A/N: I swear I've got a ton of stories almost completed and I'm just being lazy and not finishing them, so I'll try to finish some more within the week. This idea is one I've gotta write down. I plan on making it a short story, so... yeah. It's 8:25 pm, but hopefully I'll be done in a few hours.

Death Is Only A Word

Third Person POV

Lance had been sick.

It happened very early on in his life, when he was sixteen. His body began killing itself from the inside out, and by seventeen he wasn't expected to live much longer. Of course, Lance being the fun loving teen he was chose to ignore that little tidbit about himself, opting to live his life to the fullest instead of withering away in a bed and dying. His large family had been more than concerned though, only looking at him with pity.

All except one.

Lance's sister, Veronica, refused to let her brother die. She did research, any research she could, and stumbled across ancient stories of a magical lake with healing properties. Veronica didn't tell her brother where they were going, just telling him that it was one last adventure before the hospital took him back in. Veronica told her mother they'd return within a few days.

That was a lie.

The duo left their small home in Cuba, traveling in a rickety boat on the ocean for many days, going Northwest and finally hitting the mainland. They continued to travel, and Lance's condition continued to worsen. It took another week of traveling through rainforests and talking with locals did they eventually gain useful information from a kind old woman. "I know what you seek, but the being who guards it will not let you have any. You may try if you'd like; I can guide you there."

They hiked for a while longer, and the old lady told them she could take them no further than the cave entrance they stood before. She left them to their own devices, and Lance barely managed to scramble after his older sister. His breathing was harsh, his chest heavy. He wouldn't last much longer, and if he didn't get the lengendary healing water then he most likely wouldn't make the trip back home.

They stared in awe at the beautiful glowing silver waters before them. It was completely still, not a ripple to be seen. Lance knelt before the water, and almost touched it when a deep voice echoed through the cavern. "You cannot take what is not yours. Leave."

Veronica frowned. "Please, sir! My brother is deathly ill, and will die within the month! He doesn't have long and there is no cure! I don't have money to pay you, but I will do whatever it takes to save my brother!"

Lance looked at his sister with wide eyes. "Veronica, you... I thought we were just going on one last trip?" Lance looked at the lake with horror written across his face. "I... whatever this is, I don't want it. I've accepted my death; it happens to everyone, and I'm no different. I enjoyed our trip, but this is the end for me." He offered her a soft smile, one of acceptance. He was ready to die.

Veronica shook her head. "No! You won't die! I won't let it happen!" Before Lance could object, Veronica shoved Lance forwards, the glowing water wrapping around him and dragging him farther into its embrace.

Lance screamed. "I tried to warn you, mortal. My waters are not meant for your kind. Those who are unworthy and selfish will burn to ashes in my silvery liquid. Now your brother has less than a few moments of life."

Veronica sat on the lake's edge, tears welling in her eyes as Lance thrashed around, smoke curling from his skin as it dissolved and left nothing but muscle and bone behind. "No! I... it's my fault! I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry..."

Lance's body disappeared beneath the surf, and Veronica wept on the water's edge for hours. She'd killed Lance, her own brother, all over stupid legends. He wasn't going to be returning home with her, and Veronica couldn't help but wonder if she even deserved to go home.

The deep and ancient voice spoke, startling Veronica. "Your brother has surprised me. I did not believe I'd ever find a pure soul as I have today. He shall live on for eternity; sickness shall never ail him, injuries shall always heal, his body forever youthful. He shan't age a day, and he will never die just as you wished. He is the only mortal who has and probably ever will be allowed to bathe in my waters and live on. Take him; when he wishes to return he may. I will live until this planet is no more; he will live longer, longer than the universe itself. You have wished this upon him, and while it has blessed him it has also cursed him. Now leave." The water bubbled, and Lance was shoved towards the shore. He had no wounds, his breaths coming smooth and steadily. Veronica thanked the silver water profusely, dragging her brother from the cave and back into the forest.

