A/n: As you can tell by the name of this chapter, this isn't an episode from the show. I've decided to add chapters of side adventures to add some originality to this story. There will be other chapters like this in the future. Besides that, I hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
•••••••••••••••••••••••
When Keith woke up the next morning, he saw Arcadia was still asleep. He didn't realize his arm was resting on her waist until he removed it to stand up. Crawling off the bed, he wandered over to the girl's dresser when something caught his eye. On top of the furniture was a pair of funny sunglasses with cartoon sharks around the lenses and a black beanie.

Keith's lilac eyes widened when he remembered meeting a girl with long, sable locks on Earth with the same pair. It was a few days after he was expelled from the Galaxy Garrison and he was meandering around town for a change of scenery. He ended up being caught staring at the girl with the strange sunglasses and beanie, which he had no idea he was doing himself until she approached him. He couldn't see her eyes and was confused as to why she was wearing a beanie on such a hot day. After their confrontation, he ended up spending the whole day with her and found himself hanging out with her on a daily basis for the next three months. She never gave Keith her name and one day, she completely vanished.

Keith tried to search for her, but since he didn't know her name, he had no leads and gave up after a while. The boy finally thought he had finally found another person to trust besides Shiro, but she vanished without a word. Keith was wounded at the fact she never told him she was leaving. Now, he had the other paladins, Allura, Coran, and best of all—Arcadia. He glanced at the slumbering girl and imagined her with black hair instead of white. Now that he thought about it, she sounded exactly like the girl he had met on Earth. Keith nearly dropped the sunglasses as he wondered if Arcadia was the mystery girl he met that day. It would explain the sensation he's felt the entire time since meeting her when he and the others arrived at the Castle of Lions.

The draconian awoke with a yawn as she stretched her arms. Her eyes spotted Keith and the sunglasses in his hand. "Oh, you found one of my Earth souvenirs. I think there's a hat over there, too. It's a very strange and funny-looking object, but I kinda fell in love with it."

Keith opened his hand and stared down at the sunglasses. "You're the girl I met that day..." He mumbled. Ever since meeting her when he and the others arrived at the Castle of Lions, he always felt a strange connection to her but wasn't sure what it truly was.

"I'm sorry, Keith. Could you repeat that?" Arcadia asked as she got to her feet.

"You're the girl I met after I was expelled from the Garrison. I remember these stupid sunglasses she wore every time we hung out and how she always wore a hat." Keith glanced up and met the girl's golden gaze. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Arcadia's guilt showed as she fiddled with her fingers. "Yes, it was. I'm sorry for not mentioning it earlier. I thought... you had forgotten about me. That's why I didn't bring it up." She looked down, avoiding Keith's intense gaze. She nibbled on her bottom lip nervously, waiting for the boy's response.  When she felt two arms wrap around her petite frame, a gasp escaped her lips.

Keith tossed the shark sunglasses on the bed and had pulled her into a tight hug, resting his chin on top of her head. "After Shiro went missing during the Kerberos mission, I thought I wouldn't find anyone else to trust. Then, I met you. Even though you didn't tell me your name, I still ended up trusting you as we spent time together. After I finally was able to trust you and ready to open up more, you vanished."

Arcadia rested her hands on Keith's back, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I'm so sorry, Keith. I realized I was getting too close to you and decided to keep my distance as I gave you clues to the blue lion's location."

"But... why? Why couldn't you stay with me?" He asked.

"You didn't need a distraction. All you needed were the clues to the first lion and nothing more."

"Did you really think you were a distraction?" Keith pulled away from Arcadia, but he kept his arms around her.

"Yes, I did. But, not anymore. Do you... still trust me even after learning all this?" Arcadia inquired nervously.

"I'm mad, but I still trust you," he confesses.

Arcadia smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "Even though you're mad, I'm still glad I haven't betrayed your trust by making a stupid mistake."

