Switched

Summary: "Green saved me. I don't think it worked the way she wanted."

Author's Note: Hi, everyone! It was suggested that I put "Switched" into a fic all on its own, so I did! There are a few tweaks for grammar and some minor details, but other than that, the story is the same. If this is new for you, welcome! My main Voltron fic is Though She Be But Little and focusses on Pidge. "Switched" comprises Chapters 25-30 in that fic.

As an additional note: The dialogue in this fic is intense and involves multiple kinds, so here's how it's going to work:

"Voltron" is when someone speaks aloud.

"Voltron" is on the coms.

Voltron is thoughts or when a Lion is speaking to her paladin.

/Voltron/ is between Lions.

Chapter 1

Their only warning was the long-range sensors, and even then it left them barely enough time. The klaxons blared, lights flashed, and five paladins who had been enjoying a mid-afternoon snack in the kitchen raced for their Lions.

"Paladins!" Allura's voice came over the intercom. "We have a massive Galra fleet heading our way."

Pidge's heart hammered against her ribs. It had been a while since their last battle against the Galra, but she was ready. She had to be ready. Steeling herself against the sirens, she was grateful when she slid into Green's cockpit and took the controls. "Green Team standing by," she announced.

When everyone was ready, they soared out of their respective hangars in tandem, heading for the fleet.

"Hey, guys? What is that?" asked Lance.

Pidge was about to ask for specifics when she spotted it: a massive cannon unlike any she'd seen before was mounted to a massive vessel. "Wow. Check that out."

"Well, that doesn't look ominous at all," Hunk said dryly. "Anyone want to bet on if it vaporises its targets?"

"Pass," said Keith just as Shiro said, "Come on, guys. Get it together. Let's form Voltron and take it out!"

The single fighters came first in waves and Voltron cut through them as easily as if they batted away a fly. Then came the larger ships, ion cannons blazing. Voltron blocked and dodged without difficulty, taking them out one by one with blasters of their own.

"Guys, that cannon's locked onto us!" Keith shouted.

"Evasive manoeuvers!" commanded Shiro. "Pidge, keep the shield up!"

Pidge did and they soared out of the line of fire, taking the second-last ship down.

"Form sword!"

They did and Voltron landed on the ship to cut the cannon from its place, its barrel swinging toward them.

But then the cannon fired as it broke off its mount – a beam of brightest white – and Pidge felt inexplicable horror plunge through her whole body. Five voices screamed in her brain, she nearly passed out, and she distantly felt her Lion disengage from Voltron. They all did. All five Lions separated without their pilots' say-so.

Hold on, my Paladin!

Pidge clutched weakly at the armrests and absently made a note to install safety harnesses, and then her world lit up in searing white. Something yanked at her, yanked at her heart or maybe her soul, tried to suck it out through her pores; but something else held her fast, unfamiliar in its sheer ferocity and strength.

Nononononono! Mine!

Pidge screamed when her soul got caught in the tug o' war, screamed louder when she felt herself fall apart, and she knew it was all over. This was death…

But then the combatants were gone. The light was gone, the pain was gone, and she panted in the wake of terror and agony. She was barely conscious, drifting through a hazy darkness. Voices wafted around her, muffled mumbles that made no sense and held no recognition for her.

"My Paladin?"

Except that one.

"My Paladin, please, you must wake up."

Pidge smiled to herself. Green, she thought with fondness.

"Yes. Yes, it is Green. Green is here, my Paladin. Can my Paladin open her eyes, please?"

Something was wrong with her eyes. They didn't want to open. Pidge fumbled around in her body, trying to remember how to open her eyes. A short string of knowledge – why did it look like coding? – crossed her mind, and she took it, memorised it, and her eyes…lit up? That wasn't right. But it was because everything else came online as well: the artificial gravity, the life support systems, the console, and all of Pidge's…sensors?

Green, Pidge started very quietly, what is happening?

Pidge felt something shift inside her, something at the forefront of her mind, just behind her eyes. It was tiny and very much alive. "Green did not mean for this to happen," said Green.

What happened?

"The cannon was made to absorb quintessence. It is for objects of great size, like planets. It aimed at Voltron, and Pride Voltron could not allow the deaths of its paladins, could not allow the death of the universe should Voltron cease. Pride Voltron separated to spare the whole, but Green and my Paladin were still in the way."

We got shot by the quintessence cannon?

"Yes. Green tried to hold onto my Paladin's quintessence, but Green was not strong enough…"

Then how are we alive?

"Green is unsure. Green could not keep my Paladin's quintessence in my Paladin's body, and…something went wrong."

While Green had been talking, Pidge had worked at the little creature sitting in her brain. Her mind was a complex and intricate processor, and she fought to get to the piece of information that would tell her exactly what this thing was and why it was here.

"My Paladin, use the sensors. Feel what is here. Sensors absorb and relay information to the cortex. Use the sensors."

Sensors. Right. Made sense.

Coding whirred past her and she selected what she wanted. It was a good thing she was so good at computers because this would have overwhelmed her, otherwise. The inside of the Green Lion came to her inner visual and her train of thought faltered at what she saw.

