I couldn't remember what happened before I found myself in front of the Universal Flame. I was unconscious, right? Something happened, right? I didn't know what happened to me. All o one was that I was in front of the Universal Flame.
"I am glad that you are unharmed, Solaris." The flame said to me, their voice filled with relief.
"Why am I here?" I asked, "What happened to me?"
"You were connected to Honerva's flame for too long. It unbalanced your flame and became too much for your body to handle. At this time, you are unconscious in your ship's med bay with Princess Allura."
"Is she all right?" I asked.
"The Princess is weak, but she will recover. You must return. Your friends and brothers are worried about you."
I nodded and smiled, but as my body began to feel lighter, the flame saud one last thing to me.
"Honerva is close to her goal. She is coming towards my center. It is almost time."
I nodded, understanding what the flame was talking about. It was almost time for the dream had months ago to happen.
I closed my eyes and felt something heavy over my body.
"What happened to them?" I heard Coran ask.
"What happened to our sister?" Ray asked, terrified as I felt a hand hold mine tightly.
"Honerva was able to use the entity against Allura. And Phoenix was connected to Honerva's flame for too long, making her an unintentional victim." Keith explained.
"I told her infiltrating Honerva's mind was too dangerous. I told you all!" Coran shouted.
"She's going to pull through. Both of them are." Lance reassured.
"How do you know?"
Suddenly, the PA beeped.
"Paladins, to the bridge." Shiro said.
Everyone was surprised and reluctant to leave me and Allura alone.
"We'll watch them." Kai said.
"You sure?" Keith asked.
"Yeah. We want to be here when our sister wakes up." Ray said.
Everyone nodded and entrusted us to my brothers. After they left, I suddenly began to feel extremely hot and my flame flickered wildly, more than normal.
I felt sweat run down my face as my body became hotter and hotter. I didn't understand. What was happening to me?
My friends walked to the bridge where Shiro had a map of the universe and Honerva's whereabouts, or lack there of, on the screen.
"Honerva's been off the grid since we left Oriande... until now." Shiro said, "We just drtectef a wormhole signature at the coordinates beta-four-ex-seven. Unfortunately, without Allura's ability to wormhole, we'll never get to her."
"We can't let this opportunity go to waste." Keith said.
"True, let's call the crew to the conference room and come up with a plan." Shiro said.
It didn't take long for the crew to gather in the conference room.
Keith and Pidge stood at the front of the room to begin the meeting.
"We now know why Honerva retrieved Lotor's mech." Keith said, "Since its made if the same comet ore as Voltron, it has the ability to pierce through realities. Honerva is gonna use Lotor's mech to find her version of a perfect reality."
"Perfect reality?" Romelle repeated questioningly, "Does that even exist?"
"She's searching for it right now." Lance answered solemnly, "And if it exists, she'll find it."
"The problem is the trans-reality ore has been traveling between realities for millions of years." Pidge explained, "And it's a naturally occurring phenomenon. What Honerva is doing is forcing that process to happen, which could have catastrophic side effects on this and any reality she travels through."
"So, what's the plan?" Hunk asked, "Maybe we can, we can make a giant tractor beam? Sam, you could do that, right? Make a giant tractor beam? We could pull her to us and then blow her up with a star bomb! Pidge, a star bomb?"
"There is no plan, Hunk." Lance said, "We know what Honerva wants to do, but we can't get to her. And even if we could, she has the ability to wormhole away. Without Allura, we can't chase her and we can't form Voltron."
Everyone was quiet for a moment, thinking about the Altean Princess who lay unconscious in the med bay
"Well, we have to do something." Keith said, "We'll prepare for battle. We need to be ready to face Honerva."
"We've been tracking a Galra fleet within our vicinity." Krolia said, "Our intel shows they have a Zaiforge cannon. Maybe Kolivan and I can take a small team and commandeer the ship."
"Why don't you take Commander Lahn and try to recruit them to our side?" Keith asked, "We don't want to fight more battles than we have to."
"In the meantime, Slav and I have been working on prototype upgrades for the Atlas' weapon system. Of course, we'll have to somehow find extra power for them." Sam Holt said.
"Always making the most amazing things in the universe, but never having enough power to run them." Slav sighed.
Pidge smiled, "New weapons? I'll give you guys a hand with that."
"And I may know where we can get the extra power." Coran said, "There's a small Balmera in this territory."
"All right! A little trip to a Balmera." Hunk said excitedly, "We'll take the Yellow Lion."
