Voltron: Hope In Black
Chapter one: Flicker Of Hope
Voltron and Zarkon's robot armor slammed directly into each other, sending both back the way they'd come; a couple beams of space dust remaining at the collision point. The power had just returned the Zarkon's central command ship and the castle was preparing to retreat. Coran had headed off to pick up Princess Allura and Kolivan; leader of the Blades, who had just fought the Druids and destroyed the Komarr. The two robots recovered themselves and charged again. Voltron pointed their sword charging like a jouster towards their opponent.
"This is our last chance!" Shiro called from the Black Lion. "Let's finish this!!" The Black Paladin thrust one of his handles forward; each of the other Paladins doing the same with on it both of theirs. As they plunged head on toward Zarkon, colliding once more a beam of light erupted, blinding them from view. The exploding light died down to reveal the two mechs blankly staring into each other's optics... With Voltron's sword piercing right through Zarkon's armor. Out of rage, Zarkon thrust his robot forward, grabbing Voltron's head; Galra purple energy spiking all around them. Zarkon's hoarse voice thundered in a battle cry that would send even the darkness, itself, fleeing from the mere sound of it. The Galra emperor forcing every ounce of strength within him into Voltron. Shiro, on the receiving end of most of it, struggled against it; desperately trying to resist the immense power coursing through him. The energy was like electricity growing stronger and stronger, he could hardly hold onto the handles and keep Voltron steady. But even through the horrible pain and struggle, he still caught sight of the open bayard lock, still empty... and waiting to be used. The energy's influence ensued harder upon him as he took up the newly recovered a Black Bayard, and thrust it into the lock. Turning it the Black Lion's cockpit lit up and the sword's blade burst into flames.
Keith drew back and plunged the sword in again, that same electrical energy now cracking the sky all around them. The five Paladin's let out a battle cry of their own as more energy surged from them channeling through their single weapon, as they finally sliced through the robot; dislodging it. The giant alien mech gained a purple glow that kept building, Zarkon's cry rumbling from his throat as the mech finally exploded floating off into space. The explosion created a blinding light that engulfed all of them. All that was left was a shipwreck of a Galra robot and a pinkish-purple Ora from the scattered space dust particles. Voltron, having been blasted back into lions, were now lifelessly floating amongst the wreckage as well. Metal creaking as broken ships and debris bounced off of them.
"Ugh, did we do it?" Lance groaned, beginning to recover himself. He looked up and the other lions recovered as well.
"Is it over?" Hunk asked, before the Blue Paladin got an answer. They all looked at the remains of Zarkon's battle ship armor; sparks flickered from it, but the decapitated mech signified their victory. And at that moment the castle hovered down over head.
"I have Allura and Kolivan, we need to go!" Coran called over the com. As the lions jetted back toward the castle; Keith caught something out of the corner of his eye, and gasped when he looked toward it.
"Shiro!!" He cried, seeing the motionless lion floating far off to their left.
"We need to tow him back onto the ship." Pidge called, as she and Keith turned their lions sharply to retrieve the lifeless Black Lion. Pidge's face appeared on the screen next to Allura at the teludav.
"Princess, we're all on board." She said. A wormhole opened as Galra fighters began pursuing them, but the ship went through before they could attack.
Keith tore through the castle in a dead sprint, only one thing on his mind.
"Shiro!!!!" His voice cracked and he tried desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to escape his eyes. His footsteps echoed... and his breaths did too. His heart raced and pounded in his chest, as he forced himself to run faster. The sound of footsteps behind him sounded distant, yet close, but he hadn't a care. He slid quickly and stampeded into the Black Lion's hanger in a mad sprint.
"Shiro!!" His voice seemed to echo more, still feeling distant despite the cry being his own. The Red Paladin's paralytic run soon ended as he slid through the sliding door to the Black Lion's cockpit.
"Shiro!!" Keith's voice rasped once more, at the sight of Shiro limply draped over the left side of his chair. The Black bayard still remained in the lock. Keith recovered Shiro so that he lay face-up against his chest. The Black Paladin barely even stirring. He looked to be asleep, but the atmosphere told another story. "We need to get him to the infirmary!" Keith decided dragging him out of the chair and across the floor a ways. Lance and Hunk coming to help.
Upon entering the infirmary Keith, Lance, and Hunk set Shiro up onto the table, then Pidge, Allura, and Coran came in to assess him. Keith stood back, biting his lip, hoping to stop the tears that threatened to flood down his face. A tearing feeling in his chest pushed a lump into his throat, which urged him to fight the tears harder. Pidge finished placing sensors on Shiro's head then tapped at her computer. She got readings almost instantaneously, and as she studied them more closely; her eyes flashed. The Green Paladin turned to awkwardly face the rest of the team, but only about halfway. Her eyes refusing to meet theirs, as she leaned her left hip against the table, somewhat, behind her; at an angle to it.
