Chapter 56 - The Soul of the Universe

"Oh no! The non-physical realms died and us with it!"

"Hunk, how could it have ended if we can still hear each other talk?" asked Pidge.

"Oh... well, I was the first to talk. I didn't know you were still here..."

"Cognito argo sum," said Matt. "I think therefore I am. If you're still thinking then you still have a consciousness so you still exist."

"That's a relief," sighed Hunk.

"Paladins, sound off," said Keith.

"Leakira here!"

"Don't call yourself that, Lance," grumbled Keith.

"I was speaking for both of us."

"Pidge here."

"Hunk here."

"Allura here."

Silence.

"Okay, I actually meant all Paladins," continued Keith. "Past, present, future..."

"Alfor here."

"Blaytz here."

"Melenor here."

"Romelle here."

"Shiro here."

"Trigel here."

"Gyrgan here."

"Matt here."

"Colleen here."

"Roni here!"

"It's Adam, b*tch!"

"I suppose I am here," said Lotor.

"Coran here."

"Literally the only one here who doesn't qualify, but I'm here if anyone cares..." muttered Bored.

"Krolia here."

"Acxa here."

Kosmo barked.

"We're short one. Who are we missing?" asked Keith.

"Oh my gosh, where's Shay?" cried Hunk.

"I am beside you, Hunk."

"You should've said something. All future Paladins need to sound off."

"But... I am lost."

"You're a Paladin too now, okay? And we're maybe gonna be Gods together."

A sizzle of electricity and then suddenly light. Everyone's focus turned to Melenor and the lightning sparking in her hands. "That took far too long to get going. I have barely any power left and am unable to draw more from the astral plane."

More lights as the other Realm Guardians were able to sparks bits of their powers into their hands. Alfor held flame. Trigle's hand contained a swirling mass of green that when looked at from the corner of your eye would take shape of frightening creatures. Gyrgan held a ball of fire that looked like Earth's sun. Blaytz produced a creature from his hand that emitted a soft blue glow and swam around his body.

"Wait..." said Allura. "I know this creature. We encountered them in the deep of space when we were separated from our Lions."

"Yeah, and we got attacked by a lightning nebula that looked suspiciously like your power." Lance pointed a finger at Mel.

"And those look like the flames I only saw in my mind," Keith said to Alfor.

"And I bet you could make spooky creatures the size of a planet," Pidge said to Trigel."

"And that Sun could just as easily be Earth," Hunk said to Gyrgan.

Gyrgan smiled and in his hand the sun transformed itself into Earth.

"Uh oh, we busted," sniggered Adam.

"What the quiznak?" snapped Lance. "Why did you attack us in space?"

"It was not an attack, it was a test," said Alfor.

"That's what you said when you almost soul-murdered Keith!"

"It is not as simple as that," said Melenor. "It was Adam who pointed out that by the time your journey home would bring you to Earth there would be no Earth to return to thanks to Sendak. It would've broken you. Every one of you. We needed you all to reach your full potential in order to be our successors."

"I get it," said Lance. "You tried to kill us in physical reality long before you tried to kill us in the non-physical realms."

Melenor sighed. "One of powers of Kurobyun, the Black Lion, is the ability to teleport. The White Lion granted me permission to create a lightning nebula to teleport you directly to Earth's neighbourhood as long as you proved your worthiness."

"What is with you people and worthiness tests?" asked Pidge.

"Hey, if that freelancing Deity, Bob can suck you all into a worthiness test with no quiznaking reward at the end..."

"Except our freedom," said Hunk.

"If he had dared to keep you, he would've had me to deal with!"

"Melenor, I told you before," sighed Alfor. "I don't think Bob had any intent of harming them. He created a game show to try to get Keith and Lance to confess to each other. Didn't work though. Only I was successful."

"You soul-deathed Keith!" yelled Lance.

"Yes, and now we have Leakira and we love Leakira."

"I do love Leakira," sighed Mel. "And you were right about them working properly together if they released all that physical and romatic tension."

