There was total silence on the bridge for about ten ticks. No one moved or seemed to breathe as Lelouch's words slowly sunk in.
"...What?!" Nonette was the first to break the silence, thick enough to cut with a knife. "You can't be serious?!" Her look of horror was mirrored on most of the rest of the room's occupants.
"I wish we weren't…" Rivalz muttered with a frown.
"I… I can't believe this…" Nunnally breathed, sinking to her knees.
"I…" Cecile murmured, eyes wide, "The thought did cross my mind when I looked at the footage from the battle. The weapon Zarkon was using… it looked unusually similar to your Bayard weapons."
"Well, that would be because it is a Bayard," Rai admitted bluntly, "A Bayard that should be being used by Lelouch, but…"
"Zarkon has it instead…" Euphemia whispered, the reality of the situation slowly sinking in.
"Yes…" Lelouch nodded.
"Wait, hold on, why didn't you tell us this from the start?" Ohgi demanded, "When we first came here, you said you wouldn't keep any secrets from us anymore!"
"Honestly, I didn't think we'd have to tell you this," Lelouch admitted, as almost everyone looked at him expectantly and even accusatorily, "Even if the Galra made it to Earth, we weren't expecting Zarkon himself to show up so soon. All the other times he's sent minions or robeasts after us. The only time we faced him directly was when we had to attack his main base."
"We were also hoping to be a little more prepared next time we had to fight him," Kallen added, "Whether being more connected to our Lions or having a bigger fighting force."
"Not to mention, knowing this doesn't change anything about the situation," Milly said, "We're the Paladins, so we're the ones directly affected by this."
"Even so, if Voltron is lost, this rebellion loses its foundation," Cornelia argued, "If that robot falls into enemy hands, we might as well raise the white flag now!"
"We know that!" Shirley exclaimed, "We… we just…" she trailed off, not able to find a viable excuse for this.
"There's more, isn't there?" Tohdoh asked. His outward demeanor remained calm, but some, Suzaku included, could see how shocked and disturbed he was by this revelation.
"Unfortunately yes…" This time it was C.C. who spoke, "And there's no easy way to say this either, so we'll be blunt. Zarkon also has a Geass."
"What?!" Ohgi shouted again, his horrified expression mirrored by many others on the bridge.
"And before you ask, no C.C. didn't give it to him! Neither did V.V." Milly protested fervently, "And no, we don't know how the hell he got it either!"
"Then how…?" Kaguya started.
"We're not sure, we think… we think Haggar might have something to do with it since she gave me mine while I was still a Galra prisoner," Rai continued.
"That's the witch you've mentioned before, correct?" Rakshata asked.
"Yeah, that's right," Shirley nodded with a shiver.
"While all of this is intriguing, I think there's a bigger question to ask," Lloyd spoke up for the first time.
"And what would that be?" Guilford inquired with a frown.
"Well, besides the fact it's the only thing that can supposedly stop Zarkon, and he can easily wipe out the rest of all life with it—"
"Jeez, what gave you that idea?" Kallen said sarcastically.
"—do we really know the true reason he wants his Lion back?"
"What do you mean?" Ohgi asked, sounding confused, "If it's the only thing that can stop him, it would make sense he'd want Voltron."
"Well, not that I have much care for sentimental things, but it seems our alien enemies are going through quite a bit of trouble just to capture Voltron when really the more logical thing would be to simply destroy it. One less obstacle in the way, so to speak. Wouldn't you agree?" Lloyd inquired, glancing around the room.
"I… You do have a point, Lloyd," Cecile slowly nodded, "If the Galra have been so successful in their conquest up until now, I don't see why obtaining Voltron would change the outcome besides having another weapon. Especially considering they can already create similar robots already."
"I doubt he wants the Lions just for sentimental reasons…" Suzaku stated.
"Actually…" Lelouch paused, "That's something I've wondered as well. I have no clue how a Galra's mind normally functions, but humans with similar obsessions on things have a larger goal in mind. If my theory is correct, Zarkon is after Voltron for something else other than just furthering this insane war and conquest."
"Then… what would it be…?" Euphemia asked hesitantly.
There was silence in the bridge again but one by one everyone turned to look towards the two Alteans in the room.
"...You both know what he really wants with Voltron, don't you?" Cornelia asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
Allura looked down, a haunted expression in her eyes, avoiding everyone's gaze as much as possible. Coran had a similar expression but seemed to be slightly more composed.
"Coran, Allura," Lelouch said calmly, "I hate to put you both on the spot like this, but we can't afford the risk of Zarkon tearing Voltron apart every time we face him or if he's close by. If you know, we need to know too… We need to know how Zarkon became this way. How all of this happened."
"...No, you are right. You do deserve to know. It's just…" Allura let out a shaky breath as she struggled to control her breathing.
The princess jumped when she felt a soft hand meet hers. Looking down, she saw Nunnally looking up at her, nothing but sad concern in her eyes.
"We're here for you, Allura. For both of you," Nunnally said gently.
Allura gasped softly before smiling painfully. She looked up at Coran who nodded solemnly in return.
"...In the beginning, the Paladins were just seven leaders, who, despite coming from cultures which were vastly divergent, and in some cases had been warring for generations, managed to look past their differences in an effort to protect their common interests. What was initially a formal agreement to work alongside each other soon blossomed into a true friendship. A warrior's bond was forged, and together they worked to rid their system of those who would do it harm."
The Lambonite bandits blasted furiously at the incoming intruder, their comrade barely making it into the safety of the cave. Just as the pursuer was about to catch them, the door slid shut, locking him out.
Guns still raised, the Lambonites took a moment to breathe. That is until a small pebble fell from above. They didn't have time to raise their weapons and the roof caved in. The Altean, donned in white and yellow armor over his black space suit, blue cape fluttering behind him, spun around, his matching sword held at the ready with a grin.
Which abruptly turned into a look of dread. His blue and pink eyes widened when he finally registered how many Lambonites currently surrounded him.
"Oh dear…" was all Alfor could mutter before the first one charged him, wielding two daggers. Alfor clashed his sword against the knives before throwing him over his shoulder, then spun around, kicking a second Lambonite to the ground. Another tried to attack from behind, but raising his sword again, Alfor blocked and pushed him back, leaving his back exposed again. One Lambonite didn't hesitate and charged Alfor, throwing him across the cave and into a corner. Alfor's sword clattered away as he struggled to his feet. He barely got up when another leaped upon him, knives raised again, pinning Alfor beneath him.
