~~~~Saoirse~~~~
I was stunned by the sight of the person standing in front of me. Her light purple hair was draped over her left shoulder, and her white dressed flowed with the gentle breeze.
Her golden eyes were shining brightly as she turned to look at me. Then, I saw it.
Red Altean marks and a kind smile that I vaguely remembered from when I was a baby.
"It brings me great joy to see you well, Saoirse. You have grown so much." She said.
"Honerva...." I gasped. The woman in front of me was Honerva.
The real Honerva.
Her energy... it was pure. No signs of darkness inside of it at all.
Honerva took a cautious step towards me, reaching out to touch me when she got closer, but then she stopped and withdrew her hand.
"I'm sorry. I am not worthy to even lay my eyes on you, Angel." She said.
I took a deep breath and took steps to come closer to her. When I got close enough, I stretched out my hand and gently caressed her cheek.
Her eyes, once downcast, now looked straight into mine before filling with tears.
"Honerva." I said fondly, "It has been a long time since I've seen you like this. Not a single ounce of your energy is tainted by evil. I have not seen you this pure since I was a baby. It is good to see you again. But how is this even possible? You became the witch Haggar and your mind was dark and terrifying."
Honerva cried even harder as she answered.
"When I became the witch Haggar, I don't know how, but my mind, a small portion if it remained here. In the light. I believe it was a way to keep something from my past. And I also believe it was a subconscious will to stay alive as Honerva, not the witch that has caused so much pain."
I smiled and chuckled, happy to see the real Honerva after all these years. I barely remembered Honvera, but in what I can remember, she was smiling and happy with Zarkon. But I could remember her sadness and the madness she was fighting back as she continued to work on her experiments.
"You truly have grown so much, Saoirse." She said, "I am eternally sorry for the pain I have caused you, Princess Allura and the rest of your friends. The quintessence had corrupted me and my husband to the point where even I never wanted to go back to those times of light and peace."
Suddenly, Honerva fell to her knees, the grass flying into the air as she collapsed and continued to cry.
"If you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my sins... no.... there is no possible way an angel such as you can forgive me for my ways. I never even tried to fight off the darkness. Please, you must destroy me! Take away this curse! I beg of you!"
I watched her cry and beg me for her destruction. But I was not cruel. Everyone deserved a second chance, even the cruelest souls.
I knelt down onto my knees and wrapped my arms around her. She stopped sobbing, but I could still feel her tears dripping down my back.
"It's okay now. Be glad there is a small pure piece of you left in this universe. I am so glad to finally find the real you, Honerva." I said before pulling away from her.
"Honerva, I'm sorry to say, but we need to defeat you. The entity your mind holds will destroy all reality if we don't stop it." I said.
Honerva looked down sadly, "Yes, I can still feel the entity, even in this peaceful place." She clutched her chest in soft pain, "It threatens to take me as well. I beg of you, please, destroy me before the entity can destroy the universe I loved so much."
I took Honerva's hands in mine and smiled at her again as she looked back up me.
"You don't need to worry about anything, Honerva. I know about what's going to happen in the future." Her eyes widened.
"How can you tell what will happen? Do you truly know if the universe will be spared from my destruction and chaos?" She asked.
I frowned slightly, knowing about the fate I was to take. And just the thought of what my friends will say when they see what I had to do.... It was heartbreaking.
"In order to save all realities and our universe, I will have to make a great sacrifice. That sacrifice will save everyone and everything in all realities. Although, we have to defeat you first, but I will make sure no pain comes to you Honerva." I explained, my own tears beginning well up in my eyes.
Honerva could state and take in my words, she said nothing but she hugged me tightly, whispering soft nothings into my ear.
We stayed like that for what felt like forever, when all of a sudden, I felt a terrible pain strike my chest, where my heart was.
I pulled away and screamed in my pain, visions passing through my eyes. I saw my friends, my love, all suffering as they battled.
But I also saw some familiar faces from the past.
Trigel...
Gyrgan...
Blaytz...
King Alfor...
All of them were battling four of my friends, while Keith stay on the other side of the barrier, trying to find a way through while he begged and cried for us to be returned.
"Saoirse! Saoirse, my dear, are you all right?" I heard Honerva shout. I gasped for air as my eyes flew open and the visions ended.
