Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“It’s a new day… a new day… you can only get better.”

Allura had taken to repeating this line every morning. On a bad day, she repeated it more than once. Twice. Three times. However long it took for the feeling of nausea to subside. But she had to remind herself: it hadn’t been long.

Allura gazed at her own reflection in the lake of this foreign, uninhabited planet. She didn’t see a princess anymore – only her own tortured expression. A broken woman. A weak frame containing a weak mind and behind her, the tall stature of the man who had left her this way. Allura’s reflection haunted her.

“I will face you.” She seethed at the vague features of the Galra’s last emperor. “I will not let you win.”

“But Allura…” The reflection whispered, “You have nothing left. Your father abandoned you. Your castle is gone… all you had was me and the work we did together…”

“NO!” Allura shrieked, swiping the water with her hands, abolishing his voice and his face. That did nothing to stop it ringing just as true in her memories. Crouching by the water, Allura pushed her head into her knees, breathing deeply.

“It’s a new day… one more day without him.”

Was he dead? Was he still alive, writhing in the void, slowly saturating himself in quintessence? She wasn’t sure which one she was more afraid of, and she bade the answer never reveal itself to her. After all, she had left him there…

“Allura?”

Allura stood like a shot, facing her intruder. But it was only Lance. Had he heard? She waited, schooling her features.

“A-are you okay?” Lance asked, concerned.

Allura hadn’t strayed too far from the others, but Lance still must have gone out of his way to find her. She forced a smile.

“Yes thank you, Lance.”

He wasn’t convinced. But he didn’t argue. “Everyone is waiting for you. I-it’s Shiro… he’s not looking too good.”

Allura nodded, alert. Suppress. Hide. Don’t think. It’s a new day. You can only get better.

 With his white hair and the physical tolls from his recent ordeal, Shiro looked fifty times older than the man they remembered. Bent over the healing pod, fists clenched, Keith stayed by Shiro’s side – waiting. Krolia placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You should rest. You’ve been by his side for days.” She told him gently.

“No… I can’t give up on him.”

Krolia shared a grim look with Coran. Shiro’s vitals took a dive, prompting the machinery to beep and whirr menacingly. Keith flinched.

“Shiro…”

Lance and Allura entered the black lion, expressions matched.

“What’s going on?” Asked Allura. She tried not to feel guilty for leaving. She’d needed a moment, that was all… just a moment to think.

“He’s not waking up. Why isn’t he waking up?” Keith flared.

“W-we tried everything.” Said Lance.

“There simply isn’t enough power. It would take phebes for the lions to recharge.” Said Coran, pressing more buttons, “If Shiro doesn’t get better now or in the very near future…” He trailed off, reluctant to finish the sentence. It didn’t matter. Everyone knew how it ended.

“But!” Said Coran, the brightness in his tone elevating everyone for a moment, “we are in the fortunate situation of being located right near a Fornitonium gold-mine. If we can find a Yelmore to track some down, we can use it as a temporary solution to our power shortage.”

Lance straightened. “Then what are we waiting for?”

Hunk said, “How long will it take?”

“If we hurry, no more than a few Vargas.”

Keith sighed. “Good. You guys go find a Yelmore, I’ll stay here.”

“I’ll stay too.” Said Allura.

As the others went to leave, Lance lingered.

“Uh – Keith? Don’t you want to come with us? It might” –

-“No.” Said Keith forcefully. “The longer we wait, the worse his condition will get.”

Lance withdrew to the door with a reproachful look at Keith, “Okay,” He said uncertainly, “Hang in there, man.”

As the door shut, Keith let out a breath, expelling some of the tension in his stomach. He shouldn’t have snapped at Lance, but…

“Do you blame Lance?” Allura asked suddenly.

Keith blinked. “What?”

Allura’s gaze was penetrating, “Do you blame him for not taking care of Shiro while you were away? None of us saw it. None of us… realised. Least of all me. I know what he said when Shiro woke up, but it isn’t his fault.”

Keith’s head was spinning. Was that what they thought? That Keith resented them for this?

“No way.” He said, “I just – I’m worried. That’s all. Of course I don’t blame Lance. I-if anything I blame myself for not being here.”

Allura nodded. “I see. Perhaps you should tell him that.”

Keith shook his head, placing his hand on the pod above Shiro’s face. “This isn’t about him. It isn’t about anyone… it’s about keeping my brother alive.”

As he gazed at Shiro’s drawn features, Keith remembered a time not so long ago in his life when this same face had instilled confidence in him, had inspired him to work hard and become more than his past. He heard Shiro’s voice, telling him about the Kerberos mission, and wished hope against hope that he could go back in time and beg his brother not to leave.

Keith rested his head against the pod and said quietly, “You have so much to live for. Not just Voltron. Not… not just saving the universe. What about Adam? You always said the first thing you’d do when you got back to earth was make amends with him. I miss him too, Shiro… don’t make me be the one to tell him you – you can’t die!”

In the pod, deep in sleep, Shiro dreamt of Adam, Keith’s voice piercing his subconscious like a shooting star.

They were at their home in the garrison when it had happened.

Shiro waited for Adam on their couch, buzzing with nerves as he rubbed the medical band on his wrist. The door clicked open.

“Takashi,” Said Adam, breaking into a smile as he laid eyes on his fiancé. That was almost enough to make Shiro change his mind. Almost.

“Adam,” He said seriously. Adam settled onto the couch beside Shiro, planting a tender, familiar kiss on his mouth. It felt like a lie to Shiro, knowing what he was about to do, but he reciprocated, pulling Adam into a stronger embrace than usual.

“Whoa,” Adam laughed, breaking apart, “what’s the special occasion?” His eyes were alive, sparkling, a carefree smile on his lips.

Shiro didn’t do him the disservice of looking away.

“Adam, I… I’m going on the mission.”
The smile faded. The light in his eyes died. Shiro watched the moment his words sunk in with dread.

“What?”

“I’m...”

“Takashi, you can’t.” Adam was shaking his head, drawing away. “You’re too sick. I thought the admiral said - ”

-“The admiral was overturned.” Said Shiro. “It’s decided.”

Adam stood. “But you’re – I don’t know how long you have left! Are you seriously telling me you’re going to waste your last few years as a healthy man in space?”

Shiro was silent.
“What left do you have to prove?” Adam continued, his voice breaking as tears gleamed in his eyes, “You’re not invincible, Takashi! When will you realise that? This mission will kill you!”

“Then so be it!” Shiro sniped. “If I’m not strong enough to live happily for a few more years then I don’t want to live at all, and if I’m going to die, at least let it be for something worthwhile!”

The hurt that shattered Adam’s expression in that moment was Shiro’s clearest memory of this moment, and he would do anything to take those words back.

Finally, after a silence that stretched for an age, Adam became calm and cool.

“So I’m not worthwhile enough for you, Takashi?” He was cutting and deliberate.

Shiro faltered, “No, that’s not what I” –

-“But you did. You did mean it.” Adam swiped his bag from the floor and slung it over his shoulder, “If you go on this mission, don’t expect me to be here when you get back. I can’t go through this again. I love you Takashi, but – but…”

He couldn’t finish. Instead, with a final devastated glance at Shiro, Adam turned on his heel and left.

No, that wasn’t the last time Shiro had seen Adam. After that they’d broken up on civil terms. They shared icy, awkward conversations in the days leading up to the mission, and when the time came to say goodbye… Adam wasn’t there. It had been too much for him.

“You can’t die” said the voice in Shiro’s mind, “what about Adam?”

Yes. What about Adam? What about his life on earth? What about his family, his friends, what about –

“ Shiro … I ’ m not giving up on you. ”

Keith.

What about Keith?
What about the lost, confused boy he’d adopted from the home and made a part of his family? What about the boy who had grown up to save Shiro’s life, willing to sacrifice his own in the process?

An ember kindled in Shiro’s consciousness, a dragging weight that had held him in sleep slowly being lifted.

Keith gasped as the icon on the pod began to glow.

“His body is accepting him!” Said Allura, rushing to the pod.

Krolia grasped her son’s hand, knowing how much Shiro, though little more than a stranger to her, meant to him.

“He’s going to make it?” She asked, her voice hushed.

In the pod, Shiro opened his eyes.

When the screen lifted, Keith didn’t hesitate to hug his brother.

“I thought you were gone. I thought this was the end.”

Shiro barely had strength, but what he had, he used to cling tightly onto Keith.

“I heard your voice.” He said, “I heard it in my dreams.” And then, “I remembered you stealing my car.”

Keith laughed tearily, “Really? You were close to death and that’s what you remember?”

Shiro shrugged. “Well, that’s not all.”

They smiled at each other, knowing what he meant. There was no way Shiro was going to let anything stop him getting back to earth now.

At that moment, the rest of the paladins, Romelle and Coran burst into the room.

“Shiro!” Lance exclaimed, bustling to the pod, “You’re okay!”

“Yes,” Said Shiro throatily, “I’m okay…”

“How do you feel? Can you move your legs? Your arms – I mean, uh, arm? What about your - ?”

Keith pushed Lance to the side. “Stop crowding him, guys.” He said, exasperated.

Shiro laughed. “I’m fine.” Lance’s expression was twisted with worry and apprehension, “Lance, I’m fine.” He repeated.

Keith looked at Lance, and remembered what Allura had said. He’d talk to him eventually, he decided. Now just wasn’t… the right time.

“Anyway,” said Keith, “what happened to you guys? We couldn’t contact you.”

He expected Lance to launch into an elaborate play-by-play of their journey, but he didn’t. He hung back and Hunk, Pidge and Romelle enthusiastically told the story with the occasional interjection from Coran. Lance’s eyes were on Shiro as he clutched his paladin helmet to his chest, the apprehension in his eyes still there. Keith was sure he was the only one who noticed.

 When Shiro was recovered enough, it was decided they should plan their trip back to earth.

“ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED YEARS?” Lance cried as Coran told them how long it would take.

“No, no…” Pidge corrected, “He means it would take one point five years.”

Lance sighed. “Wow. You really scared me there Coran.”

Hunk fiddled with his fingers. “That’s still a long time though right? A lot can happen in a year and a half, I mean… that’s another whole eighteen months of our families thinking we’re dead.”

Shiro crossed his legs. “Hunk is right. Isn’t there a quicker way?”

Allura tapped her foot. “We don’t have a Teleduv. There is no quicker way.”

Romelle frowned. “What’s a Teleduv?”

“Um… it’s something we had on Altea. A device that allowed us to travel through space quickly.”

“Like a wormhole.” Said Lance. “Heh. I miss the Teleduv.”

Romelle didn’t appear any more enlightened. “I see… there’s so much I don’t know about my own people.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Said Keith, “We don’t have a Teleduv, so we’re just gonna have to stick it out.”

Lance folded his arms, pouting.

“There’s no point being like that, Lance. It’s just how it is.” Said Keith.

“I didn’t say anything!” Lance protested.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Guys…” Said Hunk, “As much as I miss your squabbles, we actually have to decide who’s going in which lion.”

Lance took the backseat a second time. He resented being picked on for doing so much as breathe, so he waited.

“Lance?” Said Hunk.

“Huh?”

“Any ideas.”

Lance shrugged. “I guess.”

Allura frowned. “If you’re not going to help” –

-“FINE. Romelle and Pidge in green, Hunk, Coran and the space mice in yellow, Keith and his mom in red, you with the wolf in blue and I’ll take Shiro and Kaltenecker.”

The circle erupted into disarray.

“I don’t want the wolf!”

“Yay, space mice!”

“Don’t you think Shiro should bunk with me?”

“Doesn’t Shiro get to decide?” Said Shiro, lifting his one arm.

Lance threw his arms in the air. “I tried to help! And you didn’t like it! So there.” He folded his arms again and leant against the rock.

They finally decided on who would go where after too much arguing, and Lance ended up with Romelle and Kaltenecker in red.

He didn’t mind so much at first, but it didn’t help that Pidge had said, “I thought you’d be happy. She is a girl.” To which he’d very sarcastically replied, “Well spotted.” But the truth was, that had hurt. Sure, there was no excuse for how he’d behaved in the past, but he was better now right? These days he was kind of cringed out by the idea of flirting with every girl that came in his path.

He guessed the team were entitled to their jokes, his past actions had warranted it after all but… did they really think he was the same?

Lance didn’t have much time to think on it. As he was desperately trying to convince Romelle to stop messing with the controls and pilot red, Krolia interrupted.

“We need to stop. This is the Zylock station. Can we check in?”

Lance had to admit, he wanted nothing to do with the blades. The idea of them left a bad taste in his mouth. Weren’t they the same people responsible for snatching Keith’s mother away from him? Weren’t they the same people responsible for Keith almost losing his life? Stupid Keith… Lance was still trying to find the time to berate him over that. But recently, there hadn’t been much of that. It was death this, Galra that… there was no time to relax, least of all sort out the past. Even so, they might find useful information, so Lance followed the others into Zylock.

 They should have known it was a trap. The Galra came from all sides. The space wolf, now named Cosmo (as Hunk had decided) could only teleport into so many Galra ships before he was injured, and soon they were overpowered.

At the first sign of a bright purple light, Allura was struck with the terrible fear they’d been targeted by an Ion canon. But instead, it was an incredibly powerful magnetic field that kept them pinned to the floor. Their coms frazzled by the field, Allura could only lie in wait. She was outnumbered and handcuffed, escorted with the other paladins to a prison cell.

“Well this is great.” Said Pidge.

“Where’s Coran? What did they do to him?” Asked Allura.

“Trapped in the black lion…” Said Keith grimly. “Let’s hope they don’t find him. Maybe he can come to our resc - Lance, what are you doing?”

Lance was on his knees and elbows, shimmying along the floor and inspecting every inch of the cramped cell.

“Looking for a way out. There’s gotta be some kind of… escape hatch.”

Keith cocked a brow. “An escape hatch? In a prison cell?” He scoffed, “You watch too many movies.”

“Maybe if you’d watched some of them, you’d be more motivated to look for a way out.” Lance replied wryly.

Keith rolled his eyes, smirking despite himself.

“You don’t think… this is Haggar’s doing, do you?” Asked Shiro.

They all looked at him, dread filling the cell.

“If it is… we need to be prepared.” Said Allura.

Lance stood from the floor with some difficulty given his hands were tied. He looked at Keith and Krolia.

“If this place has been invaded by Galra, then where are the blades?”

Keith’s eyes were dark. “I was wondering the exact same thing.”

At that moment, the prison door opened and they were faced with a pair they hadn’t laid eyes on in a long time.

“Well, well, well,” Said Ezor with delight, “It has been a long time.”

The paladins stared.

“We thought you were dead.” Said Zethrid. “We hoped”-

“Why would we be dead?” Said Hunk.

Ezor and Zethrid exchanged a look. “Are you trying to be smart with us, boy?”

Hunk scowled. “No!”

“Are you joking?” Said Ezor, “It’s been three years.”

“Three…” Hunk breathed.

“Three years?” Allura flared. “But how - ?”

“Where’s Lotor?” Ezor demanded, striding into the cell. “If you’re alive, then where is he?”

Allura’s stomach fell to her knees, before bouncing right back up again with nauseating horror. She hadn’t talked about him… no one had… and now… hearing his name was another stab in the raw and empty wound still left behind.

She stared.

“Well, princess?” Ezor hissed, “Where is he?”

“Gone.” Said Romelle, lifting her chin. “Defeated. And rightfully so.”
Allura hung her head. She wished Romelle was right, but a hollow part of her cried out, knowing it was a lie… he was still alive. She could feel it. Their connection from Oriande had snapped the moment Lotor had betrayed her, but a thread of it lingered, tying her to him. She hated it. But Romelle’s comment had distracted them from Allura.

Ezor grasped the Altean’s blond hair at her roots and threw her against the wall. Romelle cried out, and that was the prompt Allura needed. Gritting her teeth, she sprung forward and caught Ezor’s ankles, tripping her up.

Zethrid reacted, heading for Allura, but Lance stood in her way.

“Don’t even think about it!” He yelled, but was thrown aside as though he were nothing more than a twig. Krolia caught Lance, staggering under him.

Before Zethrid could hurt Allura, however, an alarm sounded and red lights began to flash.

“Breach detected…” It said.

They were lucky. Zethrid scooped Ezor from the ground and hurried them out of the cell, the door slamming shut behind them.

The paladins, Romelle, Shiro and Krolia immediately huddled to the door.

“Overwhelm the guards when they get to the door.” Said Krolia, “There’s someone else coming.”

But when the door opened, however, they were greeted instead by the space mice. It was the space mice who told Allura that Coran was coming to save them. It was the space mice who told them he wasn’t alone, and Acxa, one of Lotor’s former generals, was helping.

Keith frowned. “What?” He said.

Allura grit her teeth. She had to be prepared… if Haggar was here… that was only the start.

They intercepted Coran along their escape route and discovered Acxa wasn’t with him, which could only mean she had been discovered by the generals.

Their bayards were being guarded in a room by two Galrans.

“What do we do?” whispered Lance. “Those are our weapons and they have them.”

Keith crouched behind Lance next to the door. “I don’t know.”

Allura was practically shaking with rage. “Leave it to me.” She said, closing her eyes. Keith and Lance exchanged a look, as if to say what is she doing?

Focusing the acute point of her rage, Allura transformed the hot steady flow of heat that ran through her veins into a surreal calm, and instead of Lotor, an image of her father manifested in her mind. Yes… he was the reason she fought. For Altea. For her people, though long lost. Allura felt the bayard reveal itself in her hand. Her fingers closed around its handle, and when she opened her eyes, she had to blink. Because it wasn’t blue.

It was black.

“No way…” Lance breathed, “But that’s Keith’s” –

Allura didn’t wait to experience either of their reactions – she sprang into the room wielding the new streamlined axe that felt weighty and so right in her grip. The guards were taken down in an instant, and it was with a sharp breath that Allura let the axe disappear and the bayard go back to its original form.

The others followed behind her with apprehension. She faced them.

“Let’s go. We need to get to our lions.”

The same question burned on everyone’s lips as they charged towards the exit. Why had the black bayard come to Allura?

Chapter Text

Their lions were waiting for them. They were so close to freedom. Lance followed the others, pounding down the purple glowing hallways he’d learnt not to be perturbed by anymore, and almost didn’t notice Keith falter.

“Lance,” Said Keith, “Take charge.”

Lance slowed, frowning, “Where are you going?”

Keith stopped, glancing over his shoulder, poised to run. “I need to help Acxa. She saved us… it’s only fair.”

“I’m coming with you.” Said Lance.

“No.” Keith protested, “I need someone I can rely on to… stay.” He swallowed, “Don’t wait for me.”

Lance watched Keith run in the opposite direction, wondering again why he felt a tug in his abdomen at the sight, and why Keith, who barely gave anyone a second look, would go out of his way for a Galra general. An enemy, at that.

And someone he could rely on? Lance would have thought Allura would be the one Keith would choose to place as leader, the black bayard had come to her after all…

Pushing past his thoughts, Lance sprinted on, only hoping Keith didn’t get himself into more trouble.

It was by pure luck they escaped, and when they landed somewhere safe, Acxa in their midst, there was noticeable tension.

“Why did you help us?” Keith was the first to ask.

Allura clenched her fists by her sides, making herself look at Acxa’s face. It wasn’t right that the woman’s expression was so soft and calm. It wasn’t right that she sat amongst them without a shred of remorse for what she’d done.

“I trusted Lotor too.” She began.

Allura stood. Everyone looked at her. “And you changed your mind? Is that how you’re going to justify what you did for so many years? You assisted Lotor in committing genocide. You murdered my people. How can you sit here and – and pretend you’re one of us?” Allura threw at her. Her skin was alight with fire, yet she was shivering. Beside her, Lance drew in a deep breath.

“Allura…” He said quietly.

She hardly heard him.

Acxa met her gaze, brow arching in sorrow. “Keith saved my life. I owed him a debt, and that was all at first.” She turned her attention to Keith. Krolia placed a protective hand on his shoulder. “My path led me to you.”

A pucker formed in Keith’s brow and he looked away. “Well… thank you for helping us… but Allura is right. Too many Alteans are dead because of Lotor, and you… you helped. You stayed by his side, knowing what you knew, for years. I don’t know what it is you want from us, but we can’t forget the truth.”

Keith looked at Allura, and an understanding passed between them. The group collectively held their breaths.

Acxa stood.

“I didn’t expect you to accept me.” She said coolly, “Like I said, I owed you a debt, and it’s been paid.”

As she strode past them, Acxa came to a stop beside Allura.

“I won’t insult your people by apologising for them, I can only say this. If I could go back and change everything, I would. But I can’t. Good luck, princess.”

Allura had nothing to say. Her fingernails bit into her palms as she stared into the fire, hearing the last of Acxa’s retreating footsteps. She didn’t know where the woman would go, let alone how, but it didn’t matter. She was part of… that. Part of Lotor’s betrayal. Part of the poison that corrupted the Galra and the rest of the universe. Even if she had changed, her atonement wasn’t adequate payment for the thousands left dead in her wake.

“Lame apology, right?” Lance tried to laugh into the resounding silence left behind, but it fell flat.

“The only valuable thing we learned today is that we’ve been missing for three years and those crazies are still alive and kicking.” Said Hunk.

“Three years.” Shiro repeated, disturbed, and Allura knew he was thinking of Adam. They’d talked about him before. Rarely, but fondly. Allura didn’t know what it was like to have someone waiting for her. All she’d ever loved was gone except the family right beside her now. She couldn’t afford to lose them too.

“It’s been a long day,” Said Keith, “I think the best thing to do is get to our lions and rest. We can talk about…” He paused, glancing at Allura, “everything else tomorrow.”

Of course, it was Keith who’d want the explanation most. She had used his bayard after all. She was confused about that too, but for now, her thoughts were muddled with other conflicts.

“Allura?” Said Lance, as everyone else left, “Are you alright?”

Allura sucked in a deep breath, ready to repeat the words, I’m fine. But she couldn’t.

“No.” She said, her voice quivering. “No, I’m not alright. Lotor is still out there! Who knows what he could be doing? Who knows what - ?”

-“We don’t know that.” Lance interrupted, “Ezor and Zethrid didn’t know where he is. For all we know, he… he died.”

Allura hated how much that hurt to hear. And it showed on her face, for the next moment, Lance’s expression crumpled.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said” –

-“No, you’re right.” Said Allura, “Lotor’s death would be a good thing for the universe. It would be the best for… everyone.”

“But what about you?” Lance stepped closer, “Your feelings for him were pretty intense. Maybe they still are. I don’t want to say the wrong thing” –

-“You’re not.”

-“Makes a change.” Lance gave a humourless laugh. He ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, you know I… I’ve always liked you.”

Allura’s heart fell. Her sadness for Lance soared, because she could never see him that way. She just couldn’t.

She swallowed. “I know. But”-

-“You don’t have to say it.” Said Lance with a soft smile, “Allura, I don’t want to be your second choice. I don’t want to be the shoulder you cry on when you think about what Lotor did to you. I mean, sure, cry on my shoulder all you want but not – not like that. I’ll always be here for you, Allura, and don’t think that means I’m only doing it because of some dumb crush. For the longest time I thought I was in love with you… but… I don’t know. I love you, Allura, but I love you as… as one of my family. I love you because you’re strong, and you deserve to be loved by everyone, and we all want you to be happy again.”

Allura couldn’t stop the cascade of tears that fell. She drew Lance into an embrace and buried her face in his shoulder, wetting it with tears.

He laughed. “So you really are crying into my shoulder, huh?”

“I’m sorry,” She sobbed, “It just means so much to hear that. I… I was in love with Lotor. I was in love with his promises and his knowledge and what I thought he meant for our – Altea’s future. A part of me still is, and I feel so weak for believing him! My father wouldn’t have wanted this. He was stronger.”

Lance pulled away, his hand on Allura’s shoulder. “He trusted Zarkon, didn’t he?”

Allura rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, sniffing. “That was different.” She said.

“Was it? I mean… he kind of did the same thing. He betrayed your dad, and Lotor betrayed you… that doesn’t mean you should want him dead, and it’s okay to feel that way. You loved him, and that’s gonna take a long time to get over.”

Allura exhaled, and it felt as though the weight of a planet had been lifted from her shoulders.

“Thank you. You can be very wise, Lance, did you know that?”

Lance grinned. “Heh. I know.”

Allura rolled her eyes. “That’s more like it.”

“And… just so we’re all clear. Friends? Real friends, I mean?” He held out his hand.

Allura took it, smiling. “Of course. Friends.” 

“Now…” Said Lance, “What in the name of Quiznack were you doing with the black bayard?”

“It’s hard to explain.” Said Allura the next day as she faced them all. They hadn’t flown from the planet they were settled on yet, and it was almost as if she could feel the Black Lion’s eyes piercing her from where they stood under its stare.

“Did you feel a connection? Was it speaking to you?” Keith asked intensely.

“I’m… not sure.”

He tutted, scuffing his boots in the dirt.

“Give her a chance.” Said Lance.

“Forgive me for being a little confused about this!” Keith flared, “Why can’t the lions decide what they want?”

Allura frowned. “I haven’t actually been inside the Black Lion yet, Keith. I don’t know what it wants.”

“Well maybe you should find out.” He retorted.

Shiro frowned. “As a former paladin of the Black Lion, I can help you out, Allura.”

“Thank you, Shiro.” She said pointedly.

Keith’s stare was dark as he observed the rest of the conversation in silence, arms folded.

“I don’t have a connection anymore,” Said Shiro, “But that doesn’t mean I feel separate.”

Allura tilted her head, “What do you mean?”

“Think about Blue,” Said Shiro, “Can you feel the lion? Even when you’re not thinking about it or directly facing it?”

Allura closed her eyes, fixating on the sheen behind her lids. There was something there, but it was… different.

“I… I know I used to be able to.” She opened her eyes, and found herself involuntarily glancing upward to Black again. She shook her head and looked at Blue. It wasn’t quite the same.

“I don’t know.” She said finally.

Shiro was smiling. “I think you should try it.”

“Wh-what? Piloting the Black Lion?” She said, aghast.

“How can it change this quickly?” Said Keith, “I don’t get it!”

Lance shrugged. “It changed pretty quick for me. Remember, Allura? Red roared for me straight outta the blue and that was it. True love.”

Keith gave him a look. “True love?” He repeated, incredulous.

Lance blinked. “Sure. Don’t you have true love with your lion?”

If he wasn’t so irritated, Keith would have laughed. “Not with Black.”

Lance lifted a brow. “But you did with Red?”

Keith hesitated. “I don’t know… if I’d call it… true love…”

Pidge stepped in between them all. “I vote Allura should try and fly the Black Lion!”

Hunk raised a hand. “Sames.”

Romelle put both her hands in the air. “I like this idea!” She said.

Shiro raised his hand. “It’s worth a try.”

“You strike me as the authoritative type.” Said Krolia, lifting a hand.

Lance followed suit. “Do it.”

“You know I have always considered your opinion above all others, princess.” Said Coran thoughtfully. “Of course you have my vote.”

They all looked at Keith.

“Keith,” Said Allura hesitantly, “I know you’re uncomfortable”-

He raised his hand. “You deserve to be a leader. It’s what you were born for.”

Lance smiled at him.