The Altean ruler gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep the knife away from his neck only to gasp as a crash was heard from the side.
In a blur, contrary to his size, a hulking figure in red and grey armor sprinted forward, hurtling the Lambonite off Alfor and against the far wall before swinging his club around and knocking another off its feet with a yelp.
From behind him, five more figures came rushing in, all carrying weapons of their own and laying waste to the rest of the Lambonite tribe.
By the time they were finished, the bandits were all lying on the floor unconscious and one of the female warriors helped Alfor to his feet.
"Alfor, you broke formation again!" she scolded, "How many times must we tell you not to run ahead?!"
"Well, Melenor," the largest of the warriors sighed, "Alfor has always been much more knowledgeable as an alchemist than a soldier."
Alfor grinned, "Well, that's why we keep you around, isn't it, Zarkon?"
"The original Paladins were Zarkon of planet Daibazaal, King Alfor and Queen Melenor from Altea, Gyrgan from Rygnirath, Iris from Bimoral, Trigel of the Dalterion Belt, and Blaytz from Nalquod."
The rulers had all reconvened on Daibazaal, celebrating another success in Zarkon's grand palace. A great feast had been set out as the old friends talked and ate. The feline-faced Gyrgan, in his gold and blue clothes, ripped off a large chunk of meat from the bone, as Coran cackled as Alfor shared a joke. Iris shook her avian head in amusement from the other side of the table while Blatyz grinned, his aquatic features relaxed in his seat, one arm slung over the back. He perked up when a Galran servant approached with a tray, upon which a small goblet containing green liquid lay.
"Pull up a bench and join the feast!" Blaytz invited with a flirty grin, only to jump and wilt as Zarkon cleared his throat from the head table.
"You know that fraternizing with the servant class is not permitted. It erodes discipline," Zarkon informed as he passed his empty goblet to another servant.
"Well, perhaps a little bit of discipline erosion would do you good, Zarkon," Alfor quipped with a grin.
"Something I will consider, the next time you are surrounded by Lambonite scavengers," Zarkon shot back.
"I was handling myself!" Alfor protested almost in offense.
Gyrgan, however, slid next to the Altean ruler with an amused grin, "You mean wetting yourself?"
Alfor glared, head sinking down in embarrassment and face turning red.
This was apparently hilarious to the other rulers and guests present as they all collectively burst into laughter. Even Melenor giggled at her husband's expense, although she attempted to politely hide it behind her hand.
"Don't come crying to us next time you go flying off on your own and hurt," Iris teased, smirking from behind her clasped feathered hands.
"Why I ever joined up with this band of scoundrels, I'll never know," Alfor lamented through the chortles.
"Because we're the only 'band of scoundrels' that would have you," Trigel reminded, her deer-like eyes twinkling in amusement as she gracefully rose from her seat, holding her goblet up, "To us!"
It was no sooner had Trigel made her toast that the palace began to shake. Any light-heartedness of the moment was wiped away as everyone gasped, the sky from outside the palace suddenly lighting up like it was on fire.
"By Willow!" Gyrgen exclaimed as he leaped from his seat.
The skylight offered the perfect view of a ball of light racing across Daibazaal's atmosphere before crashing in a ball of fire only a few miles away from the palace, barely avoiding any civilian Galran homes.
Everyone immediately scrambled to transports that quickly escorted them to the site of whatever had crashed.
What they found there was even more shocking.
All that remained of the area was a large crater, but settled in the center of it was a gigantic meteorite. Now, meteorite strikes were not uncommon on Daibazaal, but everyone could tell there was something different about this comet if the blue glowing veins that emanated from within were any clue.
"They could have never known that that very night, the fate of the universe would be changed forever…"
"I've finished evacuating all Galra citizens near the crater," Zarkon informed Alfor as the Altean critically eyed a small stone in the lab that had been built around the crater, "What have you discovered?"
Truly, once the Galrans had been evacuated, Alfor insisted on letting himself and his team of scientists investigate not only the comet, but the area surrounding it as well. A majority of it had already been moved to Alfor's personal lab on Altea, leaving only smaller portions of it still on Daibazaal. One thing was clear though. None of Altea's archives or research could identify the ore or compounds that the comet was emitting, and the energy levels were higher than anything discovered before. And that wasn't all...
"We're not sure," Alfor admitted, pulling away from the rock, "This comet is like none seen before. It seems to be made of a material that can pass between realities."
Zarkon blinked. 'Between realities'? What was Alfor talking about?
"What do you mean?"
"Well..." Alfor paused, trying to find a way to explain it, "...Well, I mean that sages have always theorized that there are many realities stacked side-by-side with each other. Whole other universes with their own histories unbeknownst to us," Alfor turned away from the console and began to lead Zarkon towards the center of the lab, "But we never had any proof. Until now. When we moved the comet, we found this."
Looking down, Zarkon's eyes widened as he saw the glowing hole in the ground, small balls of energy seemed to leak from it. Several Galran scientists and sentries were right next to the hole, taking in data and looking more closely into it. Other than the light itself, though, Zarkon didn't see much else.
"This… is another reality?" he questioned skeptically.
Zarkon nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt something small and furry brush against his leg.
"Ah! What is that?!" he exclaimed as a small black and orange cat with white legs and markings mewed happily.
"Do not worry," a female voice reassured before someone knelt down and held out their arms, the cat leaping into them.
As the figure straightened, Zarkon found himself entranced. A slender Altean woman with light brown skin and pale purple hair stood before him. Like all other Alteans, her ears were pointed at the top, and she had small sickle-shaped marks of red situated on her cheekbones, right under each of her gold eyes with a lavender color in the center of them. Her hair was tied back in a bun, and her bangs were swept to the right of her face, with a cluster of long strands dangling in front of her ears.
And she was by far the most gorgeous Altean Zarkon had ever laid eyes on.
The Altean smiled as she scratched the cat's head, which was now perched on her shoulder, "It is only Kova. He is from our reality."
"Zarkon, this is Honerva," Alfor introduced as Zarkon stared, slack-jawed at the other Altean, "She is the best alchemist on Altea. I asked her to come to Daibazaal and lead the scientific investigation. Her expertise will be invaluable."
