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Chapter Text

Air slipped from Keith's lungs and he coughed. He heard Red Lion in his head, probing his waning consciousness with a purr. Wake up, Paladin. Keith's eyes opened and he regretted the action immediately. The light in the cockpit aroused fresh pain in the side of his head, and he pinched his eyes shut.

The words bubbled from his mouth, slurred at first, "Ssshiro...?"

He lay still, listening to the ringing in his ears. Slowly he blinked his eyes open. Arms sprawled at his sides, one leg looped against the side of his accelerator chair. The ringing wasn't coming from his head. It was from the comm link in his helmet.

"Shiro?" Keith asked again, finding his voice, and blinked up at the ceiling of Red Lion's cockpit. He remembered being thrown from the wormhole, but after that...

"Lance?" The white noise was weaker in his left ear, a distant ring that sounded like it was moving in circles. Keith bumped the side of his helmet with his palm. 

"Augh!" A hot flash of pain split through his skull and he rolled his eyes back to recover. The ringing persisted.

Red Lion lay on it's side, half buried in dense white sand. Wherever the wormhole had let them out, seemed relatively safe. At least for the moment. Keith didn't know how long he had been laying unconscious on the floor of the cockpit. Having been thrown from his accelerator chair upon landing. His head throbbed, and he blinked through the white lights that danced across the surface of his vision. He tried his comm link again and crawled to sit with his back against the wall. Resting against the slop instead of fighting it. His head spun and he searched the cockpit for damage. The lights were out, but it wasn't dark. An orange glow filtered in through the eyes of Red Lion.

"Allura? Pidge?" Keith brought up a visual of the comm link's signal on his helmet visor. It was weak, but it was there. Did that mean someone else was around?

"Hunk? Coran? ...Guys?" Keith let out a moan, "Alright, fine." 

Keith eased himself up from his spot on the floor, using the control console as support, and activated the airlock of his helmet. He felt like he was running a fever, but under the burning in his muscles he felt strength. He rocked on his feet. Unfortunately, this fever wasn't helping the ache in his temple. His mind drifted in lazy loops, and at the peak of every crescendo there was a pulsing ache. Keith sighed, standing in front of the exit hatch at Red Lion's mouth. Getting out of Red Lion manually proved more difficult than he had anticipated. The light of the access panel was out, and didn't register his hand when he touch it. He grabbed the vertical bar lock of the door and twisted it into a horizontal position. Then rammed his shoulder into the exit hatch multiple times before it gave.

"Red?" He murmured, patting the inner jaw of the giant metal cat. "Still with me?"

Keith rubbed his shoulder. After a pause to let his eyes adjust, he stepped out over Red Lions jaws. The mechanical beast remained silent in his mind. Carefully Keith dropped from Red Lion's mouth, and found himself waist deep in sand. He had to roll onto his side to free himself. A strong gust of wind causing him to stagger. He was glad to find the sand held his weight once he was at the surface.

"Hello?" He spoke into the comm, slipping and crawling on all fours up the white sand dune. "Shiro? Someone, please, answer me!" The comm crackled in reply. No response.

Keith's visor lit up when it registered that the air was breathable. Flashing a positive read-out in the form of a green cloud icon above his left eye. That was a good thing, right? Hopefully whatever else lived on this planet was as hospitable as the atmosphere claimed to be. Aside from the howl of the wind, it was quiet. Keith appreciated silence, but not this kind. This silence wasn't like the calm he found back at his cabin. It wasn't like his evenings alone, wind at his back, pressed up against the wall beside his bed. He found peace there. He held tight to that silence. This silence threatened to swallow you. A wind that spun you around, lost and empty in an endless, empty echo. I need to find the others, he thought, and his gut twisted. A scowl settled across his face as a cold dread slipped down the back of his neck. Coran had said the integrity of the worm hole had been compromised. Meaning it could have spat them out anywhere.

Did that mean they had all landed in the same place?

How far was he from everyone else?

What if they weren't even on the same planet?

Keith gulped air in his panic, and didn't catch himself when another gust of wind knocked him over. He opened the visor of his helmet, and was greeted with a mouth full of sand. At least the air tasted clean.

"Guys! Hellooooo?" Keith called, and spat sediment from his mouth. The sand was quick to build up, threatening to suck him under. He dug in with his hands to claw his way out.

Keith stared over the white dunes. The peaks moved in flurries with the wind. Picking up and settling someplace new in the ever changing landscape. His gaze moved to the horizon and he focused on the massive clouds that rolled and twisted before his eyes. The sky was a gradient of yellow and pink. As if in perpetual sunset. Everything tinted in a soft orange glow.

Keith creased his brow and turned back to Red Lion. "Okay, buddy, time to get up." Already the sand had the great red cat half covered.

Back inside the cockpit Keith worked to wake Red Lion. With effort he managed to rouse the great beast, if only for a short time. He watched the holo-screens warp, flashing alerts and status reports. They weren't going anywhere fast. 

Keith held his hand over the console panel, "That's it, Red. Come on. How you doing, bud?" 

The comm link in his helmet made a sizzling noise, and he jumped against a sudden ear splitting wail. It only lasted a second before the audio adjusted to something audible. Someone was trying to contact him. "Hello?" Keith asked.

"kkkkkkkkkk–Kei–kkkkkkk–Keith!"

"Lance? Man, am I happy to hear you!"

Keith heard laughter, muffled over the sound of static. Then Lance spoke up again, "Dude, did you hit your head?"

"Uh, yeah, actually. I'm okay, but Red Lion took a hit during landing. We're getting swallowed in all this sand."

"Sand? Where are you? You okay?"

"I'm–Yeah. Sand. Where are you?"

"I dunno, but there's all these flat rocks, stacked up real high. Have you heard from Shiro? Or Allura? I can't get ahold of anyone else yet."

"Me either..."

The two of them paused. The white noise unnerved Keith, and he spoke up, “Lance?”

“Yeah, I'm here. Do you think–“

“I don't know. Lance, is Blue Lion working?”

“Blue is...weeeell, let's just say he's taking a cat nap. There was some kind of energy surge after we got spat out of the wormhole. I think it drained him. Or something.”

“Yeah, Red isn’t getting up either. I guess that means–“

“What? You got a crazy idea?"

“Uh...Walk?" Keith asked, a shrug accompanying the word.

"Dude, we don't even know how far apart we are. Let alone what planet we're on."

"You got a better idea?” Keith muttered, and they both groaned in unison. “Okay, okay, hold on,” Keith went to the main control panel of Red Lion. “I managed to wake Red, so let me try and track your helmet's signal.” He tapped the holo-screen and hummed thoughtfully as he worked. Power flickered again, and he thought he heard Red Lion groan.

“...Anything?” Lance asked.

“Hold on! I'm working on it...” Keith gritted his teeth, swiping his fingers over the screen and cringing when the flashing lights threatened his headache.

“Keith, you okay? What was that?”

“Huh?” Keith hadn't realized he had made a sound. “I'm okay. My head hurts.”

The holo screen projected a map, and Keith dragged his finger from his red marker location, to Lance's blue marker. The map was unexplored so whatever lay between him and Lance registered as unknown. The multitude of x's on the map weren't comforting.

“Keith–“

“Okay, I got it! You're 10 miles away. I'll take the shuttle as far as I can go, hopefully it has enough power to take me most of the way.”

