Seeing Lotor standing on the Castle's bridge felt wrong. Nayni may not have seen or experienced everything that the Galra Prince had done to the Paladins but hearing it was enough for her. He just radiated a heinous and arrogant aura. She wasn't the only one who still felt this way. Everyone was watching Lotor very closely. They were all ready to jump on him at the slightest sign of trouble. They all were still hesitant to fully trust Lotor.
Nayni was still a strange mix of emotions. Coran had alleviated quite a bit of her fears but the confusion still lingered. She didn't trust this purple-faced, oiled up Prince and wasn't willing to leave him alone with her Paladins. It didn't help that Lotor seemed terribly smug about the entire situation. He'd built up this new enemy to be a threat as serious as his own father. He had no reason to be smiling about the whole affair. If Nayni had it her way, he'd still be locked up in that cell on the brig.
Coran rested his hand in the small of her back. His touch was what would keep her grounded through this entire meeting. Her lover gave her a reassuring nod. That soft smile on Coran's face actually put her to ease a little bit. Lotor folded his arms across his chest. The corner of his lips were drawn up in a satisfied smile.
"You can stand around and stare at me all you want," Lotor said. "If I'd wanted to kill you, I would've done so by now."
Nayni wrinkled her nose. Hunk had been standing rather close to her and Coran. It was as if the room had divided itself along the lines of who was most paranoid. Hunk's eyes narrowed.
"Is that something we need to be worried about?" Hunk said.
Shiro sighed and shook his head.
"Guys lets not even start with this," Shiro said. "I get that we all have some trust issues with Lotor but we have to work him now, okay? So lets just set all of that aside for now and move forward."
As if an intergalactic empire wasn't enough to deal with. Now they were dealing with an army from an entirely different reality too. Nayni was fairly certain nobody was happy with the situation but it was what had to be done. Allura folded her arms across her chest. She'd become quite good at presenting herself in an intimidating manner. Nayni didn't think the girl was simply posturing. The Princess really was that fearless.
"I'd like to believe that you've told us everything," Allura said. "But considering your rather sorted history, I'm inclined to think you have more to tell us."
Lotor sighed. He'd been so cool and collected since he'd boarded the Castle but their lack of trust seemed to finally be wearing on him.
"Shall I repeat the same information to you again?" Lotor hissed. "I told you, we need to find a way to contact Tomyko. She knows their weaknesses. She's the only one who could possibly know how to defeat these people."
Nayni went rigid upon hearing her name. She'd accepted that this other Tomyko was a key part of all of this but it was still a bit hard to stomach. It still stung. Coran must've picked up on her tension. He ran his hand up the length of her back and rested his hand on the back of Nayni's neck.
"Well when we made the Teludav jump things weren't exactly looking good for her," Coran said.
Shiro nodded though he didn't seem pleased with this prospect.
"She may be dead or captured already. Who knows," Shiro said with a shrug. "But if we just go charging into battle with the limited intel we have, it's not going to go well for us either."
He was always the level headed one. Nayni just wished this whole nightmare would go away. Keith had been hanging back behind Lotor. His dark eyes had been glued to the Galra Prince the entire time.
"Maybe we could do more reconnaissance," Keith said.
Lotor just laughed.
"And how well did sneaking around that sector go for you?" Lotor said. "I guarantee they knew you were there the whole time. They found me rather easily."
Keith let out a low growl.
"Well, if you've got a better idea then spit it out!" Keith snapped.
Keith looked like he was about to throttle Lotor. He was impulsive and had a quick temper. It must've gotten him into quite a bit of trouble. Lotor found his aggression to be more amusing than actually threatening.
"I'm afraid I don't have much to offer. I wouldn't set foot in that sector anytime soon, personally," Lotor said.
Pidge pulled up her computer interface. She was already trying to puzzle out some solution to their predicament.
"I could try and modify my tracking program," Pidge began.
Her brow was furrowed and she didn't seem terribly confident with the idea.
"But with what little we know about these other Alteans, I don't know how long that would take," Pidge said. "They seemed to be leaving behind those insane quintessence readings. I could start there."
Shiro stroked his chin.
"It's a start, Pidge, but I think we're going to need to figure out something to work with in the meantime," Shiro said.
Allura had fallen silent. Nayni watched the Princess. Her indigo eyes were locked on the polished floors of the bridge. Allura's fists were clenched. Her mind seemed to be a million miles away. Hunk didn't seem satisfied with any of these propositions. He scratched under his yellow headband and grimaced.
