Gemini, Touch the Sky (Voltron: Legendary Defender Fanfic/ONC Entry)

Message to Earth's Citizens

The bell hanging over the café door jangled alerting the staff another customer entered the small, tranquil café. The traffic through the café meant the place remained busy during business hours. Some high school students from nearby enjoyed the small café for study groups but others utilized the place for meeting up with friends for the simple task of sharing whatever gossip interested the students recently.

Ryo stood behind the counter preparing an order while his textbooks remained untouched on the counter shelves. The corners of his mouth twisted down slightly while mentally he attempted focusing on the task at hand instead of thinking about the soldier who showed up a year ago or the news report regarding the Kerberos mission from a year before, but no more news came from the garrison or on the small television the café customers watched.

He finished making the coffee and picked up the saucers the cups were on. Ryo watched his hands tremble slightly and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath the shaking stopped and he turned towards the customers and put on a fake smile. He headed towards the swinging door which separated the staff from the clusters as they prepared coffee and started towards the table.

Ryo's dark eyes recognized the newest customer and nodded his head indicating he would be with him in a moment before heading over towards a group of girls who sat chatting amicably with each other. He set the cups down in front of each girl and declared each order while the girls giggled in amusement. In the back of his mind, he didn't want to know what they were thinking, but as he expected the girls let him know what they found so amusing.

"If there is anything else I can do for you ladies, please let me know."

One of the girls looked up at him, but her eyes widened in curiosity. "Are you Doragonhanta?"

"What?" Ryo hoped he kept his composure when he heard her use his pop idol name.

"You know, the pop idol who mysteriously disappeared a couple of years ago. You really look like him, but you smile more."

"Not really." The lie on his tongue felt bitter but not as bitter as the disappearance of his family.

One of the girl's friends leaned forward. "You don't know? I thought everyone knew. I mean, everyone still talks about it. He was that popular."

"Is that popular," the third girl corrected. "His popularity hasn't waned."

"Well, as I said, do let me know if there is anything else you ladies need."

Ryo headed back to the counter and turned to the customer who recently came in. His manager now sat at the counter waiting for him patiently. "Ryo."

"The usual?"

The man nodded his head and looked at the counter. "How are you doing?"

"I may need to find another job soon." Ryo stood with his back towards customers again so he didn't need to smile at anyone.

"I thought you liked this one." The manager let out a sigh. In the back of his mind Ryo wondered if his manager would still have anything to do with him if, first off, he wasn't still a possible money earner if he went back into the industry, and second, the man wasn't the personal manager regarding the Shirogane estate. The latter certainly complicated things yet provided an easy explanation as to why Ryo was speaking with the man who was Doroganhanta's manager.

"It's..." Ryo glanced over at the three girls who were still giggling. One of the girls lifted her phone and took a picture of him. "The usual trouble."

"You can't keep moving onto a new job every time you think someone suspects you of – well, being you." His manager took a deep breath. "That said, when I asked how you were doing, I meant with the other situation. Have you had any more news from the garrison?"

"Nothing. Takashi is still the official reason why the Kerberos mission failed." Ryo turned around with a cup of coffee for his manager.

"Turn up the television!"

The comment from one of the male customers made Ryo glance over at the television. In the back of his mind, he remembered very well the feeling he felt seeing the news report where the garrison declared his older brother dead. Seeing the familiar face on the television at an obvious garrison press conference made Ryo suck in his breath, but his hands let go of the cup of coffee.

The sound of glass breaking on the ground made the customers who didn't already notice the television broadcast glance up. Ryo reached for the remote and pushed the volume button as he continued staring at the television, but so did his manager. One of the other customers spoke up, this time a female one. "Isn't that Commander Holt from the Kerberos mission. I thought he was dead."

A Japanese translator spoke for those who couldn't speak English, yet Ryo heard every word coming out of the man's mouth.

"To the people of Earth, I am fully aware you are likely wondering how I could be alive, but where my other crew members – my son Matt and Lieutenant Shirogane are. Like myself, they are alive and well, but I come bringing news of the utmost importance which requires the countries of Earth to band together. This is not some political move to push the policy of intergalactic space travel among all citizens of Earth as an equal and fair enterprise supported by the United Nations."

"He still hasn't answered how he's alive, or how he got back to Earth."

"Shush."

"What I am going to say is going to be hard to believe, but we are not the only beings in the universe. More specifically, I wish to warn you about the Galra threat which could be on our doorstep within a matter of moments and the need..."

"I knew Commander Holt believed in aliens, but doesn't this take things too far?"

"... for us to unite in order to protect the Earth is of utmost importance. We are calling upon the scientists of Earth and anyone else who is ready and willing to join us in this fight..."

"He must be insane."

"... against the Galra. Specifically, I am in need of other scientists to adapt the Galra technology retrieved with Takashi Shirogane crash landed here on Earth a year ago and the info regarding alien technology particularly that of the Alteans allied with us few as they may be to Earth's technology. We will, in fact, see technological advances we've never imagined, but first and foremost is preparing the defenses..."

"If he was insane why is the Garrison letting him talk officially?" This comment from one of the customers quickly changed the morale in the small café.

"... against the Galra. As for where my son and the Lieutenant are, they are already out there fighting the Galra. Matt is with the allied forces gathered by Voltron which is led by Lieutenant Shirogane."

Ryo took a deep breath and turned towards his manager. The look on the man's face told him he'd like paled considerably at the thought of losing his older brother again.

"With him are four garrison cadets who helped him find the first part of Voltron here on Earth a year ago."

"Oh shit." Ryo leaned over the counter and bowed his head. His eyes closed tightly upon realizing Keith was also in the same situation as Takashi. After all, Ryo knew from what the soldier said that Keith was with Shiro, but he also knew that he might lose both of his brothers if something went wrong. "Shit."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard his manager's voice. "Ryo, I'm sure they will be all right."

Ryo wasn't so sure.