. His gifted Altean markings glow too brightly for the naked eye and when they look back, his body is gone.

There’s no wondering where he’s gone. His name is carved at the base of the statue of Allura on Altea, underneath Pidge’s and Hunk’s and Shiro’s - where Keith’s will join them one day.

Coran’s heat thumps with hope. What was once throwaway gibberish from Slav turned into Pidge’s offhanded theorizing and Hunk’s idle tinkering. A chance grew - not just to correct mistakes but to give her a chance, a chance to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

“Time travel is a dangerous beast, Keith. Can is one thing… but should we do it?”

Keith exhales and relaxes into his pillow. He closes his eyes for a long moment. When they open, Coran can tell he’s decided.

“If there’s a chance, we should take it. Please, Coran. Do it for her. Let her live a full life with us. Make sure everyone gets a happy ending.”

Keith coughs, his body lurching forward, the machine monitoring his heart rate going wild at the sudden movement. Coran steadies him, holds him close until he’s finished.

“Do you have everything in order?” Coran asks as he helps Keith back to his resting position.

Keith catches his breath before responding. “Yorak has the blade, you have the key to the lab. I don’t have anything else to take care of.”

Coran nods and takes the man’s hand, squeezing it tight as the intervals between beeps on the monitor become longer.

Keith squeezes back, tears in his eyes. “Thank you for being here. I miss… I miss the team… I miss Mom… and I miss Dad…”

“You’ll be with them soon,” Coran chokes. His own tears filter his vision. Another dozen deca-feebs or so and Coran can start to contemplate when he’ll join them. “I know they’d be so pleased with everything you’ve done in their stead.”

Keith closes his eyes and smiles. “Dad…”

The monitor flatlines, a term Coran has come to despise. He cries, arms trembling as he holds Keith’s hand tight. “Rest easy, Keith.”

Samantha and others come in, but Coran does not move a muscle as they remove the equipment and pay their own respects.

It’s truly the end of an era

~~~~~~

Keith didn’t want pomp and circumstance. Surviving relatives of the Paladins visit while television stations run biopics on all the former Paladins day and night, back to back.

When they close the casket for the last time, Coran doesn’t miss a bright white glow from between the cracks. Coran relaxes. Keith is in good hands now.

After the funeral, Coran finds the strength to enter the lab. It’s mostly unused since Pidge passed on, but one corner clearly has seen more traffic than others.

Coran takes the cut of Balmeran crystal from his pocket, a gift from Shiro.

She’d want you to have it. Don’t mourn me forever, I’ve made the most of my borrowed time.

A platform unfurls, the design lovingly based off of the IGF-Atlas. He places the crystal on the place made specifically for it.

The machine hums to life and Coran takes a moment to glide his hand along the surface of the pod. It looks so much like Castle’s ships and it triggers his nostalgia for Pop-Pop and the days where he traveled with Alfor across the galaxy, and then the universe with Allura.

There’s only room for one, and the trip is one-way.

The young ones of the generation remember Voltron only in the stories of their grandparents, or parents for longer lived species. Alteans do not live as long as they used to.

The universe no longer has a place for him.

It’s time to do something good.

Coran enters the date they’d calculated so long ago, the point where he can enter their lives early without shorting out the machine. He settles himself into the chair and closes the chamber.

It will be too late for Altea and much of the universe.

But enough time to make things right for the Paladins - for Allura.

~~~~~~

The machine does as it’s supposed to. The lab fades away and leaves Coran with a view of the desert outside of Plaht City, the sun setting on what has been a very somber day.

Sparks fly within the machine and Coran jumps out moments before it explodes, engine fried from the trip - as theorized.

Coran gets up and dusts himself off. He can’t introduce himself without looking his very best after all!

Carefully he removes the now blackened Balmeran crystal from its place. It falls to dust in his hands.

Despite knowing this exact thing was going to happen, Coran falls to his knees on the desert sand and mourns. Its an object, he knows, even though it was a gift of the Balmera, but it's his last link to the past.

So eventually, when he’s given himself time, he takes a small vial from his coat pocket and reverently deposits the black dust into it. If Coran wishes to see it in its pristine form, he must see it on Allura’s circlet.

A timeline where she lives. He has his mission. For the universe, for the team, for Alfor.

Somewhere out there the Blue Lion waits patiently for Lance, a meeting that will not take place for another several years. Coran’s destination is the two story house that looms in the near distance.

A woman answers the door - and his breath is taken away. The long lonely week feels far away as he takes in the most beautiful curly red hair he’s ever seen - even his own! He gapes, barely taking in her frazzled and tired eyes. She looks at him as if he’s Voltron itself.

“Oh thank heavens you’re here,” she breathes. Her lips too are a pleasant shade of red akin to the second sunset of Altean equinox-- “Mr… ?”

“Smythe,” Coran says blankly before shaking his head, breaking himself out of a stupor to shake her hand. “Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe at your service.” He chuckles nervously, flicking his round ear. Humans were so strange. “What seems to be the hullabaloo?”

“The boy won’t talk. He keeps himself locked up in his room. He has a knife! Who gives a knife to an eight-year-old?” The woman breathes heavily, near panic. “I was just about to call the police.”

Coran takes her hand in his, gently as if they were delicate juniberry petals. “Fret no more, my lady. I’ll take care of everything,” he says with a wink.

And he means it. At the risk of changing too much of the future, Coran has decided on one variable.

The woman blushes and Coran’s pride swells. He’s still got it. And Lance called himself the smooth one.

(Number Three never did get to Coran’s level of ‘game’, though he tried his best to mentor the Paladin.)

She leaves in relief after making him sign some paperwork. He has half a mind to ask her to stay… but he has a job to do. Coran climbs the stairs and leans up against the only closed door. There’s sobbing on the other side.

“It’s a bit late for a growing boy to be up, hm?” He airs.

“Go away! Leave me alone!”

Coran smiles at hearing the young, but familiar voice again. Inside his heart breaks at how angry, upset, and alone he sounds.

“I don’t have the slipperies at the moment, so I’m afraid I’m staying put, my boy. Are you hungry?”

Tiny feet scamper further from the door. “No!” Keith says, inflection full of anger and tears.

It’s been a very long time since Coran has dealt with a stubborn Keith and even longer since he’s cared for children. Allura always reacted well to a distraction though, once Coran found a suitable topic for rambling. He’ll just have to do the same for Keith.

“I hear you have a very special knife,” he begins. “I’d very much like to see it if you’d let me.”

An almost feral growl permeates through the drywall. Humans wouldn’t recognize it as anything more than primal, but it is most definitely a Galra cry for assistance. He’s heard Zarkon’s more times than he can count - mostly due to Alfor’s reckless tendencies. Coran can barely make out the dialect, but it’s definitely the cry the Blade of Marmora has settled into over the years.

Though he doesn’t know it, Keith remembers Krolia’s voice.

“So you can try and take it away from me too?” Keith spits.

“Not at all,” Coran assures him. “I’m a bit of a connoisseur of weaponry, actually. I could show you a thing or two about your knife. Anyone so protective over their blade is deserving of some tricks of the trade, wouldn’t you say?”

Keith doesn’t speak right away - he doesn’t need to. He steps lightly to the door, and opens it ever so slightly. His violet-tinted eyes watch Coran with caution.

“Are you telling the truth?” the boy asks with, for the first time, hope.

Coran doesn’t plan to disappoint. He kneels and meets his gaze.

“I was knife-throwing champion of the Castle for twelve deca-feebs straight!” he declares proudly. “You’d be hard pressed to find anyone on this planet who knows more than I.

Keith’s brows furrow in confusion and Coran can practically see the wheels turning in his mind, none of them hostile. Perhaps he’s given the boy a little more to unpack than necessary.

“What’s a... deca-feeb?” Keith finally asks.

“A measurement of time for students of the Blade!” Coran winks, leaning in as if making a fine deal in the Unilu black market. “I’ll be able to teach you all that and more. Mind if I come in?”

Keith stares for a long moment before unhooking a chain and opening the door wide enough for Coran to enter. It’s his bedroom. Pictures of Earth-ships hang on the walls and toys lay scattered across the floor. Keith scrambles onto his bed, holding Krolia’s blade close - the business end blessedly wrapped up. A picture of him and his father lies on the disheveled sheets next to him.

Coran’s heart breaks, and is reminded of his mission.

“Thank you, my boy. Mind if I have a seat?”

Keith shakes his head, but doesn’t move.

Coran sits at the edge of the bed, a respectable distance away. “May I see it?”

Keith holds it out to show him, slowly, with an edge about him that still doesn’t quite trust. Coran makes no move to take the blade, and gives it a look over. It’s remarkably well preserved. Krolia must have given Keith’s father the correct care instructions for luxite.

He hums for a good while, though he already knows what to say. “It’s a fine piece of work, perhaps the best craftsmanship I’ve ever seen!” he declares. “It must have belonged to someone very special.”

Keith hardly seems to know what to do with the blade still in his hands. He examines it thoughtfully with the new information. “My Mom. Dad said that I have to take care of it until I can give it back to her.”

“Your mother was an excellent swordswoman then. It’s a rare gift, she must have loved you very much to entrust you with her prized blade.”

Keith holds it close to his chest and looks Coran in the eye. “Is she coming back? I want to go where she is.”

Coran dares to rest a comforting hand on Keith’s back. “Your mother is in a very dangerous place right now, Keith. She wants very much to see you, but you’d be in great danger if she did.”

His eyes widen, but to Coran’s relief he does not flinch away. He’s gaining trust.

“She’s in trouble?”

“Not right this tick, no,” Coran assures him. “But there are very bad people who would hurt her if they knew where you were.”

“Oh,” Keith says, lowering his head, crestfallen. He sniffs. “I want my dad…”

“I’m sorry about your father,” he begins somberly. “He was a good man. He’ll be remembered fondly.”

The boy’s body shakes, eyes clenched shut. “I don’t want to remember him, I want him here.”

Coran tries not to feel guilt. If only he’d had the power to add just one day to his trip Keith could have grown up with his father. Happy, healthy, and prepared.

Coran can prepare him, keep him healthy, and do his very best to make him happy. Most importantly, he can assure Keith that his mother is out there, and that she loves him.

“I know, Keith,” he says softly. “Everything is going to be fine. I promise.”

Maybe it’s because he says it with conviction, like Keith himself in his best of times leading Voltron or the Blade of Marmora, or just the blind trust of a child with whom he’s started a connection with - a re-connection, but the young boy beside him curls into his side and cries.

Coran wraps his arms around him protectively, stroking his back in comfort, and lets Keith mourn.

This time will be better. For Keith and for Allura.

~~~~~

“Who needs pee-butter and jeyl-lo when you can have…” Coran whisks out a napkin, tying it around Keith’s neck. “A classic Paladin lunch!”

Coran sets the loaded plate on the table with flourish, directly in front of a wary Keith. After finally admitting to being hungry, Keith allowed Coran to lead him to the kitchen and cook for him.

After decades of exposure to Hunk’s cooking, Coran is familiar enough with Earth cuisine - but none of it is as decadent as Altean. Keith’s cupboards turn out to be painfully bare of anything he’s used to, but after a taste test or five Coran is able to scrounge together most of the ingredients for the classic Paladin lunch.

Keith's nose scrunches in distaste. "Is it... safe?" he asks.

Coran huffs. It's a good thing he's introducing Keith to his cooking early. "Of course it's safe," he insists. He's using all human food, how could it not be safe? "If it was good enough for King Alfor, it's good enough for young Paladins."

The boy gives him a funny look, confusion etched into his features. He wants to ask who King Alfor is - wants to ask what a Paladin is - it's an expression Coran is all too used to seeing from older Keith during meetings and explanations of long extinct civilizations and their politics. But he doesn't, instead choosing to interest himself in the Paladin lunch.

His small stomach rumbles and Keith gulps in apprehension as he collects as spoonful and inserts it into his mouth.

Green Paladin Keith is not, and Coran is fairly certain humans can't turn green either - not like he can.

Keith swallows thickly, and with tears in his eyes practically inhales his glass of water.

Coran waits with bated breath. "Well, what do you think?"

"It tastes like dirty socks," Keith says, sticking out his tongue.

Relief fills him, and he sighs, resting a hand over his heart. "Good. That's an improvement over the sewage canals of Thravia-4." Or, that's how Lance had described it once. He gives Keith a reassuring smile and a pat on the back. "It gets a bit better once you get to the middle bits!"

"...I don't think I'm hungry anymore," Keith says simply, pushing the platter towards the middle of the table.

Coran sighs. He had years still to get Keith on his side. "It's been a long day, my boy. I think you could use a bath and a good sleep."

This lowers his spirits, eyes downcast. "...I miss Dad," Keith says suddenly, a hiccup in his voice. "He gave me a bath and I had sand in my hair and - and - "

Keith tries to hold back his tears. Coran swiftly drags a chair with one hand over and sits on it next to Keith. He gently places a hand on his back.

"Tears are nothing to be afraid of, Keith," he says. "It is how we show love and grief. You will never stop loving your father, missing him is nothing to be ashamed of."

His stomach takes the brunt of the hit from Keith's tiny head, the boy's arms just able to reach around his waist in a hug. Coran wraps his arms around him, anchoring the boy's trembling, sobbing figure.

"It will always hurt," Coran continues, "losing loved ones."

Melenor. Alfor. Gyrgan. Trigel. Blaytz.

"No matter how long or short your time is with them."

Allura.

"But we are the keepers of their memories, the lives we shared with them are stories we can pass on to others."

Hunk. Pidge. Shiro. Lance.

"So they will always be with us."

Keith.

"Miss him and mourn his loss. I'll be here as long as you need me."

"I don’t want to, I want him here," Keith chokes out.

Coran holds him closer. The Keith he knew never received this kind of attention. Coran is determined to make sure he does now.

“You can want all you’d like, Keith, but we still must live our lives. Stay here as long as you like," he reassures. "Then that bath and bed, hm? I think that’s what your father would want."

Keith sniffs, his voice muffled in Coran's shirt, but no less hopeful. "...Then t-tomorrow you'll teach me how to use my knife, right?"

Coran can do one better than that. He can give Keith a history lesson he normally wouldn't learn for another fifteen deca-feebs and he can do it tonight. A lesson about the Blades and of the Galra and of what to expect - things that his mother really should have taught him, but knowledge that will be crucial for his early years in space

"That and more, Keith." He hopes Krolia won't be too angry with him when they meet again.

