Erase, rewind
Wish I could every time
The hurt, the pain cuts so deep
But when I'm weak, You're strong
And in Your power I can carry on
And my scars say that You won't ever leave
They remind of Your faithfulness
And all You've brought me through
They teach me that my brokenness
Is something You can use
They show me where I've been
And that I'm not there anymore
That's what scars are for
-That's what scars are for by Mandisa
Breakthrough
The last few moments before becoming engulfed by darkness were a blur. The paladins nor Lotor could recall what happened afterwards, what they did know was that they were no longer inside their lions. In fact, Voltron was nowhere to be found. The group felt as though they had been catapulted a thousand feet into the air only to land on a thick layer of cement. When their bodies made contact with the cold surface it was as if their bones were made of glass and shattered to pieces. Thankfully, their bones remained intact regardless of the pain. Their heads throbbed and their visions were shaky. Allura's braid had come undone, her hair falling out from her helmet. She felt her husband's gentle hands around her, helping her to stand upright.
She released a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she was holding when she saw her love's face. From the corner of her eye she saw Lotor helping Pidge back up while Hunk did the same for Lance. The red paladin thanked his friend with a pat on the back and rushed to his girlfriend's side, happy to find her in one piece.
"What happened? Where are the lions?" Hunk asked. He couldn't remember anything before the monster trapped them all in its clutches. A ghostly wailing filled the air and Hunk almost fell back, stepping away from something that moved beneath his feet. The paladins stood together in close proximity, seeing the most horrific creatures swimming beneath their feet like fish that had been polluted and mutated by a deadly oil spill. Their glowing yellow eyes, though appearing soulless, carried some levels of intelligence. It was as if they knew who the paladins were and why they were here, and they relished in their uncertainty and confusion.
"What is this?" Pidge asked, looking absolutely terrified. Somehow, these strangely mutated fish-looking beasts were more disturbing than anything she had ever witnessed. She quickly realized it wasn't so much their anatomy that fazed her, but instead it was the energy that emanated from them whenever they moved. It was dark, and cold, like icy water running down her spine. She wanted to run yet couldn't find the strength to command her legs to move. The rest of the paladins felt the same sensation, fear, dread and frustration ignited within them.
But none were more terrified than Lotor. He could not only hear the creature's whispers and wails, but he understood what they were saying as though they were speaking straight into his very soul.
Fool...
Failure...
Your end...
Give in...
The darkness...
It calls you...
"No!" Lotor shouted, fists pressing against his head so hard they feared he would literally pop his own head right off. The paladins shifted their attention from the creatures and curled around Lotor, whose skin had become a pallid version of his normal coloring, as though the blood circulation in his body was slowly coming to a screeching halt.
"Lotor, what is it?" Lance asked, reaching out to Lotor. The poor fellow was trembling so much the others feared he was going through some kind of anxiety attack. He fell to his knees, his eyes bulging wide, his nails dug dangerously deep into his scalp and every inch of him trembled faster and faster, no doubt a sign that his heart rate was going dangerously fast.
Memories of his possession ran through his mind. Every act of evil he had committed in his life flashed before his eyes. The Alteans pleading for mercy, the stain of Narti's blood on his blade, and the saddened look of regret in his father's eyes before he perished at Lotor's feet, Keith and Krolia becoming lost in the Quantum Abyss, the looks of hurt and betrayal from the paladins when they learned the truth, as well as the looks of distrust from Acxa, Ezor and Zethrid. Everything came crashing back like a tidal wave smashing against a rock, powerful enough to shatter his mind to pieces.
"I can hear them." Lotor said in a state of sheer panic. "The voices. They won't stop. Make it stop!" He felt as though he would be driven insane from the memories he was forced to keep reliving.
"Lotor!" Allura, using her own strength, pulled Lotor's hands off of his head before he could inflict more self harm onto himself. "Don't listen to the voices, listen to me."
Lotor tried, but the screeching was too loud. Keith, like Allura, kneeled beside Lotor. Lance, Hunk and Pidge ignored the creatures, their focus now solely on their friend's unhealthy state. It was odd how their own fears disappeared nearly the instant after they saw how terrified Lotor was. But he needed them now more than ever. How could they let him face those terrors alone, especially after everything that had happened before. He was witness to his mother becoming possessed by a monster, and now he was reliving the memories of his past sins, sins he regretted more than anything in his entire existence.
"Lotor, listen." Keith spoke in a gentle tone, similar to the tone Shiro would often use to calm him down as well, back at the Garrison whenever he felt unsure of himself. "I know you're scared, but you're not alone. We're here. We're not leaving you."
"Breathe, buddy." Hunk rubbed Lotor's back to soothe him. So far, his breathing was slowing down, which in this case was a good thing. "In and out, in and out."
"The creatures will not hurt you." Allura said. It was strange, seeing Lotor like this was like seeing a child who had experienced a traumatic event. It reminded her of the time she experienced her first nightmare. She was so frightened she had cried her eyes out until her parents came over. Her mother had sang her lullaby and the young princess was able to sleep peacefully again. Perhaps it could work yet again.
Allura started humming the song her mother had taught her and she had sung to Ember when she was scared. Keith joined her, humming the familiar tune which seemed to be working. They both held his hands down to keep him from inflicting more pressure on his skull. Lance, Hunk and Pidge, though not as familiar with the tune as Keith and Allura were, knew enough to hum the chorus. Listening to the familiar tune, the tune which soothed his younger self to sleep all those years ago, it was enough to anchor him back to reality. The whispering voices in the dark diminished, becoming muted in his ears. The creatures beneath them screeched in anger as though the song was poison to their ears.
Lotor's color returned to normal and his eyes were no longer bulging. His clenched hands relaxed and he released a long sigh he hadn't known he was holding.
"Okay." Keith gently patted Lotor on the back as a non verbal way of saying 'good job'. "Let's not panic, we just have to put our heads together and figure this out."
"Right." Lance said, "Let's just retrace our steps and—WHAT THE QUIZNACK!"
Like something straight out of a horror film, the fishlike creatures transformed into sickly looking arms and reached out from the ground, black sludge dripping from their hands and fingertips. Keith and Allura helped Lotor to his feet only for two of the hands to wrap themselves around Allura's legs and began to drag her down. The ground suddenly turned from solid to liquid before their eyes.
"Allura!" Keith grabbed his wife and with the help of the others tried to pull her back up. More hands sprouted out, heaving Keith by the legs and shoulders, also dragging him down through the floor. Hunk, Pidge and Lance screamed as more hands reached out, grabbing their arms, legs and even their helmets to try and drag them down. Lotor was the only one whom the hands did not touch. Lotor's grip on Allura slipped and the last he saw of her was her frightened blue eyes staring back at him before becoming submerged in the black sludge.
"No! Allura!" Lotor shouted he tried to reach for her again but the floor turned solid again. He was still holding onto Keith, who was by now completely submerged save for the hand Lotor was gripping and the upper half of his head. Over his shoulder Lotor saw Lance fighting back the horrific hands, calling them disgusting slugs before being forced down. Pidge cried out her boyfriend's name before she too met the same fate as him. Hunk reached out his hand for Lotor, who reached out as far as he could while still trying to hold onto Keith, whose weight grew heavier, no doubt from the powerful grip of the shadow creatures. Lotor stretched as far as he could but he could barely brush Hunk's fingertips before he went down with the others.
"Hunk!" Lotor cried out. Keith was the only one left. Lotor held onto the Black Paladin, pulling and pulling until his bones popped But it was not enough. His fingers were slipping, the shadows were pulling him further down.
"No! Please!" Lotor shouted, tightening his grip on Keith's wrist so much he was sure he would injure the poor man, but Lotor knew if he loosed his grip Keith would be lost forever. With one hand as support, Lotor pulled back but in a matter of moments the hand was gone. Keith was gone. Allura was gone. Lance, Pidge, Hunk, they were all gone.
