The Last Paladin

Broken Pieces

After that eventful day at the Blade of Marmora headquarters, I was exhausted. I feel asleep quickly. Much quicker than usual.

"You don't have to continue working for the Blade if you are working by my side." Lotor brought up. "It would give us a chance to blossom." He held my hand.

"Guess we are going to have to stop running into each other when I'm on a mission." I laughed. "But you know I would never stop working with the Blade. Your armies don't have the best reputation."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He chuckled.

"It was really great seeing you again." I smiled as I got into my space pod.

"I'll see you in the next encounter." He waved. Lotor has been a really good friend. In time of crisis, he's always been the one to warn me about an explosion or planet destruction.

I fly away, and as I was flying I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. I looked down and saw blood dripping from my flesh. I cried out for help. No one was there. I flew the pod and somehow I was transitioned to earth.

"Captain, she's been out for days." I heard that familiar voice. It was James' voice.

"She will awake."  The voice echoed. I blinked my eyes open. James was sitting there at my bed side.

"Oh thank god! I thought you were dead." He sighed in relief.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Marissa happened, again..." he pointed out.

"How long until I am operational?" I coughed.

"Days?" He shrugged. "But that just means that you can take it easy. I mean—don't get me wrong, Shiro helping you learn self defense is great, but is he really a good influence? I mean—you've been getting in fights."

"He's given me confidence!" I argued.

"You'll get yourself kicked out on the street and mom and dad won't take you back! So why don't you just stay in your place for once!" He yelled. The room spun into black worm hole.

Then, I was awaken in a Galran cell. I was alone. Nobody was there. It all felt alone. Pain struck my body. Everytime a prisoner was taken out, there was usually some sort of beating. The door opened.

"Ready to cooperate."  The Galran soldier announced.

"I will never cooperate with you." I grunted. I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. It felt like a thousand needles.

I was awaken on some planet. I was panting. I had been on the run for days. Galran soldiers were shooting at me. I was running through the field and woods and continued to dodge the lasers. When I got to a cliff edge, I was trapped. I was dead meat. I looked over. There was water at the bottom. As the soldiers got closer, I made the decision to jump. My body plunged and then my body slammed into the speeding river. I tried to get myself up, but I couldn't. I tried screaming for help and gasping for air but I felt water shoot through my lungs.

"Calloway! Wake up!" My eyes snapped open to Keith.

"What happened?" I painted.

"You were screaming in your sleep." He commented.

"Oh sorry..." I apologized. I could feel tears swelling through my eyes. I tried to hold them back.

"Is it something I said?" He asked.

"No," I wiped the tears. "Just a bad dream." I shook my head.

"I get those. While I'm up, care to talk about it." He suggested.

"I don't think you want to hear about it." I shrugged. "Most of the dream is just a bunch of memories anyways."

"Those are the worst." He replied as he sat down next to me on my bed.

"I've done so much that I feel like everyone hates me for the attempt to survive in space." I admitted.

"Nobody hates you." Keith commented.

"Says the one who pretty much watched my back every two seconds for the first several missions and even afterwards, I can still sense that you don't like me."

"That's until I began to see through your past..." he commented. "Listen, I know I have been the person who has not shown the most amount of kindness towards you, however do realize that I didn't really know you." He stated. "Maybe it's the middle of the space time talking, but I don't hate you."

I just chuckled. "Sorry for waking you. I feel bad cause you got stuck next to my room."

"Eh—it's better than being next to Lance. According to Pidge, she can hear Lance snore over his sleep jams." He told me.

"Haha, seriously?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Yeah, Lance doesn't like to admit it, but we all know that seems like something he would do." Keith pointed out.

"So did the Blade share it's secrets?" I brought up in a joking matter.

"I mean—guess I know that I have some sort of Galran blood line." He shrugged. "Quick question that I have been wondering—are you part Galran?"

"Funny—no, I was their special case. I had a special blade that fits me." I stood up as I pulled out my specially made blade from the drawer I hid it in.

"I see." He stared at the Blade. "What was it like working with the Blade?"

"Very—life changing. I think... in a sense, I was able to learn how to survive on my own, however—I felt alone. It's nothing like working with everyone in voltron. Yes, you feel like you are involved in the war and yes, you it brings the chances to end the war. Despite all that, for me anyways, I felt alone." I shrugged.

"I mean—you aren't alone anymore." He pointed out.

"There was one person that made the missions make me feel less alone... However, he is long gone." I chuckled. "He was just as bad as Zarkon and even I could see it."

"Should we be worried about this person?" He asked.

"No, he's no threat to the universe." I shook my head. "I've had so many times where I could have died and so many times where I lost myself, but for some reason, I feel broken. Like all parts of humanity that was inside me, is gone." I admitted. "Once every blue moon, I get these nightmares where is reminds me of things I don't want to remember."

"We are all a little broken on the inside. I would know, but there is always a way that we can overcome our mistakes." He reassured me as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He was warm. He made me feel very safe. "I should let you rest. No need to be up the rest of space night time rambling on." He chuckled.

"You can stay, if you want." I suggested.

"No, I should probably leave. As much as I should, I—uh—snore." He made up a lie. I can see it.

"Alright, Mullet. I guess I will see you tomorrow then." I didn't want to question it.

"Night." He waved. As he left, I felt my head loop around him. That smile. Those eyes. The way he can be cold but warm all at once. It all spun in my head. I never felt this way about anyone. What was this feeling?

Hey Readers! I wanted to include this chapter, so I can throw in a bit more of Juniper's past! I'm trying to update as much as possible cause of quarantine. I am jumping around episodes since some episodes aren't necessary for this particular story anyways. I think I did like three updates today. Haha, anyways. Enjoy. :)