Hole in the Sky
Shortly after Haggar had severed his link with the Red Lion and stripped him of his title as Paladin, due to his reckless and selfish attitude that unfortunately left both Allura and Katie badly injured...Keith had sat on the bed of his locked quarters, sitting in complete silence and remorse, as his cold and distant attitude and his reckless actions cost him everything: his link with the Red Lion, his position as the Red Paladin and more importantly...lost the trust and respect of his friends, whom he had deeply hurt because he simply refused to accept the reality that Shiro was probably dead and rushed to kill Lotor.
Keith stated while covering his face in shame, as he knew his friends had no intention of letting him out of his 'cell' without risking Haggar's ire. "You've got to help me Shiro."
That was when he heard a familiar voice reply. "Don't give up on your friends, Keith. They're all you have."
Keith was surprised as his 'cell' was consumed by a bright white light and much to his great surprise... before he saw that Shiro had walked out from the light, but had appeared as a spirit/ghost! The former Red Paladin asked softly. "Shiro...is that...Is that really you?"
His friend and leader answered while sitting down beside him. "I'm not really here with you Keith. I'm somewhere else."
Keith stated softly. "I screwed up big time Shiro. I really screwed up."
The Black human Paladin stated softly. "Keith...I completely understand why you've been acting the way you have: Lance and the others thinking that I'm truly dead and Allura wanting to find a new Paladin to pilot the Black Lion. That would cause anybody to snap. But Keith...you have to accept that people won't always live forever and sooner or later...we'll all be replaced."
Keith stated with soft eyes. "Shiro...I just feel so lost without you. The person that caused Allura and Pidge to be seriously hurt...I would never do that."
Shiro replied while placing a gentle hand on the former Red Paladin's shoulder. "I miss you too, buddy. I miss you too." Before Shiro had vanished, as his time was nearly up, he told his friend. "Keith, before I go, I ask that you don't do what you did when you hurt Allura and Pidge. If you do, Haggar will do something far worse than what she did to you and she won't be able to stop herself. But after what happened, it'll take a while for you to earn her trust back."
Keith stated softly, as he knew it was time for his team leader and best friend to go. "I swear I'll make you proud, Shiro."
The former Black Paladin stated with a soft grin. "I have no doubt that you'll make me proud, Keith."
The next morning
Haggar, Allura and Katie were having breakfast in bed, as they weren't ready to leave the room yet. Haggar had chosen a favorite Altean dish that she and Allura loved as teenagers and Katie found that she liked it, which gave her an idea of asking Hunk to introduce Earth to some Altean food, which she knew he'd agree with.
After eating their breakfast and getting dressed for the day, the Altean princesses and Katie went to the living quarters, where they began watching Disney's the Legend of Tarzan. Haggar and Allura became so interested in Tarzan that Katie explained that Tarzan was the creation of a famous writer from the 1800s named Edgar Rice Burroughs, and that the studio of Walt Disney pictures were granted permission to make their movie version of Tarzan, which made the disney version possible and it was considered by many people of Earth to be the most favorite version of Tarzan, and it still was to this very day.
Several days later
Since the team's last encounter with Lotor, which resulted in a nearly deadly disaster, as Keith tried to take on Lotor himself and had endangered the rest of the team because of it. What's worse, Keith's anger and reckless actions had gotten Allura and Katie badly injured. And for his actions, the former high priestess of Zarkon, now the new Black Paladin and leader of Voltron, Haggar had severed Keith's link to the Red Lion and removed his rank as a Paladin of Voltron.
Keith was now rarely spoken to and was now mostly ignored by the rest of the team, feeling angry and disappointed in their friend for what he did and hurting Katie and Allura, though indirectly. Keith felt devastated and felt more alone than he had ever felt before but knew that they had every right to feel that way towards him.
That morning, the team (without Keith) was gathered at the dining room for breakfast. Now that Keith was no longer the Red Paladin, they all knew that they had to find a new pilot for the Red Lion. Lance was the first to speak. "So…what do we do next?"
Haggar looked at Lance, already knowing what he was trying to say. "I know what's on your mind, Lance, all of you." She said to the rest of the Paladins. "Now that Keith is no longer part of the team, we need to start looking for a new pilot for the Red Lion."
"But who could it be, Haggar? We can't just go looking around the entire universe for a new Paladin." Katie said with concern, as looking for a new Paladins would take far too much time.
Hunk agreed to that. "Yeah, Pidge is right. With Lotor out there and us not being able to form Voltron, the other planets we just liberated will all be reconquered."