“You sure you're alright to be moving around? Maybe I can...or–”

“Without Blue Lion awake you can't track my signal, just stay where you are. I can do it. I'm not going to just sit around here.”

“Okay, stay on the comm, alright?”

“So you don't get lonely?” Keith grinned, coping the map to the screen of his helmet visor.

“Dude, it's eerie out here!”

Keith huffed a laugh, “Okay, hold on, I'm getting ready.”

He stepped to the floor hatch of the shuttle deck, and dropped to one knee. With a grunt he heaved it open, and found the shuttle in its place. Getting it out would be another thing entirely. Keith climbed down the ladder into the hold, and braced his hands along the wall as he walked to the exit at the far end.

“Red? Can you open up?” Keith lifted his head and waited for reply, but the door remained shut.

The interior power flickered again. “Red?” Keith frowned. The lights went out and his helmet light clicked on.

He patted the metal wall, “Well, you got me Lance's coordinates, thanks, bud. I'll figure this out.”

Keith tried to manually open the door, but unlike the other mouth hatch, this one was bigger, and blocked by sand.

“Hey, Lance, I got a problem here. Looks like I'm walking. Red Lion lost power, I can't get the door open for the shuttle.”

Static greeted Keith before Lance picked up the signal and responded with a, “What?”

“Did you hear me?” Keith twisted his lips in agitation, and glared at the metal door switch. His eyes darting in thought.

“Yeah, I heard you. Listen, maybe we should just wait in our Lions? Maybe I can get Blue awake and come get you? Or Red will wake up and–”

“Nope, I'm walking,” Keith stepped back to the hatch and pulled himself up to the main floor.

His vision shook, and for a moment everything went black. He lay on elbows and knees, breathing past the pain. Lance was still talking but Keith missed most of it. He noted the other Paladins concern. With a grunt he found his footing. A little unsteady, but feeling strong in his resolve. He tried the mouth hatch again. This one opened, thanks to Red Lion having perched its head above the sand. Keith half crawled out, and hopped down from the lower jaw. Carefully he dug his way up the top of the dune and stood to look out. Taping the side of his visor he double checked the coordinates. Red lines projected over the sand and he stepped to follow them.

“I'm out. On my way,” Keith said and heard Lance clear his throat over the comm. The sound pitched in frequency and the audio feed gave a pop.

“Hey, Keith?”

“Yeah?”

“So, if Shiro and Allura aren't around, and it's just the two of us...Who gets to be the stand-in leader?”

Keith chuckled, able to clearly picture the smug look on Lances face. “Are you kidding me?” Keith replied, and teased Lance with an added scoff.

“Thanks, Keith, you always know just what to say to make a guy feel appreciated.”

“Oh come on, Lance, if either of us is going to be stand-in leader, it should be me.”

“And why's that?” Lance's voice pitched and Keith winced against the screech of audio.

“Because...I'm–I have good instincts.”

Lance was laughing, a mocking tone that made Keith grin wide. “You're full of sh–“ Lance began but his comm link cut out.

Keith stopped walking, “Lance? Lance!” The wind picked up, and he pushed into it. Keep walking. Come on! I'm coming, Lance.

Chapter Text

Keith bent through his back and held his knees. “I–“ he huffed, “Hate…” He exhaled loudly, “Saaaand!”

He straightened up to lift his face to the sky. Sweat ran down his cheek and he squinted an eye against the glare of the sun before his helmet visor tinted. He checked the coordinates, then the time. An hour had passed since he left Red Lion.

The sun hadn’t seemed to move. The days must be longer here, Keith thought. I’m not moving fast enough.

As he walked his mind wandered away from him.

Is everyone else alright? Lance sounded okay on the comm, but he could be hurt. Is Shiro with everyone else? I hope Pidge and Hunk didn’t end up alone. What about Allura and Coran? At least they were together in The Castle…

Keith pictured Red Lion buried in sand.

His gasps for air fell into rhythm with his steps. “Lance, answer your comm! I'm starting to miss your stupid voice.” Ugh, have the dunes grown taller? His breath was hot, and his mouth was dry. He didn’t have any water. Red Lion had laser beams but no emergency rations? Keith pouted. There was a lot he still didn’t know about Red Lion…Maybe it did have emergency rations? He hadn’t tried to look.

Groan.

Thankfully his head didn’t hurt like it had before. Though he still didn’t feel right. Unsure where his fever ended and the desert heat began. Was he sick? It felt like pins and needles under his skin. Like his blood was vibrating, thought not especially painful. It burned more than anything. The sensation was familiar; he had felt it earlier when…

He saw the Druid clearly in his mind.

White mask, long and pointed. It reminded him of a beak. The Druid moved like smoke. As if there was only a shadow under the cloak it wore. Keith saw the purple flashes behind his eyes, and felt the blasts of energy that shocked his nerves. He flinched in reflex, and breathed deeply. Remembering how it had punched the air from his lungs. Then his hand had been burned–

Keith looked down at his gloved palm. He had watched it heal. In the moment he had been awed, but he hadn’t given it much thought. There was too much else going on. He assumed whatever he had been doused in had done it, and he had felt fine after the fact. His hand was healed, meaning one less thing to worry about. Moving on.

Unless…

Unless that quintessence stuff is what’s causing this? I got a bunch on me. It healed me then, but…What if I’m having a negative reaction? Great, I’m allergic to yellow space goo. Figures.

The ground shifted under his foot and he gritted his teeth against a yelp of surprise, “Agh!”

Something was under the sand, and he drew his bayard. A red flash, and the blade was at his side. He levelled the sword to the skittering mound that moved under the white sand, and held his position. Two eyes appeared above the surface, and blinked a set of third eyelids at him. Keith narrowed his gaze and stared the creature down.

“You is a funny lookin’ thing,” said the eyes. Followed by a throaty chuckle. "Don't give me mind. I'm not here to stir up trouble."

Keith’s face pinched. “Uh, do you live here?” He tilted his sword down and held it at rest. Not ready to disarm just yet.

“Ay, I am. Ay, I do. I'm just passin’ through. Don’t see many folks like you around ‘ere. Wanted a closer look. What brings you ‘round?” The alien rose from the sand and shook itself clean. It wasn’t very big, and not outwardly threatening. Though its long face and toothy grin spoke otherwise. It reminded Keith of a cross between and alligator and a mole.

“I crashed. I’m looking for my friends.” Keith watched the creature adjust its shirt with a flat, clawed hand.

“Your friends, eh? Ah, I see, I see. I saw three a’you come fallin’ down. One a’you crashed over there.” The alien gestured with its arm in the direction Keith was headed.

Lance.

“Two a’you over there.” It pointed in the direction Red Lion had landed.

“Two?” Keith asked, eager for information. “Have you seen them? Are they okay?”

“Oh, no, no, only seen you. Just saw them shapes fallin’, then–” The alien lifted both flippers, “Crash!”

Keith looked back in the direction of Red Lion. Who? “Was the ship big?” He used his arms to show size, "Like this? Or was it more like...” Keith brought his hands together. “Smaller? Did it look like a cat?”

“What’s a c-a-t? No, no, not big like that.”

Keith bit his lower lip. Whoever crashed is alone… “Right…”

“Listen here, don’t be goin’ this way, you hear? Biiig Spooks in the sand that way. They not friendly like myself.” The alien looked in Lance's direction. 

“What? What are Spooks?” Keith crinkled his nose. “I have to go that way.”