With a deep breath, Allura made for the Black Lion. It really was unbelievably huge. Recently, Allura felt underwhelmed by Blue. It was habit to sit in the familiar chair, the glow of blue lights all around her… but somehow this didn’t feel wrong. But maybe she was just wishing too hard. Until now, the idea of being the Black paladin had never been open to her. She’d never wanted it because she’d never thought it was possible, but after yesterday… the black bayard had come to her. Surely it couldn’t just be a fluke. The blue bayard had been in reach too. Now that she was close, Allura felt her entire being drawn to Black’s quintessence. She felt her atoms sigh as she entered its body, side-stepping Keith’s very few possessions to get to the cockpit. The large chair invited her forward, and it encompassed her as she sat, the controls reaching out like outstretched hands.

Allura didn’t have to close her eyes to feel the connection, but she did experience the spirit of her father. She heard his voice, even if it was only a memory, echoing in her skull, reminding her of who she was, of why she fought, of why Voltron was the universe’s symbol of peace.

“And now I am the symbol of peace.” Said Allura out loud, grasping the controls. A buzz, far stronger than the one she’d received upon touching Blue, shot through her fingers, jolted through her spine and set her mind alight. The lion’s eyes glowed as the pair became one, and Allura’s being melded with the Black Lion’s. She was its paladin now. She was the leader of Voltron. The lion roared, and Allura shivered as the sound trembled throughout its elemental core.

Lance had been watching Keith since Allura had taken her place as the Black Paladin. And his reaction hadn’t been good. He’d smiled for her, but not with his eyes. He’d congratulated her, but not with his heart.

“It’s stressing you out.” Said Lance, approaching Keith as they ate a picnic in the shadow of the lions.

Keith jumped. “Wha – Lance, why did you do that? And what do you mean, stressing me out? What is?”

Lance settled down beside Keith. The other paladins were absorbed in their own conversations, and Romelle and Coran were singing the Altean alphabet again. There was plenty of noise to mask this conversation.

“You’re stressing out.” Lance repeated.

“Am I.” Said Keith dryly.

“I know because I am too.”

Keith released some of the tension in his shoulders. “Now that Allura’s in Black… where am I going to go?”

“Back in red.”

“But you” –

-“I’ll go back to blue. She always did love me more.”

Keith frowned. “What if the red lion doesn’t take me back?”

Lance snorted. “Are you joking? You were made to be the red paladin.”

Keith toyed with a purple weed in the ground. “I guess. I have missed being in red.”

“Red missed you the whole time you were gone.” Said Lance.

The look Keith gave Lance was a cryptic one, and Lance couldn’t figure out what he’d said to invoke the reaction, so he added, “I guess all of Voltron did.”

Okay. That sounded dumb.

Keith glanced away. “Thanks… I think.” He sighed again, “I didn’t want to be the Black Paladin.”

“I remember.”

“But then, I guess I just felt such a connection.”

“It was because of Shiro.” Said Lance, “The Black Lion picked you because he did. And that’s not to say you weren’t a great leader, because you were. You still are. But the Black Lion and Shiro were bonded deeper than any of us could be with our lions, and it was important for him that you piloted Black.”

Keith smiled the smallest of smiles. “That’s true. Thanks, man.”

“Anytime, dude.”

Keith faced him, his expression complex again. “Lance, there was something else…”

“Argh, guys! We gotta move!” Pidge said suddenly, “There’s a solar flare coming our way. It’ll be here in fifteen Dobashes.”

Gathering their things as quickly as they could, the paladins and company fled the ground and proceeded into their lions. Lance and Keith took a deep breath.

“How’s about we try swapping?” Said Lance.

“Not like we have much choice.”

“Good point.”

Keith had forgotten what it felt like to be swathed in the glow of the Red Lion, and it felt like a dream.

Lance had forgotten what it felt like to be bathed in the azure pool of the Blue Lion, and it felt like a dream.

Cosmo teleported Shiro and Krolia from Black into Red, and Romelle from Blue into Black. Everything was slotting into place.

“Do you… think it’ll work?” Said Lance, sitting in Blue and remembering with deep fondness the last time he’d done this.

Keith gave an exhilarated laugh over coms. “Oh, yeah.” This was it. This was right. Red welcomed Keith back with a grudge – he felt it as they reconnected. The Red lion wasn’t pleased with him, but it was glad he was back.

“I’m sorry for leaving you.” He whispered, grasping the controls.

“Uh… it’s cool, man.” Said Lance.

Keith tensed. “No – not you! I was talking to Red!”

“Yeah, I was kidding.” Lance replied sulkily.

“How are your lions?” Allura asked. “Are you bonded with them?”

“Yes.” Said Keith and Lance at the same time.

Allura smiled on the screen, washed in the Black Lion’s purple right. Lance thought about how perfect it was. She was their leader from the beginning – she was the one who had placed them in their lions to start with. This was meant to be.

“We’re proud of you, Allura.” Said Lance, “Your father would be too.”

Remembering their conversation from last, Allura beamed. “I know he didn’t pilot the Black Lion, but I feel more connected to him than ever… I couldn’t have done this without you. Any of you.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, team. Let’s go.”

In their respective formation, Allura flew Black upward towards the stratosphere. Hunk followed, then Pidge.

Blue looked at Red.

“Let’s do this.” Said Keith.

They took off at the same time, flying neck and neck toward their destination: Earth.

Two and a Half Years Earlier

Oriande was cast in darkness, the rose-quartz skies mottled and blistered with black and grey. The White Lion’s roar had become a distant echo, dampened by the thick silver clouds and howling tunnels of wind.

Honerva closed her eyes and placed her palms on the ground. “Calm…” She whispered, channeling her tainted magic into the soil. “Be still, my son. The knowledge of Oriande will accept you.” The quintessence field had unwound some of the work Oriande had done in restoring her to her old self. She was still a ghost of the woman she had been ten thousand years ago. But it was a necessary sacrifice – she had to save her son. With her memories restored, nothing else mattered.

Under the ground, in the tombs where old Altean princes lay, Lotor thrashed and screamed as the rift inside his heart reopened. The raw darkness that leaked from every pore polluted the stone, the earth and the skies.

“M-mother…” He gasped as the surge subsided, allowing him a moment of peace from the agony. “Allura…?”

Lotor didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know who he was. It was with another piercing bolt of pain that he experienced a flash in his memory – an image of the woman he’d fallen in love with glaring at him, the words burning her tongue: You are just like your father.

The rage that had filled him then did so again now, and over and over again, the dark power that had stolen him hooked itself tighter around his broken heart.

Chapter Text

The paladins blinked, suffused with the unexpected glare of bright lights. Lance’s first thought was that they were stage lights. Wait… they were stage lights.

“Where are we?” He heard Allura’s voice.

Beside him Hunk said, “I don’t like this.”

“Weren’t we just flying in our lions?” Said Pidge.

They all gasped as their ankles became bound to strange circular disks. It was like they’d been melded to them.

Hunk grunted as he tried to tug himself free. “I can’t move my legs!”

“Me neither.” Said Keith.

“Guys stay calm, look” –

“WELCOME TO GARFLE WARFLE SNICK!” Said an alien riding a strange hover-pod, “I’m your host, Bob, and tonight the Paladins of Voltron will be competing against a yet to be revealed team for their place in the universe.”

The paladins stared.

“Bob…” Allura muttered, “Why does that sound so familiar?”

Bob zoomed over to her, shoving a microphone in her face. “You are the leader of this here team, correct?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “What’s your name? Should I just call you pink?”

A disembodied crowd of laughter rung throughout the studio.

“A-Allura.” Said Allura. “Where are we?”

“Only the greatest place in the universe!” Said Bob with a wink to the imaginary audience. Lance looked up, his stomach curdling with unease. The seats in the crowd were not, as he’d thought, totally empty, but filled with faces he recognised. Faces from the Garrison. Faces that had teased him and disregarded his dreams and – he looked to his left. Keith was standing right there. But there was a Keith in the audience too. Many Keiths in fact – all shaking their heads at Lance. But they were missing one detail – his scar.

“A-are you guys seeing this?”

They followed Lance’s gaze.

“Iverson? My dad?” Said Pidge.

“No, that’s my family!” Said Hunk.

“I don’t see… anyone.” Said Keith, his voice hollow.

Allura scowled. “It’s a trick. This isn’t real… we’re in some sort of” –

-“Game?” Bob finished for her, his eyes flashing red for a moment. “Oh, certainly. And if you lose, you stay here forever.”

The paladins were silent. They didn’t understand their opponent yet. Lashing out was useless, Lance thought.

“Our first game is… PICTATION.”

Keith was whisked to the front and ordered to draw out the words he was given for the paladins to guess. In their desperation, the paladins tried their best to guess what he drew. It was Hunk and Allura who guessed the most right. Lance didn’t get any.

When Keith was released he grit his teeth and stared determinedly at his podium.

“Heh! Those were some sucky drawings, Keith.” Said Lance to mask his wounded pride at being so blatantly incorrect for all of them.

The stage lights were hot, and Keith’s face burned. “I-I had to draw really fast! Sorry for doing my best to get us out of here.”

“Now, now, let’s meet the competition!” Said Bob, and on the opposite side of the studio, more figures apparated into existence, each with their own opposing podium.

“What in the…?” Hunk breathed.

It was hard to make them out exactly, but the materialisations looked exactly like Zarkon, Haggar, Lotor and a Galran general. But they weren’t alive. They were faceless puppets, though their limbs moved without strings.

Allura was frozen.

“Please, introduce yourselves,” Said Bob, approaching the biggest first. “What’s that? You’re Zarkon? And that’s your wife Haggar and your son, Lotor?”

Lance and Hunk exchanged a glance. This was one of the creepiest things they’d ever seen. The puppets couldn’t talk.

“The other one doesn’t matter, you say?” Bob cackled. “How cruel! Now you get to choose who goes up next… the Blue one?”

Lance gulped. “Er – me?”

“Who else?” Said Bob. “Come up to the front, Lance.”

But he didn’t have to. The disc he was melded to brought him there like a Frisbee.

“Now, this game is interesting.” Said Bob, “We’re going to take a delve into your memories, and you have to answer every question right.”
“W-what happens if I lose?” Asked Lance, almost wishing he hadn’t.

Bob pointed to the other side of the studio to a tank which had arisen beside the Zarkon, Haggar, Lotor puppets, full of a bubbling, soupy liquid.

“You take a bath in the cooking pot.”

“Ha ha ha…” Lance laughed nervously, “Cool. I can do this. Easy-peasy.”

An image of the Blue lion in its shield as the team had first found it rolled onto the huge board.

“Where did you first encounter the Blue Lion?” Asked Bob.

“Earth!” Shouted Lance, “Underground! N-no, wait – TEXAS!”

A pleasant chime sounded.

“Correct!” Said Bob.

The puppets shook their fists in a way that could only be interpreted as disappointment. In the audience, fake-Keith grinned. Lance shook his head. He refused to look.

The images rolled again, until finally settling on one of Kaltenecker.

“Where did you acquire this earthly mammal, Lance?” Asked Bob.

“Quiznack… how specific do I have to be? Uh… I guess… Space Mall?”

Ding! “Correct!”

Lance breathed a sigh of relief. Just one more to go.

The next image was barely comprehensible. It looked like… an explosion.

“Now, Lance… when you were knocked out in the early days of Team Voltron, who cradled you in their arms?”

“Shiro.” Said Lance immediately.

A shrill, harsh bell pealed in Lance’s ears. The disconcerting crowd cried, booo. Bob shook his head.

“YOU IDIOT!” Keith shouted, his voice cracking. “IT WAS ME!”

Lance stared at him, wide-eyed. He’d been so dumb. He knew that. So why…?

Before he knew it, he was flung into the tank, surrounded by warm, bubbling liquid.

“Hey,” He laughed, “this isn’t so bad. Is this infused with some kind of milk?”

“Slow down there, Cleopatra.” Said Bob, “That’s Sulfuric acid.”

Lance only heard the word ‘acid.’ He screamed.

Keith had his head in his hands. Allura was glaring at puppet Lotor, fists clenched. Pidge was seething. Hunk looked dead inside.

“Now, which one of you is the brainiest?”

Everyone looked at Pidge.

“Hit me. I’m ready.” Said Pidge.

Uh oh. Lance knew that tone. And his hunch was right, for as soon as she was called to the front, she launched herself at Bob, throwing punches that never found their mark.

Bob gave a hearty laugh and clicked his fingers, and suddenly Lance wasn’t in the tank anymore. He was dry, back at the podium, and so was Pidge.

“Because you’re young, we’ll let you off.” Said Bob brightly, “Your courage earnt your friend’s freedom. But be warned. This next game is not so forgiving. Each of you must write down one person you would allow to walk free, meaning the rest of you would be stuck in here for good. You cannot write yourself, and you cannot lie about why you wrote them. No peeping, folks!”

The podium turned into a cubicle, and a pen materialised in Lance’s hand. Everyone else had started writing. He could hear the scritch-scratch of their pens against paper. He had one shot to let one person out alive. Surely Allura was the logical decision… after all, he wasn’t completely over her. And she was the Black Paladin now… but that didn’t sit right with him somehow. He made his decision seconds before time was up.

As it was, Hunk chose Allura, Allura chose Pidge, and Pidge chose Hunk. It was Lance’s turn. His podium flashed Keith’s picture. He didn’t look at the man in question as he spoke.

“Hmm,” Said Bob, “Why did you choose Keith?”

“Well…” Lance began, scratching his head, “He was such a good leader and all, I thought it was right. Plus, he’s half Galra which gives him the extra advantage. He’s m- the future… I guess…”

“That sounds good enough for me!” Said Bob.

If Keith hadn’t chosen him too, he’d look like even more of an idiot, Lance thought. But then he was met with the image of his own face on Keith’s podium. He gaped. He wasn’t expecting…

“Oh, interesting.” Said Bob, “What made you choose Lance?”

Keith folded his arms and glared to the side. “I just don’t want to spend an eternity with him.”

“Oh thanks – WAIT! What?!” Lance cried.

Bob tutted. “Now, now, Keith… what did I say about lying?”

Keith’s eyes went wide. “Wha – but I wasn’t – I only meant” –

Before Keith could argue his case, he was whisked upright and attached to a rope hanging from the ceiling by his ankles. A pit in the floor opened up, sizzling with a pool of bubbling lava. Keith writhed and struggled, but it was no good. The rope began to lower.

“Unless you tell the truth about why you picked Lance, you’ll be… disqualified.”

“BY BURNING ME ALIVE!” Keith yelled. “Lemme go!”

“Keith just tell the truth!” Shouted Lance, “Don’t you dare make me feel responsible for your death!”

Keith squeezed his eyes shut. “FINE. I-I guess I picked him because… UGH, this is ridiculous… I trust him the most?”

Bob pulled a face. “Keep talking, cowboy.” He yawned. Keith was getting closer to the lava.

“And I think – I think he’d be the best at finding a rescue! If we really were stuck here forever… Lance would find a way out for us. And even if he didn’t, I know he’d make it back to earth and – and warn everyone… Jeez, I dunno. He’s a great paladin! He’s a great friend!” Keith’s floppy black hair was a breadth from the fire. “I trust Lance with my life!”

Lance was holding his breath. Allura’s hands were clasped over her mouth. “Let him go!” She cried.

The rift in the floor slowly closed, leaving smooth, polished tiles, and Keith was lowered safely down, his skin sheened in sweat after being inches away from lava. He deflated into a heap.

Lance let all of the tension in his shoulders go, unaware he’d been holding it in. A great friend? He trusted him with his life? His insides felt warm. And not because of the lava.

“Well, folks!” Said Bob, “This was another episode of Garfle Warfle Snick! Our team here barely passed, but they made it thanks to some revealing truths. Remember, folks. Honesty is the greatest policy. See you next time.”

The paladins awoke in their lions, blinking and bleary eyed.

“What happened?” Said Shiro. “Are you guys okay?”
“I just… had the weirdest… dream…” Said Keith.

“Me too.” Said Lance, “Wait… did we all…?”

“Yes,” Said Allura, “We all had the same dream.”

Hunk told the others what had happened and Coran explained that Bob was an omnipotent presence who judged the worthiness of those who passed through this quadrant.

“Ugh, I need to go lie down.” Said Keith, disappearing from coms. He had almost been burnt alive after all, even if it hadn’t been real…

The lions were drifting in space as they took a rest, linked together by a magnetic energy field so they didn’t drift apart.

Surrounded by the soothing red hues, Keith pushed out of his chair and into the back of the red lion. Yawning, Keith pulled off his paladin armour and slipped under the sheets, but his foot caught something thick and tough stuffed at the end of the bed. Frowning, he sat up, and tugged at the thing poking out from under the mattress. When it came free, he gasped. It was his jacket. His old jacket. A jacket he hadn’t worn for two years. Keith brought the jacket to his face. It didn’t smell like him anymore. What was it doing here? He’d barely given his old clothes a second thought, instead assuming they’d perished with the castle of lions. He’d been too preoccupied to go back for the little possessions he had thanks to Shiro being on the brink of death – besides, it wasn’t as if this jacket fit him anymore.

Scrambling upright, Keith bolted to the cockpit.

“Lance. Lance, are you there?”

A short pause followed, and then a crackled, “Huh – Keith? Yeah, I’m here. What’s up?”

Clutching the jacket in his hand, Keith looked down at it. He sighed into coms.

“Nothing. Get some sleep.”

“Um… sure. You too, man.”

Chapter Text

The journey was perilous and long. Without the ability of hyper speed, they had to trail along at the unassuming rate of a typical Galran vessel. But a lone fighter jet was suspicious enough. In the vast vacuum of space, however, it was unlikely they’d come across an enemy. Yes, everyone was an enemy now, but their opposition were so preoccupied that they wouldn’t be looking out for a lowly ship like this.

“Are you sure it was safe to leave my ship on Oriande?” Lotor pondered again. It had taken Honerva three years to transform the rift-essence in his body into something manageable, though the effects of it lingered on him as they had on her for ten thousand years. His eyes glowed yellow, like torch-lights, and he was hunched over, his princely posture lost. His hair, too, had been cut raggedly to his chin, and hung about his thin, wasted face in fly-away knots. Right now he was most worried about his super-weapon; the ship he’d created with Allura. That was good, Honerva thought; when he focused on something so mundane he was easier to control. When he flew into a rage as he often did, Honerva struggled to contain the raw power that burst from him as it had done when she’d first pulled him from the brink of insanity.

“I spent over three years with you there, Lotor,” She said tiredly, “And not a soul came. Your ship is safe.”

Lotor tried to stand, but doubled over as his head pounded with agony. He kicked the pilot’s chair.

“I am useless! My memories are – scrambled at best. Voltron is missing. The Galran empire is… lost from my grasp. What more is there, mother? How can I suppose to preserve a race when I can’t remember what happened to them?”

His precious Alteans. He was talking about them again. And once more, he had forgotten he was a murderer. Her plan was working.

“Your Altean race is dead.”

He looked at her as if to throw her down with a sniping comment, but stopped, his glowing eyes thrumming like a pulse.

“W-what did you say to me, witch?”

Honerva sighed. “I am your mother. Have you forgotten that, too? Look again.” She pulled down her hood, revealing her Altean colouring. Though she wasn’t as she used to be, the resemblance was obvious.

“Be quiet!” Lotor thundered, “My mother is dead… my mother… was Honerva…” He began to quake. “I preserved the last Alteans left, I… I…”

Lotor collapsed to the floor, tugging at the roots of his hair.

“They are dead because of Voltron.” Said Lotor.

“That’s better.” Said Honerva. “And why?”

“They used my Alteans to creature pure quintessence… they killed them…”

Honerva laughed. Her son was weakened by his ordeal still, and he truly believed he was innocent. But his denial worked for her. She’d used it over the past three years to convince him Voltron were guilty of his crimes, tuning his rage into a point so deep, he craved revenge. His quarrel with the paladins was no longer a matter of his pride. Now, it was everything. It consumed him, body and soul.

“There is a way we can defeat Voltron.” Said Honerva.

Lotor glanced up at her. “How?” He asked shakily.

Honerva smiled, her mouth stretching into an unsavoury grin. Everything was slotting into place.

Shiro was tired. In every sense of the word. And sometimes it was difficult not to show it. The Red Lion wasn’t as spacious as Black, so he had less room to retreat and spend empty hours resting his mind. Despite being healed, despite being at one with his body once again, Shiro still felt… disconnected. He felt separated from reality by a thin, almost tangible veil that he could never quite see. But he knew it was there.

“Can I talk to Shiro?”

Shiro groaned and closed his eyes.

That was another thing.

Lance.

From the seat of the Red Lion, Keith turned and gave Shiro a questioning look. Shiro gestured to say, don’t tell him I’m here.

“Oh – err – Shiro’s sleeping at the moment.”

“Whaaaa?” Lance protested, “But you said the same thing over an hour ago!”

Keith sighed. “Exactly. That’s not a long time. I-I’ll tell him you asked for him when he wakes up.”

“O-okay… thanks…”

Lance signed off coms and Shiro released a breath. “Thanks.”

Keith stuck out his lip. “You’ve gotta stop blowing him off. I’m sick of making excuses for you. Just talk to him.”

Shiro almost retorted with a “you’re one to talk.” But that wouldn’t be fair. These were entirely different situations after all.

“I will. I’m just tired right now.”

Keith said nothing. From where she was sat peacefully beside a sleeping Cosmo with her legs folded, Krolia observed their conversation thoughtfully.

“Why does the Blue Paladin want to talk to you so badly?” She asked.

“Err…” Shiro scratched his head. It was more than that. Lance was fussing over Shiro like an overly attentive grandma. It was his guilt that drove him. That was obvious. Lance felt so terrible for not being the one to save Shiro that he was making up for it by being… well… annoying. But Shiro felt bad for thinking that. Lance didn’t mean to be annoying. He was just sensitive, and if Shiro was being truly honest, Lance reminded him of a version himself from a long time ago.

“I don’t want to alarm anyone,” Said Allura over coms, “But Coran has picked up a distress signal from an oncoming planet.”

Everyone stopped.

“It could be a trap.” Said Hunk.

Lance scoffed. “But we’re Voltron. Someone’s in danger sooo… we should go help them.”

It was funny, Shiro thought, how at one time they’d have bolted to the planet’s surface like a shot. Experience had made them untrusting and suspicious of everyone around them.

“I’m downloading the signal now.” Said Pidge, “It’s small, weak… it could be years old.... wait, we’ve picked up a signal like this before. This – this is Kolivan’s signal!”

Keith and Krolia exchanged an anxious glance. Krolia leapt up, startling Cosmo.

“If we can alert the blade of our situation”- She began.

“Kolivan needs us.” Said Keith, “That’s all that matters.”

“Are you saying you’ll join the blades again?” Lance remarked, his voice edged with disdain.

Shiro put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “It’s been a few years.” He said, “We can’t know what to expect.”

Keith closed his eyes. “I guess… I think we should go. But it’s your call, Allura.”

Allura took a long pause to consider. “If we can get the blades back on our side,” She said, “We might stand a better chance of holding up against who – whatever might be out there. Let’s investigate.”

Three suns cast long shadows in the ruins of the abandoned civilisation. Debris and dust hung thick in the atmosphere like a cloak, subduing the land in a musty yellow haze.

“This is recent.” Said Krolia.

“Too recent.” Allura added, poised around every corner they passed. The black bayard was tight in her grip, the slim axe ready to be called at a moment’s notice. Pidge’s tracking device bleeped.

“This way!” She said, running to a domed building. The roof had caved in, and old mosaics lay shattered and burnt in their path.

Lance paused, looking up at the building uncertainly.

“Are you okay?” Asked Keith, one foot on the threshold.

Realising he’d been caught, Lance nodded, and followed them into the building.

Romelle flit about the shadows like a curious bat.

“Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to bring everyone.” Said Lance with a sideways glance in her direction.

“For once, I agree.” Said Hunk, “This could be dangerous.”

“That wasn’t what I meant.” Said Lance, sighing as Romelle leapt backwards from a crumbling wall.

“Wait!” Said Coran, ducking behind a half-standing pillar, “I hear something.”

By Keith’s side, Cosmo growled.

A figure emerged from the shadows, clad head to toe in tattered clothes and a mask with tiny holes that allowed him to breathe. The group relaxed – it was an old citizen. The citizen explained in detail the Galra’s invasion on the planet. It was a story they’d all heard before, and by now all they could do was sit and listen in grim silence, but Krolia was oddly fixated on something behind him. She pointed to the curtain concealing another part of the room.

“What’s that?”

The citizen rose, following her gaze. “Ah, yes.” He said tonelessly, “The last of the blades died here that fateful day.”

Keith stood, mirroring his mother. “What? How?”

The citizen drew back the curtain, and there, embedded in the wall, were at least a dozen blades. None were lit. They truly were dead.

Krolia approached the graveyard of weapons like a ghost. “They can’t be.” She said breathlessly.

Keith’s lips were pressed together in a hard line. “But when we left, I” –

-“Five years ago.” Said Krolia. “It’s been five years since you saw Kolivan and found me.”

Keith blanched. Shiro started forward.

“Listen, this might not be” –

The civilian put a hand on his shoulder. “Oh, but it is. The blades are dead.” He said. Lance narrowed his eyes. There wasn’t a hint of remorse in the civilian’s voice.

“How do you know?” Said Lance.

There was a beat of silence as everyone looked to the civilian, hunched over in his strange mask and tattered clothes. Keith was too shocked to react in time. The civilian ripped off his mask – he was Galran, his features contorted with malice and hatred. Krolia gasped.

“Because I killed them.” He said.

Shiro drew back in horror. “Who are you?”

The Galran turned to Keith, who stood frozen in horror. “You remember me, don’t you? You remember when we fought?” He grinned, “How is your hand, young paladin?”

Keith’s mouth was agape, his eyes wide and blank. “What…?”

Allura grit her teeth. “He’s a druid!” She shouted, her bayard flashing into the deadly axe. “Move!”

But as she lunged to swipe, the druid dematerialised, teleporting to the other side of the room. He cackled, and disappeared again.

“Spread out!” Allura ordered. “He could be anywhere. Romelle, Coran, Shiro, you stay here. Krolia?”

“I will help you fight him.” Krolia agreed, her voice low and deadly as she tugged a blade from the wall with brute strength. Though it wasn’t hers, and wouldn’t work the way it would for its original owner, it was still a weapon. She would honour its fallen warrior today, she thought.

“Lance,” Said Allura, “Stay here and protect the others.”

Lance blinked, frowning. But he didn’t protest. “Okay.”

The others ran from the room, but Cosmo stayed behind. Keith didn’t remain to ask why. Maybe they could communicate telepathically after all, Lance thought.

Allura was alone. It was quiet in the echoing, ruined hallway. A disembodied laugh echoed around the walls. He was here.

“Show yourself!” She demanded, lifting her axe.

“I’m surprised…” Said the druid from where he hid in the cavernous hall. “I thought you would be incapacitated after your time with the traitor prince.”

Snarling, Allura swung her axe around a corner, but the druid teleported, and Allura hit cold stone.

“How can you live with yourself?” He continued, “knowing you loved a monster who aided the murder of your race?”

Allura’s eyes prickled with hot tears and she screamed as she swung her weapon without purpose.

“Be quiet!” She ordered, chest heaving, “Be… quiet…”

The hallway was empty, and Allura collapsed to her knees as the walls she’d destroyed crumbled around her.

Keith and Krolia were back to back, circling an underground antechamber. A hissing in the walls set their teeth on edge.

“He’s playing with us.” Said Keith, brandishing his sword in the direction of the noise.  

“The druid’s name is Macidus.” Said Krolia. “I recognise him.”

