Chapter 17 - If the Sky is the Limit

The day was upon them.

Inevitably Almira had withdrawn again into her pensive self. This time, however, she was changed; even if she grieved, feared for the future, she was changed. There was a difference in the way that she carried herself, the way that her spine held itself straight even when hunched, an aura of determination. The future was blind, but a fire had been lit inside her; even in the darkness of space she would run with that flame, would make the best of her situation. She would move on. There were still tears from the pain, but they would eventually fade.

She just had to hold onto the faith that she would make it someday.

On the thirteenth day she awoke, going through her routine. She showered and brushed her teeth, pulling on a high necked tank top and black leggings. Pulling her hair into a bun, she braided the wispy strands around the bun, attention to detail. Grabbing the white cape from her chair she fastened the chain around her neck, watching as the silver embroidery flashed in the light with every move she made. She was a captain and a princess, and she would be damned if she didn't play the role. She was going into exile, head held high; even those cunning nobles couldn't strip her of her titles.

Her bags had already been taken, loaded onto her vehicle wherever it was. With one final check around her room she carried a pair of black knee high boots to the door, pausing in the hallway at a familiar figure.

Arden stood near the entrance, dressed in his general's regalia, golden yellow cape secured on his shoulders. For a moment they simply looked at one another, surprised at one another's outfits, though Arden looked pleased. He lifted his hand, and Almira took note of a familiar looking bag. She stepped forward tentatively, hand outstretched. "Is that…"

"Surprise." He grunted as she collided with him in a vicious hug, moving the bag away so she wouldn't hurt herself. "Easy now, you don't want to accidentally impale yourself, do you?"

With a wide grin she opened the top flap, staring inside with wonder. It wasn't just her kukris or her staff, but her armor and somehow her helmet as well. "How did you fit everything in here?"

Throwing the flap shut, Arden grinned craftily. "Well, it wasn't easy, but I guess I'd make it happen for my sister. One of the guards will carry it for us, and they'll place it on the ship."

Almira sombered at the mention of the ship, anxiety returning to her face. "Right."

"Hey," he placed a hand on her shoulder, "the procession is for formalities. We'll be able to say goodbye once we get there. Don't be too worried about it."

"I know. It's just…" She looked around the room one final time, heart pulling as she looked at all the plants that covered every surface. She thought of her mother, along with every other person she had said goodbye to yesterday. Save for the escort party, no one would be able to say more intimate partings from here on out. Wrapping an arm across her torso, Almira sighed wistfully. "This is really goodbye."

Arden had nothing to say. Instead they lingered for a moment in silence until Almira nodded her head curtly. "Alright. Let's do this."

Turning her head away she steeled her heart, opening the front door. Standing just in front of the porch were eight armored guards, black helmets on their heads and obscuring their identities. Almira quirked an eyebrow as she slid on her boots. "Isn't this a little overkill?"

The guards overheard her musing, chuckling amongst themselves along with Arden. Almira felt a wave of relief wash over her as they all responded to her joke. At least her escorts wouldn't play completely by the book. Arden descended the steps first, handing the bag over one of the guards who slung it over his shoulder. As Almira walked down the steps six of the guards formed a circle around her, lances at the ready. Arden took the vanguard, while the other two walked behind their group. With the dull sound of boots treading over dirt and stone the ensemble took off through the royal compound.

Their pace was relatively slow, allowing Almira to take in her surroundings one final time. The way that the light filtered through the trees, the gleaming wood of the houses of the compound, the water that laughed and burbled as rivers snaked through the area. Would she miss the greenery in space? They took their time walking through the glade, Almira's heart silently tearing piece by piece.

She wasn't sure she was going to keep composed at this rate.

They made their way through the compound and into the castle, doors opening as they walked through the hallways that lead to the foyer. Steeling her heart, she realized that the last time she had been in this space was when she had faced off against him. Would it look the same as it did that day? Would his ghost haunt her vision, as it occasionally did in her dreams? But the foyer was not empty; in fact, a few nobles lined the space in an orderly fashion, keeping the procession route clear. As she drew closer and closer she recognized some of the faces. She startled as they began to formally bow as she passed them by, staring in wonder at the reverence in their faces. What did this all mean? But near the entrance she saw the twinkling eyes of the two nobles who had assisted Eaghan in his search.

Ah, that was it.

She bowed her head low in response, humbled by their presence. Though few in numbers, she now recognized these nobles. These were the ones whose disdain for her ran less than the others, whose respect she had earned through the years. Most likely these were also the men who believed her account and that of Eaghan. That they would see her off was touching, but as their party progressed and they fell out of view she turned her head forward to face what was ahead.