The alien wiggled its flipper and claws at Keith. “You know…Spooks!”

“I don't know what you're talking about, but I appreciate the warning," Keith said and stepped past the alien. “Thanks for the heads up.”

The creature jumped and dug into the sand, slipping around to cut Keith off. “You not listenin’! Don’t be going that way!”

“I heard you, but I’m still going. I need Lance.” Keith stepped off the top of the sand dune, his bayard retracting, and slid down the opposite side.

"Tsk! Luck be with you then!" The alien called. Once Keith was down the dune it muttered a quiet, “Idiot.”

Keith looked back to see if the alien was following. The encounter unsettled him, though he couldn't quite figure out why. He pressed on, taking extra care in where he stepped.

“I still don’t know what Spooks are. What should I be looking for? There’s nothing out here,” Keith grunted.

Tall pillars broke the flattened line of the horizon. “Are those what Lance was talking about?” He muttered. His foot caught on something under the sand’s surface, and he stumbled. A quick glance back didn’t reveal anything.

His comm link crackled to life. “kkkkkkk-Keith!”

“Lance! Finally!” Keith stopped to listen. His palm pressed up against the side of his helmet. An unnecessary gesture but it provided a level of comfort. As if holding his hand there would hold the signal in place.

“How are you? Where are you?” Lance asked, his voice finally coming in clear over the comm link.

“Still in the desert, but I think I see those rocks you were talking about. How’s Blue Lion?”

“Blue is still out. You didn’t answer me. Are you okay?”

“I'm alright. Just tired.”

“Just, you know…wondering. You didn’t sound too good back there. Actually I–” Lance made a sound, as if holding back a laugh.

“What?”

“Well, you see, funny thing...I couldn’t get through to you, but I could still hear you.” Lance snickered, “Did you really mean it when you said you missed my voice?”

“Y-you–“ Keith felt his cheeks flush, it made him dizzy. “You eavesdropped!”

“Dude, I was monitoring your frequency. Oh fearless leader. Just making sure you were okay. Chill out.”

“I–“ Keith couldn’t get the words out before Lance added in.

“You need me. Eh? Eeeeh? I heard that bit too.” Lance was enjoying this.

“Lance, if you don’t knock it off...! I will throttle you.”

“Dude, I’m just messing with you. It’s fiiiiine.”

Keith covered his face with his hand and sighed into his palm. Glad no one was around to see his blush.

Lance cough to clear his throat, “Are you okay though? Seriously.”

“Ugh," Keith collected himself, "Honestly I don't feel great. I need water, and out of this desert. How–How are you?”

“I’m fine. Little banged up in the crash but no problem.”

“Good. I’m glad," Keith blinked to the side, "That you're okay." He bit his lower lip before exhaling a sigh, “Hey, Lance?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too, dude.”

They both paused. It stretched out longer then either would have liked and Lance filled the silence by clicking his tongue, and blowing air past his lips. “RIGHT, well, uh…!”

“Bonding moment,” Keith said with a smirk.

They both joined in awkward laughter. It was then Keith felt something under the sand.

“Oh, what now? Another one of–“ Keith stepped back. The sand shifted, and pushed up. Eight long, segmented appendages, rose from the dune. The body followed, and shook itself free. A long tail-like spike swayed at its back. Keith let out a strangled gasp.

“Keith! What is it?” Lance yelled and Keith winced against the volume of his question.

“S-s-spider. BIG. Sand spider!” Keith reeled, almost falling over his heels. His bayard was in hand before he even thought about drawing the sword.

“Keith…” Lance uttered, his voice pinched.

“Huh?” Keith asked, eyed fixed on the spider as it lifted itself up to stand over him. It clicked its mandibles and shifted all eyes onto him.

“RUN."

Chapter Text

Keith jumped, and used the thruster of his jet pack to gain distance. The sand spider crouched and lunged for him, front legs spayed. Keith kicked off to keep moving but one of the front legs snagged his ankle and dragged him down. He felt the spines of the spider leg grip through his boot, and he cried out in shock. Dragged through the sand, chest down, Keith dug his free hand in to slow himself.

Lance was still on the comm link, “Keith! What's going on?"

"Kinda busy!" Keith twisted around to swing his bayard sword.

It cut through the spider leg and knocked the creature off balance. The sound of boiling rage followed, and a black bubbling goo drooled from its mouth. The spider stumbled and fell face first into the sand. It took a few tries before it regained its footing, and came at Keith again.

With a yelp he rolled away from the legs that came down over him. Careful footing brought Keith back onto his feet and he somersaulted towards his next mark. His sword cleaved through another leg. The cut wasn't as high as he would have liked, and the spider held its balance. Keith lifted his face to stare at the underside of the creature. Weak spot! 

Sweat dripped from his chin and he sucked in a sharp breath as he readied a killing blow. The spider recoiled back onto its hind legs and held the pose. It hissed down at the Red Paladin and Keith gawked. Unsure if he should defend against the oncoming attack, or dodge and run. The spider had him pinned. They both waited for the other to move.

Keith brought up his shield, and the spider came down on him, mandibles first. He cried out as the shield strained. Lance called for him, but he couldn't respond. The spider pushed Keith into the sand. Crushing, and biting. Keith's arm collapsed under the weight, and remained pinned against his chest. He struggled to moved his bayard, and managed an upward swing that pinched something in his shoulder. It caught the spider over the side of its face, and drained blue blood from its eyes. The creature shrieked and recoiled. The sound ripped opened a fresh headache, and Keith cringed. He saw his chance to gain some distance between himself and the sand spider, and scrambled to his feet. A hard kicked off the top of the sand dune and he was air born. The jet pack struggled against the wind—stronger the higher he went—and he was force to land. His feet met the sand at a run.

"Keith!"

"WHAT?"

"What's going on?"

"BIG SPIDER."

"On a scale of 1 to Godzilla, how big?"

"Lance, not the time!" Keith panted, and looked over his shoulder to see how close it was following. He couldn't see it. Turning his focus back ahead, he headed for the stone pillars.

Keith used his jet pack as much as he could, keeping off the ground by jumping from peak to peak of the dunes. He had to land when the wind threatened to knock him down. His feet hit sand, and the spider reached out from under him. It bit into his leg and he screamed.

He saw red.

Red Lion.

He saw Red Lion in his mind. It called out for help. It called to him. Keith pinched his eyes shut, and spoke through gritted teeth, "Lance! Help!"

"Keith! Oh shit, oh shit! Buh–" Lance cut off.

Keith cut down with his sword, and kicked the spider in the eyes with his free leg. He sliced through one of the mandibles and freed his trapped leg. The severed mandible dropped into the sand, and wriggled.

Keith landed on his back and grabbed his knee to cradle the wounded leg, "Auunnnngh!"

Tears pricked his eyes, and he wanted to look at how bad it had got him, but there was no time. Gotta move! 

The spider wailed and thrashed, backing away to rub its bloody face in the sand. Keith carefully stood, hopping on his good leg. The pillars were close, and he could see where the desert sand ended and rock began. I need to get off the sand! Jet pack don't fail me now!

The spider twisted around to watch Keith. It buried into the dune.

A few jumps with his jet pack and he was almost there. His foot met stone and he collapsed over his good leg and rolled. He lay there, gasping, and pushed up onto his elbows. Don't stop now!

"Lance...?" he asked weakly, a shudder in his voice. His leg hurt and he curled his hands into fists to wait out a hot flash of pain. 

