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

It was a slow and sleepy day. Too tired for training and too bored by their games, the passengers of the five Voltron lions sat in a heavy silence as they gradually continued on their journey home. The only one who wasn't on the verge of dozing off was Pidge as she tried, once again, to contact her father on Earth.

"Maybe if we run this configuration," Shiro suggested.

There were a series of beeps as she adjusted the Green Lion's systems. "Still nothing," she said. "Allura, try the sonic wave."

"Okay, I'll try." The Blue Lion glowed briefly, but nothing happened. "It's still not working," Allura reported. "And it probably won't work again until our power-cores are recharged."

"Roger that," Pidge sighed. "Well, our long-range scanners still haven't detected any planets nearby. No star systems, nothing."

Lance groaned. "Ugh. How long have we been out here?"

"Going on four movements," Romelle said, not even bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"And how long is it gonna take us to get to Earth at this speed?" he asked.

"I think Pidge said something like ten billion decaphoebes," she replied.

"I said one and a half Earth years," Pidge corrected her, a hint of irritation creeping into her tone.

"Whoa, whoa, wait," Hunk piped up. "There's a big discrepancy between ten billion decaphoebes and one and a half Earth years. Which one is it?"

"It's one and a half Earth years!" Pidge snapped, making him jump. "We've gone over this several times! Though there may be a margin of error of about a month, depending on any time dilation we encounter."

"Ugh, why does Earth have to be so far awaaaayy," Scarlett whined.

"C'mon, guys! A year and a half isn't that bad," Mari said, sounding unusually chipper from where she sat cross-legged on the floor of the Yellow Lion's cockpit. "You'll get to experience half the time you were gone from the universe, slow drag and all."

"You sound way too happy about that," Lance noted, unamused.

"I'm allowed to be at least a little petty and vengeful about all this," she shrugged.

"Rude."

"Suffer."

"Look guys, we knew this wasn't going to be an easy or quick voyage," Shiro casually intervened before things could get any more heated between them. "But replacing the Castle of Lions is our top priority."

"We just have to stay sharp and maintain discipline," Keith said, coming to his aid. "We knew when we started this journey that we'd be low on power. We didn't plan on going through the galactic void, but we'll get through it."

He was met with a round of half-hearted sighs and murmurs of confirmation. A few ticks passed before Lance spoke up again.

"Don't worry, guys. We'll run into something eventually that will turn this trip around," he said, infusing as much positivity into his claim as possible.

"What makes you so sure?" Hunk wondered, doubtful.

"If my experience in space has taught me anything, it's that something always comes along to try to kill us," he dryly replied.

"Well, he's not wrong," Scarlett mumbled.

Another beat of silence dragged by.

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer. Take one down and pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of – "

"No!"

"STOP."

"Cease and desist!"

"For the love of god, Lance, please shut up with that song!"

It wasn't long before they'd entered space's pocket of absolute nothingness. There were no planets and very few stars around them. Just an unending sea of near pitch black. It was unnerving and frankly terrifying to look at. Mari avoided looking out the Yellow Lion's windows, opting to close her eyes and try to clear her mind as she focused on her breathing. Her attempts to achieve internal peace were quickly disrupted as Lance piped up.

"Hey, Pidge, why is it so dark out here?"

"I can't be sure, but my theory is that this area is surrounded by some kind of nebula that blocks most of the light," she provided.

"Oh, yeah," he drawled. "Must be a patch of that dark matter I've heard about."

"That isn't what dark matter is," she huffed.

Hunk giggled. "Although, when it's this dark, I guess it doesn't matter, right guys?"

No one answered. There wasn't even a pity laugh. There was only a pained silence over their comms in reaction to his pun.

"Ba dum tss," he whispered to himself. "I thought it was funny."

There was a short pause before Shiro spoke, hesitant but hopeful. "Guys, I think I might have an idea on how to get the lions back to full power."

"And you're just now telling us this?" Lance sighed in disbelief.

"Well, I'm sorry, Lance," Shiro said, tired and unable to keep the sarcasm from creeping into his voice. "But I guess having my consciousness transplanted from the infinity of Voltron's inner quintessence into the dead body of an evil clone of myself has left me a little out of sorts for the past few weeks."

"Oh," Lance mumbled, suddenly sheepish. "Yeah."

"What is it, Shiro?" Keith prompted him to continue.

"It's difficult to articulate," he admitted. "But remember when we were fighting Zarkon and we were hit with that beam that drained all of our quintessence?"

