Egal slid to a stop as the Stranger tipped over the edge of the Mountain. Egal isn't sure how long Egal stood there starring, but a touch on the shoulder jolted Egal back to reality. Egal dashed over, planting both hands on the flimsy ledge, and peered over as far as he could.
Egal was unsure of what there was to see, but certainly wasn't expecting to see nothing.
"B—but. . ."
The rest of the team formed a line beside Egal.
"Uh . . . where did he go?" Hunk asked, hesitantly.
Shiro furrowed his brow. "He couldn't have fallen that fast."
"That means . . ." Allura trailed off.
Egal grunted in frustration and pounded at the ledge. "The Enemy escaped with the Relic of Fire."
Oo-oO
Umbra appeared out of thin air in front of the alter, accompanied by the black and white orbs of power. The rejuvenation pod was steadily working to preserve the body and soul of his apprentice's brother. A small smile spread under Umbra's emotionless mask.
Just one piece in the grand scheme.
The portal snapped into existence over the alter; swirling black and infinite. Then his apprentice fell through, landing flat on his back and knocking the air from his lungs. Umbra's gaze locked onto the brightly glowing orb that his apprentice clutched to desperately to his chest.
Umbra supressed the giddy laughter in his throat. The first Relic. His dream was one step closer to becoming a reality. This time he wouldn't fail.
He flicked over to his apprentice's side and knelt down beside him, the perfect image of a caring mentor.
"Keith," he called gently and slides off the skull mask. Keith's face is pinched in pain as he tries to regain his breath. Even so, Umbra has to urge him to lay still when the child tries to sit up. His breath came in heavy gasps and his body tensing in pain. They were obvious sign of corruption. A result, no doubt, of extracting the Fire Relic. But—
Umbra ran a hand over Keith's chest plate, exploring the burns and singed areas the didn't manage to penetrate. "You ran into trouble," he stated.
Keith managed to peek out from one eye. "V-voltron."
Damn, Umbra's hand on Keith's chest unconsciously tightened into a fist. "Lux worked faster than I predicted."
"Umbra . . ." Keith caught his attention again.
"Rest now," Umbra calmed, gently wiping the sweat from his brow.
"The Relic," Keith's trembling arms struggled to present it to him. He uncurled his fingers with visible effort and Umbra was enraptured the second he fully saw it.
So small, yet so powerful. The quintessence leaking from the small sphere was enough to energize the whole room. The power it held was unquantifiable . . . But it wasn't enough on its own.
"You've done well," Umbra praised, his gaze captured by the Relic's allure.
Keith's arm shook as his strength began to fail and Umbra caught his trembling hand, cradling it between his own. He relished in the power that was now his.
Umbra returned the Relic to Keith's chest as the boy sighed deep and exhausted. Keith finally gave into sleep. Umbra gently slipped his arms under his apprentice and effortlessly lifted him off the ground.
So small, the boy was. Umbra still finds it amazing that one his size could hold so many conflicting emotions. His previous apprentice 10 000 deca-phoebes ago was the same way, but it was what made them perfect for the job.
Umbra carried Keith the few steps to the table opposite of his brother, laying him down and smoothing out the hair from his face.
Once he was positioned the table lit up with the same rejuvenating light that sustained his brother's body. It wouldn't heal his breaking soul, but it would patch him up enough to continue his mission.
"The things creatures will do for love," Umbra said to the twin orbs that floated around him. "Fools, every single one of them."
It was then that Umbra took the Fire Relic from Keith's limp fingers and turned to one of the five pillars that surrounded the alter.
He took a moment of indulgence as he released the binding. He let the power of pure elemental Fire flood through the room and he basked in it. It was something he hadn't felt in far too long.
The room flooded with red light.
Oo-oO
Pidge was once again the last one to arrive on the bridge for the team's debriefing. After thanking the Shah in the Tom's Village, they returned back with dejected faces and an obvious lack of Relic in their possession.
Hunk was the one to break the silence. "Well that was a complete and utter disaster."