"And Romelle." Coran added, "I've been training her in Altean customs. She'll be quite helpful in communicating with the Balmera."
Keith smiled at the sudden progress of the plan, "Good idea. Everyone, let's stay focused on what we can accomplish. "
Everyone agreed and went on to do what they could to preapre for battle, except for Keith and Lance who were both equally worried.
Lance sunk in his seat, arms crossed and mind racing with his thoughts. Keith noticed and waited for everyone to file out of the room before approaching the Paladin.
"Allura is gonna be okay." Keith said.
"I hope so. And also Phoenix, she used her powers and now she's like Allura." Lance said, "We need to stop Honerva... this force of evil that's been around for 10,000 years. She has a plan that could destroy every reality, and all we've come up with is additional manpower and a prototyoe weapon."
Keith frowned and sat down next to Lance, "I know it's not ideal... but when is the last time anything has been ideal?"
The boy in red smiled, remembering times that were so long ago.
"Remember when we first arrived at the Castle of Lions? When we first met Allura?" Keith asked. "She told us we were the answer to saving the universe, but she didn't know that for sure. But Allura believed and she needed us to believe."
Lance scoffed, "Back then, I was cocky enough to actually think I was the greatest pilot in the universe."
"And I thought I could do everything myself." Keith added, smiling up at Lance, "We've come a long way since then."
Lance chuckled, "Yeah, we have."
Keith stood up from his seat and kept his small grin as he looekd down at Lance, "We haven't lost until we've lost hope."
Lance stood up as well, smiling back at Keith, "I haven't given up. Let's finish what we've started."
The two grasped each other's hands, thinking of the future we had hoped to keep.
Meanwhile in the med bay, Ray gasped when he felt my hand become too hot.
"Kai, quickly get some ice and towels! Sis is getting way too hot." He shouted.
Kai nodded, running around the room and grabbing ice from the freezer in the corner. He got as much ice as he could in a large towel and ran back to my bed.
"C'mon, sis, you can do this." Kai whispered to me.
It took a few minutes before my body cooled down enough to a safe temperature. A few more minutes passed as I felt myself slowly wake up.
My eyes fluttered open before closing again when I saw the bright lights of the med bay. I opened my eyes slowly again and this time, I saw my brothers hovering over me with relieved smiles.
"Solaris." They said in relief.
"We were worried." Ray said.
"Yeah, you were burning up. If you were fully human you'd be dead by now." Kai explained.
I smiled as brightly as I could, trying to sit up. When they saw thay I was struggling, my brothers helped me sit up in bed.
"Thanks a lot, boys." I said, "Where are the others?"
"They were called a little while ago by Shiro. Most likely to discuss the next plan of action." Ray explained.
I nodded, lifting the blanket off my body and swinging my legs over the edge of my bed.
"Sis, what are you doing?" Kai asked, afraid that I wasn't ready to be moving around too much, "You just got cooled down, you can't go running off again."
"I have to, guys. Something is going to happen and I need to be there for my friends when it happens."
My brothers looked at me with worry and fear. I understood what they were feeling. I had always felt those feelings before I joined Voltron as a friend and a Paladin. I was always worried and afraid, but this time I wasn't.
I knew exactly what I had to do.
I stood up, holding onto my brothers as they stabilized me while I got on my feet.
"Easy, sis. Are you sure you can move around?" Ray asked.
I nodded, pushing myself our of their grip and standing alone on my feet.
"I'll be just fine. I recover quickly." I tried to reassure them, but it was clear that it wasn't working well.
I walked over to the closet where my Garrison uniform was. My brothers left the room so I could change. Once I was done changing, I walked over to Allura's bedside and placed my hand over her's, feeling her flame and the entity inside of her.
My chest clenched tightly when I felt that darkness in her flame. It was stronger now, a sign that Honerva was more connected to Allura than before.
"Stay strong, Allura." I whispered, "Honerva will be defeated."
I walked out of the room, walking down the halls with my brothers by my sides, listening to the echoing footsteps we made in the quiet halls.
It wasn't long before we made it to the Bridge.
The doors silently opened and I saw the crew staring at the screen, projecting a strange ship. It was large and white, but I recognized enough of it to see that it was the temple from Oriande.
"I've never seen a ship like that before, and there something behind it." A voice said through the comms.
I walked closer to Shiro's side, my eyes narrowed at the temple, and the strange feeling I got from the sight on screen made me more cautious than before.
