"Vi needs a healer. Hunk, get her aboard the Atlas," said Keith. "How is she?"
"Unconscious, but she'll live," Hunk replied, his voice tinged with worry.
Keith closed his eyes briefly - sparing a second to be scared out of his mind for Violet - before he pushed the fear far, far down. There were bigger things to worry about now.
He could see the thing that had crashed onto earth clearer now; it was a lump of white metal plates that shone in the sun. Some kind of robot.
That was coming alive.
"Does anyone know what this thing is doing here?" asked Lance.
Pidge answered, "No idea."
Allura's voice was tense. "We just took down Sendak and his entire army, only to face this?"
Keith let out a long breath and gripped the black lion's controls. "Guys, whatever this is, it's no match for us. We're survivors. I'd like to keep it that way."
"And we'll make sure that you do." The Atlas flew in to flank the lions, Violet safely on board.
"We've gotten through worse than this," Keith said. "Work as a team. Stick together. And above all, protect each other. Whatever this thing is, it's bad. And we can't let it get to Earth."
The robot attacked, and Voltron rose up to greet it.
-
Violet blinked as the light of the sun shone through the curtains on the windows, falling directly on her face. She shaded her eyes and moved away, the beam of sunlight falling on the coffee table instead. "Papa, do the curtains."
Kieran Idalia looked up from where he sat at his desk, filing papers. "Why? Does the light bother you?"
Violet nodded remorsefully. "It blindid me," she whined. "I can't see."
Her father stood, walking over to where she was playing with her dolls on the carpeted floor. "It hurts your eyes," he said gently, "But it does other things too. Good things."
"What?"
Kieran smiled. "When the curtains are open, I can see the sun," he said, "And I can see the world. When they are closed, I can see nothing." He mimed closing a window.
Violet frowned, her lower lip sticking out. "Why?"
"Because without the light, there is only darkness. The light can blind us at first, but we need it."
Her forehead was still creased, so Kieran said, "Here." He snapped his fingers, and gold light filled the room, making his eyes glow bright. The threads of light wove in his palms; Violet was transfixed, reaching out to touch it.
"Pretty," she said happily. "Good light."
"Yes," said Kieran. "This is magic light. It is made to balance the darkness."
"How does it go?" Violet asked, tilting her head to the side. "Where does it go from?"
Her father shifted his hands, and the light dimmed. "It's from inside me," he told her, pointing to his chest. "Here." he moved his other hand, poking Violet's chest. "It comes from you as well. Right here."
Violet giggled. "Can I do it?"
"If you focus." Kieran smiled softly. "Do you want to?"
She nodded eagerly.
"Close your eyes."
-
"Oh, great," Lance muttered. "Now the robot has swords, too? And two of them?"
"None of our hits are doing any damage," Pidge reported from the green lion. "We need to adapt to it somehow."
Keith sucked in a breath, forcing himself to be calm. Patience yields focus. The robot stood before them, preparing to charge - holding two curving scimitars, wickedly long and sharp.
"Wait," said Lance, "My bayard - something's happening!"
"I can feel it too," Pidge added.
"Do it," Keith ordered, and the paladins drove their bayards home. Voltron's arms swept together, and formed two double blades to rival the robot's.
The robots clashed, their blades ringing through the air. Voltron's newfound skill was powerful, but the robot was draining them. It only grew stronger with each hit.
Keith grunted as it knocked the double swords from Voltron's grip. The robot launched itself into the air, raising it's blades. "Look out!"
Too late. The robot drove its scimitars into Voltron's chest.
-
Violet gasped in delight. Light emitted from her palms, glowing brightly, tickling her skin. "Papa!" she exclaimed. "I did it! Look!"
Kieran chuckled. "Yes, Violet, you did it."
She blinked. "How?"
"These are the abilities of our race," her father explained, his voice warm. "Generation and manipulation of quintessence. This is just light - we can do so much more."
The light faded and Violet leaned forward eagerly. "What? What?"
"Shifting our shape and form," said Kieran. "Healing. On rare occasions, teleportation. And making shields and walls of energy. The most powerful can summon objects made of pure quintessence to fight. Imagine it - a sword made of golden light." He beamed. "Even I could never manage to do that. But you, my little Violetta..."
Violet was hanging onto every word, her face rapt with attention. "Could I, Papa?"
He chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Yes. And more. You are capable of so much, Violet. You could change the world. All you have to do is try."
-
"We're still on Earth," Hunk shouted. "People are going to get caught up in this battle!"