"Yes, you were all completely incapacitated," Allura recalled.

"That's right, but we managed to regenerate enough power to keep fighting," he affirmed.

"Yeah. We repowered Voltron ourselves," Keith said.

"Exactly," Shiro said. "And I think that's how it's meant to work. Since I…disappeared, you've been relying on the Castle's crystal to keep the lions charged. But if you were a team of fully-realized paladins, you wouldn't need that."

"I-I can't help but feel this must be my fault," Allura stammered, ashamed. "You were able to recharge Voltron before, but since I joined…"

"It's no one's fault," Shiro gently assured her.

"Except for the clone's," Scarlett not-so-casually coughed out, eliciting another sigh from the former Black Paladin.

"Being a paladin of Voltron takes training," he continued. "You just haven't had time to focus on working together to find your balance in this configuration."

"Well, we've got nothing but time now," Pidge said, a smidge of hope returning to her tone.

"That's right," Lance agreed, warming up to the idea. "We've been down before, and we always come back."

"I'm glad you're here, Shiro," Keith said, soft and sincere. "After all you went through, how did you find the strength to be the leader of Voltron?"

"I had help," he answered simply. "That's why there are five of you, to lift each other up."

"So, what should we do?" Keith wondered. "Maybe some flight formation exercises?"

"What's that?" Pidge gasped.

"You know, when you line up and – "

"No, no, no! That! Dead ahead!" she interrupted him, drawing everyone's attention forward. Outside the lions was a strange white and sparking mist, and it was rapidly approaching. "My scanners aren't picking anything up!"

The mist slammed into them with the intensity of a gigantic tornado, throwing the lions back and straining their systems as they tried to surge forward. Mari, Shiro, Scarlett, Romelle, and Coran grunted as they held onto whatever they could to avoid being thrown around the cockpits.

"What the quiznak is this?" Lance shrilled in unbridled frustration and fear.

"Whatever it is, we've got to move!" Keith urged them.

It was a task easier said than done. Threads and balls of white light streamed past them, shocking the metallic beasts upon impact and threatening to fry their passengers. They were being knocked around like pinballs. As they were now, the lions couldn't handle such rough treatment.

"Break high!" Keith ordered, and the lions flew up and out of the chaotic entity.

Their moment of reprieve lasted only a second as the strange mist reappeared in front of them, trapping them in the swirling storm once more. A blinding ball of light illuminated in its center, and everyone screamed as it engulfed the lions in a shocking assault. Their vision was filled with white and a tingling, numbing sensation laced up their bodies, seeping right into their cores.

Then everything went black.

Mari was on the Castle of Lions, sitting on a mess of pillows and blankets on the floor of the observation deck. In the soothing calm of the room, she peacefully watched as the stars drifted past.

"I'll never get tired of this scene."

She glanced to her left to see Shiro sitting there, smiling softly as he gazed out at the breathtaking scenery before them. She stared at him for a moment longer before taking in the rest of the room. Coran, Romelle, Scarlett, Kosmo, Kaltenecker, and the four space mice had also appeared beside them, looking just as baffled as she felt. Kosmo took in the unfamiliar space, sniffing the bedding material curiously before plopping down on it. He rested his head on Mari's lap and began to doze, seemingly unbothered by their strange situation.

"This is…We're back in the Castle," Scarlett realized, her mouth forming an 'O' of surprise.

"But this can't be the Castle of Lions! We saw it destroyed with our own eyes," Coran insisted, jumping to his feet and pulling out the diamond that was once his precious ship. "This is all that remains of it."

"Then where are we, really?" Romelle asked, hugging her knees nervously to her chest. "Why are we here?"

"And where are the paladins?" Coran wondered.

"Are we dead? Or just stuck somewhere?" Scarlett muttered, her brow furrowing. "That weird energy pulse attacked the lions. Maybe we're in a lion's consciousness?"

Shiro frowned at the possibility. "It feels similar, but…not quite the same. I still feel whole," he admitted, placing his hand over his heart as if to keep his soul from leaving his body. "I don't know how to describe it, but I don't think we're in any danger here."

Coran didn't seem convinced. "What happens if we try to leave? Is the rest of the Castle here?" He rushed over to the door, but it didn't slide open. It wouldn't budge no matter how hard he pushed and pulled, and he eventually gave up, collapsing onto the floor in defeat. "We're stuck here," he whimpered.