~~~~~

"You're a brave, kind man Mr. Smythe," the judge says. "We're glad to have you at the agency."

Coran tips his new hat to her and pats Keith's mop of hair. The boy clings to his pants as if he expects to be separated at any tick. He is doubly thankful for the foresight to bring his papers back to the past; without the knowledge of other beings, humans will see exactly what they need to see on his files. In this case, the fact that he's already working with the foster care unit.

And that's enough now that he can adopt Keith. He'll be able to relax for the next ten Earth-years.

"I'm just doing what I can. Need to settle down after that last assignment, and Keith here seems in need of a helping hand."

She shakes his hand. "The paperwork should be nearly done..."

The courtroom doors burst open and - Coran’s jaw drops, his heart pounds in his ears. Gorgeous red hair, nearly orange in the halogen lights. Coran holds a hand over his chest as if it will slow his racing heart - he can’t believe she’s here again, the same woman he met at Keith's house the day he arrived in the past. She holds a bundle of papers in her hands. "Sorry I'm late - it took forever to find Keith's birth records. They were at the Galaxy Garrison hospital."

Keith clutches him tighter.

Coran laughs it off. Of course Krolia wouldn't have gone to the Plaht City hospital.

"I'm not terribly surprised, eh Keith," he nudges the boy. "After all the house is much closer by hover bike to the Garrison than the city. A stroke of genius of you to look there in the first place," he tells her with a wink.

Her cheeks flush at the praise and hands the papers over to the judge before tucking a curl of brilliant red hair behind her ear. "Of course, I'm glad to help Mr. Smythe. You've been a great help with Keith."

"Call me Coran," he winks. "We're hardly strangers."

"Synthia!" she proclaims as she shakes his hand. "A pleasure to actually meet you properly, Coran. If you need anything at work, here's my personal number." She smiles brightly at him, a love struck look in her eyes that pulls on his heartstrings.

He takes the card and twirls his mustache. "Perhaps I'll give you a ring and we can discuss work over a cup of tea? What do you think, Keith?"

Keith sticks his tongue out. "I don't like tea."

Coran pats him on the back. Keith never did acquire the taste. "That's quite all right, you won't have to join us if you don't want to." He turns back to Synthia. "Perhaps during the school day sometime?"

"I would be delighted," she beams.

A smug feeling wells up in his chest. He's absolutely still got it.

Perhaps he'll enjoy himself in the past more than he thought.

~~~~~

“Make sure you pack a jacket!” Synthia says as she shoves one into his chest. “The desert gets cold at night - surely you learned what while you were stationed in Australia?”

Coran sniffs the jacket with a raised eyebrow. A recent purchase from a local ‘thrifty shop’, it smells of smoke - and not that of a campfire. He attempts to hand it back, but her emerald eyes sparkle with concern.

With a heavy sigh he puts it on, if only to ease her fears. It takes only a tick to shift his internal organs into a Yorlanian - a people who adapted long ago to naturally deal with temperature gradients far more severe than that of Earth.

How is she to know that? He’s Coran the human here, and he won’t be Coran the Altean for another fifteen years.

A deep breath soothes the ache in his chest at that thought. Fifteen years is nothing compared to ten thousand asleep in a cryopod.

“As you wish, my lady,” he bows, earning a delighted blush from his target - enough to hopefully take her mind off his long pause. “Although, it could certainly use a wash…”

“There’s a washing basin at the park you can use.”

Coran whips around, and there’s Keith at the bottom of the stairs, having descended so silently he hadn’t even heard. He’s dressed for the trip, hiking boots and a red jacket over a worn t-shirt. A backpack sits firmly on his shoulders, his knuckles white as he holds the straps.

He's better; not that he ever will be completely fine, nor should he. Krolia often said she saw much of his father in Keith - brave, selfless, kind, helpful, so Coran knows he hurts.

Hopefully this trip will be healing for him.

"Ah, well fortune is with us then!" Coran says cheerfully. He turns to Synthia. "Perhaps you and I could take a trip into the wilderness sometime."

Synthia clasps her fingers over her mouth, a delighted giggle escapes her. "That would be wonderful. I haven't spent a night under the stars since I was a scout camping with my troop." She sighs longingly. "I miss the fresh air."

Keith raises an eyebrow. "You were in the scouts?"

She huffs, hands on her hips. "Of course I was! Granted it was when dinosaurs roamed the Earth," she says with a wink and a laugh.

This gets a crack of a smile from Keith. "You're not that old."

"Old enough to remember Plaht City before the Galaxy Garrison!" She pinches his cheek, and while Keith tries to pull away, he's grinning the whole time. "You boys have your bonding. Come back with some woodwork - Coran says he's been teaching you how to use that knife of yours properly?"

Amazing how a simple blanket phrase 'teaching Keith to use the blade' could mean both woodworking and how to dismantle a Galra sentry in the same breath. Coran chuckles nervously, faking a wide smile. At least it meant Synthia and Keith got along.

"Come on, Coran," Keith says, grabbing his hand. "The park closes at dusk and we have to get the tent set up before then!"

Coran allows himself to be dragged along by a pint sized Number Four (or was he Number Five right now? He needs to see how the other Paladins are faring without interfering)

"I await our next meeting with bated breath!" he calls out as he hobbles out the door.

Synthia waves. "The house will be in good hands while you're gone! Bring back some good pictures of animals or--" her eyes dart around, looking around for anyone else who might be listening "-- aliens. You know what they say about the desert at night."

Coran doesn't have the heart nor the time to tell her.

~~~~~

Coran has the jacket packed away, far from their campsite.

It's just him and a small Keith, no one else for miles. Their fire dwindles, creating a faint glow against their two person tent. The two of them lay on the gravelly ground, comforted only by their sleeping bags, and stare at the stars.

The constellations are different here, but it's nice to see consistent shapes in the stars rather than constantly changing ones as they're on the run from Zarkon.

Another time.

"That one is Andromeda," Keith says, his arm and finger pointed up at the sky. "But I always look for Orion when Dad and I came out here."

...Shiro told him this one, but he can't remember for the life of him. "Ah," he starts, a bead of sweat running down his temple in embarrassment. "And why would that be?" he asks, saving the embarrassment of not knowing Earth constellations.

"He's got a sword. It's cool." His face droops, eyes on his feet. "And, I think about Mom." Dark eyes meet his, and when Keith speaks of his mother and the stars they glow with a beautiful purple - the only clue anyone will ever have that Keith is not entirely of Earth.

"Do you think that's where she is?" he asks earnestly. "On Orion?"

Coran hums as he thinks about where Ranveig's base is located in respect to Earth. "Actually, I think she might be closer to that Big Dipper." That one he remembers. Earth would name their stars after a ladle.

Keith grins. "Then I'll be able to find her one day if I follow the North Star?"

"I'm positive you'll find her one day, Keith. I know she wants nothing more than to be with you again."

The change in mood is complete. Keith's eyes shine with hope and belonging; he holds his blade close, the hilt wrapped in cloth to hide the Blade of Marmora symbol. "I can't wait."

But he'll have to wait many years before that happens and go through many dangers. In the meantime, Coran’s job is to prepare him for them. "Tomorrow we'll start getting you ready. Synthia is right, you'll have to learn to use that properly."

Keith rolls onto his side, facing Coran. "Are you always going to make kissy faces with her?"

Coran gapes. "Kis-kissy faces?" he repeats indignantly. "We have a far more sophisticated relationship than that!"

A tiny nose scrunches in disbelief. "You act like it. She's not mom though, and you're not dad; you promised."

"Indeed! Coran will suffice, or Coran the Gorgeous Man if you're so inclined. I'm sure Synthia would be quite happy if you just called her by her name."

For as long as she was in his life anyway. Did he have time for a relationship when his entire reason for being here was to give Keith a better childhood? He wraps his hands around the vial filled with the remains of Allura’s balmeran crystal - he’s attached it to a string, a necklace to make sure its with him at all times.

Allura - and Alfor for that matter - would have told him to enjoy himself.

Keith smiles and closes his eyes. "Thanks for taking me here, Coran. It feels like Dad is still here."

Perhaps he's already done most of the work. Now comes the fun part.

"Get a good night's sleep, Keith," he says, relaxing his hands behind his head. "Tomorrow I'll teach you everything about blades, the Paladin code, and how to extract scaltrite from a weblum."

"... a... a weblam?"

"We'll work on it."

~~~~~

"Coran, check this out!"

Keith rams through the door like a rampaging klanmuirel, holding his Marmora blade up high for all to see. He doesn't bother putting his backpack down, or even taking off his shoes - that'll be even more to clean later! Oh how Coran misses the Castle's automated cleaning systems. Two Earth-years has been nearly undoable. How is he to survive another eight?

Before Coran can say anything, Keith flips the knife up in the air and, in one heart-stopping moment, is about to catch it with the unwrapped blade in his hands.

"Keith!" Coran leaps forward, digging deep in his old age to catch the blade before Keith cuts up his hand. He takes advantage of his Altean gifts and stretches his arms to grab it by the hilt, flipping onto his back as he lands on the floor the opposite side of Keith.

The boy himself has a loose jaw. "Woah," Keith says. "How did you do that?" He seems to blink away his wonder, driving into anger. "Why did you do that? I totally have that trick down!"

Coran stands and hands Keith back his blade hilt first. "You'd have ended up with a nasty cut otherwise," he scolds. Yet at the same time, he feels some pride in Keith showing him his progress. "You’re under rotating."

Keith frowns. "Oh." He fidgets. "Thanks, Coran. You're the only adult who understands."

"Oh, I can't be the only one," Coran says - though he knows Keith tells the truth in more ways than one. "What about Ms. Norris? She's a brilliant lady."

“She’s my teacher,” Keith replies glumly, averting his eyes in distaste. “Last time she found out I had a knife she called the police, remember?”

Coran winces. “Er, yes, that is true. Perhaps you should stop taking it to school. It’s very safe to leave here at home.”

“I can’t!” Keith protests. “What if Mom comes back and she needs this? Or the bad guys find this place and I need to keep it hidden? I can’t risk it!”

The determination is admirable, and on any other reasonable planet that’s made contact there would be no problem with allowing Keith to keep a family heirloom - no matter how sharp - on his person even as a child. But this is Earth, who still believe the creatures who live on Mars are green or grey with large black eyes.

(They’re actually closer kin with Pidge’s trash nebula friends.

“Keith, listen,” Coran says as he kneels and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I swear by Grogory’s beard your blade will be safe with me while you’re at school.”

Keith’s lips curl in, showing his upset face. “But Mom--”

“Wants you to be safe. You aren’t if you get in trouble with school. Promise you’ll keep it at home until the time is right?” Because Keith will need it one day.

Gaze dropping to the ground, Keith sighs. “Okay,” he relents.

Coran isn’t quite ready to believe him. “Promise with your pinky,” he insists.

Keith rolls his eyes. With pride, Coran watches as he creates the Altean royal symbol in the air with his smallest finger; the most serious of oaths.

“Thank you, Keith. That was very big of you. I’m sure you’ll have far less problems now at school.”

