It's here! At long last, the companion fic to desert born is ready to begin! This is told from Keith's POV, and will cover his time in the desert, and the people he meets there. We won't really get into his time as a paladin in this fic, but I do have a sequel planned that will cover that material. This is part of a series, so if this is your entry point, don't forget to read desert blessing and desert born as well!

That said, I hope everyone enjoys! Onward!

desert raised

blue lion

For as long as he remembered, it had been just him and his dad. Even before the desert.

And now he was gone.

It only sunk in after he'd buried him that he was well and truly alone now.

Dead. His dad was dead. He wouldn't be coming back. He wouldn't be there to greet him in the morning, or to teach him the next page in his workbook. He wouldn't be there to make him dinner, or to tuck him into bed, or to wish him goodnight.

Dead.

Sinking to the ground in front of the makeshift grave he built for his dad, Keith curled into a ball. As the sun set over the desert, the temperature began to drop, but it didn't bother him. It never had. It was different for his dad- he would grab an extra layer, always making the same bad joke whenever he did. He would complain, tell him he'd heard that joke already.

Now he wouldn't hear it ever again.

Out here in the desert, he might have been isolated. But he had never felt lonely. Why would he? His dad was always there for him, and even when he couldn't be, even when he had to leave for work, he'd always come back.

But now he was gone.

It was crushing, almost as if it were a living thing, poised to devour him. Burying his head in his knees, Keith shut his eyes tight, his small body shuddering.

He cried without actually crying.

He must have remained there for hours, because when he finally uncurled himself, the moon was high in the sky. It was bright, huge in the sky, lighting up the dark desert- a full moon. All he could think about was how he and his dad would climb up onto the roof of their shack, and he would teach him about space, about the stars in the sky and the constellations they formed.

Without thinking, he clambered up onto the roof. Standing atop it, he stared up into the night sky. It was so big, so vast, and though it had once brought him a sense of wonder for those same reasons, it all just seemed so empty now.

Somewhere out there, past Mars, Jupiter, past all those familiar planets, was his mother. She had left when he was still a baby, in order to protect them. At the time, Keith had thought his mother was brave, courageous, but now... now all he wanted was to see her.

To not be alone.

His dad was gone, and his mother was so far away she might as well be too. There was no one else. He was alone.

He couldn't even leave the desert.

His father had warned him, telling him it was dangerous. Out there, beyond the desert, there were dangerous people. People who would hurt him, hate him. That was why they were out here, in the desert, where there was no one else around. Where they could leave in peace.

He knew they were out here because he was a freak.

He'd never said it out loud, knowing that it would just hurt his father if he did. He didn't think that. His dad loved him, he knew that.

But he also knew it was the truth. In the movies his father brought home, there wasn't ever anyone who looked like him. He could travel the far reaches of the Earth, and still find no one else like him.

Staring down at his clawed hands, he balled them into tiny fists, feeling his claws press against his skin. It was fine, they wouldn't pierce it. He was tough.

Tough, and alone.

Curling back in on himself, he crouched on the roof, shutting his eyes tight against the vastness of the night sky. Maybe this was all just a bad dream. Maybe tomorrow he would wake up to the smell of pancakes and burnt eggs. His dad would ruffle his hair, and take him out on his hoverbike, and they would go hunting together.

But he didn't think he'd feel this much pain if this were just a dream.

It wasn't physical. Physically, he was fine. But his heart felt like it was being ripped apart.

He was afraid, he realized. Of being alone. He'd never been alone.

Not alone.

Snapping his head up, Keith blinked. Someone had just spoken.

Not alone, the voice repeated. But he couldn't see anyone around- just vast, empty desert, and a vast, empty sky. Rising to his feet, he frantically searched his surroundings, heart pounding in his chest.

"Who's there!?" He demanded.

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. Had he imagined it?

And then, reverberating through him, bone deep, came a roar.

He knew it. It had woken him from his nap, sent him in search of his dad. At the time, he thought it had simply been a fragment of his dream, but...

"She can talk?"

"Don't know. Maybe you'll find out."

