So it's been like a year, but people really wanted this story continued and I haven't written anything in a while, so... Here's the next chapter I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The van ride felt more crowded on the drive to Altea's downtown center. Shiro drove while Allura occupied the passenger seat. Keith sat in the middle with plenty of room to himself while Lance sat in the back squished between Pidge and Hunk. It was a tight fit, but the feeling of being surrounded by people excited Lance. It had been centuries since he had a friend and now he somehow ended up with five.

"Don't bother him too much," Shiro laughed from the front. "Give Lance some space. This has gotta be pretty new for him and you've got plenty of time to get to know each other. We don't have to do everything today. Got it?"

"Yes," Hunk and Pidge yelled happily from the backseat. Pidge typed away at her laptop, filling documents with as much as analysis as possible on Lance. Lance peeked over her shoulder, but didn't understand how letters were appearing on the screen. Was it magic? Meanwhile, he maintained a conversation with Hunk who was almost too interested in him.

Hunk bounced up and down in his seat. "Can you like talk to fish and stuff?" he asked eagerly. Lance nodded his head. "Yeah," he smiled. "But they don't really have much to say. They really just care about eating and swimming. They're pretty boring." Lance shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "But talking to sharks is awesome! They've got all kinds of crazy stories."

"Nope!" Pidge squeaked, slamming her laptop closed. "Sharp teeth, beady eyes, and an appetite for flesh... count me out! I don't want to be anywhere near one of those monsters."

"They're not monsters!" Lance protested. "They're misunderstood. None of the sharks I met ever tried to eat a person. They said human doesn't taste that good. Fish are ten times better. So you've got nothing to worry about."

"That makes me feel so much better... not. The ocean's filled with all kinds of dangerous creatures!" Pidge shook as she spoke, imaging the horrors. "Even if a shark isn't gonna eat me, what about giant squids or whales or poisonous fish? I like being alive with all limbs attached."

Lance frowned, crossing his arms like a sad child. "The ocean isn't that scary," he pouted. It was his home and he only ever knew it to be beautiful, dare he say magical. Vibrant forms of life filled its crystal waters always going with the flow. The warm wetness of the water kept him safe and comfortable during even the darkest times. How could anyone find that terrifying? But then again, he was talking to humans and they had a different perspective. They knew nothing about his world the way he knew hardly anything about theirs.

"You won't find any of those animals near Altea," Allura giggled, listening to their conversation. "The nearby waters are inhabited mostly by colorful fish and a few mammals here and there. You won't find a shark for miles. Our ocean is completely safe, so we can all go swimming sometime without a worry."

"Want to go on a swim with me?" Lance blurted out. He leaned forward, stretching his seatbelt as far as it would go, to get closer to Allura. There was a loud SNAP as Lance's seatbelt tightened and sent him flying back against his seat. He bumped his head against the headrest, letting out a painful groan. "Stupid car," Lance muttered to himself. "Never trusted the things."

Keith snickered while checking his phone. "Someone must be feeling deprived," he cheekily grinned, quickly glancing back at Lance. "The ocean probably isn't the hottest spot to find girls unless you're willing to settle for a catfish."

"Keith, catfish don't live in warm ocean waters," Hunk interjected, feeling to set the facts straight. Keith just rolled his eyes and returned to his phone. He browsed results on how to deal with troublesome housemates to keep his mind of the troublesome person behind him.

"Oh, we're here!" Allura smiled, slicing through the uncomfortable atmosphere with her cheerful voice. Shiro pulled into a parking spot alongside the sidewalk. Without a word, everyone shuffled out. Lance purposefully stood as far from Keith as possible, opting to hide behind Hunk to keep arguments at bay.

The modern style of Altea's downtown district surprised the gang. They had been expecting small shops built of wood or other natural materials. However, this looked just as modern as any shopping district back home. Stores boasted colorful signs with varied displays in the windows. The smell of fresh, local food from restaurants and a few food carts wafted through the air. Sidewalks and roads were paved as Alteans walking by enjoyed the clear day. Something about the area felt homely yet entirely unique. It was something only Altea could offer.

"There's a clothing shop right this way," Allura said, guiding everyone through the array of shops. "We should have no problems finding something in Lance's size. Hopefully then all the looks we're getting will stop." Lance glanced around and noticed that other Alteans were staring at him. In his head, he pretended it was because they were distracted by his rockin' bod. But they probably were just confused why someone was walking around half-dressed.