"Isn't it exciting?" Honerva said, her voice eager with excitement, "It could change the way we understand our entire universe!"
"We-well..." Zarkon stuttered, shaking himself from his trance, "...find out everything you can. I will provide any support you require. I must go."
Zarkon nearly dashed out of the room, barely hiding a blush on his own cheeks as he exited, trying to look as calm and dignified as possible.
"He didn't stay long…" Honerva muttered while Alfor smirked in amusement.
It seemed even the indomitable Emperor Zarkon wasn't immune to love.
"King Alfor experimented on the comet's ore in his lab on Altea, as Honerva continued her research of the rift on Daibazaal. But Alfor visited often as the years passed."
It had been a few years since the comet struck Daibazaal. Not much changed in regards to everyday life for the leaders and their homeworlds. Although, the Altean family had the honor of welcoming a new face into their family.
"Zarkon," Alfor greeted as he and Melenor met the emperor in the Daibazaal palace's courtyard. "I'd like you to meet Princess Allura." Nestled in Alfor's arms was a small baby Altean with white hair, bright blue eyes, and pink crescents on her cheeks. She giggled happily as she played with Melenor's fingers, completely oblivious to the discussion the adults were having. She did perk up when she heard her father say her name though.
"It is my pleasure," Zarkon said as a servant held out a tray with an ornate box on it, "Please accept this gift in honor of your birth, princess."
Melenor reached out and opened the box. Inside was a miniature Galran battle helmet. Melenor gently placed the helmet on Allura's head. It was much too big for her, but that didn't stop the princess from gasping in wonder. Melenor giggled at how adorable she looked, holding her finger up to her daughter. With a delighted laugh, Allura reached out to investigate the appendage.
"Honerva has really softened you up, my friend," Alfor commented, "I never thought I'd see the day the great warrior emperor Zarkon was married. And to an Altean alchemist, no less."
It was true. Not long after Honerva began working by the rift, Zarkon kept finding excuses to visit the lab, if only to see the Altean, and possibly share a few brief words with her. The small professional talks soon turned into longer, more personal discussions and even flirting. They began to meet up outside the lab, Zarkon showing Honerva all of Daibazaal's wonders and people. There was rarely a moment where they didn't enjoy their time together. Now Honerva and Zarkon had happily married a little over a year prior and their relationship was still going strong despite Zarkon's ruling duties and Honerva's research.
"Honerva, working hard as always," Alfor greeted as he and Zarkon returned to the lab later that day, "Many thanks for the gift. Allura loves it."
Honerva barely glanced up to acknowledge Alfor, her eyes still focussed on the console before her. Unlike when Alfor had last seen her, Honerva was now clothed in the Galran scientist armor and colors, her brighter teal Altean suit long forgotten.
"It was a customary gesture," she said dismissively.
Alfor shifted awkwardly, a little put off by her tone, but quickly recovered, "O-of course… How is our quintessence experiment?"
"Still running," Honerva pointed towards another device, once again not looking away from her console. Looking up, Alfor spotted the device indeed still functioning at full power. Exactly the same way it had been when they began the experiment one year ago.
"Running for a full year on one drop of quintessence with no decline in revolutions per dobosh," Alfor observed in awe, "No other energy source like this exists! The ships I'm creating for us work on the same principle, and the ore from the comet practically engineers itself. It's… frightening, in a way."
"Endlessly powerful ships for the Galra Empire!" Zarkon exclaimed.
"And an endless source of clean energy for the entire system," Alfor added.
"...Of course," Zarkon nodded after a moment.
A sudden movement at the corner of his eye caught Alfor's attention. Turning towards a capsule, the king's eyes widened at the strange, small, dark amoeba-like creature floating and darting around inside. Immediately the hairs on Alfor's neck stood on end and he fought the urge to back away from the… thing inside.
"What is that?"
Honerva, hearing Alfor's inquiry, finally pulled away from the console to look at the capsule as well.
"I sent some signals into the neighboring reality and this creature answered the call," Honerva explained, as the creature made an almost screeching sound from inside, "Nothing from our universe has been able to survive the passage through the rift, but somehow, he arrived unharmed."
"What?" Alfor exclaimed in shock as Honerva placed her hand on the capsule's surface, "I thought we discussed this; we must exercise caution. We have no idea what is out there."
Honerva slowly turned back around to face Alfor, "The ancients thought that lightning was shot from the bows of the gods until science proved otherwise. We must always push into dangerous territory in pursuit of knowledge."
Suddenly, the creature shifted again, shrieking out what seemed to be a battle cry. The three occupants in the room jumped and whirled around to face it. Then, from the rift itself, a purple glow burst through, then like a geyser, more creatures just like the one trapped in the capsule burst from the rift. They suddenly merged, the black and red miasma flooding the area, sending Galran sentries tumbling away.
Shielding his wife, Zarkon fled out of the lab with Honerva, Alfor leading the way as the floor below created and more miasma erupted like geysers around them.
They barely made it out in time.
"King Alfor and Honerva erected a particle barrier around the crater containing the creatures, but it wouldn't hold forever."
With a shriek, the ever-changing mass slammed against the side of the barrier. The generators in place were still functional enough to keep the barrier from cracking, but that did little to calm the Galran emperor and his Altean wife standing by his side.
"The barrier is weakening. We don't have long," Honerva said, her voice laced with concern.
"Once those creatures escape, my forces will quickly be overrun," Zarkon almost mourned, "My planet... My people…"
Honerva leaned into her husband's side, hoping her presence at the very least could reassure him.
"Alfor's project will save," she said reassuringly.
"...Let us hope…"
It felt like eternity, but at long last Alfor and Melenor called their friends to Altea. Alfor's project was ready, and they needed to act quickly to save Daibaazal.
"I trust this plan of yours will work, Alfor," Zarkon said as he, Alfor, Melenor, and the other leaders descended to Alfor's lab in an elevator shaft.
"Perhaps you should withhold judgment until you see them for yourself," Melenor said softly, but with a mysterious smile on her face.
"...Them?" Iris tilted her head. The way Melenor said 'them' seemed to imply…
The leaders had no time to think about it as light flooded the elevator's window and they gasped as the lab came into view.
