The Greatest Gift Part Four
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The Greatest Gift
A Voltron Adaptation by MoiraOriginal story by Philip Van Doren Stern
Story adaptation for the big screen by Frank Capra
Further adapted by me, borrowing from both the authors’ classic tails.
This is a stand alone tale, not pertaining to any other story I have done.Legal Stuff
Voltron, Defender of the Universe and its characters property of World Events Productions, Ltd. ‘The Greatest Gift’ originally written by Philip Van Doren Stern. Story adapted for the big screen by Frank Capra. This story is for entertainment purposes only. Original characters and storyline are property of the author, please do not use, reproduce, or repost without permission.Rating NC17
The NC17 rating due to sexual situations, violence, drug use, and strong language.
So, if you don’t care for that kind of stuff, stop now! You’ve been warned.
And yes, even with all that, is really is a Christmas tale.So, if you dare, grab a fresh box of Kleenex, a cup of cider, dim the lights, and dive in.
The Greatest Gift
A Voltron Christmas Tale
Part Four
Keith Loses Everything
The next morning Keith is sitting at his desk trying to focus on the reports Pidge had given him the day before but he finds it almost impossible to decipher them. He takes another sip of coffee hoping to shake off the cobwebs due to the restless sleep of the night before. But that’s not what is really distracting him. What is most on his mind is what happened last night between the princess and him. He still can’t truly wrap his mind around it. Hard to imagine that he actually left his body behind and…and…” He coughs trying not to picture it, but it is too late. His body begins to stir at the memory. He sets the cup down, placing both palms on the desk, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. He is soon reliving the memories of last night soaring in the air, connecting to her, enjoying the feel of her welcoming warmth.“Hello, are you there?” A voice breaks his reverie as he snaps his eyes open and his hands to his lap, sitting bolt upright in the process. Lance laughs. “Where were you buddy?”
“Lance don’t you ever knock?” Keith quickly drops his head to the reports in front of him to hide his growing flush.
“Nah.” Lance moves to sit on Keith’s desk. “Then I’d miss all the good stuff.” He pulls the papers away. “So, where were you?”
“Lance you can be the most aggravating person you know that?”
“Yep!” Lance grins. “Just part of my charm. You’re avoiding the question. You weren’t thinking about… say… a certain blond female… maybe say… dressed in pink? So tell me, just how was your little outing last night? You two were out awfully late.”
Keith’s flush grows, threatening to give him away He wants to get up and grab Lance’s neck to shut him up but that would just give Lance even more ammo once he sees exactly what he was imagining doing with the princess. Instead, he remains seated and flashes Lance a look of death hoping the redness will be taken as anger. “Lance! Will you get off it? The Princess and I are just friends! Got that? Quit projecting your fantasies on me!”
Lance grins “Whatever you say Cap.” Pushes the papers on the desk back to Keith and trying not to laugh. “So what’s on the agenda today?”
Keith gets a sly grin. “Well, now that you mention it. I need someone to run these tests on Control’s computer.” Keith hands the papers back to Lance. “It shouldn’t take you more than say… four hours.”
“Oh no, come on Keith. Any tech could do this. I’ve got plans. There’s only three shopping days left, I need to go to town and buy some more…” Lance catches his next word before it escapes his lips. “Stuff.” Keith’s brows nit together. Lance quickly grabs up the papers. “Fine I’ll do it.” He gets up and storms to the door muttering. “You’re such a scrooge.”
“Watch it!”
“Scrooge!” Lance yells as the door closes behind him.
Allura is in the rec room putting the final touches on the tree there. She got Hunk to help her hoping the distraction would take her mind off of her thoughts of last night and her Captain. Since as soon as her mind goes there it is like she is reliving their whole encounter, over and over again. Not that she minds, no she doesn’t mind at all, but it is hardly a productive way to spend the day. She now is standing tip-toe on top of a chair placing the ornaments near the top as Hunk passes them up to her. “Oh, I remember this one. My mother was given this as a gift by an ambassador from Earth. Isn’t it beautiful?” She hangs it as she smiles down at hunk.
“Allura do you have a story for all of these ornaments?” Hunk grins passing her another one.
She giggles. “Well, yes I remember most of them. This one was made by a woman and given to my mother the year I was born.” She reaches up and places it on the tree.
Hunk then passes her up the last one. One he had been saving. “What about this one?” He grins as hands it to her.
In her hand she now holds a miniature replica of the Black Lion. She looks at it for the longest time unable to hold back the flood of memories filling her mind as she is suddenly sent back to last night and her time with the pilot of that Black Lion. She closes her eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by the sensations of the night before of the feeling of him inside her of… she is soaring through the air…
“Whoa! You all right Princess?” She snaps her eyes open to find herself in Hunk’s strong arms.
“What… what happened?” She quickly stands as Hunk puts her down, busying herself, adjusting her dress and trying to hide her flush.
“Well…” Hunk’s hand goes to his hair. You were sort of out of it. You looked… well… like you were…” Hunk flushes clearing his throat. “Ummm, you lost your balance.” He holds his arms out towards her. “Allura are you okay?” He walks up to her putting a hand on her shoulder. She almost jumps from the touch making Hunk recoil. “Princess?”
“I’m okay Hunk just a little jumpy, sorry.” Allura can’t believe it. It was just like last night, whatever that was. It was like she was back there, with him and it felt so good… so right. She flushes even more at the memories.
“Allura?” Hunk raises a questioning brow.
She quickly spins away hanging the ornament on the tree. She rubs her hands down her dress. “That’s it. All done! Thanks Hunk.” She turns and runs out the room, leaving Hunk scratching his head, a grin coming to his lips.
Allura is racing down the hall heading back to her room eyes locked on the floor. She is completely mortified. What did Hunk see? What is happening to me? And, what exactly happened last night? Did she and Keith really… No, it had to have been some sort of hallucination brought on by the cold, the romantic setting and all that crazy talk about souls and stuff. Yes, it’s her over active imagination and… But what about that kiss… That was real enough. And that was unbelievable. She can still taste his lips on hers. Does he… could he….really love her? She slams right into someone in the hall papers flying everywhere. “Sorry I...wasn’t paying attention I…” She looks up to see Lance smiling at her.“Princess Allura I presume?” He bows deeply before her. “And how are you doing this morning? I heard about your little field trip last night. Did you have fun?” Lance grins. The flush that now comes to her face is the brightest he has ever seen. “I thought so.” He chuckles as he picks up the papers.
A new voice rings in. “Lance wait up! You know I’d really appreciate it if you would lay off the Christmas crap and…” Keith enters the hall from his office. “I…” His eyes lock with Allura’s. They stand frozen staring at one another. He finally manages to speak. “Good… morning?” He swallows hard as their eyes unconsciously dance over one another.