The doors had not been repaired from when the griffon had burst through them to save Almira, and the view outside the castle opened up she stiffened at the sight. The vehicles lined up to take her to the hangar were ready and waiting, but beyond their line a crowd of people stood. Civilians, all lining the road, huddled around the motorcade as close as they could without pushing the guards. As Almira stepped outside the castle a cry arose from within the crowd.

"Princess Almira!"

A roar overtook the crowd, and Almira stuttered, halting her progress. Just why were they here?

One of the guards leaned in. "They've been lining up since last night to catch a glimpse of you. Many are military families, but others were inspired by your story."

Inspired? By her? What was there about her story to be inspired by? She had killed a king, had undergone a trial concerning her traitorousness to the entire nation. And this was how they responded? Slowly she began to move forward, still looking at the crowd who strained against the barricades set by the guards. To her surprise, many were women, both young and old, rallying under her name.

Her guards led her to one of the vehicles, but Almira stopped, her own eyes meeting blood red. She motioned for the guard to follow her despite the confusion, the crowd closest to her beginning to hush at her approach. Slowly she came to stand in front of a tall girl, her blood red eyes and brilliant red hair standing out from the rest of the crowd, even as a thousand jewel tones dazzled. There was something about this girl that called out to her, and she looked her in the eyes. Much to Almira's surprise and delight, the girl maintained her gaze.

"Why are you here?"

The girl startled at the soft tone, Almira's voice genuinely curious. "I-" she stuttered for a moment before collecting herself, cheeks flushing. "I want to be like you, Princess!"

Almira smiled at her genuine answer, lips quirking. "I don't think you should follow quite so closely. King killing is not an ideal accomplishment to put on your resume."

She froze for a moment before realizing that Almira was teasing, a nervous chuckling coming out of her. "Not like that, highness. But I want to join the military! I want to be a captain like you!"

Now that was surprising. Almira's eyebrows raised. "Really? And why?"

"Because we can do just as much as men, can't we? You rose through the ranks and proved yourself. So, I want to do the same!"

The girl was lanky and somewhat awkward, but she couldn't have been too much younger than Almira herself. Her resolve was impressive, and Almira couldn't help but feel as though she was a deadly flower ready to blossom. Perhaps that was what drew Almira to the girl; they didn't seem to be so different after all.

"What is your name?"

"Huh?" Confusion filled her crimson eyes before realization struck her and she began stuttering again. "Oh! Nier your highness!" She bowed her head low, earning a chuckle from Almira. Peering up in curiosity and confusion, the girl tilted her head. "Highness?"

"Then I believe you can do it, Nier." Placing a hand on her head, Almira gave her a smile. "It's a difficult life, and a difficult path. But find the resolve in your heart, and you can overcome anything." Sliding her hand away, she offered one final grin before turning away, returning with her retinue to the vehicles. Only once was she secured behind her driver did she send one final glance into the crowd, golden eyes meeting red. She barely had time to send an encouraging grin her way before the vehicles took off, white cloak fluttering behind her and obscuring her view as they peeled away. Shooting up the narrow path she cast one final glance at the crowds before turning back forward.

One more distraction. But it couldn't stop the flow of time, or the inevitable.

To Almira's surprise, they passed through the vehicle bay and into the underground tunnels beyond. All certainty flew out the door as she nervously looked behind her. Leaning toward her driver she shouted over the air. "Where are we going?"

"Sorry, captain! Change in destination!"

She sat back in her seat, incredulous. A last minute change? For a minute she wondered if they were simply going to execute her in the tunnels, going back on their word of exile. Fear coursed through her. They wouldn't do that, would they? Besides, Arden was still here. He would never have allowed it, and if that was the case he certainly wouldn't be here leading their group. Relaxing into the seat, though barely soothed by that thought, she resigned herself to the ride.

Her thoughts wandered back to the girl, Nier. Of all the people in the crowd, why her? Recalling the bright red eyes and matching hair, she wondered what others thought of her. Red was an uncommon color, especially for eyes, and particularly haunting to look at. Did others think of her as some sort of demon? Almira wondered briefly what her prophecy was, or what had driven her to consider being in the military. A captain, huh? Smiling at the sincere goal, Almira wished that she could see how the girl progressed. Perhaps she would make it someday. But the thought made her sad as she drove further and further away, on to a different plan for her.