Was that…herself?

"No, my Paladin. It's Green."

Pidge was looking at her human body. It sat in the pilot's chair, arms wrapped around the knees. The mouth moved with Green's words.

Pidge felt something engage as fear and panic ripped through her systems.

"My Paladin, please calm down. Green does not want my Paladin to activate the weapon systems."

The weapon systems?! Pidge was the Green Lion! She was her Lion and Green was her! They had switched bodies!

A blip of warning preceded impact by a second: something bigger than she was landed on her, gripping her hard.

"My Paladin, please calm down," Green begged when Pidge roared and rolled away. "The other paladins are trying to assist us. They do not know what has happened. They think Green has malfunctioned. They are trying to help my Paladin. Let them help."

If giant, metal, alien robots could weep, Pidge would have. She wanted to sob with terror and frustration. But when Yellow and Blue boxed her in, she let them because there was nothing else she could do.

"Pidge? Pidge, come in! Can you read me, Pidge?"

The coms!

I'm here! Pidge answered. We're okay, but Green and I switched bodies! Shiro, I have no idea how to be a Lion. You might have to tow me back to the castle. …Shiro?

No answer. Her friends' voices had peaked with worry and fear for her. Could they…not hear her?

She realised it a second later: no, they could not. No Lion could communicate with a different paladin.

Green! Green, please, answer the coms! Answer them, please!

But her Lion was too afraid and so remained silent.

Then, suddenly, Pidge felt some kind of wall in her mind crumble, and someone entirely other spoke. /Green Sister, why do you hide from us?/

The voice was massive in its presence yet gentle, and Pidge instinctively knew this was the Black Lion. She trembled in her own mind, hesitant to reply to this great creature, and she suddenly understood why Green was having a hard time talking. Neither wanted to inform the others of what had happened. They were cut off from their usual circle. Neither knew how the others would react. Each was alone and it was beyond terrifying

A purr, deep and dark like a night sky. /Green Sister…/ Black began to say.

Pidge winced at the title that was full of trust and love, both of which she was undeserving from the Head of Voltron. /Um,/ she tried, and then words failed her completely.

She felt Black rumble to stop, felt all of those infallible systems falter, felt Shiro's panic because his Lion was acting strangely.

Then: /Green's Paladin!?/

There was a collective, wordless exclamation from Red, Blue and Yellow: /!?/

/How is this possible?/ Black continued. Absently, both Lions acknowledged Shiro calling Allura for backup. Green had gone berserk and Black was stalling.

/Green saved me. I don't think it worked the way she wanted./

/Clearly!/ Another voice darted through Pidge's awareness, and while this one was not as large as Black's wide sky, it was pretty close. Blue, Pidge realised. No other Lion could remind her of a vast ocean and a gentle brook at the same time.

/Where is Green?/ Red demanded, molten lava churning and ready to erupt.

/We switched bodies,/ Pidge stammered. /I'm her and she's me./

Shock rippled through her…bond with them. Of course, all Lions were bonded to each other. Green had mentioned something about it. It was obviously not as spiritual as Pidge had thought. If it was, Green would still be able to talk with her Pride Sisters. The bond between the Lions had a distinct physical aspect that Pidge had acquired with her knew body – and Green had lost.

/Green's Paladin, please check on Green,/ said Black. /All the paladins have a visual, but who they think is Green's Paladin is not responding./

/Right. Uh, sure. Got it./

The presences peeled away from the forefront of her awareness, but Pidge felt them settle to the back. It was like someone moving out of her line of sight, but she could still tell they were nearby.

Green? she asked gently. Green, the other Lions know what's happened. It's going to be okay. Green?

She used her sensors to look inside herself. There was Green, still sitting in her chair. Visual screens had popped up all around her. Shiro, Lance, Keith, and Hunk spoke to her, prodding for a response, but Green continued to stare listlessly at her knees.

Pidge thought it strange that the Lions hadn't told their paladins what was up yet. Maybe they were giving her time to get through to Green before they said anything?

Green. Pidge reached forward, reached for her, and, picturing herself as a cat, wrapped herself around her. It's all right, Green. I'm here. I'm still here and you're still here and your Sisters know what's happened. They're worried about you and my team is worried about me.

"Green has never been alone before."

The short sentence startled everyone on visual.

"What do you mean? Green's right here. The Lions are right here." Everyone talked over each other, but Pidge understood. For the first time in her existence, Green was cut off mentally and physically from everything and everyone she'd ever known. Green sat in a mortal shell of skin and blood and bone, and was terrified.

Pidge squeezed tighter. I am still here, Green. Your sisters are in my head, and as long as you have me, you have them. They're right here. We're all right here.

Green didn't nod, but Pidge felt her sorrowful agreement, and tears slid down her cheeks. She lifted her eyes to Shiro's face on the screen and spoke at last. "Black's Paladin, Green has made a terrible mistake. My Paladin's quintessence now resides in the Green Lion, and Green's resides in my Paladin's fragile body. Please help us."

There was dead silence for perhaps five ticks and then four voices shouted over the coms: "ALLURA!"