Keith moved his hands to Arcadia's cheeks and pulled her into a proper kiss. It wasn't a long kiss, but it satisfied both individuals. As they stepped away from one another, Keith stared into the draconian's golden eyes with curiosity. "You looked really weird with those sunglasses and that beanie."

"What?! I look amazing in them!" Arcadia snatched up the sunglasses and put them on. "See? I'm stylish and you're just jealous. Besides, I needed something to hide my eyes and my pointy ears!"

"No, they're one of the ugliest pairs I've ever seen," Keith retorts with a small chuckle.

"I'm gonna wear these all day just to annoy you," she snickers.

Keith plucked the sunglasses off her face and placed them on the dresser. "I don't think so, Arcadia." She stuck her tongue out at him in response like a child and crossed her arms. She headed into the bathroom and changed out of her casual outfit and into her normal combat one.

The alarms suddenly blared loudly, grabbing the couple's attention. They dashed to the bridge and found they were the last ones there. Allura silenced the alarms and faced the paladins and Arcadia. "We've just picked up a distress beacon from Unidau."

"Unidau?" Pidge parroted the princess.

"It's a planet that was home to the Unidaunians," Arcadia said.

"Uh, "was"?" Lance questioned.

"The civilization was wiped out by an Xeonimph, a creature with tentacles and a goo-like body. But, the creature was never found after the planet was wiped clean of everything. Not even a single living creature survived its rampage. Now, the planet's a barren wasteland and is only home to hostile winds and dirt," the draconian explained.

"And the castle picked up a distress beacon on such a planet?" Shiro questioned.

"It is possible a ship crashed on the planet and sent a distress signal," Pidge exclaimed while fixing her glasses. "We should help them."

"Uh, what if it's a trap?" Hunk spoke up, expressing his concerns.

"The planet is lifeless unless the Xeonimph is still alive, wandering around the desolate rock," Arcadia stated. "Who or what could trigger a distress signal besides a marooned ship?"

"She's got a point," Keith said.

"You're just agreeing because she's your girlfriend," Lance hisses at the boy.

"I'm agreeing because she's right!" The red paladin bellowed angrily at the boy.

Arcadia clapped her hands together, silencing the two squabbling paladins. "Why don't we head down to the surface and find the cause of the distress signal?"

"I agree. We must save everyone we can," the princess proclaimed sternly.

"Alright, team. Let's get to our lions and find the source of the distress beacon," Shiro commanded.

"Oh, do bring back a small sample of the dirt! I heard it makes a fantastic skin softener!" Coran excitedly yelled as the paladins and Arcadia left.

Pidge glance sat the draconian as she replayed the altean's words. "Is the dirt on Unidau really good for your skin?"

"No. That was a lie I told Coran. He told me a lie about the altean juniberries when I was thirteen and I ended up with rashes. The dirt on Unidau is actually terrible for your skin and can cause irritation," Arcadia giggled. "That's what he gets for tricking me."

"You're getting back at him for something that happened so long ago?" Keith asked.

"Bingo!" Arcadia chanted with a giggle. "Oh, I just love that Earth word!"

<——————<<<<<<

Inside the red lion, Arcadia held onto the seat as Keith guided the mechanical beast to the surface of Unidau. The paladin glanced over his shoulder and stared at the girl's exposed skin. "You said this place has hostile winds and dirt that irritates skin. Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine. My skin isn't as delicate as humans or alteans. We also won't be here long enough for the side effects to set in. All we need to do is find the source of the distress signal and then we're back on the ship!"

Uneasiness crept through Keith's veins as the feeling only festered. He didn't express his worries to Arcadia because he thought he was overreacting, but the feeling wouldn't leave him alone. Something was gnawing at him and it wouldn't let go until they were safely back at the castle and far away from Unidau.

When they landed, Keith and Arcadia left the red lion and regrouped with the others. The wind was blowing, but it wasn't enough to knock them off their feet. Arcadia's white locks whipped in the breeze and she quickly decided to pull her long hair into a ponytail. Hunk gazed at the open vastness and how flat the planet was. "No mountains or rock formations at all?"

