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“There,” Blaytz said as he finished rationing out their reserves. “All divied up and ready to be loaded.”
“Are you sure you have enough for your journey?” Trigel asked, frowning as she looked dubiously at her crate of provisions compared to his. “By my calculations, if you are to survive, you need at least-”
“Hey,” Blaytz cut in. “It's fine. You don't want to upset Gyrgan, do you? Trust me, I know what I'm doing.”
Trigel didn't stop him, even though she knew what he was doing, and for that, Blaytz was thankful.
They had waited in this outpost for far longer then they should have for Alfor. All of them, the four of them, had agreed. They would meet at this outpost outside the Galra Empire after escaping Altea, and divide the food and water stores between the four of them before going to hide the Lion's. Blaytz had arrived first, followed by Trigel, and finally Grygan. Alfor didn't show, but they waited six days. Six days, doing their best not to eat to much of the food, but Grygan was big. He ate a lot. And soon, the stores were so low, when Blaytz checked, that he knew they didn't have enough for their trips, even splitting it between just the three of them.
Then he had made a decision. He split up the food into crates, putting barely a fifth of the reserves into his crate. Grygan ate more food then he did, he deserved more. And Trigel was going the farthest of them all. They needed the food more then he did. He could make it without it.
They loaded up their crates, getting into their Lions. With one final farewell, they all flew off in different directions, going as far from the empire as they could. Blaytz had about two months worth of food, if he ate sparingly, for a four month flight. He wouldn’t be able to go as far, but he would still probably get far enough. True, he wouldn’t be able to reach the blue planet that Trigel had set his destination as, but he would get as close as he could.
And he did, going as far as he could, only to end up in empty black space. No food, no water, and nowhere to land.
“This is it,” Blaytz said as he shakily ran a hand over Blue’s dash. “I'm sorry I… I couldn't get you to where you needed to go… Couldn't get you to the planet…” Slowly, he closed his eyes, the energy drained from his body due to starvation and dehydration. “This is goodbye…”
Blaytz dies, sitting in the pilot's seat, as Blue goes dark. With no Paladin to pilot her, she’s left to drift in the emptiness.
At least, she drifted for a little while. Because Blaytz woke up, after death, in the Astral Plane of the Lion.
Surprised, but hopeful, Blaytz roused Blue, told her where to go, kept her moving, until they reached planet Earth, where they buried his body in a cave, and sat and waited.
XxXXxX
Grygan reached the ore rich planet, using Yellow to burrow his way under the surface. He had enough food left over from the trip to last him a little while longer, but it wouldn’t be very long.
He said his goodbye’s to Yellow, did what he had to and sealed all the entrances to her cave. He moved to where he could live for a little longer, but eventually he passed. A week later, he woke in the astral plane, blinking in confusion.
“Grygan!” Blaytz called, a grin splitting his face. “You’re here!”
“I…” Grygan blinked. “But I died.”
“And so did I, ” Blaytz said. “It seems when a Paladin dies, they go to the Astral Plane. We can’t fly the Lions very far, but… We can help, when the new Paladin’s come.”
XxXXxX
Alfor used the Red Lion to defend Altea for four months, maybe more. He lasted quite some time, until Zarkon himself came. They faced each other, until finally, Zarkon struck him down. But it was okay. Allura had escaped with the Black Lion, almost all of the paladin gear, and Blaytz, Trigel, and Grygan had made it out. Zarkon may get Red, but he won’t be able to get inside or form Voltron. Zarkon had lost.
And so had Alfor…
“How long do you think it will be before he opens his eyes?”
Alfor blinked. He stared. Blaytz and Grygan stared back.
“What…”
His two friends grinned.
XxXXxX
Trigel lived another fifty years.
She landed on a planet with primitives, and taught them how to build things from wood. She taught them what to do if someone came for the Lion. What to do if they were Galra, what to do if they weren’t. She helped raise the orphans, on the rare occasion that the parents died. They promised to pass down her stories. And they were there when she died.
Alfor, Blaytz, and Grygan were there when she woke up.
For a minute, she simply blinked, confused, but joined them.
