Start All Over : Klance AU

Red

Keith stared wide eyed at the beast pinning him to the ground. He shook and panted as it huffed, eyes seemingly boring into his soul.

"Keith!?"

"Keith, where are you?"

"Keith!"

He couldn't move. Keith couldn't even speak.

As the light from a lantern shown on them, Keith could see the gleaming, blood red coat of the beast.

Its tail flicked back and forth, claws kneading into the soul beside Keith's head.

"Oh my God..."

The beast suddenly stopped growling and began to purr, dropping on top of Keith and nuzzling into him.

Keith grunted and gasped for breath at the abrupt weight.

He could hear Kathryn and Lance burst into laughter. Immediately he scowled.

"The red lion..." Takashi murmured, stepping closer. "Does that mean...?"

"Keith is the Red knight." Tsuyoshi mused, holding up the lantern.

~

Keith has one question...

How the fuck do you get a giant, red, mystical lion to stop following you?

The lion is so underfoot. She purrs and meows, sticking right beside him. As he rides Flare, she walks so close, his foot is crushed between her shoulder and Flare's ribcage.

Anything that catches her attention she pounces at. She irritated Keith, but it seemed he also irritated her.

If he reached out to pet her, she growled and flattened her ears. If he raised his voice at her, she'd bark back louder.

When he fell off Flare after trying to get her to run through the pond after the other horses and the cow, the lion only watched in amusement rather than helping him.

The other lions seem thoroughly amused as well by these interactions.

Lance couldn't stop laughing.

~

It didn't really hit him until he lay down and stared up at the stars and leaves over him.

His eyes were wide, hands shaking. He sat up, then stood and started to pace.

The red lion watched him, head resting on her paws. She purred softly as he stopped and looked at her. The feline raised her head, then stood as well.

"I'm a paladin..." Keith muttered softly. "How..? I'm nothing..."

She slowly approached him, her crimson fur glimmering in the star light.

"You are not nothing, my paladin..."

Keith gulped, violet eyes widening more, if possible. "I can hear you..."

Red purred louder, pressing her head into his chest, tail curling. "Because you are my paladin... A paladin of Voltron. You are a part of this world's only hope for freedom from the Galran Empire." She pulled back and looked up at him. "You, Keith... You are not nothing... You're hope. You're Faith. You're joy. You are the future. You have a huge role to play."

Keith gulped, tears in his eyes as he shakes his head. "I'm not any of that."

"You are all of that and more." She stood on her hind legs, placing her paws over Keith's shoulders. He was set off balance for a moment, but caught himself. She pressed her forehead against his. "Keith... You are strong. You trust your friends, even with how new they are to you. You are a part of a team. You are a part of a whole."

Her purring started to ease Keith. She lowered him to his knees. Her nose touched his forehead softly. "My cub..."

He smiled. "Adara..."