The Rise of Voltron: Season 1: Chapter 3 - Heart of the Balmera

Dawn on Planet Arus was a stunning sight. Warm sunlight shimmered over the rippling ocean into a broad inlet and illuminated the aging Castle of Lions. Within the great keep, sounds of waking filled the halls as its new occupants made their way blearily to the dining room. Hunk was the primary culprit, his yawns and gurgling stomach mixing into the grumbling of a bear. He wobbled to the long table, his eyes barely open, and flopped into the seat between Lance and Pidge. They, too, looked exhausted, though it didn’t stop the latter from blinding himself with his laptop. Across from them, Keith and Shiro showed far more alertness, having woken up well before the others.

“Please tell me there’s something to eat,” moaned Hunk, his rumbling reaching a greater volume than should’ve been possible.

“Fear not, young Paladins,” Coran’s chipper voice rang out as he entered with the princess, “I have just the thing to perk you right up.”

He snapped his fingers, and from behind him floated six dinner plates. The Earthlings leaned forward in their chairs as Allura took her seat, anticipation growing as breakfast hovered over their heads for a moment, then lowered to the table.

All smiles swiftly vanished. Heaped on each plate was a strange green, blobby substance.

“Coran…” said Lance, utterly deflated, “what is this?”

“Food goo,” he replied as he handed out utensils.

Beside him, Allura had already begun eating, nary the slightest hint of a grimace marring her elegantly poised composure. Looking at his own plate, Hunk cautiously leaned down, sniffed the goo, and immediately pulled away, pinching his nose.

“Ulgh, it smells disgusting!” he cried, his face on its way to matching its color as a different kind of gurgling overtook his stomach.

“That is how you know it is healthy!” said Coran, seemingly oblivious. “I made certain to pack as many vitamins and nutrients in it as I could. Ooh, and I also have another, even better surprise coming, so don’t fill up too much on the first course!”

Lance poked his goo with his spork, mumbling, “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

Pidge quietly shrank behind his laptop while Hunk groaned. “I miss Earth food.”

“Come on, guys,” Shiro said with something of a strained smile, noticing a growing scowl on Allura’s face. “We should be grateful to Coran for making us breakfast, even if it isn’t what we’re used to. We’re living in space now. There are some things we’re just gonna have to adapt to.”

As the others looked back to their food goo mournfully, he mentally added, ‘Even if some of those changes include eating something that smells like cilantro and burnt rubber.’

“Eh, it’s not that bad,” said Keith.

His fellow teenagers watched, thoroughly disturbed, as he easily downed half his plate. Hesitantly, Shiro took his spork, scooped up a small glob, and before he could stop himself, shoved it into his mouth. The others waited with baited breath as he swished it around a little and swallowed.

He then smacked a few times and tentatively said, “I could get used to it.”

Glancing at each other, the young trio followed his lead, doing their best to not gag, though Hunk couldn’t stop the pinprick tears.

If Coran was at all offended, he did an excellent job of hiding it. “Wonderful. Now, as we are short on time, allow me to explain where you will be headed to today.”

With a wave of his hand, the same hologram from the previous night appeared, spinning lazily over the table.

“Wow, so those can just show up anywhere, huh?” Hunk muttered, the bitter taste of his food forgotten. Mostly.

“This is a Balmera,” Coran went on, gesturing to the display as it shifted to reflect his words. “You see, while these gargantuans may look like planets, they’re really living, petrified creatures so impossibly large that various debris became caught in their gravity and solidified around their bodies over a great many centuries. The Balmerans who live on them vary in appearance and culture from world to world, but are generally a kind and welcoming bunch. Their expertise will be invaluable in finding the Yellow Lion and a new crystal for the castle. As luck would have it, this particular one from Lance’s vision” — the teen puffed up at the roundabout compliment  —“is relatively nearby. It should only take about half a varga to get there.”

Leaning over to Hunk, Lance whispered, “Is that like half an hour?”

“You’re asking me?” he replied.

“So, are the crystals part of the solidified debris?” asked Pidge, raising his hand.

The hologram shifted again. “Actually, these majestic creatures naturally create them from their bodies due to their high levels of quintessence. Since their discovery, they have been used to power many Altean ships, as well as a variety of other machines.”

Hunk eyed the image. “You know, you guys really have a way of making things sound like they’re gonna be fine, but you did that with the Galra ship and we almost died, so…”

“Relax, Hunk,” said Lance, waving a dismissive hand. “If anything goes sideways, me and Blue’ll just do our thing and we’ll be home free.”

“You mean the thing where you fire randomly until something sticks?” Pidge deadpanned, much to his friend’s chagrin.

“We should be more cautious than that,” said Keith. “Without a decent map of the Empire, we have no way of knowing where they’ll be or how strong their numbers are. We could be walking into a firefight.”

‘Oh, thank goodness! I’m not the only sane one here!’ thought Hunk, a kernel of hope blooming in his chest.

“But if anything goes wrong, we can blow the place up.”

‘And goodbye sanity. I forgot this is the guy who drove us off a cliff.’

“Absolutely not!” said Allura, startling the group as she stood with a stern expression. “Balmera are both intelligent and very much aware creatures, and as such they are not to be harmed in any manner, is that clear?”

Shaky nods came from most of the Earthlings; Keith’s was far smaller, his arms crossed.

Taking a breath, she continued, “I understand the risks, but without a new crystal we will be unable to defend or repair the castle, and my father’s aqlamyra will be lost.”

“She’s right,” said Shiro, standing as well. “The need for that crystal and the Lion outweigh the danger. We’ll head out in twenty-five. In the meantime, we should go over our gear and make sure we have everything we need.”

“Speaking of which,” said Coran, a glint in his eye, “you’ll need a change of clothes. Follow me.”

While the others headed out, Hunk hung back at the table. He fiddled with the spork in his mouth, debating if he could talk them into letting him stay behind to help with repairs or something. The counterargument would be that he didn’t know anything about Altean engineering, which he very much didn’t. Plus, Lance wouldn’t let him “miss out on the fun” so easily. With a defeated grunt, he set his spork on his plate as it rose to follow Coran, and then he walked after the group.

They soon arrived at the same armory they’d gotten their weapons from the day before, only for the Alteans to walk deeper. Coran beckoned them with a sly finger. Through a door at the far wall, they came to a second room, the lights coming alive at their approach. Along the far wall hung five matching suits of white armor preserved in containment tubes. An odd aura surrounded them, as if they were watching the strangers who had disturbed their slumber.

“The armor of the Paladins,” said Coran with a flourishing sweep of his arm. “Since we don’t know which Lion you will each be bonded to, I took the liberty of resetting their colors.”

Hunk walked up to one and held out his hands at its waist, then measured it against his own. It was about half his size.

“Uh, I think I’m gonna need something a little bigger,” he said sheepishly.

“Not to worry, my lad,” Coran replied, patting his shoulder. “Altean clothing is designed to be malleable. The suit will adjust to your size as you put it on, and once you bond with a Lion, it will gain its color.”

“You mean like this?”

Everyone turned to see Lance flexing and posing in his new armor, a deep blue matching his Lion, highlighting the ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and the upper half of the helmet, with a V-shaped pattern on the breastplate.

Pidge blinked at him. “How did you do that so fast?”

“A quick-change master never reveals his secrets,” Lance replied haughtily.

“Getting out of dirty clothes so his mom wouldn’t know he’d been messing around in the neighbor’s yard again.”

“Oh, come on, Hunk!”

The big guy shrugged unapologetically as Coran clapped twice. “No time for dawdling, you lot. Let’s see how you look!”

“You heard him, cadets,” said Shiro. “It’s time to suit up.”

Thankfully, they were provided separate rooms to change and, piece by piece, donned the armor. True to the advisor’s word, it expanded the moment Hunk slipped it on, molding to his frame perfectly, as did Pidge’s. Both were greatly relieved to not have to battle ill-fitting uniforms like they had back at the Garrison. When they reconvened, it was as if they were a brigade of knights meeting for the first time.

“Oh-ho, I knew they would be brilliant on you!” said Coran, darting around the five excitedly.

Keith tapped a vambrace, the tack tack sound somewhere between plastic and metal. ‘Lightweight, yet durable.’

Across from him, while admiring himself in a holo-mirror, Lance noticed the protruding, blocky V-shape on the back of his breastplate. “Hey, Coran, what’s with these things?”

“Ah, those are your booster packs,” he replied. “Get you out of some tight spots, those will, and they’re quite invaluable for navigating through space, should you need to be outside your Lions.”

Pidge hummed as his helmet’s heads-up display (or HUD) came online. “A lot of these functions look like what I saw on the gendopics.”

“Right you are, Number Five.” Suddenly, Coran was bent over next to the kid, measuring him with one arm at the ground and the other at his head. “I’m ranking you by height, see.” Pidge’s glare made him straighten. “Your gauntlets have all the same capabilities as your gendopics, plus more, which are then linked to your helmets.”

“What’s the ‘more’?” asked Shiro.

“I shall explain in a moment. For now, let us see about weapons,” Coran replied  and swept his arm toward the door.

While the Earthlings returned to the main armory, he hung back and grabbed something else. He paused for a moment, stroking the V-like symbol of deep gold atop the rectangular container forlornly, pausing on the pentagonal notch in its center: the seal of the Paladins. Taking a breath, he pushed the hovering case through the doorway toward the group, capturing their attention.

A touch of Coran’s hand caused the symbol to light up bright blue, then the cover slid apart, revealing four color-coded objects; handles connected to prong-like guards on either end. “These are bayards, the weapons of the Paladins of Voltron, gifts of the Lions themselves. Each one takes a unique form depending on the strengths of the wielder. Unfortunately, I can present only one of you with his today, but I look forward to the rest.”