The realization crashed over him like a wave, nearly knocking him off his feet. Jumping down off the roof, he took off without a second thought, into the desert, fueled by the knowledge that he needed to go. He needed to follow it.

By the time he reached the blue lion's cave, he was out of breath.

He barely stopped to catch it, instead pressing forward. His hand traced over familiar carvings as he made his way through the dark cave, pitch black in the dead of night. It didn't matter- over the years, he had come to know the paths by heart, the same as his dad.

And he could see in the dark.

He felt the sensation of water before he heard it. It was calm, peaceful- and the heavy weight that was his heart felt a little easier to bear, as if it were floating upon gentle waters. The cave walls seemed to reverberate, a steady hum passing through them that may have simply been his imagination.

No, he thought, as he drew closer, and became more sure that it wasn't just in his head. It wasn't a hum.

It was purring.

Not mine, it seemed to almost whisper, but come.

He didn't understand what that meant, but he still let his feet guide him down into the blue lion's cavern. Coming to a halt on the banks of the underground river, he cast his gaze upwards, staring up at the blue lion.

Nothing had changed.

But then he heard the roar again.

And suddenly, he wasn't there, in the cavern. He was, and he wasn't.

Where he was, he didn't recognize. There were caves here too, but they were gleaming, an almost translucent blue, like they were made out of crystal. The sight was so full of wonder, that for a moment, he nearly forgot the pain in his heart.

If he were older, he surely would have questioned it. Would wonder if he had just gone crazy with grief, and had started to see things, hear things. But back then, he had been young enough that he hadn't given it a second thought. He'd just accepted it for it was.

Something rumbled behind him, the sound like a deep purr, causing him to turn on his heel. It was the blue lion, but not. It was small, though still much larger than him. It had taken on the appearance of an Earth lion- save for the fact that it was blue, and larger still than even a lion.

Probably. He'd never seen a lion, not really. There was one in the zoo, several cities over. His father had brought him a picture book about it once.

Just like that, the pain was back.

The blue lion stepped forward, lowering its head. Rubbing it against his cheek, Keith fought against the faint bubble of laughter that brewed in him, its fur tickling his chin. Reaching up without thinking, he marveled at being able to touch it, the lion's blue fur soft to the touch.

Then the lion spoke. Clearly, with words.

"You are not mine," its voice was strangely soft, for something his father had once described to him as an incredible weapon, yet somehow, it didn't surprise him at all, "-but I am here for you, as your mother was for me."

"My mother...?" Keith asked.

"She protected me. I am free because of her."

It was the story his father had told him, time and time again. How his mother had protected the blue lion. How she had made the tough choice to go back to space, so that the Galra Empire couldn't send anymore scout ships after the lion.

How she had done it to keep him safe. But now because of that, he was alone.

"I too, was alone for a long time." The lion told him, seeming to sense the flow of his thoughts, though probably anyone could guess. "My siblings, those who stood by my side for so long, have been scattered to the far corners of the universe. I have not seen them in many centuries."

"Siblings?" Keith asked. "There are other lions?"

"Yes." The blue lion told him. "Four, beside myself."

"Aren't you lonely?" Keith asked. "Being by yourself."

"Yes," the blue lion merely replied, "-for a long time, I was quite lonely."

He frowned, staring up at the lion. "What changed?"

The lion's expression did not change, but he swore that it smiled, almost seeming fond. Lifting its head, Keith watched as their surroundings shimmered, seeming once more to transform back into the familiar cavern. His ears pricked, picking up on the sound of voices, and suddenly, he realized that he was high above the cavern, looking down.

Strangely, he wasn't afraid.

There was his father. Alive- but he barely had time to let his own grief take hold of him, because his father wasn't alone.

There was a woman with him.

A woman with purple skin, and deep violet markings on her cheeks. He knew at once, though he had never seen a picture of her before, that this was his mother.

In her arms, she gently carried a bundle. It took him a moment to realize that bundle was him- still pale and human, and tiny- tinier than he could even remember being. His heart stung at the thought, recalling the way his father would tease him- if Galra could grow to be so big, then why was he so small.

