Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/13395525. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Underage Category: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi Fandom: Voltron_Legendary_Defender Relationship: Lance/Keith, Hunk_and_Pidge_and_lance, Shiro/Keith, matt/pidge, pidge/ lance, Lance/Lotor Character: Lance, Keith, Shiro Additional Tags: utena_au, AU, Its_symbolic_and_questionable, has_a_lotta_'cest'_and_dark mature_things_implimented, Lance_as_The_Bride, Keith_is_the_prince, shiro is_the_ex_prince, utena_is_a_tamer_ver_of_evangelion_but_it's_still_bad sondont_Ben_surprised_with_dark_adult_themes, i_apologise_of_holtcest_in advance_its_for_plot_purposes_only Stats: Published: 2018-01-16 Words: 3084 ****** Utena ****** by GreenFlamedWriter Summary There is no answers, they just are. Lance is a bride and Keith has to fight every single challenger to keep Lance not only safe but sane away from the mental and physical trauma others want to inflict on him. But how long can Keith keep fighting? Notes I am actually taking HEAVY inspiration from the Utena anime, so if you guys think-hold on what happened now? Is a mixture of my interpretation since it was symbolic. Once there was a church secluded on a landscape, as if it was floating on a plane more superior than ours. The sky a devoid grey gradient with light and darkness, the dark church had colourful stained glass windows filling the inside with rainbows and glittering lights piercing the air the dust particles levitated in the air moving slowly like glitter. Silhouettes whispered their sorrows but it all sounded far away, all crowding around three coffins sealed shut with a rosary emblem on the front, all except one. A boy lay on a blanket of red rose petals, a small patch of light warmed the back of his head and he tucked himself further into the soft smell of the flowers fragrance. "Why are you lying in a coffin?" A voice spoke, Keith jolted his eyes opening slowly and turned towards the voice "come on out." It spoke again. Keith stared at the hand then let himself be pulled up and saw a small boy, in an elegant white clothes, a prince? Possibly. That's what he looked like. "Is there a reason you were lying in there?" The boy asked the younger who only stared ahead violet eyes dazed and unseeing but he spoke with clarity. "My family is gone, and I'm all alone. I wanted to die with them." The prince looked startled at this "No- you mustn't think that, your parents wouldn't want that from you." The other said nothing and looked down at the floor watching a red petal flutter across the coal coloured paving like a teasing caress. Perplexed at why the flower moved when there was no gust of wind to manipulate the movement Keith glanced up at where the petal arose and followed it, the prince watched behind with a solemn face. Keith took a few steps the action resembling an excited child chasing a bird, he took another step watching the petal suddenly warp stretching until it gave a buzzing snap. Keith cried out falling backwards the prince caught him holding him steady. Red. It was red everywhere, something was stuck inside that cluster of...guns. Sharp black metallic guns some with blades that sliced through fabric and crisscrosses trapping something inside. The more Keith peered at it the more he saw this cluster was shaped like an egg with these weapons slotted and curved together to make an amalgamation of a crude shell, locking something inside. A flash of lighting startled Keith as the red turned blue but the egg darkened revealing a siloute of something curled up inside before it was gone. Keith trembled this place nerved him he knew there was something dark here. "Keith," the young boy turned at the prince who stared sadly at the egg. "What is that?" Keith asked looking back, feeling the prince's hand warm his shoulder from where he was still touching him. "That is a cursed child, imprisoned here long ago. I've tried all I could but he can't be free." Keith stared at the egg and felt horrified that a child was in there. "You can't do anything?" Keith asked and the prince with the lock of white hair falling in his face shook his head "I cannot, but maybe you can." "Me?" "Call out, maybe your voice may reach him." Keith stared then nodded determined "I will." He stepped towards the egg and suddenly felt his mouth dry. "Um, can you hear me?" Nothing. Only the stretch of the silence made Keith tremble feeling as if the darkness was coming in he spoke a little louder "Hey! It's me Keith! Your buddy!" The prince saw movement, one of the guns had turned facing Keith, its metal glistening. "Cone on, don't you want to come out!? Your missing so many things." Keith hadn't noticed all the guns slowly tilt his way like a flower would sunlight. Their safety's were still on, like they were listening. "Please come out, you won't be lonely anymore." Keith felt his heart clench as he reached out "Please for me." He placed his hand on the outer shell of metal hearing the Princes warning too late. "Keith-" Suddenly a purple light riveted like a wave that pulses towards Keith's hand and with a bang Keith flew back with a scream. The prince caught him and gasped at the burn on Keith's palm. Keith started to cry fat tears streaming down his cheeks. The prince but his lip then glared at the shell it swayed as if it was laughing. Mocking. It was too much for Keith he deduced "Keith, where does it hurt?" He asked and the boy shook his head face flushed red and angry. "I couldn't do it." His voice sulked catching the Prince off guard until he realized that Keith was embarrassed. He held back and laugh and instead placed his hand through raven locks "You did amazing he heard you I know he did, but maybe now isn't the time for him to break his shell." "What?" The prince stood up helping Keith and looked him in the eye. "Keith can you do me a favor?" "...um, I, I can." The prince smiled softly the pale pink scar on his nose creased, "Can you help him, save the little boy trapped in his shell?" Keith blinked his eyes moving to the shell then back and gave a serious nod "I will." He said determined and the prince smiled and kissed his cheek. "Take this, it will make it that much easier." The prince took Keith's hand delicately and slowly slipped a ring around his engagement finger. Keith looked at it in awe "Pretty..."   