He smiled and nodded to Lance, whose eyes were glued to the box as he dropped the Altean gun he’d been messing with. Wiggling his fingers in anticipation, he picked up the blue bayard and held it up to his face. A bright glow enveloped the weapon, and in an instant, it transformed into a custom blaster rifle. He laughed and pointed it around excitedly as the others stared in wonder. Drawing closer, Keith looked over the remaining bayards.

“Where’s the black one?” he asked.

An odd stiffness came over Coran. “Ah, well, you see—”

“It was lost with its Paladin.”

Surprise filled the air. Allura stepped out of a changing room wearing her own set of Paladin armor, her hair pulled back into a large bun and her helmet tucked under her arm.

“Princess?” Coran asked, stepping forward.

“My father said it himself. We do not yet know the exact purpose of these five’s presence,” she replied matter-of-factly, glancing at the Earthlings. “They may be chosen, but that is for the Lions to decide. Thus, we must all present ourselves to them.”

“Hey, I’ve got no objections to being joined by a lovely lady.” Lance gave an exaggerated side bow complete with a suggestive grin. The others rolled their eyes.

“I suppose…” Coran began slowly, wringing his hands, “you will be needed for this mission, regardless…”

“Precisely. Now let us stop dawdling,” said Allura, donning her helmet and heading off to do just that.

After a moment of exchanging glances, the Earthlings followed suit, taking pistols and blasters as needed. Seeing as it worked well last time, Keith opted to take a sword again. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the princess grab a staff and shrink it to more of a baton size before putting it in her suit’s energy storage.

‘So she can fight. Question is, how well? As for the others—’

Loud clattering drew his attention to Pidge who was struggling to wield a much-too-big-for-him gun. In an attempt to steady it, he flung it upwards, right into Hunk’s face, who shrieked and ducked as the kid began tipping backward. Firm hands caught him and the blaster.

“Maybe just stick with a pistol?” said Keith, pushing Pidge upright and taking the gun.

“Yeah, okay,” he replied flatly.

Hunk sighed as he got up. “Thanks, Keith. That was a close one.”

“It wasn’t charged. You would’ve been fine.”

“Oh. Right.” Rather dumbly, he watched Keith return the gun to its rack.

‘Wow,’ thought Hunk. ‘He wasn’t even looking at first, but he reacted so fast and calm. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised — I mean, he was the top fighter pilot cadet at the Garrison for a reason. Takes a certain type of person to do that.’ His eyes trailed over the others as they handled alien weaponry and prepped for a mission on another planet like it was nothing. ‘Takes a certain type of person to do any of this.’

It had been a niggling sense in the pit of Hunk’s stomach ever since their little adventure started; now he was sure. They were the heroes; he was the sidekick.

With gear packed and weapons locked and loaded, they piled into the Blue Lion, though it was a bit snug for all six. Once they were secure, she stood with a meow-like noise and shook her head a little, as if ruffling her fur.

“Whoa, someone’s excited,” Lance laughed, the harness fastening itself. “Looking forward to seeing Yellow again?”

She gave a happy purr and wasted no time launching.

“Alright,” said Coran over the comms, “I sent all the information we have on Balmera physiology to the Lion, just in case. In the meantime, I will see if there are any repair drones still functioning. Crack a squizzle out there! And be safe.”

Hunk stared at the screen as it disconnected. “I’d rather not crack anything, please.”

“I’m guessing it’s like ‘break a leg’,” said Pidge.

“I don’t wanna do that either.”

A slight jolt ran through Blue as she jumped into slip-space. With nothing to do for roughly the next half hour, the six got comfortable. For most of the trip, they kept to themselves, with Lance’s humming or Pidge's tapping away at his gauntlet’s holo-screen being the only occasional sounds. After a while, though, Hunk’s nervous foot joined them from the floor. He was staring off into space with an almost constipated look.

“So, wh-what exactly is the plan?” he eventually asked. “I mean, like, if there are Galra, what are we thinking, just roll up and start blasting? Or do we land and make some sort of announcement, like, ‘Attention, Galras, this is Voltron, turn yourselves in!?’” He glanced around. “It’s blasting, right?”

“Hunk. Calm down,” Keith replied, motioning with his hands. “And yes, blasting.”

“Do those hideous ears of yours keep you Earthlings from hearing?” said Allura snappishly. “I told you, the Balmera is not to be harmed.”

“So we won’t hit it, problem solved,” muttered Pidge, really only half listening.

She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes just as Shiro spoke up. “If there's trouble, we’ll find another way to deal with it. You have my word.”

That seemed to end the discussion, until Keith abruptly asked, “So why exactly do we need you?”

“Excuse me?” said Allura, placing her hands on her hips and standing straighter.

“Dude, you can’t talk to a lady like that!” Lance called, twisting around in his seat to glare.

“I’m asking a question,” replied Keith, a hint of confusion in his voice, then turned back to her. “In the armory, Coran said we’d ‘need you for this mission regardless’. Why is that?”

‘Hmph. So he is more blunt than pointed, it seems,’ Allura mused. ‘Still, he should strive to have at least some tact.’

Settling against a side console, she answered, “Because I am the only one here who knows how to properly extract a crystal.”

“Extract?” Hunk repeated.

“Of course. What, do you think they are merely lying about?” Her patronizing brow made him shrink in on himself. “The crystals are created from the Balmera’s very body. To remove one requires an equal exchange of quintessence using a sacred ritual.”

Pidge glanced up with a dubious expression.

“You sure know a lot about these guys, Princess,” said Lance, shifting to see her better. “Come here often?”

Pidge elbowed the back of the seat.

“No. But I have been to one before with my parents and Coran.” Allura’s voice grew wistful. “I shall never forget the first time I saw the sparkling surface stretching beyond the horizon.”

“It sounds beautiful,” said Shiro.

“Indeed.”

“Yeah, no, that sounds great,” Hunk jumped in, “but are you sure there’s nothing dangerous down there? Like, you know, huge monsters or something? Or what if the Balmerans aren’t really friendly and they kidnap us and try to eat us?!”

The others looked at him, concerned and slightly disturbed, as he trembled.

“Your ability to come up with the absolute worst case scenario is impressive,” Keith dryly said.

“Would you relax, Hunk?” said Lance. “We already survived infiltrating a Galra warship. How bad can this be?”

A beep from the dashboard drew all of their attention, and they gathered around the pilot’s seat as the Blue Lion exited slip-space. She boosted toward the Balmera with a twirl, her excitement growing, but once they breached the atmosphere and layers of swirling clouds, it vanished. Rather than warm brown soil covered in shimmering blue like Coran had showed them, the planet’s surface was a sickly yellow and completely barren — save for the Galra buildings and machinery cutting into it.

“No,” Allura breathed. “They turned it into a mining colony. Those monsters are destroying the poor creature!”

“Okay. That’s bad,” Lance said nervously.

“I take it back,” said Keith. “This is the worst case scenario.”

Alarms started blaring. A red dot popped up behind them on the radar.

“We’ve been spotted!” Pidge cried.

“Hang on!” Lance yanked the controls back, reversing thrust past the fighter.

Hunk screamed as Blue spun around and flew away with a burst of speed, dodging laser fire as she went. With a quick blast from her tail, the ship went down, but the threat of more finding them kept her moving.

Scanning the ground, Shiro pointed and called out, “There! Head for that hole!”

“Ten-four!”

Blue pivoted into a straight dive toward it. The screaming intensified as they flew down farther and farther. And farther. And farther…

Hunk’s voice faded and he looked around. “How deep is this thing?”

Lance shrugged just before Blue jolted with a loud CLANG. Turning on the headlights in her eyes revealed metal walkways crisscrossing the tunnel, one of which they'd just hit. Knocked off balance, the Lion tumbled through the air, slamming into more. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Her pilot pulled back as hard as he could, straightening her out just in time to keep her from completely crashing into the ground, though she still landed on her belly.

Letting out a hearty sigh as the others moaned, Lance asked, “You okay, Blue?”

A moaning rumble as she sat up seemed to say she was alright, though a little worse for wear. Only the faintest rays of sun illuminated the depths of the crater, making it difficult to see anything beyond Blue’s lights. She lowered her head and allowed her passengers to step outside, then straightened and activated her particle barrier, providing a more omnidirectional glow.

Hunk’s steps shook as he followed his teammates further into the darkness. Dozens of tunnels lined the walls, leading to Heaven-knew-where with Heaven-knew-what waiting for them, each level connected by simple elevator platforms. His eyes darted to every spec and shadow, until one caught his attention.

“Uhh, g-g-guys?” he stuttered, pointing a trembling finger. “W-What’s that?”

Turning, they saw it: two pairs of yellow eyes shining in the darkness. Instantly, weapons were raised, causing one of the figures to move in front of the other.

“Stop!” a female voice called out. “Please, we mean no harm.”

The six looked at each other in surprise, their postures relaxing a little. Taking it as a good sign, the second figure walked forward, followed closely by the first. As they stepped into the wider cavern, the glow of Blue’s barrier revealed a pair of aliens not much bigger than Humans with rough grey, stone-like skin, hard caps in place of hair, and wide cones on either side of their heads. The first Balmeran — likely male — sported short horns on the corners of his head and jaw, while white rings hung from the cones of the second.

“Wait a minute, you’re not Galra,” said Hunk. He and the others lowered their blasters.

“Nor are you,” the female replied in awe.

The roar of a fighter ship abruptly echoed into the cavern, startling those inside.

“They’re looking for us,” said Shiro as the sound faded, a bit of sweat on his brow. “We’re too deep to be seen from above, but if they start searching the craters, we’re toast.”

The male Balmeran turned to the female, saying, “Shay, we must take leave of these ones now.”

“Wait, I beg you,” called Allura, stowing her rifle and stepping forward. “Noble Balmerans, we need your aid. I am Princess Allura of planet Altea. My castle is badly damaged, and if we cannot repair it, the Galra will surely destroy us.”