"My friends.... They're in trouble, I have to help them." I gasped out.
Honerva's eyes widened and she nodded, helping me to my feet.
"You out of all of us understand the workings of energy and the mind. Please, use your powers to save your friends and the rest of the universe." She said, letting go of me.
I turned to face her, but when I saw her, Honerva, the grassy plain, the blue sky... they all began to fade away.
"Be safe, young Angel. May the ancients be with you in your sacrifice." She said as her body and the area faded away.
The area slowly bled into a galaxy printed sky with a black reflective floor beneath my feet.
"Hello?" I yelled for anyone, "Is anyone there? Please, where are you my friends?"
"Saoirse Teshiri." I heard a familiar voice call out to me. I turned around and saw a white crystal behind me.
"Light of Teshiria." I said.
"You must concentrate, child. Feel the energies of your friends those lost in the darkness."
The crystal floated back to me and was quickly absorbed back to my body. I smiled and saw a bright glow surround my body. I felt so much power flow through every vein in my body, just as I felt when I used the Light of Teshiria.
I clasped my hands together over my chest and and concentrated.
"Please, my Lion, hear me. Come to me to save the ones I care about most, and to release the souls trapped by darkness from their chains." I prayed.
I repeated my prayer several times, each time I said it, I could feel my power grow even stronger.
"My Paladin...." I heard Silver's voice call out to me. I opened my eyes and saw an intense light blind me. Yet, I did not close my eyes.
When the light faded, I saw my Silver Lion standing proudly in front of me.
"I'm glad to see you, my friend." I said.
"As am I, my young Paladin. I can feel that the time is drawing near. Are you sure you wish to continue with this path? If you fall, many tears shall fall along with you."
I looked down and nodded, "The Teshirians are the protectors of the universe. I had made a promise to keep the universe safe, no matter the cost. If that means the cost is me, then so be it."
Silver softly purred and bent down so that her nose came close to me. I gently placed my hand on her cold metal surface and closed my eyes.
A wave of energy washed over me and as I opened my eyes again, I saw a white space. The only ones in this empty space were me, and four darkened shadows, all of different dark shades I knew by heart.
They were all my mother's old comrades. The shadows of the previous Paladins. They were in so much pain. I could see by the white shining tears thay trickled dowm their cheeks.
"Ɐɼɻoʁˋ ꓕʁᴉმԍɼˋ Ҽλʁმɑuˋ Bɼɑϝz· Oμ ƨonɼƨ ɼoƨϝ ϝo ϝμԍ qɑʁĸuԍƨƨˋ ϝɑᴉuϝԍq pλ ϝμԍ ԍʌᴉɼ ᴉu ʍμᴉcμ bɼɑმnԍƨ onʁ nuᴉʌԍʁƨԍˋ I oɻɻԍʁ wλ μɑuq ϝo ɼԍɑq λon pɑcĸ ϝo ϝμԍ ɼᴉმμϝ ɑuq ϝμԍ bԍɑcԍ λon μɑʌԍ ƨo wᴉƨƨԍq ɻoʁ ϝԍu ϝμonƨɑuq λԍɑʁƨ· I ɑƨĸ oɻ λonˋ ๅnƨϝ ϝμᴉƨ oucԍˋ ϝo ϝɑĸԍ wλ μɑuq· Ɐɼɼoʍ wԍ ϝo ɼԍɑq λon pɑcĸ ϝo ϝμԍ ɼᴉმμϝ· Ɐɼɼoʍ wԍ ϝo ɼԍɑq λon ϝo ϝμԍ ɻnϝnʁԍ ᴉu ʍμᴉcμ λonʁ ƨɑcʁᴉɻᴉcԍƨ μɑʌԍ მᴉʌԍu ʍɑλ ϝo· Cowԍ···· ๅoᴉu wԍ ᴉu ϝμԍ ɻᴉმμϝ ɻoʁ ɑ uԍʍˋ bԍɑcԍɻnɼ nuᴉʌԍʁƨԍ·" I said in Teshirian.
I held out my hands, and with hesitation, they all stretched out their hands towards me. I smiled as light formed in my hands and forced the darkness to be forced out of them.
I closed my eyes again when I felt a breeze press against my cheek.
