Chapter Two

Allura and Shiro

The two really, really, REALLY needed a break.

Fighting Zarkon had taken its toll on Shiro. Struggling for control of the Black Lion, battling across space, mind, and soul had nearly destroyed him. Zarkon was himself nearly ruined. In a moment when Shiro believed he would be swallowed up in the darkness, the Black Lion had been there, guarding him. In a flash of blinding red, two unseen hands pulled him from under his armpits and dragged him backwards from oblivion.

His friends found him unconscious at the controls of his Lion. Shiro took three days to recover from the ordeal of battling Zarkon and he was still drawn and close to collapsing.

Allura was likewise drained. Though she had not been through the same trauma as Shiro, she had been in the fight. Saving her friend and watching him languish after nearly disappearing in battle had exacted a toll she wasn't ready for. But it also crushed her…

She was doing her best to live up to her Altaen legacy and make the memory of her father proud. However, Zarkon and his evil still stood. Where was the justice? When the right side put in this much effort and put everything on the altar of sacrifice, why couldn't they be rewarded with a solid victory? A galaxy-changing victory!

It also occurred to her just how much Shiro meant to her. If she had lost him, Allura knew deep within her heart that it would have torn her apart. It made her reevaluate where they both stood.

What about the rest of the team? Oh… This is exactly why needed this break! To stop agonizing over what happened! Allura thought frustratedly.

Coran had provided her and Shiro with two tickets for a quick getaway. He insisted that they needed to wind down and recenter themselves. Shiro had been very hesitant and Allura flat out rejected the offer, but Coran was adamant. They finally relented.

Taking the tickets had teleported them here, to a waiting room overseen by several monsters in suits that neither of them recognized. Though Shiro said they kind of reminded him of fantasy creatures he'd seen Pidge and Hunk geek about. If only he could remember the name.

"I think this is by far the most outlandish thing Coran has had us do," Shiro muttered.

"This doesn't really suit Coran," Allura said nervously. "He can come up with some strange ideas, but he normally means well. And there's often a Coran-ish feel to whatever he does. Like, it suits him. But this is both too gaudy and strange for him, I think."

"You think this could be a trap?" Shiro asked her.

Before Allura could answer, a door crashed open and a large, dirty man with little struggling wings stumbled into the room. His face was flushed, and he panted, "I can't… I can't believe… That he… Would bring… Two wizards with a murderous past… Into the same room! Oh, I need to sit down!"

Shiro and Allura recoiled, astonished at the state of the man and utterly befuddled by everything he'd just said. One thing was certain, this was not the calming experience Coran had offered them. Both of them began looking around for anything they could use as weapons. Shiro had his bayard and arm, but who knew what was all here.

The flushed, out of breath man, looked up at them and blanched. Heaving himself upright, he took two deep breaths before saying pleasantly, "I apologize for that! That's no way for a host to greet his lovely patrons! And who have come so far for rest, relaxation, rejuvenation… romance?"

Allura and Shiro glanced at each other. The Black Paladin finally assumed a mort neutral stance, though he kept his shoulder pointed towards the door, ready to charge. He tried to be polite as he replied, "Um, no, I think we're good on that last part. We were under the impression that this would be a place to unwind but it sounds like you have troubles of your own."

"Of course, we would be glad to assist you in any way we can before leaving," Allura added kindly. "Provided that we have access to a convenient and instant way back to the Castle of Lions. Though, now that I come to think of it, we shouldn't be able to teleport in and out of-"

"Oh, it's all alright!" the heavy-set man said jovially. "My concerns are not yours, and trust me, we can cover all four Rs in a moment. And trust me, you'll be glad that we did!"

"Again, I'm not sure if we really need that," Shiro began to protest.

Both he and Allura gasped with a mixture of fright and embarrassment as the man hauled himself laboriously into the air with his diminutive wings. He glided around them so he could place his hands on their shoulders and force them closer together.

