~~~~Lellal~~~~
I had finally found my older sister! But as soon as I told her who I was, she fainted as she was overwhelmed by the shocking news. Although, I can very much understand her actions. I reacted similarly when I found out I had an older sister.
The Paladins and the Altean princess moved her to another room to rest. They called it the lounge, a place where all of us could be comfortable while we waited for my sister to awaken.
I stared at her sleeping face, mother was right. She was very beautiful, more than the picture I had of her when she was younger. And the way she spoke to me so kindly even though she had just met me, she exceeded my already high expectations of who she would be.
"So..." one of the paladins said unsurely. I turned to see that it was the Blue Paladin, ans all the others in the room were staring at me curiously.
"Are you really, like, Saoirse's younger brother?" The Blue Paladin asked.
I didn't hesitate to nod my head, "Yes. I've been searching for her for two years now." I answered.
"How did you even find us?" The Green Paladin asked.
"I will answer all of your questions once my sister is awake." I said.
Suddenly, we heard groaning coming from the couch. Our attention was drawn back to my sister, who slowly opened her eyes.
~~~~Saoirse~~~~
Slowly, the darkness faded from my sight and let the light shine through. I felt something soft underneath me as the light finally allowed me to see.
"Saoirse? You okay?" I heard a voice ask. I looked to my left and saw the blurry colors of red and white. As my vision cleared, I saw Keith and the others looking at me with concern and a hint of relief.
"What happened?" I asked in a soft tone. Keith smiled and slid his arms underneath me to sit me up. I carefully swung my legs over the edge of the couch, noticing the dark blue blanket covering my once sleeping form.
Just then, the events from earlier came back to me like a wave crashing onto the sand shores of the beach. I looked around and saw the boy standing behind Keith with a wide smile of relief on his face.
This was my brother. Lellal. It was almost too hard to believe.
"So, it wasn't a dream." I said looking straight at Lellal. He shook his head.
"No, sister. It wasn't a dream." He answered.
Everyone stayed silent for a while. After what felt like hours had passed, I finally asked him something.
"Are.... are our parents... still alive?" I asked, my voice shaky and my stutter with my sentence.
Instead of answering me with his voice, her pulled back out his pendant and gently pressed the stone. The picture of me when I was little came up, but he waved his hand and the picture changed.
It was a picture of a happy family. There were two adults, the mother and father, and three young children, one of which I knew was Lellal. The other two children were younger than Lellal, one of them was a young boy and the other, a sweet baby girl. The young boy was standing in the center with a big smile on her face. His skin was pale, but slightly tanned and his face was round and soft. What was striking about her was not his silver hair that faded to blue, but his bright golden eyes that shimmered with innocence. And on his cheeks were small yellow Altean marks.
The little girl, was only a baby. She was pale but she still smiled so happily. Unlike the little girl from before, she had pure white hair that slightly curled around her head. She wore a pink jumper that matched her pink Altean marks, minus the blue stripes on her sleeves.
This was them. I couldn't believe it. I felt my eyes water as my vision was flooded with the tears that threatened to fall down my cheeks.
The threat was taken and the tears fell as I covered my mouth to keep myself from sobbing.
I could finally see my family.
"How.... how long ago..." I tried to say, but my tears and quiet sobs wouldn't allow me to finish my sentence.
Lellal figured out what I was trying to ask.
"This was taken two years ago, before I left to find you, big sister." Lellal answered.
I didn't hold it back any longer. I let out all the relief and sadness I've held back for too long.
Everyone gathered around me as I cried, holding me, hugging me, whispering kind words to me. It made me feel so much better to know that my family was still alive out there.
We stayed like that for a little over an hour, until I finally let out all of the feelings I've held back for who knows how long.
I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes and looked back up at Lellal and the picture that projected over the pendent.
"The other two.... the little boy and girl. What are their names?" I asked.
Lellal pointed to each of the children.
"This is our younger brother, his name Reilo. And the baby girl here is Nalira." He introduced.
"Nalira, that's an Altean name." Allura said.
"Yes. Father wanted an Altean name for at least one of his children. Lellal is also an Altean name. It gives us a piece of the heritage we could never expreience. Names of honor and pride." Lellal said.
Allura and Coran smiled, "That sounds like something Cires would do."
Lellal put the pendent away and kentl down in front of me. He grabbed my hands and smiled.
"They've been waiting for a very long time to see you again, big sister. They never gave up on the day that you would fulfill your promise and come back to free the Teshirians from our grandfather's reign." He said.
I smiled and without warning, I pulled him into a hug, falling to my knees om the floor. I held my brother tightly, repeating my thanks to him.
"Thank you, Lellal." I said, "Thank you so much for showing me this."
