A/N: Shoutout to Dotalot345, Mercedes1312, and guest for their comments! It really made my day reading them, and I'm glad you're enjoying the series. Thank you! :)

**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender (duh)


The moment the Atlas regained power and transformed back into a battleship, Shiro rallied their crew, sending medics and engineers to the crash sites of the Voltron lions. More teams were sent to aid the civilians who had been imprisoned in the nearby work camps, and the remaining officers and cadets tended to those on board, helping them to disembark.

Red had touched down in the desert. Veronica leapt into a vehicle with her group, urging them to hurry as they sped off. Green had crashed into the woods further inland. Sam and Colleen had tears in their eyes as they departed. Blue had hit the ocean several miles out. Coran and Romelle worked with Iverson to quickly get the equipment needed to drag it out from the water's depths. Yellow had landed dangerously close to a newly liberated work camp. Scarlett, Curtis, and Tammy rushed to help the citizens who were already trying to pry open the lion's jaws. Black had dropped next to the Garrison. Shiro, Mari, Kosmo, and Aaren zipped through campus to reach it.

As they arrived at the smoking crater, they stumbled out of their vehicle. The metal hide of the Black Lion was scorching hot to the touch, its eyes lifeless and its maw clamped shut. Shiro didn't want to wait for their crew to set up the machinery required to pry it open, and neither did Mari. Holding onto Kosmo, the cosmic wolf teleported them inside the dark cockpit of the lion.

Keith sat slumped over in the pilot's chair, arms hanging limp at his sides. His helmet visor had been shattered, shards of glass strewn across his lap and the floor. Blood covered his forehead, dripping down the sides of his cheeks all the way down to his neck. His breathing was shallow and thin, his chest rising and falling unevenly. Kosmo whined softly, nuzzling his snout into one of the paladin's unresponsive hands.

Gingerly taking one of Keith's arms, Shiro draped it over his shoulders and wrapped his other hand around his waist. He grunted as he pulled him up and out of the seat, his jaw clenched and his forehead beaded with sweat as his injuries from their fight with Sendak caught up to him. Taking Keith's other arm, Mari took some of the weight, granting him a bit of relief. They held onto Kosmo once more and were transported outside. Together, they laid Keith down on a gurney, allowing Aaren and the other medics to begin inspecting and tending to his injuries. Leaving the Black Lion behind them, they dashed back to the Garrison hospital where the doctors whisked him away for treatment.

Aaren wouldn't let Shiro and Mari go out to help the others. Forcing them into rooms of their own, he and his colleagues finally treated all the hurts they had sustained. Bandages were wrapped, cold compresses were applied, and medicine was administered. The evening sun gradually dipped below the horizon, and as the hours dragged by, the remaining paladins were brought to the hospital. Hunk, Lance, Pidge, and finally Allura, all heavily injured. But they were alive. They would survive this. It would just be a waiting game for those they had left behind in the realm of consciousness.

The adrenaline had long since drained from Mari's systems as she laid propped up in her bed, her sore body going numb as her growing exhaustion from the day's events overwhelmed her. Kosmo dozed uneasily by her side, unable to visit his human while the doctors worked. Kage lay curled up on the pillow next to her head, having chosen to stay behind when her parents had visited. The ring on her finger glowed softly in the quiet darkness of the hospital room, providing some comfort as she let herself fall into a dreamless sleep.


Earth was well on the road to recovering from the years it had been enslaved by Sendak. The Galaxy Garrison became the main hub for the Voltron Coalition. The lions were collected and moved to a safer location within the campus grounds. Work camp facilities were demolished. Cities were slowly being rebuilt. Repairs began on the Atlas, led by Sam, Coran, and Scarlett, and the blown-up bits of the robeast were gradually being located and recovered. Mari sent out a message to their remaining rebel allies, inviting them to Earth. With the Atlas and Voltron there to protect the planet, and with their own defensive technology growing, they would be safe here from what remained of the Galra forces.

