Chapter 9
Crystal Venom
I was really tired after our first mission of saving the Balmera, but Coran wanted us present in the detainment room. He went into my room ordering me to get up and did not even allow me to get ready properly. We were finally going to get information out of Sendak. I guess that's one of the reasons I did not want to go.
Coran was placing a type of device of Sendak's pod and connecting it on the cylinder next to it.
"Ok guys, Sendak is almost all hooked up but look I have to warn you, this technology was used to keep memories alive not to interrogate prisoners." Coran explained.
"Coran, we understand that this wasn't what the technology was meant for but if we can extract Sendak's memories, then we may be able to gain valuable information of Zarkon's troop locations." Shiro said.
He seemed the most eager out of all of us to get this information, everyone else looked tired, except Lance.
"Yeah, then we can just be like. "knock-knock. Who's there? The legendary fury of Voltron son!" Lance joked.
"Fascinating. So how exactly does it work?" Pidge asked Coran with her face plastered on the cylinder's glass.
"As the memories are extracted, there written bit by bit on individual molecules of the micro-storage strands." Coran explained.
"When I go, I want all the stuff in my brain stored into a giant ship." Lance said with a dreamy face.
'"The amount of information in your brain could be stored in a paper airplane." Keith said sarcastically making me laugh.
Lance frowned.
"Oh yeah! Well the amount of information you have Keith could be..."
"Yeah?" Keith pushed.
"It's less than what I have!" Lance said.
"Oh, good one Lance!" Hunk praised.
"What about you Taylin, don't you want your memories kept alive?" He asked me.
"We Drakie have our own way of keeping memories alive, but it's a secret." I winked.
"Aww come on." He whined.
"Nope, not telling."
"So, this is how you incorporated king Alfor's memories into the Castle of Lions?" Pidge asked curiously.
"Precisely but it has never been attempted on an unwilling participant." Coran answered.
Coran finally got it to work and the cylinder began to glow a faint blue color.
"Uh, is this what suppose to happen?" Hunk asked.
The pod looked empty, I guess that Sendak was not giving up information without a fight.
"Let's give it some time." Shiro said crossing his arm and standing in front of the pod.
Time passed, and nothing happened. I began to pace around the room, not wanting to look at Sendak. I had a feeling that if I looked at him, I would eject him into space. Hunk fell asleep standing up and fell down, surprisingly he stayed asleep when he did. Everyone started to leave one by one. Keith took his leave and went to train, Pidge went back to the Green Lion's hangar, and Hunk went to get something to eat. Shiro kept standing there without even flinching. I stopped pacing and looked at his back wanting nothing more than to take a peek into his mind and know what he was thinking, but my conscience told me not to intrude in his privacy.
Coran broke the silence.
"Well I'm afraid I can't wait here any longer either. I have a million duties to attend to. Between the Galra crystal infection and performing the Balmera rejuvenation ceremony, the old Castle of Lions has taken quite a beating." Coran said stretching his arms.
"I'll stay here. Somewhere in Sendak's mind is the information that we need." Shiro said still not turning around.
Lance stood up from the floor.
"Ok well while you guys do that, I think I'm gonna get my chill on. Maybe kick back with a lemonade or space juice or something." He muttered.
He was about leave but Coran stopped him.
"Hold on there space juice, you're gonna come and help me."
Lance whined.
"What? Why me...why don't you ask Taylin to help you?"
"Because she is a queen and has other duties and because your activity isn't really important."
I gave him a smirk and waved at him.
"W-wait did I say chill with a good lemonade? I meant I gotta do homework." Lance quickly said.
"Nope, too late." And Coran dragged him off.
I decided that I needed a shower since Coran woke me up too early for this, I did not even get the chance to do so.
"Call us if anything happens." I said to Shiro, but he didn't respond.
I went up to him and place a hand on his arm "Shiro?"
"Huh? Oh yeah sorry, I will." He broke out of his concentration but went back to this state afterwards.
I walked out of there no longer wanting to be near Sendak and headed towards my room. The lights in the hallway started to flicker stopping me.
Coran is right, the castle did take a beating.