“Or torture us,” Lance added.

“Or turn us into some sort of freaky science experiment,” Pidge chimed in.

“Not our problem, tiny thing,” the male replied tersely. “Galra see us near you, and they kill both you and us.”

“Tiny!?”

Shiro grabbed Pidge and slapped a hand over his mouth before he could do anything rash.

Ignoring them, the Balmeran turned away and beckoned to his comrade. “Shay, exeunt.”

“No,” she said. “For countless decaphoebs, we have seen only Galra, yet this day we are visited by skylings. And look what they have brought.” She gazed at the Blue Lion in wonder, and while her companion remained guarded, it was clear he felt the same way. “We cannot turn our backs on them.”

He looked from her to the Lion, then to the strangers, and back again, a silent debate on his face. Finally, he growled, “Vex. This way.”

He turned and headed into the tunnel, Shay smiling and beckoning to the six, who were quick to follow.

Tiny, scattered gems shone dimly along the path, causing every shadow to seem just a bit too lifelike for Hunk’s taste. He’d already jumped at nothing a few times when Shay slunk closer, her stubby tail swishing back and forth.

“Hello,” she said, her soft voice a welcome distraction. “I am called Shay. This one, my brother, Rax.”

“Uh, hi. I’m Hunk,” he replied. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. How did you fall to us?”

“Well, the falling part was mostly Lance—”

“Hey!”

Shay hid a giggle behind her hand.

“But we came here looking for something,” Hunk continued. “A crystal.”

Rax let out huff. “Why do I have no surprise?”

The teen shrank in on himself and looked at the floor.

“Rax!” Shay whisper-yelled, then turned back to Hunk with a nervous smile. “I apologize. We are not accustomed to having skylings in our home.”

“It’s okay,” he replied, doing his best to smile as well, “I get it. Evil overlords and all that. Speaking of which, are you sure we’re safe down here?”

Sadness entered the young Balmeran’s expression. “Yes. The Galra rarely come this deep, at least not anymore. Grandmother told me they took all crystals from below first, the largest ones. Now they strip the upper levels, and without time to replenish her strength, our Balmera crumbles around us. It is no wonder we can feel her suffering.” Shay ran her hand along the wall; a dim glow of blue trailed after. From it came a tired, whale-like call. She could bear to hear it only a moment before wrapping her arms around herself.

Hunk’s tongue felt like lead in his mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

“It isn’t your fault,” she murmured, doing her best to smile.

He could barely return it. No one really felt like talking after that.

A short while later, they arrived in a wide Gathering Chamber where a large bonfire was crackling, the only true source of light and warmth. A few Balmerans milled about, speaking quietly amongst themselves until they noticed the newcomers. They backed away fearfully, grabbing their children and ducking into side rooms. Shay motioned for the skylings to wait while she and Rax walked to the group nearest to the fire; a small gathering of elders. They whispered back and forth for a minute, glancing at the six occasionally. Eventually, an old woman stepped forward.

“Welcome, strangers,” she said warmly and gestured to the flat stones around her. “We were just about to eat. Please, sit.”

“Oh, thank you,” Hunk sighed. “I am so hungry.”

Taking off and storing their helmets, they sat across from the other two elder Balmerans while the woman began ladling soup from a crude pot hanging over the fire. She handed the bowls to Shay, and she in turn passed them out. Hunk took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the taste.

“This is delicious,” he said around his full mouth before swallowing. “Are there potatoes in here?”

“Grandmother’s specialty,” Shay replied as she took her seat. “Cave root for the skin, cave bugs for the soul.”

Hunk paused mid-swallow. Desperately trying to not be rude, he forced it down with as small a grimace as he could while Lance and Pidge discreetly held their bowls away from their mouths.

“Oh. Thank you for the bugs,” said Allura, managing to be only slightly awkward.

“First food goo and now bug soup?” Lance muttered.

As one, the group’s eyes widened and they turned to Keith, who was happily munching away, a leg sticking out of his mouth.

“What?” he asked, taking another swig.

Shaking his head briefly, Shiro returned his attention to the elders. “So, how many of you are down here?”

“Thousands,” the man with a broken horn replied sullenly. “We work and live in these mines, harvesting the crystals that Galra demand.”

Realization hit Hunk like a truck. ‘They’re…slaves. They’re being forced to kill their home.’

“And now these ones demand,” said Rax from his place off to the side.

“Rax, please,” Shay whispered.

“I assure you,” said Allura, placing a hand over her heart, “unlike the Galra, we intend to make a full exchange.”

“Be that as it may, I’m afraid we cannot help you,” the older woman replied. “Though patrols have lessened in recent phoebs, they are far from vanished. If we are caught helping you, all Balmera will suffer for it. Even speaking to you now is a great risk.”

“I deeply apologize for the position this has put you all in, but the sooner we find what we need, the safer everyone will be. We are looking for a battleship-class crystal.”

“Battleship-class?” said the man, gasps trickling through the crowd. “Those are most rare. Galra soldiers guard them ceaselessly until their harvest. We will be found out for certain.”

Shiro held up a calming hand. “We don’t need escorts, just directions. We can take care of the rest.”

Rax stepped forward. “All battleship-class crystals have been found and taken. What you seek is gone.”

Like a stone, Hunk’s heart dropped into his shoes. Coming here had been for nothing, then.

“Not yet,” said Shay tentatively. “There is one, discovered only quintants ago. It has yet to be fully excavated. If you hurry, you may be able to—”

“Quiet!” snapped Rax, looking more furious than ever. The two elders seemed displeased as well. “Even if they could steal the crystal, battle patrols lie in wait to destroy their ship. These ones have no chance of getting out of here alive, with crystal or without.”

Lance leaned back with his hands behind his head and cocky smirk. “Tell that to the Galra battlecruiser we blew up.”

Shock rang through the cavern.

“Truly?” the man breathed, leaning forward. “You have fought Galra…and won?”

“Just yesterday, actually,” Pidge replied nonchalantly.

‘Mostly through sheer luck,’ Keith mentally added.

Shay leapt from her seat and grabbed her gaping brother in a side hug, shaking him as she shrieked, “Didn’t I tell you, Rax? Didn’t I tell you? I knew it!”

“Then what my granddaughter spoke of the Lion is true,” said the grandmother, a wistful gleam in her eyes as she stepped closer to the six. “Voltron has returned.”

Wonder and disbelief filled the Balmerans’ faces, a few of them daring to draw near as they whispered, and children peeked around their parents to glimpse the supposed warriors. Like a tiny spark, something shifted in Hunk’s chest, making it feel oddly light. He smiled at one of the kids, and shyly, they smiled back.

Shaking his head to clear it of stupor, and forcibly detaching his sister, Rax said, “T-That is not possible. Voltron is a mere child’s tale. And even if it were not, Galra would tear our families asunder if they found these ones. The only way we have ever survived is by staying out of trouble.”

And just like that, doubt returned, silencing the hopeful murmurs and washing away Hunk’s smile. The elders exchanged glances before the man slowly said, “We require time to discuss this matter.”

“Of course,” Allura replied.

The two groups stood, the elders of the small community retreating into a back room while the skylings gathered in an empty corner.

“Why aren’t we asking about the Yellow Lion?” Lance whispered. “Isn’t that half the reason we came here?”

“They’re already taking a risk just by talking to us. If we involve them any more and the Galra find out, they’ll be worse off than the Balmera,” said Keith.

“Plus it’s supposedly near this Balmera thing’s heart, which I would not let anyone get near if I were them,” added Pidge.

“Well, maybe we shouldn’t go after it at all?” Disbelieving eyes centered on Hunk. “I-I mean, we’re kinda putting these peoples’ lives at risk just to get the crystal, so maybe we should just stick to getting that. Something’s better than nothing, right?”

“Not in this case,” said Shiro, appearing more weathered than usual. “Even if we managed to leave, the Galra will step up security and we’ll never be able to get to it. If we don’t get this Lion today, the rest will be lost for good. Unfortunately, for now, all we can do is wait.”

“Of course, not everyone is meant to be a Paladin,” said Allura with cold formality. “If you are not committed to being here, feel free to return to the Blue Lion and wait there.”

A deep dread filled Hunk at the thought of sitting alone in the only place the Galra could see from the surface. “No, no, I-I’m good. I’ll stay.”

Glumly, he turned away, and the group dispersed to find places to sit. Allura watched him go with a scrutinizing glare, one he could feel boring into his back — another notch in his belt of failures. He really was just the sidekick.

———————————

Somewhere in another solar system, a squadron of Galra fighter ships swept over the last section of a desolate planet. Their scan complete, they headed back to their battlecruiser and transmitted the data.

Upon seeing it, Haxus slammed his fist into another console. “Blast it all! Not a single sign of wreckage anywhere! Just how far did that fool go?!”

While he ranted on, Sendak drummed his claws against his cybernetic arm. It seemed Je’nok’s habit of getting in over his head had finally caught up to him. At the very least, his incompetence had narrowed the search area to his route, but it was still dozens of worlds, and not a clue had been found.

The general’s ears tilted back further and further as his subordinate’s voice grew louder. He ground his teeth, a vein bulging on his forehead as the last vestiges of patience left him, and turned with a sharp yell, saying, “If you don’t shut your mouth in the next three tics, I will throw you out an airlock!”

Haxus flinched and snapped his mouth closed. Just then an alert drew the pair’s attention to the main screen.

“Sir, we are picking up an urgent communique from Balmera X-95-Vox,” a sentry reported, pulling up an image of the planet. “The Blue Lion has been sighted entering the atmosphere.”