Today was the first day of a new journey.

She had decided to call it that instead: a journey. Staring into the abyss of the uncertain future was terrifying enough, an easy lure to make her fall into the fear of the unknown. But the foundations that Emrys had helped her to lay down had ended up striking her with inspiration; what if she changed her idea of the future? No longer was it the lonely exile, it was the next step. The prisoner may have considered it their prison, but the adventurer looked beyond those four walls. It was important to place mind over matter, and Almira found that it eased her anxiety a little less.

What still sat on her chest was the sadness at leaving her home. It felt like a griffon was sitting on her chest, squeezing her heart with its talons and injecting her body with such intense emotions she wanted nothing more than to lie down and cease movement for a hundred days. When she had looked around her room one final time there had been a feeling like a hiccup in the back of her head, the honest realization that she would never see this sight ever again. It made her mad that she would take every other day so carelessly, never once realizing how much that room meant to her. Not just the room, but the memories made in that space. How her mother tiptoed around the plants to water them; she would never see her mother like that ever again, but also would never see her mother period. It was like that for everything she had seen on their walk through the royal apartments and the castle, all the way up through the tunnels. Even now she yearned to fly through the tunnels like she had only a few weeks ago, side by side with her commander.

It wasn't just the sadness, she decided. It was the nostalgia, a yearning for the past even as she stepped forward into the future. An equal desire for those moments that had happened years, months, weeks, or even minutes ago, a burning in her chest that threatened to bring tears to her eyes. But her eyes were dry today; she had decided that she had cried enough. She would leave this planet ever the image of a noble princess, resigned but not broken by her sentence. That was how she wanted people to remember her by, people like Nier and her brother.

After nearly an hour of travel their entourage entered into another crater. It was a minor crater, mostly filled with foliage and a couple small villages, from what Almira could remember. Bursting into the bright sunlight they adjusted their speed, slowly and cautiously making their way up the side of the crater.

Had they seriously moved her transport to the top of the crater? It was strange, but Almira didn't question it. Perhaps they had wanted a smaller crowd, away from the civilians who surely wanted to pry into the happenings of the beloved captain. Pressing her face into her driver's back she closed her eyes, composing herself.

Soon she would have to say her final goodbyes. Only her brothers would be present, along with a few military members for recording purposes. Alastrine, Akil, Eaghan, and Arden; at least she could say goodbye to some of the most beloved people in her life one final time before boarding the craft. Breathing in deeply, she tried to steady out her breath as she exhaled, unsuccessful in the attempt. After a few more times she began to find progress, willing her heart to beat more slowly. Anxiety.

She refused to look up from her position even as they came to a halt on the dusty and dry surface of the planet. Closing her eyes she waited for the dust to settle a bit, jolting as a hand bumped into her arm.

"Need a hand?"

Realizing it was Arden she sighed in relief, taking his hand while still slightly blinded, coughing as she accidentally inhaled the dust. "I swear," she choked out as she wheezed, "you're so lucky to be wearing those helmets."

A dry laughed was slightly muffled by the helmet, but she appreciated the gesture. Wiping the dust from her eyes she looked up for the first time, golden eyes widening.

"Arden, there's no way I'm piloting that."

Where had Akil and his team been hiding this craft? Squinting her eyes in the light, she realized that the design and colors were definitely off, a white and blue finish to the craft a sharp contrast with the blacks that the Fleogans tended to use. She heard Arden's chest rumbling in laughter. "Fortunately, you don't have to."

Walking with their arms linked at the elbows, the guard relaxed a bit more than they had during the rest of their escort. They formed a looser formation, the eight of them circling around the royal siblings as they walked towards the massive ship. Almira had to shade her eyes with her free hand, squinting into the distance as she took in the details.

"It's incredible. Beautiful."

"Isn't it? I'm a bit jealous that you're leaving on that?"

Arching a slender eyebrow, Almira looked back up to her brother's face. She couldn't see a single thing, save for her own reflection in the glossy surface of the mask, but she could tell that his eyes were fixed on something ahead. "Arden, I told you I can't pilot that. Even with my skills from the Tech Brigade, I can't move that thing on my own. It's gotta take multiple pilots, at minimum."

"Didn't I already tell you that you didn't have to?" He jutted his chin forward, pointing to something ahead of them. "Look."

Several figures were drawing closer, although it was difficult to tell with the bright sun above their heads. The glare and brightness made Almira's nose tingle, and she scrunched it at the painful feeling that welled in the bridge, forcing it away. Finally she began to make distinguishments.

