~~~~Saoirse~~~~
Honerva and her new hideous Robeast stood tall on space, the energy she had gathered from all over the universe swirling behind her.
However, for us, we were weakened from the blast enough to disband from Voltron. But not even feeling exhausted from the blast made the pain fade.
I felt as if my heart was being crushed from inside my chest. This much dark and tainted energy made even the stars go silent. They were so terrified, that they stopped speaking about their fear.
Honerva was silencing the universe with just her very presence.
"Paladin, report status." Keith said.
"I'm offline." Lance reported.
"Me, too." Pidge said.
"Saoirse, how are you doing?" Keith asked in concern.
I took in a deep breath, whatever air I could take in, and answered.
"Not completely, but I'll feel better when Honerva is defeated. Don't worry about me and focus." I said, trying to sound fine, but I could that everyone was concerned.
"Uh, guys, are you seeing this?" Hunk asked, speaking about the massive energy being pulled from the spires of the temple to Honerva and the wings on her Robeast.
"What are those things doing?" Lance asked.
"That's how she's getting in." Pidge gasped.
"What do you mean?" Keith asked.
My eyes widened when I figured out what Pidge was talking about.
"Honerva!" I shouted, "She's using those wings to peirce the barriers between realities. It's her entry point."
"Our universe is collapsing, just like the day we lost the Castle of Lions." Coran said, "Those wings are causing the very fabric of our reality to disintegrate!"
"Then we're gonna stop that thing before it breaks through." Hunk said determinedly as his Lion powered up, "Yellow Lion's back!"
"Hunk, get your passengers back to the Atlas." Keith ordered.
"Copy that." Hunk flew the Yellow Lion back to the Atlas.
Suddenly, I felt Honerva's energy shift, along with the last two remaining Altean fighters in their Robeasts. The two Robeasts quickly came back to power and charged straight for us.
"Those Robeasts are headed our way!" Pidge exclaimed, gasping as I felt the Green Lion's energy reignite, "Just in time. My Lion is responding!"
One by one, our Lions came back to power. But then, the pain inside my chest increased. With Honerva's power growing, her control over reality increased as well.
However, her power increase not only affected reality, it affected me as well. With my connection to the universe as the holder of Teshiria's Light and as a Teshirian, the first beings to be created in the universe and therefore connected the universe on a deeper level, I was feeling the full force of this reality tearing.
If all reality is destroyed, I will feel every bit of pain the universe, all of them, would be feeling.
"Allura, do you copy? Can you get to your Lion? We're gonna need Voltron." Keith said.
"Hold on, I'm coming." Allura replied.
"In the meantime, the Atlas has you covered." Shiro said.
"Wait, what about the collapsing universe? We need to stop it!" Coran said.
"Coran, we're counting on you to figure something out." Keith said as he fought against one of the Robeasts.
"What? Me? I don't know anything about that! What about Saoirse?"
"I can't, Coran. I'm a little busy supporting my team." I said as one of the stray shots from the Robeasts came towards me.
"If you can't do it, Coran, then find someone who does! We need to stop that weapon before it breaks through realities. Paladins, do everything you can to keep the Robeasts distracted. Let's give the Altas a shot." Keith ordered.
The Robeasts were relentless and fired at us with the intent to destroy us all. Hunk flew out of the Atlas, summoned his Lion's armor and slammed into one of the Robeasts, knocking it it away from the rest of us.
"Nice shot!" Lance praised.
But the Robeast didn't stay down. It steadied itself again fast and flew back into battle, this time aiming for Keith and the Black Lion.
Keith flew head first towards the Robeast, the Lion glowing brightly as both of their energies changed. In an instant, the large wings of the Black Lion appeared. Keith transported himself and the Lion behind the Robeast, throwing it off guard.
"Guys, I'm going in to stop Honerva!" Keith said as he flew close to Honerva's beast.
The Beast lifted its hand and I heard a voice echo in my head.
"Still." It said, or to be more clear, Honerva said. The Black Lion stopped in its tracks, surrounded by an Altean magic circle and an aura of pure darkness.
I never stopped staring at Honvera as even more pain ran through me. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying not to cry out in pain from the feeling of my flame being crushed.
"No!" Keith shouted as the wings disappeared under the pressure of the Altean magic.
