As the gang slowly approaches the portal, a deep voice emanates from within. "WHO HAVE YOU BROUGHT TO ME?" It booms, startling most of them. Even Kosmo growls, deep and low.
"These are the Paladins of Voltron, oh great Kloflax," Pelg replies with a bow. "They wish to speak with you."
"AH YES, THE PALADINS OF VOLTRON. I AM AWARE OF WHO YOU ARE," the Kloflax says. "I HAVE SEEN ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE DONE FOR OUR UNIVERSE."
"That's not creepy at all..." Lance whispers to Hunk under his breath.
"NO, LANCE MCCLAIN, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS CREEPY TO WATCH OVER THE PEOPLE OF THE UNIVERSE," the Kloflax says, causing Lance to jump at the mention of his name.
Keith steps toward the portal. "We wish to speak with you about bringing back a friend of ours," he says. When the Kloflax does not respond, he adds with an awkward bow, "Great Kloflax, sir..."
"YES, THE ALTEAN PRINCESS ALLURA. I AM AWARE OF YOUR REQUEST."
"So you'll do it?" Hunk asks. "Please say you'll do it..."
"I AM POSITIVE YOU KNOW OF MY REQUIREMENTS," the Kloflax responds.
Lance sighs deeply. "Yeah, we do... But we were kinda hoping, just this once, you'd let that slide? The fate of the universe being at stake, and all."
"YOU KNOW MY REQUIREMENTS," the Kloflax insists.
"But why?" Pidge asks. "Why do you have these requirements?"
"THERE MUST BE BALANCE IN THE UNIVERSE," the Kloflax replies. "A LIFE FOR A LIFE. IT IS THE WAY THINGS MUST BE."
The Paladins exchange glances with one another. Most of them are unsure what to do now, but one of them has made up his mind...
Lance walks over to Veronica, sadness evident all over his face. "Lance, it's okay," she assures him. "We'll figure this out! We—" She stops when he suddenly embraces her, tighter than he ever has before.
"I love you, Veronica. You know that, right?"
"Lance, what are you doing?" She asks worriedly, as the others begin to take notice of his actions.
"And you'll tell Mom and Pop-Pop that I love them too? And Rachel and Marco and everyone else?"
"Don't you dare," Veronica says, holding on tightly to him. "Don't you dare leave us!"
But Lance ignores her as he pulls himself from her grasp and begins to walk towards the portal.
Lance, don't do this! Allura begs. I'm fine where I am! It's not worth it to exchange your life for mine. But again, Lance just ignores her.
Before he can step into the portal, Keith walks in front of Lance, stopping him. "Get out of the way, Keith!" Lance shouts determinedly.
"No!" Keith shouts back defiantly. "I'm not going to let you do this!"
Lance hears the other Paladins and everyone else trying to convince him, but he tunes them out. "I have to," he tells Keith softly as tears begin to form in his eyes. "What happened to Allura never should have happened to begin with. I knew things would probably come to this, and I accepted this as my fate a long time ago."
"But it doesn't have to be," Keith says, and Lance is surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes as well. "We'll figure something else out! We always do."
Lance shakes his head, and pushes Keith out of the way. Keith falls to the ground, unable to stop Lance from walking into the portal.
"No!" Pidge screams.
"Lance!" Veronica cries.
"This can't be happening..." Hunk says.
In their shock, no one is aware of how quiet Princess Lyna has been, or how she continues to inch closer and closer to the portal...
Inside the portal, Lance feels really strange. He feels almost as if he doesn't exist at all, but exists as everyone everywhere all at once. Everything around him is purple and swirling, making him dizzy.
"Hello, great Kloflax?" He calls out. "I'm here... You can bring Allura back now."
To his surprise, the Kloflax does not respond. There is silence and loudness at the same time.
"Hello!" He shouts again, louder this time. "I'm here as your stinkin' sacrifice! The least you can do is show yourself and tell me what happens now."
"NO, YOU ARE NOT THE SACRIFICE," the Kloflax finally says, though Lance still doesn't see anybody. "AND YOU WILL NOT SEE ME. NOBODY CAN SEE ME."
"Huh?" Lance says, confused. "What do you mean I'm not the sacrifice?"
Suddenly, Lance feels another presence in the portal. He turns around, and sees the last person he would have ever expected to see.
"Princess Lyna? What are you doing here?!"
"Fulfilling my destiny," she replies, her face hardened in determination.
"What?! No! That's what I'm here for," Lance says.
Lyna shakes her head. "I know it may sound crazy, but I feel that this is what I was meant to do all along," she says. "I was never meant to rule Altea. I was meant to bring its true ruler back."
Lance stares at her in shock. "Why would you do this? Sacrifice yourself to bring back somebody you hate?"
Lyna scoffs. "I don't hate Allura, I look up to her," she admits. "What I hated was everyone expecting me to be exactly like her! And, something else..." The expression on her face darkens as Lance waits for her to continue.
"When we were in that Altean colony led by Lotor, none of us knew we were actually being held captive by him," Lyna explains. "Most of us looked up to him, and even worshipped him like a god. Me, I... I am ashamed to admit that I had fallen in love with him."
Lance feels a pang in his chest, as this reminds him of the time when Lotor tricked them all and Allura had even began to fall for him. "Yeah, you're not the only one..." He says.
"I know," Lyna says. "A part of me was extremely jealous of Allura once I heard that she and Lotor where together for a while, even knowing how evil he was and how he betrayed us all. That jealousy may have seemed to others like hate, but I assure you I do not hate Allura. I aspire to be like her." She sighs as she adds, "I feel like this is something she would do."
"You're right, she would," Lance agrees. "But I can't let you do this! I've already decided to."
Lyna shakes her head again. "No, Allura needs you. You need each other."
"THIS IS ACCEPTABLE," the Kloflax says.
"No it's not!" Lance shouts. "Lyna, you can't--"
Unexpectedly, Lyna grabs Lance by the shoulders and shoves him out of the portal. He tries to protest, but he feels the force of something keeping him back. "I WILL ACCEPT PRINCESS LYNA'S SACRIFICE," the Kloflax says. "IT IS DONE..."
"Tell others of what I have done today..." He hears the faint sound of Lyna's voice say, as he is completely thrust from the portal.