Chapter 22: Reunited
Charoite waved at his fans as they gathered around him, gleefully signing autographs, allowing the children to hang off his lower set of arms and posing for the camera.
"Alright, that's enough for today." He eventually said. "I'll see you guys at the next race."
He threw up finger guns at the crowd.
Charoite would have loved to stay and soak up the attention for longer, but he had to get back to Loki, the Vanx was no doubt hungry by now and preferred Lance's cooked meals rather than anything they tried to feed him out of a can, meaning Lance had to be there to feed the Vanx.
Parting from the disheartened crowd, Charoite decided to take the scenic route through a rather pretty park, Loki had had a large breakfast, so he could afford to wait for his lunch.
Charoite stretched his four arms as he walked, rubbing them uncomfortably. He'd been fused for too long, and while Lance and Iolite had a good friendship, they didn't have a strong enough bond to maintain Charoite for a long time without it becoming uncomfortable and a strain for the fusion. They would need to un-fuse once they managed to find somewhere more private.
"Uh, Charoite?" A voice called from behind him.
Charoite frowned at how familiar voice was before turning around with a grin on his face, intending to greet what he thought was a fan.
Instead, when he looked down, he received the shock of his life at the painfully familiar face of Shiro.
"Could I talk to you?" Shiro asked, not taking notice of the turmoil racing through Charoite or the slight glow of his skin as he fought to remain fused.
Shiro was the only one there, the Paladins having split up to find Charoite after the racer disappeared, which had been surprising for someone so big.
"You see, I'm looking for my teammate and am wondering if you might know him." Shiro continued.
"Shiro!" Charoite finally managed to get over his shock, picking the Black Paladin up like he weighed nothing and hugging him tightly.
"Uh…" Shiro said at suddenly finding himself in a stranger's arms.
"You're here!" Charoite said happily, spinning around with Shiro still in his arms. "You're alright! I missed you so much!"
"It's nice to meet you too." He said in case hugging strangers was part of Charoite's culture and he didn't want to offend. "But how do you know my name? Do we know each other from somewhere?"
"Oh, right." Charoite said in realisation, placing Shiro down gently. "You wouldn't know me." He looked down at himself. "I'm not Lance right now."
"Wait, you know Lance?" Shiro asked, slightly confused by Charoite's wording. "Do you know where he is?"
"Well, yeah." Charoite said, wondering how exactly to tell Shiro that Lance made up part of him. Maybe just un-fuse and hope his leader didn't get too shocked?
"Where is he?" Shiro asked in relief. "My team and I really need to find him."
"Wait, the rest of Voltron is with you?" Charoite asked.
"We're all here looking for Lance, and we have been for a long time, so we'd really appreciate if you told us where he is." Shiro told him.
"They're all here for me." Charoite whispered to himself, smiling behind one of his hands. He then looked at Shiro. "That's easy, because Lance is…" He paused before he could explain his identity as a fusion.
'Let's have a little fun first.' A voice said from within Charoite, causing him to fight back a grin.
"…staying with me." Charoite finished. "I've been letting him stay on my ship while he sent out his signal for you guys to pick up."
"Thank you." Shiro smiled. "Can you take me to him?"
Charoite hummed. "I'll go check the ship, and his usual hang outs if he's not there." He said. "You can go gather your team in the meanwhile and meet back here."
"Thank you for your help." Shiro said, offering his hand. "I look forward to the rest of my team meeting you as reuniting with Lance."
Charoite smiled and shook his hand, the both of them heading separate ways, Charoite to his ship and Shiro to gather up his team.
"This is stupid, pointless and the others are going to chastise us for it." Charoite said as he made his way back to his ship.
"Yeah, but it'll be worth it for the look on their faces when we un-fuse in front of them." He then said.
Charoite lent against a fountain, sipping the drink he had just bought. With Loki fed and hanging out in a tree not far from him, all that was left was for him to wait until the Paladins to show up, so he could finally un-fuse and Lance could reunite with them.
At least, that had been the plan until some certain race losers showed up.
"What's up, sasquatch?" Charoite asked as Maxus and Malus stormed up to him, followed by some more of their species.
"We never lose!" Maxus declared.
"Well, you did today." Charoite rolled his eyes.
They growled at him.
"We're going to make you pay for that embarrassment." Malus promised darkly.
Charoite signed, putting down his drink.
