What's up everyone, I've got a new chapter for y'all. It's been awhile but I hope everyone still enjoys! I feel like we're maybe roughly three, four chapters from the end. This fic definitely turned out a lot longer than I planned, but it's been pretty fun writing it!

As always, thanks for reading!

anomalous point

chapter thirty four

the blade

When Shiro returned to the Castle of Lions, he did so with newfound confidence.

Driving through the refugee town that had sprung up around the ship, he noticed that it was sparser than before. People were busy packing up, dismantling the temporary structures in preparation for the Castle's inevitable takeoff. News of Lotor's death had already spread, and with it came the knowledge that his mother, the Empress Honerva, would not take it lying down.

She would be coming for them.

And yet in spite of that, there was a feeling of hope in the air.

He couldn't imagine what it had been like for these people, forced from their homes due to a war that spanned entire galaxies. He wondered just how far said homes were from here, and if they were even still around to go back to. The Galra Empire had devastated entire planets in their quest for more quintessence, so it wasn't hard to imagine that for at least a few of these people, home just didn't exist anymore.

And that? That was what he was fighting to stop. This wasn't just about protecting Earth, though yeah, that was important too. This was about peace. And while he still didn't fully understand why the black lion had chosen him of all people, he felt a little more like he was up to the task now.

He had to be.

By the time he docked his borrowed transport in the Castle itself, someone was already waiting for him. He was kind of surprised to see Matt by himself- he would have thought that he wouldn't have wanted to leave his mother's side after everything they'd just been through.

"So did you see Adam?"

"I did." Shiro said, glancing behind him. "Where's your mom? And Katie?"

"I'm giving them a little time alone." Matt shrugged. "Katie's busy regaling her with the story of our adventures."

Shiro chuckled. He knew just how chatty Katie could get when she was excited. "Sounds like she'll be busy for awhile, then."

"Sounds like it." Matt said, before nudging him in the arm- his human one. He'd tried that before with the robot one, but that had quickly proven to be a mistake. He'd complained about sore elbows for days afterwards. "So how did things go?"

"Fine." He said, before realizing that he was waiting for a little more explanation than that. "We have a date for Sunday."

"Guess you'd better make sure we're all around for Sunday, then." Matt grinned.

"Speaking of that," Shiro said, lightly brushing off his friend's teasing, "-have you met Allura's father yet?"

"Allura's father is here?" Matt asked, blinking in surprise. "No, I haven't seen him. But then, I've been with mom and Katie almost the entire time. Isn't he supposed to be one of those paladin people?"

"That's what I've heard." Shiro said. "I'm not sure when he got here, but he showed up just in time to help the princess remove that creature from Keith."

"That's good to hear." Matt said, his expression turning far more somber. "I still can't believe he had some kind of freaky space creature living inside of him. Just thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies."

"Yeah, well it's not much fun to watch either." Shiro told him.

He could only imagine that it was even less fun to be controlled by one. For his sake, he hoped Keith didn't remember much of his time under the creature's influence. Narti's brainwashing had been bad enough, but...

...well, he was just glad the thing was gone now.

"I'm just glad you got him back." Matt said, his expression morphing into a deep set frown. "Did Lotor really send him to-?"

He clearly couldn't bring himself finish, but he didn't have to.

"The important thing is that it didn't happen." Shiro said, squeezing his shoulder. "Come on. Let's go see if he's up yet."

"Yeah, good idea." Matt agreed, letting out a breath. "But are you sure you have the time? I thought you had a world to save."

"You heard Allura," Shiro said, "-it'll be awhile before Haggar's forces reach us. I think we can spare some time."

Matt just nodded, falling into step next to him as they made their way up to the med bay. The closer they got, the worse his nerves got- so much for his newfound confidence. None of them knew for sure what would happen when Keith woke up. Krolia had removed his restraints, but they had no proof that he would be back to his normal self. Without the creature's influence they might have an easier time getting through to him even if he wasn't, but still...

...talking to that version of Keith had been hard, but fighting him had been even harder. He never wanted to have to do that again.

"Still," Matt suddenly said, "-it's kind of crazy to think how it's only been a little over a month since I went to see you at your new job."

Shiro blinked, before faintly laughing. "It definitely feels like longer."

"And you said it couldn't be aliens." Matt teased, lightly nudging him in the side. "Now look at you. You're the chosen pilot of a super advanced alien spacecraft!"

"Let's not forget the alien arm." Shiro said, holding up his right arm as if to demonstrate. "But yeah. It has been a pretty crazy time."

"I'm just glad it's almost over." Matt said. "Don't get me wrong, living in a spaceship is cool and all, but it's a lot more fun if it's your choice... and also if said spaceship is actually, you know, in space."

