Chapter 37: Nightmares and Doing the Right Thing(Allura's POV)

Allura walks over to the Juniper Berry Flower Colleen gave her. It's amazing how she was able to replicate its exact biology from the plants on Earth making the flower not extinct anymore. Suddenly a cold feeling rushes over her and a chilly voice says, "You should know that things are never extinct."

She turns around and sees Zethrid staring at her. "You" she says angerlily. "Oh come now is that how you greet me after seeing me for such a long time. Besides, I was never truly gone. Just left to rot in that quintessence field."

"But we didn't have time to save you….."

"Yet Keith saved Axca from killing herself despite the danger of falling into the lava himself. He saved someone despite the danger yet you and the other paladins couldn't do it for me. Just goes to show you that you were never fit to be a Paladin of Voltron."

"No! Blue chose me for a reason!"

"And yet you were let go immediately once Shiro came back from the Astral Plane. So was Marinette when Red was close to her old Paladin. Face it, you were never Paladin material."

"I was, it was just never meant to be permanent."

"Have it your way, Princess."

Suddenly the landscape shifts around her and she finds herself in the room where the rift creature is. Another voice says, "Allura we need you to save us."

Turning around she finds her mother, "It is the only way, Allura. Let the rift creature in."

"But mother, its from Honvera, my enemy!"

"Perhaps you could use that to your advantage as if the rift creature connects the Altean pilots to her then it would work the other way around as well. We need you to save us Allura and this is the only way."

Her mother points to the container holding the rift creature. Suddenly her vision shifts again and she sees herself in one of the Robeasts. Surrounding her are the fields of Altea with Juniper Berry Flowers growing all around. The Castle of Lions is also in view. Suddenly she is in a fierce battle against a new looking mech with her friends and family watching unprotected on the ground.

Sweating, she wakes up, opening her eyes immediately. She hunches over and gasps for air. Freaked out by the dream. Noticing her mouse friends look at her with concern she smiles trying to shake off the dream. "It was just a dream , nothing more," she tells them, trying to convince herself.

But then she experiences the same chill as earlier and turns to see her mother looking up at her. "Follow me, my daughter."

Shaken, but curious she follows her mother out of her room and down the halls of the Atlas. When they come across a room it opens to reveal Pidge looking at the rift creature, studying it with intensity. Walking in, she startles Pidge, who jumps a little and turns to face her.

"Oh Allura it's just you." Pidge says, sighing in relief.

"Pidge, what are you doing?"

"Well I was curious as to how this creature was able to be inside Lasam and trigger such a response from him to be in a coma. And I was curious if it had a connection to Honvera. However all this creature does is sway back and forth in its containment chamber. It seems to be made of an inky like substance, and when the magnetic pulse is in reverse it seems to stun the creature. But that's all I've uncovered so far."

"And you're still researching it?"

"Well I was hoping that the more I watched it I would uncover something new about it. But so far nothing, whatsoever."

Her mother leans closer to her and tells her, "Get her out of the room. She won't like what I'm about to ask you to do."

"Uhmm, Pidge, could I study the creature by myself for a bit. Just so you know, get familiar with it."

"I guess so. I haven't uncovered anything useful so far….." Pidge states hesitantly. But then her manner changes, "So I guess if I leave you alone with it nothing groundbreaking should happen." She then yawns, "And I've been staring at this thing for hours so I should probably take a break."

Pidge then leaves the room, and it's just her, the creature and her mother.

"So why did you ask Pidge to leave?"

"Because I want you to bond with the rift creature."

"What?!"

"It's the only way to save us, to save your friends!"

"The only way…" she murmurs, like in a trance. She looks at the rift creature and suddenly becomes enhanced by it. If what Pidge said is true than being bonded with the rift creature she could get answers about Honvera. And what she is doing because they would be connected by the creature. In her trance she hears her mother goad her on, "Yes, daughter. Do it. Save us and your friends."

"Save you and my friends," she repeats her hand going to the release chamber. Once she presses the release button the creature goes through her mouth bonding with her. She passes out and falls onto the floor.

A Few Hours Later:

When she wakes up she sees Commander Holt who looks at her worriedly.

"When I got here you were on the ground and the rift creature was gone from its containment chamber. Please tell me you didn't."

Groggily she replies, "I did what I had to do to save us."

Commander Holt sighs, "I hope you're right."