"Unidau is as flat as any planet can get. The Xeonimph consumed everything and left nothing behind. It's highly possible the creature is still alive and wandering the planet so be on your guard at all times," Arcadia warned the paladins, her tone stern and wary.

"Ugh, I already hate this place..." Lance grumbles, slumping his shoulders forward with a pout.

"I did a quick search on the Xeonimph before heading to my lion. It said the creature absorbs things into its body and it slowly decomposes due to the acid. It literally looks like a blob with tentacles," Pidge said, glancing at the others.

"The average time for something to decompose inside the creature is around an hour. It may have a slow digestion, but it sure is huge!" Arcadia added.

"That's good know. Can we leave now?" Hunk whines. "I don't want to be eaten by a blob!"

"We're not leaving, Hunk. We need to find the location of the distress beacon and then we'll return to the castle," Shiro proclaimed. He glances at the green paladin who stood beside him. "Where to, Pidge?"

Pidge pulled up the radar and a small beeping was heard. "According to the radar, we should head east. It's not far from here."

"Then we'll continue on foot and leave the lions here," Shiro said.

"Why if that blob-thing comes by and eats the lions while we're searching?" Hunk pondered, worried about the Voltron Lions.

"I seriously doubt we'll be gone that long, Hunk," Pidge retorts. "Besides, according to the information I found, the Xeonimph hasn't been seen in over fifteen thousand years!"

"It's a well-known monster across the entire universe. Scientists from different alien races have been keeping an eye on the creature to make sure it doesn't leave Unidau. They've tried to kill it, but nothing has worked so far. Bullets are just absorbed into its body and the Xeonimph recovers quickly from lasers." Arcadia glances at the radar on Pidge's wrist and tapped the projection. "Also, its a difficult creature to follow because it doesn't appear on any radars."

Hunk covered his ears and shook his head frantically. "Not listening, not listening, not listening!"

"Let's make this quick," Shiro said, his own worry arising.

Walking across the flat and lifeless rock known as Unidau, the paladins and Arcadia headed east and toward the distress beacon. Lance was grumbling incoherently under his breath as he swung his arms around aimlessly in boredom. The wind kicked up, ruffling Arcadia's hair while the paladins' locks were protected by their helmets. Hunk was nervously chewing on his fingernails as the wind created an eerie howl.

Pidge and Shiro led the group as they wandered across the desolate wasteland and stopped when they reached a large crater. The green paladin gasped at the sight. "That is one large crater. You don't think..." Pidge glances up at Arcadia.

The draconian gasped with a hint of fear. "The Xeonimph has started eating the planet itself." From their perch, she spotted myriads of openings at the bottom of the crater. Without care, Arcadia entered the crater and slid down the steep slope with little difficulty.

Keith took chase and shouted after her. "Arcadia, wait!" He followed her down the sleep incline, cursing her mentally for not being more cautious.

"Wait for us!" Lance shouted as he, Shiro, and Pidge followed suit.

Hunk stared at his friends as they entered the crater. "I'll stay up here!"

"Hunk!" The four paladins shouted.

"Okay, I'll... I'll be down soon!"

Arcadia reached the bottom of the crater and stared at the numerous branching tunnels that led in all directions across Unidau. She had no idea the Xeonimph was capable of using its acidic body to burrow underground and through the planet. When she turned around to see how close the paladins were, someone collided with her and ended up knocking herself and themselves off their feet. Arcadia groaned in pain as she noticed it was Keith who landed on her. Behind him, he saw Lance sprawled out on his stomach. "Lance!" He growled.

"Hey!" The blue paladin shot up off the ground. "I tripped!"

Keith pushed himself off Arcadia and apologized. "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's fine," she laughed as he helped her up. Shiro and Pidge made it safely down just as they heard screaming. Hunk was rolling down the incline, shouting at the top of lungs. He was heading directly toward them and Keith quickly grabbed Arcadia and pulled her out of the way. Shiro grabbed Pidge, but Lance wasn't so lucky. The yellow paladin landed on top of Lance, crushing him. Keith grinned at the sight while Arcadia giggled next to him.

