Well, this is it. The end of the line.
I still can't believe how much this story has grown. What started out as a fluff-fic to satisfy my Kallura cravings became a story about the true power of unconditional love, not just between spouses but between family.
I haven't felt this emotional since I wrapped up Little Pony Legend back in 2017. And that was during the aftermath of Maria. I had to use the Burger King WiFi to be able to post the whole thing. It was a tearful day for me because I had been doing LPL for over seven years and to finally wrap it up felt both satisfying as well as bittersweet. This is no different.
I can say, without a shred of irony, that Rewrite The Stars is my Little Pony Legend 2.0. It started out the same way, a simple story I never imagined would go anyway and a couple of years later it became this.
While The Little Pony Legend will forever hold a special place in my heart even I admit that it's far from perfect. I still had a lot to learn about storytelling at the time, and while it has its flaws LPL did open the door for me and I've made a lot of friends along the way, so I can't exactly call it a failure. I applied everything I learned from my past experiences in writing this story.
It warms my heart to know that it's made so many people happy. Makes those long hours of writing and re-writing and the occasional migraines worth it.
Like a lot of my works, this series does have a coherent Christian message. I want to go on record and say that I don't include these Bible passages or symbolism simply "because". Ever since I discovered the Narnia series and about C.S. Lewis little ten-year-old me said, "I want to do that!"
I try so hard every day to make sure that Christ is in everything I do. It's not easy, I am human after all. I have a temper, I'm impatient and I suffer from some slight abandonment issues. I am also extremely hard on myself, and when I don't feel like I'll live up to someone's expectations I... tend to distance myself. I guess that's why I like Keith so much.
I'm working through these issues. I've been seeing a therapist and it's been going really well. Don't worry, I'm not crazy, there are just some things I felt I needed to address with a professional.
Aside from the visits, this story has also been a fantastic source of self-reflection. I mentioned that the overarching theme of this story is Love and I know a lot of people have different interpretations of what love is "supposed" to be nowadays and I'm not going to debate on that right here but this is what I believe love is.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
As a magical snowman once placed it: "Love is putting someone else before yourself." Just as well, love is about telling people what they NEED to hear, not just what they want to hear. It's sometimes called tough love for a reason. Lotor suffered for love. He loved Venta and was crushed when he lost her, so he closed himself off until he encountered the paladins.
The paladins were hurt when they discovered the truth, but after learning the season why Lotor did what he did, though it didn't justify his actions, they fought to bring him back. They saw that Lotor could be a better person and when they realized that they went back for him. One could say they didn't have to, and you're right.
Just as God didn't need to come down in flesh and blood and shed his blood on the cross so that we could have a place in heaven. He didn't need to go through all of that suffering, being whipped, wearing a crown of thorns, being ostracized by the religious leaders of His time, dining with sinners (though that didn't mean he justified their wrongdoings) He sat with them because He knew they were the ones who needed Him most. Jesus loved us enough to show us the light, He loved us too much to let us stay in the dark hole we dug ourselves into. And it hurt. When you love someone and they do something you know is wrong it breaks your heart and a lot of times, especially nowadays, we turn away from people who really need us.
Don't get me wrong, there are toxic people who refuse to change and sometimes we do need to accept that, but that doesn't mean we stop loving them even if they won't love us back. Jesus loved the people who crucified Him, He pleaded to His Father to forgive them.
I know, I know in this day and age this sort of mentality is frowned upon because it sounds crazy and maybe even stupid for some people who don't want to deal with that sort of drama. I understand that I've had some toxic friends in the past. I haven't spoken to them in years, mainly because we lost touch and I have no way of locating them at this point, but they still hold a place in my heart and whenever I think about them I pray that they are in a better place now than they were the last time I saw them.
Love is not all warm, and fuzzy feelings, sometimes we suffer for it without asking for anything in return.
Lotor realized that love can be difficult, and yes he felt pain and guilt, but those feelings cemented the fact that what he felt for his friends was real. Sometimes guilt can be a good thing, it can serve as a wake-up call for us to improve ourselves. It's only bad if we allow it to inflict self-harm and let it chain us down. God wants to lift us up not stay down.
When we hit our lowest point we are open to the greatest change, and if we are willing to let Him into our hearts at that lowest point we are forever transformed.