I watched as Honerva raised her hand to crush Keith with a single blow, but, I felt a different flame quickly rush to our aid.
Before Honerva could even try to touch the Black Lion, the Atlas, in its humanoid form, intercepted the attack, blocking Honerva from hitting Keith.
Honerva, being distrated by the blockage, released her hold on the circle surrounding Keith, giving him a chance to escape.
I smiled as best I could, happy that he had escaped Honerva, but with the pain increasing, how could I tell him that I was relieved?
I saw my friends fight to keep the Robeasts away and to stop Honerva themselves, but their actions proved to be failing.
"Fall back!" Keith shouted. We did as told and retreated from the fight for the time being.
Honerva and the Atlas were in their own battle as we escaped and Allura joined us.
"We can't get past them, so we're going to have to defeat them. Paladins, on me! Form Voltron!" Keith shouted.
We flew in formation and combined into Voltron. We summoned our sword and charged for the Robeasts. I pushed what energy I could spare in my state to give the blade more power and durability, but even then, I could that it wasn't enough.
"Remember, those weapons can siphon our energy, so we need to avoid their direct hits." Allura said.
We summoned our shield and I redirected my energy to it for added strength. The Robeasts charged without hesitation, attacking with more power and determination than before.
We dodged and blocked the beasts with our shield and quick movements, striking them with our sword as they too blocked and dodged our attacks.
Our sword clashed with one of them and sparks flew from the colliding blades.
"Pidge, arm cannon!" Keith shouted.
The shield disappeared and the Green Lion arm formed the cannon. We positioned our aim at the chest where the Altean pilot was, but made sure not to hit the pilot capsule.
We took our shot and defeated the Robeast, cyan blue light from the attack shooting through the dark sky.
The second robeast was about to attack us, when the other Altean, the one who rebelled against Honerva earlier, came in and blocked the attack.
"It's the Altean!" Pidge gasped.
"Why is she helping us?" Lance asked.
I smiled when I noticed her energy. It had changed, no longer was it full of hatred towards us. Now, her hatred had turned towards Honerva.
I smiled, "She understands that Honerva was wrong and what's she's doing is wrong." We reformed our sword and prepared to help, when another voice came in.
"Please, do not harm them." The voice was a woman. It was the Altean helping us, I could tell from the energy found I sensed in the voice.
"They were misguided, much like I was. We all were."
She was telling the truth and we would never harm someone who was innocent. We held our sword and flew forward, striking near the shoulder and missing the pilot capsule.
The Altean Robeast floated after the attack, the pilot secure and unharmed as he floated out of the beast.
"Pilot capsule still intact." Keith said.
Honerva shot off her lasers at the Atlas and the pain I felt was growing stronger.
The final Robeast attacked and we fought back, quickly slicing it in half and leaving it to float in space.
"Final Robeast out of commission." Keith said. We flew back up to the portal Honerva created.
As we flew, I felt several flames head towards the portal. I was confused but not for long. I had to focus.
"Hunk, form cannon!"
"I've got lock!" Hunk said.
The cannon was formed and took aim; we were ready to fire. However, the shot was never fired. Everything was black for a moment and for the same amount of time, I felt no pain.
Until I heard a loud boom.
Suddenly, all the pain I felt before exploded throughout my entire body a hundred times over. It was as if I was being slowly ripped apart, every nerve in my body being torn but by bit. I couldn't stop myself from screaming as a bright light followed the explosion.
I looked up weakly and saw through my blurred vision nothing but the Altas floating lifelessly in the darkness of space.
It was in the same shape we were. Just helplessly floating in empty space.
From where the explosion came from, remained nothing but a bright purple light, swirling around behind Honerva's beast as she stood in front of it. The portal was open. She had broken through realities.
I bit back my screams, although it was still excruciating to hold it all in.
"Honerva has pierced through realities." I heard Allrua say in a weak tone.
Honerva lifted her hand over her head, clenching her fist and stopping the blades from the wings from spinning before they returned to her beast.
She turned around and flew into the portal to another reality. As soon as she entered the portal, the pain stopped for moment before pulsating like heartbeat.
"Saoirse! Are you okay? Talk to me!" Keith asked.
"Honerva..." I gasped out through the pain, "When she began... piercing through realities...." I couldn't finish, knowing how this reality's destruction would affect me.
