Shade kneaded his claws into the padding if the pen he grew up in. His ears flicked as he listened to the battle outside, eyeing his own armor. The silver metal gleamed.

"Shade, you can't be thinking about going." Mistah murmured, curling her fluffy tail with her brother's thinner tail.

The bigger lion chuffed, lowering his head. "I wanna help. I wanna help ma and dad and Pidge."

Mistah purred, rubbing her head into his cheek. "I know. I do, too."

"You two are weird." Ajthine groaned, splayed out across the padding on her back. "I like staying in here, laying down and waiting for them to come back."

"You don't want to fight?" Shade grumbled as he sat down, swaying his tail.

Ajthine rolled onto her stomach. "I do want to fight. Just not right now."

Mistah giggled, the tip of her tail flicking back and forth. "You're just like Cloade!"

Ajthine leapt to her feet, fur rising up in embarrassment. "I am not! I'm not like papa!"

Shade laughed, Mistah leaning on him. "You're like Pelae, too!"

"I'm not like either of them!" Ajthine shouted, not quite hissing or growling.

"It's okay. They're you're parents. It's normal to be like them." Mistah mused, resting her head on her brother's shoulder.

"Is being in love with your sibling what you got from your parents!" Ajthine finally hissed.

Shade and Mistah both froze up. Ajthine smirked and raised her head. "Are you two really in love with each other?"

"She's my sister!" Shade stood up, fur beginning to bristle. "Of course I love her, just not in that way!"

"Now who's in denial!?" Ajthine swayed her tail amusedly.

Shade growled, lip pulling up in a sneer. "You've already taken this too far. Stop while you're ahead."

Ajthine huffed.  "Too late for that, tough cat."

"I'm not a cat! I'm a lion!" Shade snapped, urging Mistah behind him. "I'm also older than you, meaning I hold authority over you!"

"Look at you using big words!" Ajthine praised, curling her tail. Shade's ears flattened and he lowered his head threateningly as his shoulders bunched up. "Just because you're older, that doesn't make you better or smarter!"

Mistah nudged her brother. "Hey ignore her." She whispered, padding over to gently nuzzle him. "Remember what dad says."

Shade breathed deeply and nodded, relaxing as he returned her nuzzle.

"I can't wait to see your adorable, dysfunctional little cubs." Ajthine purred, snapping Shade right back.

The larger lion roared and launched himself at the younger, smaller lion. Ajthine shrieked as she was forced off balance and grunted as she hit the floor. For having landed on padding, Ajthine's entire side throbbed painfully. She roared back at him, thrashing about to return the attack.

Mistah cried out for them to stop, but she was afraid to get closer. She shied back, ears flat and eyes wide. "Shade, Ajthine! Please, stop it!"

Shade bit down on Ajthine's scruff and she yelped as she was lifted and tossed. "You need to learn to shut your mouth!" He ground out, claws digging into the padding.

Ajthine scrambled to her feet, growling. "You really shouldn't have attacked!"

"You provoked him!" Mistah cried, whimpering and flinching back as Ajthine hissed at her.

"Look at me!" Shade shouted, snapping Ajthine's attention back to him. "Leave her out of this!"

"Shut your trap, Shade! You think you're big and tough, but - in reality - you're just a big cub!" Ajthine raised her shoulders.

Shade bristled, digging his claws into the padding so he wouldn't pounce again. However, Ajthine apparently wasn't done fighting. She launched with a roar. Shade forced himself onto his hind legs, forcing her back to the floor.

Ajthine snapped up at Shade as he pinned her down. She wriggled and his claws began to break her skin. Ajthine lashed out and struck his face. Shade gasped, hold on the lioness loosening.

She launched herself, flinging the larger lion. Ajthine pounced onto him, hissing in his face. Shade spat back, kicking at her exposed stomach. Ajthine shrieked as his claw caught in her skin and tore down. Shade roared as her claws buried themselves in his chest.

"Shade!"

"Ajthine! Stop it, now!"

Shade curled up and pressed his hindpaws into her ribcage. He launched her off, then wheezed, gasping for breath.

"What is going on!?"

"What happened!?"

"I tried stopping them- I did!"

Shade groaned, flopping onto his side.

"He's bleeding- Shade's bleeding!"

"Both of them are!"

Shade huffed, his mother curling around him and propping his head up on herself. "Shade, what in Altea happened?"

The young lion nuzzled her as his sister nuzzled his shoulder. "I... I was... I was just defending Mistah..."

"Ajthine, what did you do?" Cloade asked calmly as her mother lapped furiously.

"He attacked me! I defended myself!" Ajthine cried.

"That's not what happened!" Mistah cried. "She lied- she's lying, father!"

"Alright, alright, Mistah." Spirit gathered her to himself. "Tell me what happened."

Mistah sniffled and nuzzled her father. "We were just playing. We teased her saying she was like Cloade and Pelae and she got mad. She started saying mean things to us. I tried to keep Shade calm, but then she said something else and he pounced on her. We tried getting her to stop saying those things, but she kept going. He stopped fighting her and she yelled at him. Shade was done fighting, but she attacked him again!"

Spirit hummed, curling his tail with hers. He gently lapped his tongue over her flattened ears. "It's over now, and it won't happen again." He whispered.

Cloade sighed, lowering his head. "Ajthine..."

"No, dad- I didn't mean-"

"Ajthine." Cloade shook his head and stepped back.

Ajthine jumped to her paws, eyes pleading and ears flat. "Papa, please..."

Cloade breathed deeply. "I... I thought you were better than this." He murmured, disappointment softening his voice. Ajthine whimpered as her father turned and trotted away.

Ajthine whipped around to see her mother lifting herself to her paws. "Mom!"

Pelae closed her eyes. "I may not have been the best example to my cub, but I was sure you knew better than to instigate a fight with your superior."

"He's not-"

"Yes he is! He is trusted as leader of you two!" Pelae snapped. Ajthine shied back. "You'll get bandaged up and you're staying in the pen."

"But mom-"

"Do not talk back to your mother." Adaoe warned, his son sitting beside him.

Ajthine shrunk back, watching as Spirit finally motioned for the paladins.

Pidge rushed to Faune and knelt beside her. Faune purred and nuzzled her paladin. Pidge leaned over and kissed Shade's head.

Mistah leaned off her father and lay beside her brother. Shade purred as she nuzzled him.

Lance soothed Cloade by scratching behind his ears and letting him lean on him. Pelae saught comfort by only pressing her head into Keith's chest. Keith gently pet her, eyes on Ajthine. Hunk pet Adaoe and Shiro gently patted Spirit's head.

Ajthine curled up on herself, her abdomen throbbing with a dull ache.

"I don't think she's ready to be a part of Voltron." Cloade murmured to both his paladin and his mate.

Pelae and Lance both sighed, Lance lowering his head. "She'll get there, bud."

"I know." Cloade chuffed. "I should have done a better job."

"You did good, buddy. There's just some things you can't control..." Lance nuzzled his lion and Cloade returned the gesture.

Faune looked up at Pidge. "We need to get him in his pod."

Pidge bit her lip, looking down at Shade. She nodded, stroking his ruffled fur down. "Yeah. Spirit, will you come help Faune get Shade to his armor. He needs the pod."

"It's that bad?" Mistah whimpered as He father nudged her to her paws.

Shade grunted as he was helped up. "I'm fine. Just out of breath." He muttered, but he didn't fight his parents as they lead him. Mistah flinched at the limp in her brother's step.

The small lion looked up at the black paladin as he stroked her head.

"He'll be okay." Shiro reassured, and she nuzzled into his palm.

"Wonderful paladins..." She whispered, closing her eyes.