Your P.O.V. -

After a long and stressful battle of 'hide-and-seek', with Zarkon, we were finally able to get a break and discuss the possible ways that Zarkon could be tracking us. Allura believes that it's her and I still don't think that's true. And while we're talking to her about it, I noticed that Keith was a little ways away, looking a little concerned and somewhat anxious.

'He's hiding something, dammit...'

"There's no point in debating this further," Allura said. "Zarkon is clearly tracking us through me."

All of us then disagreed.

"Why would that be so hard to believe?", Allura asked. "Zarkon's forces showed up on Arus only after I awoke."

"She's got a point," Lance said. "I would absolutely travel across the galaxy to find you."

"It's not you, Princess Allura. It's me," Keith said.

'...why..?'

"Becau~se?", Hunk asked.

"I just think, Zarkon must've... imprinted on me during our fight or something," Keith said.

"Look, the fact is, we don't know how Zarkon is tracking us. It could be the Black Lion," I said.

"Yeah. Every time Zarkon gets close to it, Shiro has to fight him for control," Pidge explained.

"That's only when Zarkon is nearby," Coran stood up. "No paladin has ever been able to connect with a lion over a vast distance."

"So, what are we going to do?", Hunk asked.

"Look, it doesn't matter how he's tracking us because we're gonna take the fight to the Galra soon enough," Shiro said. "They've been chasing us from galaxy to galaxy, the last thing they expect is for us to come after them."

"The hunter becomes the hunted, hmm? Awesome!", Lance exclaimed. "That's the tagline from, like, six of my favorite movies."

"All cliché, I bet," I mumbled.

"As it happens, I took our list of recent Galra attacks and analyzed it for both commonalities and anomalies among the attacks sites," Pidge explained as she sat in her chair and messed with some controls. "I was hoping to create an algorithm that would, within a statistically acceptable margin of error, provide a list of target-rich Galra environments, color-coded, of course, because what are we, animals?"

We all stared at Pidge like the idiots that we are, compared to her, as she brought up a bunch of star-like coordinates.

"Cool!", Lance awed. "What is it again?"

"It's a Galra finder?", Hunk questioned.

"Well, 'finder' suggests that it locates the Galra, whereas it would be more accurate to say that my model predicts their likeliest..." Pidge stopped when she noticed our confused stares. "Fine. It's a Galra finder."

"So, where are the Galra?", I asked.

"The nearest ones are right here. A planet called Taujeer," Pidge said as she pulled up a small picture of the planet.

"Then that's where we're headed," Shiro said. "Everyone should get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll find that Galra fleet and take it out."

Everyone then left the room, except Keith and Shiro. Right before I walked out of the room, I stopped and looked at Keith.

'Hopefully, Shiro can talk to him...'

I then sighed as I left the room and went to mine. In my room, I changed into my PJs and crawled into bed as I tried to fall asleep. But sadly, I couldn't. My mind was awake. I just couldn't sleep.

'How can the Galra find us? Will they find us again, soon? Will they find us when we're sleeping? Will I sleep through the battle? Will we survive this? And... Keith..? What about him..? Shit! I can't think straight!'

I then grabbed my book and sat on the ground as I tried to read myself to sleep. Of course, after about many, many, many pages, I was still awake. So, I put the book down and then stared off into space. Then suddenly, I hear a slight gasp through the walls. I sit there confused and then slowly stand up.

'What/Who was that?'

After a bit, I see a blur sneak past my door. I immediately open my door and look to the right to see Keith in his suit with a filled bag on his back.

"Keith?", I asked, and he then quickly turned around. "What are you doing?"

"N-Nothing... Go back to sleep," he said.

"I can't sleep. Why are you up?", I asked.

"I told you it's nothing. You should go back in your room," he said.

"Why? Where are you going?", I asked as I stepped closer to him.

"I'm just... going to the training deck," he lied.

"With a filled bag?", I asked.

"Yeah," he answered.

"This early?"

"Y-Yeah."

I then sighed.

"Stop lying. Where are you going? Are you leaving?", I asked.

"I... I'm just trying to figure something out," he explained.

"What? What is it?", I asked as I started to get mad.

"Nothing! Okay! I'm leaving. I'll come back," he said, also mad, as he turned around.

"Why? You can't!", I slightly yelled as I grabbed his arm. "I thought Voltron was a team, a family. You can't leave."

"I am leaving. I'm sorry," he said as he turned around and looked down at me, with a grim look.