“Finally!” Haxus cried, hurrying to the front of the upper command deck. “Order the fleet to set course! If we hurry, we can—”

“No,” said Sendak as he held up his hand. “If they’re on a Balmera, they must require a crystal for their base. It must be crushed before it’s properly powered. You will take a transport and join the forces already there while we continue the search.”

Haxus almost wanted to argue, but the thought of capturing a Lion on his own filled him with a thrill like no other. “Vrepit Sa.”

With a hasty salute, he headed out. Sendak could only hope this put an end to the bellyaching.

———————————

Quiet chatter filtered through the cavern as the small crowd watched every move their guests made. Hunk was more than happy to stay out of the way of those looks, keeping to himself in a small corner, sitting on the lip of a staggered wall. He chipped away small pebbles from the jagged rock and flicked them as far as he could. It wasn’t very far. Casting a look around the room, he spotted Shay walking toward him. She waved gingerly. He waved back.

Sitting next to him on the bench-like stone, she said, “I am sorry for Rax. He can be…protective.”

“Hey, no, I totally get it,” Hunk replied. “You guys gotta look out for your own. If anything, I should be apologizing. I never wanted to cause so much trouble.”

“You are looking out for your own as well. That is nothing to apologize for.”

He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. It was an expression the young Balmeran was much too familiar with, and it made her face fall.

A tired silence fell over them for a few seconds, then Shay perked up. “If I may ask, what is the sky like?”

“The sky?” echoed Hunk, blinking to attention. “You seriously have never even seen the sky?”

“No,” she replied, a hint of gloom returning. She quickly banished it and crawled up onto a higher ledge of the wall. “But at night I sneak up as high as I dare, trying to imagine what it is like. Oh, lucky are you to fly with the Great Beasts to worlds far from here.”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can be free, too,” he said.

“Free?” Shay repeated at length, as if the word were foreign to her.

“Yeah, free. It means you can do what you want when you want. You could see the sky. You don’t have to mine for the Galra your whole life.”

“I-It makes no sense. The Dread Lord controls all.”

“Dread Lord? Oh, you mean Zar—”

“Silence!” Hunk’s head snapped around to see Rax stomping toward him. He loomed over the teenager with his worst scowl yet. “Do you wish to bring calamity upon us? Do not speak his name!”

“None have spoken it and lived,” said Shay, a touch pale.

“I-I’m sorry, I—”

“And stop filling this one’s head with your shadow show,” said Rax. “The cavern is our home. This will never change. Come.”

He grabbed his sister’s hand and pulled her down from the ledge toward one of the side rooms. Hunk and Shay’s eyes locked as he watched them go, a growing ache in his heart. To not have even a concept of freedom… They had to help these people. He wasn’t sure how or if it was even possible, but remembering the way their faces lit up at Voltron’s name, something told him it might be.

The sight of the elders returning diverted his attention, and he hurried to rejoin his teammates near the bonfire. In the corner, he noticed Rax and Shay stepping out to watch alongside the rest of the Balmerans.

Clearing his throat, the male Balmeran from before said, “We have agreed to provide you with directions to the crystal, but no more.”

“Thank you,” said Shiro with a small bow as Hunk sighed in relief. “You have my word, we’ll—”

“Father, we cannot!” Rax bellowed, marching forward. “These ones bring death with them! To help them in any way is to condemn our people!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow your roll there, Rocky, we—”

A deep, deafening, whale-like howl cut Lance off as the cave shook. Balmerans screamed and scrambled out of the way of small boulders crumbling from the ceiling, some smashing clay pots and baskets of food left and right. As quickly as it started, the earthquake stopped. Slowly, people came out from where they had cowered, watching for any more debris.

Rax’s eyes, however, were focused solely on the outsiders. “Do you see? Even Balmera does not want them here! They only cause her more anguish!”

Indignant shouts arose from Lance and Pidge while Allura tried to calm things down. Keith glared, yet remained silent. For Hunk’s part, he could only curl in on himself as the Balmera’s cry reverberated in his ears. She was in so much pain.

Shiro lifted his hands to silence his friends, saying, “And we’ll leave, but only after we find what we need. I swear, the Galra will never know you were involved. Your people will be safe.”

“You cannot promise that,” Rax snapped.

Stiff silence overtook the chamber. Not even Shay could think of a rebuttal. Hunk hung his head.

“The central cavern on the north side.”

Rax gasped and looked up at his grandmother who strode forward confidently.

“That is where you will find your crystal. I know not how deep, but you must hurry. Galra do not wait for dawn to harvest.”

His face twisting, Rax went to speak again, but a stern look from her made him hold his tongue.

Allura took the elderly Balmeran’s hand in hers. “Thank you. You will not regret this.”

The skylings gave scattered nods before heading back the way they came. Just before rounding the corner, Hunk glanced behind him once more. While Rax still glared, Shay gazed after them mournfully and gave one last smile. He didn’t get the chance to return it.

He stared at the ground as he walked, nothing and everything swirling around in his head. 'We're really going to just leave? After everything we heard? No, there's no way Shiro of all people would let an entire planet keep suffering. Right?'

Pidge's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Geez, that guy was a jerk!”

“I know, right?” said Lance. “Seriously, it’s not our fault his planet gets earthquakes.”

“But this isn’t just a planet,” Hunk cut in, “it’s a living being. Didn’t you hear how hurt she is? If that’s what they have to listen to every day, I can’t blame him for being scared.”

“Hermano, you get scared. That guy wanted to bite our heads off.”

“Trust me,” said Keith, a strange expression in his eye, “there’s a connection.”

Lance leaned toward him with a smug brow. “You saying you’re really just a big fraidy-cat, Mr. Hothead, hmm?”

“You wish.”

‘Yeah, not really sure how else he expected that to go,’ Hunk thought as his friend’s smirk turned into a glare. ‘Honestly, the idea of Keith getting scared is pretty ridiculous. Mostly because he’s usually the one being scary.’

He recalled one time shortly after getting into the Garrison when an older student had picked a fight. Hunk still didn’t know what it had been about, but apparently some heated words got exchanged, and before a teacher could break things up, Keith had knocked the guy out with one kick. He was fourteen at the time; the challenger, seventeen. On that day, Hunk had vowed to never cross the terrifying ace cadet, no matter how hard Lance tried to become his rival. After running into him again, he could confidently say not much had changed.

“Hunk, come on, back me up here.”

He gave a small start. “Sorry, wasn’t paying attention.”

“Man, you’ve been in a funk today,” said Lance, moving closer. “You feelin’ alright?”

“Yeah, it’s just…”

‘I both want to help the Balmerans and run away from here as fast as I possibly can. I feel like we’re the only ones who can do anything but I don’t think I should be a part of it because I’ll just make things worse. I want to go home.’

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright.”

A deep frown came over his friend’s face. “Hey, you know you can talk to me, right? Whatever you need to say, I’m all ears.”

“Yeah, I know,” Hunk replied with a smile.

He raised his fist in invitation, and Lance completed the secret handshake.

“By the way, do you think that’s nose hair or grass?” he said, pointing.

Hunk’s face twisted in disgust. “Nope, not thinking about that!”

“Alright, I’m out,” said Pidge, rushing to the front of the pack.

Lance’s impish laughter filled the tunnel, followed by his friend’s exasperated chuckles. It faded just as they arrived in the crater, which had somehow become even darker, a sure sign that night had fallen. Thankfully, Blue appeared to have been undisturbed, her shield holding strong.

Shiro stopped near the center of the floor and turned to his crew. “Okay, from here we’ll split into two teams. The princess, Lance, and I will go after the crystal while the rest of you find the Lion.”

“Seriously!?” said Lance, stars dancing in his eyes. ‘I get one-on-one time with Allura and Shiro? Heck yeah!’

“Seriously?!” said Hunk, his face falling in dread. ‘I’m gonna be alone for who-knows-how-long with the two prickliest people in the group? Come on!’

“Isn’t splitting up when half of us have no clue where we’re going a bad idea?” asked Keith.

“It isn’t ideal,” Shiro admitted, “but smaller numbers will make it easier for us to hide. Plus, I get the feeling we’ve outstayed our welcome, so I’d rather be quick about this. Just stick with your partners, and we should be able to pull this off like last time.”

“B-But what if something goes wrong?” Hunk asked. “What if there’s a cave-in? What if we can’t reach each other on comms?”

With a gentle smile, Shiro set a hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re nervous, but our commander on the Kerberos Mission always said, ‘If you get too worried about what could go wrong, you might miss a chance to do something great.’”

On the edge of the group, a faint gasp slipped from Pidge’s mouth. Then he smiled.

Hunk thought over the words. A part of him wanted to ask more questions, but he pushed that part down for the moment and gave a shaky nod. Returning it, Shiro headed toward a service lift set into the wall, his partners close behind as the three of them donned their helmets. The second team did the same, though they had to pause at the number of tunnels before them.

“So, we have no idea where we’re going, right?” said Hunk, very much wishing he’d asked those questions now. “Ooh, wait! Keith, do that magic Lion-sensing thing!”

Keith gave him a flat look. “First off, it doesn’t work that way. Second, if I could sense it, don’t you think I would’ve told you already?”

“And this is why tech is superior.” Pidge pulled up his gauntlet holo-screen. “‘Cause look at that, we have a handy mapping feature right here.”

On the display was a rough approximation of the crater with a dot in the center, likely representing the user. Hunk could see a trail leading off to the side where the Gathering Chamber had been.

“Hm, cool. Guess that’ll make this—” He looked down one of the nearly pitch black tunnels and shivered. “—slightly less like a horror movie.”

From across the room, Lance watched the other three. Opening a secure line, he said in a hushed tone, “Hey, Mullet.”

Keith straightened and replied just as quietly, “What?”

There was a slight pause. “If those two get eaten by a giant slug, I’m blaming you.”

