The Forgotten Paladin

Chapter 28: The truth resolved

KEITH: "Your eyes... they're glowing purple..." I look at him for a moment, letting his words sink in. I quickly look away trying to get them to go back to normal but this isn't like the burning sensation I usually have, it's a familiar, soothing coolness, rushing around me. 

Y/N: "It's probably just because it's so dark, my eyes probably appear purple..."

KEITH: "If you say so." He noticed I didn't want to talk about it, so he changed the subject, he really is kind...

Hours passed, we stared out into the gaping abyss, anxiously waiting for Zarkon to come rushing out of it. Allura was silent in the back, looking just as anxious as Keith and I. 

I've been waiting for my eyes to go back to E/C but they're still glowing this strange purple, it happened after that vision of my... father. Something about the memory of him must have cause a reaction in my powers? I don't fully understand my powers or whatever they are so I can't know anything for sure.

KEITH: "We've been here for hours. Still no sign of Zarkon."

ALLURA: "Well. I'm glad we're not alone. You understand, I could never live with myself if Zarkon was finding us because of me. I must know."

Y/N:" I'm sorry princess, did you say you think Zarkon is tracking you?"

ALLURA: "I can't be sure anymore, look, I'm sorry for what I did, I let my worries get to me. You're family Y/N, I never should have yelled at you and called you a monster."

Y/N: "It's okay Allura, you have every right to be suspicious."

ALLURA: "We face such a dire threat from the galra."

KEITH: "Well, sure, they're bad. No doubt about that. But at the same time, couldn't at least a few of them be fighting for good? Just look at Ulaz. He sacrificed himself to save us."

ALLURA: "For all we know, his sacrifice was a ploy. One life means nothing to Zarkon."

KEITH: "It means something to me. It means some of them are actually willing to help and we could use all the help we can get!" I see the anger in his face, what Allura said must have really hurt something inside him. 

ALLURA: "Any offer of help from the Galra is merely a prelude to a trap. I know all too well how quicky they turn."

Y/N: "Allura, I understand fully how evil some galra can be, trust me on that one. But it seems a little crazy to lump everyone together."

ALLURA: "Listen, if there are any good galra, they have had 10,000 years to take down Zarkon. I would never count on them for help."

I can feel anger, not mine, Keith's. I feel his pain, his rage, but sadness too. I turn and look at him, his eyes are full of sorrow but he drowns it out with emptiness. 

Both of them are quiet now, the silence is uncomfortable now; there are so many secrets held between us. I can tell. Keith turns to me, I'm about to turn away to hide my eyes but he grabs my shoulder. 

KEITH: "Y/N, you look really tired. When was the last time you slept?"

ALLURA: "Keith has a point, every time I walk onto the bridge you're there."

Y/N: "Oh, I uhh, I don't remember..."

KEITH: "How could you not remember when you last slept?" He laughs at my absurdity, Allura laughs along with him. I'm glad the silence was broken, everyone feels more at ease now. 

Our laughter is broken by Coran's voice echoing through the com. 

CORAN: "Keith, Allura, are you there?"

ALLURA: "We're here Coran, what is it?"
Y/N: "Zarkon found you didn't he."

CORAN: "Y/N's right, a glara fleet just showed up here! We need you now!"

ALLURA: "We'll be there in two doboshes."

KEITH: "Even faster than that."

ALLURA: "What is that?" Keith's hand is hovering over a button with an explosion symbol on it.

KEITH: "It's the booster fuel Pidge added to this pod."

Y/N: "Keith I don't think that's a good-" He pushed it before I could warn him and we get blasted out of the pod, now floating through the empty space. 

KEITH: "Y/N grab my hand!" I grab hold of him, I reach out for Allura who hesitantly takes it. Keith holds his arm round my shoulder as we catch our breath. 

Y/N: "Are you okay Princess?" 

ALLURA: "I believe so, Is your radio still working?"

KEITH: "Let's find out. Coran, can you hear me?"

The radio cracks on the other end, we're completely stranded in space. 

Y/N: "We'll never make it back in time."

ALLURA: "This was a terrible mistake. Shiro was right. We never should have left them."

KEITH: "There has to be a way back."

Everything begins to blur around me, all I see is a glowing light in the distance of my mind. A crystal. I feel like I have some kind of connection with it, I can feel it getting closer so I try to reach out for it but I'm yanked back into reality.

KEITH: "Y/N what's wrong?"

Y/N: "Huh? Oh, nothing."

KEITH: "Are you sure? Just tell me if something's wrong."

Y/N: "Keith, look!" I point into the distance, a small glowing light growing towards us.

KEITH: "Huh?"

ALLURA: "The red lion found you!"

We rush as fast as we can back to the lions, who are preoccupied in helping the arc not fall into seemingly, deadly acid.

SHIRO:  "Good to have you back Keith."

KEITH: "Good to be back."

LANCE: "Is the princess with you?"

KEITH: "yes."

LANCE: "like 'with you' with you or- uh Keith? Little help?"

KEITH: "On my way buddy."

SHIRO: "alright everybody, no time to relax. Let's show them what they're dealing with. Form Voltron!"

I hold onto Keith's chair as we go head on towards the galra cruiser. I watch as they fight to save the arc, something feels different though. My mind keeps going back to the crystal I saw, It felt so familiar, almost like it was me...

We all gather back to the castle of lions, standing together on the bridge. 

ALLURA:" I'm so sorry for leaving."

KEITH: "Me too. We thought we were doing the right thing."

Y/N: "You were right Shiro, we are always stronger, together."

LANCE: "At least we learnt that Zarkon isn't tracking us through you three."

HUNK:" Plus I learned that my lion can grow armour and extend it's claws like that! Which will come in handy if we ever need to, say, I don't know, slice up a giant steak while getting beat up. Or fight evil and save innocent people. That too. That would work."

Y/N: "Well, since I'm here you guys obviously won't get beaten up." I smile smugly at the paladins, we all laugh. 

SHIRO: "The fact that the red lion came to help Keith from so far away is a vital piece of information. We now have proof that a lion and a paladin can, in fact, connect over a far greater distance than we realized."

Y/N: "Which means we finally know how Zarkon is tracking us. Through the Black lion."

SHIRO: "Exactly Y/N."

The paladins keep talking, and I watch all of them talk and laugh together. I feel at home here, with them. 

This one was a little shorter than before, but I hope you enjoyed it! Also, 2K VIEWS?? Thanks so much for reading it everyone! Have a wonderful day!