~~~~~

The silence in the car is deafening.

Treading down the dirt road, the hum of the (woefully inefficient) engine and tires kicking up gravel seems all the sound in the universe. It’s remarkably similar to the coming of age parties back on Novenia --

Keith huffs loudly from the passenger seat, looking sourly out the window and arms crossed for extra measure. Though his posture is closed off, the huff is Keith speak for ‘I want to talk’.

They have much to speak of.

Coran stretches his fingers and taps them over the steering wheel, looking for the right words. He tentatively gives Keith a side eye and winces even as he speaks with a nervous laughter, “I know you’re wanting to enroll at the Galaxy Garrison soon, but I thought you were interested in space ships, not cars.”

“He stole a Galaxy Garrison vehicle from an officer!”

This is a teaching moment, another chance to cement in Keith that there are people on his side and that love him - but they must talk about it. There’s a silver lining to this incident, one that aches his heart.

“It’s no trouble, Mr. Smythe. I think all Keith needs is a second chance. I’ll chat with him. Bring him by the Garrison tomorrow and ask for ‘Shiro’.”

He hadn’t been able to keep himself from crying as he spoke with Shiro (on the phone, not a video call) - seeing the young man (ever so briefly when picking up Keith, and making sure he wasn’t seen) before Galra captivity changed him. He’s the same, still kind and brave.

Coran can’t find the will to caution him about Kerberos. He’s not supposed to know, and what’s more Coran knows what the mission means to him personally - a dream, a way to prove everyone wrong about his capability.

But it only makes inaction hurt more.

If history is doomed to repeat itself, Coran only hopes it changes in the way that matters in the end. For Allura. For Keith to have comfort through the worst years of his life.

“...Ms. Burnt said I was a liar. She said I wouldn’t do well at the Garrison,” Keith admits softly. His clenched fists tell of the anger hidden just under his skin.

Coran knows why Keith’s teachers say as much. It sends a wave of guilt up his chest; perhaps he’s not been a father figure to the best of his ability; too many stories of space and what he’ll see out there. Keith still found the same schoolyard fights as in the original timeline.

“I have a hard time believing that,” Coran says with a bright chuckle. “You’re a very intelligent young man.”

Keith scowls. “It’s not my grades. The other kids… they don’t believe Mom is fighting bad guys, and that’s why she can’t come home and... ”

Ah here it comes. The other kids pick on him for not having his parents around, his mother having left. Though he’s told Keith a liquefied version of why Krolia can’t be here, it hasn’t made Keith miss her less, or given the other children or even adults reason to believe him.

His eyes flicker in Coran’s direction for hardly a tick, laced with sympathy. “They don’t understand you.”

Coran’s eyes widen and turns to Keith in disbelief. “What the quiznak?”

A car horn honks and Coran barely swerves the car out of the way of an oncoming vehicle. They roll off the side and into the desert, stopping just shy of a very worried looking cactus.

Keith’s classmates are making fun of him?

“Um,” Keith begins warily, his hands clenched around his seat belt, “sorry?”

Well, at least he doesn’t look like a - what was that expression that looked like the bi-boh-bi? Ah yes; a ‘wet noodle’.

But still, why him? He can’t stop Keith from regaling his classmates about his mother’s adventures fighting Zarkon - from what he remembers of them anyway. Keith has been in trouble with that before.

“Well, no offense Coran, but you’re a little… weird,” Keith confesses.

His heart stops; the world turns to dust around him. Coran feels as if he’s transported out of the car to a world of pitch black, a single spotlight on his heartbroken form.

“I’m… I’m not cool?” he manages to gasp. He’s only ever done everything awesome and hip - keeping up with all the trends!

Keith’s eyes light up with worry, shifting in his seat to face him. “I think you’re the best!” he says. “The kids don’t know what they’re talking about! Weblums are real - and so are aliens - they can’t prove otherwise! Mom’s trying to keep them away from here, right? So of course we don’t know about them!”

This isn’t the first time Coran just wants to tell Keith everything - that he’s from the future and in less than four years he’ll meet a different version of himself and he’s half alien and there’s a war out there and he’s going to be a Paladin of Voltron and please do everything in your power to save Allura.

But he’s changed enough by telling Keith stories of weblums and Altean fairytales, by just knowing his face. He’ll have to apologize to his younger self if it comes to that - there are sure to be fireworks when they meet and Sendak will still be on their tail.

Still, Keith’s enthusiasm warms his heart. For now, keep things on track. Shiro will help him get through the Galaxy Garrison just like before. This time though, Coran hopes he’ll make a few friends.

A few specific friends, that is.

~~~~~~~~

“There,” Coran says. He kneels before Keith, putting a finishing polish on Keith’s Galaxy Garrison lapel. “You look smart and dashing.”

The uniform looks good on him, even though he’s not yet grown into it. Coran imagines it in red, like he’s used to seeing on Keith.

It feels like the beginning of the end.

Keith shifts uncomfortably. “Coran, I’m not sure if I want to go back.”

“What? Quiznak, Keith, whatever for? This is all you’ve been talking about since you were yeh-high!” Coran exclaims, holding his hand above the floor barely to Keith’s knees.

At least he gets a laugh out of Keith. “I was not that little,” he protests lightly.

“Well you sure seemed that way to me,” Coran huffs before knitting his eyebrows together in concern. “Why the change of heart?”

Keith sighs, looking away and down. “The other kids are just like in school… some of them are even from my class. James has them all turned on me.”

Coran’s shoulder slump. That had only been orientation!

“I know it’s difficult, Keith, but I’m sure there are some kids who would be glad to be your friend. What about Shiro’s friend, Matt?” he waggles his eyebrows. “Doesn’t he have a younger sister?”

Keith’s eyes go wide. “Katie?” His face scrunches in disgust. “No - I - I don’t want to date anyone!”

Coran knows he shouldn’t laugh, but he does. “I never said anything of the sort. She’s closer to your age though. Perhaps she’d like to be your friend.”

Keith clearly isn’t convinced. Coran grins. It’s only a matter of time.

~~~~

“I made top pilot in my class again,” Keith says with a broad grin.

Coran stirs his tea and sits down at the table, where the video phone shows Keith’s proud face. He looks so young and innocent- but he wears the Garrison colors and every year he looks more and more like the Keith Coran remembers waking up to.

“Well done! I told you that you’d do it again! One more year and you’ll have all five eh?”

“That’s right,” Keith says, though he looks away sheepishly. “The only one who’s ever done that is… Shiro.”

Coran’s gut twists unpleasantly hearing the name of the man who will be leaving on the ill-fated Kerberos mission in less than a week.

Then Coran has one year. One year to say the right things.

“Then you’re in good company. We’ll celebrate with ice cream when you come home for break yes?”

Keith shifts uncomfortably. “Actually, Shiro’s invited me to stay for the launch, if that’s okay… I won’t see him again for a long time.”

Oh he has no idea.

“Ugh,” Coran moans, clutching his heart in fake agony. “Such is the cruelty of teenieboppers.”

Keith looks nervously to each side. “Teenagers,” he corrects. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Spend time with your friends, Keith. I’ve had ten glorious years watching you grow up.”

Keith smiles tenderly, “our families are all invited for dinner. You’re welcome to come. The Holts are coming too.”

“Oh I’m quite fine here,” Coran assures him. Although he misses Sam and their friendship, he isn’t sure he can look at the man in the eye any more than Shiro. “Have some fun. I’ll be right here when you need me.”

~~~

That time is four months later when without a phone call of warning, Keith comes crashing through the front door and falls to his knees with tears in his eyes.

Coran hugs him tighter than a yelmore grip and cries too without so much as a word exchanged between them.

~~~~~~

“I’m not going back,” Keith says when he comes down for breakfast the next morning. Coran barely stops himself from gasping, for Keith wears the same clothing that he brings to space one year from now.

“What will you do?” he asks with no judgement.

He already knows.

“I’ve always had this weird feeling when I’m out here,” he begins. “I never noticed it until I started school at the Garrison and it wasn’t as strong as when I come home for break.” He lifts his eyes, they shine with an alien purple glint, determined. “I think it wants me to find it.”

Coran nods. “I’ll help you.”

~~~~

It doesn’t take long for the house to fill with papers and corkboard. Keith writes math equations in his journal and Coran corrects them by asking pointed questions. The calculus is beyond what Earth teaches at universities, but it’s elementary for an Altean.

He finds the cave of the Blue Lion. Coran aches but comes with Keith anyway. He’s purposefully not come out here; it’s too painful a reminder of what is to come - of what he hopes will turn into a happy ending. He thinks the Blue Lions knows, too, Coran’s true purpose. The Lions were always smarter than they seem, even when Alfor was molding them.

He can’t help himself; while Keith takes pictures and mutters about what all this might mean in relation to him, Coran lays a shaking hand over an image of the creation of all five Lions. A single figure glows blue, a man set away from the five original Paladins and Allura.

The Blue Lion seems to know exactly who he is.

It’s strange even now to realize he was there in this event depicted by carvings over ten thousand years old.

The thought is just as sobering now as it was when he first woke from the cryopod.

“What do you think all this is, Coran?” Keith wonders from another wall. “What’s calling me is definitely here but… I don’t understand what it is.”

Coran pulls a thumb over the young woman in the creation picture. He closes his eyes. “You will one day,” he promises.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Coran,” Keith says softly, with relief.

~~~~~

��I think I’m stuck.”

Keith sits on the edge of the couch, hunched over and elbows on his knees as he reads the papers on the table. He has taken over the living room with his sketches and calculations. “Something is coming on December 14 and I have no idea what it is.” He sighs deeply. “I’m not even sure if my math is right.”

Coran sets down his book; Synthia will want to know what he thinks of it as soon as possible, but his priority is to help Keith. He is perfectly capable of telling Keith that his math is flawless - as Coran has taught him - but there is a better way.

“Why don’t you ask Katie?” Number Three will surely take up the task seeing as how she’s already decided to go undercover at the Galaxy Garrison in the next school year (only weeks away now).

Keith looks up, conflict in his eyes. “I couldn’t. She lost her father and her brother on the mission. Shiro was just a friend, it’s not the same.”

Coran looks at him sternly. Not sharing the same blood did not make them any less family, not between Shiro and Keith and not between any of the Paladins. “And I am a cooked duflax then?” Coran teases. At Keith’s horrified shake of the head, he continues, “Katie is hurting. You are hurting. You two should be supporting each other, not isolating yourselves. Family is family; blood or not.”

Keith smiles. “Maybe I’ll give her a call.”

~~~~~

“You hammered it, Synthia! It was the butler the entire time!”

Coran speaks excitedly into the video phone. Synthia on the other side, holding up the latest crime novel they’ve finished together.

“But you predicted the method!” she says, bending her knee and clasping her face with excitement. She’s curled her gorgeous red hair these days and it bounces around her face like a skipping xalax. Coran sighs longingly, placing his elbows on the table and setting his cheek in his palm - she looks even more radiant than the night they first met.

“I mean, to use the ink from the old printer to create the poison in the paint, knowing there would be a dare to drink it? It’s brilliant! How did you guess?”

“Oh, it was as easy as pi! If you remember--”

The now familiar sound of Keith returning with the hoverbike cuts him off, snapping his attention towards the door.

“Keith is home?” Synthia asks. She frowns, brows furrowed in concern. “I’m worried about him.”

Coran forces a smile. “Keith will be fine,” he promises. “He just needs time to find his place in the universe. Sometimes that can take some looking!”

Her ruby lips curl up the side of her face. “You’re the best thing to happen to that boy. I’m not sure what would have become of him if you hadn’t stepped in.”

“Oh, it wasn’t all me,” Coran admits. No, really his father should take the credit, and Shiro. He’s just repeating it all. “Keith is a good lad, he’ll get there with a little guidance.”

“He is. I’ll let you see to him. See you for dinner on… Sunday, right?”

Tiny weblums swim in Coran’s stomach. This will be a very important dinner - the biggest of his life here in the past. Synthia has been a marvelous companion, and with the days ticking down…

It is time he tells her the truth. She deserves to know.

“Sunday,” Coran confirms. Because he means to be gone before Keith returns home with Shiro and the other Paladins-to-be on Monday night. They will already have a more than capable Coran in space. “And not a tick past seven!”

Syntha says farewell as Keith walks in the door. He’s covered in dust - that jacket will need to be cleaned before tomorrow.

(The Castle washing machines won’t be operational for another week.)

“Did you find everything you need for your outing next week?" he asks.

Keith sets his helmet on the counter and leans into it, exhausted. "I have no idea what's coming, Coran; I'm not sure if I ever could be ready."

Coran hums and takes a sip of his tea. "One is not always ready for what is thrust upon them, but I am certain you will rise to meet whatever challenges that come at you." He winks. "You can be fiercer than a klanmuirel and wiser than a ivorkiv."

A laugh, the first real laugh he's heard in a while. Since before Shiro disappeared. "I don't know how you come up with these things, Coran. Where do you get all your stories?"

Altea won't do, not yet. Coran taps his head. "Right here in the ol' noggin."

"You need to write that book one day," Keith continues. "The one about the princess and the space castle."

Coran smiles. He'd hate to step on Lance's toes. The book will be an intergalactic success. "Perhaps," he affords Keith. "But where's all the fun in letting people look at you like you've grown five heads!"

Keith snorts, and grins. "You'd only need two. You're alien enough as it is, Coran."

