The Rise of Voltron: Season 1: Chapter 4 - By Any Other Name

The sun shone high over planet Arus, warming the land and letting the flowers know it was time to open their petals wide. In much the same way, the ceiling of the Castle of Lions’ bridge unfurled downward in swirling layers, revealing the giant crystal within. Three rings hovered around and lowered it to the floor, dark and chipped, several hairline fractures making it look like it was ready to shatter at any moment; a stark contrast to the new, shining one waiting to be installed. With the push of a holo-button, the rings split in two, allowing Hunk, Shiro, Lance, and Keith to pick up the dead crystal and move it off the dais. Once it was cleared away, they grabbed the new one.

Pidge walked around the work area, his eyes scanning over every detail of the compartment said gem would soon occupy. There weren’t any wires or connecters, so how was the energy extracted? Did it have something to do with the rings? Did they exert an omnidirectional force to achieve piezoelectricity? Or did they simply keep it in place? Was some chemical poured on it to cause an electrical reaction?

The guys’ strained shouts knocked him out of his musings. Lance was struggling to hold up his corner of the crystal and missed the lip of the dais, sending him flailing to the floor. Without him, the others stared to tip over. Coran jumped in to steady the gem, letting out a harrowing yell. A second later—CRACK—his back was bent inward.

He turned his stricken face and bulging eyes to Shiro, slowly and stiffly wheezing, “I think I’m broken.”

Tired sighs arose from the group as Lance got up and stretched, retaking his place while Coran sorted himself out. Finally, they set the crystal inside the rings. They automatically snapped together with a hum and began spinning, lifting it into the safety of its compartment.

“So, you don’t need to cut it or anything?” Hunk panted, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Coran cracked his back as he groaned and straightened. “No. When it comes to Balmeran crystals, all that matters is size.”

Once it was secured and the ceiling folded back down (or was it up?), the bridge came to life, the energy swiftly spreading to every corner of the castle.

“All systems are powered up,” said Allura as she accessed a holo-screen.

“But how does it have power?” asked Pidge, squinting up at it as he jumped around to various angles. “Crystals only produce a small amount of electricity under certain conditions, so how can a single one fuel an entire castle?”

“Simple. You see—” Coran tried to say.

“Is it made of solidified chemicals that react to each other like a battery? But if that’s the case, how is it not firing off constantly? I mean, it doesn’t have separate chambers to keep the chemicals apart until they’re needed to generate a current, so how does it not explode?”

“Well, it—”

“For that matter, how is the energy transferred into the system without wires? Is there a laser that guides it into current collectors and busbars? It’d have to have a heck of a current itself, and be properly angled to account for refraction. Is there more than one?”

“I—”

“Or is it radioactive and those rings are emitting a protective field to mitigate the energy flow and keep the castle from tuning into an atomic bomb?”

Coran blinked at the small face suddenly a mere inch from his own, his intense stare demanding answers. “…What was the first question again?”

Pidge’s expression fell and he glumly backed off.

“I’m just glad we’ll have working showers,” said Lance. He sniffed his armpit and pulled back gagging.

“It’s the kitchen for me,” said Hunk. “I cannot wait to have something other than food goo.” His stomach made an odd gurgling noise, sending shivers up his body.

Briefly raising an eyebrow, Keith turned to Allura and asked, “What defenses do we have beyond the shield? Cannons? Drones?”

“Indeed,” she replied, checking over the castle’s diagnostic. “But it appears most of them are badly damaged, especially after our last bout with the Galra. Even with the repair drones now operational, it will take some time to fully mend them, and the particle barrier.”

Pidge crossed his arms. ‘Seriously? None of you are even the slightest bit curious about how this stuff works? So much for Hunk being an engineer.’

“We should focus our efforts there, then,” said Shiro. “Offense won’t do us much good if our defense can’t take a hit.”

“Right-o.” Coran eagerly slipped away from Pidge to the main console and set the drones to work.

“In the meantime, we have a more immediate concern to deal with.” Allura stepped toward the only ex-prisoner in the room and pointed. “That arm. Cybernetics require a direct pathway to the brain in order to function. The Galra could very easily use such a connection to track us, or even control your mind. It must be removed as soon as possible.”

A glint of something like relief shone in Shiro’s eyes. “No objections here.”

At the promise of examining more tech, Pidge sprang to the front of the group as they headed to one of the castle’s labs. Upon arriving, he gaped. The space was big enough to allow well over a dozen scientists to work simultaneously, two long, curved tables circling the center, with more counter space lining the rounded walls, each and every one covered in all kinds of unique machines, some of which he couldn’t even discern the function of — a few were even floating above their heads!

He darted from one to another at unprecedented speed. “A high-frequency spectrophotometer! A hover microscope so you can examine a sample from every angle! And is that a multi-faceted, miniature centrifuge?!”

“Look at your primitive synapsis firing away in their little brain cage,” said Coran, leaning over him.

“Primitive!?” Pidge snapped, but the Altean was already heading for the central examination table.

Waving his hand over a section, it opened and up rose an almost typewriter-like device. It projected a keyboard from the curved side and a monitor from the top, ready for analysis. Next Coran tapped an edge of the table, causing a compartment on the underside to send out a large disk-cushion which levitated next to it.

“Shiro,” he called, gesturing to the seat.

Upon sitting, the disk sagged a little, then rose up until it was the perfect height.

‘A hover-stool that automatically adjusts itself to your height and weight?!’ Pidge had to restrain his drool.

He rushed over as Coran activated a small device similar to the translator implanter the group had encountered on their first day, though the flat ring around it’s spherical body gave it more of a flying saucer shape. It floated over Shiro’s arm, which he’d laid on the table, and ran a wide beam over it while Coran took out a wide cable from the side of the main machine.

“Alright, if there is any sense to this thing, then it should be…”

He reached out and upon tilting the wrist, he gave a small “Ah ha” and plugged the cable into an outlet hidden in the crevice where the forearm and wrist met. Neon blue lines appeared on the wire, running back and forth between the two devices as the scanner docked.

While the others made themselves comfortable — Keith taking his usual place by Shiro’s side and the mice scuttling onto the table — Pidge was practically bouncing in anticipation. To get a look at coding so advanced that it reacted to subconscious commands and with construction so sturdy it could coat the hand in plasma without damaging itself while still being lightweight enough to not cause complete disruption of one’s equilibrium was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

And there it was. Line upon line of scrolling text…that he couldn’t read. It was then he realized the translators must only work with audial senses, not visual, and if aliens had their own language, of course they had their own numerical system. Next to him, Coran began mumbling something about the code density, giving him a glimmer of hope, but many of the terms he was using were also foreign.

Hunk leaned over to Allura, speaking out of the side of his mouth. “Okay, I’m pretty good with robotics, but I have no idea what he’s saying. Can you translate?”

She cleared her throat before replying, “I am afraid the sciences were never quite my forte.”

‘Yeah, apparently they’re not anybody’s,’ Pidge silently groused, eyeing Lance whose eyes were starting to glaze over. ‘But that’s about to change.’

He slipped off his backpack, whipped out his laptop, and held up one of his own connector cables to the other side of the machine. To his relief, the tech proved as adaptable as their Paladin armor, and a slot opened in the side, allowing him to establish a link between the computers. He stretched his fingers with a loud crackle.

‘Let’s do this.’

Using what little translation ability the laptop had gained from being connected to the gendopic, he was able to pick out a few familiar things, though not nearly as much as he’d been hoping for. The diagram that appeared a few seconds later was much easier to grasp.

“It seems there is, indeed, a transceiver,” said Coran, a 3D holo-image appearing before them all and deconstructing to show the tiny, diamond-shaped piece he was talking about.

“Is it active?” asked Allura.

“No,” he replied. “But we should remove it before that changes.”

With the tap of a few buttons, two spindly arms descended from the ceiling and attached themselves to the section of Shiro’s arm where metal and flesh met. The sensation sent an odd shiver up his spine.

“Wait,” Pidge suddenly called, causing Coran to pause, “if the Galra can use the arm to hack us, maybe I can use the arm to hack them.”

“Um, is that such a good idea?” asked Hunk.

“If it means finding the Kerberos Crew faster, then yeah.”

“Dude, could you chill about that for, like, two seconds?” said Lance. “Obviously we’re going to get Shiro’s crew back, but—”

Pidge turned around sharply. “‘But’ what?”

“I’m with Hunk,” said Keith. “Activating the link could give the Galra a clear shot at us.”

A scoffing noise bubbled from Pidge’s throat, an incredulous look on his face. “You seriously think I’d be sloppy enough to leave a trail? What kind of hacker do you think I am?”

Keith replied, his voice annoyingly level, “The kind messing with alien tech you don’t fully understand yet.”

“Oh, please, if Pidge can hack the Garrison, he can hack anything,” said Lance with a dismissive wave.

Allura glanced at the laptop with an unimpressed brow. “On Earth, perhaps. From what I have seen of your technology, I doubt you could properly comprehend the complexities of thirty-sixth century Altean computer sciences.”

“Maybe not but I can comprehend when someone has a stick up their butt,” Pidge ground out.

“I beg your pardon?!”

“What, am I being too complex for you, long-ears?”

“The nerve!” she gasped, the mice chittering in what could only be her defense.

“Hey, that’s no way to talk to a lady,” said Lance.

Both parties rounded on him. “Stay out of it!”

As he backed off, Hunk stepped between the two, saying, “Okay, okay, let’s chill out. Nobody’s questioning anybody’s intelligence, we’re just trying to figure out what the best thing to do is.”

Back and forth they went, their voices becoming somewhat distorted in Shiro’s ears as an unnerving feeling of deja vu made his muscles tense. The sensation of strange machines sticking into his arm wasn’t helping.

