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"Toddler Keith"
The Blades prided themselves as an organization of elite spies with a code of expect the unexpected. However, when it came to their newest member, it should have been expect the impossible.
The first surprise was the fact that he was part Galra despite not looking anything but human. The second surprise was his age. He was a very young kit, even though he didn't act or look like it...normally. However, at that moment, the four highest ranking Blades, who had accepted the kit into their pack, were gathered around an examination bed in the med bay where the kit was laying and looking much younger than he usually did.
Ulaz had drawn curtains around the bed to not draw any unwanted attention to the condition of their kit. Keith had just come back from a mission with Antok or rather Antok had carried him back unconscious. Ulaz had run a battery of tests and looked the kit (and Antok as well) over for injuries but found nothing. The only thing they could do was wait for him to wake up.
A soft whimper drew the Blades' attention to the fact that Keith was waking up. His purple eyes slowly opened, and he looked around. The Blades were glad he didn't freak out at their appearance, but he also didn't seem to recognize them. "Where's Pop?"
"Your father has entrusted you to us."
"Why? What about Uncle Sam and Aunt 'Leen?"
"They just had a baby and need some time to rest." Ulaz had done the calculations and had realized that Keith had been three when Pidge was born.
"Oh okay, so my Pop is fighting fires?"
"Yes, kit," Thace replied.
"My name's Keef...Kei-th." Keith took his time correcting his speech and softly trilled when he got it right. He immediately tensed before peering up at the purple beings around him. "Forgot to ask if it's okay to make those weird noises. Pop always wants me to ask the ones who watch me."
"Those sounds are more than okay, kit," Antok purred to Keith. Without thinking, he scooped him up and placed him on one of his shoulders. Keith grinned and chirped in excitement, the movement reminding Keith of riding on his Pop's shoulders.
"Are you hungry?" Thace asked.
"Uh-huh."
"Before we go get food, I have a few questions," Ulaz cut in. "How old are you?"
Keith grinned and held up three fingers. "Three!"
"Do you know where you are?"
"Your house?"
Ulaz nodded. "Do you know who we are?"
Keith ducked his head. "No." At seeing the sad looks, he added, "Sorry."
"No need for apologies, kit. You are not at fault." Kolivan stroked Keith's hair, eliciting a soft purr from the tiny kit. "I am Kolivan."
"Antok."
"Thace."
"And I am Ulaz. Now, that the questions are done, it is time for food."
Keith perked up. "Yay! Let's go, 'Tok!"
Antok's tail twitched at the nickname, but he exited the med bay all the same. Ulaz and Kolivan held back a little, still following their pack and discussing what they learned. "So, our kit doesn't remember anything past age three?"
"Apparently not, but it's also a good thing. Look how happy and inquisitive he is." Ulaz gestured to the kit riding on Antok's shoulders and asking what rooms were where, who the Blades they passed were, what the technology was and did, as well as a million other questions the larger Blade attempted to answer. Fortunately, Thace was by his side to help fill in some answers.
"If he doesn't remember the mission, then how do we know how to reverse this?"
"I do not know. He and Antok had gotten separated during the mission, so the only one who would know what happened is Keith, and he doesn't remember it." Ulaz was quiet for a moment before saying, "Or perhaps he does."
"What do you mean?"
"His memories of events, places, and beings may be buried in his subconscious, while he's awake. Perhaps when he takes a nap, some may resurface, but he'll think of them as nightmares or dreams if they are pleasant. If we get him to tell us about them, we may learn something useful." A loud giggle from their kit drew their attention. Antok had tickled him with his tail. "Or he may have to grow up like he did before."
Kolivan growled softly. "Not like he did before. He has us. He will never become touch starved or remain ignorant of his heritage."
Ulaz placed a hand on Kolivan's forearm. "Agreed, but for now, let's join our pack in making sure the kit gets proper food."
%%%
Keith looked at the large selection of food, and his stomach growled, but he didn't know what any of the food was. He frowned, which didn't go unnoticed by Thace. "What's the matter, kit?"
"I don't know what any of this," he gestured to the food in front of them, "is."
"Would you like to try everything?"
"Can I?"
"Sure. I will give you a taste of everything, and if there's something you don't like, you don't have to eat it. If you finish your plate and you want more, just tell one of us what you liked and we'll get you more."
Keith grinned brightly. "Okay. Pop always said...um, oh, 'try new things.'" He smiled even wider at remembering something 'grown-up.'
Thace ruffled Keith's hair. "Your Pop is a wise man. Go have a seat with Antok, and I'll make your plate."