"Well, we did technically make the choice to be kidnapped." Shiro pointed out.

"You've got me there." Matt admitted. "But to think, you and Katie both thought I was nuts when I said Keith was half-alien."

"And we were wrong." Shiro admitted, before cracking a faint smile. "Though I still think we might have been on to something when we called you nuts."

"You know what?" Matt held up his hands. "I'm not even going to take offense to that. I think you might be on to something too. Just you know, in a good way."

Chuckling, Shiro almost didn't notice that they'd made it to the med bay. Talking to Matt had made him forget just how nervous he was, and even now, as he stood in front of the doors, the edge of his anxiety had been taken off. Somehow they'd gotten through everything the universe had thrown at them up until this point- so even if Keith wasn't completely back to normal, they could find a way to deal with that too.

Besides, he wasn't alone.

And for that matter, neither was Keith.

"Shiro," Krolia glanced up at them as they entered, "-Matt."

"Missus Keith's mom." Matt said, nodding his head in greeting. "How's Keith?"

"Sleeping far more peacefully, thanks to the princess." Krolia observed, running a hand through her son's hair. There was something soft in her gaze, almost impossibly gentle. The way the Blade of Marmora raised their young might seem harsh from his perspective, but it couldn't be more obvious that she cared deeply for him.

"I don't think I've thanked you yet."

He blinked, meeting Krolia's eyes. "I didn't do much."

"You brought him back to me." Krolia said. "That's hardly nothing."

"You don't need to thank me for that." Shiro said. "Keith is my friend. I couldn't just leave him like that."

"Just for the record, he's my friend too." Matt chimed in . "Although I'm pretty sure my odds of actually beating him in a fight are like, super low even when he's not brainwashed."

For a brief second, the edge of Krolia's lips twitched upwards, before she covered her amusement. "Perhaps you should train with Heath. He and Keith spar all the time."

Shiro arched a brow at that. "Has he ever won?"

"Not since Keith's last growth spurt." Krolia replied.

Recalling the images the black lion had shown him, he knew just how early on in Keith's life cycle that had been. It was also just as easy to imagine the ease with which Commander Kogane had likely taken being bested by his eight year old half-alien son. He didn't seem to be the type to let that sort of thing bother him.

Or much of anything, for that matter. They were talking about a man who had not only successfully made first contact, but also went on to marry and have a child with said alien lifeform. It was pretty obvious that Commander Kogane did things completely at his own pace, unbothered by the rest of the world.

He kind of admired that in him, actually.

"I think I'll have to pass on that one." Matt said. "No offense, but your husband seems a little... intense."

"Yes," Krolia preened, "-that is what I like about him."

Unable to help himself, Shiro just chuckled in response. Guess Commander Kogane wasn't the only one who didn't let things bother him.

Any mirth he was feeling was quickly wiped away as the faint sound of groaning met his ears. As his heart clenched in his chest, his gaze fell on Keith, watching as he slowly stirred awake. Although part of him wanted to go to him, the other half had him frozen in place, holding his breath in anticipation for what was about to happen.

Krolia, on the other hand, had no such hesitations.

"Keith...?"

Keith groaned, his eyes slowly fluttering open. Turning his head, he squinted up at Krolia, staring at her in almost puzzlement for a few moments, before-

"-mom?"

Shiro swore they all exhaled at once. He knew he did, at least.

"It's me." Krolia smiled, her soft expression somehow managing to not look out of place on her alien features. "How are you feeling?"

"I-" Keith began, "-there was-"

With a gasp, Keith jerked upright, his eyes blown wide. The sudden movement almost had him falling back over, but Krolia's hand on his back steadied him. Drawing in a shuddering breath, Keith stared at his hands, almost like he expected to see something else.

He was suddenly very glad that they'd already removed Lotor's armor.

"Lotor, he- and Narti, she-"

He didn't think Keith's eyes could possibly get any wider, but they did just that. "Shiro! He was- and I-"

"I'm fine, Keith," Shiro made sure to keep his tone calm even as he took a step closer, "-and so is everyone else for that matter."

Relief flickered across Keith's face, before guilt quickly took its place. Turning away, he clenched his fists, a shudder running down the length of his spine. He'd been hoping that Keith wouldn't remember what he'd done while underneath Narti's control, but he guessed they couldn't be that lucky.

"I hurt you," he said, "-and I nearly killed Matt and Katie's mom."

"Yeah, but you didn't." Matt said. "And it's not your fault. You couldn't stop yourself."

If the words brought him any comfort, it didn't show. He only tightened his grip, glaring at his feet. "I should have fought harder. I shouldn't have-"

"Keith," Krolia's tone was firm, yet gentle, "-you should listen to your friends."