"I'M ON MY WAY, KEITH!" Lance yelled into the comm. 

"Hurry!" Keith wanted to ask more but he heard movement at his back.

He looked over his shoulder and saw it.

The sand spider crawled out from the white dune and stepped onto the rock. Its injured legs slowed it greatly. Keith crawled up, and limped towards the closest pillar. His own leg slowing him. Would his one good leg be enough? Or would the spider's six other appendages catch up to him?

He fell.

Clearly one leg wasn't going to be enough. Keith readied his bayard as the spider crawled closer. On his back with the sword forward. His arm shook.

"Lance! I need you!" Keith called into his comm. The spider hesitated.

Keith blinked in anticipation as the spider weaved back and forth in front of him. Something was holding it at bay. Keith heard clicking and tilted his head back. It looked like a snake, but it had a beak. Keith froze, his breath hitching. The snake was white, and hesitated at the opening of a hole in the pillar. Its beak was the source of the clicks, and as Keith watched he saw its eyes turn to him. Its pupils becoming slits in the light. Slowly it crawled from the hole and curled into a thick loop behind Keith. Assessing the situation. Picking between Keith or the spider.

The spider lowered itself into the sand, submitting to the might of the greater predator. Keith held his breath. The snake pushed forward, and whipped across the rock to grab the spider in its jaws. Keith was up and running in the same moment. He put his full weight on his injured leg and gritted his teeth. Run!

The snake was busy. He needed to hide.

He found shadow behind one of the pillars nestled further into the maze of stone, and leaned against it. His breath rattling from his lungs.

"I'm in Blue Lion, we're almost there!" Lance said, his voice heavy and even. Serious. Keith didn't have time to feel surprised.

"Good. Just hurry!" Keith replied in ernest.

He gripped the stones at his back to stay standing. No sign of the snake-thing, yet. Must still be eating. Keith groaned and allowed himself a look at his wounded leg. It was still bleeding and the sight of the hole in his calf made his head spin. He almost lost his balance, and sucked in air through his teeth. You're okay. You're okay.

He wanted to sit, but knew that would be a poor decision. Maybe Lance had been right. If he had stayed in Red Lion, would any of this had happened? Buried in sand seemed like a small issue when you were safely contained in a giant metal space cat. Blue Lion was active again, did the same go for Red Lion?

Reckless.

And yet, he trusted his instincts. They had told him to go out in the desert to find Lance. Somehow this would all work out...

"Somehow..." Keith breathed out, slowly, his brows knitted. He swallowed back the fear caught in his throat.

The wind picked up again, and Keith shielded his face against the debris that was whipped up. It was coming from above. He looked up to see Blue Lion hovering at the top of the pillars. 

"Keith! I'm here to save you!"

"My hero," Keith scoffed, and broke into a smile. Lance was going to hold this over him.

"You're gonna have to move, I can't get in there with these rocks in the way."

Keith checked for the snake before moving further into the maze of pillars. He couldn't use his jet pack in here. The rock formations were too close together and the wind higher up would surly knock him down. As he went he heard something.

Rushing water.

"There's a river where the rocks are more spaced out. I can land there," Lance directed Blue Lion to the clearing. 

Keith used the pillars for support as he ran, and reached the river. He stopped short and gazed into the massive pit the water emptied into. The waterfall sparked turquoise in the light. The ravine framed with blue and green foliage. For a moment he stood in the beauty of the planet, and saw other life. Small bird-bug creatures that skittered away when they saw him. He saw Blue Lion, a giant paw splashing into the river upon landing.

"Keith, look out!"

The red paladin turned to see the massive white snake slithering towards him. Its neck hood opened and it hissed. Keith took stance and aimed his sword for the teeth that came at him. It dodged at the last second and grabbed Keith's side. He cried out, and plunged his sword through the top of its head. The snake twisted and rolled. Its tail slipped off the edge of the ravine and it fell, dragging Keith with it.

"KEITH!" Lance screamed, and heard his fellow paladin's pained gasps through their comm link. There came a splash from the bottom of the pit, and Lance guided Blue Lion into the ravine after him. "KEITH!"

Keith heard Lance screaming his name. His mouth opened but there were no words. The pain moved past his lips in hot gasps. The snake released him on the way down, but the damage had been done. He hit the water back first and the rest of his air was punched from his chest.

He sunk.

Keith blinked out at the white snake as it sunk with him. Its eyes wandered even in death. He felt it watching, and shivered.

The water was cold.

He was cold.

His blood vibrated.

Keith looked up and saw the wavering shape of Blue Lion fly down over the top of the water. Almost too dark to see now.

Blue Lion opened its jaws to scoop Keith out of the water.

"KEITH!"

Chapter Text

Keith had passed out for a few minutes, and awoke to violent coughing. Lance pulled Keith's helmet off.

Bloody water spilled from the Red Paladin's mouth when Lance rolled Keith onto his side and got him breathing again.

Keith shuddered. He could hear Lance's heavy breathing under the rushing in his ears, and blinked up. He squinted at the other Paladin.

Lance had his helmet off. His hair was sticking out in every direction, and he looked as if he had run a marathon. 

You don't look good, Keith thought. He tried to speak, "Laa—hhhgh!" The words were shredded against his moans.

Lance was sitting with Keith's head propped up on his legs. Keith felt the grip of Lance's arm. Wrapped around behind his neck to grab his shoulder, and hold him steady. There was desperation in the grope of his hands. Unsure how to cradled Keith's battered body. Where he could touch.

There was blood all over the floor.

All over Keith.

The puncture wounds in Keith's torso still drained red.

Lance was hyperventilating as he coated thick bandage compress with a gel that was supposed to help seal wounds. Shiro had urged them all to keep a medical kit in the Lions. Unless it was some kind of hidden power, none of them saw the Lions with any kind of medical support system. They were made for battle, not life support. Lance pressed the compress over Keith's wounds, and made sure Keith's head was sideways on his lap.

"Shiro would know what to do. Allura would be able to fix this." Lance muttered, tight lipped and shaken.

Keith had never felt pain like this before.

He had burned his hand as a child. Broken his arm. Gotten a black eye. Had his wisdom teeth taken out. Gotten the flu. He had been to the hospital. Had IV drips. Been patched up. Sent on his way.

He had even been stabbed once. Trying to help— 

He just wanted to help—

Help—!

Reckless.

Keith was screaming. The voice didn't sound like his own. His body didn't feel real. His mind had taken him away, someplace safe. He pictured Red Lion. Could feel the vibrations of a purr through his chest. Probing his thoughts. Ushering in calming vibes, and urging Keith to repeat the phrase, You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay.

His blood burned. The purr turned harsh and rattled against his ribs. Red Lion faded from his mind.

Keith was hyper aware of his pain now, and rolled against Lance's arms.

"Keith, stop moving! STOP!" Lance tried to ease the edge in his voice. "I got you. Just stay still..." Lance checked Keith's wounds.

The bleeding wasn't stopping. "No, no, no, no...I don't know what to do. There's too much blood. Even if I patched the wound, I can't fix—The holes are too deep! We need one of those healing pods from the Castle or something!" Lance hugged Keith closer with one arm, and kept applying pressure with the other.

Keith cried out again. A strangled, wild sound, that echoed in the throat hatch of Blue Lion. It was as far as Lance had been able to carry Keith.

