Chapter 6: Idaia
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Long, long, ago,
In a time of peace and wonder, when magic was still rampant, and fear but a footnote.
A King made a grand discovery.
Five mighty lions that yearned to protect the universe.
However, they could not do it by themselves.
A pilot was needed for each, and not just anybody could pilot them.
For you see these lions were alive, and they carefully chose their paladins.
Two lions formed the legs, the other two the arms, and the leader formed the head.
Once lion and paladins were united, they formed into the most powerful warrior ever known.
Voltron, defender of the universe.
The paladins and lions protected its inhabitants, fighting evil and bringing peace.
For phoebs, they were hailed as heroes.
And the universe prospered in this era of peace.
That all changed when the Galra attacked!
The paladins, heroes that they were fought for the peace they had brought.
But a paladin without its lion, and a lion without its paladin was naught.
The paladins lost, and the lions were scattered far, far away.
All five lions separated from each other now lie in wait.
Waiting for their paladin.
Waiting to be reunited once again.
Waiting to form Voltron.
"It's been almost 10,000 deca-phoebs since then. Some believe the lions are waiting for their paladins; ready to uphold their duty. While others believe the lions were captured or destroyed."
"What do you think?" A curious, awe filled young voice asked from where he sat. He looked at the small stage, were the shadow puppets of five paladins lay on the floor unmoving.
"I think" the voice of an older girl began. Removing the shadow puppets and closing the curtains to the small stage. "That we should get back to training!" she finished, lifting the younger boy from the ground and twirling him around the playroom.
The younger one shrieked, peals of laughter filling the room.
"But Idaia, I want to hear more about Voltron!" he whined clinging onto the older girl.
"Don't pout Lance. You'll have plenty of time to hear more about Voltron later during the celebration of Dawn." She said bopping the younger's nose "Okay?"
"Okay" Lance grumbled, sighing heavily.
Idaia snorted in amusement shaking her head just the slightest and walked out of the playroom, her brother still pouting in her arms.
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"Voltron?"
"Yes father. What do you believe happened to the lions?" Lance asked during their family lunch. His sibling's conversations came to a halt, looking between Lance and their father in slight curiosity and apprehension.
"Voltron is just a myth Lance. Really now, you shouldn't put much value in fairy tales." his father waved his hand, dismissing the notion completely.
"But father, aren't you always saying that myths have to come from somewhere?"
"Lance." Aerner, his older brother, warned.
"I'm just curious if there's any truth to it." he grumbled, looking at his plate of food in dejection.
"Why the sudden curiosity of Voltron, Lance?" his father asked.
He looked up from his plate only to meet identical pair of eyes as his. His father's piercing blue eyes stared back at him, making him feel like he was a speck of dust among the gigantic caverns that surrounded them. Lance looked down, unable to keep eye contact with his father's piercing one.
He wasn't entirely sure why asking about Voltron seemed to be a taboo. And he wasn't even sure if he believed the legend either, after all it's been thousands of deca-phoebs since the start of the war and if Voltron were real, they should've at least made an appearance by now. But, for some reason the name Voltron just called to him.
Just like mage training called to Idaia. Like the sound of battle called to Aerner.
He knew it meant something, but he didn't know what.
"I told him about the legend, Father. He's just curious is all." Idaia stepped in, a challenge in her violet eyes while staring at their father. "He is only seven turns after all. He was bound to hear about the legend one way or another."
"You two are impossible" Aerner muttered fondly from his father's right.
Their father nodded accepting the explanation. What Lance wasn't expecting was for their father to continue the topic of conversation of Voltron.
"I believe there is some truth to the legend."
"Really? You believe it?" Aerner asked in disbelief.
"Legends always have some truth in them. That doesn't mean they are entirely true, nor does it mean they are all false."
"So then, what does it actually mean?"
"That's the question, isn't it? You can choose to believe the legend if you'd like, or you can choose not to. I don't think it'll make a difference. If the legend turns out to be true those who did not believe will have to then. However; because it has been thousands of deca-phoebs since the start of the war not many believe the legend. After all, if it were true Voltron would have already made an appearance and liberated the universe from the Galra."
