The crazy look in his eyes tore her apart as she began to realize who she had fallen for. There was no more pupil or even iris in his eyes: it was pure yellow with insanity. Just five minutes ago, not even, those perfect eyes had closed as they locked lips. It had been her first kiss, and never before had she felt this feeling of utmost love. He had run his purple-hand through her white body of flowy hair. She had melted into that kiss, feeling as if maybe life had hope.

But that was five minutes ago before she learned the truth. That was before she truly understood the man she had fallen in love with. That was before she discovered how he had murdered thousands of her people, the ones she didn't even know survived. And he had no regret. His wicked scheming father had truly influenced him, and it rubbed off from his witch-mother.

"Sure, a few lives were lost, but they saved countless more!" He had argued, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. As the pieces had clicked in her mind, all she knew was that he had lied. That was unforgivable. That was unbelievable. It was despicable.

She flipped him over her shoulder, not caring if she had broken his face or even if she killed him. Tears threatened to fall as she stared at him, his eyes glistening in pain and heartbreak.

I trusted you! She thought. I may have even loved you.

But that was all lost as he stood up and ran away, taking all her hopes with him as he returned to his natural state:

Evil.

Allura:

I woke up, my face sweating and eyes darting around scared. I looked in every cranny I could, just to make sure he wasn't there.

Lotor.

I had trusted him. I had believed in him. I may have quite possibly loved him.

But he killed thousands of my people, the noble Alteans, presumed dead after our planet was destroyed. He murdered them, stealing their life energy piece by piece until there was nothing left when they lost all sense of everything and lost their right to life. He tricked them into thinking they were serving him, their mighty savior, in the best way possible.

But he lied.

And lied.

And lied.

I looked at my clock, groaning when seeing the time was only 3 dobashes past midnight. This was the second time in three nights I had woken up, terrified, broken, crying.

My planet was destroyed. My father was killed. My people were slaughtered. And the man I trusted most lied. How much more could I take? I was the Princess of a planet that didn't exist any longer. I was the pilot of a lion my father created. Day by day, the only reason I kept going was the hope I could save the universe, against the people just like Lotor.

I got up, yawning, and took a stroll down into the kitchen. We had defeated Sendak once and for all in a battle for my fellow Paladins' home planet. It had been a tough fight, and many lives were lost, but we saved them, and united other peoples with the Earthlings. Three weeks ago today we had discovered the Altean hooked into the pieces of the Komar. We had all sat down, having a meeting discussing variables that could be in play. It could have been Sendak, who in the wake of his death, wanted to make sure the mighty Voltron fell once and for all. It could have also been Haggar, who was always after the Paladins and wanted to avenge her son. Commander Holt had even suggested it could have been other Galra forces who stole Haggar's prized robot and sent it after the Paladins. It even supported the theory that all the Alteans were stolen, as Kolivan reported when his troops returned from the colony.

But one option hadn't been discussed, because everyone knew it was the worst theory, and the scariest, and the deadliest.

I had seen those tubes before that the Altean was hooked into. I knew where they originated, and that was why I was so scared.

Lotor.

But I stopped my thought train there, going downstairs into the kitchen to see what food Earth had in store. Or drinks. Or anything to distract me from these traumatizing memories.

"Get it together Allura!" I told myself as I opened the door and walked to the refrigerator. "He can't hurt you anymore. He died in the quintessence field, and there's no way those nightmares are real…"

Lance:

Yeah. I get it. I'm the blue Paladin of Voltron. I'm supposed to be this heroic savior of the universe. I'm supposed to be this role model who gets all the girls.

But, instead, I'm sitting on the floor in the kitchen, eating cool whip from the jar.

I can't be perfect. I just can't be. The only reason I made it into the Garrison was the fact my entire family had argued until they let me in. The only reason I had become fighter-class was Keith's "behavior problems". The only reason I was piloting the Red Lion now was that I was in the wrong place at the right time. I'm not the amazing, heroic, beautiful person I proclaim myself to be, and recently that had taken a toll on myself.

So here I am, rebelling and eating away my frustrations at my stupidity and unworthiness when I hear the kitchen door open and someone walks in.

MAJOR EARTH POLICY: DON'T GET CAUGHT IN THE KITCHEN AFTER LIGHTS-OUT.

I held my breath, hoping whoever this was wouldn't see me and tell the leaders. I paused, mid-scoop, as the person opened the fridge and started talking to themselves.

"Get it together, Alura!" She mumbled as she looked for something. I held my breath and looked over the counter-top, peering at her. "He can't hurt you anymore. He died in the quintessence field, and there's no way those nightmares…"

"You've been having nightmares?" I couldn't keep myself from asking as I jumped and stared at her. Allura jumped a foot in the air and stared at me for a moment.

"Lance!" She gasped and tucked her long, white lock of glorious hair behind her ear. "I wasn't expecting to see you here! See, I read this story…" She stopped mid-excuse and stared at the jar of cool whip in my arms still. "You're eating the last jar of cool-whip?"