He'd puff out his cheeks, and pretend to be mad. Of course he was small! He was still growing! It wasn't his fault that his father was a giant!

But he was never actually mad. Not at his father. Never.

The image flickered, leaving him back on the ground, alone in the empty cavern. No, not alone- turning on his heel, he gazed up at the blue lion, now mighty and towering once more.

When his parents had come, they had taken away a bit of the blue lion's loneliness. It didn't replace the yearning it felt for its family, but it had created something new in its place.

That was what the blue lion was trying to tell him.

Probably.

Crossing the underground river, Keith slowly approached the lion. He wondered if he could talk it into dropping its barrier, allowing him in. Maybe he could go and search the universe for his mother.

But he wasn't the one the blue lion was waiting for. It had said as much. He wasn't its pilot. And even if he tried to look, he didn't know where to start. The universe was vast- vaster than any desert.

What if he just got captured by bad Galra? He didn't want to become a part of the Galra Empire, that was for sure. Never.

Maybe he wasn't a hero, like in his picture books, but he definitely wasn't a bad guy. His father had said so. His mom wasn't bad, and he wasn't bad.

Sitting down, Keith leaned his back against the blue lion's barrier. It stayed solid this time, serving as a support. Drawing up his knees, he rested his arms on them, and his chin on his arms.

Even if he wasn't totally alone, his heart still hurt. His dad was gone, and he didn't know what to do. He was scared, he realized- he'd never been alone before, not like this.

What would he do about food? The cans that his dad had stocked up on would only last for so long, and it wasn't like he could just go into town to buy more. He knew how to hunt, but he'd never been allowed to touch anything in the kitchen, so it wasn't like he knew how to cook.

Water... water would probably be okay. He'd gone with his father countless times to get it, always coming here, to the blue lion's cavern. And he didn't need that much to begin with.

He shut his eyes. None of the heroes of his picture books had ever been left alone like this. They'd all had families, happy and smiling and human. Children his age weren't supposed to be alone like this- even in his isolation, he knew that much.

He didn't know what to do.

In the back of his head, the blue lion purred, reassuring, calm. She would show him, she promised. She would show him, but it was okay to be afraid.

It was okay to be sad. Lonely.

But it would be okay.

It would be okay.

Keith desperately wanted to believe that.

In the first few weeks, Keith made sure to visit the blue lion as often as he could. He'd never been prone to loneliness before, even when his father was forced to leave him on his own for a few days for work, but now he found himself easily succumbing to it.

Paying visits to the blue lion helped.

At times, the blue lion would speak to him, show him images of far distant worlds. The crystal cave she had shown him before had been the favorite spot of her chosen paladin, an alien by the name of Blaytz.

When he asked what had happened to him, the blue lion merely went quiet. But he could figure it out from that.

With the feeling of loss still so raw in his chest, there was no way he couldn't.

At times, the blue lion would say nothing, show him nothing. She would simply sit there, still as ever, her barrier firmly in place. During such times, Keith would talk to her. There wasn't that much to talk about, not really- just day to day tasks to ensure his own survival. But sometimes there were good things too.

Like the night he saw the shooting stars, or the morning where he found a place to spy on the Galaxy Garrison in the distance. For a brief time, he had contemplated approaching them for help- after all, his father had worked for them, so maybe they would understand.

But in all their years out here, his father hadn't consulted with the Garrison once, so he quickly shelved the idea. Maybe his dad knew something he didn't. Maybe there were bad people in the Garrison too.

He didn't spy on the Garrison often. There wasn't much to see from his little perch in the desert, and he didn't want to risk getting any closer. But sometimes he would peek over the ridge, wondering.

His father had been a pilot. He'd always been filled with amazing stories about space, ones that still hurt to think about. He'd wanted to do that too- to go up into space, to explore the stars. Maybe it was something in his blood, calling him up there, to where he belonged- because he sure as heck didn't belong here, where he had to live in hiding.

Even if he was part human.

Fat lot of good it did him when he didn't look it.