Looking up at her, Keith opened his mouth to say something, only to shut it. Turning back to look at him and Matt, he frowned, searching their faces for something. Whatever it was, he didn't seem to find it, and slowly, the tension he'd been carrying since he'd woken began to dissipate.

"I'm sorry," Keith said, "-I tried to resist, but-"

"It's fine, Keith." Shiro assured him, choosing to approach now that he was calmer. "I think just about anyone would have a tough time protecting themselves in that situation."

Keith just nodded, biting his lip as he peered at Matt. "Is your mom-?"

"She's fine." Matt said. "She's with Katie right now. And don't worry. We made sure to tell her that wasn't actually you, so you probably only have to worry about like, one awkward family dinner."

It was faint, but Keith actually cracked a smile at that. "Thanks."

"I'm just glad to see that you're okay." Shiro said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't flinch at the touch, which he was going to take as a good sign. "You gave us all quite the scare."

"Sorry," Keith apologized again, his eyes darting downwards, "-I didn't actually think I'd get caught."

"Maybe next time don't try and sneak a civilian into a heavily guarded military facility." Krolia suggested. "In my experience, that never works out well."

"I'll... keep that in mind." Keith said.

Faintly laughing, Shiro released his shoulder. "How are you feeling? Allura said that there shouldn't be much damage from the extraction of the rift creature, but-"

"Tired, mostly." Keith replied. "Things are still a little scrambled in my head, but for the most part I'm back to being just me."

"Perhaps we can sort that out after the princess heals Narti." Krolia said, her eyes briefly flickering in the direction of the general's pod.

"Narti's here?" Keith blinked, his head jerking in the direction his mother looked. He visibly calmed once he realized she was in a pod, his shoulders slumping. "And what do you mean heal? I thought-"

"Wait," he said, "-what happened to Lotor?"

"He's dead." Krolia said shortly.

Something flickered in Keith's eyes, gone before he could fully register what it was. It wasn't surprising- if his head was still a little scrambled, it was to be expected he might have a momentarily different reaction to the news. He just had to hope that Krolia was right, and that Narti would be able to fix any leftover damage from either her brainwashing or the rift creature's control once she was healed.

And if she couldn't... well, that would be fine too. Because slightly scrambled or not, it was obvious that the person he was talking to was the Keith he knew, and not the Galra general who had briefly worn his face.

Keith exhaled, looking back up at them. His sclera had turned a deeper shade of yellow at some point, but there was no mistaking that expression on his face.

"So," he began, "-what else did I miss while I was trying to kill you guys?"

He'd just finished putting the last piece of his Marmora armor on when the doors to the med bay opened. Glancing over his shoulder, he cracked a smile at the sight of Romelle and Coran as they entered. He was kind of surprised to see them- he was under the impression that everyone who wasn't here was probably deeply involved in making plans to prevent the coming invasion.

But honestly... he was glad to see them. His thoughts were still just the slightest bit scrambled, so seeing his Altean friends really helped ground him more firmly in reality- even if they did bring with them the slightest twinge of guilt. He'd said awful things about Allura, things he wasn't sure he could forgive himself for. In his head it had all made so much sense, but looking back on it, it had all been nonsense.

But then, he hadn't exactly been himself at the time.

"You're awake!" Romelle brightly chirped. "I was afraid you would not wake up for some time."

"You should probably thank Allura for that." Keith said, turning around to face them. "She really came through for me."

Which kind of just made him feel worse for saying those things about her. He couldn't believe that he'd blamed her for what Lotor had done to him. He even thought it would make perfect sense for Lotor to use Narti's abilities to put the princess under his control, not realizing that he'd done the same thing to him.

It was scary just how sure of himself he'd been. There'd been no room for doubt- his sense of loyalty towards Lotor had been too strong. Everything Lotor said had been correct, and every order he had been given was to be faithfully carried out. Even now there was still the faintest edge of that in his mind, like an unwanted thought that filled him with disgust.

He was just grateful Shiro had saved him so quickly. He shuddered to think what the aftereffects would be if he'd been under Narti's influence for too long.

"So I've heard!" Coran said. "But you truly gave us all quite the scare, lad."

Keith winced. "Yeah, people kind of keep mentioning that."

"Only because it's true." Matt said.

Keith frowned, shooting him a look. Matt grinned, completely unfazed.

"Matt's got a point." Shiro said. "I think you're just going to have to deal with people telling you that."

Keith huffed, his gaze drifting towards his mother. She merely arched her brows, wordlessly agreeing with Shiro's sentiments. Heaving a sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck. He knew they had a point, but he wasn't wild about being reminded of just how badly he'd fucked up. He was sure that wasn't what they intended, but... well, he guessed he just couldn't help feeling that way.

Because he'd fucked up. Badly.