Keith frowned. “How do you know?”

“I gathered information on him a few years back. He’s the one who killed Kolivan’s right hand, Antok.”

Keith whipped around to face his mother. “It was him? I swear I’m gonna” –

“Shh!” Said Krolia, stopping in her tracks.

Dust from movement above showered them, and they looked up in time to see Macidus falling at them from the ceiling. They split apart and Keith blocked an attack with his sword.

Krolia threw her blade at Macidus, but he teleported, and the weapon sailed an inch past Keith’s ear.

Macidus bolted to an upward sloping tunnel where he disappeared from view.

“COWARD!” Keith yelled, and the pair ran after him.

On high alert, Pidge and Hunk found themselves walking in circles.

“What is this place?” Said Hunk, examining the broken and faded carvings on the walls.

“Hunk, now is not the time to be examining architecture.” Said Pidge, using her tracker to try and pin down Macidus’ location. It was haphazard, jittery and impossible. She growled in frustration, bashing the tracker against the wall in an attempt to stabalise the ever-flickering dot.

“I know,” Said Hunk thoughtfully, “It’s just – like – this was a whole civilisation, you know? It’s easy for us not to care because we’re not them or anything, but… what if this was Earth?”

“But it’s not.” Pidge retorted, barely listening.

“I know I know, but it just made me think” –

-“Stop thinking for a sec. We have company.”

Hunk readied his gun, pointing it at the open ended ominous hallway. They reached a junction in the path, and Pidge stopped.

“He’s coming this way!”

As she said it, something dark and too fast to see swooped past. Hunk and Pidge stumbled backwards, but not before they were met with a flash of red and purple. Keith and Krolia. Pidge and Hunk exchanged a look.

“I guess we follow them?” Said Hunk.

The pair sprinted ahead, hot on Macidus’ heels.

Lance had spent the first ten minutes vigilantly guarding the room, his gun balanced on his shoulder as he peered out for any sign of Macidus.

He sighed and relaxed. “Who am I kidding? Nothing’s happening here.”

Coran pulled at his moustache. “You say that as if you want us to get attacked.”

Lance pulled a face. “Obviously not. I’m just…”

“Bored of not being in the action?” Said Shiro.

Lance frowned. “No, I – I just feel useless I guess.”

Romelle crossed her legs. “I’ve felt useless all of my life. Now I’m actually a part of something real, a part of something important. I can’t tell you how wonderful that feels.”

Shiro smiled. “Of course you are, Romelle. Without you we never would have learned the truth.”

Lance turned back to the doorway, thinking about how much damage the truth had done. How many truths were left to come out? How many more truths could they take? Everyone thought they were dead. The blades were gone. The team was a mess… the only real truth he knew was that they were here together, protecting one another, and that was more important than anything else out there. He lifted his gun back to his shoulder.

“You’re right.” He said, “Keep your eyes and ears pealed, guys.”

When Keith, Krolia, Hunk and Pidge encountered Allura crouched on the floor, they halted. They’d lost sight of Madicus too.

“Allura!” Said Hunk, kneeling by her side, “Are you hurt?”

Allura’s face was streaked with tears and her arms were wrapped around her middle.

“I – I failed.” She sobbed. “I wasn’t strong enough. I’m not strong enough… this is all my fault.”

The group surrounded her. Keith hooked an arm under Allura’s shoulder and helped her upright.

“Allura, nothing is your fault. Right now we have to concentrate on finding Macidus and” –

-“Killing him?” Said Allura, her voice wracked with bitterness. “Is that what we do now?”

“If that’s what it takes.” Said Keith.

Hunk gave him a look. “Keith” –

-“No.” Keith pressed, “We have to do what’s right, and if we let him live, how many more will die?” He took Allura’s shoulders. “You’re our leader now, and you are strong enough. Whatever is going on inside your head, it’s what he wants.”

By this point they knew the ‘he’ Keith was referring to wasn’t Macidus.

Allura glared at him from under her lashes. “He wanted me to be weak.” Allura whispered, her face contorted with rage, “I can’t – I won’t let myself.”

Allura straightened, drawing her bayard to her side. “I want all of you to do whatever it takes to make sure Macidus never harms another soul.”

Pidge’s tracker bleeped.

“Guys, he’s here.”

They formed a circle, each holding a weapon, outwardly poised for the attack.

“Fools…” Said Madicus’ voice, resonating throughout the ruined hallway. “You think you can beat me? You fell right into my trap.”

A clatter sounded, and they turned just in time to see a round object had been dropped in the middle of their circle.

“He… wanted us all together!” Said Hunk in horror.

“Run!” Keith shouted, but it was too late.

The bomb went off. But it didn’t explode. It encased them in a pink bubble where they were stuck, frozen in time, paralysed and useless.

“I hope you said goodbye to your friends.” Said Macidus cruelly as he disappeared once more. In her despair, Allura desperately tried to clear her mind.

Cosmo circled the room, snarling.

“What is it, boy?” Said Lance.

Shiro stood. “He’s sensing something…”

A jolt of panic shot through Lance. Where were the others? Why hadn’t they come back yet? He straightened his gun and prepared himself to fight. At the first sign of the druid’s awful face materialising at the doorway, Lance shot. But the enemy was too quick, and teleported before Lance could hit.

“Agh! Get back here!” He said.

Romelle screamed as Macidus showed himself in the middle of the room. The druid cackled and darted at Lance. He wasn’t prepared, and felt himself falter as he narrowly dodged the attack. As Lance fell back, his hands grasped soft fur, and a moment later he was soaring at an impossible speed. Then he wasn’t in the room anymore, but a dim, tightly enclosed cavern.

“Cosmo!” He whispered in shock to the wolf by him. “Take me back!” The wolf licked his chops and waited. And there was no way out. But somehow, Lance knew Cosmo would do something when the time was right, so he kept his bayard clutched tightly in one hand and his fist enclosed around Cosmo’s fur in the other.

Do something… do something… the other paladin’s eyes were screaming at Allura. And she was trying. Remember your purpose, she thought. Remember Oriande. But every time she thought of Oriande, she thought of him. And every time she thought of him, she experienced first-hand the pain and guilt of what she’d done. Allura summoned a breeze to whisk away her thoughts. It was a technique her mother had taught her when she was little – think of a wind to clear away all the bad thoughts and feelings. Let your mind become a meadow, and let the flowers grow anew… Allura thought of her mother and how much she missed her. She thought of her father. She thought of the Black Lion, and her purpose in Voltron, and the knowledge Oriande had given her… there was time yet to rectify her mistakes. Focusing with all the energy she had, Allura called upon her alchemy to set them free.

The glowing cage faded, and the paladins regained the use of their bodies.

“Thank you…” Hunk gasped.

“You saved us.” Said Pidge.

Allura looked to the door. “And now it’s the others we have to save.” She said. They wasted no time in heading for the others who, by now, were surely in danger.

Macidus was closing in, and Lance had disappeared. Gritting his teeth, Shiro stood above Coran and Romelle protectively.

“Hello, Kuron.” Said Macidus, smiling and baring sharp teeth. “I see you escaped… most of you, anyway.”

“I’m not Kuron. I’m Shiro.”

Macidus laughed. “How could you possibly know? After all your body has been through, don’t you think it more likely that you are yet another clone?”

“No…” Shiro whispered, his eyes wide. “I’m real!”

But even as he said it, the thought rang false. Was he real? After all this time, how could he tell? The feeling of detachment he’d been experiencing on and off recently strengthened as his resolve weakened, and he faltered beneath Macidus’ looming stature.

“I remember how easy it was to control you…” Said Macidus, and in that moment, it was as if time had frozen. Shiro’s fractured memory burst wide open and all he saw was darkness. All he remembered was gazing out from behind a screen in a tank of the florescent fluid that had built him. “We could control you again.” Macidus continued, “All I have to do is say the right words…”

“NO!”

It wasn’t Shiro who had shouted, but Lance. Materialising from thin air, Lance leapt in between Macidus and Shiro, and as he did, his bayard transformed. The Altean broadsword he’d only seen once during training formed in his steady grip and pierced Macidus through. But this time, it was the blue bayard that had decided this fate. Not red.

Macidus screamed as the sword ruptured his core, and he erupted in a burst of light and dark magic, ceasing to exist.

Lance fell back onto Shiro, his eyes shut against what he’d done. As the last of Macidus scattered to the floor in glowing embers, the other paladins burst through the doorway, gazing in disbelief at the scene.

“Did he just…?” Pidge began.

“Explode?” Hunk finished.

Keith’s eyes fell to Lance’s bayard, the broad sword, and his mouth dropped open. Propping Lance up, Shiro said,

“He saved me. Lance saved my – our lives.”

Lance was in shock. Dead-eyed, he stared at the spot Macidus had died.

“Did I do that?” He muttered, his entire body numb.

Sensing that this wasn’t cause for celebration, the other paladins hung back. Lance couldn’t help the tears that sprang to his eyes and spilled, unbidden, down his face.

Keith darted forward, “It’s over.” He said breathlessly, “You saved us. That’s all that matters.”

Shiro shook his head at Keith. In his shell-shocked state, Lance could neither hear nor see them. He was frozen in a state of horror.

“L-let’s get back to our lions.” Said Allura unevenly.

“Good idea.” Coran agreed.

Shiro and Romelle helped Lance back on his feet until he could walk on his own, but he left the building in a daze. Keith and Krolia stayed behind to examine the blades in the wall.

“So Macidus killed them all.” Said Keith, hushed. “The blades are dead.”

Krolia frowned as a glint caught her eye. She reached upward to the top-most blade and freed it from the stone. The purple hilt glowed – it was alive.

“This is Kolivan’s blade.” She said, “which means” –

-“He’s still out there!” Keith finished for her, a ghost of hope lighting his features.

The blades were not truly lost after all.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since they’d left the ruined planet behind. It had been a week since they’d discovered Kolivan was still alive. It had been a week since Macidus’ death. It had been a week since Lance had talked to any of them properly.

Hunk had tried to make awkward chit-chat (which turned into a very one-sided conversation about the anatomy of a space mouse), Pidge tried to invite him over to the green lion to play video games. Allura offered words of encouragement and recited some Altean philosophies in an attempt to brighten his spirit. Shiro had done a complete 180; whereas a week ago he’d been actively avoiding Lance, this time he was calling over coms at every opportunity.

He even gave Lance a talk about PTSD, to which Lance blankly replied. “I know. I’m okay, Shiro.”

But everyone could see that he wasn’t okay. And Allura wanted to do something about it.

“Keith…” She said over coms in the middle of the night when the lions were drifting, their pilots asleep. “Keith, wake up.”

Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Keith made his way to the cockpit. “Uh… what is it, Allura?”

“Can you get Cosmo to teleport everyone to the Black Lion, please? Oh – everyone except Lance.”

Keith frowned, suddenly alert. “Why…?”

“Please, just do it?” Said Allura, exasperated, “I need to talk to you all. Properly.”

The paladins were more than a little disgruntled to have been whisked out of their beds and bundled into the back of the Black Lion, unawares and mostly asleep. Somehow, Hunk had managed to hold on to his blanket. He curled into it, groaning.

“’Lura, why’re we here? Unless this is a pyjama party I wanna go back to sleep.”

Pidge glanced around. “Where’s Lance?”

Allura shifted uncomfortably, “Well…”

“Who wants snacks?” Said Romelle, digging around in the food boxes, her long hair plaited into two, neat braids.

“Me.” Said Coran and Hunk simultaneously.

Allura cleared her throat loudly. “I’m sorry to gather all of you here like this… but we need to talk about Lance.”

Now fully alert, the group fell into an awkward silence.

“This – this feels kinda mean.” Said Hunk quietly. “I don’t wanna leave him out like this. Shouldn’t we face him as a group?”

“What so he can get all overwhelmed and upset? I don’t think so.” Pidge replied, disgruntled. Keith frowned at her. “I don’t think that’s his fault.”

“I’m just saying!” She said. “He’s too sensitive.”

“Guys,” Shiro interjected, “Arguing isn’t gonna get us anywhere. The point is, he needs our help.”

“But… we’ve all tried to talk to him.” Said Hunk.

“Even me.” Said Coran. “Didn’t go down too well. Though I did introduce him to some top notch Altean ballads in the process”-

-“Someone needs to get through to him.” Said Allura.

Keith folded his arms. “What about you? He’d do anything for you, after all.”

Allura narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like what you’re insinuating, Keith. And as a matter of fact I did try to speak to him. It didn’t work.”

Keith snorted. “Are you sure you worded it properly?”

“Keith.” Said Shiro disapprovingly.

Allura straightened her back. “Lance and I have spoken about his… feelings towards me. Now we’re friends. Nothing more. This has absolutely nothing to do with that, Keith, and I’m shocked that you’d use that against me.”

Keith gaped. “Oh, I…”

Allura turned away from him. “The point is, nothing is working.”

Hunk fiddled with his blanket uncomfortably. “I mean… I know he’s upset. I get it. But we’ve all taken lives before. Voltron has killed thousands of Galra. I thought… he knew that.”

“Clearly he didn’t get the memo.” Said Keith dryly.

Krolia leaned against the wall, Cosmo curled around her ankles. “Maybe someone should remind him.”

 One by one, they all turned to Keith.

“What? No, I- I won’t be able to say anything” –

-“The rest of us tried, Keith.” Said Shiro, “Maybe you can say something that will… get through to him.”

Huffing, Keith looked away. “Fine. I’ll try. But don’t blame me when this goes wrong.”

The lions needed to recharge. The paladins had come up with a system for travelling in space whilst conserving as much energy as possible – for short, fast bursts, they’d form Voltron and blast through the vast expanse at incredible high speeds. Then, a few hours later, they’d break apart and form a cluster of lions, Allura at the lead.

But after a few days of this, the lions were tired.

They settled on a huge, blue planet orbiting a neutron star. When the paladins disembarked from their lions and found themselves met with a scene from paradise, they went crazy.

“WOAH!” Hunk exclaimed, leaping onto the cushioned, white sand. “This is unbelievable!”

“And the air is breathable!” Said Pidge, yanking off her helmet. “The water’s PH levels are perfect too!”

Shiro removed his helmet and closed his eyes, allowing the wind to blow through his silver hair.

Romelle stood by him, gaping. “Is this real?” She breathed.

He smiled. “I think it is. How’s about we all go and get changed into something a little more appropriate?”

Wooping, the paladins ran back to their lions to find swimming gear. They ran into the azure, tranquil waters ahead, splashing and screaming and having the time of their lives, almost forgetting the impending war. All except Lance.

He stood at the foot of the Blue Lion, still dressed in his paladin armour, watching his friends splash in the water with a hazy detachment. He waited for a pang. For a yearning to join in. But nothing came. Sighing, Lance went back to the Blue Lion and began to rummage for something to wear. He’d left his blue trunks on the castle where they had ultimately perished, and instead only found a pair of faded red ones. Shrugging, he put them on. It made no difference. He wasn’t sure he was in the mood for swimming anyway.

Treading onto the hot white sand, Lance expected to experience a feeling of nostalgia. He waited for the scent of sun-cream to work its way into his psyche, plaguing him with memories of old holidays with his family on earth. He waited. And waited. And found nothing.

Lance dug his toes into the sand as he walked without motion towards the shoreline. Krolia paced along it, rubbing her chin, deep in thought. Cosmo paddled among the tiny waves, the blue stripes in his fur catching the indigo glare of the moon. Coran, Hunk, Pidge and Shiro were poking around rock-pools, searching for marine alien life. Romelle and Allura had swum further out where they perched atop a shiny coal-black rock, soaking up the sun in elegant swim-suits.

Keith sat by the water, his legs stretched out ahead of him as he leant on his elbows. Weighing his options, Lance made for the one he considered the least troublesome, and sat heavily down beside the other paladin.

“Hey, man.”

Romelle traced patterns on the rock she and Allura were sat on. The stone was strange – the radiant purple moon cast vibrant strobes upon its black surface, revealing rainbows on its sheened, seemingly blank face. When Romelle poked them, the rainbows reacted, as though she were touching light itself.

“I never dreamt of anything like this.” She muttered.

Allura opened her eyes, sweeping a loose strand of silver hair from her eyes.

“What do you mean?” She said.

Romelle sighed, gazing out across the open, blue expanse. “My life is so different… I thought I would be stuck in that regime forever. But meeting you has made me realise how much of Altean culture I missed.”

Allura frowned. “I am not Altean culture, Romelle. Coran and I are relics of the past… ten thousand years have gone by since Altean culture existed.”

“I know, but… the world Lotor created for us was not authentic.” Said Romelle. “I wish the real Alteans had survived.”
Allura shook her head. “Romelle, you are a real Altean. Had the original Alteans survived, who knows what we would be now? Did you know Galra and Alteans used to be united? Until Zarkon, that is. He preserved an entire race and its culture for ten thousand years, never once changing, and look what happened to them. If there was even the smallest chance that Altea would have suffered the same fate as the Galran empire, then I say… I say it’s good that they’re gone.”
Romelle stared at Allura in disbelief. Allura could hardly believe those words had left her mouth, but now that they had, she realised she’d needed to say it for a long time.

She smiled. “Whatever happens now, we are the future of Altea. You are no different from me. We have to remember that if we want to hold on to what’s right.”

Romelle’s eyes brightened and she turned back to the spectacular view ahead.

“You would have made a great queen.” She said thoughtfully, “Maybe you will yet.”

“Oh…hey.”

Keith shifted as Lance sat beside him.

“Wait – are those mine?”

Lance glanced down at the shorts he’d found. “Huh? I dunno. I just found them. I must have picked them up by mistake… sorry.”

Keith blinked. “Oh, it’s cool I guess. It’s not like I need ‘em anymore. I saved these ones from the Blade, so…” He trailed off. Keith was wearing practical, black shorts. For some reason, hearing about the blade again irked Lance. He leaned back and rested his head on his arms, staring up at the bright purple moon that turned the sky lilac.

When he closed his eyes, this could almost be earth – the sound of the waves breaking gently, the heat of a star on his skin, the laughs chiming in the distance, carried by the wind… but in the back of his mind, he knew – this was different. A palpable tension stirred, and Lance opened his eyes. Keith was hunched forward, the muscles in his back clenched, and he flicked sand with his fingers.

“Lance?”

Lance sat up.

“Yeah?”

Keith squinted at him against the sun, his expression marred with pity.

“Are you okay?”

Everything that had been good for just a moment disappeared, and Lance stood, marching away from Keith toward the water.

“Wha”- Keith began, but Lance cut him off, turning sharply.

-“No. I don’t believe this. I expected this from everyone else. Not you.” And with that, he dove into the crystal-clear shallows and swam at full force towards the hazy cliffs in the near-distance.

Bewildered, Keith stood. “Lance, wait!”

But it was too late. By now, all Keith could see of him were his red shorts, a dot becoming smaller and smaller the further away he got, before eventually disappearing.

The mysterious purple moon sank lower on the horizon, shooing out the sun, and a galaxy shone overhead, like diamonds flung across dark velvet. Lance had been missing for three hours. The team gathered on the beach after searching the area for him.

“Any sign?” Keith demanded.

One by one, they all shook their heads, their expressions grim.

Keith kicked the sand. “Where the hell did he go?!” He glared at the Blue Lion, demanding an answer from her. She was still, her eyes blank. So that meant Lance couldn’t be in danger… right?

Shiro sighed. “Calm down, Keith. I’m sure he won’t have gone far.”

“Ugh,” Keith groaned, “This is all my fault.”

Hunk looked puzzled. “What did you do?”

“I tried to speak to him like you all said! But he flipped out!”

“What did he say?” Asked Pidge.

“He said…” Keith sucked in a breath, “I expected this from everyone else, but not you. But I only asked if he was okay! I didn’t even say anything!”

Shiro and Allura shared a look. The knowing glance in their expressions irritated Keith.

“Well?” He demanded, “Allura, what should we do?”

“We look for him.” Said Allura levelly, “Everywhere.”

Romelle put her fingers to her lips. “But… this planet is huge.”

“He’s human,” Said Krolia, “He can’t have swam far.”

Allura tapped her hand against her thigh. “Pidge and Coran – you two go further inland. Use the tracker to look for him. Krolia and Hunk, stay on the beach with Cosmo in case he comes back. Romelle, Shiro, you two come with me. We’ll go to the cliffs. Keith…?”

Keith straightened his back. “I’ll swim out,” He said, “I remember which direction he went.”

Keith counted his breaths as he swam into the calm, open sea. The world was silent, and his path was lit by the ominous full moon above him. It was almost as if he were completely alone. But one glance behind him assured he was anything but. The huge lions sat on the beach, watching his progress. Five gods. Five guardians who would do anything to protect him. At least… he hoped. Keith had never liked the water. He avoided it if he could, preferring to stay on land where nothing could unexpectedly creep up from under him. A chill raised the hairs on the back of his neck as a gentle breeze swept by the cliffs. The base of the cliffs were slippery and black, and all Keith could think about was the possibility of an alien sea creature emerging from an underwater cave and grasping his ankle. Shaking off the thought, he kicked his legs hard, expelling the irrational fear.

Keith poked his head into every crevice he came across, calling Lance’s name each time. But he was only met with the sound of his own anxious voice, repeated three times over in the empty caverns.

“Please, Lance…” He said to himself, shivering in the dark water. “I’m sorry…”

On the high cliffs, Shiro gazed out over the sea. In the distance, mountains loomed, their caps topped with what looked like snow. Was that possible? On a planet this hot? He thought again about how spectacular his life was, and in moments like these the life-changing journey he had been on became all too apparent. A feeling by his shoulder stirred and he grimaced, grasping at the empty space there.

Allura stood by him.

“Are you in pain?” She asked.

He shook his head. “No, it’s just… I keep feeling my arm as if it was there again. It sounds stupid, I know…”

“That isn’t unusual.” Romelle piped up, “Sometimes people who lose limbs get regular illusions of feeling them again.”

Shiro gave a humourless laugh. “Well, I’ve got that.” He turned away, continuing to pick his way over boulders and crevices in the ground.

“That’s not all that’s bothering you though, is it?” Allura prompted, following him.

Shiro was silent.

“Is it…” She cleared her throat, unsure how far she should go, “Is it Adam? Do you miss him?”

Shiro sighed. “I always miss Adam.” He said, “I’ve missed Adam since before I left Earth… but that’s not – it’s not the immediate problem.”

She waited. He stopped.

“Allura, you might think this is strange, but… are you sure I’m really me?”

She tilted her head, “Shiro, I…”

“Macidus taunted me.” Shiro burst out, turning toward her, his features strewn with anguish. “He said – he said some things that made me think. What if I’m still not the real me? What if I’m still Kuron, and Haggar could take control of me any minute? I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore. I’m sick and tired of feeling… wrong.”

He brought his hand to his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling the raise of the old scar there.

“Think about it. I don’t even look like me anymore. What if Macidus was right? He was there when I was – made. What if I’m”-

Allura stepped forward and wound her arms around Shiro, holding him tight.

“Shiro, you are you. No one else. Macidus was toying with you because he knew it would get to you. He was losing. He was desperate. But I assure you, you are the same man I chose to lead Voltron all that time ago.”

Shiro released a breath, and as he did, tears came with it.

“I don’t know who I am, Allura. I’m terrified of hurting someone.”

She pulled away, both her hands on his shoulders. “I promise you, I will never let that happen. We love you, Shiro. You’ve been through more than any of us have. It’s a miracle you’re alive, and we won’t let anything else happen to you. For now, let’s concentrate on finding Lance.”

He smiled, sniffing. “Thank you, Allura. I-I’m sorry. I’m still a little messed up.”

“Over here!” Romelle called, drawing their focus to where she was bent over a hole in the ground.

They gathered, peering into the darkness below.

“I think it leads into the cliffs.” Allura suggested.

They looked at each other. “Think it’s worth checking?” Said Shiro.

“Yes. I think it is.”

Keith was almost ready to give up searching for Lance until he spotted a throw of purple light spattered across the water some little ways ahead. It was coming from an opening in the cliff, not the moon, and he swam towards it, wary.

Ripples in the water beckoned him closer, the lilac glow enticing him like a moth to a flame. But Keith kept his wits about him as he reached the opening. It was a cave, and the walls were covered in clusters of glowing purple lights, some moving with the ripples of the water, some clinging to the rocks like tiny fireflies. And he wasn’t alone in the cave.

“Keith?”

Keith had never been so relieved to hear his own name said by another person. Lance sat on a shelf at the back of the cave, dangling his legs in the glowing indigo pool.

“Lance!” Keith spluttered, spitting out the water that flooded his mouth as he gaped at the scene.

Breathlessly, he swam to the shelf, accepting Lance’s hand as he helped him sit.

“Where…” Keith panted, “What is this place?”

A smirk humoured Lance’s features. “Cool, right? The lights are bioluminescent algae. I’m pretty sure, anyway. We get it on Earth, too. Except… it’s not purple.”

They sat in silence for a moment as Keith caught his breath. He slid his legs beside Lance’s in the water, only now noticing how scarred they both were. It shocked him even more to see that Lance’s legs were more scarred than his own, the many white lines stark against his dark skin. Here was the evidence of their trauma. Here was everything that they could never forget – the horrors, the war, the pain… laid out bare like this, Keith experienced a hiccup in his abdomen. The kind he thought had long left him.

“Why didn’t you come back?” Keith asked after what felt like an eternity.

Lance swung his legs under the water, and Keith found he couldn’t take his eyes off the scars.

“I couldn’t be around you guys.” He said at length, “I-I’m sick of feeling like you’re all walking on eggshells around me.”

“It’s because we – they care about you.” He huffed, “Look, they asked me to talk to you.”

“I figured.” Said Lance dryly.

“If I’d known you were going to freak out I wouldn’t have… I don’t know. I would have found a better way.”

Lance clicked his tongue. “There is no way, Keith. It is what it is. Just… I don’t need”-

-“A reality check?” Keith flared, “I’m sorry but you don’t get to mope around like a ghost. Whatever you’re feeling, if you aren’t willing to talk about it then how can you expect any of us to help?”

“Oh, and you’re an expert on feelings now?”

Keith scoffed. “You’re impossible. I swear. This is impossible.”

Lance stood, stooping so he didn’t hit his head on the shelf. There was nothing above him but an overhang of rock and an ominous hole leading up into the cliffs.

“So what?” He cried, “So what if I want to – forget. I want to go back to how things were before! Is that so bad? Is that so awful?”

“Before what?” Said Keith, staring up at him with exasperation.

“Before I became a murderer!”

The word reverberated around the cave like a curse, and all that was left behind was Lance’s unsteady breaths and the pulsating purple glow of the bioluminescence.

“So that’s what this is about.” Said Keith quietly. “I knew it.”

“You want the truth, Keith?” Said Lance accusingly, his eyes glistening, “Fine. Here it is. Everyone wants to treat me like a hero for saving Shiro’s life. They keep thanking me like I’m some kind of saviour. But that’s just not true. When I told Shiro I felt bad, he said I shouldn’t. He said I acted on instinct, like a real soldier or whatever. But… I knew exactly what I was going to do before Cosmo teleported me back into that room. I knew exactly what I wanted to do to, and it wasn’t instinct. I calculated it. I… I wanted him to die. I’ll admit, I didn’t bank on impaling the guy. I just wanted to… shoot or something. But then the sword came, and I… I knew. I wanted to kill him.”

Lance gulped back the lump in his throat, readjusting his breath. His voice became quiet.