~~~~~~

"At least wear a tie," Keith says.

Coran grinds his teeth. Earth clothing is so impractical! The ties on Altea are much more intuitive! "Synthia hasn't minded casual clothing for our rendezvous before and won't mind now."

Keith looks incredulously at him. "This is a big night. If you're going to propose, do it right."

"Who said anything about proposing?" Coran says as he ties the cloth around his neck in a knot.

"What?" Keith spits, surprised. "Coran, you two have been together since I was a little kid."

"And just because two adults enjoy each other's company does not mean marriage is inevitable," he says, slicking his hair back. Pivoting to his side, Coran waggles his eyebrows. Hmm yes, still got the look even with the grey. "I am however, going to ask her to go on an extended vacation with me. She just retired this past year and I want to treat her."

Keith perks up. "Oh? When are you leaving?"

And this is where it hurts. "I'm not sure yet. Very soon. You'll know," he says with a wink. Perhaps its cruel to leave him at this crucial time... but he'll also no longer be needed.

"Did you talk about tomorrow night with Katie?" he asked.

Keith folds his arms, looking away. Sworn to secrecy on her infiltration of the Galaxy Garrison no doubt. "She said she'd be there. I talked her into bringing her flight crew, just like you suggested."

"Oh good," Coran says mildly. Internally he's throwing himself a little party. "More friends for you to make?"

"Oh, I've already met Lance and Hunk," Keith says. He chews his lip. "They were both in my class. We hung out a few times."

Coran fights a large grin. "Oh did you? That's more friends than you claimed to have!"

"We didn't get along at first but... remember when you told me about how being at the top of the class can get on people's nerves? I tried to be calm about it and,” Keith smiles - genuinely happy, “I think we get along now.”

Perfect.

“...You have a good smile, Keith. You should use it more often,” Coran says. Mostly because he isn’t sure what else to say.

Keith chuckles. “You’re being weirder than usual,” he teases.

The car is packed. This is the last time he’ll see Keith before he knows everything. If he has it his way, never again. He’ll have his proper Coran and the other Paladins and Kosmo and his mother with him.

Coran won’t be needed any longer.

But as long as everyone comes home from this war alive, that’s all that matters. And seeing Keith happy has been well worth the wait. He can only hope his lessons come through.

“Tonight’s a big night!” Coran tutts back, wagging a finger. “And tomorrow doubly for you.”

The smile Keith so warmly held evaporates to a frown. He shivers, clutching his arms despite wearing a jacket in the desert heat. “I still don’t know what I’m going to find there, Coran.”

This is the last chance Coran will have to make a difference but…

He gently wraps Keith into a hug. The boy greedily holds fast to Coran’s shirt; as if he knows this is their last talk.

“You are smart and brave and kind, Keith,” Coran says. That part hasn’t changed from when he was a small child. “You will know what to do because your heart will tell you. You don’t need me to do that.

“Be good to your friends,” Coran continues as he pulls Keith closer. “Don’t let them go.”

“I’ll miss you,” Keith says through choked sobs. “You’ll call when on vacation right?”

Coran sucks in deep, and tries not to cry himself. “I will be there for you any time you need me. I swear it. Just ask. No matter what the situation, no matter how busy I may look, you can always talk to me.”

Even if it’s not him, exactly.

~~~~~~

Synthia takes the whole ‘being an alien from the future thing’ rather well - if jumping on him and nibbling on his pointed ears in a quiznakingly fantastic way is any indication.

(She eventually has the breath to say yes.)

~~~~~~

The first stop on their elongated vacation is the nearest national park - the one he and Keith frequented in his childhood. Synthia is in much better shape than he, Coran discovers miserably. Ten years of sedimentary living will do that, even to an Altean.

Coran wheezes, crawling as he lifts a hand to a perfectly nice sitting rock, pulling himself up. Never since visiting Balmera Alpha has he felt such an acute pain to his spine.

But it is nothing compared to watching the Blue Lion lift off into the atmosphere, with five humans in tow.

“Why didn’t you go with them?” Synthia asks, cozy next to him on the rock. “If you’re trying to change the future, wouldn’t it be easier with them?”

“No,” Coran says sadly. “I’d be tempted to change too much. As long as they are loyal to each other, everything will turn out fine.”

She smiles, a wicked one that sends happy chills up his spine, a blessed relief from the burden of waiting. “So then it’s just the two of us then?”

He turns to her and twirls his mustache. “How do you feel about Madagascar?”

~~~~~

Between the two of them - Synthia’s passion for biology and her early scouting days, and Coran’s knowledge of everything else - the two make an ecological home in the jungle.

The Galra don’t find them when Sendak invades. It both relieves Coran, and renews the unsettled feeling in his stomach - for now he knows things are happening in the same way, but also things are happening the same way and people are dying.

Coran sees Voltron for the first time in years, flying overhead to combat Sendak’s fleet.

He isn’t sure what to feel. Pride, for one, they’ve made it this far - they’re still a team.

He’s also anxious, asking the same questions of himself that he has been for the last five years. Did Keith find his mother? What became of Lotor? Of Shiro and his clone?

Did Keith hate him when he realized who Coran is? For not telling him the truth about everything?

Synthia takes hold of his hand and gives it a most comforting squeeze as they watch the IGF-Atlas take a pummeling from the combined firepower of five zaiforge cannons.

What Keith thinks of him hardly matters now, he tells himself.

But it still hurts.

~~~~~

Coran is on the beach two quintants after the Atlas returns home.

He lays back in his hammock, the warmth of the sun no longer bothering him after years of it at this angle. Sunglasses shade his eyes and make spotting the Altean shuttle landing nearby crystal clear to see.

He fingers the vial of Balmeran dust he still wears around his neck. He has only two questions.

Rising, his heart skips a beat seeing Keith again. The boy - no, man now - jumps out of the pod along with Kosmo, a sight that is very encouraging.

Still, even though he knows Keith is not quick to smile, the serious way he stalks up to Coran makes jumbles of his stomach.

Kosmo sniffs him first… and whines in confusion.

Coran kneels scratches the cosmic wolf under the chin, exactly where he likes it. The wolf sits and whimpers in delight.

Then he looks Keith in the eye, the otherworldly purple tint shining through just as it had when he’d talk of space as a child.

“Are you well?” he asks first. “Did you find everything you were looking for?”

And Keith melts, knees hitting the sand and arms reaching around Coran for a hug. “You could have come with us,” he says, nearly sobbing.

Coran exhales. He must have been holding his breath, for his brain and heart feel light. Returning the hug he says, “You had everyone you needed with you. The Castle just wasn’t big enough for two of me.”

His chest tightens - the moment of truth. “Allura?”

Keith squeezes him and Coran’s heart stops. All this for nothing?

No, not for nothing. Not for Keith.

But it hurts. Allura should be alive - enjoying life with the rest of them, her family.

“...waiting a bit impatiently for me to bring you back to the Garrison,” Keith finally says. “She says it isn’t fair for you to be away from us.” A sob catches in his throat. “I agree. You deserve to be with us - your younger self doesn’t mind.” Tears of joy give way to quiet laughter. “He wants to meet you just as bad.”

Coran lets the tears flow - the first time since he said goodbye to Keith in the hospital and came to the past a lifetime ago.

“Honerva and the other realities?” he says as he pulls away, he has to know. This reality is obviously fine but the others…

What did they sacrifice instead?

Keith grins, his cheeks stained with tears, wiping them away with the sleeve of his new black jacket. Maybe to reflect his role as the Black Paladin. Or maybe they never did the Lion swap in the first place. Coran doesn’t care. ��Allura tried to sacrifice herself; we wouldn’t let her. The Blue Lion agreed, and so did Voltron. The Lions spit us out and we haven’t seen them again since.”

Voltron sacrificed itself.

Coran can’t help but think back to the day Keith found the Blue Lion’s cave - the glowing blue figure of himself. The Blue Lion knew him - why wouldn’t it also know his purpose.

Forged from the trans-reality comet, it knew, and granted his wish.

“Thank you, Keith,” he says. “Thank you for bringing her back.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Keith grins back, his eyes soft and kind. “Allura still has a long life to enjoy and you’re part of it - and a part of mine too, with Mom and Kosmo, the others and both Shiro and Ryou too. Whatever you did in the future… it was worth it.”

One name is unfamiliar. “Ryou?”

Keith smiles, clearly pleased with himself. “Shiro’s clone. Long story.”

Coran sniffs, inhaling enough snot he’s sure he’ll be sick later. All that’s left is to find Synthia and travel back to the Galaxy Garrison and he’ll be with his family again.

Plus one. He can’t wait to try wrangling yelmores with himself.

If his younger self can pry him away from Allura’s side.

(He has a lifetime and more to make up for.)

[chancellormatt]

Voltron Rewrite Episode Twelve - The Trials of Leadership

Lotor, pilot of Sincline, wakes up. He groans, and tries to rise, but finds himself strapped down to the bed he is in.

“...you aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon.” A voice says.

Sincline Lotor looks up, to see Allura standing over his bed, looking down with hard eyes. The other Paladins are gathered as well. Lance and Pidge have bandages from where they were wounded fighting.

“...what happened?” Sincline Lotor asks in a hoarse voice.

“You grew mad with power. Or...maybe you were always like that.” She replies coldly. “You got yourself stuck in the quintessence field, and we left you behind.”

“...how long?”

Allura hesitates for a moment. “...more than thirty quintants.”

“Thirty quinants…” Lotor muses. “...I want to see.”

“See…?”

“Do not play games with me.” Lotor says in a voice that is half cough, half growl. “I am not fool enough to believe that a man can spent that long in the quintessence field and suffer no consequences.”

Allura bites her lip. “...fine.”

She leaves the bed for a moment, then comes back with a hand mirror. For the first time since leaving the quintessence field, Lotor sees himself.

His skin, once a fairly light purple, is now much darker shade. Twin marks trail down all the way down either side of his face. His eyes now glow with a violet hue. He is the spitting image of Zarkon.

Lotor closes his eyes, gritting his teeth. “...why did you bring me back?”

“Technically, we didn’t. Zarkon did.”

“Zarkon is dead!” Lotor hisses.

“Yes.” Allura admits. “The Zarkon of our reality is.”

He opens his eyes, and stares. “The...no...no, that couldn’t…of course. Voltron. The Comet. I should have figured this could happen. Tell me everything.”

Allura’s eye twitches with annoyance. Keith, seeing this, jumps in.

“The short of it is that Zarkon, in his own Voltron carved his way into this reality. He’s taken over much of remains of the Galra Empire. And...he is using the Alteans from the colonies as weapons.”  

Lotor does not comment on this. Instead, he asks: “What will you do with me?”

“We haven’t decided yet.” Keith says.

“Typical. You Paladins always did have difficulty doing what needed to be done.”

“Is that what you call it!?” Allura nearly takes a step towards him, but Keith holds her back.

“Enough. If you have nothing of value to offer Lotor, then we’ll just lock you up and figure out what to do with you when all this is over.”

“That would be a mistake. You should free me.”

“And why would we do that?” Keith asks, narrowing his eyes.

“You don’t trust me. Understandable. But if you do not trust my word, you can at least know one thing for sure: No one, not in all the cosmos, wants Zarkon dead more than I. And unlike all of you, I’ve actually succeeded in the task of killing him once before.”

Keith looks away, uncertainty on his face.