XxXXxX
It was nearly five hundred years before they noticed the strange noises that would sometimes rise from the depths of the Astral Plane. They believed it was coming from the Black Lion. But, honestly, they feared it was
XxXXxX
“Uh, guys?” Blaytz said as he stared down at the Galra woman and the human with her through Blue’s eyes. “A Galra just showed up at my Lion.”
The others perked up, gathering around him as he continued to see what they couldn’t. Hear what they couldn’t.
“I never thought I’d see another Lion in my lifetime,” the Galra woman said as she looked up at Blue’s face.
“You’ve been tellin’ me about this ship for months, but…” The human male paused, taking in a breath. “This is beyond words. Are you sure you don’t want me to contact the Garrison? They could help.”
“What are they saying?” Alfor asked, crowding closer, like he could hear what they were saying by just getting closer. Blaytz shushed him.
“We’ve discussed this,” the Galra said. “It could put your entire civilization in jeopardy.”
“Does this mean… Yer gonna contact yer people and continue yer mission?”
“My ship being destroyed,” she said, looking to the human. “Was the best thing to ever happen to me. I wouldn’t go back even if I could. I have a new mission now. I’m going to stay here, and protect the Blue Lion.”
Blaytz sniffled, his eyes watching as they took each other's hands. Their eyes were filled with such fondness for each other, such love, that Blaytz wish he could just reach out and hug them. It was… It was beautiful!
“What’s. Happening? ” Trigel demanded.
“The Galra,” Blaytz said. “She’s… She’s going to protect the Blue Lion. She’s not handing her over to Zarkon!”
“Good,” Trigel said. “Even after then thousand years, there are good Galra. Galra that don’t believe in Zarkon’s reign.”
“Still,” Alfor hummed. “You’ll have to be careful. She could turn, or more could follow her here.”
XxXXxX
Alfor was right. More Galra came. It felt like no time at all, but Blaytz saw the changes. Saw as the Galra woman, Krolia, came back time and time again. He watched as her belly grew with young, and watched as she and the man, Tex, eventually returned with there tiny offspring, Keith. It was good to see them, good to get the chance to see good in the world after so long of only this empty cave.
But they did come.
Blaytz saw Krolia fight them off, kill the ones that were attacking his shields. When he heard that Tex was hurt, he was tempted to ask Blue to lower the barrier, tell her to let Krolia fly, if only to save Tex and stop any other Galra left, but Alfor and Trigel stop him.
He didn’t see Krolia again after that. Tex returned, with little Keith. He learned that Krolia left, to tell the Galra there was nothing in this area, and he watched as for another two years Tex and Keith would return.
But, finally, they to left, and Blaytz was once again left to wonder on the passage of time, trapped with his friends in the Astral Plane.
XxXXxX
Blaytz wasn’t sure how long it was before Blue was found again. Was it a decade? A century? More? But he felt a presence in the tunnels around Blue. It was a familiar presence. But from where, without them getting closer, he couldn’t tell who it was. Had Krolia returned? Tex? Had it been long enough for Keith to return on his own?
He felt it more and more, getting stronger and closer. Blaytz tried to get Blue to call to them, whoever they were, but they didn’t seem to feel the calls very much, if at all.
Eventually, the presence returned, closer then ever, with more people. Blue seemed to rouse from her half slumber, and send out a pulse of energy.
“Whoa!” he gasped, a shiver running up his spine from the surge. “Whoa, okay, Blue is waking up!”
“What?” Grygan asked, lifting his head as Trigel and Alfor looked up from whatever game they had been playing. “She is?”
“Yeah,” Blaytz asked, the air around him feeling tense as he waited for these people’s arrival. “That presence I’ve been feeling for who knows how long is back. And they have others with them. One is waking Blue just by being nearby!”
“The next Blue Paladin,” Trigel whispered. “Fascinating…”
Across from Blue, a hole suddenly opened in the wall. A group of five fell through, landing with a splash. One looked up, eyes locking on Blue, and Blaytz knew. This boy, this human boy, was who Blue was calling to. Blaytz couldn’t help but stare. Was he worth of Blue and her chilling beauty? Was he ready? The boy, to take up the mantel, and Blaytz to let him?
“Is this it?” the smallest of them asked as they began their approach. “Is this the Voltron?”