“Now I can’t go back to Earth the same as I was before. I’m going to go back to my family a killer. I’ll hug my mom, and my sisters and my brothers and everyone just… always knowing what I did. I felt it happen, Keith. I felt him die under my hands. And I don’t know how to recover from that.”

Lance’s voice broke, and he covered his face with his forearm to hide his tears. Keith stood slowly so as not to slip on the shelf, and gently pulled Lance’s arm from his face.

“You’re right.” He said slowly, “You did kill Macidus.”

He watched the shock register in Lance’s eyes. All the hurt and the pain and the trauma showed itself in that moment.

“That’s right. He had a name. And you have to come to terms with what you did. No one else can do that for you. Call it murder or whatever you want, but never forget what you prevented him doing that day. He would have killed Shiro. So for that, I thank you. And I mean it, Lance. I won’t sugar coat it. I won’t tell you you’re some saviour or a hero, but… you did save my brother. To me, that counts for something.” Lance was watching Keith, his expression frozen in shock, tears spilling down his cheeks. “So, what?” Keith continued, “You killed another murderer. Okay. That sucks. But you’re still the guy who makes goofy jokes. You’re still the guy who everyone knows they can talk to. You’re still the guy who, for some quiznacking reason, decided to save my jacket that doesn’t even fit me anymore.”

Keith was still holding Lance’s wrist. He released it and waited, his heart thudding in his chest. He shouldn’t have said that last part. It had just… come out.

In the shadows, Lance’s face tinged darker. A blush.

“How did you…?”

Keith scratched the back of his head. “Oh, I – I found it in Red. It’s cool. You don’t have to say anything, I’m just… grateful that’s all. For a lot of things. I’m just not that great at expressing it, so I’m sorry.”

Lance was shaking his head. “Keith, I… I didn’t know you thought all that.” He looked away, “I thought… I thought you didn’t like me.”

“Actually, I respect you.” Said Keith, amazed at the steadiness in his voice. “A lot.”

The shadows were kinder to Lance’s face when he smiled.

“I respect you a lot too.”

He expelled a long breath, sitting back on the shelf. Keith followed suit, and they felt closer somehow. Their legs were touching in the water, and Keith felt that hiccup in his stomach again.

“This is why you’re different,” Said Lance, his voice almost a whisper, “This is why I came to talk to you on the beach. You don’t talk to me like a little kid. You don’t treat me like… the extra one.”

Keith frowned. “Extra one?”

Sniffing, Lance wiped his eyes. He laughed throatily. “Y-yeah… I really was the fifth wheel with you gone, Keith.”

Keith frowned, but stayed silent, sensing that Lance had more to say.

“I know we were never exactly close before, but I didn’t feel so alone, you know? It was always us. Lance and Keith. Red and Blue. The arm and the leg, ha ha. Anyway, with you gone it was just… me. And I began to realise that just me wasn’t good enough for everyone else. They all had their pairs, I guess. I never felt right about Allura and Lotor, but I think even if he hadn’t turned out to be evil I would have felt the same way. I mean… no one needed me anymore.”

Keith was shocked. “This is the first I’m hearing of this. I had no idea.”

Lance waved him off. “I thought it would be different when you got back, but it’s not. It’s not your fault, Keith but things are just… awkward.” He turned to him, “Why is that?”

Keith stared. He knew what Lance was talking about. The unsaid, tangible block of something that had wedged itself between them ever since he’d been back. It was like they couldn’t return to their old dynamic, but they had no idea how to go forward either.

“I don’t know.” He said. It was a half-truth. After all, he was still figuring things out too.

They could see the moon through the cave entrance, and its light crept into the cave, giving the bioluminescence extra life, illuminating the two boys sat together on the shelf.

“It felt like you ran away.” Lance uttered into the moment. There it was. The tension broke, and Keith looked at him, his expression shattered.

“I didn’t – I – I’m sorry. You’re right. Maybe I did, I…”

Keith could feel his anxiety building. He slipped into the water, performing a few breast-strokes to the cave entrance. Lance followed with barely a splash. Dipping his head underwater, Keith cleared his head. As he emerged, he palmed his long, wet hair out of his face and opened his eyes, only to find Lance’s watching him nervously.

“I ran away,” Said Keith, “because I isolated myself from the team. I was so – so desperate to learn something about my family that I forgot about the one I have right here.”

It felt so good to say it. To admit it to someone that wasn’t his pillow or his own thoughts. And it worked. Lance’s features softened.

“Let’s make a promise,” Said Lance, “No more running away.”

Keith agreed, “No more running away.”

They swam close to each other, and shook hands. They stayed like that for a moment, gazing at each other, neither one letting go.

It was only after a few seconds that Lance realised this had gone on too long for a handshake, but now neither of them knew how to end it. And then neither one was sure who intertwined their fingers tighter. It didn’t matter. They held hands under the water, gazing out at the moon.

The hiccups in Keith’s abdomen had transformed into beats – his thoughts were a whirlwind, and the only part of him that could move were his legs, which worked tirelessly to keep him afloat. He looked at Lance. His expression was serene, highlighted by the bioluminescence. He wondered if all of his feelings were showing on his face. This was fine, right? They were just holding hands. They were just comforting each other. This felt like a natural progression to… everything. But something had to come next. Something –

Lance glanced at Keith, drawing closer. Keith watched the movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.

“Keith, I” –

“Keith? Lance?”

The boys broke apart like a shot, leaping out of their skin at the interruption. The hole in the cave ceiling was occupied –

Shiro landed deftly on the shelf from the hole. He called up to it,

“Allura! Romelle! I found the exit! And I found Lance and Keith!”

Keith and Lance looked at each other, their expressions mirrored with panic. Keith’s hand burned from their contact. He glared at his brother.

“Shiro, what the…?”

Shiro smiled. “We found this tunnel leading into the cliffs and decided to follow it. It was sort of hard with only one arm, but we found you.”

He glanced in between them both, noticing their proximity, and his expression changed.

Don’t say anything, don’t say anything, don’t say anything, Keith begged telepathically, Thankfully, Shiro didn’t.

Lance coughed. “Shiro, wait here.” He said, “I’ll swim back and get blue. She’ll get us out.”

He failed to mention that blue wouldn’t fit in this cave. She’d destroy it. But it didn’t matter. Keith was pretty sure Lance just wanted to get away. He couldn’t blame him. As Lance swam out of the cave, Keith felt his entire body go cold.

Shiro frowned as Keith visibly deflated.

“If you hadn’t already died twice, I’d kill you.” Said Keith.

Shiro grinned. “I knew I’d interrupted something.”

It was as if every emotion Lance had ignored over the past week returned in a tidal wave of feelings, each one jostling to be heard. But one Lance couldn’t get over…

Keith.

He couldn’t explain it.

It was just… Keith.

He felt like a star had burst inside of him. He felt the gravitational pull of the galaxy above him yanking his chest, aching to be released. Lance had never experienced anything so intense, and every nerve in his body buzzed with infinite energy as he swam back to shore. He felt like he could run the circumference of the planet. He felt like he could fly Blue into a black hole and not only survive, but tame it to do his bidding.

Lance almost walked right by Hunk, Krolia and Cosmo as he headed for Blue.

“Lance!” Hunk called, running over and grasping him by the shoulders. “What happened to you?”

Lance blinked. “What?”

Hunk stared. “Did you get your brain messed with by mermaids again?”

“Wha – no! No…” Lance laughed nervously. “K-Keith found me. I’m fine. I’m good. I need to get him and Shiro from the cave. Need to” –

He broke off, sprinting toward blue. Jeez. Even saying Keith’s name triggered another bout of euphoria at the pit of his stomach. What was this?

There was a word for what this was. He just wasn’t ready to think about it yet. What bothered Lance most, was what had he been about to say? ‘Keith, I…’ I what? I’m glad you’re back on the team? I want us to stay friends?

No. It was more than that. Whatever Lance had been about to say would have changed things for good. He shivered as he fired up Blue. Maybe it was best that they’d been interrupted after all.

Chapter Text

“I have their location.” Said Honerva.

Lotor had been sleeping. It was hard for him to do much else. Asleep, he was plagued with nightmares. But the nightmare of reality was far worse. His eyes snapped open at the sound of his mother’s voice, glowing gold. He blinked, and they returned to their normal state. Colours reformed. He was here. He was alive.

Lotor sat up slowly, struggling to gather his thoughts.

“L-location?” He repeated, “whose?” And then, hissed, “the paladins.”

“Yes.”                          

“Where?” He demanded, “Where are they? I…I should have brought the Sincline beast. If we are to defeat them” –

-“Patience, my son.” Said Honerva, gliding over to where he sat, hunched and confused. She daren’t touch him. Power exuded from him in raw, unfiltered waves. Soon, she hoped, he would be ready to hone that power and harness it. But for now, he was no more in control than a child.

Lotor frowned at her, swatting her away. He stood, and though his legs were shaking he retained some of his princely posture.

“How long will it take for us to get there?” He asked, gazing out at the galaxy spread out before him.

Honerva cackled. “We’re already here. As soon as we have driven the other paladins to Earth, we can initiate phase two of the plan.”

Lotor faced her. “I am doubtful we can trust those usurpers. They are unlike the others. They may not bend to my will so easily.”

“It is not your will they will bend to, Lotor.” Honerva explained, “But mine. Now observe. I have not yet had the chance to properly utilise the alchemy I obtained on Oriande.”

“What are you going to do?” Lotor was helpless as he watched his mother press both of her palms to the floor of the ship, her eyes closed.

“I am going help the paladins get to Earth. Do they realise how far they are? Pathetic. It will take them moons to travel at this speed. Lotor… I need your help.”

Lotor hung back.

She glared at him. “Come here. Take my hands.”

“I-I don’t understand why we’re” –

-“Just do it.” She ordered.

Bending, Lotor placed his hands in his mothers, and when she closed her eyes again he was wrenched into agony. It was as though someone had reached inside his chest and was squeezing, hammering nails into what little was left of him that remained uncorrupted. He screamed, and so did Honerva as she dragged raw quintessence from her son.

Pidge and Coran were lost. They’d wandered deep into the island, and long-since lost course of who they were looking for. Coms were scrambled too, so that was no good. It was dark and Pidge had tripped over more roots than she could count. Coran was surprisingly deft at picking his way through the hostile terrain.

She whacked her tracker against a tree. “I swear this always happens to me. It’s always a forest or an avalanche or” –

-“A jungle!” Coran finished brightly.

Pidge groaned. “Yes.” She scowled at the tracker. “This thing is going crazy. It’s saying… there’s something above us? But Lance can’t be up there. His lion is on the beach! It just keeps circling round and round…”

“Could be an animal?” Coran suggested. “Or a Weblum.” He shivered.

“It’s not either of those things.” Said Pidge, “This is saying it’s tech. It’s a machine. It’s not biological, but… something is triggering this to go crazy, and now we’re lost. And coms aren’t working. I don’t believe it. Unless a lion somehow comes in range”-

Coran looked up through the thick, lush canopy. “Do you hear that?”

-“we’re toast.” Pidge continued, not hearing him, “how long have we been walking? I can’t believe Lance”-

-“Pidge! Look!”

Above them, the trees shook with wind as the Blue Lion approached, vast and alive, its yellow eyes beaming down at them in the night. Pidge threw her arms in the air.

“ARE YOU KIDDING?” She yelled.

“…here to rescue you!” Lance’s voice came through over the static on coms. Pidge shook her head.

“Unbelievable.”

The other occupants of the Blue Lion only confused her more. Behind Lance stood Keith, still glistening from the water. Shiro was beside him, then Romelle and Allura.

“What…?” She began, but Shiro shook his head.

“Don’t ask.”

Coran scoffed. “Excuse me?” He said, “Poor Pidge and I have just spent the past Varga tramping through the jungle!”

Lance scratched his head, “Yeah… sorry about that. I’m all good now.”

“Where are Hunk and Krolia?”

“Back at the beach.” Said Allura, “We wanted to find you two first. So much for charging the lions.” She sighed, “I suppose we can stop here for another Dobash or so… but we can’t delay too much.”

Lance squirmed in his seat uncomfortably, “The sooner we head off again, the better.”

Pidge silently agreed. She wanted nothing more than to see her family again. She needed them.

Her tracker bleeped. They all stopped. She frowned, looking at it.

“Why is it still saying that?”

“Saying what?” Asked Allura.

“Agh… stupid thing. I think it’s confused. It’s still locked onto you. It thinks you’re still circling above us. Look.”

Lance squinted. “Is that supposed to be us?”

The dot was circling round and round, then disappearing. “It’s like it’s… orbiting.” Said Pidge. “I dunno.”

Allura and Shiro exchanged a look. “Let’s take it to Hunk,” Said Shiro, “see what he says.”

When they got to the beach, Hunk stared at the tracker, his eyes wide. They all waited in anticipation.

“It’s weird, right?” Said Pidge.

Hunk narrowed his eyes. “There’s an interference of some-kind. Like whatever’s up there keeps… disappearing. But then reappearing. I can’t… put my finger on it.”

“So you’re saying there’s something up there?” Keith probed, one hand on his bayard. Lance thought he wouldn’t get very far like this. He was still in his trunks, hair slicked back. The scar on his face was stark in the purple moon, and Lance was struck by how ethereally inhuman he looked right now. Not in a bad way, just…

Keith’s alarmed eyes caught his. “We need to be prepared.” He said thickly, “if we’re being followed”-

Allura glanced at the sky nervously. “Everyone back to your lions. Stay in formation. We’ll head up there.”

Krolia frowned. “Are you sure that’s wise? This could be anyone.”

“Exactly.” Said Allura, “And we need to be ready to face them.”

After changing quickly, the paladins and their respective guests took their anxious places. As they headed toward the stratosphere, Allura changed course.

“What are you doing?” Asked Keith.

She swallowed. “I… have a bad feeling. If we point our trajectory toward the moon, we might be able to slip by them unnoticed.”

No one argued. After everything they’d been through, distinguishing friend from foe was near impossible. And if they were dealing with the latter, it would be best to have the furthest headstart possible, even if a fight was inevitable.

“Woah… Allura.” Pidge began, her voice low.

“I see it.” Said Hunk.

They all peered outward into space as the planet bathed in purple night disappeared below them. While he remembered, Lance saved the planet’s coordinates into Blue’s system. He wasn’t sure why he did it, but he didn’t want to forget this place. He didn’t want to forget-

“Oh… what is that?” Shiro breathed.

Soon, all of their eyes locked onto the incredible phenomena that unfolded above them.

It was a tear in space, not unlike one a teleduv could make, except its edges were blank. This wormhole didn’t belong to anyone.

“H-how did it get here?” Said Romelle, disturbed. “I’m sure we didn’t see this when we landed.”

“We didn’t.” Said Coran, “This is completely new.”

It was impossible not to be transfixed by the eerily shifting gash in reality before them. The hole was roughly round and the size of a planet. And it was moving. But not just moving.

“Is that… getting bigger?” Lance said, awed but horrified.

“I’m afraid it is.” Replied Allura.

“W-we have to keep moving. Let’s get out of here.”

“But where does it go?” Asked Pidge, “What if”- ?

“Pidge, the chances of it being anywhere near earth are astronomically small.” Said Allura.

“But it could be closer, right?” Hunk suggested. “It could shave months off our travelling time…”

“Hunk has a point.” Said Shiro. Then, at the look on Allura’s face, “I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

Allura hummed doubtfully. “Pidge, where’s our unidentified object? What is it doing?”

Pidge gazed at the empty, silent tracker. “I-I don’t know… it could be behind the wormhole. But it’s gone.”

“I don’t like this,” Said Keith, “I don’t like this at all.”

“At this point,” Said Lance, “I just want to get home. One of us should go in there. Just to gage”-

-“Go in?” Keith argued, “What if it closes?”

Lance scoffed, “This big ol’ thang? Dude, it’s humungous.”

Keith remained silent.

“I vote we test it out.” Said Lance.

“Me too.” Hunk supplied.

“…Me three.” Said Shiro.

“It would be worth a try.” Said Pidge.

Krolia and Keith looked at each other. “No,” Said Keith, “We should stick to our original plan and stay consistent with the course we mapped out. Allura? What do you think?”

Allura thought hard. “I don’t know. Romelle, what would you suggest?”

Romelle blinked. “M-me? But I have no say in this.”

“Of course you do,” Shiro argued, “You’re just as much in this as we are. Same goes for you Coran and Krolia. Your input would be valuable.”

Romelle hummed. “I don’t think there would be any harm in testing it. If we went inside, even just for a second, we’d be able to tell where we are. We could always come back, right?”

Coran nodded. “She has a point. We could save so much time.”

Krolia clicked her tongue. “I don’t like it. I agree with Keith. We should stick to the plan.”

“Well, the vote says we should go…” Said Allura, “So that’s what we’ll do. I’ll go first. Then Pidge, Hunk Lance and Keith, you follow. In that order. What do you think?”

There was a resounding, and somewhat reluctant agreement, then the lions switched direction and headed for the looming wormhole. They went slowly, drifting towards it with trepidation. Pidge’s eyes didn’t leave the tracker for a second. Hunk watched the edges of the wormhole for signs of a trap. Keith glanced all around, waiting for a sign that something, anything was wrong. Lance gaped, in awe of the terrifying spectacle. Allura kept her sights dead ahead. Whatever lay on the other side was indistinguishable. The wormhole moved so much that it blurred, and she could only see faint stars and the shadow of a planet.

The lions began to quake as they got closer. A massive surge of energy ripped through space, chilling the paladins to their core.

“What was that?” Said Hunk.

Allura grit her teeth. “I think it came from the wormhole. It’s getting bigger.”

“Or we’re just getting closer.” Lance muttered.

The Black Lion made a gut wrenching creak of protest as Allura passed the threshold into the wormhole. It wasn’t like the others. There was no tunnel of light and stars. She had simply moved from one place to another, and behind her, the portal to where she’d been seconds before hung in space, as strong and true as before. Next, Pidge followed, then Hunk, and Keith, and –

“Lance?” Keith asked over coms when he saw he wasn’t being followed. The four lions spun to see Blue, halted at the threshold of the wormhole, the image of the Blue Lion blurring and fading as the wormhole shifted. The wormhole’s edges went into a spasm, shuddering as they began to fold in on themselves.

“Guys?” Lance’s panicked voice was crackling. His screen shut off, and the last thing they saw was Lance’s panicked expression, twisting around to gaze behind him. “I can’t move! Guys!”

Keith’s lion bolted forward as he shouted, “Lance!”

But by now, the wormhole was closing fast.

“Keith stop!” Allura yelled.

Keith never would have made it. Lance and the Blue Lion were yanked away from them as the wormhole shut, folding like a great eyelid. It was as if it had never been.

Lance was thrust back into space with the force of energy that blasted from the wormhole as it ceased to exist. The Blue Lion spun, stunned, and Lance gripped onto his seat hard.

“Guys?” He tried. “Are you there? Please… someone…”

But it was no use. They were gone. Separated by lightyears.

He grit his teeth to stop himself from panicking as the Blue Lion slowed her spin.

“Come on, girl.” He said, yanking the controls. “Come back to me.”

She was silent. Darkness surrounded Lance, and if it weren’t for the incredible beam of the mysterious purple moon ahead, he’d be lost. The sight of the moon triggered a flash of sensation – the gentle back and forth of swinging his legs under cool, bioluminescent water, the soft laugh of a boy whose face he knew too well but couldn’t get enough of, the shimmer of seawater against scarred skin…

Lance breathed. “I’m okay.” He said slowly, controlling the shaking panic threatening to succumb him. “I’m still alive. I’m”-

Blue lurched, but not of her own accord. Once more, Lance was thrown backward and flung into the cabin. A flash like lightening bolted by the window, and suddenly the Blue Lion was moving. It felt like the drag of an Ion beam, but there were no Galra battleships in sight. Nothing huge enough to yank the Blue Lion under its control. This wasn’t the work of a machine.

Rubbing his head, Lance righted himself and gripped onto his chair.

Outside, space unfolded, vast and empty before him, save for one, small, Galran battle ship. Bingo.

Lance was powerless. The Blue Lion was immobilised by the strange force, and all he could do was watch as he was pulled closer to the ship.

Suddenly, his communication panel lit up, and though the screen wasn’t working, a voice echoed around his cabin – a voice that sent chills down his spine. A voice he recognised, though cracked and broken, faltering in its conviction though stilled brimming with conceit.

“How does it feel, princess, to be isolated from your precious paladins? I have you now, Allura, and you will pay for what you have done to me.”

Lance froze. Allura? He grinned. Lotor believed Allura was still piloting Blue. He was going to be in for a shock. Whatever happened now, Lance knew that Allura and the others were far away, safe from Lotor’s grasp. All he could do was fight. Fight for his life.

The Paladins and their lions were frozen, gazing in unfiltered horror at the spot where Lance had been taken from them.

“No…” Keith muttered finally, “w-we have to go back. We have to go back!”

“We can’t!” Allura argued, tears brimming in her eyes, “The wormhole is gone!”

“THEN RE-OPEN IT!” Keith demanded, circling the now empty space. “Use your alchemy or – or something!”

“I’m not strong enough.” Said Allura, feeling utterly helpless as she said it. “I can’t…”

“Try!” Keith shouted. “Please!”

Shiro laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Keith, calm down.” He said gently, “We’ll get him back.”

“How?” Said Hunk, his voice barely above a whisper. “He’s… he’s so far away.”

The lions drifted into a circle, a weight of dread falling amongst them heavier than anything they’d experienced yet.

Keith was seething, breathing heavily to stop himself from taking off on his own. Shiro had warned him about that only the other night. ‘Remember, we’re a team, Keith. You can’t save everyone on your own.’

He knew his brother was right, but now… he wanted nothing more than to zoom off into space and find Lance. If only he’d been fast enough.

“Pidge,” Said Allura shakily, “What are our coordinates?”

“We’re behind Saturn.” Said Pidge, no pleasure in her voice at all. “We’ll get to Earth in under an hour.”

A grim silence followed her statement.

“So… what do we do?”

“The only thing we can,” Said Allura, “Call for aid from Earth.”

Chapter Text

Things were getting weird. Lance hadn’t moved from his spot behind his chair. Lotor was continuing to talk over coms as if Lance were Allura. And it was freaky.

It had started off as taunting.

“Allura, you’re going to die out here. All alone. You’ll never get back to your precious teammates…”

Lance had tried over and over to jumpstart Blue’s controls. But it was no use. The hold on her was impenetrable. Lance knew the force inflicted on her was not coming from a machine – no machine could be so powerful. This was coming from something… no, someone else. Haggar. He could feel the pull of her dark power. It chilled his spine and plunged his stomach into a place close to despair. But he resisted.

Lotor’s tone began to change.

“A-Allura? Why don’t you speak? Are you there?”

Lance shivered. He was desperate, the broken edge to his voice almost impossible to listen to. Lance shoved his hands over his ears in an attempt to quash his voice, but it didn’t work.

“Allura! Please… Are you alive? Please say something.”

He was worried.

“Allura, pl”-

Suddenly, Lotor’s voice was cut off. Lance would have been relieved if the Galra ship hadn’t started moving closer to Blue. Lance’s brain went into panic – there was nowhere for him to run. It was fight or die. He dove behind a corner, out of sight of the door. With her defences completely down, anyone could access Blue. And they did.

Soon, Lance heard his imprecise footfall as the door hissed open. Accompanying it were his ragged breaths, getting closer and closer. Gripping his bayard, Lance mustered every ounce of courage he had. When the sounds reached by his ear, he leapt out with a yell and swung at Lotor. Lotor staggered back, his hand flying to his face where Lance had cut him.

“You,” Lotor hissed menacingly as he laid eyes on his assiliant.

He was a sight - nothing like the prince they had left behind in the rift. His silvery hair had been savagely cut to his chin and he was emaciated, most of his muscle gone. White jagged burn scars like lightning patterned his purple skin and his eyes were alight with malice and rift power. But he was weak.

With a cry akin to that of a wild animal, Lotor lunged for Lance with killing intent.

Lance dodged at the last second and hit Lotor in the back of the neck with his bayard handle. Lotor fell to the floor with a pitiful yelp. Lance drew back, poised to fight again. But Lotor didn’t right himself. If Lance wasn’t so terrified, he might have felt sorry for him. That was until he let out an agonising, bloodcurdling scream. With the scream came an explosion of power that shattered through reality itself, the ripples of it sending Lance onto his knees. He covered his ears and protected his face against the blinding heat as Lotor screamed in apparent agony, letting out an abundance of power. Lance almost missed the figure that swooped by him to crouch over her son, whispering unintelligible words in his ear as his body shook with the aftermaths of the power’s eruption.

It was Haggar. Wide eyed, Lance crawled backwards. She hadn’t seemed to notice him. He did the only thing he could.

Lance flew out into the abyss, heading for the planet below him. He had no idea what he would do once he got there. It had been less than a couple of hours since he and Keith had been in that cave together, a thousand words afraid to spill from his tongue… how could he have known then that this would happen? Maybe if he had, he would have done things differently. This was Lance’s last thought before he was struck with a force that paralysed him. Haggar’s power ripped through his being, rendering him useless, and before he was dragged into unconsciousness, he saw her – her outstretched arm pulling him in, towards her… towards oblivion.

As the paladins drifted closer to Earth, the mood was less than celebratory. The closer they got to home, the further away they were from Lance.

Pidge was the only one talking. She was on coms, fiddling with the antennae, desperately trying to receive a signal from Sam Holt.

“Dad. Dad? It’s me… It’s Katie. Are you there? Come in, dad. It’s Katie Holt, paladin of the Green Lion. Anyone? Voltron is here. Voltron is coming to Earth. We need your help. Hello?”

By now, she was getting tired. There seemed less and less a chance of her father or anyone coming to help.

“It’s so quiet,” Said Hunk eventually, “we’re not receiving any signals from Earth.”

“Not even from the TV satellites?” Asked Shiro, “Try locking onto a station.”

Keith could sense the edge in his brother’s voice. He knew he was thinking about Adam.

“I have,” Said Hunk, “I’ve tried over thirty. And it’s just… silent.”

“M-maybe there’s something blocking the signal.” Said Keith. Krolia frowned out of the window.

“From what I can see, there’s nothing jamming it.” She said.

Earth was a serene blue orb in all of their sights. Her continents were sound and the same, just as they had left been before they'd left Earth years ago. But the silence pressed like a pain. Earth was loud. Earth was alive. So why weren’t they hearing anything?

“Guys!” Pidge shouted, excited, “I-I’m getting a signal! Dad! Dad? Dad, it’s me! It’s Katie!”

An image blurred and fuzzed onto all of their screens – it was Sam and Colleen Holt. The team gasped, watching with all of their attention. But the sound was broken, filled with static. Sam Holt’s mouth was moving frantically, but all they caught were flashes.

“…a pre-recorded message. I repeat, this is a pre-recorded message. The Galra are invading Earth. Sendak is… Katie…”

Pidge leapt up, grasping the controls in despair in an attempt to boost the signal.

“Dad!” She yelled, tears in her eyes, “Mom, can you hear me?”

“Katie, when you get this… come t-…. 54. White Sands Base 54. The signal code is 08-24-63-9”-

The signal died again. When it returned, Sam Holt had disappeared, and Colleen was close to the camera, her face wrought with despair.

“Katie, they’re coming! The barrier is breaking! We have to go. Please… save us. I love you.”

And the recording cut out.