Haggar understood their worries and said. "I know that finding a new Paladin could cost us far too much valuable time, but if we can't find a new Red Paladin among us, we have no choice but to look for a new one across the universe."
All nodded, as they had to see first which 1 of them could pilot the Red Lion before they start searching across the universe. Allura hoped that she could be the 1 to pilot the Red Lion, as her father had piloted it in his time. Just then, Keith walked inside the dining room. All of the others gave him a fierce look before Keith sighed as he just took some food out of the fridge and walked back to his room.
When Keith was gone, Lance asked Allura. "How long do we plan to keep 'him' around, after what he nearly did to all of us? Especially you and Pidge, Allura?"
Allura and Haggar then looked at each other for a moment before the Altean princess answered Lance. "I know what he did was unforgivable, but we still need all the help we can get to fight Lotor and the Galra. But not before he's finally learned the consequences of his actions and learns to control himself. Only then can he help us again. But he's not going to be the Red Paladin or a Paladin of any of the Lions anymore. He's disgraced his position by taking reckless actions and nearly getting us all killed."
Everyone agreed to that before they all went back to eating their food, with Katie sitting close to Allura and Haggar before Haggar rubbed her hair gently.
A while later
The team had gathered at the hanger. Keith was there too, but kept his distance and just watched, seeing who would be the new Red Paladin. Allura was the first to go in. As she entered the cockpit and sat on it's seat, Allura took the controls and tried to focus to form a link with the Red Lion. "I want to carry on my father's fight, but I need your help. Allow me to follow in his footsteps as your Paladin." But after some minutes of trying, the Red Lion didn't respond. Allura begged the Lion to choose her. "Please, I must do this. Others are risking their lives in this fight and I can't continue to-" She said before she started crying, as she couldn't bare to see anyone else she loved getting hurt, especially her lover, Haggar, or hers and her lover's surrogate younger sister, Katie.
Not long after, Allura stepped out of the Red Lion, feeling sad that the Lion didn't choose her to be the new pilot. Haggar hugged her princess to comfort her. "I'm sorry, my sweet princess. I know how much you wanted to pilot the Red Lion."
Allura broke the hug while wiping away her tears and gave a little nod. "I'm fine now, my darling princess. Let's just... move on."
Everyone looked at each other for a moment to see who would go next. But strangely, Lance wasn't among them. Haggar looked and saw him in front of his Blue Lion. But there was something odd. The Blue Lion wasn't lowering his shield for Lance anymore. She walked up to him and asked. "Lance, what's wrong?"
Lance shook his head as he didn't know. "I don't know. Blue is shutting me out." Before he then tried to talk to his Lion. "Come on, Old Blue. It's me, Lancey Lance. Open up. Please?" But the Blue Lion still didn't respond "Is this because I wanted to fly the Black Lion before? It was just a phase. C'mon! Open up!" Lance begged the Blue Lion at this point.
Haggar found it strange that the Blue Lion didn't respond to Lance anymore. Then, when Allura joined them, all of the sudden, the Red Lion roared, surprising the team a bit. Haggar then wondered something as she used her senses. "The Red Lion... is calling for you, Lance. It is choosing you."
Lance didn't understand, but nodded and went inside the Red Lion. At that moment, the Blue Lion lowered it's shield, as it was calling to... Allura. Both Haggar and Allura could feel it, making them both smile.
When Lance sat in the cockpit of the Red Lion, and Allura in the Blue's, both Lions came to life and roared. Everyone was happy, as Allura not only had her chance to fight alongside the team, but also that Lance is the new pilot for the Red Lion. Keith just stood there in a corner, feeling happy for his friends. But still felt ashamed for his actions and left the hanger. He had to make it up somehow.
Haggar seemed to have sensed it in Keith's mind, knowing that Keith is slowly finally learning his lesson. Though she was still angry at him for what he did, she did still have hope for him, though it was slim. 'In time, Keith, we might be able to trust you again. But for now, you need to learn to control yourself and accept the consequences of your reckless actions.'
A week later
Now that the team had a new pilot for both the Red and Blue Lion, they were ready again to take the fight to Lotor and get revenge on him for Allura and Katie's injuries. But not before Allura had some more training, and Lance to better control his Red Lion. It was hard, but in time, thanks to Haggar's encouragement, they were able to control their Lions and the team was able to form Voltron.
The team had just returned from another mission, after defeating a Galra counterattack on a system that had just liberated itself. While they were on the bridge, waiting for the next thing to happen, an alarm went off on the main screen and Allura, Coran and Haggar couldn't believe what they just saw.