I continued walking and went inside my room, grabbed my cloths, walked into my bathroom and decided to use the tub and relax. I turned on the faucet and started to fill, I touched the water to make sure that it was the right temperature but then the water began to come out in a rush. I tried to turn off the water, but nothing happened. Soon the water was spilling from the tub, I tried everything to shut it off. I decided to go find Coran to help me fix it, but the door would not open.
"What in the world?"
The room started to flood even more and was now at waist level. I this point I started to bang on my door.
"Can someone hear me! Coran! Anyone!?" I shouted.
Suddenly something grabbed me from behind by my throat and pulled me under. I tried to get away and pulled at what I saw was the detachable shower head after a few ticks of struggling. I began to run out of oxygen and used my powers to tear it up, I got up and gasped for air. The only way I was getting out of here was to break down the door. I shifted the water to the side, so that I would stay in the bathroom, and not flood my bedroom. I grabbed a hold of the door, shifting the medal and broke it off. I exited and sealed the bathroom again. I put my hands on my knees taking deep breaths. The light in my room suddenly turned off, I gave a yelp and ran out. I ran in the hallway trying to find someone but then I heard a struggle and swords clashing. I turned around the corner and saw Keith fighting the Gladiator.
What is it doing outside the training room?!
"Keith!" I called to him, but I distracted him, and the gladiator was about to hit him. I sent a gust of wind knocking the gladiator to the wall.
"What's happening?" I asked him.
"I don't know!"
I heard someone hitting the airlock beside me as the gladiator stood up, it eye glowing a menacing red.
I turned to see who was pounding on the door and saw Lance in the air lock.
"Lance! What are you doing in there!?"
He kept hitting the door with his fists and Keith began to fight with the gladiator again.
"I need help because if you don't get me out of here right now, I'm gonna get sucked in to space!" He said panicked.
As if on cue the air lock opened, and Lance was trying with all his might to hold on. I was going to go open the door when Keith was knocked into me and the gladiator came to finish us off. I stood up quickly and pushed the open button causing us to almost get sucked into space, thankfully the gladiator got sucked out leaving us with one less problem. I was holding on to the side of the door and trying to reach my hand out to Lance. I was still too far away so I used the air being sucked out to my advantage and turned it around and he crashed into me, Keith closed the door. We let a sigh of relief and sat on the floor breathing heavily.
"What were you doing in the air lock?!" I asked Lance.
"Who was that guy?" He asked.
"He was trying to kill me!" Keith yelled.
"And why are you all wet?!"
"Well I almost drowned in my bathroom!" I yelled back.
"Well is it the castle cause that's who was trying to kill me!" Lanced yelled. We looked at each other and it dawned on us that it was true; we ran away in fear.
"Wait guys! The others must be in danger too." They stopped.
"Keith, Lance, go find Pidge and Hunk. I'll go check on Shiro."
I ran back to the detention room worried that the castle might have gotten to Shiro. I finally saw the door and ran in. I saw Shiro kneeling on the floor, as I got closer, I noticed Sendak was gone. There was a crack on the tube as if someone had punched it. I kneeled on the floor in front of Shiro, he looked scared. His forehead was covered in sweat and his eyes seem to be lost.
"Shiro what happened?!"
But he did not answer me, instead continued to breath heavily and look around the room lost.
I took his face into my hands.
"Shiro look at me, what ever happened its over?" I tried to calm him. He seemed to breathe a little slower, but he still could not concentrate. I did not even know if he was registering the fact that I was here. I had no idea what to do, I felt desperate to get Shiro back. I turned his face toward me again and on impulse, I kissed him on the lips. I felt his soft lips against mine and I closed my eyes.
Please come back to me.
Shiro finally came back to his senses and registered what was happening. I pulled my lips away and pressed my forehead to his and slowly opened my eyes. He was looking at me surprised at what I had just done. He placed his hands on mine still holding his face and gazed deeply into my eyes.
"Taylin..." he breathed my name.
I pulled my hands away and wrapped my arms around him tightly and buried my face in his neck. I felt how he slowly circled his arms around me hugging me closer to him. I rubbed my right hand on his back, reassuring him that I was here for him.
"Sendak is gone...he can't hurt us anymore." I whispered, and I felt him hold me tighter.
"Shiro! Taylin!" I heard Pidge cry and run into the room.
