A/N: Warning this is a No Lion swap AU.
-Log #001-
Zarkon has been defeated and the Galra empire is in disarray. Honestly, things are chaotic for us too. During the fight, Black Lion sustained severe damage, and because of a console explosion, Shiro was injured during the battle as well. When BL stopped moving and got no response from Shiro, Keith and I quickly pulled the Black Lion back to the ship.
Allura has assured us Shiro will be fine in a few days, but she is unsure about the Black Lion; he has never sustained damage like this before and could be beyond the ship's capability to fix.
-Log #002-
Keith and I spent most of the night watching Shiro's pod, I'm only in my room now because Allura physically picked the two of us up and tossed us in our rooms ordering us to get some sleep, but my mind keeps running there's no way I'll be able to sleep. Maybe I'll clean my room...
-Log #003-
I didn't clean my room.
I tried to tidy up but ended up feeling sleepy after ten minutes and just went to bed. I'm going to check up on Keith and then head to Shiro's Pod. I'm not sure if Keith slept at all last night, I'll bring a pillow with me just in case. If worst comes to worst maybe Keith and I can take turns napping near Shiro's pod.
-Log #004-
Shiro spent 2 days in a healing pod, several new burn scars are now along his right side and shoulder but otherwise, he's returned to peak health. His mechanical arm is beyond repair, we'll need to start from scratch in making him a new one.
-Log #005-
We're taking the BL to the Olkari. Hopefully, they will be able to heal Black the same way they healed Green. We've done all we can aboard our ship, but the Black Lion remains non-functional and with no Altean Alchemist in existence, our options for repairing BL are limited…
-Log #006-
Through Olkari means; Hunk, Ryner and I engineered a new arm for Shiro. I tested it and it worked perfectly but Shiro was unable to operate the arm smoothly. It wasn't an unexpected result considering I've been the only paladin able to operate the Okierie type of technology before, but it's still a little disappointing.
Shiro has seemed a mix of relieved and unsettled since we concluded his galra arm couldn't be repaired.
I'm worried about Shiro, he's doing that thing where something is bothering him but he won't talk about it.
-Log #007-
I talked to Keith and he came to the same conclusion as I did, but hasn't got anything out of Shiro either. Keith is a lot more reluctant about pushing Shiro's comfort level than I am. So we tried teaming up but Shiro just keeps saying he's alright, insisting he just has a lot on his mind but refuses to elaborate any more than that. Keith says we'll just have to wait till Shiro's ready to talk, and I will wait... at least for now... but if Shiro keeps being like this I'm going to go into full pester mode till he talks.
-Log #008-
Had that same dream I did the last time I was on Olkarion, except it was so much clearer than last time. I was up high on a balcony looking over a city that was so similar to the Olkarion main city filled with forestry and plant-based technology. Yet so different; the plant life looked like a completely different breed, the way the lights of the city glowed a different shade, the trees reached higher to the sky and not one constellation above match Olariion's night sky.
There was someone with me, I didn't see them but I felt them. I was resting against them, they were at least a head taller since my head rested against their upper arm instead of their shoulder. The person's hand was larger than mine, completely encompassing me in theirs. The oddest thing of all... When I woke up the palm of my hand felt warm as if I had been holding someone's hand just a moment ago.
-Log #009-
Coran and Allura tried to use the Olkari tech, starting with a sphere Olkari kids used for practice. Coran had no results whatsoever, Allura on the other hand... made one blow up. XD
Luckily it was a plant-based object and only spattered green and purple gunk all over her much to the princess's annoyance, or maybe she was more annoyed with how hard I was laughing? It's hard to say, I had tears in my eyes.
Allura admitted when the object didn't start forming to her will, she tried to manipulate it on the quintessence level similar to how she powered and controlled the ship. I now understand a little better how Allura controls the ship.
To my understanding, Allura can control the ship by pouring some of her Quintessence into the ship's system to control it. It was as if the ship was a glass of water and Allura's Quintessence was food dye, a few drops could change the whole system to match her will or colour in the case of this analogy.