It wasn't until a month had passed that the first of the rebels arrived. A Galra cruiser descended into the atmosphere, initially frightening the crap out of the Garrison team. But as their comm lines opened, revealing Kolivan and Krolia on screen, everyone sagged in relief. With them, they brought Immea, much to Scarlett's delight, along with a handful of young Blades they had found on their journey to Earth.

Soon after, Shay and her people arrived. And they brought their entire Balmera with them. The ancient animal could move unnervingly fast when its inhabitants needed it to, and its sudden appearance in the sky gave the Garrison crew near heart attacks once again. But now with a Balmera at their fingertips, so much more could be done to power and strengthen their ships and defensive systems.

Another month zipped by before Matt finally made it home. Led by him and Captain Olia, their squadron of ships landed and they were ecstatically greeted by Sam and Colleen. A swarm of familiar faces milled about the Garrison grounds as more and more allies arrived: Nyma, Rolo, Beezer, Slav, N-7, JiJi, several Olkari, even a few Arusians, including Klaizap. It was such a strange but welcoming sight seeing them all mingle with so many Earthlings, getting along together like lifelong friends.

But as the days wore on, Mari's heart remained heavy with worry. Acxa, Mitsubishi, and Treble had yet to respond to her message, and not a single Vurellean or Kythran had made their way to Earth. And the paladins…they were still in the hospital, comatose. Their conditions had stabilized, the doctors assured them. But after practically being sucked dry of their quintessence multiple times in one day, caught in a destructive explosion that would've wiped out half the planet, and mercilessly slammed back down to Earth, it was no wonder they were taking so long to wake up.

But when would they wake up? What if they never did? What would they do about Haggar, who was still out there somewhere, wreaking who knows what kind of havoc? Had Acxa made it to Kythra safely? What if something had happened to them along the way? Had anyone from her Vurelle team gotten her message? A flood of worrisome questions weighed on Mari's mind as she struggled to busy herself with work, her most recent task preparing for the memorial service that was to be held for all those who had fallen in the war against the Fire of Purification.

"You decided not to speak at the service tomorrow?" Jia asked. She and Maggie were following her down the halls of the Garrison, flowers in their hands.

Mari shook her head. "I don't know what I'd say," she admitted. "Besides, I think hearing from our captain will do a lot more to invigorate the people."

"Yeah. Shiro's always been better with words, hasn't he?" Maggie hummed, and Mari couldn't argue with her.

As they entered the memorial room, they were surprised to find Shiro there, speaking quietly with Curtis. They stood by the wall of names, lost in their own private conversation until they noticed the trio approaching. They turned to face them, granting the girls small smiles in greeting.

"Thought I'd find you here. We brought these for Adam," Mari said, and they held up their flowers to show Shiro. She glanced at Curtis and gave him a polite nod. "Hello, Commander Michaels."

"I told you, you can just call me Curtis, Mariko," he said, kind and casual. A communications expert, he had initially helped her figure out the Garrison's satellite computer systems to send out her messages to their allies scattered across the universe. He was very patient and friendly and he got along with everybody, superiors and cadets alike. He'd insisted she address him by his first name, treating her more like a colleague than a cadet. She supposed she was a rebel officer and not his student, but it still felt a little weird to shake off all formality in such a militaristic setting.

"I'll call you Curtis when you just call me Mari," she countered, and he let out a small huff of laughter.

"Touché."

"Does that mean we're allowed to start calling you by your first name too, Curtis?" Maggie smirked, ever testing the limits of authority.

Curtis playfully rolled his eyes. "I'll consider it once you're officially promoted to an officer, Cadet."

"It was worth a shot," Maggie shrugged, and she, Jia, and Mari placed their flowers in the vase on the floor beneath Adam's plaque.

When they straightened, Curtis' watch beeped. He sighed, switching off the alarm as he checked the time. "Well, I've got a meeting to head to." He sounded almost sad about it, but his eyes brightened a bit as his gaze lingered on Shiro. A tiny smile graced his features once more and he excused himself. "I'll see you guys later."