"You guys are some sore losers." He said. "But if you want to fight…"
Charoite held out the arm with Iolite's gem on it and summoned her bladed gauntlet, he then placed another hand to his thigh where Lance's gem was exposed through a hole in the suit (Syd had insisted on the hole after the gem created a bump in the skin-tight suit) and summoned a blue ornate arrow, which he then placed on top of the bladed gauntlet, both weapons glowed and merged together, creating a new gauntlet.
"Let's fight." Charoite finished.
Maxus, Malus and their cronies attacked as Charoite danced out of the way, arrows of energy firing out of his fusion weapon and striking the attackers from behind, causing them to cry out in pain.
"Come on, I can fight you guys with two hands behind my back." Charoite taunted, putting his lower two arms behind his back. "Woah!"
He barely dodged out of the way from a laser shot.
"Should have seen that coming." Charoite joked to himself, dodging out the way of another shot.
It seemed that some of his attackers had the fortitude to bring guns.
"So, you've got some fire power." Charoite said. "Looks like I'll need to add to my own." He reached into his jacket.
…
It was at that time that the rest of the Paladins, Coran and the Blue Valkyries arrived at the park.
"I can't wait to see Lance again." Hunk said excitedly. "And I bet he'll be so happy to see us too."
"I wonder if he's been up to anything other than being on the run from Homeworld and the Galra and sending us his signal." Pidge said. "Maybe he's picked up a new language or something."
"Lance does pick up new languages fast." Hunk agreed.
"I hope he hasn't gotten hurt." Allura worried.
"Charoite didn't mention anything about Lance getting hurt." Shiro assured.
"Charoite?" Citrine wondered aloud. "That sounds like a Gem name, though I don't know any Gem types by that name.
"And the Gem Lance is traveling with is meant to be an Iolite." Peridot said.
"They were purple." Hunk said. "But they were bigger and had four arms."
Howlite hummed and turned to Pearl. "Fusion?" She asked the other Gem.
"Possibly." Pearl shrugged.
"Looks like Charoite's gotten into some trouble." Keith said, pointing ahead of them.
They all looked over to see Charoite being attacked by the racers he'd beaten as some more of their kind, firing at them from an arrow gauntlet on his wrist and avoiding blaster fire.
"Let's help them out." Shiro said.
The other nodded in agreement, but before they could leap into action, they all saw what Charoite had just drawn from out of his jacket.
Charoite held the red bayard in the opposite hand to his other weapon, it then glowed as it changed shape to wrap around his wrist, giving him another arrow-launching gauntlet to match the first.
"Why isn't the red bayard with Lance?" Allura questioned.
The sight of the red bayard in the hands of someone who was not Lance made all of them pause their decision to help Charoite in his fight.
Thankfully, Charoite proved more than capable of handling himself, dancing out of the way of attacks while firing back his own, even doing a backflip while he did just because he could.
"Okay," Charoite eventually said. "I'm board of this, time to take you guys out.
Charoite turned to the fountain and raised his arms, everyone watching in awe as the water from the fountain floated up, the fusion then turned rapidly and threw his arms at Maxus and Malus and their thugs, hitting them with the water. The paladins and Blue Valkyries then watched in shock as the water solidified around the thugs into purple crystal, rendering them unable to move but with their heads still free.
"Well, that takes care of that." Charoite dusted off his hands. "Maybe next time don't take on someone more powerful than you."
Charoite then un-summoned his fusion weapon and reverted the red bayard back to its default form.
"You guys can come say hi, you know." Charoite turned his head towards where the paladins and Blue Valkyries were.
They quickly walked over to him as Charoite picked up his drink again and leant against the fountain.
"Where's Lance?" Shiro asked.
"He'll be here shortly." Charoite grinned.
"Why do you have Lance's bayard?" Keith questioned. "Why wouldn't he have it?"
Charoite continued to grin. "Guess." He teased.
"Only two situations come to mind." Allura said. "Either he gave it to you for protection, which I doubt you need considering what you can do, or you took it for him."
"Technically speaking, it can be both." Charoite joked, knowing the others wouldn't get it.
"What does that mean?" Pidge asked in frustration.
"What have you done with Lance?" Keith grew impatient, drawing the black bayard and turning it into a sword.
Shiro quickly held him back from actually pointing the sword at Charoite.
All the paladins and Coran frowned at the purple alien. The Blue Valkyries, however, had a different reaction.
"It's you, isn't it?" Blue Pearl practically skipped over the Charoite. "You've got too much of his cheeky smile for him not to be in there."
Charoite smiled, realising that his family had seen through his fusion.
"Hi, Pearl." Charoite said, embracing the Gem gently in his lower arms.