"By Willow!" Gyrgan gasped, voicing everyone's thoughts as the group gazed upon not simply ships, but giant lion-shaped ships, all colored differently and with distinct characteristics on each one. They were unlike anything they had seen before on any world or planet. It wasn't just the shape and size that amazed them, but there was something they couldn't quite put their finger on.
"Incredible!" Trigel exclaimed after they exited the elevator.
"Alfor, they're amazing!" Zarkon praised, "How do they work?"
"I made them from the quintessence-infused ore of the comet, which provides them with an endless supply of power," Alfor explained, unable to help the proud smile on his face.
"Remarkable!" Zarkon said.
"The comet alloy also renders them nearly indestructible," Alfor further explained.
"What sort of weaponry do they have?" Blaytz asked eagerly.
"This is where things become more...interesting. Altean alchemy can accomplish some incredible feats of engineering, as you know, but...in testing my ship, I started to feel some sort of… psychic link. I'm not sure how to explain it, but the ship… it wasn't just reading my mind. It was communicating with me." Alfor said, both eagerly but also anxiously as he recalled the incident. Melenor had also been present during this time, which proved in Alfor's eyes that this comet was unique. It seemed that the quintessence that had been infused with the comet was bonding with him and his wife, almost making the Lions sentient machines on their own. "They seem to be evolving. We don't yet know what powers these ships possess, but we may gain understanding with time."
"Time?" Zarkon exclaimed, face drawn anxiously, "Time slips away even as we stand here! My people will soon be slaughtered by dark creatures from another realm! Without these ships, all hope is lost!"
Alfor hesitated a moment longer but eventually nodded. They didn't have time to test the ships. They needed to depart and save Daibaazal as soon as possible, "I understand. It may take some doing. These are not regular ships to be chosen at a whim. You do not pick the beast; the beast will choose you."
The leaders soon saw that Alfor's forewarning was correct, as one by one, they each felt the mental, psychic connection form in their minds. Each Lion chose one of them to come aboard them and pilot them on the inside. All adorned in new suits that Alfor also created, the seven were soon rocketing through the air outside the Altean palace, heading straight to Daibazaal and straight towards an unknown enemy.
"Yeah! Ha ha ha ha!" Blaytz laughed with glee as he and the Blue Lion corkscrewed behind the others.
"Now go easy at the beginning. This is greater energy than you have ever worked with before," Alfor informed from within the Red Lion's cockpit.
"Perhaps you should lead the formation, Alfor," Zarkon suggested as the Black Lion flew next to the Red one, "You have a greater understanding of the vessels than anyone."
Despite this fact, Alfor shook his head, "I'm a better alchemist than military leader, Zarkon. I'll stick with being your right hand."
Not having time to argue, Zarkon slightly nodded, "Very well, then. On my mark, Paladins! Right flank, Alfor, Iris, and Blaytz! Left flank, Trigel, Melenor, and Gyrgan!"
Their formation set, the Paladins shot into the sky, leaving trails of blue behind them.
The dreaded sound of shattering filled the air, and the soldiers quaked in terror as the interdimensional being finally broke through the barrier. Writhing like a leviathan the mass shaped itself into a being with four legs, a yellow circular halo being the only indication where the 'head' was located.
The sentries immediately opened fire on the creature, but the blasts did little to nothing to it. It only seemed to be annoyed as it reared back, its glowing halo lighting up before blasting through the ranks as if they weren't robot soldiers but insects that didn't know how to get out of the way.
A distance away, at the Galran palace, Honerva watched in horror as the beast waged destruction across the planet, feeling powerless to do nothing but watch its rampage. It was only the powerful gust of air from behind her that finally diverted her attention elsewhere, skyward, as the silhouette of the Black Lion soared above her, closely followed by the six others.
"Paladins! I'll fly ahead and divert its attention! The rest of you, attack from all sides!" Zarkon ordered as he raced forward, charging the creature head on, firing at it repeatedly to draw it away from the others. Flying above its head, the creature reared back, almost backflipping onto its other side trying to keep the Black Lion in its sight.
"Fire!" Zarkon yelled as the Yellow and Blue Lions swooped in from below and the Orange and Purple from above. As the beast unleashed another laser, the Lions managed to slice off a part of its back, but to their horror, the piece simply flew back and reattached, as if they never damaged it from the start.
"Keep firing!" Zarkon ordered as the Red and Blue Lions swooped back around for another attack. Alfor's attack had the same effect as the last few, but when Blaytz tore through the middle of the creature's back, this time the tendrils didn't immediately repair it. Instead, they shot outward, chasing after the Blue Lion.
Alarmed, Blaytz attempted to outmaneuver them, twisting and turning in the air, but eventually, they slammed together around him, like a hand clasping around a bug. He grunted from his cockpit, jostled from the action, and eyes wide as warning alarms blared inside.
"These blasted things are covering me!" he exclaimed, trying to shake them off but having little success.
"Blaytz!" Alfor exclaimed, flipping around in the air and firing at the Blue Lion with his own. The attack, though reckless, broke straight through the tendrils, freeing the Blue Lion just before another laser could be fired from the larger monster.
"Th… thanks, Alfor!" Blatyz gasped in relief.
"Anytime," the Red Paladin nodded just as the Orange Lion sped between the two, Gyrgan roaring a battle cry as he did.
"Spinning head smash!" he shouted, the Lion spinning rapidly like a drill toward the creature.
But the monster's head suddenly shot up, spotting the enemy, and a hole formed in its midsection all by itself. This didn't seem to hurt or discomfort the beast at all.
Gyrgan gasped in alarm, seeing the mistake too late, and drilled straight through the hole formed and into the ground instead. Fortunately, due to the thick armor of the Orange Lion, the ship wasn't damaged as it drilled back up.
"Gyrgan! Are you alright?" Melenor shouted from her position by the Black Lion.
"Fine!" he grunted, "But I can't hit it!"
"Attacking it head on isn't working," Iris exclaimed, "We must try something else, quickly!"
"Fall back, Paladins!" Zarkon ordered, agreeing with the avian monarch, "We must regroup!"
Before anyone could try and follow Zarkon's order, Alfor stopped, the Red Lion's consciousness echoing in his head.
"Wait!" Alfor called out, "We must come together in formation!"
"What? Why?" Trigel exclaimed in surprise from the Green Lion.
"Alfor?" Melenor inquired after her husband.
"I don't know, but somehow I can feel it," he explained, encouraging everyone to trust him.
