"Why are we outside?" asked Hunk. "I thought séances were supposed to happen inside, like in a bedroom or a living room or a basement or an abandoned building or a cemetery? Wait, that last one is outside, but I don't like that one. So is this a good spot for this?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure," said Allura. The Paladins kept using that word séance, which they'd explained meant spirit summoning. Really this was meant to be more of a spirit meeting on neutral ground, but it's not like there was a proper word for that even in Altean. "Shiro had the dreams in his bedroom and on one hand, it would make sense to use the space where the Passed," she used the Altean PC term for dead, "made contact, however, Adam and Shiro had no connection to that particular room in his living days as the dorms we're in are newly built. So I decided it was best to do this outside near the Lions."

The Lions sat in a circle around the group on the tarmac. Hunk was setting up the candles he'd brought in a circle and lighting them. Pidge was inside of the circle, drawing with a piece of chalk. The rest were looking on.

"When we've entered the astral plane before it's been inside the cockpits of our Lions," continued Allura.

"Haha cockpit," muttered Lance.

"Are you twelve?" asked Keith.

"When we merge our quintessence with the Lions," said Allura, "we're able to use them as a conduit to transport our spirits to the astral plane."

"Then shouldn't we be inside the Lions?" asked Keith.

"But there's no Lion for Shiro and he doesn't believe he can connect with the Black Lion anymore in order to use it to enter the astral plane," explained Allura. "However, we have managed to access our Lions powers from outside them before in ways we never before imagined. If we wish to carry Shiro with us as a passenger to the astral plane, I believe this is the best position."

"Alright, let's get this bibbidi bobbidi booing rolling," said Lance, going to sit down inside the circle of candles.

"Shiro?" asked Keith. Shiro had been oddly stoic. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. We can go inside. Forget this night ever happened."

Shiro looked at Keith. Something about his wording seemed off and his concern for Keith was nagging at him. "Do you not want to?"

"I want what you want," said Keith, vaguely.

Shiro stepped into the circle. What's the worst that could happen? This didn't work and they all went to bed disappointed?

Shiro sat down and Keith sat next to him. He noticed Keith was wearing his red jacket again though it did look snug on him now. "Your jacket," commented Shiro.

"It's cold," said Keith, simply, knowing full well that's not what Shiro was surprised about.

Lance slid over so he was sitting right next to Keith. "I'm the jacket hero," said Lance, giving Shiro a nod. Shiro looked at Lance with his usual confused look.

Allura sat down beside Shiro as Pidge and Hunk took spots near her to complete the circle.

"Um, Pidge," said Allura, looking down at the pavement. "What's this you've drawn here?"

"A pentagram," said Pidge with a wicked smile. "I figured 'cause it's all hocus pocus anyway, we might as well go full on The Craft."

"I don't know what that means, but please erase it," said Allura.

Pidge groaned.

"Nice try, Sabrina," said Lance.

Pidge smudged out the pentagram with her sleeve then slumped back down beside Lance. "Alright. Let's get this the quiznak over with."

Everyone gasped.

"Pidge!" cried Lance. "Language!"

"What?! Everyone else gets to say it!"

"It's different when you say it," said Hunk. "You're all... pure."

"That's it!" cried Pidge, standing up. "Thems fightin' words!" And with that she jumped on her friend.

"Whoa you two! Get a room already," sassed Lance.

"You should talk," argued Hunk, holding Pidge back from him with his longer arms as she tried in vain to scratch him. "When I walked into your room earlier, Keith had you on the floor."

Shiro snapped his neck around to look at Keith. Allura did the same with Lance.

Keith gritted his teeth, his blush thankfully invisible in the candlelight. "What he said was out of context."

"What was the context again?" asked Lance, no longer covering for Keith. "And in response to your first comment, Hunk, we already had a room. So there."

"Let's just get started, shall we?" asked Allura. Her neck had shrunk into non-existence as her shoulders raised to meet her ears.

"Not until you fight me!" yelled Pidge, still trying to get at Hunk.

"Her will is big, but she so smol," cooed Hunk.

"Just hex him, Sabrina!" cheered Lance.

"Paladins!" shouted Allura.

Everyone froze then their gaze shifted to Shiro. "Daaaaaad, mom yelled at us," said Pidge, now snickering.

"Please don't call Allura mom," said Lance, weakly.

"Let's just all settle down and listen to mom," began Shiro, "I mean Allura!"

"Man, everyone's acting weird," said Hunk. "Is everyone acting weird? It's like there's magic in the air. Is it working already? Are we spell casting?"

"We haven't done anything yet besides light scented candles and doodle on the ground," snapped Keith.

"Well, I'm sorry if the local mall got leveled by the invasion and I had to make do with what candles I could scrounge from the Garrison peeps," said Hunk, crossing his arms.

"I like it," said Lance. "All the different kinds make it smell like a fruit salad. Kinda romantic."