"NO!" Lotor's sword manifested and he continued to strike at the floor, creating ripples but nothing he did seemed to work. Not even a crack in the surface. He tried pushing himself through, pounding his fists against the surface but he couldn't reach through, nor could he see them. He saw nothing but darkness. That, and his own reflection staring back at him. Tears running down his cheeks and his hair a stringy mess, looking as unkempt as Haggar did. The image before him spoke more volumes than he wanted to admit.
Allura's words echoed in his mind: "You're just like your parents."
She didn't realize how right she was. Lotor really had become like his parents. In trying to gain everything, he had lost everything. Now, just like Zarkon and Haggar, he was all alone.
(~)
Pidge gasped for air, finding herself standing in the middle of what seemed to be some kind of pocket dimension. The floor beneath her was reflective, just like the one before, but everything around her was cloaked in a greenish colored glow. Stars and cosmic clouds loomed overhead, but she was all alone.
"Where am I? Hello? Guys, do you copy?" Pidge couldn't keep her voice from cracking. She had never felt more terrified in her life. Being stuck in an unknown location after being dragged down by a bunch of creepy looking hands and without the rest of her team or her lion was something she would consider to be her own worst nightmare. Worse than getting an A minus on a test. Worst than any of the teasing she received growing up for being the smartest kid in her class. No, all of those fell pale in comparison to this. Strange how growing up could change one's perspective of what fears them the most.
"Team, can you hear me?"
But even when she couldn't see nor hear her teammates, somehow Pidge felt that she wasn't entirely alone. There was someone present, but it didn't feel like someone she would wish to be alone with. This presence was dark and frightening. All of a sudden Pidge felt like she was a four-year-old girl again who used to be afraid of the monster under her bed. A hissing sound was heard and she felt a cold chill. With a shiver she turned around, coming face to face with the silhouette of a person. A person her size and shape, completely submerged in darkness but the outline was green colored and the eyes were a bright yellow. In its hand was a scythe, also glowing green. The shadowy form charged at Pidge, swiping the scythe at her. Pidge quickly dodged the swings and activated her shield for defense before being thrown across the floor.
(~)
"Hello! Anyone?" Hunk called out after being thrown across the floor by a dark form with a yellow/orange outline wielding a giant hammer. The shadow was in the same shape and size as Hunk. It was almost as if his very shadow had taken on a life of its own. Like Pidge, he too was trapped in a strange void with a yellow tint, but the darkness made it look more dark orange than anything.
Hunk activated his bayard, unleashing his cannon's blasts at the shadow, but it deflected the impacts by spinning its weapon, using it as a shield before throwing Hunk in the air again.
(~)
"Team! Something's severed our connection!" Lance shouted as he tried firing at the slim and nimble shadow with his twin laser guns. The creature fought with a lance (quite ironic), swinging it over Lance's head. The red Paladin unleashed a warrior's cry as he shot at the shadow in all directions, hoping that with two weapons he could get a better shot, but it seemed as though this shadow knew his every move. Lance was all for worthy opponents but this was asking for too much.
(~)
"Keith! Paladins! Please respond!" Allura cried out, unleashing her whip at the shadow version of a woman that bared a striking resemblance to herself, firing at her with energy arrows, one which struck her on the shoulder. She felt that pain and panic consumed her. Though her Altean bloodlines made her body resilient enough to shield the infant growing inside of her from much harm, it did not make her completely impenetrable. If this shadow creature managed to strike her in the stomach, or the heart, they were both finished.
"Why can you not hear me?!" She shouted, running and dodging the shadow's arrows. Nobody responded to her desperate cries for help. Not Keith, not Lance, nobody. She was completely alone and without backup. She wasn't just battling for her own life, but for the life of her child. And no doubt this monster could care less about the life of an innocent unborn.
This anger was enough to snap Allura out of her fearful state and attack. She charged at the shadow woman, imagining herself impaling the beast right in the chest. Nobody, and nothing was going to harm her baby. Not while this princess had any say in the matter. This maternal inspired rage reached the quintessence of her bayard, and to Allura's surprise, what manifested was not her signature whip, but instead what emerged was a staff. Long and blue, with the center handle being white, and on both ends were twin crystal globes, encrusted with what resembled Balemaran? crystals, from both orbs extended scythe-like blades which was enough to strike at the creature's shoulder, just as it did with Allura. It screeched in pain then disappeared in a patch of dark particles. Allura stared at her new weapon, breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush she received earlier. A joyous laugh escaped her breath at the transformation. She knew it was the love she felt for her child which triggered this new weapon, which in her eyes, was quite sufficient.
"Thank you, my little darling." She said, sensing the infant could hear her. Sadly, the fight was not over yet. She felt a dark presence and when she looked up she saw the shadow woman again, firing three arrows at her. Allura spun her staff around to block the incoming attacks.
(~)
"Allura! Anyone!" Keith cried out, blocking the swings of his shadow opponent with his own, but he couldn't hear his wife's voice. Not hers, not that of his teammates. Nobody.
Aside from Allura, Keith had never met someone who was on his level when it came to fighting. It was as if this shadow creature had all of Keith's skills and techniques recorded to memory. It was impossible, until Keith reminded himself that this creature most likely wasn't human. For all he knew, this shadow man was created by the rift creatures. That was the monster's game all along. Trap them inside its clutches and separate them in order to take them down one by one, knowing that without Voltron they would be at a disadvantage. But Keith refused to let the monsters get the last laugh. They had been taking advantage of others for far too long, he refused to let them continue their destructive ways.
Keith knew what he was fighting for. He was fighting to return to his friends, to his wife and unborn child. Nothing was going to keep him away from them, but he couldn't spend the rest of eternity fighting this shadow version of himself. The shadow creature saw an opening and threw Keith across the floor. Keith grunted as he got up, panting from the impact.
"There has to be a way out of here." He tried focusing his energy, his magic into reaching Allura. It worked before it should work now. But no matter what he tried he couldn't sense her, nor the other paladins, not even his own lion. It was as if they had become nonexistent. As though they no longer existed on the same plane of existence. It dawned on Keith just how much he longed to feel the security and love of his family again.
"I can't feel them."
(~)
Lotor kept punching and punching the floor but nothing happened. Even the ripples had stopped as though taunting his futile attempts to try and reach his friends. Why did the monsters grab them and not him? Why was he spared? Was this supposed to be merciful? It felt more like a cruel punishment. That was it. This was the monster's way of punishing him. For going against their wishes and wanting to make amends with the paladins. For this, they stripped him of the one thing that tethered him to reality. The one thing that awoke him from the nightmare creature's grip.
"Please," Lotor hung his head, hair over his face. He knew it was pathetic to ask, but he didn't know what else to do. "Take me instead. Do what you wish with me but spare them!"
You had your chance. The dark voices said. This time, Lotor did not ramble nor did he cower. He was not about to let the monsters get to him again. He wouldn't be weak, not while his friends were on the line.
You could have been given everything. But instead you chose to go against me. Against everything we worked for. You gave up your dream of being with Venta again, for these foolish creatures.
"No. Venta would never have wanted this." Lotor said, and he knew those words were true. The monsters had blinded him to the truth for far too long, he knew well enough that Venta would never be happy with the death of so many only so Lotor could see her once again. If she saw what he had done she would be heartbroken. He had failed her long ago, he couldn't save her and he tainted her memory by being selfish, now he would do what was right, even at the cost of his own life.
"Are you sure, Lotor?"
That voice... it couldn't be.
Lotor turned around and suddenly his environment became brighter. A sunrise loomed over the horizon, bathing her in a heavenly glow.
"My love. You've come for me."
"Venta?"
(~)
"I can't even feel my lion!" Pidge shouted as she dodged another of her dark shadow's attacks. The rest of the paladins continued to try in vain to reach each other and their lions, but every time they were left with nothing but silence, a silence which was broken not by the sounds of their companions but by the sounds of weapons firing and swinging at them.