Katie asked, confused. "What's going on? This kind of alarm had never gone off before."
Lance then asked their Altean friends, as they looked pale for some reason. "Haggar, what is it?"
Hunk nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you guys look like you just saw a ghost."
Coran checked the controls while answering. "That's just the thing. It's an old Altean distress code. 1 used by King Alfor's ships."
Allura and Haggar held each other close, as they couldn't believe that perhaps they weren't the last Alteans in the universe. "Could it be? Are we not the last Alteans alive?" Allura asked her lover.
Haggar was astounded by what she witnessed. "I... I can't believe it. I thought all the Alteans were wiped out? I saw it with my own eyes 10.000 years ago."
Keith, who was also on the bridge, said. "Wait. What if someone's cloning the signal to try and lure us in?"
Everyone looked at Keith with a fierce look, making him nervous before Haggar took the controls while saying to Keith without looking at him. "The signal is from an Altean ship, and we're going to find it."
Lance nodded as he tried to dismiss Keith. "Yeah, so why don't you just sit in your room and let the REAL Paladins do the job?"
Keith wasn't happy that Lance was speaking to him like that. But when he looked at Haggar, who was giving him a serious look, he sadly nodded and left the bridge before Allura saw a very familiar Altean ship. "That looks like a Tel-Galax exploration shuttle. 1 of my father's deep space vessels."
"Yes. I recognize the ship as well, my sweet princess." Haggar added after her lover, having been on 1 once when she and Allura were teenagers on Altea 10,000 years ago.
"According to the ship's identification code, it's Commander Trayling's ship. But I don't see any records of it's destination or mission." Clean informed the others.
"What Happened to it?" Lance asked.
"Is it stuck in a wormhole?" Asked Hunk, seeing the ship was halfway through the yellow energy.
"That's unlike any wormhole I've ever seen." Coran said to the yellow Paladin.
"There's a massive amount of energy emanating from it, centered right where the ship is stuck." Katie informed them, noticing that the strange wormhole was emanating a massive amount of energy.
"We have to see if anyone is aboard. They may need our help." Allura told everyone as she held Haggar close to her.
"We could send a probe over to it, see if we can get some kind of idea what this thing is." Katie suggested.
"Do it, Katie." Haggar said to hers and her Allura's surrogate younger sister before she did just that.
As the probe was getting close to the ship, everyone was informing the Altean princesses of its readings. "The energy shows no signs of radioactive decay and it's not thermal."
"It's not gravitational either. Our probe is steady on course, and the light is radiating out, not in, like it would in a black hole." Hunk said.
"But out from where?" Katie asked.
Coran then saw a familiar energy signature. "That energy signature, I know it. It's radiating quintessence!" He said before the probe entered the yellow energy hole and was destroyed on entry.
"Ooh! That's weird." Hunk said with a weirded out look.
Lance didn't think it was a good idea to go any further. "Okay, well let's not go anywhere near there."
"We must." Allura told the yellow Paladin.
"Hold on. Didn't you just see what happened?" Hunk protested.
"Voltron's compositional strength far exceeds anything else in this universe. We received an Altean distress call, which must mean that someone is alive on the ship. As Paladins of Voltron, it is our duty to help." Haggar reminded her fellow Paladins and friends.
"But Haggar, I still think there's a chance that this whole thing is a trap." Katie said to her friends and big sisters.
"Even if it is not a tap, it's far too dangerous to go in there." Coran told them.
Then Haggar and I will do it ourselves if we have to." Allura told them before she and her darling princess walked off the bridge with her, with Katie quickly following them and Lance and Hunk (very reluctantly) doing the same.
The team then got into their Lions and formed Voltron before slowly flying to the Altean ship. All right, let's take it slow. Katie, any chance you can explain what I'm seeing right now?" Haggar asked.
The Euclidian space around the ship is obviously some kind of anomaly. But the energy source doesn't originate from anything that registers with my understanding of how reality works. In normal talk, that means no." Katie answered honestly.
"I'll scan the ship for biorhythms." Hunk said before he did just that before seeing no life signs aboard the ship. "That's strange. I'm not showing any signs of life on that ship."
But Allura knew differently. "Maybe not on this half, but there is more to this ship than we are seeing. We need to go though there."
"The glowy, explode-y area?" Lance asked with a bit of fear in his voice.
"Katie, keep an eye on Voltron's vitals. Everyone, be prepared to abort if things get 'out of hand' as you humans say." Haggar told everyone while saying an Earth expression that Katie had taught her and Allura.