Having few options, the Paladins did so, flying high into the air in the same formation they arrived in. The higher they flew, the pull extended away from Alfor and to the other Paladins as well. The Lions themselves began to glow in their respective colors, covering them in an aura of power.
"Hey, I feel it!" Gyrgan exclaimed.
"I do too!" Trigel nodded, "What's happening?"
"It feels like… we're being drawn together!" Iris realized.
Alfor agreed with Iris as he felt something that seemed to snap into place in his mind, and he was positive the other Paladins felt it as well.
"Voltron…"
From so high up in the atmosphere, all anyone could see watching from below were the seven separate lights suddenly vanish, only to be replaced by one, single blue light, this one so much brighter and wider than the others, like a shooting star hurdling straight back toward Daibazaal.
With seven battle cries united together, the Paladins, now joined as one being, Voltron, charged at the dark creature below. It didn't have time to dodge or counterattack as Voltron's fist collided with its head, dispersing the creature and sending shockwaves flying in all directions.
As the dust cleared, everyone finally saw the juggernaut in its entirety. A black head and body, red and green arms, yellow and purple thighs, and finally, orange and blue feet.
"I can't believe we did it!" Blaytz exclaimed, his voice ecstatic.
"How did this come about?!" Trigel queried, both shocked but elated as well.
"You continue to surprise me, Alfor," Iris smiled, impressed.
"Am I a leg?" Gyrgan asked, eyes sparkling.
"This power...it's unbelievable!" Zarkon gasped.
"Alfor, this is…?" Melenor began.
Alfor only smiled, "This... is Voltron."
The cheers of victory were soon cut short though, as the ground beneath began to quake once more. To everyone's shock, the rift creatures erupted from the fissures and reformed into an even larger creature than before. Not hesitating against this truly formidable foe, the creature fired a massive laser at the robot.
The Paladins braced themselves for impact, Voltron raising its arms in defense.
Only for Trigel, who was closest to the impact, to gasp at what she saw.
"A shield!" she exclaimed, seeing the large red buried in front of her Lion's head.
"Well done, Trigel!" Zarkon shouted.
With the shield up, Voltron managed to hold off the attack, and even push back. The creature seemed to realize this as well, as two more tendrils emerged on either side of the main body, which also fired lasers of their own, joining the main one against Voltron. The robot was quickly overpowered by the attack and thrown backward, the shield breaking in two.
As Voltron struggled back to its feet the creature charged towards them, warping its body into a vortex, covering the juggernaut wholly and completely in a twister of darkness.
"It's trying to rip into us!" Zarkon shouted.
"We have to get it off!" Blatyz exclaimed, heart pounding with deja vu.
Alfor grunted as the creatures slammed against the robot, only to hear his Lion growl in his mind again. Looking to the side, a compartment rose up and Alfor's eyes widened.
"I know what to do!" he shouted, summoning the Paladin tool, the Bayard, he created for their suits into his hand. With a grunt, he smashed it into the port of the compartment and twisted it sharply.
The Red and Green Lion's heads slammed together and in a pulse of light, Voltron unleashed a sword, which he used to slice the creature surrounding him to pieces. With a groan, the creature dispersed from around the robot, blue slices glowing in its being before exploding, not one piece of itself remaining.
With a slow sweep of its sword, Voltron once again rose to his full height, the Paladins tired but relieved to have come out victorious in this battle.
"We must find a way to seal up this rift," Alfor declared shortly after the battle. He, with Melenor joining him, had gone to meet with Zarkon and Honerva by the remains of the rift's lab. Now that the threat of the creatures had been neutralized (for now), this had to be addressed promptly.
Honerva gaped at the Altean king in shock. "Seal the rift?! Why?!"
Before Alfor could answer, Melenor did for him. "Why?! Are you mad?! The rift nearly destroyed Daibazaal! Do you not care about that?!"
"The rift didn't do anything!" Honerva argued, "The creatures that came from it nearly destroyed Daibazaal, and you found a way to defeat them!"
"Only for now!" Melenor exclaimed, "Who knows when they'll try and attack again? Perhaps in greater numbers?"
"Zarkon, surely you agree, it must be closed!" Alfor said, turning to their comrade and friend.
To the Alteans' horrified shock though, Zarkon disagreed.
"Perhaps not."
"What?!" Alfor gasped.
"Look at what we've gained, Alfor," Zarkon continued, "Your ships are the most powerful machines ever created. Who knows what else may be discovered if we continue working?"
"So you'd risk your planet, your people, even the entire solar system in a quest for more power?!" Melenor cried, "Too much ambition has destroyed lesser beings than you!"
"You know it's more than that!" Zarkon argued.
"Melenor…" Alfor chastised, placing a hand on her shoulder before she could speak again. While Alfor didn't disagree with his wife, Melenor still did have a temper, and has in the past let her mouth speak faster than her brain could process.
Melenor blushed, embarrassed, and looked away.
"I do not disagree with Melenor, Zarkon. We already have Voltron! You have to know when it's enough!"
"I'll decide what's enough on my planet!" Zarkon suddenly roared, and the Altean couple actually flinched back. While they'd heard Zarkon shout and speak in such a tone before, this was the first time it was directed at either one of them.
"I'm sorry, but the work will continue," Zarkon said with finality, and with a swish of his cape, left the area before either Altean could protest further, Honerva following after him.
"Honerva continued her experiments on the rift. Despite their differences, Zarkon, Alfor, and Melenor, along with the other Paladins, established a new era of peace and prosperity. It was an age of exploration, and Voltron became known as the Defender of the Universe, establishing the legend that would live on to this day."
It had several decaphoebs since Alfor and Melenor had visited Daibazaal personally. In fact, the last time they set foot on the planet must have been after Voltron's first true fight. Since then, the two had kept their distance, not that they had time to visit anyway, trying to balance their duties as both monarchs to their own planet, training and spending time with Allura, and being called on many scouting missions and battles with the rest of the Paladins. They would often ask Zarkon of the state of Daibazaal, and Zarkon would inform them of anything that may be concerning, as well as the new discoveries and technology Honerva was creating and uncovering, but as of late, his answers had been more clipped and resentful than normal. They began to worry that Zarkon wasn't telling them everything about the state of the planet, and the recent scan of the planet from Altea's scientists was more concerning than ever. They decided it would be best to finally visit the Galran homeworld themselves to see.