"Wow!" She exclaimed when she saw us.
Shiro and I quickly pulled away as the others came in running.
"Were ok." I said with my face heated.
"Where's Sendak?" Keith asked.
"I-I had to get him out. I was hearing his voice, he-he can't be trusted on this ship!" Shiro replied still a little panicked and leaned against the memory cylinder.
"It's the ship! I get stuck in a cry-pod then in an airlock. Taylin almost drowned in her bathroom. Keith got attacked by a robot. Hunk and Pidge got attacked by food. It's been a weird morning." Lance finished.
Shiro looked at me in worry when Lance mentioned what had happened to me but then he turned away with a bit of pink on his cheeks.
Why? I thought confused.
Then I remembered and looked down at myself, my wet clothes where revealing too much of my body. I tried to cover myself by crossing my arms. The alarms went off and a screen appeared.
"What?! How's that possible?" Coran said shocked.
"What is it?" Keith asked.
"The ship is starting a wormhole jump!" He said, and I thought of Allura. Between all the commotion, I had forgotten to check up on her. I ran towards the control room and everyone else followed soon after. I got there and saw Allura in her sleeping robe with her hands on the castle's controls.
"Allura what's going on?" Shiro asked.
"We're going to Altea. We're going home, my father is taking us." She said dazed. I ran towards her but was blocked by a shield, King Alfor's face appeared on the screens.
"Stay away from my daughter!"
"Allura! You must wake up! This is not real, please listen to me." I cried.
"The crystal must have corrupted King Alfor's artificial intelligence. Its taking over!" Coran explained.
The castle exited the worm hole and a giant red star appeared before us.
"I can see Altea!" Allura exclaimed.
Coran ran to the barrier and pounded his fists on it.
"Allura! Allura! Wake up! What you're seeing isn't real!" He cried out.
Allura seemed to pick up something invisible.
Coran banged on the barrier again "Where is the sweet smell of the jumble berries?"
Allura seem to smell something and gasped.
"That's not Altea!"
"When that star goes super nova, it'll destroy the entire system. Allura you have to reset the course to get us out of here." Pidge said.
Allura turned around and placed her hands on the controls but she received a shock that send her tumbling out of the barrier, I caught her before she fell.
"Father please, I beg you to turn this ship around." Allura pleaded.
"If you don't do it soon, we will all perish."
"I know, that is my intention." He said.
I gasped and hugged Allura closer.
"Don't you see dear daughter? Zarkon can never be defeated. He's been ruling for 10,000 years." He said, and his hologram started to flicker.
"But we must continue to fight!" Allura said and she squeezed my hand.
"Father please. The Paladins and I can stop Zarkon. Somewhere in there you must want that to happen."
Then the hologram flickered again and King Alfor's face changed.
"Allura! My A.I has been corrupted. You must disconnect my power source!" And just like that he was gone.
"We can still smell the blossoms every morning, just the two of us. Remember how much you loved that." He continued.
"I do... I'll see you soon father." She whispered.
She let me go and looked at the others.
"I got to get into the A.I chamber so that I can disconnect my father's power source manually. I need you to get into your lions and slow the castle's decent."
"But that means...losing King Alfor forever." Coran said.
Allura looked at him with sadness, I took her in my arms and whispered to her.
"Be brave, my sister."
We got to our lions and flew in front of the castle. I put White into position and pushed against the ship. The star was coming up fast, we seemed to have only slowed it down a bit. The heat was starting to get unbearable inside the cockpit.
"Paladins get back in your hangars! We are leaving!" Allura's voice brought relief to me and I brought my lion into the castle. Allura opened a wormhole and we were able to escape the super nova.
Back in the main control room, I finally had dry clothes on. I sat next to Allura on the platform, she looked pained.
"I'm sorry about your father Princess." Shiro said.
"We all are." Hunk added.
I gave Allura a hug.
"I know our fathers are gone, but you will always have me. I am not leaving you." I said softly.
"Thank you." She answered and returned the hug. She hugged me so tightly as if she was afraid I would disappear.
"But that was not my father." She let go and stood up. "The real King Alfor was a great man, and a great father. He may not be here with us, but his dream lives on through all of us. King Glerd was also a very kind and brave man." She said to me. "And their legacy is Voltron." She finished, I stood up to hug her once again.