When Lance woke up, he felt like he'd been blessed by the gods themselves. Maybe he had been. Veronica told Lance of what had happened to him, and he had been furious at his sister, refusing to talk to her the entire way home. Returning to Cuba, Lance's family had rejoiced at his sudden health, his mother praising Veronica for finding a cure to his illness. He didn't talk to Veronica until months later when he finally accepted her apology.

The years went by, and Lance did not age. Of course, his family began to ask questions, and he informed his family of his immortality, his curse. He would never be able to die, no matter what.

Eventually, too much time passed. Veronica had grandchildren and lay on her deathbed. Lance had wept for her, and she had merely smiled, saying "travel the world for me hermano." Weeks later, and Lance had left the cemetery crying heavily. He left Cuba behind, traveling as far as he wished to go. There would be times he'd hide himself away for a few years, settling down somewhere only to leave after a decade or so. He didn't age, and as soon as people would take notice he'd vanish, leaving nothing behind.

Lance finally returned to Cuba a few thousand years later. He felt as if he'd lived life, traveling and exploring and taking on every job imaginable. He'd even fought in a few wars, and he was pretty sure the Egyptians kept calling him Anubis while the Greeks called him Thanatos. They assumed he was a God, and while Lance didn't want to admit it, his immortality sort of made that true. He never called himself a god though; he believed in his Dios, even if he'd never get to see him.

He'd settled down on his family's old property, rebuilding the house he'd grown up in. He got a job as a surf teacher, enjoying life for a while. It was still horribly lonely, but Lance couldn't change that. He'd been alive for far too long and killed too many times to know he would be around for a lot longer than he ever wished to be.

Lance decided he'd go to Texas and join the Galaxy Garrison. He'd explored Earth; it was all the same now. People were the same. He was ready to see if there was something more beyond this small planet, and flying into space was his chance to escape. Lance hadn't been to school for a long time, but he remembered every detail of his past (thanks for that, glowing silver water) and had passed the entrance exam with flying colors.

Humans remained as unchanged as ever. He signed up as a fifteen year old, knowing he could pull it off. He hated that people were so crude to him though. He was a simple cargo pilot, knowing that an easy job was all he needed to get out into space. His roommate, Hunk, was a horribly shy and quiet person. After a few days though Lance managed to befriend the large Samoan, and they grew to be best friends within the year.

By the time Lance was 'seventeen', he'd ended up going into space. Granted it wasn't how he'd wanted to go into space, but he still escaped Earth easily enough. Things got way too sci-fi, what with magical lions and elf-like aliens, but Lance didn't mind. It was a change of pace, and in a good way. Granted, he was a little bitter over the fact he'd be fighting in another war. He'd served in enough of those on Earth, thank you very much. But Lance was still pure at heart, and had offered his services and aid against the Galra Empire. Lance kept him immortality a secret; he hadn't told anybody about what he was for a long time, and he didn't intend on telling any of his 'space family' about it.

That is until he got captured by the Galra and was forced to fight in the arena.

He'd only been there for a few days at most, but the purple aliens had grown fond of their 'Blue God'. Lance had been impaled, decapitated, lost a few limbs, and even had his heart ripped from his chest. It only took a few ticks for him to be pieced back together, and he'd smile widely at his opponent's horrified faces. He would never kill them unless they seemed truly evil; instead he'd often slice a deep cut into a limb so they were impaired and no longer able to fight.

It was during one of his matches that his team had snuck aboard to rescue him.

Keith and Pidge had knocked out two Galra soldiers with helmets, donning their armor and entering the stands without a problem. Lance stood in the arena, wearing nothing but black skin tight pants that had multiple lacerations in them. Lance stood in the arena across from a large beast, arms crossed and scowling. The announcer grinned wickedly as he stood on a hovering stand above the sandy pit below. "Today we have Golem versus Blue God! This should be an interesting match! Begin!" The large rocky creature had crossed the arena in seconds, slamming his hand into Lance and making a human indent against the metal wall. Blood was splattered everywhere, and Pidge couldn't help the small shriek that escaped her lips. Thankfully the Galra audience was roaring loudly at the fight, and Keith clutched Pidge tightly to his side. Lance had just died, because there was no way he could've-

A body stumbled from the hole, wiping itself off. The Golem backed up fearfully, and Lance just crossed his arms again. The arena was quiet, and Lance shouted at the top of his lungs so everyone could hear him. "I'm sick of dying you guys! This isn't fun anymore!" The arena just chuckled loudly as one, and Lance glared. "Fine. Be that way. This is gonna be a short fight then." The Golem has managed to get a few good strikes in, but Lance had no problem with somehow ripping the creature's head from its body. The arena screeched in pleasure, and the announcer hovered above. "Our Blue God does it again! How long have you been alive again, God?"