“Oh now isn’t this precious. You two really ought to get a room.”
Suddenly feeling shaky, Keith turns on Lance. “Don’t you have to be somewhere right now?”
“Oh, so now I have a time limit?” He pats Keith on the cheek, taking advantage of his stunned state. “Mr. Scrooge.” Lance then bolts down the hall.
Keith’s hands turn to fists yelling down the hall after Lance. “You are dead meat! Do you hear me? Dead meat!”
Allura stands petrified, now alone in the hall with Keith. The man she has done nothing but fantasize about since last night. He slowly turns to her now looking anywhere but at her. “How…are you doing?”
She also keeps her eyes on everything else but him. “Alright I guess. Didn’t sleep well. I had a terrible dream that I couldn’t forget. Never really got back to sleep.”
“Yeah, me too. What was yours about?”
She is so thankful he didn’t ask about last night that she gladly tells him about her dream. How she went into this little house that was all decorated beautifully but it was only hiding the horror within, death was everywhere. She then tells him of the gory stuffed black lion. As she describes it his face goes flat lifeless. “Keith what is it? Are you alright?”
His eyes finally meet hers, immediately getting lost in there depths. “Ally what happened to us? How did you…”
The castles alarms suddenly blare out. The two silently regard each other for a moment then turn and run for castle control.
Keith is instantly in command mode. “Report!” He bellows as he enters control, Allura right behind him. Lance and Coran are already there. Hunk and Pidge appear shortly after.
A tech punches up an image on the screen. “Coffins. Six of them all heading this way they’re about an hour out.”
“Six?” Pidge mutters. “How did they get enough lazon for six?”
“Lets not worry about that now!” Keith barks. “Anything else on the scanners?”
“Just an anomaly. Strange energy readings here.” The tech punches up another view of space but nothing of note appears on the screen.
Keith’s eyes flash across the screen. “I want a full analysis on that area as well as those coffins. To the Lions!”
Coran raises the platform and the five pilots are soon on their way.
Keith reaches the Black first, quickly launching, soon joined by the rest of the team. “Come on team lets cut ‘em off at the pass! Allura, Pidge, you stay here. That anomaly has me concerned. I don’t want to leave the planet unprotected.”
“Aye, Aye Captain.” They both snappily reply.
“Good luck Keith.” Allura adds.
“Aw now ain’t that sweet!” Lance snickers. “You gonna wish me luck too, Princess?”
“Lance, knock it off!” Keith barks. He pushes the Black forward full throttle to meet their foe. Thank you Princess. Good luck to you too. He thinks to her and to his surprise he hears her voice reply in his head. ‘Keith, come back safe’.
Keith Lance and Hunk are quickly closing in on their targets. Six coffins from planet Doom soon looming on their screens. “Stay tight. I don’t want them to separate us.”
“Yes sir.”
Just before they get in range, the coffins start to glow as they open. Soon six fish-like beasts now hover before them, opening fire on them immediately.
“Well hello to you too.” Lance sneers.
Keith leads the three into evasive maneuvers. “Hunk, scan for energy readings, I need a weakness.”
“On it! …eel one… in the center… he’s our target.”
“Come on…Let’s make sushi!” Keith growls and leads the team into an attack. “Stay tight!” They soon are on the beast. “Ion knives!” A gleaming knife appears in each of the three lions mouth’s and they cut the beast deeply before he even knows it’s coming. Sparks begin to shoot out from the gashes. Keith wheels the team around to see the beast explode in a blinding flash disabling his five companions in the process. Keith glares out at the remains. “Too easy.” He starts as he hears her voice is in his head again. ‘Keith we’re under attack. all transitions are jammed.’ Keith fires up the Blacks thrusters. “On our way Princess. Hold on.”
“Keith? What are you… ” Lance asks.
“The planet’s under attack we have to hurry.”
“What? I don’t see anything. How do you…”
“These guys were the decoys. Follow me!” Keith blasts off full speed to the planet. Hunk and Lance exchange puzzled looks over the vidcom as they blast after him. The creatures they were fighting dissolving into nothing.
“Princess, can you give me a brief.”
‘Six beasts- look like… fish men. They are all attacking separate targets…Laser darts!’
“We must have been fighting crude copies up here. Listen Allura, if they are like the others, the eel one is the leader.” Keith studies his readouts but nothing is there but the shimmering anomaly.
Lance keys his com. “Keith are you alright?”
Keith ignores him. “Hunk break off and target that anomaly for me, I think we might have a visitor up there.”
“My pleasure.” Hunk blasts free of the formation.
‘Keith, We have disabled one. We are now after the eel beast.’
“Good job princess! We’re almost there.”
Lance slams his fist. “Keith? Who the hell are you talking to?” Suddenly there is a huge flash as Hunk’s attack lands, the com’s in the Lions now picking up the many frantic transmissions from the planet below.
Coran’s voice can now be heard coordinating the ground defenses and evacuations. Keith ties into Castle Controls computer to get the locations of the attackers. Two are attacking the castle the three other three are each in separate villages one of which is being engaged by the Green and the Blue. The downed beast lies near the lake. “Coran, how are the castles defenses holding?”
“We’re holding our own for now.”
“Pidge, Princess, any headway?”
Pidge voice answers. “We’re not making a dent in this guy. He’s a lot tougher than the other one. Can’t get close, he keeps zapping us.”
“Keep trying. Hunk, Lance, go for the one to the north. I’ll get the one to the south. Hopefully they’re as weak as the other one. Rendezvous back to help Pidge and the Princess. We’ve got to save the villages first. The castle will have to wait.”
Coran looks proudly at them through the com. “Good Luck! Godspeed.”
The three Lions are quickly descending into Arus’ air space each to its target. Keith’s screen then turns to static and then his favorite person is there, grinning at him. “Hope you like your Christmas present Captain. I picked it out just for you. I know it’s a little early but I just couldn’t wait to surprise you.”
“You’re all heart, Lotor.” Keith watches his computer intently as it traces the transmission. “And I completely forgot to get you something.”
“Oh you don’t have to. The pleasure is in the giving after all.” Lotor laughs.
Keith has his lock. Lotor is right behind him, yet not showing up on radar. Why does this idiot always give himself away with his gloating? Keith muses as he targets the signal.
“Have a Merry Christmas, Captain.” Lotor sneers.
“Merry Christmas.” Keith pulls the trigger letting loose a barrage behind him. An explosion lights up the sky, shimmering a bit before returning to normal and revealing Lotor’s ship, which is now listing. Keith wants more than anything to turn and finish the guy off, but the village below needs him.
Lotor’s laughter rings in his ears. “I knew it. Mr. Goody-Goody can’t play, he has to go save the people.”