"We can't forget how they were jamming our communications," Hunk said. "I don't think we can just call up this chick without someone noticing. And I don't know about you guys but I really don't feel like having that Satanic version of the Castle getting the jump on us."
Nayni didn't know what Satanic was but Hunk didn't seem to like the concept of it very much. It sounded scary. His skepticism seemed to fuel Pidge with even more determination and she typed more furiously into her computer interface. The bridge just seemed to be growing more and more tense. Keith let out a groan of frustration. His face was already starting to redden from rage.
"We need to do something now!" Keith seethed. "The longer we wait the worse this is going to get! Let's just pick a plan and go with it!"
Lance rolled his eyes.
"C'mon, even you're not that stupid, man," Lance said.
Everything devolved after that. Lance and Keith were at each other's throats. Shiro was trying to calm them down while Lotor just shook his head and smirked. Pidge and Hunk were bickering over her tracking program. Even Coran was trying to step in and calm the situation. His attempts were fruitless though. Allura's gaze flickered up to meet Nayni's. She looked nervous. Allura muttered something but Nayni couldn't make out the words. Allura was trying to be too soft and tender. Amidst all this chaos that wasn't going to work. Nayni's nostrils flared and heat rushed to her face.
"Shut the quiznack up!" Nayni roared.
Her voice echoed off the walls of the bridge. She was so furious that her left eye was twitching.
"Stop barking at each other like a bunch of stupid whelps! The Princess has something to say!" Nayni snapped.
The room had already fallen silent. The Paladins looked mildly terrified but Lotor seemed rather impressed. Nayni cleared her throat. She folded her arms and tried to smile brightly at Allura.
"You were trying to say, Princess?" Nayni said.
Allura was hesitant. Nayni knew it wasn't because she'd just scolded the entire Castle crew. Allura had seen Nayni like this before and even when she was a little girl she'd not been exactly intimidated by it. Something else had Allura nervous. Allura toyed with the silver curls by her pointed ear. She didn't seem to care that there was anyone else in the room. The Princess was completely focused on the Guard Captain.
"I've never tried this myself but, I've read about it," Allura said. "I'd need your help, Nanny."
Allura was presenting this so gently. Nayni knew it wasn't going to be fun. Just by the way Allura was looking at her told Nayni everything she needed to know. Allura swallowed hard before she went on.
"In the past, Alteans could track down someone—close to them—using quintessence," Allura explained.
Nayni could already see where she was going with this. She went rigid.
"If we used the Castle's systems to amplify this power, maybe I could meld minds with you and we could track down Tomyko," Allura said. "I don't know if these—other Alteans—could track that but it might work."
Nayni had done a few exercises like this during her military training. She'd hated all of them. She'd never been particularly gifted at utilizing Altean magic for anything. And she especially didn't like people rooting around in her head like that.
"But it's not my Tomyko," Nayni said. "How could that even work?"
That wasn't the only reason for her to be hesitant. It was hard enough for Nayni to deal with those memories, she didn't like the idea of having them dug up on purpose. Coran was already back by her side, a hand on her shoulder. She didn't even have to look at him to know that he already was well aware of her fears. Allura chewed on her bottom lip.
"I know, I thought about it too but—you still had a connection with her. A deep one," Allura explained. "It may not exactly be the same Tomyko but it's what we've got to work with."
Lotor brushed his long silver hair away from his shoulder. There was a twinkle in his golden eyes.
"I've actually met Tomyko," Lotor said. "I might be able to help you out, Princess."
Nayni grimaced. She already wasn't very keen on this plan but the prospect of melding minds with Lotor was even more revolting to her. She didn't want his slippery Galra fingers anywhere near her or her memories. Lance appeared to be even less of a fan of the proposition.
"What?! You're not melding minds with Allura!" Lance snapped.
He wasn't even masking his emotions this time around. Nayni knew he was concerned solely for the Princess's safety. There were plenty of reasons for them to not want Lotor to have access to Allura's memories as well but those were not why Lance seemed to be on fire with anger. Allura held out her hand to calm him. Her fingertips barely brushed against his shoulder and the Blue Paladin froze.
"Lance, this is our best chance," Allura said. "If something goes wrong and they find us, we're far enough away that we'll have time to just make a jump out of here."