Antok carried the kit to the pack's usual table and set the kit on the bench next to him, wrapping his tail around the kit's waist. Keith grinned at the large Blade. He didn't have long to wait before Thace set a plate in front of him and looked at the plate. Somehow it looked familiar, but he didn't know how. He didn't think he had been here before, but how did the plate look familiar?
Thace sat down next to Keith but noticed Keith's expression. "What's wrong, kit?"
"This looks familiar, but I don't know why."
"Don't worry about why. Try some of this." Thace scooped up some tan pudding type stuff.
Keith let Thace put it in his mouth. He wrinkled his nose but swallowed it anyway as the rest of the pack sat down around them. "Ugh. What was that?"
Ulaz chuckled at Keith's reaction. "Don't worry, Keith. None of us in the pack like that either, even though it's Thace's favorite food."
Keith smiled at the soft smiles on his pack's faces. He tucked into his food, enjoying most of what Thace put on his plate. Seeing Keith eating his food, the rest of the pack tucked into their plates. After he ate his fill, Keith rubbed his eyes, feeling tired.
Kolivan noticed the kit was falling asleep and stood up. He walked over to the kit, who reached his arms out to him. "I'm sleepy, 'Van."
Kolivan scooped up the kit, who cuddled him and snuggled against his shoulder, his hand grasping onto Kolivan's braid. "I will take the kit to my office for his nap."
Keith's eyes slid shut, and he started purring in his sleep. Kolivan softly rumbled to the sleeping kit as he carried him to his office. Kolivan settled into his chair, allowing the kit to rest on his lap. Keith slept soundly for a couple of vargas, allowing Kolivan time to go through the dreaded task of looking over reports. The task was a little more bearable due to the pleasant sound of his kit's purrs.
%%%
Ulaz had stopped by with a request for special supplies for the med bay, but Kolivan knew there was another reason for the doctor's personal visit; he wanted to check on the kit as well. It was during Ulaz's visit that Keith woke up with a questioning noise. He slowly sat up but smiled brightly at Ulaz, reaching out for him. "'Laz!"
Ulaz gently plucked his kit from Kolivan's lap and gently bumped his nose against Keith's temple in a Galran kiss (one between family members). "Did you have a good nap, kit?"
"Uh-huh, but I had a weird dream. There were these big metal cat things like ships, and they were different colors, and there these people in clothes the same color as the cats, but one girl was wearing pink." Keith wrinkled his nose. "I don't like pink. I like red...and purple."
Ulaz smiled as Keith chattered about his dream. It was as he thought. Keith's memories of his adult life were there, and they were playing out while the kit was asleep. Keith looked up at Ulaz. "I felt like I have seen these people and cats before. Are they real?"
Ulaz sat down on the comfortable chair in the corner of Kolivan's office with Keith on his lap and pulled out his data pad. "Of course, kit. I even have pictures of them." He pulled up the pictures featuring the lions and Paladins, purposefully skipping the ones where Keith's face could be seen. As he pointed to each one, Ulaz talked about him/her. "This is Shiro. He flies the Black Lion and is the leader of Voltron. Lance flies the Blue Lion usually, but sometimes he flies the Red Lion. He is what he calls a sharpshooter."
"Sharp-shoo-ter?" Keith repeated the strange word. "What is that?"
Ulaz flipped through his pictures before he found one of Lance with his transformed bayard. "He uses a blaster and is very precise with it. He never misses his target, even if he is far away from it."
"Wow! He sounds amazing!"
"This is Pidge. She flies the Green Lion and is really smart. She loves technology of any kind. This is Hunk. He flies the Yellow Lion and is really kind. He is also the cook. All of the Paladins love his food. Now, this is Allura. She is the one wearing pink but she flies the Blue Lion when Lance is flying the Red Lion. She is a princess and is Altean, where the rest of the Paladins are human."
"Who flies the Red Lion when Lance flies Blue?" Keith asked.
"I do not recall the Paladin's name, but he is an amazing pilot. He has flown through asteroid fields without hitting anything and has fought enemies bigger than himself and in battles where there were multiple enemies. He has his friends' backs, and they have his."
"He sounds cool. I wonder why I didn't see him in my dream."
"I do not know, kit." Ulaz tried to think of something to keep the inquisitive kit's mind off his dream. "Would you like to come with me? I have some files that need updating, but you can draw in my office."
"I love drawing!"
"Well, let's go, kit."
Keith peered over Ulaz's shoulder at Kolivan and waved good-bye. "Bye, 'Van! I'm gonna go draw!"
Kolivan resisted the urge to chuckle at the adorableness that was his kit. He did, however, wave back.