I let go of his arm as I looked back up at him. He then quickly cupped my face and kissed me. I was shocked. Before I was able to do anything he pushed me into my room and then the door closed.

'WHAT?!'

I then heard a weird clank as I tried to open the door and it didn't open.

"Keith, what the quiznak!!", I yelled.

Keith said nothing as he ran away.

'Why?! Why?! Why do you do this?!'

I then fell to my knees as I put my forehead on the door.

'Now I defiantly can't fall asleep!'

Time Skip

I had been hitting my door all night and yet nobody came to the door.

'Is everyone deaf?! Can they seriously not hear me?!'

I then started to hit harder as I noticed that the door was actually starting to budge.

'Yes!! Come on!!'

I then heard a loud metal snap as my door slid open. I then looked down and noticed the bits and pieces of an old, tiny dagger.

'AHH!!', I mentally screamed.

I then changed into my normal clothes and ran to the bridge. Once I ran through the doors, everyone stared at me.

"Well, we found (F/n)," Lance said.

"G-Guys...", I said out of breath. "Keith's... g-gone..."

"Yeah, we know," Lance said, annoyed.

"Allura is gone, too. We don't know where they are, but Coran noticed that a pod was missing and we're trying to get into contact with it," Shiro explained as I sat in my chair.

"I've contacted the pod!", Coran yelled. "Princess, Keith, where are you?"

"Exactly where we should be, far away from the castle," Allura's voice answered.

"What? Why?", Shiro asked.

"We must know if we are the ones Zarkon is tracking," Allura explained.

'That's why you left?!'

"They're isolating the variable. Well, isolating two variables," Pidge stated.

"In English, please?", Lance asked.

"In order to test a hypothesis--",

"I said English!", Lance interrupted Pidge.

"Ugh! Never mind!", Pidge yelled.

"Pidge is right. If Zarkon finds you, despite my absence, we will know with total certainty that we are not the ones he is tracking," Allura explained.

"Splitting up the group makes us far more vulnerable," Shiro said. "Come back to the castle, immediately."

"I'm sorry, Shiro. I cannot do that," Allura said.

"If Zarkon finds us, I can pilot us to safety," Keith explained. "We're in wide-open space with plenty of room to maneuver. Plus, we'd be able to outrun him. Pidge added that booster rocket."

"That thing's still on there?", Coran questioned.

"We need both of you back here, now!", Shiro yelled. "What's going on?"

Alarms then started to sound off as the castle shook.

"We're in some sort of debris field," Hunk stated.

"I believe it's coming from Taujeer," Coran said as we closed in on the planet. "Correction: I think it is Taujeer."

"Coran, what's going on--", Allura was then cut off by static.

"Some kind of radiation from the planet is interfering with communications!", Coran yelled.

"Move the castle away from the planet and reestablish the link," Shiro demanded. "Everyone else, get to your lions."

All of us then went down the elevators and flew our lions out of their hangars. We then flew our lions through the debris and to Taujeer.

"I don't see any Galra," Hunk said as we landed our lions.

"Looks like that fancy Galra finder doesn't work. Nice try, Pidge," Lance said.

Shiro and I then ran out of our lions and up to an alien. The alien was really just a blob with limbs and a robotic voice.

"Thank goodness you're here!", the Taujeerian said as we met up with him. "I am Baujal, the leader of the Taujeerians. The Galra just destroyed our ship's engines and left."

"So, the Galra were here. La~nce," Pidge teased.

"They've taken everything," Baujal explained. "We must get everyone off the planet before it dissolves completely! Please, help us!"

"How long do we have?", I asked.

The ground then started to shake as the planet's surface was splitting.

"Not long!", Hunk answered.

"How did this happen?", Shiro asked.

"We've known for years that our planet would eventually lose its outer layer," Baujal explained.

"Like a snake shedding its skin?", Lance questioned.

"Yeah, yeah. That doesn't sound so bad," Hunk said. "I mean, beneath that old skin is a new, healthy layer, right?"

"No. I-I think the new layer is acid," Pidge said.

"The plan was to evacuate the population, to our nearest moon, where we have built a colony to wait out the shedding process," Baujal explained. "So, we relocated to higher ground and constructed that ark."

We then noticed a giant alien ship-like thing way behind Baujal.

"What happened?", I asked.

"The Galra attacked, led by a vile commander named Morvok," Baujal started. "He robbed us of vital resources and left us with only one operational engine, stranding us here."

