Chapter 23: The Last Altean Princess Part 3
The time has come for the original Paladins, and Team Two, to face Lotor and once again save the Universe. Will it work? And what will become of the Lions afterwards?


August 12th, 2345

The warning alarm set to announce that Lotor's ship had been identified as moving towards its jump point blared through the Castle of Lions, waking everyone from various levels of barely-asleep in the middle of their bodies' feelings that it was night. Which, being they were floating on an asteroid, was a relative concept. They hadn't had time to adjust to anything resembling local time anyway.

Lance hadn't really slept since their arrival, besides the nap in the healing pod that had helped straighten out his jumbled mind. He had only been dozing. He had taken to sleeping in the fabric under portion of his Paladin uniform to save time, and was glad for it as he tossed on the rest and ran for Blue. There was no need to go to the bridge, because they all knew the plan. Get to the Lions, get out of the Castle, and waited for Coran's wormhole to take them to precisely the correct coordinates at the right time. It meant a little hurry-up-and-wait since they would wormhole in much faster than Lotor's ship would arrive at its transition point, but it meant there would be no mistakes due to lateness.

Lance had meant it when he said he was going in fully armed. Aside from his bayard in its blaster form, he would also be taking two backup laser pistols and—in case things got tight—several knives. Failure to retrieve Melenor was simply not an option. It might kill him too—possibly physically as well as mentally—if they failed. Allura had trusted him to save their daughter, and he didn't think they were going to get too many shots at it. She hadn't promised him more than one. Lotor would never let them near his ship again once their cover was blown, and he knew he couldn't ask everyone to stay here as long as it might take to rescue her if this attempt failed. They had families to return to, and it wouldn't be fair.

Lance hadn't told anyone, but he wasn't sure he would go back without her. He couldn't ask them to stay, but that didn't mean he might not be able to do so himself if it became necessary. He wasn't sure Allura would have approved of his giving up his whole life in his reality as the one here had, but since he didn't have to face her, he didn't have to ask.

Lance arrived at Blue faster than anyone else, by virtue of having already been half-dressed, though he was impressed that it wasn't by much. Gabriel and Shiro arrived almost simultaneously, followed immediately by Caitlin, Kale, Keith, Heith, Hunk, Katie, and Joshua so quickly within a minute that it hardly mattered which order they arrived in. Everyone was there, and jumping into their Lions.

Lance and Blue were more than ready. As much as Lance tried to calm his mind, he was antsy and ready to get going. He had every step of the plan that he, Keith, and Katie—and their backups—memorized. He could walk the layout of the ship with his eyes closed. This had to work.

Everyone checked in with Shiro, confirmed ready to go and then… they waited, for what felt like an eternity. While the others chattered around him, going over the finer points of the plan, or joking to ease the tension, Lance sat without speaking except when directly addressed.

When Coran announced it was time for them to take off, Lance and Blue were the first Lion out. When the wormhole finally opened, they were the first Lion through.


The moment they came out of the wormhole, Caitlin began to understand her father's fear. Up until now, it had been an abstract concept, even with the Lions to practice in. They just seemed so unstoppable. Until they came out as a group in front of the largest ship she had ever seen, and she had seen a lot of big ships.

Caitlin had not been prepared for a ship that matched—if not exceeded—the Atlas. The huge black-and-purple monster in front of them loomed larger than life, even in space, and it was looking right at them.

If we have to form Voltron, we're hosed, she couldn't help thinking as her stomach flipped with unaccustomed nerves. They hadn't had a chance to try again since their last session.

"I don't like the way that thing is looking at us," Joshua commented after a long, slow whistle. "It looks evil."

"It looks Galra," Heith replied, sounding vaguely offended.

"That too, but it looks like evil Galra," Joshua replied without sounding remotely sorry. Kale spoke up. "None of the ships in the Galra fleet in our reality look like this anymore, or the ones the Blades use. That's because they don't want people to look at them and remember this, right?"

"I guess that's true," Heith acknowledged. "It is pretty menacing."

"That's all I meant," Joshua replied.

"We're also about to challenge it," Gabriel cut in sharply. "Enough chatter. We're being hailed."

Everyone shut up.

"Lions of Voltron, this is the Park'ha, Flagship of the Galra Fleet. I am Captain Vrisak. Emperor Lotor demands that you stand down at once."

"Emperor Lotor must think he's funny," Uncle Shiro's voice cut in, redirected through Gabriel's Black Lion. "Tell him Voltron has never been in the habit of standing down, and we're not about to start. We have business with him. If he wants to talk, he can conduct his business with us himself."

She heard a hissing gasp out of Joshua. It was a pretty bold statement, but they were not immediately fired upon. Obviously, Lotor had not been prepared for the Lions to have the voice of an old leader, instead of potentially new paladins. Everything he thought he knew had just been called into question.

A minute later, a different voice—smoother, more sophisticated, with a more Altean sounding accent—came over the comm. "I haven't heard that voice in a very long time," he said, sounding almost amused. "How have you accomplished mimicking that voice?"

"Oh, it's not fake, Lotor," Shiro continued, chuckling. "This is the real Shiro, Black Paladin of Voltron. I think you'll find reports of my permanent death to have been dramatically over-stated."

Caitlin had to remind herself to breathe as she listened to the banter and questioning continue. While they sat here, and Uncle Shiro kept Lotor running in circles about how they were here for as long as possible, before getting to why, her mother and the others were sneaking in from behind, trusting heavily on her mother's ability to hack into the Galra systems and get them inside, a jail cell open, and back out again… hopefully unnoticed.


Katie had been relieved to find that—without any real threat to its power—the Galra Empire had not made any major advances in technology here, which meant it was absurdly easy to stealth Green up to the hull on the opposite side from where Team Two was distracting all eyes with Shiro's assistance, sidle on up to the exterior hatch of a small cargo bay long enough to hack the exterior controls, open the doors, and get all three Lions inside, leaving Yellow and Black hiding just outside to guard the area.

She met Keith and Lance on the ground, immediately taking a moment to hack into the nearest console, gain access to the system without trigging any alarms, and give herself remote access so that she could make things happen while on the move. "All right. I'm in, and I've disabled all the door locks between here and the prison level. It's not showing me anything to unlock there, but I think I have a confirmation that Melenor is definitely still on board."
"How do you know?" Lance asked anxiously.

"There's an anti-Altean alchemy energy field surrounding one of the cells strong enough it would have knocked Allura unconscious if she ever tried anything inside it."

"That'll be the right cell." Keith nodded. "All right. Let's go."

They moved out quickly, walking down two hallways, up a lift and two flights of steps, and were down several levels and halfway to the center of the ship before they found a Galra Soldier in a corridor, and not at an emergency post.

Lance stunned him with a single near-silent shot.

"Nice work." Keith spoke softly, before lifting the unconscious soldier and tucking him into an empty room, tied and bound.

Once again, they continued, moving as quickly as they reasonably could. Eventually, fighting was almost guaranteed to break out outside, and by then they needed to be back at their Lions. Voltron would be needed at that point.

Katie had given up on trying not to worry about Caitlin and Kale, outside in Lotor's cross-hairs, but she put the worry to the back of her mind as she focused on the mission at hand. Quick success meant a better chance of getting away unscathed. As much as she wished they were here to take Lotor out, that just wasn't the case.

She kept a running fake stream over security cameras of empty hallways as they went. It was better than blacking them out. That would make the guards very suspicious. Right now, they shouldn't even know they had intruders.

Her biggest concern was the lack of any access to the prison cell doors. They simply did not appear to exist according to the security and locking systems. Katie would just have to see what she was dealing with when they got there.


Kale was impressed by how well Uncle Shiro played Lotor's game of bantering with words as they went back and forth; Lotor trying to figure out how Shiro had come back from the dead, or if this was an elaborate ruse, while Shiro gave him as little information as possible. It was several minutes before Lotor tired of the game and got to the point.

"All right. Let's say I believe you, for the sake of argument," Lotor finally sighed. "Why are you here? You can't possibly think you can kill me. Even if you aren't somehow dead, I know for a personal fact that the rest of your Paladins are, because I saw most of their bodies myself. I blew your Blue Paladin up in a spectacular display as he foolishly attempted to ram my ship. Whomever you have found to replace them cannot possibly have had time to train enough to be a threat to me. So, what are you doing here?"

"Besides having the pleasure of your company?" Shiro asked flippantly. "I've come to find out for myself what you did to them, and to fight you, if necessary."

Lotor's laugh was somehow both full of levity and dangerous all at once.

Kale shuddered, and wished he was back home in his own reality, with his littler sister, and nothing more dangerous to do than attempt to brush Juni's teeth. As amazing as flying a Lion of Voltron was, he would have much preferred tackling an enemy like this from safely behind a computer screen. Not that his Yellow Lion would let him get hurt. He just wished they had managed to form Voltron properly

"Well. I am getting pretty bored with this charade," Lotor replied. "While I would love to fight you myself, I think I'll let my fighter pilots handle it. They could use the practice, and I could use the entertainment of watching you die again. It will be quite the encore."

The transmission cut, and Kale tensed.

"All right, Team Two," Gabriel's voice cut in. "We know our orders. Captain Shirogane will continue to keep Lotor distracted verbally, but we're about to have incoming Galra fighters. Stick to the formations we've practiced, and fire at the enemy. Don't hold back. If you do…we die. We'll keep it up until we get a report that the objective has been cleared and we can retreat."

They couldn't really destroy Lotor's ship, at least not with their parents on it. Kale wasn't feeling confident about possibly killing Galra either, but Gabriel was right. It was shoot or be shot. "Understood,' he chimed in with the others. All right, fella, let's do this.


The vague pounding echoes of metal taking hits outside was their first sign that combat had broken out. It wasn't a loud noise, but it was immediately followed by the sound of pounding feet on metal bulkheads on the levels above them.

Keith kept his ears out for any that might be on the same level as they made their way into the center. Fortunately, no one came up behind them before they made it to the thick metal doors blocking the entrance to the cell block. These doors were still locked, but that was part of the plan. Katie had told them to expect the prison section to have its own separate security system. "How's it going?" he asked without turning around.

"Almost got it," Katie replied, her tone calm and focused. "They've got it triple encrypted. I guess they got tired of prisoners breaking out…or getting broken out."

"Great. They had to get smart."

"It'll be fine. I've also identified which cell we need so we won't have to waste any time."

"How can you tell?" Lance asked tensely.

"There's only one that's sealed with that energy field designed to block Altean magic."

Keith had to admit, that was a pretty obvious sign. He could tell without looking that Lance was fidgeting as they waited. On any other day, he might have said something sarcastic, but he just couldn't today. If it were his kid, he'd be a wreck, too. Not that he was feeling all that great about the fact it was his own plan—contrived with Shiro—that had his son and the others out there facing down Galra fighters with next to no training. If they hadn't been in Lions, he would never have suggested it.

He hoped Acxa didn't kill him for it when he got back. She probably wouldn't, because she was too practical to do so, but she was pregnant again. A fact to which he was still adjusting.

"We're in," Katie whispered. "Get ready to deal with guards."

The large double metal doors split apart at the center, opening to reveal startled guards, who barely had a moment to shout out in surprise before Lance had taken them all down fast enough Keith barely had time to turn around.

"Nicely done," he commented.

Lance shrugged. "It's what I do." Though there was little of his usual bravado in his voice. He was already moving into the cell block. "Which one is it, Pidge?"

"The center back wall."

Keith backed in, standing in the doorway. The last thing they needed was for the doors to close automatically, or lock them in. Outside, he heard another slam reverberate through the ship. "We'd better hurry."

"That's what I'm doing," Katie retorted. "This door isn't connected to any systems… and now we know why. It's a manual lock."

"Like, lock and key?" Keith hadn't anticipated that.

"It's pretty brilliant," Katie admitted as she crouched down in front of the handle. "You can't hack it. At least, not with computers." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small flat felt container.

"You have lockpicks?" Lance asked what Keith was thinking.

"I thought they might come in handy." Katie shrugged, and went to work on the door.

More booms echoed through the ship, and more footsteps running on the deck immediately above them.

"If we don't get out of here soon, Lotor's going to figure out why we're really here."

"If you think you can do this faster, by all means."

"No…no…. I just meant it as an observation."

"Good." Katie twisted the picks, entirely focused on what she was doing. "Just….a little…. More…. There!"

An audible click and the door swung open.

Lance pulled it the rest of the way, and for the first time, they could all see the girl about whom all the fuss was about.
For a moment, even Keith couldn't breathe. She does look just like Allura.