There was no denying the logic behind her plan. It was just going to be rather unpleasant. Nayni and Lotor exchanged looks and she sighed. She was going to have to open up the deepest parts of herself to this wretched boy that she barely knew. It seemed hard enough doing this with Allura but she at least trusted her Princess to handle this with strength. She felt Coran's grip on her shoulder tighten.
"You don't have to-" Coran whispered.
Nayni closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"It's my duty, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.
He nodded. They both could agree that duty came first. He wouldn't fight her on this. Nayni knew that. She also knew he'd be there to wipe the tears away at the end of it all. Nayni stepped forward. She stood stiff as a board and her expression was stern.
"Let's get this over with," Nayni said briskly.
Coran started typing into the main control panel. A map of the universe spread out across the screen as his fingers danced across the panel. Allura, Lotor, and Nayni gathered under the massive Balmera crystal that hung from the ceiling. Nayni felt her hands starting to shake. She clenched her fists and tried to hide her anxiety. Standing so closely to Lotor made it feel as if a thin coating of slime was now running down her skin. Allura grabbed Nayni by the hand. The Princess hesitated but slipped her other hand into Lotor's. Lotor held out his other hand for Nayni. She stared at the lavender skin of his palm. Nayni took his hand stiffly. Allura nodded and took in a deep breath.
"Try to clear your mind of all thoughts," Allura said. "Just focus on Tomyko."
Nayni closed her eyes. She could already feel the cool tingle of Allura's energy creeping through her. She was already trembling. She felt the wave of that soothing warmth wash over her and pass through her fingertips into Lotor. Nayni's lips parted and she let out a soft gasp. This was a bit more of a shock to her system than she'd expected. She struggled to fixate on Tomyko. She kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she tried to picture her wife's face. The room around them started to melt away. Nayni felt as if the solid floor beneath them floated away. Everything faded to black and she felt as if she were surrounded by lukewarm black waters of some foreign ocean miles beneath the surface. All Nayni could feel, was Allura, it was as if the Princess had become a part of her. She felt something darker twisting its way inside her like a vine plant climbing up a stone wall. That had to be Lotor's presence melding with theirs.
The flashing lights of the club and the pounding beat of the electronic music was giving Nayni a headache. The healthy portion of beer she'd consumed was doing a great deal to help her cope with the situation though. She had never really been a fan of going to clubs and bouncing around on a dance floor with a bunch of sweaty and loud strangers, but her squadmates had managed to convince her to come along. Well, they hadn't actually been the ones to convince her. Nayni jiggled her leg nervously and took another swig of her beer.
Dancing around like an idiot was all well and good but she didn't prefer to do that in the company of others. Nayni ran her fingers through her thick brown hair. She'd tried to do it up nice for the night's outing but that had been quite the disaster. She just sort of had a crooked ponytail now and looked rather foolish. Nayni had slid into a formfitting black shirt to try and show off her muscles. This entire idiotic spectacle had only come together because she was desperately trying to impress her squadmate, Tomyko.
The redhead had been slowly trying to drive Nayni insane ever since they'd been stationed together. She was so glamorous and statuesque. When she smiled, the pink markings on her face seemed to sparkle and her eyes looked like jewels. Nayni thought quite a bit about how that woman's makeup would like smeared all over her face after they'd had a snog. That image made Nayni take another swig of her beer. She waved for the bartender to pour her another round.
Large amounts of alcohol always helped her solve problems. This was a completely false statement but she believed it at the moment. The Altean bartender slid her another bottle of beer and Nayni sucked down another gulp of the bitter foamy beverage. She watched Tomyko bouncing around on the crowded dance floor. She laughed at some foolish man who tried to sidle up next to her. She pushed him away and flashed a wink at Nayni. That about killed her. Nayni had no idea how to talk to her. It's not that she hadn't picked people up before. Nayni had done it a fair number of times but Tomyko was so different. She was so mesmerizing. Everything about her was intoxicating. The way her hips swayed when she walked and the way her fiery hair glittered in the sunlight. And by King Groggery the woman could handle a weapon. She was the top shot in their whole unit. She was everything.
Tomyko sauntered over to the bar. Nayni felt her heart skip a beat. They'd had dozens of conversations and all of them had been utter disasters. Tomyko was just so charming and suave and Nayni was just a mess around her. Yet, Tomyko kept on talking to her. She'd made a daily habit of it. Nayni tried to adjust her ponytail and make herself more presentable which was rather pointless. Tomyko slid onto the stool next to her. She leaned over the counter and looked at Nayni rather coyly. Nayni's eyes fell along the curve of her neck and the sweat rolling down her tawny skin.
