“I can’t believe this place, it’s something that’s straight out of Robin Hood,” Sam said, looking around the settlement in awe. There were houses and several buildings high in the trees, joined to one another by bridges made of wood and very thick rope. The forest clearing was alive with activity; in one area, men were being trained the rudiments of judo, and in under one of the trees, children were gathered around an old man listening to him tell stories.
They had moved their Lions to another forest clearing farther away from the base, but still far away enough from the village as not to have caught the attention of the people there. From their landing spot, the small company had made their way on foot, with Zach and his two men serving as guides.
As they walked, Zachary told the team how Kat had infiltrated Erinol’s stronghold by disguising herself as a slave girl to radio Galaxy Garrison, and that over the last few weeks; some of their men and women had done the same in preparation for the assault on the Castle. He also told them of the training the men had received over the years and the lasers that they had accumulated little by little to arm themselves. Now, as they entered the village, he was explained what it was like living in the Aidel settlement.
“These people are those who escaped from the base or were never captured because they hid in these forests. We began building this community about seven years ago,” Zach said, as he led them towards the entrance of a large cave hidden between two enormous rocks. As they made their way, people would occasionally stop and give them a curious glance before going on with their work. “Before that, these people lived in caves in the hillsides where our armory and headquarters are now. Kat and I owe them our lives. They were the ones who rescued us from the wreckage and nursed us back to health.”
“You’ve given much to them in return,” Allura said, her eyes glinting with admiration. “You gave them a chance to fight for their freedom by believing in them, in what they can do for themselves. You’ve given them hope.” So much like the hope that Keith and the rest of the team had given back to her the day that they came to Arus.
Zachary ducked his head modestly. “To be truthful, Princess, Katherine and I did not give them anything that they did not already have,” he said, rather discomfited by her praise.
Allura grinned with amusement at the unpretentious statement, turning to meet Lance’s equally amused eyes. He leaned over to her and whispered, “Now you know where he gets it from.” Allura, who had been thinking exactly the same thing, had to smother a giggle.
“Where are we going now?” Hunk asked, rubbing his stomach in anticipation. Pidge noticed his gesture and shot his older teammate a quelling glance. Hunk shot him a sheepish grin and decided to hold his peace.
“The other village leaders are gathered in the main there right now for our daily caucus,” Zachary explained with a grin, not missing the exchange between the two teammates at all. “Don’t worry, Hunk, the forest yields many gifts and we will have a fine dinner after the meeting.” Hunk’s sheepish blush elicited another round of laughter from the team, earning more curious glances from the villagers to go their way.
Upon hearing their loud laughter, two children from the group being entertained by the old man spotted them and broke away, evidently recognizing Zachary’s laughter and running towards him as fast as their short legs could carry them. They were two sturdy little boys of about four or five, with dark unruly hair, emerald green eyes, and sunny smiles – mirror images of one another. They reached Zachary almost at the same time, and the tall, proud soldier bent down and caught the two of them to him simultaneously.
“Daddy, Daddy! Is Mommy with you? Will she be coming home soon?”
The word “Daddy” had an electric effect on the entire group. Allura stole a glance at Keith and saw that he was looking at the two little boys with something akin to wonder in his dark eyes, his jaw slackening in disbelief.
“Gadzuks, Uncle Zach has twins!” Lance exclaimed, clapping his hands in wicked glee.
Allura could barely smother a laugh herself, hardly blaming Keith for being so stunned. It wasn’t a day ago when he thought he was all alone in the world… only to find out from out of the blue not only that his parents were alive but that he also had twin brothers. Twins! Except for the color of their eyes, the twins resembled him so closely that she could clearly picture what he looked like when he was their age. They were absolutely adorable.
One of the little boys noticed the strangers when he surfaced from his father’s hug, and his curious emerald eyes shifted from one new face to another, lingering on Allura’s for a moment then focusing on Keith last. Keith met his inquisitive eyes steadily, studying him just as intently, a small grin hovering over his mouth.
“You look just like Dad when he has no hair on his face,” the boy finally told Keith after a thoughtful pause, his green eyes wide with awe. “I’m Jamie, and this is my brother Jon.” He turned to his Dad with a frown. “Who are they, Daddy?”
Zach cleared his throat. “They are the members of the Voltron Force and they’ve come to help us fight King Erinol,” he explained. “Hunk, Pidge, Lance, Sam, and the Princess Allura of the Planet Arus.” He paused for a moment before he indicated Keith. “And this is Captain Keith, the head of their team.”