They followed Allura in a clothing store on the corner of the street. It was relatively empty with only a few customers browsing the wares. Allura grabbed Lance's handed and pulled him through the racks of clothes to the dressing room in the back. "You wait here," she told him, opening the dressing room curtain. "I'll bring you some options I think will look good on you."

While Allura searched through the clothing options, everyone beside Lance stayed in the front, waiting. "This is a pretty nice place," Pidge remarked as she looked at an olive green dress in her size. She checked the price tag and converted the Altean currency to US dollars. Letting out a stunned squeak, Pidge pushed the dress away and shook her head. "Too nice for me!" she moaned. "These clothes cost a small fortune. I guess being daughter of the village head means you've got some serious cash. Allura's buying Lance clothes from her own money."

"I heard that, Pidge!" Allura yelled from behind a pile of clothes. She appeared before Pidge with several hangars and pants draped over her arms. "I earn quite a lot doing work here on island, so money's no issue," Allura explained as she plucked the dress from its rack. "Every girl deserves to look beautiful if she wants to. Consider it a welcome present."

"Wait! You don't have to!" protested Pidge, desperately trying to grab the dress from Allura's grasp. But the Altean beauty had already disappeared back into the depths of clothing hell, decision made. Pidge facepalmed, but felt secretly grateful for Allura's kindness. Since beginning her studies, Pidge tossed out the girlier look for more practical attire. Sometimes she missed it.

"She's something special, isn't she?" Shiro grinned, one hand on his hip. "Allura's unlike anyone I've ever met back home. She just radiates something... I can't put my finger on it."

"Chill, lover boy," Pidge giggled. "You should save the compliments for when she's in front of you." Shiro blushed, coughed, and looked away. Both Hunk and Pidge laughed, giddy to see Shiro embarrassed. It was a rare and special occasion.

In the back, Lance waited on the changing room bench, tapping his feet against the wooden floor. "I'm bored," he groaned as he rest his head against the wall. He was used to running around and swimming, not going shopping. Is this what humans spent all day doing? What's the fun in that?

"Lance, I brought you some clothes," a voice said from outside. Lance opened the curtain and Allura stood there, holding too many clothes to count. "I'd like you to try these on," she explained, handing the pile to him. "I think they'll all look great, but we don't need to go overboard right now. We just need a few outfits to get you through the week. I picked a lot of blue since that seems to be your color."

"Um... thank you?" Lance replied. The clothes varied from dress pants to Hawaiian shirts to deep v-necks and jeans. This wasn't going to be an in-and-out trip like he thought. Trying on all these clothes might take an eternity!

After trying on clothes for over an hour, Allura finally decided on an outfit she thought fit Lance perfectly. He came out of the dressing room in long jeans, a blue baseball tee, and a cargo jacket. The style was modern yet slightly vintage.

"Wearing all this clothing feels weird," Lance frowned as he tugged on the jacket. "Do humans wear stuff like this all the time?"

"Yes and you look fantastic!" Allura smiled, giving Lance a thumbs up. "Everyone come look!" She eagerly pulled the gang over, excited to show off her handiwork. In her opinion, it might be her greatest fashion success. Now if only she could convince Lance to get a haircut...

Shiro gave Lance a pat on the back. "You look good," he grinned, offering the boy his praise. "Hopefully you won't get strange looks anymore dressed like that."

"Though he might get some looks from the ladies," Hunk giggled as he poked Lance. "Dude, you seriously dress to impress." A cheeky smile spread across Lance's face as a new fire lit within him. The idea of chatting with some nice girls sounded promising. Maybe the new wardrobe was worth it.

The loud growl of someone's stomach rumbling interrupted the conversation. Everyone turned to Hunk. "It wasn't me!" Hunk protested, his cheeks turning red. "I'm hungry, but I'm not that hungry!"

"Sorry!" Pidge apologized as she bowed her head. "That was my stomach. I'm starving. Can we get something to eat now?"

"Of course! There's a great spot right around the corner!" Allura smiled as she pulled her wallet out of her dress pocket. "I'll pay for Lance's clothes and a few other things I picked up and then we'll head on over. Be prepared for an Altean delight!"

As Allura hurried to the register, the rest of the gang wondered what this Altean delight could be. "The island has lots of native fruits and vegetables," Hunk noted. "Maybe it's some kind of fruit salad? Or pie? I could really go for some pie right now..."

"Or maybe some sort of grilled fish!" Pidge exclaimed, her mouth watering. Lance frowned at the prospect of eating his friends, but his displeasure went unnoticed by his hungry companions who were too lost in delicious daydreams.