Keith slams his fist down cutting off the signal, beautiful silence now filling the cockpit. “Ahh, much better!” Keith then dives at the Robeast below. The thing looks like a giant squid with arms and legs. He targets its big eyes and lets loose a missile barrage effectively blinding it. He then lands just outside of the village and the Black roars trying to lure it away from the village. The stupid thing does exactly that, following the sound of the Black. Once in a clearing Keith viciously goes for a jugular hold, ripping at the neck of the beast, sparks beginning to blind him as he continues. He can feel his lion being squeezed by the tentacles but he still continues gnawing at its neck, working his way deeper and deeper. Eventually severing its head completely, the thing falls to the ground. Squid gore hanging from the Black’s mouth, it lets out a triumphant growl. “Calamari anyone?” Keith sneers. He then keys his com. “One more down. How’s everyone holding up?”
Hunk chirps in. “We’ve got this one pinned in a ravine. He seems to be weakening.”
“Good, keep on him.”
“Princess?”
“Keith we’re not denting this guy. He has destroyed much of the town.”
“Just hold on, help’s on the way. Coran?”
“We’re just managing to keep them at bay.”
“He’s down Keith!” Lance barks.
“Good, you two head for the castle I’ll join the others.”
“Yes sir!”
Keith arrives at the scene finding the Green paralyzed, being shocked, wrapped in some sort of energy netting and the Blue cutting him free with her knife. Using the distraction Keith hits it from behind grabbing into its shoulder. The beast lets loose a violent electrical blast shooting into the Black and down the net into the other two. Keith hears the screams of his teammates as they take the hit. He pulls free going to the hand holding the net and rips it free. The Green and Blue fall to the ground unmoving. “Princess, Pidge can you hear me?” He can hear them both groaning. Dodging the beast’s attacks he gets a quick diagnostic. Listen you two if you can hear me shut down everything and do a full system restart!”
“Yes Keith!” Allura wearily replies.
“Then back off do you hear me? The Black can take his blasts but you two can’t. Stay clear.”
“No, Let us help.” Allura crys.
“No! Go help the others at the castle.”
“No Keith we can’t leave you.”
“That’s an order Princess.”
“Yes Sir!” She complies, but her voice is tinged with anger.
“Okay Sparky, show me what you got!” Keith launches his Lion right at it raking the beast with his claws, electrical jolts jumping from it The Blacks eye’s glowing with every shock. “Gonna have to do better than that my friend. You’re just chargin’ my batteries!” The eel beast’s tail then swings around hitting the Black hard upside the body knocking it to the ground shaking Keith up a bit inside. “Ion Knife!” Keith bellows springing the Black to its feet and in one deft move severs the tail. “Try that again slime ball!” But to Keith’s horror the tail just begins to regenerate. The eel beast turns on him “Shit!” The Robeast grabs the black lion in its claws and launches into the air. Keith’s
Lion’s jaws biting down hard on one of the arms that are holding him as electrical jolts keep shooting from it. “Yeah buddy, keep on shocking me. You’ve got to run out of juice sometime!”“So heroic!” Lotor’s voice fills his cabin. “Taking on the big bad monster all by yourself. You are so predictable.”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Blue Boy.”
“So you like my present then? A little something for each of you and one extra for good measure. I must say, I do like yours the best. The others were more last minute rush jobs the appetizers. But this one…” He laughs. “I hope you enjoy your last day on Arus, Captain.”
Keith tunes him out, now almost free of Arus’s’ atmosphere. He bites harder into the beast’s arm its tail coming around again for another strike. At the last minute Keith lets go spinning around and catching the tail in his jaws and breaking free of the arms. He holds on tight as he rockets full force back down to the surface, Robeast in tow, targeting a desolate rocky region. It is taking every bit of his focus to not succumb to the g-forces now upon his body. The Robeast too is suffering from the speed, unable to break free. Faster and faster they descend Keith barely hanging on to the edge of consciousness the ground quickly approaching. Keith keeps his eyes pinned on the altimeter 2000…1500…1000 he lets go and pulls up with all his will. The Robeast smashes into the rocks below, as the Black only managing to pull up partially, skids along the ground, thankfully eating up his momentum, eventually piling into a berm. Keith slowly shakes off the impact and gets the Black back on his feet.
Lotor’s laugh rings out again. “Very impressive Captain. Very impressive.” The laughter continues.
“Captain?” Coran’s voice chirps in. “Are you alright?”
Keith shakes his head. “Yeah, can you get any readings from that thing?” Keith’s mind is sill hazy, as he keys up an image of the other fight. The two Robeasts are still moving but barely. It looks just like four cats playing with their food. He keys his com to them. “How are you all holding up?”
“Clam Face is going down!” Lance announces.
“Hey, you think there’s a pearl in there?” Allura asks.
“Let’s find out.” Hunk grabs Robeast ripping its head clean off and drops it to the ground. “Nope. No pearl.” Pidge and Lance cheer.
“You guys are sick!” Allura gags through her giggling. They then turn their attention to the other beast.
Keith shakes his head at them smiling. Quickly his attention turns his attention to where the remains of the eel beast lay. A curious dark cloud has started to grow curiously overhead. “Coran? Anything yet?”
“There is a strange energy reading… hold on…”
The cloud is rapidly growing darker and denser. “Coran do you see that?”
“Sorry Keith see what?”
“A storm cloud, just over me.”
“A storm cloud? Keith are you sure you’re alright?”
“Wait, the energy signal is…”
Suddenly there is a blinding flash as a bolt of lightning strikes, causing the ground to quake under the Black. “Crap! Coran I need those readings!” But all Keith gets back is static as the lightning bolts continue to rain down around him. Then before him a small crystal rises up from the ground glowing brightly acting as a lightning rod calling the bolts to it. “Not good… Not good.” Soon it starts to pulsate and around it grows the Robeast that was there before only bigger, twice the size as the last, and twice as ugly. Lightning raining down all around. Keith’s com is useless surrounded by all the static. “Princess, if you can hear me, this thing is back and worse than before. Everyone must stay out of range, do you understand?”
‘Keith.’ Her voice replies in his head. ‘Keith, be careful.’ Just then a lighting bolt shoots from the Robeasts hand, the Black taking the hit directly, his eyes flashing bright he lets out a roar of delight.
“Alright Eel boy, wanna play?” Keith launches at it letting loose a barrage of missiles then careening into its head knocking it down. He quickly puts distance between them his com coming back to life.
Lances voice comes in. “Keith what’s going on. We can barely read a thing over there. Allura said…”
“Stay out of range, that’s an order!”
Hunk chirps. “Keith let us help.”
“You can’t. This thing will fry you!”
Lance chimes in. “What about Voltron?”
“No good, same result. Coran I need that info on those readings!”
“Sending it now.”