Enemy fire blazed past Caitlin's viewport as her Green Lion, G2, rolled to one side to avoid it, before rolling right back into formation and lining up for Caitlin to fight back. The situation was chaos, and nothing like what she had done in the simulators back home… because in the simulators there had never really been a feeling of potential imminent death.

It made everything feel far more intense, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins also made her feel much more focused. Flying with the Green Lion was nothing like flying a pod, or even an MFE simulation.

So far, they were doing pretty well, she thought, given their goal was mostly to be a big distraction and not die, though the fact that between the five of them they had managed to take out a handful of Galra fighters was a definite bonus.

"Could use a little help over here!" Joshua's voice came across the comm. "Two on my tail."

"On my way." Caitlin and G2 veered around, looping to come around behind. Okay girl, let's get them!

A green beam of energy shot outward, slamming into the fighter in front of her, which suddenly erupted in actual vines, before it careened straight into the hull of the Galra flagship, smashing itself and exploding.

"Nice shot!" Joshua crowed.

"Coming in on the other one." Caitlin and G2 turned sharply, far more than she would have expected a large mechanical lion to be able to manage, and took off after the remaining fighter, though it looked like Joshua had gotten that under control. The distraction had been enough to turn the tide, and he had come around just enough to blast ice against the other ship, sending it spinning off into space, helpless. "Or not," Caitlin chuckled. "What's next?"

"More incoming," Gabriel informed them. "A solid dozen. Good work so far, keep it up."

"Greeeat," Heith moaned. "Whoever shoots the most down gets the last granola bar in my bag when we get back."

Given that was the last non-ration non-food goo item on the Castle, Caitlin had a feeling it was going to be a huge motivator. At least with the boys. She didn't need it to want to take them out. She'd do it just to prove her talents. "You're on, Kogane!"


Hiding at the egress point in the Yellow Lion, beside Shiro's Black, Hunk was trying not to count the seconds ticking by as they waited for Katie and the others to return. He could hear the radio chatter of the kids out there, fighting Galra. His insides clenched as he hoped desperately that nothing happened to any of them, even though their chatter was overall upbeat, and no one had been hit yet. In fact, they were doing way better than they had done in their first couple of encounters with Galra ships. Team Two were already more effective as a team, and all the snark was meant in jest.

What mattered was they were covering for each other, and putting up an effective fight. Hunk could hear the communications channel between Shiro and Lotor as well, though once they started fighting, Lotor had cut off communications. Maybe he had figured out why the Paladins were there, or possibly he still didn't actually believe that the ones in front of him were being led by Shiro.

Which they aren't technically, so he's not wrong to be suspicious.

They just needed to keep him guessing long enough to get the girl out and stage a retreat back through the wormhole. Then, once they had reconvened at the Castle, they could get everyone in the original Lions and head back to their own reality where Lotor would never have a chance of finding them.

Presuming they heard anything soon from Katie's team. Hunk knew they wouldn't break comm silence unless there was a problem, but that didn't help his nerves.

Then he heard Heith's comment about granola. Wait, the kid had been hoarding granola?

Hunk's stomach grumbled.

"Granola sounds pretty good to me right now, too," Shiro chuckled over their private channel. "Little sneak. When we get home, we should celebrate with a real meal."

"I'll make us a feast," Hunk promised. "Getting out of here will definitely be worth celebrating. Do the kids need our help?"

"Not yet," Shiro replied, sounding surprisingly confident. "They're doing well. This is the first time I've actually seen Gabriel in a command position. He's doing all of this part on his own. All I'm doing is distracting Lotor from our distraction."

"I'll make sure to put a review of his command skills in my report," Hunk promised. This had better count as on duty. They were ostensibly saving the Universe again after all.

"I appreciate it. Hold on, Lotor's decided to banter some more." Shiro cut off, and Hunk heard him next on the other channel.

"I begin to bore of this game. Reveal to me your true identities and intent, or prepare to be destroyed."

"Funny thing, is it looks like your men are the ones being destroyed," Shiro retorted. "As for the reason we're here. You already know why we're here. The real question is why wouldn't we be?"

"Insolent Cretans!" Lotor snapped, obviously beginning to get frustrated with the delay. As long as his ships were swarming, he was unlikely to jump away. As long as there were Lions of Voltron here, he wouldn't dare leave until he determined who was piloting them. It didn't really matter if it wasn't the second set of Paladins. Anyone capable of flying the Lions was a threat to him.

"Name calling? Really now, Lotor. I thought you were better than that."

"Captain!" They heard Lotor bark. "Release the Robeast!"

Hunk bit off a curse. Lotor still had Robeasts? New ones, probably, and if he had designed them, they were probably more dangerous.

"Get ready," Shiro warned Team Two. "You're going to have to all work together on this one. He's called out a Robeast."

"Understood," Gabriel replied, sounding grim.

"We're actually going to see a Robeast?" Joshua exclaimed. "That would be so cool if it wasn't about to try and kill us."

"So, we should stay alive," Kale suggested reasonably.

"Don't worry, we've got this," Caitlin's confidence was, as usual, unwavering. If she was nervous, there was none of it in her voice.

Hunk felt a surge of conflicting pride and terror. "Should I get ready?" he asked Shiro privately.

"Be at the ready," Shiro agreed, "But remain in position. We haven't heard anything from the infiltration team yet. We only break cover if it looks like Team Two can't handle it."

"I'm trusting you on this one, Shiro, but if it looks like they're in real trouble, I'm not waiting until it's too late."

"Don't worry. Neither will I."


For a moment, he was looking at a miniature of Allura, and all the breath in Lance's body failed him; his muscles refused to move.

In the tiniest prison uniform that he had ever seen, the slender little girl in the corner looked up from where she was chained to the wall. She sat on the floor, her arms around her knees; her brilliant white hair disheveled. Purple-blue eyes looked up at him, pleading, but oddly not surprised. They welled with tears as she squinted at him in the sudden light in her dark cell.

No lights. Nothing soft. There was a pan of water, and a bucket for a bathroom. Lance's insides clenched, and he wanted more than ever to blow that smug face off Lotor's head.

"Papa?" Melenor's eyes welled with tears, and she got to her feet, before walking carefully towards him, her movement hindered by chains large enough to restrain Hunk.

Lance nodded, moving closer and dropping to his knees, enfolding her in his arms as his eyes blurred. His heart was overwhelmed with love and sorrow as he took his daughter into a hug for the first time—even though he had thousands of memories of holding her that told him this was familiar. "It's me, Mellie," he promised. "We're getting you out of here."

"I know," she replied, in an accent heart-breakingly Altean. She sounded just like a little Allura. "Mommy told me."

Startled, Lance looked her in the eyes. Allura had said she could communicate with the girl, but he hadn't been entirely sure how much his daughter would be aware of. "How?"

"She talks to me sometimes, in my head, with my magic." Melenor hugs him tightly. "She told me that you were coming for me… that your friends would come to, and take me someplace safe, and happy. Can we go there now? I don't like it here."

She spoke incredibly fluently for a four-year-old, but apparently that was not unusual for Altean children. "Of course, Princess." First, they needed to get the chains off.

Katie came forward with the lock picks. "Primitive," she shook her head as she bent down to Melenor's ankle. "Hello, Melenor," she spoke soothingly, with a calm smile. "I'm your Aunt Katie. I'm going to take the chain off, so I need you to hold still. I promise it won't hurt, okay?"

"Yes," Melenor replied with a nod as she stood perfectly still.

Katie immediately went to work on the second manual lock with her picks. Lance had to admit, he was impressed with her skills. He wondered how many locks she'd picked during her time on Taklis.

Lance loosened his grip on her enough to sit back out of Katie's way, but he couldn't help but drink in the sight, and feel, and scent, of the daughter he'd never really imagined having. Not as anything more than an abstract might-have-been. Yet he knew her as intimately now as if he had been there from the moment of her conception, to a matter of weeks ago, when she was taken. We will get you out of here, and we will take you where neither Lotor nor anyone else will ever hurt you.

Melenor was surprisingly unafraid for a girl in a cage. Perhaps, he realized, she had been here long enough to get used to it. No one could live in a state of terror forever. Not that he liked the idea of her getting used to being in a cell, but it implied that while she was a prisoner, they hadn't done anything horrible to her. She wasn't filthy, or ragged thin. There were no signs of bruising or injuries that he could see. "Are you all right?" he asked her. "They haven't hurt you, have they?"

Melenor shook her head. "No one hits," she elaborated. "But I don't like dark. It's hard, and cold, and my head feels funny here."

"That will be the energy field," Katie commented out loud. "You'll feel much better when we get you out. And…done." The lock clicked open.
Melenor smiled, and threw herself into Lance's arms. "Can we go now?"

"Right now," Lance promised pulling her closer as he stood up. She was light enough it was easy to hold her in his arms, but it was going to make it impossible for him to shoot while holding her. As he turned to the others, the ship shuddered again. "I think our welcome's about to run out."

Keith nodded. "Back the way we came is our best bet since it was clear on the way in. I'll take point this time. Lance… I hate to ask, but can you hand her off to Pidge?"

The very last thing Lance wanted to do was let her go, but he nodded. "Mellie, can Aunt Katie carry you? Daddy needs to be able to fight the bad guys if we see any."
Melenor looked momentarily unsure, but she nodded. "Yes, daddy."

"That's my brave girl." He kissed her forehead, and held her out to Katie, who took her easily. He hefted his bayard rifle. "Let's go."


"Just for the record this is not my idea of a good time!" Heith quipped as the Team Two Lions split to avoid a powerful blast of raw energy from the Robeast that had so far managed to evade destruction. It hadn't hit any of them either—yet—but it was probably just a matter of time.

"I am also definitely not a fan!" Joshua concurred. "When we were kids, I thought this would be way cooler."

"It was much easier to defeat Robeasts when they were Uncle Lance," Caitlin agreed. "But we've got this."

A couple of minutes later she wanted to retract her statement. The fighters had been easy to pick off one or two at a time with five lions. This thing was way more powerful, and far deadlier. No matter what they tried it dodged, attacked, and shook off anything they threw at it… including the Lions themselves.

"Kale!" She shouted as Y2 went spinning away after an attempt to simply ram it so Gabriel could get a shot off at it.

"Not a fan of spinning!" her little brother shouted. Thankfully the Yellow Lion slowed and righted itself. "This isn't working!"

"I've got it!" Joshua hurtled in again, only to find himself on the receiving end of a Robeast's sweeping attack that sent lightning dancing across the lion's exterior. He shouted out in pain, and B2 spun worse than the yellow one had.

"I'm coming!" Caitlin and G2 put on a burst of speed, going after the blue lion that was still tumbling dramatically off into space as the Robeast aimed to take another shot at it. Get there! She shouted mentally at her Lion, who seemed to hear her, putting on a burst of speed, and shooting a beam at the Robeast. With it distracted, this one hit, sprouting vines that tangled around its arm and the exterior probe that seemed to be responsible for the lightning.

She wasn't prepared for the Galra fighters charging up behind her to hit her Green Lion. They hauled around to face the oncoming fighters and she shot at them too, hitting two of the four in the first pass. "Take that you jerks!"

The other two veered off, but she knew it would only be a moment. This wasn't going great. Or it was, depending on the metric used. "Josh? Are you okay?"

There was a moment's terrifying silence, before she heard a moan and a cough. "Feeling a little… tingly… but I'll make it."

"This isn't working!" Heith replied. "What do we do?"

"There's only one way the Paladins ever defeated Robeasts," Gabriel replied, sounding grim.

"Voltron. But we've never done it successfully," Kale spoke up first. "If we try and fail then he'll know we can't do it, and they'll just keep after us until we're overwhelmed."

"Which they'll do anyway," Heith pointed out. "I say we go for it."

"Are you up for this, Josh?" Gabriel asked his brother.

"Try and stop me."

"Captain?"

"If you're ready, then do it," Uncle Shiro's voice replied encouragingly.

Caitlin's felt her heart beat faster. This was it! She just hoped it worked this time.

Once again, she had no problem linking with each of her friends, and her brother. She felt all five, and hoped they all felt the same. Then there was a strange sense of…merging… and something clicked.

Being inside her lion and linked with everyone else as the lions began to connect and link physically, was the weirdest and coolest thing Caitlin had ever felt. They were all one in a completely new way, and the lions just linked together like the universe's craziest game of Tetris.

"This is so awesome!" Joshua was the first to break the comm silence as their lions completed their transformation. "We're Voltron!"

"Great work, team!" Gabriel sounded honestly proud, and incredibly relieved. "Now let's take this thing on!"


"They did it!" Hunk exclaimed, feeling a surge of pride and relief. It was taking all of his willpower not to charge in there and tackle that Robeast himself. But the fact that the kids had just managed to successfully form Voltron, gave them a huge edge against it, and made the impression that at least Shiro was somehow back with Paladins far more believable.

"Impressive," Shiro agreed. "Though we're not out of the woods yet. Lotor can't have gotten this far by being stupid. Any minute now he's going to figure out that we're here for something besides trying to take him out. It's only been a few weeks since this reality's Lance came after him specifically to get Melenor back."

Hunk had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What if he's sending someone to check right now? It's not like he'd announce it."

"We're just going to have to trust the others to take care of it. If we try and reach out to them now, we'll blow their cover. The fact that we haven't heard anything most likely means the mission is going well. We won't hear anything unless they're discovered or in trouble."

"For the record, I still hate this plan."

"I don't much like it either, to be honest, but it was the one with the highest chance of success."

"As long as we're in agreement, because if any of those lions take damage, I'm going out there swinging, and if anything happens to Pidge, or the kids, I'll never forgive you."

"Neither will I."


Katie held Melenor close as they made their way as quickly and quietly back towards the Lions as they could manage. It was only a matter of time until someone realized that the guards in the prison level weren't reporting in. As soon as that happened, the alarms would sound and it would be a man hunt to find whomever had escaped. It wouldn't take them more than a few minutes to realize it was Melenor once they sent someone down and saw that the cell was empty.

So, it was no surprise when only half-way back to the Lions, the alarms began to sound and the hallways around them flooded with orange light that cast the generally purple theme into a nightmarish glow.

"So much for the element of surprise," Keith commented. "Let's hurry. Pidge, do you think you can throw them off the scent?"

"I can try manipulating the emergency doors." They stopped around a corner, and she carefully set Melenor down. "Stay close, this will just take a minute." She tapped on the portable system strapped to her wrist, brought up the internal sensors, and triggered a quick and hopefully unnoticed change in the lockdown door patterns, blocking off the path they had already taken by three hallways. "I've opened a couple of fake paths as well, so hopefully we'll send them running off down the wrong hallway until we get out of here." She picked up Melenor again, and off they went.


"How did you get a team inside my ship?!" Lotor snarled at Shiro through the communications channel. "Who are you, really? You won't get away with this."

"Oh, I think we already have," Shiro mocked him. "As for who we are, as I keep telling you, we're the Paladins of Voltron."

"Those Paladins are dead!" Lotor insisted. "And you will be too as soon as that Robeast finishes with you."

"That seems unlikely," Shiro continued, enjoying every moment of nudging Lotor a little closer to completely blowing his stack. He quickly switched over to the other channel.

"Hunk, get ready. Team Two, we're about to blow cover. Follow my lead."

"Understood, Captain."

Someday, Shiro was going to teach his eldest to be a little less uptight. This was not that moment.

"This Robeast was designed to withstand anything Voltron could throw at it. You are not the experienced Paladins. Quit hiding behind this façade."

"All right, if that's what you want," Shiro replied, detaching the Black Lion from under Lotor's ship and flying towards the front. "But I think you'll find that while you are correct, that you are not currently facing the Paladins that you knew… I am here."

As he broke into the light of the nearby systems where Lotor and his crew could see him, there was a very satisfying gasp across the comm system.

"Two Black Lions? This is impossible."

Shiro smirked. "Not impossible, obviously. Just unlikely. As you've obviously figured out our objective, you could save us all a lot of trouble and cooperate. Then we'll let you go on your way. We know you're a very busy emperor."

"Never."

"Have it your way."


Lance would have preferred to be holding his daughter, but from the moment the alarms went off, the sharpshooter took on new importance. They were still several levels from getting back to the lions, and he couldn't imagine their luck would hold out long enough for them to get all the way back without encountering Galra. Especially not now that they were actively being hunted.

Despite Katie's best efforts to block hallways, they made it up one level and around three corners before they ran into the first group of Galra soldiers. Lance didn't even give them a chance to shoot, he was already firing. All four went down in seconds.

"I'm beginning to feel superfluous." Keith glanced around the corner. "Okay, we're clear."

"Funny, since this is your plan," Lance teased him, keeping his blaster at the ready.

"And Shiro's. Next time, I think I'll write in a better part for myself," Keith replied. "Though I have a feeling it's going to get more interesting before we're out of here."

"I'd really rather it didn't." Katie shifted Melenor a little on her hip. "We may have to tell the Lions to come to a different egress. We're not going to make it at this rate."

"Of course we will," Lance insisted "We got this far. We just need to go with plan B." "What's your idea of plan B?" Keith asked.

"Blow things up."

"I can do that." Katie's eyes lit up as she pulled up the ship's systems on the projection system on her wrist while simultaneously balancing Lance's daughter. "If I can rig the engines to overheat, they'll have to deal with the emergency first and split their forces. They've already got most of their fighters out there in space dealing with Shiro, Hunk, and the kids. We can divert here," she tapped a spot on the map. "It's much closer, but it's in a different direction so they won't be expecting it. Come on."

Well, that was quick. Apparently, that was what epic level parenting multi-tasking looked like. "What's in that direction anyway?" Lance asked as he and Keith followed.

"The sewage systems."


Emperor Lotor had not gotten to where he was today—the most powerful individual in the universe—by being stupid. He knew, for he had confirmed all the data himself, that the Paladins of Voltron he had been fighting for the past decades were all dead, and good riddance. After that foolish fellow who had the gall to marry Allura, and thwart Lotor's attempts to woo and recruit her, had rashly gotten himself slaughtered in space trying to free Allura's daughter after Lotor had taken her into his custody, Lotor had been certain he was done with them. They had never managed to replace some of the previous Paladins, their numbers had dwindled. The only thing that had frustrated him was his inability to locate wherever they had left the Castle of Lions, and the Lions themselves. Setting up his own personal squad of Paladins doing his bidding would have been incredibly useful.

Now, some upstarts had practically delivered them to his doorstep, but were obviously—but very effectively—faking having that Shiro fellow as their leader. It was impossible, naturally, and even their skills made it clear they were not any Paladins of Voltron back from the dead. But the portrayal was… uncanny. The moment they actually managed to form Voltron, he knew they might be new, but they were at least a reasonable threat in this moment. They were doing a credible job of fighting off his Robeast and fighters. He would have to punish them later and assign them for additional drills. Clearly, they needed more training.

This new team Voltron was struggling, but every time he thought he had them, they seemed to Rally. It was only after a moment when they were nearly blasted apart that he understood why.

A second Black Lion appeared on the viewscreen in front of him, heading to Voltron's aid.

It was all but impossible, excepting the possibility that one of these Black Lions was, in fact, from some other reality. One of them must have a Shiro in it. He would place his bets on the second one.

And if there was a second Black Lion…. "Someone get me a status report on our prison level! Are all prisoners accounted for?"

The captain winced. "No, my Emperor. We've just received a report that the guards are down. The only one missing is our… special guest."
Melenor… he should have known they were here after the girl. He could not lose her. She was the key to everything. There must be more of these other Paladins, and those would be the ones inside his ship.

Lotor's hand went to the sword on his hip. "Guards, on me. I am done with this foolishness. I will retrieve the girl myself." With that he was out of his chair, striding off the bridge without bothering to look behind him. Of course, his guards were right there. If they weren't, they would be dead tomorrow.

These Paladins would be dead today.


When it came down to the choice of letting the Robeast take out the kids, or blowing their cover, there wasn't really a choice. Shiro charged in first, blocking a blow from the Robeast that would have split Voltron apart with its force, or knocked all five of them unconscious before killing them.

"Thanks, Uncle Shiro," Caitlin spoke first as Team Two pulled themselves together. She only sounded mildly rattled.

"Anytime," he replied, trying to project calm confidence. "You've got this. These aren't easy opponents and it's your first combat ever. You're doing much better than we did."

"You must have been terrible," Heith commented.

"We hadn't really gelled as a team yet so, yes, we were pretty terrible. All right then, Gabriel, what's our strategy?"

For a moment, there was silence. "You're not taking over, Sir?"

"I'm not the one sitting in the head of Voltron," Shiro pointed out. "You're doing fine. I'm just here as backup. So, what do we do?"

"We'll keep it focused on us. You see if you can get around behind and hamstring it during the delay after it attacks, there's about ten seconds where it's recharging where it doesn't seem to maneuver as quickly. We just haven't been able to take advantage of it with all the fighters."

"Good plan. I'm on it." As he started to make his move, Hunk came over the comm on a private channel.

"Lions are on the move. Looks like the team's heading for a different exit point, Shiro," Hunk spoke quickly. "Do you want me to join you or follow them for back up?"

"Follow the Lions. They might need your help making that second access point."

"On it."


Lance still had point even though he was following Katie's directions as they wove through the underbelly of Lotor's flagship. Her ability to balance a small child and still hack—and re-hack—ship systems was impressive. Not that she was likely to drop Melenor, whose arms were wrapped so tightly around Katie's neck, Lance wasn't sure how she wasn't being strangled.

They were now running into Galra soldiers or other ship's crew every few minutes. Lance had so far stunned all of them the moment they came into view. Somehow, even in the midst of all this, he couldn't bring himself to set it up to a kill level bolt. It was as high as he could turn it without killing someone, but he had seen enough death in his lifetime. If they had been going anywhere near the bridge, where Lotor was no doubt sitting on his throne-like chair, smugly commanding death and disorder, he would have set it to kill without a second thought. If I had done it before, we would never have had to go through it all… I would still have Allura.

Of course, then, they wouldn't be here either, but maybe that could have been might have included Melenor anyway, and maybe more kids.

Too bad this wasn't a kill Lotor mission, but Melenor was all that mattered, and she needed him alive.

Another emergency door slammed behind them courtesy of Katie, closing barely behind Keith. "We're only a couple of corridors from the sanitation conduits," Katie assured them. "We just need to get around them, and then there's a very small docking port where the sanitation ships that ah… remove the waste and flush the systems… normally dock. It's small, but the Lions will fit one at a time."

All they had to do was get there. So close. Lance kept his weapon leveled in front of him at all times now. He might not have any warning before he had to shoot. So far, he hadn't missed a single shot, despite still feeling woefully out of practice. The hours of time on the range the few days they'd had brought back enough. Thankfully, his eyes were still good enough.

"I think we've got this," Keith said, in a rare vote of optimism as the exterior opening into the sanitation area of the ship came into view.

"Actually, I know I have you."

That voice… that smooth, accented, sickeningly gloating voice… Lance shuddered as he spun in time to see Lotor striding out of the crossing corridor, his sword in hand, half a dozen guards behind him.

"Keep going," Lance heard himself say to the others. He didn't think. His rifle turned of its own free will, and his finger closed on the trigger, firing at Lotor's guards one, two, three, four, five, six, and then—having dispatched the armored guys with blasters—he sent three shots right into Lotor's midsection.

Lotor's eyes widened in shock as he fell, gasping for air.

Lance kicked the sword away from Lotor's hands, and it skittered across the metal decking. "What, you thought I was going to let you monologue at me? Those were for my friends. This is for Allura." The last shot when into Lotor's head.

Then he turned and went after Katie and Keith, who were waiting for him just a few yards down the first sanitation corridor, out of sight of the other room.

"Nice shots," Keith commented, looking a little stunned.

"I've always wanted to do that," Lance admitted. "Too bad I didn't have time to change settings. He'll probably live."

"Not our problem. We're almost out of here." Katie led the way now, still carrying Melenor. "The Lions are waiting right outside… this one." She slammed a door panel, and it opened. Inside was, in fact, a very small docking bay, already closed to the vacuum of space. Blue was sitting there, waiting. "You first," Katie said, pushing Melenor into Lance's arms. "Get out of here."

Startled, Lance almost fumbled taking his daughter as his rifle transformed back into his bayard, and he stuck it back on his belt. "I've got you," he assured her quietly before he turned and headed for the Blue Lion.

It was time to get out of here.


Katie and Keith waited as the door closed. Through a transparent window, she could see the doors open into space, Blue leave, and Red come in. "Looks like you're next. I'll be right behind you."

"It should've been Green," Keith objected.

"Well, it isn't," Katie shook her head. "So, get going. I've disabled the engine safety systems and rigged this thing to explode. Speed is kind of important."

"Right." The door opened, and Keith sprinted through. Katie watched, counting the seconds down to when the explosions were going to start going off. It felt like an eternity as Red flew out, and Green landed, and the doors closed behind her.

Around here, Katie heard the alarms go off as the engines began to fully overload. Violent shaking and the sounds of large booms reverberating through the metal itself told her that it was time to go.

Katie sprinted for Green, running up the ramp and throwing herself into her chair. "Let's get out of here girl."

Green turned for the opening hatches as the ship shook again. The doors jammed, not nearly far enough open for a Lion to fit.