He waved to them on his way out, leaving the four of them to watch him disappear out the door and down the hall. There was a beat of silence before Maggie nudged Shiro in the ribs, eliciting an 'Oof' from him.

"You two are awfully chummy," she mused. "Was he in your graduating class?"

"He was a couple years below me. I saw him around, but we didn't talk much," Shiro answered, absentmindedly massaging the spot where she'd elbowed him. He solemnly glanced at the memorial wall, adding, "We ran into each other while paying our respects. He lost his brother during the invasion."

They were quiet for a long moment, taking in the overwhelming amount of names that hung before them, never to be forgotten. Shiro let out a quiet sigh as his attention landed on Adam's vase of flowers.

Mari took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He squeezed her's back. "How're you holding up?" she tentatively asked.

There was a long pause from him as he mulled over the question. "Better than I expected, all things considered," he decided. His eyes were bright with hope and determination, but an unshakable hint of melancholy remained in his look.

"You ready to give your big speech tomorrow?" she wondered.

He shrugged and cast her a tight smile. "I'm as ready as I can get."


The stage and podium for the memorial service had been set up at the feet of the Voltron lions, all of them sitting properly in a line. Several Garrison officers wrapped up displaying the portraits of the higher-ranking officers who had passed away fighting Sendak's forces, Admiral Sanda's decorated image included. They'd long since gathered her body from the warlord's crashed cruiser and had given her a proper burial, made private upon her family's request. This would be the first time they were holding a public service, not only to honor the memory of their fallen leader, but for all their heroic comrades as well.

The evening sun cast everything in a warm golden glow as the officers departed, retreating inside to grab a bite for dinner. Mari was left sitting alone on the stage, quieting her troubled thoughts.

"Ah! There you are, Number Five! I've been looking for you." Coran was speed-walking towards her from the main building, a duffel bag cradled in his arms. He nimbly hopped onto the stage and sat down next to her. "I've finished the repairs on the paladins' armor. They're as good as new!" he said with an unbridled delight. "I even had time to clean up your suit."

He handed her the bag and she set it on her lap, zipping it open. Inside was her own armor and weaponry, polished and buffed of all scratches and dents. The Voltron 'V' that had been scratched out for ages on her pauldrons had even been repainted, looking brand-new as it gleamed in the sunlight. She smiled as she ran her fingers over it.

"Thank you, Coran," she said in all honesty. "How are things going with the Atlas?"

"Fantastic!" he exclaimed. "With the Olkari's help, we'll be able to complete several features of the ship Sam couldn't quite figure out from the Castle's blueprints. We'll have healing pods and a working teludav on the Atlas in no time. Scarlett's even begun upgrading the MFEs with Balmeran crystals."

"That's great."

"Give it a few more phoebs and we'll be ready to take to the skies again, fighting the Galra," he nodded, pinching his mustache with pride. "Ah, yes. There's nothing quite like the thrill of everything finally falling into place."

Mari's grin fell, her momentary happiness fading. "Not everything," she murmured, and Coran's face softened as he looked at her.

"I know. I'm just as worried as you," he admitted, his tone turning glum. He frowned at his feet dangling over the edge of the stage and took a deep breath before continuing, "But the paladins have always pulled through for us. They'll wake up soon, I can feel it. We just have to have faith and wait a little bit longer for them."

She sighed, knowing he was right. "Well, I suppose this wouldn't be the first time I've been left waiting," she said, returning her pauldrons to the bag. She rummaged through the rest of her armor, curiously inspecting each piece. When she found her gauntlets, she hesitated before bringing up her displays and scrolling to her "Real" and "Real or Not" lists. She hadn't touched either of them let alone look at them since she and Scarlett had decided to join the Voltron team on their journey home.

WHAT I KNOW IS REAL

- My name is Mariko Shirogane. I am from Earth. I'm 21ish. I am a pilot. I have a ship called the Kintsugi.

- I like egg rolls. I hate the dark.

- I came to space in the Blue Lion.

- I was a rebel officer on Vurelle.

- Voltron did not come to help us.