3 Years Earlier

Adam marched down the corridors to the recovery centre as quickly as he dared. By now, rumours of Sam Holt’s mysterious return had spread. Some said they’d seen an unfamiliar space ship land. Others said they’d glimpsed the man himself, being transported down to the lowest level of the Garrison.

All Adam knew what that he had to see him. He had to… he couldn’t stand not knowing anymore, and if Sam was alive –

Adam spotted Iverson in the hallway and ducked his head in attempt to remain inconspicuous as he tried to sidle past him. It didn’t work.

“Pilot 218,” Iverson barked.

“Yes, Commander.” Said Adam, keeping his face as straight as he could.

“What are you doing down here?”

Adam’s mouth went dry. “Um... I was ordered…”

Iverson narrowed his eyes. “You know what happens to pilots who lie, Adam. Tell me the truth.”

Adam sucked in a deep breath. “Sir, forgive me. I heard Commander Holt had returned. I was on my way to see him.”

Iverson was still. Adam’s heart beat a mile a minute. If he had to punch Iverson in the face and jet to Sam’s room for the confirmation he needed, he absolutely would. And that’s what terrified him. But thankfully it didn’t come to that. The commander sighed.

“If you were anyone else, I’d refuse without question. But seeing as it’s you, I know you have your reasons. But you must swear to an oath of absolute secrecy, Pilot 218. Got it?”

Adam nodded curtly, suppressing his anticipation. “Of course, sir.”

“Come with me.”

Sam Holt’s room was clinical, white and bare. But the man who faced him was warm-faced and real and alive.

“Hello, Adam.” Said Sam.

Adam blinked. He’d known he was back, but now that he was here… it didn’t feel real.

“Y-You’re alive.” He said, mouth open. Colleen Holt was there, too. One hand protectively on her husband’s shoulder, tired lines under her eyes indicating her lack of sleep.

Sam breached the space between them. “It’s good to see you… I know we didn’t part on the best of terms, but”-

-“No, that doesn’t matter. It’s just a miracle you’re here. How - ?”

“Takashi is alive.” Said Sam. “He’s alive, and he’s going to come back.”

The words Adam had only dreamt of hearing struck him like an arrow, and he couldn’t help the tears that brimmed over of their own accord.

“I-I knew it.” He whispered, drawing in a shaky breath. “I knew he was alive.”

Adam didn’t have much time to be relieved, however. With an apprehensive agreement from Iverson, Sam told Adam everything. About the Galra, their regime, the empire and his enslavement.

“A-aliens?” Adam echoed in shock after a long silence. “That’s how you got back?”

“It was an Altean ship.” Said Sam. “They’re technology is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, Adam.” His eyes glowed with light as he described the Alteans to him – their history with the galra, their technology, everything he knew… All Adam could do was listen, numb and bewildered, until he too was burdened with the knowledge that Earth was under a very real threat.

All the while, Colleen watched their exchange with a grim expression. Adam guessed she’d heard this conversation happen more than once.

Before he left, Sam gave him a tape. Adam had no idea what was on it, and he felt like he was floating as he made his way back to his room that night, the tape held loosely in his cold hand. Takashi was alive. Somewhere, up there, he was flying around in space fighting aliens. Adam was struggling to process that information.

Locking himself in his room and drawing the blinds shut, Adam placed the tape on his bed – the same bed he and his ex-fiancé used to share.

Heart hammering with anxiety, Adam hit ‘play.’

 “Adam… I-I don’t really know how to start this. I can’t even be sure if this will ever reach you so I have to just… say it all, I guess. First off: yes, this is real. This is my voice. I’m alive. There’s no easy way of saying this, but the low-down is that I was kidnapped on Kerberos. We all were. But we all escaped and now… I’m still in space, but I’m safe. Heh. Sorta. I can already picture you yelling at me, demanding I come home. The mental image of that is nearly enough to make me - b-but I can’t. I have work to do here, Adam. That’s… not going to make any sense right now but it will. I know we left things rough. There’s not a second goes by where I don’t want to rewind the clock and take back everything I said about - about my life on Earth not being enough. About making you feel like you weren’t enough. After everything I’ve been through, I’ve realised so much, Adam. There were some dark, dark times when the only things holding me together were my memories of you. Just…the reason I can’t come back yet has nothing to do with the reason I left in the first place. It’s not about discovery. It’s not about becoming the best. It’s about protecting the people I love. It’s about protecting you. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I know that if I can do something - anything - to prevent this crazy war coming to you, I will. This all must be so confusing…I wish you could see what I’ve seen, Adam. I wish you were with me - actually scratch that. I wish I was with you. On Earth. In our house. I-in your arms… god, I’m so so sorry. I’m sorry. Apologising will do nothing, I know, but with each moment that passes I know it’s another of you thinking I died up here. That’s torture, Adam. So I can’t imagine how it must have been for you. Know what else? Keith is alive too. He’s gone through some… changes. But he’s okay. I know he misses you too. I know he knows I miss you… Adam, I promise I will come home. Even if you don’t want me anymore. Even if y-you’ve moved on, just know that I’m alive and I love you and nothing will stop me from coming back to you. Nothing. If I keep talking I’ll never stop, so… I’ll end it here. I miss you, Adam. I love you. A lot of things have changed, but that never did and it never will.”

Adam listened to that tape on repeat. He listened to it until he had no tears left to shed, no energy left to cry, and no more strength left to hit the ‘play’ button. Before he slept, he whispered,

“Goodnight, Takashi. See you soon. I love you,” and dreamt of Shiro’s voice.

Soon after his return to Earth, Sam became obsessed with creating his Altean-hybrid ships. The Garrison higher-ups were shrouded in secrecy, and soon it was obvious to those among Adam’s rank that something unusual was going on. Adam kept his mouth shut, and watched over the coming months as the alien tech came together to create an arsenal of ships and weaponry unlike anything he’d ever seen. Soon, Sam’s prototypes of his long-awaited jets were finished, and he stood in the hanger with Adam, stroking the wing of one almost lovingly.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?”

Adam hummed, unsure how to respond to such a statement.

“Are they safe?” He asked.

Sam laughed at the absurdity of the question. “Safe? Of course they’re not safe, Adam. They are not built to be safe, but to protect us.”

“You keep talking about this war,” Said Adam, “But how do we know they’ll attack? How do we know the Galra won’t just leave us alone?”

Sam gave him a pitying look. “You didn’t see what I see.” He said, “If you had”-

-“But I didn’t!” Adam snapped, “Forgive me, Sam, but this is all very strange. All I saw was you, your son and my fiancé disappear. Then you come back, talking about aliens and an army and – and I don’t know, I just… I find it difficult to believe all this – everything we know – is about to end.”

Sam regarded him. “Adam, we are about to have a war.”

Adam threw his hands in the air. “Maybe we don’t have to fight! Maybe we could just talk to them! Has anyone in this place thought of that?”

Sam’s expression became hard. “Don’t be naïve, Adam. You have no idea what you’re dealing with. You have no idea what happened to us. Don’t you think I tried to talk to them when they kidnapped me? I tried talking to them for years, but what did they do? They shoved me in a prison cell and signed me up for experimentation. They forced Matt and Takashi into an arena to fight for their lives, like gladiators. Do you understand? They took Shiro’s arm. For what? Who knows? All I know is that this is the most brutal and unforgiving race in the universe, and they will stop at nothing to enslave humanity, no matter how much we try to reason with them.” Same gestured to a line of four cadets on the other side of the air hanger. Adam squinted. He recognised them. They had been his students. They were stood in front of Iverson, receiving a lecture. “That is why I am initiating the MFE pilot programme. These individuals have been recognised as the most talented in the young ranks, and they will be the ones to fly these.” He said, tapping the alien ship.

Adam gazed at him in horror. “Sam, you can’t. They’re just kids.”

Sam looked at him coolly. “So is my daughter. So was my son. And they’re out there fighting this war for us. I have no doubt these cadets will be more than capable of leading the battle against the Galra.”

Adam stood his ground, clenching and unclenching his fists. Sam was closed off. He couldn’t see how wrong this was. There was nothing Adam could do.

“Well,” He said finally, “Whatever you decide, I will take no part in murder.”

Sam watched Adam leave without a hint of remorse before returning to the MFE pilots.

James had been waiting for this moment his whole life. He was finally here. An elite. Promoted to a rank he deserved. He gave a sideways glance to Kinkade, who stared directly ahead as Iverson finished his speech.

“Is your position clear, pilots?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” They said in unison.

Sam Holt returned to speak to them. “Thank you, Iverson.” He said politely. “Your training will be led by I and – oh, Veronica. There you are.”

The pilots followed Sam’s gaze behind them to the door, where a tall girl with a lean face and ferocious eyes stood, a helmet clutched under her arm.

“Sorry I’m late, Commander Holt.” She said sternly.

“Veronica has been keen on overseeing this project since the beginning,” Sam explained as Veronica strode toward them with purpose, “She will lead your team and aid me in honing your skills to the best of your ability.”

James scowled. He’d been given the false impression he was supposed to be the leader.

Rizavi tilted her head. "Why does she seem familiar?" She asked Leifsdottir beside her. 

“Hey, isn’t that the cargo pilot’s sister?” Kinkade whispered, “You know the one…”

“That’s correct.” Veronica replied as she reached them. Kinkade blinked. He hadn’t thought she’d be able to hear that. “My brother, Lance, disappeared five years ago. Now I hear he’s out in space piloting an alien robot lion.”

“Alien… robot lion?” Rizavi repeated, lifting a brow.

“Yes,” Veronica replied to her levelly, “That’s why I’m here. To teach you about everything you don’t know, and believe me. It’s a lot.” She shared a glance with Sam Holt, “Besides, I couldn’t let my little brother get all the credit now, could I?”

It took a year for the pilots to become deft enough to master the Altean-hybrid machines. During that time, Adam watched their progress carefully. He didn’t actively encourage them, but he stayed close, observing from the side-lines, eating with them at lunch, giving them nuggets of advice wherever he could, much to Sam’s disapproval. But there was nothing he could do to stop him. Adam couldn’t help but view the MFE pilots as kids. The way they laughed, joking with each other as they flew high into the stratosphere reminded him so much of himself when he was younger – a time when he’d thought glory was easy to achieve if he had enough flair. Back then, fresh out of the Garrison, he’d never experienced loss. He supposed he still hadn’t really, after all Takashi was alive. But those years where everyone thought he was dead would haunt him forever. And he still didn’t know if Takashi was safe. He didn’t want to see the same things happen to the MFE pilots. War or no war, they were basically children, and Sam was using them as soldiers.

“Hey, Captain.” Kinkade said to Adam one lunch time. It was summer, and they were lounging outside beside the air hanger. “Remember that time Lieutenant Shirogane replaced all your pens with twizzlers?”

The MFE pilots laughed. Adam rolled his eyes.

“Why does everyone remember the pranks he played on me? Mine were pretty sweet, too.”

James raised a brow, “Yours were lame. Lieutenant Shirogane’s were waaay better.”

Adam crossed his arms. “I feel ganged up on… man, I miss those days.”

“Yeah,” Said Rizavi, “It’s like everyone we knew has gone… somewhere else.”

They gazed up at the sky in silence, appreciating the cloudless, serene blue sky.

“It’s weird to think of my brother up there.” Said Veronica, “And Hunk, and Pidge and… that guy Keith.”

James frowned. “How do you know Keith?”

Veronica scoffed. “My brother used to talk about him all the time. Their dumb ‘rivalry’. He was just mad the kid got promoted to fighter class quicker than him.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s all it was.” Said Kinkade sarcastically. “I always thought Pidge Gunderson was pretty cool. Who’d have thought she was a chick?”

Rizavi, “Oh, I knew.” She said wisely.

“How?” Asked James disdainfully.

Rizavi flipped her hair, but didn’t reply. She and Veronica shared an amused look. They’d become good friends over the past year, and Veronica was a great leader. Even James had admitted it.

“Katie was very brave to do what she did.” Said Adam, “They all were.” Sam was lingering nearby. The two had barely spoken since their fight a year ago, the tension was icy and unbroken between them.

Adam sighed. “Anyway, I’d better let you lot get back to becoming soulless killers.”

Kinkade feigned being shot in the chest. “Ouch. That hurt, Captain. You know us better than that.”

Adam smirked in spite of himself. He did know them. But he knew the Garrison better. He knew what they were trying to do.

“And I don’t know why you all keep calling me Captain.” He said sternly, “I’m nowhere near.”

Rizavi shrugged. “It suits you, I guess.”

Adam laughed. “Thanks. Get to it, you guys.”

However, before the pilots could dispatch, and ear-splitting alarm sounded. The MFE pilots covered their ears, surprise and fear etched on their faces.

“Get inside,” Adam ordered them, “Get inside and join your ranks right now.”

“But”- James began to argue.

“Veronica, you stay. The rest of you go.”

Sam Holt was marching towards him, a device in his hand.

“They’re here,” He said breathlessly, “An entire Galran fleet.”

The skies were roiling above. Not with a storm, but thousands and thousands of ships breaching the atmosphere, amongst them, a monster battle-ship unlike anything Adam had ever seen. This was what Takashi was facing? He swallowed.

“We need to get everyone underground.” Said Adam, “And set up a barrier.”

Sam’s eyes were alight with something that looked scarily like excitement.

“No,” Said Sam, “We fight.”

Veronica stood by him. “The MFE pilots are ready.”

Sam turned to her, frantic, “Get everyone prepared.”

“NO!” Adam stood between them. A wind was starting up, and the peel of the alarm had become no more than a beat of panic, wailing like the fear inside him. “That’s suicide!” He yelled, “They’re kids, Sam!”

Sam regarded him, just as he had a year ago in the hanger. But something about his resolve shattered.

“Adam, prepare your squadron first. If you fail, I send the MFE’s. Is that understood, soldier?”

Adam knew what would happen if he and the twenty other pilots in his squadron flew into this battle, but it was better than the alternative.

He nodded. “Yes, sir. Right away.”

Veronica looked on, bewildered, as Adam marched to the command centre to gather his team. By now, the Galra were close. Sam activated his particle barrier and the first wave of shots fired at them were deflected. Colleen Holt dragged her husband to the side.

“We have to send a message to Voltron.” She said,

“But how? We don’t know where they are.”

Colleen was holding a computer. “An encrypted signal. Katie has the twin – you told me you gave it to her before you left.”

Sam blinked. Of course. He’d forgotten. The signal they’d exchanged in case of an emergency was still functioning. This was perfect. He nodded.

“We have to make it quick. Adam’s squadron is about to fight.”

Adam’s armour was heavy. Stepping into the fighter jet, he readied himself for the onslaught ahead. He couldn’t fail. He had to fight for the MFE pilots. But dread churned inside him. Their jets were fast, but the Galra’s were faster. They were red and black, zooming around each other like exotic hornets, and as soon as Adam and his squad passed the particle barrier, the sky was alight with fire, too. And most of it was from his own team. One by one, the pilots fell. Fourteen were left.

“TO YOUR LEFT!” Adam warned his subordinate. But it was too late. A scream – and she was dead.

The screams were all around him, echoing through his helmet in desperate pleas. And there was nothing he could do to help them. They were dropping like flies. Adam swerved through Galran battleships, weaving in and out of the explosions and flames, missing the fire by skill and sheer luck.

“…Sam…” He said into the coms, “Sam there are too many!”

“Adam… the particle barrier won’t hold.” Said Sam, “It’s not advanced enough – we need more soldiers.”

Adam swerved with a grunt, firing into nothing. Everything. Whatever was in his path. Another scream. Only four of them left.

“Sam, no!” He yelled, “We have to – agh – get underground!”

Two soldiers left.

“That won’t be enough… I’m sorry, Adam.” Sam’s coms cut out.

Adam was the only survivor in his squadron. He was faced with two options. Die with the rest of his comrades, or turn back and possibly survive. Adam thought of Takashi, and knew what he had to do.

Yanking his controls, Adam arched his jet back on itself, sailing through the flames exploding around him and heading back to the weakening particle barrier. Through the chaos, Adam glimpsed the orange hexagons of the barrier, but not before his wing caught that of a Galran ship tailing him. He was going to crash. Bracing himself as the jet began to fall downward in a sickening spin, Adam waited. This was it…

The sound of metal breaking and crushing all around him was almost bad as the pain that followed. Burning. A searing slash across his face as his helmet was struck. Fire and screams that might have belonged to him. But he was alive. His head pounded and his vision blurred and spun through dark liquid that poured into his eyes. His blood. His pain. It was real and he was alive. Focusing on that, Adam hauled himself out of his seat, unjamming his leg from under the steering wheel and falling out of the window. The jet was upside down, flipped onto its back, and he was surrounded by fire and broken glass. But as he’d fallen, he’d made it back inside the perimeter of the barrier where the Galran ships couldn’t touch him.

But here was chaos too. And only now could he see the destruction that had been dealt – ruined ships lay in piles like a graveyard, all in flame. His squadron. Inside, soldiers ran in panic, out of their ranks, out of order. Trucks were being driven to the edges and then – Sam. Sam, with ten other people, all dressed in their piloting gear, ready to fly. Ready to die. From this distance, no one could hear Adam.

“Sam, no!” He cried, hauling his broken leg behind him. The pain was so great that it was detached from him, another part of himself that he hadn’t quite acknowledged. He thought, too, he’d seen the MFE pilots – but only Veronica remained by Sam’s side. Adam watched, crawling in vain away from his wreckage of a ship, as he placed a hand on her shoulder, said his final words, and boarded the jet.

By now, some had noticed Adam, injured and leaving a trail of blood behind him.

“Sam,” Adam sobbed, knowing no one was listening, “You’ll die…” Comrades began to drag him away to safety. Adam resisted, crying out, pleading with Commander Holt. 

But Sam couldn’t hear him. Sam and fifty other pilots plunged into battle. Less than half an hour later, all fifty ships were down. All that was left was fire and burnt metal and a platoon of Galran forces ready to break down the particle barrier.

They were defeated.

Chapter Text

Sendak’s ship was the obstacle, and the team were facing a fleet surrounding it before they could get anywhere close to Earth.

Without Lance, they couldn’t form Voltron, so they were split up, forced to fight individually. And it was becoming more and more difficult for Allura to keep track of everyone. f

The atmosphere above Earth was a blur of fire and clashing jaws with metal. The black lion collided with the side of Sendak’s ship and Allura took a moment to relish the satisfying explosion that took place all around her.

“Pidge!” She yelled, “It’s time!”

“Right!” Pidge complied, turning the Green Lion invisible.

It was the strangest power. As soon as she did, the Galran ships fled to other targets, some right into the path of the Red Lion where they met their fate with fire.

If she wanted, she could be an impartial observer to this battle, sneaking up on ships and destroying them that way, but she’d been given an initiative. And she took it.

It was terrifying, how much Earth seemed like another alien planet after the Galra invasion. The cities were empty. The sea was black from oil spills and debris of chaos and war. Ruins reminiscent of the Roman era stood where towns once had. Pidge held it together.

“Soon, dad.” She said, “I’m coming for you. Mom… dad…”

Before they had been flung into the throes of battle, the paladins had deciphered Colleen and Sam Holt’s message.

“White Sands Base 54,” Krolia had said, “Where is that?”

“It’s… it’s a top secret base very few people at the Garrison knew about.” Said Shiro, his eyes haunted, “I only knew because of the mission. It’s where we launched to Kerberos from. Many thought it was destroyed in World War Three, but it was rebuilt about ten years ago.”

“You took me there.” Said Keith, hushed.

Pidge said. “I’ll approach on stealth and track my father’s signal. I’ve got enough of it.”

“I’ll tell you when to detach.” Said Allura, “The rest of us will distract the Galra while you head down. It’s not like we can form Voltron, anyway… not without Lance.”

So that’s what she did.          

Using her father’s signal, Pidge scanned the land for any sign of humanity.

“This is Katie Holt,” She said breathlessly, over and over, “Calling signal code beginning 08-24-63-9. I repeat. This is Katie Holt calling signal code beginning 08-24-63-9.”

New Mexico was a desolate wasteland. The sand appeared grey in the haze of smoke and the tall remains of White Sands base stood high and decaying on the faded skyline. As Pidge neared the rusted white tower where rockets used to launch, her coms began to crackle. Her calling became more urgent.

“This Katie Holt, do you read? This is” –

“…Katie? Katie, is that you?”

Pidge leapt out of her chair, tears springing in her eyes at the sound of the voice that reached her ears.

“Mom! Mom, it’s me!”

Colleen Holt’s tear-filled laugh of relief on the other end only confirmed it – her mother was alive. And waiting for her.

“Mom, where are you?”

“W-we’re underground, sweetheart. Land and I’ll guide you to the base.”

Katie left the Green Lion in one of the huge, empty air hangers that remained, clouded with dust and abandoned trucks. Her mother directed her all the way around the facility until she reached a juddery elevator, which she rode down and down and down for what felt like an age… the rocks screeched all around her as the elevator rattled at a startlingly slow pace. Shiro had been right. This place really was from before the war.

As the gridded metal doors shuddered apart, Pidge was faced with an array of faces. Some she recognised, some she didn’t, but one overshadowed them all.

Pidge ran into Colleen Holt’s open arms.

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Colleen cried into her daughters hair. “It’s really you. Oh, Katie… thank god you’re alive.”

“It’s me, mom. It’s me. I’ve missed you. I love you. I love you.”

They sank to the ground, hugging each other, their tears melding with their clothes, neither caring that they were being watched by the others.

Pidge pulled away from her mother, scanning the other faces eagerly.

“Mom, where’s dad?” She asked.

Colleen’s expression crumpled, and Pidge’s heart plummeted with dread. She knew that face...

“Oh, Katie,” Her mother gasped, new, fresh tears filling her eyes as she clasped her hands over her mouth. “Katie, I’m so sorry.”

Pidge had experienced this feeling once before  -  in the graveyard where she’d found Matt’s false grave. But seconds later she’d been struck with relief, hope, her fear had been quenched… but now…

“No,” She whispered, shaking her head in denial, “Dad…”

The paladins crashed to earth in a desperate flurry as they made their escape from the Galra. They landed in a swamp, their lions sinking feet into the earth.

Allura righted herself, heaving the controls to get Black back on her feet.

“Is everyone alright?” She asked into coms.

“Alright?” Hunk groaned in response. “That’s… that’s one word for it, I guess.”

Allura turned to Coran and Romelle, who had suffered some mild bruising, but were otherwise okay. Romelle helped Coran from the floor.

“Are they gone?” She asked.

Allura looked to the grey skies, which were empty. “I think so. We seem to have evaded them… for now.”

Keith growled in frustration. “What are we supposed to do now?” He was jittery, his lion twisting this way and that as he searched for a fight.

“White Sands,” Said Shiro, “We need to find Pidge and… and the others.”

There was a silence. None of them knew who the others were yet… if there were any others. Allura’s worst fear was that she’d sent Pidge straight into a trap.

She grit her teeth. “Exactly. Shiro is right. We need to… to get to that place.”

Keith shut his eyes, fighting against his instinct to rebel. He didn’t know how to tell them the truth… he didn’t know how to tell them what he knew…

Shiro put a hand on his shoulder. “Keith,” He said again, “There’s nothing we can do. Lance is on the other side of the universe… but you know” –

“I know he comes back!” Keith shouted back, “But I’m afraid of – I’m afraid he’s going to be” –

Shiro’s and Krolia’s expressions were mirrored – grim, hopeless.

“I know,” Said Shiro. “I know. But right now, we have to find Pidge.”

“And then,” Said Krolia, “You have to tell the other Paladins what we saw in the Quantum Abyss.”

Cosmo, sensing Keith was distressed, nuzzled his head into the back of Keith’s knee as he often did. It calmed him.

Keith nodded. It had been so long ago that he’d almost forgotten – well, not forgotten… but at least stored the memories somewhere far away. After all, none of it had come true yet. Nothing except what had happened to Shiro, but that was done. Over. The other visions had confused him, then. But now… they were coming true.

The Paladins flew at low speeds, low over the sea to avoid Galra detection, finally making it to White Sands base.

The occupants had been waiting for them.

Allura spoke with a stranger over coms who guided them to the elevator shaft as Colleen had done for Pidge. Keith looked at Shiro. He could see everything on his brother’s face that the other’s couldn’t. The slight crinkle in his brow meant he was trying desperately to keep the anxiety from showing. He was biting his lip. He was terrified.

Keith touched Shiro’s arm. “Hey, it’ll be okay.”

Shiro’s eyes darted to him, and his expression cracked. He couldn’t bring himself to smile.

“I just…” He drew in a sharp breath, “want to be prepared.”

And so did Keith. He knew the likelihood of Adam surviving all of this was… slim. He’d been at the Garrison, amidst the chaos and destruction. But if Sam and Colleen had survived, there was a chance Adam had too.

Allura caught Keith’s eye, and gave him a warm smile. This was it. They were about to find out for themselves who was really here, who wasn’t…

The elevator creaked to a halt, and the paladins stepped out into a roughly dug out cavern with dark corridors leading off in all directions. This part must have been new, Shiro thought. He didn’t recognise it. Either that, or the earlier build had been destroyed and this was all humanity had been able to muster amid the invasion. He swallowed, his mouth dry, as his eyes worked on their own to locate the person he’d been thinking about from the start. The person who had kept his resolve intact when times were at their worst.

He saw Iverson. He saw Colleen Holt. He saw kids he remembered from the Garrison. Then, there, beside them…

“Adam.” The name left his mouth in a whisper of disbelief and awe.

Adam’s gaze locked with his across the cavern, and all of Shiro’s questions about who they were to each other were answered in that moment. Though he was too far away to hear, he saw Adam mouth his name:

Takashi.

Shiro didn’t run, but he strode past the others, blind to them. Adam was limping, but he met Shiro in the middle, his eyes wide. Whereas before there had been lightyears, now there were only inches between.

“Takashi your – your hair. Your arm.”

Shiro laughed, letting out the huge breath he’d been holding. He ran his remaining hand through his hair.

“Yeah, um… space aged me, I guess. I can’t exactly say I made it out in one piece, but then again… neither did you.” Adam was missing a leg. A prosthetic one was in its place, causing a noticeable gait.

Adam raked in Shiro’s appearance, and as he did, tears spilled in unstoppable reems down his face which was noticeably thinner and marred with a long scar that ran from his eyebrow to his chin. But it didn’t make him any less wonderful to look at.

“You idiot,” He sobbed, “You complete and utter… idiot.”

Unaware and uncaring of his own tears, Shiro pulled Adam into the tightest one-armed hug he could. Adam wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his head in Shiro’s shoulder as though he’d never let go again. Which Shiro was sure, he wouldn’t. The years of suffering they’d laboured crushed between them, their pain becoming one another’s.

“Is it too late to start again?” Shiro whispered.

“How could it be too late?” Adam replied, his voice muffled against him. “I’d have waited my whole life for you, Takashi.”

Shiro laughed with relief, “Well thankfully you don’t have to.”

Lance awoke, struggling against his bonds. Where he was, he couldn’t say. What had happened to him? He couldn’t… he didn’t…

A purple haze clouded his vision, and when he blinked, he felt like his eyes were too heavy to open again.

“Oh, good.” A voice drawled beside him, “You’re awake. It’s time to answer for your crimes, paladin.”

Of course…

“Lotor.” Lance grunted. “L-let me go. You can’t get anything from me.”

Lotor laughed, and slowly his emaciated appearance swam into view. He was even worse than Lance remembered, his quintessence scarred face twisted with bitterness.