“It… must be,” the eldest said.
“This must be what’s been causing all this crazy energy out here.” Hey, wait! That was Keith! The last time Blaytz had seen him, he’d been, what? Two? “Looks like there’s a forcefield around it.”
“Uh,” the chosen started, moving back and forth. “Does anyone else get the feeling that it’s staring at them? Yeah, the eyes are totally following me.”
The others seemed to ignore him, and Keith gently placed his hands over the barrier. “Wonder how we get through this…”
“Maybe you guys just have to knock,” The Chosen said, reaching his hand up and tapping at Blue’s shield.
“Guys!” Blaytz called. “Give me some energy! I want to give them a vision!”
The other three huddled around him, placing their hands on his back as he pushed his energy out as Blue lowered the shield. He showed them all Voltron and the other Lions, sending waves to feeling to communicate words. This was Voltron. And it was time to fight. Time to stop the Galra Empire.
“Uh,” The Chosen said. “Did everyone just see that?”
“Voltron is a robot!” the big one says loudly. “Voltron is a huge, huge , awesome robot!”
“And this thing is only one part of it,” the small one continues. “I wonder where the rest of them are…”
Blaytz, giddy with excitement, had was practically slapping the dash with his ghostly hands as he projected his spirit into the cockpit. Using a little bit of energy, he pressed a button, Blue purring to him as she lowered her head to the Chosen. The Chosen, ( Lance , she purred), grinned as he came running inside.
“Yesss!” Blaytz hissed, grinning as Lance sat in the pilot's seat. He relaxed into it, crossing one leg, but Blaytz wasn’t going to wait another second. He pushed the seat up, Blue’s controls lighting up for him. “Hell yes!”
Lance seemed delighted, but the big guy wasn’t as excited.
“Hey, guys, I feel like I should point out, just so we’re all aware. We are in some kind of futuristic alien cat head right now.”
Blaytz groaned, placing his hands on Lance’s shoulders. He merged his voice with Blue’s, telling Lance what to do.
“Whoa,” Lance gasped. “Did you guys just hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“I think it’s talking to me!”
Lance bent forward, Blaytz still trying to guide him to the right buttons and controls. He beamed with excitement, watching as Blue roared, before Lance punched the controls and sent Blue busting out of the caves. Everyone screamed, Blaytz and Blue’s excitement joining into one as they were soon racing across the ground.
“The Castle,” Blaytz said. “Blue, we need to get them to the Castle!”
“Isn’t this awesome?” Lance called, a grin on his face that matched Blaytz own.
“Make it stop,” the big guy begged. “Make it stop!”
“I’m not making it do anything. It’s like it’s on autopilot!”
“Where are we going?!” Keith demanded as Blue rose to the air once more.
“I just said, it’s on autopilot.” Blaytz looked at their scanners, and projected a warning to Lance. “It says there’s an alien ship approaching Earth. I think we’re supposed to stop it.”
“What did it say, exactly,” the small one demanded.
“Well,” Lance said, “it’s not like it’s saying words. It’s more like it’s feeding ideas into my brain, kind of.”
“My bad,” Blaytz hummed. Alfor, Grygan, and Trigel all looked at him, confused. “Not very good at this… ‘talking from beyond the grave’ thing, okay?”
“Just calm down,” Trigel said. “Be calm, and be clear. The stronger his bond grows with Blue, the stronger his bond with you will be. Okay?”
“Okay,” Blaytz said, taking a deep breath as he returned to the Lion. “Okay, I got this.”
When he turned back in, they were in the middle of a battle. A Galra cruiser, more advanced then they had been when he was alive, was firing at them. Quickly, Blaytz did his best to guide Lance. He showed him how to fire the mouth lasers, and the kid even dove in and did some good damage without the claws. The kid was a natural.
As they were fleeing, leading the Lion away, Blaytz noticed the Galra cruiser gaining on them. They were faster, to. How long had they been gone? How long had Zarkon been in charge?
“They need a way to escape,” Blaytz told the others. “A fast way. Any ideas?”
Grygan shrugged, not a clue, as Alfor thought.
“What about a wormhole?” he asked.