Coran ordered Allura to head to be bed after the tiring day we had. Everyone started to leave the control room until it was only Shiro and I. I felt a twisted feeling in my stomach as I looked at the floor. After what I had done, I didn't know what to do.
"Hey" he said.
And walked to me.
"Look at me." He lifted my chin up.
I looked into his eyes, eyes that I have become so accustomed to. Eyes that I could see myself reflected on them. He rubbed his thumb on my chin and then traced my lower lip.
"I'm sorry for being so forward." I said.
He held my gaze for a few more ticks and he finally spoke.
"Don't be."
He lowered his face closer to me, our noses inches apart.
He looked to my lips and then my eyes as if asking permission, then he connected his lips to mine. I felt this strange feeling in my stomach and my mind only thought of him. He moved his lips and I moved them as well. Soon we were both in synchrony and he depended the kiss. I placed my hands on his chest and he placed them on my waist bringing me closer to him. Alas this moment had to end, we let go with heavy breathing and he placed his forehead on mine.
"You have no idea how long I been wanting to do that." He said out of breath.
"I now know why I fought Sendak and I put myself in harm's way... it was for you." I realized and that feeling the I felt when I saw Shiro fly to my side when Sendak hit him, that click inside of me.
"I care about you...I..."
He cut me off by pressing his lips to mine again, I felt like sprouting my wings and taking flight. A warm feeling spread through my body making me feel even more alive. He broke the kiss, took a step back and took my left hand in his, intertwining our fingers together.
"I care about you too." He said. "Come on, we need get some rest after the events of today."
He pulled me alongside him, exiting the control room hand in hand. We made our way to our rooms, he stopped in front of my door and leaned down to kiss my forehead.
"Goodnight. If you need me, I'm just across the hall." He whispered.
He let my hand go and smiled at me before walking into his room. My hand felt cold after his warmth left me, wanting nothing more than for this moment to never end. I finally understood what I was feeling all dose times when I looked at him causing my face to heat up or what stopped me when I was about to hit him when I awoke. I found myself in his eyes. I broke out of thought before anyone found me just standing here staring at Shiro's door. I walked in my room and changed into my sleeping robe. I was too tired and dazed to deal with my bathroom right now. I removed my crown and climbed into bed.
I was deeply asleep when something woke me from my slumber.
Must always something disturb my sleep. I though as I rubbed my eyes.
I sat up and listened closely and there was the sound again. It sounded like a whimper and a yell, my eyes widened when I realized they were coming from Shiro's room. I got off my bed without taking the time to put on something on top of my thin sleeping garment and ran barefoot across the hall. I waved my hand over his door and it opened for me. When I walked in, it looked like Shiro was having a nightmare. He kept mumbling incoherent things and he was constantly moving. I walked closer to his bed and saw his face covered in sweat, it reminded me when I found him in the detention room. I took hold of both his shoulders and shook him.
"Shiro wake up." but nothing happened.
I tried shaking him again but that was getting me nowhere. I removed my hands from his shoulders and placed one on each side of his face. I reached out with my mind and I felt pain. He was in pain. Shiro was remembering what Sendak had said to him when he was in the pod. He called him a monster and that he was no better than him. Sendak taunted him, called him a failure, and laughed at him for thinking he could defeat Zarkon. I took hold of does memories and pushed them aside. I remembered the beautiful garden of my castle and I dragged his mind into mine. Suddenly, it was like I was really there, I could smell the fragrance of the flowers all around me, the water running in the nearby creek and the sound of the animals hiding among the plants. A breeze passed through the leaves brining chills to my arms.
"What is this place?" Shiro asked.
I turned around to look at him, he had a dumfounded look. He looked at his surroundings with amazement.
"This use to be my home. We are in my castle's garden, I'd come here when I wanted to get away from it all." I said.
"How-how are we here?" He asked confused.
"This is all a memory. I found you having a nightmare and pulled you out to bring you into my mind."
He looked at me as if I had grown another head.
"But this looks so real." He whispered touching a flower with his finger.
I walked up to him and grabbed his hand.