“Quite the opposite. I can extract everything from you if I desire. But I want to make you suffer for what you’ve done to my people.”

Lance did a double take. “What are you talking about?” He spat, “You’re the one who” - !

Lotor touched Lance’s shoulder, sending a jolt of pain throughout his entire body. It burned his bones and boiled his blood. The pain was so intense that Lance couldn’t even hear himself scream. As soon as Lotor let him go, the pain stopped, and Lance was left heaving for breath, his wrists cutting against the restraints as his muscles contracted.

“Please…don’t do that again…” He gasped.

Lotor smirked. “You are a fool. It was you and your kin who made me this way… the pain you felt is simply a result of your mistake.”

Lance grit his teeth. He wouldn’t cry. He wouldn’t beg.

“Lotor… we were going to kill you. We should have, but… Allura didn’t want us to. Do you get that? She wanted to save you!”

Lotor’s expression changed. He looked manic, his eyes flickering as he tried to make sense of Lance’s words.

“No… she wouldn’t… she killed my people.”

Lance stared, utterly confused. “She didn’t kill anyone! That was you, Lotor! You killed the Alteans, you” –

“Stop.”

Haggar didn’t raise her voice, but the authority in it sent chills down Lance’s already weak spine.

He closed his mouth. Haggar stepped out of the shadows, placing a hand on Lotor’s shoulder.

“You see how they lie, my son?” She said quietly, “You see how they try to sway your resolve?”

Lotor tugged at the roots of his hair, his eyes closed against an internal pain.

“No!” Lance shouted, “This was you, wasn’t it? The quintessence field turned Lotor insane and you… you took advantage of him!”

Haggar removed her hood, and the strangely familiar face that glared back at him rendered him silent. She truly did look Altean – not like the shrivelled witch he remembered.
“Wha… what’s going on here?” He said, terrified.

“Do not fret, paladin.” Said Haggar, her voice oddly soothing, “Soon, very soon, I shall return you to your friends… you will send them a message.”

Lance barked a laugh. “I won’t do anything for you.”

Haggar smirked. “It wasn’t a request.”

The HU. The Holt Union – set up by Colleen herself. All survivors they could find, from the Garrison and surrounding cities alike, had gathered here underground, virtually undetectable from the Galra thanks to the old but surprisingly efficient technology that cloaked their presence unless a pursuer held the correct signal code.

It was simple, really. Simple and effective.

All the paladin's families were here. But after Hunk reunited with his, the jovial mood didn’t last for long.

Keith was talking to Adam when a girl about his age came up to him, wringing her hands. Her eyes were startlingly blue and she had long brown hair. Keith blinked. He knew that face…

“Excuse me,” She said uncertainly, her voice shaking, “But… where is my brother? He – I thought he was with you… is he on another mission? I-I’m sorry. I’m talking about Lance… my name is Rachael. Does he know we’re here? We’re all waiting for him.”

Keith’s heart fell, and he and Shiro exchanged a look.

He faced her.

“Rachael, I… I’m not quite sure how to”- 

-“He will be back,” Shiro interrupted firmly. “Don’t worry.”

A hint of hope brightened the girl’s features and she nodded gratefully. “Thank you. We… we’ve missed him a lot.”

Keith glanced behind her, where Lance’s family stood. Of course they were Lance’s family. They were a unit of dark skin and blue eyes and dark hair and long limbs… Keith gulped. Rachael ran back to her family, enthusiastically relaying the news that her brother would return which was met with teary-eyed hugs and one of the smaller children, surely one of Lance’s nephews, excitedly jumping up and down.

“Why did you tell her that?” Keith asked thickly.

“Because it was the truth,” Shiro replied, “He will come back.”

“But… he won’t be himself, Shiro. What if he tries to hurt them?”

Adam looked between them, confused. “What happened to him? Why would he hurt his family?”

Keith sighed. “I think it’s time to tell the others the truth.”

Shiro nodded. “You’re right… but where’s Pidge?”

Colleen Holt's room was so like her old room from home that Pidge had to do a double take. Her mother had miraculously managed to salvage some of the furnishings - odd cushions and crocheted cloths... but half of the room was missing. The half that belonged to her dad.

"He sacrificed himself, Katie. He... he ran into battle during the first wave, thinking we could beat them. He underestimated them. We all did. But he gave his life so we could live. We're the only ones left, Katie. Everyone else is - is enslaved or dead. We need you... I'm so sorry." 

The only ones left, huh?

Pidge glared at a photograph of her mother and father on their wedding day, their eyes bright, their smiles wide. 

"Why, dad? Why did you have to leave me now?" She got out through gritted teeth, her voice croaking as she talked past the lump in her throat. 

Was it quick for him? Was it painless? Or did the galra make him suffer one final time, drawing out his death? 

These questions burned in her mind as she lay, crying on her mother's bed, her paladin armour already battered from getting here. What was left to come? How many more would they lose? 

A knock sounded on the door. Pidge ignored it, but Hunk came in anyway. 

His features were torn with worry, "Hey, Pidge." He said softly.

"H-hey..." She sniffed, sitting up, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

Hunk joined her on the bed and pulled her into a comforting hug. That was enough to make her lose all restraint. She cried and cried, shamelessly, allowing all her grief and shock and exhaustion to pour out. 

"It's okay," He said over and over, "It's okay." 

But it wasn't okay. Even Hunk couldn't convince her of that. But... it still helped. She pulled away, rubbing her eyes. 

"He said he would be here." She hiccuped. "What are we supposed to do without him?" 

Hunk had tears in his eyes too. "You're smart, Pidge. Maybe even smarter than he was... he was so proud of you, and he knows you'll find a way. I'll help you. I'll be here every step." He put a hand on her shoulder, "We all will. We'll make the Galra pay for what they did to you dad. To... to everyone..." Hunk looked at his feet. "My aunt didn't make it. My mom just told me, I... I still can't believe it." 

Pidge gasped, taking his hand. "I'm so sorry, Hunk. I shouldn't have acted like I was the only one." 

He shook his head. "Of course you didn't - you just lost your dad, Pidge. It's just... this is real. I feel like I've only just realised it, but people are really dying. We have to help. We have to do everything we can and I'm not gonna waste any time showing them we're not going down without a fight." 

Pidge nodded, her grief transforming into iron-hard resolve. She would use this feeling. It was her new weapon - more ammunition to throw when the battle came to their door. 

"You're right," She said, "Now all we can do... is fight."

The Blue Paladin couldn't remember his name. 

First, he saw death. He saw his hand - a sword - impaling a man. The man exploded into a million pieces at his hand and it felt... right. It felt good. Was that real? He didn't know. Then he saw the faces of each of the paladins, each one, burned fresh and new in his memory. Distorted. Contorted. Traitors. They were traitors. 

"T-traitors..." Said the Blue Paladin, as he was released from his bonds. Energy rushed through his veins. A thousand new colours unfolded before his eyes... how had he not seen existence like this before? This was right. This was how it should always be. 

"That's right," Said a soft, female voice. "They are traitors, and you must kill them and their kind. What is Earth?" 

"Earth..." In the Blue Paladin's mind, an image of a desolate land burned, occupied by vermin, swarming the ground like flies. They had destroyed the planet. This was their fault. His home... it was gone because of them.

"Earth... is mine."

A low, cruel laugh rung in his ears.

"That wasn't difficult at all." Said the voice triumphantly, "Although I did think he would break after the first few rounds. This one knows how to take pain... and now his friends will know real pain too." 

Friends? A series of unintelligable images flashed across his vision. Friends. The Blue Paladin didn't understand that word. Or if he had, he'd long since forgotten it. 

"Where is my lion? I need to reclaim my planet." 

"Oh," The male voice mocked, "he's eager." 

The female one sighed. They were out of sight... why couldn't he see them? Ah... he was on the ground, on his hands and knees. His limbs shook, but rose at his command. The energy inside him bolted, and he felt like he could do anything. He wasn't happy or sad or... anything. He was driven with a new purpose. The purpose was the only thing left.

"This will keep them occupied until we can fulfill our mission, Lotor. Send him to the Blue Lion." 

He followed the figure through the ship and to the exit, where the Blue Lion waited for him, just outside, her glowing yellow eyes expectant. 

The tall one with the low voice pushed the Blue Paladin out into space towards his lion, saying,

"Send my regards to the princess." 

And when the Blue Paladin bonded with his lion, a new connection was forged. One of changed purpose and changed power. The Lion was infinitely more powerful now. Why hadn't it been like this before? All that he knew was he had his hosts to thank, and a new purpose to pursue:

Kill anything and anyone that got in his way. 

Chapter Text

Adam watched Shiro dress with trepidation.

“You don’t have to do this.” He’d lost count of the amount of times he’d said it, and Shiro’s response was always the same.

“I know. But we don’t have time to waste.”

They’d been reunited for less than a day. They’d spent one night together and already, it was as though Shiro was ready to leap into battle again.

Their rooms were nothing like the garrison - they were roughly drawn out caves with steel walls and hard beds. Adam had relegated himself to one of the smallest ones, insisting that the families and married couples have the ones usually reserved for the garrison troops. After all, he’d gotten used to being alone.

Adam joined Shiro’s side by the cracked, flecked mirror that leaned against the wall, helping him to pull on his jacket.

Shiro rolled his eyes, smiling. “I’ve been one-handed for a while now. I can do it.”

Adam pecked him on the cheek, “just because you can it doesn’t mean you should.”

Shiro laughed. “You used to tell me that all the time.”

They stood in each other’s arms for a while, breathing in the silence and the scent of each other, preparing themselves for what was inevitably going to be a strange day.

“Is Keith alright?” Asked Adam eventually.

Shiro sighed deeply. “I don’t think so. Not yet, anyway.”

“What did he mean? When he talked about Lance yesterday?”

Shiro shook his head. “It’s a long story. You can hear it from him when he tells the others. Let’s go, we can’t be late.”

The paladins and garrison officers sat around a long table, all eyes on Keith. Finally, Allura broke the silence.

“What do you mean possessed?”

Hunk’s eyes flitted back and forth as he thought hard. “Like Shiro? Are you saying Lance is a clone?”

Shiro shifted uncomfortably. Adam looked at him. “What?”

“L-later, Adam.”

“No!” Keith got out, pulling at the roots of his hair. He’d seen the image for less than a second, but it was branded into his psyche. Lance, walking towards him with slow, deliberate purpose, a wall of ice around him, his eyes glowing yellow and gold… “He’s not a clone. It’s him. They did something to him, and he was… he was trying to kill me. That’s all I saw. I just know he was being controlled or – or something.”

Shiro knew it was hard for Keith to articulate his thoughts at the best of times. This was no exception.

“Maybe I can help,” Said Krolia, standing.

The officers turned to her, unflinching. She was confused about that. Shouldn’t they be suspicious? She was Galran, after all.

“I don’t know the Blue Paladin like you do,” She explained, “But what I saw in the vision was something akin to quintessence poisoning.”

Keith glanced up at his mother, panicked. “Do you think so?”

“I’m sorry,” Said Iverson, pinching the bridge of his nose, “But visions? What visions? Are you sure what you saw was real?”

Shiro and Keith exchanged a glance.

“Yes,” Keith replied firmly, “I’m sure. Some of them came true already. This is one of the only ones that hasn’t.”

“Are there any more of these visions we should know about?”

Keith hesitated. “No.”

Krolia opened her mouth. Then closed it again.

“So… what do we do?” Asked Pidge, her voice hollow. She was pale and there were dark shadows under her eyes. “I don’t want to hurt Lance.”

“None of us do.” Said Allura. “We’ll have to find a way to…”

“Contain him?” Romelle suggested.

“Exactly.”

Keith clenched his fists on the table top. “It won’t be that easy. I’m telling you.”

“The quintessence may have given him strengths we can’t predict.” Said Krolia.

“That’s if it’s quintessence.” Pidge argued.

“There are four of you and one of him,” Said Iverson, “Surely your robo-cats can overpower just one.”

“Maybe.” Allura agreed with a frown at his use of the phrase 'robo-cats'.

Keith stood, “Why are we talking about him like he’s our enemy?” He flared, “We have to help him, not hurt him!”

“Keith,” Said Shiro gently, “None of us want to hurt Lance.”

“If I may interrupt,” Said a voice from the doorway. Veronica strode into the room, helmet under her arm. The MFE pilots had spent the past year fending off any galran ships that strayed their way. They were the only ones with the technology to go out and fight, and Veronica was still their leader.

She raised a brow at Allura. “You’re the leader of Voltron.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” Said Allura, “Are you…?”

“I’m Lance’s sister, Veronica. Leader of the MFE pilots." She turned to the rest of the party, “If anyone can contain my brother, it’s me. Believe me, I had plenty of practice when we were kids.”

Keith scoffed. “This isn’t going to be like dealing with your kid brother. Lance is being controlled by a force you can’t even imagine. Only we’ve seen what it can do. You have no idea.”

Veronica’s eyes were cold. “Keith. Hmm. My brother talked about you. What, so you’re friends with him now? A few years of fighting in space together and you think you know him better than I do?”

Keith grit his teeth. He had one comeback to that but there was no way he was going to voice it out loud. Not here. So instead he offered,

“Look, I just meant… we’ve seen what quintessence can do to someone. If he’s been touched by it... he won’t recognise you anymore.” Keith sucked in a breath, realising what he’d said, “he won’t… he won’t recognise any of us.”

Veronica’s brow drew together and the hard line of her mouth softened. “Then I guess we’ll have to work together to bring him back.”

 Lotor had been here before. Only back then, he'd fled, sensing the danger that lay across the golden field of light. His memories from that time were scrambled, and he couldn't place what had driven him to this place before. Perhaps he'd been seeking an ally... or... no, that wasn't it...

As it was, he trembled at the sight of the looming gateway to another dimension. Without thinking, he gripped his mother's arm. 

"This is not like the quintessence field, Lotor." She reassured, though her voice was far from soothing, "it is a portal."

"I know," He replied, removing his hand, "How do we know they won't shoot us on sight?" 

"Because I am an Altean." Honerva replied as though it was obvious.

Lotor narrowed his eyes. He noticed he'd been excluded from that comment.

"And you," She continued, "shall pose as my servant."  

Lotor drew back, horrified. "Servant?" He repeated, "I absolutely will not"-

-"These people have perfected the art of slavery extremely well," Honerva drawled, "and if you can control your impulses and pose as a mindless dogs-body for the mean-time, we'll have everything we need. Unless you'd rather take the paladins on yourself? I'm sure you don't need reminding of what happened last time you tried that." 

Lotor grit his teeth and threw daggers at Honerva. But it was no good. He knew she was right. 

"Fine." He spat, "I'll go along with your plan, but at the slightest sign of betrayal from any of them"-

He was forced to stop as the ship shook with the force of entering the other dimension. Lotor sucked in a breath, trying not to let his fear show, but Honerva noticed.

"Remember the plan," She ordered, "and stay close behind me."

Lotor's fear overrode his pride as they descended into the realm of the unfamiliar Alteans, the same Alteans who had conquered the alternate reality Galran race ten thousand years ago. 

 Over the course of the rest of the day, Veronica (re)introduced the paladins to the MFE pilots. There was Rizavi, who was very keen on getting a closer look at the lions. She and Pidge bonded instantly. It helped that Rizavi sang the praises of Sam Holt, quickly apologising when she realised that Pidge was close to tears.

"No," Pidge had said, "I-I want to hear about him." And Shiro gave her a warm look and a pat on the shoulder.

Kinkade was the team's sharpshooter, and with a pang, Keith thought of Lance. He politely introduced himself to everyone on the team, giving them all a firm handshake. He stopped, slightly awe-struck when he saw Shiro.

"Lieutenant Shirogane," He said stiffly, performing a sharp salute. "It's good to have you back, sir."

Shiro simply laughed, shaking his hand and said, "We'll have none of that. You can call me Shiro, now." 

Leifsdottir was silent and gave them all a blank-faced nod. And then there was - 

"Griffin." Said Keith.

"Kogane." James replied, his lips thinning uncertainly. He didn't make an attempt to come over to them. 

Veronica stepped between them. "Oh, come on. How old are you? Twelve?"

Both reluctant to be labelled as twelve year olds, James and Keith locked eyes. James stepped forward, giving an awkward cough into his hand. 

"Uh, look, Kogane"-

-"It's cool." Keith surprised himself by offering James a smile, "we were kids. And you've done a lot for humanity since then. Thanks for taking care of them."

James blinked, taken aback. All hostility in his expression disappeared. "Well... someone had to, I guess." Shrugging, he held out a hand. Keith took it, and they grinned. But it didn't last for long.

"I heard your mom is a"-

Keith puffed out his chest. "Galra? Yes. But she's not like the others"-

-"Oh, no. I know. I was gonna say... isn't she one of the blades?"

Shiro and Keith exchanged a worried glance. "How do you know about the blades?"

Adam shook his head. "James, you ruined the surprise."

Veronica was smirking. 

The other paladins and pilots had joined them by now.

"Did he just say blades?" Said Hunk. 

Veronica and James appeared to be silently communicating. 

"You may as well tell them." Adam suggested.

"What's going on?" Shiro asked, giving his partner a betrayed look. 

Adam brushed the side of Shiro's face in a motion so subtle it could easily be missed if no one was looking. But Allura noticed and had to stop herself smiling. Now that she'd seen the two together, she understood why Shiro had missed him so much. They were inseparable. Neither one had left the other's side yet. Her chest tightened. She could have had that. But no, her boyfriend had turned out to be a genocidal psychopath with a mother complex. She sighed, reminding herself why she was here. She was better. She was okay. She was the leader of Voltron. If that didn't count for something, nothing would. But she didn't have time to feel sorry for herself. She was too perplexed by the mystery of the blades.

"We were under the impression that all of the blades had been wiped out," She stated, "We met the man who bragged about killing them himself." 

Veronica shook his head. "Well, he didn't get all of 'em." 

Krolia drew the glowing dagger from her belt, "No," She said slowly, "he didn't."

Kolivan's blade was practically beaming. Keith gaped at it. 

He didn't need to ask where they were, for the next moment, Veronica was saying into her reciever:

"Kolivan, come down to command centre two. They're ready for you." 

It was only seconds later that the squeaky low-tech metal doors were shuddering open and three tall figures faced them.

"Kolivan!" Keith and Krolia cried in unison. 

Surely it was impossible. How were the blades here? On earth? After Kolivan had managed to escape with the help of the only two remaining blades left alive, they'd come to earth in the hopes of warning about the Galran invasion. But by the time they got here, it was well under way. So here they were, as allies. Kolivan accepted his sword gratefully from Krolia.

"But how did you acquire it?" He asked, "I left it on that dreadful planet. You must have run into Macidus."

"Actually," Said Allura, "He's dead."

Kolivan breathed a sigh of relief. "You killed him?" 

"It was Lance." Said Keith grimly. "The Blue Paladin."

Kolivan frowned. "I don't see him amongst you. Where is he?" 

They explained the situation to Kolivan the best way they knew how. After a long silence, one of the other blades said:

"When will he come?" 

Keith shook his head. "I don't know." He said honestly. And that was what hurt him the most.

Somehow, in all of this, the paladins actually managed to have a good time. Bonding with the MFE pilots was an experience they hadn't known they'd needed, but being away from other humans for so long had done a number on all of them, and they craved contact from other people. At dinner, Hunk's and Lance's families joined them, and soon they were introducing themselves to Krolia too. She was taken aback, unsure how to behave, but the other mothers accepted her like one of them. This thrilled Keith. He'd never had this before. He'd never had a mom of his own that he could... share. It was strange and unexpected and undeniably warming. Maybe there was some hope left for a real family after all. Looking at Shiro, it was almost like he had two parents. If only his dad could see this. He'd be so happy. 

After dinner, when everyone was starting to drift off to their rooms with their families, Shiro found Keith. He was surprised to see he was alone. 

"Where's Adam?"

"He's gone on ahead. I wanted to talk to you first." Said Shiro.

Keith shifted uncomfortably. "It's-I'm alright. You don't need to worry about me. You two should be together."

"We are," Said Shiro, "And we will be. But you're important to me too. Don't forget I practically raised you."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay... as long as you don't make me call you dad."

"With this hair? Granddad would be more appropriate." 

They laughed, then fell silent. 

"It was brave what you did today," Said Shiro, "telling everyone in there what you saw."

"But Shiro, what if it was just a dream?" Keith blurted, "When I saw it, it woke me up. I thought it was a nightmare. Sure it felt like a vision but we had so many of those over the two years that... I dunno. I'm just as terrified of being wrong as I am of being right."

Shiro was frowning. "I don't think you were wrong. You were right about me." 

"Yeah, and that was one of the worst things I've ever had to do in my life. I didn't want to fight you that day. And I don't want to fight Lance either." 

"Because you love him too?" Shiro was careful when he said this. They'd talked about it before, but he was never sure how far to go.

"Yeah, but it's - it isn't the same. You're my brother, he's..." Keith rested his head on his hands, dropping his gaze to the floor. There was no one left in the cafeteria. He could talk about this, right?

"I got through to him in that cave yesterday. It felt like - like I could almost tell him. And now he's gone. Just like that." Keith gave a hollow laugh. "I'm so selfish. I shouldn't be worried about him for my own sake. He's got a family out there. They're hurting way more than me..."

"I don't know," Said Shiro, "There are a thousand ways to love someone. Your way isn't any less valid than theirs. You're hurting because you care about him, Keith. You got to know him over these past few years. It's okay to say it." 

Keith shook his head. "I'm not supposed to be in love with anyone, Shiro. I'm"-

-"You're not with the blades anymore. You know what happened to your mom and dad. She had to leave and go back to the blades. It doesn't have to be the same for you and Lance."

Keith looked up at him. "That's if he feels the same way."

Shiro tilted his head. "Are you kidding? Hunk knew he liked you since before Voltron. He used to talk about you all the time. Veronica can back that statement up too, apparently. I've heard a lot from Adam."

"You- you talked about this with Adam?" Keith squeaked, blushing furiously. 

"He won't tell anyone." Shiro teased. "But yeah. I'm pretty sure he likes you. He acts a lot like I used to, you know." 

Keith released a shaky breath, trying to calm his nerves. This would have meant a lot more if Lance wasn't on the other side of the universe. Despite all that, his heart leapt. 

"Thanks, Shiro but... right now we need to concentrate on getting him back. Then I guess I'll..." he blushed again as he said it, "go from there."

Shiro couldn't keep the grin off his face. Keith smacked him hard on the shoulder.

"Shut up." 

"I didn't say anything." 

"...shut up."  

The planet was familiar but desolate, surrounded by hundreds of rings orbiting it in a large loop. Maybe once, the Blue Paladin had known its name. Now, it didn't matter. He'd gone through the witch's wormhole some time ago, and been stationary by this huge ringed planet ever since. He was stuck, something in his mind stopping him from moving his lion any further. It was like there was another person inside of him; another voice, yearning at him to... to... 

The Blue Paladin inched his lion forward, and as he did, the voice in his head screamed. He couldn't tell if he wanted to listen to it or banish it. Better to banish it, he thought, or he'd never reclaim earth. Because that was his mission. His only mission. Then... then he'd cease to exist. Once earth was his, the pain coursing throughout his entire being would stop, and he'd be at peace. That was all he wanted. Peace. 

It was the dead of night when Keith was awoken by Allura. 

"Keith?" She whispered, just loud enough to start him from sleep. 

He rubbed his eyes blearily. It felt like seconds since his head had hit the pillow.

"Allura," He said, relieved because he was terrified for a second he was about to be attacked. Though he doubted any aggressor would go to the courtesy of waking him up first, "What's up?" 

"Y-You'd better come with me," She said. The tone in her voice worried him. It was dark, so he switched on the light. Her worried expression matched her tone. "It's - they think they've found something near Saturn."

Keith leapt out of bed. "But that was where we..." 

He trailed off, because Allura already knew. They were thinking the same thing.

Could it be Lance? 

Chapter Text

The HU was an odd assortment of people. There were the Garrison survivors - namely Iverson, his admirals and the MFE pilots. There were the families they'd managed to rescue from slavery; Hunk's and Lance's stayed together, bonding over their son's involvement in the universal war. The Holts were sticking together like glue. Keith couldn't remember seeing Pidge leave her brother's side since hearing about her father. He couldn't blame her. They needed each other more than ever...

Allura, Coran and Romelle sat in a picture perfect line around the oval table, their faces all of equal concern, Allura's regal features expertly scanning the screens for evidence that what they were looking at was the Blue Lion. And then there were the blades. A striking, tall, purple-skinned band of sour-faced Galrans with their own reasons for teaming up with Earth. His mother stood just aside from them as they gathered in the make-shift control room - not quite a part of them but not quite apart either. Keith, Adam, Shiro and Cosmo were a troupe of their own. He wasn't quite sure what kind of family they were. But they were all here. Families of every kind - some bonded by blood, others by choice, but their goal was unanimous. Protect each other, no matter the cost. 

There was a gap in their family and they all felt it. Even the blades noticed the disparity between Voltron's paladins without Lance amongst them. Every time Keith acknowledged his absence, his stomach turned and he thought with dread of his vision. Whatever was coming towards him in that split second portent wasn't Lance. It was Lance's body, Lance's mouth snarling with killing intent, Lance's sword raised to kill, but it wasn't him... it could never be him. Keith curled his fists by his side and Shiro looked at him, noticing the movement. Cosmo nuzzled Keith's hand with the tip of his wet nose, almost as if to remind him he wasn't alone. 

"The anomaly is situated by Titan." Said Iverson, zooming in on the hazy image. The technology in this facility was old and the picture was nothing compared to the resolution they would have gotten at the old head-quarters, but to every paladin the answer was clear. This was the Blue Lion. 

"When you came through the wormhole our senses detected a shift in the gravitational pull near Titan. That's how we knew you were coming." Colleen Holt explained at Iverson's side, her expression grim. "We felt the same shift a few nights ago, but it was too subtle or too quick for us to pin down. And then we saw... this."

"Is this a live feed?" Asked Hunk, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. 

"No... just a few seconds of footage. Our sensors are too bashed up to catch up in real-time and this was all the data we collected after a few hours of turning them on again. Power is low. Our generators need replacing. We're trying to conserve as much as we can and we can only afford to use them in emergencies."

"This is an emergency!" Keith flared, unable to stay quiet. 

His brother drew in a deep breath beside him. "If the footage isn't live that could mean he's on his way." 

Allura stood. "I will go out there and see for myself where he is. I can take the Black Lion away from Earth to see"-

-"It's too dangerous." Iverson interrupted, "you can't make it fifty feet out of here without getting into a fight with Sendak. Thanks to Sam Holt's cloaking technology he doesn't know exactly where we are and it's only because of our MFE pilots that the ones who stray by here never make it back to Sendak to tell the tale. If you go out there and start a fight we'll be exposed and we can't afford" - 

-"So, what?" Veronica interjected, stepping forward into Iverson's direct line of sight, her arms folded. "You expect us to stay in here for the rest of our lives living on decade-old canned food until we rot or kill each other out of boredom? I'd rather die fighting." 

"Second that." James muttered audibly beside her.