"That's putting it lightly," Allura slumped against the control panel, the failure clearly written on her face. "We didn't anticipate a run-in with this Umbra character so soon."
"That boy was not Umbra."
Everyone jumped at Lux's sudden appearance out of, literally, thin air.
"And where have you been?" Pidge asked.
"Where the light shines, I see," Lux said. "Where the light learns, I know. I've been watching, waiting," she turned to Pidge with a carefully blank expression, "Learning."
"Really," Pidge deadpanned. She'd heard it before.
"More importantly," Shiro cut in, reading Pidge's annoyance (totally not her fault), "If the guy we ran into wasn't Umbra, who is he?"
"His apprentice," Lux answered easily. "Being what I am, I cannot interfere directly in the universe's business. This is the reason I have sought you out, to act in my stead without disrupting the balance of the universe. Umbra, having taken on the properties of the Darkness, is under the same restrictions. So he has also found an agent to act in his stead."
"An apprentice who uses magic," Egal said bitterly. Everyone turned towards Egal, as it wasn't often that the new Red Paladin spoke up. "Magic that can paralyze a person where they stand. That can manipulate the flow of life energy . . . that can make a person disappear into nothingness."
"It was nothing like Altean alchemy," Allura added. "It didn't adhere to the natural movement of quintessence, instead it . . . it . . ."
"It enslaves it," Lux finished, speaking the words Allura was struggling to find. "That is a corrupted version of Tenebris' magic. It uses the host body as a type of conduit and manipulates quintessence into ways it's not meant to be used."
"Impossible," Coran cut in, "Using one's body like that, it—why, it would destroy the caster!"
Allura nodded in agreement.
"Well," Hunk fidgeted. "The guy did seem to be in a lot of pain whenever he was using it."
"Quintessence in those quantities flowing freely through a living body won't destroy them right away," Lux explained with a hint of sadness, like she's seen it happen too many times. "But it will chip away at their very essence. Little by little, fragments of their own quintessence, their soul, are swallowed up into the greater flow passing through them and back into the universe. The technique if powerful, yes, but extremely self-destructive."
"How horrible," Allura covered her mouth.
"Well," Shiro broke the silence, "now we know what we're up against. We can prepare for future encounters with this Apprentice. Coran, where's the next Relic located?"
"Right-O," Coran spun on his heel and brought up the map. The mark where the Fire Relic once sat was faded and grey while the others still shone brightly.
"Looks like the Earth and Water Relics are relatively closer to each other. We should head to that quadrant of space next."
"If we split up and go after both Relics at the same time, the Apprentice can't be in two places at once," Pidge suggested.
"Good idea Pidge," Shiro praised.
"Awesome!" Hunk explaimed, then his face fell with a thought. "Wait," he turned to Lux, "He can't be in two places at once . . . can he?" Hunk squeaked.
"The abilities passed down from Tenebris are a mysterious thing," Lux mused with a sad smile on her face. "But take comfort in knowing that Umbra can only ever take on one apprentice at a time . . . last time though, only one apprentice was all that he needed."
"I thought you guys won last time," Pidge commented from where she absentmindedly scrolled through her screen. She had the distinct impression that the Guardian of Light wasn't telling them everything.
"We may have succeeded in banishing Umbra, yes . . ." Lux trailed off, her gaze going distant, seeing something from millennia past. "But our victory came at a great cost. And for what? All our efforts and lives spent, only for the cycle to repeat 10 000 deca-phoebes later. I would hardly say that we won back then . . . only delayed the true fight."
Oo-oO
Keith was falling through galaxies and nebular and soaring past stars and super nova. Exploring the space of the Astral Plane that he had become intimately familiar with over the last few months. So familiar that he found himself here without even meaning to.
Keith wasn't falling anymore.
In front of him was the fragmented soul he's tried so desperately to reassemble, so that maybe . . . maybe, he might be able to understand. So that he might be able to apologize. . . Might be able to fix everything. Make it all right. Piece together this soul that shouldn't have shattered into so many tiny pieces.
