"You're kidding."

Keith shook his head at Lance. Lance leaned back in his seat and let out a disbelieving laugh.

"These keys are as real as you and me," Keith said, tapping the key he had put down on the conference table. "Besides, how many ghosts have you seen telling you otherwise?"

"This is crazy," Sven said, running a hand down his face. "I'm not sure if I'm awake or dreaming."

"My mother used to tell me stories about Voltron," Hunk said bemusedly. "She's not gonna believe this one."

The five pilots, Allura, and Coran were assembled in the conference room so that Allura and Keith could break the news to the other four. They had sat in a stunned silence when Keith told them what their new mission was and what she was asking of them. Allura was going to clear it with the Alliance heads when they made their decision, but she made it clear that they would be stupid if they refused this. From the looks on their faces, they were perfectly aware of that.

"We're going to fly the Lion ships?" Pidge inquired, clearly having a difficult time wrapping his impressive mind around the idea.

"That's what I said," Allura said with growing impatience that she struggled to keep down. "Any more questions?"

"Exactly where are they, Princess?" Hunk asked. "I know that they can be accessed from the Castle of Lions, but we're nowhere near there, are we?"

Allura smiled grimly. "Actually, we're right under it."

Even Coran was shocked to hear that. Allura had never divulged the secret of their location to anyone and he didn't think that she was bold enough to lead her people back to the place that Zarkon had most prized. As it was, it was the smartest thing she had done. None of the Doom soldiers and their leaders suspected that they were there because it would be the stupidest move they could make. It was a gamble that they had won...for now.

Catching Coran's eye, Allura knew what he was thinking and she smiled smugly, clasping her hands together on the table surface.

"All we have to do is take a little excavation back up there and dig out the access tunnels to the Lions," she said as if they were planning a picnic.

"Oh, ok. Let me go get my tank," Lance said.

"Don't you ever shut up?" she threw back.

"No," Keith and Sven said in unison.

"Thanks, guys," Lance said good-naturedly.

"Look, we need to get up there as soon as possible," Allura said. "We need to find those Lion ships. They are the only things that can save Arus now."

"Are you going to accept this mission?" Coran asked. "I know Allura said you must, but you still have a choice. You control your own destinies."

The five pilots looked at each other. It seemed to them that the answer was obvious. Who would refuse a chance to fly the Lion ships, a miracle of engineering? Certainly not them.

"We're staying. There is no choice about it. We are sworn to help any Alliance planet that needs us and you need us. There isn't an Alliance head in existence that will refuse your request to keep us here," Keith said.

"I say we go up there now, while it's quiet," Hunk said.

"I agree. Let's go," Allura said.

"Let's? I don't think so, Allura," Coran said.

She threw him a look. "Don't even start with me, Coran."

"Young lady, I don't care how well you handle a blaster, you are NOT going up there!"

The five young men were surprised that the normally placid Coran would speak so vehemently, especially towards his precious Allura. For her part, the Princess reacted like a teenager whose father suddenly forbade her to go out. Two red spots appeared on her cheeks and she seemed to dig in her heels as she regarded her advisor heatedly.

"Coran, give me a break. I'm the only one, other than you, who knows where the access tunnels are. And you have to stay here to..to do that thing you do. I'm going."

Coran looked as if he wanted nothing more than to bar her way physically, but from the obstinate look on her face--one he had seen plenty of times before--he would only succeed in getting into a very undignified tussle with the Princess of Arus. To keep things simple, he made a mental note to go over the rules with her when she got back.

"I am strongly against this," he said.

"I know you are," she said, waving her hand in the air. "Let's go, boys."

On the way out, Coran caught Keith's eye and the younger man tipped his head slightly. If Coran could not be up there to protect her, he made sure that someone would and Keith had already proven he considered Allura's life more precious than his own. For that, he would forever have Coran's goodwill.

Unaware that all that was going on behind her back, Allura led the other four amused pilots out the door and to the storage room where they picked up everything they needed. Her steps were brisk as she took them to the one shuttle that could take them to the surface. Heavy security ensured that no one else but her and Coran could get access to it, but it was more for the safety of curious soldiers who may happen to come by. They climbed on board with Allura taking the pilot's seat and Keith as the co-pilot. The other four settled themselves in the back and the shuttle began the slow ascent to the Castle of Lions.

"When was the last time you were on the surface?" Keith asked Allura.

"Ten years ago," she said quietly, her eyes on the viewscreen. "Since we had to go underground, few have been on the surface, at least for purposes that had no relation to battle."