Tomyko's makeup was done flawlessly, as usual. Her deep crimson lipstick made her slender lips look so tantalizing.
"Nayni, you've just been sitting here all night sipping on that beer," Tomyko teased. "You must be bored."
She was but she was also rather intoxicated now and didn't think she could handle moving very much. She also had quite a difficult time being in this woman's presence.
"Oh, I'm fine—I'm just you know—-drinking-and sitting," Nayni said.
She was a dreadful conversationalist. Tomyko giggled and rested her slender hand on Nayni's forearm. Her touch felt like it was charged with electricity. Tomyko leaned in close. Even with the blaring music, Nayni could hear the sound of her breath falling into her pointed ears. Nayni felt a chill run down her spine. Tomyko let out a soft giggle and Nayni shuddered.
"I know you like me, Nayni," Tomyko whispered.
Nayni thought she was going to retch. Tomyko ran her hand along the curve of Nayni's muscled arm all the way down to her thick hand.
"And I don't know how to make it any more obvious that I really like you," Tomyko said.
Nayni wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or those words that were making her feel light headed. Nayni leaned back. Tomyko had a devilish grin on her face and one of her thin brows was raised rather seductively.
"Oh," Nayni squeaked.
She was a complete and total idiot that was not worthy of this woman. Tomyko giggled, her luxurious mane of red hair fell about her narrow shoulders.
"You're a terrible flirt," Tomyko teased. "But I love that about you."
Nayni had to take a rather large swig of beer after that comment. She tried to go over all of their previous interactions and decide which one of them had been particularly flirtatious. It was quite possible that all of them were. Nayni just wasn't gifted at handling such situations with grace. Nayni desperately wanted to come up with some witty response but even this intoxicated she wasn't really capable.
"I love your-nice legs," Nayni stammered.
Tomyko giggled and her eyes seemed to twinkle like stars. Nayni just felt incredibly stupid that this was the only thing she could come up with. Tomyko leaned in close again. Her lips were almost brushing against the surface of Nayni's cheek.
"I love to think about what it'd feel like to have those rock hard muscles of yours tossing me around my bed," Tomyko whispered.
Nayni flushed. Tomyko had not been this forward before. She couldn't really deny what was happening now. She'd been able to brush off all of the redhead's previous comments as just something she'd misinterpreted but not this. This was rather obvious. Nayni just very much wanted to heft Tomyko up against a wall and taste those ruby lips of hers but she was afraid to be that brash. Tomyko tugged on the thin fabric of Nayni's sleeve. She had a devious spark in her violet eyes.
"Did you wear this just to torture me tonight?" Tomyko asked.
Nayni just nodded sheepishly. Even the queen of grace and seduction seemed to be a little flustered. Tomyko leaned back and managed to collect herself rather quickly.
"I know you hate this place," Tomyko said. "Let's go for a walk."
Nayni wanted to do much more than just walk. She'd walk across the entire surface of Altea a thousand times just to talk to this woman for a few dobashes. Nayni's ears perked up and Tomyko smiled softly.
"If a walk is all you want, that's fine," Tomyko said. "No pressure."
They certainly had quite a bit they needed to discuss but the idea of hopping straight into Tomyko's bed seemed very appealing to Nayni. Tomyko twirled the ends of her hair around her slender fingertip.
"And once we've had our fill of walking-" Tomyko began. "We'll just see where the night takes us."
She just shrugged and grinned. Nayni took one last swig of her beer to build up her courage. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Tomyko hopped off of the stool. She bowed with a great flourish that was rather ridiculous but it still made Nayni blush. Tomyko held out her slender hand, her violet eyes flickered up to meet Nayni's gaze. Nayni grabbed Tomyko's hand. Her skin was so soft and smooth. It was a stark contrast to Nayni's callused thick fingers.
"Shall we?" Tomyko asked.
Nayni found herself smiling uncontrollably. This beautiful woman actually wanted her. She was like some mythical being from another realm that had descended to their mortal coil. She was a goddess and Nayni didn't feel worthy of her.
"Most definitely," Nayni said.
