A/n: I apologize if this chapter is on the shorter side and comes across as horrible. I've also changed it up quite a bit to make it more interesting. Love you all!!!

~✨Celestial✨~
••••••••••••••••••••

"Bring me Lotor and the prisoner is yours," Zarkon explained. "Meet my demands if you want to see the Earthling alive."

The feed went black, everyone still silent. Arcadia's eyes were still glued to the lifeless screen, eyes narrowed in a sharp glare. She clenched her fists tightly by her sides as she gritted her teeth slightly.

"He's alive!" Pidge suddenly bellowed, grasping everyone's attention. "Our dad is alive! We have to get him back!"

"We're going to," Matt proclaimed. He looked over at the black paladin. "What's the plan, Shiro?"

"We can't rush into anything," Shiro replied. "We have to think this through."

"What's to think through?" Pidge hissed. "It's my dad! We're doing this!"

"I know how much you want your dad back, but whenever has Zarkon ever kept his promises?" Arcadia asked. Pidge was slightly hurt at her words, but she kept her lips sealed.

Shiro nodded in agreement. "Arcadia's right. We need to operate under the assumption that Zarkon will try to double-cross us."

"We have Voltron and Arcadia!" Pidge argued vehemently. "We can do anything!"

Arcadia looked down at the floor with a frown. "Pidge—"

"No!" The green paladin yelled, silencing the alchemist. "We can't let this opportunity slip away! We're too close! Our father is too close!"

The snowy-haired girl crossed her arms, looking up from the floor and glancing at the leader of Voltron. "Regardless if Zarkon speaks the truth or not, this is our first and possibly our only chance of saving Sam. We have to do this, Shiro."

Pidge looked at Arcadia with glistening eyes as a few stray tears cascaded down her cheeks. "You mean...?"

The draconian smiled at her friend. "Yes. Let's save your father, Pidge, Matt."

Shiro looked between the Holt siblings and Arcadia before coming to a decision. "Let's bring Sam back safely."

The green paladin rushes over, her arms encircling Arcadia's waist and nearly tackling her to the floor. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

She patted the top of Pidge's head. "Don't thank me until we save your father."

"Zarkon has sent us coordinates," Coran chimed in.

"It's gotta be the meeting spot for the exchange," Lance said.

"All right," Shiro spoke. "Pidge, Matt, Arcadia, and I will head to the coordinates with Lotor. I want the rest of you to remain here."

"Is that really such a smart plan?" Lance asked with a raised brow. "I mean, what if Zarkon does stab us in the back? Shouldn't we send Voltron?"

"Arcadia'll be enough. Even if things get rough, we'll only need her," the black paladin answered before looking at Matt, Pidge, and Arcadia. "We'll use one of the castle's pods to reach the meeting point."

"I'll tend to Lotor," Arcadia said.

"You're not gonna chew him up and spit him out, are you?" Lance inquired.

Arcadia glared weakly at the red paladin. "As much as I loathe Lotor, he's worth more to us if he's alive. Also, I wouldn't ruin the chance for Pidge and Matt getting their father back." Her eyes meandered away from Lance and toward the siblings and Shiro. "I'll see you three at the pod. If I take too long, my anger got the best of me and I'll most likely need help..."

Arcadia rode the elevator down to the containment area. She stood in front of Lotor and explained to him what all had transpired with Zarkon. The prince then began explaining his viewpoints. "My father has held the universe in a death grip for millennia, but he sees it slipping from his grasp because of your efforts, the paladins, and because of mine. With our forces combined, we would provide the greatest threat Zarkon has ever faced. He knows we could topple his empire, so this is his attempt to tear us apart. But united, we could forge a new path, open doors to new worlds and crush the tyrannical ways of an old regime."

"You may not have done what your father has, but that doesn't mean your slate is clean," Arcadia retorts. "Also, your life does not compare to Sam's. The paladins and I have agreed to make this trade. You won't be able to wiggle your way out of this one."

"It's true," Lotor argues. "If you return me to my father, he would surely see to my demise. And with his most legitimate threat to the throne removed, he would only grow stronger."

"I don't care what Zarkon has planned for you once he gets his hands on you. What he does to you is not my nor the paladins' concern," the alchemist hissed. "And if he doesn't end your life, I will. You deserve death for wiping out the remainder of my people."