“Blue isn’t equipped with that kind of tech,” Blaytz reminded. “Only… Only Black could teleport.”
“But the Lions are connected with Allura and the Castle,” Trigel said. “If we combine our energies, like we did with the vision, and project it through the Lions and to the castle, we could possibly get a wormhole open. But… we’ll likely be left drained. I don’t know if we’ll be able to do it more then once.”
They all shared looks, nodding as they came to agree. Together, they closed their eyes, clasping their hands together as they concentrated. Blaytz swore that he could feel more then just the three in front of him as their energies mixxed. But he couldn’t place it. Then, like an explosion, Blaytz was on his back, drained, and fell into what felt like sleep for the first time in what felt like millenia.
XxXXxX
When Blaytz came to, he was alone in the cockpit. He could see the Castle in front of Blue. He could sense Lance inside, and if he concentrated, he could get vague images of what Lance saw. Hear bits of what Lance heard.
It had been ten-thousand years. Allura was alive, as was Coran. A Galra battle cruiser… Lance was going to take the big one, Hunk, to find Yellow. The older one, Shiro, would take the small Pidge to find Green. Blaytz chuckled as he looked to Grygan and Trigel.
“You’ll be getting a friend soon, ” Blaytz told him. “You two ready?”
“I guess,” Grygan said. “I can feel them. Faint. High above. The Galra, too. Yellow, she’s calling to him.”
“I can feel mine as well,” Trigel said. “They are approaching with one of the primitives from when I was there. The Chosen- Katie… Pidge? She is entering now!”
“Mine is entering as well,” Grygan said. “He is… not good in motion.”
They all turned to Alfor. He lifted his head, looking at them with wide eyes. “I can sense my daughter… Red is on a ship that is approaching the Castle.”
XxXXxX
Alfor was waiting for whoever Allura had sent to become the Red Paladin. Red purred to him, inquisitive. She wasn’t ready to just let a new person pilot him, or just let him find her. Alfor could sense him, frowning as they grew closer. That was… That must be the half-Galra that Blaytz saw as an infant!
When he reached Red’s barrier, Alfor scowled. This Galran child was to take his place? After all the Galra had done, poking at prodding at her, Red was just going to let this boy pilot her? No. No, Alfor would not allow it!
He ignored the child's pleas to be let in. The absurd claims that he was Red’s ‘buddy’. Then, he watched as Keith- the child so fiercely protected Red when the guards showed up. Red purred, pleased. And then he risked everything, even being shot into space. Alfor chewed his lip. They didn’t need a Galra. Red didn’t need a Galra…
“Dang it,” Alfor groaned. “Red, go get him!”
“Good Kitty,” Keith said, once Red had caught him. “Let’s roll.”
Oh Quiznak, did he really have to deal with this guy?
XxXXxX
Alfor, Blaytz, Trigel, and Grygan could only watch as the new Paladins were being pulled in. They couldn’t show them how to form Voltron. That was something they had to do on their own. Had to figure out together.
They eventually got it, and set the Galra cruiser ablaze. They were proud of their paladins, proud of them for doing what they took years to learn. They had earned their titles as Paladins. They truly were the Defenders of the Universe.
XxXXxX
“Is anyone else finding this hard to watch?” Blaytz asked.
“My Paladin had trouble even getting to Yellow,” Grygan said. “He can’t remember that he’s the leg.”
“They’re trying to stack themselves,” Alfor groaned. “They’re literally trying to stack Voltron.”
“They’ll get it,” Trigel said, though she didn’t sound to convinced. “Just… give them time.”
“Uh,” Blaytz said, drawing everyone’s attention. “Did anyone hear what Allura said?”
Alfor paused. “Did… Did she say she was setting the Castle on them?”
“I think…” Trigel swallowed. “I think she did!”
“Allura got scarry,” Grygan said.
XxXXxX
“I knew that having this kid as Red’s Paladin was a bad idea!” Alfor groaned as red was stuck, head first into the sand. “This is not okay. I am not okay with this!”
“I think I’m gonna hurl,” Blaytz groaned as Blue went rolling.