Iverson narrowed his eyes at them both and the admirals beside him shifted uncomfortably. "McClain," He warned, and Keith's insides leapt at the name. He had to remind himself that this was Lance's sister... he wasn't here... "I understand very well your methods, but like I said" - 

-"We can form a defense group around Voltron," Said Kinkaide, completely ignoring Iverson and turning to his group, "We'll make a formation to hold the Galra off until they reach the stratosphere and then they can get up there and see where the Blue Paladin is at. Then we don't have to bring the fight to earth if this... possession is as intense as you say it is." He suggested, directing the last part at Keith who set his jaw in response. 

"If it's anything like what I saw, we have to keep Lance as far away from Earth as possible." 

"What about the moon?" Romelle piped up. 

Pidge frowned. "The moon?" 

Romelle coloured as all eyes turned on her, avidly hanging on her every word.

"W-well..." She began, suddenly nervous. 

"Go on, Romelle," Allura prompted with an encouraging smile, "we need all the ideas we can get."

Romelle drew herself up and lifted her chin, meeting the curious audience's eyes as she spoke. 

"I've been reading your books. I've been watching your films and... learning about Earth a little. The moon doesn't only control the tides, it acts as a barrier as well." 

"Yes, we're all aware of the moon's astronomical importance," Iverson bristled, "what does that have to do with containing Mr McClain?" 

A knot appeared in Romelle's brow as she met Iverson's impatient stare, but she persisted. 

"The gravity on the moon is lesser than the gravity on Earth for one," Said Romelle. "He won't be able to fight as well he would here. As the moon is a satellite, it will be impossible for the Blue Lion to detect anything behind it, so if we station one or two of the paladins there to intercept him, we can trap him on the lunar surface before he makes it to Earth. Any damage done up there won't have a lot of consequence down here. There won't be a risk of injuring any civilians." 

There was a ponderous silence.

"She has a point." Says Hunk. 

"And then when you trap the Blue Lion? What then? And what about the Galra surrounding Earth?" Asked Adam.

"We'll take care of them." Said Veronica. Then, glancing around the room, "And anyone else willing to volunteer." 

Kolivan didn't hesitate. "We've wasted enough time down here." He said gruffly, "It is time for us to fight back." 

Iverson floundered, slamming his fist on the table. "B- we don't have the resources! There are too many!" 

James sat on the edge of the table by Iverson's shaking frame, crossing his legs. "We've already killed a bunch. Give us some credit." 

"Yeah, I'm on fifty-three now." Said Rizavi. 

"You're still losing to me, Nadia." Kinkaide teased. "Sixty-one."

Rizavi rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself, Ryan. Everyone is losing to Ina so your point is invalid."

Leifsdottir allowed herself a small smile at the acknowledgement but said nothing. 

"I think Commander Iverson gets the point." Said Adam, his teacher voice making an appearance. "And the point is... we are vastly well equipped given the circumstances. I was against everything when Sam Holt said he was starting the MFE programme." Pidge glanced upward, eyes sparkling with days' worth of unshed tears at the mention of her father. "I thought that" - he swallowed, giving Shiro a side-ways look, "I thought that he was sending you to your deaths. But... well... you're still here. You're still alive." He took his fiance's hand. "Somehow you all are. That's proof enough for me." 

Shiro pulled him closer, and the room fell silent. It didn't need to be said. The plan was underway. 

Despite the progress, Keith hated it. He hated all of it. He didn't want to intercept Lance. He didn't want to trap him. He wanted to find him and comfort him. He wanted to reassure them that it was all okay - that with Voltron, they would be able to reclaim Earth from Sendak's dictatorship and he could be with his family again. But that wasn't always how things worked, and he hated it. He thought of the long white scars on Lance's legs, glistening under the crystalline water against his dark skin. He'd been hurt enough... this wasn't fair. All Lance had done, always, was his best. He'd hardly complained. He'd never refused a task. He'd always been there to prove his worth, his skill, his dedication, and he'd never asked for recognition. There were jokes made at his expense, but all in the knowledge that everyone truly valued him. Everyone knew the team wouldn't work without him. But had Lance known that? Had he known how integral he was? It was too late to tell him now. 

For now, the meeting was adjourned until after breakfast where they'd work out the logistics, detail by detail, and everyone was filing out of the conference room. Keith felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up expecting to meet his brother's gaze. But it was Coran. 

Keith blinked, surprised. "Hello, Coran." 

"For a while I thought I was the one who valued Lance the most out of all of us." Coran began without greeting, his expression more earnest than Keith had ever seen it, "I felt like a second father to him almost, and he came to me for advice quite a lot, especially regarding his place on the team."

Keith swallowed thickly. "I had no idea." 

Coran's eyebrows drew together. "That was after you left. I'll admit it, Keith. I'm not the best at dealing with human affairs. I'm beginning to think that perhaps... perhaps you understand him a lot more than I do. A lot more than any of us do." 

Keith's breath was shallow. "Why would you think that?"

Coran dropped his hand, a sad smile peeking through his impossibly well maintained moustache. "Just a hunch. He'll need you now more than ever Keith." 

With a final pat on his back, Coran left the room, leaving Keith alone with Cosmo, surrounded by his empty thoughts. 

There was a boy in the Blue Paladin's mind. The boy was small, his young teal eyes fresh with excitement and smiles and all the naive innocence of a young mind ready to be set free on the world. But when he spoke to the Blue Paladin, he was reproachful. Resentful, even. And it confused him. 

"Get out of my head. I have a mission to complete." The Blue Paladin grunted as the boy made an unwelcome entrance into his psyche once again. Mars was a beautiful, crimson orb ahead of him. He was making headway... he was close to Earth... the place of his enemies. 

The young boy shook his head slowly, folding his arms. "No. You want to hurt my family." 

The energy that gripped the Blue Paladin shook with incensed laughter and he surged his polluted lion forward, thrusting her further, her engines and gears cranking in protest but her soul bound to the Blue Paladin's icy will. 

"Your family is of no consequence to my goal." He spat, "No one is. They all deserve to die. Every parasite that crawls on Earth and claims it as their own deserves to die." 

The boy's eyes turned sorrowful and he rooted himself firmly in the Blue Paladin's mind. "What about the people you care about?" 

An array of colours flashed across the Blue Paladin's vision at the suggestion. A face... a name... but he shook it off. 

"Stop distracting me!" He cried, his voice coming out as two, split into a low growl and a harsh racked cry. He couldn't decide which voice was his. Maybe both. Maybe neither. "You are planting thoughts in my head... stop..." 

The young boy smiled, triumph flashing in his familiar blue eyes. "Those are your thoughts, Lance. You know they're yours. Listen to them. You can fight this." 

The faces and the colours were growing stronger. He heard a laugh, low and steady and felt the glow of purple moonbeams sprawled across his features like tangible light, his face upturned to it in a moment of peace. 

The Blue Paladin gripped his controls tighter and let out a wretched scream at the intrusion. This was a ploy. The young boy was a trap sent to throw him off by the humans and Galra that had invaded his planet. He snarled, swiping the boy from his mind like smoke on a tired breeze. He would be back, he knew, but the Blue Paladin was determined not to let him in. There was no room in his mission for confusion or doubt. Only annihilation and then, eventually, peace. The peace he craved and knew he'd once had before... the quintessence roiled inside him, providing him with the answer: before humans and galrans had invaded Earth. 

His destination was but a blue smudge on the horizon. The Blue Paladin smiled with relish as he pictured the countless ways he would reconquer it. 

 Hand in hand, Shiro and Adam escorted the paladins to their lions above ground and the MFE pilots readied themselves for inevitable battle.

"Ready, Nadia?" Veronica asked the girl by her side.

"As I'll ever be," Said Rizavi with a wink, though her smile quickly faded and her eyes darkened the moment she turned away. James drew in a deep breath, crunched together beside the paladins in the rattling elevator that shakily carried them to the surface.

It was an art they'd perfected over the past couple of years - trivialising death. It was their coping mechanism. Sam Holt's death along with the countless others who had been lost that first day had brought them to a non-verbal agreement. They must not collapse. They must not lose their spirit. Their bond as MFE pilots held them together as more of a family than a unit, Veronica at their head. James glanced at the young woman by his side, catching her eye. With a curt nod, he turned back, feeling heat rush to his face a little at being caught out. Though their relationship was entirely professional, he dreaded to think what any of them would do without her as their leader. She was headstrong, fiercely smart, organised, passionate... everything a leader should be. He marveled at her resistance, though he'd die before admitting the extent of his feelings towards her. James couldn't imagine being in her position; a brother missing, an entire squadron counting on her. If she was about to crack, she didn't show it. Her face was a mask of steel resolve and keen attentive energy. James thanked the gods he was fighting for her, rather than against her. However he allowed himself the thought that if he were to die by anyone's hand, he'd want it to be hers.  

"You all remember the plan, right?" Said Adam, his nerves getting the better of him as they stood in the shadow of the Black Lion, her sharp yellow eyes baring down on them all. 

"We do." Said Hunk.

Pidge nodded. "Got it." 

Adam faced Allura shakily. "Please... take care of them, alright?" He asked, and her eyes fell to the scar that marred half of his face, pulling down his mouth at one corner. It made his expression no less genuine, no less heartfelt. His care for the pilots sung out to her and she received the intensity of his anxiety full force. Reaching out, Allura took the hand that Shiro wasn't grasping. 

"I promise," She said with all her heart, "I will bring them back."

He gave her a tight, but relieved smile. "Thank you. I trust you." An unspoken, I can't lose them again, followed. Allura saw exactly the man Shiro had been describing for so long before her. Calm, quiet, gentle, empathetic and fiercely compassionate for everyone around him. 

She swallowed hard, vowing to keep his trust intact, and headed to her lion. Without Romelle and Coran on board, Allura realised she wouldn't need to hold back in her maneuvers. The full extent of the Black Lion's capabilities might be unleashed to her now that there was no one else in danger with her. She felt the weighty gasp of the engines underneath her heave like a sigh as she sat in the pilot's chair. 

"It's just you and me." She said out-loud, "Don't hold back." 

A bolt of energy greeted her, and she knew that was the Black Lion strengthening her bond. For good measure, she said "I will protect them, father."  

The MFE pilots followed suit, readying their Altean-Human hybrid machines for combat. 

"This is suicide." Kinkaide muttered, "we've never gone this far out voluntarily before." 

"We survived before this, we'll survive now." Said Veronica. "Leifsdottir, what are our chances?" 

"four point"-

-"Ina, no! I don't want to know." Said Rizavi, covering her ears though it did little to stop Leifsdottir's voice coming through the headphones. 

James sighed. "We can only do our best. And I don't intend to lose any of you today."

The tone in Veronica's reply was a smile. "James is right. We'll put our all in, just like we do every time. And... my brother needs me, which means subsequently he needs you too. Got it?"

"Got it." They all replied in unison, and flew from the air-hanger, braced to defend the Earth.

The paladins' own gathering was a more silent affair. They didn't need to speak to each other as they drifted towards the stratosphere, their lions only in partial formation without Lance. It wasn't until dots on the horizon signalling the incoming of their enemy that Allura gave the go-ahead. 

"Pidge, Hunk, you two take care of them. Keith and I will head to the moon. Meet us there when you're ready and call if you need backup." 

"Roger that." Said Hunk. 

A burst of colour by Keith's side shocked him, momentarily causing his lion to swerve. 

"Cosmo, what are you doing here?" He yelled out as the huge canine bounded onto his lap, snuffling his wet nose on Keith's neck like a sloppy kiss. 

"Keith, you can't bring him!" 

"I know!" Keith replied, frustrated, "he teleported in here. Cosmo, go back to Shiro! Go on!" 

But Cosmo either didn't understand or refused to. He sat quietly by Keith, his eyes fixed ahead of him on the shining point of the round moon. Keith sighed. "It's no use." 

Allura made no argument. There was no point. Wolf or no wolf, they were here to get Lance back. "Just keep him under control. Approaching now." 

The bright side of the moon was everything Keith imagined it to be. Round, silvery and a imperfect canvas flecked with craters and dips. It was the same moon he'd watched rise and set for months on end outside his shack, dreaming of his parents, hoping against all hopes that Shiro was out there, alive... two out of the three of the people he'd pined for over this moon had come back for him. Perhaps this time too, he might be so lucky.

Keith grit his teeth as they crossed the line into shadow where the deep crevices didn't look so picturesque and the earth disappeared behind them as though it had never been. He couldn't rely on luck. This time, Lance needed them to act or else... 

"Allura, we've lost contact with the others." 

She huffed, testing coms anyway. "Yes, I thought that might happen. Now we can only wait. I have a visual on his predicted trajectory." 

His. Lance's. But was it really Lance? Perhaps they were doing this for nothing. Perhaps Lance was fine and healthy and he'd escaped unscathed, but Keith's vision offered itself again, baring a much more likely truth. Lance, with his eyes glowing yellow, marching between a wall of ice, sword raised. 

"Me too." Keith got out, his insides getting colder at the thought. His hands were shaking, and he could do nothing to control them except pet Cosmo's soft, thick fur. The wolf leaned into his touch for comfort. As much for his own as for Keith's. 

"Allura," Keith blurted as they waited in the shadow of the moon.

"Yes?"

"You need to talk to him. Y-You need to be the one to... to calm him down." 

There was a long pause before Allura's reply. Keith's heart tremored in his chest, skipping with heat and terror at what his vision was making him see in his mind's eye. The more he tried to dismiss it, the more it came.

"Keith. I'm not sure I..." 

-"He loves you, princess. Doesn't he?" Shut up, Keith willed himself. He didn't know what was making him say this now. 

"No more than he loves you, Keith." 

However Allura meant it, the unexpected counter unbalanced Keith. He blinked, thrown. 

"No. I mean - yes, he loves all of us as family but with you" - 

"No, Keith." Said Allura, firm. "I won't hear it. We must be there for him, both of us, in our own ways. Do not relegate either of us to a role, Keith. His feelings don't work like that. If what you said is true, he needs honesty to pull him through. Even then, quintessence poisoning on such a scale might not..." 

"Allura. Allura, I see the Blue Lion." 

Allura stopped, poising her lion to peer over the horizon where, sure enough, a blue figure moved steadily and surely towards them. The Blue Lion was on course to bypass the moon, just as they had predicted.

"Should we try and speak to him?" Allura whispered, though there was no way the occupant of the Lion could hear her whisper from this distance. 

"I-I don't know..." Said Keith. There was something eerie about the way the Blue Lion floated through space. Keith couldn't be certain if it was his paranoia making him see it that way or whether it was something about the Lion itself. Either way, it sent a shiver reeling through his spine like nails on a chalk-board. 

Allura took charge and attempted to reach out first. 

"...Lance. Lance, it's me - Allura. Are you alright? Are you hurt? Can you hear me?" 

At first, static met their ears. Keith listened, his mouth dry. He didn't dare to blink as the static cleared and a voice came into focus. Cosmo snarled a second before they heard it. Laughter. Keith recoiled in horror, wishing nothing more than to clamp his hands over his ears and drown out the awful sound, but he was frozen. Allura, too, was stunned. Because that was Lance's voice. But it also... wasn't. Two voices shattered the space between them in unison, coming from the same throat but so unbelievably dissimilar that the fact seemed impossible. 

One was Lance's - unmistakably - though it had shifted in tone to something manic and outright disturbing. The other was low, almost a growl, but deep with inhuman resonance that thrummed low in the abdomen of those that heard it, inducing pure terror. 

"Paladins of Voltron," Came the voice once it had finished its peel of horrific laughter, "I have come to destroy you all." 

The Blue Paladin's veins thrummed with purpose as he changed course and headed for the moon. His enemies set their traitorous yellow eyes upon him, their jaws open wide for a fight. As he spoke, he felt their fear manifest in their hearts and his empty one pulsed with the triumph of it. 

"Your fight is over." He said, "You have met your match." 

The Red Lion skirted low over the surface of the moon, crossing from shadow into light as if to confront him. 

"No, Lance!" Its occupant shouted, the voice a faraway dream to the Blue Paladin's ears. "We don't want to fight you! We want to help!" 

The Black Lion followed suit; the main culprit, the Blue Paladin knew. She would die first. 

Without waiting, he lunged straight for her, his Blue Lion offset by the moon's gravitational pull but no less encumbered in strength for it. Caught unawares, the Black Lion didn't have time to dodge and Blue pounded into her, sending her sprawling onto the moon's surface.

"Lance, no!" The male voice echoed again, coming from the irksome red one, but the Blue Paladin ignored it. He lunged again, sinking his iron jaws into the Black Lion's neck which writhed beneath him like prey. He granted himself a moment of pride and lost a second for it, giving the Black Lion time to whip her tail up and catch Blue's belly, flinging her backward. The Blue Paladin held on as he was flung back and merely skidded along the glaring white surface. 

Red and Black faced him side-by-side, watching and waiting, neither attacking first. The Blue Paladin could only laugh again. They were done for if they carried on like this. He hadn't even unleashed the full force of his power. Her mind poisoned, the Blue Lion gave a mighty, jarring roar. Flecks of ice spilled from her impatient mouth, a warning of what was to come. The Red Lion shifted forward at the signal.

"Lance..." Came the voice through coms, the softness in his voice so unforeseen that for a second the Blue Paladin hesitated, and the young boy who toyed with his mind made an appearance. 

"Remember Keith." Said the boy, his turquoise gaze pensive and penetrating. "Remember him." 

The Blue Paladin growled. "Go away. Get out." 

"We're not going anywhere!" The Black Paladin replied, thinking he was addressing them. Another familiar voice. Higher and female and definitely one of comfort but also... sadness. 

"...Ura..." 

The Black Paladin gasped. "Yes, it's me! It's Allura!" The relief in her voice was palpable, but she was mistaken. 

"Allura..." The Blue Paladin repeated, his two voices dripping with venom. "You are responsible for this." 

The young boy shook his head, disappointed, and the Blue Paladin bore his lion forward again, threatening with his jaw wide open. 

"You are the reason I suffer! You are the reason earth is swarmed and ruined!" 

The sob in Allura's voice only urged him more. "I'm sorry, Lance. I should have protected you." 

It was piteous. Pathetic. And it angered him, fuelling the well of bleak sorrow he had found and tapped into from deep in his subconscious. Die, he thought, and pushed forward with all his might.  

Hunk and Pidge were trying to contact Keith and Allura. They'd decimated the Galra fleet that had headed over to dispatch them only to be defeated in seconds by the Green and Yellow lions. Any other Galrans headed their way would be intercepted by the MFE pilots and dealt with promptly. 

"I can't get to them." Said Pidge, watching the cloudy skies as if they'd give her the answers she needed. 

"Do you think they're on the moon?" Asked Hunk, knowing full well what that meant. 

"Probably." Said Pidge, and swallowed hard. "We should go and help." 

Hunk nodded, urging his lion upward. 

Little did they know, they were wholly unprepared for what they were about to be met with. 

They saw the plumes of flame, the shards of ice and Black's wings before they could make out the tangle of fighting lions on the moon's surface. Without thinking, Hunk barrelled into the middle of the fight, splitting it apart like a hammer breaking ice. 

"What is going on?" He grunted, righting himself next to Blue, forgetting that his childhood friend was supposed to be possessed. He was met with a lethal icicle the size of a cathedral aimed at the Yellow Lion's head from the Blue Lion's mouth for his effort. Yelping, Hunk dodged just in time and bounded to where the Black Lion lay, almost incapacitated. 

"Allura!" He cried.

"I-I'm okay..." Said Allura, sounding very not okay. "Get out of the way, you two. He's out of control." 

Red, Black, Yellow and Green formed a line opposite the Blue Lion, confronting their friend. Dread filled their hearts at the sight of the Blue Lion. Her eyes were dulled nearly black and icicles stuck around her large mouth like froth, giving her the appearance of something rabid. Her stance was crouching, poised to attack at the slightest motion. 

"He's..." Allura coughed, "He's impossible to predict. Neither of us can pin him down." 

 "What do we do?" Asked Hunk. 

Pidge was working relentlessly. "I'm trying to hack into Blue's interface, but she's scrambled. Her bond with Lance is too strong and she's been corrupted too. Maybe if one was cured, the other would follow, but..." She trailed off in despair. 

Then, Keith did something none of them expected. 

He left his lion.

"Keith, what are you doing?!" Allura cried out. 

On the surface of the moon, a tiny red dot amongst the god-like lions. Keith held his hands up in surrender. 

His voice reached the Blue Lion as he yelled, "I just wanna talk! Hear me out!" 

The Blue Lion's ice-covered face snarled and she curled back on her haunches as though to squash Keith. 

"I challenge you to hand-to-hand combat!" Keith shouted, noticing the threat. 

The Blue Lion paused. A low, amused chuckle of the awful two voices rumbled through coms. 

"Your conceit knows no bounds." Said quintessence-Lance. Hunk and Pidge startled, not having heard his voice like this.

"No..." Hunk whispered in anguish, unable to keep the tears from pouring out at the sound of his friend. It was so viscerally wrong. 

"That's not him. It can't be." Pidge denied vehemently. 

Allura was too focused on Keith as he laid himself bare before the threat, unwavering in his resolve. 

"I challenge you... to hand-to-hand combat." He said again, his voice almost breaking. The Red Lion itself bristled at Keith's daring as it poised in a similar fashion to Blue, ready to protect its paladin with everything. 

"What makes you think I would be so idiotic?" Came Lance's mutilated voice again. The face that accompanied it in their imaginations was even more terrifying. Keith shuddered at the proximity of the corrupted Blue Lion, her teeth dripping crystals of ice as she widened her jaw. "I would never fall for such an obvious trap." The Blue Lion started forwards to end Keith. Allura couldn't believe her eyes when Keith dropped to his knees at its mercy, his eyes shut. 

"Keith!" She cried out, but a flash of blue at Keith's side stopped the Blue Lion in its tracks. Allura expected Cosmo to teleport Keith back into his lion, but instead, he brought another to the moon's surface. 

Lance's form, wracked with quintessence and dark energy was slammed mercilessly opposite Keith at Cosmo's whim. There was a chasm between them, a crater on the moon's surface offering a circular battle ground for Keith's offer at hand-to-hand-combat. The Blue Paladin took less than a second to right himself, his inhuman resolve urging him to snatch out and grab Cosmo by the throat before he could escape. Keith reacted as his wolf yelped in pain, lunging forward with a cry. The wolf's teleportation powers were halted by Lance's own, and it was with no more effort than a gentle squeeze that he transferred enough of the quintessence into the poor struggling wolf to turn his eyes a sour yellow and his snarl bitter and full of hate. The wolf stopped struggling and dropped to Lance's side, now his obedient servant. 

Keith was undone. All he could do was watch as Cosmo, his silent companion, was turned into a beast. By now, the other paladins were emerging from their lions, bayards raised as they joined Keith's side.

Fear gave way to shock as they gazed upon Lance, Cosmo snarling at them by his side. He was hunched over, his bayard a sword clutched loosely in shaking fists. His shoulders heaved with each rattling breath his took, and his golden eyes seared through his helmet, penetrating them.

Lance's mouth upturned into a humourless smile, mirroring the Blue Lion's uncannily. "You thought to trick me," He growled, the sound somehow managing to be as loud as a scream to their ears. "You underestimated my power, paladins." 

"Lance, it's us!" Hunk cried out, hauling a horror-stricken Keith to his feet. "You're one of us!" 

Even if it weren't for coms, they would have been able to hear Lance's dual laughter from across the cavern as he threw back his head and howled at them, Cosmo following suit. He looked as Keith remembered from his vision. His expression malformed by evil, his posture sure and ready to strike. But the environment was wrong. The hues were too bright and the crater before them hadn't been there in his vision... he was sure...

Lance lifted his sword and pointed, and as he did, the Blue Lion blew out a breath of ice. Not to attack, to their surprise, but to build a wall between them. 

Allura gasped. "He's trying to get away!" She realised, "We must keep him here." 

They ran back to their lions, and Keith felt utterly vulnerable without Cosmo by his side. He grit his teeth, pushing the image of his demented companions from his mind. 

By now, the Blue Lion was already taking off as it prepared to head for Earth. It was only thanks to Hunk barreling into it once more that the Blue Lion got no further. They smashed into the moon's surface, scarring the land. 

This time, Hunk was prepared and he side-stepped the rain of ice flung his way. As he did, Allura swerved the Black Lion's tail into Blue, catching her off her feet. Pidge and Keith watched in horror as the Blue Lion stopped moving altogether. There was a moment of confusion from them and then a scream from Allura. 

"Allura!" Pidge yelled, "What's going on?" 

Allura was thrown from her pilots chair by a pair of arms too strong for their physique. Cosmo had teleported Lance into the Black Lion, and he was bearing down on her from above. 

"Lance, please!" She gasped, holding her bayard behind her back. She knew he thought she was defenseless, and she didn't want to have to use the axe. Lance grunted as he aimed the sharp point downward toward her chest. Allura rolled to the side, swishing the axe around as she did. Lance lunged back, hitting the pilot's chair. Allura kicked him in the stomach, winding him. 

He snarled in frustration as she ran toward the door, two voices coming out as one.

Allura's hair fell free from her dislodged helmet, cascading down her back like a silver waterfall as she ran. The movement caught the Blue Paladin's attention and he stopped. "You can be very wise, Lance, did you know that?" In his memory, the Blue Paladin saw her smile and felt himself grin in return. He felt the sink in his stomach that came with it. "Heh. I know." The people in his mind were friends. The woman running away from him was Lance's friend. The Blue Paladin felt an obtuse hollowness in his chest at the thought, and the quintessence inside him boiled and simpered with dislike. His leaders had told him about her. These memories were a tricky juxtaposition with the information he had. Enemy. Friend. Murderer. Princess. There was no pattern. Only contradictions. 

Allura escaped onto the surface of the moon. It was without verbal command that Cosmo teleported the Blue Paladin to where she stood, and he didn't hesitate to swing his sword and strike her hard on the shoulder. It was a smack, the blade side missing her, but she cried out and spun to get away. The moon's gravity was unforgiving but the Blue Paladin had the wolf. Allura was alone. 

Hunk, Pidge and Keith bolted from their lions to her aid. As she recovered, the Blue Paladin took his opportunity and lashed at Hunk, who raised his canon in defense. The sword made a sheer sound as it struck metal and Hunk's eyes were wide with surprise and fear as he and his best friend came face to face. 

"Lance," Hunk grunted against the brute force of his strength, "Lance... it's me..." 

Lance's eyes blinked over their golden, poisonous hue - once - twice - Cosmo teleported him to land by Pidge who was by no means ready for a fight. She leapt out of Lance's way with a yelp and acted without thought of her conscience. She allowed her bayard to spring free where it met its target against Lance's chest, electrifying him. It was Lance's genuine cry of agony that caused her to pull back with despair at hurting her friend. But she shouldn't have. Lance's body was used to pain, and his hate-filled mind seemed to be fuelled by it. His eyes darkened and quintessence pulsed from him in waves. 

The others banded together to protect Pidge as Lance made for her. Hunk jumped between them both, blasting his canon centimetres beyond Lance's shoulder on the lowest setting. 

"Don't come any closer, Lance!" He thundered, the quiver in his voice giving away the true lack of conviction he held when it came to hurting his friend, possessed or not. 

Lance did not stop. He had one hand curled around Cosmo's fur and one holding his sword. Hunk gave another firing shot but Lance batted it away with his bayard like it was a nothing more than an insect.

Keith was, for the second time in his life, frozen. Fighting his brother had worked, he knew. It had turned out for the best. But this was different. Sweet words and 'I love you's' may well fall on deaf ears when it came to this. Besides that, he was scared. There was a deadlock on his tongue, a stopper on his confession, and this - life and death - was doing nothing to loosen it. The Lance before his eyes was not the Lance he loved. He had to be in there somewhere. 