Even from a distance, the two were deeply disturbed to see that the once rich red of the planet's surface now looked a sickly yellow-green color.
The two landed on a launch pad and saw Zarkon waiting for them at the edge. The two exited cautiously and went out to greet the Galran Emperor.
"We were informed there were three more earthquakes this movement," Melenor said, her tone business-like and polite. The pleasant smile she normally wore when around their Voltron comrades nowhere present on her features. Alfor's face was also a grim frown.
"Don't worry. I'm installing stabilizers to strengthen the planet's cohesion," Zarkon said, waving off the concern.
"Zarkon, my scientists have scanned Daibazaal," Alfor said urgently, "It is fracturing. Soon, the structural integrity will—"
"I can't stop Honerva's work now!" Zarkon interrupted, turning away from the pair, "She's discovering more every day!"
The couple could only look at each other with concern as they followed after the Galran leader, their guard unusually up and cautious.
The observation deck-turned-lab surrounding the rift had long ago been repaired, but several more areas and computers had been added to it, several experiments and data collections stored away within it.
"Her team has developed a space cruiser five times the size of our current largest ship," Zarkon almost seemed to brag, as the trio approached the lone figure at the central computer, "But that's nothing."
"Hello, Honerva," Alfor greeted nonetheless, "It's been decaphoebs."
"I hope you haven't come to try to shut down my work. There is more hidden knowledge and power in this tiny fissure than you can possibly understand." Honerva spoke, not even turning around to face them. Her hair was now down, and unlike the tighter armor they had seen her in last they were here, hanging around Honerva's shoulders was now a thick, hooded cloak.
"Please understand," Melenor said as calmly as possible, "We're only worried about the stability of—"
The queen was cut off with a gasp as a thin cat leaped onto the console and prowled around Honerva's hands.
Alfor saw it too, "Is that Kova?" he asked in shock, "How old is he?"
"Twenty-eight decaphoebs old," Honerva answered and the Alteans' eyes widened. There was no way that was Kova. No cat had ever lived to that age before. Unless…
"Shortly after the creatures attacked, he fell ill," Honerva continued, tone slow and seemingly sinister, "But then I began treating him with quintessence."
"No…!" Alfor gasped, horrified by this revelation.
"He revealed the truth to us. Quintessence is so much more than you can understand. It is life itself." The cat confirmed to be Kova, glared at the Alteans as Honerva explained, hissing angrily before leaping off the console and pouncing away.
"This is… this is outrageous!" Melenor gasped.
"You've gone too far!" Alfor exclaimed, angrily.
Honerva suddenly whipped around with a snarl, and the Alteans finally saw her face. The Altean alchemist was hunched over, hair now hanging lank and bedraggled in her face. Her eyes and cheeks were hollowed and sunken, her nose looked hooked, and her marks ran unnaturally down her face.
"You're both nothing but cowards!" she nearly shrieked.
"Honerva, you…!" Alfor began, but Honerva interrupted.
"You wish to close off our gateway to enlightenment; we should be expanding it!"
Zarkon walked up next to her, standing firmly at his wife's side, "If we use Voltron, we can enlarge the opening to the other reality!"
Alfor was the first to shake out of his shock, his face morphing into an angry frown, "It's madness. This prolonged exposure to quintessence has poisoned your minds!"
"We've only scratched the surface!" Zarkon exclaimed, "We can rule this entire universe! We can live forever! All of us!"
"Alfor, we are going. Now." Melenor then said with finality, her eyes also narrowed and mouth twisted into a furious scowl as she placed a firm hand on her husband's shoulder.
Alfor nodded slightly before turning away, "We will not be a part of this, Zarkon."
"You are only two parts of Voltron, you two!" Zarkon shouted, tone angry and even desperate, "You cannot hold us all back because of your fear! Alfor! Melenor! I lead the Paladins! I command you! ALFOR!"
A thumping sound stopped Zarkon's triad, and the emperor turned around only to stare in horror. Honerva had collapsed and her eyes had rolled to the back of her head, her breathing hollowed.
"Honerva?" Zarkon gasped, rushing to tend to his wife, "Honerva!"
Honerva squirmed and gasped in her bed, her bony, almost skeletal hands grasping the covers so tightly Zarkon was surprised the blankets didn't tear. Her face was no better, her cheeks and eyes sunken and hollow. But what frightened him the most was the almost nonsensical words muttering from her mouth as her pin-pricked pupils stared up at the ceiling.
"We mu—we must—we must have i—we must have it—get back—get ba—get ba—"
"What is it, my love?" Zarkon murmured, clasping her hand in his.
"Get back—quinte—quintessence—" Honerva gasped as her eyebrows twitched, "—quintessence is life! Into th—into the rift!"
Honerva whimpered as Zarkon gently turned her head toward him, "How?"
"We mu—we must—we must ha—Voltro—Voltron! Voltron!" Honvera seemed to chant, her eyes rolling to the back of her head again, "Voltron! Voltron! Voltron! It is the only way…!"
"Alfor and Melenor tried to warn me, but I would not listen," Zarkon said with regret, surrounded by his fellow Paladins in the Altean castle. He was leaning over the meeting room table, head bowed, "Now my wife has fallen ill and my planet is on the brink of collapse! So I must beg you—my trusted comrades—to join me on a most dangerous quest! We must close the rift, and I need Voltron to do it."
Alfor and Melenor frowned and looked at each other, almost a silent conversation passing between them. They could both tell that something wasn't right, but Zarkon wasn't known for his acting. He rarely used deception or trickery in battle. He preferred to tackle problems head-on. Not that he wasn't a competent strategist as well, otherwise he wouldn't have led the Paladins for so long. But why did they feel that something was wrong?
Across the table, Trigel, Blaytz, Iris, and Gyrgan all glanced at one another, before they all briefly nodded.
"We will help you," Trigel voiced.
Zarkon smiled slightly before reluctantly turning to the two Alteans, extending a hand towards Alfor, "I only hope it is not too late to heal the rift and my planet—and our friendship."
Alfor shared one final look with his wife, who only bit her lip, still uncertain, but her eyes told him that she would trust and follow him, whatever he decided.
After several seconds of looking down at the offered hand, Alfor grasped it.
"Alfor's compassion for his old comrade blinded him to Zarkon's true plans."