Lance hugged him annoyance, wiping himself off as best he could. Keith looked on with horrified fascination as Lance's arm grew back. "I said it doesn't matter how old I am. I just said I can't die."

The announcer grinned. "And that's why we want to prove you wrong! It appears we have yet to do that though. You'll have another fight tomorrow!" Keith and Pidge scrambles our of the arena, making their way down to the cells where Lance would be held.

They'd remained silent as they snuck out of the large ship, fighting off sentries so Lance could retrieve his armor and Bayard. It hadn't been difficult to scramble into the Green Lion and then blow up the ship with the Yellow and Black Lions' assistance.

Once back in the castle, Lance had gone to clean up, meeting the team on the bridge. They all wore serious expressions, and Lance frowned deeply. "Hey guys. What's wrong? I'm sorry I got captured."

Shiro gave Lance a worried look. "Keith and Pidge say they saw you fighting in the arena."

Lance's eyes widened as he stared at the Red and Green Paladin. "Oh." The duo gave him incredulous looks. "Oh." He motioned to the rest of the team. "Do... did you..."

"Yup. We told them we saw you die and about how you said you continued to die." Keith glared at Lance. "Care to explain?"

Lance sighed, his carefree smile slipping from his face as he sat heavily on the floor. "Listen, it's really complicated. You mortals wouldn't understand."

Keith bristled. "Mortals?! The hell is that supposed to mean?!"

Lance gave the short teen a deadpanned stare. "You know exactly what it means." Lance ran a hand through his hair, motioning for the others to sit down. "This is gonna be a long story, so I'll try to shorten it up a little for you guys. You all know my name is Lance McClain. What you don't know is that I was severely sick when I was sixteen years old." Hunk frowned.

"But you weren't sick last year. I would've known."

Lance gave Hunk a sad grin. "I know, buddy. But this is... this happened way before you were even born." Lance ignored the confused and shocked looks. "Let me finish my story, and maybe then this'll all make sense to you guys. I... I haven't had to tell anybody about this for centuries soo... Anyways, when I turned seventeen my sister Veronica decided to do some research. She took me on an 'adventure', but really it was a hunt. I believe most people call it the Fountain of Youth." All the humans gasped while the Alteans looked confused.

"What's this 'Fountain of Youth'?"

Lance smiled kindly at Coran. "It's an old story about a mythical body of water hidden away that grants immortality. My sister didn't know that though; she thought it only had healing properties. We managed to find it, but she pushed me into its silver waters. I... it's burned me alive, and I died for a few hours. I could feel the lake picking me apart, judging every inch of my soul. Eventually it spat me back out, saying I was a pure soul and was allowed to live for eternity. That was..." Lance held his fingers up, as if counting. "Uh... I think that had to have been a few thousand years ago, give or take." Lance rubbed his neck sheepishly. "So, uh, yeah! That's why I didn't really care about dying in the arena a few times. It's already happened thousands of times. I've honestly lost count." Lance looked at the group. "So! Any questions?"

Lance had laughed heartily as he was bombarded with varying questions for day on end, but a weight had lifted off his chest. While he knew he'd be alone again one day, he'd be content with the family he had in the moment, going on new adventures everyday. That was enough for him.

A/N: And that's it! Like I said, it's a really short story compared to what I usually write, and it isn't written as well as it could be, but yeah. It's currently 9:49 pm, so I feel relatively accomplished here. Please read and review! Love you all!

Love,

sKaEtrgrL