"What if the lions haven't found their paladins? Or what if they did but each in different deca-phoebs? And because not all of them found their paladins during the same era, those lions were unable to form Voltron?" Lance asked looking curiously at his father.
"If that is the case, that is something to put thought in. However, whether Voltron is real or not is still to be seen."
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"Lance! Lance, where are you?" Idaia called, searching for her menace of a little brother. "Oh, Lova! Have you seen Lance?"
"The brat?" Lova asked, rolling her eyes when her sister nodded "No. But, when you find him make sure to tell him Aerner is not pleased with him. He's missed training. Again." she said, walking away to the pilot simulation room.
Idaia sighed. Oh, the joys of being an elder sister. Shaking her head she began on her search of their youngest sibling once again.
Lance has been distracted recently. She had a hunch as to why, she just hoped she was wrong. Lance was young, and their young just like anyone's tended to look to the positive side of thing. She didn't want him to lose that, but in their world it was inevitable.
She wanted him to keep that spark of wonder that he had, that spark that everything will be okay no matter what. That spark of innocence, she wanted him to keep that and to never lose it. She really, really did.
She knew, however; that, that would not last. Soon enough once his training was completed, he would be sent out to do missions.
Aerner had been sent out when he was only fifteen turns, she herself hadn't been much older, Lova however was sent out just a few phoebs after her, when she had just celebrated her fourteenth turn. With how her baby brother was progressing, he would be sent out much earlier than they had ever been.
Just the thought of that made her stomach fill with dread.
It was different for them. When they had finally been sent out, they were already old enough that it was deemed acceptable. Lance on the other hand, would be deemed too young. That wouldn't change the fact that he was still going to be sent out to do missions, it was just a higher chance that he wouldn't come back alive.
Just even thinking about it made her want to hide and curl herself into a little ball as she sobbed and raged over her youngest brother.
She wasn't a warrior like Aerner and Lova, she was a healer mage. She hated anything to do with violence. She liked helping people. She didn't destroy, she fixed and mended and gave back life to those who almost lost it. She liked the feeling of bringing back their joy.
She knew her father didn't like it. He expected all his children to be warriors, to lay down their lives for others, to be selfless in the face of adversary, to rage, to avenge their people, to cut down their enemies left and right, to fight fire with fire.
All she wanted was just to be selfish.
She didn't want to be selfless. This war kept going on and on, and it will probably keep going on for another hundred deca-phoebs.
Idaia didn't care what that worrying thought made her; all she cared was for her family to stop fighting. The amount of people that were fighting for freedom were just a handful when compared to the Galra empire and all its warriors.
At the moment, they were safe. They were not in Zarkon's radar, they were hidden, and they were free. And sure, maybe that wouldn't last but, just for one dobosh she just wanted to pretend there was no fighting, no missions, no training, no war. Just peace and her family.
Maybe this made her a bad person. Horrible, even. But she saw no end to this war. Nothing could end it short of a miracle.
"Idaia?"
Snapping out of her thoughts she looked towards the person that had called her.
"Lance!" she half-shouted in exasperation, pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind. "I've been looking for you! Where were you?"
"You must've been looking hard enough." Lance said cheekily, shoving a book at her face. "I was in the library."
Idaia took the book from Lance's hands and read the title, Myths & Legends: Reality or Imagination.
"Lance-"
"Don't. I already hear enough from Father and Lova. I don't need you to tell me as well how childish it is to believe in the legend of Voltron." he said harshly, taking the book out of her hands and turning away from her.
Her hunch had been correct then. He was still hung up on Voltron.
She sighed.
"You are still a child Lance. You can be as childish as you want."
She saw Lance peeking at her before turning around and grinning widely at her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away, chatting her ear off, of all he had learned concerning Voltron and the start of the war (which wasn't much). She let herself be pulled, letting Lance's excitable chatter wash over her as she looked at the sparkle of innocence and excitement present in his blue eyes.
Yes. She hoped that spark never left.
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Lance was the youngest of them all to finally be sent out on missions. When he turned eleven turns, he was deemed good enough to be sent out to his first field mission.
Idaia was antsy for that whole movement. She wasn't able to focus on her tasks, it came to a point where Aerner had to come and talk some sense in her. It didn't help it just made her more anxious.