"Why is that there?" I asked, drawing everyone's attention towards me and my brothers.
Keith smiled and quickly made his way to my side, wrapping his arms around me as I returned the hug immediately.
"Phoenix, you're all right." Keith said happily, "Are you all right? You feel a little warm.?"
I shook my head, "I'm all right, Keith. Just a little rebound from my flames." I hated to lie, even if it was a half lie. It's true that my body was warm because of my flames reacting to the Universal Flame, but I wasn't completely all right.
Keuth nodded and we focused our attention back to the screen. Suddenly, I felt something flicker. It was a flame but it was different. It was more spread out and rapidly increasing and decreasing in power.
I looked back up at the screen and gasped in shock at what I saw. The screen showed a large black machine resembling Lotor's Voltron copy. And it was not in any sense weak.
"Oh, no." Ozar gasped, "Captain Shirogane, it appears Honerva has some kind of--" Ozar didn't get to finish when the screen shook and the ship was being attacked.
"Evasive maneuvers! Open fire!" Ozar shouted.
I caught a glimpse of what had attacked them, noticing the familiar white arms of Honerva's Robeasts.
"Two ships down!" One of the crew members said.
"They need to get out of there!" Keith shouted.
"Commander Ozar, do you copy?" Shiro asked.
"Fall back!" Commander Ozar's screams were the last thing we heard before the connection was cut.
"We've lost connection!" Veronica shouted.
I clenched my fists tightly.
"Quickly, track Honerva down! Now!" I commanded. Veronica nodded and typed on her keyboard rapidly.
"Honerva has made another jump. Bringing up her location." She said.
The map on Veronica's screen appeared on the larger main screen. I recognized the star system immediately.
"That star system..." Shiro said, "It's where Altea and Daibazaal once existed."
We stayed silent for a moment as Shiro pieced together Honvera's intentions.
"Sir?" Curtis asked.
"She's returned home." Shiro said, "That's where she's going to cross through realities."
My body was shaking, feeling as if I was being weakened and strengthened at the same time.
"Honerva is close. You must hurry, Solaris." I heard the Universal Flame say to me.
I understood. This was our only chance to get and defeat Homerva.
We waited on the bridge as we flew through the stars of space. Keith left to help with other preparations, but I couldn't leave. I needed to stay ok the bridge to see the journey through. Pidge eventually joined us on the bridge after her work with Commander Holt was completed.
She was excited to see me awake and all right, but her worry was still evident in her eyes. After a little while longer, everyone came back to the Bridge, and after that, Allura and Lance appeared, Allura walking by his side albeit a little pale.
"It's great to have you back. How are you feeling?" Shiro asked.
"A little weak, but I'll manage." Allura replied, her tone light from her weakened state, but still strong and determined.
"I hate to throw all this in you at once, but we don't have much time." Keith said, "We need to get to Altea's corrdinates immediately. Honerva is already there."
"What about Hunk and Coran?" Pidge asked.
"Veronica, open up a channel to the Yellow Lion." Shiro said.
"Comms active." Veronica said.
"Hunk, this is the Atlas. What's your status?"
Hunk appeared on the screen with a bright smile and several different Balmerans behind him.
"Hey, guys, good news. We found a new Balmera and new Balmerans. Say hi. Hey." The Balmerans were silent, "They're shy. Anyway, were having a little trouble finding a big enough crystal. But, uh, don't worry, Coran came up with a crazy plan that just might work."
Coran walked onto the screen, "It's not that crazy, actually. It's a very level-headed, reasonable plan. The opposite of crazy."
"Do what you must." Allura said, "I can wormhoke you to our location whenever you're ready."
"Allura, you're okay! And Solaris as well! That's good." Coran exclaimed.
"Good to see you, too, Coran. Nust focus on the task at hand, we'll see you when you're finished." I said, then connection was cut off.
"Attention, crew, ready the Atlas for wormhole jump." Shoro announced, "MFE squadron, prepare for launch on my command. This is not a drill."
Allura turned around to walk to her place where she could activate the wormhole, but from the look of her flame, she would need help.
I grabbed her wrist just as she was about to leave the room, making her turn around and face me with a surprised expression.
"You're flame is too weak. Let me help you." I said.
"Solaris, I can't ask you to do that." She said.
"Well, it's a good thing you're not asking me to do it, isn't it?" I smirked. Allura sighed, not wanting to prolong the arguement and allowed me to follow her.