There were multiple figures in black, all wearing helmets and surrounding three distinct figures. The newly crowned king and his two brothers were dressed in full royal costume, brandishing their embroidered tunics and brilliantly colored capes that rippled beautifully in the wind. It was the first time Almira had seen Alastrine wearing the crown, a circlet that somehow seemed more fitting on his head than on the previous ruler. He bore the burden well, burgundy red hair waving around him in the gentle breeze as his broad shoulders were squared away. Of the three brothers he was the most intimidating, save except for Arden who currently walked side by side with her.

She could see the tension in Eaghan's neck as they drew closer, though his eyes softened at her appearance as she offered a tentative smile. Nodding almost imperceptibly, he began to cross his arms over his chest before stuttering, instead moving his arms to clasp them behind his back, underneath the blue cape that fluttered on his shoulders. Almira chuckled a bit at the uncertainty, earning an eye roll from her orange eyed brother.

"I never thought I'd say this, but stop making fun of Eaghan and look beyond."

Almira forced back an eye roll at Arden's order, but obeyed in any case. Just beyond the royal retinue stood seven figures, oddly familiar…

Her steps faltered.

Arden nearly had to drag her forward as her eyes locked onto the paladins, eyes scrutinizing them to confirm that she wasn't hallucinating before turning to glare at her elder brother. "I thought you said they left."

"And for that I apologize. Princess Allura can explain later."

Later. The word sent a jolt through her heart as she realized the meaning. But suddenly she was standing before all four of her brothers, various expressions on their face.

For a moment they simply stood, looking at one another, a whirlwind of emotions on each of their faces.

"Alastrine." Almira figured she would address the eldest and highest ranked first, although she did not bow. Her lip quirked at the corner, an amused thought coming to her mind and bounding from her lips. "Crown looks better on you than anyone else here."

Immediately her three half siblings relaxed, chuckling at her observation. Eaghan rolled his eyes. "Leave it to the baby princess to ignore all formalities." An orange eye twitched as she childishly stuck her tongue out at him before approaching the new king.

"I'm sorry," Almira blurted. "This is all because of me."

"Yes, it is." She looked away in shame at his accusation, but he continued. "If it weren't for you, Voltron would not have joined us. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have learned of father's treachery. If it weren't for you," he placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look back at him, "I would be under the same curse."

Pride was in his eyes as he spoke, and Almira felt humbled. She smiled, tilting her head. "You always had a way with words. Thanks for making me feel less like a terrible younger sister."

Bringing her closer to his chest, the two embraced tightly. When they parted Alastrine stepped aside for Akil, who immediately brought Almira in for another embrace. "Please learn how to pilot that ship, in my honor." His private whisper evoked a laugh from Almira, eyes lighting up at his joke. "That's my sister."

When it was Eaghan's turn the two simply stared at one another for a moment. There had been many words exchanged over the past two weeks, a hundred years of misunderstandings unraveled in days. Almira started as she saw a glimmer in his eyes. "Are you…"

His expression immediately became wrathful as he wiped tears away. "Yes, I'm crying, idiot. Now come here and hug me."

This time when she laughed and pressed her face into his chest she knew that there were watermarks left in his tunic. Their embrace seemed too short; even if they had stood there for an hour, it would have been too short. "Make us proud. I expect to hear great things from you."

Though teary eyes, she raised an eyebrow in confusion as she quickly wiped her eyes dry. "Hear from me?"

A dry look shot from the youngest prince to the second oldest, and even if he wore a mask it was apparent that he became incredibly sheepish. "You had all that time, and you didn't tell her?"

"Look, I know, we were a little late, and then we hit a few roadblocks, but she's got it now."

"Arden…"

"Quiet, both of you." All eyes turned to the king, who motioned for something to be passed to him. Almira's eyes stared blankly at the package in his hands, neatly wrapped in black paper and tied with a piece of string. "A gift for you, and also a request."

Accepting the parcel, she undid the string with delicate motions, prying back the paper delicately as to not tear a single edge. A mass of black material, embossed with a black reflective design, sat staring at her, a badge sitting at the top. Confusion. Almira looked to her brother. "It's beautiful, but what…"

"That badge is the new crest for the royal family."