Keith risked a glance below. Frightened faces peered up at him - the people taking shelter in the Garrison base. Hunk's family was down there. Pidge's. Lance's.
He couldn't let them get hurt.
"I don't know about you all, but I think it's time to fly," Keith said, pushing forward on the black lion's thrusters. Voltron shot into the sky, the robot following.
The two exchanged a few blows with their swords before Keith saw his opening. "Arm cannon!" he ordered.
The green lion formed its arm cannon, sending a powerful blast for the robeast. The five paladins threw all of their force into that blow, one last attack with any of the remaining energy they had.
And it was not enough.
The robeast blocked the shot with ease and counterattacked, striking the lions with its sword. The paladins screamed.
Voltron fell.
-
"I don't wanna change the world," Violet pointed out. "I like it how it is."
Kieran smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners like they always did. It made Violet want to smooth them out, to make his face stay flat. But she loved his smile, especially when it was directed at her.
"What are you two doing?" a voice asked. A woman walked into the room; she had long brown hair and blue eyes, and her hand was resting comfortably on her rounded stomach.
"Mama!" Violet cried, leaping up and running into her mother's arms. "I made light!"
Ivy Idalia's gaze softened as her daughter hugged her legs. "Was it bright?"
"So bright," Violet agreed. "At first I couldn't see it was so bright."
Kieran moved beside his daughter, placing his hand over Ivy's, where it rested on her bulging belly. It had been like that for a while, and Violet still couldn't get over how round it was. Her baby sister was in there. Mama said she'd have an actual sister soon, one she could hold and look at. "How is Veronica?" Kieran asked.
Ivy grimaced. "She's a kicker. Already as strong as her dad."
"Will she have light like me?" Violet inquired, squinting at her mother's belly.
"No," said Kieran. "She'll be fully human. But even if she was, she'd never have as much magic as you." He gazed at her fondly. "You could already surpass me. It's incredible."
"It's also a burden," Ivy chided. "Remember to be there when she has to bear it."
"I will," Kieran vowed. "She'll always have me."
-
"We have to do something," Lance said, voice tinged with pain. "The robot's going to destroy the Atlas!"
Pidge responded weakly, "We can't. Voltron's energy isn't depleted - it's gone. We have no power left."
"We have to do something," Keith said. "We can't give up."
"You don't have to."
Everyone jerked in surprise at the familiar voice. "Vi?" Lance asked. "How-?"
Keith noticed something on his screen then, running for the robot on foot. He focused on it and gasped.
Violet sprinted across the sand, golden light emanating from her body, and attacked the monster head-on.
-
Violet had never felt so alive.
Her power thrummed in her blood, as bright as the sun as she leapt for the robot. She felt her magic grow - no, she was the one growing. A gold outline of Violet formed in front of her, tripling in size until it was the same height as the monster. She threw a punch at the robeast, but instead of her fist, pulsing golden light connected with the robot's chest. It stumbled back, arms going out to defend itself against nothing but air and light.
Violet struck it again, and it began to defend itself, swiping at her with its blades.
Without the light, there is only darkness. The light can blind us at first, but we need it.
She ducked the blow, hitting the robot in the chest and causing it to stumble back. It was angry now; it leapt for her with its scimitars, powering up another blast of power from it's chest as well.
This is magic light. It is made to balance the darkness.
A shield of golden light met dark power, and as the magic collided, it felt like the world was on fire.
Sweat dripped down Violet's brow as she focused on keeping up the gold shield. She could feel the place where her power resided - just below her diaphragm, in the center of her body - and it was depleting, slowly but surely.
But the robot wasn't about to strike her down just yet.
Violet let the shield fall back, let the dark beam of power aim for her. She dodged it, the magic turning a nearby rock overhang to dust.
The most powerful can summon objects made of pure quintessence to fight.
Violet lifted her hand to the air, centering the magic flooding through her veins at that one spot. Light swirled at her palms, coalescing and binding.
When the robot attacked again, Violet was holding a sword made of golden light.
The weapon cut into the robeast's leg, and the robot stumbled. Violet drew out the sword, raising it above her head; when she brought it back down, it was a long whip that wrapped around the robot's arm and pulled it to the ground.
It began to fall, and the whip vanished into golden bursts of light; Violet thrust out her hands, and a beam of energy knocked into the robot. There was a beat of silence when the world seemed to hold its breath.
And then the robot exploded, bursting into scraps that launched into the air and rained down on Violet like white hail. The light retreated, and the magic slipped from Violet's grasp.
You are capable of so much, Violet. You could change the world.
All you have to do is try.
Violet's eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed.