Together We Fight
Storms
There will be storms, child
There will be storms
And with each tempest
You will seem to stand alone
Against cruel winds
But with time, the rage and
fury
Shall subside.
And when the sky clears
You will find yourself
Clinging to someone
You would have never known
But for storms.
-Margie DeMerell
People were constantly coming and going. Always hustling to do something of some importance around the castle, even if it was really only important to the castle cats. That wasn’t to say that there was actually a lot to do, at least not for some people.
Sitting on the banister, Lance gazed
down at the scurrying servants and almost wished Keith would assign him to
inventory or drill exercises or scrubbing the floor with a toothbrush…
Suddenly he hopped up onto the banister balancing a moment in a squat before slowly
standing on the rail. Turning so he
could look down its length he ran a couple of steps then
flipped forward, landing on his hands and taking a few steps on them before
completing the motion and landing on his feet. He followed it with a
backwards flip, twisting in the air to land lightly on the floor of the second
story balcony he’d been looking down from only seconds ago.
The sound of lone clapping echoed
through the hollow room, and he turned slowly flowing into a sweeping bow, not lifting his head
to take a look at his unknown audience until he was done. Standing just
inside the arch of the entree way was a girl
of about twelve years of age wearing a bright
smile as she watched him.
He smiled back at her as she moved
towards him. When she was only a few
feet away she spoke. “You look bored.”
Lance rolled his eyes chuckling. “It’s
that obvious huh?”
“Pretty much.” She held out a delicate hand. “I’m Skyla Nej, my Mother’s the main
cook. What about you?”
“Lance… I’m a soldier.”
Her eyebrow rose in disbelief. “You look more like a rebel to me.”
Lance pretended to think her statement
over before replying as if the answers to all the problems in the universe had
suddenly donned on him. “Maybe that’s why I’m
bored.”
With a toss of her blonde hair she
shook her head in mock dismay. “THAT
was pitiful.”
“Well, you can’t say I don’t try.”
“Unfortunately.” She stood there innocently eyeing him as he
stared at her in shock. “If you’re
bored why not come with me?”
“Where are you going?”
She grinned cheekily at him. “Why?
You’re not up for it?”
Lance could virtually feel the hairs
on the back of his neck stand up in
agitation. “I’ll do anything you can
do.”
Skyla grinned impishly before grabbing
his larger hand in her own and dragging him to
the door. “We’ll soon find out.”
……………………
Lance was impressed by how well the
slight girl moved around the castle. [He kept his
head down; thankful he wasn’t wearing his
uniform, but
that didn’t stop every servant they happened across from saying hello.] It made him wonder how it was he had never
even noticed Skyla before, because from the
respect and love the others were showing her he’d have to
have been deaf, dumb, and blind not to see it
before. It was
like Skyla was a well kept secret no one had wanted to share with him. So he was more than happy when she led them
out of the Castle and into the Royal Gardens and stopped. “So?”
Lance blinked down at her. “So what?”
She looked
at him as if he’s grown a third eye. “What do you think of the Gardens?”
He shrugged in his leather jacket,
feeling suddenly awkward. “I don’t know. I’ve never been here.”
She smiled. “I’ll show you around.”
With ease she moved ahead of him, taking on the role of guide as she took them deeper into the wooded area. “The Royal Gardens are the largest in the Alliance. In reality King Alfor’s parents named it the Royal Gardens in order to protect the natural forest around the capital. It’s large, what some might call woods, including a small lake. It’s all enclosed in the Palace walls and patrolled by the Palace guards routinely. It’s combined as both a wildlife preserve and a national forest but it’s only accessible from inside the Palace so few people come here.”
Lance had been all over the Palace but
not once had he ventured anywhere near the Royal
Gardens. He didn’t think any of the
others, including Princess Allura, had either but he kept these thoughts to
himself because it was obvious Skyla frequented it more than anyone else. He wondered why she was sharing it with him
of all people. Whatever the reason he
felt himself strangely reluctant to have her possibly regret the decision.
“So?”
He blinked down
into her bright blue eyes and blushed darkly as he realized he hadn’t heard a
word she’d just said to him. Shoving
his hands deep into the pockets of his worn blue jeans he said. “I didn’t catch that.”