"Well," Romelle said, her tone stern, "-so long as you promise never to do anything like that ever again, I suppose we can forgive you."

"Promise." Keith said, holding up his hands. "Believe me, I have no intention of letting myself get brainwashed like that ever again."

"And possessed!" Coran chirped. "Don't forget about that!"

Keith shuddered. How could he possibly forget about that? Knowing that he'd had one of those horrible rift creatures living inside of him was probably the worst part of all of this. He could still remember the sensation of it using his body like an overgrown puppet, completely unable to control his actions. Even in his brainwashed state, it had been horrifying.

Knowing that it had been planting ideas in his head to further Narti's brainwashing just made it even worse.

"Yeah," Keith said, "-I'll try not to let that happen again either."

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Keith glanced up, meeting Shiro's eyes. He just as quickly looked away again, unsure how Shiro could treat him the same after he'd said such awful things to him- not to mention kicked him around more than just a little. He'd always held back during their sparring sessions, just because he knew that humans weren't as sturdy as the Galra. If it hadn't been for the paladin armor...

...well, Regris might not be the only one who needed the healing pod.

He tried not to look back towards them. He wasn't sure if he could face the sight just yet. Not of Regris- he was upset he'd gotten hurt, but he was a Blade too, and knew what it meant to fight against the Empire. No, what he really didn't want to see was Narti. His mom had explained that the princess had agreed to save her in exchange for Zethrid's cooperation, which had later morphed into her surrender, but there was some part of him that still wanted her dead for what she'd done to him.

But she'd had one of those creatures inside of her too. Lotor had used her, just like he'd used him. And unlike him, she'd genuinely trusted Lotor. They'd all trusted him.

And he'd made it clear to them that they were just pawns.

It was no wonder Zethrid had snapped. Somehow, hearing that she'd been the one to finish off Lotor was the least surprising thing he'd heard today.

"But really," Romelle began, drawing his attention back to her, "-I'm so glad to see that you're alright. Not to mention out of that awful armor."

"Yeah, me too." Keith agreed, glancing down at his Marmora armor. "I definitely feel better wearing this."

He still didn't feel quite like his old self, but it was more like there were jumbled up fragments of thoughts that so obviously didn't belong to him than it was anything concerning. He might be disappointed in himself, but at the very least he didn't feel as if he couldn't trust himself. He knew which thoughts were his, and which ones were just leftovers from when he'd been convinced he was Lotor's loyal general. Even if Narti couldn't fix him, he'd probably be fine.

Honestly, he wasn't so sure he wanted her anywhere near his head ever again.

"I'd imagine!" Coran said. "I'm sure the princess will be just as happy to see you up and about when she wakes up."

He nodded, unable to say anything to that. Part of him was still apprehensive about seeing Allura again.

"Speaking of which, I should probably let Katie know you're awake." Matt said. "She'll probably want to talk to you."

"Yeah," Keith said, trying to quell the ominous feeling those words brought him, "-I'm sure."

...okay, so Allura might not be the only person on this ship he was dreading seeing. Katie wasn't so bad, but Colleen?

Yeah. Not looking forward to that.

"Relax," Matt said, slapping his back, "-I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you."

Keith just nodded, not quite trusting his voice. Matt might have forgiven him for nearly killing his mother, but he wasn't so sure if Katie would share that sentiment- not to mention said mother. He wouldn't blame her if she never trusted him again.

"I suppose we should get back to the bridge as well." Coran said reluctantly. "In hindsight, perhaps leaving Ulaz alone there wasn't the best of choices, considering the Castle can really only be moved by Alteans. Far be it for me to knock on old Pop-Pop Wimbleton, but perhaps that wasn't exactly the wisest of design choices."

"I should probably make sure all the refugees are evacuated safely." Romelle said. "I would hate to see any of them get caught up when the Castle takes off."

"I could-"

"You," Krolia cut in, "-will be staying right here."

Opening his mouth, Keith turned to face her. "I-"

Locking eyes with him, his mother narrowed hers. "You're still recovering from being possessed by a quintessence-draining creature from another dimension. You're staying here."

Snapping his mouth shut, Keith clenched his fists. He hated to admit it, but she was right. He wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious, but clearly it hadn't been long enough, seeing as he was still pretty tired. Even if he got into the cockpit of a ship, he wasn't sure how much use he'd be at this point.

And nothing was more frustrating than that.

"...fine."

Squeezing his shoulder, Shiro gave him an apologetic smile. "I'd stay with you if I could, but..."

Keith shook his head. "It's okay. I know you can't."

Shiro nodded, reluctantly releasing his shoulder. "Okay. But we'll be spending some time together once all this blows over. If I'm going to be a paladin, I'll need someone who can teach me about all this alien stuff."

"Fair enough." Keith said. "I still owe you for teaching me about alien stuff."

