This was a very hard story to start writing- but by gosh we're gonna done it.

THIS IS COLLAB STORY WITH MY GOOD BUDDY BAMBOO! They came up with this tragic idea and we brought it to life together so I hope you all like it!

"When I go, I want all the stuff in my brain stored in a giant ship."

He had said that years ago, a play remark that had meant nothing other than a possible idea regarding his future. It was never meant to be taken seriously.

Then an accident happened.

They were on a mission to extract prisoners from one of the Galra ships.

Lance was so badly injured, an explosion catching him by surprise, that his body couldn't support himself. It was clear to everyone that all the time in the world within the Cryo-pod wasn't going to save him from the damage. His life was coming to a messy and almost un-heroic end.

Lance didn't want that.

So he suggested something crazy. He asked Pidge for the impossible: what if they transferred his mind into the castle? Everyone had disagreed at first, and he couldn't blame them. They thought it was absurd! But they couldn't stand to lose their friend and who knows when they could find another blue paladin. So he was placed in a pod.

His memories were hazy of the time. The pain had been so consuming that everything was fuzzy and incoherent.

As they prepared him for what was about to happen, Pidge running over every scan and measure once, twice, thrice with Coran and Allura, they had approached him. Keith and Shiro.

Shiro didn't hesitate to grab what remained of his left hand. "Lance.." he looked away for a second, his voice too quiet to be his own, "Are you- are you sure you want to do this?"

He nodded numbly. He couldn't leave yet.

There are still too many things to do… too many things to say.

"This is crazy, Lance," Keith grunts out, "You don't have to do this. You don't know what this could mean. This could-" Keith uncharacteristically choked up and had to cover his eyes. "...God."

Without another word, Keith reached across the pod to place his hand over Shiro and Lance's… his other hand was gone anyway.

He smiled. At least, he hoped he smiled at them. It was hard to tell if he did or not.

At some point, Coran ushered them away. They lingered as long as they could, eyes searching for any sign that Lance didn't want this- but they couldn't find it. At the time Lance was desperate enough to try anything so long as it meant that he could see his friends laugh one more time.

If he could see Shiro and Keith smile at him again...

The next few hours were spent uploading his memories into the castle.

It was similar to King Alfor but with a few modifications from Pidge, Lance was able to roam on his own and explore. It was like, in a way, he was the castle now.

Being one with the castle definitely had it's perks. He could appear wherever he wanted, but he preferred to walk. It was like a means of trying to keep himself from feeling inhuman- which is what he was. He wasn't really human anymore. Could he even still be considered Lance, anymore?

The suggestion to upload himself to the castle had been rushed and desperate- no one knew what would come out of it in the end. No human had ever tried it before.

The team tried to act normal around him the best they could, and there were moments they could look past his glowing blue figure and forget he had ever… passed away.

When they reached for him though, to pat him on the back or give him a friendly high five, they were painfully reminded of the truth when their hands phased right through him. Lance had died. They had lost him- his body at least, because they couldn't protect him.

Lance insisted that he was fine, that this was okay.

"What's it like?" Hunk has asked him one day out of curiosity.

"I dunno- like nothing? Empty. I can't feel cold or warm- I'm just here." he forced a smile when Hunk frowned, "It's okay. It is weird but I'm starting to get use to it," it was a lie.

He was a ghost now. He didn't eat, drink, or even breathe. He was just existing, yet at the same time he was not existing. It was pretty confusing.

Of course he was still kind of Lance since he still had all of his memories but… but the real Lance could live. He could laugh with his friends, sleep the day away, and age. Whatever he was now couldn't do that.

If he was ever asked if he could go back and stop himself from uploading himself… he wouldn't know what he would do.

He was able to squeeze in a few extra years with his friends because of that choice, and those were memories he never wanted to let go of.

If there was one thing he could have back, it would be the sense of touch. He didn't need to smell or taste, just touch would be enough. He could feel the sun on his skin that way.

Or perhaps, when he reached out for the others, he could actually connect with them. He could have ruffled Pidge's hair. High fived Hunk and jokingly nudged him. Could have patted Coran on the back. Could have caught Allura when she pushed herself too hard and fell. Could have ran his fingers through Keith's mullet one last time. Could have leaned into Shiro and hugged him like he use to.

He could have done all of those things.

Above all else…

He could have saved them.

But now he was alone and they were gone.

He now knows for sure, his choice all those years ago, wasn't worth it. Not completely. Not anymore with them gone.

How long has it been since he's seen them? A hundred years? A thousand years? Time was just a blur at this point. He still had the boyish 19-year-old appearance; never once changing since the day he joined Voltron and left home.

What was Earth even like now?

God, his family. Once they were all he wanted to go and see, but it's too late. They were gone, he knew they were. He never even got the chance to go to them and tell them what happened. His mama passed away with the lingering thought of- I wish I had seen my baby one last time.

If there was one thing that could be celebrated from this was that Voltron had accomplished what it had set out to do. They had defeated Zarkon.

It was hard, but Lance had managed to find a way to fly Blue despite how he was. Perhaps it was their bond that made it so, but with everyone, they had done it.

They had killed Zarkon and ended his empire. The news had spread quickly, and while not everything had been fixed right away, it was a start.

After so many years, Lance wasn't sure how the Universe was handling themselves. He honestly didn't care too much about it. They no longer needed Voltron at least.

He now just talks with the lions as company through the years. Since he couldn't exactly move the castle on his own, they were stuck on the planet they had landed on. It was peaceful, similar to how Arus was the first time he had found it with the others.

Nothing happened here. He wondered if anything ever would.

For years he was forced to accept this way of life. At times he could shut himself off to make the time go a little quicker, but he always woke up.

It was hard. Despite his chest not beating, he felt like it was aching- breaking more and more with every new year. How could you die anymore when you are already dead?

It was agonizing.

Blue would hum to him sometimes to try and sooth him- it only worked so often. He would be stuck like this forever.

Then… one day, something changed.

Blue went quiet, like she was holding her breath and waiting for something. Something to happen or arrive.

Then it did.

The front doors to the Castle were opened, either by the Lion's hands or some other force, and the alarm sounded in the back of his head.

Someone had entered the castle.