Chapter Text
“I’m leaving for the Blade of Marmora.”
“What?!?” they shouted. Allura, Lance, Pidge, Coran, and Hunk waited for Keith's response as they stood in the castle’s apron, Keith ready to leave. They already lost Shiro. Now this?
A twinge of betrayal crept up through Lance. He tried to not look too emotional. He’s leaving? Just like that? Now whose t-shirts is he gonna sniff at night?
He had to say something, “Don't blow-Go! Don't go!”
“Shut the fuck up, Lance,” he replied.
Lance smiled to himself. Oh yeah. He wants me.
“This is my destiny,” Keith continued. “I saw it in my dream last night.”
“Your…dream?” Pidge asked.
“Yeah, I was back in my shack on earth. I drank the unfiltered tap water from the sink, and it made me super dizzy and nauseous, then I had to throw up. I leaned over the toilet bowl and there was a voice. ‘ Keeeeeeith ,’ it went. ‘ How many times will you jerk off alone in a hut before you realize you’re a total weirdo….. ” I looked down. It was Kolivan. The image of his face appeared in the toilet water. But as soon as I tried to reply, his face spiraled down the toilet drain. I think it was a sign.”
Pidge hesitated. “Riiiiiiiight…..”
“Okay, well,” Keith turned around and started walking toward his pod. “Don’t try and stop me.”
The team watched the once-captain face away from them.
….
“I said Don't try and stop me !”
….
“ I mean it , guys-”
“Wait!” Lance spoke up. “But we had a bonding moment!”
Keith stopped; face flushed. Oh no.
“You cradled me in your arms!”
“Why don’t you cradle my nuts!” Keith slammed the door to his pod and zoomed off.
…
…
“Well,” Pidge broke the silence. “I’m gonna go… look at numbers or something.”
“Yeah” - “Okay,” the rest of the crew followed, back to their own activities.
But Lance stayed. Standing there. Looking longingly at the spot where Keith once was. Oh yeah , he said to himself. He wants me.
-
The castle was quiet. Well, now that it’s missing Keith screaming that is. Allura was alone, scrolling through the news projected through the castle hologram. Cold-Blooded Dictator Decimates Village, she read. She clicked on the headline. The article opened with a picture of Lotor.
"New power to the throne, Prince Lotor, recently conquered a new planet to add to his reign. Confirming the rumors to target it, Prince Lotor set Planet Orphans on fire, the planet home to the galaxy’s saddest orphans . "
Allura stared at the picture below the headline. ...“Lotor”... He gave a very different impression from Zarkon. He looked…younger.
"In order to speedline the fires, the prince ordered the babies to be thrown out the window..."
Okay, but he’s kind of hot…all evil like that..., Allura thought. Her face rested in her palm as she smirked at the hologram.
"…into a giant wood chipper…"
His hair kind of makes him look like a wizard. But like. A sexy wizard. A sexy grandpa wizard with muscles.
And a magic wand.
"…that funnels them into a meat grinder, where the babies will be put in the soylent."
Lotor, you could grind me into soyl-
“Allura!”
“Coran!” Allura spammed the previous icon until the error sound repeatedly rang through the room. “I was just, uh…Look at this fascist!” Allura gestured toward the picture of Lotor.
“Oh yeah, total fascist.”
“Yeah. So bad, am I right?”
His eyes narrowed. Yeah… Coran thought. So baaaaddd…
“Okay! I’m gonna hit the hay! Haha! ‘Night, Coran!”
“Yep! Wow! Me too! Okay! ‘Night Allura! Bye!”
“Bye!”
“Okay!”
“Yeah!- Oh wait! I actually came in to confirm if everything’s ready for us to arrive in Peclot tomorr-?”
Allura cut him off as she hurriedly closed the door.
-
Keith sped through the galaxy toward the Blade’s headquarters, heavy metal blaring. “Dun dun dun! Dun dun dun! Nah nah neh! Wha wha wha!” Keith banged his head as the lyrics described exactly what he was feeling. The music was right. They DON'T understand me! The Blade of Mamora moved into view. Keith headed towards it while playing the sickest breakdown.
He lowered the pod onto the base. This was it. Day one.
Kolivan approached the pod along with two other members. Keith opened the door as they came to greet him.
“Keith! You got my message!”
“I did,” he replied gruffly. “I didn’t know you could appear in dreams like that.”
“What? You got my text, right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“Yes! Glad you could make it!” Kolivan led him toward the building. “Keith, this is Antok and Regris.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Allow me to show you our base.” Kolivan took them inside. “This is where we initiate new members.” He gestured toward the first, front-most room as they walked. Muffled screams echoed from behind the door. “Haha…You’ll see what that is later…
But we already have an idea that you’re one of us seeing as you’re familiar with… the blade .”