Allura, especially, was growing more and more impatient. She swung her scepter, sending the last arrow away from her. The shadow woman shot another arrow, only for it to stop in mid air. Allura's outstretched hand glowed a bright blue, stopping the arrow from striking her. When she clenched her fists it crumbled to pieces. Her quintessence energy flowed through her like never before. Her anger towards the shadow woman fueled her, powering her to the point she felt she could take on an entire fleet of ships by herself. She knew it was the adrenaline speaking, a side effect from her new physical endurance from her pregnancy, but she would use whatever she had at her disposal to end this once and for all.
"I will not let you hurt us any longer!" She shouted and charged at the shadow woman, jumping into the air ready to strike her down. She felt a frightening satisfaction at the idea of seeing the monster laying lifeless on the floor.
As she leaped into the air to initiate the final blow it happened.
The shadow woman's form began to change, revealing armor underneath all of the black. A patch of white hair moved like mist and replacing the golden eyes were bright blues, identical to her own.
Allura stuck the landing, her staff reverting back to normal as she stood face to face with the woman.
"Who... what are you?"
"Most people would recognize their own shadow." The woman said speaking in a low almost sultry voice that made Allura feel uneasy and disgusted just by standing next to her. Even more horrific was that the voice which spoke the words was her very own.
(~)
Keith was getting sick and tired of getting thrown around like a rag doll by this creep. The idea of anything happening to his wife and child fueled the quintessence energy inside of him. His hands glowed a bright violet, rivaling the aura around the shadow, and just as the shadow was about to strike Keith reached out and grabbed the sword with his bare hands. His pupils became slits and he released a beastly roar, pinning the shadow down with his brute strength while holding the sword with his one hand. He could imagine himself impaling this chump, slicing his throat and pulling his limbs right off until he came clean to where his family was. The thoughts were frightening but Keith was too rage filled to even care.
"Where are my friends!" Keith demanded. "Where is my wife!"
The darkness of the form began to fade away like dust being blown in the wind. Keith could make out a familiar looking armor, face, hair and eyes. Her grip on the sword loosened, his Galra features reverting back to normal human form and he was thrown back by the force of the shadow, which was now a man standing before him.
"I think you mean our wife."
The man said with the face Keith saw every time he looked in the mirror. The shadow... was his own.
(~)
"Alright, that does it!" Pidge was growing sick and tired of this shadow, no larger than her, somehow managing to outsmart her every move. As admirable as it was, right now it was getting on Pidge's last nerve. She threw a punch at the shadow, which moved with the speed and fluidity of a snake, which only added to the creep factor of its appearance, but Pidge didn't back down. She was going to knock this thing down to size one way or another.
Pidge unleashed her bayard, creating the grappling hook to electrocute the shadow. The shadow, much to Pidge's shock, grabbed the hook without flinching. The darkness faded away, revealing her true identity to Pidge.
"You're... me?"
(~)
"I don't know who or what you are, but I'm tired of playing this game of cat and mouse!" Hunk said, his anger boiling. "I am getting out of here, I'm getting back to my friends, and you're gonna be shadow goop by the moment I'm through with you!"
Normally, Hunk was never this violent, but after fighting this thing with little to no results and being unable to reach his loved ones, Hunk's patience had finally worn thin. He had no idea he had it in him to be this aggressive, but it would seem everyone had a limit, one way or another.
No sooner after the words left his mouth, the shadow creature revealed himself to Hunk at long last. Just like with the others, Hunk was at a loss for words that his bayard reverted back to normal.
"What the..."
(~)
"That's it!" After shooting at this thing for what felt like hours, Lance puts his bayard weapons away and just grabbed the shadow creature's weapon, wrestling each other for dominance and Lance kicked the creature in the stomach, pulled the lance away from its grip and went for the throat. Lance had never felt such rage before, somehow fighting this thing made him wish he could knock him against the wall repeatedly until his lights went out. It was dark, but the thought of anything happening to Pidge and the others was getting to him so much that he couldn't think straight anymore.
"You tell me where my friends are right now or so help me I'll—" Lance couldn't finish his thought, whether it was from his conscience finally regaining control over him, or the revelation of who he was choking.
"You really do have such a low opinion about yourself."
Lance released the shadow creature, no longer a shadow but a young man. A young man of his size, his build, his skin tone, hair and eye color, and yes, a man with his exact same voice.
(~)
"What's happening?" Lotor said, standing before the love of his life. With a tentative hand he reached out and cupped her face. "You're... you're real?"
"Of course I'm real, Lotor." Venta held his hand, placing it over her heart. He could feel the thumping motion against his palm. She felt real and she sounded real. Lotor wanted to believe that she was really there, that she was truly standing before him, gazing into his eyes the way she did the day before she had been taken from him all those centuries ago. But as much as his heart yearned for it to be true the distant screeching sounds of the monsters in the air pulled him back. As horrific as the sounds were they were the only anchor he had to reality.
Regret flashed in his eyes as he stepped back from Venta, every inch of his body trembled, feeling a cold dread fall upon him like a shadow. Venta looked back at him with hurt in her eyes, which felt like a knife twisting in his chest.
"You can't be here." Lotor said, sounding much younger than he actually was. Like a frightened little boy lost in the woods with no one to guide him back home.
"But I am." Venta insisted with a soft smile. Lotor's ear twitched. For a moment her voice came out like a distant echo, as though she were much farther than she appeared to be.
"No. No, this is all a ruse. You're supposed to be dead."
"I was, but we can be together again, my darling. We can change the past. Change everything." Venta's slow, graceful steps drew her closer to Lotor. At one point he would be running at full speed towards her, wrapping his arms around her and never let her go again, but now his first instinct was to take another step back.
"We can't change the past, Venta. I can never take back what I have done."
"You're wrong. You know it is possible. With the power of the quintessence field we can reshape the universe in our image. The image you always desired."
Lotor froze at her words. Listening to her now, saying those words in her angelic and empathetic voice were completely out of place. Those were words Lotor used to say to himself as a means to compensate for all of his questionable choices. Hearing them out loud from the mouth of the woman he loved... it never felt more wrong.
"Why do you deny yourself?" Venta asked, her voice a mixture of an echo and a whisper that made Lotor's head spin, unable to tell what was up or down anymore.
(~)
"Why do you keep tormenting yourself like this?"
"What are you talking about?" Keith said, clenching his fists, refusing to show even a shred of weakness to this shadow version of himself. This had to be an illusion, a trick to try and make him snap.
"All of this fighting. Aren't you sick of it? Do you really believe that by defeating me things will magically be set right? And what if it doesn't? You and I both know it's never that simple."
"I don't have to listen to you!" Keith spat, his eyes becoming slits once again. "You're not real!"
"But I am, Keith. I am everything you deny about yourself. Every angry thought, every mistake, every moment of doubt. There is nothing you can hide that I don't already know."
The shadow's words ignited Keith's rage and he swung his sword, slicing the shadow in two, only for it to manifest itself again right behind him, completely unscarred.
"You know what they say. You are your own worst enemy."
(~)
"At ease, Allura. You don't have to be afraid of me."
"You destroyed everything I held dear. You corrupted Honerva and her entire family. You've turned the Galra Empire into a civilization of terrorists and monsters all for your own personal gain! What I feel right now is not fear but hatred!"
"Careful. Too much of that anger could be harmful to your child. Wouldn't want anything to happen to it." As the shadow version of herself approached her, Allura pulled out her whip and lashed it at her. The shadow disappeared only to reappear in a puff of black smoke right behind Allura. The princess jumped in alarm but her anger was steaming off of her like hot coals.
"I see so much of her in you."
"What?"
"Honerva. You're more alike than you realize."
"We are nothing alike!"
"No? You're both strong, intelligent, ambitious young woman. Willing to do whatever it takes to achieve a better future for her family. For your husband and for your child. That's all Honerva ever wanted."
"You manipulated her. You led her down a dark path. You stripped her of her identity. Of everything. Lotor grew alone and bitter because of you!"
"Her family was accomplishing far more than you and your bullheaded father could ever dream to comprehend. She saw the potential in herself, as did Zarkon. If your father had not intervened—"
"Daibazaal would have been destroyed." Allura said, sending a poisonous glare at the shadow version of herself. She could feel the anger within her rising, forming and taking shape within her and taking on a life of its own. The shadow seemed to be able to detect this, for her smile grew wider as Allura's frustrations and resentment did.
