It's All My Fault-A Voltron Fanfic

Part 11

Keith and Shiro were now standing in front of the large rock formation that Allura had described to them. Only there was a problem, there were two caves instead of one.

"You take the one on the right I take the one on the left?" Keith asked as he stared down the cave entrance in front of him.

"What did Allura say?" Shiro asked as he turned away from the rock formation, looking in the lion's direction. In the distance, you could see a purple line then a red and silver blob on top. That was where the lion sat. Safe from destruction and from anyone who would be interested in taking off with it.

"She said there was only one cave..." Keith looked through the "Flash drives" notes again, "Yep! Only one cave."

Putting the tablet in his sack, he walked over to the cave on the right.Putting the tablet in his sack, he walked over to the cave on the right.

"Well, I guess we split up. We can stay connected through the coms." Shiro had been checking the cave on the left.

Standing in front of their caves they turned on their flashlights and quickly descended. The darkness swallowing up any light left.

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Keith walked through the tunnel, that led to wherever that may be.

Keith's boots landed on the rocky surface as he walked deeper into the cave. The sound his steps made echoed throughout the tunnel.

Taking another step he continued forward, but sadly he miscalculated the step and slipped on the wet surface.

"Ahhh!" Keith landed on his stomach, his head spinning."

"-ith! Keith! Are you alright." He heard Shiro's worried voice come over the coms.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just be careful on the rocks they're slick. Keith said as he sat up. His vision blurred momentarily then cleared.

"Will do."

Keith continued down the tunnel, his stomach was sore from landing on the rocks he could feel the soreness every time he took a deep breath. This plant better be worth all this trouble.

He felt the floor go from being steep to laying flat. A few feet ahead was a circular room. Light filled the room, though he wasn't quite sure where the light was coming from, he walked into the room.

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After Keith had slipped on the wet rocks Shiro kept his hand on the wall for balance as he descended deeper into the cave.

He came to a circular room the room was lit enough to where he didn't need to use his flashlight. Walking farther into the room he saw a stone pedestal with little designs carved into the stone. At the top was the reason Keith and he was here in the first place. The plant had a brown stem that met with green petals. The petals were a dark green toward the edge and faded toward a light green giving an ombre look. The center was covered in small yellow dots. The plant was in total six inches tall.

"I found it!" Both Paladins said simultaneously.

"What?" Shiro heard Keith's surprised voice come over the coms. "How is that possible? There should only be one."

"We could take both of them and have Allura choose between them?" Shiro flung the question out there, although he wasn't quite sure Keith heard him. All he heard was some shuffling. Finally, he got an answer out of him.

"Yeah, I guess we could." A moment of silence. "See you at the top."

Walking carefully towards the center of the room he picked up the plant.

Turning away from the now empty pedestal he headed for the exit.

He stopped suddenly. It wasn't loud but enough to where he could hear it. A faint click sounded behind one of the walls. A dart whizzed past his ear and stuck into the clay wall next to him. Next thing he knew he was booking it towards the exit darts whizzing past him and bouncing off his armor.

"Keith watch out for the-" Shiro slipped in the wet rocks unable to complete the transmission. Getting up as quickly as he could he continued up the tunnel.

Bursting from the tunnel in full sprint he slid on the sandy rock as he attempted to stop. He curled into a ball as he fell, protecting the precious cargo from destruction.

A few minutes later Keith ran out of the tunnel, landing on his rear, his body wrapped around the plant as he skidded to a stop.

"Okay, after that surprise I am going to need a minute," Keith said as he scooted over to the wall that was beside Shiro.

"We can spare a few minutes, but no longer than that." Keith nodded in response and continued to scoot towards the wall.

He was almost to the wall that Shiro was leaning against when Shiro saw a dart protruding from in-between the armor into his shoulder.

"Hang on a minute, Keith." Keith stopped moving to let Shiro inspected his back.

"Ow!" Keith said Shiro removed the dart. Examining it closer he couldn't see anything that would make it deadly but it wouldn't hurt to check.

Just then the sun broke out from behind the rock formation lighting everything up.

Shiro winced as something shone into his eyes. Looking just past the dart he had in his hand he saw another one laying on the ground just a few feet away.

Picking it up he noticed the tip had a small amount of purple on it.

"Uh...Keith, we need to get you back to the castle. Now!"

Getting Keith up they both hurried back towards the red lion cautious not to stray too far from the path.

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As they got closer to the red lion Shiro observed that Keith's movements were getting slower and his hair was matted to the back of his neck and forehead. His breathing was laborious and he seemed dazed.

All at once the red Paladin collapsed releasing shaky breaths as he recovered.

"S-Shiro w-what's h-happening to me?" He asked as he gasped for air.

"Hang on buddy." Shiro had to get him inside the lion, so they could make it back to the castle and get him into a healing pod.

Pocketing the darts, he helped Keith stand up. Making sure he was still breathing they made their way into the lion.

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Shiro aided Keith, who was pale and sweaty, lean against one of the panels behind the pilot's chair. Pocketing the darts, he helped Keith stand up.

"S-Shiro y-your...going...to have to...fly red." His voice came out shaky and out of breath.

Shiro was surprised. "A-Are you sure? I don't think the lion will allow me to fly."

"You have no choice...I-I can't fly red..in-in this condition. I-I can.. barely move." Keith closed his eyes for a moment talking made him weaker and he wanted to stay awake long enough for him to get into a healing pod.

"Alright, we can do this." Right? He thought to himself as he settled himself into the chair.

He gripped the handles. "Come on red. Please let me fly you!"

Nothing happened. Shiro was starting to get worried. What if I cannot get Keith home. What then?

Shiro looked back at Keith who had his eyes closed. He looked so vulnerable...sweat drenched his face making him pale.

Shiro jumped as the red lion came to life and took off. Turning back around he found the lion had taken off and was flying straight towards a wormhole.

"Whoa!"

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"The red lion is approaching," Coran said as he looked at the many different monitors that lit up the screen.

"Open a com link," Allura said as she stood in her piloting spot under the crystal keeping the wormhole open as the red lion passed through. (she opened it again after two days she didn't stand there that long.)

Hearing the com link open she hastily asked the question everyone on the castle was dying to know "Keith did you get the plant?"

"Yes, we got two plants although we aren't quite sure which one is the right one."

Allura jumped when she heard Shiro's voice. She wasn't expecting that. Sudden fear filled her mind and voice as she answered. "S-Shiro where is Keith?"

"He's here and alive, but he's not doing so hot."

Opening a video link she finds Shiro in the pilot's seat. Looking at the edge of the video, she saw the edge of Keith's mullet move which indicated he was still alive. She let out a breath of relief.

"He was hit with one of these." Shiro held up a dart it was brown the tip was silver and multicolored designs covered the brown. Looking intently Allura studied the dart combing through her memories. She could've sworn that dart, that Shiro held in his hands, was familiar like she had seen one like it before.

Out of the blue, her expression changes from studying the dart to a form of recognition and complete panic. "Shiro we need to get him on board now!"