"I feel like the gods are way too invested in our relationship," muttered Keith.

"How are you not flattered by this though?" asked Lance. "We're the universe's OTP!"

"I don't know what that means!"

"It all ties together," said Melenor, "We needed one reality where everything lined up to make you your best selves. For some people that means being with their soulmate. For others being pulled outside their comfort zone." She looked at Hunk then turned to Pidge. "Or surpassing everyone's expectations." Then she turned to Shiro. "Or over coming the pain of loss combined with feeling the actual weight of the universe on your shoulders. Or fearing disappointing your mother." Melenor looked at Allura. "My point is everyone has greatness within them. The reality where that shines through tends to be the one where they have the most to overcome. Congratulations. You've earned your stripes with these consciousness belonging to your reality and now you shall become gods and our powers will be yours, but first you must recharge us."

The Guardians had their protégés place their hands on each other's backs standing in a line. The person at the front placed their hand on the heart of their Guardian.

"Find it now," whispered Melenor, her lightning illuminating her face and casting bits of light and shadow on Romelle, Adam, and Shiro. "Find where your greatest connection lies. What in Kurobyun spoke to you personally? Be it your natural ability to lead, your ferocity as a warrior, or your connection to the night sky... Feel those stars calling you. Your heart is a roadmap of the universe. Every possibility exists in you. No body confines you. Your minds are truly free."

"Rock can be seen as cold and unfeeling," said Gyrgan, "But it is truly the opposite. It is the foundation of every planet. It is the pillars of life. Those called to Jaallerg are the very heart of their people. They see the building blocks of the universe and imagine every possible outcome. Coran, Shay, Hunk, you take ingredients and make experiences, turn Puzzle pieces to art. You are loyal, gentle giants with love the size of a mountain ranges. Push that love towards me."

"What calls to Veriada, Holt family?" asked Trigel. "To be a scientist is to traverse the wild. From the vastness of space to the smallest molecule, they contain wonders beyond our wildest ideas. You are the dreamers. You are the universe turning an eye on itself and becoming aware of its own existence. Your curiosity is what separates the living from the dust, creates the fertile soil that all progress sprouts from. Feel that within you."

"When contemplating your connection to the After," began Blaytz, "It is easy to get wrapped up in the concept of divinity. Religions spanning all galaxies and realities preach of morality as the gatekeeper to the afterlife. Lotor," said Blaytz, singling out the prince, hanging his head in the back of the line, "I want you in particular to understand that the After is no such place. To be a Guardian of the After, to be a paladin of Azullean is to believe in second chances and third chances and so on."

"I have taken the lives of so many," said Lotor. "I do not value life. I cannot protect the very place that life comes from."

"Everyone goes to the After, Lotor, ever single person and animal and lifeform. To care for these souls is an act of compassion and humility as you show them that there is no such thing as evil. There is only choices. Everyone gets new life and gets to try again. It is when the trying stops that a soul degrades. A soul that can turn themselves around. Once you understand that, let the understanding flow from you like the strongest river and be as patient as deepest ocean.

"Veronica, Allura, Lotor, you are such different people and the After is wear our souls find acceptance in the differences that kept us feuding in the physical world. You are exactly who these souls need. Feel that truth as old as life itself and gift it to me."

"Krolia, Acxa, Leakira," said Alfor, greeting his protégés. "You are gathered because of your connection to Palganosh."

"Is it just me or does this sound like a wedding ceremony?" asked Lance.

"Don't," said Keith, "Don't give him ideas."

"He is the most difficult Lion to connect to because he is the Guardian of Memory, a concept that draws every range of emotion from love to anger to pain. Memory can be as vivid as reality or as faint as a lost dream. It is the embers in the fire of passion. Those connected to it are fast and impulsive and feel emotions very strongly. They burn with passion in the way they fight, in the way work, and in the way they love. To be honest," said Alfor, his tone changing, "In the bedroom they –"

"Keep it appropriate!" snapped Melenor.