Lotor would rather the paladins hate him forever than live another moment wallowing in self-pity and did everything he could to make sure they won in the end, even if he didn't get anything in return. Lotor learned what it meant to love selflessly and THAT was the Lotor the paladins fought to save.
It's a combination of the story of Paul the Apostle and the Prodigal Son. Paul was a man who persecuted Christians in the name of the Jewish faith. He killed women, men, children, it didn't matter, so long as they were Christians he chopped off their heads. And yet, he became one of the most influential apostles called upon by Jesus Himself. He sought out the worst of the worst and changed his heart. Name one person in all of history, or in these modern times, who would have the courage to do that?
The Prodigal Son is similar, the son realized his mistakes and pleaded to his father for forgiveness, even if it meant he would work as a servant and be disowned by his father. But his father embraced his son and welcomed him home with open arms. The message is clear: "It doesn't matter what you did or how dirty or guilty you feel, I just want you to come home."
I never imagined that Lotor would become my favorite character. He became such an important part of the story and I'm so happy he found happiness. In a way, everyone found exactly where they were meant to be.
Thank you all so much for being a part of this journey. Thank you MiraculousWolf for being a fantastic beta reader and for listening to my ramblings. I don't know where this story would be without you.
A special shout out to RoseKnight. You've been here since the beginning and I always looked forward to your heartwarming reviews. Thank you for being such a loyal fan, for supporting my Etsy store, and reviewing my others works too. You are a sweet as cinnamon tortillas with ice cream on top!
Thank you, everyone, who has reviewed, followed and favorited the story. Words alone can't express how grateful I am.
Guys, would you like to say a few words?
Keith: "Thank you. To the Voltron fans and especially the Kallura shippers for supporting and inspiring this story."
Allura: "Thank you for being so strong in the face of adversity."
Lance: "Lost of love to the Plance shippers for turning this story around."
Pidge: "Yeah, we weren't originally supposed to be a thing, but you guys made Maggie think twice. Thank you so much, I love you!"
Lance: "We're like the Rayllum of this story. Only more adorable." (Lance gets electrocuted by Callum's lightning spell off-screen.) "I regret nothing."
Hunk: "This experience has been one I will never forget. Who knew such an atrocious finale to a once endearing show could inspire a treasure trove of creativity. I guess we should also be thanking the writers themselves. And, we're sorry if we were a bit too harsh at the time. No matter how we felt about the series you're still people... even if your work was flawed."
Lotor: "Above all else, we thank our Father in Heaven for guiding and inspiring us all throughout this journey. This story wouldn't be the way it is if not for You. So we thank You, Lord, we thank You."
Everyone: "Amen."
Shiro: "And thank you, readers, for being so accepting of me and Romelle."
Allura: "Why wouldn't they?"
Keith: "You were a married couple in the 80s."
Shiro: "Still."
Well, I believe now is time to say... goodbye. It's been a really fun ride and while things are a bit crazy right now I have a feeling that things are going to turn around. Just you wait, never lose hope. Like Shiro's song says "There's a light, I still see it. Your hands are holding me, even when I don't believe it."
It just takes time, but that's okay. I'm willing to wait for it. Well, time to pack up paladins. We're heading home.
*an airship arrives, piloted by Asami who honks on the incredibly loud horn, amplified by the speakers.*
Asami: "COME ON PEOPLE! MY KIDS' JUNIOR PRO BENDING MATCH IS IN TWO HOURS!"
Korra: "Why do you keep cameoing in these chapters?"
Mako: "And why did we ever let her install that stupid horn?"
Asami: "Because I'm awesome and because I can."
Keith: "Goodbye, everyone. But don't worry, this isn't the end."
Allura: "Our story might be over, but there will be more to come. Stay safe and have a very Happy Easter."
Pidge: "God bless us, everyone."
Lance: "Sing us out, Discord!"
Discord:
And now our song is done
Our tale completely spun
As puffed and polished as a royal jewel
There's not much left to tell
And hey, that's just a well
Unless we get one more surprise renewal
(Oh, boy)
And now we have to go and get work
On some cheapskate cable network
But, the door is not quite shut
So go and make your mark
And be the legend you were
Meaaaaaaaant toooooo
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
...
"And now a quick sneak peek"