I had to explain to Allura that her way of thinking had the wrong approach for the Olkari tech, they didn't require your energy or quintessence they had their own.
Having the final result in her head was a good start but that one image couldn't be the beginning and end, it had to be growing. I should be used to the blank looks I get from people, but there's something different when Allura gives me those looks. There's a spark of intrigue in her eyes, like a student attentive listening to their favourite teacher.
I tried giving Allura a lesson by using one of the practice sphere's, explaining to the princess about how she needed to think in steps, but not like stairs, more like a slideshow. The image in your mind had to grow and change at the same rate the object did.
Lecturing the princess during each step as the sphere in my hands moved and reshaped, gradually growing and changing, taking each state of the Juniberry flower that Allura seemed to love so much. All good teachers try to get their students engaged through something they like right?
First I started transforming the sphere to seedling then slowly before Allura's eyes I changed the seedling into the Juniberry's fully bloomed form. I did my best to keep explaining and talking as I changed the object mostly because I'm still not sure if Allura is a visual or auditory learner. It made me feel like a Pro-Alien-Engineer teacher. =3
After the lesson and a few more attempts, Allura was able to make a sprout. The Princess seemed disappointed about not being able to form more than that. I don't know why I was pretty proud that she was able to do that much, it was leagues better than what any of our guys could do. I told her as much, and luckily Allura cheered up and even giggled at my truthful joke.
Allura grabbed my hand, thanking me and saying I was a good teacher.
The way the Princess's hand wrapped around mine was so similar to my dream last night it made me feel like my veins got supercharged or an electric shock. Allura then requested; well more declared, about keeping the juniberry flower I formed before plucking it out of my hand.
My whole face felt warm after that, I wonder if the similarities to the dream affected me that much or if my hayfever returned.
-Log #010-
It didn't work, the Olkari and we tried several different methods but the repairs we've been able to accomplish on the Black Lion have been minimal... We're going to see the Balmeran next. (Hunk's suggestion of course but not a bad one) Maybe they'll have the right kind of crystal to help the castle do more to repair BL, at the very least we can find something to help power Shiro's future arm.
-Log #011-
It's so adorable watching Shay and Hunk interact, they get so excited seeing each other, and it's kind of nice knowing even Hunk can be hugged off his feet. It's not always easy being the shortest paladin where it feels like most of the universe can pick you up whenever they feel like as if you're some kind of small cat or dog!
Anyway… despite their lack of advanced tech, the Balmeran has great insight into energy flow, crystal types and mineral material. A small group gave several different suggestions for crystals that could work for a cybernetic limb.
Some Balmeran is currently examining the Black Lion, they say they are having his metal talk to them in an attempt to try and find more answers to help fix BL. Others helped Hunk figured out good flexible material for a limb, a few even knew what some Galra used for their mechanical limbs.
-Log #012-
Tonight I found Shiro standing in front of Black Lion, pressing his only hand against his lion's snout. When I stepped into the hanger Shiro whipped his head around to face me and he looked... I don't know how to describe the look, but it made me freeze like a rabbit having been spotted by a predator. Even though Shiro keeps saying he doesn't remember much from being the Champion, I wonder if his habits from back then still instinctually linger.
Luckily Shiro relaxed once he realized it was just me, I managed to get him to talk this time.
Shiro's worried about not being able to form Voltron, not being able to help the team, and not having Black Lion as his partner anymore.
He admits that it's been harder to hear his Lion's voice since our final fight with Zarkon...
All I could do to comfort him was to point out the times an individual lion's powers help push use to victory instead of Voltron as a whole and reminded him that if I could figure out a way to make an alien flying lion turn invisible with no prior experience (in just a handful of months thank you very much) then we and all our allies could find a way to heal The Black Lion.
I swear I heard the Black Lion purring reassurance in the back of my mind when I touched his snout, and judging by the way Shiro softly smiled he felt it too.
-Log #013-
Had another dream, I was talking to someone I kept calling Atem, not sure if it was a nickname or the person's actual name, but I know he's been in my previous dreams. His voice and presence were the same as they were before; warm and familiar, like a favourite blanket fresh out the dryer.