"Lance," he called out. The fragments shifting around him. "What happened?"
He reached out, searching for answers, but only grasped at a memory.
. . .
He'd followed as Lance led the way out of the bar and away to the side of a crater that had a great view the bland grey rock of the moon. Keith had finally found Lance. Now he just had to convince him to come back.
"How'd you find me?" Lance asked. He removed the fancy blue half mask and Keith took note of the spots where it had smudged at his black face paint. It hadn't been enough to fool Keith though.
"Well, there aren't many Altean pods on the market anymore, what with them all being destroyed ten thousand years ago," Keith answered blandly. Lance cringed and Keith continued. "It took a lot of foot work, but I eventually found the one you took from the Castle, tracked down the guy you sold it to, then found the guy you bought your new ship from, threatened him with bodily harm until he told me what I wanted, then it was absolute hell tracking down every ship with the same model until finally, I found one that had pinged a checkpoint that was heading to the most decrepit, isolated place in the universe. How's that for detective work."
"Sound like a waste of time," Lance muttered and brought his knees up to his chest.
"Lance," Keith huffed in annoyance.
"I'm serious Keith, you shouldn't have bothered. This is for the best. I just cause more harm than good. So, hurry up and go back to everyone. They'll be happy to see you. I know Shiro's been missing you. He won't admit it, but he does. I can see it."
Keith met Lance's forced smile with hard eyes that pierced through the mask Lance was trying to hide behind. It wasn't a physical mask, but a mask none the less.
"I don't buy it," Keith said with a scowl. "You are the Red Paladin now, Lance. You're the only one who can do it. And you're wrong. About everything. The team needs you—"
"Keith, you don't understand," Lance pleaded, "I—You don't know what happened! How badly I screwed up this time. I'm not—I can't go back. You belong on the team more than I do. They're stronger with you and I—I just drag everyone down."
"That's not true!"
"You can't change my mind Keith," Lance stood and slid his blue half mask back into place. Hiding again.
"Well I'm not leaving without you," Keith follows as Lance stalks back toward the bar and catches him by the arm. He pulls him to a stop and tries again. "What are you gonna do? Be a bartender on some backwater moon in the middle of nowhere the rest of your life? You're just gonna abandon everyone for—for this?!"
"I'm not abandoning anyone! You're the one who left, Keith!"
"Yeah. To fight Zarkon! Not to work at a sketchy bar and flirt with girls all day! You're better than this, Lance!"
"No," Lance jerked his arm out of Keith's hold. "I'm really not."
. . .
Lance's words echo in Keith's head as he woke up.
I'm really not.
They hit him hard, just like the first time he heard them. They have him hunching over himself and pulling at his hair as he wonders . . . what could have happened? How long did Lance feel like this? Why did he run away?
What really happened?
These are the questions Keith has been beating himself up over, screaming into the void, over and over again with no answers. No closer to the truth. Nothing. Just . . . silence.
Keith heaves a sigh and turns his head to the ceiling. No use letting his thoughts rile him up again. He has his objective and he's one step closer to achieving his goal.
He notices for the first time since waking that the usually dark and dreary alter room is bathed in a red glow. It wasn't enough to chase all the shadows away, but Keith let his eyes trace the glowing lines along the dais until he reached the top left pedestal where the Relic of Fire sat in all its glory. Then all the memories about how it came to be here came rushing back.
The mountain. The Guardians. The new Red Paladin. The Team. They . . . they were on opposite sides. This time . . . they were enemies. They—they probably had no idea what happened. That Lance—
"Keith," the quiet, melodic voice shattered his careening thoughts and although the voice was gentle and questioning, Keith felt his body tense up in familiar anger.
"Did you know?" Keith's voice was low and raspy from disuse. He didn't bother turning to face his mentor.
"Did I know what?" Umbra questioned back, and Keith felt his nails bite into the palms of his hands as he played stupid.
"You know damn well," Keith snarled, still refusing to look at him.