“...fine. Go on then. Leave me locked up. When you’re ready to get your hands dirty, you know where to find me.”

The Paladins share a series of awkward glances. All except Allura, who continues to stare at Lotor with scorn.

***

“Well he sure hasn’t changed.” Keith says, walking outside the room.

“Yeah,” Lance pipes up. “He’s still totally a jerk. By the way anyone else find it weird that we just fought another version of him from-”

“He’s worse than just a jerk.” Allura huffs. “He’s a monster. I can’t believe the alteans of the Colony worship him.”

“It's all they know.” Keith points out.

“I know.” She sighs. “That’s the problem.”

With that Allura walks away. Keith makes as if follow her, but hesitates. He shakes his head, then turns to the others. “We should try to figure out our next plan of attack. For that we’re going to need information. Pidge, did you managed to get anything off the data you snatched?”

“Most of the juicy stuff seems to be heavily encrypted, so unfortunately I don’t have much.” Pidge explains. “I’m going to get to work on a decryption, but that might take a while.”

“Alright, let me know when you have something. Everyone else...I guess just take some time to relax or whatever else you wanna do, just stay alert. I want us to be able to move on a moment’s notice.”

“Roger that.” Hunk says saluting.

“Yeah, yeah.” Lance waves a dismissive hand.

Keith nods to them. “If anyone needs me, I’m going to be talking to the warlords in their camp outside. I guess there’s been some kind of trouble lately, and I’m kind of afraid to find out what it is.” Keith almost seems to shiver.

The other three Paladins wave to Keith as he departs.

“Welp,” Hunk says, “I promised my family I’d eat with them when I got back, so I’ll see you guys layer.”

And with that he departs. Leaving only Lance and Pidge. Silence swallows the hallway, as the two struggle to look everywhere but at each other. Lance clears his throat awkwardly. Pidge shifts with discomfort.

“-I” They both start to say.

The two share a grimace. Lance motions for Pidge to go on.

“I...should really get to work on that decryption.” She manages to get out.

“Oh...uh, yeah you should go do that then. I’m uh...gonna go see if Keith needs help with the...thing.”

“G-good.” Pidge stammers “...have fun.”

“I...will.” Lance nods far too formally.

They turn and walk in opposite directions, as fast as humanly possible.

“Hey Keith, wait up!” Lance yells.

Keith stops and turns, bearing a curious expression.

“Need help with that stuff with the galra?”

“Uh-”

“Of course you do!” Lance says, throwing an arm over the other boy’s shoulder. “Let’s get to it.”

“Ri...right.” Keith says, looking thoroughly confused.

***

The Twins of the altean Colony are ushered inside a Garrison cell, by a pair of guards. The door hisses shut behind them. The Twins take stock of the room, and quickly notice the cell’s other inhabitants.

“Vatta!” Dramor exclaims.

The girl stands bolt upright, and the two dash into an embrace.

“...I thought you were dead.” Dramor eventually says.

“I thought I’d never see you again.” She says into his chest.

Dramor pulls back, and looks down at her with concern. “...what have they done to you?”

Vatta hesitates. “...nothing, actually.”

Lagmor steps forward, confusion on his face. “They haven’t harmed any of you?”

“Yet.” says Gratva in a gruff voice. The older altean sits in one corner of the room with a sour expression. “Give ‘em time. They’ll be torturing the information out of us before long. Probably were just waiting to get there hands on more of us.”

“Yes...you probably are right…” Lagmor says, thoughtfully.

Dramor’s eyes grow hard, and he looks down at Vatta whom he still holds. “I won’t let them.”

“And how you gonna stop ‘em?” Gratva asks.

“I...don’t know.” Dramor admits after a moment.

“Escape?” Lagmor says in a low voice.

Gratva scoffs. “They haven’t let us out since they put us in here. Face it kiddos, we’re at their mercy. At least until Lotor comes to rescue us.”

“Yes…” Dramor says, troubled. Vatta squeezes his hand comfortingly. It softens the hardness of the boy’s expression, but does not dispel it entirely.

The alteans grow silence, with each of them dwelling on the words spoken.

***

Pidge sits down at a computer. She pulls out the small drive out of her pocket. She reached to insert it, but cringes from the pain in her shoulder. She switches the drive to her other hand and inserts it into the computer. She types into the command prompt, “run decryption.”

Decryption running… The computer reads out.

A loading bar along with a time estimation appears.

This task should be completed in: 48 hours.

Pidge lets out a long sigh. She shifts in her seat. Then gets up and paces. After a minute of this, she leans over to look at the screen. The load time had not changed.

Pidge lets out a huff. She grabs a stick note off a nearby table and writes: “Do not touch!!” on it. Then she sticks the note on the computer, before walking back out of the room.

Pidge walks through the hallways, alone, looking bored. She nearly walks into Allura when she turns a corner.

“Oh, Pidge.” Allura says, a little startled.

“Allura.” Pidge nods. “What’s goin’ on?”

“I was just…” Allura gets a distant look. “...gathering my thoughts. I think I might go try to talk to alteans again. It seems a futile gesture, but leaving them alone seems worse.” She shakes her head, as if clearing away a mental fog. “Sorry, I’m sure you have duties to attend to without me holding you up.”

“Not really.” Pidge shrugs. “The decryption of those files I stole is gonna take another two days. I’m not supposed to exert myself too hard because of my shoulder, so it's not like I can train or anything. For once, I’m not really sure what to do with myself.”

“I see…” Allura studies the other girl for a moment. She opens her mouth to say something, then hesitates.

“Come on, out with it.” Pidge urges.

“...very well. I was wondering if you would like to join me. In talking to the alteans, I mean.”

Pidge looks at her dubiously. “Why would you want me there for that? It's not like I know anything about altean culture.”

“No, and maybe that’s a good thing. I think...I could use a fresh look on this situation. You aren’t as close to this, so maybe you’ll look at it more objectively than me. Besides, you are the smartest person I know.”

Pidge scoffs. “I’m smart with computers and tech. People...not so much.”

“My point still stands. You might be able to see this from an angle that I won’t.”

Pidge thinking about it for a moment, then shrugs. “Alright. I did say I wasn’t busy.”

“Let’s get to it, then.” Allura says, standing up a bit straighter.

The two girls walk down the hall, together.

***

Keith and Lance step outside, to be met with the sight of the new Castle of Lions. The construction appears to be nearing its completion, and the Castle now towers over the base below it.

“Woah.” Lance says.

“Yeah. It's really coming together.”

“You can say that again.” Lance stares up, and siles slightly. “Takes you back a bit doesn’t it?”

“...sure does.” Keith smirks and shakes his head. “Come on.”

He leads Lance to the base of the Castle, where a camp has been set up. Under one makeshift pavillion, Coran stands in front of a holotable, opposite Skriel.

“Ah, hello there Keith.” Coran greets.

“Grant Regent!” Skriel says, bowing.

Lance rolls his eyes.

“How are things coming along, guys?” Keith asks

“Splendidly!” Skriel proclaimers. “I never thought an altean would have much of anything of value to say, but shockingly this one isn’t a complete idiot! This altean modular tech has opened up some interesting possibilities.”

Coran raises an eyebrow and strokes his mustache. “Well I’d never consider a galra to be a reliable source of information, but Skriel here, actually had a decent idea or two. We might even be onto some sort of...collaborative effort.”

“Sounds like you guys are getting along well…” Keith hesitates. “...I’m more concerned by the ones that aren’t getting along so well.”

Skriel shuffles uncomfortably. Coran massages his mustache, with a troubled expression.

Lance only looks confused. “Wait, what’s going on? Who’s not getting along?”

“There have been some, totally and completely minor...disagreements between the men.” Coran says.

“You see, they don’t seem to like us warlords and our men. Especially those Blades of whatchamacallit. They’re far too uptight if you ask me. So we were all trying to kill each other up until a dozen quintents ago? Get over it already.”

Keith sighes. “Where’s Kolivan? Or my mom?”

“Both out on mission, I’m afraid.” Coran shrugs. “Always work to do.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” Keith shakes his head. “I’m not sure what to do about this.”

“Why not just talk to them?” Lance asks. “I bet they’ll stop if you order them to cut that crap out.”

“I’m not their leader, Lance. The warlords might follow me, and I am one of the Blades. But I’m not their leader, Kolivan. He respects me as head of Voltron, but that's not the same as being in command of the whole Blade of Marmora.”

“Whatever you say.” Lance sighs.

“Besides…” Keith turns to face Skriel. “...somehow I don’t think these ‘disagreements’ are entirely one sided.”

Skriel looks offended. “Are you implying that my men would ever be anything lower than absolutely profession when interacting with-”

“Yes.”

“Okay you’ve got me. The conflicts are coming from both sides. But Grand Regent, I really think you are more worried about this, than is necessary. Both our men, and the Blades are galra. We fight, it's what we do.”

“Not with allies. The next time this happens, let me know.”

“Very well, Grand Regent.” Skriel bows again.”Your wish is our command.”

Another eye-roll from Lance. Keith nods to Skriel and Coran, then walks outside. Lance follows him.

“Must be nice having people bowing and calling you ‘Grand Regent,’ huh?” Lance says after a moment.

“Not really.” Keith sighs. “But I guess someone’s gotta do it.”

Lance looks at him sidelong. “Still, if you’re gonna be in charged, you might as well have fun with it.”

Keith opens his mouth to reply, but never gets a chance.

“Keith!” Ryner yells, running over to meet them.

“What’s up?” Keith asks.

“We’re having a bit of a resource crisis. You see with the construction of the Castle, we’re running low on jump-projectors for repairs on the rest of the ships.”

“We’ll...go take a look. Might not be able to fix everything right now, but we can at least prioritize.”

“Alright. This way.”

Ryner starts to move, with Keith and Lance in tow.

“Still think I got much time for fun on the job?”

Lance only snorts.

***

Allura and Pidge step inside the cell. All of the alteans stand bolt upright. Their stances are still, their eyes distructful.

“Hello.” Allura greets awkwardly.

The only reply is a snort from Gratva. Pidge narrows her eyes at him.

“I am Princess Allura, for those of you that don’t know me.” She nods to the Twins. “And this is my friend, Pidge.”

“Hey.” Pidge says.

The alteans do not reply.

“Are you all...well?” Allura says, floundering.

“...are we well?” Gratva laughs. “That’s rich coming from the woman holding us captive. As if you care.”

“I do, believe it or not.” She replies, stiffly.

“Do you honestly expect us to believe that?” Lagmor speaks up. “We know of the the evils you have commited. We have heard plenty from Lotor.”

“Then tell me just what sort of horrors we are guilty of? We stood up when no one else would. We fought against the galra empire, and freed countless of worlds. And we brought dozens of different peoples together, so that when all of this is over, we can unite under the banner of peace.”

“How about when you abandoned the altean people?” Lagmor askes.

Allura hesitates. “I did not-”

“Yes,” Dramor sneers, “where were you when altea was destroyed? Did you stay and fight then? Or did you leave us all for ten thousand years, until it was convenient for you?”

“I did not-”

“Face it, Princess!” Gratva cuts her off. “You will never steal our loyalty for Lotor!”

Allura eyes fill with pain, and she looks down.

Gratva smiles. “We will never turn our backs on Lotor! Everything we have is because of him! He is our savior! Our-”

“Where is he right now?” Pidge says suddenly.

Gratva opens his mouth to reply, but Pidge beats hi to it.

“Because the way I see it, he sent all of your on missions doomed to fail, then never bothered to try and rescue you. Did you even know that the other pilots had survived before getting here?”

Dramor glances at Vatta, who stares back at him.

“Lotor...he has the entire universe to save! He cannot concern himself with-”

“Is that what you call it?” Pidge cuts in yet again. “When did saving start with all of you attacking us, unprovoked? When did we ever attack you? Or did you just trust him, when he said we’re ‘the bad guys?’ Did you ever once, question what this was all about? What you were really doing!?”

“Pidge…” Allura starts to say.

Pidge ignores her, looking across the group with a sneer. “Tell me are you all so stupid that you just buy into the first flimsy story you hear? Or are you just so scared of what’s actually staring you right in the face!? Instead you throw insults at the one person in the universe that gives half a damn about any of you lot. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more miserable group of-”

“Pidge!” Allura shouts. “That’s enough!”

Pidge scoffs and turns. “You asked for my opinion? You’re wasting your time on these guys. Let’s them wallow in their delusions.” And before Allura can reply, Pidge whirls around and stalks out of the room.

The alteans can only stare, silenced by Pidge’s tirade. Allura is equally speechless. She looks at the door the girl left through, back to the alteans, then cycles between the two several times.