"And who pulled the trigger on that one?"
"He had no other choice! The rift was destroying the planet from the inside out. Everyone was in danger! He had to—"
"And who's to say they couldn't have resolved it had you not intervened?" The shadow said, whipping around, her hair wrapping around her body before falling elegantly on her back once she was now face to face with Allura. "You heard what Lotor said. The quintessence from the rift can restore life itself. It restored Honerva and Zarkon, who's to say it could not restore Daibazaal? Who's to say it can not restore... Altea?"
(~)
Pidge backed away from her duplicate. "Okay, this is getting freaky!" She said, and given everything she had witnessed as a paladin that was saying a lot.
"Really? You've faced shadow monsters, tree robeasts and a space witch and this is your line in the sand?"
"Fair point. Still, what are you?"
"I think the answer is obvious."
"I mean, why do you look like me? You know what, it doesn't matter. I don't have time for this. I need to find my friends now!"
"Why do you need them anyway?" Her shadow self said, folding her arms across her chest.
"I don't need to explain anything to you."
"You're right. Because I already know. You need them to form Voltron and save the universe, blah, blah, blah." The shadow copy covered her mouth as she yawned dramatically. "Boring."
Pidge's fingers curled into a fist. Something about this reflection's attitude made Pidge want to strike her bayard right through her body and slice her in half as though she were made of butter. But she knew, from experience during their fight, that if she did so she would just re-materialize in front of her again. There had to be some way to outsmart this thing. It was a reflection of herself so did that mean it thought just like her or was it just messing with her mind?
"For the record, yes I can read what you're thinking." The shadow said.
"Quiznack" Pidge muttered under her breath.
"If I were you, and I kind of am, I wouldn't waste my time with those losers."
"They're not losers, they're my friends! My family! And I need to get to them right now!"
"Come on, Pidge. Look around you." The shadow outstretched her hand to the seemingly endless sky of galaxies and stars overarching them. "This place has all the knowledge and information that not even the most advanced computers could maintain. You've always wanted to understand the universe, to break the boundaries of what you were capable of. Why would you give that up?"
"Because your so-called "knowledge" was what started this war in the first place."
"Only because some people were too foolish to handle such information. But, in the right hands, it can change all realities as we know it. Aren't you the one who always used to think computers were easier to deal with than people?"
Pidge felt a pang of regret. Yes, that was how she used to think, but that was before she met the paladins. Before she met Lance. She wasn't that same anti-social outcast she once was. She learned to embrace every aspect of herself, including the emotional parts, and forged bonds with the most incredible people she had ever met. She even fell in love for the first time in her life. Something she never imagined would be possible for someone like herself.
"I used to. But not anymore. Computers can break down and lose memory. They can get lost and erase data if something went haywire. But people... sure, they don't come with manuals but learning about them, getting to know them is what makes the learning part worth it. Sure, it's scary but I wouldn't be here without them."
"So... your friends are what matter the most to you, are they?"
Pidge didn't like the way she said that. The shadow was smiling, her teeth, which should have been flat like her own, were sharp like those of a vampire which made Pidge tremble in place.
(~)
"Don't you dare mention Altea to me!"
"Both Honerva and Lotor knew of the power the Quintessence field possessed and it can be yours if you allow me to teach you. You and your new family can go back to Altea."
"We can never go back. It is destroyed because of you!"
"And I can restore it. Think of your husband, of your child. Don't you wish to see them flourish in their homeland? To reconnect with their heritage the way Lotor wished he could? You will no longer need to fight in this meaningless war. You can finally be free of your grief if you just let go."
"Never! You cannot keep me here forever. And the moment you release your hold, I will end you."
"Then you will end your loved ones as well." The shadow said. With a wave of her hand something materialized behind her.
(~)
"Okay, this is a joke right? This has to be a joke."
"Oh, typical Lance. Hiding behind jokes because you're too scared to face reality. No wonder it took you so long to tell Pidge how you felt."
Lance blinked at his shadow version's comment. That was a low blow, even from himself. Or rather, his shadow self. Lance shook his head, trying to anchor himself to reality.
"Keep it together, Lance. This isn't real. It's just in your head." He said to himself, only for Lance to receive a punch to the gut which sent him flying across the room. Lance coughed, his ribcage felt like it had been smashed by the skull of a rhino. His shadow self laughed while cracking his fingers just by wiggling them. The sound made Lance wince in pain, not only because it sounded unpleasant but because it was physically impossible.
"Real enough for ya?" His shadow self taunted.
"Okay... definitely not in my head." Lance grunted as he stood upright, rubbing his sides and breathing heavily. A sense of fear and dread began to creep up within him and while it felt almost sudden he also subconsciously knew why he was feeling this way all of a sudden. His fear. The way this shadow version of himself just sucker punched him in the stomach like that was horrifying. It was as if his emotions had been amplified. From the anger he felt earlier to the fear and shock. His head was throbbing at the mere thought of it.
"Listen, I don't want to fight you. I just want to find my friends."
"You seemed pretty eager to pummel me a moment ago. Not like you could anyway. You're not nearly as strong as Keith or Allura. Heck, I bet even Pidge could take you down."
"Seriously man, I'm not in the mood for—."
"For what? To hear what you really think of yourself?"
"Okay, I admit, maybe I wasn't always as confident as I made myself out to be but—"
"Maybe? Ha! Please. Sharpshooter, "Ladies-Man" Lance, nobody bought it for one second, not even Pidge."
"Hey, if you want to keep thrashing me fine, but leave Pidge out of this!"
"Oh, but I will. Because deep down you know you will never really be good enough for her."
Lance knew what this shadow version of himself was trying to do. He had seen the same trick be applied to many of his favorite tv shows and movies. Where a dark version of their worst fears and anxieties would try and throw them off their game and second guess themselves. Still, while Lance was aware of the shadow's tricks he really wished they didn't sting as much as they did. His duplicate stared back at him with Lance's own blue eyes, only gazing into them made him feel ice cold, like he was standing on an iceberg in just his swim trunks and was freezing to death.
"Heck, you're not even good enough to be a paladin."
"Don't you start with that!" Lance said threateningly. His anger slowly melted away his fears, but just barely. "I am enough of a paladin. The Red lion chose me."
"Yeah. But you were never its first choice, now were you?" The shadow said, causing Lance to flinch. The shadow chuckled seeing the paladin's face turning pale.
"You really think the Blue lion chose you because it saw something in you? You were just a glorified seat warmer until Allura took the helm. Why did you become the Red Paladin again? Was it really because the Lion knew you were the right one for the job? No. It was because Shiro was MIA and the team needed to fill an empty slot while the real experienced pilot got to lead everyone. Just like back at the Garrison. You only moved up to fighter pilot because Keith got kicked out and you filled his spot. Even when it came to dating who got a girlfriend first? Heck, even Hunk's got that Balmaran babe, while you had to almost die—again—just so Pidge could give you the time of day."
"Shut up!" Lance snapped, seeing his rifle aiming directly at his shadow self. He could barely remember having pulled out his bayard, he was just so blinded by rage he almost couldn't see where his hands were at the time.
Lance didn't want to say it, though he had a hunch the shadow knew anyways but... he did have some points. Yes, Lance did become a fighter pilot because Keith had left the Garrison and thus there was more space for new recruits, he even told Keith himself that night when they rescued Shiro from that Garrison hospital.
I'm fighter class now thanks to you washing out.