Umbra hummed appreciatively. "If you are referring to the presence of Voltron, then no. At least, not for sure."
"But you suspected."
"The Paladin's of Voltron were chosen as the Emissaries of Lux in our conflict ten thousand deca-phoebes ago, yes. It only makes sense that she would go back to them again. I was unaware, however, that she had already made contact. And I hate to say that they do have an advantage over us this time around, seeing as how the Paladins were the ones who hid the Relics in the past. They more than likely retain a record of those locations."
"Did you know they found a new Paladin?"
"Didn't you?" Umbra said from under his unmoving mask. "It only makes sense that they would find a replacement. If they didn't, well, I would fear for the well-being of the universe if I cared for it."
Keith huffed, frustrated by the lack of a straight answer. "Right."
He slid from the table and moved to stretch—he immediately regretted it. He cried out, one hand clutching at pain flaring in his chest while the other catches himself from falling on the table.
"Careful," Umbra rushes to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder and lowering him to the ground. "You've overexerted your soul."
Keith grit his teeth as the tearing slowly ebbed into a dull throb. "Is it gonna hurt this much every time?" Keith suddenly felt small.
Umbra lowered his gaze and gently took Keith's hand that was still clutching at his chest. He couldn't help the small bubble of feeling that simmered for the boy. "As your soul scars, the pain will lessen. It will become accustomed to the abuse until eventually, you won't fell anything at all."
"You mean until I have no soul left to corrupt," Keith corrected bitterly and removed his hand from Umbra's grasp. He struggled to his feet and swayed a moment as he caught his breath. Then he stood straight and strong, as if his soul wasn't slowly being ripped apart, as if he wasn't fighting against his only friends in the universe . . . as if one of those precious friends wasn't lying lifeless right in front of him.
Umbra answered with silence.
"There's only two soul fragments left to collect," Keith stated. "I think it's well past the time that I should retrieve them."
"Are you certain?" Umbra lingered, watching Keith's expression carefully.
Keith took a step and laid a hand on Lance's pod. "I've left him broken for too long because I was afraid to face my team. The last pieces are on the Castle of Lions, guarded by the Red and Blue Lions themselves . . . the Lions that he piloted. Now that it's inevitable that I'll be seeing them again, I might as well get it over with."
"Will you explain yourself to them?"
Keith fought to keep his hands steady. "It's easier if they think they're just fighting against a faceless stranger."
Umbra hummed in approval. "Will you at least rest before departing."
"Have you located the next Relic?"
"Not yet."
"Then I'll rest when I get back, while you search."
"As you wish," Umbra conceded. He held his hand out to Keith who complied and presented the Portal Generator on his wrist. It allows him to teleport anywhere in the universe that Umbra chooses to send him and he could only return here. Keith knew it was a leash of sorts, making sure Keith could only return to Umbra. It was a leash that he willingly put on.
"Focus on your connection to the Black Lion," Umbra counselled. "You are no longer her Paladin, but your bond still remains. It may be extremely weak after all these phoebes, but it is enough."
Keith closed his eyes and did as he was told. He reached over Galaxies, chasing the feeling he once reveled in, the connection to something greater than he was. He could still feel the frail, thin string that still connected him to the Black Lion, and even weaker still to the Red Lion. Then he felt Umbra intruding in on their connection, pinpointing their location in space and imbuing the coordinates it in the Portal Generator.
Before the Castle could change locations, Keith opened the portal. It snapped into existence, swirling black and infinite.
"Are you sure you're ready for this," Umbra asked one last time. His grip still strong on Keith's wrist.
"Like I said, I've waited too long as it is."
"Just," Umbra squeezed one last time before releasing him. "Be cautious. The Lions possess strong spirits and will be loathe to give up anything to the darkness."
"I'll convince them," Keith wasn't worried about the Lions . . . well, maybe he was a little worried, but he was more concerned about running into one of the others.
Before he could let his thoughts take off again, his mask closed over his face and he fell through the portal.