"We can't fight out here. We need to get back in our lions!" Allura said as they crowded around Pidge protectively. 

"But if we do that he'll just teleport inside!" Pidge provided. And she was right. They knew it. None of them had thought for a second Cosmo would get corrupted. That was a move they never could have seen coming. And it could cost their lives. 

Knowing what their only choice was, Keith stepped forward to meet Lance head on. The clash of swords that followed rung through the eerie expanse of the moon like a brutal statement. Now it had started, it wouldn't stop. Cosmo broke away from Lance, making for Allura, Hunk and Pidge, his muzzle curled back to reveal deadly fangs. Only hours ago the same wolf had been padding around their ankles, tired and tame and loyal. Now he was murderous. 

"To Earth," Keith got out as Lance pushed his sword hard against his, prompting sparks to fly from the friction of metal on metal, "Take us to Earth. That's what you wanted wasn't it?" 

Lance's wide, yellow eyes bore on him and he seethed through his teeth, 

"You want to fight me on the land that's rightfully mine? So be it. I hope you are ready to face death, paladin." 

Keith gasped, knowing exactly whose words they sounded like. The culprit had left his fingerprint all over Lance's torturous corruption, and he wanted them to know it. 

Distracted by his new master's change in decision, Cosmo backed away from the others and leapt to the Blue Paladin's side, teleporting he, Lance and Keith to Earth. 

 A/N: I'm enjoying this so much, and it won't be long until it's finished! You can signal boost the post for this fic on tumblr here! Likes and rbs are much appreciated too. Thanks so much everyone! Let me know what you think :)

Chapter Text

 Veronica spotted the signal on her dash, blinking like an alarm bell, and she couldn't take her eyes off it. Even as she blew up Galra ship after Galra ship, more than she'd ever destroyed in her life, she was distracted by the signal. Because it was the one she'd attached to Keith before they'd left. She was almost thrown out of her chair as she nearly collided with another ship. It exploded in her face seconds before she was certain she'd die. 

"Eyes on the target, V!" James yelled over coms, his voice on the edge. She started. He only ever called her V when it was just them. When it was late at night after a long day of training and he let his guard down for a few hours to offer one of his rare smiles. 

"Th-thanks." She stammered. "I was nearly dead meat." 

Swerve. Duck. Shoot. Swerve. 

"I got your back." James got out, panting. "We're winning... we've got this." 

It was true. They were nearly winning... for now. But how many fleets came after this? How long until Sendak himself found them? She didn't want to leave her team, but she thought of her brother: alone and terrified. Why was Keith back? Had he found Lance?

"Guys," She said, "Listen... I think they found my brother. I don't know for sure, I only have a sign"-

"Go!" Kinkade shouted, "We can beat these guys!" 

"Yeah!" Rizavi replied. Veronica saw her ship do a pirouette in the sky. She was an elegant flyer. "Don't worry, Veronica." 

Veronica hesitated.

"Find your brother," Said James. "We'll keep in close touch, okay?" 

They all knew they would lose contact as soon as Veronica got out of range, but the message was clear enough. 

"Thanks guys. Good luck and... don't die." And with that, she spun around and zoomed over the marshlands towards the signal's location. 

Keith's ears were ringing. All around him desert dust swirled in plumes forming a circular wall of sand and wind. He righted himself again, disorientated and winded. It was seconds before he heard the dreaded snarl of his possessed wolf. He'd tried pleading with the creature. He'd tried staring into its eyes as it barreled toward him with murderous, quintessence fueled purpose, but that only landed him here; on his back and one step closer to death. 

He groaned as the two-voiced laugh peeled around the battle ground accompanied with a hiss and a scrape of a sword along the ground. 

"Lance..." Keith grunted as he hauled himself to his feet, heaving with exertion, his Bayard lifted to fight the man he loved. Keith wasn't fighting to win - because winning meant death, and Keith would sooner die himself than let Lance fall to that fate, but there was nothing else he could do. Nothing... 

"You are pathetic." Said the quintessence-Lance, his yellow eyes glowing brighter than ever, "They said you would be stronger than this." 

Keith grit his teeth. "I'm not gonna kill you!"

This still wasn't right. In his vision, there had been ice... ice all around. But instead there was only dust swirling above and around them, blocking out the sun. That must been Blue would arrive soon. She was the only lion who could do that, after all. She'd done it on the moon. Keith closed his eyes as Lance made for him again. He just wanted this to be over. He wanted it to end. But not like this. 

He opened them again, resolved to fight his friend - his teammate - his... his... he didn't have a word for it. Only a feeling of overwhelming affection. They were interrupted, swords inches from each other, by the screeching whirr of an engine; a machine breaking through the whorls of dust. 

Lance hissed, distracted. He turned back to Keith, raising his sword, but Keith was ready. He ducked and tripped Lance over, knocking him flat on his front, before heading for the ship. He sensed rather than saw Cosmo teleport, and a second later, the wolf he'd grown to love was blocking his path, fangs bared in fury. 

"Keith!" A girl's voice sounded over the roar of winds, "It's me!" 

He shielded his eyes against the yellow haze, poised in defense as Cosmo padded a step closer. 

It was Veronica. 

Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the end. Maybe this was what she deserved. 

Allura crouched on the moon, ignoring the throbbing pain in her shoulder, ignoring the graze on the side of her head slowly trickling hot blood that mingled with her tears, ignoring everything except the voice in her mind. 

"I'm a failure." She whispered to the chorus of a thousand fighting screams in her mind, each one calling out for help. Because that's what her gift from Oriande did. In times of crisis it told her when people were at their most vulnerable, and when she let her guard down, she could hear them... every single voice that she'd failed...

Or maybe that was her imagination too. 

Hunk knelt beside Allura, placing both his strong hands on her shoulders.

"Allura, it's not your fault." 

He was saying over and over, his own determination cracking in light of what they'd just witnessed. Hunk's soothing words fell into white noise, meaning nothing. 

On shaky legs, Allura stood, her head bowed. 

"I've failed us all. I'm sorry." 

The Blue Lion was a disorientated ghost without her Paladin. She floated just where Lance had left her, just above the surface of the moon, her eyes pale, lacklustre orbs of what they had been before. Pidge was looking at her hands. She'd electrocuted Lance, and he'd got right back up again. Pidge was the first to fight, but she'd never hurt a friend like that. Despite knowing that wasn't the real Lance, guilt gnawed away at her like a parasite. 

"Haggar did this." She muttered. 

Allura was shuddering, and not because of the moon's lack of heat, but because a special kind of dread was unfurling in her stomach again. 

"No... this was him." 

Hunk's expression crumpled. "Allura... Lotor is - is dead. He has to be. There's no way he could have survived"-

"It's him!" Allura insisted, raw with emotion and fear. "He did this to Lance because he knew it would hurt." 

There was no other explanation. Lotor had known about Lance's feelings for Allura. Everyone had. And he'd also known how Allura had (or rather hadn't) felt about him. Turning Lance into this.... a monster... was the worst punishment for abandoning him. It was like he knew where to hit her hardest. Like he knew where her guilt lay. Lance was her friend, and maybe if she hadn't rejected him, he would've...

She let out a cry of frustrated anger and marched in the direction of the Black Lion. 

"We need to warn the others." She said, "Let's go. 

Pidge and Hunk exchanged a worried look. Something awful was going to happen. The feeling rang in the air like the toll of a bell. It would be a miracle if everyone made it out of this alive.

 Veronica was fierce, fiercer than most, and she'd proven that time and time again, but the sight of her brother like this made her blood still. It made her heart freeze in her chest and tears rise and spill. 

"No..." She got out.

"Veronica!" Keith called back to her, backing away from his wolf. Veronica was confused until she spotted Cosmo's glowing golden eyes, matching her brother's. They got him too.

She pulled out her gun and shot by the wolf's legs. He yelped and spun around to face her, muzzle curled back. Her hands were shaking. When the wolf remained still between the two, overwhelmed, Veronica let her gaze fall back on her brother who was making for Keith again. He was limping. 

She directed her gun at him and shot to his left. A warning shot. She could never do it for real...

"Stay back! We'll get you help, Lance!" 

He was unfazed. 

Whirling around, Keith managed to block another potentially lethal blow. They were fighting again. 

Cosmo teleported, pushing Veronica into the circle as he snapped his jaws inches from her throat. She evaded the wolf's lithe jump and shot by his head. The noise bothered him, she could tell, so she continued to shoot to keep him at bay. 

"What's the plan?" She barked over her shoulder at Keith, who was fighting her brother. 

Keith grunted, forced to his knees by the strength of Lance's push against his sword. "There is none!"

"Swap with me!" Veronica said, spinning on her heel and aiming another shot at her brother. This time, she hit his knee, and he fell forward with a horrific screech of agony that tore through her soul. His voice sounded... wrong. 

Keith took the opportunity to career out of Lance's way and faced Cosmo instead... his eyes were flickering and he whimpered. Just like he had when he'd been injured before. 

Keith gasped. "Cosmo?" 

Veronica made for her brother, gun half-raised in defense. "I'm sorry, Lance!" She said, "But I had t"-

She was cut off by another awful scream, and with it came a blast that forced her onto her knees, covering her ears from the sound. Pure quintessence pulsed from Lance's body, wracking him into no more than a ball of agony and fear. The dust around them caught fire, and a blue wall of searing flame plumed high above, trapping them. 

It was fire, not ice in his vision, Keith realized. A pure, white-hot inferno. 

The pulsing heat was dizzying and Keith pulled down his visor to protect his face. "Veronica!" He called out weakly, but his voice was drowned out over the roar of flame and she was already heading for her brother, gun lowered. 

Lance was standing, his searing eyes angled directly at Keith, already raising his sword in preemptive attack. 

Cosmo was writhing on the ground, his possession affected by Lance's sudden violent burst of quintessence, but Lance himself was an unstoppable force. 

Keith saw what was going to happen before he could stop it.

"Veronica, move out of the"-!

Lance's sister dove in the path between he and Keith, and Lance brought his sword down with brutal force, thrusting its point forward to meet its mark with unquestionable precision. 

 Shiro, Adam and every other member of the Garrison left to defend the Holt Union waited at the gates, listening to the rumble above. 

"They found us." Said Adam through gritted teeth, gripping Shiro's hand tightly. "You need to get to safety. You need"-

-"Adam, no." Shiro replied forcefully, gripping his fiance's hand tighter. "I'm not going anywhere." 

Adam winced. "Please... you can't fight. Not like this." 

Shiro's eyes flashed. He knew Adam had a point. He only had one arm now... but it didn't matter. He stayed put, his two feet digging into the hard packed earth of the make-shift shelter. 

Adam didn't make to argue again. 

"Firearms ready!" Iverson barked, the sweat beading on his aging face giving away his fear as the metallic clangs and booms got closer. They were coming down the lift shaft. 

Shiro forced himself to breathe long, slow controlled breaths, the same sense of foreboding and dread creeping up his spine as it had when he'd been forced to fight as a gladiator for the Galran's entertainment. He'd never forgive them from forcing Matt into the fighting. He and the now much older Holt brother locked eyes, both of them sharing the memory. Shiro nodded to him - an attempt to instill some confidence. Matt nodded back shakily, the canon in his hands loaded and ready to fire. 

The shattering clashes and shouts in the lift were getting louder and louder. Adam frowned. It was as though the fighting had already started. But as far as he was aware, everyone except the paladins and the MFE pilots were here. He looked around to see if any of the blades were missing, but they were all there too. Even Krolia, her sharp warrior-trained eyes focused in an eerily similar fashion to her son's. In that moment Adam saw - she would do anything for Keith. She would die for him. Glancing back at Shiro, Adam knew he would do the exact same for him. He squeezed his hand harder. Shiro had no weapon. He had nothing except his impenetrable resolve and the demons from his past to fuel him. Even if he ran and hid, it would be useless, Adam realised. He was no better off here than anywhere else. 

"You've got me." Adam muttered, just loud enough for Shiro to hear. "You've always got me. I'm not leaving you." 

Shiro caught his eye and smiled - a small, sad smile so full of love that Adam could have cried. If they were going to die today, they would die together. 

The lift was arriving. Iverson yelled, "get ready!" Shiro was holding Adam's hand so tightly he was sure the circulation had stopped. Matt stood in front of Colleen, canon raised. The Blades crouched, daggers held aloft. 

But what they saw behind the shuttered, grid gates as it rattled to a halt was something none of them expected. 

Galran troops lay unmoving at her feet and the black Bayard hung loose in her hand, an axe swung to its limit. Her pink armor shone through the shrouds of dust and her striking blue eyes glared at them all from under locks of mussed, silver hair. Her chest rose and fell with exertion, her face streaked with grazes and dirt. 

Helmet missing, Allura huffed her bangs out of her face and said,

"They're coming. Sendak is here." 

 "But then the sword came, and I… I knew. I wanted to kill him. I became a murderer...." 

Lance's words in the cave were the only sound Keith heard in his head as he watched Veronica fall to her knees, helpless, her strong body impaled by Lance's sword. The blue Bayard. A weapon for saviors. A weapon for heroes. A weapon for - 

Murderers.  

Veronica's eyes were white with shock, her mouth open in a silent 'o' of surprise as she toppled, her hands curled around the reddening wound in her stomach to stop the blood-flow as quintessence-Lance yanked his Bayard free and continued on to his real target. 

"No." Keith got out, unable to tear his eyes from Veronica's hunched over form as she lay on the ground, bleeding out. 

Cosmo howled behind him, a pained, anguished cry of fear and agony, and when Keith looked up from where he'd dropped to the ground in despair, he saw the moment from his vision - Lance, his eyes stolen by poison, his expression one of inconsolable rage, the blue walls of white-hot flame surrounding them both.

This was it. 

And Keith was ready.

He couldn't fight anymore. 

With a singular breath, Keith released his Bayard and flung his arms wide, closing his eyes as he let the heat and the noise and the pain pale into insignificance. 

The only sound left was the pounding of his heart in his chest. His slow, shaky breaths steadying to shallow pants as he remembered the first time he saw Lance again when they rescued Shiro together. Before Voltron. Before any of this. He remembered the moment he'd hoped against hope that Lance might love him back - "we are a good team" - and the moment he'd let his heart get shattered again and again when he turned right back to Allura. He remembered Lance being the only one to comfort him when they thought Shiro was dead. He remembered only yesterday, the moment they'd shared in the cave when he was sure that Lance might - just maybe - 

But it was too late for that. Too late... too late... 

So why was he still alive? 

Keith waited for the strike that would end his life, squeezing his eyes shut in ferocious apprehension. But none came, and when he cracked open his eyes, he found himself gazing up at Lance.

The Blue Paladin's expression was crushed, torn, his blade held in perpetual suspense inches from Keith's neck, and there were tears pouring down his hollowed cheeks. 

"What are you waiting for?!" Keith yelled, the whirring screams of the flames returning. "Kill me! Isn't this what you wanted?!" 

Quintessence-Lance's hands, both gripping the Altean broad sword, were shaking. A harsh two-voiced sob racked from him as he gazed down at Keith, his eyes no less bright. 

Keith's mouth was dry as he drew in hard, anguished breaths. 

"Do it, Lance!" He cried, "Please... if it frees you, just - get it over with!" 

At first, Keith thought that somehow the rain had made it past the fire, but it was his own tears that tracked rivulets in the dirt on his face in response to Lance's. 

Gritting his teeth, Lance raised his sword again with another awful sob. 

"You're supposed to fight!" He shouted pleadingly, "You're supposed to - ! They said you wouldn't... they said... no... this isn't right!" 

The horrific voice accompanying Lance's broke and he dropped his Bayard as his fingers trembled too much to hold it. It clanged on top of Keith's, abandoned in a cross. 

Lance brought his hands to his face, wrenching off his helmet and clawing at his hair. His eyes shone between the gaps in his hands and the tears continued to flow, heaving cries and sobs from him like a terrified child. 

Keith stood, amazed his legs didn't give way beneath him, and gently took a-hold of Lance's wrists. 

"Lance..." He whispered, closing his eyes and placing his forehead against the Blue Paladin's searingly hot one, "Lance, come back to me. Please. Come back."

He didn't care that it burnt. He didn't care if this killed him. He felt like it might; the wash of heat and poison flowing Lance almost overcame him, boiling his blood and ripping at his skin with a force fiercer than the sun. 

Slowly, Keith brought Lance's hands away from his face. Their noses were almost touching, and Lance's eyes were too bright to look at it - their inhuman glow too much for Keith. He closed his eyes.

"Lance. You're in there. I know you are. But if you can't... if you can't fight this, that's okay. You're not weak." 

Lance sobbed again, the second voice inside him sounding weaker. Or maybe that was just Keith's wishful thinking. 

"You're the strongest man I've ever met. Maybe even stronger than my brother. But it's okay. If you need to kill me to be free of this thing then do it. I want you to be free."

Lance's voice was small when he spoke. "No... I don't want..." He couldn't finish his sentence as another wave of poison raked through his body like a thousand knives. This close, Keith felt it. He felt every stroke. He gripped Lance's shoulders, shuddering as the pain he knew he only experienced a fraction of threatened to take his sanity. 

"It can be over." Keith got out, his voice hollow as he fought the heat, "If you want to, you can end this. I just want you to be free." 

Lance closed his eyes, shielding Keith from their brilliance. "Why?" He whispered, and this time Keith was sure it was just him. Just Lance. No monster. 

"Because I love you." 

When Keith kissed him, it was because he wanted to. Because nothing else mattered now. Because if he was going to die, he wanted Lance to know how he felt. Lance's mouth burnt, but Keith carried on, pressing his lips to the Blue Paladin's in a gentle caress. Beneath him, Lance froze. He ceased quivering, and he pushed back a small sound half between a sob and a gasp. Keith cupped Lance's face, wiping away his tears with his thumb as he kissed him again and again. He only pulled away when Lance's tears began to run bright, neon quintessence trickling from his eyes in steady, purifying drips. When he opened his eyes again, bright blue irises shone back at Keith, his pupils dilated in surprise. 

Keith waited, his heart pounding with adrenaline. 

All Lance managed was, "Keith, I..." before his eyes flickered shut and he collapsed, spent, in Keith's arms.

When Lance awoke, the first thing he was aware of was the dry texture like sandpaper in his mouth. Then there was warmth, all around him, surrounding him in a swathe of - blankets. He blinked, because the bright white lights above him hurt his eyes. There was a pressure on his hand. He blinked again, and suddenly the lights were replaced by - 

"Keith?" 

There was no mistaking that smile of relief and the way his indigo eyes shone as he gazed down at Lance from where he was standing. Over his bed. 

"You're okay!" Said Keith, and the pressure on Lance's hand was released. He frowned as he realised someone had been holding it. He blinked up at Keith again. 

"Where am I?" He asked croakily, his throat so dry it could barely muster words. 

"The hospital." Said another voice. He glanced downward at the doorway. Allura. 

He gaped at her. "Allura? What happened?" 

Allura and Keith glanced at each other. 

"Y-you don't remember?" Keith asked, his voice oddly bland. 

Lance shut his eyes as he tried to recall what had got him here. The last thing he remembered clearly was drifting through space, reaching for a purple moon before - 

"Haggar." Allura and Keith tensed. "And... Lotor." 

Allura marched forward with alarm. "So, he's alive?" 

Lance looked into her face and registered the panic and fear, mingled with... hope. 

He swallowed, and it felt like he was swallowing gravel. "Uh - yeah. You could say that." Lotor had looked barely alive. Lance remembered his eyes, glowing with pure and potent quintessence, the cries he'd let out as it tortured him from the inside. Why did he feel so familiar with that pain? He shuddered, and as he did every ligament in his body screamed out in protest. 

Keith gasped as Lance blanched, pearls of sweat forming as he bit back the pain. 

"Allura... he needs to rest." Said Keith in a low warning voice.

Protective. Lance thought, but he must have been hearing things. He started to remember other things, too. A voice - his younger self - talking to him as he drifted by Saturn in Blue. A glow of blue fire, warmth on his face as a pair of hands held him, and - 

He'd forgotten about the pain. He only tuned back into reality in time to hear Allura say:

"I'll be back soon. Rest up, Lance. We're going to take care of you." 

"Thanks." He replied, his voice feeling oddly detached as he stared up at the ceiling, his memory providing him with a replay of the sensation of someone kissing him. And then - 

He bolted upright in bed, his body almost breaking under the strain.

"Where's my sister? Where's Veronica? Did I - Keith - tell me she's ali"-

Keith gently pushed down on Lance's shoulder, forcing him to lie back. "She's alive." He said softly. "Veronica is fine." 

Lance deflated like a balloon as relief flooded through him. But he still couldn't stop himself from saying: 

"I stabbed her, didn't I?" 

Keith avoided his eye. "Yeah. Sort of." 

Lance closed his eyes as hot tears sprung up, the lump in his throat worsening the dryness. He didn't want to cry. Not now.

"How can I face her...? How can I"-?

Keith was at his side in an instant, his hand firm on Lance's shoulder. Lance sort of wished he'd take his hand again. 

"That wasn't you. She knows it wasn't you. Believe me, she doesn't blame you. No one does. Besides, you're in a much worse off state. She woke up in two days, you've been out for"- Keith broke off at the sight of Lance's face. 

"How long, Keith?" 

Keith gulped. "A- a week and a half. Just over." 

Lance was speechless. He'd been in a coma?! By now, his memory had kick-started enough from its fuzzy disorientated state for him to guess what had happened. Haggar and Lotor had tortured him with quintessence until he'd turned into their puppet. A monster driven by subliminal suggestion. Until he'd turned into someone who could stab his own sister. 

But Lance didn't have time to dwell on the fact. Nurses arrived to check up on him, and soon Iverson and the other commanders arrived too. 

"I underestimated your value, McClain," Iverson had said gruffly, "You're an exemplary soldier." 

Not exactly the most comforting compliment, but coming from Iverson it was like being knighted. Next, Hunk, Pidge, Romelle, Coran, Shiro and Adam burst into the room, all hugging him and telling him how glad they were he was alive. Shiro and Adam hung back, watching them fawn over him with fond smiles. 

Lance caught sight of Shiro's newest accessory. 

"Woah!" He exclaimed, "You have an arm!" 

Shiro flexed the simple prosthetic. "Granted," He said, "It's nothing like my old one. But it was the most the Garrison could build with what we have left over. And it's more than decent enough for me." He beamed, giving Lance a thumbs up with the plastic hand. Lance laughed. 

"I'm glad... now someone's gonna have to tell me what happened here, or I'm gonna get seriously confused." 

So they told him of the Galra's attack. They recounted the MFE's stupendous triumph in wiping out almost half of the Earth-based fleets in just one day - it was enough to prompt the rest to leave in fear. Sendak's core fleet found the Holt Union, but with the help of the blades and the Black, Green and Yellow lion, they were wiped out too. 

"We lost some people." Said Adam solemnly, "But they won't be coming back." 

"Shiro killed Sendak." Hunk blurted, unable to keep it in. 

Lance gaped at Shiro, amazed. "You did?" 

Shiro coloured as all eyes fell on him. "Not alone. It was a joint effort. Allura did the err" - he waved his prosthetic arm - "handy work. I just got him in her way. Anyway, enough about that. I think we've all talked enough about death and killing. Now it's time to move forward for peace."

No one could argue with that. Colleen and Matt arrived, and Lance learned of Sam Holt's death. They stayed with him a while, and then Pidge left with them. Cosmo bounded into the room, no longer possessed. Lance stroked the wolf's head, catching Keith's eye as he said over and over "I'm sorry, Cosmo! I promise I'm not an evil monster thing. Sorry, sorry, sorry!" The wolf rewarded him with a long lick on the face which prompted a delighted laugh from Keith. His own family arrived, smothering him in tearful kisses and hugs ("Ow - mom - ow - yeah, love you too - OW") and his nephews made great use of his bed, jumping all over it (and him) like a trampoline. A nurse angrily ushered them out and told them to return tomorrow in fewer numbers. And then it was just him and Keith again. Keith had sat back, silent, and watched it all. 

"You must be tired," Said Lance, not quite able to look the Red Paladin in the eye, "it's been hours." 

"I'm good." Said Keith, and Lance wondered how long he'd spent in this room with him over the past week. The thought made his face crawl with heat, and he turned toward the window in attempt to hide it. Outside the sky was an ombre of blue and violet as evening fell in, the clouds forming serene, feathery streaks across the horizon. 

He floundered for something to say - "Haggar and Lotor - they're planning something." He stammered. "I'm - we need to look out." 

"No kidding." Keith replied, not a hint of apprehension in his tone. Lance looked across at him. He leant against the wall opposite Lance's bed, his arms folded, gaze hooded by the growing shadows in the room. He felt a flush of heat prickle his skin again. 

"So..." He began.

"So, what?" Keith interrupted. "We know they're coming. All we can do is prepare. But it doesn't matter right now, because right now you need to rest."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Everyone keeps saying that, but I'm fine."

Keith's expression was pinched. 

"Stop fussing over me. You're worse than my mom." Lance half-joked. Keith was still staring at him with that strange expression. It was unnerving. "Keith, what is it?"

Keith looked to the side, apparently finding something fascinating to glare at on the ground. 

"Do you remember... do you remember anything else?" 

Lance was glad the nurse had unhooked his heart monitor, because otherwise Keith would be able to see it going a million miles a minute. 

"I remember a lot of things." 

Keith watched him from under his stupidly long lashes. "O-okay." 

Lance had to bite back his lip to stop from smiling. Keith was nervous. It was all in his stance - the way he folded his arms over his chest and stuck close to the wall. Lance had never been the best at reading people, but this was textbook. 

"Thanks for saving me." Said Lance. 

Keith kicked off from the wall, scuffing his feet on the shiny floor. "No problem." He said blankly. 

"I owe you one."

"No, you don't." 

"I do." 

"Lance, don't be stupid." Keith was making for the door.

"No, Keith." The urgency in Lance's tone made Keith turn, his dark eyes alight with panic. "Keith. Come here." 

Keith did, slowly, and Lance noticed the race of his pulse in his neck. He was overcome with an urge to run his fingers over it. He looked Keith dead in the eyes. 

"Can I repay you?" 

Keith frowned, an inner battle taking place in his head as he tried to figure out what Lance meant. 

"Uh - I mean - you don't have to"- 

Maybe it was the drugs. Maybe it was the fact they'd both nearly died. Maybe it was the fact he'd been possessed by a malevolent force of evil. Whatever the reason, Lance reached up, ignoring the creaking in his joints, and brought his fingers to Keith's face, brushing his scarred cheekbone. Keith's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't resist as Lance touched his face, only to let his hand fall and tug lightly on Keith's collar, urging him downward to meet his lips in a soft, gentle kiss. It lasted just as long as Lance remembered the first one had, only this time he had the strength to reciprocate. 

"Now we're even." He murmured as they broke free, faces flushed and hearts beating in tandem. Lance let go of Keith's collar, and the Red Paladin stood upright again, his lips parted and his cheeks blossoming pink. 

"So you did remember."

"Remember what?" Said Lance with feigned sweetness, causing Keith to break into relieved laughter, running a hand through his hair as some of the tension subsided. "Now do me a favor and please... get some rest."

Keith nodded, dazed, and turned on his heel. 

"Oh, and Keith?" 

The Red Paladin pivoted in the doorway, hanging on Lance's word. "Yeah?" 

"I...love you too."