"I merely was eradicating a possible threat to my plans. It was for the greater good of the universe," Lotor calmly replied.

Arcadia clenched and unclenches her fist. She gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to end his life then and there. "Draconians who finally learned to live in peace... Men, women, and children who were ready to lead a new life... They were no threat to the universe!"

"I'm well aware you aren't like most draconians. Your actions speak volumes. It has also been brought to my attention you were raised by King Alfor after you escaped the destruction of your planet. He once stood side by side with Zarkon and protected the universe from harm. There was no foe the paladins of old couldn't defeat. Sadly, that time of peace has been lost, but, together with the princess, we can find it once more. You could be the glimmering hope that could rewrite your people's history."

The draconian was silent. She couldn't help but find hope in his words. She'd been wishing to paint draconians in a good light ever since she was born. Lotor, seeing she had calmed down, continued. "With Princess Allura and you, a new generation could lift the mantle of peace. The children of King Alfor, Emperor Zarkon, and the last living draconian could form an alliance and bring peace back to the universe."

"Lies! Every word is a lie!" Pidge bellowed as she, Shiro, Hunk, Lance, and Allura joined her in front of the cell.

Lotor eyed the green paladin with a slight scowl. "And what of Zarkon's words? You think he'll return your father as he says? You think the corrupted leader of a ruthless empire will be true to his word? He wants more than just me."

"You think he'll double-cross us," Shiro said.

"I think he'd do anything to rid himself of me and claim the lions of Voltron."

Everyone hung their heads and fell into a suffocating silence, contemplating what Lotor said. After a few seconds, Allura spoke up. "An alliance with the heir to the galra throne could end the war."

"What?" From Pidge's tone, they could tell she was angry at the princess for even thinking about an alliance with Lotor. "It's not ideal."

"I don't like trusting the galra, but it could be our best option."

"No!" Pidge stood her ground and wouldn't budge.

Allura understood where her fury was coming from and did her best to keep level-headed. "Think of the lives we could save. Think of the countless worlds we could free."

"Think of my father!" The green paladin glared daggers at her, clenching her fists tightly.

Lance made his way over to Pidge and slid into her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm with Pidge." He then waved his hand in the air. "Let's get this guy out of here, pronto. Right, Hunk?"

Hunk glanced over at Lance. "I don't know. I mean, if this dude is on our side like he says he is..." He glances back at Lotor. "You are saying you're on our side, right? Couldn't he lead the galra toward peace from inside?"

Pidge was growling and shouted at the top of her lungs. "We are turning him in and getting my dad back! We have Voltron to bring peace to the universe!"

"Don't play into Zarkon's hands!" Lotor glowered at the green paladin.

"That's enough!" Shiro hollered, shocking his teammates.

Arcadia was surprised at his outburst and saw the sweat beading across his face. She remained silent during the argument due to trying to keep her own rage in check. "We mustn't keep arguing like this." Knowing Allura was a better diplomat than she, she trusted in her judgement. "Whatever choice you choose, I'll respect it. But I want to help Pidge and Matt get their father back. If that means we have to deceive Zarkon, so be it."

Allura was thankful for Arcadia's support. "I do have an idea."

<——————————————<<<<<

Inside the pod, Arcadia sat beside Matt. Shiro was in the pilot's seat with Pidge as his co-pilot. They followed the coordinates given to them by Zarkon and flew to the meeting place for the prisoner exchange.

Landing on the desolate planet, the four exit the pod and glance around. Dirt blew through the breeze as they saw they were the only ones. Matt glances at his sister and Shiro with a puzzled expression. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"This is the place," Shiro confidently replied.

Pidge glances at their leader before looking up at the sky. "So, where's Zarkon?"

Looking around once again, Arcadia's golden eyes trailed across the mountain rang that surrounded the desolate area. Her eyes immediately darted toward the sky when she detected the low humming of an engine. "He's here."

Shiro, Matt, and Pidge follow her line of sight just in time to see a galra drop ship swoop down and land across the way. The engines kick up the loose dirt, causing it to swirl around the four as they glared at the ship. After the dust settled, the hatch lowered and the metal doors slid open to reveal none other than Zarkon himself. He exited the ship and shouted, "Show me Lotor!"

"Show us Commander Holt first!" Shiro hollered back.

At the top of the ramp, Acxa and Ezor stood on either side of Sam. Pidge gasped, eyes widening at the sight of her father. "Dad!" She went to dash forward, but Shiro grabbed her arm to stop her.