Tomyko led her out of the club. The hot, damp air of the crowded bar was swallowed by the chill of the Altean night. Nayni felt the sweat on her skin cool in the air. Her heart fluttered as she watched Tomyko's fiery hair sway in the breeze. She would follow this woman to the ends of the universe. Tomyko looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were aflame with desire. Nayni wanted to know everything about her. Every dark secret and hidden desire. She wanted to know every crack and crevice. She longed to know every divet and curve of that slender, lithe body. She was drawn to Tomyko like the waves of the sea were drawn to the yellow sands of the beach.
Nayni could feel Allura's familiar presence but she couldn't see the visage of the Princess in the foggy darkness that had engulfed them. All that Nayni could see before her was an ethereal image of her long-dead wife. She stood there, still as a statue, adorned in her navy blue Army uniform. A soft smile on her slender face. Nayni felt herself being drawn to that ghostly image. This was her Tomyko. It wasn't the one that they were seeking out. She felt a deep, aching sadness spreading out of her. A rush of warmth and comfort swirled around her and Nayni felt breathless. Curiosity crept up her like tendrils. The mix of Allura and Lotor's thoughts and emotions didn't feel unnatural. It was as if they'd always been a part of her.
Nayni felt the curiosity dissolve into a sensation of determination. The image of Tomyko before her shifted. It drifted away like mist on the surface of a lake. Another ghostly figure drifted across the darkness. It was Tomyko but she was so much older. The supple yellow-brown skin now had wrinkles around her eyes. They were delicate and soft but they were there. A faint scar was flecked across her nose. Her pink markings were a slightly darker hue now. Her expression was grim. She carried herself in a completely different manner. Her uniform was the most drastic change. It was a deep shade of crimson that was almost black. This was the other Tomyko.
There was still a connection. It was faint but it was still there. It shocked Nayni. It felt as if Nayni was being stretched thin. She felt like something in her gut was reaching across the cosmos. Allura was searching. It was as if their very essence was branching out across the abyss in every direction. Their energy twisted like a river, carving a path through the vacuum of space. The farther Allura reached, the more solid the visage of the other Tomyko became. The more tangible the image became, the more hatred and pain Nayni could see in Tomyko's almond-shaped eyes.
The environment around Tomyko became more clear. Nayni thought she could hear the faint sound of voices talking. It looked like Tomyko was in a cell. The architecture was so familiar. It looked Altean but it was dark and twisted. The image was growing more and more clear. Nayni felt as if their energy was growing around the cell and slowly engulfing an entire ship. She could see the entire visage of the vessel floating in space. It was spreading out farther and farther. She could feel Lotor's familiarity with the surroundings and Allura's mounting anticipation. Then, Nayni felt something seize her.
She felt as if she was being ripped away from the two of them. She could barely feel a connection to Allura and Lotor. An icy wind ripped through her as she was torn away. Tomyko's visage vanished in a blink. It was as if some creature's sharp claws had dug their way into her gut. Nayni was consumed with fear. She could barely feel Allura reaching for her. The Princess's warmth was desperately trying to catch her. Allura was losing the race.
Nayni came to a sudden stop. She fell but felt nothing beneath her. She was surrounded by a nebula. The gaseous mass was made of splashes of pink and red and the twinkling light of dying stars. A pure, ancient terror permeated everything around her. Nayni felt a chill. Someone else was here. She could barely sense Allura and Lotor's presence was even fainter. Nayni was terrified to turn around and look upon the new arrival but she needed to. She needed to see their face.
Their presence was so familiar but they radiated a hungry, sinister energy. It was such a deeply rooted greed that it shook her. She looked upon the cloaked figure. They were tall and slender but she couldn't make out their face. With every step they took towards her, Nayni felt more fear. She was frozen. She was unable to move, unable to reach out to Allura or Lotor. The cloaked figure reached for her. They tilted her head to the side. Cold, bony fingers slid along the curve of her neck. Nayni was totally consumed with fear. She knew that touch. She knew that touch perfectly well.
She could feel that familiar breath on her neck. It wasn't hot like it was supposed to be. It felt like a winter breeze rushing across her skin. Her panic continued to rise. The soft, wicked laugh that passed through the figure's lips sounded exactly like she expected but it was tainted. It was dripping with hatred and hunger. Allura's presence seemed to be getting closer and closer but she couldn't reach for her. She couldn't reach out to the Princess and escape. She tried to get a glimpse of that face. It was enshrouded with darkness but she knew who it was. She felt it deep within her.
