The lights seemed overly harsh to Dani as the two cadets walked away from the janitor's closet. She squinted and rubbed her head through the hat. That was quite a goose egg. Not a concussion, but still irritating.

Vince looked over at her, still slightly off balance from being chased around by a 500+ pound carnivore. "I still can't believe we just did that."

Dani grinned back, "I know, right! It was awesome!"

"That's not really what I meant. We could have been killed, Dani. Wade should definitely not let that thing run loose. And I'm not sure how I feel about Lance sending us to get these pins either. He probably didn't think we would run into trouble, but we're just fourteen and he's coercing us into sedition and rebellion without our guradian's permission despite being minors. This is illegal!"

"Whoa! Chill, dude. Lance had no idea it would be this tough. And besides, it's not like people are going to care. It was one little mission, and it's the voltron force! We're doing what's right. We're fine and you did choose to go on this mission. That is some kind of consent."

Vince sighed. "Yeah, I guess. I just wish he would have warned us a little, or at least treated this more seriously."

Dani shrugged. "Well, at least we got the pin! So, something went right."

Vince grinned. "Let's go give it to Lance, I wanna see why he had us snatch it."

…..

…

…

"Ah, there it is. Good job, boys!" Lance smiles as he accepts the pin from the cadet's fingertips.

"Piece of cake, right?"

At the question, Vince rolls his eyes and mutters, "More like piece of me."

Dani winced, apparently Vince was still sore about almost being eaten by the lion. Lance smiled and ignored Vince's attitude. He would get over it. His smile widened as he said, "You did such a good job, that I've decided to expel you from the academy after all."

Dani paled and Vince looked like he was about to flat out swoon beside her. Expelled? Why? They did what he said! How dare he! Dani's lips began to pull back in the beginnings of a snarl when Lance added, "Unless you'd rather stay and finish out your two terms of latrine, you are showing great promise in that field of study."

Dani shared a grin with Vince, who looked like he didn't know whether to be happy or not. Eventually, he settled with happy when he caught her grin.

"Pack your bags, boys! We're taking a road trip."

…..

….

…..

Vince watched the stars zip by outside his window with a sinking feeling in his belly. What was going to happen next? What was his mom going to think when she heard he left the academy? She would be so worried! "This is all happening so fast," he said, mostly to himself.

Dani grinned over at him, "I've found that fast is the best way."

Lance smiled to himself as he put the ship in auto-pilot. Time for a little info dump to keep the smart cadet happy.

"So I think you boys have earned the right to know a bit more about Wade's pin, or more like pins, or more like keys than pins."As he spoke, Lance carefully separated the lion keys, reveling the feeling of the missed weight of red in his hand.

"The keys to the lions!" Gasped Dani. She was amazed. Their latrine mission was to get the lion keys? So cool! And she held them! Double cool!

Lance grinned and turned back to the controls, piloting them into a smooth landing as the crazy cadet entertained them all with his ceaseless chatter.

As the hatch opened, he was gifted with the lovely view of Allura, princess of Aeris. She looked just as beautiful as ever in that flowing dress.

As the cadets put their little paws of land once more, Allura smiled and said, " Welcome to Aeris and the Castle of the Lions."

Lance grinned as the cadets looked up, up, up and up some more to take in the amazing sight of their new home. It was quite impressive the first time one saw it.

"Whoa.." Breathed Dani as she tilted he head up to examine the beautiful masterpiece of architecture and modern technology. Her eyes traced the familiar structure she had so often seen in pictures or on the news. But they searched in vain. "Where's the black lion key?", she asked.

Lance was tempted to roll his eyes. Always the back lion and Keith with this one. Instead, he answered, "I assure you, it's in good wrists."

….

….

Dani sighed, both relieved and exhausted as the door to the dorm slid shut. Shortly after arriving on Aeris, she and her fellow cadet were given a crash course of some basic geography for both the planet and the castle and sent to their dorm to unpack and sleep. And, boy, was she tired. Wrestling a lion would do that to a girl.

She grinned as she plopped her bag- all she owned now- next to the bunk. Settling in could wait till morning, she had some serious beauty sleep to catch up on. Now, only one question remained. Top or bottom bunk?

Before she could answer that question, she was interrupted by the SHHHH sound of the dorm room sliding open. Turning around, she was greeted with the sight of Vince in the door with his bags in hand. "Ummm, not that it's not nice to see you, but i think you've got the wrong room. This is my room."

Vince glances back down the hall. There weren't any more dorms that were open and set up for guests. "I… I… I think they want us to share," he said.

She asked, "Say what now?"

"Well, there aren't anymore open rooms on this hallway, and this is where I was told to go. Plus, there's a bunk bed."

Dani glanced at the bed. "I call top bunk!" She said, before he could claim it for himself.

Vince looked uncomfortable. "Ummm, Dani? This isn't good. We aren't supposed to share. Boys and girls don't share rooms together."

Dani blinked. "Why not? My brothers and sisters and i all slept in the same room back home. Often in the same bed. Besides, where else am I gonna sleep? The hallway?"

"Well, you could just tell them that you're a girl…"

Dani frowned, "No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"They'll send me away if I do! Cause i lied. I don't want to be sent away."

"No, they wouldn't. They're not like other people, Dani. And if lying before was wrong, then lying now is doubly so. And lies never stay hidden, Dan they always find their way into the light. It would be better to tell them now."

"Okay, Okay, I'll think about it. But not tonight, I'm beat. And i still call that top bunk."

Vince sighed and frowned. "Okay, but we need to set rules. Like who showers first and to always keep gender related stuff packed up away from the other. I don't want to see any weird girl make up stuff."

Dani giggled. "Agreed. And i don't want to see any dirty underwear or stinky socks."

And that was that. However, not all was well that night. Across the galaxy, evil was brewing.

Darkness. So dark, the brightest of stars could not pierce its cloak. It was thick, clinging to Dani's skin like sludge. She felt like she couldn't breathe as she struggled to force her way forward. With a gasp, she was free.

However, it was no less confusing. Images flashed by. A woman in red with an angry voice. A short toad man with an eye of metal. And something nasty growing. Growing in the dark, born of suffering and anguish of a thousand souls. And it was reaching for her. Clawing and tearing at her skin, leaving swathes of rot in its wake.

Dani jerked awake with a strangled gasp. She pushed back the covers to look at the skin of her arms. Nothing. Not convinced, Dani pulled her shirt up a little to check her belly. No rot clawed marks. It was just a dream. Terrifying, but not real. Either way, she mused as she made her way comfortable again, it would take a while for her to sleep again.

AN: I know, I know, its not much of a chapter and its not that great either. but i am back! i am finally back! yus! it feels good to write again. painful, case i havent written anything for so long and its hard to remember how to write, but good! how have you all been doing? seen the new voltron yet? ive watched some of it its good. but here is my question- and no, i am no racist, just confused on the blatant inaccuracy- since when is allura black? lol, they did make her very pretty tho, so kudos to the artist of that. also i want to thank all of you for your suggestions on where to find the show. this is what got me writing again. and thanks for your patience. also, if anyone wants to adopt this, they are welcome to.

i write what i want to read. so if a few of you could take, say the first chapter or two and run with it, that would make my day come true. if you have asked me to adopt this story, i am giving you all an answer of yes. my only wish is that it stays rated t. this is a kids show, its a nice clean show. lets keep it that way. i would love to have different au's of this story out there, just pm me when you get started.

i am going to continue writing this, but i dont know when i will update next. i may update something else as well. idk

bye, cant wait to write again!