"How is this even possible." Peridot questioned, looking the fusion over. "We thought you couldn't fuse.
"I guess you learn all sorts of new things when you're in space." Charoite shrugged, releasing Blue Pearl.
All of the Paladins were thoroughly confused at this point, but it was Pidge who burst first.
"What's going on?" She shouted in frustration. "Why are you acting like you've already met? What are you even talking about? And where's Lance?"
"Oh, right, they don't know about fusion." Carnelian said.
"Young man, I think this has gone on long enough." Blue Pearl chastised Charoite.
"Yeah. To answer your question as to where Lance is," Charoite turned to the Paladins. "You're looking at him."
"Wait, what?" Hunk asked.
"You're Lance?" Keith questioned. "But you look nothing like him. Lance doesn't have purple skin and hair, he only has one set of arms, he isn't twice as tall, and I'm pretty sure you're too feminine to be Lance."
Charoite couldn't help himself and began laughing, putting one had over his mouth while the other three went around his stomach as he shook uncontrollably.
Charoite then began to glow until he was nothing but white light, his shape melting down into two smaller figures. The light then vanished to reveal Lance and Iolite laughing as they leant against each other, much to the shock of the Paladins.
"Lance?" The Paladins cried.
"Hey, guys." Lance waved as he managed to stop laughing.
Iolite barely managed to move away from Lance in time to avoid getting hit as Pidge threw herself at Lance and latched onto him.
"Oof! Hey, Pidge." Lance wrapped his arms around the younger girl to support her weight.
He then had to fight for breath as both he and Pidge were hugged by Hunk.
"I missed you so much." Hunk cried.
"I missed you too, big guy." Lance wheezed.
The other Paladins and Coran quickly joined in on the group hug, refusing to let go for several minutes. They eventually had to let go after it became awkward.
"I have so many questions." Hunk said. "Where have you been? When did you manage to turn into Charoite? How did you turn into Charoite? And have you gotten older?"
The paladins looked at Lance and realised that he had indeed gotten older by at least a couple of years, his hair was even a few inches longer with slight curls on the ends.
"I have?" Lance questioned, going over to the fountain to check his reflection.
He hadn't realised he'd been getting older, but then again, he had been spending a lot of time as Charoite in the past week.
"How have you gotten older?" Pidge questioned. "You've only been gone for a couple of months. Did you go somewhere that displaces time or something?"
"I don't know?" Lance shrugged.
"It's because Lance is part Gem." Howlite explained. "Our physical forms can often reflect our maturity and it's the same for Lance. We hadn't noticed, but his family said that he had stopped aging once he reached seventeen. Do you feel more mature than when you left Earth, Lance?"
"I guess." Lance said.
"Wait, if you stopped aging at seventeen, how old are you?" Hunk asked.
"Twenty-one, though I could be wrong since it's hard to keep up with Earth time in space." Lance answered.
"Twenty-one!" The paladins exclaimed.
"Yep." Lance nodded.
"How'd you get past the Garrison?" Pidge asked. "They would have questioned it if you applied with your real age?"
"My age had generally been consistent when I applied, and I guess none of the instructors took notice that I wasn't aging after a while. And when they put me in a younger class, I didn't complain so I didn't draw attention to how I should have been older." Lance explained.
"Okay, Lance is older that he looks because he's a hybrid." Hunk said. "Onto my other question, how did you and her become a large alien with four arms?" He pointed at Lance and Iolite.
"Fusion." All of the Gem present answered.
"What's fusion?" Pidge asked eagerly.
"How about we answer that later." Howlite suggested. "Once Lance has been settled back in with us, and we've gotten to know his fusion partner."
Iolite waved when all heads turned to her.
"I agree." Shiro said. "It's been an exhausting past couple of months for everyone and I think it'd be best for us all to enjoy that we're all together again."
"Let's head back to the Castle of the Lions, then." Coran said happily. "We can prepare some food and drink while we catch up."
"Sounds good to me." Lance smiled. "Loki!"
The other Paladins watched as a small and fluffy alien hopped out of a nearby tree and ran over to Lance.
"This is Loki, my pet Vanx." Lance introduced.
"Hi." Loki said, sniffing around the Paladins.
"I haven't seen a Vanx since I was traveling around with my grandad." Coran commented. "He looks a bit different from what I remember, though."
"It's been ten-thousand years since your time, his species has evolved since then." Iolite said, rubbing Loki between the ears.