"You're not stranded, anymore. We will save your people," Shiro said.

"I believe you, for I have heard many legends of the valor of Voltron," Baujal said. "Six brave paladins dedicated to this... wait, wait. I only count five of you. Are you not Voltron?"

"Uh... Almost," Lance said.

"Where is the sixth paladin?", Baujal asked.

I then hung my head low.

"H-He's not here," I said.

"But we can still help you," Shiro quickly said.

"I would feel more comfortable with all six paladins," Baujal stated.

"Duly noted," Shiro said. "Pidge, Hunk, take a look at the ark and see what we're dealing with."

"Piece of cake. We'll get it flying in no time," Hunk said.

The planet then shook and the legs of the ark just broke off.

"Would you settle for upright?", Hunk nervously asked.

Shiro and I then ran back to our lions and hovered them over the surface as we figured out a plan.

"Assuming we can get it back up, the repairs will still take time," Pidge explained.

"Which would appear to be the one thing we don't have," Lance stated.

"We need to slow down the shedding," Shiro said.

"How do you stop a planet that's coming apart at the seams?", Pidge asked.

"By sewing it back together!", Hunk exclaimed.

"What do you mean?", I asked.

"That new Green Lion weapon causes vegetation to grow, right?", Hunk was saying. "Well, I was thinking that if you aim it at the cracks on the planet, the vines could act like stitches."

"But won't the stitches get dissolved by the acid?", I asked.

"The stitches might hold longer if they're frozen," Pidge said.

"It's a plan," Shiro said. "Hunk, (F/n), and I will take our lions and get the ark upright, while Pidge and Lance buy us some time."

All of us then got to work. Hunk, Shiro and I were first pushing the legs away from the ark as Pidge and Lance did their lion magic.

"Our side's clear, Shiro," Hunk said.

"Almost done," Shiro said back.

"Yes! It worked!", Pidge yelled.

"It won't hold forever. Keep going!", Shiro yelled back.

Hunk, Shiro and I then moved our lions to one side of the ark and then tried to push it upwards. Hunk was groaning really loud, because, as you should know, this ark is heavy.

"Come on! Give it all you got!", Shiro yelled. "That's it! We're almost there!"

The ground then started to crack near the Black Lion. But before acid could come through, the crack was covered in plants and ice.

"Thanks, guys!", Shiro yelled to Pidge and Lance.

"You got it!", Lance said.

"Anytime," Pidge said.

The Blue and Green Lions then came up and helped prop the ark upright.

"Alright, Hunk. Time to work on those engines," Shiro said.

Shiro and Hunk then existed their lions and got to work. Once Hunk was done, they were talking to Baujal.

"Well, it ain't pretty, but it should get you airborn--", Hunk was saying until the surface started to break off even more.

"Just in time," Shiro said.

The first engine then started to lift the ark off the ground until a purple blast hit the second engine, and the ark then settled back on the ground.

"What was that?", I asked.

"The Galra. They're back," Shiro answered.

The Galra ship then fired another laser. Destroying the ground under the ark, and having it tip.

"Hunk! Take the Yellow Lion and hold up the ark!", Shiro yelled as Hunk flew to the ark. "If it falls into the acid, the Taujeerians are doomed."

"Not to mention the guy beneath 'em," Hunk said as he settled his lion in between the ark and the surface. "Which would be me, in this particular scenario."

"Lance, (F/n), Pidge, we've got to draw the cruiser's fire!", Shiro yelled as Lance, Pidge and I took off in our lions. "Coran, we need you here now. Attack the Galra cruiser!"

"I'm on my way!", Coran yelled as the castle entered then planet's atmosphere.

Shiro then flew his lion up with the rest of ours as we attacked the Galra cruiser. But the cruiser's ion cannon then shifted and aimed at the ark.

"They're aiming the ion cannon at the ark!", Shiro yelled as he flew his lion to the cannon. "Lance, Pidge, (F/n)! Attack the ship with your jaw blades!"

The three of us then formed the jaw blades and flew around the ship, cutting in streaks. Shiro then formed his jaw blade and cut the ion cannon. That threw off its aim and made it fire at the surface, rather than the ark. But still, it broke the surface even more.

"Rocks! Big, big rocks!", Hunk yelled as debris started to fly towards the ark.

"We gotcha, buddy!", Lance yelled as our lions started to break down the debris.

