Our Boundaries (Shidge/Klance AU)

7-The New Marks

Katie and Shiro looked at the sleeping Keith and Lance. Keith's right arm glowed a subtle red in a pattern of fire wrapping around his arm. Next to him in another bed was Lance. His wave-like markings were a bright blue, nearly impossible to look at. Shiro sat, shirtless, examining his own markings.

They were like a dark purple smoke hovering right at his chest. The shining had died down and so did the pain. "Did your arm do the same, all those years ago?" Katie looked at him. She then looked at her arm, remembering her time after having the markings branded on her arm. She remembered when Shiro's father had told her that her little body was unable to control the immense power her arm was emitting. The pain of the overflowing strength her arm kept her awake at night as her arm throbbed. She had cried her eyes dry many time praying for the pain to leave her. If there were gods, they sure didn't like her.

Shiro noticed her distant, cold expression. "You don't have to answer that. Your face says it all. How did I not notice it?" he said, cursing himself. Though he doubts she needed a shoulder to cry on, Katie was a strong girl for someone who can't seem to past his shoulders. He smiled as he remembered how Katie claimed she'd be taller then Allura and as tall as Shiro when she returned. That didn't happen. Not even close.

They silently watched over Keith and Lance like worried parents. Allura rushed in. "There you two are! What happened to you four? You all look like- WHAT IS ON YOUR SKIN, TAKASHI!?" Allura looked at the beds and at the pain etched into the faces of the boys. "What is on their skin!?"

Katie started to say something, but Shiro took over, knowing how tired Katie was, even though he and the sleeping boys were probably way worse. They literally arrived that morning and Katie had already drained the energy out of practically everyone. She sighed as Shiro began to talk. "We are saving the universe. Katie's arm flipped and she had a meeting with the lion. The lion warned her of an uprising power..."

"Sadly, I can't remember the name she told me, I just remember it starts with Z," Katie added, leaning her head against the wall behind her, trying her best to remember the stupid name. Zeben? Zark? Zarbon? Zerko? She couldn't remember. Shiro gave her a worried glance before returning his eyes to his cousin. 

She looked at the markings on the three. "They are similar to Katie's... Don't tell me this is-" Shiro nodded. Long ago Allura's father made a group to protect the kingdom- Voltron. They were to gather the Paladins- young men and woman with the branded marks of the lions. Then Allura's father died, sealing the locations of the lions away. Now that Katie has the keys to each location, they could do what Alfor always wanted, to protect his people.

The green lion got up from where she was laying with the black lion and came over to Katie. The girl peered down at the fur-ball. "She won't be able to see us unless someone with the mark's DNA is shared with her," the lion explained.

"Okay- wait what!?" Katie replied, scaring Allura. The co-queen looked at Katie like the girl had gone insane. Katie peered back at her with a awkward smile.

"What was that for?" Allura asked as she looked around for what the subject of Katie's outburst was. She only saw an small room with four people inside. Katie gave a awkward laugh. How was she going to do this?

-----

Hunk hadn't seen Pidge nor Lance since they arrived. He had been walking aimlessly through the halls since he got separated from Allura. He hadn't see a soul since. "Hello!? Anyone!?" Hunk called through the corridors for what seemed to be the hundredth time. When silence was the only thing that answered, he continued down the confusing halls.

"Hello?" a feminine voice replied. Hunk turned around and saw a maid holding a giant basket coming in his direction. She had sun-kissed skin and brown locks tied back in two buns on the side of her head. Brown eyes peered down at him. "Are you lost, visitor? I'm Shay, a maid here." 

"Yes, I'm very lost... I can't even find a person to help, well until now," he replied, rubbing the back of his head. Shay laughed and ushered him down the hallway. 

"Your Lady Katie's friend, no? I can take you to her," Shay said and something crossed her mind, "or I can give you a tour, starting with the kitchen since that's where I'm headed." Hunk considered his choices. He didn't want to bother a worker every time he couldn't find his way around. He didn't need to find Pidge immediately, so he agreed to allow Shay to show him around. Hunk grabbed the basket and carried it until they reached their destination, with Shay's disapproval. She kept saying that a guest shouldn't have to do even a quarter of a maid's work.

They first went to the kitchen. Inside Hunk watched the chief cook. Hunk loved the way he quickly attended to each ingredient, readying them for the final product. He watched in awe as the cook shoved all the chopped vegetables into the pot. Hunk might have just found his life calling. "Teach me to cook!" he said as the chief moved onto the fish pile next to a sink. The cook turned to him.

"Sure thing. I'll teach you how to cook, if you're determined. I'm Gyrgan, what's your name, kid?" the cook said, turning to Hunk with a huge knife slung over his shoulder. Gyrgan was a large man with dark brown hair tied into two manly pigtails, each resting on the man's shoulders. He gave a warm smile and moved over to let Hunk watch. Shay unpacked the basket that turned out to be full of fruits and bread, things you can buy from the market. At some point she even pulled out meat.

With a smile she watched the two cook supper for everyone. Hunk gave her a glance every so often to notice her affixation with what they were doing, just like he had when he watched Gyrgan. "Want to help?" he asked as she shot him a look of surprise before turning to Gyrgan to see if it was alright. The chief nodded and Shay clapped her hands together and joined the two.

I like how the story is coming together! I really enjoy seeing where the book goes from when I start typing. Technically, I'm on the same level as you guys. We are all learning this story with little idea of where its going.

ThatOneServant out!