Shiro chuckled. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be delicious..."

"It's goo..." Hunk said, jaw dropping in disappointment. "It's literal food goo."

The group walked to the restaurant and with Allura's influence, they managed to snag the nicest table with a great view of the ocean. Allura ordered them all the special along with various juices. The drinks arrived first and they were fantastic, but the food... The food certainly wasn't what they were expecting.

Pidge poked the green mush on her plate with a fork. "This is an Altean delight? It's got the consistency of jello, but the color of radioactive waste."

"Is it safe to eat?" Keith asked. He hesitantly lifted his fork to his faces, to afraid to even put it in his mouth.

"It's an Altean speciality," Allura beamed, happily scooping up a forkful. "The recipe is a closely guarded secret. Even I haven't learned it yet. And this restaurant makes it the best in all of Altea so eat up!"

Team Voltron just stared at the goo, wondering who would be the first to bravely take the first bite. Suddenly, the silence was broken by loud chewing sounds. Everyone's heads turned to the side to see Lance chowing down on the food goo. He shoveled it into his mouth like it was the first meal he'd eaten in months. Green bits coated the edges of his lips with some pieces landing on his lap. When he noticed everyone staring at him, he stopped and set down his fork.

"What?" he asked, slightly offended. "It's good and I'm hungry." He resumed eating as if there had been no interruption.

"Guess I'll give it a go too," Pidge half-heartedly grinned. She closed her eyes and stuck her fork in her mouth. She chewed a little before saying, "Hey! This actually pretty good!"

Hunk did the same and a smile spread across his face. "Wow! It is delicious! What's in this stuff? It tastes so strange, but it's so good... And how can something so good have this color? And this consistency?" He poked the goo with his fork and it wobbled.

"All's well that ends well I guess," Shiro laughed as everyone began eating their goo happily. Casual chit chat began between the tablemates. Hunk and Pidge were telling Lance about the newest computer game. The boy looked utterly starstruck by the idea of an online shooter. Shiro told Allura about his undergraduate studies while trying to remain a cool and collected face despite his fluttering heart. Keith simply listened, content with hearing the story again.

As the conversation went on and the food was finished, everyone was too involved in their conversations to notice Lance whose face was becoming increasingly pale. His throat felt dry and he started to feel confined. The walls of the restaurant seemed too close and his skin felt so dry it burned. He suddenly stood up, shaking the table. Everyone went silent.

"Sorry!" Lance smiled as if nothing was wrong. "I'm just gonna take a quick walk while you guys finish your conversation. I'll meet you outside the restaurant in a couple minutes, okay?" He hurried out the door before anyone could stop him.

"Is he alright?" Pidge asked Shiro. "That was kinda odd."

"Just let him do his thing," advised Shiro. "He's basically a water god. I don't really know what his usual routine is. Honestly, I'm a little shocked we got him to go this far with us. Without Allura's input, he would've left us high and dry." Shiro smiled at the Altean girl who returned the warm smile.

"It was nothing. Honestly, I was stunned when you called Lance the Ocean's Child. I thought it was an old children's tale, but the confidence in your tone convinced me otherwise," Allura explained. "I haven't seen Lance's magic in action, but your words have suggested to me that you have."

"Yeah! He got us all wet!" Hunk huffed.

"I see!" Allura giggled. "That seems like something Lance might do. He appears to be a bit of a joker and a flirt. Not the personality I expected from a legendary character. That reminds me... Shiro, what do you plan to do with Lance?"

"What do you mean?" Shiro asked.

"Well, he's lived in solitude for this long and while I think he enjoys the attention, I'm not sure he would want the eyes of the entire world on him. It's just like Altea. We don't want to succumb to the tourist industry and while we want visitors like you all who come for a serious purpose, we can't handle entire groups of visitors. I just don't want Lance to lose his only place in the world by becoming a showpiece..."

"I hadn't thought of that..."

"We can't just not document him though," Keith interjected. "He's the biggest scientific finding in history. This research could set us up for life. It would put the Garrison on the map for the rest of history. Think about the implications, Shiro!"

"But Keith, this isn't just science we're talking about!" Pidge interjected. "This is someone's life. I don't know if we can expose Lance to the public in good conscience. He agreed to help us, but I don't know if he understands the full implications of that. He didn't even know about the Internet!"

"Alright, everyone! Quiet down!" Shiro commanded. "Pidge and Allura are right. We need to take Lance's feelings into consideration. Keith, I understand your side. I want the world to know about Lance too. He could teach us so much, but he's also our friend and I refuse to put him in an uncomfortable position. We can talk to him about it another time after we get to know him a little better."