Shiro chuckled. "Guess so."

"I should join you as well." Krolia said. "I'm the one most familiar with the battle tactics of the Empire's fleets."

"Are you sure?" Shiro asked. "If you want to stay with Keith, I'm sure we can-"

"It's fine, Shiro." Keith said firmly.

Shiro frowned, his gaze flickering between the two of them, before sighing. "If you say so."

"We're Blades, Shiro," Keith said, "-this is what we do."

"Guess that's just something I'll have to get used to." Shiro observed.

Wordlessly nodding, he watched as Shiro followed after Coran and Romelle. His mother stayed behind a tick longer, only placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him into a quick embrace once everyone else was gone. Closing his eyes, he buried his head into her shoulder, momentarily taking comfort in her scent before drawing away again.

He wasn't a child anymore. He hadn't been one for a long time.

(He wondered if that would be different, had he been raised on Earth. If he'd grown up amongst humans, away from war.)

"Stay safe," he told her.

"I will." She promised. "Make sure to rest."

"I will."

"Keith!"

He barely had the chance to say anything before Katie was throwing her arms around him, pulling him into what was a surprisingly crushing embrace for her tiny stature. She seemed to notice, slightly loosening her grip but otherwise refusing to let him go.

"Sorry," she said, "-it's just so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Katie." Keith said, cracking a smile. "Sorry if I made you worry."

"Yeah, well you did." Katie said, her expression set in a glower as she pulled away. "You have to promise me that you'll never do anything like that again."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I catch you trying to sneak off somewhere dangerous by yourself." Keith remarked.

He expected Katie to have something witty to say to that, but instead she just looked guilty. Swearing internally, he realized that she'd probably been feeling guilty about the whole thing, and that by saying that, he'd basically just stabbed her in the gut.

Guess he didn't even need to be brainwashed in order to hurt his friends.

"Katie, I'm-"

"I'm sorry."

Keith blinked, staring down at her. "You're sorry? I'm the one who should be sorry."

"You only got captured because I wanted to sneak into the Garrison." Katie said, keeping her eyes trained on the ground. "And that was after I said such awful things to you about my dad and Kerberos, and I- I never apologized for that either."

"Oh," Keith said, taking a second to realize what she was even talking about, "-that. Yeah, I forgot about that."

Squinting, Katie stared up at him. "How could you forget? I was so mean!"

"Hey, in my defense, my head's still a little scrambled." Keith told her. "I did kind of just get un-brainwashed."

Katie's face fell again, and he nearly kicked himself. Great going. Just remind her of what she felt bad about. Again. He was starting to wish he'd paid a little more attention to Allura's diplomacy lessons while he'd been guarding her. Maybe he could have picked up a few pointers on how to not shove his foot into his mouth.

"I didn't mean-"

"Katie," Colleen's soft voice caused him to flinch, "-I think what Keith is trying to say is that this isn't your fault."

Looking up, Keith stared at the woman. This was the first time he'd seen her since the Kerberos launch- at least, it was the first time he'd seen her while in his right mind. A shiver ran down his spine as unbidden, his memories came back to him. They felt strange, memories of someone who had briefly inhabited his body but wasn't him, but at the same time, they didn't feel half as distant as he wished they would. It was bad enough that he'd tried to kill Colleen on Lotor's orders, but that wasn't even the worst part.

He'd offered to kill Colleen.

She was the mother of two of his best friends, and he'd offered to kill her. Brainwashed or not, he didn't know if he could ever forgive himself for that.

"Yeah," Keith swallowed, fighting back the rising tide of nausea, "-that's what I meant."

"But-"

"I knew the risks, Katie." Keith said. "I could have just forced you to stay, but I decided to go with you instead. I can't blame you for something that was my decision."

Katie frowned, scrunching up her face. "I mean, sure, but you got captured because of me."

Groaning, Keith fought the urge to tear out his hair. He knew how stubborn Katie could be, but would it kill her to not be stubborn about this? He didn't blame her for what happened at all- it just wasn't her fault, period. He'd known what he was getting into when he'd agreed to go with her, and he'd known what he was getting into when he'd stayed behind so that she and Adam could escape. Why couldn't she see that?

"Letting you and Adam escape was the best choice in the scenario." Keith insisted. "The Garrison would have locked you both up if they caught you."

"That's still better than being brainwashed." Katie said. "And who cares if it was the best scenario? You're my friend, Keith, and I don't want to see anything happen to you."

Keith opened his mouth to reply to that, only to snap it shut. He... couldn't actually say anything to that. Which- okay, that was kind of a lie. He could point out that he was a trained Blade, and that she was just a civilian- and a child, at that. But by human standards he was a child too, and while Katie wasn't exactly trained military personnel, Adam was.