"Hunk, get off!" Lance shouted.

"Sorry, Lance," Hunk mumbled as he climbed off the boy. Luckily, the brunette had his entire face covered by his visor and didn't inhale any of the dirt from Hunk's impact.

Shiro glances around at the numerous passage ways, eyes narrowed. "Can we pinpoint exactly which tunnel the distress signal is coming from?"

"Uh," Pidge eyed the radar. "The signal is bouncing off all the tunnels and I can't determine which tunnel is the correct one."

Shiro sighed with a slight hint of annoyance. "We'll have to split up."

"What?!" Hunk shouted. "You do realize that when people split up, they usually die!"

"Hunk, calm down. If we split into teams of two, we can cover more tunnels. It's too dangerous for all of us to go by ourselves. Who knows if the comms will work in the tunnels," Arcadia said.

"Alright. Pidge and I will go together. Lance, go with Hunk and Keith, go with Arcadia," Shiro said, devising the plan.

"No! I wanna go with Arcadia!" Lance protested, pushing past Hunk.

"Not gonna happen," Keith scowled at the cuban boy.

"No fighting!" The alchemist snapped, crossing her  arms. "We listen to Shiro and that's it. Lance, you're going with Hunk. End of discussion."

The blue paladin was speechless, causing Keith to smirk victoriously beside the girl. Shiro thanked Arcadia before they separated into their respected groups. "We'll rendezvous back here. Choose a tunnel and be careful."

Lance groaned under his breath as he and Hunk chose a tunnel and left. Shiro and Pidge disappeared into a tunnel while Keith and Arcadia were still determining which tunnel to use. The draconian waltzed from tunnel to tunnel, listening closely. Keith wasn't sure what she was doing and raised a brow in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Listening. If the signal is bouncing off the tunnel walls and we're unable to pinpoint it, our best bet is to go down the tunnel that the beeping is coming from," she answered, not even sparing him a glance.

"I don't hear any beeping at all," Keith responds.

"That's because human hearing isn't as strong as draconian hearing. There's a faint beeping, but I'm trying to find the tunnel that it's the loudest in. That'll be our best bet." Arcadia leaned her head into another tunnel and smiled. "Let's go down this one."

Keith trusted her judgement and nodded. "Then, let's go."

They entered the tunnel with Arcadia beside him. He turned on his helmet's lights to see in the darkness. Glancing to his right, he saw how the girl's golden eyes radiated in the darkness. "Can you... see?"

"Darkness isn't an issue for me. There are many things I haven't told you about my people. Y'know, the smaller details. I've only ever covered the larger ones." Arcadia glanced forward and suddenly froze.

Keith stopped in his tracks and faced her. "You okay?"

"The beeping stopped..." she mumbled, her slitted eyes staring into the darkness. The girl could hear the faint sound of dripping coming from yards away. It didn't make sense as the planet was siphoned of any and all water sources, even underground wells. There was only one source that could possibly make the noise and Arcadia's eyes widened in fear.

The red paladin saw the fear in her eyes and grabbed her hand. "What do you hear?"

"I-It's the Xeonimph..."

Keith pulled on her hand and tugged her back toward the entrance. "We've got to get out of here and warn the others."

"Y-Yeah, let's turn back."

Keith kept ahold of Arcadia's hand as they ran through the tunnel. Before they could reach the outside, something wrapped around the girl's body from the darkness and tried to drag her back. She screamed and Keith kept a tight grip on her hand, desperately trying to keep her away from whatever that wanted to drag her away from him. He saw what was wrapped around her body and recognized it as a sable tentacle. He gritted his teeth as he grabbed her other hand and used all his weight to try and free her from the creature's grasp.