It was twisted and dark but she knew it. She couldn't deny who was standing next to her, breathing down her neck. The nebula grew more red, it seemed to be burning like a fire. Those cold hands ran along her neck and through her hair. Nayni could do nothing to stop it. She tried to speak, she tried to move but nothing happened. She could feel their hood brush against the tips of her ear's as their face moved closer to her's.
"I've found you," He hissed. "We're coming and we're going to kill you."
Nayni was shivering uncontrollably. She could feel Allura was close. It was as if the Princess's fingers were brushing against the base of her spine. She just needed to grab her. She needed to pull her up from these depths and back to where it was safe. He tilted her head so Nayni could face him. All she could make out were those hungry eyes, glowing with a red aura and that familiar devilish grin.
"We're going to kill all of you," He said. "And take everything you hold dear."
He brushed his lips along her neck and the familiar sensation of hair scratching against her skin made Nayni grimace. They'd found more than the other Tomyko. Someone else had found them and it was all Nayni's fault. Allura's strength and courage swept Nayni away in a crashing wave. It felt as if the air had been knocked out of Nayni. She fell backward. This time she felt the familiar hard floor of the bridge. She slammed into the ground.
The lights of the bridge were blinding. Nayni felt light headed and she was drenched in sweat. Her chest was still tight with panic. She skidded along the ground, trying to crawl away. Sweat was rolling down Lotor's forehead. He was bracing himself against a control panel. His eyes were wide with shock. Nayni was still shaking with panic. Allura and Coran rushed to Nayni's side. Allura was a shade paler and looked like she'd just seen a ghost.
The Paladins looked on. All of them appeared confused and scared. Nayni clung to the Princess. Her eyes were wild and full of terror. She kept taking in desperate loud breaths. She was safe. They were safe. They wouldn't be for long. Nayni looked to Coran, his brow was furrowed with concern. She felt such comfort looking upon his face. That familiar prominent nose and the crows feet about his eyes. His light blue markings and fiery hair were all in the right place. It was him. It was her Coran.
Nayni gripped onto his forearm. Her hands were still trembling.
"We need to make a jump! N-now!" Nayni stammered.
Allura's lips parted. She started to speak then stopped herself. She took a deep breath.
"Did we get Tomyko's coordinates?" Allura asked.
Nayni had forgotten their mission's purpose in her panic. Her chest still felt tight from the fear. She clung to the Princess as she got to her feet. Coran typed into the main control panel. The display zeroed in on a star system and a red marker blinked on the screen.
"We've got her," Coran said.
The Castle's alarms started blaring. Red lights flashed throughout the bridge. Pidge was trying to sort through the garbled stats on her tracking program.
"We've got unknown enemies incoming," Pidge said.
The Green Paladin's voice wavered. They knew exactly who was coming. Coran already started typing into the control panel. He input coordinates at random in preparation for the Teludav jump. Nayni felt that familiar icy terror creeping up within her. She felt no anxiety over making this jump. She didn't care if it made her sick. She just so desperately wanted to get away.
"We're ready to wormhole!" Coran said.
Allura didn't hesitate. She closed her eyes. An aquamarine aura engulfed her. The purple wormhole portal opened up before them. The Castle dove in and the portal closed behind them. Nayni felt that creeping terror vanish instantly and she let out a gasp of relief. It was as if she finally had regained the ability to breathe without restriction. They emerged on the other end of the portal. It was a star system that Nayni didn't recognize but she didn't really care.
Keith started forward. He was wide-eyed and fired up.
"What the hell happened!?" Keith demanded.
Nayni exchanged glances with Lotor and Allura. Nayni clung to Coran. She was still trembling like a child. Nothing had scared her this much in her entire life. Even the Galra invasion hadn't shaken her so deeply. She looked to Coran nervously. He was so worried. He was so lost. He seemed just as scared as she was. He'd never seen her like this. Nayni was certain of that. Lotor was taking in deep, hungry breaths. He was still regaining his strength too.
Nayni swallowed hard. She looked upon the faces of the Paladins. She was at a loss for words.
"I saw him," Nayni said weakly.
Lance crept closer to her. The Blue Paladin's face was full of concern.
"Saw who?" Lance pried.
Nayni looked to Coran one last time before she finally admitted to what had just happened to her.
"I saw Coran," Nayni said. "The other Coran."