Taking a deep breath to clear his head, he turned to Coran slightly and asked, “Will…Will it hurt?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” the older man replied, patting his shoulder. “The most you may feel is a bit of ghost arm, and once we attach a new one, that will be gone, too.”

Shiro nodded, albeit shakily, and Coran began the removal process, catching Pidge’s notice.

“Hold on—”

“No need to fret, Number Five. The transceiver will still be there when we are done.”

He hit the final button.

The machine activated.

Chaos erupted.

Dark energy flared around the arm, lashing up into Shiro’s head and heart as he screamed. The hand glowed and spasmed, as if trying to fight off an enemy. Keith instantly yanked out the wires and threw aside the removal instruments. All at once, the attack stopped and Shiro was left on his knees, clutching his arm as he tried to breathe again. Keith crouched in front of him, hands on his shoulders as he checked the man over. There didn’t seem to be any kinds of burns or residual electricity.

“I-It’s okay,” Shiro panted hoarsely, trying to wave him away. “I’m alright.”

“It’s not okay!” Pidge shrieked as he grabbed his glitching laptop and scrambled to fix it. “That quiznacking power surge nearly fried my system!”

Keith rounded on him. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

“He’ll recover, my laptop won’t.”

A growl rumbled out of his throat; Shiro’s touch stopped him.

“Is anybody gonna explain what the heck just happened?” said Lance as he and the others tentatively stepped closer, the mice peeking out from their refuge in Allura’s hair.

Coran did his best to clean up the data from the diagnostic, his device having also taken a hit. He scoured it for clues until a line of code caught his eye.

“A kill switch.” His trembling voice was just loud enough for everyone to hear. “If I am reading this correctly, any attempted removal of the arm, be it by machine or blade, will result in the host’s termination.”

Horrified silence filled the room for a moment, then Hunk asked, “Can you delete it?”

“I am afraid not,” Coran dimly replied. “This code is embedded in the pathway linking the brain. I haven’t a clue how it may react to any tampering. It pains me to say, but unless we can find a way through this programming, the arm must remain.” Shiro let out a quiet breath. “For the time being, however, I can disable the transceiver.”

“Do whatever you have to,” said Keith.

“What? No!” cried Pidge. “We’ll lose the connection to the Galra servers!”

“We will lose our lives if the Galra track us here.” Allura turned to her advisor. “Do it.”

Coran looked to Shiro for confirmation. He glanced from the group’s worried faces to Pidge’s pleading one, weighing every pro and con in his mind. With a heavy sigh, he nodded to Coran, and he set to work reconnecting the cable as Keith helped his friend back onto the hover-stool.

Noticing the way Pidge was grinding his teeth, Lance came over, saying, “Hey, it’s not that bad. We’ll get plenty of other chances to—”

The kid slammed his laptop shut, grabbed his backpack, and stormed out of the room, a bitter air trailing behind him like smoke. While the others stared after him, Shiro and Keith shared a look.

Every fiber in Pidge’s body wanted to scream as he marched down a random hallway, his computer clutched to his chest. “Other chances?” Like when he’d been directly linked to the warship’s systems and could barely manage to download two-thirds of the information? Every time he got a hint of a clue, someone or something snatched it away — every time.

“Should’ve taken the data when I had the chance,” he muttered, scowling at the floor. “Now all I can do is wait around for the next time we happen to be on a Galra ship… Maybe I could use the intel I have to find a base or frequent pitstop… Could ditch the dead weight and just leave…”

“I hope not,” came Shiro’s voice from behind. He stopped, but didn’t turn around. “You’re the best brain cell this team’s got.”

“We are not a team,” he said sharply. “We’re just a bunch of screwballs who happened to meet and are now wasting our time on some alien scavenger hunt when there are people out there who need our help!”

“And we will help them, along with all the other families the Galra have torn apart. But we can only do that once we have Voltron,” said Shiro, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“And when’s that going to be?” snapped Pidge as he whirled around. “What, I’m supposed to sit around and do nothing while my family suffers?”

“No!” the man replied, a bit more harshly than he meant to. He took a breath. “No. What we’re doing is making sure that when the time comes, we’ll be able to save them. Remember what I said on the cruiser? I’m going to keep that promise, Katie.”

A funny sensation sprouted in the kid’s chest. It felt strange to be called that after so long of being “Pidge.”

Shiro let a few beats pass before going on. “You know, if you tell the others who you are, it’ll probably help them understand where you’re coming from.”

Small fists clenched. “No, it won’t.”

“Maybe if you—”

“You’ll never understand because you’re not my family!”

Pidge ripped off his Balmeran necklace and threw it against a wall. It fell to the ground with little, lonely clinks. The two stared at it, one in anger and the other remorse.

‘If only I’d gotten them out with me.’

Shiro took a careful step forward and placed his hand on the teen’s shoulder. “I know we’re not. But none of us stand a chance going it alone. I know you know the numbers on that. Could you at least try to stick it out, just for a little while?”

Pidge hated that he wasn’t wrong; he’d run the numbers the second he’d come up with the idea of leaving. They weren’t good. His only chance of getting any more intel was the nutjobs he’d been forced to bunk with — for now, at least.

“Fine,” he said through his teeth.

Shiro went to speak again, but was cut off by the sound of Coran clearing his throat over the intercom. “Two, two. One, two. Is this working… Yes, wonderful! Attention all: we have a lock on the next planet! Please head to the control room as soon as is convenient. Thank you!”

“Guess we’d better get up there,” said Shiro, patting Pidge’s shoulder. He pulled away with a sharp huff and marched ahead, still glaring at nothing.

 Sighing deeply — something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately — Shiro looked from him to the discarded necklace and picked it up. He fingered it for a moment, feeling it hum slightly, almost sadly, as he brought it close to his own, tucked under his vest, then slipped it into his pocket and followed after his young friend.

Once everyone was on the bridge, albeit keeping mostly to themselves, Coran pulled up a hologram of their destination.

“This lovely place is called Tenshig V,” he said. “According to Hunk’s vision from Yellow, it should be where the Green Lion is located. Specifically, this large jungle region.”

Pidge groaned loudly. “Seriously? Now we have to trudge through a dirty forest for hours?”

“Actually, it shouldn’t be too hard to find the place,” said Hunk. “In my vision, there was this huge mound of giant vines at the base of a humongous tree. Like, so humongous we could probably see it from orbit.”

“Thanks to the teludav being operational again, our excursion as a whole should be expedited as well,” Allura added.

“What’s a teludav?” asked Pidge, unable to keep his curiosity at bay despite his mood.

Pulling up a 3D model (a cylinder dotted with small lumps), Coran explained, “It is a device built into the castle which allows us to create a portal to anywhere in the universe. Well, almost anywhere. It is, of course, limited to the user’s capabilities and cosmic interference, but other than that, presto.”

“What do you mean ‘the user’s capabilities’?”

In reply, Allura stepped onto the central dais. A wide spotlight cascaded over her, and two control podiums rose from the floor for her hands to rest on, the domed gem-like tops lighting up at her touch. “A teludav requires an Altean Alchemist to properly focus the crystal’s quintessence, and forgoes the need for exact coordinates, for all one need do is picture the location in one’s mind. It is the superior form of travel, far better than wasting time in slip-space.”

Keith raised a brow. “You can’t wait a few minutes?”

She shot him a sour look.

At the same moment, there was a brilliant flash of blue in the air just beyond the castle, visible through the hull monitor. Energy crackled for a moment, then snapped into a, massive, intricate ring of patterns and runes with a swirling vortex inside. Mesmerized whispers rippled through the Earthlings.

“How did you do that?!” Pidge nearly screamed, stars in his eyes and a million other questions in his brain.

“I doubt you would be able to understand the answers,” Allura replied airily.

A vein ticked on his forehead. “Oh, like you understand it. You’re just the user, you don’t have room to talk.”

“For your information, I happen to be well-versed in all Altean inventions.”

“Except the scanning machine, apparently,” muttered Keith.

“Hey, back off, Mullet,” said Lance, poking a finger into his chest. “You’re just jealous ‘cause she can do cool magic stuff and you can’t.”

“You mean the magic we need to stay in the castle so we don’t get stuck on the wrong side of a wormhole?”

“I’ll stick you in a wormhole!”

Hunk threw up his hands in exasperation while Shiro pushed the two boys apart. “That’s enough of that. From all of you.” He shot a look at Pidge and Allura, who turned away with matching scoffs. “Now, how about we all take a deep breath, get prepped, and find the Green Lion before the Galra do?” He added under his breath, “And before you kill each other.”

“I could not agree more,” said Coran, making a shooing motion with his hands. “Off you pop, now, toodle-pip.”

Casting final glares at one another, the team filed away to the armory while the mice headed to the control console to wait. The two eldest watched them, then looked to each other tiredly before Coran gave Shiro a pat on the back and the two headed to their respective jobs. Kids, right?

By some miracle, they managed to suit up without incident. Pidge and Keith went with Hunk in Yellow while Allura and Shiro rode with Lance and Blue — the only configuration that would hopefully avoid broken necks. The portal loomed before them, somehow even more awe-inspiring up close, and slipped into the vortex.

———————————

On the outskirts of a distant system, Haxus paced the bridge with his arms crossed. Another quintant and still no progress. His bruised cheek constantly reminded him of his embarrassment at the Balmera, further fueling his stomping and growling.

Changing course to the main console, he opened a channel to the other ships and said, “Anything?”

“No, sir.”

“Not yet, sir.”

Their tired replies made his blood boil. He harshly shut off the line. Even with the second trajectory he’d so expertly acquired, the radius of the Lions’ jump was still an ever-widening cone. Though the sectors where the first and second paths intersected had provided a smaller search area, it was still quite a bit of galaxy to scour, and every second spent roaming about felt like a waste of time. The colonel ground his teeth so hard they might break; his continuous bestial sub-vocal growls strained his throat.