"I agree with Shiro!" Hunk added. "Also can I get another plate of this food goo? And is there a dessert menu?"

Meanwhile, Lance hurried outside and saw the ocean in near view. Smiling, he threw off his clothes, leaving behind his blue shorts, and jumped in. The coolness of the water relieved the burning of his skin and he felt like he could breathe again. "Guess I'm not too good at living outside the water," Lance sighed to himself, floating on his back.

"Maybe I should call it quits on these guys and find something else to do. I'll look for a new sea cave to explore! Yeah! Or I'll race the eels to the end of the bay!" Lance tried to convince himself there were other things to do, but his heart wasn't in it.

"It's been so long since I've had friends... I can't just leave them. And I've spent my entire life swimming around islands, but I never get to explore them. I don't know what to do. The ocean's my home and I don't know anything about the human world anymore. What should I do...?"

"My son..." a voice whispered into Lance's ear.

"It's you!" Lance gasped. He dove underwater, completely submerging himself. "It's been so long since you last talked to me! I thought you had forgotten about me!"

"I never forget. I am the ocean. I have existed for millions of years and will live for millions more. I never forget a thing," the disembodied voice said, almost in a joking manner. The spirit of the ocean was talking to Lance. The very being that adopted him. It was elusive, yet kind. It was the closest Lance had to a friend for decades.

"Why are you talking to me now?" Lance pouted, arms crossed. "Why break the silence?"

"I sense your inner turmoil."

"Turmoil? Please... I'm totally fine..."

"That isn't what your heart says."

"Maybe you should get better at reading people's feelings," Lance frowned. "Like I said, I'm fine."

"You should be with your friends," the ocean chided. "You are a great asset to them. Their journey in Altea is not without purpose. You must be there to guide them."

"Guide them?" Lance said, letting himself sink against the ocean's sandy bottom. "They've already got Allura. They just need me to help them with their research or whatever."

"No, there's more to their journey whether they know it or not. They need you like you need them... My son, you have been without humans for too many years. I gave you my blessing to protect you, but I am afraid I have only cursed you."

"Don't say that!" Lance exclaimed. "You saved my life! You gave me everything!"

"But I have also taken everything away," the ocean's spirit sighed. "I cannot provide you with what you need most. I am a strong, powerful spirit but I take no form and have no body. I cannot give you what you desire most. But these strangers... They can give you what you need, a family..."

Lance's heart raced at the mention of the word. Family... "I already have a family!" he shouted. He could see them vividly in his mind. He could hear their voices and feel their hands hold his. "They can't be replaced!"

"You do not have to replace them. They live in your memory and nothing will change that... But you can have a bigger family. You do not need to close yourself off. These strangers... I sense they are good. They will help you find peace and perhaps then I can set you free."

"What do you mean set me free?"

"I will take my leave now, child. Heed my advice and join your friends. Do not be afraid to leave the water's realm. The ocean's blessing will help you in your upcoming journey."

"Wait!" Lance shouted, grasping at the water. There was no response. The ocean's spirit vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Stupid ocean..." Lance muttered. "It's even flakier than humans."

"But what did it mean by 'set me free'? I'm not going anywhere..."

"Lance!"

"Yo, Lance!"

"Where'd you go?"

The muffled cries calling his names reached Lance's ears underwater. "It's my friends... I guess they're looking for me." Lance stopped himself. "My... friends? I guess I do like the sound of that."

Lance burst out of the water and shook his hair. "Over here guys!" he shouted, waving his arms. Team Voltron spotted him and came sprinting over. They kicked off their shoes as they entered the beach near the ocean.

"What are you doing over here?" Hunk asked, just barely letting his toes touch the water. "You said you were gonna meet us by the restaurant. We thought you ran away!"

"My bad!" Lance apologized. "I just wanted to go for a quick swim before it got dark."

"Well your quick swim sure gave Shiro and Pidge a scare..." Keith frowned.

Irritated, Lance snapped his fingers and a huge wave appeared from nowhere, striking only Keith head-on and knocking him into the sand. "What the hell?" Keith growled, now soaking wet and sandy. "What was that for?"

"I just felt like it," Lance shrugged.

"That was incredible!" Allura gasped, running towards Lance. She walked knee deep into the water, holding up the ends of her dress. Pidge followed behind her, equally eager. "Can you do more?" Allura begged. "That was absolutely magical!"

"Oh honey, you bet. I can do so much more."