"Roger that. Ready to abort immediately." Hunk said.
That was when Katie saw something on her sensor screen. "Guys, my sensors are going crazy. Technically, we should be torn apart that same way the probe was. But somehow Voltron is completely unaffected by the stress of the spatial distortion."
Coran tried to contact them but could not get through. "Hello? What are you seeing? I'm losing visual. Hello?" Before Voltron disappeared into the Quintessence. "No!" He said in fear for the Paladin's lives.
Meanwhile
"We must have crossed through because that's the front of the ship." Katie informed her friends.
That was when Allura noticed something. "Wait. The back half of this ship, it's gone!" Before Voltron flew up and saw another planet ahead. "Coran! Coran! We've lost sight of the castle." But Coran didn't respond. "Coran, are you there?"
"Where did he go?" Haggar asked, wondering where the castle was.
"And where'd that planet come from?" Lance added.
"According to my sensors, we're still in the same place we were before." Katie told them while looking at her sensors, seeing that they were in the same place as they were when they entered the wormhole.
"Guys, this is gonna sound strange, but now I'm detecting multiple biorhythms aboard the ship." Hunk informed everyone while his sensors showed him several life forms aboard the ship.
Allura and Haggar knew what that must have meant for them both. "Alteans." They said at the same time through their mental bond.
"It seems like we've only got 1 clue to help us figure out what's going on, and it's floating right over there." Lance told his fellow Paladins while they looked at the Altean ship.
After separating the Lions and landing on the ship, the Paladin entered the vessel and the Altean princesses used their lights on their suits to see. "Hello? Is anyone here?" Allura called out.
"Allura, baby, we have to be quiet. Even if it is who we think it is, there's no telling what else is in this ship with them." Haggar gently and quietly said while holding her lover close to her as they all floated in 0 gravity.
While the Altean princesses and the earthlings were exploring the ship, they heard heavy breathing until Allura found a power device and turned the lights and gravity systems of the ship on before they dropped to their feet before Katie asked. "So, did the crew abandon ship?"
Lance saw a body close to the controls and walked up to it while removing his helmet. "I don't know, but they couldn't have gotten far without their spacesu-" he said before he removed the helmet and saw a skinless head, shocking him enough to make him step far away from the dead body of an Altean wearing a manacle. "Those aren't empty!"
Allura and Haggar then went to the control screen and turned out the last recording, which revealed an Altean reporting that they had managed to find a 2nd comet based on King Alfie's information and got it aboard but it caused massive disturbances as they were heading back to Altea. But the male Altean didn't think that he and the rest of the crew would be able to make it that far before an explotion caused the screen to go black.
"What happened here?" Hunk asked, wondering what could have happened on the ship that caused this.
"Something deadly." Lance answered.
"This still doesn't explain the biorhythms I picked up in this area." Hunk said as he checked his mobile sensors.
That was when 2 beings dropped from the ceiling. Lance rushed to attack while shooting his blaster before Haggar used her power to lift them up while breaking off their masks to reveal...Shiro and Slav, much to everyone's shock. "No way! Shiro?" Hunk asked.
"Stay back!" The 1 who looked like Shiro said, but with an accent.
"If you've come for the comet, you'll never get it. I'll die before I let it fall into Altean hands!" Slav said with determination.
"Wait. You know us?"
"Of course we do. You're Shiro, the black Paladin of Voltron. And you're Slav. I rescued you from a space prison." Lance answered, still freaked out.
"I don't know who you are, but you've never rescued me from anything before... unless…"
"You're from an alternate reality." Katie and Alternate Slav said at the same time, coming up with the only conclusion.
"What?" Haggar asked hers and her Allura's surrogate younger sister.
"I think, when we passed through that wormhole, we entered an alternate reality." Katie answered.
"You mean, like, what Slav was always talking about? Our Slav?" Lance asked.
But Allura wanted to know something else. "Why did you attack the captain and his crew?"
"Stay back, Altean!" The 1 who looked like Shiro told the Altean princess, making Haggar angry at the 1 who threatened her lover.
"We found the ship this way. But I can't say I'm sorry they're gone." Alternate Slav answered while not having any sympathy for the Altean captain and his crew. That was when his sensors beeped and he checked them, seeing more Alteans coming. "Oh no, more Alteans!"
"Wait! More Alteans?!" Haggar asked with disbelief, along with Allura before the 2 alternate versions of Shiro, named Sven in this reality, and Slav retreated.
"Haggar, did he just say we're being boarded by Alteans?" Allura asked her lover as they held each other close.
"I'm not sure, my sweet princess." Haggar answered honestly.