"Take it out!" Unnecessary verbalizing, given they were mind linked, but in the moment it felt right.

Green followed the order immediately, blasting vines and roots at the doors, shoving them open as the lion just managed to squeeze through.

Behind them, fire ripped through the open bay, extinguishing only as it hit the emptiness of space.

Green shot out at top speed, getting good clearance before Katie even tried to bring her around… right into the cloud of Galra fighters. Blue, Red, Yellow, Black, and a fully-formed Voltron were in the process of picking apart the fighters. The dead body of a Robeast floated dark in space.

As she came around to engage them, off to her port, she watched explosion after explosion ripped down the center of Lotor's flagship… as it started spewing wreckage, and then some escape pods.

Katie rather hoped no one found Lotor's body on their way out. This reality didn't need him either.

"All right everyone, back to base!" Shiro's voice crackled over the headset. "Disengage and follow me."

Katie watched as the Voltron in front of her split apart—which looked so weirdly different from outside! —and then both sets formed up. Katie presumed Shiro must be in contact with Coran, because a few seconds later the wormhole appeared. She brought Green into position, and followed Shiro and the others back through towards the Castle of Lions.


Lance could barely breathe from the time he and Blue, with Melenor seated on his lap, shot free of the ship into the chaos of battle, until they were safely back through the wormhole, and Blue's sensors didn't show a single Galra fighter had made it through before the wormhole closed.

Only then did he begin to breathe easier, and only a little. It was strange, and wonderful, and intimidating, to have his daughter sitting on his lap, her arms on his as if she were helping steer the Lion. He had memories of letting her sit like this in the Black Lion. Memories that weren't his, but obviously she felt very safe this way, and he wasn't about to argue.

"Home!" Melenor gasped as the Castle came into view.

"That's right, Mellie," Lance replied. "We're almost home. You're safe now."

"Just like Mommy promised." Melenor turned over her should to beam up at him.

His heart twisted, for more reason than one. She looked and sounded so much like Allura, and she talked about her like she was just out of sight.
Of course, Allura's spirit had been speaking to them both, so maybe for Melenor—who was a strong natural when it came to the magic of alchemy—it wasn't that different.
"You said earlier that Mommy told you I was different. How did you know I was the right me?" Lance asked curiously.

Melenor turned all the way around, getting up on her knees, and touching his face. "Mommy said that you had markings, like us."

Of course. In this universe, that hadn't happened.

"She also said you'd be flying her Lion. That's all right. Blue is my favorite."

Lance smiled. "Blue really likes you, too."

"I know," Melenor giggled, the first happy sound he had heard out of her outside of memories. "She told me." Then she leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his chest. "You feel right."

Somehow, Lance got the feeling she was only half talking about the hug. "I'm glad you think so. I've been so worried about you, but now we're together, and I'm going to take you someplace where there is no Emperor Lotor, or Galra Empire, where you can be safe, and have friends to play with."

Melenor's eyes lit up. "Friends? My age?"

"Yes. Lots of them, at least close," Lance promised, grinning. "Aunt Katie has a daughter who's just a little bigger than you, and you have lots and lots of cousins. We'll go see them, and you can meet your grandmother, too. Though we have to get back to Earth first."

"Earth! We can go?"

"My Earth is safe. We can go to Altea too." In this reality, both were impossible, and he knew that Melenor had always—for what short part of her life she could remember—wished she could see both.

They had talked all the way back into the Castle, he realized, as Blue settled down snugly in the bay beside the other Blue Lion. "Are you ready to meet everyone?" he asked her. "I brought lots of friends to save you. Not just Uncle Keith and Aunt Katie."

Melenor nodded. "Are all your friends alive?"

A question that would have seemed weird and morbid under any other circumstances, but Lance understood. He and Allura and Coran had told her about Katie, Hunk, Keith, Shiro, and many others they had lost. She had seen photos and video of them.

Lance nodded, and gave her a quick hug. "Yes, all of my friends are very much alive, and they're very excited to finally meet you."

He let her down and took her hand, as Melenor made it clear she didn't want to be carried anymore. Who was he to intrude on a four-year old's dignity? So down the ramp they went, into the waiting arms of an excited crowd.

There was no chance to do a proper introduction, as Melenor's eyes lit on Coran, and she squealed in delight even as she started crying tears. "Uncle!" She tore out of Lance's hand, and almost threw herself at Coran.

Thankfully, Coran was experienced in the ways of emotional princesses, because even surprised, he caught her up in his arms as if he had always known her. "Melenor!" he exclaimed, holding her close. "I'm so glad you're all right."

Obviously, she remembered him.

"I missed you so much!" she sobbed happy tears as she wrapped her little arms around his neck.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Coran began to cry too, if with vaguely more decorum. He was holding Allura's legacy in his arms. The real last Altean with royal blood. Lance had a pretty good idea of what that meant to him.

The rest of the introductions happened only when Melenor was willing to let go of Coran's neck. She thanked Katie and Keith for helping rescue her, and then the rest of them as she met them. Of course, she had never even heard of the other six people who had come to help save her, but they were mostly closer to her age, and she seemed fascinated by them anyway. It helped that they were all on their least intense behavior.

Lance noticed that they looked pretty good for having just defeated a Robeast. Most of the superficial damage was to the Lions, though they looked like they'd been bounced around a bit. It was amazing how beat up or injured you could get inside a giant mechanical fighting lion.

Had it really only been a couple of hours? It felt like a lifetime.

"All right. Great work everyone," Shiro finally cut into the chatter. "I think we can call that the most successful mission we could have had. If we're lucky, we may have taken out Lotor here as well. In either case, it's going to take them a while to even figure out what happened, so I doubt we're in any immediate danger. Still, we shouldn't plan to spend too long before going back."

That was met with a chorus of exhausted groans.

"Shiro's right," Katie said, looking pointedly at the exhausted teens. "The longer we're here, the more likely it is that the Galra will find a way to interfere with us going home."

"That doesn't mean we have to leave immediately," Shiro continued with an understanding smile. "Everyone go wash, and then we'll meet up for dinner. When we've rested and eaten, and collected anything from here we want to take back with us, we'll head out."

Lance's memories told him which room right off his and Allura's old quarters was Melenor's. Probably all of her things were there as well. For her, her captivity had only lasted a little under a month. "Ready for a bath?"

"Yes, please!" Melenor exclaimed. "I hate being filthy."

Keith grinned. "She even sounds like Allura."

"All right then. Let's get you bathed and into something nice and clean."


Caitlin had always wished she could have met Allura, after whom she had been given her middle name. Her parents and their friends had always talked about her in such a way that made it clear that aside from the inspirational savior of the Universe her history lessons talked about, she had been very real, and friendly, and warm. She had been brave, but approachable; tall and equally beautiful. While she was as capable of making mistakes as anyone else, she had never given up.

And she had to have been incredible, for someone like Uncle Lance to be so in love with her he had never fallen in love with anyone else.

Watching him come down out of his Lion with his daughter, she saw a whole new side of her favorite Uncle than she had ever seen before. This entire trip he had been frenetic with worry, and an emotional mess, even though he had tried to hide it. Now, he seemed kind of stunned, but there was a new light there. This was his and Allura's daughter, brought to him through Altean magic, alchemy, and the mysteries of the universe.

Listening to the adults exclaim about how much Melenor reminded them of Allura, Caitlin realized she was finally getting the smallest glimpse of what she must have been like, at least as a child, and even in the inflections of this little girl who was adorably charming. Caitlin wasn't sure she'd ever met a charming girl that young before. She loved Kailani, but her little sister was not charming, or elegant.

These thoughts pre-occupied her as she went back to her quarters, changed out of the Paladin uniform, showered, and changed into a clean pair of normal clothes. She was tired enough she wanted something soft and comfortable, so she opted for her purple sweatpants and a blue-and-purple striped tank-top. Then she pulled on slippers and, out of pure curiosity, went down the hall to see how Uncle Lance was doing with his daughter.

"Who's there?" he called out when she hit the door chime.

"It's Caitlin!" she called out.

"Come on in!" he replied again after a few seconds.

Caitlin entered and found Lance and Melenor sitting on Melenor's bed. The little girl was wrapped in a soft white bathrobe, though it was open over a little Altean-style tunic dress in forget-me-not blue, white, and lavender—Caitlin approved of the colors—and matching blue leggings underneath. Lance was attempting to pick his way carefully through the tangled mess that her lovely white hair had become while she was locked away.

Melenor looked at her, and sighed. "You have pretty hair, Caitlin."

Caitlin smiled. "Thank you, Melenor. You know, you have pretty hair, too."

"Right now, I have knots." Melenor pouted. "I never have knots!"

Caitlin felt a wave of sympathy as she looked at the forlorn little girl. "Would you like me to help get your knots out?"

"Can you?" Melenor's expression lit up.

"I'm trying," Lance admitted, though he also looked relieved. "I have dozens of memories of doing her hair, but Allura never let it get like this. I have no experience here."

"Give me just a minute." Caitlin hurried back to her room, grabbed her favorite bottle of detangler for incredibly long curly hair, and her own brush and combs, and returned. "Long flowing princess hair needs special care." She winked at Melenor. "Mine gets horrible knots too, if I don't take care of it every day."

Lance got out of her way with a gesture to the bed, and Caitlin took his spot.

She definitely had her work cut out for her, but it certainly wasn't any worse than her own hair after a day of surfing, or Kailani's… almost all the time. Her sister had the wildest riot of curls of anyone in the family, except Grandma Garrett.

Caitlin went to work, using liberal amounts of detangler, and working through each lock from one end to the other, a bit at a time. It was hardly a fast process, but it meant minimal tugging, and she was certain Melenor would prefer not to have her scalp yanked on.

And it really was beautiful hair. Now that it was clean, it almost seemed to glow in the light, and it was still soft and silky, despite a month of neglect. As she worked, she entertained Melenor by answering her flood of questions about Earth, and about her own family. She talked about her garden, and Juni, and what schools were like for children on Earth, and what children did for fun, and about her little sister. It was clear that Melenor had always been a little lonely, without other children. She might be little, but she really wanted to be able to play with friends and have normal child experiences. It was also clear that despite how calmly she appeared to be taking everything, Melenor desperately missed her mother.

Caitlin could still just remember being a four-year-old who desperately missed her mother.

By the time she finished combing it all out, Melenor's hair had almost finished air drying on its own. "How would you like it up?" Caitlin offered. "Buns? Braids?"

"Can I have Mommy hair?" Melenor asked hopefully.

Caitlin looked at Lance for clarification, hoping that either he could explain it, or his new memories that had been magically crammed into his cerebellum could supply it.
Lance had an odd expression on his face, but he nodded, and then picked up a framed photo from the bedside table, of the three of them. "Like this," he held it out for Caitlin to see.

Caitlin recognized it immediately as the style Allura had in almost every photo she had ever seen when her hair wasn't up for combat or business purposes. It was twisted back from the face, and then felt loose. "Sure," she nodded. "Easy as pie."

"What's pie?"

In the distance, Caitlin could practically hear her father crying out in pain at such a question. She smiled. "It's a very yummy food made with lots of different fillings in it, like fruit or custard. Usually, they're sweet. When we get to Earth, I promise you can try them. My dad makes the best pies in the universe."

"Really?"

"It's true," Lance nodded. "Uncle Hunk is famous all over the universe for his food."

"Wow!"

Caitlin made short work of the style request. "What do you think?" she held out the small mirror so Melenor could see her head.

"Perfect!" Melenor turned and hugged her. "Thank you, Caitlin."

"You're welcome, Melenor." Caitlin returned the hug. "I can teach you how to do it yourself too, if you want."

Over Melenor's shoulder, Uncle Lance was watching them with a small, bemused smile. Caitlin didn't comment.

"I'd love that!" Melenor assured her enthusiastically.

"Great. We'll have plenty of time for me to teach you how to do fun things with your hair. Right now though, I think we should have some food, don't you?"

Melenor nodded. "I'm ravenous."

Caitlin would have stared at Melenor for using such a big word if she hadn't come from her own family, where other people's big words were just normal language.

"She gets those from Allura," Lance answered her look anyway. "All right. Let's all go get food!"


Katie sincerely hoped she was done with sneaking around enemy bases or ships, hacking things while avoiding being shot at. Whatever nostalgia she had felt for the old days, was well and truly gone. Lotor should rot, forgotten in the annals of history. Hopefully now twice.

It was much better to sit around the Castle's dining table, Hunk right beside her, as they ate dinner, and "Team Two" excitedly babbled about the amazing success of their first ever space battle, high on endorphins and renewed energy, as they talked excitedly in a play-by-play back through every cool move, mostly for Nathaniel and Coran's benefit, since the two on the Castle had only been able to track the battle in a very rudimentary way.