"Well... yeah." Keith finally said. "But you're my friend too, and I don't want to see anything happen to you either."

Because that, he realized, was the real reason he'd made the choice he had. Not because it was the best one to make in the scenario- but because he couldn't stand the thought of Katie getting hurt- or Adam, for that matter. He'd rather be brainwashed a thousand times before he let that happen.

"I don't remember asking you to let yourself get captured for me." Katie frowned.

"You don't have to ask." Keith told her. "I'd do it anyways."

"And I'm telling you not to." Katie huffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm not some damsel who needs to be protected."

"I didn't say-!"

"Okay, you two," Colleen cut in, stepping forward, "-I think you both need to calm down a little. Katie, Keith isn't saying that he thinks you're weak. And Keith," he tried to pretend that he hadn't flinched when their eyes met, but somehow he didn't think he fooled her, "-maybe next time don't agree to bringing my daughter somewhere she shouldn't go."

This time, he didn't even try to hide his flinch. Apparently she was less mad about him trying to kill her than she was about him sneaking into the Garrison with Katie.

And yet somehow, that almost made sense.

"I mean, to be fair to Keith," Katie began, "-I would have gone even if he'd stopped me."

"I'm sure." Colleen remarked, looking entirely unamused. "And that's just one of the many reasons why the first thing I'm going to do when we get home is ground you."

"Aw, mom!" Katie whined. "That's so not fair!"

Unable to help himself, Keith snorted. He tried to cover it up, but not in time. Katie turned on him, glowering, but there was less hurt and anger in it than before.

"Hey, you don't get laugh." Katie said. "I'm pretty sure the only thing stopping Krolia from grounding you is that she doesn't know what that is."

He opened his mouth to say something in response to that, but didn't get the chance before Colleen suddenly spoke, a contemplative look on her face.

"Speaking of which," she said, "-I really ought to properly introduce myself to her."

It didn't take the impish grin on Katie's face for him to put two and two together. Paling, he just hoped his mom wouldn't get any ideas. It was bad enough that he couldn't help with the rest of the mission, but he was way too old to be grounded.

...right?

Katie and her mother stuck around for a few doboshes longer after that, until it became obvious that his eyelids were starting to droop. Katie had made an excuse, but he was pretty sure that they'd left just so that he could get some rest. He'd fought the idea for the first few doboshes, wanting to at least remain aware and alert even if he couldn't actually help, but soon found himself starting to drift off.

He was just about to close his eyes for a little while when the doors to the med bay opened again. Despite all his earlier apprehensions, the only thing he could do at the sight of the princess rushing towards him was smile. Judging from the state of her hair, she'd probably made coming here her first priority after waking up. It was strange to think that they hadn't gotten along at first- he couldn't imagine not being friends with her.

But that reality had nearly come to pass.

"Keith!" Allura beamed, throwing her arms around him in a very deja vu move. "Shiro told me that you had regained consciousness."

"Last I checked." He quipped, even as he carefully returned her embrace.

"I am just relieved to see that you are alright." Allura told him, pulling away. "What use is a bodyguard if he runs off on his own?"

"Yeah, I should probably apologize for that." Keith admitted. "I should probably also thank you. Shiro told me that you got that thing out of me."

"I wish I could accept your thanks, but I would not have been able to accomplish that if it were not for my father." She said. "He's the one who truly deserves your thanks."

Keith blinked, his eyes going wide. "King Alfor's here?"

"That I am."

Jerking upright, Keith stared in the direction of the Altean king's voice. It had been several deca-phoebs since he'd seen him in person, and while he was looking a little grayer around the edges than he had when they'd left Altea, he was no less regal as before. Snapping into a salute, he sucked in a breath, his thoughts momentarily reeling in a way that had nothing to do with the leftover effects from his brainwashing.

Alfor was no Zarkon, but he'd still been derelict in his duties. Not only had he left Allura's side during a crucial moment, he'd also allowed himself to be possessed and brainwashed, turned into the enemy's puppet. It was completely within reason if he were angry with him.

He knew Kolivan likely was.

"At ease, friend." Alfor said. "There's no need to stand on ceremony with me. I'm not Kolivan."

Keith frowned, but nonetheless dropped his salute. He tried not to think how the last time he'd saluted, it had been to Prince Lotor.

"There, that's better." Alfor said with a smile. "It is good to see you again, Keith. You've done well in looking after my daughter."

He bit back the urge to contradict that. "It's... good to see you too, sir. But what are you doing here? I thought you would still be on Altea."

"I was, up until a few vargas ago." Alfor said. "But with word of Lotor's death spreading, more and more high-ranking commanders are removing themselves from the battlefield in anticipation for the upcoming Kral Zera. I felt my skills would be of more use here, in preventing Honerva's invasion."