Made out of some sort of charcoal gray carbon fiber, Almira lifted the crest with slender fingers, watching as it flashed in the light. A griffon's body curled around a spear that stood straight up, all overlaid on a pair of wings spread in flight. Gone was the circlet that encompassed the royal arms, and Almira found herself touched at the thought that had gone into the design. Alastrine continued as she stared in wonder. "An old era has passed. Fleogas will unite with the Alteans and Voltron once more. We have agreed that, if we want to portray that image of solidarity across the universe, we must have an ambassador actively representing our interests."

Shock. Gold eyes shot up. "Me?" The king's head nodded, and Almira found herself grasping for straws. "But I'm an exile. Isn't that improper?"

"The council has agreed to overlook the terms for your exile if you agree to this." Alastrine frowned. "In a way, it still works as exile. You won't be able to return home. If you don't want to do this, then I understand-"

"No, I'll do it." Exhaling sharply through her nose, her lips twitched, though not properly into a smile. "Might as well make myself useful, right?"

"You've already done us a great service, Almira."

She rushed in one more time to hug Alastrine, crushing the package to her chest as she smashed it between them. "No, you're doing me a service. I have a reason now." A reason to live. A reason to carry on. Pulling away, she turned to the final brother, staring into his mask.

"So, are you taking off your mask anytime soon?"

"Any chance I can leave it on?"

A glower was all it took for him to slowly pull the obstruction from his head, but Almira's heart fell as she saw the telltale sign of streaks on his cheeks from a runaway flood. Her voice cracked, unable to make even a light joke at the situation. It was too much. "Arden…"

Dropping the helmet to the ground, he opened his arms. "C'mere, baby bird."

If she thought that saying goodbye would be hard, it had multiplied exponentially the moment she crashing into Arden's arms. The tears fell freely as her chest heaved, only worsening when she felt her brother's chest shake as he breathed. This was the worst part, the goodbye she had dreaded the most. How could she say goodbye to the one person who had taught her everything, who had stood by her side through her rise and fall, had watched every step she took even if he knew it meant leaving him? The one family member that meant the most to her, the one who loved her unconditionally even if they were only of half blood.

She was certain that she would have to be pried away, and it was Arden who stepped back finally. His golden eyes watered, doing nothing to stop the rivers from flowing. Sizing her up one final time, he nodded curtly.

"Walk tall, sister, and don't look back."

Nodding, golden eyes looked to each sibling, committing to memory the details of their faces. Alastrine's circlet and committed eyes, Akil's blue hair and slender build, Eaghan's brilliant orange eyes and the way he clenched his jaw, Arden's twin eyes, the softness in his expression.

Smiling through the tears, she nodded. "Goodbye."

She turned on her heel, package clutched to her chest.

Walk tall, and don't look back.

She wouldn't dare. If she did, she knew she would go running back to her brothers and never leave.

Instead she focused forward intently at the paladins and Alteans who welcomed her with various grins. She paused a few feet away from them, leveling them equally. "You left without goodbye."

Shiro scratched his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, well, if we had seen you, one of us would have leaked it."

Nodding her head in understanding, Almira found that she had nothing left to say. Her jaw clenched, entire neck stiffening. Everything was still too close. If she opened her mouth to respond, if she tried to say anything…

Allura saved her, placing a hand on her shoulder and welcoming her with a warm smile. "It's good to finally meet you. I'm sure we can more formally introduce ourselves on the Castle of Lions."

When Almira's eyes met brilliant blue, she could see the understanding that went beyond sympathy. She understood this pain, this grief.

She knew.

Almira offered a tight smile, walking side by side with the princess as they took the lead. As they entered the ship, she wanted nothing more than to scream, to run in the other direction, no matter how much she appreciated the paladins and valued their friendship.

Walk talk, and don't look back.

She obeyed her final order.

The castle was even more impressive on the inside than Almira had first imagined. Brilliant hallways ran in every direction, and though she could feel the itch of exploration digging in her chest she followed the team to the bridge. She lingered at the back of the room as everyone made their way to their stations, consoles popping up throughout the space in response to each person. Idly she wondered if they were keyed into their biometrics, and wondered what Akil would think about such a system. But she forced the thought down as multiple screens came to life, the castle rumbling as it gently hummed awake.

When the entire front wall flickered away to reveal the outside terrain, Almira couldn't help the gasp that escaped her. Slowly she inched her way forward, coming to stand at the side of Keith's station. He spared her a surprised glance, though she didn't seem to pay any attention, eyes fixed forward.

"Initiating lift off sequence."

Allura spoke in a commanding tone, flicking through a bunch of controls that Almira couldn't even read fast enough. But her attention turned once more to the outside world as the ship began to lift off the ground, and her feet dragged her closer and closer to the window, until she was standing face to face with the projection on the wall.