"Saoirse, leave this to us. Voltron can function without the Silver Lion." Allura said, but I quickly refused.
"I can't do that, Allura. I'm a Paladin, too. There's no way I'm missing this fight. Besides, I need to be with all of you at the end of this." I whispered the last part. I didn't want them to know about the end results.
"Come on, we're going in!" Keith declared, "Atlas, stay on me."
"I'm afraid the Atlas can't do that." Coran stuttered.
"Coran's right. It isn't made out of the same ore. It can't traverse realities." Pidge confirmed.
"Then we're going in alone."
"Actually, that appears to be problematic as well." Slav informed us.
"What?"
"The statistical likelihood of Voltron succeeding against Honerva in a one-on-one battle is well below improbable."
"We'll have a better chance than if we don't try at all." Allura said.
Suddenly, large amounts of energy soared across the universe and stopped near us in a circle. We were slightly blinded by several lights gathering around us. I was stunned when I felt amazing life energy coming from these lights and powerful voices they expressed.
"We are here to help." Several voices said from the energy I've sensed. When the lights died down, we saw thay they weren't just normal lights. They were Balmera!
"Balmera." Allura gasped.
"What's going on?" Lance asked.
"It's a convuldrum." Coran said, staring at the Balmerans from each of the Balmera, "The Balmeras are converging."
"What called them here?"
I closed my eyes and concentrated on speaking to the Balmera surrounding us.
"Balmera, why are you here?" I asked.
"The universe and all realities need you and your friends, Angel. Let our power embrace you!"
The energies from the Balmeras rose exponentially, their power from the crystals coming together and transferring to Voltron and the Atlas.
I felt relief when I felt some of the pain lift from my body. I kept my eyes closed, feeling both the Atlas and Voltron change.
Voltron was covered in a blinding light, the same light bonding us to the Atlas. Our power was becoming one. We were being reborn, creating a new warrior more powerful than anything else ever seen in the universe.
It was like a mix between Voltron and the Atlas, but covered in crystal armor on its most vulnerable areas.
The light died down, revealing our new warrior. I opened my eyes and saw light floating around me. My cockpit had grown larger, crystals of solidified quintessence floating around me and settled in my hair.
I looked down, and saw that I was no longer in my uniform. I was dressed in a beautiful flowing white dress that resembled Teshirian clothes, but the front of the robes were cut to show the tight leggings and crystal armored boots. On my arms, legs and around my chest were beautifully crafted clear crystal pieces of armor, decorated with gorgeous stones and my family crest.
I ran my fingers through my fingers through my now free locks of hair, seeing that my hair was all blue, silver and white, but sparkling like jewels in sunlight.
And behind me were my white wings, sparking like crystal.
Suddenly, I felt eyes on me. I looked around and saw my friends and brother in their seats and positions.
"What just..." Shiro trailed off, just as shocked as the rest of us.
"Whoa!" Hunk exclaimed.
"No way!" Lance said in disbelief and awe.
"This is crazy!" Pidge exclaimed.
"I've never felt energy like this." I gasped, "It's incredible."
"Whoa, Saoirse, what the heck happened to you?" Pidge exclaimed.
"The energy from our transformation, it must've affected me as well." I said, smiling at the amazing feeling of energy flowing through every vein in my body.
"I don't know what just happened, but now we have a chance." Allura said.
"Let's stop Honerva." Keith said.
"Coran, we'll need you to secure the area and find a way to suppress this rift." Shiro ordered.
With a shout, all of us, Paladins and Atlas crew, pushed our newly created Voltron through the portal to other realities.
We flew down the dark tunnel, streams of light flying past us like shooting stars in the dark sky. Suddenly, I felt the pain shoot back through my body again. Although, it wasn't too bad.
We kept flying through the dark tunnel until a light engulfed us. When the light diminished, we flew saw a familiar place in the universe.
It was Altea. But tainted with dark energy from every corner. A portal had already been created above the Altean Castle, signifying that Honerva had already passed through here.
I could feel this reality had been ripped.
"Is this..." Allura asked.
"It's an alternate Altea." Pidge said.
"And it looks like this reality is crumbling, just like ours!" Lance said.
"How come it's disintegrating so quickly?" Hunk asked.
"Its Honerva's wings and the energy she stole." I said.
"Her wings?" Allura asked.
