Voltron: Little Book Of Stories

The Words.

Keith's POV

I understood that I couldn't, being merely human, prepare for moments that seem so surreal. In truth, I thought that this moment would be the most difficult of the whole ordeal. Getting my feet to trudge on through the begrimed muck of yesterday's evening rain, and into the darkened car. It was only years later that I would find that this was untrue. I suppose I should tell you exactly what happened. Although I'm afraid that it's a rather somber story.

It began on a day that seemed so foreboding that if any person were asked to remember what had occurred they would provide a most harrowing description of the day's events. An overcast sky laid above the town as petty people went about their morning as if nothing was the matter, more as if nothing really mattered. I was in my room, sleeping, at least until I was pounced on by an ecstatic little girl. My daughter Emilie had just turned eleven the night before, so like any loving father would, Lance let her have a sleep over. I was opposed to this idea for the fear that something would go horribly wrong and I would be to blame. I wrestled with her for a few minutes attacking her with the plum pillows that headed the king sized bed. Unfortunately our bonding moment was cut short as the scent of char accompanied by the shrill screech of the smoke detectors that quickly flooded the bedroom. "Emilie..." I breathed my eyes darkening.

"Mai uh, might have made pancakes." She nervously shrunk away from me and slipped off the bed.

"Emilie."

"It was supposed to be a surprise!" I groaned getting up trying to find a t-shirt that didn't horribly clash with my maroon pants. I'm able to salvage one from the piles of clothes that lined the floor. The smell grew more potent and my pace quickened as I moved downstairs. Mai sat plopped on the beige tile, charcoal disks spread around her.

"Uh, I stopped the smoke uncle Keith." Mai said as she picked up her head forging a tender smile.

"You know, you're just like your father," I started picking up a pancake off the floor, "he can't cook either. Why don't I take both of you to get some edible food, how does doughnuts sound-"

The doorbell rang out. I'm not sure how, maybe it was the grey sky the peaked at the edge of my back door windows, or the manner in which I had been awoken, but my stomach twisted then. I got up and headed for the door Emilie in her rose lion onesie clinging to me. My hand grasped the bitter metal of the handle, I paused before twisting it. A rush of wintry air cut the room abruptly. Red. White. Blue. Red. White. Blue. Red. White. Blue. The blaring lights. Red. White. Blue. Or was it white, blue, red. The colors had blended in my memory. I ushered my daughter away. I never knew what she had saw of the conversation, but I hope that it was little. A muscular police woman stood in front of me, a grave look resting upon her face.

"Hello sir, I'm sorry to bother you at this hour, but are you Keith Kogane?" I nodded not wanting to reply. "I'm sorry to inform you, but I'm afraid that-"

"Just spit it out!" I shouted unable to take the tension anymore. I wish that I hadn't done that. If I could savor a just moment longer not hearing her vile words, the bliss that was oblivious to me until now, that had once existed, would never really return.

"Mr. Kogane, Takashi Shirogane has passed away under unknown circumstances, our team is currently investigating it. This was found in his bedroom." She pulled a plastic bag out that contained the final plea of a man.

Please, he's coming for me. The man with golden eyes. I'm sorry. What are you doing! Don't trust me! Kuro's lying! Please.

"Can you make any sense of this?" She looked at me expecting me to be able to explain the note.

"I'm sorry, but no. Where is his wife? Her name's Allura, she needs to come get her daughter and tell her what has happened." Nervously the woman glanced behind her avoiding my pressing eyes.

"Two hours ago we revived a call from Mr. Shirogane, he said his wife had been missing since yesterday morning. The time elapsed had exceeded twenty four hours, so we launched a missing persons investigation. It was half an hour later when we went to go speak with him, that's when we discovered his body."

I told Mai that they came because of the smoke alarm, a believable excuse. When she asked me when her mother was coming to pick her up, I was coward and told her that she called and said that she was allowed to spend the night again. That night I sat across from Lance, who had just gotten home from work at the restaurant. His ring finger anxiously rubbed against the handle of the coffee mug. My cellphone rang breaking the suffocating silence. I picked it up pressing the glass to my face not breathing. "Hello."

"Mr. Kogane, we've found the body."

"What do you mean you found the body! I thought you said that Takashi's body was in his home!" I stood up tears rising to my eyes.

"No, we found Mrs. Shirogane's body on the side of a road. We are still waiting on the results from the coroner's autopsy, but she had stab wounds to her chest area. It was murder." Tears fell from my eyes, they felt like acid as they rolled down my cheeks. Lance had pulled me into a hug causing me to drop my phone. The screen cracked that night. I still haven't gotten it fixed.

Lance told Mai that they had died in a car crash. Three weeks later a private funeral was held. We adopted her two years later. Firmly I held Mai's hand through it all leading her along the lie that lasted nine years.

This morning was a good morning. I sat in my study sketching a picture of an angel the dawn's light casted upon the canvas. A candle burned to my left filling the room with an ambrosial smell of pumpkin spice. The long black and white hair, colored in honor of her father, riffled about as she danced through the door clothed in her intricately patterned overalls. "Whatcha doing dad?" She piped up trying to catch a glimpse of my artwork. "Uh, not another angel, it's like you only paint lions and angels! You practically single handedly fueled your daughters ridiculous obsession with the circus." I laughed at her remarks, she is clever, I'll give her that.

"Yes I suppose so." I said turning my attention back to the canvas.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your work. I have a meeting this afternoon but I should be home around six." She headed for the oak doors. I don't know what possessed me in that moment but the words seemed to rush out subconsciously. That was the moment that I was never prepared for. Perhaps it was the guilt pent up inside me for so long. But now as autumn turns to winter, I realize that so much has changed. Maybe I'm done, after all he's left me. What more is there.