Voltron landed heavily on top of the lab surrounding the rift, with the circular hole in the roof, the yellow of the rift the only light shining through.
Grasping the building on both sides, Voltron hefted the lab from the ground and threw it far away from the rift, which was now fully exposed.
"Honerva told me the only way to close the rift was to use the power of the quintessence," Zarkon explained, "We must make the opening bigger first to gather the power."
"How do we do that?" Gyrgan asked.
"We use the sword!" Alfor declared from the Red Lion.
Zarkon agreed and ordered for the weapon to be formed and Alfor complied.
The Red and Green Lions came together in a movement the Paladins were well used to now and slid apart to form the sword, which then Voltron plunged deep into the rift. The crater begins to fill with a blue glowing light. Shockwaves burst out, the Paladins themselves even feeling the pressure from even inside their Lions.
"It's...too...much!" Iris cried out.
"Stay...focused!" Alfor exclaimed through gritted teeth before everything went white.
Alfor's eyes flickered open and then shot open with a gasp as he looked frantically around. From outside, he could see that Voltron was surrounded in a glowing light, no physical structures in sight. Through the comms he could hear the other Paladins waking up as well, some gasping in shock and confusion as well.
"Where are we?" Blaytz asked.
"We've entered the rift," Alfor realized. Before he could say anything else though, alarms began to sound from the Lions. Jerking up and looking outside, Alfor gasped as he saw two figures floating out into the rift, exiting through Voltron's chest. "No! Zarkon! What are you doing?!"
Outside, Zarkon ignored Alfor's cry, holding Honerva close in his arms before lifting her up, fully exposing her to the quintessence of the rift, her hair flapping softly in an invisible breeze.
"We have to get them out of here! Now!" Melenor shouted, realizing Zarkon's plan at the same time Alfor did.
"We must hurry!" Blaytz exclaimed before they all saw something that made their hearts sink, "The creatures have returned!"
From below them, thousands of rift creatures raced up, surrounding Voltron and enveloping the robot in darkness.
"They're everywhere!" Trigel exclaimed.
From outside, the creatures also engulfed Zarkon and Honerva, and the Paladins comms were soon filled with the sounds of their agonizing screams.
"Fire all lasers!" Alfor shouted in near panic.
Quick to comply, all of the Lions unleashed their lasers, slicing through the cloud of creatures easily, dispersing them quickly.
"Trigel, grab them!" Alfor shouted.
Nodding, she reached out with the Green Lion, capturing the couple securely in its mouth.
"Gyrgan! Melenor! Iris! Blaytz! Fire your thrusters, we must leave!" Alfor continued and the four Paladins that piloted the legs pulled back on their controls, the robot's boosters quickly ascending from the rift and back to Daibazaal's surface, praying they weren't too late to save their foolish comrade.
But when they had emerged, Zarkon and Honerva were already gone...
"Zarkon's attempt to save Honerva was in vain. They both succumbed to overexposure of quintessence. The Paladins had been deceived by Zarkon. They had unwittingly enlarged the rift, which further destabilized planet Daibazaal. King Alfor was forced to evacuate the planet. He then closed the rift the only way he knew how—by destroying the Galran homeworld. King Alfor held a state funeral for Zarkon and Honerva in his royal hall. But what happened next, he could never have guessed."
The deafening silence of the chamber was broken by an exhale of breath. A towering figure arose from the stretcher he had been lying on, its glowing yellow eyes scanning his surroundings, only to be drawn to the sound of weak moaning close by.
Looking over, he spotted a hunched figure, shivering on the ground next to another stretcher. The figure was covered in a dark cloak, and her hair was stark white and eyes glowing yellow and shimmering. Running down the sides of her face, past her lips, and across her forehead was a jagged red lined shape.
A single guard was stationed outside the room, only to nearly jump a mile when the door swished open behind him. His heart nearly stopped as he stared into the soulless eyes of the emperor his people had seen dead just early that day.
"Where am I?" Zarkon's voice inquired, deeper than it had ever been heard before.
"A-aboard your ship, sir," the Galran stuttered to reply.
"...Take us home," Zarkon ordered solemnly.
The Galran gulped slightly, "I-I...can't, sir. Daibazaal...has been destroyed."
Zarkon's glowing eyes narrowed.
No one expected to see or hear the voice of the Galran that appeared on every Galra fleet ship and digital surface of the entire solar system. All creatures of every planet stared up in horror at the state of the Galra leader.
"My fellow Galra, King Alfor of Altea has destroyed our planet. He must pay dearly for his crimes. Rise up and join your emperor! Revenge will be ours!"
From within the Altean palace, the surviving Paladins stared in shocked horror at this announcement.
Nothing prepared them for what happened next.
"Zarkon had become pure evil, obsessed only with quintessence. In order to open a new rift between the realities, he needed Voltron. And so the war began. The Galra immediately responded to their leader and attacked. The peaceful planets of our system were not prepared. Soon they had all fallen except for Altea. In a final attempt to keep Voltron from Zarkon's hands, the Lions were sent to the far corners of the universe. Zarkon flew into a rage. He killed King Alfor, then avenged the loss of Daibazaal with the destruction of Altea."
A heavy silence fell over the bridge as everyone processed the story that had just been told. Yes, they expected the story of the original Paladins to end in tragedy, but this was simply heart-breaking. Even the ever stoic Tohdoh couldn't quite hide his disturbed expression.
"I… I can't believe that's what happened," Milly whispered at last.
"Yeah," Rivalz nodded, "I mean, I figured Zarkon had to have gone off the deep end at some point, but… I wasn't expecting something like that."
"Still… this explains a lot of questions we've had," Suzaku said, barely keeping the tremble from his voice, "I mean… you both said so yourselves that Zarkon has been alive longer than he should have been."
"And why he's so obsessed with Voltron," Rai added.
Nunnally was on the verge of tears and Euphemia laid a hand on her shoulder trying to console her sister. Kaguya also hovered close to the young princess.
Allura was also struggling to hold back her tears only to waterly gasp as Shirley rushed forward and hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry, Allura…" Shirley said softly.
This was all that needed to be said before any form of control Allura had over her emotions shattered and she collapsed into Shirley's arms, sobbing.
"I…" Ohgi started, looking at the Alteans "I'm so sorry…"
"...So we're basically dealing with a zombie here, is that it?"
