*WILL BE EDITED LATER*

A/n: I'm skipping "Razor's Edge" and "Monster and Mana" because I have other plans for my OC that would've left her out of those episodes. Hope you all don't mind. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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It'd been three days since saving the shield station. Arcadia locked herself in Haggar's room to try and find a way to help Shiro. She found an alchemic book consisted of concoctions she figured Master Zenio left behind. She flipped through the book and located a mixture claiming to purge the body of any illness. She wasn't sure if Shiro was sick, per se, but the concoction would be potent and affect all parts of the body. It was stronger than her healing magic and could possibly heal him.

The brew took three day's time to make, but she had all the ingredients she needed in Haggar's room. While she was waiting for it to mix properly, she'd been visited by Pidge, Hunk, Lance, and Shiro. They all were fascinated by the process since they'd never seen her use material alchemy before. Shiro had visited her a second time and had rummaged around the room. She didn't care if he took anything since it was all Haggar's stuff.

On the third day, Arcadia had finished the concoction and was visited by Lance. He was mopier than usual, which made her question him. "Okay, you're clearly not okay. What's wrong?"

"Has Allura come to visit you?" He asked, sitting down on the floor beside her.

She wasn't bothered by the fact he didn't answer her question. "No. Why?"

"So you're telling me she hasn't visited her best friend who's been locked inside this dark room for at least once in the past three days?"

"Lance, what're you trying to say?" She demanded. She didn't like it when someone tried to beat around the bush. She was always one who addressed the problem head-on.

"Allura's been spending all her time with Lotor and that stupid ship lately!" Lance wailed. He hung his head with a melancholic frown. "I...I thought we had a bonding moment because of what happened."

She placed her hand over his, squeezing it. "I know how much you care about Allura. You've fallen in love and you feel like you were meant to be together forever." She inhaled deeply before sighing. "I too feel like you and Allura were meant for each other. But there's an obstacle stopping you and he's currently sitting on the throne of the galra empire."

He lifted his head with a sniffle. "What do I do, Arcadia?"

She stared into his cerulean eyes with an unwavering, confident expression. "Don't give up, Lance. Like I said a few days ago, I won't let Lotor have Allura. I still don't trust him, especially with her. Keep your head up and don't let him defeat you. I still have to chat with Allura in regards to his majesty, anyway. There's probably going to be some yelling, but that's normal."

Lance pulled her into a friendly hug. "Thanks for this, Arcadia."

"You're welcome. Let me finish this concoction and then I'll go have a chat with Allura."

He peered down into the small bowl, eyeing the golden mixture. "What is that, exactly?"

"It's an illness remedy. With its high potency, it's much stronger and more effective than my healing alchemy," she answered, pouring the liquid into a small vial and sealing it. She shook it a few time and watched the golden concoction swirl around inside the vial. "I'm hoping it'll help Shiro."

"Speaking of Shiro, did you give him some weird green stuff in a vial? I saw it with him yesterday."

"No, I didn't. Guess I have to talk to Shiro after I finish with Allura." Arcadia stood up, placing the vial safely into the pocket of her shorts. "Before I wander off aimlessly, where is Allura?"

"On the castleship. She and Lotor finished that ship and now it's just sitting in the pod bay," Lance groaned. "I think they were planning on leaving in a few hours."

Arcadia left Haggar's room and returned to the castleship with Lance. Still in her casual clothes, she headed to the pod bay as the castleship departed from galra central command and traveled to their next destination.

There, she saw Allura and Lotor about to enter the ship they'd been working on for the past three days. "Allura," she called out to her best friend.

The princess turned around, smiling at her. "Oh, Arcadia! Did you finish that mixture for Shiro?"

"I did, but I wanted to talk to you before I visit him." Arcadia glanced at Lotor before looking back at Allura. "Can we talk in private?"

"Of course."

The two girls leave the pod bay, avoiding Lotor's gaze. Just outside the doors, Arcadia spoke her true feelings. "Allura, I am happy you've become an alchemist. I know it's been your dream for so long to follow in your father's doorsteps, but I don't think Lotor is the man who he appears to be."

The princess was flabbergasted. "You still fail to trust Lotor after all we've been through? After all he's done for us?" She was angry, but kept her emotions in check. "Arcadia, I know what Lotor did to your people is awful, but he is nothing like Zarkon. I assure you, we can trust him."

"Is this your mind speaking or your heart?" Arcadia asked. "I've seen the way you and Lotor look at each other. Please, Allura, don't be blinded by love."

"This is nonsense," Allura scoffed. "I am not blinded by any emotion. I am thinking what's best for the universe! My relationship with Lotor has nothing to do with it. If anyone is blinded by emotions, you are! I will not say what Lotor has done is good, but it was in the past and at a time he was unaware of the possibility of draconians living in peace."

"What about the other paladins? Don't you care about their thoughts on Lotor?"

"Thoughts and feelings don't matter," the princess hissed. "What Lotor and I are doing will bring peace to the universe. That is all that matters. If you're done prattling like a child, there is something I must do."