"Blue! Can't you do anything?!" Lance called out, but there came no reply. A sorrowful silence was the only answer Lance received. It rested heavy on his shoulders.

"Okay, come on. Come on!" Lance sucked in air and held it. He went to apply more gel, but Keith wouldn't stop moving.

Keith fought him, disoriented and slipping into a panic. His only thought was to get away from the pain.

Lance had to stop applying pressure and hug Keith with both arms when the other paladin wouldn't stop shifting.

Keith coughed, leaning sideways until the fit subsided. Blood drooled down the side of his mouth. He lost what little energy he had left and ceased struggling.

Lance supported his weight. 

Keith's body felt heavy. Too heavy to lift. He noticed one of his hands remained curled around Lance's. Heavy lidded, he blinked up at the ceiling and watched it fade in and out of focus. The sudden panic subsided. Keith lay grounded in the moment. In a pain too real to escape. Lance squeezed him, and Keith broke the surface of his distress to greet the Blue Paladin. Keith rocked his head back to look up at Lance.

"L-lance..." Keith croaked. Proud of himself for managing the word. He twisted his mouth into a grimaced smirk. It felt wrong. Lopsided. Not how he intended. 

I must look terrible, he thought, as he searched Lance's face.

There was blood on the other paladin's forehead. Keith worried it was an injury from the crash. Oh, he thought, It's my blood.

"Hey. Hey Keith. H-how—" Lance bit back the question. "Sorry, sorry. I'm so sorry." Lance's face twisted and Keith saw he was trying not to cry. "Blue can't...I can't stop the bleeding."

Keith collected himself to speak again. "Sucks, the Garrison," he paused to gasp. "Only covered the basics."

Lance's laugh bubbled over a sob, "Ha!" He found what was left of his composure. "Yeah. Basic first aid doesn't cover this. You're a mess...Keith...." Lance frowned deeply, "What do I do?"

Keith exhaled slowly before speaking, and worked through a cringe. "I dunno," He started. "I don't think you can do anything." He swallowed hard. It tasted strongly of blood.

"Fuck that! You're the worse stand-in leader ever. You're suppose to tell me what I need to do. There had to be something!"

Keith shook his head. His skin was hot to the touch. Pins and needles under the damaged flesh. Like someone was practicing their hand stitching around his wounds.

Lance's expression changed, and Keith blinked his surprise. Tears squeezed from the Blue Paladin's eyes. Narrowed by the knit of his brow. "Shut up, I'll figure this out."

There was that voice again. A thick, even tone, that reminded Keith of Shiro. When the Black Paladin was giving orders.

Keith felt his cheeks blush. He shivered against the numbness in his body. Lance meant it. He would figure this out. Keith coughed out a sob. He wished it were true.

"H-hey, Laa–ance?" Keith's eyelashes fluttered as he fought his consciousness. "I held you like this."

"What?"

"When-when you got hurt. I held you like this. Cradled you in my arms." Keith tried a laugh, but all he managed was a soft exhale. "Heh."

"Didn't happen," Lance smirked, his eyes red, and cheeks tear streaked.

"Bonding moment, " Keith added, glad to see Lance's expression soften.

"You and your bonding....What the hell dude." Lance was crying again, but at least his face wasn't all scrunched up like before.

"Snot," Keith huffed.

"Huh?" Lance lifted a hand to wipe his nose but stopped himself. His hands were slick with Keith's blood. Lance paled.

"You aren't very attractive when you cry," Keith kept on in a quiet voice. His breathing was becoming more uneven. A wheeze to each inhale.

"Dude, really?" Lance played a pout, and succumbed to a laugh. "You're unbelievable! Even like this you—" Lance made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snort. Snerk. 

Keith smiled. That's the reaction he wanted.

Lance was too afraid to move Keith. Too afraid to let go. If he left, even for a moment, he might come back and find Keith...

Keith's head rocked back, and his vision blurred. "S-shit..."

"Keith?" Lance straightened up, "Hey!"

Keith rolled his eyes closed, his breath hitching. Air slipped from his lungs. He couldn't catch it, he was loosing his grip. The sensation of falling returned and he tumbled back into the black pit. A vision of the ravine opened before him, and became the snake's mouth.

"HEY!" Lance shouted, and lowered his voice. "Hey! ...Keith?"

Lance stared. He watched for any sign of movement on Keith's face. Nothing. Lance looked up and down the hallway.

There was no one.

There was nothing.

Nothing that could fix this.

He looked back down at Keith, unconscious in his arms. His eyes widened. Keith wasn't breathing. Lance checked Keith's pulse, fumbling with the other Paladin's wrist. He cursed himself and gave up, unable to find it.

Okay, Lance, okay. What do we do when someone isn't breathing. UH...Uuuhhh—CPR? Do I...wait...Okay, okay, okay, calm down. He almost drowned. Could his lungs have collapsed? So...AUGH. No, no, no, no!

Lance shifted out from under Keith and carefully placed the other Paladin's head down on the floor. He started chest compressions. His hands slipping against Keith's bloody battle suit. "Keith! I'm going to be so piss off if you die!"

When chest compressions didn't seem to be helping Lance went to give mouth-to-mouth. He pinched Keith's nose and locked his lips against the other Paladin's. Two breaths and back to chest compression.

Keith gasped.

Lance gave a high pitched scream. "Holy shit!"

The Red Paladin sat up and twisted his arms around the wounds of his torso. His own scream caught in his throat. 

Lance held Keith upright by supporting his back and shoulders. "Keith, lay down!"

Keith could only manage small, gasping breaths. He shook his head, and wheezed. "No...No, something is—" Keith rocked forward onto his knees. Everything was tinted yellow, and he tried to blink past it. When that didn't work he rubbed his eyes with the back of his gloved hand. He went to stand up.

"KEITH!"

Blood splattered the floor as Keith stood. He leaned into Lance's hold. He was slowly finding his breath again.

"Lance something is..." he was going to say wrong, but that didn't feel like the correct word. 

Something isn't...right? 

Only it was. Keith looked down at his abdomen. The holes had a slight gleam around the ragged edges. Yellow light that pricked the skin and stitched it back together. The more it healed, the more it hurt.

Keith collapsed backwards into Lance's arms, and heard the Blue Paladin grunt against his full weight. Keith felt like he was going to pass out again, but couldn't. Whatever was going on wouldn't let him. He wanted the release. He looked back at Lance, and lost his footing. Lance helped Keith sit down against the wall.

Stunned, Lance knelt, and watched the Red Paladin tug at the ripped edges of his battle suit.

Keith pulled the damaged material away to show the wounds closer. It looked like yellow glitter, moving through his skin. Pulling the holes closed. Keith curled into himself in an attempt to smother the pain. Lance reached out, and hovered his hand over Keith's shoulder. What's going on? Lance stared, dumbfounded. Afraid of what touching him might do.

"W-what's going on?" Lance finally asked aloud.

"Quintessence," Keith spoke through gritted teeth. "I think."

"That stuff you tried to steal from the space base? WHAT?" Lance gestured his confusion.

"I just told you. I think. I-I don't know!" Keith looked over at Lance. Who looked back at Keith with equal alarm.

"It's healing you," Lance stated.

"Yeah," Keith's vision began to tunnel. The yellow glow to his vision fading in and out. "It did this before with my hand. Remember when I came back covered in yellow goo, and my g-glove was all messed up? After I fought that...whatever that was." Keith gritted his teeth. "It got burned. It healed."

