The blue sky started to take on a purple and pink hue as Lance made his way over to the pavilion of the Castle, overlooking the village of Arus. Lance watched as the Arusians started to blow out their laterns, and to herd themselves into their little homes as Keith's sun started to dip in the west horizon. He felt a bittersweet knife stab through his heart as Lance noticed that not one Arusuian was outside to roam in the open fields to watch as the stars twinkle and to enjoy the softer shade of the moonlight. His moonlight, from his moon.
Lance adjusted his blue and silver toga, removed his quiver and bow from his back and set them aside as he arrived to the large, open pavilion. His blue eyes scanned each of the five different colored pillars that decorated the area. Gold and red sparkled at the corner of Lance's eyes, and Lance turned to see Keith slowly dropping his outstretched arms by the red pillar, to the right of the black pillar that stood as the "head" of the pillars and marking where the pavillion ended and the large cliff began.
Pidge was sitting on the black tiled floor by her green pillar, decorated in her toga of emerald green with brown accents. Beside Pidge adorned in a yellow and tan toga was Hunk, examining a metallic contraption in his hands. The pair looked up upon Lance's entrance and provided smiles in greeting. Shiro was standing off to the right of the pavillion, right at the edge in a deep discussion with Allura and Coran. Lance almost didn't notice Shiro because the man's black toga. It seems that Shiro neglected to wear his red and turquoise cape today, Lance mused as he made his way to the center of the pavillion.
"Looks like everyone in Arus is locking themselves in their homes," Lance sighed.
Keith paused and looked over his shoulder at Lance. "Well, they do sleep at night, Lance. Arusians aren't nocturnal," He said.
A cold breeze filled the pavillion as Lance moved to stand beside Keith. "Well, some could at least stay up to watch my moon rise, or maybe enjoy some peace and quiet my night provides."
"Lance," Allura called out. She took a few steps toward the male, her cosmic gown making a light swish sound as the long fabric of the skirt moved on the tile, "We all understand how unappreciated you feel...but your moon and your night is just as beloved as your sea and winter."
"They hate the cold of my winter," Lance pointed out with a sneer, "They complain about it to my face without any qualms about it."
"And they hate how dirty my earthy soil is," Hunk provided.
"It's not the same."
"Lance," Shiro said in a firm tone, commanding the attention of everyone, "You are a part of Voltron. The Gods of our elements have chosen us to carry their legacy and duties, and they are all beloved by the people of this world. They complain about the inconvience the winds of my sky gives them, Keith has to deal with them complaining about how hot his fires are and how bright his sun is, and the Arusians don't like Pidge's forest at times either. We've all heard of their complaints, but they all love what we do."
"Exactly!" Coran cheered. "We protect Arus, and all of the other villages from the corruption that the Galra use as a weapon! Lance, you are essential to their protection! We all are!"
"But they have favorites!" Lance snapped. "And I'm not theirs! They wait for Keith to raise his sun every goddamned day, and while-yeah-some Arusians are night owls but they fear the night because of all those stupid ghost tales they heard as kids, so what do they do? Hole themselves in their homes until the sunrise!"
The group stared at Lance, their eyebrows low as their lips pulled into small frowns.
Lance turned to Keith. "Why do they like you so much?" He demanded. "Why won't they just...see the things I love so much? Is it wrong for me to want that? To just...like me too?"
"You can't make them like you, Lance," Keith responded. "It's not wrong at all to want them to like you...but what can you do?"
"Of course you don't get it! You're Keith, the Golden Boy. Literally. Your fires and heat provide life, while I'm just the second thought like 'oh yeah Lance gives us water and the night. That's nice, I guess.'"
Keith finished his sunset ritual, having the sun disappear in a wink, as he turned to face Lance. "Why is that such a bad thing Lance? Huh?"
Lance's lips twitched as he smirked. "Because you're powerless without your sun, Keith. That's all you have: the Sun. That's your fire! I have more than just my ocean, my water. It should be within my right that I would be more loved than you!"
"If you think you're so strong-" Keith unsheathed his sword "-then prove it!"
Keith charged at Lance, rasising his sword to strike but Lance simply snapped his fingers, watching as a cold breeze surrounded Keith. Ice started to blossom on his feet as Keith is pinned in place and struggling to melt the ice that was climbing up his body.
"Lance!" Everyone screamed.
Lance laughed as the ice around Keith's feet quickly spread to ensnare the others, and freezing them all in place. Lance only had the ice trap their legs for them to stay put and freeze their arms in place so they wouldn't break free. He made sure that the ice was especially thick to make sure that if they tried anything to escape, it wouldn't work. Lance knows that since the day is over, Keith wouldn't be able to do much, and since his arms were currently frozen in place, Lance wouldn't have to worry about being gutted. Allura has the ability to control the cosmos and quintescennce, but Lance knew that if she can't move her arms then she can't use any of her spells. Coran is the same, though his abilities were more about providing protection to the Castle, so Lance didn't make the ice too thick. Shiro can make the winds pierce objects like knives, but the man can easily get tired due to straining himself too much in the Battle Arena when the Galra captured him. Lance looked to Hunk and offered an apologetic smile. Hunk is his best friend, but he's very strong and Lance really didn't want any interference. Pidge is very susceptible to ice, so Lance willed the ice to not be as cold for her to make sure that she would be ok.
"Exlplain yourself at once Lance!" Allura commanded as she struggled.
"Why would you betray us?" Keith yelled.
"I'm not betraying anyone," Lance said as he stood beside the black pillar, staring up at the sky. "I'll let you all free once I'm done."
"What are you doing?" Shiro asked.
"Lance...please, don't," Hunk pleaded.
"Lance, they'll come around!" Pidge yelled.
"I've waited long enough for them to come around, Pidge." A circle of blue light flashed briefly around Lance as he slowly raised his outstretched arms with his glowing palms facing the sky. "And what am I going to do? Well, I can make them like me."
The moon started to peek above the horizon, but in it's full glory.
"That's supposed to be a crescent moon," Coran noticed.
"The moon is going to claim the heavens for her own tonight!" Lance cackled as he raised his arms over his head to bring the moon in it's proper place in the night sky. "I don't have to yield the sky to Keith anymore!" He spread his arms to his side as the moon pulsed with a blue light as the dark night sky grew darker, and the stars started to sparkle with a blue hue as if they were made of ice.
"Do you know the consequences of this?" Allura asked. "Do you know that you just deprived one of your team members his power? That you've made all of Voltron weaker?"
Lance turned around with tears cascading down his cheeks. His crooked smile that split his face has shrunk into a grimace. He released a sob as he fell to his knees. "I'm sorry," He whimpered, "But...now they have to like me. They have to like me, Allura. Shiro. I just want them to like me...just a little bit."
And the world was plunged into the beginnings of an eternal night.