“If...you’ll excuse me.” Allura gives a short nod then exits the room.

Pidge is still marching down the hall, huffing.

“Pidge wait!” Allura calls after her. “What was all that?”

She stops and turns. “Did you want me to sit there and let them trash you like that?”

“Well...there’s a certain level of tact you have to use when-”

“Oh yeah, they really were responding well to tact.”

Allura cringes. Pidge sighes.

“I know...they’re like your long lost people, or whatever. And I’m sure that you must want to try and gain their trust. But you can only do so much. They’ve been brainwashed for so long, I dunno if they’d even know what to do without their ‘almighty’ Lotor. It's not your fault if they don’t realize that you care about the more than he ever did.” Pidge takes a breath. “So don’t just sit there and take it. You’re better than that. Better than them.”

Allura stares at her for several moments. Pidge shifts uncomfortably, and looks like she might turn to go.

“...I don’t like the way you said it.” Allura says with a sigh. “But I think there may be truth in your words. I can’t make the believe anything. And after so long with Lotor, maybe there isn’t much hope for them. But still...I’m not ready to give up on them. Not just yet.”

“What are you gonna do them?”

“I...don’t know.” Allura admits. “I’ve made all the arguments I can. And as you said, I can’t make them believe anything.”

Pidge hesitates. “...maybe if they don’t respond to words, there’s another way you can convince them?”

Both girls appear to be thinking. As one their eyes widen with inspiration.

***

“That took longer than I would have liked.” Keith says tiredly, walking through the camp outside the Garrison base.

Lance lets out a long sigh and rubs his eyes. “I don’t ever want to look at another ship manifest again.”

“You’re the one that volunteered.”

“Yeah and what was I gonna leave once it looked like trouble? I’ve still got my pride as a man.” Despite this, Lance plops himself down onto a nearby metal crate.

Keith remains standing. “At least we’re finally...done…” His voice gets distant, as he notices some kind of commotion across the camp.

“Come on.” Keith suddenly says, taking off at a run.

Lance groans, then rises to follow after Keith. They dash through the camp, passing by countless Coalition soldiers and workers at various tasks. It's not long before they reach the source of the commotion.

A group of ten or so galra fighting each other, encircled by a crowd of watching Coalition personnel. Half of the galra are warlord soldiers, while the other half are Blades of Marmora. Just outside the ring of fighting, galra warlords Ublok and Erva stand watching with what looks like approval.

Keith shoves his way through to the warlords.

“Why haven’t you stopped this!?” Keith demands.

“It is the galra way.” Ublok shrugs.

“It's just some friendly scuffling. They are letting out their anger. You should let them continue.” Evra adds.

“Oh yeah this really looks like a friendly scuffle.” Keith shoots back.

As if on cue, one of the Blades draws a knife. Keith curses, and dashes into the fray, grabbing the man by the hand.

“Stop!” Keith orders.

The fighting continues.

“I SAID STOP!” Keith bellows.

All freeze, looking up to stare at Keith. There is fire in his eyes. “...what are you all doing?”

The group is silent for a moment.

“They started it!” One of the warlord soldiers yells.

“That’s a lie!” A blade replies.

“I don’t care who started it!” Keith cuts in. “You’re allies! Why are you fighting?”

“Allies!?” One of the blades protests. “We fought in this war for centuries! We fought long before anyone else dared, and we risked everything to do it! Then these one’s spend the whole time serving zarkon, then Lotor, and switch sides at the last possible moment!?”

“At least we don’t cower in the dark like you lot!” A warlord soldier retorts.

In spite of Keith’s objections, they look as though they are about to return to fighting. The blast of an energy rifle stops them.

Lance stands with his rifle aimed towards the heavens. He nods to Keith. Keith nods back.

“...it doesn’t matter when you decided to fight back.”

One of the blades starts to object.

“It doesn’t matter.” Keith repeats. “Because in the end, they did.” he nods to the warlord group. “Even after Zarkon returned, with his own Voltron, they chose to side with us. That matters. Is this really how you act when Kolivan is gone? Is this how you honor your leader?”

The Blades look down without answering. Keith turns to the warlord group. “And you!”

The men nearly jump. Ublok and Erva look uncomfortable as well.

“This kind of fighting amongst allies is exactly what was supposed to end when you declared for me. No more groups, no more fighting each other for power. Galra as one people. Even those serving Zarkon now will have their chance after they’ve paid their penance for siding with him. We gain nothing if we fight each other, and stand to lose everything if we do. Is that clear?”

There is a series of mumbled, “yes Grand Regent.” He narrows his eyes at Ublok and Erva. They scramble to bow and repeat the phrase.

“Good. Now unless I’m mistaken, I’m pretty sure you’ve all got work to do.”

The group disperses immediately, with each going their own way. Keith lets out a long sigh.

***

“Where are you taking us, Princess?” Dramor asks.

“To some sort of interrogation, no doubt.” Lagmor says.

“Or maybe she’ll sick the little green one on us again.” Gratva mutters.

A glare from Pidge makes him avert his gaze.

“I am going to show you something, I think you all should see.” Allura states, not rising to the previous comments.

She walks through the Garrison base, alongside Pidge, with the alteans. The latter are in power-cuffs and flanked by guards. The group comes to a metal door at the end of the corridor.

Allura takes a breath before opening the door, allowing the sunlight to spill inside. She steps out followed by Pidge, then with some hesitation, the alteans.

They are immediately met with the sight of the Castle of Lions. Gratva immediately gasps.

“It...it can’t be…” He stammers.

“What? What is this oddly shaped ship?” Lagmor asks.

Gratva shakes his head. “...when I was but a boy my grandmother showed me a painting she’d made of something she’d seen centuries earlier. It was said to be one of the grandest ships ever built: The Castle of Lions. It looks the same, and yet...what is wrong with it?” He looks at Allura with puzzlement.

“Unfortunately, the original Castle of Lions was destroyed. But it's soul was preserved. It's plans and data were sent here, to earth. We have constructed a new Castle from the original design. The effort has been overseen by Coran, the grandson of the original Castle’s architect.”

As if on cue, Coran picks that moment to walk up along with Romelle.

“It's true.” He says. “Although your friend Romelle here has been instrumental in her help.”

A look passes between Romelle and the other colony alteans. It's a look of cautions uncertainty.

Coran pushes onward. “I still remember my grandpapi giving me the inaugural tour of the newly finished Castle of Lions, over ten thousand years ago back...back on altea.”

Gratva says nothing, as he stares at Coran. His gaze inevitably returns to the nearly-completed Castle ship.”

“...this proves nothing.” Dramor says after a moment.

“I agree.” Lagmor says “So you rebuilt an old ship. Anyone can reconstruct something from plans. Even if you are who you say, you are still our enemy.”

“I didn’t show this to convince you of anything.” Allura says, staring at the Castle herself. “I’m not revealing this to you so that you’ll turn coat, and join the fight on our side. I just thought you should see a piece of your own culture. That...and I hope that you’ll realize that while you may not consider me a friend, I am not, nor will I ever be your enemy.”

The alteans are silent. “...would you like to see the inside?” Allura asks after a moment.

Gratva blinks with surprise. “You’d...let us?”

“The guards would have to remain, but yes.” Allura nods.

“Construction is not finished, but most portions of the ship can be toured.” Coran adds.

Gratva hesitates only for a moment. “I...I would like to see that. Very much.”

One by one the other alteans start to voice their agreement. Dramor and Lagmor remain as holdouts.

Dramor looks about to voice an objection, when Vatta tugs on his arm. He looks down at her and something seems to pass between them. Eventually he sighs.

“I...also would like to see the ship.”

Lagmor lets out a sigh of his own. “I suppose I will as well.”

“Very well.” Allura nods to the group. “Coran will show you the way. I do not think it's a great assumption to say that it would be his honor.”

“You are correct, Princess.” Coran smiles.

“You...will not join us?” Vatta asks.

Allura shakes her head. “I would rather that you all have time to think on my words, and be able to see the ship without distraction. Besides…” She looks up at the Castle again. “...I rather think I’ll wait until it's finished.”

Silence hangs only a moment before Coran breaks it.

“Alright then, you lot, let’s go see the genius of my grandfather at work!”

The alteans follow Coran, though many shook glances back at Allura. They are quickly out of sight, lost in the crowds of Coalition personnel.

“So...it worked.” Pidge says.

“That remains to be seen.” Allura replies uncertainly.

“Oh come on, they were eating out of the palm of your hand.”

The ghost of a smile appears on Allura’s face. “If they were, it only succeeded because you so ruthlessly cut them down first.”

“Well If there's one thing I’m good at besides science, its verbally cutting people down.”

They both laugh.

“...thank you.” Allura says finally. “Really. I was too...attached to the alteans to be firm with them.”

Pidge shrugs. “Just treat me to some hot coco sometime.”

“Hot...coco?” Allura says with confusion.

“Oh we definitely gotta get some hot coco now.”

“Yes, we’ll have to do something like that sometimes…” Allura’s voice drifts off as her gaze catches on Keith and Lance walking further down the camp. “...may I ask you a question of a rather...awkward nature?”

“Shoot.”

“How do you think Keith is doing?”

“Come again?”

Allura sighs. “Keith. He..he was thrust into this position of his. And I think for what it’s worth he’s done well. But I do...worry about him. He seems to take everything on himself. I know what it's like. I’m worried about what might happen if…” She shakes her head suddenly. “...forget it. Probably just idle thoughts.”

Pidge looks at Allura then over to Keith. When Pidge looks back at Allura she notes the look in her eye.

“...you’re really concerned about him huh?” She says.

“...yes, I suppose I am. He’s helped me when I needed it, and I just want to know if there’s something I can do to pay him back. Even if it's something small.”

Pidge nods slowly. “I guess...you just gotta wait for the right chance. And don’t let it go when you see it.”

“I see. Is that what you do?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“And how does it work out?”

“I’ll...let you know.”

***

“Nicely done.” Lance claps Keith on the shoulder.

Keith shugs. “I’m more concerned it happened at all.”

Lance shakes his head. “You never ceases to amaze Keith.”

“How’s that?”

“Because you actually seem to be getting pretty good at this whole ‘leading’ thing, and yet seems to hate it all the same. You’ve never stopped acting like you���re just holding the seat for someone else. Who else is gonna do it Keith?”

Keith opens his mouth.

“I swear if you say Shiro, I’m gonna punch you in the mouth.”

“So you think I should try to...be more comfortable. As a leader.”

“As an everything, man. You’ve always been so uptight. Like, ‘oh look at me, I’m Keith. I’m a tough guy with a dark backstory.’ It gets old after a while.”

“I’m glad to see you’ve summed up my personality in just a couple of sentences.” Keith rolls his eyes.

“You know what I mean. Just like...I dunno loosen up once in a while. Do something fun.”

“Like...” Keith says, his gaze drifting over to where he sees Allura, standing along with Pidge. Both have steaming mugs in their hands. “...what?” Keith blinks as if having forgotten what they were talking about.

Lance notices, following Keith’s line of sight to Allura. He looks back and forth between the two. His eyes widen.

“No way…”

“What?” Keith asks.

“Do you...do you have a thing for Allura!?”

“Wh-what!? N-no!” Keith eyes shoot involuntarily towards Allura.

Lance’s eyes widen more. “You totally do. I know that look, I used to have that look!”

“Shut up dude.” Keith turns away.

“Oh noooo, there’s no way I’m letting this one go.” Lance throws an arm over Keith shoulder. Keith shrugs him off.

“Lay off man. I don’t...even if…” Keith shakes his head. “...we don’t have time for that kind of thing. I don’t have time for that kind of thing.”

Lance sighs and shakes his head. “Keith, Keith, Keith, what are we going to do with you?”

Keith eyes him oddly. “...hypothetically. And I’m definitely not saying I do...but if I did feel something vaguely resembling what you’re talking about...wouldn’t it bother you? I mean you liked Allura for a really long time.”

Lance hesitates before replying. “...if you’d asked me that not too long ago, you’d be right.” He glances back at the two girls. In truth he only looks at one of them. “But I’ve...come to a realisation, I guess.” He chuckles. “Anyway, long story short, no. Allura never was the girl for me. It wouldn’t bother me if you wanted to pursue something with her.”

Keith doesn’t say anything for a while.

“...it's not a good time. And I wouldn’t know what to say.”

“Well when I talked to her it was literally the worst time, and said the worst possible thing. You’ve got a low bar. My humble advice? Just see if she wants to hang out or something. Don’t spring anything crazy on her, and I think you’ll do alright.”