Just then, a lieutenant cautiously got closer and said, “Sir, perhaps it would do you good to, um, take a break?”

“…A break?” Haxus snarled, rounding on his subordinate, who backed away as he stalked closer. “The only ‘break’ I need is the breaking of of every one of those impudent, infuriating little brats’ bones beneath my heel!”

He didn’t realize he’d drawn his sword until a voice ordered, “Stand down!”

Grudgingly, he stowed his blade, allowing the lieutenant to quietly inch away while Sendak went on, “You would be wise to take the advice. You’ll need a clear mind when the High Priestess’s help arrives.”

All activity on the bridge stopped.

Banishing the shudder locking his spine, Haxus said, a touch quieter than normal, “We have the situation under control. We don’t need that kind of help.”

“What kind of help?”

He stiffened at the silky voice, his head darting around to find the source. A breathy chuckle echoed from all around; something flitted over the lower consoles, frightening the officers.

“Enough games,” called Sendak calmly. “Show yourself.”

The shadows in the corners of the upper deck before him elongated, rising up in a swirl of darkness and forming into a thin figure cloaked in simple dark two-toned robes. His beak-like mask was a stark contrast of bone white, its five thin, yellow eyes pale and biting. With one more laugh at the fear radiating from the other men, the Druid dipped into a showy bow.

“My apologies, General. I could not resist.” His hushed tone was very much not sorry, but he was allowed to continue without reprimand. “I am Macidus. My services are at your command — at the behest of my Mistress, of course. Is there perhaps a large room where I may begin?”

Sendak returned the bow with a polite salute and stepped aside, gesturing toward the corridor. Macidus gave a lengthy nod and proceeded. His feet made no noise, instead seeming to glide over the floor, the hem of his robes twisting and coiling in an unfelt breeze. It made some of the general’s fur stand on end, but he dutifully followed, ensuring to give the sorcerer a wide berth.

After breaking from his light stupor, Haxus hurried behind, sidling beside his commander and whispering, “This is a waste of time.”

“Hush,” said Sendak discreetly.

“If the witch and her coven couldn’t find Voltron for the last three millennia, what makes them think they can do it now?”

“Because now the Lions are awakening,” Macidus replied, not bothering to spare a glance. “Their energies call to each other, pull at each other, all reaching toward the aether so they may be reunited. As that connection grows, it becomes easier to exploit.”

His words reverberated dimly in the empty cargo hold the three now entered. While Sendak and Haxus hung back in the doorway, the Druid made his way to the center of the room. From his drooping sleeve he produced and uncorked a vial of star sand, his magic levitating it around himself until the pale dust encircled him in a large ring. He then returned the bottle to its hiding place, lifted his hands, and began the ritual.

A small bead of sweat rolled down Haxus’ cheek. “I still don’t like this. We shouldn’t rely on witchcraft.”

“Be careful what you say,” said Sendak lowly. “They can curse you as easily as cure you.”

His gaze fell to the large cybernetic arm at his side. The story of how he’d gotten it had become something of a legend among the ranks. Haxus knew it to be true, including how it had been the High Priestess Haggar and her coven who had saved his life. In that light, he understood the general’s trust and leniency, but as the magic in the room swelled, he couldn’t say he felt the same. It didn’t matter what he felt, though. The order had been given, and so they would fulfill it to the best of their abilities. He could only hope the Druid would do the same.

Speaking of whom, it appeared the spell was nearly complete. Grains of sand swirled around him in a dance both enthralling and foreboding, forming constellations and the impression of distant nebulae, and a planet at the center.

———————————

Coming out of the portal was a little like being shot out of a waterslide. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant sensation, but it left the Earthlings’s heads and stomachs squirming in protest.

“That’s gonna take some getting used to,” Shiro mumbled, leaning heavily on Blue’s pilot chair, and was hit with a random sense of déjà vu.

It was compounded when Hunk asked, “Are anyone else’s bones vibrating?”

No one really felt inclined to answer, and they fell back into a disgruntled quiet. Well, most of them did. In the corner of Yellow’s console, Pidge typed furiously on his laptop, using every trick he could think of to fully connect it to his gauntlet’s computer, and having little success. At every turn, the programming proved too advanced for his systems to even begin to understand. Error after error popped up on the two screens, punctuated by sharp growls. His partners shared a concerned look as he grew louder.

Hunk pointed from Keith to Pidge, repeatedly tilting his head.

The older teen shook his head vigorously, forming an X with his arms. He then pointed at Hunk, mimed talking with his hand, gave a thumbs-up, and nodded.

‘Hate being in the middle,’ Hunk mentally sighed.

He let out a tentative cough. “How you doing back there, little buddy?”

“I’m fine,” was the terse, grinding reply. Keith went to speak, only to stop when Pidge began muttering to himself. “‘It’s not that big a deal.’ ‘You can’t comprehend the complexities’. Complex this, you quiznacking—aargh!”

Hunk and Keith looked at each other again, cringing when the latter’s “messing with alien tech you don’t fully understand” comment came up with some very choice words in reply. Yeah. This was going to be a fun day.

The rumble of entering Tenshig V’s atmosphere proved to be the perfect distraction. Being unusually thick with oxygen, it took longer than normal to get through, and once they did, they were greeted by an endless sea of emerald. Just like Hunk said, the large tree stood head and shoulders above the others, casting a wide shadow over the veritable mountain of giant vines at its base, easily visible even at such a distance.

“I cannot see a space to land,” said Allura, leaning closer to the monitor.

After running a quick scan, Hunk replied, “Yeah, looks like there’s about a mile of heavy foliage from here to the tree. There’s a clearing nearby the Lions could fit in, though.”

“Guess we’ll have to hoof it,” said Shiro.

“Oh, come on,” groaned Pidge, “I thought this was supposed to be a short trip.”

“Don’t sweat it, dude,” said Lance in his annoyingly cheerful way. “Just think of it as Garrison PE.”

“You mean the PE I hacked the schedule for so I wouldn’t have to do any?”

“I knew you were skipping!”

Pointedly ignoring him, Hunk directed Yellow toward the clearing, prompting Blue to follow.

As they touched down, Keith glanced at Pidge, who was stuffing his bag under the console for safekeeping. He shuffled an inch closer, rubbing the back of his head and stiffly saying, “Hey, uh, if you want, I could carry you. Like, piggyback style.”

Pidge instantly whirled around and shrieked, “I’M NOT A LITTLE KID!”

He turned on his heel and stormed out of the cockpit, his startled partners staring after him.

“Glad I’m not you,” Hunk muttered.

“Thanks,” Keith replied flatly.

“Anytime.”

With an already-exhausted eye roll, he headed out as well. While the pilots stayed with their Lions in case of emergency (because there always seemed to be one on these missions), the other four met up at the edge of the clearing and began their trek.

The jungle proved just as dense as Coran had warned and then some, forcing them to climb over, duck under, and weave around various flora, all of which was growing unusually large and vivid. Keith and Shiro were tempted to cut their way through, yet something in how the wind blew, how the flowers rustled and glinted in the dappled light, told them not to. A menagerie of insects, lizards, and other such small critters skittered away from the foreign beings trudging through the underbrush, the birds above squawking and chirping as they flew to safety. The rising humidity wasn’t helping either; breathing felt like sucking through a wet towel. Though the Paladin suits were designed to resist extreme environments and survive in space, they couldn’t protect the wearer from the sweat of exercise, nor could they cool their cores, and so the four were quickly drenched. The deeper they went, the thicker the plant life became, the skyscraper-sized trees casting deep shadows and hiding potential dangers, like the divot that sent Pidge to kiss the dirt.

“Ugh! That’s the sixth time!” he said, swatting away a swarm of bugs as he stood and brushed himself off. “This is why I hate fieldwork. Nothing but sweat, sunburn, and poison oak.”

In his bout of panic, he’d accidentally activated his personal shield; a hard-light construct projected from the diamond-shaped wrist guard of his gauntlet. He waved it around, trying to get rid of the large, elongated octagon, eventually resolving to bash it against a tree trunk until it fizzled away.

“Honestly, do Earthlings ever stop complaining?” asked Allura snappishly, this also being the sixth time he’d bellyached. His abuse of his Altean armor only furthered her annoyance.

“I don’t know, do aliens ever stop being condescending snarts?” Pidge fired back.

“How about we stop this right now,” said Shiro, putting himself between the two, “because I’m not dealing with it for the rest of the trip.”

“Oh, no, I would love to hear the rest of this,” said Allura, “with my — what did you call them? Oh yes, long ears, a trait which happens to be considered a beauty among Alteans, thank you very much.”

“Oh, well, so sorry I offended your ears.”

“Hey, you leave her ears alone!” Lance cut in over the comms.

“Dude, please stop, you’re not helping,” groaned Hunk.

Still the arguing carried on, with Shiro doing his best to keep his teammates from tearing each other’s heads off. Keith watched from the sidelines for a second, then promptly turned off his comm.

‘These idiots are going to make me deaf,’ he thought, stepping away to clear his head.

A faint noise caught his attention then. He tracked it through the bushes, arriving at an area where the foliage thinned. What he saw there was a welcome sight. He headed back to the group and went to call to them, but came back to a bewildering scene: Pidge had climbed her way on top of Shiro, the man straining with all his might to keep him from attacking Allura, who’d drawn her staff.

“Say that again and I’ll bury you!” screamed Pidge.

Even with the comm off, Lance’s screeching voice was easy to hear. “Don’t you even think about it!”

“You’re making it worse!” wailed Hunk.

“Guys, please—” Shiro desperately tried to say.

Keith’s eyebrow twitched.

“As if you could even reach me, you midget!” said Allura.

That was the last straw. With a savage scream, Pidge made to leap forward, ready to tear her apart.

“THAT’S” — Keith grabbed the pipsqueak — “E” — lifted him into the air — “NOUGH!” — and planted him firmly on the ground.