- I am scared to be alone.

- Mitsubishi, Treble, Scarlett, & Acxa are with me.

- Hunk's cooking is the best.

- Voltron has returned.

WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS REAL OR NOT

- I hate the paladins?

Mari stared at the bottom point. She knew it wasn't real. She didn't hate the paladins. For the first time in three years, she finally felt certain of what she really, truly felt towards them. Companionship. Admiration. Happiness. Family. It had always been like that between them, she realized. And nothing could ever change that.

Her fingers hovered over the glowing words. Then taking a steading breath, she deleted them. The blank screen was daunting to look at, but her chest felt lighter at the sight of it. She returned her gauntlet to her bag and watched the sunset with Coran, a peaceful silence settling over them.

It didn't last long though as a squad of rebel ships broke through the clouds above. They thrummed overhead, drawing ever closer to the Garrison's airspace. Mari squinted at them, only for her heart to nearly leap into her throat. These were ships from Vurelle. And leading them towards the base's landing port was the Kintsugi.

"It's Acxa!" she gasped and she scrambled to hop off the stage. With Coran following at her heels, they sprinted through campus, stumbling past startled cadets and rebels until they reached their desired destination. The ships had just landed, their passengers trickling out and being greeted by Shiro, Sam, and Matt. Te-freya, Te-osh, Agamate, Meggix, Danua, Yauqeil, Zemphis, Mez, Teol, Ellosh, Korlis, and little toddler Kia – they were all here, safe and unharmed.

"Everyone!" Mari ran to meet them, her eyes stinging with fresh tears and a laugh bubbling in her throat. "You made it!"

Throwing all formality to the wind, Ellosh and Korlis wrapped her in a tight hug. "Hello, Mari," the queen sniffled, her eyes bright with tears of her own.

"It's been too long, kid!" Korlis beamed. "We're glad to see ya again."

"Kia's here too!" The little princess tugged impatiently on the human's pant leg, waiting for her turn for hugs. Pulling away from the Vurellean couple, Mari grinned as she picked her up.

"Hello, Kia," she chuckled. "You've gotten so tall! You're growing up so quickly." She booped her nose to the child's, eliciting a giggle from the princess.

"We received your message," Te-freya said, a hint of proud fondness in her voice as she looked at her. "Good work, Mari."

"Your friends did an excellent job leading us here," Te-osh added, and she nodded to where the Kintsugi sat. Climbing out of the cockpit hatch were Treble, Mitsubishi, and Acxa, all looking tired, but relieved to have completed their journey.

"Mitsu!" Scarlett squealed as she barreled into the Thollan, nearly knocking him off his feet. Her antenna glowed brighter as she tapped her forehead against his and his hair shifted to a bright yellow.

"Hello, Scarlett," he said, straight-faced as always. "I've missed you."

"Same here," she agreed, and her attention shifted to the Kintsugi. "How's my baby doing? Did you have any problems with her?"

"None at all. She worked like a charm."

"Well, that's good to hear," Mari said, approaching their group. She set Kia down as she carefully inspected the exterior of her ship. "Not a single scratch, as promised."

"Mariiiii!" Treble chirped, promptly glomping her.

Mari returned her embrace, patting her head of soft dark blue hair. "Hi, Treble. How was the trip here?"

"Long," she drawled, exasperated. Her smile was brilliant though as she continued, "But Earth looks so pretty! I've never seen a planet covered with so much water and greenery."

"It's just our luck your base is located in a desert," Teol noted flatly in passing, and Mari couldn't tell if he was relieved to be in a familiar landscape again or disappointed that Treble wouldn't immediately get to see the lush forests and blue oceans Earth had to offer. Mez consolingly patted his shoulder, and the Vurellean soldier stoically crossed his arms.

Turning to Acxa, Mari granted her a warm smile. "Hey. Welcome to Earth," she said, holding out her hand. "Thank you for bringing everyone here. And for taking care of the Kintsugi."

