A/N Howdy everybody! I've had this AU in my head for the longest time, so I am finally putting it down on docs! I really hope you enjoy this book, as I've put a lot of time and thought into it! Feel free to comment any questions or reactions! Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN VOLTRON:LEGENDARY DEFENDER OR ITS CHARACTERS!
Shout out to 100000000fandoms and moonlightonroses for being my fabulous beta readers!
It is no surprise that the universe holds many secrets. With its infinite size, how can it not? Entire species not yet discovered, planets ever-changing, stars dying and being born, but nobody knowing a thing. Yet, one thing connects it all.
Quintessence.
The element that makes up every living thing in the universe. Or 70% of it. Just depends on who you ask.
However, there are some out there who know the true power of quintessence. How to use it and how to keep it in balance. The 6 Quintessence Master Species. These species, whose planets are located right at the core of the universe's quintessence, ensure that the balance is kept. If there was too much in one place, or too little somewhere else, entire pieces of the universe could explode or implode seemingly out of nowhere.
They formed an alliance amongst themselves called the Tickar Alliance. Tickar is a fruit native to one of the planets, Taldonia, that is said to only bloom into sweet, delicious fruits when the quintessence balance is kept.
For thousands of years, the Alliance made sure the quintessence balance in the universe was kept, enjoying sugary Tickar fruits and living peacefully in their little pocket of the universe, unknown to most other species. However, there was nothing that could prepare them for Galran Empire.
Sudden changes in the balance. Entire planets cleaned of their very life source to serve as power for weapons of mass destruction. The Tickar Alliance could only do so much to fight back. If the Empire's head druid caught on that there were beings with unimaginable amounts of quintessence available, it could result in a complete genocide, ending the quintessence balance forever, and ending all life itself.
So, the six species hid on their planets and erased any trails that could lead to them. Tucked into a pocket in the universe where no living being would dare go, they did their best to keep the balance from the core.
Eventually, as years went by and the Empire only grew stronger, those species came to a conclusion. The balance could not be retained only from the core, so they needed to start branching out.
Slowly, but surely, they began sending groups of their kind to different planets to help keep the quintessence in order. Over thousands of years, they were integrated into hundreds of different species without anyone being aware. They used these planets as pit stops as they traveled to where the universe needed them to be.
Each species is naturally built for different tasks in keeping up the balance. Of course, this doesn't mean they cannot share their knowledge and teach the other species to use different types of manipulation.
The fierce and bold Aldonians, whose passion is as fiery as their skin, are powerful fighters. Their bond with quintessence allows them to use it to attack and destroy using quintessence, while in return mending and bringing it back together where it was needed. After the rise of the Galran Empire, they have been widely needed across the universe.
The Dwarvanians, while having a spiky exterior, are warm of heart. Their bond and natural desire to defend those they love allow them to create nearly impenetrable quintessence shields. They are often used to capture and protect against the corrupted quintessence the Galran Empire sends out, mostly unknowingly.
The Moldiet, small but extremely powerful, are mushroom looking creatures with bouncy heads that double as portals for quintessence. Their natural quintessence reserves are nearly limitless, allowing them to hold and transport all sorts of quintessence to wherever it is needed. Their heads also let them shoot off huge blasts of quintessence.
The Sevaltites have many arms and soft fur. They are incredible healers and are able to cure even the most corrupt quintessence the Galran Empire can spew. Whether it be a simple scratch or a life-threatening wound, the Sevaltites can fix any physical damage, not to mention quintessence. They can cure anyone, including themselves (within their limits, of course. Manipulating quintessence for too long or too much at once can cause a person's quintessence to shatter, killing them).
The Terieth are long-limbed, skinny creatures whose hands are able to reach into the quintessence field from anywhere. They are able to transfer quintessence from one source to another, whether it be from another living being or the quintessence field itself. This allows them to infuse quintessence with another type when more is needed. For example, quintessence based in one part of the brain can be used to instantly teach someone another language if infused with their own language quintessence.
Lastly, the mighty Taldonians, whose ability to learn all forms of quintessence manipulation is unrivaled even by the other Q Master species. They are half-fish creatures with appendages on their back that, like the Terieth, can dip in and out of the quintessence field. However, they are able to find and use lines of tightly-bound quintessence all over the universe to communicate with all the other species from any distance. They are also able to manipulate quintessence to shift one's very form to be another species entirely. The members who dedicate their lives to the cause, called Wires, help the other species hide in plain sight and keep all the Q Masters in the universe connected to each other. Without these Wires, the entire system of keeping the Q Masters hidden would fall apart.
"Without Wires, our species would have never been able to protect ourselves and the universe for 10,000 years," finished the wrinkly grandmother, rocking back in her chair. A small boy with caramel skin and eyes bluer than the ocean stared at his grandmother with an excited gleam. He sprung up from his spot on the floor.
"I'm gonna be a Wire when I'm older! Just like you!" cried the boy, rushing up to his grandmother.
"Oh?" The old woman picked up the bouncing boy and sat him in her lap.
"Yes! Abuela, I can be a Wire, right? My quintessence marks say so!" Lance jumped up and down in his abuela's lap and looked into her eyes. The same bright blue was reflected in her eyes, unchanged by time.
Smiling, she nodded.
"You might not see them now, starlight, but your bond to quintessence glows like no one's I've seen before. You are destined for something amazing. I can tell." Both of the blue-eyed figures giggled to themselves.
"You really think so?" Lance asked. His abuela smiled and nodded.
"I know so. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Let the quintessence inside you guide your path, as it is apart of you. Do not stray from its path, as it will lead you to happiness. Okay, starlight?" Lance, wide-eyed, nodded and hugged his abuela. If someone looked closely, they might have noticed the slight glow coming from their eyes right before they shut.
As years passed, Lance took up the role as his abuela's apprentice so that, one day, he could take up the role as the Wire for Planet Earth. He never let his abuela's words leave him, especially when his path went in a very different way then he could have planned for. When Voltron happened.
Now, don't get him wrong, he loved being a Paladin. Finally joining the front lines of the fight he had to pretend not to know about in front of the others. But sometimes...sometimes it was hard having to pretend to know nothing about the war, quintessence, or the Galra. Blue and Red helped, for sure, but it was still tiring.
Ah, yes. Being tired. That's what got him into this mess, wasn't it?
He supposed it was time to stop thinking about his grandma and how weird his life got and actually try to explain to Coran why a fire-covered toddler was currently trying to shove the food-goo hose into his mouth while a fluffy, white-haired alien tried to take it out.
"Uh, I can-" well he couldn't explain exactly "-sorta explain?" Lance croaked. The toddler, an Aldonian who DEFINITELY WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SEEN, laughed in the midst of the awkward staring contest between the three.
Lance had one job, make sure none of the paladins saw the toddler before he dropped it off on Planet Derup. Now, Coran was staring open-jawed at said toddler, the Aldonian was squirting food goo everywhere, the white-furred alien was screeching at Lance under his breath to "Do something, Lance!" while trying to stop the toddler, and Lance was too tired to think properly.
Yeah, he should probably explain what being tired had to do with any of this. In his defense, it was all Nyma and Rolo's fault...
There you have it, folks! Chapter 1! What did Rolo and Nyma do? How did Lance acquire a flaming toddler in the first place? Who is this furry friend of Lance's? Stick around for the next chapter to find out! Comments? Questions? Cheese? All are welcome in the comment section! Thanks for reading, and have a fabulous day!