Diamond In The Rough

"With all due respect your rottenness," Sendak said as he ran on a gear which connected to another wheel with a bar attached, which Sendak held on to as he ran. The wheels turning as he ran. The result created a storm on top of the contraption. "Couldn't we just wait for a real storm?" Lotor rolled his eyes.

"Save your breath Sendak and go faster!" Lotor yelled placing Shiro's ring in the contraption.

"Yes, o mighty evil one," Sendak ran faster and a lightning bolt went through the ring and passed through to an hourglass below. Inside the sand started to swirl around and Lotor watched the sand.

"Ah, sands of time--reveal to me the one who can enter the cave," the sand in top forms the Cave of Wonders. The sand then fell to bottom in a swirl and showed a picture of Lance climbing a ladder, and then turning around to help Keith up. Lotor laughed "yes, there he is my diamond in the rough!"

"That's him!?" Sendak yelled. "That's the clown we've been waiting for ?" Sendak then all of a sudden lost his footing and got sucked into the gears. Lotor ignored the bird and smiled.

"Let's have the guards extend him an invitation to the palace, shall we?" Senak was shot out of the gears and lew past Lotor, crashing into the wall.

"Swell," he coughed out with an exhausted sigh.

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Lance turned to Keith with a smile.

"Almost there, I swear," Keith finished climbing up but before he got onto the rooftop his shoe got caught and he tripped, falling straight into Lance's arms. Keith blushed and stood up his cheeks a dusty rose, he cleared his throat straightening his cloak.

"I uh, want to thank you for stopping that man in the market earlier," Lance chuckled.

"Uh, forget it," Lance grabbed a nearby pole and Blue climbed onto his shoulder. Lance pole vaulted to the next rooftop turning back to Keith.

"So is this your first time in the marketplace?" Keith chuckled nervously.

"Is it that obvious that I am?" Lance smirked.

"Well I mean, you do kind of stand out," Lance gave Keith a smile, Keith returning the smile. Lance realized what he was doing a shook his head "I mean uh, you don't seem to know just dangerous Altea can really be," he laid down a plank for Keith to walk over.

Without him seeing Keith jumped over using a nearby pole as Lance had done a few moments earlier. Lance turned around eyes wide, Keith chuckled.

"I'm a fast learner," Keith tossed the pole to Lance who grabbed it, his and Blue's mouth open in shock and surprise. Lance shook himself out of it.

"Right, um, this way," Lance grabbed Keith's hand and pulled him into the roof of a building. "Watch your head there," Lance said as Keith ducked to avoid the plank of wood blocking the way "be careful." Keith glanced around his hand still clasped in Lance's.

"This is where you live?" he asked in astonishment, Lance nodded "yep just me and Blue, we come and go as we please" Keith smiled "that sounds fabulous" Lance chuckled. "Well it's not much, but it's got a great view," Lance let go of Keith's hand to pull back the curtain to reveal the palace in the setting sun glow. "Palace looks pretty amazing huh?" Keith sighed softly.

"Oh, it's wonderful," he said sitting down. Lance leaned against the wall with Blue on the ledge beside him "I wonder what it would be like to live there, to have servants and valets," Keith rolled his eyes.

"Oh sure," Lance turned his head to Keith's direction. "People who tell you where to go and how to dress." Lance chuckled.

"Well, it's better than here, always scraping for food and ducking the guards," as Blue grabbed an apple from their small bowl of apples Lance took it from her. Blue growled softly as Lance walked away.