A/N: Hello hello everyone! This is a one shot I wrote in response to rivvydarling's picture found here - post/157124698760/reflecting-on-an-infinite-universe-i-can
In any case, thank you so much for reading! Please read, review, and enjoy!
Pidge closed her eyes and held her breath as she ran her scan for what seemed the millionth time and listened intently. She willed herself to reach out into the stars, yearning to hear something.
But no. Not even the faintest sound returned to her, to give her a clue as to where in the universe her family, and Shiro, might be.
She sighed and removed her headphones and took a moment just to gaze outside. She leaned against the huge bay windows that rose from floor to ceiling, giving her an uninterrupted view of the cosmic vastness that was space. A distant nebula could be seen, blue and red gasses crashing together to form new stars. Ancient suns, millions in number, dotted the sky, leaving less dark than light.
It was beautiful, and terrifying.
Suddenly, Pidge stood up and gathered her equipment and photos of her brother and dad she'd pulled out. She learned that if she stared too long she started to slip, losing track of time, and herself, in the vastness. Becoming more "one with the universe" definitely had its downsides.
After stowing her equipment back in her room, Pidge decided to explore the ship. She felt restless after sitting still for so long and needed to move. Wandering the hallways, she found Lance and Keith sparring in the training room and looked in on Coran and Hunk who were tampering with some of mechanics down below. Allura was nowhere to be found.
At times, the Castle of Lions seemed endless, but when you took the time to get to know the hallways and passages, you realized how small it really was, especially compared to the endless space in which it travelled.
Holding back a huff of frustration, Pidge grabbed her computer and headed back to the front of the ship where, to her surprise, she found Allura.
The princess sat where the paladin had, leaning forward, hands on knees, staring deeply into the stars with a look that was half in love and half deep, deep sadness.
"Uh, Princess?" Allura sat up in surprise and turned to look at Pidge. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine Pidge," she said. "Here, come sit with me."
She joined the princess, sitting cross legged by her side, and quietly turned on her computer to sift through the nearly endless and almost completely useless data she had acquired. She half-heartedly scrolled through the numbers, pausing every now and then when an irregularity popped up. Allura watched with curiosity as Pidge pulled up the video she'd found of her brother's escape from the Galra prison. The young girl's face was so… stoic and determined, far too much for one her age.
"Do you ever miss home?" Pidge asked suddenly.
"Every day," the princess replied without missing a beat. "I promise Pidge, we will find them."
Pidge didn't reply, just sighed and closed her laptop, and pulled out the picture of her and her brother.
"It just feels like every minute we aren't doing something they're getting farther and farther away. The universe is so big and so many things could have happened and- I miss them Allura. I miss Earth. I miss… home."
Allura gently put an arm around the young paladin and pulled her into a hug. Pidge sniffled.
"What," she said quietly. "What was Altea like?"
The question surprised the princess, but didn't put her off. As they watched the stars go by, the two shared stories of home and for a minute it seemed, they were still there. The heartache lessened and it was a reprieve both of them desperately had needed.
They grew silent after a while and stared out at the cosmos in companionable silence. Pidge reached out a hand and pressed her palm to the glass, reaching out as far as she could into the void and staring at it as if in challenge.
The universe was beautiful, and terrifying.
But somewhere out there, was home.