"I got the order well ahead of time! You two have been waging a war for the fate of universe! That gets really tiring. It leaves a strain on not only the mind and body, but also the soul. Now, don't mind our waiters. They know what they're doing. Please escort this lovely couple to their table. Your meal should be waiting there for you."

He gave them a light push. Shiro and Allura stumbled forward, holding onto each other for support. The monsters waved them along and through a short hallway into a magnificent room. The two friends continued to hold one another's hands as beautiful music washed over them and their eyes adjusted to the room's glorious brightness.

They had emerged from a wall painted to resemble the most life-like forest either of them had ever seen. Allura could smell the fresh wood and feel the cooling breeze. She wondered if they really were in a forest or if it was all an illusion.

Shiro noticed the gigantic waterfall, shimmering and singing as it ran. He also took in the fact that they were higher up than he expected. They soot on a large, golden dais that acted as balcony. A large tree grew up around them, holding their platform in its strong limbs. Orbs of soft light floated overhead.

"I think Coran went overboard with this place," Allura said breathlessly.

"Have you ever been to a place like this before?" he asked her.

"Sorry Shiro, I have no clue where we are!" She tapped one of the tuxedoed monsters and asked, "Um, excuse me, but you could please enlighten us as to where we are?"

The hulking creature regarded her curiously and grunted, "A five-star hotel floating in the middle of space. Collected and Corrupted from elements of Ratatouille, Anastasia, and um… Where else?"

Shiro did not miss that one monster gave his companion and meaningful look. The brute suddenly became sheepish and muttered lamely, "It's just a very fancy hotel with wonderful food."

"Normally, we would let you order," the other beast said in what Shiro recognized as a very foul French accent. "But Love God insisted on this particular meal."

"Love God?" Shiro and Allura exclaimed together.

"What was Coran thinking?" Allura ranted as the monsters guided them kindly but firmly to their seats.

Love God appeared before them once more in a puff of sparkling, pink smoke. He gave them an exaggerated wink and said, "Coran was thinking you both needed some of the 4 Rs. Rest. Relaxation. Rejuvenation. And romance!"

Allura blushed and said angrily, "Look, I don't know what you're on about, but we will not play your silly games! There is a war going on!"

"Precisely!" Love God said over her. "And what good is fighting the war if it breaks you before you won? And potentially worse, what if you win but lost the battle for yourselves?"

That question struck Shiro like a hammer blow to the gut. Had that not been the exact battle he'd waged against Zarkon for control of the Black Lion? He wasn't entirely certain if he hadn't been lost at some point. Who really knew what dying felt like, but Shiro was right on the brink. What if he had failed? What if he vanished? What if his friends never found out what happened to him?

Shiro made his robotic hand into a fist, focusing on calming himself.

Allura laid her hand atop his fist. A significant gesture. The Galran made her so angry and distrustful, but she could put those feelings aside for him. Love God nodded and pointed to their hands.

"That's what I'm talking about there! You see, everyone needs a chance to rest and recover their physical strength. Relaxing is all about rebooting your mental faculties and getting yourself ready to start again. Rejuvenation is all about the soul! When artists talk about the need to rejuvenate, they're reaching into the well of their souls to find the inspiration and strength to carry on!

"As warriors, you must refill all three wells of body, mind, and soul. But there's still more to it. You need to have love." At that word, Shiro and Allura broke apart, stubbornly not looking at each other. Love God smirked at the light blush coloring their cheek as he continued, "Love provides the compass, the motivation, the line to not be crossed when fighting for what is right! Your duty here at my hotel is to find that love!"

"But I already have that love! For my people, their memory, and the universe!" Allura protested.

Shiro grumbled, "I also love my teammates, the people of universe, and of Earth! I won't let anything bad to any of them so long as I have breath and strength in me!"

"Same goes for me!"

"Then you won't mind sitting down and enjoying the meal we have laid out for you!" Love God said, leading them the rest of the way to their table. It was ladened with amazing foods that neither of them recognized. However, they smelled amazing and both Shiro and Allura found themselves salivating. They had to cover up their greedy expressions.

