The New Paladin

10: Blue sky

"Lance!"

"For the spindly guy that he is he sure can run fast." Pidge frowned.

"Where is he?" Shiro frowned looking around.

"Lance!" Hunk called again.

They all felt bad.

Lance had helped them to get the red lion, helped Hunk to get the yellow lion and had woken them up in the first place. They owed Lance a lot.

Allura had let them go in search of the boy the moment Shiro had told them he had run. But she had stayed to continue her search for the blue lion.

"Why doesn't he understand?" Pidge sighed. "We need that information."

"But it's his ticket to freedom." Keith remembered a deep frown taking over his expression. "He told me the rebels wouldn't let people in unless they could offer something of value."

"And Allura stole his ticket in." Shiro nodded. "Now I understand."

"We need to find him." Hunk said urgently. "I don't know him well but there's a feeling in my gut that tells me we need him."

"Yeah, it just felt like he fitted in perfectly." Pudge nodded. "Like he belonged."

Keith sighed. "Well if we're going to find him, we'd better split up."

"Alright, Pidge you and me will head up towards the mountains, Hunk and Keith check the plains and around here." Shiro decided before he and Pidge headed off.

"Where could he have gone?" Keith grumbled as he and Hunk began walking.

As they did movement in the grass ahead caught their attention.

Keith readied his Bayard when a small alien popped up.

"It's an Arusian." Hunk said excitedly. "Hey little guy, were looking for one of our friends he stormed out on us."

The Arusian stared back at them, he looked startled and scared but when he removed his Bayard from the mix the expression remained.

"F-friend?" The Arusian asked quietly.

"Yeah, he's human, wearing mismatched armour." Keith informed.

The Arusian face paled more. "I am Kiplaz the great warrior of the Arusians. Your friend..." He glanced to the side where the edge of the cliff was visible. "I did not mean to-"

Keith rushed to the edge looking down. Nothing but the ocean swirling several hundred feet beneath him. "Shiro get down here." He said sharply. "We... We think..."

"He can't be dead." Hunk said with a gasp. "No, no."

"We're coming." Shiro assured.

Keith nodded to himself. The fall was long and Lance, if he had fallen, probably would have died when he hit the water.

"Did you see him fall?" Keith asked turning to the Arusian.

"I darted him." Kilpaz informed holding up a small dart. "The effect took hold in seconds, but he fought it."

"And?" Keith asked raising a sharp eyebrow.

"He fell."

Keith breathed out a short breath. "He's gone Shiro." He said after a few seconds. "This guy saw him fall."

"Did he hit the water? We don't know much about humans, he might have survived."

"I don't know any alien that can survive a fall this high." Keith frowned. "I don't even know how deep the water is."

"This isn't good, this is so bad. I can't believe Lance is dead." Hunk paced as he wrung his hands. "I don't know what we're going to tell Allura. She's going to feel so guilty."

"Meet back at the castle, we'll figure it out from there." Shiro instructed.

When the group arrived on the bridge towards the castle Hunk was frantic about Lance potentially being dead. Pidge was angry. Shiro seemed to be a lot quieter and Keith felt like he didn't know what to do.

They had only known Lance for a day maybe two, but he had helped Keith and Hunk in reconnecting to their lions.

He had given them a way to get Red back even.

"What now?" Keith asked glancing towards their leader, they all just seemed stumped.

A heavy thud behind them made the group spin. Eyes flying wide at what they saw standing on the bridge.

With a mighty roar the blue lion stood proudly on the bridge with a gleam in her eyes.

"Blue!" Pidge smiled. "Did Allura find you?"

Shiro tapped his helmet with a serious frown. "Allura, the blue lion is here."

Allura's following squawk was heard through the coms. "What?! Hang on, myself and Coran are coming down there."

It didn't take them long.

Blue stood patiently waiting for them.

"Wow." Allura breathed. "I couldn't even sense her, she looks well, no damage as far as I can tell."

"Did you find Lance?" Coran asked curiously.

"No." Pidge replied. "An Arusian said he saw him fall off the cliff."

Coran's eyes widened his face paling slightly.

"What?" Allura asked quieter as she turned towards them.

The blue lion roared again before she lowered her head, as she did she opened her mouth invitingly.

Shiro stepped forwards unsure what she wanted but then he saw it.

Or rather him.

"Lance." He breathed as he rushed into the lions mouth.

Lance was leaning against the wall of the inside of her mouth. He was there.

When Shiro reached him he found he was breathing. "He's alive." He informed as he carefully picked him up pausing when the blue lion grumbled softly.

Once they were back out on the bridge Hunk and Pidge crowded around Lance trying to see if they could stir him.

"She must have caught him." Shiro realised looking up at the lion who slowly layed down her giant head resting on her giant paws.

Lance face twisted slightly before his eyes parted. He seemed to just stare at the sky for several seconds before he looked up at Shiro.

He frowned looking entirely perplexed before he was trying to get up.

"Easy there my boy." Coran warned catching his arm.

"What happened?" He slurred stance a little unstable.

"Kiplaz shot you with a dart." Keith informed.

"Who?"

"And you fell off the cliff." Pidge added.

Lance hummed clutching his head. "Yeah I fell." He mumbled.

"And the blue lion caught you." Shiro added gently.

Lance looked at him with squinted eyes. "The what?"

Said lion roared loudly again making them all flinch.

Lance's eyes flew wide looking scared stiff of the giant metal creature in front of him.

"Lance?"