His bellow silenced everyone as they turned to him in shock.

He pointed at the two primary offenders. “You want the other to respect you, start acting in a way that deserves it.”

They bristled at his bluntness.

“Don’t yell at my princess—”

“You, zip it. This line needs to stay clear in case of emergencies.” Lance scoffed but wasn’t given a chance to respond. “And, Hunk, stop adding to the issue by freaking out about it.”

Quiet grumbles rippled through the group while Hunk mumbled an apology. They clearly wanted to push back, but Keith’s harsh tone and admonishing glare (for those who could see him) left little room for it.

Leaning over, Shiro gave a strained, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” his friend replied. “Now, if you’re all done wasting time, I found something.”

He headed into the bushes again, the others falling into step behind him, and soon they came to the clearing. It wasn’t just a clearing, however; it was a small river snaking through the forest, leading right to the big tree. It appeared the thick canopy above them had hidden it during their fly-by. More surprising was the crude wooden canoe waiting on the bank with a lion head carved onto the top of the prow.

“No more tripping on stuff!” whooped Pidge with a dual fist-pump.

“Nice find,” said Shiro, patting Keith on the back.

“Remarkable,” said Allura. “It must have been carved by the indigenous peoples of the jungle, perhaps as a form of worship.”

“This river will give us a clear shot to the Lion. We should get moving if want to—” Keith stopped short.

In unison, the group turned and saw a giant sloth standing next to them. Yelps sounded from all four. Pidge remounted Shiro’s shoulders; Shiro leaned as far away as he could; Allura threw up hands prepped with magic; and Keith stepped in front of the group with his sword raised. For a few seconds, they stood there, not really sure what to do as the alien stared at them with a lax smile. It was odd. Though Pidge couldn’t see its eyes through its bushy, drooping brows, he got the feeling that its gaze was lingering on him.

Shiro discreetly leaned forward and whispered, “Bud?”

“Not a clue,” replied Keith, his sights glued on the stranger.

Shaking herself from her stupor, Allura swiftly dispelled her magic and stepped forward. “Greetings. We apologize for our abrupt arrival, but we seek something of great importance. Could you perhaps…?”

She trailed off as the sloth began walking toward the boat. For a moment, she feared it wasn’t listening, or couldn’t understand her; then it paused and turned to them, lengthily beckoning to follow with a chirring noise.

“Ah, thank you,” she said, brightening and walking after it.

Keith darted forward and held out an arm, quietly saying, “How do we know he isn’t gonna take us back to his village so we can be dinner or something?”

“Oh, please,” she scoffed, swatting his arm out of her way, “you worry too much. I happen to be an excellent judge of character.”

‘Yeah, that’s why you’re relying on people you consider “primitive.”’ Pidge hopped off of Shiro and the two joined Keith, watching her board the canoe.

Noticing Keith’s pinched expression, Shiro lightly bumped his shoulder with a fist as he passed, saying, “Don’t worry, it’ll be a short ride.”

“Sure,” Keith mumbled, eyeing the river.

“What, is the tough guy scared of boats?” asked Pidge with a smirk as he followed after.

The young man stiffened a little. “No. I just don’t like hitching a ride with strangers.”

Reservations notwithstanding, he didn’t have much choice, and so boarded the canoe. At least he could see the riverbed. He sat next to Allura in front while Pidge and Shiro took the back and the sloth stood in the middle. They drifted lazily down the river, the alien only occasionally helping their progress with his long oar. Dappled light filtered through the web of leaves above, the turquoise water shimmering like diamonds in the light. On both shores, an array of animals poked their heads out of the foliage, watching the newcomers curiously: long-snouted deer with two pairs of antlers; multi-colored one-eyed birds, their chicks trailing behind them; yellow bunny-like creatures with four arms and three beady green eyes, who seemed almost excited at their arrival, smiling and doing some kind of dance.

However, something told Keith they weren’t the only ones staring; the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. His head snapped toward the high bough of a tree. It was bare, yet his gaze narrowed on it, a feeling of ice running down his spine.

“Is something the matter?” asked Allura, noticing.

He glanced between her and the tree for a moment, then replied at length, “No. Probably just a bird.”

She nodded and returned to her sightseeing, but the feeling didn’t go away. Keith resolved to keep a close eye on the forest even as the boat floated through a stone tunnel. It bore a depiction of the Lion they sought above the entrance, and more along the walls, he noticed, just like the carvings on Earth.

What he failed to notice was five yellow slits peering from the shadows where he’d been staring only moments ago. They tracked the group’s every move until they slipped out of view. Fully forming, the figure made a brief mental note about the juvenile. Not just anyone could sense his gaze, after all.

“Tell me, are you always this paranoid?” asked Macidus.

A security drone floated up from behind him, and with it came Haxus’ voice. “The general may trust your kind’s arcane ways, but I do not. This drone will monitor your every move.”

“Really?” The Druid gave a wry chuckle, a mixture of amusement and offense in his hissing voice. “Very well, then. You’ll be pleased to know that two of the Lions are waiting in a nearby clearing.”

“Then we should take them now before they can react.”

“That would be unwise, largely due to your rather stunning defeat at the hands of only one. If you attack now, it will likely only lead to further embarrassment.”

Even through a drone, the sound of Haxus grinding his teeth was clear as crystal. “Watch your tongue, or I might just remove it.”

“Your choice,” said Macidus airily. It was far from the best threat he’d ever received. “But if you wait for the so-called Paladins to unlock this next Lion, we could easily take them all in one fell swoop.”

The silence on the other end of the line was confirmation that while the prideful Galra wanted to object, he couldn’t, doubly so when Sendak joined the conversation. “I approve of this plan. Stay the course and find us an opening.”

“…Vrepit Sa,” grumbled Haxus.

“Vrepit Sa.”

“Vrepit Sa.” At Sendak’s word, the line shut off.

‘I wonder how well these new toys will fair against my magic,’ Macidus mused. ‘It’s no fun when they break too soon. Perhaps I can draw it out without getting in too much trouble.’

A dark chuckle echoed through the trees as he vanished in a whirl of smoke and shadow.

———————————

Meanwhile, off in the clearing, Blue and Yellow sat and waited. Their Paladins did much the same, though not as contentedly.

“I’m booored,” said Lance from his upside-down position in his seat.

“I’m sure the others’ll be back soon,” Hunk replied, leaning his arms and chin on the helmet in his lap, his eyelids drooping.

They drifted into silence.

“…You wanna play eye-spy?”

Before he could answer, the Lions abruptly stood, startling him and sending Lance to the floor. They turned this way and that, like they were trying to spot something.

“Whoa, what’s going on, boy?” asked Hunk.

“I’m not getting any alerts,” said Lance, rubbing his head as he got back into his seat (properly this time). “Maybe they saw a squirrel?”

Long, low growls rumbled from both Lions, sending waves of something that resembled disgust through their pilots.

They only needed to look at each other once before Lance made the call. “Lions to Away Team, you there?”

“We’re here,” said Shiro. “What’s up?”

“Well, we don’t really know,” he replied, poking at a few systems, “but Blue and Yellow just got really on edge for some reason.”

“Radar?” asked Keith.

Hunk checked it. “Nothing. It’s like they saw a ghost.”

“Alright, keep us posted,” said Shiro, a bad feeling seeping into his gut. “I want to know the second something happens.”

“Copy that. Lions out.”

Once the comm shut off, Allura said, “They must sense danger nearby. We had better be on guard as well.”

Pidge couldn’t help scoffing and rolling his eyes so far back they could’ve seen his brain. “Please. The Lions can’t ‘sense’ anything. They’re just robots. If it’s not on the radar, it doesn’t exist.”

A very solemn expression came over the princess as she turned to face him. “The Lions, and Voltron as a whole, are an ancient and mysterious power that are beyond even Altean understanding. My father spent decaphoebes as a paladin, and from everything he saw and experienced during that time, I have no doubt in all the universe that they are more than ‘just robots’.”

“Or maybe all advanced technology looks like magic to aliens,” said Pidge without missing a beat, much to Keith and Shiro’s exasperation.

“My people were incredibly advanced long before we even came into contact with the Lions,” Allura indignantly replied, “especially compared to you Humans. Have you not only recently reached the edge of your solar system? Hmph, some scientists you have.”

“Hey, my dad is one of the best scientists on the planet. He’s been helping advance our tech for decades. So what if we haven’t unlocked ‘fast travel’ or cryo-tech yet? All that fancy technology didn’t save your dad!”

Silence tore through the boat like lightning. Allura gaped at him, then scowled shakily and turned away, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Pidge,” Shiro said quietly, a stern glare on his face as he slowly shook his head.

Over his shoulder, Keith cast a brief but harsh look. Even the sloth seemed to disapprove, his chirring gaining a sour tone.

‘Oh, so she gets to insult me however she wants, but when I dish it back, I’m the bad guy?’ Pidge huffed and crossed his arms, resolving to glower at his distorted reflection for the remainder of the voyage.

They at last arrived at the base of the vine mound, the enormous tree casting a deep shadow over the area. With the bow of the canoe resting against the shore, the four disembarked and the sloth waved goodbye, a slight worry on his face. Keith, Shiro, and Allura waved back as he sailed on with the current while Pidge tapped his foot impatiently.

Despite the outer vines and roots twisting and tangling over the surrounding land, a wide path remained, leading directly to the small mountain. Nearing it, the group spotted a lion statue standing on either side of the alley as if guarding the swirl of smaller vines waiting at the end like a docking hatch on a spaceship. On a particularly thick, moss-covered limb just above it, words were etched in an old language.

“Can you read it?” asked Shiro.

“No,” Allura replied, “but the dialect appears to be similar to Altean, so our helmets should be able to translate.”

“But we can’t read Altean,” said Keith.

“You have been thinking in your language to use our technology, yes?”

The Earthlings nodded.