“To be fair,” Trigel put in, “it’s Coran’s fault for trying to make them do this particular exercise. We didn't even master it until we’d known each other for nearly a decade, and had been working with our Lions for almost half that.”
“Still,” Grygan. “Can’t we… help them?”
“They have to do this alone.” Trigel sighed. “But i'm not sure if they can… Allura and Coran are really putting them under fire.”
“Literally, at one point,” Grygan grumbled.
XxXXxX
They did their best to guide the young Paladin’s during their battle with the strange robotic beast. There was only so much they could do while they had formed Voltron. It made them… tired. Like they needed to sleep.
But, eventually, Alfor managed to get through to Keith. Red opened her Bayard port, and Alfor reached out, telling Keith what he needed to do. They won the day, and Alfor hummed in approval as the young half-Galra thanked Red for her help.
XxXXxX
Blaytz was freaking out. “Guys,” he called, panicked as he saw the flickering form in front of him. “Are you seeing this?!”
“It can’t be,” Trigel gasped. “This- This didn’t happen with us, did it?”
Alfor frowned. “No. We- You just appeared. You appeared, and it took a while, days if I recall, for you to wake. This is… This is strange…”
“Is he dying?” Grygan asked.
“If he is, there’s still a chance he can survive. I mean…” Blaytz looked up at the others as he knelt beside the boy. “That’s why he’s flickering, right? He’s… He’s still got a chance, right?”
They all turned to Trigel, generally the smartest of them, with the exception of Alfor with Quintessence.
“I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “This is… different. He may have a chance, but… we can only hope.”
Blaytz winced, looking down at the young boys flickering form. He was barely eighteen… Barely a man, and yet… His life was in the balance, teetering on the edge in a way that made Blaytz want to cry. Gently, he reached out, and smoothed out the boys hair.
“Hang in there, Lance,” Blaytz breathed. “Just… Hang in there…”
XxXXxX
All of them were revealed when the boy’s body disappeared from the Astral Plane. He was safe, alive, and going to live to fight another day. But they all take the time to lament the situation.
One day, one of the paladins, if not more, are going to die. And when they do, they will have to come to terms with that. They will have to explain what happened, console them as they must come to terms with their own deaths. Their own failings. And then, they will have to watch as their friends grieve and eventually move on. And they will have to come to terms with their friends picking a new Paladin to fill the empty place.
XxXXxX
They tried to distance themselves after that. They kept in touch with the Lions, they always would, but they didn’t want to see the death of ones they grew so fond of…
It didn’t work. Especially with Alfor. He had grown so fond of the boy. So, so fond… He guided Red to Keith every time Keith needed them. Alfor just… He couldn’t just leave Keith out there to die! Isn’t that what they were trying to avoid? Seeing such young Paladins die?
“He’ll become reliant,” Trigel warned.
“I…” Alfor closed his eyes. “I don’t care .”
XxXXxX
When Shiro woke, his mind was a buzz of noise and memories. He had… Hadn’t he been fighting Zarkon? They were making a stand… And something happened… He’d gotten the Black Bayard, hadn’t he?
But when he woke, he was on his back, not up right in a healing pod. And while there were people leaning over him, almost none of them he recognized. But he did recognize Alfor. The dead king of Altea. Allura’s father.
“What…” Shiro slowly sat up, confused. “What’s going on?”
“You died,” One of the other aliens, a blue one, said. “While fighting… Zarkon…”
They all looked over Shiro’s shoulders, passed him and at something else. Shiro turned to follow their gaze, finding Zarkon himself laying behind him. Quickly, he jumped up, stumbling back, only for the Galra Emperor's for to flicker.
“What-” He took deep breaths, hard and uneven as he tried to remain calm, but was failing rather miserably. “What’s happening to him? I’m dead? Where are we? Is this… the Astral Plane? Who… are you?”
“He’s dying but not dead,” the Blue one said in an almost carefree way that almost reminded him of Lance. “Yes, Astral Plane, yes. And I’m Blaytz, that’s Grygan, she’s Trigel, and you probably know know who Alfor is.”
“I…” Shiro blinked. “You’re all the original Paladin’s… What are you doing here?”
They all share a look. “That’s… a long story.”