"Were we ever this energetic?" Hunk asked the older half of the table, with some amusement.

"Yes," Shiro replied, grinning. "When we were closer to their age. You were all a little more high-strung."

Katie chuckled between bites of food goo. "That's putting it mildly."

Hunk looked at his plate. "I have to admit, I am totally over food goo. When we get home, I'm making us all a huge victory feast in my kitchen."

"I'm all for that," Keith agreed. "This was not part of the experienced I missed, though I hope the kids appreciate the authenticity."

"They seem to be." Katie smiled. It was nice to have been able to share this part of their lives—even a little bit—with their older children. They, too, were now Paladins of Voltron, even if only for one mission.

Melenor sat between Lance and Coran, but her attention was riveted on the older kids' conversation.

Katie could only imagine how resilient she was to be sitting here so calmly after everything she had endured. But then, that would be as much the result of her upbringing here—in a much harder reality, by Lance, Allura, and Coran—as her nature. The upcoming adjustments to an entirely new existence wouldn't be easy for her, but she was looking forward to being there to watch this girl grow, and watch Lance have the pleasure and challenges of being a parent for himself. Given how much help he had been with Caitlin, Katie was confident he was up for it.

Caitlin finished the epic narration and leaned back in her chair. "That was so incredible. Though not nearly as amazing as watching Lotor's entire ship blow up…. Mom." She looked over at Katie. "How did you do that?"

"What, hack into the engineering systems and blow the engines?" Katie shrugged. "Anybody could have done it."

"Modesty does not become you." Keith grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen a Galra cruiser go up that quickly before, and I really hope I never do again."

"Well, I'm not about to go blowing up any of our allies," Katie assured him. "Besides, I just blew up a ship. Lance is the one who managed to shoot Lotor, repeatedly."

"It wasn't hard at that range." Lance gave a little shrug of his own, though he was smiling tiredly. "It's too bad it was only set to stun."

"He may not have made it off that ship alive," Coran pointed out. "In which case, not only have we accomplished our mission, but we have deprived another reality of a despotic fiend."

"Which is another reason we need to get back to our own reality as soon as possible," Shiro reminded them. "We can rest when we get home. It won't be a very long trip, timewise. Once you're done eating, get your things, and we'll head out."

Caitlin sighed, her good mood evaporating. "We're not going to be able to take V2 home with us, are we?"

"V2?" Katie looked at her daughter.

"Voltron 2. I mean, you have Voltron, and we had to call ours something to differentiate them. It was getting really confusing. So, we just added 2 to the designation on all our Lions as well."

"Yeah," Josh grinned. "It was shorter and catchier than Voltron and Lions from a different reality."

"Yeah, way better," Heith agreed. "Especially since the long one was your idea."

Josh flipped a blob of food goo at Heith's face. It missed.

"No food fights tonight, thank you," Shiro cut it off. "And you're right. There's no reason to think that we'll be able to take a second Voltron with us back. And we shouldn't try."

"But then what do we do with these lions?" Coran asked. "We can't just leave them sitting here for just anyone to find."

"Or, we could," Hunk suggested thoughtfully. "We almost didn't find this Castle except that we knew exactly where to locate it because we were ah… told. So, if the Castle and the Lions just hole themselves up here for the rest of time, or until they find someone worthy, what's the harm in that? Ours went off on their own for two decades. They still came to us when we were really needed, right? We should trust these Lions to know who to trust to operate them. Somehow, I don't think the Universe will let us down."
The way he said Universe, Katie knew what he meant. Or rather, whom. The spirit of Allura that was somehow still connected to all of reality…the universes she had sacrificed herself to save. Somehow, she wasn't entirely dead, and she really was watching out for them. It was comforting. "I agree," she said aloud. "The Lions will know what to do."

"Are we all agreed then?" Shiro looked around the table. Katie could see the kids fidgeting. Obviously, they had really enjoyed this little excursion, and there was no argument they made great Paladins, especially with only a few days of training. But they weren't staying here, and V2 was. Though it was very possible that if there was ever another time their own Lions needed Paladins, they might be coming for someone younger than Katie and her friends. Everyone nodded, and no one objected, though Caitlin, Heith, Kale, and Joshua looked vaguely mutinous. Gabriel just shrugged.

Shiro nodded. "Good. We'll meet back at Our Lions in two vargas. Then, we go home."


Lance helped Melenor pack her things. She had more than anyone else, but that was because this was her home. Not that it amounted to that much stuff. Mostly it was clothing, a few toys, a data pad full of children's stories from Earth and Altea. It had been a fairly sparse existence. Lance had safely downloaded all of the family pictures with the idea he might actually print them out and make a physical album of them to keep. There were so many of Allura. Not that she looked like she had aged a day, as long as Alteans lived, but wedding pictures, pregnancy pictures, photos of the three of them as a family from Melenor's birth through only days before Allura's death and Melenor's capture.

Lance had already made a mental note to have his daughter visit, at least once, with someone qualified in child psychology, just to make sure she wasn't traumatized by her experiences, or if so, they could work through them. Just because she was taking this all so calmly—which was unusual for a four-year-old, even though his memories told him that this was pretty normal for Melenor—didn't mean there would not be challenges in the days to come.

He made sure to pack her little nightlight that sent little sparkles of crystal light everywhere. It was one of the very few Altean things they had been able to find for her room. The other was her favorite soft, snuggly blanket.

When it was done, the room held only the empty furniture. Melenor looked around for a long moment.

"Are you ready?" Lance asked gently.

Melenor nodded. "No more war," she said. "No more losing. Right?"

Lance nodded. "No more losing," he agreed. It was a simple statement, but profound, coming from one so young.

"Good. Bye-bye room." Then she turned and took Lance's hand. "Let's go home."

Lance smiled reassuringly as he squeezed her hand. "Yes. Let's go home."


"Oh G2…I'm going to miss you so much." Caitlin gave the leg of her Green Lion one last long, affectionate hug. She didn't care that she was hugging a metal cat. They had bonded in such a short period of time, she hated leaving it behind. For a few days, they had been Paladins of Voltron, and now they had to leave these lions here, and go home, and go back to just being… themselves. How was being a cadet supposed to be exciting after this? Flying in simulators was never going to be the same. "You're my best friend."

"Hey, I thought that was me," Joshua commented glibly behind her.

"That might be up for debate," Heith snickered.

"Fine, best mechanical cat friend." Caitlin let go of her lion and turned around. "Don't tell me you don't feel the same way. It sucks that we're leaving all of this behind. The Lions, this Castle. It's amazing! The fact that the one in our reality turned into the crystal that caused the Atlas to be able to transform is insane. Leaving it here seems like such a waste."

"No reality needs two Voltrons," Gabriel replied, joining them with his Garrison duffel slung over his shoulder.

"Except, obviously, this one," Caitlin objected. "Even if it was only for a short time."

"It stinks," Kale agreed. "I mean, I get it, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to have them at home with us. It's not fair, but the universe isn't about fair."

"Maybe the other ones will stick around when we get home?" Nathaniel suggested. "I know it's not the same, but then maybe we could at least learn more about them."

"Maybe." Caitlin sighed. "It won't be the same though."

"No, it won't," Uncle Coran commented as he came into the bay, joining them. "You've had an experience very few beings have ever had the honor of going through. It will change you for the rest of your lives. It's hard for me to leave, too. My grandfather designed this castle, and I never thought I'd see it again. In this form anyway."

"But if we took the Castle with us, then this universe would never have to worry about it falling into Galra hands, wouldn't it?" Joshua asked.

"That's true," Coran nodded. "But that would also mean that it had no hope of ever finding another set of Paladins here, who can continue the work. Unless the five of you were planning to abandon your entire lives in your reality to save this one."

Caitlin couldn't say she would. She absolutely wanted to go home. The others also grew quiet.

Coran nodded. "I thought not. It's the right thing to do, even if it doesn't seem fair. If we were meant to take them with us, I think we would have been told that specifically, don't you?"

Caitlin wished she could talk to Aunt Allura directly—or Spirit-Universe Allura or whatever she was—but it shouldn't surprise her that the only one she had been able to talk to, once, had been Lance. But it would have been nice to have evidence of this communication, and confirmation that it was exactly and only as they had been told.

"Looks like you beat all of us." This time it was Uncle Shiro arriving, with Uncle Keith right behind him, followed almost immediately by her parents. The only ones they were waiting for now were Lance and Melenor.

Caitlin was tempted to go see if they needed help, when they arrived as well.

"Looks like we're ready to go, then," her mother said with a nod. "Good. Everyone can ride back in the Lions they came in, unless you'd like some privacy," she looked at Lance and Melenor.

"I'll ride back in Yellow, with Caitlin and Uncle Hunk… if they don't mind," Joshua offered, jumping on the offer before Lance even had a chance to say one way or the other.

"Thanks," Lance replied.

Hunk shrugged. "I don't mind. There's plenty of room."

"We promise no terrible traveling songs, Dad," Caitlin chimed in. It wasn't like it was going to be a long flight time-wise, even if the distance was practically unfathomable.

"That works out then," Shiro agreed. "We'll return to the coordinates where we arrived, form Voltron, and the portal will open to take us back through once we do. That correct?" he looked at Lance for confirmation.

Lance nodded, looking very sure of that fact. "That's what's supposed to happen, so that's what will."


Coming home had never felt quite this surreal. Their first return home during the war with the Galra had been an ordeal, and full of challenges, but it had felt imminently real at every moment. Particularly given the concerns that had gripped him about his family. This time, he was coming home having rescued the closest and most intimate piece of his family. Nothing in his world would ever be more important, again, than his daughter. Even without the gift of the memories that Allura had given him, he would have loved her. How could he not?

Having them, however, made it easier. While he felt like he had lost Allura all over again, he had regained her too. The memories of Melenor were the most immediate. He knew everything she loved, her preferences, and the things she didn't like at all—like the Altean version of peas, though she liked other green vegetables.
So, he knew her delight was genuine as she gasped at their first real views of Earth, as the Lions rapidly closed in on the blue-and-green marble, floating in space.

"It's so pretty!" Melenor gasped. "Where do you live?"

It took Lance a moment to orient himself as they moved into the descent pattern that would put the Lions back down at the primary Garrison base. That made it easier to look for Cuba. "Right there," He pointed, bringing up the heads-up display on the Lion's front viewports, so that it gave her a visual pointer. "That island there in the ocean? That's Cuba. Our family has a farm there, near the beach. Your Grandma lives there too, and lots of our aunts and uncles and cousins live nearby, on farms next door. We have lots of animals, and we grow Juniberry flowers too."

"I want to see them!"

"You will, I promise," Lance assured her. "First, we need to land at the Garrison, because that's the only good place to land the Lions. That's also near where Caitlin's family lives, and where Uncle Hunk and Aunt Katie work. Oh, and my sister, your Aunt Veronica, lives there when she's not in space. She's the captain of a ship."

And so, the patter went all the way down to Earth, where they landed at the Garrison as scheduled. Lance wondered who would be there to meet them, since they had sent a message ahead to the Garrison as soon as they arrived back in this reality, letting them know that they were all alive, and the mission had been a success. It was mid-afternoon Garrison time, barely four-and-a-quarter days since they had left. It felt like a lifetime.

The welcoming committee consisted of most the crowd that had seen them off. He could see them gathered at the edge of the landing field through Blue's viewports: Sam and Colleen, with a very eager Kailani, Curtis, and Acxa. Matt and Veronica were there as well, unsurprisingly, though he hadn't expected to see Marisol with them.

He wasn't prepared for the fact that his mother and father were standing there with the group, looking both anxious and eager.

"Are you ready to meet more friends and family?" he asked Melenor as he debated leaving their things on Blue until that was over. "There are a lot of people who are excited to meet you."

Melenor nodded. "Are my grandparents down there?"

"They are."

"Let's go!" She took his hand, and almost dragged him out of the cockpit, and down the ramp.

Lance had no idea how much his parents knew. Veronica had sworn not to tell them about Melenor, but that didn't mean she hadn't made sure their parents were here, where there was no way to put it off any longer. It was time to try and explain to them how he had a four-year-old daughter with a woman who had been dead for two decades.


"Does anyone else find it weird to have people stare at us like Heroes again after all this time?" Katie asked even as she smiled and waved casually to the crowd of dozens of Garrison officers who had stopped their work to look at the Lions, as they walked towards their families.

"Very," Keith admitted, though he seemed focused entirely on Acxa ahead of them.

"Not unpleasant though." Hunk grinned at her.