He turned toward the first group slightly, an eyebrow raised. At this point, he expected as much. Why would Lance feel the need to tell him that?

Unless…was he asking Keith to protect them?

Nodding instinctively, he replied, “Got it.”

As the line shut off and the three headed into a random tunnel, Lance kept his eye on them.

Allura called, “Are you coming or not?”

“Absolutely, m’lady,” he said, happily jumping onto the lift. Shiro tapped a few controls and then they were off.

Had he looked just a little to the right, we would’ve noticed another pair of eyes following them from the shadows of a tunnel.

Deeper and darker the tunnel went, much to Hunk’s displeasure. It was sometimes difficult to see the branches in the tunnels, and they’d almost tripped several times. With every step, the darkness seemed to press closer and closer, making his heart beat faster, his eyes darting around.

‘Oh man, is it too much to ask for a little light?’ He paused as a memory came to him. ‘Oh, wait.’

He lifted his gauntlet and began tapping it in various places, catching the notice of his teammates, who stopped as well.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Keith asked.

“Didn’t Coran say these things had flashlights?” No sooner had the words left Hunk’s mouth than a bright light shone right in his face. He let out a short cry and doubled over, pointing the gauntlet away as he reached under his visor to rub his eyes. “Found it.”

Keith shook his head and turned on his own flashlight. Entirely consumed by his map, Pidge barely glanced at the half-blind Hunk struggling to his feet before heading down another path. They traveled for a little while longer until they reached an alcove with multiple openings.

“Ugh, this is a waste of time,” groaned Pidge, throwing his head back. “These stupid tunnels probably stretch for miles, and we have no way of knowing where the snart to go.”

“Maybe we’re on the wrong Balmera?” said Hunk, waving his light around at the slightest noise.

“We can’t know for sure yet,” Keith replied, briefly consulting the map on his visor. “If it really was a heart Lance saw in his vision, then it’s probably buried deep. We should look for the steepest path.”

“Why do you seek Balmera’s heart?”

The three spun around; Keith drawing his rifle; Pidge fumbling to aim his pistol with a small squawk; and Hunk screaming as he fell on his butt. Heart pounding, he raised his flashlight, and saw a familiar face.

“Shay!” he cried in relief. “I’m so glad it’s you, but can you please stop doing that?”

As he and Pidge lowered their weapons, Keith stepped forward, asking, “What are you doing down here?”

“That is my query,” said Shay, holding up a hand to shield her eyes. Hunk quickly pointed his light at the floor. “Why do you seek her heart?”

A glance passed between the skylings before Keith replied, “There’s something important hidden with it.”

“We think,” Pidge interjected.

“We need to reach it before the Galra figure out it’s here.”

Shay thought for a moment. “I will guide you.”

Hunk gaped. “Wait, seriously? That would be great! But why? Won’t you get in trouble with your family?”

“Because your words touched my heart,” she replied, drawing closer. “I wish for freedom for all Balmera. To be rid of the fear which has drowned us for so long…and to see the stars as you have. If your Voltron can make it so, I will do everything I can to help you.”

A warm, tingly feeling sprouted in Hunk’s chest. The confidence in her voice and eyes — confidence in them. In him. It made him smile. Maybe this wasn’t for nothing after all.

“Lead the way,” said Keith, stepping aside to let her through.

Shay nodded and headed toward a tunnel just to the left, the skylings on her heels.

‘Here’s hoping we find it soon,’ Hunk thought, a mix of apprehension and determination in his gut.

———————————

Shiro carefully peeked over the lip of a ledge along the wall of the main drop, watching a patrol pass by. Once they were far enough away, he climbed the rest of the way up the ladder and ensured his teammates made it safely. They pressed themselves against the wall and cautiously made their way toward the nearest tunnel.

“Dun, dun, dun, du-du-du,” Lance hummed, pointing his gun in random directions.

The longer the song went on, the more Shiro could feel his tension rising, until he sharply whispered, “Lance, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but can we cut the theme music?”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” he eagerly replied. “Whatever you say, Cap’n. I’d much rather hear the princess’s lovely voice, anyway.”

“Honestly, do Earthlings ever stop talking?” she grumbled.

“Tch, you should ask Mullet,” said Lance, not getting the hint. “The guy’s never spoken more than five consecutive words his entire life. Plus he’s a total jerk, so if you ask me—”

With a frustrated growl, Allura moved to the head of the group, pausing at the edge of the tunnel. She closed her eyes for a moment and reached out her senses, letting the faint flow of energy pull her through the twisting caves.

“The crystal is near,” she murmured.

“Alright, let’s go. Lance, you stay here.”

Behind them, the teen blubbered, “W-Wait, what? But why?”

“Because we need someone to be a lookout,” said Shiro, pausing and giving him a serious smirk. “And as the resident sharpshooter, you’ve got the best eyes for the job.”

Lance blinked a few times, then a goofy grin spread over his face. ‘My hero…is counting on me!?’

He clicked his heels together and gave his best salute. “Yes, sir!”

Shiro nodded while Allura rolled her eyes. They headed into the cavern while Lance took position behind a small boulder, his bayard at the ready.

It wasn’t long before the familiar clunk of sentry boots greeted them and they ducked behind the last turn. The lights the Galra had set up cast an eerie purple glow through the cave, setting Shiro on edge. Peering around the corner, he and his companion spotted several robots milling about, and in their midst was the crystal, tall as Shiro and a luminous blue. Three sentries were keeping watch, two were standing ready with a hover cart, and two more were fastening a harness-like device on the massive gem. It was connected to three pully machines ready to yank the crystal free, helped by a pair of what appeared to be crowbars.

Utter disgust burned through Allura. ‘Those animals. To do such a thing so thoughtlessly, and to a creature that cannot defend itself, no less! I will not stand for this!’

She drew her staff and charged with a furious cry!

“No, wait!” Shiro tried to grab her but she’d already bashed in a guard’s head and was moving to the next.

Its comrades quickly took notice and began shooting. While Allura dodged, Shiro laid down cover fire, taking out three while she got the rest. With a stab through its chest, the last sentry twitched and fell limp. The princess regarded it with contempt as she wrenched her staff from its body and stored it. She then tore off the metal harness ensnaring the crystal and placed her hands gently on it.

“What are you doing? We gotta hurry,” Shiro whispered, moving to stand next to her, his blaster raised just in case.

“I am not going to pry this out of here like some Galra monster,” Allura replied bitterly. “The Balmera is a sacred being. You must communicate with it, let your life forces connect. This is how it was done in my time — how it should be done.”

Breathing deep, she closed her eyes. A bright glow shone forth from the crystal as a quiet, humming sound rose from the surrounding walls. After a moment, the stone-like flesh around it pulled away, allowing it to tip forward. Shiro jumped to catch it before it crushed the princess, only for her to beat him to it, steadying the large crystal with surprising ease.

“Let me help you with that,” he said.

“I have it,” she replied somewhat tersely. “That cart will be helpful, though.”

Swiftly pushing it over, Shiro helped her guide it onto the hover cart and called over the comm, “Lance, we’ve got crystal. We’re coming out.”

“Uh, that’s good,” whispered Lance as he peered over his cover to watch a rather smarmy-looking man flanked by two squads of sentries descending on a lift, “‘cause we just got a new problem. Remember that Vulcan-eyebrow'd Galra from the other day? Hacksaw, Hacky Sack, somethin’ like that?”

Ice filled Shiro’s stomach. “Haxus is here?”

“Yeah, and he’s taking a bunch of bots down to the lower caverns. I think we might be—AAH!”

A high-pitched sound cut off his scream just before the line filled with static.

“Lance? Lance, come in!” Shiro’s heart was beating out of his chest. He turned to Allura, who seemed equally unnerved. “We’ve gotta get—Gah!”

Before either of them could react, stun shots hit them from the side. Shiro barely caught a glimpse of the sentries that had snuck up on them before everything went black.

———————————

‘Okay, okay, take it easy, big guy. It’s just a long, dark tunnel. Nothing to be scared of. Probably.’

Hunk’s eyes kept darting around. The scattered crystals from before had disappeared a while ago, leaving them with only the light from their gauntlets. It was all-too reminiscent of the haunted houses Lance would force him to go through every year — not to mention having only flashlights to guide you was the setup of every classic horror movie.

He must've been shaking a little too noticeably because Shay's gentle hand appeared on his arm. “There’s nothing to fear. As I said, Galra do not come this deep often, and Balmera would never hurt us.”

Hunk glanced from her to the cavern and back. “If you say so.”

She smiled sweetly, and while it wasn’t enough to completely dissuade his anxiety, it did ease the tension in his stomach.

“How do know which way to go?” asked Keith from behind them.

Shay reached under the collar of her tunic and produced a necklace with a small crystal pendant. Its light blue glow shone beautifully in the darkness, casting nearly as much light as the skylings’ gauntlets.

“When one of us is born, Balmera gifts us a birthstone. Each one is a piece of herself, tethering us to her heart, so we may always find our way back to our Great Mother.” Coming to a fork in the road, she turned instinctively, and the gem’s light grew.

“But I didn’t see Rax wearing one,” said Pidge, recalling his open shirt.

“As Galra’s greed grew, we became concerned they would take these away too,” Shay replied, “so we hide them.”

The three stared at the crystal in wonder as she clasped it close to her chest. It made the faintest sound as she did, almost mimicking the Balmera’s call in a lighter tone. A sadness entered the young woman’s features.

Turning off his flashlight, Hunk took off his helmet and pointed to the long orange headband tied around his head. “My parents gave this to me the day I left for school. I was really nervous because I would have to spend most of the week miles away from them in a place where the only person I knew was Lance. But having this, it felt like they were there with me, no matter what. It still does.”

Slight surprise colored Shay's face before her smile returned, mirrored by him. For a moment, the two simply looked at each other, lost in the fluttering feeling in their stomachs.