Acxa pulled her attention away from several human officers who had been staring nervously at her from the edge of the crowd. The wariness in her eyes diminished as her gaze landed on her friend. She took her outstretched hand and they clasped one another's forearms in hello.

"Of course," she replied simply, as if enduring such a daring trek through pirate-filled territories was no big deal. "We didn't think you would arrive on Earth so soon after we parted ways."

"We ran into some weird space stuff," Mari briefly explained. "That, and the paladins found the way to power up the lions and shoot us home."

"How convenient," Acxa mused, and a tiny smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She glanced around the compound, searching for the five heroes. "I don't see them here. Are they alright?"

Mari couldn't hide her grimace. "It's a long story," she admitted, and she quickly summarized how they had come home to an invaded Earth, how they fought and defeated Sendak and his army, and how Voltron and the Atlas had fought and defeated the powerful robeast sent to destroy the planet immediately afterwards.

"So they're still unconscious," Mitsubishi murmured, his hair turning a deep orange that almost matched the darkening skies.

"The doctors are doing everything they can. They've gotta be due to wake up soon," Scarlett tried to assure them. Her face brightened as she changed the subject. "But while we're waiting, I've got so much to show you! The Atlas and the MFEs are getting a bunch of much needed upgrades. We're gonna be so quiznaking ready when we jump back into the war."

Taking Mitsubishi by the hand, she led him into the Garrison's main building to bring him down to the hangars. Not a second later, Jia and Maggie came rushing out.

"This is your ship?" Maggie gasped, her eyes landing on the Kintsugi. She giddily circled it, running her fingers along the sleek exterior. "Lucky! This build is beautiful! Why can't our ships look like this?" She clasped her hands together as she smiled sweetly at Mari. "Can I test fly it?"

"No," Mari deadpanned, just as Jia calmly reminded her, "You're not a pilot, Maggie."

"Aww, no fair," she pouted, but her disappointment lasted for only a second as she whirled on Acxa. "Bombshell alert! You must be Acxa! Thank you for keeping Mari's reckless butt outta trouble."

Acxa blinked at her enthusiastic energy. "It was no problem," she finally said, remaining cautious as she addressed the strangers.

"This is Maggie and Jia," Mari introduced them to her. "You can just ignore Maggie if you want."

"Mari's told us a lot about you," Jia said, her smile small but friendly. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Acxa politely nodded. "She's told me a lot about you two as well."

"All good things, I hope," Maggie preened, flipping her blond locks over her shoulder. She leaned against Jia and cast Acxa a flirtatious wink as she said, "She didn't tell us how hot you'd be, though."

Acxa raised an uncomprehending brow at the human pair. "My natural body temperature is quite normal. What purpose does it serve for you to have such information?"

Maggie laughed, unperturbed by her rigid formality. "Ooh, I like her," she grinned. She gestured to herself and Jia as she wondered, "Tell me, would you ever consider engaging in a threesome?"

Jia rolled her eyes and Mari dragged a tired hand down her face. Acxa frowned at the unfamiliar term, but before she could inquire what it meant, Mari quickly intervened.

"Like I said, just ignore her," she advised, and Maggie threw her a scowl. She jerked her head towards the facility, encouraging their new arrivals to follow her inside. "Come on, let's get you settled in."


In the quiet darkness of the dorm she shared with Jia, Maggie, sometimes Kosmo, and now Acxa, the incessant vibrating of her phone against the nightstand pulled Mari out of her dreams. She rubbed her blurry eyes, struggling to focus on the orange glow the quivering device was emitting. It wasn't even three AM yet. Who could possibly be calling her at this late hour?

Groggily dragging it off the stand before it could wake anyone else up, she pushed the 'talk' button and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" she mumbled, her voice thick with drowsiness and irritation.

"Hey, sorry to wake you." It was Shiro. Muffled beeps and voices could be heard in the background of wherever he was calling from. Whatever he had called her for, it must've been important.

"What is it?" she asked, more alert this time. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." He sounded breathless, rushed, but there was an undeniable glee in his tone as he said, "It's the paladins. They're finally awake."


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