Romelle squirmed, her anxiety rising. "What will we do now?"

"Wherever we are, I think it's best to just stay put," Shiro decided. He wavered before leaning back against the plush pile of pillows behind him, following Kosmo's lead. "The paladins will find us."

The others hesitated in the face of his passive choice before reluctantly settling down into the mess of blankets and cushions. The mice squeaked as they curled up near Coran's head, more than ready to take a nap, and Kaltenecker followed suit. If they couldn't go anywhere, they might as well make themselves comfortable. Mari scowled at Shiro, refusing to give in just yet.

"The last time I tried waiting for them, three years passed," she reminded him, unable to keep the doubt from creeping into her voice.

Shiro's expression softened as he looked at her. He gently patted the spot next to him, encouraging her to relax. "We'll wait for them together now," he promised.

She regarded him a minute longer. Then she huffed and laid stiffly on her back, nestling into the soft surface. Kosmo shifted, adjusting himself so he could snuggle against her stomach, and she absentmindedly petted his head to soothe him back to sleep. All was quiet as they lazily watched the stars outside.

"It feels like it's been forever since I've been here," she mumbled after a moment. "This was my comfort spot."

"I know," Shiro murmured. A small breath of laughter escaped his lips as he added, "Remember the sleepovers we had here? It was like one big nest. I kinda miss those days."

Mari hummed as she recalled. "They certainly were a lot easier," she noted, and Shiro nodded in agreement.

"You've all grown so much since then, more than I could ever have imagined," he continued, a fond smile gracing his features. "All of my space kids have flown the nest."

Scarlett rolled on her side to look at him. "We'll always need you though, Shiro," she insisted. "You'll always be our leader."

He chuckled again, but didn't argue with her, prompting Romelle to chime in. "What will you do when we reach Earth?"

There was a long pause from him as he mulled over her question. "Whatever I can to help Sam and the paladins," he finally said, vague but firm in his reply.

Another couple seconds dragged by before Mari asked, "What about mom and dad?"

"What about them?"

"Are you looking forward to seeing them?"

"I think I'm more nervous than anything," he admitted. "It's been five years since I've seen them. Who knows how they'll react."

"They'll probably rejoice that their beloved son has finally returned," she said dryly, waving her hand dramatically in the air.

He shrugged, half-hearted and unsure, before casting her a consoling look. "They'll be overjoyed to see you too."

"Mom is never happy with me," she said, giving him a humorless smile. It was quick to fade as she returned her attention back to the window. She thoughtfully scratched Kosmo behind the ears and he flicked his tail in silent appreciation. "But…I think I'm okay with that now," she added slowly. "I am who I am. And if she doesn't like that, then at least I have people who do."

Scarlett beamed and playfully tapped the tip of her boot against Mari's. "If she does cause you any trouble, we'll be there to set her straight."

"Absolutely," Coran agreed. "I haven't forgotten how she treated you in your youth. I might just have a word with her."

Coran versus her mother. What a loud and crazy fight that would be. Mari almost laughed just imagining it. "Thanks, but there's no need for that, Coran," she assured him.

"If you insist."

Another beat of silence passed.

"What about when you see Adam?" Mari tentatively wondered next. "He just might apologize and re-propose to you."

Shiro hesitated. "He wouldn't. And even if he did, I don't think I'd say yes again." His eyes were sad as he considered his ex-fiance. "We left on a bad note when we broke up. Me coming back won't change the fact that he made me choose between him and my dream."

Mari didn't know how to respond. She'd said that last part half-jokingly, but there was no forgetting how worried Adam had been when news of the Kerberos crew's disappearance had been made public. He'd been so distraught, he'd taken off work to grieve. He'd swung by the house to check on her and their parents, offering what little solace he could. He'd gone to Shiro's funeral, his eyes teary and swirling with regret as they buried any hope of his ex-lover returning to Earth.

Perhaps by now, he had moved on in the five years that Shiro was gone. And if he hadn't, Shiro seemed adamant to keep their relationship as it was when he had left earth: as friends.

Shiro sighed. "You're asking a lot about me. What about you?" he said, quickly changing the subject as he turned to her. "Aren't you excited to see Jia and Maggie?"

A nervous enthusiasm bubbled in her stomach at the thought of energetic Magdalena and mellow Jia. They were so sweet and ever so loyal. They must have been worried sick about her all this time.

"Of course I am," she replied.