Those were the words Lance had said to him. It felt like a lifetime ago. For a moment, Lance's anger dwindled. Memories of the past played in his mind like a clip show. He could see every moment, recall every line he had ever said since the beginning of this whole journey. The harsh words he would say about Keith behind his back, which current Lance now knew was born from petty jealousy. The way he would carry himself, with an inflated ego and faux bravado thinking that so long as he believed it then others would too. The anger and frustration he felt at Keith having found love before he did, at the envy and then later crippling disappointment he experienced when the Black Lion chose Keith over everyone else, and also when Blue had to give him up for Red and take Allura in his place. He was proud of her and knew that her compassionate heart would be a perfect match for Blue's loving and maternal nature. They were perfect for each other, and Lance had grown close to Red. Though their bond remained more on unspoken terms, Lance felt the Red lion pushed him to become a better version of himself. A version of himself that was more humble and honest with himself.
But was the shadow right? Was he really chosen for a purpose or was it just dumb luck? No, he couldn't believe that. He couldn't revert back to his old ways. He had come too far. He wasn't the same petty, envious boy he used to be. But, even though he had learned the true meaning of humility and honesty, he realized that deep down, so far deep he had to penetrate the darkness of a deep chasm just to see it... Lance still didn't feel like he was on par with the others.
Was it possible that, after all this time, he still felt unsure of himself? Was he still searching for some validation? Before it used to be so he himself could feel like a hero, that he was useful, now he cared more about whether or not he was doing enough for his team not for his benefit but for them. He chose to become a better paladin for their sake so he wouldn't drag them down or harm their dynamic in any way. He did become better, was it really enough?
"And what have you done since then?" His shadow said, clearly reading him as if he were a giant billboard with the words spelled out in neon lights. "Follow Keith's orders, offer some words of encouragement, sure that sounds great and all but when it's all over what will you do then? Keith and Allura are going to start a family, settle down in some far off planet and rebuild a new civilization with the Galra and Alteans. Shiro and Hunk will go back to Earth, and Pidge, we both know she's gonna win the Nobel Prize one day. And what will you be doing? Still cheering them on by the sidelines? Playing second fiddle to everyone, including the girl you love? And what happens if you can't keep up with them anymore? What if you screw up and Pidge realizes you're just too different? What if Hunk starts his own business and you barely see him? What if Shiro flies off to another space mission or has a family of his own? What will you do?"
Lance was silent. He wanted to speak but his voice was caught in his throat. The words couldn't reach out no matter how hard he tried. In his mind he knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to say that he and the paladins would find a way to stay connected. But even so, the uncertainty of the future was a terrifying thought.
Keith and Allura would start a family and begin a new life. They would free the Alteans from the Colony. Hunk could be literally anything he set his mind to. He could be a famous chef or a brilliant engineer, a teacher at the Garrison, or simply carry on with his life on Earth. Shiro, there was no limit to what he could do. He could go back to Earth, continue his career and maybe one day settle down and have what Keith and Allura had one day. It was a beautiful image, one Lance himself dreamed of having. He knew it was too soon, seeing as they were still in their late teens, but he did sometimes have that idea in his head... and Pidge was in it.
The idea of them being together forever, starting a life together in the future may have sounded like he was reaching too high but he loved Pidge. He couldn't imagine his life going forward without her. He couldn't imagine not seeing her every day, hearing her laughter, seeing the way her eyes lit up when she was working on her computers and inventions. She was brilliant, possibly the brightest scientific mind of their generation. She could take on the world and nothing would stand in her way. She was a fighter and she inspired him to be a fighter too.
Losing her was too painful to even consider. She would never leave him behind, and even if he felt like he was falling behind Pidge would drop everything and help him get there. Just as she did for him that night when he felt he let Keith down when they thought they had lost him.
His friends believed in him, so why didn't he? Were these small things really enough? Were his fears really relevant now?
"Still don't believe me?" The shadow waved his hand and a portal-like opening appeared before Lance. Within it he could see images. Faces he recognized, but a time and place that was unfamiliar.
(~)
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say!" Hunk said, defiantly shaking his head and stomping his foot, turning away from the shadow version of himself. He was talking nonsense. Saying that the only way to save his friends was to give up the fight.
"You know it's a lost cause." Said his shadow self. "Even if you make it out of here alive there is no guarantee that the Galra will suddenly choose peace over war. Some might even try and rebel and it will put everyone you know at risk."
"Once we defeat you the Galra will understand. They're not our enemies, you are." Hunk spat, pointing aggressively at the shadow. "You did all of this. Everything you say is a lie, why would I believe you?"
The shadow smiled wickedly and behind Hunk a portal appeared. Within it he could see faces he knew he recognized but the time and place was unfamiliar to him. What he saw shook him to his core..
He saw an image which he could only describe as a nightmare come true. He saw Galra ships flying over what appeared to look like a normal Earth city. It took Hunk only a quarter of a second to recognize it. It was his hometown. But, how could the shadow creature know that? How did it know where Hunk's family lived and what they looked like? He saw them running for their lives, running out of the house. His mother, father, grandparents and younger siblings all running out while their house, their sanctuary, was blasted to smithereens from the blast of the Galra ship's laser cannons. Houses, those that belonged to neighbors, acquaintances, immediate or distant family members were all forced to evacuate the only home they had ever known. Some didn't even make it before the lasers came blasting, tearing apart the roads and sidewalks.
"NO!"
(~)
"Mom! Dad!" Lance cried out, punching against the surface of the portal but he couldn't get through. All he could do was watch as his family and friends back on Earth were being blasted away by Galra laser cannons from above. Defeating the rift creatures was supposed to end the war, to end the suffering, but the shadow creature warned Lance that it was never that easy.
That even if they won, there would still be those who refused to comply to peace, and once they managed to gain enough reinforcements, an attack on Earth was inevitable.
"Make it stop! Please!"
"That's not even half of it. Do you want to know what became of your heroes?" The shadow waved his hand again and Lance gasped so hard he nearly choked.
He saw the Voltron lions, laying on what appeared to be some kind of desert or some known deserted area with dried up greens and sandy rocks. The lions, some were missing a few body parts, while others had ears or their entire lower torsos yanked right off, spread out like a cluttered mess. Amidst the ruble Lance tried searching for any trace of the paladins. He saw their bodies... crushed beneath the metal. One hand, which he recognized belonging to Pidge due to the green accents, laid motionless in a pool of blood.
Lance couldn't find his own body anywhere but in truth it didn't matter to him. He fell to his knees, the ground beneath him felt hard and rocky as though he were right there to witness the fall of Voltron first hand. It felt so real, he could smell the smoke, hear the electrical currents sprouting from the lion's broken parts, and he could smell the blood as though someone was shoving it right up his nose. His heart tore into a million pieces.
(~)
"No!" Pidge shouted, tears running down her face as she fell to her knees. She had to keep telling herself it was a vision. That she didn't see her family get blown up, or her teammates lying lifelessly in pools of their own blood while surrounded by the remains of their beloved lions.
"This can't be happening! This can't be real!"
"It's not. Not yet. Only if you continue to fight will this future become inevitable."
(~)
"I don't believe you!" Hunk shouted, his eyes red with rage, matching the redness of his face as more tears ran down his cheeks, falling on the glassy floor.
"I know the truth hurts. But if you let me, I can make it so this never happens."
(~)
"What are you talking about?" Keith said, taking several steps back when the shadow version of himself drew near.
"You don't have to fight anymore, Keith. You and Allura can finally be free."
Keith wasn't buying what this creature was selling. He wanted him to quit, to give up fighting, but Keith wouldn't quit. He refused to quit, not while there was still a chance to spare everyone else from this monster's grasp.
"You're tired. I don't blame you. You've been fighting your entire life. You fought to survive. You fought others who ridiculed you. You even fought to be reunited with the woman you love. How many nights did you lay awake, wondering whether or not the next day would be your last? How many times have you held Allura, promising her that things would get better? Only to have it be stripped away by another attack, another life taken. So many innocent lives, Ulaz, Thace, Regris, King Alfor, those rebel fighters. How many more lives must this war take until it's enough? How long until it takes Shiro or the others, your mother, the Alteans, your wife and children? You'll be alone all over again."
"Stop it!" Keith unleashed his sword at the shadow, only for him to grab it with his bare hands without breaking a sweat. Keith's arm trembled at the pressure he placed onto the weapon, trying to get it through the shadow's head, but his dark reflection simply smirked and pushed Keith away. The Paladin landed hard on the ground, grunting and growling.
