I'm still here

Intro

Lighting cracked across the sky as thunder followed aggressively with the harsh winds and rain echoing across the windows and roof.

"MOM!"

A young boy had tears running down his face as an teen girl ran through the door and wrapped her arms around her little brother. She knew it was against the orphanages system for boys and girls to be in the others rooms after lights out but the rooms where for each amount of ages.

"Shh shh I'm here, I'm here little blue," the teen girl shared the tan skin but her brothers was a little lighter as their eyes where the same shade of blue as Veronica had dark purple hair and lance had light blue hair. She left her glasses back in her room but her short shoulder length hair was pulled back in a small braid.

"Veronica I'm scared!" The little seven year old sobbed into his big sisters chest as the sixteen year old held him tightly.

"Shut that welp up will ya?" A fellow orphan groaned tiredly as there were beds across the room.

"Shut your yap boy, or I'll make you," Veronica hissed as she held her brother closer as she brushed his hair gently.

"I got you lance, don't worry," she whispered in his hair and kissed him gently on the forehead. Lance laid in his sisters arms as he held onto her tightly with shaking hands as his wide blue eyes where staring at the ground.

"I miss mom and m-Marco, a-and rach-" lance broke off into another sob as Veronica shushed him softly as she rocked him.

"Veronica McClain this is not your quarters," a woman with one eye and noodle like hair up in a bun walked over with her three legs to the two siblings.

"This is my brother, can't you see he's having a nightmare?" Veronica put lance in her lap as lance snuggled against her as he kept his head down.

"Take it outside then, you have five minutes," the woman sighed as Veronica picked up the seven year old and took him out in the hall.

Lance looked at his sister with tears in his eyes while he had blue curved marks under his eyes with pointed ears, his ocean blue eyes with mint green pupils looked at her blue eyes with lilac pupils looked back at him. Veronica's orange markings under her eyes like lances glowed softly as she held the side of his face.

"I won't let anything happen to you lance," she whispered gently as his markings glowed as well.

"Where's Luis?" He sniffled.

"Luis went to join the galactic armada, he's fighting for us little blue, when I'm older I will too so we don't have to be here," she smiled.

"I don't want us fighting for this! I want to fight for us, I want to fight for our freedom, I rather be a pirate than these people," lance pushed her away.

"Don't say that lance, you know the consequences of piracy," Veronica grabbed his shoulder but saw more tears running down his face.

"I don't care, I want to be strong, stronger than being little," Lance pouted and stomped his right leg, as it was replaced with old gears and metal, his whole leg was no longer there, just like Veronica's left hand.

"Lance... you have the makings of greatness in you, but you gotta take the helm and chart your own course, stick to it, no matter the squalls," Veronica said seriously as lance looked at her wide eyes.

"So when the time comes you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails, and show what you're made of, well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light coming off you that day," she smiled a little rubbing his cheek gently and lance sniffled.

"You'll be the best of us all, little blue," Veronica whispered kissing his forehead as lance hugged her tightly with his icy blue hair brushing against her shoulder.

———

On the clearest of nights, when the winds of the etherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships with their cargos of archery and solar crystals felt safe and secure... little did they suspect that they were pursued by pirates.

And the most feared of all these pirates was the notorious captain Zarkon Daibazaal.

Like a kundarian zap wing over taking its prey-

"Keith Akira Kogane!"

A five year old boy gasp as his short shaggy black hair fell in his face with wide indigo eyes looking to the side seeing an fourteen year old boy leaning against the door frame.

"I thought I put you to bed an hour ago," the teen whines as his short hair was black as well as it had an under cut but his eyes were grey and his skin was slightly tanner than Keith's pale skin.

"But Shiro, I was getting to the best part," Keith whined back closing the book. He grabbed the book and held it to his chest as he smiled a toothy grin, missing one of his front teeth.

"Pleaaaase," Keith smiled up at him. Shiro looked at him raising an eye brow.

"Your dad's going to kill me," he smiled back at the little boy. "Scoot over,"

Shiro was Keith step brother, his mother passed a few years ago when Keith was one but his father, Tex, kept Shiro under his wing as his guardian seeing how he treated Keith like a real brother.

They opened the book again as Shiro put his arm around Keith to hold the book as the five year old giggled excitedly.

-over taking its prey, zarkons renegade swooped in out of nowhere... And then, gathering up his spoils...

He vanished, without a trace.

Zarkons secret trove was never found, but stories persisted that it remains hidden somewhere in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Stowed riches beyond imagination, the loot of a thousand worlds-

"Treasure planet," keith grinned finishing the book.

"Okay, time for real bed," Shiro closed the book and placed it somewhere else as he moved the covers.

"How do you think captain Zarkon did it Shiro?" Keith crawled up his bed as Shiro put the book on the nightstand.

"How he swooped in out of nowhere!" He jumped off the headboard of the bed and Shiro tried to catch him but the younger boy fell on the bed and crawled under the covers. "And vanished without a trace?"

"I have no idea you space explorer," Shiro hummed leaning closer to his little brother but suddenly yanked him back and began tickling his sides as Keith squealed and screamed giggling trying to push Shiro away.

"Okay now I'm serious, bed time you," Shiro placed Keith under the blankets back to where he was suppose to be sleeping.

"You think someone will ever find treasure planet?" Keith asked as Shiro reached behind him to grab a toy.

"Keith I think it's more of a legend," Shiro looked at a weird looking monster toy and set it aside.

"I know it's real," Keith told him seriously.

"Alright, you win, it's real," Shiro smiled down at him and ruffled his hair.

"Nighty night Shiro," Keith snuggles in his warm blanket as he nuzzled against the pillow.

"Nighty night Keith," he sighed at his little brother as he got up from the bed and went to the door.

"I love you," Shiro said from the door.

"Love you too," Keith whispered loudly from the bed making the teenager laugh and closed the door.

Keith waiter a few seconds in the dark but crawled over to grab his book and slithered under the covers like a little cave as he opened the book with it having light already, letting the story continue.

There are nights of the etherium so inviting their promise of flight and freedom, made one spirit soar...