That was when they heard the doors close to them clanging, making them prepare for an attack before Altean soldiers came through the door, with an Altean professor of sorts and a huge creature in an Altean uniform. Their leader, a female Altean with pink hair walked up to them and ordered. "Put down your weapons!"
Allura and Haggar could not believe their eyes, as they gasped at seeing more Alteans besides themselves and Coran. "Alteans." They both said together.
But the female leader was shocked as well at seeing Allura and Haggar. "It can't be. Empresses." She said before she and the others vowed before the Altean princesses.
"Allura. Haggar, what's going on?" Katie asked switch confusion while standing close to her surrogate older sisters.
"Are you Empresses Allura and Haggar?" The female Altean asked.
"No. We are princess Allura and princess Haggar." Allura answered.
"Empresses Allura and Haggar? What do you...mean by that?" Haggar asked with shock at her and her lover being called empresses.
"Please, stand." Allura said gently, making the Alteans do just that.
The female Altean then introduced herself while explaining why she called them empresses. "I am General Hira, Empresses. How can you both be here? Empress Allura, after freeing your beloved Haggar from Zarkon, you both put down his uprising soon after. After that, you both established the Altean empire and married shortly after. It was 10,000 years ago."
The Altean princess were completely nonplussed by what they were hearing. While they had always dreamed of getting married and ruling Altea as it's benevolent queens, they'd never imagined for 1 second that there was actually an alternate reality where their greatest dream of the life they wanted with each other had actually come true. And to hear that they'd actually stopped Zarkon's uprising and even established their own empire was a complete shock to both of them.
After seeing how nonplussed her surrogate older sisters were, Katie explained why to general Hira. "Where we're from, all the Alteans were wiped out by Zarkon when he destroyed your planet. But princess Allura survived thanks to her dad but Haggar was never saved and became Zarkon's high priestess. 10,000 years later, my friends and I found Allura and she and Haggar eventually reunited with each other again. They've even become the new Paladins of Voltron."
General Hira and the other Alteans were surprised at hearing that before the Altean professor asked. "Where did you come from?"
Meanwhile, with Lotor
"Amazing. Your theory about Voltron was finally proven correct." Acxa told her Emperor while looking at a holographic image of the energy swirl and the ship stuck inside of it.
"I was hoping to see some more fireworks when it hit that energy swirl." Zethrid said with a bit of disappointment. "I guess all of the previous attempts to get it out were just more enjoyable to watch. For me, not for your pilots."
"Voltron made it through because he is made of the same material as that comet that King Alfor tried to hide from my father." Lotor explained before revealing a plan to get the comet. "Now, let's see if the new Paladins can bring it out to us."
"But what if Voltron's unable to escape the other reality?" Ezor asked.
"If Voltron disappears from our world, then we win, if they make it out with the comet, we'll take it from them. It's a win either way." Lotor answered with a smirk, knowing that either way, he'd win.
Back in the alternate reality
"This is the comet Commodore Trayling must've been talking about in his transmission." Katie said as she flew her Lion close to the comet, seeing that it must have gotten stuck between the 2 realities like the ship did. "It seems to be caught between the 2 realities, just like the ship."
"Could you obtain a sample for us with your Lion?" The Altean professor asked.
"I can try." Katie answered before landing on the comet, getting a sample and getting back on the ship where she examined it. "Amazing. It's Voltron."
"What?" Lance asked, freaked out.
"I mean, it's not Voltron, obviously, but the readings from this comet are the same ones Zarkon was searching for. The same ones that led us to the Blue Lion." Katie explained.
"That's how you were able to pass through to this reality. Your vehicle was made from the same trans-reality-material." The Altean professor said, knowing that that was most likely the case.
"So, that's why Voltron's so powerful." Hunk said, now knowing how Voltron was so powerful.
"With this material, Altea can create their own trans-reality traveling ships. We can spread our peace and stability to all realities." The Altean professor said before he contacted general Hira. "General Hira, I have just stumbled across something in this ship's hold that will ensure empress Allura's and empress Haggar's rule for millennia to come."
After telling general Hira, the Altean professor explained how they planned to spread their peace across all of the realities: to attach a will stealing device called the Hoktril, which the creature next to him named Modiolus, had on the back of his head, to everyone in all the realities, making the Paladins gasp in horror, as this was enslavement and control, not freedom or peace.
When they had time to themselves, the 3 Paladins discussed that they needed to get Allura and Haggar and get out of this reality before Sven and Slav showed up, having a plan to get them out before the Altean professor and his soldiers showed up and pointed their weapons at all of them while referring to Sven and Slav as the Guns of Gamara, implying that there were more people like them who opposed the Altean empire.