"I know this is what you fear the most. Losing the fight and losing everything. You've clung so tightly to these people it's become the death of you. Even if you win, even if you succeed, what will it cost you? Your life? The team has lost you already. Do you really want to make them suffer again?"
Keith heard screaming coming from behind him. Just like with Lance, Pidge and Hunk, a portal appeared, revealing to him the images he feared the most. He heard the screams of innocent people, both humans and aliens. He saw Galra ships firing, families, fathers, mothers, children, running for their lives but never making it far enough before the blasts took them. Their bodies laying in lakes of red, amongst them were faces Keith recognized.
His mother, Shiro, Coran, Romelle, the paladins, Ember... Allura. Each one either with their eyes opened or closed, their chests didn't rise with every breath because there was none. No breath, no life. Just empty husks with blood spilling out from their wounds.
Keith's first reaction was to deny it, but he could smell their blood, hear their screams piercing his ears. The smoke, he could smell it, he could hear the blasts, the cracking of their bones, the collision their bodies made with the ground as they fell. They were gone and here he was, the only survivor. Alone, just like he had always been. He fought and fought, but at what cost?
"Admit it, Keith." His shadow said. "Admit the truth. Do you really want to keep fighting?"
Keith felt his energy draining as the truth sunk in. He wanted to stay angry but exhaustion took hold of him in a way that felt futile to resist.
"I'm tired. I'm so tired." Keith coughed and his shadow self patted his back gently.
"I know."
(~)
No matter how many times Allura had witnessed it, the destruction of Altea was always a horrific experience. Only now, it was even worse because instead of watching her home world become destroyed yet again, she witnessed the world of her paladins, the world of those who pledged themselves to the coalition be destroyed. Rebels, innocents, all lost in the battlefield which was shrouded in blood, bones and detached body parts.
In a way, seeing their world be taken from them hurt her worse than losing Altea had. At the very least Allura was given time to grieve, to come to terms with the utter loss of her home despite the wound it had left on her soul. A wound which would then be used as a way to fuel her efforts to end the war so no one else would have to suffer the way she had. Seeing the devastation she had failed to keep from coming was heart-wrenching, as her failure hit her full force at the wounds her loved ones would now bear. The kind she knew too well.
"This is what awaits you, Allura. You know as well as I do that war can not be won so easily. There will be those who refuse to seek peace. Those are the ones who will hunt you down, target you and your family. Nowhere you run will be safe. But I can change that. I can change this fate if you let me."
Allura did not speak. She was silent. How could following this monster, the very one who started this entire war ever offer her anything that would ever heal the princess's fractured heart.
The image before her shifted again. This time, rather than death she saw life. She saw the paladins, every member of the coalition, Blades of Marmora, the longmas, everyone alive and well. Laughing and sharing together. As Allura stood up she found herself no longer clothed in her paladin armor but instead in the most breathtaking gown she had ever seen. Her hair, now longer, trailed behind her in an elegant braid. The scenery around her shifted as well. She stood in a field of juniberries and on a hillside close by she saw Keith, Krolia, Kosmo and Ember playing with a small bundle of joy. They spotted her and Keith smiled, his loving eyes repairing the cracks within Allura's heart after witnessing such a massacre not moments ago. He was alive, as was their child. Coran, Shiro and the rest of the paladins were also present, peacefully laying on the grass. Lance plucked a flower from the ground and tucked it into Pidge's hair. Her cheeks glowed pink and the two kissed.
The Alteans from the colony were spread all around, coming in and out of various houses, and she spotted Romelle humming a merry tune while Xian flew over her carrying a basket of flowers in his talons. Alongside the Alteans were Galra. No longer clothed in their intimidating red and yellow armor but in modest, humble attire that was befitting their culture yet did not inspire fear or a sense of superiority. They spoke, played and laughed alongside the Alteans, some were even holding hands and kissing with little half-breed children frolicking around with little baby longmas. It was everything Allura could have ever wanted. Her heart was bursting with untold happiness, all memory of her pain and suffering were so far off she could barely remember what had made her depressed in the first place.
(~)
"This can be your future." Keith's shadow said.
Keith found himself surrounded by a field of flowers and greenery, birds flying over his head singing a happy tune as he witnessed the Alteans from the colony mingling seamlessly with Galra. Longmas ate grass from the nearby fields, Ember frolicking with her friends, the paladins, Shiro and Coran near a picnic blanket. Romelle approached them carrying a basket of what appeared to be fruits. Shiro kindly offered to help with them and Keith noticed the way their cheeks turned bright red when their fingers made contact. But the sight that truly got to him was the sight of his wife, cradling a baby in her arms, wrapped in a fine blanket with the Altean crest embroidered onto the side. She smiled, her eyes sparkling with life it made Keith forget all of the hardships and struggles he had gone through in his life. Pain and suffering had no place here and there was nothing he wanted more than to stay and wrap himself in this feeling for all time.
(~)
"No more fighting. No more wars."
Hunk didn't remember changing into a chef's outfit. He wore a hat and an apron and in his hand he held a spatula and was handing a plate of one of his mouth-watering creations to a happy customer. He was surrounded by a sea of happy faces, each one chewing on a meal he prepared for them with all the love in his heart. His family was alive, both the one he had left behind on Earth as well as the family he had made in space.
There was no blood, no destruction. Only joy and relief. Everyone was together and there seemed to be no signs of anyone splitting apart.
(~)
"No more fear if you're good enough. Nobody will ever leave you behind."
The sounds of his niece and nephew laughing was all the music Lance would ever need to hear. They splashed on the shoreline, his family, both from Earth and space, lounged around sipping piña coladas, sharing his mother's famous garlic knots, and Pidge's parents bringing their famous lasagna for the event. Keith and Allura's little baby bouncing on his father's lap, his giggles making his mother's eyes sparkle with joy. Hunk in his element by the barbecue while Shiro was busy trying to explain certain Earth foods to Coran. Lance couldn't help but laugh at the two interacting. Some things never changed, and he wouldn't want them to.
Pidge's dog shook her body, sending droplets of water at the young girl, who ran her fingers through her hair. She waved at Lance with a playful wink and Lance waved back. Everyone was here, alive and together. For the first time Lance didn't feel even the tiniest bit of fear. So long as they could stay in this moment he was happy.
(~)
"You can have everything you've ever wanted. Your computers and your tech, and the people you love. What more could you want?"
What more could Pidge ask for? She would always be a nerd at heart, but her heart also yearned for the loving embrace and support of the people who got her this far. Her parents, her brother, her space family, her boyfriend. They meant the world to her. She could see herself, a successor scientist with all of the Nobel Prizes on her shelves, building new ships for the Garrison, inspired by the alien tech she had come to associate herself with, and of course, at the end of the day, she could either spend some quality time with Aura, chat with Keith and Allura about her latest project, joke around with Hunk while he makes them those delicious cookies of his (that weren't made of glass) and finally, playing video games or going for a walk with Lance.
She saw them standing before a large tree while fireflies swarmed around them. It looked like a fantasy. Gazing into Lance's eyes filled Pidge's heart with such love and happiness that not even math could describe.
Each dream drifted the paladins farther and farther away from what they feared the most. They never wanted this feeling to end.
(~)
"It never has to end." Venta snuggled against Lotor. The two sat on a bench on her castle balcony, overlooking the harvest festival as fireworks flew into the air expanding into a rainbow of colors as the sun set over the horizon.
"You now have everything you've ever wanted."
This, having Venta here beside him was indeed all Lotor had ever wanted. He wanted to let go, to submerge himself in this feeling forever. Never needing to face the pain of loss, the sting of rejection, or the traumatizing experience from when the paladins learned the truth about his actions. He could hide away here forever and...
Wait... hide?
That's all he would be doing. Hiding. This wasn't earned, not even by selfless or noble means. It was handed to him as a means to distract him from what he really needed to do. Strange, why now did he finally realize it? He looked down at Venta, her eyes closed with her head resting on his shoulder. This didn't hurt, not unlike when he had hurt the paladins. Even after they had become so enraged with him, and for good reason, they still came back for him.