"And what about Aaren?" he asked, a teasing smirk playing on his lips. "Think he's still head over heels for you?"

Mari rolled her eyes. "For both our sakes, I hope not. If my rejection and the four years of separation haven't encouraged him to move on, then I don't know what will."

"Maybe some brotherly pressure?" Shiro offered, and this time she did laugh.

"I can handle it," she grinned. "Besides, you won't be scaring anyone in the state you're in, old man."

She gestured to his lack of arm and he chuckled. "You're probably right. I'll leave it up to you," he relented.

.

.

.

Hours, maybe days passed. It was impossible to tell. The scenery never changed outside and none of them were getting hungry or thirsty in the slightest. Rather, in the comfortable atmosphere of the observation deck, they were all becoming increasingly tired.

Romelle yawned as she snuggled into a pillow. "I wonder how the others are doing."

"I'm sure…they're handling things…just swell without us," Coran mumbled, his eyelids drooping as he threatened to drift off.

"Geez, I'm so sleepy," Scarlett sighed, rolling onto her stomach and resting her head in her arms. "Alteans made these pillows way too comfy."

Shiro rested his hand over his stomach, his eyes closed. "It's kinda nice," he confessed, smiling pleasantly to himself. "This is the most relaxed I've felt in a while."

Mari felt herself nodding, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. She blinked and shook her head, forcing herself to stay awake. She didn't know what would happen if they all gave in and fell asleep. If this realm really was one between life and death, sleeping here just might mean they'd never wake up.

Suddenly, her heart leapt into her throat as she spotted movement outside. Sitting up straighter, rousing Kosmo from his snooze on her stomach, she gasped as she realized it was the strange white cloud from before. And it was zipping right towards them. The others startled as it drew nearer, scrambling upright in their terror.

"Well. The peace was nice while it lasted," Shiro sighed, just as it slammed into them. The room rattled and quaked as another pure-white light enveloped them. Their skin pricked with hot pins and needles that warmed them inside and out. Then they were roughly thrown forward, slamming into a metal surface before everything went black once again.

Mari groaned, her entire body chilly and aching. She pried open her eyes to find herself sprawled on her back inside the Yellow Lion. She blinked, waiting for her vision to refocus and for the ringing to die down in her ears before slowly sitting up. Turned around in his seat, watching her as she moved, was Hunk, unharmed and smiling with relief.

"Oh thank gosh. You're not frozen anymore!" he exclaimed.

Romelle groaned over the comms. "What happened? Did something come to try to kill us?"

"You know it," Lance muttered.

Mari clutched her throbbing head, dragging herself to her feet. "Elaborate, please," she requested.

"That thing that hit us shocked you guys stiff," Hunk explained. "We had an adventure outside of the lions that nearly drove us mad and killed us. But! Good news! We formed Voltron!"

"Your advice worked, Shiro," Keith added.

"That's great," Shiro said, a proud smile in his voice. "Nice work, paladins."

"I guess waiting for them really worked this time," Scarlett noted. She paused before continuing, "I see we've made it out of the void to a new part of the universe. None of these star systems look familiar to me."

"It looks like that nebula carried us thousands of light years away," Allura admitted, checking their maps.

Coran yawned, still sleepy from their time in the dream-like otherworld. "So, where are we?"

Pidge brought their charts up for everyone to see, zooming in on the celestial formations around them. "That looks like…I recognize these constellations!" she gasped, a rising excitement creeping into her voice. "This is Earth's solar system! It's the Milky Way!"

As the all too familiar spiral galaxy came into view, Mari felt like she'd been punched in the gut. They had been over a year away from Earth not too long ago. Now here it was, right in front of them, waiting for their return. It was just like when the Blue Lion had carried them to the edges of the galaxy in a matter of seconds. The unfathomable power and speed of Voltron once again amazed her. She leaned against the back of Hunk's seat for support, the surprise stunning her into silence as she took it all in.

"It's home," he whispered. His eyes were wide and he turned to grant her a joyful beam. "We're home!"

"We made it," Lance breathed out in relief.

"...We're finally here," Shiro murmured, his tone tense. But his evident unease went unnoticed as the others celebrated their early arrival.

"I can't believe it. We're finally back to Earth!" Hunk cheered, and Pidge and Lance laughed, unable to contain their delight.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Keith grinned, before pushing Voltron forward and entering the Milky Way.

A/N: Next stop: Earth.

**Check out my tumblr to see some cool art: pufftheninja