Keith was not fond of mysteries.

If he was being blunt in the extreme, he might go as far as to say that he hated them. Questions without answers irritated him. So when he woke up — unable to sleep — and went to Shiro's room he was upset when he found it empty. Actually… Upset wasn't quite the right word. The immediate response was panic. He quashed it down with the thought that the castle was currently safe, static on the surface of Olkarion. If anything happened, they would know and he'd be on Shiro like white on rice.

Question was… where was Shiro now?

He sighed and let the door shut behind him as he began his search. The first place he checked was the bridge, because Shiro would be downright damned if he allowed himself more than a moment's rest. However, when he found it void of the Black Paladin, he was just a tad stumped. The next place he thought to check was Kuroi — Black's hangar. He stood right outside the hangar door, willing himself to go in, but remained unable to move. He loved Black, really, he did; but he also wanted to be as far away from her as physically possible. He shouldn't have even known her name. That name…

It was an intimate thing, to give a Lion a name. Like he'd done for Jowaka. He couldn't bear to rename Black after Shiro disappeared. So Black had gave the name Shiro had given her. Kuroi. The very knowledge of that name felt like… Well, that's where it became hard to explain. The act of telepathic communication with giant magitech robot lions was sometimes jarring at best and momentary blackout inducing at the very worst. It was why learning to communicate and opening up their minds to their Lions had been so difficult in the beginning. The very relationship was delicate, but not precarious.

If he had to describe the feeling of taking Shiro's place as Black Paladin, he couldn't find singular human words. The best comparison he could come up with was a random fact he'd remembered from AP Human History: In some ancient culture, if a man died before he'd had children, his younger brother was to marry his widow and sire heirs in his stead.

That had been the closest human approximation Keith could think of to define it.

The idea when he had learned it — even when trying to keep in mind the age in which the practice took place — had seemed unnecessary. Even when marriages at the time were more for mutual benefit than for love. And the fact that he could equate that scenario with becoming the Black Paladin made his skin crawl. The only thing more grating had been the ensuing psionic chaos.

The Red Lion had not given him up without a fight. In the few seconds it had taken for Keith to connect with Black, she and Jowaka had an all-out empatho-psychic war. The argument from either side had been painful and draining. Even though his conscious mind couldn't understand, his subconscious had understood perfectly.

No, you cannot have him! He is my Paladin!

The others need a leader.

Alfor's cub will more than suffice!

She would be too weary of my past.

But she is capable!

And he is his predecessor's chosen. This is not up for debate.

I will not have another Paladin taken from me!

Duty takes priority.

And with that the battle had been won. In the same moment Black severed his connection to the Red Lion and established one with him. Even as he lamented the outcome, he was powerless to stop it. The ever-present fire had ceased and was replaced with the odd sensation of what he could only describe as weightlessness. Then it was over he felt nothing. Only a psychic bond he never wanted and the distinct feeling of utter hopelessness. In his mind, he could hear Black's last statement that had fully silenced Jowaka.

Duty takes priority.

Allura really had made the best decision when she had first assigned each of them to the Lions. Shiro was far better suited to lead them than he was. Shiro's belief in him was well-intended, but misplaced. He wasn't cut out for it. He truly couldn't understand why Shiro's intent alone had been enough to convince Kuroi — Black, dammit — that he could. She had seen him trying to lead in the field. He failed epically. Beyond epically. Exponentially beyond epically.

And yet when Shiro returned she refused him.

He had hoped that she would be excited to find him. She seemed like she had been when they found him. Why hadn't she let him pilot her again? They had bonded on a deeper level than any of the others, it didn't make any sense. But he had gotten no answer when he questioned her. Even with the revelation that the very first Black Paladin had been Zarkon himself she gave nothing when asked. Eventually he had stopped asking.

The strangest part of all, was when she finally accepted Shiro as her pilot again, she didn't dissolve their bond, shaky as it was. He could feel it, like a murmur at the hindmost part of his mind. Withdrawn but ever present. Most days it was easy to ignore. Some days it was impossible to and it drove him to the verge of madness. As he faced the door he pondered the thought. If Black could sustain a connection to both Shiro and himself, then maybe; just maybe…

He reached out to Jowaka, he wasn't even sure if he could do it, much less if he was doing it right; but he would never forgive himself if he didn't try. He breathed deeply, and just when he thought he had reached her, he heard a vicious, outraged roar. It wasn't physical soundwave the hangar was utterly silent. But the sound rattled his body. The psionic energy behind it rattled his psyche. He screamed. He held his head as he wailed. All he could feel was stopnononostoppainpainpain.

"… Keith, Keith, can you hear me?"

Keith blearily opened his eyes, mind reeling, feeling too much at once. When the overload finally subsided, he could feel Kuroi softly rumbling. Apologetic. He blinked a few more times before he registered who he was seeing. Shiro was looking down at him worriedly.

And something inside him snapped.

Keith broke into tears, clinging to Shiro for dear life and bawling. The elder was utterly astonished. He hadn't seen Keith cry in years. He pushed aside his shock and held him close. By now the younger was sobbing hysterically. He gently cradled him in in his arms, only to find themselves no longer alone.

"Shiro, what-?" Allura asked. "What happened?"