She stood in her position, placing her hands on the pedestals. I put my hand on her back, giving her some of my flame, just enough for her to open a big enough wormhole.
"Thank you, Solaris." She said as the wormhole opened. I smiled back at her and watched the colors of the wormhole fuse together.
It didn't take long for our ship to reach our destination. And even though we knew what Honerva was going to do, we weren't prepared to see what she was doing.
The once beautiful temple was encased in a dark purple glow, Honvera's dark machine hovering over it like a dark shadow.
Her flame was dark and powerful. I began shaking in fear from it.
"What's she doing?" I heard Pidge ask over the speakers.
"I don't know." Shiro said, "But we're going to stop her."
"Paladins, get to your Lions." Keith said, "Allura, you'll need to wait until Hunk and Coran are ready to return. We need Voltron as soon as possible."
I let go of Aluura and turned around to get to Agnimitra. I had left some of my flame in Allura so she would have enough energy to wormhole Coran and Hunk back to help in the battle.
I rushed to my lion with the others, quickly changing into my armor and launching out of the Atlas. We sped off to stop Honerva. However, we were halted by several Robeasts piloted by more Alteans.
They fired at us with deadly aim, their powerful beams shooting from their chests. We dodged as best we could and fired back at them with our own lasers.
One of the Robeasts threw their weapons and hit the Green and Red Lions in the back.
"I can't get through!" Pidge shouted.
"Me neither!" Lance added.
The Atlas activated the shields from behind us.
"We'll draw their fire. Paladins, get to Honerva." Shiro said.
"Copy that! Fall back to me. Let's take another pass!" Keith said.
The Black Lion fell back and leaned to the left as the rest of us followed him and copied his movements.
The Atlas charged up its power and fired a single blast at the temple, but it was blocked by a Robeasts.
Just then, my head felt like it was being crushed as an unspeakable amout of pain rushed through it, my chest burning intensely.
I gasped at the feeling burning feeling in my chest and the sudden change in several flames from Honerva and the Atlas.
"Something's happening!" I huffed out, the pain becoming worse by the second.
All of a sudden, the Atlas was engulfed in a bright glow. A beam of cyan light shot from the ship to the temple, converting itself into energy for the wormhole into another reality.
The temple shone with a bright purple glow and the energy given was shot above into a large wormhole circle.
We stared in shock as the temple was covered in the purple glow. But then, something changed.
A flame flickered from one of the Robeasts, giving off the sense of a change in their heart. It attacked one of the spires surrounding the temple. The energy circle above said spire vanished and so the wormhole was weakened and the pain I felt lessened.
Suddenly, another wormhole opened, a large flame coming through with Hunk and Coran.
I smiled in delight when I saw a large planet come through the wormhole. It was actually shocking to see a Balmera appear by the Atlas.
But Honerva was not happy about our new ally on the field.
She attacked without hesitation at the Balmera, shooting the spikes behind her mech at the Balmera and shocking it with thousands of volts of electricity.
The energy from the Balmera was sucked out and transferred to the temple.
"No!" We shouted in fear. I held my hands over my ears and chest, not wanting to feel the pain and hear the terrifying cries of the Balmera as its life was sucked away.
I looked up at the temple and saw Hinerva taking in all the power she could from the Balmera, alongside the machine her son had created.
"Paladins, attack!" Keith shouted. I shot off with the others to attack. The Robeasts tried to attack us, but were too weak to cause major damage.
Keith shot a laser at Honerva, but she blocked it with the panels around her.
She fired a beam at the Yellow Lion as Keith and I charged behind it.
Honerva controlled the spiked panels behind her and aimed them at us. Our Lions dodged effortlessly, but we were still hit.
I cried out in pain as the electricity shocked me to the core, but the pain was nothing the or sounds of Keith's screams of pain when he was hit badly.
The Altean with the now changed flame went in to attack Honerva, but with only a cold heart and no mercy, Honerva shot her down. The now empty space where I felt the flame grew cold.
I couldn't take it anymore. I flew straight to Honerva as she used the power she stole to fuse herself with Lotor's ship. In a flash of light, a new beast was created, and a new more evil flame was ignited. One that could travel to any reality at will and destroy it in the process.
Ths spikes behind her spun rapidly in a circle, the energy they gave off creating the largest wormhole I had ever seen.
It was so dark and filled with malice that I almost felt my heart stop. This the beginning of our most intense battle ever.
If we are defeated here...
Then nothing will be spared, in this or any reality.