Kailani darted forward from the crowd, not waiting for them to reach her. "Mommy!" Katie caught her and hugged her tight. Not coming back to her youngest had never been in her plan. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course, I missed you. Lots and lots. We all did."

"Did you save the Universe?"

Katie smiled. "Yes, we did."

"Good. 'Cause Grandma said I could invite Torrie over to play tomorrow at her house and if the universe ended it would be really hard to do that."

Katie laughed and squeezed Kailani again. "That would be pretty difficult," she agreed. "Did you and Juni have a good time at Grandma and Grandpa's?"

Kailani nodded. "Yes! We did lots of art, and took care of the plants, and played pretend." She let go of Katie as she babbled, moving on to giving Hunk's legs a huge hug before he picked her up. "We even made lasagna!"

"Did you help?" Hunk asked, grinning.

"Grandma let me grate the cheese, and stir the sauce, and I set the table."

"Sounds like you grew up without us," Caitlin chuckled.

Kailani gave her an indignant look. "You were only gone four days."

"She has a point," Kale snickered.

"Who's that?"

Katie looked, and saw that Kailani had spotted Melenor, who held Lance's hand as they approached his parents.

Katie heard Lance under his breath as he walked toward his mother, who had a puzzled expression. "Now to try and explain you to Mom and Pop-pop."

Lance's mother watched them, and her eyes widened a moment before his father's did. It was obvious she recognized the resemblance to Allura in the little girl her son was holding. Katie knew Lance hadn't told her very much about the mission, but she didn't know how much, or what Veronica might have caved and told her in their absence. How much did she understand Altean magic?

Lance stopped just a couple of feet from his mother, and smiled. "Hey, Mom, Pop-pop. This is Melenor… my daughter. Mellie, these are your grandparents."
Melenor smiled shyly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Lance's mother's eyes glistened. "Daughter? How?" She reached out, and Mellie tentatively reached back, being willing to be taken into her arms and cuddled. "It's…a miracle." She hugged her granddaughter tight. "You said the mission was to rescue someone critical to protecting the universe but… you didn't tell me who it was." There was a slightly accusing note to her tone as she looked pointedly at her son. "You could have told me."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I wasn't even sure I entirely believed it. And…if we failed, I didn't want anyone else to suffer but me." Lance hugged his mother then, and his daughter, and his father in a close embrace.

"Well, you can tell us now," his father said, smiling through tear-filled eyes. "The short version is fine."

Lance released them, though Melenor stayed in Mrs. McClain's arms. "We crossed into another reality to rescue her from another version of Lotor who wanted to use her powers to do what he managed to do here. The other Paladins there… none of them made it. But that reality's Lance and Allura, they got married, and they had a daughter… my daughter. The only one to ever exist in any reality, and now she's here, with us."

Katie felt Hunk's arm slide around her shoulders. She leaned into him.

"Yes, she is," Lance's mother beamed again at the little girl. "Because her grandmother is going to take care of her and spoil her rotten."
Melenor looked up at her curiously. "What does that mean, grandmother?"

She chuckled. "It means I love you."

"Oh. Then… I love you, too."

This kid was going to be a real charmer. Or a con artist. Given her parentage, Katie would bet on both.

"I thought she looked right." Mr. McClain nodded, his hand resting on his wife's shoulder. He looked like he wanted a chance to hug his new granddaughter too, but didn't dare try to take her from his wife.

"So, if no one told you what was going on, why are you here?" Lance asked. "Not that I mind. It's just a surprise."

"Veronica just told us that you wanted us to come," Mr. McClain answered. "She didn't say why."

"I would never spoil the surprise." Veronica joined them, with Marisol. She set the toddler down so she and Melenor could see closer to eye-to-eye, though as Melenor was twice her age, the little half-Altean was still notably taller. "Hello, Melenor."

Melenor's eyes lit up in recognition. "Auntie Veronica!"

Veronica looked pleased to be recognized. Her eyes, like everyone else's, were a little misty. "That's right. This is your cousin, Marisol."

Marisol was looking at her curiously. As the youngest Holt and McClain, most of her other cousins were a good bit older than her.

Melenor smiled. "Hello."

Marisol giggled.

"Mommy," Kailani said again insistently. "Can I meet her too?"

"Of course, sweetie," Katie promised. "I think you'll like Melenor. You can be friends. She's never been on Earth before, so a lot of things will be new. She grew up on a space ship." Not that she was at all grown.

Katie stepped forward towards the group of McClains, where Melenor was now being introduced to Matt. "Why don't we all go back to our house?" she offered. "It's been an incredibly long day, and I think we'd all like to rest for a bit and talk. We can fill you all in on the details of the last few days, but I think it would be much more comfortable in our living room instead of out here in the sun."

"Thank you," Mrs. McClain smiled. "That's a wonderful idea."

"Got her things?" Mr. McClain looked at his son.

Lance nodded, and the two men headed back into the Blue Lion.

Katie turned and looked at her kids. "Everyone, get your stuff." She looked back at the Lions then, and wondered. "Lance, do you know what's going to happen with the Lions?"

Lance shrugged. "Actually… no. I don't know if or when they're leaving again. The instructions and information I got ended with us returning to this reality."


Hunk's living room wasn't quite as crowded as it had been during their late-night plotting session less than a week before, but it was close. Keith and Heith had gone home with Acxa, and Shiro and the three boys had gone home with Curtis. Though they were all planning to get together again in the next couple of days for a proper welcome for Melenor.

Though with Katie's folks, Coran, Matt, Veronica, Marisol, their own three kids, Lance, Melenor, and the McClains in the house, it was hardly quiet. There was a temporary riot of chaos as everyone put their things back in their rooms to unpack later, or found places to sit.

Despite the fact that everyone on Team Voltron—of both generations—had been up since the equivalent of two that morning, and had just come from battle, there was a lot of energy in the space. It had been long enough since a mission like this, Hunk had forgotten how fast everyone seemed to rebound from one situation to the next. He had found it crazy back then, how they could go from reality-hopping world saving to sitting around eating food in a matter of hours, like it was nothing.

Here they were again, and once more he found it a little crazy, but even the kids had just sort of rolled with it. Just a few hours ago they'd flown their first inter-reality space battle as the brief-lived crew of Voltron, and now they were back on Earth.

He had been up since crazy early in the morning in another reality, fought some Galra, and was now back home in his kitchen making drinks and snacks for everyone.
It was only after everyone had coffee—or fruit smoothies—and something to nibble that everyone started to settle down.

At that point, Kailani did what his empathetic daughter did best, and invited Melenor to play upstairs in her room. With an assurance from Lance that it was fine, Melenor and Kailani vanished upstairs. Juni followed.

Only then did they set about telling their families what had transpired from the time they left, through to their return. Most of the conversation revolved around the plan, and the mission itself, though there were excited and detailed interjections on the part of the teens regarding training and getting to fly their own Voltron with their friends.

The adults indulged their enthusiasm, and made an appreciative and interactive audience. Even Lance's parents, whom Hunk was sure would have liked to spend more time with Melenor, though they were clearly grateful for everyone's part in helping Lance retrieve her. Besides, as many times as they had all visited, Hunk knew the McClains considered his kids to be honorary grandchildren. Mrs. McClain—with Marisol asleep on her lap—listened attentively and asked questions along with the others.

"That's quite the adventure," Sam said when they were done.

"I wish I could have seen the Castle again," Matt admitted. "I know, it's in the Atlas now, but it's not the same."

"It was like coming home again, it a different way," Coran acknowledged. "I admit, I'd considered rebuilding it, to join the Coalition fleet, but without the Lions it always seemed a little bit… unnecessary."

"Are the Lions staying?" Sam asked, looking at them curiously.

"We're not sure," Lance admitted. "I mean, they're still sitting out there at the Garrison right now, and they haven't made any indication that they're leaving, but there's also no immediate sense that they're staying because we'll be needed for another mission."

"When they left last time, we didn't get a lot of warning," Katie pointed out. "Though it felt right at the time. It was the end of a very long mission, and the universe didn't need Voltron then. It was time for everyone to look to the Coalition, to work as a team, to rebuild in the wake of the defeat of the Empire. That said, I did promise Admiral Montgomery we would make sure they were out of the way of the rest of the fleet while they're at the base, and a full debriefing tomorrow morning."

"At least she didn't drag you in tonight." Colleen commented. "Though it might make people nervous if they think Voltron might be needed again."

"It's possible," Katie agreed. "Though everyone at the Garrison so far has mostly just been excited. Not every Voltron mission has to be about some giant disaster coming."

"There's not too much point in theorizing about it, is there?" Sam asked, though he looked mildly disappointed at that thought.

"Well, I hope they stay for a while," Caitlin spoke up from her spot perched half-way on the back of the couch. "Even if they'll only talk to you. They're amazing! There's so much I want to learn about them while they're right here."

"Which you can, at least so long as they're here," Katie promised. "Hopefully, now that the mission is over, we'll get a little more guidance. If not, then we'll decide for ourselves with the Lions the best thing to do."

Hunk was glad when Veronica changed the subject with a question about Lance's plans now that Melenor was here. He had very mixed feelings about the Lions, and the lack of clarity about whether or not they were leaving again. Of all the things Hunk had not expected to walk back into his life, it was the Lions of Voltron. He couldn't lie, and say he hadn't been a little relieved to know they hadn't been abandoned, that they were still worthy. But not leaping into deadly situations every day was definitely more his speed. What if the Lions did stay? Would they be thrown back into that kind of life? What if something else was coming?

Hunk didn't like the idea any better of the Lions choosing younger Paladins. If Caitlin or Kale became a Paladin permanently, he would be even more worried about them than he was about himself, or Katie. Maybe if it wasn't them, but after the mission they had just completed, Hunk was highly skeptical they would agree to anyone else, since they had insisted the kids be brought along in the first place.

He was brought back to the conversation when Lance said, "I've actually been wondering about taking her to spend some time on Altea."

Hunk brought another tray out of the kitchen and set it on the table. This time, he joined them all, taking his favorite armchair.

"That would be wonderful," Coran replied immediately. "She could learn all about her Altean heritage."

Lance nodded. "That's my hope, but I was wondering how the Altean people would feel. The Alteans who survived Lotor have lived without royalty for generations, and your new government doesn't have any. I don't want anyone to feel like I expect them to accept her as a ruler. Obviously, you don't need a monarch, but I don't know how the public would feel about a new member of the royal family showing up, even as just a private citizen. It's not like we can just go around pretending she's not who she is. I won't do that, and the truth of her origins can't really be kept secret if we want people to believe that she's mine and Allura's."

Coran smiled. "The people of Altea would be delighted to meet Melenor. I'll have a word with the ruling council and there won't be any problems at all. Come whenever you're ready. When do you think you'd like to visit?"

"I'm not sure yet," Lance admitted. "I want to give her some time to get settled into life here first. I think it will depend a lot on Melenor. This is a lot of huge and sudden change in a fairly short period of time, and she's been through a lot. Up until four days ago, I didn't even know I had a daughter, and now I have to think about things like preschool."

Mrs. McClain reached out and gave his hand a reassuring pat. "It'll all work out, Lance. Parenting has its challenges no matter when you start, or how old they are, but I know you'll be a wonderful father, and you're not alone. You have us, and your friends."

"And I'm grateful." Lance smiled. "I've got a lot to learn."

"I think you already know more than you think you do." Caitlin smiled. "You give great advice, you listen, you're really patient when you're teaching stuff, and you're a caring person. I think that covers all the most important things."

"She's right," Veronica nodded. "You've got us, and you've got this, and you don't even have to deal with diapers."

That got a chuckle out of Lance, and everyone else. "That's a plus," he conceded. "This is the best place in all of existence for Melenor to be. I know that. Or Allura wouldn't have sent us the Lions to go and get her. I just hope to be the father she deserves."

At that, Hunk spoke up. "You already are."


The moment Lance recognized where he stood in the dream, he looked around frantically for Allura. It was the room back on the Castle of Lions that the other Lance and Allura had shared, for the time they'd been able to share it as a married couple, and a family.

Allura—his Allura—stood there in one of her favorite outfits, looking around the room with curiosity, though she looked up as soon as he appeared, and threw herself into his arms without any decorum at all. She kissed him, and he returned it fervently, knowing any kiss they shared might be the last for all eternity. It didn't matter that it was quite literally in his mind.

"I'm so proud of you," she beamed as their lips parted. "Thank you, Lance. That was absolutely brilliant."

He blushed. "Well, I had a lot of help."

"The best possible friends in all the universe," she agreed. "But none of it would have been possible without you."

"So you could see us?" Lance asked, not sure he dared to hope.