Meanwhile, in another part of the ship
"So, the Alteans of this reality defeated the Galra?" Allura asked general Hira.
"Led by you, my Empress. Without your will to fight and avenge the loss of your father... and to save your darling wife, the powerful Altean prodigy, Haggar, Altea would not have been able to spread peace and stability throughout the universe." General Hira answered, making Allura smile, as in this reality, her ultimate dream had come true. "Rescuing Empress Haggar and defeating Zarkon was the 1st step, but we refuse to give up until all worlds know the true peace Altea has achieved."
"That is so wonderful." Allura said with a hopeful smile.
But Haggar was thinking differently, as even though all of this did sound wonderful, something about the Alteans from this reality was not right, as they are not the same Alteans that she remembered on hers and Allura's home planet. "Something's not right about these Alteans. I can sense it just by looking at her."
"Advancements have been made, my Empresses. Citizens that might have been casualties of war in your younger days can now be rehabilitated. Entire races who warred for millennia can now know peace and help us to further our new world." Hira told them, while promising to make this alternate version of her Empresses' ultimate dream come true.
"So, they become part of the Altean peace movement?" Allura asked, beginning to believe this Altean general.
"Allura, I don't think this is right. It does sound wonderful, but there's something about the way these Alteans are spreading peace that sounds like taking away free will and the right to choose. The same way my father and Zarkon took away mine all those years ago." Haggar said to her lover as she put a hand on Allura's shoulder.
"Empress Haggar, I assure that what we're doing in this reality is nothing like what Zarkon and your father tried to do to you. Here, let me show you both something." General Hira said before showing the Altean princesses a holographic image of the Altea in this reality. "My Empresses, this is our Altea. Come with me. Allow me to show you the magnificence it has achieved. What you both have achieved."
Allura was very tempted by this offer. Ever since she awoke from her stases sleep, she'd always dreamed of seeing her home planet with all its people living in peace. But there was 1 thing she wanted more than that: to be with her darling princess and to live a peaceful and happy life with her on their home planet, royalty or normal. "Returning to Altea. It seemed like an impossible dream, I could never allow the thought." She said before looking at Haggar. "My darling princess, do you realize what this could mean for both of us? We could see our home planet again, just like we've always dreamed of."
"It...does sound wonderful, my sweet princess, and there's nothing more I want than to see our home again...with you at my side forever. But... there's something I don't like about this. But... I'm willing to try... to make you happy." Haggar said with a reluctant smile, still having doubts about this.
"Empress Haggar, our Altea saved you from that dark future Zarkon forced upon you and stopped the Galra scourge from spreading throughout the universe, as it did in your reality. My Empresses, I assure you that we will do everything in our power to help you make the dream you've always wanted to come true a reality, as it did here. The comet in this ship's hold possesses the ability to travel between realities. If you both activate this ancient ship's power, we can fly forward and remove the comet from the tear. We can use it to travel to your universe and bring peace there, even to the Galra." Hira told the alternate versions of her Empresses, wanting the dream that never came to pass in their universe to come true, as it did in this reality.
Reluctantly giving in to Hira's words, but with Haggar still having doubts, the 2 Altean lovers walked up to the crystal above them and began to activate its power before the ship began to move forward to the Altean princesses' reality.
Meanwhile, inside of the castle/ship
Coran was typing something on the controls, to see if he could get the Paladins back. Keith was there too, trying to help. But no matter how much they tried, they couldn't find the Paladins, or Voltron. Allura's pet mice were squeaking worriedly to Coran, while he said. "I've tried every scan and test I can think of. There's no sign of Voltron anywhere."
This made the mice sad before Keith then said to Coran. "Damm it, I knew it was a mistake to go into that wormhole! You could have tried to stop them!"
Coran faced Keith with an irritating look. "How could I have stopped them? You know how Allura and Haggar are." Then the mice were squeaking something to Coran, which made him narrow his eyes. "I can't understand anything that you're saying, but I'll assume by your tone that that was an insult."
But then, Keith saw the Altean ship being pulled into the wormhole. "Coran! Look!"
Coran looked as well, both seeing the Altean ship and the wormhole disappearing, making him gasp. "Not good."
Keith shook his head in agreement. "Not good... at all!"
Back in the alternate reality
After the process was done, Allura and Haggar turned to Hira, who smiled. "You've done it, my Empresses. Soon, we'll use the comet to spread peace throughout every reality."