She was only able to relax fully when Lance returned. She had checked him first for any injuries, when everything came back positive, she hugged him tightly. His presence chasing the morbid and depressing thoughts away.
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"Idaia, I'll be fine its only a transport mission."
"But I have a really bad feeling, Lance."
"I'll be fine, I swear. Besides there's no way I'm missing your Mastery ceremony; I would be the worst brother ever if I did." he grinned, looking at her through mischievous eyes.
Idaia sighed and nodded, hugging her brother tightly and pouring all of her feelings in the hug. Her fear of losing him, the anxiety whenever he leaves, her unending love, her well wishes for a safe mission. He hugged her back just as tightly.
"Stay safe Lance. May the Stars guide you in your journey." She recited when they separated from the hug and brought down his head, so she was able to touch his middle diamond crystal with her own. It wasn't fair that he was taller than her now.
"Lance! Time to go!" they heard Teylan shout from the hangar.
Idaia stepped away and Lance squeezed her hand one more time before turning around and making his way to the cargo ship assigned to him.
She didn't know why, but she felt like this was the last time she was going to see him. Like this was goodbye. Her heart ached at just the thought of it.
She hoped that for once she was wrong, and he would come back.
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"The transport mission was a failure. All cargo ships were destroyed, no pilots survived."
Idaia's world shattered.
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AN: Three chapters back to back? What is this Christmas? I KNOW I'VE BEEN GONE FOR A WHILE, TRUST ME I KNOW! When I first started this fic it was just to pass the time and get rid of my boredom. It also wasn't the only fic I was writing, the others that I've written are in my drafts in a folder that will never see the light of day. They're all for different fandoms too, and some crossovers as well, maybe one day i'll post them but that day will not be today.
To recap yes Sendak got control of the castle still, except Coran wasn't in the control room so he was fine. Shiro ended up not going toe to toe with Sendak, because he is evil and instead of threatening him with Lance it was the Arusians instead. After that everything went as in Canon, except there was no lucky shot from Lance, and Keith was able to fend off Sendak while Allura got the cage/prison ready.
Lance appearance! His anatomy is the same as the Alteans with pointy long ears, except without the face markings! Instead he has three diamonds in his forehead. The biggest one being the middle one with the other two being smaller and to the side of the middle diamond. He still looks like Lance in Canon, just with those slight alterations. So nothing major!
As for this chapter, honestly I had something else planned. The paladins finally were going to discover the quintessence and Haggar's goons (my brain is fried right now so I forgot what they're called). But that chapter never went like I wanted to and I was always getting stuck, so I started a new one and Idaia wanted to be the main character today. I have no idea why or how this came to be I'm just as surprised as you guys, but I like it!
If I didn't give more information on Lance's background that's because that was done on purpose. Even giving you guys Lance sibling's name is too much information for my liking so I kept everything else to the bare minimum, I'm pretty sure others can guess Lance's background but I will not be approving or denying anything!
As for Lance's siblings: From oldest to youngest,
Aerner (Aiir-ner) the e is basically like an I, you just have to elongate the I for like a second. This name is form German descent which means Warrior or Protector. He is ten years older than Lance. Currently, he is twenty-seven turns (years).
Idaia (ida-ya) the ia makes a ya sound. This name is from Greek origins which means "she who came from Ida" or "Who lives on Ida" it refers to the Mount Ida. According to Greek Mythology Mount Ida is the highest summit sacred to the Goddess Rhea "the mother of Gods" where there lies the Idaean cave where baby Zeus was concealed from Cronus. The name is also associated with a mountain nymph. She is nine years older than Lance. She is twenty-six turns.
Lova (lo-va) This name is derived from Swedish. It is the shortened version of Lovisa which means "famous warrior." she is eight years older than Lance. She is twenty-five turns.
And then we have Lance! He is the youngest of his siblings. With him being seventeen turns.
A turn if you haven't realized are years. I just typed it in without thinking and it kind of stuck. It makes sense though because in order to reach a year, earth does a whole spin/turn around the sun.
Let me know if you guys have any questions! Please leave some constructive criticism!