“Then it should have absorbed enough of it to at least give you a rough approximation.”

‘Wait, this stuff’s been adapting on its own while I’ve been trying to do it manually?!’ Pidge growled quietly, but set his visor on the script with the others. It scanned the writing and gave a translation — very surprisingly — in perfect English. It read:

‘Like a child I am heedless

And boundless and fearless.

I drive exploration, both near and afar,

But if I'm excessive, I may leave a scar.

What am I?’

A third groan sounded from him. “Seriously? A riddle? Like today hasn’t been annoying enough.”

Pointedly ignoring him, Shiro guessed, “Could the answer be ‘quest?’”

“Imagination?” said Keith.

“Perhaps creativity,” said Allura.

Shaking his head while they went on, Pidge looked back to the writing. He turned it over in his mind, dozens of possibilities emerging, yet only one clicking.

“Curiosity,” he abruptly said, cutting off the other three.

Before their eyes, the inscription glowed a bright green and the swirl of vines detangled to reveal a tunnel leading into the tangle.

“Nicely done,” said Shiro. “How’d you figure it out?”

“People explore to find answers, and you won’t get them if you aren’t curious enough to go after them,” Pidge replied. “It’s not bound by anyone or thing, and you can have too much of it, though, personally, I don’t really see how that’s a bad thing. Plus, most kids are innately curious. I know I was.”

“And it’s what usually got you into trouble, if memory serves,” Shiro added with a grin.

“Why does that not surprise me?” said Allura dryly as she passed into the tunnel, leaving Pidge glaring and stomping after her.

Keith and Shiro shared a weary look before joining them. At the very least, the arguing didn’t restart.

Once all four passed the threshold, the vines returned to their entwined state, sealing the passage just as a shadow slipped inside. They were about to turn on their flashlights when a soft glow appeared behind them, steadily growing brighter. All around, small bioluminescent flowers of every color and shape imaginable bloomed, releasing shimmering pollen into the air like fireflies. Disconcertion turned to wonder as the group walked through their light, watching the floating specs bounce and shimmer, seemingly untethered by gravity. Coming around a gentle curve, they found another seal blocking their way with its own riddle.

“I’m guessing this is going to be a regular thing,” said Keith, crossing his arms.

‘I am a treasure you cannot hold,

I can fill your mind with stories untold.

I can shrink from neglect in the blink of an eye,

But can only grow if you ask "Why?".

What am I?’

While the others started tossing around ideas, the feeling of ice on his neck returned. Out of the corners of his eyes, he scanned the uneven walls. They narrowed ever so slightly. After a moment, he looked back to the others.

Pidge’s hand was on his chin, his voice wavering between talking and muttering. “…inherent value yet immaterial…can tell stories…can shrink or grow…” He snapped his fingers. “Knowledge.”

With another glow, the passage opened and they headed through.

Along the wall, a shadow moved with them.

Keith pivoted, drew his sword, and skewered it. An unearthly scream filled the air. The entity darted away from the blade as its owner pulled it from the wall. From the floor, it stretched up, transforming into a tall, cloaked, cruel figure.

“Well, I must say I’m impressed,” he hissed. “How did you know?”

“I don’t like being watched,” said Keith, slipping into a defensive stance. The mere sight of this guy was putting him on edge.

Behind him, Pidge summoned his pistol, Allura readied her staff, and Shiro…Shiro could only stare. That mask; those robes. His flickering hand shook, his breaths turning fast and shallow.

“D…D-Druid…” he was barely able to stutter out.

“Ah, so you remember us,” sneered the Galra. “Tell me, then, do you remember this?”

Black energy crackled to life around his hands, snapping through the air and filling it with a sickly purple glow. A strange pressure filled the tunnel, as if gravity had increased. Shiro’s breathing grew worse, his pounding heartbeat nearly deafening. Keith’s eyes flickered from him to a shaking Pidge, then the disturbed princess, and back to the Druid.

‘We can’t win this.’ He tightened his grip on the sword. ‘But I can slow him down.’

He shoved Shiro beyond the threshold. Tumbling to the ground, the man looked up in horror to see Keith facing the enemy and readying his shield.

“Go.”

‘No…no, no, no, no, NO!’

Shiro leapt to his feet, but it was too late. The vines coiled together. The last glimpse of Keith he saw was a small, confident smile over his shoulder. Then he was gone. Shiro punched and sliced at the oversized plants, only for them to regrow in seconds. He didn’t stop — he couldn’t stop, not when his friend needed him! He just had to keep going. Harder, faster, more, don’t—

“Stop!” Allura cried, grabbing his Human arm and returning him to his senses. “We must go.”

He shoved her away, the power in his cybernetic flaring. “I am not leaving my little brother alone with that demon!”

“And if you do not, his sacrifice will be in vain,” she said, unfazed.

Shiro clenched his jaw, wracking his brain for any way to get through in time. There wasn’t one. With great effort, he deactivated his arm, took a breath, and nodded. They ran once more, but his thoughts lingered behind.

‘If anything happens to him, I’m going to tear that Druid apart.’

Dark laughter filled the passageway, making Keith’s guts knot.

“Do you really think you can beat me? A member of Priestess Haggar’s inner circle?” said the Druid.

“Maybe not,” Keith replied. “But if I’m going down, you’re coming with me.”

An amused hum came from the Galra’s throat. He shot a beam of wild, crackling magic from his hand. Keith blocked it with his shield, but the force began pushing him toward the seal.

‘Snart! If he corners me, I’m dead.’

He jumped, letting himself fly backward. When he got close to the wall, he planted his feet and pushed off with his booster pack, angling his shield to let the energy slide off. He swung at the Druid, only to slice nothing; he’d turned to smoke. Still midair and mid-swing, a blast flung Keith down the tunnel, sending him ricocheting off its curved side. Barely upright, the sorcerer was on him again. He swung a shadowy orb like a mace; his target managed to dodge just in time. With a mocking flourish, he turned the orb into dual short blades coating both of his hands and lunged. Sword and shield clashed with magic over and over.

‘He’s toying with me,’ growled Keith’s mind.

However, that allowed him an opening. Deflecting both blades, he struck the Druid in the face with his shield and ran him clean through, driving his sword nearly to the hilt. His opponent grunted in pain, magic fading. The young man grinned in victory.

Then the Druid chuckled. It grew louder with each breath, becoming a cruel, hollow laugh. Keith’s confusion quickly turned to alarm when an invisible force began pulling his sword away. He tried to keep hold of it with both hands, but it slipped, tearing through the Galra and clattering uselessly to the ground. Before his eyes, black tendrils emerged around the gaping wound and knitted it back together, leaving not a thread of the cloak out of place.

He took a step back. ‘What is this thing?!’

The Druid drank in the boy’s wide-eyed expression. “Still think you’ll take my head?”

He shot forward. Keith scarcely had a moment to think, leaping to the side with his booster pack. He rolled, pivoted, and fired his pistol. The Druid’s smoke-like body nimbly evaded them, and a well-placed shot of magic knocked the gun from his hand. In hardly a second, the thing was on him. Keith raised his shield, bracing himself for the hit — and was struck by a stun blast from behind. His cry only lasted a moment before he collapsed, twitching slightly.

The Druid stopped mid-attack to watch him, then looked to the source of the shot. “I don’t need your assistance.”

“You’re wasting time,” said Haxus as the security drone emerged from its hiding place, stowing its stun blaster. “Stop toying with this one and follow the others.”

“Oh, very well,” Macidus grumbled. “I suppose I’ve had my fun.”

He watched the boy struggle to stand with momentary amusement, then plucked one of the flowers from the surrounding vines and curled his claws around it. Black magic pierced it, mutating its nature until it pulsed not a warm gold but a sickly violet. Precisely as Keith got to his knees, the Druid flung the bloom. Dark, thorny vines burst from its stem, ensnaring the Earthling in a merciless grip and binding him to the wall. Pulling at them proved futile; every movement only made them squeeze tighter. Tiny cuts already littered the unarmored parts of Keith’s body, yet he kept straining against his bonds.

“Oh, and don’t bother calling for help,” Haxus told him, the drone hovering closer in a condescending manner. “We’re blocking transmissions.”

The boy tried to lunge for the device, but the vines pulled him back. Thorns dug into his throat, turning his snarl into a choke.

“Then again, I doubt you could speak at all right now.”

He could picture the smug smile on the colonel’s smarmy face. Next time they met in person, he was going to knock it clean off.

Right then, though, there were more pressing matters. Macidus and the drone returned to the passage seal. Spreading his hands, the Druid pulled the plants apart with his mind, creating a gap just big enough to allow his companion to glide through.

Macidus cast a last glance at his captive, high and mighty. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll see each other again very soon.”

His hissing laugh echoed as he returned to his smoke form and slipped between the swirl of vines just before they sealed once more. Keith hung his head, cursing his weakness.

———————————

Hunk drummed his fingers against a control stick in an unsteady beat. “So, uh, what do you think’s out there? Crazy beasts? Plant monsters?”

“Chillax, big guy, I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Lance replied, his hands resting lazily behind his head.

Their Lions didn’t seem to share his confidence. They’d calmed from their earlier distress, but were still very much on edge. It was clear they had a right to be when their proximity alerts went off.

“Oh, vex, I knew something like this would happen!” said Hunk, swiveling Yellow’s head back and forth.

“I swear, it’s like in one ear and right out the other,” muttered Lance, then raised his voice and moved Blue into his friend’s line of vision. “Hunk, relax. We’ve both taken out a cruiser on our own. A two-on-one fight should be twice as easy.”

His words immediately fell flat on his face when three battlecruisers emerged from the clouds. They fell further as the distinct red streaks of at least a hundred fighter ships came swarming out of them.

“You had to jinx it,” said Hunk darkly.

Lance gave a nervous laugh. A second later, they were set upon by heavy fire and quickly took to the skies, their particle barriers flashing to life.