The castle then started to fire multiple lasers at the Galra cruiser, with its particle barrier up.

"Way to go, Coran!", Shiro yelled. "Hunk, what's your status?"

"Mostly just trying not to fall into a bubbling pot of acid," Hunk responded.

As the ark started to slide down the surface, even more, the Galra cruiser started to focus all of its power on the castle.

"We're being overwhelmed!", I yelled.

"We need Voltron!", Pidge yelled.

After a bit, I heard a random boom and saw something fly away from the castle.

"Uh, okay, guys? So, yeah... the-the Red Lion ran away," Coran said.

'I-I'm sorry... What?! First its paladin, now itself. Please tell me something good will come out of this...'

"I can't hold it any longer!", Hunk strained as his lion and the ark got closer to the acid.

"Hunk, you have to!", Shiro yelled. "If you let go, the Taujeerians will die!"

Then Hunk's lion roared as it formed extra armor on its front half.

"Oh, woah!", Hunk awed. "Armor claws! Guys, I can keep this thing from falling any farther but I need your help to get it back up!"

"We're on our way!", Shiro yelled as we all flew our lions to the ark, with Hunk.

As we all held the ark steady, the Galra cruiser's ion cannon suddenly fell into the acid. All of us then cheered as we saw the Red Lion.

"Good to have you back, Keith!", Shiro yelled.

"Good to be back," Keith said.

"Is the Princess with you?", Lance asked.

"Yes," Keith answered.

"Like 'with you' with you, or...",

"Lance!", I yelled, interrupting him.

"What?", Lance yelled back.

"Not now," I said.

"Uh, Keith? Little help?", Hunk asked.

"On my way, buddy," Keith said as he flew his lion with the rest of ours.

Now, we were finally able to get the ark upright.

"Alright, everybody. No time to relax. Let's show them what they're dealing with. Form Voltron!", Shiro yelled and we formed Voltron.

As Voltron flew towards the Galra cruiser, it started to shift itself.

"They're heading for the ark!", Pidge yelled.

"They're gonna ram it!", Hunk yelled.

"We'll have to meet them head-on! Form sword!", Shiro yelled as we formed our sword.

"Will the sword be able to cut through the entire battlecruiser?", Lance asked as Voltron flew closer to the ship.

"It'll have to!", Shiro yelled.

"Guys, I think my lion is telling me something," Keith said.

"Yeah, mine too!", Lance exclaimed.

"I can feel it, too," Pidge said.

"Yeah, I feel it," I said.

"Same here!", Hunk yelled.

"Then do it!", Shiro yelled.

I then shoved my bayard in a slot, in my lion, and I think everyone else did it too. Because Voltron's sword grew about three times its size.

'So cool!!'

We then flew Voltron to the cruiser and the sword cut straight through the ship with ease. The cruiser then exploded and we won!

"Yeah!", we all cheered.

"Now, let's get the Taujeerians to safety!", Shiro yelled.

"How are we going to do that?", Hunk asked. "Their booster rockets are shot."

Shiro then came up with a plan to use Voltron to pick up the ark and move it to their moon, and luckily, the plan worked. We were finally able to save the Taujeerians. And then, right after that, we all flew to the castle and met up in the bridge.

"I'm so sorry for leaving," Allura stated.

"Me too," Keith said. "We thought that we were doing the right thing."

"But clearly, you were correct, Shiro. We are always stronger together," Allura said.

"At least we learned that Zarkon isn't tracking us through the two of you," Lance said.

"Plus, I learned that my lion can grow armor and extend its claw-like that... Ting! Which will come in handy if we ever needed to, say, I don't know, slice up a giant steak while getting beat up," Hunk tried to explain. "Or fight evil and save innocent people. That too. That would work."

"The fact that the Red Lion came to help Keith from so far away is a vital piece of information," Shiro said. "We now have proof that a lion and a paladin can, in fact, connect over a far greater distance than we realized. Which means we finally know how Zarkon is tracking us. It's through the Black Lion."

{Duh Duh Duuuuuh}

Time Skip/Aftermath

After having a little conversation in the bridge about the recent actions of different things, it was finally time for bed. I quietly walked alone to my bed and the first thing that I did was plop on my bed.

'Long day... long... day...'

I then heard a small knock at my door. I slowly got up and had the door slide open to reveal Keith. He had a sorry expression on, so I think I know why he's here.

"H-Hey," he greeted me.

"Hey," I greeted back.

"I... just needed to say... that