"What's that?"

Lance pointed to something outside, a small blip flying on the horizon. The Castle zoomed in on the image, causing Almira to gasp. "The griffon."

It came as close as it dared to the castle, ascending in time with the hulking vessel as it shrieked, a noise unheard by their party. But Almira could hear it as clear as day, taking her back to the moment where she lay dying on cold marble tiles. She shuddered, the memory viscerally taking over her body as she hunched over, pressing her hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. Turning her eyes to the screen she looked into its eyes, glittering orbs that suddenly seemed to stare back into her own. She blinked. Could it actually see her, looking back out?

No; she remembered what Eaghan had told her about its communication patterns, how it had sensed her agony when she was under the king's foot, certain death approaching. It could sense her emotive state even from far away. She pressed a hand to the glass, staring back at the image. I'm okay. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I must go now.

Its beak opened again, soundless, but Almira received the message. It was distant and so brief that she momentarily thought she imagined it, but as the griffon dove out of the sky and returned back to the planet's surface she knew it had been real.

Sorrow.

Goodbye.

It was the final straw, limbs refusing to hold herself up as she fell to her knees, hand dragging along the screen as her eyes blurred. Chin dipping to her chest as her head folded forward she allowed the tears to stream freely now. Her breath hitched every few seconds as she tried to collect herself.

Gone. Gone! She watched as the planet's surface slowly became blurrier and blurrier, the castle passing through cloud formations and hiking further into space. Eventually the planet's round spherical form came into view, and she stared breathlessly at the countless craters that dotted the land mass. Around the singular landmass stretched blue waters in every direction; she hadn't even known that they lived on a planet with a body of water bigger than the lakes and streams in the craters. She wondered if Arden would ever see them someday for himself.

Alone. She was utterly estranged from the life she had known. The ache in her heart only split open further as she thought of her brother, her family. Did they miss her as much as she already missed them? Did it hurt as much? Was there a rift, a ravine that had ripped open her chest?

A hand gently rested on her shoulder, and she looked up to see the tender face of the yellow paladin looking at her in empathy. He knew. He had lowered himself to kneel next to her, and Almira found herself twisting away from the view of her slowly receding world to dive into the embrace he offered. It was strange to hug someone new, a feeling that Almira hadn't felt in years, but it felt right. She could feel his earnesty pouring into her, empathy willing her to share her burden with him.

All of them understood. They were all drifting hundreds of thousands of lightyears away from their homes. Some of them were fortunate to have a home to return to. Some couldn't even claim that hope. And she fell somewhere in between; Fleogas continued to thrive and exist, but it had pushed her away.

One by one, the paladins joined in the group hug. Almira didn't care who came first. All she knew was that she felt their weight pressing around her while simultaneously lifting the weight off her shoulders. They all knew, all understood. Perhaps not to the precise degree, but Almira knew that was nearly impossible. But what was the most important is that they cared. They didn't just understand; they wanted to do something about it, to ease the burden on her shoulders.

Even as Fleogas drifted further and further away, the sobs began to recede. Mostly because of exhaustion, but a new idea was blossoming in her heart.

She wasn't alone. She had never been alone.

Even if she ran into the oncoming darkness, she had someone by her side.

AN: "What do we say? Clear day, clear day clear day..."

That stupid-ass song is stuck in my head. Thanks, Voltron.

Anyway, I'd just like to say that personally, I still love Voltron. Even though this journey has been topsy-turvy, and there's a bunch of issues that could have gone better (like giving Adam more screen time? and maybe not killing him?), but in the end, we have what we have. I won't say that the show is flawless and I won't defend it entirely, but it has been a beautiful journey that I have loved watching.

That being said: the fire had been lit in me, and I'm ready to tackle the rest of the series.

It's been a year of debating what I was going to do with this story. From the beginning, I've wanted to connect this story to the rest of the plot. I've wanted to see where I can take Almira and all my characters, and I think now I'm ready to do it. Now that the series has ended, I can make definite choices of what I want to do, and I can even alter events how I like. So I'm happy to announce officially that I've begun work on making a new story that continues from where we leave off! I still have one more chapter to post to this story, but I thought that I would just announce that a sequel is in the works right now.

Also, I have officially graduated from undergrad! Here's to starting grad school in January. I promise I'm going to tackle as much as I can during the next three weeks, so hopefully I'll be able to bring you all some new content.

Happy holidays to all, and see you in the next chapter!