“Away Team, this is Blue Lion calling for an emergency evac!” he yelled, blasting two fighters in his path.

Static was his only reply.

“Are you guys asleep or something? I said we’re under attack! We gotta go!”

Taking deep breaths to keep his lunch down, Hunk pulled up the communications data and felt his blood run cold.

“They’re jamming us,” he said, fear rising in his voice. “We’re on our own.”

———————————

Golden pollen swirled in tiny tornados as the trio raced through the mound, the tunnel now feeling much too constrictive. Arriving at the next doorway, they searched for its riddle, but only saw scattered, incomplete marks on uneven rows of vines.

“Oh, come on, what is this?” Shiro tersely said, leaning around, trying to get his helmet to translate.

“Perhaps it is a puzzle rather than a riddle?” said Allura.

From his shorter vantage point, Pidge noticed two parts of the script line up. He crouched and tilted his head, and sure enough the rest of the parts fell into place. He read aloud:

“‘Straight lines can curve and curves can be straight,

Dimensions shift and shapes transmutate.

Like a guiding star, I shine through your life,

Through reflection, experience, and inner strife.

Those of stone mind are blind to its value.

What looks like the end might just be a breakthrough.

What am I?’”

“A maze?” said Shiro.

“A forest?” said Allura.

“Geometry?”

“Rynlan fruit?”

“A sharp fish!”

Pidge shook his head to clear it of the extremely unhelpful yapping and looked back up to the words, their parts shifting with every small wobble of his head. He paused. They shifted when looked at from a different angle. The answer was hidden in the same way the riddle itself was!

Straightening, he called out, “Perspective!”

Once again the vines detangled, yet the three only made it a few steps in before a cold, hissing laugh reached their ears. Dashing toward them, his half-smoke body flickering wildly and eyes glinting with gleeful malice, was the Druid. The sight made Shiro’s heart stutter. However, it wasn’t just from fear this time.

He stepped back through the threshold and planted his feet. “Keep going.”

“What? No!” Pidge cried.

He moved to stay, too, but Allura grabbed him around his waist and boosted down the hall. His cries of protest faded as the doorway sealed shut. The Druid recorporealized, pausing and running his eyes over the ever-stoic Earthling. Shiro shook off the chill of his slimy gaze.

“Where is Keith?” he demanded, his hand already ignited.

“Who?” asked the Druid with faux innocence, tilting his head and tapping his mask. “Oh, the little swords-boy. I’m afraid he’s in a bit of a bind. He told me to give you his best, though.”

A near-savage growl thundered from the Human’s throat. To his alarm, it was joined by the muffled sound of distant roars, and faint tremors rippling through the vine mound.

Even with his mask, the Druid’s smugness was clear. “Ah, and it seems the rest of your little friends will be going the same way soon. It’s such a shame the great and renowned Champion of the Ring couldn’t protect them.”

Memories of battle and blood clashed with vivid visions of his wards screaming in pain as they were torn apart — just like him. Seething rage burned through Shiro’s veins, condensing into an arrowhead that demanded to be loosed. Though grinding teeth, he sucked in a breath and lunged, his hand ready to tear out the monster’s heart. The Druid charged his magic and closed the gap.

———————————

“Let go!” yelled Pidge again, thrashing and squirming.

Allura paid it little mind as she ran, her grip on him remaining firm. Part of her was grateful for the chance Shiro and Keith had provided; the other part was berating her for not sensing the Druid sooner. He’d been right next to her and she had hardly felt more than a light chill. Such lack of awareness would have gotten her a long, stern lecture from her Alchemy teacher, were he alive. She would be more attentive from now on. More attuned to her surroundings, to the energies of the—

“OW!” An elbow found its mark against her stomach. Knocked off balance, she and Pidge went tumbling to the ground. She spared only a moment to push herself upright before shouting, “What is wrong with you?”

“Me? What’s wrong with you!?” said Pidge, angrily getting to his feet. “We have to go back for Shiro!”

“Why?” asked Allura, rising as well. “You had no objections when we left Keith behind, so what is the blasted difference?!”

“The difference is Shiro can get me to my family!” Pidge practically screamed. “That’s the whole reason I came out here in the first place! If they hadn’t been taken, I’d be home playing video games and making gadgets and having a normal life! Instead, I’ve snuck into the military, travelled lightyears running from an alien empire with a bunch of morons, and even after coming all this way, I’m still not a single step closer to saving my family who I don’t even know are alive or not, and if they’re not, then it’s my fault!”

He tore off his helmet and threw it against a wall. It clattered to the floor with a faint, hollow sound. His shoulders heaved from the ragged breaths he was struggling to take. With a choked sob, he collapsed to his knees, burying his face in his hands. Allura stared at him as his shoulders shuddered with quiet tears and felt her heart twist in a way she had hoped it never would again.

“It’s my fault.” Pidge’s voice was far too small and broken for one with as much spirit as he. “No matter how smart I am or what I can do, I can’t understand any of this stupid, crazy alien tech. I can’t even connect my laptop to the castle! And if I can’t even do that, then I’ll never get my family back. I just want them back…”

A long moment passed; Allura tried to think of something to say. Eventually, she knelt close to her young friend and took off her helmet. Then, very slowly, she wrapped her arms around him. His breath hitched a little in surprise.

“I know the feeling,” she whispered.

Like a dam breaking open, Pidge let out a strained wail and clung to her, burying his face in her shoulder, weeping for everything he’d lost. Her grip tightened around him as she quietly kept the stinging of her own eyes at bay. They stayed like that until a cold filled the tunnel. The shadow was coming, and fast.

Allura flung out her hand; a yellow glow surrounded both it and the discarded helmets, and in a blink, she telekinetically drew them in. “Solve the riddle. I will buy you some time.”

Pidge wiped away the last of his tears (along with his surprise at his first sight of magic), nodded, and donned his missing armor piece. While he ran to the seal, the princess closed her eyes and pressed her hands together. Warmth spread from her core down her arms; she cupped her palms, an orb of golden light flashing into existence and hovering above them. She steeled her stance and cast her hands and magic outward, forming it into a barrier, not unlike the castle’s or Lions’. Meanwhile, Pidge reached the doorway — a mere few feet away — and quickly read the riddle.

‘I am the guiding light that shines through the dark,

The compass that steers you when waters are stark.

I'm not found in books or learned from a sage,

But earned through experience, trial, and age.

The more you seek me, the more I evade,

Yet those who embrace me are richly repaid.

What am I?’

Before he got even a second to think, the Druid slammed his power against Allura’s. Her body jolted slightly, as if she’d received an electrical shock, but she held her ground.

The Galra took a step back, observing the pale gold hue of the shield in amusement. “Now there’s a surprise. I would’ve thought the daughter of the great Alfor would be more than a novice.”

“Novice or not, I am more than capable of defeating you,” said Allura with a hint of defensiveness.

“Oh? Let’s test that claim.”

The dark power around his hands flared, scorching the passageway — and withering it. Life faded wherever the corrupted magic touched, including Allura’s shield; streams of pale golden energy tore from it and flowed into the Druid. Allura winced again, her feet slipping backward from the overwhelming force.

“Pidge,” she called through her teeth, “hurry!”

“Working on it!” he replied. He shook his head, rummaging through his brain for an answer. “A star? No, that’s stupid, you can’t earn stars. And ‘knowledge’ was for a different one…but it definitely sounds close to it. Maybe destiny?” Sharp crackling made him jump; the Druid increased his output, laughing at the princess straining to hold him back. “Not found or learned, but earned through experience…rewards those who embrace—Wisdom!”

Never had an open doorway given him such relief. He turned and called, “Allura!”

Snapping energy answered him. It clawed around her shield like giant hands, threatening to slip past.

“Just go!” she cried, pushing back with everything she had.

“But—” The words died on Pidge’s tongue; the barrier began cracking; it would fail any second.

“It is alright,” Allura said, looking over her shoulder with an encouraging smile. “Go. Go and save your family.”

It was like his feet were made of cement. His eyes darted between the two sorcerers; his heart screamed at him to help her, but his head knew it wouldn’t do any good. He stepped backward through the threshold. As it closed, the barrier burst into glowing shards that swiftly disintegrated into tiny motes of light. Allura hurriedly put distance between herself and the Druid and summoned her staff. The first strike fell; the tangle sealed shut.

The sounds of the battle filtered through the vines, and again Pidge’s heart demanded that he help her. Swallowing his fear, he turned and ran, the cement now weighing in his chest.

———————————

Duck, twist, blast.

Weave, spin, tail smack.

Over the last few minutes, this was the pattern the two Lions had fallen into. It had proven effective; the fighter ships didn’t seem to care enough to change their approach, leading scores of them to a fiery demise. However, no matter how many they took down, more kept coming, firing volley after volley and turning the forest into an ugly patchwork of char.

“Whoa, chill out, everybody!” Lance laughed as he twisted and blasted three more with his freeze ray. “Plenty of the Iceman to go around!”

Yellow soared past, weaving through a wave of ships and grabbing one in his mouth. After two seconds of contact, it blew up.

He shook his head to dispel the smoke. “Dang it! That’s the fourth one. Guess you can’t fool these guys twice.”

Otherwise, though, the fighters appeared content with simple swarm and kamikaze tactics. It was clear they intended to wear the Lions down and make them easier to capture, hence the duo’s manic evasive maneuvers which threatened the return of Hunk’s breakfast. Just when he thought he couldn’t hold it down any longer, the ships broke away and headed back toward their cruisers.

“Woot-woot, yeah! Too cold for ya, Galra creeps?” said Lance.

