To Save a Friend
Castle of Lions…
The mood in the medical room was subdued. Harmony stood before three cots, silently watching the two doctors and three maids tend to Kaia, Anila, and Vesta. A maid tucked a blanket closer around a listless Anila. The maid by Kaia's bedside looked rather stunned at how sickly Kaia looked. Her complexion was sallow, as if she was a corpse. Vesta shivered despite the layers of blankets concealing her. Harmony's mind filled with images of her three friends, each one a lively, vibrant contrast to the current scene. It brought tears to her eyes. Was it only a few hours ago that she and the others prepared to celebrate with their new companions?
After the attack she, Princess Allura, and Coran returned to the control room to monitor the battle. Harmony had wanted to go out to help despite Allura's protests, but Lance intercepted her. It took some convincing on his part for her to realize that throwing herself in danger wasn't the wisest course of action. She then listened in horror about how the monster used the elements against her friends. To make matters worse, Azura was gone. Who was after them? Why were they being targeted?
Harmony didn't have any answers. Only the assumption that the Haggar Hunk mentioned was responsible. With Azura captured, the task of saving them rested solely on Harmony's shoulders. This was a feeling shared by the Voltron Force, for Sven had also been taken. No doubt they already planned to rescue him. With this in mind, Harmony set off in search of them.
"Where would I find Hunk and the others?" she asked the guard standing watch by the exit.
"They're in the lounge. Shall I take you there?"
Harmony agreed and followed him to the elevator. A short time later, he led her down a corridor. Harmony heard raised voices echoing from a room on the left, one of which she recognized as Hunk's. Just before she left, the guard lightly touched her arm.
"I am sorry about your friends. We pray for their safe recovery, as well as Azura's return," he said.
Touched by his sincerity, Harmony rewarded his words with a smile. He responded with a gallant bow, then turned away. Harmony watched him go, her heart warming. It was comforting knowing the castle folk held them in such high regard in spite of their not being from the Alliance.
Harmony entered the lounge, her gaze locking on the others. Keith, Lance, and Pidge sat on an L-shaped couch, their attention riveted to Hunk. He stood in the center of the room facing Coran and Princess Allura, his back to the doorway. Like his three friends, Hunk wore a white uniform accented with color. His hunched shoulders and balled fists indicated his mood, which Allura reacted to with sympathy. Coran's face was more difficult to read. He seemed at once understanding and hesitant.
Harmony chose that moment to slip further in, nodding briefly to the princess before taking a seat beside Keith. He watched the scene with arms folded, his face devoid of expression.
"You can't be serious!" Hunk cried in disbelief.
Lance sprang to his feet. "You have to let us go rescue them. Sven's our teammate."
"I understand your concerns, but we simply cannot allow you to abandon us," Coran said solemnly.
"So you'd have us abandon Sven?" Lance snapped. He glanced over at Harmony, and passion thickened his voice. "What about her friends? You'd abandon them, too?"
Coran blanched, seemingly uncertain how to respond. Keith swiftly crossed over to Lance. He placed a firm hand on his shoulder, which the other responded to with a scowl.
"That's not what Coran means at all," he said, the usual calm Harmony had associated with him gone in that single sentence. "Believe me, I want to go after them as much as you do, but it's too dangerous if we all do it. What if Zarkon attacked? If we took the Lions away from Arus, it'd be helpless."
Lance grit his teeth. "Then what do we do?"
"I can only spare one of us to go on this rescue mission. While three Lions don't equal Voltron, it's enough defense should Zarkon decide to take advantage of the situation," Keith replied.
Understanding flashed in Lance's eyes. "I'll go. He'd do the same for me, or any of us," he stated, and Keith answered with a smile.
His words inspired Harmony. She knew what she had to do. She rose to her feet, an action that drew Allura's attention.
"Harmony? What is it?"
When all faced Harmony, the same question in their eyes, she lifted her head. "I'm going, too."
Hunk stared at her in surprise. "Are you sure? It's gonna be dangerous."
She gave him a reassuring smile, then shifted her gaze to Lance and Keith. "I have to go. My friends are too weak to fight, and another is a captive. I also might find the avatars."
Silence followed her statement, which didn't worry Harmony nearly as much as the skeptical looks that passed between Keith and Coran. But it was Princess Allura who smiled encouragement.
"If it's the only way, then you must go. We will look after the others the best we can. Please, return safely with Sven, Azura, and the avatars," she said. Her words having cancelled any reservations the others may have had, they all nodded to Harmony.
Hunk clamped a big hand on Lance's shoulder. "You make sure you take good care of her," he grumbled.
Lance sent Harmony a swift but meaningful glance and nodded. "She couldn't be in better hands."
The sincerity in his tone drew a warm smile from Harmony. As for Hunk, it was clear he still didn't like the idea of Harmony going on the mission. But there was trust in his otherwise set features.
Keith nodded his satisfaction with the plan. "We'll have to find a uniform for you," he said to Harmony.
Princess Allura placed a gentle hand on Harmony's shoulder. "I can take care of that."
Nodding to the princess, Harmony distributed reassuring smiles to the Voltron Force before following Allura out of the lounge. The uncertainty and fear she brought with her faded with every step. Now was the time to be strong.