The 'me' in the dream only ever looked at this large array of schematics, they showed a device that helped boost Quintessence output by drawing out its natural purities through a mix of plant and crystal base filtration system. I'm pretty sure the person I was in the dream made the blueprints as when I added notes to the schematics my writing had matched the other handwriting scribbled over paper-like material.
-Log #014-
So…. With the help of Allura, Hunk and a handful of Balmeran I tried to make the quintessence booster I saw in my dream and I can't believe it, but I not only managed to create a physical device to the schematic I saw in my dream (a small testing version of course) but it worked?! Everyone keeps praising me for my ingenus but I don't know what to say, I can't say I got the idea from a dream!
Lance would never let something like that go, and I'm already imagining the thousands of nicknames he would give me like oracle, dream maker, dream weaver or something like that.
NOPE, not happening, I'm keeping this truth to myself for the foreseeable future.
Tomorrow we're going to start making a larger version of the quintessence booster, hopefully, it can help BL.
-Log #015-
When we stopped working for the day, Lance used Blue to create a bunch of snow to play with the Balmeran kids and subsequently started a snowball fight. Lance quickly and joyfully roped Keith into the fray, and somehow convinced the small army of kids to help him bombard the Red Paladin with the handheld ice projectiles.
Shiro quickly stepped in to assist Keith. I almost laughed listening to Shiro assuring Keith they could win this and Keith replied about how they've faced worse odds.
The two of them talking with serious looks in their eyes and playful smiles. Lance acting like a jester king as he railed up the kids to defeat the Fire Lord and his Silver Knight. Somedays I really love my dorky Lion family.
Allura was sitting off to the side, looking like she was fighting between keeping up her polite and composed persona or trying to join in on the fun. A little push from me was all The Princess needed to get her to join, declaring we could be rulers of this battlefield.
Oh when the two of us blindsided the other two groups, damn their surprised faces were so worth the effort of convincing Allura to join in. I'm not sure how long we were out there just throwing snowballs, but everything came to a screeching halt when Hunk announced it was dinner time. It was so much like when I was little, and during snowy days when my mom…
-Log #016-
I had a horrible dream last night, about these bug/plant mixed aliens, one was my mom and I was one of them too but just a little kid. I tried to wake her up one morning but no matter how much I called out to her or shook her, my mom wouldn't wake up. I got the neighbours to help me, but they couldn't wake her up either.
The doctors came afterwards saying she died from a lack of nutrition. Our people had been struggling for a long time to produce food, so most of us ate a type of substitute food to keep up our energy and bellies full, but did nothing for our health.
I woke up crying, and went to see my lion, sometimes just being near her can calm me down, but as I sat on Green's paw trying to soothe myself and stop my crying. Shiro found me, I was crying so hard I couldn't even explain why I was crying. Apparently, that didn't matter to Shiro, he used one arm to hug me against his chest and let me cry into him while rubbing my back.
I told Shiro about the nightmare I had. Leaving out that I've been having these strange dreams about an advanced timberland planet with bug/plant aliens ever since I left earth. Oh and avoiding the fact I've been having them more often since Zarkon was defeated.
Through a few questions, Shiro figured out that I had been thinking about my mom recently and assured me that it was normal for me to worry about my family and for my dreaming brain (especially with how advanced my mind is) to come up with a story to address my worries. I admit normally that would make a lot of sense, but it didn't explain the other dreams, or why I keep having them.
We ended up talking for hours and fell asleep against Green's paw, Shiro didn't even wake me up or move in the morning, just waited for me to wake up. Maybe because he couldn't carry me to my room with just one arm, or was worried about me having another nightmare, so he chose to stay with me?
Either way, I'm grateful Shiro stayed, he changed my horrible night for the better.
-Log #017-
BLACK LION IS AWAKE! BL still can't move much because of the physical damage, but there's power going through his system again and we got the console to come back on. Black Lion's system is drawing way more power than it should but that's not unexpected with so many parts still needing to be fixed. For now, the quintessence booster is compensating for the extra draw and it's a great start, the beginning of Black Lion's recovery.