“I’ll think about it.” Keith shrugs. “Or I would if I actually liked her.” He actually manages a smile.

“A smile? From Keith? There we go people, my wok here is done!”

“Yeah I’m sure you got other girls’ hearts to break, right?”

Lance hesitates. “...sure.”

Keith looks confused by the comment but doesn’t push the matter.

“Anyway,” lance continues. “I’m gonna take off now. Think about what I said. Live a little.”

“I...think about it.”

Lance chuckles, and walks away. Keith turns back to the two girls. Pidge appears to be saying her goodbyes and walks back into the base. Allura stands alone, looking up at the Castle of Lions. Letting out a long sigh, Keith walks over.

“Hey.” He says after moment.

“Hello.” She smiles.

“Did you uh...make any progress with the alteans today?”

“I think...I think I did.” Allura nods. “And how have things gone on your end?”

“Tiring. But nothing too out of the ordinary.” Keith shugs.

“I see.”

Both are silent for a time, as they stare up at the Castle ship. The sun is getting lower in the sky, and starting to turn it to a light orange color. Keith’s eyes occasionally flicker over to Allura. He takes a breath.

“Are you...hungry?”

Allura looks over with suprise. “Hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“I...suppose I am.” She says, as if having just noticed.

“There’s this...place a few miles off base. Nice restaurant. Shiro took me there when I broke the academy flight speed record. You uh...wanna go?”

“Yes.” Allura says immediately.

“You sure?” Keith says with surprise.

She nods.

“Al...alright then. Let’s go.”

“Let’s.”

***

Inside a dark base, rimmed with violet lights, a group of druids are talking amongst themselves.

“We should side with Zarkon. Haggar was our leader, and she stands beside him.” One says.

“That is not the same Haggar.” Another says. “She has been replaced, I’m certain of it.”

“All the more reason we should stay out of it.” A third one chimes in.

“Gentlemen.” A new voice says. “Allow me to save you the trouble of this discussion.”

The whole group looks up, to find Prince Lotor of Darktron, standing on a platform above. The scar on his face is still fresh, and the eye it crosses is still shut.to his side, is the ever stoic Raimon.

The druids stare for a moment.

“Kill him!” One shouts.

And with that, all summon bolts of violet lighting and hurl them at Lotor. He only smiles.

Raimon steps forward, and throws out both hands. The bolts crackle against his hand for a moment. Then, they are overwhelmed by Raimon’s own blue lightning that turns back on the druids. The blue bolts strike each of the druids, sending them sprawling.

“...thank you Raimon.” Lotor says, leaping down to the druid’s level. He grabs one and pulls him up by the collar it's hood.

Prince Lotor grins, an expression that is quite menacing with the new scar. “Almost two years ago you and Haggar created a weapon that you used against Voltron, to devastating effect. I’m going to need it…”

Author Update: Wow, it's been a while! Sorry about that, I’ve been super busy working on another project. What you might ask? My first original novel! Yep, those of you who are long time followers on my Wattpad might remember a little story called “If I Were Strong,” well it's two drafts later, and there are many changes (including the name). I’ll have some updates for anyone who’s interested. Anyway, thanks for being patient. I know it's been a while now since the end of voltron so I’m going to try (keyword TRY) to start wrapping up this fic. We’ll see how long that actually takes, and how many episodes it's gonna be(might be a little crazy now that we have TWO Lotors to deal with). Till then, thanks for reading this far, hope you all enjoy the end. See ya.

[sylvabled]

@astralinity

Merry Kidgemas! 🎄

I got a lot of requests on Christmas！

Thank you very much! 😘

Have a wonderful Christmas❤️💚

[dat-g-man]

AI Lance au with Hance

It has a happy ending I promise! Warning for character death(s) and suicide mention. 

Here the galra had gotten a paladin in their custody and interrogated them but it didn’t work. The rest of the team rescue him and they are no more closer to beating Voltron but they know the conventional methods work. This leads to new interrogation methods and experiments. They do take time but become ready once Lotor takes over. Once they have success they set a trap for the team and get a paladin. They were aiming for the green paladin as the smartest but ended up with the blue one who jumped in. They are initially displease but see this as a way to test out if there are any differences because of the lion bond.

This new method was inspired by Sendaks notes of the castle. They upload Lances memory into a ship but something goes wrong. He has some awareness and fights back but is ultimately uploaded. He knows they are after his memories and "deletes" them. Eventually they are left with an ai that knows nothing but may yet have it uses. They put all the info of the blue paladin under wraps and utilize this new ai. They give him some new name and corrupt him.

Lotor grows fond of his new "pet" and decides to keep him close instead of using him out in battle. The paladins have info about a new weapon and board the ship with plans on hijacking it. The "ai" senses it and lets Lotor know. Lotor leaves to handle it and tells the ai to remain there and send updates. Ai lance having his core personality get curious and goes to "greet" one of them.

He can see all the paladins on board and follows the yellow one. Something about him pulls (i need to make him a fake name) ai Lance initially he wants to control the weapons and attack Hunk but decides to pop up in front of him. Hunk is startled and amazed to see Lance. He softly utters his name wondering what kind of dream this was. Lance ai responds with a snappy "you don’t tell the enemy your weapon" as he readies the lasers in the area Hunk starts shaking and asks him why he doesn't remember his name. Lance ai get confused and thinks its a ploy to stall for back up but hunk persists and starts shouting as his eyes start shining with unshed tears.

He shoots his lasers but makes them non fatal. Hunk saw them coming but refused to move or even use his bayard/shield. Shortly after the team shows up and pull hunk out. They don't see ai Lance since he went back into the system but was spying on them.

He hears the green one start talking about Lance and realizes he wasn't stalling. Realizing there is more to the story he hacks Hunks helmet/armor and follows them. He needs answers. This encounter has left him with so many possibilities making his core feel infected. Or more like able to acknowledge the infection in his core. Hunk is placed into the healing pods and aiLance remains nearby. He wants to explore the castle but knows all his answers can be found in the yellow one. 

Pidge being paranoid ever since the Sendak corruption and Lance disappearance starts her daily routine of running a background scan as she works on her projects. She finds corrupt data in the med bay and goes rushing and calls for back up using the special code meaning possible hostile in med bay and is the first one there. AiLance is distracted looking at Hunk and doesn’t notice the new presence until he hears THAT name again. Pidge knows it’s a trap but cant helps the hurt at seeing Lances image. She shouts at him to get away from Hunk and the ai just tilts his head. Pidge just wants to cry under a blanket because that tilt is such a Lance thing and gets her bayard ready.

She shouts her final warning when he starts speaking. It’s a barely a whisper but she’s not sure if she heard right. His eyebrows furl in confusion as he asks "why do I see you and think four eyed grimlin? Why do I know your number 5? Why do think of games when I see you?!” With every statement he starts getting more frantic until hes shouting "why does the infection in my core feel better when he is near!?" The crew come in as he shouts the last one. All are frozen at what they see. Confused because Lance is an ai, but Coran and Allura know whats happening.

Coran pushes through the pain but will do his best to help out not just a paladin of Voltron but Lance. He is able to calm him down with the promise of Hunk waking up in just a few tocks. The hostility in the air is still there but not as prevalent as it was earlier. Shiro wants to ask him what he remembers but knows that might cause an outburst. Hunk is finally out and after the initial drowsiness goes away sees aiLance walking/floating/idk how he moves to Hunk. Though he know he is not in his body, he reaches out to Hunk. Hunk reaches out to him with those big hands that aiLance somehow knowas are soft and warm. But when they touch all he feels is cold and the rage sets in because he knows he was someone before they made him into what he is now. His ai coloring that were previously shades of light blues and blue eyes turns into shades of purple with red eyes.

He disappears and Pidge can tell with her equipment that the castle is still clean. Meanwhile Allura and Coran are trying to figure out how to tell them that lance wont be coming back to them. Meanwhile Lotor back on the ship is trying to figure out how they took his ai. He thinks the paladins took him and plans on getting him back. He visits the room where his body is frozen. He did it frequently until Haggar reminds him about the obsession that took down his father. AiLance in the meantime is jumping from ship to ship looking at files. 

His anger at the galra and druids makes him start his own attacks at his "creators" killing them one by one. Lotor thinking it’s the paladins starts an all out search. Eventually aiLance is back at the ship that created him and appears in front of Lotor. Lotor can tell something is wrong. He tries stalling for time but Lance strikes before he can do anything. He knows he won’t be able to go back into his body now. He knows why the paladins information wasn't complete. Why the loaded pod was inaccessible to him all this time. He shouts those things as he launches his attack on them but is ultimately knocked out by Haggar.

She knew this was bound to happen and made contingency plans. Lotor is placed in their med bay while Haggar decides to fix aiLance knowing how much Lotor liked him. Back in the castle Coran and Allura just straight up tell them that the best they can do is recover Lances body and hope the ai can be locked into a storage device. The crew is heart broken but Hunk is devastated. He knows how much pain aiLance is in. He knows there isn’t much that can be done but refuses to settle. He doesn't just want to recover his boyfriends body, he wants the ship that took him too and the vile beings that did that to him.

Everyone is on board and hopeful. Perhaps if they have the technology that corrupted lance they could reverse the effects. After quick and careful planning they are ready to board but ar shocked at what they see. While the ship is still functional it may as well have been scrap metal. They didn't even need to use the evasive manoeuvres or attack plans they created.

Haggar is in the middle of "fixing" the ai when a druid comes in speaking of Voltron. Knowing what/who they were after she sends one with special orders down to the pod with the body. Allura and Pidge knew Haggar was going to pull some shady shit are glad for their plans. Before boarding the figured out 2 possible places his body would be hidden in and send 2 teams while Hunk and Keith distracted the one in charge. 

Their plan works but Haggar was able to make it so that the corruption would eventually delete aoLance. The ship is on its way down now that lance was subdued by Haggar. Hunk is able to upload him into his helmet/armor so they return the ship with both body and ai. They work fast to fix the corruption but don’t think they will be fast enough. AiLance isn’t purple with red eyes anymore, but he isn’t his normal blue. He is just white and his eyes are barely blue. 

He doesn't remember much but knows these people are important. His damaged core tells him so. He smiles sweetly at them as his eyes start losing what little color they had. His core knows he can’t touch but he can’t help but reach for the yellow one. Just as their hands get close he disappears into fragments of light.

Pidge buries her head into Keith’s side as he holds her.  Shiro holds back his tears as he places his hand on Hunks shoulder. Coran, Allura, and the mice stay at the edges but their grief is no less. Hunk holds his stretched hand out for a few seconds before bringing it up to hold the one at his shoulder. He knows it isn’t Lances, they aren’t as soft yet hold just as much strength. but he just needs to hold a hand to anchor him.

They just want to sleep but know they need to eat. Coran and the mice help them while Allura gives them time. They still need to find out what exactly happened on that ship and their allies have begun to send messages. They all sleep in giant cuddles with Hunk in the middle.

Coran keeps an eye on them while Allura goes through the messages. It seems her fathers wish has come to fruition, but at quite the cost. Somehow all the galra bases scattered throughout the explored universe have been turned into tombs. All galra and galra employed gladiators were found dead. The prisoners claimed the lights turned of and shouts of pain was all they heard for a while. When it became silent, their cells opened up with a trail of lights lead them to the escape pods. The pods were programmed to a liberated planet with varying destinations so as to not overwhelm the resources.

She knows she should be haply that the prisoners are now free but the carnage left in its wake makes her feel hollow. She wants to be glad they are wiped out like they did her people, but she knows they couldn't all be evil and mourns for those they couldn't rescue. Most of all she mourns for Lance, for all the pain he was put through, and for all his corruption made him do. She knows he wouldn’t have done all that but is a victim of circumstances. 

She feels guilty for forcing him into the role of paladin as she finally lets her tears out. After their brief period of mourning they go back to work. With the universe free of galra and druid influence they begin reuniting prisoners with their families and rebuilding planets. It’s one of these planets that provides them a gift they thought impossible. Among the prisoners was a being of great power. His planet was destroyed by Zarkon long ago because of their power. In an attempt to "harvest" that power Zarkon ordered all but 2 children to be killed. He would make them do his bidding by threatening the other one until his friend grew tired of such machinations and put an end to it with her life. Now that there was no way to motivate the being so Zarkon had him locked away. 

AiLance freed him during his rage but the being sensed him and still senses him. He felt the pain the ai was in and knew he had to aid him upon being free. Though his race was usually prideful, this one just wanted to repay the debt and find a quiet place to live out the rest of his life. Coran freaks out when he sees him remembering Zarkon had one in his army before they were put to sleep. He calls out a warning to Hunk but the being then bows to Hunk. Coran is flabbergasted and Hunk is trying to make the guy get up. The being then asks about Lance and everyone is sadly telling him how he died.