He hugged me back and when we parted, he looked as if he was about to cry. But he held in his tears as the two of us sat back down om the couch.
"Now, what happened to you and your parents?" Shiro asked, "How did you find us?"
"Before that, I haven't even thought to ask for your names." Lellal said, "I only know the names of my sister and Princess Allura."
Everyone fumbled of balance for a second, finally realizing that they never introduced themselves.
"Right, well, I'm Takashi Shirogane." Shiro said extending his hand to Lellal who gratefully shook it.
"Shiro is an older brother to me." I added, "He raised me since I was twelve years old."
"Oh. Thank you for protecting my sister for all these years." Lellal said.
Shiro chuckled and then gestured to Keith, "I'm not the only one who can take the credit. Keith here helped raise her long before I took her in."
Keith shuddered under the sudden attention, but quickly regained his composure.
"Thank you as well, Keith." Lellal thanked.
We comtinued with the introductions.
"My name is Pidge, but I guess since you've been with my brother Matt." Pidge said.
"Yes, Katie, right? He talked a lot about you and your father." He said.
Pidge seemed happy as her eyes lit up with pure joy and more determination to find her father and brother.
"My name's Hunk. Nice to meet you." Hunk said extending his hand.
"Pleasure to meet you as well, Hunk." Lellal said shaking Hunk's hand.
"And my name's Lance, best sharpshooter in the universe and-"
"And the dog who barks the loudest I see." Lellal cut him off. Everyone got silent, Lance shocked to be cut off like he was. And then, everyone burst out laughing.
We have never really seen Lance so flustered. It was something none of us would ever forget.
After wa calmed down, Coran introduced himself.
"I am the Princess's royal advisor, Coran. Pleasure to meet you, Lellal." Coran said bowing respectfully.
Suddenly, Lellal smiled, "You're the one who drove father crazy years ago." He said.
"What do you mean, Lellal?" Allura asked.
"Father would entertain us in the evenings with stories from Altea. He kept telling us about this man named Coran that would annoy him to the ancients. Always babbling on about some kind of nonsense or another. One time, he hit Coran so hard he flew into the fountain and cracked the marble. I'm surprised you're not dead yet."
We laughed again while Coran shrunk down in embarrassment, his face red and burning.
We calmed down a few minutes later and Coran stood back up straight, but his face was still a little red.
"Now then, I suppose it's time I tell you what has happened over these years since you left Teshiria, big sister." Lellal said.
Everyone took a seat and prepared for the long story to come.
~~~~Flashback~~~3rd POV~~~~
Saoirse flew off into space, not knowing where she would end up and how long she would be gone. All she knew was that she had to come back and free her mother's people, for that was the promise she made.
And this child never broke her promises.
Her mother and father sat on the ground, their hands tied behind their backs with strong rope and their eyes glued to the sky where their daughter had flown away.
Siofra, the mother, cried all the tears she could cry.
"Thank goodness." She whispered leaning against her husband, "She can finally be free, Cires."
Her husband, Cires, cried as well, leaning his head against Siofra's. But all of a sudden, a furious shout broke through the hall.
"What was that light!" An old man shouted at the couple. The old man was tall, slightly muscular but over the years of his terrible reign, he had packed on some weight.
This man, was Soifra's father, Thanis. A man who wanted nothing more than to keep his seat of power, resulting in him using whatever magical power he had to cast a time freeze spell over the planet Teshiria for the past 10,000 years.
Unlike those who had come before him, those who wanted peace across the universe, he wanted to keep Teshirians close and in ths solar system, never letting them leave and travel across the universe like they used to.
He slapped Siofra in the face as hard as he could, the woman flying across the room with a stinging cheek.
"Siofra!" Cires shouted, about to run to his wife to help her, but was pinned down by some of the guards.
Thanis growled ans stomped over to his daughter with the meanest look on his face. It was if staring at your own death when you saw his rage filled eyes.
"What. Was. That. Light?" He demanded an answer, "Tell me now, you traitorous child!"
Siofra looked down at her lap, before her lips spread into a victorious smile and then looked up at her evil father.
"It was a light that will finally break through the darkness you spread over my home!" She shouted.
Thanis, displeased with her answer, hit her again, only this time he hit her twice as hard.
"You little tratorious bitch! You will be punished for your insolence, as will your husband. For creating a child such as that, you will be sentenced to exile on the Dark Moon."
Siofra gasped and almost looked afraid at her sentence along with her husband.
~~~~Flashback end~~~Keith~~~~
We listened to what Lellal had said, all of us shocked by what he explained. Saoirse however, was more shocked than the rest of us. This was her family after all. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
"So, your grandfather just sentenced them to a moon?" Shiro asked.