"Saoirse's right." Pidge said, "Those wings created a sort of cosmic tunnel in one blast. The rift must lead directly to the reality Honerva's been looking for."
"And any reality that those wings bored through is falling apart." Shiro said.
"We have to keep going!" Keith said, before we flew through the portal to another reality.
We entered another alternate Altea and saw the darkness consuming it. The feeling of all the lives being destroyed, their energy fading, and the rips between all realities, it was all sickening. I was surprised I hadn't thrown up yet from that feeling.
"All these innocent lives." Allura said sadly, "There's no limit to what Honerva will do or the lives she'll tear apart to get what she wants."
"That's why we need to stop her." Shiro said and we flew through another portal to another alternate reality.
"Even then, I fear she's started a chain reaction that can never be undone."
I frowned at Allura's words. If only she and the others knew. I knew there was another way for all of this to end, but I wouldn't let Allura go through that.
She had just found love, freedom and the peace she wanted standing beside the ones she loved most in the universe. At least.... at least I could give her that.
I sighed, thinking of how much my friends would cry when the time comes.
Suddenly, just as we passed through the next portal, we were hit with a blade. Our screams of pain echoed through the air as we regained our balance.
We looked up to see what hit us and saw Honerva in her beast.
"Countermeasures!" Keith shouted, but a sphere of darkness surrounded us, leaving us unable to move as Honevra slammed us into the ground.
She prepared to attack again, creating a dark orb and throwing it at us.
"Form Sword!" Keith shouted. We did as told, forming our sword and slamming the orb back at Honerva.
She dodged and the orb slammed into the structure above. Our sword's shine diminished, revealing a large gold and blue sword pointed straight at Honerva with the intent to strike her down for good.
We flew into the air and swung our sword, to which Honerva dodged. She flew higher into the air and expanded her wings, shooting off the blades with furious speed.
We were slammed back to the ground, but that didn't stop us. We slid across the ground and got back up on our feet.
I poured my power into Voltron. A powerful beam shot from the chest, aiming directly at Honerva.
However, she dodged and attacked back. She landed on the ground, throwing orbs of dark energy at us. We cut through them as Honerva spun around and hit us with her tail.
Once again we were slammed into the ground and nailed down by her wing blades. From the blades, dark lightning crackled around us, she lifted her hand up and dark energy circled her being.
The energy siphoned out our power, all of us screamed from the pain.
Our energy kept being drained from us, until she stopped when we were too weak to move.
She flew up into the portal and disappeared. I hunched over in my seat, feeling helpless.
"We need to get up." Lance said, panting and groaning in pain and exhaustion.
"I can't move." Hunk groaned.
"The ship's not responding." Shiro growled.
"Honerva, she's absorbed all our strength." Allura said tiredly.
"This reality... it's over." Pidge said in defeat as the reality we sat in, was slowly being ripped apart.
But I still refused to give up on all of existence.
"No." I said denying our defeat, "We've always done the impossible. Our strength is our bond. Our power comes from each other. As long as we're a team, we stamd a chance. Sendak. Zarkon. Lotor. We've saved our universe countless times, but now, all the realities are in need of Voltron. So this isn't the end just yet. We need to get back up and stop Honerva once and for all!"
I kept standing tall, a determined smile on my face as I saw everyone's eyes flicker with newly found determination.
Slowly, Voltron got up to its feet, standing tall and ready to finish this battle once and for all.
"Fire boosters!" Keith shouted.
Allura and Hunk followed his orders, pushing our boosters to their limit. I pushed my power to the boosters to make them stronger. It worked in under a second. We shot off the ground, flying straight through the portal.
We pushed as hard as we could. The portal closing bit by bit until nothing was left but darkness.
I didn't know when I closed my eyes, but I only realized they were closed when I opened my eyes.
However, I found myself, not in my cockpit, but standing inside of the Castle of Lions. I could recognize it from the walls and decorations along the ceiling. It was pristine, undamaged and shining brightly in the lights that sparkled in the halls.
But this place wasn't as I remembered it. The air, the Castle, the energies surrounding the Castle. It was all completely different. I came up with a conclusion: I was forced our of Voltron and then transported to this reality.
Why I was transported here, I didn't know. However, I had a feeling that I was meant to see something.