It was too painful to send him back home so they just kept his frozen body with the far off hope of healing him someday. He looks at them confused and tells them that although the pain had lessened he still senses it in Lance. They are confused until he points to Hunk. Hunk had taken to carrying the device that held lance when the got out of the ship. They also used a marriage ceremony they found at a flea market since they knew their job was dangerous but couldn't wait until they got back home. It was place holder for when they could get back home and have their wedding with their family and friends present. Turns out that ceremony was from his culture and a very powerful and selective one at that. 

It only works on couples that are completely devoted to each other. Very few of the couplings that try the ceremony end up receiving the blessing granted making them doubt each other and separate. The ceremony bonded a couple so that no matter what separated them, they would always be connected. That’s why Lance despite dispelling into lights was still hovering around Hunk. The device that held him only amplified Lances presence and the fact that his body was frozen makes it possible to bring Lance back.

The being warned them this never happened before or attempted, but they were willing to try. It works and Lance is brought back. He was in a coma state for some time before he was able to stay awake long enough to understand what was happening. 

He has to learn to walk again but is so happy to be back with the team. They give him this sense of peace he hasn't had in a while. He also pushes back the memories from his time as an ai. He knows he did bad things, the memories are there, but he doesn't want them to know the details. HunK and Pidge are the most clingy with Coran being a mother hen. Keith and Shiro are like a mix of body guards that spoil him and give reminders for his recovery. Allura though knows he needs to talk to someone. 

She knows he isn't ready but left him the offer of talking to her if things get to be too much. The mice can always be found showing him tricks or napping with him. After a particularly bad nightmare Lance wanders the halls. He bumps into Shiro who just came out of the training room and go for some space coco. Lance doesn't intend to start talking but seeing Shiro so calm he starts aasking how? How do you live with yourself after everything you've done? Shiro looks at him to collect his thoughts before answering. 

He knows their situations despite being similar are different. He knows he did some things but it was all to survive and one day earn redemption. To live on to make sure others don’t suffer as he did and to look around because while he did some things, he has brought so much good. He is not saying that is an excuse to pardon his actions, but he understands where lance is coming from. Lance ultimately starts crying and Shiro just holds him until he falls asleep. 

Hunk is at the door with his own tears. He knew Lance needed to share and wished Lance would share with him, but knew he needed support from another survivor. Shiro hands him off to Hunk as they both walk back to the big cuddle pile in the common area where Pidge and Keith are awake. They have a half empty tray of snacks that Coran made them. Allura turned some music on for them and the mice are resting on Pidges hair and shoulders. One little brave one is sleeping on Keith's shoulder. 

Seeing Hunk come in with Lance they start turning everything off and going back to the cuddles. They put Lance in the middle with Pidge and Hunk at his sides. Keith and Shiro are on the outsides a little far away but no less attentive To Lance. Keith has his knife and bayard at the ready while shiro sleeps in an uncomfortable position that is easily to go into attacking. They all sleep and for once Lance wakes up before them. He wakes up feeling to hot and then sees why. 

During their entire time together everyone had been hovering and close yet kept some space to not over crowd him. Now after his little breakthrough they need to show Lance they know and don’t care. They just miss him that much and he can see it in how they sleep so close to him. He feels the love and just starts crying and everyone starts waking up panicked at his tears and just group hug him when he starts thanking them for saving him and staying with him even after everything. They just hug it out and tell him how he is such a vital part. They can't stand up for long without a leg and just want him to be happy. They know it wont be that fast or easy but they are all there for him.

They fall asleep like that when Allura comes in to check on them. She looks at them fondly as she covers them in blankets. They accidentally sleep in but they needed the down time. Lance starts communicating more with Shiro and Allura and starts feeling more like himself. Hunk and Pidge are great supports and Keith surprises them. He can tell when lance needs some space and just hauls him off to Blue. He hops in and they both go to some nice part of the planet they're on and just silently take in the view. It comforts Lance to be near Blue and with Keith there he feels comfortable enough to let his guard down. 

He is also touched at Keith going with him in is lion as that speaks of trust in his skills to pilot for the both of them. They come back to the castle mellow and filled with soft smiles. With time and his support Lance is better. His isn't the same boy from Cuba, but he isn't much of a boy anymore. He is happy for the person he has become and the people his surrounded with. 

Though the galra have been defeated they still have planets to help. With Shiro and Lance they are able to help the prisoners from gladiator rings and Keith helps other half galras come into their heritage. Hunk and Pidge are setting up communication hubs so they can keep in touch with the newly freed planets while Coran and Allura are making the connection with diplomatic visits. They are all happy to move on and can't wait to tell their family back home their adventures. They also have a wedding to look forward to. 

The end. 

[sol1056]

Do you think they couldn't make other characters queer cause of copyright? As far as my knowledge goes (correct me if i'm wrong bc I'm confused) Shiro belongs to the first itineration of Voltron, Go Lion! and Koplars are the owners of the American version. The post-s8 tea on Twitter said they weren't given permission of changing last names, what if was the same with sexualities? Koplar's Shiro, Sven was coupled with Romelle but I think Go Lion's Shiro didn't have anyone, so it was an easy pick?

That’s not really the way copyright works. 

Shiro belongs to DreamWorks, full stop, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. The same goes for Allura, Pidge, Hunk, Keith, Lance, Coran, Kolivan, Krolia, Zarkon, Lotor, Haggar/Honerva, and any other iteration of the characters as they are presented in DreamWork’s version. 

Note: I’m not saying that Shiro wasn’t a character in GoLion. I’m saying that the Shiro-of-GoLion is a character copyrighted by Toei Animation; Shiro-of-VLD is a character copyrighted by DreamWorks; Shiro of… well, any other iteration would be copyrighted by whomever created that iteration. 

It’s a complicated and heavily-legislated area of the law, but here’s the core idea boiled down into a single statement: your creation is copyrighted the instant you “fix it in a tangible medium of expression”.   

That is, you cannot copyright an idea; you can only copyright a distinct implementation. Furthermore, copyright is always owned — automatically upon creation — by the person or company who did the work of setting that idea into its concrete state. 

Behind the cut: copyrighting characters, withholding character information, cultural hot buttons, and where do we go from here. 

note #1: there is one exception, known as “work-for-hire,” where employees create something on behalf of an employer. This must known beforehand and made explicit via some kind of agreement. If you read the fine print, there’ll be a work-for-hire clause in most employee or contractor agreements.

note #2: yes, this does mean you could create a mecha series where the robots are all big lions, or a mecha series where animal-based mecha combine. It would probably end up in court anyway ‘cause companies get prickly about protecting their IPs, but afaik the court’s decision would hinge on whether your implementation is different enough.

(this is why I scoff so much at the EPs being so open about where they steal ideas from: there’s a reason writers talk about filing off the serial numbers. it’s not because we don’t want you to think we get ideas from everywhere. it’s because distinct is also a necessary ingredient for plausible deniability of plagiarism.) 

copyrighting characters

The ‘no last name’ claims are frankly a lot of hot air. 

First, you cannot copyright a character name; you can only copyright the specific and fully-developed character as a whole. (A Meg Murry who’s a South Asian marathon runner? Not a violation of L’Engle.) You could trademark a character name, but only if that name appears in the title; frex, Indiana Jones was able to be trademarked because his name is part of a series of works that all begin with “Indiana Jones.” 

WEP could trademark Voltron (as the mecha’s name), but doesn’t look like WEP chose to do so. Recent research seems to indicate WEP actually embraces and supports non-media products (that is, things that are obviously not their adaptation-of-an-anime) using the name, possibly on the theory this wide usage increases the name’s recognition and cultural cachet.

Second, consider Devil’s Due Publishing (DDP), which gave every character a full name, new biography, age, height, and family history. It retains its copyright over those characters, but only as whole characters. You could make your Keith Kogane an orphan in his mid-20s who’s distinctly anti-social, and you’d probably be fine, because that description is still more of a stereotype than a distinct/unique character. 

To quote the legal encyclopedia:

Judge Learned Hand of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit established the standard for character protection in a case called Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp., 45 F.2d 119 (2d Cir. 1930), when he stated that, “the less developed the characters, the less they can be copyrighted; that is the penalty an author must bear for marking them too indistinctly.”

For example, alien characters stranded on Earth is a popular and recurring theme as portrayed in My Favorite Martian, Starman, Alien Nation, Transformers, District 9, Predators, and The Man Who Fell to Earth. The idea of a stranded alien character, without embellishment, is not protectable.

[…] once a stranded alien character acquires more distinctive features or aspects—for example, a big-headed, long-necked alien with a glowing finger who murmurs “Phone home”—it becomes distinct enough to merit protection and its owners can prevent others from using the character’s image and expression.

If you make your misanthropic orphan named Keith also a former Marine, and an expert in hand-to-hand combat, and grieving a dead fiancee… He’s no longer a stereotype, but a character with a unique combination of features. DDP probably would have grounds to send you a cease-and-desist. 

However, if you say Keith Kogane is a lonely kid from Texas with an alien mom and a fireman dad, who’s the best damn pilot of his generation, and is generally awkward and whose silence hides a whip-smart intellect… again, a unique combination that fleshes out generic ‘Keith’ into a very specific and distinct Keith. Who is not, it should be noted, a carbon-copy of DDP’s Keith.

And the real nail in the coffin: if you’re going to argue that it’s a copyright violation to use Keith’s or Lance’s or Hunk’s last names, then why wouldn’t the same apply to using their first names? Or using names like Daibazaal, Sincline, Lotor, Honerva, Haggar, Alfor, Yurak, etc. Pretty sure ‘Zarkon’ isn’t a name you see everyday. I mean, it’s not, say, ‘Bob.’ 

withholding information

I’ve seen staff from another DW project say they can’t specify character ages until marketing decides. Which is… truly bizarre. If DW really is having marketing make such creative decisions, it’s not just putting the cart before the horse, it’s putting the cart in the jewelry store and the horse in the attic. 

If marketing or PR is anywhere in the mix, perhaps that’s because someone with social media savvy has realized topics like ethnicity and age will bring out the vitriolic teeny meanies of the Fandom Purity Police Brigade. Thing is, that doesn’t hold water, either: Trollhunters gave us ages and grade-in-school.

There could be another layer, too. The EPs I saw in those earliest interviews clearly had little firsthand experience with fandom, and seemed startled to hear fans actually care about those details. Two years of their interviews, and I have the strong sense they don’t like losing what they see as a battle of wills, no matter who their opponent is. Fandom cries out for surnames? Fandom will never get it. Fandom likes this couple over that one? Fandom is heading for severe disappointment. And so on. 

That’s ignoring the praise the EPs enjoyed for fandom’s conflation of a Korean-American VA and a Korean studio’s aesthetics, to see Keith himself as non-white. The EPs got representation points, and didn’t have to do a thing; the fandom did it for them. Why mess with that?

But no, copyright has nothing to do with that. 

cultural hot buttons

Sexuality, gender, and ethnicity are three places that a franchisee could run into problems, because these are hot buttons in the US. If the franchise owner feels a particular tangible form (this specific character in this specific iteration) violates the franchise’s ‘family-friendly’ aspect of their brand… I’d bet the contract between the parties does give the franchise owner some right of refusal or revision. 

Set aside what you think of VLD’s beginning, middle, or end. For all LM’s other faults, that sketch she did so long ago highlights all three: gender (Pidge), race (Keith and Allura), and sexuality (Shiro). We may’ve had to wait for an unfortunately tacked-on epilogue to get explicit confirmation*, but in the end, VLD was a significant break from previous Voltron iterations. 

Where, exactly, is anyone getting the impression that WEP is so terribly upset about its princess no longer being white, one of its pilots no longer being male, or another pilot no longer being straight? Whatever Bob Koplar might think of VLD’s end, his statement on the day of S8′s release made clear WEP is eager to continue their partnership with DW. 

Sounds to me like WEP is okay with DW’s creative and cultural approach. Otherwise, why go back for more? 

* edited to clarify, per @inklingdancer‘s tag

moving right along

It ultimately doesn’t matter what a previous iteration did. So long as DW’s creation is fully its own, copyright is neither barrier nor impetus to providing (or withholding) any information about that creation. 

What DW creates, DW owns. Which means DW is free to tell us last names, middle names, heights, ages, family history, race, gender, sexuality, love interest, even most hated food or favorite color — or nothing at all. 

[sylvabled]

@astralinity

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