That was when the Altean professor and the soldiers brought the Paladins and the Guns of Gamara agents in the room, held at the gunpoint, confusing Allura. "What's going on?"
"Empresses, the Guns of Gamara have infiltrated this ship. These people are working with them." The Altean professor told them.
"Let them go!" Haggar commanded.
"Hira, you and the rest of Altea have turned this universe into an army of slaves. Peace at the sake of freedom!" Alternate Slav told the Altean general with disgust.
Allura was shocked at hearing this. "Slaves? Is this true?"
"Non-cogs are not slaves!" The Altean professor argued. "You're the ones who spread chaos and destruction! We're going to scan that little brain of yours and get the location of every rebel base. Finally, our wars can end."
"Allura. Haggar, you can't let this happen." Katie said to her surrogate older sisters.
Allura and looked at Hira, wanting to get through to her. "Hira, please. We both want the same thing: peace."
"Allura, I don't think she's going to listen, my sweet princess. She's already too far gone to see that this is wrong. Our... alternate counterparts influence, no doubt?" Haggar asked, knowing that hers and her sweet princesses' alternate counterparts had Altea completely under their influence.
"That's right. Do we really want the same thing? Your weakness has brought nothing but pain and suffering to your people at the hands of the Galra. And what's worse, you could not stop Zarkon from making your Haggar what he wanted her to be. We, on the other hand, have brought peace and order to ours. And, with this comet, we will bring our peace to every reality. The 2 of you are no Empresses of mine." Hira told coldly and with disdain for this alternate Allura and Haggar's weakness.
"And you're no Altean." Allura said with disdain, condemns the Alternate Alteans, as they had no honor by even calling themselves that.
"Allura is right. The Altean army we remember would never serve tyrants, even if they are our alternate counterparts!" Haggar added after her sweet princess, cursing hers and her lover's alternate counterparts, as what they had become no better than Zarkon as they prepared to fight.
This made alternate Slav laugh, confusing Lance. "Why are you laughing?"
"Because this is the reality where everything works out fine." He answered before the bombs that he and Sven planted before their capture went off. "Just in time."
After using her power to knock the alternate Alteans out, Haggar and the others ran through the ship to get to the Lions before more Altean soldiers ambushed them. Haggar then used her power to create a force field around her and her friends and sent electric energy at them to deal with them before the Paladins got to the Lions.
"This is all my fault. I activated the ship. They're going to dislodge the comet and have the power to terrorize every reality." Allura said with remorse for so easily believing Hira's words.
That was when alternate Slav contacted her. "No, you can still get the comet away from them."
"Katie, scan for the comet." Haggar told her surrogate younger sister.
Katie did just that and quickly found the comet. "Already picked up on its elemental signature."
"Good. Everyone, we're going back in to get it. Form Voltron!" Haggar told her fellow Paladins and friends before they did just that and quickly got the comet. They then flew away from the ship and Katie looked for the exact same spot they entered the alternate reality from.
General Hira began to shoot at Voltron but Haggar used her power to put a barrier around Voltron to protect herself, her lover and her earth friends. When they tried to engage the ship's thrusters, they couldn't, as alternate Slav had tampered with the controls. When Katie found the right spot, the Paladins used the comet to open the wormhole and quickly went through it before the big laser blast could hit Voltron before the wormhole closed!
General Hira looked shocked, as Voltron managed to escape back to their own reality with the comet. "No!"
At that moment, an incoming call came from Altea. A commander then said, as the incoming call came. "General, we got an incoming call from Empress Allura and Empress Haggar."
This horrified General Hira. How was she going to explain to her Empresses that they failed to take the comet? She gulped as she ordered to open the channel. "On screen."
On the screen appeared Hira's true Empresses, wearing beautiful dresses and crowns on their heads that were fit for queens. Empress Haggar was the first to speak. "General Hira. We received your message that you and the professor have the comet from Commodore Trayling's ship. How soon can it be brought to Altea?"
When Hira became nervous to tell them what had happened. Empress Allura became suspicious and asked. "You do have the comet, do you?"
Hira had no other choice but to report that she had failed. "I... have failed you, my Empresses."
This made Empress Haggar angry. "What!? You had specific orders to take the comet no matter the cost! What happened?! Did the Guns of Gamara take it?!"
Hira shook her head while answering. "It was not the Guns of Gamara who took it. It was... you."
"I beg your pardon?!" Allura asked very seriously, as what Hira said made no sense.