Sometimes the blue lion would regal him with stories about space of her own.

Not many. It had been ten thousand years, so likely much had changed. The blue lion listened gravely to what little he knew about space- deep space, beyond the boundaries of their own solar system. Everything he knew, his father had told him, and everything his father knew, his mother had told him.

But the blue lion told him about her paladin's planet, Nalquod. About its vast oceans and great crystal caves, and the mighty creatures that lived there, some even bigger than the blue lion herself. Keith hung on every word, fascinated.

She told him about a planet called Altea, too, but did so in mourning. It was gone, she had told him, with some hesitance. Taken in retribution.

For Daibazaal.

The home planet of the Galra. Gone, now.

She told him a little about Daibazaal too, but not much. How it had been rocky, covered in red dirt. He had asked her if it was like Mars, and she had asked him what Mars was.

So he told her.

His father had taught him so much about the planets in their own system. Mars he'd spoken about a lot- the Galaxy Garrison was building a research colony there. In a few months, it would be complete- or maybe it already was. In his need to stay alive, to not let himself drown in despair over the loss of his father, he'd kind of lost track of time.

The blue lion had not, and able to sense the cycle of the sun even from far down in her cavern. He dug out his father's calendar after that, keeping track of the days.

He would ask about the blue lion's pilot- her paladin, she had informed him. Not the old one, whose loss still pained her, ten thousand years later, but the new one. The one she was waiting for.

"I do not know, child." She would say. "Only that they are out there, and that one day, they will come to me."

It sounded vague, but he wasn't about to question a ten thousand year old robot lion. Just being able to speak with something the blue lion was amazing enough.

He had asked her why she could speak to him one day. At first, she had been silent, but finally, she had told him it was because he possessed a gift. She had tried to explain it to him, but he didn't really understand.

She told him it was something he should take pride in. That, he believed. And whatever the reason, he was grateful.

It didn't get rid of the pain, but it did make him a little less lonely.

His eighth birthday was celebrated alone, hunkered underneath his bed.

He wasn't afraid of much, but the ferocious late season thunderstorm that swept through the desert that day was enough to send him into full retreat. When it had first started getting bad, he had grabbed his pillow and crawled underneath the bed, determined to wait it out there.

He probably wouldn't have gotten through it without the blue lion's low, reassuring rumble. He fell asleep to the sound of it, and once he woke, the storm had passed.

He waited until the skies had fully cleared until he chanced making his way to the blue lion's cavern. The underground river's current had grown powerful because of the storm, so he took a flying leap over it, rather than chance crossing it. He was curious where it let out, but not that curious.

Making his way to the blue lion, he set down his bag, leaning back against her barrier. "It was my birthday yesterday."

The blue lion gave a low rumble, as if wishing him a happy birthday, and Keith closed his eyes. She wasn't talking today, he guessed. Sometimes she didn't. That was okay.

So instead, he just sat there, pulling a book from his bag. Nearly a year had passed since his dad had died, and though he was getting used to living alone, that proved to be its own challenge. Now that he had more free time, he came to the quick realization that he was getting bored and was rapidly running out of things to do.

This was the last book that he hadn't read before. His father had bought him a bunch for his seventh birthday- he'd wrapped each book individually, and then had wrapped the box they had come in. He'd complained about it, but he'd had fun tearing apart the colorful wrapping paper.

He had been spreading them out, but this was the last one.

He'd already filled up every page in his workbooks, too. There were some movies, in a box underneath the couch, but his dad had left his laptop at the Garrison, so he had no way to watch them. And he'd seen them all already anyways.

Maybe the desert elements wouldn't kill him, but boredom would. Or at least, that was what it felt like. Hunting was important, but it didn't take up all of his time, especially now that he had gotten into a routine, built up some reserves.

He'd gotten used to eating raw meat by now. It hadn't tasted bad the first time, like he thought it would, even if the texture had taken a bit of getting used to, and it definitely hadn't made him sick. Maybe it was because he was part alien, but frankly, he was grateful. He didn't even know how to use the stove, even if he wanted to.