“Perfect!” Keith reads his screen now knowing the energy signature to home in on. He scans for it and there it is, the crystal at the center on the Robeast. Keith looks up from his screen to see the cloud growing darker, the lightning strikes continuing to rain down and with each strike the Robeast grows larger. Tentacles now beginning to bud and grow from its torso, growing longer and longer, static shooting out from every one. “Alright, listen up team. Whatever you do stay out of range. Use only your distance weapons. Do you understand? While you’re distracting him, I’ll go in and try to hit his power source. Got it?”
“Yes sir!” They all reply.
“Good luck team!” Keith launches rocketing up into the air while the others surround the Robeast firing missiles into it from all sides. Keith reaches the height he needs flipping his lion over and straight back down again reaching breakneck speed. If he can go fast enough the thing won’t see him coming and won’t block the shot. Faster and faster the Black descends soon leveling out, hugging the terrain, hiding his approach, faster and faster only a few seconds now. He twists and flips lining up the shot as he passes, pulling the trigger, the laser blast shooting clear through the beast only grazing his target. The beast whirls on him only able to graze the Black, but at the speed he is going it is enough to send him into the ground. The Black skids across the ground smashing into a huge bolder.
“Keith, Keith are you there?”
He can hear her voice but can’t see anything. “Princess stay back!”
“No Keith you’re hurt, if I could…”
“No Princess stay back!”
He fights to gain control of the lion, instinctively getting it to its feet, still blinded. He shakes his head as his vision slowly clearing, his blood circulation slowly returning to normal. A blurry scene plays out before him. The beast is approaching, a giant boulder raised above its head ready to smash down upon the Black.
Keith’s still too hazy to react. Suddenly he feels himself being lifted from the ground still not sure if his mind is just playing tricks or not but his screen and sensors agree with his body. He is being lifting of the ground rising up to the heavens. Then he hears an angelic voice in his head. ‘I’ve got you now, my love.’
“A…Allura?” Your love? He tries to focus but everything is double. The feeling of shooting up into the air the only thing he is truly aware of. Suddenly a gut-wrenching scream shrieks out in his head and in his com all at once as a blinding flash overcomes him, then darkness. But he’s now wide awake and alert. His eyes adjust and to his horror he sees the Blue wrapped in some sort of energy field, being electrocuted. “Allura!” Keith quickly moves the Black between her and the beam taking the force of the energy blast. The Blue lion stars to fall. “Allura! Allura wake up! You have to reset! Allura!” Keith is still stuck in the beam. It’s not hurting him but he can’t break free. “Noooo…Allura!” He sees the other three lions racing to intercept her fall. The Robeast now seeing his chance, having them all in range, lets go of the Black and instead lets loose a blast into each of the three of them, all at once, effectively shorting out all their circuits and stunning the pilots. Keith dives as fast as he can but. The Blue hits hard into the ground beneath him, pieces shattering on impact. A huge explosion of fire, dust, and debris engulf her, exploding outward from the sheer inertia of the impact.
The Black sending sonic boom after sonic boom continues to dive, now only seeing the beast and in it, the crystal. At the last second of his dive Keith pulls up and flips lining up his shot, his laser hitting cleanly into the beast’s belly and into the center of its energy source. Lines of electricity radiate out along the creature’s body opening up into fissures which grow wider and wider. It explodes into a million pieces. The crystal at its center hovers blindingly bright then implodes in on itself, shattering to dust.
Keith struggles to get the Black to its feet, leaping into the air, the dust now settling. To his horror he sees a huge crater and the smashed up Blue Lion laying in a heap at its center. “Allura?” He lands quickly, the Black standing over the Blue in a protective stance. Quickly exiting his lion he leaps down to hers, having to pry open the door with a piece of wreckage. He makes his way into the cockpit, pulling pieces of torn twisted metal out of his way, cutting his hand and arm deeply. He reaches her. She is barely conscious and covered in blood. He leans over her assessing her injuries afraid to move her.
She looks up to him meeting his eyes. “Keith, did we win?”
“Yes Princess, we won. Hold on okay. Help is coming.”
“I’m sorry Keith I had to help you.”
“Shh, Princess save your strength.”
“Keith, did we win?”
“Yes Princess.” He carefully pulls debris off of her.
“I love you Keith.”
“Princess?”
“I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you.”
“Ally, please save your strength.”
“Keith, did we win?”
“Yes Princess, we won.” Sparks are starting to shoot out from the control panel.
“Kiss me.”
“Princess?”
“Kiss me.”
“Quiet save your strength.”
“Keith please, kiss me.”
“Ally?” Tears are shimmering in his eyes as he leans over and kisses her tenderly on her lips. Ice cold lips. He tries not to cry.
“Keith, did we win?”
“Yes Princess, we won.”
“I love you Keith”He tries to smile at her but he can’t. Black smoke is now starting to fill the cockpit.
She groggily looks to him. “Kiss me…Keith” Her eyes look slowly around. “Did we win?”
“Yes Princess, we won.” Keith bites back his tears.
Her voice is growing softer. “Keith, did we win?”
He strokes her face. “Yes Princess…”
She falls unconscious and the link that their minds share severs. The link that only last night he had become so aware of, that had been there for years. The link that was a constant buzz in the back of his mind is suddenly silenced now painfully quiet. She is gone.
The thick black smoke is descending down as flames now flicker from the console. He carefully cradles her body to him, careful not to move her too much and makes his way out of the Lion. Climbing out and onto its nose he falls to his knees, black sooty smoke now pouring from the hatch. He clutches her limp form to him, the other three lions now approaching. Off in the distance on a bluff he sees Lotor’s ship and the man he calls enemy on his knees beside it. He screams out to him. “Is this what you wanted Lotor? Does this make you happy?” He then collapses, unconscious on top of her.
Doctor Gorma enters the waiting room where everyone has gathered. Sitting waiting are Hunk, Pidge, Coran and Nanny, Lance is pacing the floor unable to sit still. Keith is standing off to the side. separate from the group, leaning up against a far wall, staring at the floor. The group is all quiet and sullen. Doctor Gorma clears his throat. “She’s out of eminent danger. We’ve managed to stop the bleeding and her wounds are all healing well.” Everyone in the room breaths a sigh of relief except Keith who remains lost. The Doctor drops his eyes.Keith turns to the doctor. “She’s not going to wake up is she?” Everyone’s eyes flash to Keith in horror at what he just said, but he doesn’t react. They all turn to the Doctor.
He takes a deep breath. “She has suffered a severe brain trauma. Only time will tell. I have seen people come out of worse.”
“Can we see her?” Pidge cries.
