"Forgive me if he was nice to me after you died. Forgive me for valuing kindness," argued Allura because apparently they were going to have this fight right then and there instead of walking off from the main group like the disaster gays.

"I'm not surprised by worthiness," argued Lotor. "I'm surprised by the timing."

"Allura," scolded Melenor. "He's baiting you. You do not need to explain your actions to him. However foolhardy they were..."

"Careful, Allura," said Acxa. "He'll manipulate you into exactly the reaction he wants from you."

"Acxa," began Lotor only to be met with her refusing to meet his eye. In fact she had yet to speak directly to him since his return. "Acxa?" Acxa stuck up her nose and walked away. "What was that?" he asked to nobody in particular.

"That," said Lance's sister, drawing Lotor attention, "is the fight you're actually in." Then he nodded her head for him to follow her.

Lotor sighed, resigning himself to the fact that this was indeed the fight he needed to have. Since his return he thought the most difficult thing would be re-earning the Paladin's trust. He'd neglected to worry about Acxa's trust. She'd always fallen back in line at a moment's notice. He'd really taken advantage of her loyalty in the past... Indeed, he needed to speak to her. He followed, taking long strides in order to catch up with her.

"Acxa, please. If I could just explain..."

"No," said Acxa, spinning back around. "I'm tired of you explaining yourself because all it ever is, is you manipulating me back on your side. All that time following you blindly and never standing up to you. I regret it. Well, I'm standing up to you now. You pulled me from that orphanage and raised me to believe you were my Messiah. Taught me never to question you and I was foolish enough to keep silent no matter where your treachery led me. I never even spoke up when you murdred Narti in front of me."

"She was a clone of Narti, but yes I can understand what that looked like... I behaved like such a beast, earning loyalty through fear."

"I used to think you saved me, but you were the worst thing that ever happened to me. You took my self-hatred and you fed it so it spread to the rest of the universe. I could've been good. I could've been good from the start, but every instinct you instilled in me, I must fight now."

"Acxa, I understand anything I say will seem like a manipulation so I will attempt to be plain with my words. I learned at a very young age that to obtain something I wanted, I could never go for it directly. I needed to by sly and deceptive even if I believed what I was after was for the greater good. I realize that habit became more and more harmful as I went on. I even began to believe that the ends justified the means, no matter what means I took. My twisting of you to make you like me was one of my gravest mistakes. I very much wish I could go back to the start and do it over again, but I can't.

"I can, however, make the most of this second life I've been given. I always saw greatness in you, Acxa. This is why I chose you to stand by my side. If you wish me to keep my distance, I shall, but I hope in some way you can find a way to have a relationship with me."

"By following you, you mean?" scoffed Acxa.

"No Acxa," said Lotor, getting down on his knees, "By me following you. You were the best of all of us. I would trust you with me life."

"Stand up," said Acxa. "I don't want your loyalty. I will, however, be willing to test out occasionally speaking to you again."

"That is far greater than I deserve," said Lotor, standing. "Thank you."

*******

"Hey, I think your boyfriend just proposed to your girlfriend," said Hunk, speaking to Allura and Veronica. They were watching the argument from a distance as Melenor had left to, 'Do something secret. Stop asking!'

"He is not my boyfriend," said Allura at the same time Veronica shrugged and said, "That's cool."

"You're just cool with your girlfriend marrying someone else?"

"Hey, as long as I'm part of the package deal and she doesn't turn around and dump me, it's all good. I'm in a trouple and Acxa's also already in a trouple. Then together we're a couple. It's kismet," said Veronica. "The more the merrier really."

"So you're in a poly relationship?" Matt asked out of curiosity.

"Yes and thank you for asking without a judgmental tone," said Veronica. "You have no clue how close minded humans can be."

"Traditionally, Galra rarely mate for life," said Acxa, returning with Lotor. "We're a warrior race and are realistic in knowing that having a partner could mean losing them at any moment."

"Galra often form romantic relationships in groups, rather than couples," said Krolia. "These groups of adults raise their collective children as one family unit. That way as loved ones fall in battle, there are adults left to raise the children."

"Yet despite this," said Acxa, "my brother and I both found ourselves raised in orphanages and forter care." She looked over at her mother, but Krolia was looking around, not paying attention. "What's wrong? Have I upset you?"

Hunk and Pidge squinted at Krolia. "How can you tell?" asked Pidge.

"It's not you," said Krolia with a sigh. "The first time Keith came here he saw your father. I did hope I might see him here."