Jon looked up at Keith with a frown. “We have an older brother named Keith,” he told Keith matter-of-factly. “Me and Jamie are both named for him. He’s James Keith Montgomery, and I’m Jonathan Keith Montgomery,” he explained, with Jamie blithely nodding his agreement. Jon turned his glance to Zachary. “We’re going to go back to Earth someday so we can meet him, aren’t we, Dad?”
Zach shook his head, his eyes misty. “You don’t have to go back to Earth to meet your brother because he’s come here to meet you,” he told them quietly with a voice rough with pent-up emotion.
The two boys stared up at Keith with wide eyes.
“This Keith is your big brother. Go on,” Zachary urged when the boys were suddenly struck by a fit of shyness and tried to hide behind their father’s long legs. “You both said you’ve always wanted to meet him. Now here he is.”
“Hi, I’m Keith.” Keith sat on his haunches and tried to peak around his father’s legs with a welcoming grin. “And I’ve always wanted to meet you, too.”
One of the boys peaked around Zach’s legs and looked at him suspiciously. “But you didn’t even know about us until today, Daddy said so,” he said, a confused frown creasing his forehead. “How do you always want to meet someone you don’t know about?”
Keith’s grin grew wider at his brother’s insightful logic. “You’re right, I didn’t know about you guys,” he admitted with a nod. He looked from one to another of the little boys, his eyes twinkling. “But I do know that I’ve always wanted to have younger brothers,” he said, his voice gruff.
The boys emerged from behind Zachary’s legs with uncertain expressions their faces. Their faces were at a level with Keith’s, and he smiled at them reassuringly.
“Will you teach us martial arts like Dad does?”
Keith nodded, his eyes solemn.
“And can you throw us in the air and catch us?”
Keith nodded again in response, but this time he couldn’t hold back a smile. “I could even toss you to Hunk and he could toss you back to me, if you want,” he promised, indicating the bigger space explorer with his thumb.
“Then you really are our older brother, then.” Jamie shared a glance with Jon before pinning Keith with a tentative green gaze. “Are… are we allowed to hug you?”
With no hesitation, Keith held out his arms to the two little boys. After another moment’s uncertainty, the two made their decision and hurled themselves at Keith hard enough to make him lose his balance and topple backward on the grass. Everyone laughed at the sight of the two boys climbing all over Keith and suddenly bombarding him with questions they had always wanted to ask.
Zachary rescued Keith from his exuberant younger brothers by plucking them off with an admonishing look. “You can get to know Keith later during the feast,” he said in a tone that rang “no arguments.” But even the mild rebuke could not hide the twinkle in his eyes at the sight of his family together once more after so long. “The rest of the elders are waiting for me at the cave, and you know they hate that.”
“But, Dad, we got so much to ask –“
Zach shook his head. “Later, you little imps. Go back to your story circle, and we’ll see you after the meeting, during the feast.”
The twins nodded their agreement reluctantly. Then, after waving an enthusiastic goodbye to their newfound older brother, they ran back to the other children in the story circle, who had been watching them with avid curiosity and were now asking the twins who the strangers were.
Sam grinned watched the two boys holding court among their peers with undisguised enthusiasm and turned to Zachary with a charmed grin. “They’re adorable, Admiral!” she exclaimed.
“Don’t get any ideas – I prefer my trouble to come at me one at a time,” Lance warned, earning an elbow nudge from Sam.
“He’s right, you know,” Zach agreed with a laugh, leading them on. “Those two are always getting into twice the trouble – not unlike two little boys I used to take care of. And I didn’t even have twins back then.” He shot a pointed glance at Keith and Lance, who both looked up at the top of the trees in an attempt to look innocent. “It would be poetic justice if you gave Lance a pair of his own to chase after, Samantha,” he added as an afterthought.
Lance’s heartfelt groan earned another laugh from the entire group. Then his face lit up as he realized something. “Hey, twins don’t run in my family – so I guess it’s up to Keith to contend with that possibility,” he said, clicking his tongue with a morose shake of his head. He shot a swift glance at Allura, who suddenly blushed prettily, before shooting a smug grin at Keith, who pretended not to hear him.
As they walked to the cave, Keith stole a lost look at his two brothers, an incredulous smile still hovering on his face as he shook his head almost imperceptibly. Looking away from the two, he was surprised to find himself looking into Allura’s knowing blue eyes. He grinned widely and mouthed her a silent, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled back at him wisely, and watched him as
he quickened his pace to keep up with his father as they approached the
cavern entrance etched unto the side of the mountain.