Doctor Gorma smiles. “Yes, I think that would be good for her.” He leads them into the room, sounds of the beeping and whirring of computers and machines greet their ears. Orla quickly moves to her niece’s side grabbing her hand. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge move to her other side. Coran stands at the foot of the bed with Nanny. Keith remains standing outside the door, unable to look in. “Please talk to her. We need her to want to come back. I have to go check on my other patients now.” The doctor turns to leave the room. “Please keep her spirits up.”
Nanny folds over onto the bed grabbing Allura’s feet. “My baby! My poor baby!” She wails. “Princess wake up. You have studying to do! You have a party in two days! There’s a Prince coming to visit you in a week!” Nanny sobs. Then she starts hitting the bed. “Why didn’t you listen to me? Princess? Why? Why did you have to be one of them?” She starts hitting the bed harder, lost in hysterics. Coran grabs her arms and pulls her away spinning her around and out of the room landing her face to face with Keith. “You!” She slaps him hard across the face. He barely seems to notice as a red welt begins to appear. “How could you do this to her! You brought her to this! Another commander would have never let a civilian, yet alone a princess, fly in combat!” She hits him again across the face. “Answer for yourself! Do you see her in there? That is because of you and your ineptitude at command. You are despicable!” She swings again but this time Coran grabs her hand before it connects. She wheels on Coran. “Come Coran, you’ve said it yourself! You never thought she should be a pilot and that he was out of line by having the Princess fly. Go on deny it! You think he’s a screw up too.”
“Nanny please, this is not the time…”
“Oh shut up Coran! It never was the right time or place for you. You should have intervened long ago. You despise him for letting her fly. Don’t deny it now.”
Coran looks to Keith, who looks completely lost. “I…I…did at one time, but now…”
“Now? Now she is lying in a coma!” Nanny rips free of Coran, winding up and belts an un-reacting Keith as hard as she can across the jaw sending him into the wall and onto the floor. She then lets loose a vicious kick to his bandaged wrist. A snap echoes through the room. “If you killed my baby so help me, I’ll kill you!”
Coran again pulls her off him. “Nanny that’s quite enough!” He spirits her out of the room. The others who were peaking out the door in stunned amazement regard their captain sitting in a heap on the floor seemingly unaware of the beating he just received or the trail of blood now pouring out of his mouth and blood now soaking his bound wrist. All they hear is his soft muttering words. “She gone…It’s all my fault…It’s all my…”
Lance cautiously makes his way over to Keith. Squatting down in front of him. “Somebody better get the doctor.” He puts a hand to Keith’s jaw, which is already swelling. “Keith why did you let her hit you like that?” But Keith doesn’t answer him, a glazed expression is on his face. “Keith can you here me?” Still no answer. Lance shakes him by the shoulder slightly. “Keith! Snap out of it!”
Keith’s eyes slowly focus Lance. “Yeah?” He looks about confused.
“That Nanny sure can pack a wallop, can’t she?” Lance stares into Keith’s eyes looking for any glimmer of the Keith he knows.
Keith slowly seems to come too, raising up his bound and bloody wrist. Suddenly wincing with pain he grabs at it with his other hand, his eyes going wide in surprise at the blood dripping from it. “What happened?”
Lance sits back a bit. “Nanny.”
“Nanny?”
“What’s wrong?” Doctor Gorma approaches, squatting down beside them. “How in the… Let me see that.” He takes Keith’s hand carefully unwrapping it. “How did this… Did you fall?”
Lance shakes his head. “Hurricane Nanny struck him.”
“Well, all of his wounds are torn open again and this is most likely broken to boot.” The doctor looks at Keith in disbelief. “Nanny, you say?” Keith looks just as confused. The doctor grabs Keith’s good arm and slowly helps him to his feet. “Come on let’s fix you back up.”
Hunk and Pidge stay with Allura. Some time later Lance walks in. “Doc decided to sedate Keith. He’s sleeping in the next room. He thinks he just needs some rest. And yes, Nanny broke his wrist.”
Hunk’s eyes boggle. “It’s broken? How long till he can fly?”
“Doc said he got the bones to nit well. If Keith takes it easy tonight he should be able to use it lightly tomorrow and it should be all healed in a couple of days.” Hunk and Pidge both let out a sigh of relief. Lance looks at Allura. “Coran has sent for Sven to come a day early, he and Romelle will be here tomorrow morning.”
“And the Blue?” Pidge asks.
“Being repaired now, Should be up and running soon. How’s she doing?”
Pidge smiles. “We’ve been talking to her about the party plans.” Hunk joins in. “Yeah. It’s going to be the best Christmas party ever.”
“You guys need a break. Go get something to eat. I’ll sit a bit.” The two half smile and head out leaving Lance and Allura alone. Lance looks down at her taking her hand in his, trying to ignore all the machines. “Allura? It’s Lance. How you doing? The Blue’s getting all fixed up for you, even a new coat of paint.” He drops his eyes a moment. “You’ve got to wake up Allura. Listen, Keith is really out of it, a complete basket case. And I know why. You see Allura, I know he’ll never admit it to you, but you should know… well he’s…he’s…Alright, fine I’ll just say it…He’s in love with you. There it’s out. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do. It’s something in how he looks at you, something is his eyes. Allura, I’ve known him for almost as long as anyone and I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. He loves you and… well, you’re everything to him… If you don’t come back…” He leans in whispering to her. “Allura, do you love him? I think you do. I’ve seen that same look in your eyes.” He leans back again. “I think Nanny feels it too and that’s why she went so ballistic on Keith. I think she’s going to try to get rid of him because of it. So you see you have to wake up to stop her. Then you’ve got to get that stupid oaf to admit his feelings. Then you two could…well you could…” Lance grins. Leaning into her ear he whispers. “Get to know each other better.” Lance laughs. “Yep, that what you two need.” Lance looks down for a moment then back to Allura. “Just rest now Allura. Rest and get better.”
Keith slowly wakes up sitting up in bed trying to shak the cobwebs out of his head, suddenly overwhelmed by a shooting pain in his wrist that snaps him fully awake. His eyes focus in the darkness and he now sees he is in a hospital room. Checking the time he finds that it is evening and they let him sleep all day. He slides off the bed finding his uniform laying over a chair and pulls it on. He then quietly makes his way down the hall drawn to a light glowing from a cracked door. He softly approaches, peering inside. Inside sits Doctor Gorma in teleconference with two other doctors. Keith slumps wearily down to the floor and listens intently.
A voice comes from his computer. “You really shouldn’t give them so much hope. Giving them an unrealistic diagnosis just makes it harder later. You need to tell them the truth.”
Gorma sighs. “I can’t, She is their guiding force. If they know she will never come out of this they will loose hope. No, I must hold on to the possibility that she will wake.”
“Doctor, you’re only fooling yourself.” Another voice chimes in. Even if by some miracle she wakes up, her brain is dead. She’ll just be a vegetable.”