He was referring to the blade Keith had carried with him as long as he could remember. He didn’t know much about it yet, but he knew this was no ordinary knife. It had a unique connection to him. Through this connection with the wielder, a blade of Mamora can transform into other weapons with just a touch.
He led them into a communal eating area, where the atmosphere was lighter. “And this is where we keep our food. We eat our meals here.”
In this room, Keith saw more Blade of Mamora than he's ever seen before. It was also the first time he's seen any out of uniform. His eyes moved over a group that wasn't dressed formally, or for training, but wore looser, more relaxed clothing. Like space hippies.
“Would you like to eat, Keith?” They approached the front where the other members were waiting to get food, bringing them closer to the group Keith was noticing.
“We also have spiritual activities here.” Kolivan nodded at one of the men in the party. He was older and much shorter than Keith. “Here, we believe inner strength is just as important as physical strength. Mootut, this is our newest comrade, Keith.”
“Hi, Keith!” Mootut said in a friendly tone. “Glad to see a new beginner! We just started a painting with prisoners program if you ever care to join us, or just want some work that’s low stress.”
Keith could feel his irritation start to rise. New?....Beginner??.....LOW STRESS?!
Keith whipped around at him with fire in his eyes. Paint with the prisoners, huh? How would you like your BRAINS PAINTED all over the wall! “I’m gonna crush your head like a watermelon and eat the seeds that pop out!” he screamed. He reached behind him for his knife, which magically transformed into an anvil.
“WOAH, woah, Keith! Buddy! Regris grabbed him by the shoulders. “How about we go take a breather somewhere else, okay? He gently steered him away from Mootuk. “That sound good? Huh, Keith?”
The monk shook, crouched to the floor. His hands covering his head. “What-…,” he stammered, eyes wide. “...what the fuck is a watermelon?!”
-
Lance sat in the shower. Letting the water run, but not cleaning himself, just sitting there pensive. His pointer finger slid over the shower wall. Making a picture of Keith’s face with the hairs that clung to it. It’s just me and my training now. It's so boring here without Keith… Wait. It’s normal to think about your bros naked in the shower, right? I wish Keith was here, so he could tell me if thinking about him in the shower was normal or not… Ha, he’d be like, “Shut up, Lance!” And I’d be all ‘he’s so hot when he’s screaming’ and then I’d steal his shirt from the training room. After I swim. Where I’m in the water and pretend I’m like Keith’s sexy mermaid. THEN, he’d be all, “Blub, blub, blub,” That’s mermaid for ‘shut up’. Wait, what was I talking about? Lance sighed and turned the water off. He reminisced on their encounter that morning before Keith announced his departure, where he passed Keith’s room in the hallway. It was morning. Lance noticed the door slightly ajar and took a glance inside. Keith was wearing a white undershirt. Lance couldn’t help but stare through sleepy eyes. “Where the fuck are all my shirts?” he went. He’s so hot when he’s confused, Lance thought.
-
Keith hugged his knees on the floor. A lullaby played as a baby mobile spun next to him. The walls were padded and colorful. The Blade thought having Keith in the nursery would be calming for him. Keith sang under his breath along to the tune that played from the mobile “No one loves me…I’m fat…No one understands me…”
The door to the nursery opened. “Keith?”
Keith recognized him as one of the members that greeted him earlier with Kolivan, Antok.
“Keith,” there was suspense in his voice. “Are you prepared for the Trials of Mamora?”
Antok led Keith solemnly through the halls. The air was eerie and cold. Their footsteps echoed as they walked.
Keith could faintly hear chanting, which slowly grew as they got closer. It was rhythmic and monotone.
Finally, they arrived at the door. It was the first door Keith saw when they walked in. Purple light glowed from around the edges. Antok opened it slowly, saying nothing. Keith walked alone into a dark empty room. Behind the wall, a panel of members watched Keith from above. Keith couldn’t see them, but he could hear them.
“Ta blade sataim nos,” they chanted in unison.
“Alscon ta blade.
Ta blade dika non con nos.
Alsnama secmop asa alsnama ratpun ta blade.
Ta blade teg noor lo yee lexneg.”
They repeated it in English for Keith now that he had arrived. “The blade guides us.
We need the blade.
The blade does not need us.
We are nothing if we are without the blade.
The blade owns our eyes and hearts.”
Wow. Keith took a deep inhale and released it. Home .
The ground gave way to a small opening in front of him, where a single droid rose from it. Keith assumed his fighting stance, ready. Let the trials begin.