Athea watched the lions, the sun shining off its surface.

The red lion slowly bent over, opening its mouth. And Athea confidently marched in, the other Paladins joining their lions. She came through the doors, and she stood in awe inside the cockpit. The seat was dark, with the glow of red around the room made everything look like it was faint maroon. There were two handles in the front, and tons of other buttons and switches to play with.

Curious, Athea sat, putting on her helmet. She grabbed hold of the controls, pushing one forward. Athea nearly jumped a foot out of her seat as the lion creaked to life. The lion stood from its crouched position, standing, waiting for its next command.

Athea blinked before repositioning herself on her seat.

"Alright, Paladins-" a voice called on the other end of the Mic. It was Lance, and he was in the Control room with Allura, as he said he would be.

"Today you guys are just going for a test flight. Unlike us during our time as Paladins, you guys will actually get to practice flying instead of battle instincts just kicking in." Lance gave a light chuckle, recalling him and the old Paladin's first encounter with Blue, and how rocky that start was.

Athea nodded to herself, tightening her grip on the flight sticks.

"So, where exactly are we going? Because I'm positive I'm not the only one here who doesn't know their way around this planet." Jayden chuckled nervously to himself.

"Just in a big loop," Allura responded, "Kuro and Athea know this place well, so they will guide you."

Everyone murmured in agreement, the rest of the lions standing.

"Ready for take off?" Kuro asked.

"Let's go!" Athea called, her excitement barely containable as she pulled backward the other flight stick. The rockets on the back of Red's legs fired up, and shot her backward, off the cliff where they had gone.

"ATHEA!!" Everyone shouted in the mics, not wanting to loose a pilot on their first day.

Athea free fell off the cliff for a moment or two, before forcing up the Control, sending thrusters to max, slowing her fall. She turned a dial, and slide a bar all the way up on a bar, sending the thrusters off, and her fire breath up and pre-heating. She forced forward both flight controls, sending the lion to go shooting upward in the air. She spun 360° before doing a looped flip.

"C'mon you guys! You gotta try this!" She shouted, clearly pleased, into her Mic.

The others lifted off, following close behind her.

"Now remember," Lance noted as they shot along the sky, "feel free to test any controls, but please DO NOT damage any of the buildings and civilian homes!"

"Got it!" They all shouted back in unison.

Athea taped a holographic button, making the lions mouth shoot boiling lava toward the ground. 

She heavily push forward on one of her sticks, pulling back on the other, making a lion fly 360° as the lava shot out, aiming it at a clear spot in the ground. She let out a laugh. "This was fun!" She thought.

"Athea," Her mother's voice chirped in her ear, "Don't go overboard! I know you are testing things out, but slow down."

Athea's stopped, rethinking what had happened a few moments ago. She fell of a cliff, she left her freinds in the dust, and now she was practically playing. Her cheeks suddenly burned with embaressment. She really had gone over board.

She held back in her controls, silently cursing herself for being so careless. The rest of the Paladins finally caught up, and floated in place next to her.

"Ok, um," Kuro started, "let's just land over there and take things one step at a time." He suggested. The poor boy didn't know the first thing about being a leader, so it left him baffled most of the time.

Everyone flew down, guideing their lions to the ground, and landed in a circle, each lion facing another. Kuro's voice broke the silence in the mics.

"So, it appears we all know how to fly, Kinda, so let's work on some of our moves."

"Right!" Everyone else agreed.

They all were positioned on the ground, trying out buttons, and aiming their blasts at a side of a mountain.

They were all doing super well, until Jayden got himself caught in some tree roots.

"Uh, a little help!" He called through the mic. Everyone held back their giggles before Kuro helped set him free.

They practiced a little while longer, before the Altean sun began to set in the sky. The stars shown brightly, making a glittering path for them as they flew back to the castle.

They touched down in the courtyard, and all climbed up the faces of their lions, resting on their noses to gaze at the stars.

Athea layed next to Kuro, because Lance and Allura came at sat on her lion. She let out a sigh, turning to Kuro.

"Its beautiful isn't it?" She asked him.

He nodded, slightly turning his head towards her, but keeping his eyes on the sky.

"I know I live on Dibazaal, but Altea will always feel like home. And the sky defidently wins for the prettiest out of the two."

They both laughed, returning their gazes to the sky.

Their was a comfortable silence between them. It felt nice, with the back round noise of their friends chatting.

Athea opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Kuro noticed.

"What?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I'm just scared."

Normally, there would have been a pause, then Kuro would have started teasing her and laughing. But he didn't. He just kept his gaze on the sky.

"Yep. I am too."

Athea blinked, startled, not at all expecting that response.

"Your scared?" She asked.

He nodded,  looking at her. "Well yeah! I'm leading a team of people, most who I've never known before, with flying mechanical beasts! I'd like to meet a person that isn't scared of doing those things."

Athea nodded.

"There was Shiro. And your Dad."

Kuro gave a soft chuckle. "I mean a rookie. Someone who has never led anything in their life."

Athea nodded again before sokn looking Kuro over. He was so much taller than the little boy she used to know, and leaner too. He had matured. It was so strange starting to see it now.

"For me," Athea replied quickly, realizing she was staring, "Everything just seems to be happening so quickly, and different than I imagined. Don't get me wrong! This was my dream for so long, but now..." She paused.

"I just want to go back to when we were younger. Just you and me. It was so much easier when we didn't need to worry about problems bigger than the control room." Athea said with a small smile.

Kuro nodded, returning her smile. "I understand."

They both looked back to the sky,  stars twinkling. They only watched for a moment or two, before Allura's voice captured their attention.

"What do you say we call it a day?" She asked.

Everyone agreed, climbing down from their lions. They all entered the castle and towards the kitchen for some supper. Athea's thoughts ran through her head.

"Tomorrow will be a better day."