"In a manner of speaking." Allura nodded. "If I am very focused, I can be…aware… of specific events and actions in the present, even though I cannot change or influence them myself. And not for very long. But I saw the rescue, and the next generation form Voltron, just as I had hoped. The strategy worked wonderfully. And… I may have cheered when you shot Lotor."

He shrugged, grinning smugly. "Well, you know, I am a great shot." He dropped the bravado. "I've wanted to do that for a very, very long time. Did he make it off the ship?" He found himself asking the question they hadn't stayed around to find out. "Or did we end him? Can you tell me?"

Allura nodded. "You did it! You didn't only rescue our daughter, you ended Lotor's reign of tyranny. I wish I could say that it will make a difference, or end the Galra Empire in that reality, but the future is still something I cannot see."

It was the most she had said about her abilities in this changed state of existence, but the fact that she continued to exist, at all, filled his heart with so much joy. Lance hugged her tight. "Just knowing that you can still see us, that you're really here, is all I need. Though I wish there was a way to bring you back to me… in a physical form."

"So, do I. I've tried, and studied, and looked through endless realities for some way, but it does not exist." Allura's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "All I can do now, is the purpose I took on, to remain the protector of all realities, and be certain that nothing tries to unravel them ever again. But if I could be with you, and Melenor, I would give it all up in a moment."

"What you're doing is so important. I hope you know, I've always been proud of you," Lance replied gently. "You gave everything for everyone else."

"Thank you," she said again, still squeezing him close to her. "You still mean everything to me, and you always will. The both of you, now. I wish I could keep coming to you like this…"

"But you can't." He had known that would be the case, and it was better that way. He would never have been able to move on if she had kept coming to him all these years. Waiting for her, hoping, would distract him from the real business of living, and raising Melenor. "Does that mean you won't be able to talk to Melenor anymore either?"

Allura nodded. "I've told her, in her own dreams, that I have to go, now that she's safe with you. I've given her all the learning I ever had in Oriande, and other things I've learned since, but it's all locked away in her mind. She won't be able to access things until she has practiced and mastered other skills. She has control over the abilities she was born with now, consciously, but she will need more time and training to fully come into the power Lotor wanted so badly to control. With you, I have no doubt she will blossom and become all that she was ever meant to be, but without corruption, and without being forced to do things outside her nature. There is so much of you in her, Lance. Your strength and your bravery, your strong sense of right and your empathy… also your sense of humor at times. But you know all that now. I'm sorry I had to cram all of that in your head that way. I've never done it before and it was… clumsy."

"We got it all sorted out. Don't worry." Lance smiled. He didn't want her to feel guilty. "I'm glad I won't have to worry about Melenor being safe with her alchemy. I promise we'll spend time on Altea, so she gets to know all of her family, and her culture, and her people. Coran thinks that the Alteans will be happy to see her. You know Altea isn't a Monarchy anymore, right?"

Allura nodded. "I do. And honestly, the government they have created is a beautiful thing. It's better this way. Coran and our people have done a wonderful job rebuilding our home world. Melenor will love it too, I'm certain. She always wanted to go. But you should raise her on Earth, where she will have the most friends and family around her while she's a child. She can live the life of a normal child, not a royal. She will have freedoms and experiences I never did."

"She already has a friend," Lance acknowledged. "Hunk and Pidge's youngest daughter, Kailani. They spent all evening playing together, and getting covered in art supplies."

"That's wonderful. Are you still there?" Allura asked. "I can't see everything all the time. If I could, I would never see anything else."

Lance nodded. "We're staying here tonight. It will make the transition to Earth a little easier for her. And me. If she's going to live on the farm, we didn't really have time to set things up for her before we ran off, and it will give her more time to bond with a friend. She's also already decided Caitlin is one of her favorite people. Fortunately, Caitlin's good with long, thick, unruly hair, so she's taught me a few tricks for doing Mellie's."

"You helped so much in raising her, it's not at all a surprise she'd return the favor." The longing in her eyes, the wish to remain, tugged at his heart. "I wish I could have met them, all of them. Watching everyone's near-grown children learn to form Voltron gave me so much joy. Through Voltron, through that alchemical connection, I got to know them in a way I never would have otherwise. They're all incredible people."

"They really wanted to bring the other Voltron back, you know. I presume we were right to tell them that we couldn't."

"Absolutely," Allura agreed. "No reality needs more than one Voltron."

"What about ours?" he asked then, the question everyone had been asking him. "The Lions haven't left yet, or given us any sign if they intend to leave or go. You summoned them away, last time. Will you do the same now? Everyone's asked me, but I didn't know if I would see you again."

"I think I've held on to them long enough," Allura surprised him. "It's clear that as an instrument of peace, they were successful, and there is no one now with the people to steal them as Zarkon tried to do. Nor, in all this time, have they ever felt pulled to be placed in anyone else's hands. When my father created them, he had designed them with specific traits in mind, but it was really never discussed what would happen to them when the original Paladins passed. That decision then, comes down to me. I've had a very long time to think about it, and I think that they truly do belong with their Paladins, if you want them. Build a secure place for them on Earth, or let them be with their Paladins, where-ever you go. Use them to relieve suffering, to aid people, to keep small conflicts from becoming larger ones. I cannot return to you… but they can. And when you all retire, if they want to take up the mantle, I believe your Lions would also accept the five new Paladins, if they want the job. It seems clear the Lions will accept more than one Paladin, and they can be trusted to choose. Talk to the others, however. If you do not want that responsibility, I will take them back. However, if I do, I do not know if the universe will allow me to send them again. This was the first mission of reality-saving importance in decades, and the only time they moved."

"So you can't control when they come?" That was new.

"It's… complicated. I can try, but there are rules of cosmic reality beyond physics, or metaphysics or even anything my own consciousness can comprehend, even now. If you take back the work of Paladins, now, I can leave them with you. If you do not, all of you, I will have to take them back, and that may or may not be the end of Voltron in your reality."

All of them. That meant Hunk too. Lance wasn't sure he could imagine his friend saying yes. He had agreed to this mission only because he would never have left Lance to the possibility of failing to save his daughter. "I'll talk to them tomorrow," Lance promised. "Will I see you again, to tell you our decision?"

His heart broke anew as she shook her head sadly. "No, but I will know. If you decide not to, the Lions will leave tomorrow as soon as the decision is made. Then they will return to the place where I protected them."

"If we keep them though, you can still sense us? Better, I mean?"

"Their magic, my father's magic, and alchemy, is still mine. It makes it much easier to find you." Allura kissed his cheek, and touched the markings on his cheekbones. "Just as marking you as mine, for all eternity, helps me know where you are. And not just any you, but my you, specifically."

"So that's what those were for." Lance chuckled. "Not that I mind. I've never wanted to be with anyone else."

"And neither have I." She kissed him again. "There's no other being, in any reality, who makes me feel the way you do."

"I know you have to go… but can you stay, just one more night?"

"I wouldn't dream of leaving until the last possible second."

August 13th, 2345

"That's not fair!" Caitlin exclaimed at the entire re-convened pile of Paladins of both generations, and their families, once again crammed in the Holt-Garrett living room. "You have to all agree, and you have to decide today?"

"Calm down, Caitlin," Katie spoke firmly to her daughter. She was grateful that Caitlin was not generally prone to hysterics, but her desire to be in direct line to inherit the Green Lion and fly her again was obviously at play here. "We didn't make the rules, but we do make the decision, and it's as it should be. If someone isn't willing to devote their lives to the work, then it's not safe to have the Lions here."

"Run us through exactly what she said," Shiro spoke up, looking across the coffee table at Lance. "There's no immediately pressing other missions?"

Lance shook his head. "Nothing. She can't see the future any more than we can, apparently, but there's no sense of anything like what we used to deal with. She specifically said we should use them for peace work, humanitarian aid, and keeping small conflicts from starting any wars in the future. They're a symbol of peace, and they should stay that way. The worlds have lived without Voltron available long enough, that no one should feel the need to rely on it or demand Voltron over solving their own problems. Voltron becomes an extension of our Coalition, but not under its control. It's not like anyone can force the Lions to accept other Paladins."

Katie had to admit, it sounded good. Finding out that Allura also hadn't had the ability to force the Lions to come to her when she was lost, or to any of the other Paladins, because it wasn't a reality-level dire problem, made her feel better. That sense of having Green back, tucked away but alert in her consciousness… she had missed that. Some of her best work had been done, or at least inspired and started, as a Paladin.

Also having mechanical-lion immediate transport anywhere they wanted to go on planet or otherwise was incredibly convenient.

But this was about far more than that. It was about all of them agreeing to once again be willing to risk themselves—if it ever became necessary—for the good of all.
Was that really all that different from their current lives though? Katie had to wonder. Hunk's work in diplomacy had continued until he now had dozens of trained chefs, serving on many Coalition ships. While his own talents were still sought after, they were no longer absolutely necessary for everything.

She would have continued doing the work she was doing now, even with her Lion. Though the Lion would have made so much of it easier.

Keith and Acxa might be on Earth as the Blades' representative to the Coalition, but that was still separate from the representatives of Daibazaal. Humanitarian aid in times of crisis or disaster on all planets, was their business. It was precisely the work Allura would want them to continue.

Shiro and Curtis, while both retired from active duty, were hardly uninvolved. Shiro was still a guest lecturer and teacher at the Garrison often, and for other Coalition training sites. Both of them worked together to prepare future generations of explorers and pilots devoted to peaceful cooperation and defense. That work certainly didn't run counter to the role of a Paladin.

The only one of them whose work had taken him almost entirely out of intergalactic politics had been Lance himself. Not that his juniberries weren't intergalactically famous, or that his occasional speaking engagements when requested didn't keep him busy, but those were fewer and far between these days. And now, now he had Melenor to raise and be concerned about.

Coran was not a Paladin of Voltron, but he had always been their support. He deserved a say, though he could not be an official part of the decision.

Of all of them, the one with the most dramatic life change, was Lance. Yet here he was, and he clearly didn't seem inclined to say no.

But she knew which one of them was, and Katie found herself looking at Hunk as she addressed all of them. "Well, where we go one, we go all. Especially in this. From what I can see, having the Lions supports our life's work, with what we're all doing, instead of disrupting it. We never really stopped being the Paladins of Voltron, even without the Lions. How often have we wished we had the Lions for one thing or another? Sure, we've gotten by without them, but the idea that they might never be available again… I'd rather not take that risk. Besides, as Allura pointed out, whenever we decide we are done, there are already a possible second set of Paladins partially trained who might like the job."

Her daughter had never looked so happy to hear words coming out of Katie's mouth.

Not that the reaction around the room was that universal, but none of the children—however grown or not they might be—voiced an objection.

"This question doesn't just concern us though," Keith spoke up after a moment, "But all of you too." He squeezed Acxa's hand, as she sat beside him. "Not just the ones who might become Paladins after us, but those of you who have to live with it if we make this decision. The ones who remember what it was like in the days when we were Paladins."

"But these aren't the old days," Acxa spoke up, apparently surprising Keith. "We're living in a universe that is becoming more peaceful daily, and as Pidge pointed out, a large part of that is due to the work we're still doing, all of us, not just the Paladins. It won't even really change our lives all that much if you have to run off for the occasional mission. The Lions can go anywhere much faster than almost any other ships we have, even today. You don't have to all start from the same place. They're incredible useful even individually, for many things beyond combat. Besides, if there was any doubt you should keep the old team together, look at how easily you all were still able to form Voltron."

"She's right," Curtis spoke up. "Letting the Lions go would be a mistake, and they're in no safer hands than with their Paladins. It would be a waste to possibly lose them forever, now that they're here. I know under different circumstances we might feel differently, but I think we can all agree we can only go on what we know about our own reality. I'm for it. And I have a feeling the boys are too."

Joshua was grinning broadly, and Nathaniel even looked excited. Gabriel nodded more solemnly.

"I'm with Mom on this one," Heith agreed.

"I think you know how we feel," Kale looked across at her, and even Kailani nodded.

"I appreciate you asking our opinion on this," Katie's father spoke up from where he sat with her mom, Matt, and Veronica. They were sitting with Lance's parents, and Marisol. Melenor sat on Lance's lap. "However," Sam continued, "I think this does need to be your decision, not ours. We'll support you either way."

"Mom, Pop-pop?" Lance looked at his parents, who of all of them looked the least certain.

For once, his father spoke up first. "As much as we love having you to ourselves on the farm, son, things are changing. Your world has always been much bigger than Cuba, and Melenor's is far larger. She should see it. This gives you that opportunity."

"Not that we want you to leave," his mother spoke up quickly. "We just don't want you to feel obligated to stay, all the time. Having your lion back gives you the freedom to come and go. Or, to live somewhere closer to your friends, and still come visit us any time. Whatever you decide. I know you're still figuring that out."