Alfor cleared his throat. "There is nothing more terrifying than facing yourself. The you in your mind is built from memory. If you can make peace with every past version of yourself, you can walk through the blaze and not get burned. Take that inner flame and pass it to me."

Closing their eyes, the group from Red pushed that energy from within themselves and forward, passing through each soul, becoming stronger as it joined forces, and flowed red and glowing into Alfor.

All around the circle quintessence was passed from the current and future Paladins to the Paladins of Old, glowing the colour of their Lion. This changed the appearance of the Guardians, their bodies radiating light and growing larger. Soon it was apparent why they needed a wide circle for the task as they grew to the size of a houses.

Ribbons of the night sky twisted around Melenor. Flames danced around Alfor, never burning him. Trigel grew like a tree, solid and leafy. Gyrgan rose like a mountain while rumbling like a landslide. Blaytz's glowing winged creatures multipled until there were hundreds swirling around his towering body.

"Whoa," gasped Veronica when she opened her eyes. This prompted the others to open theirs as well and react much the same.

Only Allura understood what they were looking at. "And that is the true form of the Ancient ones," she explained.

"How do you know?"

"That's how my mother looked when I won this crown from her."

"You fought her when she looked like Hagrid on concaine?"

"I... Do you mean Haggar?"

"Nevermind..."

****

"So...," said Blaytz, looking around at his fellow Ancient Ones, "Once again is has come down to the five of us."

"Yes," agreed Trigel. "At the end of everything it's still us."

"Hopefully at a new beginning too," added Gyrgan.

"I'm glad it's us together," said Alfor. "My dearest friends."

Everyone turned to Melenor. It took a moment for her to realize why. "Um yes. Something sentimental..."

"Nice try, Mel," said Trigel.

"Your perseverance is inspirational," said Melenor. "You all played your parts as Paladins for so long and you died standing up. You're warriors and I rank you two through five."

"Who is who?" asked Grygan.

"Ranked by height," said Mel.

"Yes! I am two," he said.

"No, reverse as I'm the shortest. You're number five. Trigel is my number two."

"Not your husband?" pouted Alfor.

"Honestly, what would Coran say?" grumbled Melenor. "You are someone else's right hand man. I would prefer a left hand woman."

"So then," said Trigel. "I think we should do it one more time." She took Gyrgan and Melenor's hands. The rest joined hands as well in a circle. Trigel nodded at Gyrgan.

"I shall form the leg," he said.

"And I the arm," said Trigel.

"I do believe we will be paws," corrected Alfor.

"I will still call myself a leg," said Blaytz.

They all looked at Melenor, expectantly. She sighed. "Do not make me say it."

"C'mon, Mel," urged Gyrgan. "The soul-merge will only work if we all play along."

"Says who?"

"Do it for fun," urged Trigel, tugging on her friend's hand.

"Very well," said Melenor, relenting. She cleared her throat and said proudly, "And I shall form the head!"

The others laughed, a joyous sound mixing together as their very beings became fluid and swirled. The mix of the colours of their powers turned to white light. It blinded everyone below in a bright flash. When everyone was able to see again, the one source of light in all the realm was the giant lion spirit in the center of them, the white lion, the lion goddess, the goddess of the universe, the very soul of the universe.

Kosmo howled.

The White Lion roared back. Superimposed over her was a vision of a Voltron, the two merging as one.

"Wait..." muttered Keith.

"The White Lion is..." said Lance.

"The soul of the Voltron!" gasped Hunk.

"Which means..." said Allura.

"Voltron is genderfluid!" said Pidge. "Knew it! Called it!"

"No," said Shiro, "It means that Voltron isn't just the Defender of the Universe. It's..."

"It's the Universe defending itself," finished Keith.

"Did no one tell you that?" asked Bored. "I could've told you that."

There was a bright flash and the White Lion dispersed, flowing outwards like a wave of light and energy. It pushed its way through all those gathered, traveling through their bodies, through their hearts. Their hair flew back from the force of it, blowing by like the tailend of a Hurricane. Then it was gone, travelling out to parts unseen.

And it was dark again.