I awkwardly put it on the counter and shrugged, not wanting to answer. Allura looked at it curiously, seems to have an internal debate about something until at last, she spoke.

"Can I have some?" She whispered. I motioned for her to come to sit on the floor by me. She walked over and sat down, grabbing a spoon and pulling up a huge glob of beauty. She stuffed it in her face and moaned, savoring every second of it. I suppressed a laugh as I grabbed some too, trying to put it in my mouth when she reached down and grabbed more, accidentally brushing the side of my hand.

Now, I could never admit this out loud, but when she brushed the side of my hand, I immediately turned red and missed my mouth completely, smothering my cheek in white foamy deliciousness.

Allura took one look at me and laughed, her smooth and silky laugh resonating in my ears. It may have only lasted a second, but she locked eyes with me, and it felt like a year before she spoke again.

"Why are you down here?" She inquired.

I immediately drooped and looked down at my useless feet as I replied, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Then I remembered what she said earlier. "Have you been having nightmares recently?" I asked.

She looked down at her lap as she replied quietly, "yeah."

I moved closer to her, massaging her shoulder as I said, "talk to me Allura. What's been going on?"

She looked up at me a few seconds later, her eyes glistening in tears.

"I can't believe how stupid I was to trust him." She whispered, reaching over and putting her face in my shoulder. Her tears fell as she sobbed. Gingerly, I wrapped my arm around her, holding her close.

"He's dead now, Princess," I reassured her as she squeezed me. "Lotor died in the quintessence field, and he can't return to hurt you any longer."

"But he can!" She sobbed loudly. "I saw those tubes the Altean was connected to. They looked exactly like the ones he used to suck the life out of my people. She was even hooked in the same way." Her tears stained my blue shirt darker, and they soaked it in sadness, but I rubbed her back softly, trying to reassure her.

"That could have been a coincidence. It could have been Sendak, or Haggar, or even one of Lotor's guards that borrowed his machines. It wasn't Lotor, Allura. He's dead. You don't have to worry any longer." I rested my head on top of hers, thinking about how much this must have been plaguing her to force her to have these wicked nightmares. I slowly raised my hand and felt her hair, feeling every silky strand and every white lock.

She looked up at me, whipping her nose with her pink sleeve.

"Thanks, Lance," she whispered.

I smiled at her, a sad smile of worry, care, and love.

"You're welcome Allura," I replied, holding up the can of cool-whip. "Come on, let's finish this thing."

Allura:

An hour later, I lay in bed, trying to understand what had just happened. I had gone downstairs, and like a true idiot, got caught by none other than Lance McClain, the man who had recently begun to worm his way more and more into my head. I had broken down, sobbing in his shoulder again, only to feel comforted and truly better. We had finished the jar of cool-whip, which was, by far, my favorite Earth-food so far, and he had walked me back to my room, saying goodnight and telling me to not feed these nightmares, or he'd have to watch me to make sure I never had them again.

All because of those nightmares, the ones my subconscious kept feeding on. It was as if a monster lay beneath my consciousness, feeding on every thought and every dream, until it found the perfect one to wake up to, stretch its claws, and growl. My mind even obeyed it, forcing me to replay its favorite memories, the ones that slowly destroyed who I was, the Princess of Altea. It squealed with glee every time I broke down further and further until soon, there was nothing left for me to heal from.

I tried to focus on what I was grateful for instead. I had so, so many things to be grateful for. First, I had my friends, the Paladins of Voltron. We had Lance, and Pidge, and Hunk and Keith and Shiro… all so kind and supportive. I had Coran, who has stuck with me since before I was able to understand any of the nonsense he went on and on about. We also had Romelle, who made her way back, and the second other Altean we knew about. Oh, and I had my blue Lion! I loved Blue. She was so amazing… and our castle!

The dreariness slipped back into my mind as I banished the thought of the Castle from my mind. We had lost it, given it up to repair the tears in space and time from Lotor.

I thought more about what I had. I had all my fellow peoples of the Voltron Commision. I had the Blades of Marmora. Oh, and all those Alteans!...

I had to stop another thought train that seemed to connect with Lotor.

I had all the hope in the universe. We could do this! We could take down the Galra Empire! We could save the universe!

All this self-despair seemed to come back with everything I tried. Why did everything have to connect to Lotor? Why did everything come back to him? It seemed no matter what I did, I would always be traumatized and taunted by the jerk…

"Princess Allura!" Someone's voice called from my phone. Finally distracted, I picked up the phone gifted to me from the Garrison fighters.

"Hello? It's me." I answered, pulling it to my ear.

"We have news that requires you and the Voltron Commission immediately."

I held my hand over the phone, wondering about what it was until I answered.

"May I request to know what has happened first?" I asked.

"The Altean has awoken."

A/N In Memorial to Voltron s8, the finale, I will write one last fanfiction for my one of my favorite fandoms