"Who, who are you really?/And where, where are you going?/I've got nothing left to prove/Cause I've got nothing left to lose/See me bare my teeth for you/Who, who are you?"

"Alright kid, you gotta teach me that one."

Keith looked over at Wysic, who was sitting on the end of the bench with some sort of glowing, radioactive-green drink, and gave a smirk. "We'll see."

The female Galra snorted and shoved him off the bench. "Watch it, runt. Don't forget that this is my instrument you're playing."

Keith chuckled as he pulled himself up. "Thanks again for letting me play it."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get weak on me." She huffed and moved to the center of the bench. "I'd say you're not absolutely terrible, but then again, you never play anything I recognize so you could be screwing up everything and I'd never know. Let's just say I find you amusing. Besides, I get to learn some new material. Now get out of my sight. Your face is annoying."

Keith chuckled and left the tavern. It'd been a week since he'd first played the xiaziovax and seen the memory of the Galra woman he was somehow positive was his mother. He had been spending the time split between recuperating, trying to convince Xan that he really was fine, and hanging around Wysic to play the instrument in hopes of stirring up something that could explain what was going on.

Although, if he was honest, everything was probably a lot clearer than he was trying to make it out to be. If he looked like a Galra, and was remembering his mother as one, then…

"- of Voltron? Here?"

Keith's ears flew to attention as he heard the conversation floating around the corner he had just been about to turn. Quickly, the red paladin relaxed and leaned against the nearby wall inconspicuously, doing his best to keep his ears still and relaxed as he eavesdropped on the conversation. Why did he have to be one of the types of Galra that had expressive ears?

"Yeah, you heard about how they attacked central command? Well one of the Druids managed to compromise their wormhole when they fled. I guess they think the paladins got split up because Zarkon's been sending out soldiers to check all the recorded wormhole activity. Apparently one opened up near here so they've been checking the local planets. This one's next on the lineup."

"Great," Keith heard one of the Galra groan. "When will they be here? My son's been talking nonstop about joining the army. Last thing I need is him trying to watch the soldiers and getting into trouble for interfering with their work."

"They're supposed to be here later tonight, I think. Anyways, how is-"

Keith turned away and left down a side street towards Xan's place.

He mentally cursed as he forced himself not to run or show any signs of distress. Galra soldiers were coming here for him! Except they wouldn't find him because he's pretty sure none of the Galra would think to search their own kind for paladins. They might find Red though. Red, who was all alone because Keith had abandoned her, too trapped in his own head. The image of Red sealed in her force field and trapped on a Galra ship flashed through his mind and sent shivers down his spine. The idea that that could happen to her again because of him made him feel sick.

Quiznak! Was her particle barrier even working!?

"Xan?" the red paladin called out as he walked into his temporary shelter. He sighed in relief when he didn't receive a response. Without delay, he slid into his room and changed into his under armor. He then pulled his Galra clothing overtop and double checked his dagger before grabbing his bag and heading out the door.

"Where're you going?"

Keith froze. He turned to see Jezpor walking up the road. And here he was thinking he'd been doing such a good job of keeping away from the suspicious Galra over the past week. "Just heading out."

"Oh?" Jezpor eyed his bag and Keith adjusted the strap on his shoulder.

"Yeah, figured it was time I started looking around for my ship."

"Does Styxanne know about this?"

"Please, all she sees when she looks at me is her pathetic Prycoso. I'll never leave if it's up to her. I'm fine. I don't need her treating me weak," Keith growled, letting the Galra phrases he'd learned slip in. "What do you care, anyways? I thought you wanted me gone."

"True," Jezpor relented, though he was still eyeing Keith.

The red paladin took that as his cue to leave and thankfully exited the village without any more roadblocks. He initially started out in a semi-straight path towards Red (you couldn't exactly go straight in a rocky forest), but when he heard a sound coming from behind him, he allowed his path to drift to the right.

Approximately a half hour later, Keith's stalker was still behind him despite his subtle attempts at losing the tail. When a branch snapped behind him just as a clearing was coming into sight, Keith threw subtlety out the window.

"Who's there?" he growled, spinning to face the source of the sound. When no response came, he pulled out his dagger and approached the area.

"No need for that, kid," Jezpor said, stepping out from behind a rock.

"Why were you following me?"

"Just making sure you made it to your ship alright. Wouldn't want you getting lost out here."

"I'm fine. You can go."

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"Yes- No. I'll figure it out. Just get lost."

Jezpor's eyes narrowed.

Quiznak! Keith forgot he said he couldn't remember where his ship was. He'd also used an Earth saying. "I mean, just head back to the village."

"You sure you're feeling okay, kid? Maybe we should get you back to Xan."

"I'm fine," Keith growled.

"I'm serious. We're heading back," Jezpor said, keeping his voice even as he walked up.

"No."

Jezpor tried to grab his arm and he jerked away. The next thing they knew, they were fighting, each trying to pin the other. The older Galra was strong, but unskilled. Without the concussion he'd been nursing the week before, Keith was easily able to take victory this time around.

He pinned Jezpor against a tree, his dagger at his throat.

"You're pretty good at fighting considering your age," Jezpor pointed out.

"Told you, I'm looking into joining the army."

Jezpor smirked. "I've been meaning to ask, what's a Druid doing trying to join the army?"

"Druid?" That was what Coran called the Galra he had fought at the Galactic Hub. The one that shot lightning. What did that have to do with him?

"Did you think I wouldn't know? You didn't even try to hide your markings."

His markings? "I got them from my mother."

Jezpor raised an eyebrow. "You really are a terrible liar. Either that, or you really must think I'm stupid. I was there when Styxanne was trained, I know that you only get your markings after being immersed in magic for years. You don't just inherit them."