We just want you to come home. We can help you if you let us. I promise, we won't leave you again. We love you.
Love. It was both wonderful as well as painful. It wasn't always bliss, sometimes it was difficult, and sometimes it would have been easier to simply give up. But there were those who didn't give up, because some people were worth suffering for. Lotor suffered because of the paladins, but not in the traditional sense. He suffered because they made him aware of his own wrongdoings. They awoke him to the truth of the darkness within himself, and yet even when he deserved death, they still put that aside and went after him. His father, bless his soul, loved him too. Even in the midst of how his father had treated him, growing up under the influence of the shadow monsters, it was more obvious to Lotor now that his father had cared for him at least more than he had initially thought. It was painful for him to watch his son go down the dark path, but Zarkon would go through all of that hell and back if he needed to just so Lotor could have a chance at love again. Lotor made that choice when he stood up against the witch and managed to convince Acxa, Zethrid and Ezor to help the paladins, even if it meant they would never forgive him.
He did it with no ulterior motive, because that was what love was. It was selfless, and it was kind, it could be hard, but it was also forgiving and eye opening. What Lotor was doing right now, sitting here with Venta with no struggle or strife... this wasn't love. It was a distraction. One of which Lotor was done perusing.
"But... I had everything."
This was enough to make "Venta" snap awake. "What?"
Lotor rose from where he sat, fists clenched as he stepped away from the woman. "I spent years yearning for love. And I had it. But I made the mistake of choosing a fantasy over reality."
Venta rose from her chair, eyes narrowed in anger. "Those paladins made you suffer. They turned on you, called you a monster. They hurt you!"
"Their anger was not misplaced. Mine was. And yes, I did hurt. But that hurt is evidence that it was real. That the love I have for them is real. And you... you are not!"
When Lotor's sword sliced right through Venta, her body distorted. Her green skin turned an ink black and her eyes a bright yellow before disappearing into oblivion. While the other shadows managed to manifest themselves with each strike, it was Lotor's realization what really tore them apart. Seeing through the deception.
The scene faded away, returning to the plane of existence where Lotor once stood. He was surrounded by stars again with the reflective floor before him. The paladins were still under there, he could feel it. With a loud battle cry, Lotor flew his sword over his head and struck the ground with the tip of his sword. The impact, powered by his determination to reach them at any cost was enough to puncture the surface. Cracks expanded and grew.
(~)
The world trampled and shook, but the only ones who reacted to it were the paladins themselves. Everyone else around them went on as if nothing had happened. It wasn't just the ground and everything around them which trembled, but the impact made it feel as though someone had shaken their senses right back into them.
Keith rubbed his temples, his head was throbbing. He never experienced a hangover before, but he assumed this must have been how it felt. Suddenly, the memory of what he was experiencing before came flooding back. For everyone they remembered the blood, the deaths, the shadow versions of themselves, all of that had been forgotten when it came to these happy scenes that were still playing before them. They heard cracks forming around them but didn't see them until they looked up. The sky above them was tearing apart.
(~)
From above Lotor could see figures on each individual crack. Colors of red, blue, green, yellow and purple. He could barely make out their shapes but he knew who they were.
"Paladins! Paladins, can you hear me?"
(~)
"Lotor?" Allura whispered. She heard his voice from above where the cracks had formed. She felt her senses awaken. Her mind was no longer a jumbled haze, her emotions were now leveled and she was self aware once again. She looked at her attire and wrinkled her nose at the sight of the dress until she remembered how it got on her in the first place. She felt so embarrassed to allow herself to get distracted by a dream.
Keith too was waking up. One by one, Lance, Hunk and Pidge all came back to their senses, no longer feeling distracted by the colorful images before them.
(~)
"Paladins, listen to me. Whatever it is they are showing you, it's not real! The creatures are trying to keep us trapped. To keep you trapped because they know you have the power to stop them." Lotor said through the shattered glass. Swarms of shadow creatures flew above him but Lotor ignored them and continued trying to reach out to his friends.
"It felt so real." Lotor heard Hunk's voice speak, as he did he noticed the yellow orb which represented the yellow paladin start to flicker with each word he spoke.
"Everything was perfect." Lance said, sounding a mixture of distressed, confused and scared, mostly scared that he fell for it to begin with.
Lotor's chest felt heavy. Like him, they too were trapped in visions of what they desired most. He knew better than anyone how tempting those visions were. He was almost willing to remain with the illusion of Venta if it meant he could be free of his pain, but he knew he couldn't do that. Pretending the pain wasn't there would never truly make it go away, and hiding was a cowardly move. Hiding meant giving up, and if there was anything the paladins were never known for it was giving up. He remembered what Pidge had told him back in his cellar. How it was tempting to wish for all pain and suffering to disappear and for the world to be exactly as one envisioned, but taking the easy route, the path of least resistance, was not the way to achieve this.
"I know this war has been difficult, and you've all suffered one way or another. It would be so much easier to step aside and let someone else make the difficult decisions but that is not who you are. You don't inspire hope because you've never felt fear or loss, but because in spite of that you kept going and found a greater purpose. You choose a path of selflessness rather than seeking for your own benefit. Yes, you've gained scars along the way, but scars are not only a reminder of who we once were... but also who we have become. There is nothing these monsters can say or do that can ever take that away from you!"
The creatures that swarmed around Lotor screeched and fled. Lotor looked up, his hair becoming swept in a sudden powerful wind. In the darkness he heard a roar.
(~)
The roar echoed, reaching the ears of the paladins. They heard Lotor's words and he was right. Hiding away was not what they did. No matter how tempting and pleasant these images were, they were not real. They were a distraction from what they truly needed to do.
Keith turned to his shadow, his bayard appearing in his hand and the regal clothes which had magically manifested on him disappeared, replaced by his paladin armor, save for his helmet which was absent, leaving Keith's face completely exposed, allowing him to properly give his duplicate the stare down he deserved.
"You really think you can defeat me? You would rather go back to the real world? Where there is pain and suffering?"
"I would rather face the real world and fight for the ones I love than hide away like a coward. While yes, tough choices and hardships can make us hard, love is what heals us and makes it all worth it."
"If you wish to leave know that no matter what you will always be that sad, lonely little boy!"
"I'm not a little boy anymore. And I'm not alone." Keith's eyes became slits once more as he charged at his shadow, slicing it in half. The shadow and the mirage around Keith disappeared.
(~)
"Don't be like your father, child!" Allura's shadow spat. "There is nothing left for you out there. That world is flawed and weak. Living out the same pathetic cycle of war and pain. Why would you ever wish to be a part of that?"
"Because that is exactly where I need to be. I may have lost Altea, but I have a new family to protect, and a purpose stronger than any I could have imagined. You thought that by dangling an easy life in front of me that I would follow you into oblivion? Well, you were wrong."
In a flash of light, Allura's gown transformed into her armor once again, minus her helmet, and in her hand she held her bayard staff.
"I am much stronger than you think. You can keep your fantasies. I'll make my own happy ending... without you."
Allura sliced the shadow, causing it and the mirage to disappear. Allura never felt more relieved to not see juniberry flowers in all of her life.
(~)
"Fine. You want to leave, go ahead. But you will always be second best. You will never be enough for—"
"Oh, shut up!" Lance snapped, marching towards his shadow self. "You know what, yes I did get the fighter pilot spot because Keith left. Yes, I wasn't Red's first choice, but you know what, that's a good thing. I always wanted to be first in line, the top dog, the guy who everyone looked up to, but being pushed to second actually taught me a little something called "humility". Ever heard of that? I don't care if I'm not the popular hero, because all the times I was knocked down it shaped me for the better. If my part is to lift others up or have their backs when the chips are down even if it means I don't get center stage, then I'm gonna do it and I'm gonna do a good job at it. If it's enough for my friends then it's enough for me. You hear me ya Hot-Topic knockoff? I. Am. Enough!"