She grinned, tucking a lock of straight
hair behind her ear with a hand all but hidden by the long sleeves of her
shirt. “I said that you could practice
your moves out here and there’d be less of a chance of hurting yourself. Did you want to? Maybe you could even show me how you do it…”
Seeing the wistful look on
her face he grinned crookedly. “I can
try, but I’m not much of a teacher.”
“We’ll see about that. So, show me how to do something.”
Shaking his head he showed her how to do
a handstand in slow motion.
……………………………
It had to have been
nearly three hours since they had gotten into the garden. He wouldn’t have
thought so if he hadn’t glanced at his watch when it’d started getting dark.
Skyla had been a
quick student, picking up on the techniques easily with only a few
problems. Looking at her pale skin and
her drooping eyelids he couldn’t help but think she looked dead on her feet.
“I think that’s
good for now. We should head back.”
She nodded her
head, “Yeah.” It sounded like she was
out of breath.
Afraid she might
keel over he moved over to her and scooped her weightless body into his
arms. Her eyes closed as her head
rested against his shoulder. As he
looked down at her he felt a spark of worry but started back towards the
castle, cradling Skyla’s limp body as if it were a baby. They had to have walked out at least a half
a mile but he was hardly breathing hard at all when they got back.
Skyla woke before he got up the marble
steps and he gently let her slide out of his
arms. “You feeling better?”
“Yes, thank
you. I should go find Mother.”
“I can come…”
“No. I’ll be fine.” The look on her face left no room for argument.
“Alright… are we going
to do this again tomorrow?” He wasn’t
quite sure why he hoped they would be. Maybe it was because since the upgrade
of Castle Control both Keith and Sven were busy and so were Pidge, Hunk and
Allura and he was lonely.
Skyla stopped at
the door, her face suddenly serious and older than her years. “If tomorrow there are no storms to hold me
away, I’ll be there. I’m always there
if I can be. Come if you’d like.” And with that she was gone leaving Lance behind to wonder what
she’d meant.
He stood still
a moment longer than necessary feeling suddenly depressed. He shook his head wondering why he’d felt
that way than took a deep breath trying to calm his rampaging emotions before
entering the castle knowing the others were probably at the table eating.
He felt their eyes
on him as he entered the dining room.
As he took his usual seat he glanced up at a glaring Allura. “Where have you been Lance? We’ve been
looking all over for you.”
He didn’t have to
fake the surprise he felt. “You were? Why?”
She suddenly looked embarrassed, as if
she shouldn’t have said anything and exchanged a look with Keith, a look that
said they’d ‘discussed’ him.
“Well? Why did you need me?”
She couldn’t quite meet his gaze. “We needed you to move Red Lion, because you have
the key…”
Lance stared at her before standing
straight up and knocking his chair to the floor. Fishing in his pocket he grabbed the key and threw it to
her. It landed next to her plate. With a dry laugh he glared at her. “Well, now you don’t need me. You can move IT yourselves. After all, it’s the only reason you needed
me and now you DON’T need me.” Twisting
he went out of the room, ignoring Keith as he called his name.
Taking the stairs two at a time he got
to his bedroom and slammed the door, feeling suddenly like crying. Stiffly he went to the bed and sat down not
bothering to turn on the light.
Why had Allura had to bring it up? Why’d she have imply that he wasn’t
needed? True, she hadn’t meant it that way and that it had only seemed that way because she was tired, but it hurt all the more
anyway because it was true.
He had just laid back on the bed when
there was a knock on the door. He had
to take a couple of deep breaths before he could speak. “It’s open.”
The door opened the closed with a soft
click. His visitor didn’t move from the
door. “Lance?”
“Keith.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?”
There was a heavy sigh. “You know.”
Lance stared straight up at the
ceiling as if the plain white paint were interesting.
“Then there’s nothing TO talk about.
I’ll apologize to Allura later.”
“Lance you called Red Lion IT! I have NEVER heard you say that before. She means everything to you.”
“Yeah well
maybe IT needs a better pilot. Someone
who can help out more…”
It took Keith seconds to cross the room
and grab him by the shoulders forcing their eyes to meet despite Lance’s
unwillingness to do so.
“I don’t want to
hear that Lance! I WON’T hear it… not
from you.” His actions struck Lance
speechless. “We fight together Lance,
because we’re a team. And you know very
well, at least
you should, that it’s because of your lack of ‘showing’ your real skills that
we don’t place you on any specific task.
You once told me you liked it that way.
So what’s different now?”