Lloyd's question completely ruined the solemn atmosphere of the room as everyone whipped around to stare incredulously at the man.
"Okay, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Kallen yelled at him furiously.
Lloyd simply shrugged, brushing off the death glares he was getting, "It's the price of being a sociopath."
"Lloyd…" Cecile groaned, burying her face in one of her hands, shaking her head in embarrassment.
"...Be that as it may," Rakshata said, her tone resolute yet careful. Unlike Lloyd, she at least tried to be sensitive when discussing topics like this. But that didn't change the fact that there were still matters they had to discuss, "I do have an inquiry I'd like addressed specifically. About this quintessence substance that came from that rift you mentioned, you said it was meant to be an unlimited energy source. But those dark creatures you described that also came from it… did you ever truly find out what they were?"
"...Well, no," Coran finally answered after a brief silence, "Alfor, nor any of his scientists, ever really identified what they were, but that doesn't mean that Alfor didn't have theories."
"And those would be?" Nonette questioned with a frown.
"Well, for every force in the universe, there is always an equal and opposite force to oppose it. That's how the ways of the universe had always worked," Coran explained, "As revealed by Honerva herself, quintessence is, simply put, life itself. So naturally, there must be a force equally powerful enough to combat it. Something just as powerful whose sole purpose is to destroy life. Alfor's theory was that those creatures are likely a physical manifestation of pure destruction."
"That would make sense," Lelouch nodded, speaking for the first time since the tale ended, "Whenever I feel the connection Zen and I share, it feels warm and welcoming. It's like Allura described when we first arrived. We're two equal parts of a whole. But…" Lelouch suppressed a shiver, "When Zarkon comes in, all I can feel is this insatiable urge to destroy and conquer. It's likely that when Zarkon died and later came back to life, that same connection was also corrupted, twisting it from a bond of equality to one of complete and utter suppression."
"Okay, but that still doesn't explain how Zarkon got a Geass," Milly said, "That's still a giant question mark."
"And we likely won't get an answer anytime soon," C.C. spoke up, "That's clearly another mystery that won't get resolved until we get more information."
"What, are you saying we should just let that part go?" Villetta asked incredulously.
"No," C.C. said bluntly, "but the fact remains that we don't have enough intelligence to answer that question. We should simply put a pin on it for now and address it at a later time when we do have the information we need."
Lelouch sighed, "As much as I don't like it, I agree. Right now, it doesn't really matter how Zarkon got it. All we know is that he does. And besides, we still have a bigger problem. We need to figure out a way to sever Zarkon's connection to the Black Lion. Who knows what will happen if that's not dealt with. He could likely use that connection to track us."
"Okay, but how are we going to do that?" Ohgi asked.
"We've never had this situation before," Allura admitted, having calmed down enough after her brief, but much needed breakdown, "Two Paladins battling for the same Lion."
"Well, if it's not dealt with, I can only assume that Zarkon can use it to try and take control of Voltron again if he gets close enough," Guilford guessed.
"Well, if we can't sever it, the only other way I can think of is that I have to strengthen my own bond with Zen. And make it strong enough that it completely overpowers Zarkon's," Lelouch deduced.
"Okay, great!" Rivalz said, "Let's go! Let's do this!"
"No Rivalz," Lelouch shook his head just as the other Paladins were about to join in, "I don't think you, any of you, will be able to help me with this. This is something I have to do on my own."
"What?!" Suzaku gasped, "Lelouch, you can't be serious!"
"Voltron's at his strongest when we're together. There's got to be a way we can help!" Kallen added.
"Lelouch," Cornelia addressed him with a grim frown, "Allura herself just said that this has never happened before. Do you even have a plan at all?"
Lelouch chuckled humorlessly, "No, not really."
Everyone just seemed to gape at the Black Paladin before Rai managed to sputter out, "S-so you're taking a random shot in the dark? No backup plan or plan-plan at all?! Who the hell are you and what have you done with Lelouch?"
"I know that I'm going into this blind," Lelouch protested sharply, "And I know that's something I've always tried to avoid, but considering our current circumstances we don't have many options here. That doesn't change the fact that this is something that has to be done, plan or not."
There was a long silence, everyone looking at Lelouch with worry and concern, until finally, Allura broke it.
"Very well," she said reluctantly, "at least… at least be careful, whatever you are planning to do."
Lelouch smiled and nodded in relief. "Thank you."
"Hold on, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Ohgi then asked.
"Right now just continue as you were before," Lelouch instructed as he turned to exit the bridge, "tend to the wounded or rest yourselves. No matter the outcome, the reality is that this war is still far from over."
With those final words, the doors to the bridge hissed closed behind him.
AN: So... Summer's been crazy okay? I did go on vacation for about two weeks back in June, but there were several other small weekend trips and holidays to celebrate. Also, I'll admit I had a bit of a writing burnout. This was mostly due to my working on my other fic RYVAL, but if you noticed from my page, I've recently deleted the story from here and I have left the project in general. I simply found I lost interest and it was eating up all of my writing time since I tend to work mostly on weekdays, with only breaks on weekends where I'm scheduled to work on that. Overtime, I lost love for that fic, and it doesn't help that the anons continued to harass me about it on this site as well.
That doesn't mean I've lost interest in writing fanfiction in general. No, no, no. I've never lost my love for this fic, and likely won't until it's finished. I'm happy to finally devote more time to this story so I can continue with the plans I have for this story. Thank you all for your patience with dealing with my erratic update schedule.
So, as you have read, this was mostly another Voltron canon episode, but the Paladins and Black Knights have finally learned the history of Voltron, and it's a lot early than in Voltron canon. This was originally supposed to be Coran giving a brief but detailed narration then extend into whatever Lelouch will be doing with Zen, but the first part felt boring to me and I could get the details of the retelling down right. So I decided to do it the way the original episode went, and by the time I finished, the doc was already over twenty pages. Plus it was cool to write in Melenor and IronPrime's original character they came up with into this chapter, Iris. According to IronPrime she's loosely based off of Hawkgirl/Shayera from "Justice League", and is a female anthropomorphic eagle-like creature from the planet Bimoral (completely original planet as well). Hope you enjoyed her and I hope I wrote her alright, Iron.
Reference: : / www . deviantart amayensis/art/LoC-Eris-painting-414245578
Hope you all enjoyed! R&R and I'll see you next time.