"Last time Melenor had him waiting here," said Hunk, "but it was Blaytz who must've brought him."

"Mel is the keeper of the veil between the astral plane and the After," said Pidge, "but she doesn't have the ability to open the veil and summon souls."

"But I do," said Allura. "Allow me to try." Allura's eyes went pure white as she reached out her arm in her summoning stance. Hunk and Pidge had seen her summon before and knew the process which is why they were the first to cry out in shock when they saw her drop.

"Allura!" It was Lotor who moved fast enough to catch her in his arms only to then cry out in pain himself and drop them both down to their knees.

"Lotor?" gasped Acxa.

"Ah," whimpered Veronica, grabbing her head.

"Veronica!" Acxa caught her girlfriend before she fell herself.

"What's going on?" asked Colleen.

"Allura?" squeaked Romelle, her voice filled with worry as she knelt beside her and put her arm around her. Coran, did the same.

"I'm fine," muttered Allura. "I just can't seem to move the veil."

"What happened?" demanded Melenor, swooping in. She looked down at her daughter and scolded her, "You cannot attempt summoning right now. The realms are far too fragile!"

"Fragile?" repeated Allura.

There was a distant rumble and this time they all knew what to expect and braced themselves before it grew louder and shook the ground beneath them. It was stronger this time, forcing them to grab onto each other for balance. Even Mel grabbed Matt to steady herself. Once the quake passed, she stood up straight again. "Bored!" snapped Mel. Bored popped into existence before her. "Go check on the After."

Bored popped off then popped right back in. "It's great," said Bored.

"Thank the goddess," said Mel.

"The sink hole keeps getting bigger and bigger."

"Sink hole?" cried Mel.

"Yeah, the big one in the middle threatening to suck all the souls in existence into oblivion."

Mel was fuming. "What?!"

"Oh, is that not normal?"

"No, it is not normal! Are you telling me this whole time I've been having you check on the After and you've been saying it's fine when really there was a sinkhole growing?"

"How was I supposed to know that was weird? I'd never gone to the After before Blaytz went missing."

"Blaytz is missing?" gasped Allura, finally able to stand up under her own power.

"He is not," said Mel. "I know exactly where he is. Where everyone is. Bored, check on the other realms and report sinkholes to me."

"Sir, yes sir!" said Bored with a sarcastic salute before popping off.

"Where everyone is?" questioned Allura. "Mother, are the other Guardians not in their realms?"

"Unfortunately not," said Mel.

"Where are they?"

"Well, if you must know" grumbled Mel, drawing back a piece of the sky like a curtain and revealing four bodies lying on the ground. "They're right here."

"The other Guardians," gasped Hunk.

"Father!" said Allura at the same time Coran found his voice and cried, "Alfor!" They both moved to his side but couldn't get closer as there was a field of energy around their motionless bodies.

"What happened to them?" asked Allura.

"Honerva used alchemy to draw them from their realms and entrap them in her own mind," said Melenor, looking down at them sadly. "They forgot who they were, forgot who they are now. The other non-physical realms had no active Guardians. Since I died here, I'm forever confined to the astral plane therefore I had to send Bored around to run things."

"Heard my name," said Bored, popping back in beside Mel. "There wasn't much to run once the realities started getting destroyed. Nearly all the souls disappeared from the After. It was chaos. I loved it." Everyone stared at her in horror. "Well, then souls came back. But the sinkhole kept growing."

"Is that what's causing the realm tremors?" asked Hunk. "The lack of realm Guardians."

"No," said Mel. "But I can't think about that now. It's taking all of my energy just to heal them. I'm still weak from my coronation battle with Allura."

"Let me help," said Allura, stepping up. She held out her hand and white healing light poured out from it, disintegrating Melenor's energy fields and replacing them with sparkling light. Within moments the Paladins of Old were stirring and waking up. "Father," said Allura, dropping to her knees beside him.

"Alfor!" said Coran, doing the same on the former King's other side.

"I suppose that's the difference between my powers and those of Life Givers," muttered Melenor.

"Allura," said Alfor, touching his daughter's face. "But... you were gone..."

"That was a me in a different reality, father," said Allura, tears misting her eyes.

"I forgot about other realities. I forgot about all of it." Alfor turned his head and spotted Coran. His eyes lit up. "Coran...? I can't believe it's you, my love."

"Alfor," wept Coran, taking him by the shoulders and pulling him in for a hug. Alfor had other ideas, planting a kiss directly on Coran's lips.