Chapter 51: All Good Things(Part 1)(Shiro's POV)
Shiro sighs in relief. He saved them just in time. His grip on the Black Lion's handles lessen now that tension has left his body. Tikki floats over to him and says, "Thank you for saving them in time."
"It's no problem. Marinette would've done the same thing for me." Shiro says with a sad smile.
"I'm sure Black…."
"Had his reasons I know. It just sucks that it took all this time to break out of that infernal Astral Plane. Transporting out there wasn't easy."
Tikki lands on his shoulder and leans her little head on his neck. "I'm sure you did everything you could."
"Yeah," Shiro replies with a sad laugh.
He then notices something on the scanner. It looks like Lotor's ships, and they're headed straight for the Castle's location. Daibazzal.
Turning on the comms, he connects to the Castle to see Lance and Allura on the bridge.
Lance immediately gets up, "Shiro! You're okay."
"Yeah, I guess I am. Marinette's with me, she took quite a beating from my clone…."
"Your clone?" Lance interrupts.
"That's a long story, one I don't have time to explain right now. I picked up a signal from the Syncline Ships on my scanners. It looks like they're headed your way. Without a wormhole it'll take me some time to get there….."
"And we don't have any power thanks to that virus. We'll try to hold off for as long as we can, but…."
"I know." Shiro sighs. He looks at Lance and then Allura. She seems out of it, dazed. He just has to hope they can hold off the ships so he can make it back in time.
"I'll be there as fast as I can." Then he shuts off the communication.
"You'll make it to them in time." Tikki reassures him.
"I hope so."
Allura's POV
"Allura! ALLURA!"
The voice pulls her out of her daze.
"Yes Lance?"
"Shiro's okay. The person who activated the virus wasn't Shiro but his clone…."
"His clone?"
"Yeah, still not sure how that happened. Sounds like something straight out of a movie. Anway…. Shiro said it might take him some time and that the Syncline Ships are on their way here."
Allura sighs, this isn't good.
Suddenly the screen once again flickers to life, revealing three Galran women on separate screens. "Hello Princess, we have the Emperor of the Galra and unless you want him dead and the universe to be in even more shambles then it already is… You'll let us take some of the Quintessence for ourselves using this vessel. And you'll have the precious Emperor back. You have until we get here to decide."
The transmission cuts out leaving the wall black again.
And it's gotten worse.
Shiro's POV
Come on! I have to get to them. That transmission to the Castle is exactly what he was afraid of. He needs to get back there now. But without a wormhole it's impossible. There's no way to get to them in time. His breath hitches, God why couldn't this madness end. The complexities stop once Lotor was made Emperor.
But no, some Galrans had to abhor the idea of working with Voltron, having peace, relinquishing control over the whole universe!
His time back in Galra prison comes back to him. All that time fighting, never knowing if a fight would be his last, if he would see his family, Adam, or friends again. He wouldn't wish that type of life upon anyone. He looks at his Galra made arm, fear starts to crawl over him. They took his arm, and now maybe even his family. His breath becomes laboured, his palm sweaty and his arms shaking. His head pounds, his vision becomes blurry and then…
"Shiro?"
He turns his head around, his shaking hands still firm on the handles. Blinking his eyes, trying to chase away the blurriness he sees a silhouette of what looks to be Marinette.
"Shiro!?"
The silhouette runs and drops on her knees right beside him.
"Are you okay? You're shaking…."
"I'm fine,"
Though his shaking arms beg to differ, and the pounding in his head.
"No you're not,"
Her hand reaches for his forehead, and the touch immediately calms down his shakiness.
"You don't seem to have a fever, and what's with the other you that's passed out in Black's mouth?"
He shakes his head and then opens his eyes. Marinette's concerned bluebell eyes stare at him, her hand having been drawn back. He exhales and responds, "That's my clone."
Marinette puts her hands on her hips and raises her eyebrows, "Really? That's so cliche."
"I know, but it's true. The Shiro that you rescued from that Galaran escape pod a while back was a clone. Black had to send me to the Astral Plane to save me from the Damage Zarkon cause."
He scratches his neck, "I'm also sorry….."
"For what? Shiro, it wasn't your fault. You're my friend, I forgive you."
"But I could've…."
"Could have what? Warned us," She shakes her head, "I don't think any of us have that kind of connection to you to pull off making it, let alone hearing you from that Astral Plane place."
Shiro chuckles, "I suppose."
"Now what have I missed?"