Well that was news to Keith. So his mother (if she really was a Galra) was a druid. And so is he. But how? He'd never even known magic was real before finding Blue. How could he have been immersed in magic without knowing it? Unless… If he was a Galra, born a Galra, then something would have had to make him look human.

"You're one of them aren't you?" Jezpor asked, regaining Keith's focus and clearly unaware he had lost it.

"Them?"

"The rebellion. Those idiot Galra who dare stand against Zarkon."

Rebellion? Keith wasn't expecting that. "There are Galra willing to stand against Zarkon?"

Jezpor snorted. "Everyone knows about the rebellion, kid. Don't bother trying to hide it."

Keith reached out to Red and he could feel her annoyance at being left alone, relief that he was alive, and concern at the situation he was in. He pulled at her, asking for her to come to him, if she could, and she reluctantly agreed. He could tell her reluctance was only fueled by her annoyance though. She clearly had healed enough for at least the short trip.

A rebellion, at least that explained the force field going down so that they could escape through the wormhole. "Not everyone. Voltron didn't know. Thanks for the info."

Keith punched the older Galra in the gut then slammed his head with the hilt of his blade, causing him to collapse. He turned and ran into the clearing. He reached the tree line just as Red landed in it's center.

"Time to go, kitty," Keith said as he dropped into his seat. "How are you feeling?"

As Red ran her diagnostics through his head (in a more basic sense then he was sure Green and Yellow could give Pidge and Hunk), Keith spotted Jezpor standing at the treeline, staring up at the lion in shock. Wonder how long it will take for Zarkon to find out one of his own is piloting the Red Lion?

"You fight like a Galra soldier."

Maybe he already knows.

"We can survive without communications for now. If everything else if well enough, we need to head out. There's a ship heading this way."

Keith felt Red's purr flow through him and they took off into the sky and out of the planet's atmosphere. They flew out of the solar system and tucked themselves away in an asteroid field so Red could rest and finish healing.

The red paladin used the downtime to strip out of the Galra clothes and suit up in his armor. He paused before pulling on his helmet, staring down at his reflection.

What was he going to do now? Find the others? They'd need him to form Voltron, but… He was a Galra. He was what they were fighting against. He was the same species as the people who destroyed Allura and Coran's entire solar system. The same species who stole Pidge's family from her. The same species that did so much to Shiro. What would they do to him? Would they hate him? Would they take Red? Would they seal him in a cryo-pod like Sendak? Would they kill him?

Keith shook himself. No, they wouldn't kill him (Would they?), but he couldn't tell them. It would just cause too many problems that they all didn't need right now. But he couldn't hide it, either. He was purple!

Keith groaned and dropped his head against his helmet. What could he do?

Red purred and he looked up to give her a thankful smile. He looked back at his helmet and his markings caught his eye.

Markings. Druid. Magic.

If something had made him look human before, couldn't he recreate that?

Keith's eyes widened as images flashed before his eyes. "Red?"

Red growled, letting him know her displeasure with him trying to hide himself from their pride, but also her willingness to help.

"Thank you."

Keith closed his eyes and focused. He thought of how he had looked before. He thought of his human skin and ears. He thought of his black hair and violet eyes.

Bones twinged and skin itched and a pressure settled over Keith that left him gasping. His eyes flickered open as he took in deep breaths. He looked down at his reflection. His hair still had a slight purple tint and his eyes were a little bright, but otherwise he looked human.

Normal.

Keithed laid back on the floor and sighed. He could feel the disguise covering him like a second skin, and even the small drain on his energy if he focused. Clearly it was something he wouldn't notice if he wore it long enough, like a new haircut, but for now it was annoyingly present.

"K- … -ou th-"

"What was that?" Keith asked, sitting up.

Red purred and Keith shot to his feet.

Communications were coming back online.

The red paladin dropped into his seat, pulling his helmet over his head. "Hello?"

A screen showing fuzz appeared on Red's dash. "-eith… Ke-"

"Allura?"

The screen slowly began to clear as Allura's voice became clearer. "Keith? Can… -ear me?"

"Allura? I'm here!"

"K- … Keith? Keith!" He smiled as a slightly blurry Allura came into view. "Oh yes! Finally! CORAN! Keith, can you hear me? The castle's picking you up. I'm trying to locate you now. CORAN!"

"Yep, we've got you. Loud and clear."

"Sorry. We've been trying to find you all week."

"Red took a beating in the fight and crash. We both did. And there's quite a bit of Galra around here so we were a little more focused on flight capabilities and weapons than communications."

"Galra! Oh dear. CORAN!"

"I'm here, Princess."

"I've found Keith! I need you-"

"What!?"

Suddenly Allura's screen was crowded by not only Coran, but the other four paladins.

"Oh thank the stars."

"There you are, Mullet-head!"

"Keith, dude, finally!"

"What did you do to Red? I boosted the scanners and we still couldn't find you!"

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? How's Red?"

Smiling, the red paladin relaxed for the first time since he'd awoken on the Galra-controlled planet. "I'm fine, Shiro. Red's healing and should be one hundred percent soon. The communications were down, Pidge. Shut up, Lance."

"We've got your location. I'm opening up a wormhole now."

Keith could worry about his apparent Galran ancestry later. For now, he was going home.

With this coming to a close, I'm not sure which path I want to take next (if I want to dig into how Keith came to be on Earth, come back to see how the gang reacted to the Galra revelation, or if I want to do another little funny side clip like Polymorphic before diving back into the serious stuff), so if you guys want to leave a comment with what you'd like to see next I'd be happy to listen.