Zarkon, his face hidden by his helmet, asked, "Now, where is Lotor?"

A hatch on the pod opened and Lotor stepped out, hands shackled together. He made his way down the ramp and stood with the others. Shiro's gaze never left Zarkon's form. "Send us Commander Holt!"

Without turning around, Zarkon commanded Ezor and Acxa. "Release him."

"Move," Ezor told Sam with a bored undertone, hand on her hip. The man did as she commanded and made his way down the ramp. Lotor did the same, slowly approaching his father.

"Stay alert," Shiro advised his companions. "If Zarkon's going to try something, now would be the time."

Arcadia could sense something was off as Sam and Lotor walked in opposite directions. "Wait!" She shouted, all eyes falling onto her. Lotor and Sam cease walking and turn to look at her.

"Arcadia, what are you doing?" Shiro demanded, surprised at her intervention.

She didn't answer him as she walked forward to stand in front of her comrades. "Where's the real Sam?"

Pidge, Matt, and Shiro were all lost. They had no idea what was going on. "What're you talking about, Arcadia? My dad's right there!" The green paladin pointed toward Sam. She tried to stop the snowy-haired girl, but Matt kept his sister at bay by grabbing both her arms. "Matt, what're you doing?! Let go of me!"

"I haven't known Arcadia as long as you have, but I don't think she'd do this without a plausible reason," Matt answered.

The draconian's eyes narrowed in a sharp glare as she focused her attention on Zarkon. She took a couple more steps forward. "All lifeforms emit an amount of quintessence, even humans. The more in-tuned one is with the elements, that frequency expands and can reach astronomical levels. This..." She gestured to the human that was walking towards them, "Is not Sam. We won't fall for a hologram." Holding her hand close to her chest, she manifested a small fireball.

Pidge saw what Arcadia was planning to do and tried to break free from Matt's hold. "Stop, Arcadia! Don't hurt my dad!"

Arcadia looked over her shoulder, smiling apologetically at her. "Forgive me, Pidge, but that isn't your father." Looking back at the hologram, she threw the fireball. The man didn't even blink or move as it passed through his body, distorting it before it vanished. The fireball flew past Zarkon and hit Acxa, knocking her down and singeing her armor.

Pidge gasped in horror after seeing Sam was indeed a hologram just like Arcadia said. Tears were forming in her eyes when she spotted the real Sam in the hull of the galra ship. "No! No, we had a deal! We had a deal! Give me my father!"

"If you want this Earthling returned alive, you will forfeit Voltron to me immediately!" Zarkon shouted, disregarding his son as he stood idly between the pod and drop ship.

"No." Pidge shook her head. Once again, she struggled against her brother's hold on her. "No! We have to get Dad!"

"Shiro?" Matt asked, his voice tinged with worry.

"Hold your positions until the time is right," Shiro replied.

Arcadia turned her head, peering over her shoulder. "Sorry, Shiro, but that's an order I can't follow." Without wasting another second, her wings sprouted from her back and she flew towards Lotor. Deactivating his handcuffs, she grabbed his arm as he armed himself with the black bayard. She flew him directly towards Zarkon and released him, allowing him to attack his father. She then flew towards the galra ship just as the hatch was sealing.

Flying through the narrow opening sideways, she kicked Ezor in the face and elbowed Zethrid in the gut. She saw Acxa was already in control of the ship and was guiding it back towards the cruiser. Freezing the feet of both Zethrid and Ezor and Axca's hands to the main controls, she helped Sam up and smiled sweetly at him. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Arcadia. I'm a friend of Pidge and Matt and am here to escort you to safety."

Sam stared at her horns and slitted eyes before smiling. "Thank you."

Just then, a portion of the ship's hull fell, leaving a hole in the roof. Matt, Pidge, and Shiro hopped down with their weapons at the ready. "Dad!" The green paladin bellowed happily. Before she could approach him, Zethrid and Ezor broke free from the ice and charged at the group. Acxa used her feet to shatter the ice encasing her hands and focused on flying. Matt and Pidge faced off against Zethrid while Shiro and Arcadia dealt with Ezor.

Arcadia blocked Ezor's leg when she attempted to kick her in the face. She then grabbed her her ankle and tossed her into a metal container. Smirking, she allowed Shiro to get a few hits in with his mechanical arm before backing away when the general recovered.