I slowly opened my eyes and as I looked around, I noticed the other Lions and my friends standing around me I smiled even brighter when I saw Keith running towards me. He picked me up and spun me around in the air for a few seconds before letting me back down. He hugged me tightly as he let me down and the others quickly hugging us in a group embrace.
"You guys are all right." Keith said in relief. Keith looked around and to his surprise, saw the original Paladins from 10,000 years ago looking back at us.
"Wait, are they the...." Keith trailed off in his shock.
"Yep, the original Paladins." Pidge said.
"Allura!" Alfor exclaimed. Allura wasted no time running to her father, hugging him as if he would disappear in her arms.
"It is fitting that I would find what is brightest to me in the darkest place." Alfor said, his tears welling up in his eyes.
Allura smiled in his arms, "All that I have done, I have done to make you proud."
"Their souls were trapped by Honerva's dark magic." Hunk explained, "When we came near Honerva's consciousness, our connection attracted then to us. Crazy, right?"
"But we used that connection to free them." Pidge further explained, "The Lions created a bridge, sharing old memories with new."
"I had also helped bring them back to the light, but using my powers to create a bridge to the Light of Teshiria. For the rest of eternity, the darkness will not touch them again." I added.
The original Paladins finally took notice of me and all gasped.
"Siofra?" Trigel asked in shock much the rest of the original Paladins.
I laughed and shook my head, "Siofra is my mother. My name is Saoirse. Nice to see you all again." I said.
They're eyes widened and Alfor stepped closer to me.
"Yes, those marks on your cheeks and arms. You truly are Cires and Siofra's child." He said.
"It has been years. Are you parents well, child?" Blaytz asked.
I nodded, "Yes, they went through hardships, but they're on Earth with my younger siblings. Once all is over and done, I'll return to them."
"By Willow, you have certainly grown into a beautiful lady, Saoirse." Gyrgan said happily.
I was about to answer him when I felt a wave of cold wash over me. Then, the pain came thudding in my chest ten fold.
Just then, a high-pitched sound rang through our ears, the cause of pain being sent through our bodies. Thankfully, it was only for a moment for everyone else, but for me, the pain continued to ravage my body. Not as harsh, but still enough to keep my breathing shallow.
Allura and I dropped to our knees, groaning in pain and sweating as she grabbed her head in her pain while I clutched my chest.
"What's going on?" Alfor asked kneeling next to his daughter.
"Honerva's connection grows." Allura panted, "We are very close to her now."
"Her darkness grows every minute she gains more power." I added.
"You hold a dark entity within you." Alfor gasped, "Don't you how dangerous that is? That's what led to Honerva and Zarkon's end."
The two stood up, Allura not making eye contact with her face for she already knew the look of concern and fear on his face.
"I know the danger. And I have endangered Saoirse, for she tried to stop me from taking it." She said, turning and walking away from her father a few steps.
Alfor looked back towards me, Keith trying to comfort me as he held me close to his chest while I struggled to take a breath.
"How could this have happened?"
"Never mind how it happened." I said, "Allura made her choice and I follow behind her all the way. Now, the two of us, have the power to stop Honerva. King Alfor, you too, had to make a difficult choice in by sending the Lions away. Allura also had to make a difficult choice."
Alfor lowered his head, thinking that his daughter and I were right. He had made a difficult decision that resulted in the universe having another chance at freedom from the Galra. Now, his own daughter has made a difficult choice to end this war once and for all.
"I'm not going to be afraid to use the power I have." Allura said, "We need to continue."
"But how do we get past the wall?" Lance asked.
Allura knelt down on the wall, feeling it for Honerva.
"It's... it's like I can feel her thoughts." She said, "The way through us with the darkness."
I held out my hand towards the ground and felt Honerva, both the dark and the light.
"I can feel her. She's there, waiting for us." I said, my eyes filled with determination and drive to finally end this war with my friends.
"Honerva went mad, obsessed with darkness and power." Alfor said.
"And now we must enter her mind." Allura concluded.
Allura knelt down next to me. I took her hand and a bright glow erupted from underneath our hands, spreading around us and connecting to the Lions, forming a large Altean magic circle.
The light grew stronger and brighter, enveloping us all as we were sent through the dark wall.
This was our final step towards the future of the universe. It is here that will change the course of the war.
Will we be victorious....?
Or will we fall with the universe?