Just like with the others, Lance's shadow disappeared once he shot it with his rifle.
(~)
"You can't be serious, Pidge. All the knowledge at your fingertips and you would throw it away for these pitiful mortals who wish they understood but a fraction of what you know?"
"There is a lot more to life than just math and computers. Yes, they're very helpful and needed but you need both rational thinking as well as emotional connections. I have that now, I'm not gonna give it up, even if I was promised all of the knowledge in the universe."
"Which you can have. Don't be a fool!"
"Well then, call me Stupid." Without flinching, or thinking twice, Pidge unleashed her bayard and destroyed her shadow self. "Does my voice really get sound that squeaky when I scream? Weird."
(~)
"Hunk, please, let's talk about this over brunch?" Hunk's shadow tried to appeal to the paladin's better nature, but Hunk wasn't having it. He pointed his cannon at his shadow, ready to fire if he spoke another word.
"Food should be about bringing people together, not hiding them away."
"Don't think of it as hiding away, think of it as a safe space. Who doesn't want to be safe?"
"There's a difference between wanting to be safe and hiding away in fear. And Hunk Garret doesn't hide."
The blast of Hunk's cannon was the last thing his shadow saw before evaporating into dust
(~)
The cracks around Lotor grew, the glass was shattering and the ground shook and shivered. Lotor got back up, pulled his sword out and stepped back. The glowing lights from beneath rose up into the air and in a flash each of the five paladins manifested before him. Each one inspected their bodies to make sure they had all limbs attached, their bayards were present, and that they were still alive and breathing rather than having transcended into the afterlife.
They shared a collective sigh of relief. The moment Keith and Allura saw one another they leaped into each other's arms. Keith spun Allura in place and the two shared a passionate kiss. Pidge tackled Lance to the ground, the two landing in a laughing heap and Pidge grabbed Lance's paladin collar and pulled him in for a kiss.
"I'll take this over a hologram any day." She said Lance pressed his forehead against hers, savoring the feeling of being in each other's arms again. Hunk ambushed the two by enveloping them both in a group hug. The couple was just too happy to see their friend that they didn't care if their moment was cut short. Pidge even gave Hunk a kiss on the cheek, crying tears of joy alongside him.
Lotor, who had fallen back when the paladins appeared, stood upright once again, pulling wild strands of his hair back. He could barely move, he feared that if he got close they would disappear or some kind of wall would appear and separate them again. The paladins all stared back at Lotor. The first one to react was Allura, who rushed on over to hug him. Lotor wasted no time in hugging her back. The rest of the paladins rushed on over to Lotor, crying tears of joy alongside the prince, who was wrapped up in their signature group hug. He really missed these hugs, more than he realized.
"You're all okay!"
"Yeah. Thanks to you." Keith said, wiping a tear with his palm.
"I know no amount of apologies could ever make up for what I did." Lotor said with tears still streaming from his eyes. "And I don't blame you if you still hate me after all of this. But I want you all to know that, despite what my original plans were, your friendship truly means the world to me. I always believed that I couldn't be happy until I was with Venta again. I thought her love was the only one I truly needed. But you showed me otherwise. You gave me a family, even if it was for a short amount of time, and I wouldn't trade those moments for anything."
Allura took his hand in hers and gave it a firm squeeze. "You're right, Lotor. What you did is not easy to forgive." She saw the pain flash in his eyes, "But, I refuse to let history repeat itself. While I can't promise everyone else will forgive you right away, you can rest assured that we do." She turned to the others. "Right?"
"Absolutely." Keith said, wrapping his arm around Allura and patting Lotor on the shoulder. "We've missed you, brother."
"I wouldn't say I "missed" him, exactly."
"Lance!" Pidge and Hunk exclaimed, while giving him the death glare.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I missed him, okay. I missed you, are you happy now?" Lance said as he approached Lotor, who's eyes lit up at his words. The look of innocent happiness made Lotor look a lot younger than he really was, like a boy waking up on Christmas morning. It was enough to make Lance's heart grow three sizes. He couldn't fight the wave of emotion he was feeling right now.
"Bring it in here you walking sack of angst!" Lance said before surprising Lotor with a tight hug. Lotor laughed and hugged the paladins back.
"I missed you too, Lance."
In spite of where they were, for this one moment, there was light shining in the darkness. The team was back together and Lotor was reunited with his family. His real family. Now all that was left was to find their lions and escape before the creatures could take control of the universe.
It was then the roars were heard once again. In all of the commotion the paladins nearly forgot having heard the roars earlier when they were still trapped in their respective fantasies. The roars grew louder, drawing closer and closer like gusts of wind swirling around them and purring in their ears. The roars joined together in a rhythmic tune, almost like a harmonizing choir.
...
Nope. No short synopsis for this one, mainly because it's the first half of the second chapter and even the vaguest of hints would give away too much. I want the next chapter to come as a surprise and, let me warn you, if you think this chapter was a tearjerker, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I apologize for the extremely long wait. For starters let me just say I'm happy you guys enjoyed the Voltron Christmas one shot I did. It was a lot of fun to make, I just love Studio C! Also, Merry late Christmas and a Happy New Year. The delay was primarily due to both me and MiraculousWolf being busy over the holidays. I had family over and of course MW was at a friend's wedding so proofreading took some time. Also, many of you are probably aware of the earthquakes happening in Puerto Rico.
Let me put you all at ease by saying that me and my family are perfectly fine. The only shakes were felt were the two major big ones and those were barely noticeable in my area. Nothing fell off the walls, our home is up to code and we have our emergency backpack at the ready just in case. The quakes are coming from the south side of the island, me and my family are on the east side. Not every location in Puerto Rico has been destroyed, a lot of places look as if nothing had even happened, including ours. That doesn't make things any less scary, but I just wanted to clarify.
I've been receiving a lot of messages asking if I was okay, especially from my best friend Zenaide in Florida, my sister and my dad. I admit, I'm scared too, heck I even started sleeping with my mom after the 6.4 quake on January seventh. Which was my birthday no less and we were out of power for three days. Not because anything was damaged, like with Maria, it was cut off mainly as a precaution thing. We got it back Friday night. This left me without high speed WiFi for a bit so replying to messages took a while.
But, before anyone starts to have a panic attack, I'm doing—and feeling—a lot more at ease. Let's just say that God sent me a sign last Saturday which made me a lot less anxious these last couple days. It was on the same day as the second quake and my mom, grandmother and I were off to run some errands. We went about our day and ate some pizza because my grandma had a craving for some, and when we came back home... we forgot to lock the front door. Our house was completely open that anyone could have walked right in and stolen us blind! But... nobody did. Nobody came into the house, nothing was stolen, it was as if we never left to begin with.
Does this mean I'm going to start leaving the door open when we go out? Heck no! But for me, this was proof enough that God is in fact watching over us. When I woke up that morning and felt the shiver I was in a panic. Neither my mother or grandmother felt anything. Then, I received a birthday present from my friend Austin in the mail, a MLP comic with Pinkie Pie on the cover, I spent the day with my family and nothing happened, and we came back home to find that even though our house was wide open it was in tact. Call it luck if you want, but seeing all of this happen on the same day would have left me paralyzed with fear was the clincher I needed.
From here on out, whatever news I hear I am going to put my trust in God. We will still keep our emergency backpacks at the ready but at least I won't be spending every other minute in a state of panic. Stay safe, sure, but also calm.
So, thank you guys for your prayers, keep them coming, and thank You, Lord for protecting us and I pray these shakes stop soon because it breaks my heart to see my brothers and sisters in the southwest like this.
Thanks again and, don't worry, the next chapter is in the works. Oh, and on a happier note I've been reworking my MystiK Squad series these past couple of months. I'm got the basic synopsis for the first book or the "pilot" if you will and, if God is willing, MiraculousWolf can help me with it. I'm also hoping to expand and find other proof and beta readers to help with this project but I'm still thinking about it. We'll see how things turn out.
Until next time, God bless, *kiss, kiss*