Hunk’s brain paused. ‘Wait, am I—’

Then the ground shook. The group froze as a terrible cry, similar to the one in the gathering chamber, made the very air tremble.

“Aw, quiznack!” he shrieked. “I knew it didn’t like us going so deep!”

“It is a warning,” said Shay, “but it’s not to us, it is for us.”

A second later, the cave settled, allowing the echoes of pounding metal footsteps to reach their ears.

“Run!” said Keith.

They bolted down the path at once, sentries rounding the corner.

“I thought there weren’t supposed to be any Galra down here,” said Pidge almost accusingly.

“There should not be,” Shay replied, then paused. “Unless…” A second cry from the Balmera interrupted her train of thought and the shaking resumed. “She’s collapsing the passage!”

Their running gained new fervor as chunks of stone came crashing down behind them, crushing a few robots. Pidge pushed his legs as fast as he could, but without the same length as the others, he began falling behind. In his attempt to catch up, he failed to notice an uneven part of the path and tripped. Keith instantly doubled back to grab him, but all he could do was raise his shield as a wave of debris crashed over them.

Hunk watched in horror as they were buried.

“Keep going!” Shay cried.

He turned to her just as a huge rock broke off right over her head. An unfamiliar instinct took hold of his body, and he activated his suit’s booster pack, tackling her out of the way.

Dust flooded the tunnel as at last the rumbling stopped. For a minute, the two lay on the floor, desperately catching their breath and coughing.

“A thousand thanks,” Shay panted as she shakily sat up. “That was—”

The horrible sound of retching cut her off. Hunk was hunched in the corner on his hands and knees, his back to her, helmet discarded a few feet away.

“Oh no, are you hurt?” she said, scrambling closer and putting her hands on his shoulders.

“I am so not built for this!” he wailed, startling her. “I do food and engines, that’s it! I’m not some universe-saving warrior — I can’t even save my friends from a rockslide! And now they’re probably dead, and the Galra will dig through the rocks in no time and we’ll get locked up and I’ll never see my family again and—”

“Hunk!” Shay grabbed his arms and turned him toward her. “Please, we cannot afford to lose our courage now.”

Tears stung his eyes. “I never had any! I’m coward, and I know it. Everyone else knows it, too. I’m not meant to be a Paladin.”

She stared at him as silence took the cavern. After a long moment, she slowly shook her head, her expression hardening. Sliding her hands down to his, she spoke quietly yet firmly.

“Hunk, please hear me. No coward would travel the stars to help strangers. No coward would continue onward in the midst of danger and suspicion. And no coward would risk his life to save a girl he barely knows.” With every word, his head rose a little more. Shay leaned down to meet him halfway. “You are the bravest person I have ever met.”

Hunk held her gaze for a long time, not knowing what to say. She had so much hope, so much confidence. So unlike him. His head fell again. “No. You’re the brave one. I’ve just been going along with what everyone else is doing.”

“So have I,” she replied, her voice trembling. “My entire life, I have lived under the shadow of fear. So has all Balmera. It has been killing us, and now it kills our beloved home. The first time I knew real courage…was when you fell from the sky.”

“…And I’ve been terrified of every shadow since.”

Shay’s shoulders sagged at his defeated tone. Oh, how he wanted to take that pain away from her, to see her smile again. But his tongue was dry of such assurances. He couldn’t even look at her anymore.

“…unk…in…”

He gasped. What was—? His helmet!

“Hunk, do…read?”

The pair looked at each other for a split second, then Hunk lunged for his helmet and held it up between them. “Keith! Keith, is that you?”

The radio crackled.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Balmeran and Human alike let out deep sighs of relief as Hunk wailed, “Oh my gosh! You’re alive! What about Pidge? Is he okay?”

“Depends on what you mean by ‘okay.’”

Never did Hunk think he would be so happy to hear that snarky voice. “Alright, you’re gonna be alright. Shay and I can dig you out and—”

“No. The Galra are already coming through,” said Keith. “You need to get to the Lion before that happens. We’ll have to surrender.”

“What!?” cried the others.

“B-But Shiro said to stick together,” said Hunk. “I-I can’t leave you here!”

“We don’t have another option. At the very least, it’ll keep us alive and give us a chance to escape, but if we want to find Yellow before the Galra, you need to get moving now.”

'Trapped under a cave-in with capture as his only way out, and he still doesn't waver.'

Hunk rested his head against his helmet. “How…how are you so calm?”

“…What?”

“On the warship, I thought we were going to die, but you ran ahead and didn’t care what was in your way. When we got chased by the Garrison, you leapt off that cliff without a second thought. Even when we were kids, you were like that. How are you never scared?”

The pause seemed to stretch for eternity.

“Hunk, I’ve got at least two tons of rock on my back right now. I’m plenty scared.”

His eyes widened. “You…are? How come you never seem like it?”

“Because some things are more important than fear.”

More important than fear…

Hunk looked to Shay, her kind face illuminated by her necklace.

“Remember what Shiro told us. If you get too worried about what could go wrong…”

“…you might miss a chance to do something great,” he finished.

What was he doing? Why was he sitting around wallowing in self-pity when there was someone — an entire planet, in fact — who needed him? He wasn’t sure if he was meant to be a Paladin, or if he even wanted to be one, but he did know the kind of person he wanted to be.

He wiped the tears from his eyes, his face set in determination. “Okay. We’ll go get the Lion. But I’m coming back for you as soon as I can.”

“No complaints here,” Pidge replied, though his tone suggested he had plenty.

“Good luck,” said Keith, steady as ever.

Hunk donned his helmet firmly and stood, offering his hand to Shay. She stared for a moment, her cheeks perhaps a touch warm, then smiled and took it. Together, they continued down the deep cavern, their path illuminated by the shine of her necklace.

As he ran, Allura’s words echoed in Hunk's mind. ‘You want me to be committed? Okay. Now I’m committed.’

Beneath the pile of collapsed cave, Pidge squirmed, trying to find a pocket where he could take a full breath. He paused and wriggled a hand up to his face, feeling around. Since when was his half-helmet closed and sealed? Deciding it was a question to save for Coran when they got back, he refocused on the impending doom around him. His armor was doing a decent job of protecting him, and his now-full helmet was providing fresh, non-dusty air, but the pressure on his ribs still threatened to squeeze the life out of him.

“You really think Hunk can pull it off?” he asked, his voice slightly strained.

Half-atop him, Keith thought for a moment. “I don’t really know him that well.” The memory of the big guy ripping out the control crystal played in his mind. “But I think he’s got something in him.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Me too.”

As their voices died away, the sound of scraping, tumbling stone became clear once more. Dread twisted their guts as it grew louder and louder until finally the boulder covering their heads rolled away. Through the dust, they could make out the sentries surrounding them parting, an overly tall man with leathery, cat-esque ears, black armor, and eyebrows that could pierce the heavens stepping between them.

“Well, well, well,” said Haxus with a wicked smile, leaning down over the trapped pair, “it seems you captured yourselves for me. How nice of you.”

They glared at him, Keith shifting over Pidge just a little more.

“Of course, I’d have preferred an execution, but alas, orders are orders. Now all that’s left is to hunt down the last two, which should be all too easy. Isn’t that right?”

The Galra straightened and turned his body just enough to let them see another figure standing behind him. Their eyes widened, then narrowed into seething glowers as the sentries closed in.

———————————

Through tunnel after tunnel ran Hunk and Shay as she held up her pendant, letting its brightening glow guide them through each turn.

“How close are we?” he asked, silently vowing to never complain about the Garrison’s PE ever again.

“Very,” she replied. “But we must be careful. Galra may realize where we’re going and cut us off.”

As if by some spell, the very second she finished speaking, she fell to the ground with a yelp. Hunk skidded to a halt and saw a platoon of sentries charging down an adjoining cavern. One of them had fired a purple energy cable from its blaster, snagging her ankles, and began dragging her away.

“Shay!” he cried, lunging to grab her.

Glancing at their numbers, she dug her stubby claws into the ground, slowing herself just enough to call out, “Protect him!”

The stone beneath her hands lit up, and the Balmera answered her plea. A second earthquake shook the cavern, and again debris began to fall.

“No, no, no!” Hunk reached for her, but it was too late.

“Go!” Shay yelled, grabbing her necklace and throwing it with all her might. “Make haste!” He stopped as it landed in his outstretched hand. He looked back to her as she smiled. “I believe in you.”

Then she was gone, hidden behind a growing barricade of rubble. Hunk clutched the birthstone to his chest, his heart twisting terribly. With one last glance at where his friend should’ve been, he turned and ran. His throat grew tight and his eyes stung again, but he refused to let the tears fall. This wasn’t the time to cry, it was the time to act.

‘I’ll come back for you, Shay. I promise!’

———————————

Thoroughly restrained in cables, Shay stared as the lift took her up higher and higher, all the way to the surface she had always longed to see. The early morning sky was already void of stars, and the view of the land wasn’t much better. Her people had been corralled like a herd of animals, a line of sentries their pen. She grunted as she was dragged along the ground and tossed into the crowd, the cables coming loose and allowing her to roll to an unceremonious stop.

“Shay!” her mother called, rushing to her alongside her father and grandmother.

Father helped her sit up. “What were you thinking? You could have been hurt or worse! You should not have run off like that.”

“I must agree,” came a slimy voice. Standing on a small rise was Haxus, looking smug as ever as he sneered down at them like they were no more than insects. “Now, tell me where the other Human is heading.”

Shay stood and marched to the edge of the crowd, ignoring her family’s pleas, and said, “He is beyond your reach, and under the protection of Balmera. You will not touch him.”

To her surprise, Haxus chuckled. “She’s every bit as naive as you said.”

He turned as someone stepped out from behind the line of sentries flanking him. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Shay stared in horror.