"And what of Honerva's forces?" Allura asked.

"They seem to be composed mostly of those who remain loyal to Zarkon." Alfor stated. "Based on our latest intelligence, their numbers are smaller than expected."

"So much for honor." Keith scoffed. "Guess they're all just looking for a chance to become the next Emperor."

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to it," Alfor said, a grave expression on the red paladin's face, "-but it seems as if we may need Kolivan's plan after all."

"I still don't like it." Allura said, before heaving a sigh. "But I suppose you are correct. At this point it may be our only option to prevent this war from getting any worse."

"He wouldn't do it if he didn't think it was necessary." Keith said firmly, before softening his tone slightly. "Anyone who steps up to seize power at the Kral Zera will probably only continue what Zarkon started. This is the only way."

"Knowing something is necessary and agreeing with it are two different things." Allura observed.

He couldn't say anything to that. They might be allies, and even friends, but he knew there were some things that he would just never be able to see eye to eye with the princess about. Their upbringings had just been too different. All he could do was try and understand her viewpoint.

"Speaking of Kolivan," Allura said abruptly, removing herself from the makeshift bed they'd both been sitting on, "-I have something for you."

Tilting his head, Keith frowned, wondering what it could be. Allura's tone was light, so he was more curious than he was worried, even if his stomach still twisted into knots when he thought of his leader. He'd probably already been informed of his failure, and it wasn't hard to imagine that it wouldn't exactly paint him in the best light. He wouldn't be surprised if he sent him away for more training once everything had settled- he sure felt like he needed it.

"Here," she said, reaching behind her, "-this belongs to you."

Looking down at what was being offered, he recognized his blade instantly. How could he not? He still remembered when he'd awakened it for the first time, after he'd passed his first trial. He still remembered the looks of pride in his parent's eyes, especially his mother's, and how jealous Regris had been that he'd awakened his blade first.

The last time he'd seen it, it had been in Lotor's hands.

"Where did you...?"

"I took it from Lotor." Allura smiled at him. "I knew how important it was to you. I couldn't allow him to further taint it."

Swallowing, Keith reached out, carefully picking up the blade. Its weight in his hands was comforting, familiar, but what should have brought a sense of calm only made him more anxious. Everyone had said differently, but he still couldn't help but feel like he'd failed- it would have been bad enough if the only thing he'd done was get captured, but he'd allowed himself to be used by Lotor of all people.

He'd attacked Matt and Katie's mother. He'd hurt Shiro. Maybe everyone else seemed to forgive him for it, but he wasn't so sure he could forgive himself.

"Keith?" Allura frowned, looking up at him. "Is something wrong?"

Wrapping his hand around the hilt of his blade, he slowly shook his head. He couldn't trouble Allura more than he already had.

"No," he lied, "-I'm fine."

Allura's frown only deepened, looking as if she didn't believe him. Knowing her, she probably didn't.

"Allura," her father spoke, his face unreadable, "-I believe Coran and Romelle would both like to know you're awake. Why don't you go see them?"

Glancing back at her father, Allura narrowed her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that you're just trying to get rid of me?"

Alfor laughed, the sound only tightening the knot forming in his stomach. "You've caught me there, daughter. I would like a few moments to speak to Keith alone."

Allura bit her lip, glancing between him and her father. Finally she heaved a sigh, looking more perturbed than she did worried. "Very well. I suppose I should catch myself up to speed on the preparations."

"I won't be long, I promise." Alfor assured her. "Go on now."

Allura hesitated for a tick, glancing back towards him. He just nodded his head in encouragement. He might not want to hear whatever it was Alfor had to say to him, but that didn't change the fact that whatever it was, he'd probably earned it. He knew what it meant to fail a mission of this caliber- or at least he did with the Blade.

With King Alfor... well, he wasn't so sure what to expect. The Altean king had always been... unpredictable, to say the least, though not nearly so much as his advisor. He'd known Coran for deca-phoebs, and he still hadn't figured out his thought process.

"Be nice to each other." Allura warned, before she finally left, leaving him alone with her father.

"Can you walk?" Alfor asked once she was gone. "There is something I'd like to show you."

Keith frowned. Truthfully he was exhausted, but he'd dealt with worse before. Wordlessly nodding, he rose to his feet, sheathing his blade. He could handle a short walk.

Alfor merely smiled, gesturing for him to follow, which he did, falling into step behind the Altean king. It felt strange to be walking the halls of the Castle in his presence again, and stranger still to do it without Allura- and without his mask on. He was half tempted to put it up, if only just for the comfort it would bring, but he quickly decided that wouldn't be the best idea.

Besides, everyone here had seen his face by now.

