I joined the Space Explorers to see the stars. I learned to fly among them, learned the dizzying mathematics to map the paths from one to another. I mapped the path that brought min bror and I to this ruin of an outpost planet called Arus, I flew the ship that saved us from a horrible death in the arena on Doom. I fly the Blue Lion of Voltron, I soar through the skies to protect and defend this poor, battered world, to protect the beautiful girl who rules here.
Or I did. Now the stars are lost to me, all I have is the dust of a ruined square where I lie fighting for every breath, far too much of my blood turning the earth to mud beneath me. May Haggar be forever damned; she couldn't overcome me on her own, even when she blinded me, so she had to bring in a robeast. It hurt so much when he hit me, but now. . .now nothing hurts, and that frightens me. Min gud, I am not even 24 years old. I do not want to die; I can NOT die. Not now. This world needs me, my team needs me. But I do not think it is in my hands any longer.
Over the roar in my head, I hear running footsteps and frantic voices. Two sets of knees thump down beside me; callused hands turn me over and cradle me. Keith's hands; he is the only one with more sword calluses than I have. And I can smell leather; Lance on my other side, holding my hand in both of his. As I face the sky I can no longer see, I feel raindrops splash on my face, washing away the blood I wear. Good, we need the rain; it's been so dry. . .then I hear Keith's voice, and am horrified to realize that those are not raindrops on my face; they are the tears of my brothers.
"Don't. . . cry," I whisper, squeezing both of their hands with what little strength I have. "Know. . .it's bad.. . . Love you. . .both. Tell others. . . . love them too."
"Save your strength, Sven," Lance says in a choked voice, and I feel his hand smoothing my hair back. "Come on, you've gotta fight; you can't leave us now!"
"Trying. . . don't tink I haf a choice. . ."a coughing fit takes what breath I have; I dimly feel Keith supporting me through it, and Lance wiping away the blood that foams out of my mouth.
"Yes, damnit, you do!" I do not think I have ever heard Keith swear; I KNOW I've never heard that note of desperation in his voice. "You stay with us, Sven! Pidge is coming with Green Lion; we're going to get you back to the Castle, to that doctor that showed up the other day... Gorma. You fight, damnit! Stay with us; he'll make you well!"
I'm so tired suddenly; all I can do is nod to Keith. I hear a roar that can only be one of the lions, unnervingly close, and know Pidge has arrived. Keith and Lance confer in low voices, punctuated occasionally by the higher voice of our youngest, then I feel myself lifted from the ground in their arms. They are gentle, and slow, but. . .something tears loose inside me as they lift, and I fall into the sparkling black that has been threatening to claim me.
*Erik Sven. Child of Lars and Anna Holgersson. Brother of Keith, Lance, Darrell, and Tsuyoshi. Pilot of the Blue Lion, right leg of Voltron. You come to me far in advance of your appointed time.* The bell-like voice is everywhere, and nowhere; in front of me a bright light shines, and I can see the silhouette of an angel.
"Then. . . I am dead?" There is a certain relief in that; I know how broken my body is. And yet. . .
*You are not dead. But neither do you live.* The angel comes closer, a hand reaching to touch my cheek. *You must choose, Blue Lion pilot. Do you come with me, and end your own pain? Or do you live, accept the consequences of your injuries, and end the pain of others?*
As though that would be a choice for any of us. "Vitout me, dere is no Voltron. Vitout Voltron, Arus falls, and Doom conquers all." I swallow, knowing somehow that this choice will put me in a LOT of pain. "I haf to go back; I am needed dere."
*A noble choice; you are indeed worthy, Erik Sven. I am proud to claim you as my own, Knight of the Blue Lion.* She looks at me for a long minute, kindness and sadness in her eyes. *But… . I cannot allow you to return as you are; the pain would be too great.* Her hand drops from my cheek to my neck, where Haggar's cat tore into me, and flares with a cool blue light that quickly expands to cover my entire body. *Be well, my warrior. Be strong. . . .* She fades away, taking the light with her, and I lose awareness again.
The next time I know anything, I am in an unfamiliar bed, with all sorts of monitors beeping quietly around me. Keith and Lance are sprawled in chairs to one side of me, Hunk is on the other side with Pidge tucked in his lap. Memory floods back, and I do a quick inventory of myself. "Hva? I am. . . well? But how?"
"THAT is what we all, and Dr. Gorma, want to know, Viking." I look to see Lance sitting up watching me, green eyes intent. "You were. . . bad when we got here; Gorma rushed you right to surgery. He says you. . ." he swallows and continues, "you died on the table, min bror. Gorma fought for fifteen minutes, couldn't bring you back. Then, just when he decided you were gone, and got ready to come tell us, you. . . you freaking GLOWED BLUE on the damned table. So bright nobody could see you. And then. . ." he gestures at me. "When the light was gone, there you were, breathing, stubborn heart beating. . .and not a mark on you. What the hell happened, Sven?"
The others are awake at this point, and Keith slips out to return with an older man who can only be Dr. Gorma. I take a deep breath, "Dis vill sound crazy, but. . ." and I tell them of the angel, and the choice she gave me, and how she healed me when I chose to return. The room is silent as space when I finish.
"You are a lucky man indeed, Commander Holgersson," the doctor says finally. "I want to keep you overnight for observation, and want you on light duty for the next few days, but you are apparently fully recovered." He glances around. "Now, as for the rest of you. . . I do not want you getting ill or worse from being poorly rested. I'm barring you all from MedTech for the next eight hours. Go get something to eat, a shower, and some sleep. Commander Holgersson is not going anywhere." Lance looks like he wants to protest, but gives in to a look from Keith and a nod from me. Five minutes later, after claps on the shoulders and muttered good wishes, the team is gone, followed by the doctor.
I settle back against my pillows, unaccountably drained, and am almost asleep when the door creaks open and a blonde head peeks in. "Oh, I'm sorry. . . my cousin Allura sent me with some food for the Voltron Force; I didn't mean to wake you."
"You did not; und de team just left." She's beautiful. .. . "I do not tink I haf met you; vill you come keep a sick man company? My name is Sven. . ."
She eases in hesitantly, a tiny little thing who bears a passing resemblance to Allura, but with deep blue eyes and a husky voice that sends chills over me. "I. . . would like that, very much. I am.. . . my name is Romelle."
"Vell, haf a seat, Romelle, und let's get to know each other." As she pulls a chair to my bedside, and begins telling me of herself shyly, I thank God for the luck I have known this day. And suspect my greatest luck is the blonde angel now at my side.