Keith startled awake, his room bathed in darkness as the house creaked in the silence, the only light was his alarm blaring the Red of numbers. Brushing his hand over his face he groaned rolling over into his back, blinking at the ceiling feeling wide awake he couldn't seem to drop. He raised his hand high and gazed at the ring around his feeling. He can't remember the prince, the one who saved him from that coffin, he came to this school hoping to find him and thank him but maybe…maybe it's not meant to be. There was a rumour that this prince saved many, girls and boys alike but he vanished a long time ago and no one know what became of him. Besides this desperate drive to find this prince, Keith rarely cared for others. It was hard to care at all, he came to this school alone and focused on his studies but time passed by in a grey blur. Keith came to this school like a moth to a flame, he felt an odd pull that told him he was meant to be here. It was both frustrating and calmly to know he was finally where he was meant to be. But the frustrating part was what does he do now? In the school some things were...peculiar. It felt as if some days it had is own rules but then the next the very world defied physics, it was way too odd. He asked his friends, well the only ones just as normal as him, if they felt odd in this place. "Dude, Pidge defies the dress code and I built a bomb by accident. Can't get any more weird tha that in this place the school didn't even care!" Both Hunk and Pidge gravitated towards each other and then Keith was pulled along for the ride, he didn't mind it was hard enough to make friends anyway. ()()()()()()(£()()()()()()(()()()()()()() On one morning when Keith decided to wake up early to walk past the small gardens that held so many beautiful flowers,did he see him. A boy, standing hunched in front of a taller school girl, a confession? He had dark skin and short brown hair, he was tall but you'd never think so with the way he was hunched. "You fucking idiot!" The girl yelled at him, when she raised her hand, the. Lay flinched. Keith wasn't surprised she was pretty buff with purple hair with a pink undertone, she was strange to say the least. "I asked for a two button petty coat! Not a one button! Can't you do anything right." The boy besides his trembling and not looking her in the air had a very strong voice. "I'm sorry." That sounded very sarcastic to Keith but he could've been wrong. "Sorry doesn't cut it. I'm not paying for this." She held out her hand "Give me my money." Now that got his attention, he finally looked her in the eyes a hot burst of emotion daring him to speak up. "But it was a hundred-" Keith gasped when the boy was struck. "You dare talk back to me!?" He fell to the ground with a yelp, Keith's legs moved before he could think "Hey!" He stood over the boy glaring at the massive girl "Leave him alone- this building does not tolerate bullying." The woman looked surprised then smirked before laughing. "They will find that HE is an exception." Keith eyes narrowed "What?" Instead she chuckled and used her foot to kick at the boys stomach "He's my bride. I can do with him how I very will please." Until her lilac eyes turned to Keith "Unless you want to challenge me for him?" Keith's eyes narrowed, this woman was crazy until he heard the boy stirring sitting up, Keith's eyes widened when he saw the boys cheek inflamed and begin to swell. "It's okay." The boy said getting up on shaky legs "It's none of your business." Keith's eyes narrowed. He turned to the woman "Fine Anywhere anytime you name it." She was not expecting that and she sneered "Be at the gardens, I'll be waiting." She then began to walk away and the boy stood up to follow "Hey," he froze for a moment then glanced at Keith. "What's your name?" The boy glanced at Keith then at the retreading woman. "It's Lance." Keith walked to the gardens thinking they'll be there but paused to find the place empty. Exploring he saw a wall that had an ensigil engraved, glancing at the marking then his ring he felt odd. "This is familiar." He placed the ring above he mark. It fit perfectly. A clicking noise brought him from his thoughts and he fell back when the water fall behind the case, began to split and open to reveal a staircase. Putting the ring on his finger Keith looked around "What a weird place." The fact that the school even had something like this freaked him out. As he ascended the staircase he stopped to see an elevator whoosh past holding two people inside. Lance and that woman, Keith grit his teeth, they had an elevator while making him take these god forsaken stairs to who knows what? He glanced up and blanched how long was this staircase!? Lance and Zethrid arrived first and the other three duellists did not look happy. "Zethrid." One of them hissed "What is the meaning of this, allowing an outsider to our domain? He's not supposed to know about us!" Zethrid chuckled "Relax, he's a student and a prince." "What!?" A tall girl with blue hair and black clips on her hair crossed her arms "I was told that we had a new student, I never thought we would meet so quickly." "It's about time we had another prince I was getting bored," Ezor said, a bubbly girl with her hair tied into a tight ponytail , she traced her finger over Lance's chin, the boy tensed trying not to shiver "I was disappointed when you broke his spirit, Narti." Even though Narti was blind she never let that be her disadvantage she more than made up for it by her skill set alone. Her cat purred in her lap, all waiting for the newcomer to finally arrive. Keith made it to the top of the staircase