After the princess and Harmony left, Lance went to the control room. There, he mulled over the best way to get to Doom. The shiver that accompanied the thought was involuntary. Every time he looked down at his left arm and beheld the skull motif tattooed there, he was forever reminded of their imprisonment. He'd be lying to himself if he said he was looking forward to going back.
Pushing aside thoughts of the past, Lance concentrated on the present. Doom would be difficult to approach undetected. From what he recalled, a large electrical field surrounded it. Zarkon's ships were protected from it, but anything else would be reduced to nothingness upon contact. Lance rubbed his chin in thought, then brightened. The atomizer! Smiling at his genius, he turned round only to see the princess enter the room alongside Harmony. He could not keep from staring.
Harmony now wore a gold and white uniform similar in design to his own. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and held in place with a white band. When she passed beneath the lights, the uniform material shimmered.
"Well," he managed, wanting to sound nonchalant but unable to. "When Keith said she needed a uniform, I didn't realize we had one in her size."
"Lance, don't tease her," the princess said with an indulgent smile. "This uniform is very special."
"I can tell," he said, shifting his gaze to Harmony again. She chuckled, her cheeks reddening a bit. "What makes it special?"
"The engineers heard about Harmony's dependency on light, so they designed this uniform to absorb Arus' sunlight. It'll keep her stabilized even off-planet," the princess explained.
"Ah," he said. "Like photosynthesis."
"Not exactly," Harmony said, surprising Lance. So, she'd questioned the engineers. He found himself growing more and more impressed with her, as well as her bravery. "I don't need to be constantly bathed in light. Just long enough to fuel my powers. Without some exposure, I start to feel weak."
"And that's why your friends are unconscious?" Lance asked.
Harmony's face fell. "What happened to them was much worse than being denied their element."
The sadness in her eyes made him regret asking such a sensitive question. Intent on cheering her up, he smiled. "We'll save them. Are you ready?"
"I want to see them before we leave, if that's all right," Harmony answered.
Lance nodded, not about to deny her. If anything, the sight of her friends would strengthen her resolve.
Once reaching the medical room, Harmony approached the three cots. Keith, Hunk, and Pidge were already present. The first two stood at the end of Kaia and Anila's beds, respectively, but Pidge had pulled up a chair next to Vesta's. He looked like he had every intention of remaining by her side.
"How are they doing?" Lance asked the doctor standing nearest him.
The man shook his head. "Not well. We are doing what we can to stabilize them, but it looks rather hopeless at this point."
The news disheartened Lance. As he swept his gaze over the unconscious girls, he hoped they would be able to hold on until their return.
Harmony leaned over Kaia's bedside to place a kiss on her forehead. She did the same for Anila and Vesta. Just as she prepared to step back, Pidge turned toward her. His face was streaked with tears.
"Will she be all right?" he asked softly.
Harmony touched the top of his head, reminding Lance of a mother comforting a small child. "I'll make sure of it. I need you to stand aside for a moment. I don't want you caught in it."
Pidge wiped at his tears, sniffed, and nodded. Curious to see what she planned to do, Lance joined the others.
Harmony divided her gaze among the cots, her bottom lip disappearing as she bit down on it. She looked to be on the verge of tears. Seeing this made Lance realize that with her friends unconscious and Azura gone, Harmony was totally alone here. His heart went out to her.
All watched in silence as a ball of light manifested between her hands. Three smaller orbs branched off it, each one moving toward a cot. Harmony spread her hands. The light mimicked her movement, fanning out like a luminous blanket that covered each of her friends.
"What did you do?" Keith asked, breaking the awestruck silence that held everyone in thrall.
Harmony reached through the light to cup Vesta's cheek. "This barrier will prevent them from growing worse while we're away."
The sorrow in her tone indicated that this was a last resort, one Lance touched upon with his next question. "It won't make them any better either, will it?"
Harmony glanced over at him, tears in her eyes. "No. And it won't last long."
Now that the opportunity to comfort her presented itself, Lance approached her, only Hunk beat him to the punch. He stepped up to Harmony and, hesitantly, laid his big hands on her slender shoulders. She leaned against him, briefly.
"Then you'd better hurry up and save them. Like the princess said, we'll take good care of them. You just worry about getting Sven and Azura away from Zarkon," he said, hissing out the dreaded king's name.
Harmony turned to face him, an appreciative smile on her face. "Thank you, Hunk. That means a lot to me."
Hunk's cheeks flushed when she gripped his hand. Lance and Keith exchanged amused glances, then gripped each other's hand in a gesture of farewell.
"Be on your guard, Lance. Zarkon lost us once before, and having Sven as his prisoner may spurn him to be on the lookout for the rest of us," Keith cautioned.
Lance bowed his head in understanding. He had no intention of becoming Zarkon's captive again. He bid farewell to Hunk and Pidge, but when it was the princess's turn he found himself at a loss of what to do. He couldn't exactly shake her hand or give her a pat on the back. Taking a page from Keith's book, he saluted her. She smiled and nodded at his gesture.
Harmony embraced the princess and turned to Lance. Her expression was firm. "I'm ready."