Accidentally burning down the shack sounded both very bad and very possible.

He was a decent hunter. Even better, once he learned to tune into his own instincts. His father would probably be mad that he was touching a knife, but he'd just said that he couldn't touch any of the kitchen knives. He hadn't said anything about his mother's.

Setting down his book, he marked his place, pulling out said knife. He always brought it with him whenever he went this far out into the desert, just in case. It had taken him a bit to get the hang of it, but now that he had, he could use it with ease.

Maybe he could train with it?

Hunting was one thing, but combat... he didn't know how to protect himself, not really. His dad had always been there for that.

Tracing a clawed finger over the glowing symbol on the hilt, Keith frowned. According his father, this was a ceremonial knife, that was important to his mother's people. Not the Galra, but the rebels she worked with.

The good guys.

His father had never told him their name, but he'd impressed on Keith that if any Galra came to this planet, that he shouldn't go with them unless they carried a blade with this exact symbol. He had accepted what he had said wholeheartedly, knowing that his father wouldn't lie to him.

Any other Galra were dangerous, his father had told him.

He'd said it with pain in his eyes. He didn't like telling him stuff like that, he realized now. Turning the knife over in his hands, Keith chewed on his lip. He wondered if they would come back- the Galra.

Brow furrowing, Keith stared at his reflection, cast on the blade of the knife. Reaching a clawed hand up, he pulled at the corner of one of his eyes. He didn't have pupils like his dad, or even like his mom had, but he'd used to, once. He could still sort of remember that.

Though truthfully, he didn't remember much about being human. He barely even remembered the sickness that had lead to his transformation. His dad didn't like to talk about it much, so he never asked.

Dropping his hand, Keith leaned his head back, staring up at the blue lion as much as he could. What would he do if the Galra did come back? Not his mom's friends, but the bad guys, the Galra Empire- the ones who wanted to take the blue lion.

He needed to protect it.

Like his mother had. Like his father had.

Rising to his feet, his mother's knife held tight in one hand, he rested a hand against the blue lion's barrier. Even if he said that, what could he do? He was just a kid.

Still...

Gazing up at the blue lion, Keith's brow furrowed. He didn't like the idea of the blue lion being taken away. He didn't understand all of the details, but the Galra Empire were the bad guys- and that was enough for him to know that if they got their hands on her, that they would use her to do bad things.

Things she didn't want to do.

He didn't want that.

But he also didn't want her taken away at all. Right now, the blue lion was all he had. He'd give her up if her pilot came, but he wouldn't hand her over to anyone else.

Even if he was just a kid.

Holding up his mother's knife, he stared down at it. He didn't know what he could do, but he could at least try.

With the goal of protecting the blue lion, suddenly, Keith's days got a lot busier.

For the first time since his father's death, he braved the caves that the scout ships were hidden in. Clambering into the one that was mostly intact, he looked it over. His dad had told him once that it couldn't fly, and that they had stripped it of any tracking equipment, but otherwise it still seemed to work.

He stumbled onto the radio by accident.

(If pressed, he wouldn't admit it had nearly given him a heart attack. That he'd yelped.)

It couldn't transmit, only listen. So Keith did, curling up in the pilot's seat and listening for hours. He barely understood a word of it, though it tugged at some deeper memory. If he tried to concentrate, he could just barely recall it- the sound of his mother's voice, soft, as if she were singing a lullaby.

She had sung to him in Galran.

He had smiled a little at the thought. His dad had always told him that his mother loved him, and that she hadn't wanted to leave. He believed it. If she knew he had died... she would come for him, for sure.

He wanted to believe that.

He started to train with his mother's knife- his knife, now. He didn't know what he was doing, not at first. Using it to hunt and using it to fight were two completely different things.

"I don't think I'm doing this right."

He was collapsed in frustration on the ground of the blue lion's cavern, staring up at her. "You got any ideas?"

The blue lion let out a low rumble, and he sat straight up, the air around them seeming to change. She was going to show him something.