"That sounds pretty universal," Caitlin chimed in then, looking pleased.

"I don't like it."

Everyone turned to stare at Hunk.

"Everyone talks like this will be great, but aren't we inviting trouble by keeping the Lions?" Hunk continued, scowling. "When they were gone, we didn't have to worry about anyone finding them, or misusing them. Keeping them here makes Earth—or anywhere we keep them—a target. Sure, right now no one thinks about relying on Voltron anymore, because to them, Voltron's a memory. If it comes back, do you really think it will stay that way? We'll get sucked into everyone's little petty squabbles. Or worse, someone's going to decide eventually that they could really use Voltron for their own purposes. Zarkon was certain that if he got a hold of all the Lions, he could find acceptable pilots to replace the other Paladins. We've already proven they will accept multiple Paladins. Some of them have even changed back and forth more than once. That's hardly a foolproof method for guaranteeing the Paladins they accept are good people, or will remain that way even if they started out."

"You have," Joshua pointed out.

"That remains to be seen." Hunk's skepticism was in rare form today. "You all talk like it was all fun and games, even when we just had a reminder of exactly how much fun it wasn't. Am I the only one here who doesn't realize how much unnecessary danger we're inviting back into our lives?"

"Of course, we've thought about it," Keith replied calmly. "It's just that the definite benefits outweigh the theoretical risks."

"Until they stop being theoretical."

"Hunk, we understand your concerns," Shiro spoke up in his most reasonable tone.

Hunk looked unconvinced. "I really don't think you do, Shiro. What—what is so wrong with keeping things the way they are? Let the Lions go back to Allura, where they're safe and out of harm's way. If they'll come back if there's a truly universe-shattering mission, let the universe decide it needs Paladins." He stood up. "I'm sorry, but that's the way I feel. Excuse me, I'll get us some more muffins." He picked up the empty plate and turned and vanished into the kitchen.

Katie sighed, and stood up even as half the eyes in the room went to her. Caitlin looked scandalized. "I'll talk to him. Give us a minute… or ten."

Hunk wasn't in the kitchen. He had continued on out through the dining room and the back door, and she found him sitting in the back yard on the bench to the picnic table, leaning back against the table as he stared at the fence, with a muffin.

"Did they send you out here to talk me into changing my mind?" Hunk asked without turning around.

"No, I came to see if you were okay." Katie sat down next to him. "I know it's not fair, being forced to make a decision this quickly. We'd all have liked more time to think it over."

Hunk snorted. "Funny, everyone seems to have had no problem making up their minds in a hurry."

"It's not like they haven't had decades to think about it," Katie pointed out. "At least, what we might do if we ever had the Lions back. While we don't have much time to think now, it's not like we haven't talked about it before. Think how much faster that whole mess with Taklis would have been resolved if we'd had the Lions at the time. Green would have found me anywhere. It would have lasted a matter of days, and we'd still have been able to help end their war. Then I would have been home, with you and Caitlin. You'd have been there for all of Kale's firsts. Besides, we just went on a mission, and it was incredibly successful and no one got hurt."

"And I was terrified the entire time," Hunk replied with surprising urgency. "Not for myself, but I let you go right into the most dangerous place you could possibly go, into the belly of the ship of the madman who had successfully taken out another version of you… of us. While I let two of our kids play bait. Our life is perfect the way it is: here, on Earth, with our family and our daily duties. It's safe, and comfortable. Why does everyone want to jeopardize that?"

"Hunk. Keeping them isn't going to automatically change everything."

"Yes, it will. If the Lions are here, they'll be part of our lives again. We'll have to maintain them; we'll have to train with them. We'll have to go on missions with them. We'll have to train us again. I'm not seventeen, Pidge. I can't do all that stuff anymore, and I don't want to. This," he gestured around the yard at her, the house, "is everything I ever wanted. A family. The chance to cook for people and make them happy. A comfortable, safe, fulfilling existence. Not one filled with terror and risk. If anything happened to you, or Caitlin, or Kale… I just can't be okay with this."

"Even if it means your one choice forces everyone else to lose this opportunity?"

"If it's best for everyone, then yes," Hunk replied. "I didn't actually expect everyone to be for it."

"Caitlin will never forgive you if you throw this away."

"She'll understand some day. It's for everyone's safety."

"I thought we all agreed the safest place for anyone was inside a Voltron Lion."

"In a space battle against a crazed maniac! Ours is dead. I don't want to tempt new ones." Hunk shook his head. "I just don't see how you want this."

"I honestly think it's in the best interest of the world, and our family," Katie admitted, keeping her tone calm. As much as she wanted him to just agree, she couldn't force him. Impatience was not the answer here. "I've missed Green many times over the years. Having her back feels right. It's comforting, and so much of my best work came from the time we spent with our Lions. No one can force us to use Voltron for anything we don't agree to as a group, and when we're all done and ready to hand them off, we've been pretty much guaranteed the next round of reliable Paladins if they want it. We already know they're compatible. They were so disappointed to have to leave the other Voltron behind. Right now, they're still riding the emotional high of their first battle. Like it or not, they're Paladins now as well. They want the work and the responsibility. We only need to keep the option open until they're ready for it."

"You're okay with our son and oldest daughter possibly having to face down the next major space evil?"

"More okay with it than my mother was, obviously." Katie shrugged. "And Mom's objection was entirely based on the fact I did it without her permission as a teenager. By the time Caitlin and Kale would have the job, they'll be adults. They won't be kids like we were, and they're all already friends. Their teamwork is amazing. I just… I can't willingly throw that chance away for them. We don't get to change our minds later. We keep them now, or we very likely never see them again in any of our lifetimes, if ever, even if we could have used them. This is our only chance to have the option to use them for things other than ones that threaten all of existence again. I'd really rather nothing ever get that far."

Hunk put the muffin in his mouth, and ate it. "It's not that I didn't miss Yellow. Flying in him again felt… incredible. But that doesn't seem like enough of a reason to me. Not that… yours aren't valid," he conceded. "I just feel cornered. If I vote no, no one will ever forgive me. If I agree, then I'm condemning myself to a lifetime of anxiety. If anything ever happened to you or the kids… it would kill me. I know it's selfish, but that doesn't change how I feel." He looked over at her then. "If I chose no, would you hate me?"

"Now that's an unfair question." Katie shook her head. "I love you, and I understand why this is hard, but it would take me a while to not be angry about it. Caitlin and Kale might be another story. I honestly don't think you'll ever convince Caitlin it was the right decision if you do this, and I can't speak for the rest of our family and friends. Even if they understand your reasons, it might take some of them time to get over it. Or… they might not." She stood up then. "But you know all that, and there's nothing I can say one way or the other. It has to be your choice. I'm going to go get those muffins you promised everyone. When you've decided… we'll be waiting."

Then she left him there to work it out for himself.

Everyone was staring when she returned to the room. She shrugged. "He's still thinking about it."

Caitlin groaned.

Katie sighed. "I know how you feel, but this has to be a fair choice for everyone."

"But it won't be fair if he says no," Caitlin pushed on. "Everyone else wants this. How is it fair if one vote out of five can ruin everything?"

"That's enough, young lady." Katie looked sharply at her daughter. "This is between your father and the Yellow Lion. Trust the Lions. Trust the members of your team. Otherwise, you don't have Paladins. Every team needs a voice of reason, and caution. When they speak, you should best consider why."

Caitlin closed her mouth.

"I think it's time some of us got out of your way," Colleen spoke up into the quiet that followed. "You know our thoughts, and this is a decision for Paladins. Having all of us here now won't make this easier."

"Mom's right." Matt stood up. "The rest of us will just be in the way until it's done and having all of us sitting in here waiting will only make it more difficult."

There were several quiet agreements, and before long, Katie's living room was much less crowded. The only people who remained were the original Paladins and Coran. Not all of the kids had left the house. Caitlin, Kailani, Melenor, Kale, Nathaniel, Heith, and Joshua were upstairs, but the others had gone.

Lance's parents had gone with Katie's folks so they weren't far away.

The tension in the room definitely dropped with only four Paladins and Coran. It was a quieter, more intimate group. Their friendship had gotten them through so much. It would get them through this as well.

"What's everyone thinking?" Keith finally asked after they had all sat there for several minutes, alone with their own thoughts.

"That whatever happens, it won't change what we've done before, or who we are," Shiro replied, as always with the philosophical answer. "We're more than a team. We're a family. No matter how this ends, we shouldn't let it come between us. On a personal level, this is a good time for me. The boys aren't little anymore, and it wouldn't be hard to fit this into our lives. The boys and Curtis are all for it, so there's no conflict of interest."

"Maybe this is selfish," Lance spoke up introspectively, "but I feel like my life has purpose again. I don't think I realized how much it didn't, until I woke up with this crazy mission in my head. I can't just go back to spending all my time on the farm. Melenor deserves more than that, and I have other skills that can help people. Being part of something bigger… something that really meant something. If the Lions leave… I don't know. Maybe I'll re-join the Garrison anyway. Melenor has always wanted to be able to see the universe, and all she's ever known is the Paladins. They're part of her heritage and… they're a connection to Allura. However much I try and look at this objectively, I don't think I can."

"I'll admit, it would be nice to get a chance to be a proper part of the team again." Keith smiled. "Before, I couldn't be part of Voltron and work with the Blade of Marmora. There's no conflict there now, either. There are no time-consuming covert operations. And… I'm honestly relieved not to be the leader. If Shiro weren't here to take Black, I'm not sure I'd be as enthusiastic. As long as Lance doesn't mind me keeping Red."

Lance grinned. "Mind? I'm perfectly happy to be back in Blue. It feels right. The other version of me tried to lead, and even though it wasn't his fault that everyone else died, he felt like a failure. I've got enough on my plate now, and enough life experience, that I don't need that. Our team has always worked best this way."

"I was thinking about rebuilding the Castle," Coran startled them all. "Oh, perhaps not exactly the same. The Coalition, and Altea, don't really need a flying castle specifically. But it would be an excellent addition on Altea's part to the Coalition fleet to have something both reminiscent of our history, and still new. I'd like to improve upon the original designs. Whether or not it needs to have bays for lions, or Paladin training simulations, would be entirely up to you."

"Wow." Shiro smiled. "That would really be something, Coran. It would also give us a way to transport and wormhole the Lions without relying on the Coalition itself, or anyone else with that technology. If Voltron remains, it needs to exist as a check against any governing body, the Coalition included, becoming too powerful or corrupt. Even if that doesn't happen in our lifetime, history is full of good intentioned people doing harm when they lose perspective, or become too dependent on power, or fear, for control."
"It's probably better if it doesn't look exactly like the old castle," said Lance. "Leave the memories in the past. It can be a tribute without being a constant reminder."

"Pidge?"

Katie looked at Keith.

"You've been abnormally quiet."

"I guess I'm just waiting, at this point," she admitted. "There have been several times, though not many, where I've wished we had the Lions over the years. Things that weren't just about saving the universe from some evil threat. Though I'll admit a lot of my choice is based on the fact that the children really want this opportunity as well. They've already proven they have what it takes to become the next Paladins of Voltron. Imagine how much good they could do taking on the roles as properly trained, skilled adults? Of course, I'm happy to have Green back, and I'd love to keep her around for a while longer, especially if Allura trusts us to make this choice."

"But?"

"But, I'm not sure I can be entirely on board without Hunk. If he doesn't change his mind, I don't think I can let him be the only dissenting vote. He'd never forgive himself."

"I wouldn't want to do this without Hunk either." Lance picked up one of the muffins on the plate between them. "One for all and all for one. If this was our last hoorah, then so be it."

The sound of a throat clearing drew their attention to the kitchen doorway, where Hunk stood. The expression on his face did not give away any of what he might be feeling in that moment. "I'm in."

In her head, Katie could feel the pleasure and jubilation of her Lion, even as she jumped to her feet and pulled him tight in a hug amidst the general noise of approval in the room. "How long were you standing there?" she whispered in his ear as he caught her, hugging her back.

"I heard pretty much everything," Hunk admitted back just as quietly.

Footsteps on the stairs heralded the return of a swarm of eager teens.

Caitlin took one look at the hugging group, and grinned. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"It does," Katie promised her. "Voltron is back."


Author's Note 3/14/2024 And that is what this built up to the whole time, long and slow, generating a whole new set of proto-Paladins and giving Lance a more deserving reward for everything he has done, and all of Allura's love, wrapped up in an amazing little half-Altean Princess with powers that may rival her mother's.

That's the last of what was finished and sitting complete on my computer. There are some half-written bits of later story I may complete and post in the future, but this was the climax of the past several stories. I hope you enjoyed!