"Oh...Oooooh," Lance blinked. He's going to be okay? 

"Holy shit. Dude! That's amazing!" Lance lifted his arms, and paused. "Wait...Why didn't you say something earlier?!"

A look of exasperation crossed Keith's face. "You think I knew about this? I had no idea this was going to happen!"

Lance dropped his arms and smirked. Glad Keith snapped at him. "You're going to be okay," he mumbled, "You're going to be okay. Right?"

Keith furrowed his brows. He didn't know what to say. I better be, he thought, and slid down the wall to roll onto his side. There was still a lot of blood. Keith still didn't look anywhere near okay.

Lance pulled his lips tight. "Keith?"

Keith couldn't answer. The pain created by the healing choked him. His hand had been a small thing. A tickle compared to this. This healing wasn't just on the surface. It was piecing his organs back together. He felt sick.

Lance shifted closer to Keith. There was a slight hesitation before he folded his legs and pulled Keith into his lap a second time. If he wasn't able to do anything else, the least he could do was try and provide comfort. Of course, sitting on the metal floor, against a metal wall, wasn't exactly the best place to be comfortable. 

Keith groaned.

Unfortunately, they weren't going anywhere.

Lance held onto Keith. Waiting out the tensing of muscles with him. And squeezing his shoulder when the Red Paladin screamed so loud his voice went hoarse. Lance talked to Keith all the while. Nothing that required answer.

Lance talked about what he missed about Earth. How the green goo they ate in the Castle had the consistency of rice pudding but sometimes tasted like chicken. Once it even tasted like blue shark candies.

"You know that candy? Kinda tastes like the colour blue?" Lance paused to see if Keith had an opinion. When the only reply he got was Keith burying his face into Lance's knee, the Blue Paladin carried on. "And then I told Hunk to try adding those spotted leaf things to it and it tasted like Coca-Cola! Haven't been able to recreate that one though...Oh and—"

Lance didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually the worse part of the bleeding stopped and the intense pain Keith had been in subsided to something tolerable.

"I'm tired," Keith murmured. Speaking for the first time in half an hour. The Red Paladin let out a sigh for good measure. Reluctant to release his arms from around his torso. As if doing so might cause him to undo whatever healing had occurred. 

Lance looked over. "Hey, your leg looks much better!"

Keith didn't have the strength to look, but he stretched his leg out in response and didn't feel any excruciating pain. He closed his eyes. "Don't freak out but I'm going to sleep."

Lance didn't know how to react. Multiple thoughts crossed his mind, but before he had a chance to pick one, Keith was already out. Still resting against Lance's lap.

Lance blushed. I can't move now.

He checked Keith's breathing multiple times before he was content the Red Paladin wasn't going to stop breathing again. After much internal debate Lance decided to hell with it, and leaned back against the metal wall and closed his eyes.

They slept.

Lance's arm stayed around Keith's shoulders.

Their helmets, resting a few feet from them, buzzed with static.

"Hello?" a voice asked. A whisper of sound, muffled against the choppy frequency. "Lance? Keith? It's Shiro. Do you read me? I'm tracking your helmet signals, I'm on my way."

Chapter Text

Lance dreamt of home.

Of family dinners, and walks in the park.

 ・・・・・

His older sister teased him, and his dad barked with laughter. 

His aunt pointed out the different kinds of trees, and Lance helped his grandmother over to a bench to sit.

They gazed up into the rustling branches, as sunlight filtered through the leaves.

Lance raced his niece and nephew to the playground. Faking exhaustion so they would win. 

His mother spread the picnic blanket while his uncle helped with the food. 

The wind picked up and his grandmother lost her hat.

Lance ran to catch it.

It started to rain.

Lance heard his niece and nephew run squealing for cover. 

He stood with his face to the sky. The water was cool, but not cold.

He put his hand out to catch the droplets. Curling his fingers to touch his palm.

This felt right.

His family was here. He was home.

He was happy.

He looked out at them. Posed for a camera that didn't exist.

He captured the moment in his mind.  

He spotted Hunk and grinned. Of course his best friend was here. He was part of the family.

Pidge was beside Hunk, and Shiro stood behind them with Allura. Even Coran was present. 

They were all here.

Safe. 

His family.

Wait.

Someone was missing.

"Keith?" Lance called, but the faces remained unmoved. They wore a smile like it was a mask. There was no emotion in their eyes.

They stared through him.

Lance felt a familiar fluttering in his chest. His breath came short and quick. 

He stepped forward but couldn't get close. Everyone moved back with every step he took.

Lance started running.

He slipped in a puddle and landed on hands and knees. His family faded into the background.

He shivered.

The water was red. 

"This is blood." 

Keith was...

He—

There was blood on Lance's hands. The rain tried to wash it away.

Lance looked out into the forest.

It stretched out before him into the darkness. Endless.

The water on the ground reflected his likeness. He looked down at himself. Dress in his battle suit.

Smeared with blood.

Lance patted his chest to check for wounds. There was nothing.

This blood wasn't his.

Oh.

The rain glinted with light. As if every droplet contained a firefly.

Lance reached out to catch one, but it fell between his fingers, through the ground. He watched it fall past his reflection to settle far below.

He looked up.

Space stretched out around him.

Infinite in stars and galaxies.

He spotted the Milky Way. Illuminated with colours he only saw in film. 

He found himself looking for Earth. Seeing details in the stars he'd never noticed before.

He could see everything.

Like one of Coran's maps, scrolling through space, charting a course for...

Home.

The ground and the sky blended together the longer he stared. He felt like he was floating.

Lance stood.

Where was home?

Lance turned in a slow circle.

Which direction was home?

He saw Keith in the distance, wearing his red jacket. His arm lifted to the sky.

Lance watched.

Keith could collect the stars and keep them in his pocket.

Lance saw him do it.

He plucked one out of the sky to cup between both hands. 

Lance started walking towards Keith. This time the figure stayed in place.

Lance started running.

Keith held the star like it was alive. A firefly fluttering against his fingers. He turned to greet Lance.

Lance was close. Close enough to see the stars in Keith's eyes.

Lance reached out but Keith jumped back and sunk bellow the surface. The dark water swallowed him.

Lance fell to his knees, hands pressed against the mirrored ground. He could still see the light Keith held in his hands, glowing in the void. It fell far below to settle with the other lights.

A reflection.

Lance looked up.

He tried to find Keith in the stars.

  ・・・・・

Lance startled awake with a snort.

He could still see the stars from his dream. Spinning around the edges of his vision.

Home...

A familiar ache filled his chest.

I miss home.

Lance blinked his bleary eyes and grumbled his disapproval.

Keith was in my dream...I can't believe I actually dreamt about Keith.

Keith was still asleep in his lap. A steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed through gently parted lips. Lance breathed his sigh of relief, and watched Keith sleep. It was rude to stare, but he had never seen Keith look so...unarmed.

Keith looked fragile. Not quite like himself.

Lance didn't like it.

Keith was his rival. His competition. 

Lance and Keith, neck and neck!

Keith, like this—there was no fight in him!

Lance took pause, his thoughts reforming. Things were different now. They were a team. A great team, even.

He arched a brow, But hey! What's a little friendly competition between friends? 

Something wasn't sitting right with Lance.

Keith had survived this, and...

Lance pouted.

And still Keith looks handsome!

Even with pasty skin, dark circles under his eyes, covered in blood, and hair in his face.

It wasn't fair.