"It is a bit," said Allura, looking at Lance. Was she blushing? In this light, Lance couldn't tell.nmLance's eyebrow turned up and he gave her a weak smile. Pidge and Hunk's gaze shifted towards each other. Shiro resisted the urge to look at Keith. Keith looked at the ground and willed the candles to catch on his clothes and engulf him in flames.

"Shiro, are you prepared to start?" asked Allura, getting back on track.

Shiro took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

"Everyone, hold hands," said Allura.

Hunk held out his hand to Pidge. She rolled her eyes and took it then took Lance's hand.

"After this, can we play light as a feather, stiff as a board?"

"Shut up, Lance," muttered Keith, grabbing his hand gruffly.

"Looks like someone's already stiff as a board," sassed Lance, wiggling his eyebrows at Keith.

"Do you ever like... hear yourself out loud?" asked Hunk.

"As much as the rest of you do," said Lance, confused.

"I really don't think you hear you..."

"Silence," stressed Allura, "at this point would be crucial."

"Anyone got a gag for Lance?" asked Keith.

"Now who's not hearing himself," said Lance, eyebrows wiggling all nimbly whimbly.

"Seriously though," chuckled Hunk. "It's like everyone's drunk on nunvil."

"Silence," repeated Allura, this time sounding almost guttural in its passive aggressiveness. This time they all complied. "Alright, now everyone close their eyes and connect with their Lions, but keep Shiro in your thoughts as well."

Keith closed his eyes, his mind syncing with Black instantaneously. Behind him Blacks eyes began to glow. One by one the eyes of the other Lions lit up as their Paladins connected psychically.

"Now," said Allura, open your minds up further. "Allow your consciousness to float outside of yourself while keeping a string of thought tethered to Shiro."

Pidge took deep breaths, pushing out thoughts of science and facts. Despite her skepticism she was the first to let go and feel her spirit float up towards the sky. She imagined a black string tied to her hand and running towards Shiro chest, to his heart. Somehow with her eyes closed she could see strings from the others leading to the same place, to Shiro. But then –

Everyone let out a gasp. Something felt wrong. Their consciousness's slammed back down into their bodies.

"What happened?" asked Pidge, she opened her eyes and started when she found she was literally beside herself. Her quintessence was on the outside, but her physical body was sitting still, meditating. "Let me rephrase that, what went wrong?"

Before anyone could answer,r a disembodied voice spoke to them. "This is not your usual gate, Paladins."

"I know that voice," gasped Allura. "It's the Life Givers from Oriond."

"We are more than that, Royal child," replied the voice that was somehow one and many at the same time. "We are the white lion, the lion goddess, the Goddess of the Universe."

"Neat," said Hunk. "So, uh, why you talkin' to us?"

"Goddess," said Allura, "We seek passage to the astral plane."

"There is a path for the Paladins to take," the Goddess responded. "This is not it."

"We wish to bring a passenger," explained Allura. "We can't do this through the Lions."

"The Paladin of black has changed to white," the voice responded. "The path is now closed for him."

"But he received a message calling him," argued Allure. "Through a dream."

"That is not our realm."

"Can you please help us take him to the astral plane through this gate? We wouldn't ask such of a Goddess if we did not feel it was important."

"Very well. We shall help, but first a warning. This gate to the astral plane is not secure. There are dangers to walking a path that is not yours. Only the pure of heart may enter."

"Welp... I'm out," said Lance, standing up still in his spirit form. He was going to bail without remembering to get back in his body.

"Sit down, son of Blue," ordered the Goddess. "You must not ignore the calling of a quest."

"Can't a quest text me instead?" groaned Lance.

"All must go, so all may return. All must return, so all may return."

"You're repeating yourself," mumbled Lance.

"No, it's a riddle!" said Hunk, excitedly.

"Yay," groaned Pidge. "Mystic riddles."

"Stay on one path. Do not wander. Open your hearts. Honesty must not be squandered. If the way is lost, look to the stars. With truth as your guild, home is never far."

"This is worse than Lotor's poetry," complained Lance.

"Pay attention, son of Blue. You blind yourself to happiness by looking for a joke instead of an answer."

"Well, that part didn't rhyme so I can't take it seriously."

"Lance..." warned Shiro.

"Is this what you want, man of white?" asked the Goddess. "There is doubt in you."

"When I was a Paladin, the right thing to do always seemed so obvious," confessed Shiro. "But now I don't know. I seem to only be able to make decisions if what I choose protects someone I care about."

"Your honesty serves you well. What do you wish?"

"I wish to try," said Shiro. "Indecision can feel as cold as death." While in limbo, there were no choices to make. "I'd rather be wrong than frozen."

"Very well. Royal child, the power is yours to go through the gate. Guide your flock. Keep them safe."

The presence of the Goddess left like humidity blown away by a cold wind.

"Open up again, Paladins," said Allura. "Keep your tie to Shiro and let us guide him on his journey."

Together, six souls rose up and left their physical forms on the ground, guarded by ancient beings of metal and magic. The Lions let out a mighty roar that pushed their dear Paladins higher into the starry sky.