XxXXxX
Shiro quickly settled into his new life- afterlife? -in the Astral Plane. He watched the team as they stood outside the Black Lion, and watched as they mourned him.
With a sigh, Shiro would sit, staring at the ever flickering form of Zarkon. Would the evil Emperor die? Or would he live to fight another day? For now, all they could do is wait.
XxXXxX
“Keith has to be the next Black Paladin,” Shiro said, scowling at Alfor. “He’s their best shot as a leader. He knows what he needs to do and how to do. He just needs to take the step into the roll!”
“But Keith is the Red Paladin,” Alfor argued. “You’re forcing him into something that he isn’t ready for! If you make him pilot the Black Lion, he won’t know what he’s doing. You’ll just be putting him in danger. He’s not ready.”
“It’s to late,” Shiro huffed, turning to look and see what they could not. “They’ve all gathered around the Black Lion. They’ll each try to take up the mantel I left. Unless you want Allura or Coran to take up the leadership position?”
Alfor scowled, clearly not buying it. “Fine. Fine, you can have Keith. But only if I get Lance.”
“What?!” Blaytz cries, jumping into the conversation. “No, no! Alfor can’t have Lance. Lance is mine! He’s the Blue Paladin.”
“Blaytz,” Shiro sighed. “Alfor has a point. Keith will need a right hand, and I can’t think of a better right hand then Lance. Blue and yourself are more open with new Paladin’s, and you’re good at helping them train.”
For a moment, Blaytz frowns. “Okay. Fine. Alfor gets Lance. If I get Allura.”
“What?!” Alfor cried. “You want my daughter to-”
Shiro groaned, rubbing his temples as he tried to tune them out, watching as Allura came in. She sat, carefully, in the pilot's chair, he hands taking the controls. She looked around, taking a deep breath, but soon seemed to lose her drive, and simply sighed.
Pidge came in next. She dropped, rather unceremoniously, into the chair, only to have to stretch as she tried to look around. Shiro wanted to laugh, but he really couldn’t. Because why was Pidge here, trying to sit on her helmet and unable to reach the pedals, when Keith knew he needed to fly the Lion?
Hunk was the next. He sat down for barely a second before leaving. Shiro could see Hunk talking to Coran outside, and the big guy was soon back, goofing around until Coran told him to go.
“This is it,” Lance said when he sat down. “This is your moment.”
Shiro felt Black purr as Lance closed his eyes. He could feel how pleased the Lion was with Lance’s determination and drive. She liked him, thought he could make a good Black Paladin. But Shiro knew Lance. He was still so young, still just a kid. He was a goofball and he wasn’t finished growing. But someday, maybe not today, but someday, Lance may just get the chance to step up and be the leader the team needs.
Half an hour later, Lance finally leaves, Black and Shiro waiting for Keith to finally come.
“I know you wanted this for me, Shiro,” Keith said when he finally sat in the chair, carefully taking the controls in hand. “But I’m not you. I can’t lead them like you.”
“Keith,” Shiro said, voice gentle as Black powered up. “That’s the point… Lead them like I couldn’t. Be the leader they need, right now.”
“Please, no,” Keith groaned, almost desperate. But Shiro didn’t listen. Black stood, roared, and let Keith out. Shiro smiled, and watched as Lance was the one to comfort Keith, encourage him, and he knew that Lance would be the best right hand of Voltron Keith could ask for.
XxXXxX
Alfor couldn’t dare to look at Allura when she sat in the chair of the Red Lion. He closed his eyes, turned his back to her as he tried to hold back tears.
“I want to carry on my father’s fight,” she said softly. “But I need your help. Allow me to follow in his footsteps as your Paladin.”
“I’m sorry, Daughter,” Alfor said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “But I can not allow you to pilot the Red Lion…”
“Please,” she said, determined and almost desterate. “Allow me to do this. Others are risking their lives in this fight, and I can’t continue to-”
As the tears streamed down her face, Alfor wished that he was there, if only for a moment, to wrap his arms around his sweet daughter and tell her everything she needed to know. But he couldn’t, as she soon left.
XxXXxX
Blaytz hated to shut Lance out. He hated to see the look on the kids face. He didn’t want the kid to feel like he wasn’t good enough, but he and Alfor had agreed. Lance needed to he Keith’s second in command. It was for the good of the universe.