The beasts seated both Shiro and Allura, explaining, "We have daxen flanks barbequed in Ulfimonam honey and pleasantly seasoned with spices from the Tumblr nebula. Mined a great risk."

"And there we have snuzzleberries, a cross between lumba and snozzberries; all the flavor and none of the addictive drawbacks! Your drinks are also a pleasant champagne blend of the snuzzleberries."

"Freshly baked Fewnshewn bread with bantha butter. Yes, the smell leave something to be desired, but the taste betrays the stench! And the crumb s the fluffiest and most substantial you will ever eat!"

"A salad made from the finest produce smuggled into Ba Sing Se! Even the cabbages made it!"

"I think the cabbages are the first thing I've heard that makes sense," Shiro muttered to Allura. This got her to laugh, breaking a little of the awkward tension.

"Finally, we have pallet cleansing chocolates made from the extinct beans from Alderaan!"

"Um, what worlds are these all from?" Allura asked.

"From all over," the Love God said vaguely. He conjured up his own glass and toasted to them. "Here's to the four Rs! Whether you have them or not, may you leave here refreshed and ready for the next battle!"

To be polite, Shiro and Allura picked up their glasses. They exchanged a nervous glance and took minimal sips. The taste was absolutely divine. The drink was unlike anything they'd had before, refreshing, full of flavor, light, and energizing.

"Well, we'll leave you both to it," Love God said, hustling away as fast as his girth allowed him. The finely suited monsters followed in his wake.

Shiro and Allura burst out laughing.

"What was that about?" Shiro wheezed.

Allura wiped away a tear and replied, "I haven't the foggiest! None of that made any sense, but if the food is good, perhaps we can bring the others here for some of the 3 Rs. We can skip the last."

"I agree, though Lance and Keith might make a mess of this place," Shiro chuckled, he picked up the berries and popped a few into his mouth. "Would you like to try these?"

"Oh! Don't mind if I do." Allura bit down her eyes lit up. "Wow Shiro! They're amazing! Would you like to try some of this bread? It does smell bad, but we can put that strange man's words to the test."

"I'm going to have a talk with Coran later," Shiro said, taking another sip of his drink. Does she always make her hair up like that? he wondered. It's beautiful!

Allura handed him a chunk of bread, whispering to herself, It has to be the exorbitant amount of crystals decorating this place, but did his eyes always sparkle like that? It's captivating!

Love God joined his benefactor up on a hidden balcony looking down at the rest of the hall. He dusted his hands off, very satisfied with his work.

"You skipped the potion with those two," the hooded man remarked, a growl in his throat. "If I wanted to make them work for this relationship, I would have stepped in personally to Collect and Corrupt their timeline."

"Like what you did with that second Rukia and Ichigo table?" Love God asked, aghast. "I can't believe you would put them through so much more horror and pain just to find love."

"Those who weave stories know than challenges are essential to creating stronger individuals and forging durable relationships."

"But that is what they have to find out for themselves," Love God chided, shaking a fat finger at the eerie man. "Our job is to help them realize those nuggets of attraction and fulfillment when they're together. If it was meant to be, they'll click and start taking each step together. Herding them around like a shepherd might get the job done, but is that really a fulfilling romance?"

His benefactor leaned on the railing and muttered, "You might be onto something there. Let's watch and see."

Love God peered below and saw Allura and Shiro laughing, sharing food with each other from their plates. He didn't feel worried about those two. His note card said that they were basically the space parents for the Paladins of Voltron. He saw all that potential there. Indeed, the relationship was present. They just needed a light push to find it.

Perhaps there was no potent potion mixed into the food. Just a little something to help open their eyes. They were too hardened and suspicious to fall for the normal tricks. But a pro like himself always had a way to give romance a chance.

As much as I'd like to give those two a key, I won't. Let them take the long route. It'll make their journey and final destination all the better for it!