Welcome To The War 》 Voltron

Chapter 35

"A toast to the newly engaged couple!"

"Kipper, we're underage."

The hybrid snorted, grinning as he tipped around the wine bottle.
"Where I come from, Pigeon", he said pompously, "You have to drink. It's a tradition."

Pidge rolled his eyes.
"I bet you can't even keep it down."

"Don't understand me, shorty", Kipper warned. With a corkscrew he found in one of the kitchen drawers, he popped open the lid and took a swig straight from the bottle.

Having completed their mission, they returned to the Korraine household to rest for the night before returning to the the Castle of Lions.

Kipper took another swig of the bottle. His ears bounced playfully.
"I can finally take this makeup off my face soon."

"Nah, you should keep it", Keith joked, "You look like less of a freak of nature."

Kipper scoffed.
"Says the guy getting married to one. Remember we're going to be family soon! Be nice."

Azalea giggled, and continued to nibble on the toast she had made. She was relieved to be finally out of the wheelchair.
It felt better to be floating around rather than being contained.

"I'm sure the others are having fun in New York", she spoke up, "I've never been there, but I'm sure it's fun."

"Well while they're having fun over there, we can party over here", Kipper snickered.

Keith stood up.
"Actually I was going to get some rest. I'm taking Zales with me since I don't trust her around you two late at night."

Azalea raised an eyebrow at him, her mouth full of bread.

The Red Paladin ignored her muffled protests and picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder since she was lighter than air.

"Goodnight", Keith called as he climbed the staircase. Azalea waved at the two in the kitchen.

"Don't be rough with her too much Keith", Pidge warned.

"I won't."

Kipper shot a sly smirk at the staircase, tipping the drink in his hand.
"I think that phrase has a hidden meaning, paladin", he added.

Keith went faster up the steps, and Azalea chocked on her toast at their statement.

Pidge stood up, setting down his glass of soda he had been drinking.

"I'm going to  work on my laptop a bit", he announced, "Don't drink too much Kipper."

Kipper rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry about me."

His dark eyes darted to an object visible in the next room.

"Hey shorty, can I use your headset?"

Pidge walked out of the room.
"Break them and you're dead", he replied curtly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hybrid boy hung the headset around his neck and ventured out of the back door.

He plopped down dead smack in the giant field of flowers.

It was dark out, and the only light that could be seen was the light provided by the moon above and the numerous fireflies flying around.

He twisted the wine bottle in his hand, looking at it.

He knew it wasn't healthy for him.
But he couldn't help it.

Kipper adjusted the goggles on his head and laid back in the grass.

Earth still felt so foreign to him. Wasn't it supposed to be his home?

His mother was born and raised on this planet. So why did he feel so off?

Maybe part of it was that he was a strange combination of Galra, Altean, and Human.
Maybe it was because he was a girl on the outside and a boy on the inside.

Maybe it was because he kept himself isolated for years, wandering around fighting.

Part of him knew that he would have to leave when the war was over. Team Voltron already had three geniuses on board. He didn't want to be a fourth wheel.

But a part of him wanted to stay. Being given a title, no matter how temporary it was, made him feel like he belonged.

Hybrid of the Green Lion.

The clouds are pretty. I've never seen anything like them on other planets.

Even they have a place they belong.

Kipper slowly raised his arm towards the sky, spreading and stretching his fingers to touch the sky.

Mother, was this your plan for me?

Did you even want kids?

Was I even supposed to exist?

Or am I... Merely an experiment?

He remembered how one day on the ship he was occupying as a child, he found his mother's cell while playing hide and seek.

She didn't want to touch him.
He didn't blame her. Jannica was held prisoner after years of being forced to breed with aliens. Her sister was dead.

He just reminded her of everything she lost.

Kipper shoved the headset over his ears.

Maybe this will keep me from thinking about it.

But the music that played only made Kipper feel worse.

"I remember tears streaming down your face as I said I'd never let you go-"

Child Kipper had scooted close enough to his mother that he was able to touch her leg.

She was trembling.

But she had weakly lifted her hand to stroke his face.

"I remember you said, 'don't leave me here alone'"

Jannica had slowly hugged her child, crying.
She didn't say anything, but after a few minutes she told him he had to leave.

He told her that he wanted to help her leave.

But she sent him away.

How did she even know that I was her kid?, Kipper thought.

As the melancholy music played on, and the fireflies flew overhead in the moonlight, Kipper fell further and further into his thoughts.

I don't belong anywhere.
I try to fit in but I can't.

Kipper rolled over in the grass, tucking his face into his arms and ignoring the tear that streaked down his face.