“No…” she whispered. “Rax…you betrayed us?”

“I have saved us!” her brother snapped. “The outsiders bring only trouble to our family and our people. I made a deal. Tell him where the Human is and we will be spared. This is the only way we will survive.”

“Indeed it is.” Haxus held up his hand, signaling his machines to aim their blasters at the crowd.

Rax sucked in a breath, instinctively taking a step forward as Shay huddled close to her family. The Galra laughed.

———————————

Hunk charged through the black tunnels, pausing only to check the necklace wrapped around his hand. His thoughts wandered to Shay and the others. Were they alright? Were they being locked up, or tortured?

He shook his head fiercely. ‘No. Can’t think about that. Have to keep going.’

He pushed himself faster.

———————————

“I will ask only once more,” said Haxus. “Where is the Human?”

Shay’s hands trembled as she clutched her tunic where her birthstone would’ve been, her brother’s words like knives in her heart.

Despite the pain, she steeled herself and met the Galra’s hateful gaze. “The Paladins of Voltron have returned, and they will defeat you and save all Balmera.”

He smirked. “Do you mean these Paladins?”

He gestured languidly to the side where five sentries marched the five skylings forward and forced them to their knees. They glared at the colonel and wriggled in their cuffs, but could not break free.

As Shay gaped, he proclaimed, “These are nothing more than children playing pretend, and the Lion they’ve brought will now serve the Empire.”

Suddenly, from out of the crater flew three fighter ships, each using a thick energy cable to slowly tow Blue out and toward the waiting battlecruiser. Lance lunged toward her, only to be struck by an electric baton, sending him back to the ground with a scream. His teammates moved to help him, but stopped at the sound of more batons activating.

“You filthy—” Allura tried to say, and received the same treatment.

Haxus chuckled at her and went to speak, when something caught his attention. In a few long strides, he was in front of her and pulled off her helmet. His eyes widened.

“You…you’re…”

His voice trailed off. Then, very slowly, it turned to laughter. It grew louder and louder until he was practically giddy.

“What a treat! Not only have I captured a Lion of Voltron and all the so-called Paladins, but one of them turns out to be the Lost Princess of Altea! Oh, the boon I’ll receive from this is too much to even imagine!”

His cackling echoed across the land, sapping whatever hope remained in the barren world.

———————————

Hunk gasped for air as he leaned against a wall, sweat pouring down his face. His legs and lungs burned like never before, but that didn’t matter. Looking at the necklace was almost painful now, its glow brighter than ever, and the cave had become covered in carvings just like on Earth. He had to be close.

The thought lightened his chest and feet. He straightened and pushed forward, jogging through the tunnel, around the last corner, and—

A wall. A solid stone wall sealed the end of the path.

Shakily, Hunk walked closer and placed his hands on it.

“No…” he whispered, falling to his knees. “No, no, no, no, no, this can’t be it! This can’t be for nothing!”

His voice barely even echoed.

———————————

His fit finally subsiding, Haxus turned to Rax with a twisted grin. “Well, despite this wonderful surprise, I’m afraid that without all the Humans, you’ve failed to uphold your end of our bargain. I think I’ll take the planet as my compensation.”

The Balmeran gaped in horror. “No, you can’t!”

He barely got the words out before the back of a clawed hand sent him flying.

As he slammed into the ground in front of his family, Haxus bellowed, “The Empire can do whatever it deems necessary! And as of this moment, this Balmera has become very much unnecessary.”

Gingerly, Shay reached for her brother and helped him sit up, asking, “Are you harmed?”

“You were right…” he weakly said, pulling away from her, unable to look her in the eye. “I’m so sorry, Shay.”

Rax’s family wrapped around him, their warmth the only protection from chill morning winds.

———————————

Hunk pounded his fist against the wall. The Lion was just on the other side, he knew it.

“Why?” he yelled. “People’s lives are at stake — your people’s live are at stake! Why won’t you let me do this?!”

From all around came a low, quiet groan. It was almost like a whimper — a whimper he knew far too well.

‘She’s…afraid. A giant, planet-sized, power crystal-making creature…and she’s afraid.’

Keeping his hands on the stone, he stood and spoke gently. “Listen, I know what it’s like to be scared — so scared you don’t know what to do. It’s scary to open up to others, to stand up for yourself. When I was little, my best friend and I got picked on by some bigger kids. He stood up to them. I didn’t. I still regret that. But you won’t get a chance to regret anything if we don’t do something right now.”

She sounded tired.

“I swear I’ll do everything I can, whatever it takes, to save your children. I'll protect them with every ounce of strength I have, but I can’t do that if you don’t let me in.” He rested his forehead against the wall. “Please.”

Seconds passed with no answer. His heart began to sink.

Then, the carvings and birthstone lit up. The stone peeled away, nearly causing Hunk to tip over. He steadied himself, blinking in the flood of light, and stared in wonder at the sight before him.

Lance’s description hadn’t done it justice. The giant golden heart stretched from floor to ceiling, pulsing slowly and unsteadily, sending waves through the small blue and yellow crystals that dotted every surface like stars. And sitting in the center, just in front of the heart, was the Yellow Lion.

Hunk smiled wider than ever before.

———————————

The skylings thrashed and squirmed, doing everything they could to escape the sentries’ bruising hold as they were dragged toward a transport ship. Behind them, sentries tightened the circle around the Balmerans, herding them toward the crater's edge. The few who tried to push back were shocked or beaten into submission. High above, the battlecruiser charged its ion cannon and aimed it at the surface. Haxus let out another manic laugh.

At that moment, the Balmera gave a splitting, bone-chilling cry; metal and stone groaned and rattled; the whole world shook to its core, a fissure cracking into existence, destabilizing one of the mining facilities.

As suddenly as it started, it stopped. Everything went still.

Haxus looked around, then gave a breathy chuckle. “A final death cry, eh? Well, now that’s over—”

“CHIIIIIII-HHHOOOOOOOO!!!”

From the fissure burst the Yellow Lion, giving a mighty roar of his own and charging across the land. He looked strikingly similar to Blue, though his jaw had almost an underbite, a craggy scar marred his left eye, and his heavy armor was twice the thickness, and with it, he barreled through the transport ship, through battlements and storage facilities, decimating every piece of Galra infestation to be seen. Spotting his fellow Lion being hauled away, he sprang into the air and grabbed one of the fighters carrying her, throwing it into another. Without the other two, the third ship came crashing down, splattering atop Blue’s shield. Like a swarm of hornets, more descended on Yellow, firing every laser and missile they had, but they barely even scratched his thick hide. A sweep of his own cannon, and they fell.

“My! Man! Hunk!” Lance cheered.

Soon his teammates and the Balmerans were joining in the cheering as another wave of fighters streaked toward the rampaging Lion.

“Oh, you want some more?” said Hunk, Yellow’s fervor bolstering his own spirit. “Well, come and get it!”

He barreled through them, whipping his tail around and sending them tumbling into each other.

Down below, Haxus stood frozen in fear longer than he would ever admit, then activated his comm. “Fire the cannon!”

In a blink, Rax slipped past the bots and delivered a fist to his face, sending him flying. His fellow Balmerans weren’t far behind. With the sentries distracted, some snatched the rifles away and turned them on their owners while others used their bare fists or large stones to bash them apart. Spotting a gap in the robots’ lines, Shay and her family slipped past and rushed to the skylings. Their guards turned and raised their weapons, allowing Keith and Shiro to take out two of them with powerful kicks, and Lance to charge into another. With the sentries distracted once more, the Balmerans swiftly destroyed them.

“Thank you,” said Allura as their cuffs were broken. Shay nodded.

Their hands now free, the five grabbed their weapons from the fallen bots and charged into the battle, flanking the enemy. In what seemed like a mere few seconds, the sentries were pushed back.

Haxus seethed. He stood, casting off the dismembered bot that had landed atop him, and drew his sword. Shiro spotted him and ran in, the two exchanging a few strikes before he sent Haxus smashing into two of his troops, denting his armor. He scrambled out of the way of the next blow. Upon seeing the splintered stone where he’d just been and the man responsible readying another punch, glaring daggers while the Lion continued wreaking havoc in the skies, he turned and fled. His orders, however, still stood.

The glint of charging energy distracting him from pursuing Haxus, Shiro called, “Hunk! That cannon’s about to fire!”

“I’m on it!”

Yellow pivoted and targeted the cruiser, only to remember its particle barrier. Blast it, there had to be away through! Then Hunk noticed the fighters flying right through it. He grinned.

Giving a burst of speed to the engines, he charged toward another squadron, destroying all but one which he caught in his mouth, and then he made a beeline for the warship. Upon nearing it, a section of the shield wavered, allowing the Lion inside. He slammed into the ship and kept going, pushing further and further into its metal until he punched all the way out the other side before veering around and charging back through. Once, twice, thrice — again and again and again, until it resembled Swiss cheese more than a battlecruiser.

As explosions rocked the ship, Hunk pulled away, his heart pounding like a drum. It filled him with more pride and joy than he thought possible to watch as it went up in a massive fireball. He let out a deep breath and chuckled, only for a warning from Yellow to retrain his focus.

Large chunks of the cruiser were now falling to the ground, including the ion cannon. Due to its separate power source, it still held a charge, and when it hit the surface, it would cause immeasurable damage. To make matters worse, it was coming down right on top of Shay and his friends! Terror nearly held him captive, but another growl from Yellow returned him to his senses. He dove, racing past the debris and landing over the crowd, shielding them with his body, just before it hit, rocking the Balmera with a terrible explosion.

Aboard his transport hovering just above the clouds, well away from the fighting, Haxus grinned at the sight. His satisfaction didn’t last, however; the smoke and dust cleared to reveal the Yellow Lion still standing, an enormous double-layered particle barrier protecting the impact area, shielding every inch of ground within. Haxus’ eye twitched, several veins on his head pulsing. With a furious cry, he smashed one of his last two sentries before ordering a half-snarled retreat.