This guy—

There was blood on Keith's cheek. There was blood everywhere. Lance looked at his hands, still stained red. His jaw tightened against a frustration he didn't yet recognize. 

So much blood...

This should have been fatal and yet Keith survived.

The alternative upset Lance. 

He had almost watched Keith die! (In his arms, no less). Something like that stays with you. The blood itself bothered him, sure, but it could be cleaned up.

Memories weren't as easy to just wash away. 

Lance knew how it affected Shiro. Those kinds of memories...The kind that absorbed light. The ones that take and take, but give nothing back.

Keith groaned, and shifted awake.

Lance gave a squeak of surprise.

"Lance. You're still here?" Keith looked up, blinking against the hair over his eye.

Lance's face twisted. "Of course I'm still here! Where would I have gone?"

Keith arched a brow. "I just meant, here," he said. Still laying across Lance's lap. He felt Lance tense.

"Oh, well, uh, I didn't want to wake you." Lance said, with a shrug. "No big deal."

Keith slowly uncurled from his spot across Lance's legs. The motion itself took a great deal of effort.

They sat upright, side-by-side. Their backs against the wall. 

Lance wrung his hands. Passing sideways glances at the other Paladin. "You feeling better?"

Keith rested his head back. "Yeah. It doesn't hurt like it did."

The Red Paladin checked the holes of his battle suit. The new skin where the puncture wounds had been was smooth and sensitive. Keith was thankful that it had healed without any scaring. "So weird."

Keith dropped his hands into his lap. "Man, I'm hungry," he murmured, and rubbed his palms into his face. 

Healing was one thing but blood loss was another. A new kind of pain had settled in his stomach. 

"Me too," Lance confessed and they both groaned together. 

Lance had a realization. 

"What?" Keith asked, having seen the way Lance perked up.

"Dude, If you died and came back, does that make you a zombie? Like–" Lance cooed, "Oooo, like a space zombie!"

"Are you saying I died? I didn't die!" Keith tried to yell but his voice was still hoarse. "That's so rude."

"You stopped breathing and I couldn't find your pulse. What else would you call that?" Lance squinted.

"Not breathing, and you failing at finding my pulse! You can stop breathing and still be alive."

"Okay, fine, but if—"

Keith huffed, "Oh my god, stop. Just, stop talking. Forever." 

"Spaaaaace zooooombie."

"Lance."

Keith folded his arms, and closed his eyes. A pinched look to his face.

Lance frowned. I shouldn't joke about this... "Sorry. I didn't mean...I'm still just freaked out." You can't joke your way out of this one. 

"Me too," Keith sighed. "I'm just glad it's over. That sucked."

"The worst," Lance agreed. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too. I'm glad that you were here. I don't know what I would have done if I had been alone." Keith tilted his face down.

"Isn't that your thing? Being alone?" Lance smirked, trying to read Keith's expression.

There was new tension around Keith's mouth. "I don't like being alone..." He started and trailed off.

Lance hadn't expected that.

Keith was blushing.

Say something! Lance floundered. 

"Well—You're part of Team Voltron now. You aren't alone."

Now Keith grinned. "Stuck with you. A fate worse than death." 

"Stuck with me!" Lance leaned close, "You're doooooooomed!" 

Keith coughed up a laugh. "Okay, seriously. Stop. Lets just not talk about this ever again."

Lance scratched at his chin, "Heh. Yeah..." He smiled wide, and saw Keith trying to hide his own grin. 

This memory wasn't looking so dark after all.

"LAAAAANCE!" 

"What was that?" Keith leaned forward to look down the hallway. The sound echoing.

Lance blinked, "Oh...OH!" He crawled to grab his helmet from the floor and pulled it on. 

"LAAAAANCE!"

"Ow ow! Loud! I'm here, I'm he—Shiro?!" Lance cupped his hands over both sides of his helmet. "Shiro!"

Keith heaved a sigh. So it was Shiro that crashed with us.

"Lance, you weren't answering. My tracer says Keith is with you. Is everything alright?" Shiro asked, worry coating his words.

"We were sleeping. Where are you?"

"I'm outside Blue Lion...Where's Red Lion?"

"Red Lion is in the desert somewhere. We'll come out, just give us a tick!"

Keith gave a snicker, "You said tick."

Lance turned to hiss at Keith. "Ssshhh, you. Allura is rubbing off on me."

"Oh and, Shiro?" Lance asked.

"Yeah?"

"Don't freak out. We're both fine, just a little...er, yeeeaaah. Don't freak out."

"Lance? What aren't you telling me?"

"Hold on. We'll explain. We're on our way." Lance turned off his comm and stood to help Keith up. Almost slipping on the slick metal floor.

"This'll be fun," Keith frowned. He glanced down at himself. At Lance. "I can't believe this is all my blood." Keith swallowed the lump in his throat.

"We can wash off in that river," Lance suggested. He looped Keith's arm over his shoulder to help him walk.

"You think there are more of those snakes?" Keith asked, paled.

"Lets not stay outside for long..."

Lance guided Keith out the mouth exit hatch. Shiro stood in front of Black Lion. He unfolded his arms when he saw them, swaying slightly.

"Lance?! Keith! W-what happened? Are you okay?!" Shiro ran towards them as they stepped out onto rock. "H-how—!" The Black Paladin stuttered. 

Shiro reached for their arms, holding them in place while he looked them up and down. They still had all their limbs. They were still on one piece. Keith had the most blood on him. "Keith? Where did all this blood come from?"

Keith flinched when Shiro grabbed his face with both hands. His metal palm was cool against his cheek.

"I'm fine," Keith replied. "I'm better." He held Shiro's gaze. Not sure where else to look. He shrunk under the weight of the Black Paladin's stare.

Shiro looked to Lance, wide eyed and stricken.

"I told you not to freak out! We're fine!" Lance held out his spare arm, and waved it. "See!"

Shiro wasn't having it. "How can you say that? You're covered in blood!"

"Hey, this is all him." Lance said, defensive. He jabbed a thumb in Keith's direction.

Keith glared, but remained tight lipped.

This wasn't a comfort to Shiro. He turned back to Keith, "This is all your blood!?" 

Keith winced at the edge in Shiro's voice. "Can we please just clean up and sit down? I'll explain."

Keith and Lance washed the blood off in the river.

Lance tossed himself into the deep end where the current was blocked by rocks. It was the easiest way to wash the blood off the battle suit. He ducked under the water and scrubbed his hair. Howling his pleasure.

Keith sat near the edge, rubbing the blood from the arm of his battle suit. He would need to patch up the holes after it was cleaned.

Blood and water mixed together on the rock where he sat. Drop by drop it trickled back into the river.

Keith watched it mix with the current. Not allowing himself to think too hard about what had happened. He didn't have the energy. It would stripe him of everything he had left. He had to hold it together. If not for himself, at least for Shiro and Lance.

Shiro sat next to Keith. Watching the Red Paladin with a worried crease to his forehead.

"So, let me get this straight. You healed? By yourself. You said Quintessence did this?" Shiro leaned his elbows into his legs. Bending forward to get a better look at Keith's face. "I don't understand, but I'm glad you're alright."

"Yeah. I don't know how, or why, it just happened. I guess it was still in my system? I did get a lot of it on me back at the base." Keith scooped water into his clean hands and sipped from his palms. "I'm lucky."

"That must have been awful for the both of you. How are you holding up?"