“Yes I know.” Gorma sighs. “But she would be alive and that at least would be something for her people to hold on too.”
“Gorma, we’re doctors, not magicians. What you’re thinking just won’t happen. Her body will soon catch up with her mind. Let her go in peace and don’t postpone the inevitable. Your princess is dead. ”
Gorma lets out a huge sigh. “I know…I know. Thank you both for your help. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight my friend. I’m sorry.” The transmission switches off.
Keith sits on the floor of the hall hearing those words over and over again. Your princess is dead…Your princess is dead. Words he knew were the truth the moment she fell unconscious and the awareness of her in his head was extinguished. His Allura is gone. He drops his head, I’m so sorry Ally.
He slowly gets to his feet and mechanically heads for her room. Peering in the door, as all the machines greet his ears. He sees Queen Orla sitting next to her holding her hand. She doesn’t look up to him but knows he’s there. “Tell me what you know.” She asks stroking Allura’s cheek. “Is she still with us?”
Keith can’t answer her. He just moves in and sits on the other side of the bed, laying his hand on Allura’s arm, avoiding looking at either of them.
Orla reaches across and grabs his hand startling him. “Keith your souls are one. Don’t you know that? You’re each half of the same whole. That’s what happened last night at the wedding, your united souls danced.” She pulls his hand over placing it on Allura’s. “Keith, I have never felt anything more glorious than what I felt coming from the two of you last night. Don’t deny yourself that. You’re meant to be together. Call to her. Talk to her. You can reach her. Lance told me how you two were able to talk in the Lions. Come, you have to feel her struggling to come back. Reach out to her.”
Keith’s whole body starts to shake and he folds over onto the bed burying himself into the sheets, clutching at Allura. “She’s gone…” He whimpers. “I let her die…”
Orla puts a comforting hand on his head. “Keith, She’s not dead she’s…” Orla suddenly freezes. “Keith you do feel her don’t you?” She pulls her hand away. “Keith?” Orla pulls back, stumbling to her feet, knocking over her chair in the process. She slowly backs her way out of the room her hands clutching at her mouth. She stands watching Keith who is now completely oblivious to her, buried into Allura, grabbing at her nieces limp form. No! Oh God no!
It is six in the morning and Keith is in the simulator. Using the Black’s computer, he has set it to recreate the events of the battle yesterday. He has been in there for hours.
Lance, Hunk, and Pidge approach watching the observation screen as Keith manages to spin and flip avoiding the oncoming attacks, flipping into a corkscrew dive and deftly makes the shot he missed yesterday. “Holy shit, how’d he do that?” Lance mutters. The simulator resets and the pattern begins again.
Pidge points to the timer on the screen. “There’s your answer, he’s been at it since two.”
“Two! This isn’t good.” Lance cautiously moves into the simulator behind Keith putting a hand on his shoulder. “Keith stop. You’ve been in here for four hours. You need to rest. Your arm won’t heal if you don’t rest.”
“No! I’ve got to get better.”
“Keith, you’re not going to get better if you can’t use your arm.”
“I’m staying. I’m not stopping until I make this hit constantly.”
“This is all about yesterday, isn’t it?”
“I failed her. I failed Arus.”
“Damn it Keith! You connected on your second attempt! Hell, no one should have been able to make that shot yesterday.”
“I should have.” Keith leads the simulator into a corkscrew dive.
“Keith, will you give it up already. You’re only human, not a machine.”
“I should have gotten that shot.” Just then Keith lets loose a blast hitting his target.
“Are you even listening to me? … Keith? Damn it Keith let it go! It’s not your fault.” Keith ignores Lance, resetting the program for the thousandth time. Lance lets out a groan and exits the simulator. “This isn’t good my friends. Let’s give him some space.”
“It’s bad enough it’s almost Christmas, now with the Princess hurt…” Hunks voice trails off.
“Lance?” Pidge looks at the floor. “Is he…going to be okay?”
“I hope so Pidge.”
Sven and Romelle’s transport arrives from Pollux. What should have been a happy welcome it instead a tearful one. The two make their way immediately to see Allura. Entering the room to find Nanny and Orla holding watch as Doctor Gorma works on Allura. He smiles wearily at them. “It is good to see you. Her body has healed enough to function on its own.” He continues to remove the last of the equipment from her body leaving just the bracelet, which sends out her life sign readings and administers her medications. “Please talk to her, let her know you’re here.”
Romelle approaches her cousin’s side. “Allura, it’s Romelle. Sven’s here too. We brought you your Christmas present, so you better wake up so you can open it.”
Sven takes Allura’s hand. “Yes Allura, you can’t miss your own party.”
The two sit with her awhile telling her of the presents they collected on Pollux for the children on Arus as Nanny sits of to the side, glowering at Sven the whole while. Sven caches glimpses of her from time to time and tries to ignore it.
Nanny begins to fidget in her seat, growing more and more agitated. Orla seeing this, places a calming hand on her shoulder to no effect. Nanny finally explodes. “You have a lot of nerve!”
Sven and Romelle turn to Nanny looking stunned.
Nanny leaps to her feet brandishing a fist. “If you hadn’t left none of this would have happened!”
“Nanny!” Romelle moves between them. “Sven didn’t have a choice!”
“Between you and that screw up commander, it’s a wonder any of us are still here!”
The doctor bursts back in, spinning Nanny around to face him. “Nanny! I cannot have this kind of attitude around the Princess. This bickering has to end!”
Nanny breaks free pushing Romelle aside and going nose to nose with Sven. “Then get these so called men away from her!”
Romelle turns fire red. “Oh no you don’t, lady!” And pushes Nanny forcefully back, again getting between Nanny and Sven. “I heard what you did to Keith and you’re not…”
Nanny turns on Romelle.” If you so much as mention his name in my or Allura’s presence…” she grabs Romelle’s jaw.
“That’s enough!” The doctor bellows. Trying to pry Nanny from Romelle but he can’t budge her. He is soon pushed aside.
Sven grabs Nanny’s wrist, using a pressure point tearing it free. He twists her into a painful arm lock, his eyes flashing cold, he speaks calmly into her ear. “Never threaten Romelle. Do you understand me?” Nanny tries to move but any way she shifts stabbing pain shoots up her arm.
The doctor glares at Nanny. “Nanny, I am going to have to ban you from seeing Allura. She needs to be surrounded with love, not fighting. Now go! Or do I have to call security and have you confined to your room.”
Nanny struggles a moment longer then quiets. Sven releases his hold but remains ready to grab her again. Nanny spins and growls at him then, straightening her apron, she storms out the room.