"He sort of attached himself to us." Lance said. "He likes anyone who feeds him."
"Then prepare to lose him to Hunk." Pidge joked.
"What do you say little guy?" Hunk join in on the joke. "You want to some food?"
"Food! Food! Food!" Loki jumped up and down excitedly, grabbing onto Hunk's vest.
"We just fed you." Lance said exasperated.
"More food! More food!" Loki insisted, causing everyone to laugh.
"Come on." Shiro insisted. "Let's get back to the castle.
"So, let me get this straight." Hunk said as they all gathered in the common room of the castle. "You-" He pointed at Iolite. "Lured Lance into a trap and kidnapped him under orders from your Diamond otherwise you would have been 'shattered'. Then, once you realised they'd kill him, broke him out and went on the run with him. You both landed on Valux where you got a new ship, picked up Loki, learned that you could fuse and then left the planet to escape the Galra. And finally arrived on this planet where you sent out your distress signal and got a job as a Star Racer, as Charoite, while you waited."
"Pretty much, yeah." Lance and Iolite agreed.
"I'm amazed you survived long enough to escape in the first place." Blue Pearl said. "I thought you'd be shattered on sight for not being a pure Gem and carrying the Gem of a Homeworld traitor."
"Apparently, Blue Diamond had some sort of deeper connection with mum." Lance said. "Though, I guess she realised that I wasn't my mum and decided to have me killed then."
"Lance was just lucky that I managed to overhear the Diamonds planning to kill him." Iolite said.
"I'm surprised you were willing to risk shattering to save Lance." Blue Pearl said. "Considering you brought Lance to Homeworld."
"Honestly, I didn't have time to think of the consequences after I overheard the Diamonds, I was running on autopilot until we actually managed to escape. All I knew, is that I had to get Lance off Homeworld."
"Well, despite being the reason Lance was taken away, we thank you in your sacrifice to return Lance to us." Allura told Iolite.
"Speaking of which." Lance said. "Can Iolite stay with us? She's sort of on the run from Homeworld now."
"I suppose." Allura said hesitantly.
"It'd be good for some more help around the castle." Coran piped in.
"I'll be sure to do my part." Iolite assured. "I'm pretty knowledgeable about most habitable planets and species from all the chronicling I've done."
"Would you mind updating the castle's records then? More than once they've said a planet is peaceful when it's not." Keith said.
"Yeah, I can do that." Iolite said.
Most of the group sighed in relief.
Pidge then yawned, followed by Hunk, then Lance. Soon, all of them were yawning.
"With all that's happened, I think it's time for an early night." Shiro said from behind his hand after he yawned.
The others hummed in agreement but none of them moved.
"I don't really want to be alone right now." Lance was the first to admit.
"I know the feeling buddy." Hunk said. "I know that you're finally back, but I feel like I wouldn't be able to sleep without being able to see you there when I open my eyes."
"We have to sleep though." Keith said quietly.
"I think I know how we can solve this problem." Lance shared a knowing look with Pidge and Hunk.
"Slumber Party!" All three yelled.
"That sounds like a marvellous idea." Allura said.
Shiro nodded in agreement.
"Yeah sure." Keith said.
"I'll get the pillows!"
"I'll get the blankets!"
"I'll make some snacks!"
Everyone walked off to do their own task in organising the impromptu slumber party.
Except for Iolite, who was walking towards the castle door.
"Where are you going?" Shiro stopped to ask.
"I'm still a stranger to everyone but Lance." Iolite said. "It would feel like I was intruding if I tried to join in."
"Are you sure?" Shiro asked in concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I won't make it a habit to exclude myself from group activities or anything." Iolite reassured. "But this is something that needs to be for you guys. Besides, I need to sort some things out before we leave the planet, what we're going to do with Lance and I's ship and cancelling Charoite's contract with our race manager."
"Can you just cancel the contract?" Shiro asked, concerned Iolite might get into trouble.
"Well, it's still got a few more races in it before it expires, but that doesn't matter since it's null and void anyway. The contract was signed by Charoite, and Charoite doesn't exist anymore." Iolite grinned.
"Is that how fusion works?" Shiro asked. "The fusion is a new person who ceases to be when unfused?"
"Basically." Iolite admitted. "Though it's more complicated than that. I'll explain after you've all had your slumber party and gotten reacquainted. Bye for now."
She then turned and left.
Shiro hummed before turning around himself and heading back to the common room where the Paladins and Blue Valkyries were setting up their temporary sleeping area, happy to be in the presence of each other.
The End