His partner, on the other hand, got the opposite feeling. Even with how little he knew of their enemy, they weren’t ones to just give up and call it a day. Something was wrong. An alert on his dash unfortunately proved his hunch correct. One of the cruisers was getting ready to fire, and its sights were locked on Blue. Hunk put on a burst of speed, closing the distance and pouring his energy into the upper half of his heavy shield moments before the ion cannon loosed its power. The barrier held, but Yellow was sent straight to the ground, squashing Blue in the process.

“That was your plan?” asked Lance.

“It’s been a long week,” Hunk replied somewhat tersely.

He moved to get up, only for a hail of lasers from two of the battleships’ heavy batteries to rain down on them. On their own, they couldn’t do much against Yellow’s shield, but then the third activated its tractor beam in reverse, completely pinning them.

“It’s about to get a lot longer if those guys don’t find the Lion soon,” Lance grunted out.

Aboard the command ship, Haxus chuckled watching them struggle. “I knew I didn’t need the help of some shadow-dweller. I’ll have twice the reward for twice the Lions. Perhaps even a promotion. Then that pompous fool will have to take orders from me.”

Sendak’s ears tilted and twitched at the quiet monologue, a disapproving expression on his face. His second-in-command’s blood-thirstiness and vigor were valuable assets — if channeled properly. When threatening to overwhelm, like they were now, it would normally be better to pull him back until the battle was over, or at least point him in a more constructive direction. Seeing as neither were an option at the moment, the general resolved to keep an eye on Haxus just in case. He didn’t need another subordinate dying on him.

———————————

‘Faster, faster, faster!’ Pidge’s mind urged his legs — difficult when a numbing soreness was overtaking his body, not to mention the shockwaves that nearly knocked him over. He’d already tried to radio the guys and gotten no response. Jamming. Of course.

At long last, he reached the end of the tunnel and took a long minute to regain some feeling in his lungs before reading the awaiting riddle.

‘Sought by the wise, feared by the vain,

Knowing me can bring both joy and pain.

I am uncompromising, steadfast, and bold,

More precious than any silver or gold.

Who am I?’

“‘Who?’ As if I could know that!” With a vehement growl, Pidge turned and fell back against the wall, knocking his head against it and staring at the ceiling. “I don’t have time for this. I need to find my family. I need to help my friends!” He paused. “Friends…”

He took off his helmet and looked at his reflection in the visor. ‘They are my friends, aren’t they? Hunk and Lance always tried to include me in whatever they were doing, no matter what. They always wanted to get to know me. I barely gave them the time of day.’ Images flashed through his mind: Keith, Shiro, and Allura fighting that Druid; Hunk and Lance fighting who-knows-what outside. ‘And now they’re all getting hurt to help me. They are my friends. I just haven’t been theirs.’

Shiro’s voice echoed in her mind. “There will be other chances, I promise you that. But you have people who are counting on you right here and now.”

His grip tightened. ‘But I have a chance to change that. My team’s helped and protected me this far. It’s time I returned the favor.’

Setting his jaw, Pidge donned his helmet and pushed off the wall. He squared his shoulders and read over the riddle again. The previous ones had asked “What am I?” and all of their answers had been concepts rather than objects. Maybe this one was, too. He went over them: curiosity, knowledge, perspective, wisdom, and…

A memory.

Sam Holt hummed happily to himself as he stirred a cup of coffee, enjoying the rare quiet in his home, his Garrison uniform jacket tossed over the back of a dining room chair behind him. He tapped the spoon on the rim of the mug and was about to take a sip when the front door burst open. Little Katie barreled in. Upon spotting her dad, she dropped her backpack, raced to him, and latched onto his leg, burying her face in his pants.

“Whoa, hey, what’s wrong, sweetheart?” asked Sam.

Muffled noises came from the six-year-old. With a sad smile, her dad set down his mug, detangled her limbs from his, and lifted her into his arms. Now that her face was unsmushed, he could see the glimmer of tears in his little girl’s eyes, her pigtails drooping.

“I hate school,” she said.

“What? But you were so excited about learning and meeting the other kids.”

“They’re mean.” Katie sniffed and thumped her head on his shoulder. “Th-They all said I was annoying when I asked about stuff. Even the teacher.”

“Oh, honey.” Sam held her close and began rubbing circles in her back.

“I don’t wanna be annoying. I wanna be their friend. Maybe I should stop asking questions like they said.”

After a moment, he tilted back so they could see each other properly, adjusting his thin oval glasses. “Do you want to stop asking questions?”

“No,” she replied, rubbing her eye.

He planted a kiss on her forehead and said, “Good. If people stopped asking questions, no one would ever learn anything. Curiosity is the only way to find knowledge, and being so full of it is one of the best parts about you, Katie.”

A look of surprise crossed her face as he cleaned the tears from her cheek. She thought for a little while.

Sniffing again and wiping her nose, she asked, “So, what’s the best part?”

Sam laughed. “Being so darned cute.”

He gnawed on her chubby belly and made goofy gobbling noises. Katie squealed and giggled, half-heartedly pushing him away.

“Daddy, cut it out!”

It clicked.

Curiosity led to knowledge.

Knowledge altered perspective.

Perspective granted wisdom.

They weren’t just answers to riddles; they were a path, and through them, Pidge saw the final step. He looked to the inscription once more.

‘Who am I?’

He knew now.

“Truth. You are truth.”

Light shone from the words, brighter than ever before, and the vines before him parted, revealing the great form of the Green Lion, sleeker and smaller than Yellow and Blue, but wielding no less power. A garden was her refuge, the glimmering pollen filling the air like fireflies on a warm summer’s eve, illuminating the menagerie of flowers lining every surface.

Pidge stepped forward in awe and reached out. The barrier fell away at his touch, the emerald energy and golden pollen swirling around his body, growing green over his suit in the same pattern Hunk and Lance shared. A vision of burning land and ashen skies swept through her mind, lodging in her memory, followed by a pleased purr as the sight faded and the Lion leaned down to welcome her new Paladin.

Placing his hand on her muzzle, Pidge smiled. “Thank you for showing me the way. Now let’s go save our friends.”

———————————

Allura struggled to her feet, barely slipping past another attack. She returned it with a strike from her staff but was much too slow. The Druid teleported behind her and sent a shock into her back. She cried out and collapsed, panting heavily. Her opponent loomed over her, laughing as he charged his magic. Her shaking limbs wouldn’t obey her command to stand. Macidus went to strike when a great rumble shook the mound, halting him.

On the command cruiser, a lieutenant called out, “Sir, we’re detecting a massive spike of energy near the base of the tree!”

All throughout the tangle of vines spread a bright green glow, mapping out in vein-like patterns and brightening the flowers to a near-blinding degree. When it reached Shiro and Keith, it filled the corrupted plants binding them and purged them. Now free, they and Allura all turned toward the center of the mound and smiled, the same thought in their minds: he’d done it.

“Macidus, what’s happening down there?” Haxus barked, but only half his question got through before a wild roar sounded, another wave of energy making the air crackle.

The security drone sparked and fell to the floor, overloaded. Likewise, the Druid let out a strangled, inhuman howl, his form smoking as if burned, and hastily teleported away. Allura glared after him. Then the vines beneath her, Keith, and Shiro’s feet began moving, rolling upward and sending them sliding back down the tunnel, the passage seals opening. Keith made it out first, shakily landing on his feet in the clearing beside the two statues, his sword clattering next to him. Hearing someone else coming, he braced himself and caught Shiro. It wasn’t graceful by any means, but seeing each other alright more than made up for it. Next came the princess; both men were ready and waiting for her, and once she was steadied, they shared smiles of relief.

They were short-lived, though; the Druid reappeared nearby. He stared up at the mound as it twisted, bending upward and bursting open, releasing the Green Lion into the air. In a split-second, her gaze swept over all those below, and they could feel the weight of it. Then, in a swirl of petals, leaves, and light, she vanished. Astonishment turned to confusion, all eyes searching the skies, especially those in the cruisers.

“Commence a full sweep of the area!” said Sendak. “The Lion can’t have gotten far!”

He had no idea how right he was. The moment he finished speaking, the tractor beam on Meer’s cruiser went up in flames, close enough to feel the shockwave. Next went its shields, then engines, and finally, its ion cannon.

Haxus gaped. “What in the Nine Galaxies is happening!?”

Down on the ground, Hunk and Lance wondered the same, their Lions able to get off each other at last.

“What was that?” asked Hunk, both relieved and worried as he deactivated the heavy shield.

“No clue,” his friend replied. “Maybe it’s a malfunction?”

“Guess again.”

Both boys lit up. “Pidge!”

“Man is it good to hear your voice!” said Lance, turning Blue to see him, but found nothing.

“Uh, buddy?” Hunk called, doing the same. “Where are you?”

They looked around the clearing for a few seconds before their friend’s gremlin laugh sounded over the comms. “What’re you talking about? I’m right here.”

Out of thin air, right in between them, the Green Lion appeared. The other two jumped, their pilots giving shouts of surprise, making Pidge laugh more, and it seemed Green shared the sentiment. Shock turned into astonishment.

“You have a cloak?!” said Hunk.

“That—” Lance began.

“Is—”

“So—”

“COOOL!” they both finished.

Pidge settled back in his chair with a smirk. “I’m aware. Now” — He turned to the two remaining cruisers, the first having one too many chain reactions and blowing just before hitting the forest canopy — “you guys ready to end this?”

“Like you even need to ask,” said Lance.

The three Lions rolled their shoulders and primed their cannons as a new wave of fighters filled the sky.

Macidus let out a warbling growl at the sight, his form still slightly in flux. ‘Blasted fool. Can’t even deal with a few pests.’

“Ahem.”

His shoulders hiked a tiny bit. He turned to see Keith use his foot to flick the sword back into his hand and reignite the plasma edge while Allura twirled her staff and Shiro slammed his cybernetic fist against his organic palm. Every one of them had the same expression.

“Nice to see you again,” said Keith tersely.