"It truly is good to see you on your feet." Alfor began. "I was quite concerned after hearing what those creatures did to Lotor's generals, but you appear to be recovering quite well."

"Things probably would have turned out a lot differently if it hadn't been for you and Allura." Keith admitted. "Otherwise I'd probably be in one of those pods now too."

"I wouldn't be so quick to sell yourself short." Alfor said. "Allura told me you were the one who held the creature at bay until she could remove it."

Keith blinked, looking up at him in surprise. He didn't remember any of that.

"Don't look so surprised." Alfor said. "Your gift might not be quite so strong as that of my daughter's, but you do seem to posses something of a talent for handling quintessence. With training, it could become quite useful."

"I'm... not so sure about that." Keith frowned. "I think I'm better off sticking to my blade."

"Ah, well," Alfor said, "-the offers remains should you change your mind."

"Thanks," he said, "-but I think I'm fine."

Honestly, he'd never even considered being anything but a Blade. Sure, training to be a pilot at the Garrison had been fun, even if their tech was way behind anything he was used to, but he'd really only viewed it as just being one part of a larger mission. He'd never stopped to consider any alternatives. People didn't just leave the Blade- not unless they were kicked out, at least.

Oh.

Maybe that was what this was about. Maybe Alfor knew that Kolivan wasn't happy with him, so he was trying to be nice and offer some alternatives. Even though he'd kind of known that, it still churned his gut to think that he'd messed up badly enough that Kolivan was actually considering throwing him out. He just thought he was going to be demoted, sent back to training. He hadn't considered the idea that he might not be a Blade at all by war's end.

"We're here."

Blinking, Keith jerked his head up. He must have zoned out, because he could have sworn that they'd only just left the med bay.

"Where's-?" Keith began, before stopping himself short.

He knew exactly where they were.

Staring at Alfor, the Altean king merely smiled at him as he pressed his hand against the access panel. It lit up green, the grand doors slowly opening, revealing none other than the red lion's hangar. It had been empty these past few deca-phoebs, the red lion remaining with Alfor as he fought against the Galra Empire, but now it had returned to its hangar. It had become a familiar sight to him during his days on Altea, more so than the black lion had ever been when he still lived on Daibazaal.

He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it.

"I don't get it," Keith said, "-why did you bring me to see your lion?"

Alfor merely hummed. "Why do you think?"

Keith narrowed his eyes. He couldn't tell if that was a trick question or not. That was Allura's sort of thing, not his.

"I was already thinking of retiring as the red lion's paladin once this war was over." Alfor said, staring up at his lion. "When Allura told me that the black lion had chosen a new paladin, I knew it was time. We all did, I think."

"But then who would fly the red lion?" Keith asked.

"I was thinking of passing the mantle on to another." Alfor said. "Blaytz has long since been considering passing the mantle of blue paladin on to Allura. She possesses a great affinity for it."

Keith blinked, tilting his head. He'd definitely heard something to that effect before. He wasn't sure what the princess thought about it, but he thought it was a good choice. She'd be a great paladin, just like her father had been.

Just like he was sure Shiro would be.

Still, he didn't get what any of that had to do with him.

Alfor turned, giving him a considering look. "What do you think of taking my place?"

Keith choked, staring at the Altean king with wide eyes. "Wha- you want me to be a paladin?"

"It is not just me who wishes it." Alfor said. "She wishes for you as well."

She...?

Jerking his head in the red lion's direction, Keith stared up at it. It had always been a comforting presence to him, strangely familiar even during his early days on Altea, when it was just starting to sink into him that this was his new home for the foreseeable future. He remembered taking refugee in its fierce presence back when his relationship with Allura had been a lot rockier, but he'd never... he'd never stopped to question that.

Maybe he should have.

Looking into the lion's eyes, he felt its low yet intense rumble reverberate through the base of his skull. It had always felt familiar to him, but he'd never heard its- her- voice before... until now. It was intense, almost like a raging inferno- nothing like the way Shiro had described Black to him. It felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before.

It felt right.

He didn't know why, but he could feel it in his bones. There was something that resonated deep within him, like a fire that burned from within. It raged, but didn't harm, leaving his mind feeling clearer than it had been since waking up.

Paladin.

"So?" Alfor smiled. "Think you're up to the challenge? The red lion is not an easy one to handle, you know."

The edge of his lips moved, slowly curling upwards in a fierce, tooth-baring grin. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, his exhaustion melting away as if it had never been there, taking all his earlier doubts with it. He'd messed up. There was no doubt about that. But he couldn't let one screw up, no matter how bad it had been, no matter how severe the consequences could have ended up being, define how he saw himself.

He was Keith Kogane. He was a proud member of the Blade of Marmora.

And the red lion had chosen him.

"Yeah," he said, "-I think I can handle it."

The red lion roared.