A/N
I've skipped the episode with merpeople and Lance and Hunk. This will happen if I feel there is no need. Now, we get some angst, angst, more angst and a teeny tiny amount of fluff.
Maybe more fluff than I'm giving myself credit for.
The paladins, Allura and Coran are gathered around Shiro's healing pod. Keith has a hand resting on it, barely audible whimpers and whines escaping him.
"Is he okay?" Hunk asks, worried about Shiro's grunting.
"Sometimes, the healing process can cause involuntary brain wave reactions," Allura says.
"He looks like he's having a bad dream."
"He just got blasted by a space witch and mauled by giant lizards. What dream could be worse than that?" Lance tries to comfort him.
"No, no! No. You took my hand. What more do you want?" Shiro yells, consciousness fading.
"Stop! I want him awake enough to feel this," the Mad Doctor orders before attacking the guards, "Listen to me. We don't have much time. Wake up!" He slaps Shiro, "Zarkon has located the Blue Lion of Voltron on your planet, Earth. You must get it before he does."
"What are you doing?" Shiro asks confused as the Mad Doctor helps him up.
"I've planted a bomb to cover your escape. Get to a pod, now," orders the Mad Doctor.
"Who are you?"
"I am Ulaz. Now, come on! Zarkon will know that I released you, so I must disappear. But, if you survive, go to the coordinates in your arm. The Blade of Marmora is with you," the newly named Ulaz says, shoving him out of the door.
"Why are you helping me?" Shiro asks, unable to comprehend why a Galra would help him.
"As a fighter and a leader, you give hope. Hurry! Earth needs you. We all do," Ulaz tries to hurry him.
"Okay... Wait! No, I can't leave!" Shiro almost yells, delirious from the alien equivalent of anaesthetic.
"Why not?" Ulaz sighs, annoyed.
"I'm not leaving him!" Shiro growls angrily, obviously irritated that the Galra expects him to leave him.
"The kit?" Ulaz asks.
Shiro nods.
"Alright, I understand why you want to go back for him. He can help you escape as well. Let's go, but be quiet and quick."
"There are a lot worse things he could be dreaming of," Keith mutters and Hunk rests a hand on his shoulder, offering a small smile, which Keith returns.
Shiro groans as he wakes up, greeted by the smiles of his team, the Paladins crowded around the pod.
With the Galra, Prorok wakes in a Druid's pod, "You know I'm innocent! I would never betray Zarkon! You're weakening the empire!"
"You misunderstand. I'm giving you the opportunity to serve the empire. You will have the honor of personally bringing down Voltron," Haggar's magic causes Prorok to become one of her Mechabeasts.
Pidge checks Shiro's arm, "I'm not finding any coordinates in here. Are you sure this wasn't just a dream?"
"I'm positive. Someone helped me - us - escape," Shiro tells her.
"I remember him. I didn't know about the coordinates though," Keith adds.
"And he was Galra?" Allura asks.
"Yes," Shiro answers and Keith nods.
"You know you cannot trust them."
"Your father must have trusted them once. Zarkon was the original Black Paladin, wasn't he?" Shiro replies, other hand placed over one of Keith's curled fists, Lance and Hunk standing slightly closer to Keith and more between him and Allura
"That was a long time ago."
"Wait, what?" Lance asks, feeling like this is vital information they should've been told.
"Didn't you see how he stole the Black Lion right out from Shiro? Or that he could do all that cool stuff with his bayard? Shiro's bayard? You know, the black one?" Keith sighs, "It's in the Galran history books. They say that the evil King Alfor stole the Black Lion for his own selfish reasons. Not true, obviously."
"Why didn't you just tell us the truth about Zarkon?" Shiro asks her, aware that Keith was waiting for her to tell the truth, since it wasn't his place.
"I wanted to protect you from the dark history of the paladins so that you would have a chance to bond with your lions on your own. You are the Black Paladin now, not Zarkon," Allura answers.
"Yeah, well, the Black Lion may have a different take on the matter."
"Wait a second. I think I see it now. Some repeating numbers in all this Galra code. Let me extract it. They are coordinates! They lead here: the Thaldycon system," Pidge tells them.
"Then, that's where we're headed."
"Shiro, are you sure you can trust this? I mean, after all the Galra have done to you. They... they took your arm," Lance asks.
"It's worth the risk. Someone helped me escape. If we can locate some allies in our fight against Zarkon, especially ones from his own side, we might just find a way to take him down. After all, they can use the Galra's tech against the Empire."
"We can check the location, but I do not like this. The Galra are not to be trusted," Allura answers, leaving for the Bridge.
"And you shouldn't judge the whole race based on the actions of the Empire," Keith mutters, so that only the Paladins and Coran could hear.
They go through a wormhole to a part of space with balls of crystals floating around.
"Well, this is it. No sign of any activity at all, living or otherwise," Coran informs them.
"Can we get in there to take a closer look?" Shiro asks.
"I don't want to bring the Castle any closer. Those xanthorium chunks contain highly unstable nitrate salts. Even bumping one of them can blow us straight to Wozblay."
"Are you sure this is right?"
"These are the coordinates Number Five gave me."
"Hey! My decryption is solid," Pidge yells.
"There must be something we're missing," Shiro says.
"We should get out of here. We've checked it out, but now, it's time to move on," Allura almost growls.
"No. There must be something more to this. I can feel it," Keith interrupts.
Shiro nods at Keith, trusting his instincts, "I think we should wait."
YOU ARE READING
Forging Ties (Book 2 of Fates Entwined)
FanfictionA long time ago, a small child was born with abilities no one realised. He befriended many and his hands were dirtied with much blood, but he kept going. His one goal, survival. Then, he met the new Champion and his friend. His two goals, survival a...