Arcadia whimpered in pain as the tentacle tighter around her. It tugged her back into the tunnel, dragging Keith with it. He dug his heels into the dirt and brought the struggle to a stalemate. Arcadia knew the boy wouldn't be able to free her and released her hold on Keith. The paladin's lilac eyes widened at her actions. "What're you doing?! Don't let go!"

"Keith, listen to me!" Arcadia shouted with fear in her voice. The boy stared into her horrified golden eyes at hearing her frightened tone. "You need to find the others and get to the lions."

"I'm not letting go and allowing this thing to take you!" He shouted in protest. His arms were screaming in pain as he kept his grip on the girl. Sweat beaded down his forehead as the pain grew when the tentacle tugged on Arcadia's body.

"You have to! Maybe... Maybe Voltron can kill the Xeonimph. Let me go, Keith," she whispered the last part, a few tears escaping her eyes.

"I'm not letting you go!" Keith's voice reverberated throughout the tunnel.

"Listen, the Xeonimph is impermeable to magic and projectiles. If you and the others form Voltron, you could possibly kill it."

"What about you?! You'll be killed by that thing!"

"I know you'll save me, Keith. If you won't let me go, I'll make you," she muttered. Keith's eyes widened as he watched her horns and nails grow. Using her talons, she dug them into the paladin's arms and forced him to release her. He tried to fight through the pain, but it was too unbearable. His grip loosened and the Xeonimph won, forcing him to watch as Arcadia was pulled away from him and vanished in the darkness. Keith fell to knees, slamming a fist into the ground. The boy knew he had to contact the others as quick as possible. He only had an hour before the monster consumed Arcadia entirely.

Outside, Keith saw the others had returned from their search. His companions saw the fear and anger in his lavender eyes as he clenched his fists at his sides. "Keith, where's Arcadia?" Shiro questioned the red paladin.

"That thing took her!" He yelled, unable to control his anger and sorrow.

Pidge's brown eyes widened. "The Xeonimph has her? Then, we only have an hour to save her!"

The ground beneath them shook, causing everyone to lose their balance. From the bottom of the crater, they watched as the Xeonimph emerged from the ground and reveal itself. Its body had numerous sable tendrils protruding out of its goo-like body. Its spherical body was much larger than they had even imaged. The green glow it emitted casted across the wasteland. What caught them by surprise was it had no face or mouth.

"It's a blob monster!" Hunk shrieked, panic taking over his body.

"We have to get to our lions and save Arcadia!" Keith shouted.

"I agree with mullethead. Arcadia's got to be our first priority right now!" Lance yelled.

"We're not going to leave her behind. Let's head to our lions," Shiro declared.

The paladins crawled out of the crater and ran to their lions. They took off and set their sights on the Xeonimph. When Hunk carelessly shot at the monster, Keith immediately yelled at him. "Don't shoot at it! What if you hit Arcadia?!"

"Sorry, sorry! I wasn't thinking!" Hunk whimpered as he saw Keith's heated gaze directed at him over the comms.

"How're we supposed to get Arcadia out of that thing?" Pidge inquired as the monster slowly moved in the opposite direction.

"I... I don't know," Shiro confesses. "But we're not leaving without her."

"Paladins, what is happening down there?" Allura questioned as she contacted them.

"It's this gooey thing!" Lance shouted.

"The Xeonimph?" The princess gasped. "How is that possible?"

"It doesn't matter. Right now, we need to find a way inside that thing and save Arcadia," Keith said, gripping his controls tightly.

"She was absorbed by it?!"

"Uh, guys? That thing is doing something!" Hunk shrieked. The paladins turn their gazes to the Xeonimph. It was using its tentacles to dig into the dirt, placing the rocks into its body, and creating another tunnel.

"We can't let it go underground! Our radars can't pick up its signature and if it decides to wander back  to one of the other hundreds of tunnels it's made—"

"We'll lose track of it and won't be able to save Arcadia," Shiro finished Pidge's sentence.