Keith, dressed in his usual red with a warm red jacket over the top holds his now throbbing arm close to him as he wanders aimlessly around the castle. Everyone is giving him a wide berth. Somehow he has managed to end up in front of Allura’s door. He stands there for the longest time just looking at it. He never realized it before, how he used to be able to feel her presence but now there is nothing. It’s like a radio that was playing in the background for so long was suddenly switched off and now all he hears is deafening silence. How many times has he walked past this door before at peace in knowing she was safe inside, yet also curious about what she was doing in there? What did she do to occupy her spare time? He lets go of his aching arm to run his good hand over the door. How many times did he imagine sharing this room with her? He bites his lip as his nose starts to tingle. Countless times. He finally is beginning to acknowledge his thoughts, his fantasies, safe to do so now that they are all impossible dreams, dreams of being with her. Feeling the sudden need, he reaches over and punches his code into the door panel and it swishes open in front of him. The room looms empty before him. Her private sanctuary. A room he has only ever stepped in on a few occasions and then only for security reasons. He reverently steps inside, the door closing behind him. There, dominating the room, stands a large Christmas tree, covered in tinsel and ribbons, the sent of pine almost overpowering him. He starts to feel that churning in his gut yet again. He turns away from it and walks over to her bed, not a pillow out of place, everything perfect. He has a smile at that. She really was as regimented as he in many ways. He sits down upon the bed glancing around. At the foot of it he sees in the cubby there, several books. He runs his fingers along their spines pulling one out. He recognizes it immediately. It is the book he gave her on hand-to-hand combat. He tosses it down violently, yet another reminder that it was he who taught her to fight. The tears start to come again. He stands up and moves to her closet pulling open the doors. There hanging before him is one of her trademark pink dresses. He reaches out, puling it down to him, ignoring the ache of his protesting arm, caressing the silky soft fabric in his hands. He turns around collapsing back into the close, sitting perched on its raised floor surrounding himself in her, her sent, her clothes. He clutches her gown to him, burying his face into the delicate fabric, rocking to and fro, letting his grief fully overtake him. Hearing Nanny’s words in his head over and over again. How could you do this to her! You brought her to this! Another commander would have never let a civilian, let alone a princess, fly in combat! This is because of you and your ineptitude at command. You are despicable! A screw up! It’s all true. All the choices he made brought her to this. It’s all his fault. He pulls out a bottle of wine from his coat. He has already polished off half of it. He up-ends the bottle, attempting to numb his pain even more.
It is now the dinner hour and everyone has gone to take their meal together, hoping to gain support from one another, yet hardly a word is spoken. Everyone is present at the meal except the captain and no one asks why.With everyone at dinner, Keith goes to see Allura, knowing he can now be alone. Keith approaches the hospital room and slowly pushes open the door moving inside. His eyes landing on the form lying quietly on the bed. The machines have all been removed. She looks as if she could be sleeping, but he knows the truth of it is much worse. Her body is mostly healed from its wounds. Doctor Gorma is truly a miracle man, able to mend all her wounds with the technology now at his disposal. The healing process that would have naturally taken months now only takes days. The doctor can work miracles, miracles on the body, but not for the mind. As advanced as medicine is, the human brain still remains much of a wonder.
Keith swallows hard and approaches the bed standing there for the longest time, taking in her lifeless beauty as she lays there. He cautiously reaches out a finger from his bound hand to touch her. He runs it along the back of her hand. “Princess?” He looks at her face, a face that doesn’t react. He turns and sits on the side of her bed again swallowing hard. He reaches the same finger up to trace the lines of her face. “I’m sorry I did this to you, Princess. It’s all my fault.” He drops his head down to her chest, one hand reaching into her hair, the other clutching at her shoulder. “I’m sorry my Princess…I’m so sorry I… I should have listened to them. I should have…” His shoulders start to shake as the tears well up inside him. “Why did I let you fly? Why did I teach you to fight?” His tears burst forth, his racked sobs filling the room. “I’m sorry for everything. I’ve failed you. I failed Arus. I’m not fit for command. I’m no good for you or Arus. “If only I could have been stronger, done things by the book…If only I… I…” His whole body shakes. “Why did I let myself care? …” He starts to rock. “Everyone’s gone…everyone…”
He is so lost is his grief he doesn’t notice Orla come to the door of the room behind him. He just continues to shake and sob. Eventually he sits up, his face red and soaked with tears. He clutches his fists in front of him. “Everyone’s gone… everyone I’ve ever loved is gone and now … now you. Everyone’s gone.” He leans in over her. “God, Ally why did I let myself fall in love with you?” He clutches at her face. “It’s all my fault! I’m weak! I’m stupid. I shouldn’t have allowed this. I… Oh Ally.” He leans over desperately kissing her unresponsive lips. “What have I done to you?”
Orla wants to move in to comfort him but she stops herself, hanging back at the door. He kisses her again, frantically trying to get any response, but there is nothing. He sits up tenderly wiping his tears from her face. “You deserved so much more than this…so much more than a failure like me. I failed everyone, everyone I’ve loved. I failed my sisters, I failed my parents, they’re all dead because I didn’t run and now… now I failed you, and you’re... ” He crumples on top of her grabbing at her gown. “Please Ally, don’t go…Arus needs you. You can’t go. You’re more important to Arus than anything. More important than Voltron… More important than me.” He moves up to her face, grabbing either side of it hovering over her. “Why did I let this happen to you?” He looks up glaring at the ceiling. “Why did this have to happen? Why her? This is my life, my cursed life, not hers. Not again… You did this because of me!” He crumples back down on top of her. “I’m sorry Ally. I made you die. I made you die, because of my screw up.” His sobs overtake him. His lips again find hers, but this time he kisses her with all the tenderness and love he has for her. Slowly he sits up. “I can’t stop loving you, Ally. I’ve tried. God knows I’ve tried. I’ve tried to pretend it was nothing, just a crush, just an infatuation. I’ve never felt more for anyone. I’ve loved you from the first moment I met you and denied it every moment since… It’s so quiet now… so quiet…I can’t hear you any more… I can’t feel you anymore.” He kisses her again. “I can’t deal with it. Now that you’re gone, I know I can’t be without you. ” He sits up running a hand along her face. “Goodbye Ally.” He takes her hand as he slowly gets up to his feet. Raising it to his lips, he softly kisses it, lingering there for a time. “Goodbye my love.”
Orla quickly moves from the door darting into a side room so as not to be discovered. Keith still trembling and sniffling, leaves Allura’s room.
That night after dinner Coran had gathered everyone to the rec room to discuss his concerns about Keith. Hunk, Pidge, Lance, and Romelle are all huddled together on the sofa while Coran and Sven remain standing. Coran regards the large Christmas tree gleaming brightly, dominating the room, and then moves to sit on the arm of a large chair facing the sofa. “Now with Allura injured we need everyone to be strong. Yet Keith, the one who is the most reliable, has become completely irrational. It was bad enough before she was hurt but now… I would appreciate any insight you could give me in regards to our captain and his state of mind. Is he fit to command? He hasn’t been himself at all lately and since the princess’ injury he seems to have gone over the edge. We all know of the strong bond that has grown between the two of them, but there’s something else.”