In the middle of the fight, Pidge had to fight off Acxa after seeing how close they were to leaving the planet's atmosphere. She shot her bayard into the back of her seat and pulled herself forward, slamming into the back. Acxa slammed against the controls and wound up deactivating the artificial gravity. She floated out of her chair and set her sights on the green paladin.

With no one to steer the ship, it began to nosedive. Pidge, who was in a headlock thanks to Acxa, shouted at her father as he aimlessly floated around. "Dad, get the controls!"

Sam went for the controls, but he was knocked away when Acxa and Pidge slammed into him. He floated up to the ceiling, arms outstretched. "Oh! A little help, guys."

Shiro was kicked in the chest by Ezor and was sent sailing backwards, his body doing a flip. "Just a sec."

"Kinda busy here, Dad," Matt replied. His back collided with a metal container, his body looping around before finding a perch on one of the containers and gripping his staff tightly. He eyed Zethrid as she pushed off the wall and headed straight for him.

Seeing as all the generals were occupied, Arcadia took advantage of the situation. Her wings sprung from her back once again and she flew towards Sam. She grabbed his hand and placed him in the pilot's seat before she was tackled by Acxa. The general wrapped an arm around her throat, trying to strangle her. Pidge used her bayard to wrap it around her arm and slam her body into the wall, freeing Arcadia from her grasp.

Suddenly, they heard Lance's voice over the comms. "Shiro, Pidge, Arcadia, the sky has been cleared of all Galra. What's your status?"

"Shuttle is not clear yet!" Pidge shouted in response. She looked at her father who was trying to not float away again. "Dad, what're you doing?!"

"Give me a second!" Sam hollered. As he grabbed the controls, Arcadia and Pidge knock Acxa away. Her body flies backward, slamming into Zethrid's and Ezor's. All three generals were sent sailing to the back of the ship. "Hold on!" He pulled on the ship controls, guiding the skip upward. The force caused everyone to hold on for dear life. Arcadia extended her talons and latched on to the wall while Shiro used his mechanical arm to prevent from falling backwards. Matt used his staff and desperately hoped it would be enough to stop him from falling.

Pidge, having been safely in one of the co-pilot chairs, reached out and opened the hatch. The three galra generals were sucked out of the ship along with some cargo. Before she could close it, Matt's staff slipped and he was sent backwards. He screamed, trying to grab anything to halt his fall. Shiro tried to grab him, but missed.

"Matt!" Pidge shrieked in horror.

"I've got him!" Arcadia unlatched her talons from the wall and flew out of the hatch. She tucked her wings in and dove for Matt. Once reaching him, she grabbed his wrists and ceased his descent. "Gotcha!"

Matt smiled up at the girl as she carried him back to the shuttle. She released his wrists when his feet were on the floor and ridded herself of her wings, landing beside Shiro. Looking toward the main controls, she saw Pidge hugging her father with tears in her eyes. Matt ran over and joined in, wrapping his arms around both of them. Arcadia and Shiro smiled at the scene. The girl couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy. "I'm glad they're back together."

"I am too," Shiro agreed. Then, he contacted the others. "The shuttle is clear."

"Nice job, team," Lance complimented.

"Where are Lotor and Zarkon?" Their leader questioned.

Hovering above the planet, everyone saw the damage caused by Zarkon's and Lotor's fight. Plumes of smoke and dirt rose into the air. They couldn't clearly make out what was happening, but they saw Zarkon had obtained the black bayard from his son. Allura, Lance, and Hunk used their Lions to attack the emperor when he intended to kill Lotor.

Now they had the attention of Zarkon. He turned the black bayard into an ion cannon and aimed it at the shuttle and three lions. Lotor fought through the pain and armed himself with shrapnel. He charged at his father with a battle cry and jammed it into his body, causing the cannon to be knocked off-kilter. It fired and missed the lions and shuttle.

Lotor stared at his father as the glowing eyes of his suit flickered off. Zarkon was dead.

<————————————<<<<<

Back on the castleship, Arcadia was sitting in the middle of the training room in her casual attire. The grimoire sat in her lap, closed. She had read a couple more spells, but decided not to practice them due to being unsure what was happening to her body. Adjusting the hair clip Keith had given her for her twentieth birthday, she flopped down on her back with her legs still in criss-cross formation. She closed her eyes and opened them a few seconds later. She was greeted by a smiling Matt looming over her. "Oh, hey, Matt. I didn't hear you enter." She'd been too focused on spells to detect him with her advanced hearing.