“Guys,” Shiro called. “ They’re having trouble. Where are Lance and Allura?”
“Lance still hasn’t come to the Red Lion,” Alfor sighed. “There isn’t anything I can do.”
“Can’t you make Red call to him?” Blaytz snapped. “The kid needs to know that he isn’t worth nothing! He’s desperate to prove himself, and I can’t bare to keep him out for much longer.”
“I know,” Alfor said, before the entire Astral Plane seemed to rumble with Red’s roar. “We’re calling him now.”
Blaytz let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and watched as Lance ran off to find the Red Lion. He smiled, watching the boy he’d grown so fond of move on to bigger, better things. And with that, Blaytz gave Blue the okay to lower the shield for Allura.
XxXXxX
“Who the hell is that?!” Shiro demanded as the strange version of himself stood before the Black Lion with Keith. “I’m dead! Why am I here, but also there?!”
“This is quite troubling,” Trigel said, frowning as she shook her head. “There shouldn’t- But there is…”
“Clone?” Grygan tossed out.
“Nah,” Blaytz said, waving the idea off with his hand. “That’s not possible. I mean, it would take, like, thousands of years of research and Altean Alchemy to do something like that.”
Everyone paused.
“Haggar,” Shiro said, as Alfor snarled, “Honerva…”
The two looked at each other.
“This,” Trigel said with a shake of her head, “is going to end very badly.”
“Uh,” Grygan called. “Where did Zarkon go?”
Everyone turned and looked where Zarkon’s flickering form had been for the last few months.
“And that,” Shiro sighed, “is going to end even worse…”
XxXXxX
Keith left. Shiro was pissed. He let the clone fly Black.
XxXXxX
When Lotor killed Zarkon, no one was surprised when he showed up on the Astral Plane. They just weren’t prepared for what would happen when the Emperor woke.
“Alfor?” Zarkon beathed, confused. “Where… Where am I? Where is Honerva?”
They all glanced around, tense and unwilling to make the first move. Was it a trick? Could he be faking his post death confusion? Hesitant, Shiro make the first move.
“You’re in the Astral Plane,” he said, carefully offering Zarkon a hand up. “Honerva, she’s your wife?”
“Yes,” Zarkon said, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Who are you? And… your ears… What’s wrong with them?”
Shiro’s heart panged, hearing the same words Allura used to when she met Lance. “Nothing. I’m a human, from Earth. My name is Shiro, and I was the Black Paladin.”
Zarkon shook his head. “But… No, I was the Black Paladin. I was… I was in the Quintessence Field. Honerva… She was sick, and I tried…” His head whipped to Alfor, eyes wide. “Alfor, what happened?”
For a moment, the Paladin’s of old simply glanced at each other. Then, Alfor spoke up.
“Zarkon, you… You died in the Quintessence Field. But something happened, and you came back, corrupted. You ordered the Galra Empire to attack and destroy Altea, and capture the Voltron Lions.”
“No,” Zarkon breathed. “No, I- But I- It wasn’t me! How long? How long was I like that?”
“Ten-thousand years,” Trigel said. “Eventually, your son killed you.”
“I… I have a son?”
There was so much to explain… Thankfully, they had all the time in the world.
XxXXxX
Alfor watched as Lance did his training. He wasn’t a marksmen himself, preferring the blade over the rifle, but he could see that Lance was good at what he did. And he saw how his composure slipped when he was stressed. The clone was putting to much strain on him…
Reaching out, Alfor pushed his energy into the Bayard, telling Lance what to do with it. A broad sword. Use it, take them down. Learn and adapt.
He smiled when he was the look of awe on the young boys face, and returned his focus to those in the Astral Plane.
“We need to remove that clone from the Black Lion,” Zarkon was saying, frowning when he noticed Alfor’s return. “If it really is being controlled by… Haggar, then there’s no telling what it will do when she tries to make her move. It needs to be stopped.”
“I agree,” Alfor said with a nod. “He’s pushing Lance down, and the boy has enough to worry about as is.”
“He’s been putting down all of the Paladins,” Trigel corrected. “It’s becoming a problem. They still don’t realize.”