He immediately tensed at the sight. He didn't have to be told that the two figures he could see in the blue lion's cavern were both Galra- not when they looked like him.

The armor they wore sent a chill up spine. Imperial scouts, the blue lion informed him. It dawned on him them that these were the second group of scouts, the ones sent to Earth after his mother.

They were doing something with the lion, though he couldn't tell what. Trying to break through her barrier, maybe.

His mother arrived, signaled by her knife. She wore armor too, the same kind that the scouts wore- but on her, it didn't look menacing. She tore into the pair of scouts, retrieving her knife and slicing one of the guns they tried use in half, rendering it useless.

She was amazing.

He watched with wide eyes, his mouth slightly agape. His dad had always told him that his mother was a hero, and he'd always believed it.

But he'd never seen it.

He was now.

"Could I do that?" Keith asked, once the blue lion had released the memory, leaving them once more alone in her cavern.

The blue lion merely rumbled in assent, that yes, he could. With time- and training. Huffing, Keith frowned. That was the problem- he didn't even know where to start.

Patience, child. The blue lion rumbled, as if sensing his thoughts. He wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if she actually could. I will guide you.

Perking up at that, Keith turned to look back at the lion. "Really?"

The lion purred in response, and he felt his mouth twitch into a faint smile in response. He didn't fight the urge to join her, a low purr bubbling up deep in his own chest.

Ideally, he might never need to use his knife in that way. But he'd never imagined his dad could die, either.

It wouldn't hurt to be prepared.

Once, just once, did the blue lion show him the other lions.

At the sight of the red lion, Keith felt something in him stir. He didn't know why, and instead of asking, he just kept it to himself.

He got a feeling the blue lion had noticed anyways.

His dad had once described time as moving slower in the desert.

Maybe that was true, but for Keith, time moved quickly. His ninth birthday seemed to pass in the blink of an eye- going by so quickly, that he didn't really have time to dwell just how long he had been out here on his own. He still kept track of time, but between hunting, training, and just plain surviving, suddenly, the days began to go by before he knew it. He didn't have any time to worry about boredom.

He grew, and got too big for his clothes. He made do with his father's clothes, cutting off sleeves and pant legs to make them fit him a little better. He kept his old clothes- maybe he could use them for something, though he didn't know what.

Shoes were a completely lost cause, so he just abandoned those. His feet felt better out of them anyways- they hadn't exactly been made with his claws in mind. Neither desert heat nor sharp rocks bothered hm, so he'd be fine without them.

The only time he ever slowed down was on the anniversary of his dad's death.

He would spend the day at the shack, in front of his grave. Sometimes he would talk to him, but mostly he would just sit in silence.

He really did miss him.

Sometimes, he had trouble recalling his face, his voice. He wondered why- it had only been three years. Not really that long.

There were no pictures around. Not that Keith knew of- and he had searched all of the desk drawers. There wasn't a single one- but it didn't surprise him. It wasn't like they had taken any since they had come out into the desert. If they had any, they were probably from back when he was still human.

Maybe his father hadn't wanted to keep those around.

Sometimes he wondered what his father thought of him. If he thought his appearance was a burden- if he'd really rather live in the city, with everyone else. Have a normal kid.

He tried to bury those thoughts. His dad loved him, of that he was certain. He was willing to do anything for him, to keep him safe.

He just wished he could have done the same.

It wasn't his fault. It was just an accident. He knew that. But he also knew that if he didn't look like this, if they didn't have to live out here... then he never would have gotten into that accident in the first place.

His father would still be alive, and he... he would be a normal kid. Going to school, playing with other kids... maybe he'd even have friends.

Maybe he was still a little lonely after all.

Who could blame him? His only friend was a giant mechanical cat.

Staring down at his hands, Keith wondered if there was a way to return to being human. He didn't think it was possible. But sometimes... sometimes, he would dream about it.

He always woke up feeling hollow inside.

Those days were the worst.

Clenching his fists, Keith drew in a long breath. It was okay. It had been three years. If he was going to die of loneliness, he probably would have done it already. If anything, he was getting used to being by himself. Usually, he didn't even have the time to think about it.