Hira then started to explain. "The comet made a rift to another reality, and out of it... came some people who call themselves the 'Paladins of Voltron' and you both, all from another universe." This surprised the Altean Empresses as Hira continued. "They said they came from a reality where the Zarkon won the war and rules the universe, and the Alteans have gone extinct."
Both Empresses looked at each other, before glancing at General Hira with a serious look. Empress Haggar commanded the Altean general before breaking contact. "Then you and the professor come to us on Altea at once. We want an explanation about what happened."
Back in the original reality
Voltron came through the wormhole with the comet, much to Coran and Keith's relief. But before they could contact them, Lotor and his ships appeared and fired on them!
"Thank you for answering my distress signal, Voltron." Lotor said with a smile, revealing that he was the 1 who sent the distress signal in the 1st place as his fighters grabbed the comet.
Allura and Haggar were the 1st to wake up, having been unconscious due to passing through the wormhole a 2nd time. "Coran, we're here." Allura answered her servant, who tried to contact them again.
Later, in the castle
Allura and Haggar were sitting on the bridge looking outside, with Allura having put her hair down, allowing Haggar to rub it gently as they embraced lovingly and deep in thought, as they could not believe that their alternate counterparts had sunk so low as Zarkon had.
That was when Katie walked up to them and spoke gently. "Allura. Haggar, you both did the right thing. You couldn't let Hira get that ore."
"But now, Lotor has it." Allura said sadly with regret.
"You both didn't know. None of us did." Katie told them gently as she sat beside them.
"That's the problem, Katie. We never know. I should have known that Lotor would try something like this. And like a fool, I actually fell for it." Haggar said, blaming herself for falling for Lotor's trap.
"This is exactly why my father sent the Lions away so many years ago: to avoid this reality. Now I finally understand." Allura said with sadness, now finally understanding why her father sent the Lions away so many years ago instead of fighting back.
"Well get it back." Katie assured them.
"And if we don't?" Allura asked.
"Allura is right, Katie. Lotor is always 1 step ahead of us. He's much smarter than his file father or even I gave him credit for. I know he has a plan for that ore, and if he succeeds, the Galra will finally have a weapon as powerful as Voltron... and myself." Haggar said with dread, worried about what Lotor had planned for the ore.
Back in the alternate reality, on Altea
Inside the throne room, the two Altean Empresses read the full report of General Hira and the professor. Both Empresses couldn't believe what this comet could do, but both were very disappointed that they didn't have the comet anymore, so that they could spread their new way of peace to every reality.
Empress Allura and Empress Haggar then excused them, as both went to bed chambers before Empress Allura looked at her wife and asked. "What do you think of this, Haggar?"
Empress Haggar sighed deeply as she went to their balcony and looked at the beautiful landscape of Altea, the home that they had built together as they had promised as teenagers all those years ago. "If what Hira tells us is true, then there are other universes, different from our own that can be taught the ways of true peace."
Empress Allura nodded as she joined her wife and held her arm around her waist lovingly. "But how are we going to do that? We don't have the comet anymore."
Empress Haggar then closed her eyes, as she sometimes could see visions of the future. When she opened them, she told her loving wife. "We don't need to worry, my sweet wife. Soon we are going to meet our 'alternate versions' in person, and we will have a serious argument about what we try to accomplish."
This made Empress Allura worried and she asked while stroking Empress Haggar's cheek and traced her red marks with her index fingers. "Then what, my darling wife? What will be the result of that argument?"
Empress Haggar looked at Allura in the eye while she shook her head. "I cannot see the full details. But what I do see is that in the end... something more beautiful will come out of it."
Empress Allura was somehow relieved to hear that, but also worried what that would mean. Just then, an Altean servant entered their chambers and said while bowing before them. "My apologies for disturbing you, my empresses, but your daughter has just returned from her mission from finding the secret outpost of the Guns of Gamara."
Both Empresses nodded before Empress Allura said politely. "Thank you. We'll be there shortly. Tell our beautiful princess that we want to have dinner with her while she reports to us about her mission. We haven't had family time in person with her for a while and we know that she's wanted to have time together with us for some time. After today, she deserves a break."
"Yes. I think it's time we give our little princess a much deserved family vacation on that beautiful forest clearing that she loves so much. She always did have natural skills with the cute animals there." Haggar said with a sweet smile of a proud mother.
"Yes, she does, my darling wife. Just like her mothers." Allura said with a sweet smile before they shared a passionate kiss as the servant made another bow and left their chambers.
There you go, my dear friends, the Hole in the Sky episode is complete. Next chapter will be the Tailing a Comet episode. Rate and review. See you next time, my dear friends.
