Part 20

                                    

                                          
It was vargas until Kai finally emerged from the lava pit in her new form, she raced into the red lion and got her armor on, making her helmet cover her whole face and darkening the visor so her fellow paladins can't see any of her. She walked into Red's cockpit and came up behind the pilot seat.
"You can look at me Keith but I'm all covered so you won't see anything," she said.
                          
Keith looked behind him then sighed in relief, "I'm so glad you're alright, you really had me worried there," said Keith with a small smile.
                          
Kai couldn't look at her boyfriend, "Well next time, don't worry about me, you'll only end up hurt," she replied, "Let's just get back to the castle."
Keith felt like something was wrong but he didn't push as he flew Red back to the castle, leaving the burning planet behind.
"Keith, is Insui alright?" Allura's voice came from the coms.
"I'm here and I'm alright, you're all allowed to look so you may bring up the screen," Kai said.
Everyone appeared on a small screen in Red's cockpit, Allura was squished in the middle.
"You feeling alright now, Kai?" Shiro asked.
Kai nodded lightly and made a small noise of confirmation, not being as talkative as usual.
"You sure? You're being as quiet as Keith usually is," Hunk commented.
                          
"Hunk, leave her alone, she's probably still feeling the effects of the ritual," Pidge said.
Lance jumped in, "Whoa, were you always that curvy and tall?"
                          
Kai didn't answer, instead she turned her head away in silence.
                          
"Guys, just leave her be, she'll answer when she's ready," Shiro said, his arms crossed.
"We're coming into the hangar now, see you guys soon," Keith said then turned off the com.
                          
Red landed in her hangar and let out the two paladins, Keith opened his mouth to speak but Kai ran to her room. Keith did indeed notice that Kai had gotten taller as she was now at least a foot taller than him, he was worried about her and about how she wasn't speaking. Kai got to her room then locked her door and sighed, taking off her helmet and letting her now longer and  wavy hair fall out. The matured Kalvorian stripped then looked at her body in the mirror; her pale skin was decorated with intricate golden lines that were carved into her flesh like royalty on Kalvor had, her yellow hair nearly reached the floor now but was really light. Her eyes.... Her eyes had turned completely white while it looked like one of her eyelids had red eyeshadow and the other had green. This was what Kai had been afraid of, the colors that appear on a mature Kalvorian's eyelids indicate the color their soulmate is associated with most, Kai had two soulmates and she knew who they were.
                          
"She just ran off before I could say a word," Keith said, "I think something happened, maybe she had a vision that upset her while she was going through the change."
"Perhaps but the best we can do is give her some time for now," said Allura
"Well since a Kalvorian's body may change drastically it could be she's embarrassed or she simply wanted to see herself first," Coran piped.
"She is like a whole foot taller now," Keith said, his arms crossed.
"Well like Allura said, we should give her time to come us when she wants," Shiro replied.
"I don't need time, I'm completely fine," Kai spoke, surprising everyone.
Her hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing the black body suit that is worn under the paladin armor to hide her body. Everyone was happy to see her but Keith and Lance couldn't take their eyes off her figure.
"We're so glad you're okay!" Hunk said happily, snapping the other teen boys out of their trances.
"Thank you, Hunk, I appreciate your concern," Kai smiled slightly.
                          
"Why are you in the bodysuit we wear under our armor?" Pidge questioned.
"I do not feel comfortable showing that physical change to everyone just yet until I figure out how else I feel about it, also I would rather not have anyone touch me for a while," Kai replied.
"Your hair is super long now, does that mean you're stronger than before?" piped Lance.
The Kalvorian nodded, "Correct, but the length does not only mean physical strength," she explained, "I have become stronger both mentally and physically as the result of my coming of age."
In this time Keith had walked up to his girlfriend and examined the colors on her eyelids, thoroughly confused.
"Are you wearing eyeshadow?" he asked.
"I'm afraid I don't know what that is," Kai said and took a step away from Keith.
                          
"It's a powder pigment that people put on their eyelids to look pretty," Pidge explained.
                          
"No, I'm not, the color came about during my change, I have no control over it and I will not tell you why it is there or why it is those colors," Kai turned her head away, "I would rather not talk about it at all. Coran, if you remember, do not tell the others....please."
"Oh, don't worry about it, my lips are sealed," Coran grinned at her.
"Thank you, I am going to train, I won't be joining you for dinner so do not worry," the Kalvorian stated then strode out to train but paused in the doorway, "Shiro, I'd like to speak with you later in private."
"Of course, you can come to my room after dinner, I'll be there," Shiro responded.
Kai glanced over her shoulder, "Thank you but I would rather we meet in my room," she said then walked off to the training deck.
Keith sighed after she was gone, concern showing on his usually stoic features, "Now I know there's something wrong, that ritual must have done something to her head," Keith said.
"Keith, you're overthinking this, I'm sure she's fine," Pidge dismissed Keith's concern with a wave of her hand, "Besides, she'll probably tell you what's bothering her after consulting a third party, A.K.A. Shiro. He is our leader so she trusts him with secrets unlike Lance who blurted the secret that she liked you and me.