But he still missed his father.

He still wanted his mother.

Just like he couldn't change his face, he didn't think he could change that either.

His tenth birthday passed without any fanfare.

He dug out the last birthday card his father had given him- for his seventh birthday, right before he had died. Setting it on the table, he hummed happy birthday to himself- and then went on with his day.

Before he went to sleep, he put the card back away.

Until next year.

He was half-dozing on a rock when he heard it.

Ears twitching, Keith frowned, rolling over on his stomach. It was a sound he knew, but hadn't heard in years, and for a moment, he felt something surge in his chest.

But the hoverbike wasn't his father's.

Feeling his shoulders slump, Keith peered curiously down. Usually people didn't come out this way, so he couldn't help but wonder what they were doing out here. Though he felt a knot of apprehension in his stomach, telling him to run and hide, his curiosity won out.

After all, this was the first time he had seen another person in four years.

Peeking out from behind the rock, Keith watched as the hoverbike came to a stop. From his hiding place, he could tell that it was a young man- older than him, but younger than his father. He had black hair- and even though he couldn't really recall his face that well, he kind of reminded him of his father.

He didn't seem to notice Keith- but he didn't think he would. He was pretty well hidden. He wouldn't have napped out in the open like this if he could be found easily!

He watched as the young man stretched, taking in a deep breath. They dug in their hoverbike for something, and Keith tilted his head, watching in interest as he caught the faintest whiff of cooked meat. The man leaned back against his hoverbike, unwrapping the small package- a sandwich.

He watched as he ate, pausing to occasionally take sips from a bottle of water. Frowning, Keith carefully retreated. He didn't know what this person was doing out here, but he doubted he'd just come out all this way to have lunch.

For all he knew, he planned to take a look around- and in that case, he should probably make himself scarce. He didn't want to risk being found.

Still, his curiosity didn't fade. Judging from the shadows, maybe three hours had passed between when he retreated, and when his curiosity drew him back. It was silly, really- there was no way he was still there.

He spotted his hoverbike first.

Blinking, Keith frowned, tilting his head. Oh. Maybe he was still here.

A bit more on his guard, Keith crept forward, peeking out over the rock. Maybe he was doing some kind of survey work? Or maybe he was like his dad, and desert life was his hobby?

The wind blew, and Keith froze- he smelled blood.

Frantic, his eyes scanned the valley down below. Feeling his heart hammer in his chest, he made out the prone figure of the same young man from before, lying on the ground. Even from this distance, he could make out the small pool of red around his head.

Blood.

Suddenly, it was four years ago.

Suddenly, the man was his father.

Suddenly, Keith was on his feet, scrambling down sheer cliff face to get to him. Throwing caution to the wind, he raced towards the prone figure, only seeming to realize that it wasn't actually his father when he drew close to him.

Stooping over him, Keith pressed a hand to his neck, checking for his pulse like his father had taught him. Breathing a faint sigh of relief, he found it was still there, if not a little weak. The blood around his head had mostly dried- but his forehead felt hot, and he wasn't sweating.

Normal humans were supposed to sweat, right?

Frowning, Keith chewed on his lip. What should he do? Maybe his head wound wasn't that bad, but if he left him here, he'd still probably die from exposure. He could try to treat him here, maybe pull him into the shade...

No, that wouldn't work.

There wasn't any air conditioning in the shack- the one his father used on the hottest of days had broken a few months after his death and he didn't know how to fix it. But it was better than being out in the middle of the desert, and he knew there were bandages somewhere.

Before he could even stop to think about whether or not this was a good idea, Keith had already scooped the man into his arms. It was a bit awkward- he was plenty strong, but there was no denying the man was nearly twice his size, so no matter how strong he was, carrying him was still a challenge.

This wasn't working, he thought.

Setting him carefully back down, Keith managed to get his arms looped around his neck, moving to scoop up his legs. This... probably wasn't the best for head wounds, but it was the best he could manage. It would have to do.

He hadn't been able to save his father.

But he maybe he could save this person.

Everything else he could think about later.