panting, someone needs to get fired, he paused to see four girls looking at him with Lance stepping close- wait did his outfit change? He was defiantly wearing a blue suit that he'd never seen before. Even the others outfits were a little different, they were dressed like princes. "So four on one?" He panted "That isn't fair." Zethrid erupted a boisterous laugh "Oh please as if I need help taking out a welp like you." She stepped forward with her hands on her hips "You have challenged me to a dual and the rules are quite simple, both of us will have a rose on our chest the first to strike the rose will win." Keith blinked when the boy stepped forward placing a purple rose on the woman's chest. Then he stepped towards Keith with a red rose tucking it in through his clothes. "Good luck." He smiled and Keith was stunned that such a sad smile was aimed at him. Until Zethrid struck the boy "How dare you give him good luck, boy! You are MY bride and I will not stand for you talking to others that way!" Lance's lip quivered "I'm sorry-" "You and your apologies, good for nothing piece of shit." Keith grit his teeth, it was a shame he couldn't stab the woman. Noticing his look, Zethrid smirked his way "I'm going to enjoy this." One of the woman gave Keith a wooden sword, he scowled were they kidding him? Until he looked up and watched Lance step towards Zethrid, she placed his hand on his hip, he closed his eyes "Rose of the noble castle," Keith watched as a white light erupted from the boys chest and grew bigger, he held it in his hands then extended them flowing outwards, Keith gaped as Zethrid leaned forward her chest touching his, and then a sword appeared from the light Zethrid pulled at the sword speaking an incantation that was lost to him pulling out the sword fully she had lance in her arms. Keith blinked glancing around the others were seeing this right? "What the fuck?" Was that normal? Before he could think more of it, he fell back almost losing his footing as Zethrid swarmed him. Keith leapt back, she took advantage of his hesitance and she gave blow after sickening blows Keith barely had time to breath. Until she struck and Keith thought for a moment he lost but he glanced down and saw his clothes being shredded instead. She was mocking him, when Zethrid turned to the others with a look of glee Keith lunged forward and struck her flower. "What?" The petals exploded around her and most everyone present seemed stunned. Keith won. Lance did not seem thrilled nor sad, instead he stepped away from Zethrid who looked too shocked to speak his steps were light and filled with purpose as he calmly stood in front of Keith his eyes dull and tired looking. He smiled but even that make Keith feel tired. "Congragulations my prince." Lance bowed "You have defeated Zethrid and will take me as a bride." "…What now?" ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() Keith thought nothing off it later on, typically stupid of him, until he found lance in his dorm room later on. "The hell you think your doing?" The boy flinched "Well this is my room now, I bunk with the one who owns me." Keith took a step back this has to be a joke right? "This is a mistake." "It's really not." Keith held a hand up and then turned around grabbing his jacket and storming towards the principles office. Maybe someone with sense will sort this out. The Principle looked understanding once Keith explained everything, he began to type away and Keith felt at ease. "ah maybe we can sort this out..." Keith gave a sigh of relief until he saw the principles face drop as his eyes flickered over the name of Keith's supposed bunk mate he then turned pale and stammered out an apology "I-I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do-" "What," he tried to ask but the principle cut him off as he escorted Keith out. "Sorry it's just how it is." Keith only wondered why even the principle reacted like that with Lance? He walked out the principles office and almost had a heart attack when he saw Lance was standing right there waiting. "Did it go as you hoped." He asked with a polite smile Keith scowled and walked past him. "No." Lance walked behind him like a puppy "I'm sorry," Keith was about to tell him to stop apologising until he saw the other students look at him strangely. Some were even snickering. It only made Keith's mood worse. As soon as they got home Keith slammed his stuff to the side with a scowl, he could see Lance at the corner of his eye, and heard him take a breath "Is there anything you wish of me, my prince?" Keith scowled clenching his fists "Stop calling me that- what are you doing?" He paused stupid when he saw that Lance was already unbuttoning his shirt "Everyone does this, mark me as their bride in their own ways, I wonder what you will do?" Keith gaped a faint blush tainting his usual pale cheeks. Lance was removing his shirt slowly and Keith swallowed to see such a well toned chest and dark skin contrast with the loose white short that began to bunch at his hips, Keith felt his eyes trailing the body unapologetically. But it stopped there, Lance wasn't comfortable, but the fact that he did this showed how many times others took him like this. That shot his thoughts down with a cold bucket of water. And if not that, the scars on his body proved otherwise. Crisscross shapes and Keith swallowed. Why call him a bride when they treat him like a slave? "My prince..." oh god his voice sounded equally pitiful and arousing. Keith clenched his fists, he was not going to be like them. "Goddammit-" he grabbed a pair of pajamas and pushed Lance into the bathroom "If you're going to change, go where I can't see you!" He slammed the door and then covered his face with his hands trying to make his heartbeat slow. Lance was honestly stunned not expecting that at all, looking down at the pajamas that he held to cover his chest he smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all...? Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!