"That's a long time," Pidge said sympathetically.

"We get a glimpse of what Zarkon has done from time to time, from our fighters," she said. "It's a wasteland now, so don't be surprised when you see it. At least try to control yourselves from verbalizing your thoughts. Arus is still my home."

"Relax, Princess," Lance said. "We haven't even done anything yet."

She glanced coldly at him.

"Just remember my words when you see it."

"We're not as coddled as you think we are," Keith admonished, beginning to get irritated with her attitude. "Believe it or not, we have seen death and destruction before. You should be the one preparing yourself for this. The last time you saw Arus, she was green and flourishing. Now..."

"I get it," she interrupted. "Like I said, I've seen pictures."

"We've been out there," Hunk said. "Pictures don't do it justice."

"Are you determined to see me break apart at the sight of my home?" Allura snapped at them. "It's not going to happen."

"Oh, we know," Lance said.

"Have you ever seen the Lions, Allura?" Pidge asked quickly before Allura could retort.

"No," she mumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I was too young and my father did not want to put me in harm's way when I wanted to ride with him."

"I have not heard the whole story of the five Lions," Sven said thoughtfully. "What is it?"

"A long time ago, my ancestors built a mighty robot to protect and watch over Arus during the First Drule War," Allura began. "During one especially rough battle, the robot, known as Voltron, was split apart when a powerful laser blast exploded against it. Voltron split up into five pieces, into the Five Lions that we know of today. My father flew the Black Lion during this war until his death but he flew it under the guise of an Arusian stealth fighter. He did not want the Alliance to find out about the Black, because he was afraid it and the others would be taken away from us. The other four Lions did not have pilots--there was no one qualified enough to fly them. When he died, the secret of the Lions died with him. I know where they are, but not where the Lion keys were. The four other pilots were killed because they could not form Voltron without the Black Lions. No one has tried to fly the Lions since."

"They're probably going to need repair," Keith muttered.

"No problem," Pidge said. "Hunk and I can take care of that."

"Who's going to fly what?" Lance asked. "The Black Lion is the leader, isn't it?"

"Yes," Allura answered. "Do you even have to guess who that will be?"

"No," Sven said, throwing Keith a grin.

"It's like he has an aura of leadership around him at all times," Lance added, moving his hands around Keith's head as if to touch that aura.

Keith slapped his hands away. Allura snorted out a laugh and stood. She dug into her pocket and pulled out the remaning four keys. She remembered how Keith had come to choose the Black's key and so she just held them out, two in each palm, to the seated pilots.

Lance reached out first, a strange look in his eye as his fingers brushed the Blue Lion's key but then he reached for the Red. A small smile curved his lips when he took it.

Pidge reached from behind Lance and there was no hesitation as he took the Green Lion's key. Hunk tilted his head thoughtfully as he regarded the last two keys. He touched first the Yellow, then the Blue...then went back to the Yellow.

"It's like it's calling me," he said quietly.

"Something like that," Keith said, exchanging a look with Allura.

Sven was the only one left and he shrugged as he took the Blue Lion's key. Allura looked into his eyes, a dark, almost navy shade, and frowned when she felt a shiver go through her. His expression wavered and she knew he felt it too.

"The Blue Lion is yours," she said unnecessarily.

"Yes," he said, quietly but she could hear the doubt in his voice.

Shrugging off her reaction to Sven, Allura turned to Keith. He was manning the shuttle with ease, but gave the task his full-attention. Yet, she had the sense that if she were to pull out a blaster and point it at him, he would have her on the ground and disarmed in moments. He had an air of command, of competence about him that made her feel better about letting him fly her father's Lion.

Sensing her eyes on him, Keith turned his head and gave her an inquiring glance.

"You are the leader," she said to him. "The only person you have to answer to is me. Not me and Coran. Just me and your own conscience." She put her hand over his, the one that held the key. "You carry the burden of a people's future on your shoulders. Are you strong enough to hold it?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

She looked to the rest of them. "You are Arus' pride and hope. This is not a job for cowards nor the weak-willed. Every move you make will shape what will become of this planet and its people. You can either save them or condemn them to this life that you see. Are you strong enough to lead them from this hell that they know?"

"Yes," they replied.

She smiled and to them, it seemed like the sun was shining again. For the Princess, seeing them keys in their hands and the determined glow in their eyes was like seeing her greatest hope at last realized.

"Welcome aboard, Gentlemen," she said. "You are now the Voltron Force."