Ally Gone Astray

Chapter four

Completely unresponsive. Just like Red.
What's going on? Why would her particle barrier be down?
"I'm done with your stupid games. Tell me what you want." Keith ordered. "Link with me or something. Just stop messing with me!"
"Go! Get out!"
His eyes widened, it was Shiro's voice. Again. H sounded terrified.
"Come on! Tell me where my friend is! Now!"
Suddenly, there was a sensation in his mind. Something like what he had as a paladin. Was it working...?
"Please..." His tone was soft, more worried now than angry. "Tell me what's going on."
"Keith!" Again, Shiro's voice. "Listen to me! You have to go! Now! -es not m—"
He didn't understand what he was hearing. Not me?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?! "You called me here, and now you want me gone?! Who isn't you?!"
"Get everyone to their lions!" Shiro's voice had never been clearer, it was as if he had a perfect link directly to his thoughts. But how? "The Shiro in the castle is—"
"Keith."
He jumped at the sudden voice behind he. Quickly, he turned around, "Oh, Shiro. I-I'm sorry I shouldn't be here."
Shiro smiled and nodded, looking at the lion and not Keith. "No, you shouldn't."
"It's just... I'm hearing voices. And it's clearest here! But it was your voice. I can't explain it, but it's your voice and that's all I know. You sound scared!"
Shiro nodded, still watching the Black Lion.
"Shiro..." Keith stepped closer to his friend. "Are you—"
"That's quite enough Keith." The Black Paladin said, rudely cutting him off. "Thank you for your concern... But it's time for you to go."
Keith looked at the Lion and back at Shiro. "You have to listen to me! You don't understand!"
"I understand perfectly." Shiro finally looked at Keith, but it wasn't the same. He was angry and his eyes were filled with malice.... He's normally kind and gentle... "But like I said, it's time for you to go. Now."
"Yes, sir..." Keith mumbled quietly, slowly walking out of the hanger.
"What's wrong with him?! I know he's stressed... But he's never acted like this..." He tried desperately to think of a logical solution to Shiro's suddenly change in demeanor. All he thought of was stress. But they have everything they need to defeat the remaining Galra. There's no need to worry... So why...?

***

It was silent in his room. He was alone with his thoughts. Not a single thought actually came to him though. Nothing sensible.
He jolted up right at the sound of a knock. Taking a deep breath, he said "come in..."
Keith's eyes widened as he saw who was on the other side of the door.
"Lance..? Thank god." He grabbed Lance's hand, pulling him into his room. "Something is terribly wrong with Shiro."
"How so?" He asked, curious as to what had happened between the two of them.
Keith proceeded to tell Lance of his recent encounter with Shiro in the Black Lion's hanger. Of how he felt connected to the lion, and how the 'connection' was broken when Shiro walked in.
"Wait! So he told you to leave?! How mad was he?"
"I don't know, Lance! All I did was tell him I was worried and he got so frustrated. It isn't like him..."
Lance took a deep breath "I should've told you sooner..."
"Told me what?!"
"We went into this weird astral plane thing... Like a virtual or mental word only accessible through the lions... I don't know exactly what happened but Shiro was there and he was calling out to me..."
"To you...?" Keith asked in slight disbelief.
Lance nodded "yeah... But he had no recollection of it. I asked him about it... What he needed... And he couldn't say anything. Instead he just changed to topic of conversation."
"This doesn't sound right. Why would he do this to both of us? It's one thing to forget the first time. Especially since it was some weird mind scape... But again? That's suspicious..."
    "Maybe he isn't himself after all." The Red Paladin suggested.
    Keith gave him a confused look, not knowing what he meant by that comment.
    "Back when Allura was in Oriand, Shiro said he didn't feel like himself." Lance admitted. "I didn't believe him... How could I? What was I supposed to think of that?"
    "It's not your fault..." he told Lance in a strangely kind tone, one unlike his norm.
    Silence fell over the two, they had come to a stalemate. Where do they go from here?
    Lance sighed deeply and leaned back against the wall, "you know what this means... right...?"
    Keith shrugged, "if Shiro really is inside his lion, then..."
    "The Shiro here is an impostor." Lance said, completing Keith's thought.
    "Yeah..." he nodded in agreement. Although, a large part of him felt like they were wrong.
    "So, uh... Keith..." Lance looked to his friend for help. "what now?" He asked.
    More silence fell over the two. They found the source of Keith's sudden headaches, and even got to the bottom of Shiro's strange behavior.
    That being said, this was all speculation. Neither really knew if this idea of theirs was in any way even close to being correct.
    "I guess we do what Shiro... Or rather the Black Lion said." Keith began. "Go to our lions."
    "Right." Lance nodded, but a look of worry was quickly visible. "But... You don't have a lion, Keith..."
    He was right, but since when did anything stop Keith? "Then I guess I'll have to try and bond with the Black Lion again. I did it once. There should be no problem with me doing it again."
    Lance, again,nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but smile at Keith's confidence. He on the other hand was worried.
    If they are right, they'd be facing uncertain danger.
    However.... If they are wrong, they could lose Shiro's trust forever.
    Neither outcome is pleasant, but they don't have much of a choice now.
    The lions don't mess around. Shiro is in danger... No matter the kind. And he desperately needs their help.