Lance felt his eyes burn. He wasn’t sure why but he needed to find
something out. “Keith… stay here will
you… please… I’ll be right back…”
Keith seemed to
think it over finally releasing him.
Getting up Lance moved to the door and let himself out, heading towards the kitchen. His emotions had gone berserk the second he’d left Skyla and he wanted to know why he’d lost all of his control so easily.
………………………
He entered the kitchen easily finding the head cook, a plump woman in her
late-forties. “Excuse me?”
She turned to meet him, her eyes so
similar to Skyla’s. “Yes? What can I
do for you young man?”
He smiled charmingly as he was
tormented by a sudden wave of sadness. “I’m actually looking
for a girl named Skyla. She said she
was your daughter.”
The clatter in the kitchen came to an
abrupt halt and he was assaulted by a wave of grief and anger. “I don’t know why you’re playing with an old
woman’s heart young man, but I don’t appreciate it. My daughter died over a year ago from an illness she’d had from
birth that left her with little energy.”
His throat went dry as he stared at
her. “W-what?” The world spun out of control around her.
The cook peered closer at him, her
eyes suddenly going wide. “Son? You don’t look so well, maybe you ought to
sit down. Elsy get some water!”
Somewhere in the background he heard
someone say he was a member of the Voltron Force and
then he lost track of the world.
…………………………
“Lance?”
Something foul was by his nose and he jerked away from it. There was an arm behind his head and he looked up into Keith’s face and right next to his best friend were Allura and Doctor Goma. “Keith…”
Allura brushed his hair from his
forehead in a sisterly gesture. “Sh,
Lance, it’s okay, you just fainted that’s all.”
There were too many eyes… Too many
people… “Keith? Help me up? I want to go to my room.”
Keith looked
at the doctor questioningly and when the older man nodded in permission he
slowly helped Lance to his feet and they headed back to the comfort of Lance’s
room.
…………………………
Keith sat on his
bed after everyone else had left, obviously waiting for him to say
something. But Lance didn’t know what
to say. What was he supposed to do….
say, ‘I see dead people’.
Luckily, Keith
spoke first so he didn’t have to.
“Allura’s worried about you. She
says that a man she called ‘Elder’ contacted her and spoke to her about you. Something about abilities showing up that
she should watch out for. She thinks that
it’s one of these that sent you into lala land.”
Lance burst out in
sudden laughter that bordered on hysteria.
When he could breath he shook his head staring at the far wall. “The Elder again! Funny how that guy never tells ME anything. Everyone knows more than I do.”
“Lance…”
He sat up suddenly,
glaring at Keith. “Skyla’s DEAD! I, not her Mother or you - I saw her and she’s DEAD! Does that sound logical to YOU Keith?” He had raised his clenched fists and now he
let them open as he stared at his shaking hands. “Why me? Why did she
choose me?”
“Ask her.”
Lance looked up
into his best friend’s face, but saw only worry and resignation. The last seemed to click. “You know
something.”
“I don’t know
enough to tell you what to do or what’s going on. All I know is what you’ve said.
Skyla came to you, not me, not her Mother. You should find out
why.” With that Keith got to his feet
and left the room, leaving Lance behind.
………………………….
He found
himself out in the Royal Gardens by the lake a few hours later waiting, but not
really sure what he was waiting for.
Until he heard a
soft voice behind him. “You wanted me.”
Lance turned to
face Skyla but when he saw through her he found himself unable to speak for a
few moments and when he did it was a choked sound. “Why?”
She smiled softly.
“Because you can see me, because you needed me… need me.”
“Need you?”
“You needed someone
to show you the way. You taught and learned. You know what is to come or you will. Your
destiny comes.”
Lance frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
She moved closer, laying a faded hand on his chest.
“TOGETHER we fight. United a
whole. But there will be storms, where
you feel alone knocked by strong winds but you will hold onto those you might
never have known if not for those Storms.”
She cocked her blond head to the side.
“Even now you have survived storms, even now it has begun… Lion’s Heart,
one part of the whole, but so important…”
She smiled again. “Goodbye
Lance.”
A tear slipped from
his eye as she faded away. “Goodbye
Sky… and thank you for letting me know you.”
This story is dedicated to
Sky (Jen Huttman).
She was a great guest
writer,
An exceptional author,
A wonderful person,
And more importantly she was
a terrific friend.
Goodbye Sky…