Keith leaned forward in his seat, his hands tightly wrapped around the red lion's controls. He desperately tried to think of a plan and eventually, one popped into his mind. "Allura, anything can survive inside the Xeonimph for an hour, right?"

"Yes. What are you planning, Keith?" The princess asked.

"I'm going inside that thing and finding Arcadia myself."

"It is dangerous, but I see no other way," Shiro said. "We'll distract it while you find a way into its body."

"Alright." Keith glances at the comms and at Allura. "Where's the best place to get inside its body?"

"Any part shall do. Use your jetpack to maneuver through its body. The goo shouldn't affect its functionality."

Keith knew what he needed to do and flew his lion over to the monster. He left the mechanical beast and waited for the others to distract it. The black, blue, yellow, and green lions swooped in, distracting the Xeonimph from digging any further. It used its tentacles to attack, forcing the paladins to dodge. Keith ran over and activated his jetpack, entering the creature's body. He made sure his visor completely covered his face as he dove head-first into the green, radiating goo.

The boy used his arms to push through the monster's body and activated his jetpack once again. With help from the thrusters, moving through the goo was easy. Keith passed the tons of debris inside the Xeonimph as he searched the goo.

From his comms, he could only hear static. The creature's body prevented communication and Keith knew he would only need himself to save Arcadia and no one else. "Where are you?" He mumbled to himself as he delved further into the monster's body. Luckily, Keith's armor protected him from the acid, but it wouldn't be long before it singed his suit and reached his skin.

The red paladin came to a stop to scan the area around him. To his left, he spotted a familiar figure. He quickly activated his jetpack and went as fast as he could to reach Arcadia and get her out of the Xeonimph's acidic body. When Keith reached her, he saw she was unconscious and had burn marks forming on her skin from the acid. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body toward his. Arcadia's head rested against the boy's chest as his other arm snakes around her back and his hand cradled her head. Jetpack activated, he searched for the nearest exit out of the monster. The red paladin was unsure of how far he had traveled into the Xeonimph, but he would find a way out before Arcadia's burn marks fester further.

Eventually, Keith found the surface and pushed through it with Arcadia in his arms. Once free from the monster's body, the boy tumbled to the ground and made sure to not land on Arcadia. He laid her down for a brief moment and checked over her body. "Keith!" He heard Shiro shout over the comms.

"Did you find Arcadia?" Pidge eagerly asked.

"Yeah. She's unconscious and her body is covered in burns from the acid. Besides that, she's fine," he sighed in relief.

"Space dragon is safe!" Hunk yelled jubilantly.

"Why do you keep calling her that?" Lance asked.

"Because that's what she is and it's fun to say."

Lance and Pidge groaned over the link before dodging a few of the Xeonimph's tentacles. Keith scooped Arcadia up into his arms and returned to his lion. Inside the cockpit, the paladin sat down in his chair with Arcadia sprawled across his lap, her head resting against his shoulder. "Alright, let's kill this thing!"

"Didn't Arcadia say it was impossible to kill?" Hunk asked the boy.

"She said it was resistant to magic and projectiles. What if we try the sword?" Keith suggested.

"It's worth a try. Form Voltron!" Shiro shouted, all five lions combining to create the legendary defender. "Form sword and shield!"

Keith shoved his bayard into the slot and turned it. The sword formed and Pidge summoned the shield, using it to protect them from the tentacles. Shiro used the sword to cut the limbs off and close in on the Xeonimph. "Okay, so... we can cut off the tentacles, but that won't get us anywhere!" Lance whined.

"What about—" Keith was silenced when he felt a hand cover his own. His eyes widened a fraction as he glanced down at Arcadia.

She slowly opened her eyes and whispered to him. "The core... Destroy... the core..." Before Keith could say a word, she fell back into unconsciousness.

Her hand fell from his and he immediately contacted the others. "We've gotta destroy the core."

"And where did you get an idea like that?" Lance scoffs in disbelief.

"Just do it!" The red paladin seethed, glaring at the blue lion's pilot.

"Alright! Geez..."