Lellal nodded clenching his fists in anger, "Yes. Our grandfather is almost as evil as Zarkon. The minute he took the clan seat, he starting changing the ways of our ancestors. Instead of spreading our culture and our powers with the rest of the universe to bring peace and joy to others, he kept Teshirians locked away in the planet's solar system. He used the lesser clans to produce greater amounts of resources to fill his own selfish greed. And that's why mother left the planet all those years ago."
We quickly got confused by the way he explained the planet.
"What do you mean clans?" Pidge asked.
Lellal looked up at us, "Oh, yes, I never explained how Teshiria works, did I?"
We shook our heads.
"Well, Teshiria is broken up in several clans, each one having only a little more power than the last. The lowest clan is the Treeinja clan, filled with those who specialize in controlling the energy that flows through nature. They make the soil fertile and help nature be put back in balance. The next clan is the Arai clan, the ones who control wind and air. They mostly help keeping the air pure and suitable for life. Then there's the firai clan, they control the energy found in the water and fires. With their help, Teshiria is able to have controlled climate, especially when its time to predict when the cold will come. The Amora clan, they match the energies of the Teshirians, making it easier for those to find love, although they don't always get it accurate so Teshirians still have to find love on their own from time to time."
I couldn't help but think that if we find Teshiria, I would have to pay a visit to that clan. I felt my face burn as I thought about Saoirse being a match for me. But then, what if she didn't fell the same and our match was one of the times the Amora clan was wrong?
"Then there's the Viran clan, the teachers of the young. They teach the children everything they need to know about their separate clans and what they are meant to do as an adult. They reward you when you unlock you wings, a big milestone for a young Teshirian. The earlier you unlock them, the stronger your powers are to be when you're older and begin serious training with your powers. The second most powerful Teshirian clan is called the Reinga clan, they're mostly known for their medicines and work closely with the Treeinja clans, since they grow most of the herbs used for the medicine the Reinga clan creates. And finally, the most powerful clan of Teshiria is our clan. The Teshiri clan. This clan is the oldest and most powerful on the planet. We specialize in controlling all types of energy found in the entire universe, we also communicate with the stars, as they are as ancient as our race. We are connected to the stars and so with our ability to speak with them, we are able to understand everything they see. No secret is safe from the stars. And included with that ability, we are able to use the same abilities as the other clans, making us even stronger."
We all gaped at the long list of Teshirian clans. And Saoirse was part of the most powerfil clan on the planet. No wonder she's so strong.
Lellal continued with his story.
"After Mother and Father were exiled to the Dark Moon, they had to use all of their power just to make enough to survive." He said.
"Survive? What do you mean survive? What's the Dark Moon?" Saoirse asked.
"The Dark Moon is a barren wasteland that circles around Teshiria, and is covered in black stones, thus the name. Our grandfather uses it as a prison and anyome who's sent there doesn't last more than a week or two. It's also surrounded by a barrier so no one without his permission could escape." Lellal explained, "The soil is barely fertile, so farming is almost impossible. But since mother is a Teshiri clan member, her powers long with father's knowledge of Altean magic, helped make the soil a little more adaptable. Mother also had the ability to create small things with the energy from the stars. With that, they managed to make a place there. But then, something happened."
"What happened?" Allura asked.
Lellal sighed and answered, "Mother found out she was with child. She was pregnant with me." We all stayed silent as he continued on.
"Mother and Father knew that this would make their lives a little more difficult, but they didn't think of my life as a burden. When I was born, mother sensed great power within me and the the stars gave mother a vision. A vision of all of us living together in peace as a family in the far future. After that, years went by and we managed to survive. By the time I was ten, our younger brother and sister were born. Reilo was five years younger than I was, and Nalira was barely a few months old when I left to find Saoirse."
"Wait, if the Dark Moon had a barrier around it, how did you escape?" Coran asked.
~~~~Flashback ~~~3rd~~~~
Lellal sat on the large black stone outside the stone cave his family lived inside. He would do this many times during the day, dreaming about the sister he never got to meet.
And now he was ten years old. He had unlocked his wings and was very skilled in archery. To others, he was just a young child, but to himself, he was strong enough to go and find his sister.
"Lellal! Dinner's ready!" He heard his mother shout from the cave. He turned around and jumped off the stone, running back to the cave.
The cave was carved out from one of the largest black stones on the moon, it took years to make it big enough for their family, but it was comfortable enough to live in.
There were places in the back of the cave for the family to sleep and small carved stones with lids to keep whatever food they had from going bad. And in the center of the cave was a large fire pit surrounded by Lellal's family.
His mother smiled and handed him a bowl of soup, a common meal for the family.
They continued to eat in silence, until Lellal finally said, "I want to find Saoirse."
Lellal's mother and father dropped their spoons and bowls, Reilo froze in place and Nalira just stayed silent while reaching for more food.