"My mind is a bit different from yours, I don't know if you remember this, but I told Lance in the detention room that we Drakie had our own way of keeping memories alive, and this is how we do it."
"I though you said it was a secret."
"And here I thought you don't pay attention." I chuckled.
"I like listening to your voice."
"Well yes, it is a secret because it involves reveling a closely guarded secret about our biology."
"What do you mean?"
I pulled him a long, we began to stroll through the garden.
"We Drakie have hearts like any other being that lives, but we have a second lifeline that we call our heart of hearts. It's a crystal that lies in the middle of our chest. It holds all our memories, our power, and most importantly our sole."
"So, you weren't kidding when you said you released your spirit when you attacked Sendak." He said with raised eyebrows.
I nodded.
"Taylin... if this is a close guarded secret, why are you telling me this?"
I stopped walking and looked down at the floor. He noticed, and turned around to look at me. I sighed.
"Is something wrong?"
"No" I looked up "everything is fine."
"You look worried."
"To answer your question...you're the second person that I have told this secret. The other person that knows this is Allura because I have trusted her for as long as I can remember, she is like my sister... I am telling you this because everything has become clear to me and the confusion clouding my feelings was removed."
I squeezed his hand and began to take small steps toward him.
"I could feel what you feel. Your pain became my pain, your sadness became my sadness and your happiness, became my happiness... I had never experienced this feeling in my life and therefore I did not understand, but now I do." I said with a smile.
"And what is it that you understood?" He said taking a step towards me.
"I chose you, without even knowing."
My words confused him.
"I chose you...as my mate." I cleared for him and placing my right hand on his chest.
He looked shocked at this news but then his expression changed, he picked me up and he kissed me with urgency. I returned the gesture and placed my hands on his hair. We broke apart and he placed me down on the ground but did not let go of my waist.
"That's a lot to process." he told me. "But I am glad you shared it with me." He smiled.
"I know it is and it's the same for me. Have patience with me, I'm quite new to this sort of things. My mother use to tell me about how she found her soulmate in my father but in all my years, this feeling caught me by surprise." I said.
"It's common for humans to fall in love, some might say that we are easily swayed." Shiro retorted.
I chuckled at his comment, "Who would have thought that the great Queen of the Drakie would be taken by surprise."
He laughed along with me.
I took a step back and he dropped his hands from my waist.
"Come let's keep exploring the garden."
He took my hand and we began to admire the garden. I remember when I use to hide here from Mother. She used to scold me for running away but always had a slight smile. We came into a clearing and I stopped. I knew that somewhere in this memory this would happen. In the clearing resting on the ground was my Drako. He was resting his head on the ground, the sun reflecting on his scales, they shined like thousands of azurites. His massive wings were neatly folded on each side like giant tents. Sometimes when I was just a little girl, nightmares would scare me, and I would run to him. He would sooth me back to sleep against his side and cover me with one of his wings.
He looked magnificent and I missed his so much. Storm had his eyes closed and looked to be deeply asleep.
"Wow is that a Dragon?!" Shiro exclaimed.
"Yes. He is my Drako."
He looked at me and back at Storm amazed like many others when they witness a Drako for the first time.
"Why don't we go see him." He asked, pulling my hand but I would not budge.
"No. He won't respond, remember he is a memory here. Since I awoke, our connection has been weak almost to the point of not existing. I have no idea where he is but one thing I do know, he is still alive. Somewhere out there, in this vast universe he waits for me." I said with sadness. "I miss him so much...he was always there for me when I needed him. Our lives where connected in so many different ways."
"How?" Shiro asked looking down at me.
"When a Drako is bonded with a Drakie, they create a very strong bond. Our lives become dependent of one another...let me put it this way, if a Dragon dies their partner can keep on living but if the Drakie dies...so does their Dragon."
I closed my eyes not wanting to see Storm any longer. I felt hollow inside, his presence was always near but now, I could not feel him. I shut my eyes tight trying to push away the pain and when I reopened them, we were back in Shiro's room. He opened his eyes looking dazed at what he had witnessed. He saw me and took me into his arms bringing me into his lap.
"I'm sorry. I know he was important to you." And he kissed the top of head.
We stayed like this, comforting each other until our eyes closed slowly and we fell asleep.
Thanks for reading!
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