%%%
Ulaz was surprised at how quiet Keith was while he was drawing. The kit had been quite talkative (except when he was asleep), but he hadn't said a word since he started drawing. Ulaz didn't want to make the kit self-conscious about what he was drawing, so he kept his eyes on the files he was updating.
That wasn't to say he didn't keep an eye on the kit. He knew every movement the kit did, so when Keith approached him with a drawing in hand, Ulaz wasn't surprised. What did surprise him was the amount of talent in the drawing and the tears in his kit's eyes. "What's wrong, kit?"
"I'm Galra, right? Why don't I look like you? Why aren't I purple? Am I sick? Is that why Pop sent me here? I want to go home."
The questions and the tone he asked them in broke Ulaz's heart. He scooped up Keith and placed the drawing on his desk. "You aren't sick, little Blade. You are part Galra, so you are not purple. That isn't to say you won't develop these features when you grow up."
"So, I will look like you?"
"Possibly. However, you are still such a young kit, your features, if you get any, will take awhile to show up."
"I hope I get a tail like 'Tok's and ears like Thace!"
"I hope so too. Now, do you want to tell me about your drawing?"
Keith nodded and wiped a hand across his eyes to rid himself of the tears that had been close to falling. "It's 'Van, 'Tok, Thace, you, and me."
Ulaz nodded, able to see who was who even without Keith's explanation. The kit was quite a good artist, even at the age of three. If Ulaz hadn't known who had drawn it, he would have guessed that it was a kit three times his current age at least.
Suddenly, the doors to the med bay slammed open. Ulaz was only able to catch snatches of the conversation. "Blades...explosion...lucky...help...doctor..."
Ulaz immediately called Thace. "I need you to come get Keith. He's in my office, but there's an emergency in the med bay. Please hurry."
"On my way."
Ulaz looked at Keith. "Now, kit. I need you to stay here and wait for Thace to get you. Can you do that?"
Keith nodded and was set back onto his feet near his paper and crayons. He sat down and started to put everything away as he waited for Thace. He was bored with waiting and started looking around Ulaz's office for something to look at. He noticed the vent near the floor and remembered something his Pop told him. Vents traveled through the walls and connected to every other room. He put his stuff on Ulaz's desk and opened the grate. He crawled in but paused for a moment, trying to figure out where he was going to try to go. He remembered that Kolivan was still in his office. He wanted to go see Kolivan again. He began crawling through the vents, hoping he was going the right way.
%%%
Thace hurried into the med bay and skirted into Ulaz's office. He knew Keith had been there because Ulaz had asked him to come get him, but he didn't see him. He looked under Ulaz's desk and on top of the filing cabinet before he noticed the grate open.
Ulaz walked into his office, concerned when he hadn't seen Thace and Keith leaving. "Thace, where's Keith?"
"I don't know. He wasn't here when I got here."
"He didn't leave the med bay."
"When I was looking for him, I noticed this grate was open."
Ulaz looked at the grate in horror. "Are you suggesting our kit went in there? Kits normally don't go near vents. Why did our kit? Why?"
%%%
Keith was lost, but he wasn't scared. He knew he was still in the same building. He just didn't know what rooms he was near. He crawled a little further, and as he passed by a grate, he heard voices he recognized. He chirped. "'Laz! Thace!"
"Kit, are you in there?"
"Yeah. I wanted to get to 'Van, and I remembered that Pop told me that vents go through the walls and connect to every room."
Thace and Ulaz realized that they couldn't get their kit unless he was near one of the vents. However, he had given them an idea. He wanted to get to Kolivan. Thace asked, "Kit, would you come out if we get Kolivan to come here?"
"'Van's going to come for me?"
"If you want him to," Ulaz replied.
"Yeah."
"I will go get him and bring him here."
Once UIaz told him about their situation, Kolivan hurried to the vent near the communications room. "Kit, are you still there?"
"'Van?"
"It's me, kit. Can you come out?"
The Blades heard scurrying as their kit was turning around in order to slip back out of the vent. He slid out of the vent and landed in Kolivan's arms. Keith's arms went around Kolivan's neck, and the kit purred and yawned at the same time.
"Looks like you could use another nap, kit. I'll take you to the nest."
"Nest?"
"It's where we sleep."
"Are you going to nap too, 'Van?"
Thace grinned. "Yeah, 'Van, are you going to nap too?"
Kolivan looked at Thace. "Don't call me that. Only our kit gets to." He gently nuzzled Keith. "I may not nap, kit, but I will rest with you. I will stay with you for how ever long you nap."
Kolivan carried Keith to their nest room and laid down with the little kit still on his chest. The leader started grooming his kit, only pausing to say, "Sleep, little Blade. Never forget that we are here for you no matter what."
Fin