Sven moves to the window and stares out blankly.
Lance looks over at the tree. “Christmas.” He mutters.
Coran looks at him curiously. “Lance?”
“Keith hates Christmas. As long as I’ve known him he’s hated it. Even back at the academy. He didn’t have a family to go home to. He was always welcome to go with us on holiday, but he never did. He always spent Christmas alone. Never explained why.”
“I know why.” Sven’s voice is low as he still looks out the window.
“Sven?” Lance looks at him curiously.
“I never told you guys because… well it was just to dark a secret to spread around. I couldn’t do that to him.” Sven stays staring out the window. “Remember that last year at the academy when the gang went to Aspen the week before Christmas and I couldn’t get home because of bad weather? All the flights to Europe were canceled?” Lance nods, remembering the day. Sven continues. “I flew back to the academy instead. I went back to the dorm to find it deserted, Christmas Eve and everyone had else had gone home. When I reached our room the sight that I saw is still burnt in my mind. Keith, half conscious, sitting hunkered over on the sofa, drunk out of his mind, sobbing.”
“What! Keith?” Lance shakes his head to clear his ears. “Keith drunk? Keith doesn’t drink!”
Everyone sits in shock exchanging confused looks. Sven walks over and sits down with them. “Let me explain.” He takes a deep breath. “That night at the academy I found out a lot about Keith. He confided a lot in me that night. And to this day I don’t think he remembers a thing. You see… he hates Christmas because…well, when he was little his family was murdered at Christmas time.”
“No!” Romelle cries out quickly moving to Sven’s side snuggling against him. “How horrible I… I knew they were dead, but murdered?”
Sven puts his arm around her pulling her in close. “It’s worse than that. He thinks in some twisted way, that he caused their deaths, that his actions killed them.”
Romelle begins to tear up. “Sven, how do you know?”
“He told me. He sat sobbing, twisting a red bow in his hands as told me how Christmas was his mother’s favorite holiday and how she always went all out. You see, they lived on a military base. She did so much for all the kids on the base whose parents were off on missions and couldn’t be there. She would host a huge party every Christmas Eve and invite everyone. For Keith it was the happiest time of the year. Often his father would make it back and they could be together. Then one year it all ended. His father’s and Mother’s past caught up with them. They had to run in the middle of the night. Keith and his baby twin sisters were spirited away by his parents.”
“Keith had sisters?” Hunk’s eyes shimmer.
Sven nods. “When trying to escape they were overtaken in the woods. Keith said he didn’t listen to his parents and that’s why his sisters were shot.”
“What!” Romelle cries. “Keith’s sisters were shot!”
“Yes.” Sven turns to her holding her tighter. “Murdered right before his eyes and he thinks it’s because of him.”
Coran rubs his chin, eyes also tearing up. “How could a little boy be responsible?”
Sven shakes his head. “I don’t know. But that is what he believes.” Sven sighs. “It gets worse.” He drops his head. “Keith’s mother was abducted in all the confusion...In one night he lost his sisters and his mother.”
Romelle clutches at Sven. “But she was still alive wasn’t she?”
“A few days later Keith’s father left to rescue her…never to return…” Sven grows silent for a moment then quickly stands moving to the tree. He picks at some of the needles. “Keith was told a few days later, on Christmas Eve that they were dead. Ever since then, Christmas has only reminded him of his loss.”
Lance drops his eyes. “Now with Allura in a coma that’s put him over the edge. You all do realize how much she means to him. And now he blames himself for that, too.”
Hunk wipes his face. “Yeah, no wonder he’s a basket case.”
Coran looks at them confused. “I’m not sure I understand. You think he really blames himself? Nanny was way out of line accusing him like that.”
Lance shakes his head. “We all know that, but Keith, he truly feels responsible. It was his command.”
Romelle volunteers. “Just like he feels about his family?”
Coran, swallowing back his own tears, sits up straight. “I think we should relive him of duty immediately.”
“No!” They all collectively exclaim. Lance leaps to his feet. “No Coran, if you take his work away from him, what does he have left? Nothing! Please don’t do this! And with the Blue now repaired we need five pilots.”
“He has proven himself to be quite distressed. I can’t risk it.”
Lance glowers. “Come on Coran. When has he ever done anything unsuitable while in command?”
Coran drops his head. “Never.”
Coran’s com beeps. He takes a moment before lifting it to his ear and answering it. “Yes…Orla what’s wrong? You’re crying, is Allura?” Everyone stiffens up. “Oh thank God. What is it then?” Everyone in the room relaxes a bit. Coran’s face drops and then turns ashen as he turns off the com.
“What is it, Coran?” Lance’s brow furrows.
Coran takes a moment to answer. “Orla thinks Keith is…is…”
“Is what!” Hunk barks.
“She thinks Keith is…is going to… Come! To control, quickly!” Coran leaps up and rushes out of the room, the others quickly following.
They all soon enter control everyone still confused. Coran races to the computer punching in the code for Keith’s com. No answer. It is turned off. Coran slams his fist down on the console. “Damn it Keith! What are you thinking? Where are you son?” He starts searching for its tracking signal. Getting a fix he sees the location and starts to shake. “No, Keith no!”
Pidge pushes him aside seeing the signal and puts the camera view up on the main viewer. “That’s Keith’s fix. Anyone see him?”
The camera view is looking down the bridge to the Lion Monument. The darkness and snow fall blocking much of the view.
“There!” Hunk points at a shadowy figure. “Zoom in!” The camera does and to everyone’s horror they see a figure emitting Keith’s com signal poised perilously at the edge of the bridge, arms outstretched, the icy cold water looming below.
“Quickly! Get to him!” Lance barks. “Sven, get to the Blue! I’ll go to the Black. The rest of you get out there fast!” He hits the switch to raise the platform.
“Noooooo! Pidge screams. “Keith!” He cries out a blood-curdling cry. The others turn to the monitor to see too that the figure is gone.
“Switch to infra red!” Lance barks. But there is nothing there. Lance turns to Sven. “Hurry there may be time!” Sven nods and jumps to the shoot taking him to the Blue. “Hurry!” Lance screams, racing out of control as the others fall in behind him making their way to the bridge. They soon are at the spot where they last saw him.
“Maybe it wasn’t Keith… just shadows…maybe…” Hunk mutters but his eyes soon fall on the footprints left in the snow. Only one person’s boots would have made those tracks. Keith’s boots. Hunk drops to his knees placing his hands in the last divot the tracks made. He cries out into the darkness. “Keith! Noooooo!”
End of Part Four
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