Macidus wasn’t quite so smug anymore; in fact, there appeared to be a trace of concern in his masked face. He quickly pushed it away and readied himself. His opponents did the same.

On both flanks of the battlefield, the two sides waited for the first move. Then, like a car accident, everything collided.

As the ground team charged the Druid, the Lions shot into the sky. Green re-cloaked and the three began taking out every fighter in their path.

“Herd them toward me,” said Pidge, turning on a signal which allowed only his teammates to find him on their radars. “I’m gonna grab one.”

“Already tried that. They self-destruct,” Hunk replied.

“Then I’ll just have to hack their signal.” Green ducked between two fighters, her tail snagging one while Blue took care of the other.

“Roger that!” her pilot said.

While they worked, Macidus had been turned into something of a hot potato. One second, Shiro’s fist was in his face; the next, Allura struck the back of his head with her staff; then Keith darted in, slicing off a limb, which the Druid hastily replaced. Round and round they went, until he was smoking with rage. However, he wouldn’t fall so easily. He dealt back nearly as much damage as he took, though his magic was spread thin against the three, not to mention whatever the Green Lion had done was keeping him from regenerating properly, his wounds burning like acid whenever he tried.

Strike, block, counter, repeat.

It got very annoying very quickly.

Haxus shared the sentiment. Over a third of their forces were now no more than piles of mangled metal sitting on the forest floor. His eyes darted over the screens, watching as more and more ships vanished to the unseen enemy while their battery fire was continuously blocked by that blasted heavy shield. They were losing control — he was losing control!

Standing to the side, Sendak observed the same data and took a dobosh to weigh his options. It was only a matter of time before their particle barriers became obsolete, and at this rate, they would run out of fighters first. They had only two options.

He opened a comm channel. “Macidus, return to the ship. We’re pulling out.”

Roused from his panicking stupor, Haxus cried, “We can’t! If we don’t crush them now they may succeed in—”

“I know.” Sendak’s voice held a hard edge, one that made the colonel take a step back. “Give the order.”

“Vrepit Sa,” he saluted, managing to swallow only a little.

‘Fine by me,’ thought the Druid. He waited for his opponents to charge, then unleashed a wave of energy. It knocked the three back, giving him more than enough time to teleport away. Once he was aboard, the two Galra cruisers recalled their fighters, lifted through the atmosphere, and jumped into slip-space.

“Cowards,” Keith muttered as he glared after them and reluctantly dismissed his sword.

It was a good thing he did because the next thing he knew, Shiro was suffocating him in a bear hug. He patted the man’s back the best he could with his arms pinned and tried to say he was fine, but it came out more like the wheezing mew of a cat.

Laughing a little as she came near, Allura said, “Well, I would say that went—”

She let out a tiny yelp when Shiro swept her up too. Both teenagers blinked, puzzled by the action.

“I thought I lost you,” Shiro whispered, his face in their shoulders.

Behind his back, a look passed between the two before they returned the embrace.

“You have lost nothing,” said Allura.

“We’re alrig—” Keith winced suddenly, cutting himself off. Shiro pulled back slightly, his face twisting in worry as he took in all the small but deep thorn marks on his little brother’s body, particularly his neck. The young man amended, “Mostly.”

“Here, allow me,” said Allura.

A gentle aura enveloped her hands, which she placed on his upper arm and jaw, his eyes apprehensively tracking every move. The glow spread into his cuts. Though all the fighting had strained her magic, preventing her from healing them completely, she was still able to reduce and seal them.

The aura faded, and Keith rubbed his neck experimentally. “Wow. Thanks, Princess.”

“You are welcome,” she replied.

Shiro’s expression calmed to a degree, though it mixed with sorrow as he glanced between the two’s remaining wounds. He hugged them again solemnly.

‘But I could’ve lost you. I promised myself I wouldn’t let anything happen to my crew again, and yet all that snart had to do was open his mouth and I let you get hurt. I lost control.’ The memory of those vines snaring him in his blinding rage, his own hand turned against his throat while the Druid laughed, made his stomach churn.

After a final squeeze, he let the pair go, keeping a hand on each of their shoulders. Despite only being a few years older than the teenagers, Shiro couldn’t help seeing them as kids; kids who shouldn’t have to face these kinds of dangers, who shouldn’t have had to grow up so quickly. His hands tightened.

‘I swear I won’t let that happen again. For all our sakes.’

Seeing his distress, Keith rested his own hand on his brother’s arm and stored his helmet. Allura did the same, a reassuring smile on her face. Shiro let out a deep breath. He returned the expression the best he could as he dismissed his own helmet.

The Lions swooped in then, their Paladins whooping and hollering as Green did a barrel roll before landing in the small clearing where the vine mound had once been. They practically bounded down the mouth ramps and met with the others.

“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen!” shouted Lance, whipping off his helmet. “I mean, not cooler than Blue’s freeze ray, but still!”

“You’re telling me!” said Pidge. “Is that what it’s like to be a pilot all the time?”

“Not exactly, but kinda,” Shiro replied, subconsciously checking the three over for injuries.

“Do you guys realize what this means? With a cloaking generator, we could slip in and out of Galra territory completely unnoticed — doubly so if I can find a way reverse engineer it and make a big one for the castle, or even mini ones for the suits! And while I couldn’t get a full copy of the shield deactivation signal, I did manage to get part of it, so it’ll come in super handy for next time—!” He nearly tripped in his manic pacing. Looking down, he saw the culprit was the security drone, still deactivated but intact. A new gleam in his eye, he picked it up. “And so will this!” It sparked a little. “You know, eventually.”

“Yeah, and Hunk didn’t barf once!” Lance added, resting his elbow on the taller boy’s shoulder.

“It was close, but I kept it in,” he said in an overly serious manner, earning chuckles from the group.

As Pidge scanned and stowed the drone in his suit’s energy storage, his gaze fell on Allura. Trepidatiously, he took a step forward and cleared his throat.

“Princess, I’m sorry for what I said back there on the boat. I-I didn’t—it was stupid and wrong, and it’ll never happen again.” He looked around the circle. “And actually, I owe all of you an apology. I’ve never really been good at making friends, let alone being part of a team. But I want to change that. I want to start over, if you’ll let me, and to do that, you need to know the truth.”

Sharing a nod with Shiro, Pidge took off her helmet and put on her glasses. “My real name is Katie Holt, and I’m a girl. B-But it’s fine if you still want to call me ‘Pidge’, my brother used to call me that all the time so I’m used to it, plus it’s probably what you’re used to now, so—”

“WHAT!!??” Lance screeched, startling her as he leaned over her. “You’re a girl!? Since when!?”

“Um, since forever?” she replied awkwardly, fixing her glasses from where they’d nearly fallen off and stepping out from under him.

“You never noticed?” Hunk asked.

Pidge blanched at him. “You did?”

“How!?”

“And why didn’t you say anything?”

He shrugged. “It was your secret. I figured you’d tell us when you were ready.”

“Okay, fine,” said Lance, “I’ll hold off on the ‘Best Friends Tell Each Other Everything’ speech. But how’d you figure it out?”

“Uh, honestly, I feel like it’d be harder not to.” Hunk briefly leaned around him. “No offense. I mean, she never even had to shave.”

“To be fair, neither did Lance.”

An offended squawk sounded from him while his friends snickered.

Crossing his arms, Lance huffed, “Well, at least everybody else was as clueless as me.”

“Um” — Shiro gestured to himself and Keith — “we’ve known for a while.”

“Huh?”

“Since we met, actually.”

“Huuuhh?”

“Hold up,” said Pidge, pointing at Shiro, “I get you knowing, you and Matt were best buds” — She shifted to Keith — “but how did you know?”

He gave her a flat look. “Pidge, I’ve had dinner at your house.”

She blinked a few times. “Oh, yeah. How’d I forget that?”

“Wait.” Everyone turned to Allura. It was quiet for a moment. “We were supposed to think you were a boy? Coran and I could tell from the start.”

Lance’s jaw was on the ground. How was he the only one!?

“Guess I’m not quite the chameleon I thought I was,” chuckled Pidge as she rubbed the back of her head.

“And you never have to be with us,” said Shiro, slinging his arm around her shoulders. “I’m glad you felt you could trust us with this. I know we can’t replace your family, but I promise we won’t stop searching until we find your brother and father. Wherever they are, I know they’d be proud of you, Katie.”

Reaching into his storage, he pulled out the necklace she’d thrown away and handed it to her. Pidge beamed at his words and slipped the cord over her head, the once odd weight of the birthstone now resting comfortably around her neck.

Allura watched the two share a side hug, a touch of envy in her smile. She was glad Pidge had the chance to rebuild her family — truly she was — but the thought of it made the ache in her heart return. Though she had Coran and her father’s aqlamyra (and the mice), it would never be the same. Rather forlornly, she moved away from the group and looked up to the Lions sitting proudly around them. Their armor gleamed in the amber light of early evening.

Keith joined her, saying, “Three down, two to go. ‘Course, with three candidates left, one of us is going to be an odd man out.”

Allura’s hands tightened around each other, her face growing harder as she replied, “That is a problem for one of you to sort out.”

An eyebrow raised in wary interest, he watched her return to the team, then turned back to the Great Beasts. His eyes ran over each one in turn as he heard her speak.

“Pidge, do you have the coordinates to the next Lion?”

“Memorized every detail, Princess.”

“Good. We must reach it before the Galra can get their claws on it.”

Keith’s gaze wandered to the fiery sky, wondering what awaited them.

———————————

Just beyond Tenshig V’s solar system, the last two battlecruisers drifted. Many would call that day a complete failure, and to some degree they’d be right, but as Sendak observed the updating star map with Haxus and Macidus, he knew it was only the prelude to victory. Now that they could cross-reference the location of the Green Lion with those of the others and their escape trajectories, the point of convergence was all too clear — as was the potential hiding place of the Red Lion.