As she pushed herself back up into a sitting position, Matt sat down across from her in the same fashion. "I just wanted to thank you for today. You not only saved my dad, but me as well."

"We saved your father. It was a team effort," she smiled. "And there was no way I was gonna let you fall."

"But still, thank you. I really appreciate what you've done for me and Pidge." That was when Matt noticed the grimoire in her lap. "You're not practicing spells, are you? Pidge did mention what's been happening to you and told me to keep an eye on you. She told me to stop you if you tried any illusion spells. Not like I can identify an illusion spell, anyway..."

"Not practicing, just reading. This book is filled with so many intricate spells."

Matt rested his elbows on his knees, cupping his cheeks in his palms. There was a curious glint in his eyes. "Can I ask you something, Arcadia? Something about alchemy?"

"Between you and Pidge, that subject is rather popular..." She cleared her throat, smiling innocently. "Anyway, ask away!"

"Coran showed me a few ancient documents regarding your people. Some mentioned two forms of alchemy. What are they?"

"There's elemental and material alchemy. Elemental is what I use. Material alchemy requires ingredients and is more elaborate than elemental alchemy. The spells tend to cater to more specific things, too. There were stores on Draconia that sold bottled spells."

He sighed sadly. "Man, I wish I could see Draconia. From what I heard, it was beautiful."

She nodded. "It was. All elements coming together in harmony... Too bad my people couldn't find harmony until they blew up the entire planet." She perked up, smiling giddily. "Wanna hear a tale from my people?"

"Heck yeah!" Matt scooted closer and was ready to hear the story.

She giggled at his eagerness then started the story. "There once a young draconian who welcomed each element to Draconia. She was greeted by six spirits, each one representing a certain element. With her help, they were able to claim their own land and live in harmony. However, harmony didn't last long. The spirit of darkness became greedy and demanded the draconian to give him more land. The draconian didn't give in to his demands. Angered at her decision, the shadow spirit set his sights on the land of ice. He easily conquered a large portion of it before the draconian was alerted by the ice spirit.

The draconian went to stop the shadow spirit, but was shocked when she learned he wasn't the only spirit trying to claim more land. The spirits of lightning and fire were also trying to conquer more territory. And eventually, all the spirits wanted more land. They all became greedy and demanded certain spirits to be wiped out. The draconian couldn't stand to see the spirits at war with each other and could only think of one solution to ensure the elements would be in harmony for all eternity. Returning to the temple that lied at the center of Draconia, she performed a ritual and turned herself into the Tree of Mana. Her roots spread across the entire planet, creating boundaries for each spirit. Using her connection to the earth, she was able to control the mana flow and restore harmony for all eternity."

"What?!" Someone gasped.

Matt and Arcadia looked over to see Pidge and Sam. The young girl had been the one to shout. She ran over to the draconian and crashed onto her knees, shaking her body by the shoulders. "You've never told me this story before!"

"Really? I thought I did..." Arcadia mumbled. "Maybe I didn't. My memory is terrible."

Pidge released her shoulders. "Is that story the origin of the elements on Draconia?"

"That, and the Tree of Mana. My dad told me the story when I was six. I'm surprised I remembered the entire thing. Parents usually told their children the story when they were ready to start learning alchemy."

"Do you mind telling me the story again some other time?" She asked.

"Sure. I don't see why not."

Sam glances between his children. "You two seem rather enthralled with Arcadia's culture."

"Oh, definitely!" Pidge announced. "She's the last of her kind and I want to learn everything. It's not every day you get to hang out with someone who's the last of an alien species. Well, we do, but you know what I mean."

"I don't mind sharing," Arcadia said. "I actually enjoy talking to Pidge about my people. Out of everyone aboard this ship, she's the one who's shown the most interest in draconians."

Sam chuckled. "That's my Katie for you."

Standing up, the snowy-haired girl held the grimoire close to her chest with a wide smile. "I'm so happy you three are reunited. I know it's been a while since you've all been together so I'm gonna leave and let you guys catch up, okay?"

"Thanks, Arcadia," Pidge smiled back at her.

She giggled. "Have fun!"