Shiro's mood has lightened up and he's super grateful, even with just one arm I thought Shiro was going to pop me with how hard he hugged me after BL woke up.
-Log #018-
We've concluded that the Black Lion needs more of the original material the lions were made from to properly repair BL.
It's why we got the power working and the console could be repaired but without the right material, we couldn't get The Black Lion to physically move. Even Coran had no idea where to get the material, it was something found floating in space and its origin was never figured out. It has forced us to put the Black Lion's repairs on hold till we can either discover more about the metal that made the lions or find some kind of substitute.
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-Log #074-
Lance, Hunk, and Keith still seem to be doing pretty well working with the Blades of Marmora. With BL out of action, and Shiro suspended from ground missions till we get him a new arm, I've never been more thankful for the blades and our other allies.
It's pretty much a juggling act to keep defending the ones in need and freeing planets from Galra controls. We can't waste time or this opportunity to take the Galra empire down a few hundred pegs while it's still in chaos over Zarkon's defeat.
Our team has pretty much split into two different groups Lance, Hunk, and Keith is the ground team. Allura, Coran and Shiro are the Ship team.
Allura coordinates our allies and monitors Galra movements.
Shiro coordinates us paladins and relays vital information and makes us do daily video reports so we can all stay connected and up to date with each other (After all part of Voltron is our bond between each other).
Coran along with some of the blade members organize and watch out for distress calls.
I'm somewhere in between the ground team and the ship team.
I miss going on missions with the others and still do when it needs to be a stealth or hacking base mission, but there's a lot more I can do here on the ship. Like breaking secret codes and transmissions from enemy forces, watching the video I found of Matt frame by frame for all and every clue possible, researching possible material we can use for BL's repairs.
Hunk and his lion are needed for a lot of missions, though Hunk still bounces ideas with me for both BL's repairs and Shiro's new arm, most of the coordinating, building and designing has fallen on me.
At least I've also been able to get help from Ryren and a blade member named Regris who had a tone of information and blueprints related to Galra created cybernetic limbs. (I've even made Regris snort a few times with hacker jokes, he's officially become, my favourite blade member.)
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-Log #092-
Shiro's new arm is in its final testing stages, so I left the testing to some blades and a group of Olkari to make sure the battle capabilities are up to snuff. I'm too tired to write more.
-Log #093-
Maybe it's better that I'm not on missions, the dreams are getting more intense and more real. I feel like I am Ori'Auna in those dreams, and although the dreams have come in handy a few times, she had a hard life full of stress and people constantly counting on her. I can't imagine being in Ori'Auna's or Shiro's shoes, I'm not made to be a leader, I could never aldidasfljgnlhlkasfdiy
Shiro finished reading the last entry before closing the lid to Pidge's laptop, the room around him darkening as the screen's light disappeared.
"You're capable of more than you know, Katie" Shiro softly spoke, the paladin leader smiling fondly down at the short brunette sleeping soundly as she laid half on the table, and half curled in her chair.
Shiro used one arm carefully picking up his sleeping teammate. The short Paladin was pretty much a rag doll in her sleep as he shifted her around and scooped Pidge up in his one arm. It was a bit of a trick, but having done this more times than Shiro cared to count; both from before he lost his cybernetic arm and now. The black paladin had mastered the art of picking up a sleeping Pidge and carrying her to a bed. Though half the time Shiro couldn't navigate her messy room and often put her in one of the spare rooms instead.
Shiro glanced back at the closed laptop making a mental note to ask Allura about these dreams Pidge was having. He wondered if they were connected to her lion and if so maybe Allura would know who Ori'Auna was and why Katie was having dreams about being them.
If you're wondering why I did this chapter mostly in Log form it was because I wanted to explain my No Lion Swap AU as quickly as possible and establish Pidge's dreams and her connection to Ori'Auna.
Also, check out my other Voltron fics, and visit my Tumblr to see my art and some of my littler au's and flash fics I don't that I don't post here.
I also post when I update any of my fics: .com