Just then, I felt a dark energy coming from inside the Castle. I recognized it as Honerva's energy.
I walked further into the Castle, only hearing the soft clacks of my armored boots. I followed the energy to a large room, and I kept calm when I felt familiar energies near Honerva.
Allura. Zarkon. Lotor. Several Galran guards.
As I kept walking, I soon found myself in front of a room, and there standing inside was Honerva.
She was standing next to Zarkon, Allura and the guards. Lotor was so young, just a little boy. But as he turned around and saw his mother, his eyes widened as he skidded to a stop.
I stood close to the wall so that no one could see me. At least not yet.
"Please, my child, come to me." Honvera begged, her arms still opened wide to embrace her son.
Lotor took a step back.
"No." He said.
Zarkon, Honerva and Allura looked surprised and confused.
"Lotor, it's okay. It's you mother. She has returned." Zarkon said calmly.
"She's not my mother." Lotor claimed, this time, more serious.
"I may appear changed, but I assure you, my love for you is that of a mother for her child. Come to me." Honerva said.
"Lotor, don't speak like that." Zarkon said.
"Please." Honerva begged, holding her hand out to her son.
"No." Lotor said, "My mother is dead. And you cannot replace her!"
Zarkon sighed and walked over to Lotor, placing his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Perhaps this is overwhelming for the boy. Please, if we had some time..." Zarkon said.
Honerva, with wide eyes, stood up slowly, "Time?" She said, "You speak to me of time? I've spent lifetimes trying ro get back. Countless worlds have fallen in the wake of my efforts to return to you. And this is how you welcome me?"
I took this chance to come out of hiding.
"How else should someone welcome a person who has destroyed so many worlds and ruined so many lives?" I asked angrily.
Everyone turned towards me, shocked to see a girl with blue hair and covered in crystal armor.
"Siofra?" Zarkom questioned upon seeing me, "I thought you were on Teshiria taking care of your daughter?"
I shook my head and walked closer to Zarkon.
"Emperor Zarkon, my name is Saoirse." I introduced myself, "I come from a different reality, just like Honerva."
I turned towards Honerva and glared at her as she did the same to me.
"This woman is not your wife. She is not Lotor's mother, and she most certainly is not worthy of even setting foot in this or any reality." I said, "This woman has torn through several realities, destroyed countless worlds, ripped apart millions of families and killed millions more in my reality. If it wasn't for her, Altea wouldn't have been destroyed. I could've lived with my family."
Lotor walked away from his father and went over to me. He looked up at me and took my hand. I smiled at him and he smiled back.
"How dare you?" Honerva growled, taking back our attention, "My own child, my own husband date question who I am? And you, you pathetic Angel, how dare you follow me into this reality? I have sacrificed more than you will ever know!"
All of a sudden, the sounds of thrusters echoed in our ears. I felt Voltron's energy nearby and smiled in relief.
"What is that?" Zarkon asked.
"No, it can't be!" Honerva exclaimed in fear upon seeing Voltron.
"You brought this abomination upon us?" Zarkon asked, "You are not the empress. You are not my wife! Guards! Guards!"
The gaurds ran into the room and pointed their staffs at Honerva.
"If there is no place in this universe for me, then there will be no universe at all." Honerva said before she disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.
I growled and turned back towards Zarkon.
"Please Zarkon, keep your son close. The robot you see is called Voltron, it's from my reality and it's here to save yours." I explained.
"How can I trust you?" Zarkon asked.
I smiled and placed my free hand in his.
"Upon my honor as a Teshirian, head of the Teshiri clan and as a paladin of Voltron, I make this promise to you now. I, Saoirse Teshiri of Teshiria, promise to keep your reality safe. I will defeat Honerva. Me and my friends will do everything we can to stop her." I promised.
Zarkon stared at me for a moment before he nodded. Lotor wrapped his little arms around my legs and I knelt down to hug him back.
"This will not be the end of our existence." I said to him, "Your mother was amazing, that I know for sure, Lotor. I remember when she was kind and loving. Remember that, Lotor."
I let go of him, stood back up and allowed my wings to flared out behind me.
I took one last look at the father and son, glancing over at Allura before I concentrated my power to my Lion. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I saw that I was back in my cockpit staring at Honerva's beast in front of us.
This was the beginning of our final battle for all existence. One battle we couldn't afford to lose.