On the surface below, the Lion bowed his head, allowing his pilot to step out to the cheers of the crowd, the proper golden accents now dying his armor. His friends ran to him with exuberant congratulations.

“Dude, that was amazing!” Lance yelled over the others, scooping him up into a hug.

“I know, right!?” Hunk replied as he stepped back to take off his helmet and wave his arms about. “I was like, BOOM, and then it was like, BWAAHHH, and then it—”

An unfortunate gurgle interrupted him, and he spun around as his brain and body finally caught up with each other. After a few heaves, he gave a thumbs up. “I’ll get used to it.”

His teammates chuckled and shook their heads good-naturedly.

“Hunk!”

He looked back to see a wonderfully familiar face.

“Shay!” he said, running forward to meet her as she rushed into his arms. He picked her up and spun her around, their laughter merging into a beautiful sound.

Setting her down, they stayed in the embrace a moment longer as she said, “Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you!”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you,” Hunk replied as they pulled away, still holding one other by the arms. “I never would’ve made it if it weren’t for you.”

Shay’s cheeks grew warm and she smiled. “Think nothing of it, Hunk.”

When he first set foot on the Balmera, he never would’ve imagined that he would meet someone as sweet as Shay. After the cold, dark vacuum of space, the harsh blaster fire of the Galra, and all other manner of terrifying things he’d encountered since coming along on this insane adventure, he was glad to have crossed paths with her; someone whose very presence made him calmer and braver.

She felt similarly. She’d never known skylings could be so strangely handsome.

“And that’s enough of that,” said Rax, suddenly appearing next to them and splitting their hands apart.

His sister nudged him. “Rax, is there maybe something you want to say to Hunk?”

He made a kind of grunting noise and tensed for a second, like he was trying to hold in a bad burp, then sighed and uncrossed his arms. “I deeply apologize. Never did I mean for things to happen as they did. If I could undo it, I would.”

“It’s okay,” Hunk replied. “You were doing what you thought was best for your family. If I was in your shoes, I might’ve done the same thing.”

Rax stared at him in wonder, then smiled and held out his hand. “Thank you, Paladin Hunk.”

He returned the warrior’s grip, Shay beaming beside them as her family and the elders approached.

“Please accept our thanks as well,” said her father, giving a small bow and motioning to a large transport crate. “The crystal is yours, though it is hardly enough to repay you.”

Shiro returned the gesture. “It’s more than enough.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot!” said Hunk with a snap of his fingers. He accessed his energy storage and produced the necklace. “I believe this is yours.”

Her smile widening, Shay bent down slightly as he slipped it over her head, making them both blush.

Lance slid up beside him with a cheeky grin and elbowed him, singing, “Someone’s got a girlfriend~”

“Wh-Wha—No! Absolutely not!” Rax blubbered, pointing a finger angrily at him. The pair blushed even harder.

“Aw, is someone sensitive because his wittle sistew's in wove?” said Lance in a babying voice, much to the Balmeran's annoyance.

Around them, the skylings shared knowing smiles while Shay’s mother and grandmother seemed excited and her father appeared to be scrutinizing the two bashful teenagers.

Looking toward the battle-worn landscape, Keith asked, “What are you going to do about your Balmera?”

“There is nothing that can be done, I fear,” Shay’s grandmother replied sadly. “There's not a sorcerer in history who could restore an entire Balmera.”

Allura's fist tightened. ‘It is true. Not even Father could manage that.’

Hunk and the others gazed across the noble creature, sorrow filling their hearts, when a particular growl sounded in his mind, making him grin. “We don’t need a sorcerer.”

While the crowd glanced at each other in confusion, he boarded Yellow and retook his seat. All around them, something shifted. The energy of the barrier began swirling like a tornado, its rigid pattern falling away, and glowing brighter than the sun. It spun faster and faster until the Lion threw his head back with a deafening roar. Then the energy exploded in a wave of light, washing over the surface of the entire planet before absorbing into the ground.

Murmurs arose from the crowd as they looked around. After a moment, Shay gasped and grabbed her brother’s arm. Everyone followed her finger to a hill where a tiny twinkle of blue was peeking out of the rocks. Then came another, and another, and another. Before their eyes, new gems coated the land as a deep, melodious sound rose from deep below. Tearful cries filled the air, and the people rejoiced, for their Balmera lived once more.

Stepping out of his Lion — which was a thought he still needed to get used to — Hunk spied the others bringing over the container holding the crystal for the castle with a group of Balmerans and jogged to meet them.

“Again you have saved us,” said Shay’s mother, taking his hands. “Never could we repay such a debt.”

“This was Yellow’s repayment, actually,” he replied. “The Balmera’s energy’s been keeping the Galra from detecting him for thousands of years. He was just saying thank you.”

Seeing the people smile filled his heart with indescribable joy. He’d done it. They were free.

“Hey, Hunk,” said Pidge, “I was wondering, how’d you get past the shield?”

“Oh, well, I figured the fighters had to get in and out of it somehow, so I grabbed one.”

“Probably a signal of some kind…” He trailed off into a rapid mutter as his brain began to do its thing.

“Good thinking,” said Shiro.

“Thanks.” Out of the corner of his eye, Hunk spied Keith, who was tossing away the last piece of the container around the crystal, and slung his arm around the older boy’s shoulders. “And thank you, Keith. What you said in the tunnels really helped me get my head on straight.”

At first, Keith seemed to tense in the hold, then relaxed and smiled almost shyly. “No problem.”

‘Guess he’s not so scary after all,’ Hunk thought.

Just then came the sound of a broken artificial voice. One of the sentries was still somewhat functional and raised its blaster at the crowd. Before anyone could blink, Keith was in front of it and brought his heel down like an executioner’s axe, shattering its neck and severing its head. His narrowed eyes flickered violet in the light of the sparks sputtering from the lifeless shell.

‘Nope, I was wrong! He’s still scary!’

The Balmera let out a quiet call, drawing everyone’s gaze to a patch of stoney skin in their midst. It rose up, the top swirling out into the shape of a small table, and from it budded seven little crystals. Shocked whispers rippled through the Balmerans while the skylings inspected them curiously.

“What are these?” asked Lance, poking one.

“Birthstones?” breathed Hunk.

“Balmera’s gift,” said Grandmother, stepping closer in wonder. “Just as you have granted her rebirth, she now welcomes you as her honorary children.”

She nodded to the other elders. They took sturdy cords from their belts and wove them in delicate knots around the gems. Shay and her family stepped forward to take the completed necklaces and slipped them over each skyling’s head, save for a seventh, which Allura held onto for Coran. How the Balmera knew about him, no one could say, though some got the sense Yellow had something to do with it.

Shay and Hunk beamed at each other as she said, “Now you are all part of the great Balmera family.”

Her father donned his own crystal and gave a rousing call in the manner of their Great Mother, and the crowd echoed it. Six cheers rang out for the six brave souls who'd risked their lives and saved their home.

“You guys hear that?” said Hunk, grabbing Keith and Lance and pulling them into a double side hug, the former stiffening for a moment. “We’re brothers now!”

“Always have been. Hermanos del alma for life!” Lance replied.

While they laughed, Pidge held up his pendant, his gaze dim. “Family, huh?”

He let the gem fall against his chest as he turned and headed into the Blue Lion, his steps heavier than usual.

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith watched him, then looked at his own pendant. It wasn’t hard to guess how the kid was feeling. In truth, his own emotions were muddled at the thought of suddenly being brought into a giant, alien family. He reached for the crystal, but when he touched it, a tiny bolt of energy jumped to his finger like static cling.

‘Weird.’

A warm light brought him out of his musings. All eyes turned to the horizon where sunlight cascaded over the hills, turning the surface into a shimmering sea of gem and stone.

“What is that?” Shay breathed.

“The dawn of a new day,” replied Hunk, standing next to her and reaching for her hand. She reached back.

They stayed as long as they could, but the skylings had to return to Arus, and so they said their goodbyes, leaving the people with a communicator should they ever need help again. The two lovebirds nearly refused to part, holding onto each other to the last. Lance and Rax almost couldn’t separate them, much to everyone’s amusement. Once they and the crystal were loaded up, they took off into the sky, the Balmerans waving farewell.

“Well, that was an adventure and a half,” said Lance, Blue and Yellow flying side-by-side. “Where do you think we’ll be headed next?”

“Don’t know,” Hunk replied. “But wherever it is, so long as we’ve got each other, we’ve got nothing to fear.”

“Uh, Hunk," Keith piped up, "there’s a cave bug on you.”

“AAAAHHH! Where!? Get it off! Get it ooffff!”

Laughter filled the Lions as they jumped away into slip-space.

Unbeknownst to them, from behind the Balmera’s moon, someone was watching.

———————————

Upon hearing the bridge door open, Sendak glanced over his shoulder to see his second-in-command return with nothing but a growing bruise on his cheek. Had he been any other officer, Sendak may have ended him right then and there to rid the crew of incompetence. However, having just received a message from Central Command informing him of the second Lion’s awakening, that would be an unfair assessment; it would be difficult for even a general to compensate for its unexpected entrance.

So instead, he raised his brow. “I take it things did not go well.”

“Not quite,” Haxus ground out, “but I believe this will make up for it.”

He produced a data cartridge from his gauntlet’s energy storage and plugged it into a console, (amazingly, without destroying it). The main screen shifted as it processed the information and added a second trajectory to the search parameters, extrapolated from the Lions' path in leaving Balmera X-95-Vox. Cross-referenced with the previous path, the number of planets to search dropped significantly.

Sendak grinned. “And this is why I keep you around.”