“Maybe we could get a message to them?” Grygan said. “Give them a warning?”
“We’d risk letting the clone know that we- or rather, the Paladin’s, know about him,” Trigel countered. “To big of a risk.”
“Could we send a message to just one of them?” Shiro asked instead.
“It would be possible,” Zarkon hummed. “But who?”
“Lance,” Blaytz cuts in, getting the other’s attention. “He’s a good Paladin. Strong, both physically, and mentally.”
“Why not Allura?” Trigel counters. “She has a stronger bond with all the Lions. She could easily hear us and act on our words.”
“No,” Alfor said, shaking his head. “As much as I trust my daughter, she is to stubborn, to focused to see any words we give as more then words from ghosts. After the incident with my hologram, many months ago, she would see it as a trick. Lance is our best bet.”
“Well whoever we choose, it has to be quick,” Trigel says. “They’re melding with their Lions on a deeper level. It will be the best chance to do this.”
Everyone nods, gathering around Shiro to led him their energy. He focuses, reaching out as he empowers the Voltron, Black purring in his mind.
“Lance,” he calls out as the others disappear. “Lance, listen to me!”
“What?” Lance calls back, and before they can talk, Shiro is thrown back as Lance is pulled away.
“Did it work?” Grygan asked.
“No,” Shiro sighed. “No, I wasn’t fast enough.”
XxXXxX
Alfor tells them, later, that Lance is suspicious, at least, of the clone. It’s a start, but it won't be enough.
XxXXxX
When Keith returns, Shiro knows that this is the moment. This is when the clone would finally be taken out. He had waited, and waited, and now he could only hope that Keith would see that the clone isn’t him.
And when the other’s offered to help him speak with Keith. So, when the fighting was done, and Shiro saw an opening, they went for it.
“Keith,” Shiro said, calm as he could manage. “Keith.”
“Where are you, Shiro?” Keith soon called back. “Show yourself!”
“I know this must be confusing for you.”
“What is this place? Where are we? You- You were trying to kill me. The others. You said you…”
Finally, Shiro was able to push his form into level that Keith could see. His protege, his friend… His brother, gasped, taking a step back, and growing tense.
“I’m not here to harm you,” Shiro said, voice gentle, kind. “Everyone is fine. Just let me explain. That thing that attacked you wasn’t me. Since my fight with Zarkon, I’ve been here.”
Hesitantly, Keith spoke. “When you disappeared?”
“Yes,” he said. “My physical form was gone. I existed on another realm. I died, Keith. But the Black Lion retained my essence.”
“Is… is that where we are now? In the Black Lion’s consciousness?”
Shiro wanted to tell him that that wasn’t exactly right, that he was in the Astral Plane, with the old Paladins, but that wasn’t the time.
“I tries to warn the others about the imposter while on Olkarion, but our connection wasn’t strong enough and-”
Shiro jerked, losing the connection with Keith. He was thrown back, the others thrown with him. There was a pause, as they all looked to one another. There was a battle coming. And they needed to do their best to support the current Paladin’s as they could.
XxXXxX
When Keith called to him, their bond with each other and the Black Lion was strong enough to let Shiro speak to him directly. Unseen to Keith, Zarkon stood behind him, nodding in approval.
“The Black Lion could not have chosen a better Paladin,” the Galra said.
“Who?” Shiro asked, when it was just the two of them.
“Both of you.”
XxXXxX
After the battle was over, the deceased Paladin’s watched through their Lions eyes as Allura pulled Shiro from the Black Lion. They had become quite fond of the human, truly accepting him as one of them, even as he was brought back to life.
“Will he remember his time with us?” Grygan asked.
“We won't know for sure until he says something,” Trigel replied, humming as she watched her new friend reunite with the young Paladins. “But, I suppose, we’ll see him again, some day.”
“Yes,” Zarkon said, a small smile tugging at his lips. But it was gone in seconds. “I have made quite the mess of the universe… My generals, my wife… They are still out there.”
“And we’re still here,” Blaytz adds. “The Paladins have us to help ‘em whenever they need it.”
“Yes,” Alfor chuckled. “Yes, they do…”