"Honestly, right now, I'm just hungry."

Shiro chuckled, "Alright, buddy. Lets go find something to eat."

Keith finished washing up.

"Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Without the Quintessence I don't think I would have made it..."

"Keith, hey, you did make it. You're here. You're okay." Shiro leaned over to wrap his arm around Keith. "And we're gonna make it off this planet. We're going to find the others." 

"Yeah," Keith bit his lower lip and leaned into Shiro. He looked down at his feet, dangling in the river. A quick glance at Shiro's side revealed a patch on the Black Paladin's battle suit Keith hadn't notice earlier.

"What's that?" Keith asked, straightening up.

"Oh, it happened aboard Zarkon's ship. When I..." He saw Witch Haggar, and fought the flashback. Her voice filled his head, dripping with malice. I made you strong and this is how you repay me? He saw himself. Yellow eyed and laughing.

Keith recognized the look that passed behind Shiro's eyes. He waited.

Shiro returned to the moment and touched his side. "I patched it up. Still stings but it's doing okay."

Keith frowned and looked out at Lance in the river.

The Blue Paladin floated on his back with his arms stretched out.

"I'm sorry, Shiro," Keith muttered. "We didn't get Zarkon."

"We will, Keith. Don't worry about that right now. Lets just focus on getting our strength back and joining up with everyone else. Okay?"

Keith nodded and offered Shiro a smile. "Glad to have you back."

"Glad to be back. Now, what do you say we scoop Lance out of the river, figure out something to eat, and go get Red Lion?"

"Is it fruit? It looks like a pineapple." Lance narrowed his eyes and inched a finger towards the plant before them.

They had wandered up the river into the blue-green foliage. It wasn't far before they found something worthy of their attention. 

"Don't touch it," Shiro said. "It has thorns."

Keith stepped forward with his bayard, "Move."

He cut the plant in-half and watched it drain purple. They all leaned in to inspect. It was hollow.

"Looks like coconut?" Lance scrunched up his face. "I don't like coconut."

They all looked at each other.

Keith's shoulders dropped. "This planet has tried to kill me more than once. I'm not going to eat it first."

"That's comforting," Lance said. "So I have to eat it and see if it kills me?"

"It won't kill you Lance. It's edible." Shiro's hemet visor showed him the scan of the plant. He re-read it. "It passed all the checks."

"Okay, but what is it?" Lance reached into the inner husk of the plant and pulled out some of the meat.

Keith smirked, "Try it and find out."

Lance shot him a look. "You can't tell me what to do anymore. You had your chance."

Shiro smirked. They were arguing, but he noticed a shift in their dynamics. An awareness to their jabs. A smile they both tried to hide behind a smirk.

Keith crossed his arms, "Fine. But consider this: What if we're the first humans on this planet. What if you were the first to eat—whatever this is?"

Lance narrowed his eyes. "I see the game you're playing. Damn you, Keith. If this kills me I'm going to haunt you."

"It won't kill you Lance. It's fine." Shiro grabbed a portion for himself and bit into it before Lance had a chance.

Keith and Lance watched with a mixture of concern and awe. 

Shiro hummed, chewing slowly. "It's good. Kinda taste like marshmallows." He wiped his hands on his thighs and turned. "I'm going to try and locate Red Lion on the Black Lions internal tracker. Stay close to Blue Lion and call me if you need anything." He grinned at the other Paladin's before heading back.

"Shiro wanted all the glory for himself," Lance droned. "How dare he be so cool." He watched the Black Paladin leave and muttered to himself. "Chicks dig scars."

Lance faced Keith, "Do you have scars from the healing?"

Keith gave a shake of his head, and grabbed a portion of the fruit. "Nope."

"You aren't gonna get any chicks. You poor, poor, man."

"More for Shiro I guess," Keith shrugged.

Lance uttered a pitiful, "Hey—" 

Keith spoke over him. "Personally I think it's the hair."

"That's why he's the leader," Lance curled his lips. He had that sly, know-it-all look on his face again. "All good leaders have great hair."

Keith weighed the alien fruit in his hand, "And?"

Lance's smile grew, he paused for effect. "...That would explain why you aren't a good leader. Get it? Because you have a mullet."

"I—" Keith's face dropped and he sighed. "I walked right into that one...Just—eat your stupid alien fruit." He sat down and crossed his legs.

Lance stayed standing. Constantly turning to watch the leaves.

Keith recognized his anxiety. He was thinking about the snake too. About what else might be in the thick foliage that surrounded them.

They ate in silence. Their mouths too full to speak.

Something began to chirp in the underbrush. 

Eventually they couldn't stand it any longer. 

"We should go," Lance said.

"Yeah," Keith got up with Lance's help and they headed back to join Shiro.

Keith rode in Blue Lion with Lance.

Lance was still bright red in the face.

Before they left Keith made a decision.

They had finished gearing up.

Shiro had helped Keith patch the holes in his battle suit. It was a temporary fix but it would do the trick. Keith tugged on his helmet.

Lance and Shiro stood before him, talking. Lance had made a joke and physically slapped his knee. Shiro folded his arms thoughtfully and offered Lance a chuckle.

Why are you like this? Keith thought. His head tilted slightly as he watched Lance pose. He was too far away to hear it all, and the stance meant nothing to him.

They were talking about something called Kamen Rider as they walked back over.

"Alright, ready to go?" Shiro asked, glancing between them. "I found Red Lion. The signal is weak but I think it's because of the sand."

Keith nodded, "I'll ride with Lance."

"Alright. You follow behind me, Lance." Shiro said and patted Lance's shoulder. 

"Right," Lance watched Shiro head towards Black Lion. He stepped after Keith.

The Red Paladin was walking on his own now, a little unsteady, but he was starting to look like himself again.

"Why didn't you go with Shiro?" Lance asked as they entered Blue Lion.

Keith shrugged, "I wanted to ride with you."

"I find that hard to believe. You're always calling me, and I quote: The worst pilot ever. And now you want a ride?" Lance smirked, "I think you drank too much alien fruit-punch."

"Will you shut up," Keith said, stopping in the hallway to face Lance. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you, dumb-ass."

Lance's brow furrowed. "...I'm fine? You were the one that got hurt."

"And you were there for me. The entire time. You saw it all happen. You said you were freaked out...It must bother you."

Lance could still smell blood in the hallway. They hadn't cleaned Blue Lion yet. He looked past Keith to the spot where the hallway was splattered red.

"Of course it does but you're fine now, right? It's fine." Lance gave a nervous laugh. "Why are you putting me on the spot like this? I thought you didn't want to talk about this ever again?" Lance tried to grin, but it got stuck.

Keith stared down at the floor before speaking. "I just want you to know I have your back."

Lance blinked.

"And Lance?" Keith ran his fingers through his black hair. His bangs pushed back from his eyes, "Thank you."

Did he just— Lance flushed red, "Uh-huh." He totally did the hair thing!

Keith turned and kept walking without further comment.

Lance stood, dumbfounded.

He followed after Keith and took the pilot seat. He tried to hide the blush that still coloured his cheeks. Carefully he eased Blue Lion up to follow after Black Lion. Keith was standing, clutching the back of the chair for support. Lance worried he might fall if they moved too quickly. He kept his turns light.

Why am I so worried about him? He's fine. He's always fine. 

"You're pouting," Keith mumbled.

"I can pout. I'm allowed." Lance's frown deepened. 

Keith grinned.