"Pidge What is it?" Allura asked gently. Keith looked up at Pidge as soon as the Princess said this. His heart lurched in his chest at the expression on the small girl's face.
"Pidge? What is it, what's wrong?!" The Red Paladin's tone betraying the calmness he wanted to portray; but panic ensued upon him both slowly and quickly at the same time.
"Well..." Pidge's voice was low as she began. "The sensors we placed on him picked up his vitals almost immediately... and they showed very low brain activity."
"What does that mean?" Keith asked with wide eyes, his frantic behavior increasing a little more.
"Keith." Lance spoke up, gaining the Red Paladin's gaze. "Shiro's... in a coma." Lance could hardly form the words, his voice cracked unsteadily as he somehow found the words. Hearing this, Keith suddenly felt a part of him snap within him.
"No." He breathed slowly. He rushed forward and gently brushed Pidge aside. "No, no, no, Shiro!! Shiro!!" He cried frantically, shaking the Black Paladin's shoulders. "Shiro!!!" He screamed, tears now flooding down his cheeks as he tried desperately to wake Shiro.
"Keith." A warm hand on his shoulder slowed his dazed panic, releasing a pained numbness upon him. "He's still alive. And there's a small chance he might wake up from it, but it may not happen right away. It may take time." The voice was familiar, Pidge? Or maybe Allura's... Keith hadn't even the slightest care at this point. His heart was shattered, and voices he may have been hearing were distant and echoy. He began to sob uncontrollably as he sank to his knees, his hands still braced up on he table; tears rolling down his nose and dripping off his chin. His vision was completely blurred by as many tears as he was crying. His stomach had dropped at hearing what Lance had said, and now he felt sick as though he might throw up. He gripped the edge of the table so tightly he almost thought it would break in his grasp. His whole body was tense as his emotions flooded out of him like a broken dam. His cries were muffled by his position, though they were low in volume as well. Pidge having seen this hid her face in her hands and stood sobbing. Lance tried to sniff away his own tears as he pulled the Green Paladin into him. Hunk's eyes glazed over as tears flowed to his eyes. Allura's heart shattered, her own pain of the loss of Altea and her father stabbing her relentlessly at the sight of Keith. Not one of them could keep from crying for long; even Coran shed a tear or two. And their remorse for their fallen leader fed off the others'. Keith's chest began to hurt so much he could hardly breathe. He choked on a couple breaths, as another wave of tears welled up from his glassy blue eyes. He was completely zoned out, from the painful display behind him, but the sound of Pidge's sobs soon informed him that he was not alone. Suddenly a noise from the monitors went off, every teary eye looked up immediately.
"His vitals are dangerously low." Allura stated, her heart nearly skipping a beat.
"No, Shiro!" Keith coughed hoarsely. Coran quickly took out a mask and placed it over Shiro's mouth and nose.
"They're still not coming up." Pidge sniffed, her side hurting from crying.
"Shiro, please!!" Keith begged, his head down again, the team looked to the floor preparing for what was about to happen, Keith's sobs echoing softly below them. The pulsation song the screen getting slower... and slower... and slower. Keith continued to beg, uncontrollably mumbling to himself; helpless to do anything else.
"Wait a tick!" Coran suddenly said, hurrying to the control panel. His fingers tapped at it furiously. With one final button press, the edges of the bed rose up a little, Keith drew back in feeling this change, his tear-filled eyes widely watching as a cryogenic shield went up around Shiro. A pinkish-purple gas has was suddenly released within the pod-like chamber, and dissolved into the air inside it. The red lights on the screen finally vanished as the pulsations on it seemed more regular.
"He's... He's normalizing!!" Pidge gasped thankfully, almost not able to believe it.
"Thank you, Shiro!" Keith mumble hysterically. "Thank you!"
Hey guys, I'm back!! Sport about the break, but in January, being a Christian, our church does prayer and fasting. It's a way for us to prepare for the year to kinda know the direction God wants us to take each year. And this year they decided to do one for three weeks straight. But lucky for you guys I didn't loose progress on my stories.
So this story was actually suggested to me by someone a little while back(thank you Shiranai Atsune!), and I haven't fully worked it all out, but I think it'll be ok. And I hope you guys enjoy it, this is meant to be an alternate ending to season two's finale Blackout. Hope you enjoy!! Thx!!!