Voltron closed the distance between them and the Xeonimph, raising its sword. Pidge eyes the monster as it whipped more tentacles at them. "This thing is huge. How deep is the core, anyway?"

"Not sure, but we're about to find out," Shiro said, bringing the sword down on the gooey, oozing creature. The blade sliced through its body with ease until it clashed with something hard.

"That's gotta be the core!" Pidge yelled. "Swing again before it recovers!"

Voltron raised the sword and delivered another blow to the core, cracking it down the middle. The Xeonimph created an eerie wail as its body slowly fell apart in chunks. Voltron disbanded and watched as the monster was reduced to a pile of green goo. Their radar picked up the distress beacon and saw its location was right in front of them. "The Xeonimph was the cause behind the distress signal. It must've ate one and activated it without knowing."

"How is that possible? Not even the comms work inside its body," Keith stated.

"Distress beacons can work through any interference. This whole time, we've been tracking this thing. Now we know what technology does work to track something like this. It would also explain why the signal was bouncing around the tunnels earlier."

"Looks like this was a waste of time," Lance sighed. 

"No. We were able to rid the universe of a monster that could have traveled through the galaxy and targeted other planets," Shiro exclaimed. "Let's head back to the castle and treat Arcadia's wounds."

"Finally!" Hunk cheered, flying his lion back to the castle. The others followed the yellow lion and returned to the castleship.

Keith landed in the red lion's hangar and carried Arcadia out of the beast's mouth and to the infirmary. Allura and Coran were there, waiting for him. The royal advisor opened a cryo-pod and Keith placed Arcadia inside. As the pod sealed, the man glanced at the paladin. "So, did you get my dirt?"

"Uh, no. We were kinda occupied with a giant, nasty monster that swallowed Arcadia," the boy retorts.

"Aw..." Coran pouts, hanging his head.

Allura was staring at the unconscious Arcadia as she slept in the cryo-pod. She placed a hand on the glass before looking over her shoulder at Keith. "Thank you for saving her, Keith."

The boy sat down next to the pod and looked up at the princess. "There was no way I was gonna let that thing have her. You don't need to thank me."

"Yes, I do. You saved my best friend and my sister. She and Coran are the only ones I have left to remember my peaceful life before the war."

The other paladins arrived and gathered around the pod. Hunk and Pidge pressed their faces against the glass while Lance tapped a finger against it. "How long until she's ready to come out?" The green paladin inquired.

"A quintant should suffice. For now, the rest of you should get some sleep. Today was quite eventful," Allura beamed at the five paladins. The two alteans left followed by Pidge, Lance, and Hunk.

Shiro was about to leave the infirmary until he saw Keith hadn't budged from his spot beside Arcadia's pod. "Are you coming, Keith?"

"I think I'm gonna stay here for a while," he said, leaning against the side of the pod.

The black paladin smiled at the younger boy. "You really love her, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. Remember when I told you about that girl I met after I was expelled from the Garrison?"

"How could I? It was the day after I returned to Earth. I've never seen you talk about someone so passionately before." Shiro sat next to the Keith, glancing at the sleeping draconian to their right.

"It was Arcadia. She was the girl I met in the city that day. I didn't even know until I found those stupid shark sunglasses and the beanie in her room this morning," he chuckled.

Shiro was shocked at the revelation, but he was happy. "That's great, Keith! I saw how much you loved that girl by the way you talked about her. I would say it's small world, but... that analogy doesn't work here."

"I mean, what're the odds that the girl I liked on Earth was actually the stranger giving me clues to the blue lion's whereabouts?" Keith wondered curiously.

"I call it destiny. I seriously doubt that encounter on Earth was just coincidental."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right."

Shiro patted Keith on the shoulder. "Don't stay up too late, Keith. Arcadia will throw a fit if she learns  you stayed up late just because you were worried about her."

Keith smiled up at his slumbering girlfriend. "She'd chew my ear off. I'll head to my room in a few minutes." Shiro nodded and left the infirmary.