Starchild (COMPLETED)

Chapter 8 - The black lion

"Why are we here?" Pidge managed to rasp out in between a runny nose and consecutive sneezes as she followed the others out onto the planet's surface.

Stupid cliched allergies.

"We're not back on Earth, are we?" Hunk guessed hopefully only to have Keith's stern burn into the back of his head before he too joined others.

It really did resemble the paladin's home planet with its seemingly endless evergreen in every direction as far as the human eye was capable of seeing. However, the eerie silence which surrounded this seemingly abandoned planet really was an unsettling feature and each paladin silently acknowledged that fact.

"I fear our war has not yet ended" Allura spoke with caution "the Galra will not stop until Voltron is completely shattered."

A lie, at its best.

Truthfully, Allura possessed no knowledge of what Prince Lotor was scheming but she would not sit by idly and abandon those who had put their trust in her guidance and leadership.

"That is why we will make the first move-"

"Uh- hate to be a bummer" Hunk intervened, ignoring the battle-wise altean's twitching eye and obvious frown – sure signs of frustration "There are only three of us" using his height to his advantage he counted three heads including his own.

"We can't form Voltron without shiro and Lance" Pidge concluded with defeat so unlike her obstinate nature.

"I know" Allura concluded, feeling the burden of three pairs of eyes upon her "that is- that is why I've brought you all here-"

Sensing his princess's impending distress, Coran intervened stepping up to address the paladins "Allura's father, King Alfor, entrusted the lions to her. Should something happen, Allura's connection to voltron's lions would ensure the prevention of the universe's greatest weapons falling into the enemies' possession. Although this shared connection is far different to that of the bonds you have formed with your lions it is more than enough to allow her access to-"

"Thank you, Coran," Allura acknowledged having gathered her thoughts "that is why I wll be piloting the blue lion."

"That still doesn't solve the issue" Keith spoke up for the first time since Lance's capture, a soft feral growl threatening to burst from within the confines of his chest.

"I'm aware" Allura's returning glare matched Keith's, her absolute loathing for the Galra mad apparent "your bond with the red lion has transcended all expectations, it is able to respond to you even with your absence. That is why I have brought you here. You will be piloting both black and red lion-"

"No."

"No. Whatever Shiro told you, I can't do it!" Keith growled animalistically, his muscles tensing with response to his fiery rage.

His stance resembled that of a predator, an overwhelming intent to attack clouding his reason.

"Keith...?"

Both green and yellow paladin had stepped back in the instant of Keith's change in demeanor, hands hovering over their respective bayards in an act of defense.

They trusted Keith but the Galra within him was very much a foreign and threatening presence.

"I'm- I'm not doing it- I can't." The red paladin retreated, heading back into the castle ship, closing his eyes and ears to the please which followed in his wake.

They would find another way to rescue Lance, without Voltron.

A low growl forced his eyes open and instinctively draw his double ended blade in preparation to meet a possible intruder.

His breathing was ragged while his skin burned hot enough to match that of Earth's volcanic structures. A wave of nausea crashed into him causing his grip to loosen and the floor tilt unsteadily beneath his feet.

Another growl, unthreatening and barely audible drew Keith's attention to the lion's hangers. As though he had surrendered his ability to move freely, Keith staggered forward towards the beckoning of the beast.

His gaze remained transfixed on the black lion, its might radiating off its metallic exterior in powerful pulses.

Keith's breath hitched audibly as he stood before its alien prowess, completely enraptured by some unknown force. Hesitantly, cautiously, his fingertips grazed over the cool surface, a surge of overwhelming power forcing a gasp as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

Upon opening his eyes, he found the castle ship to have melted away into an infinite stretch of what seemed to be a series of interlocking grids.

Panic quickly turned into frustration as he finally acknowledged the stoic presence of the black lion, as it stood there in all its might, just as unresponsive as it had been since Shiro's disappearance.

There both stood in silence, beats against beast, an unspoken challenge between Red's unpredictably hellish nature and Black's admirably dauntless character.

"Why am I here? Why me!? I didn't ask for this!" Clenching and unclenching his fists attempting to find an outlet for the anxiety bubbling within him "I'm not shiro! I-I can't- I can't replace him..."

"Shiro wouldn't- h-he wouldn't-!"

A soft mechanical hiss forced Keith to lift his face as the black lion began to move its unused limbs, a low animalistic growl echoing within its interior.

Keith stood in awe as it lowered its head to the hybrid's level, opening its mouth wide greeting the young paladin with an intense light, momentarily blinding him.

Squinting his eyes to see through its intensity, Keith could faintly make out a silhouette outlined within the black lion's mouth.

"Shiro...?"

The figure stretched out a hand, unthreatening and calm in its mannerisms putting the red paladin at ease as he reached out, meeting the stranger's halfway in a firm grasp before it dragged him forward encasing him into the burning light.

Stumbling back unsteadily, Keith found himself once again in the lion's hanger only his nausea had become almost unbearable, his skin searing painfully and his vision blurred.

"W-what-"

His throat burned with its sudden deprivation of hydration as his head pounded in sync with the rapid beating of his heart.

An overwhelming taste of copper lingered against his bottom lip as he opened and closed his mouth – a natural response to the sudden foreign feeling of protruding sharpness piercing his tongue and lips.

Collapsing heavily due to the sudden assault of pain, darkness began to consume his field of view.

The last thing he saw before slipping into unconsciousness was Allura, followed by Coran, Hunk and Pidge, their concerned expressions almost instantly reforming to ones of fear, shock and confusion.

Allura had acted almost instantly, pulling a hand-held blaster from her amour's holster and pointed it directly to a barely conscious Keith without a tick's worth of hesitation.

'Why? Why are you all looking at me like that?'

He could remember Coran yelling something as he lunged for Allura's blaster.

He could remember the echoing sound of the blaster going off.

Just as he fell into complete unconsciousness Keith could have sword he'd heard Pidge's hushed whisper.

"Galra..."