The father turned towards his son with a shocked expression, "Lellal, do you understand what you are saying you'll do?" He asked.
Lellal nodded, the determination in his eyes never leaving for even a second.
"I understand completely about what I'm saying." He said, "I've listened to the stories abour my sister since the moment I was able to understand. She's strong and powerful enough to finally free Teshiria from Grandfather's reign. Plus, I know for a fact that you two miss her terribly, and I want to meet the sister I've heard so much about. Please, let me go find her. I promise to bring her back and we'll fulfill the vision you saw all those years ago mother."
Lellal's parents were shocked, they had never heard such words from their only son. But they understood exactly what he wanted. It's what they've wanted for years since they sent their daughter to live peacefully from Thanis.
"My love, I think we should let him go." The mother said, surprising her husband.
"But Siofra, you know about the war going on in the universe. What would happen if Lellal got caught by the Galra? Or even Saoirse if he finds her?"
"Cires, I understand the dangers and from what Lellal says he understands just as well. We must take any chance we can to find our daughter. Besides, I bet that our son and daughter would love to meet their older sister. Wouldn't you like that Reilo, Nalira?"
The baby in Soifra's arms giggled, as if understanding what her mother was saying.
"Yeah! Yeah! I wanna meet big sister Saoirse!" Reilo answered happily.
Seeing that he was outnumbered, Cires gave in. He walked over to his makeshift bed and pulled out a small rod.
He walked back over to his son and presented the rod to Lellal.
"This was once my weapon when I was positioned as head knight of Altea. I hope you find it useful on your mission to find your sister." He said.
Lellal took the rod and instantly it expanded into a bow. He smiled, stood up and pulled back the string. An arrow formed and Lellal slowly let the string go. The arrow didn't fire, but it did disappear.
Lellal smiled and thanked his father. That night, they took a final photo and it was coded into Lellal's stone. A piece of the family he was leaving behind to find the daughter and sister they had missed.
The next day, right at dawn, Siofra and Cires used their powers to open the barrier small enough for Lellal to escape.
Lellal's parents had tried this many times before Lellal was born, but quickly found out that they needed to stay still in order to focus their powers to tear the barrier. They also found out that dawn was when the barrier was the weakest and easiest for them to open it.
Once the barrier was open enough, Lellal said his last goodbye and promised to bring back his sister. That was the last time he had seen his family.
~~~~Flashback~~~Saoirse~~~~
Lellal went silent after he finished. It was too much for me to bear. Lellal left our family to find me, and I wasn't even in space two years ago.
"After I left, I used the stars to try and track you down, Saoirse, while also helping in the rebellion anyway I could to find informatiom about Voltron. Mother would tell me and our younger siblings stories about her adventures in the Silver Lion and that you would be the Paladin. It wasn't much but it was my only clue to finding you."
I smiled and hugged Lellal.
"Thank you for telling me that. Now I know that our family is still out there waiting for me. I promise we'll go to Teshiria and save the planet from our grandfather as soon as we can."
Lellal quickly went on telling me more about our parents and younger siblings. It was amusing to hear that our younger brother was mischievous and liked playing pranks on Lellal and our father. Never our mother since she was terrifying when angered.
We talked for hours about ourselves and my family. By the time we stopped talking it was very late.
We all said goodnight to each other then left for our own rooms. Lellal was insistent on staying with me, so I allowed him. I changed in the restroom and layer out an extra mattress I found in the closet.
"Sister?" He asked.
"Yes?" I replied.
"Would you kind showing me your Teshirian form?"
I was susrpised by his request, but I smiled and left down my disguise. I even let my wings unfold.
His smile was so bright and his eyes sparkled as he took in my appearance.
"Mother was right. You really are beautiful." I blushed at his compliment. I said goodnight, activating the song played from my pendant and falling asleep to the soft melody.
For the first time, I slept knowing that my family was out there waiting for me. And I couldn't wait to finally meet them again.
....
~~~~Siofra~~~~
I dropped the bowl of food I was handing to my husband.
"Siofra, what's the matter?" He asked me. But then he gasped, noticing the tears in my eyes.
"He found her." I whsipered, "Lellal found Saoirse."
"Mother, is it true?" I looked towards the entrance to our cave and saw my son, Reilo holding his little sister Narila.
Both of them had shocked expressions on their faces as they walked closer to me and my husband.
"Is it true, momma?" Narila asked hoping that what I said was true.
I nodded smiling and crying, "Yes, my little ones. Your big brother found your big sister."
My children collapsed to their knees and we hugged each other. All of us crying and smiling as we knew that soon, our family would come back.
I would finally see my baby girl again. And Teshiria would finally be freed from the terrible grip of my father.
(Saoirse's family)