Before Arcadia could get another word in, Allura walked away and returned to the ship. Shockingly enough, she wasn't mad at the princess. Some of her words stung, but she knew exactly why she was saying them. Allura has fallen for Lotor and didn't want to see him as a bad guy. Her heart was in the right place for saving the universe, but she was falling for a man who she didn't know well. All she knows are the sweet words he spewed at her from time to time only to gain her trust. But seeing Allura hold Lotor in high regards made Arcadia question her judgement. Was she wrong? Did she truly have to forgive Lotor to see he isn't like Zarkon?

Thinking about Keith, Arcadia imagined him as someone who was like Lotor. She would've acted the same way as Allura if someone thought Keith was using her. She too would be blinded by love to see the man behind the mask.

"Maybe I'm overthinking this..." Arcadia mumbled to herself. She glanced at the pod bay door for a few seconds, then traveled to the bridge where the others were waiting in their paladin armor. They were gathered around the main computer as Allura and Lotor checked over the ship's systems. One by one, they went down the list until the ship was completely functional with no issues in sight.

Hunk was the first to express his doubts about the mission. "Okay, I can't be the only one who sees that this is nuts, right? I mean, just getting in there is a long shot. Then they have to make it out again?"

Coran, with his arms crossed and lips pursed, voices his opinion. "I agree with Hunk. This plan is a foolhardy and unnecessary risk."

"I don't know. I mean, we've traveled through the quintessence field to another reality. This isn't just theoretical physics; mathematically, we know it's possible," Pidge said.

The royal advisor jumping over to lean next to her. "Well, it is hard to argue with math. Believe me, I've tried."

"But even if they do reach the quintessence field, then what? The last time anyone got in there, it turned Zarkon evil," Lance stated.

Coran leapt over to put his hand on Lance's shoulder, one finger in the air. "Lance makes a fine point! Take that, math!"

"Zarkon's true colors were only revealed when he entered the quintessence field. Unlike him, Allura is pure of heart and doesn't risk corruption. I can't say the same for Lotor, though," Arcadia chimed in.

"Arcadia's right. Zarkon fell prey to his own evil instincts. The quintessence field didn't create them, it revealed them," Shiro said.

"Speaking of Lotor..." Lance sidled up to the draconian. "How'd your chat with Allura go?"

"Not well," she sighed dishearteningly.

"Was there yelling like you said?"

"Only a little. I expressed myself to her about Lotor, but she's too blinded by her infatuation to see anyone else's viewpoint." Arcadia adjusted her hair clip. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, Lance."

"Nah, don't sweat it. Even though I hate knowing she has a thing for him, I'm grateful for what you did," he smiled, but it quickly disappeared. "I guess we weren't meant to be..."

"Now hold it!" Arcadia intervened. "Don't you dare go and say something like that! I swear to Aethios, this isn't over. Even if Lotor is a good guy and their relationship works out, I will not stand for it! I will... I will...!" She raises her hands, wiggling her fingers in the air as if she was about to cast a spell.

"Whoa, hold the phone!" Lance grabbed her hands and lowered them. "We don't need a crazy alchemist onboard. Not right now, anyway."

"You really don't like Lotor, do you?" Pidge asked, having overheard the conversation.

"Correction: I HATE him. There's just something about him that doesn't feel right..." Arcadia answered.

"I agree!" Coran shouted. "Lotor is bad for Allura! He's a horrible influence!"

All eyes returned to the screen when they heard the ship take off out of the pod bay doors. It flew out into space and towards the ruins of Daibazaal.

Coran, after calming down from his outburst, leaned over the console. "So this is goodbye...for now."

Lance called out to the princess before they were out of range. "Allura."

Hearing her name, Allura replied, "Yes, Lance?"

"...Get back safe."

"I will."

With bated breaths and grin expressions, the remaining paladins, Coran, and Arcadia watch the ship carefully approach the rift portal. It was then did the advisor begin the countdown. "T-minus ten ticks to gate entry. Nine..."

The rift gate begins to glow blue, radiating brilliantly as the ship continues to approach.

"Eight..."

The ship begins to glow blue as the distance between it and the rift portal shrinks.

"Seven..."

Arcadia clenched yo her hand into a fist, watching the screen.

"Six..."

Pidge and Hunk held their breaths, waiting for the outcome.

"Five..."

Shiro, unlike the green and yellow paladins, seemed to have a calmer expression, but his eyes shone with concern.

"Four..."

Lance's brows were furrowed, a frown on his face. He still didn't like the idea of Lotor and Allura entering the quintessence field.

"Three... Two..."

Arcadia inhaled sharply as Coran reaches the final number.

"One."

The ship enters the gate and it glows blue-white on contact. It has entered successfully into the quintessence field with Allura and Lotor aboard, now out of view and out of contact from the castleship. Everyone was silent on the bridge, having watched the ship vanish before their eyes. They were snapped out of their daze when the alarm sounds and the windows glow red. Hunk moves toward the console. "What is that?"

Coran read the altean that floated across the screen. "I've got an incoming craft."

"Shields up," Shiro commanded. "And pull it up on-screen."

Coran presses a button on the console. The screen shows that it is a ship design he is quite familiar with. He gasped, eyes wide in shock as if he'd seen a ghost. "That...that can't be. It's an altean pod! A really old one!"

"What's it doin' out here?" Lance asked.

"Let's just hope it isn't a trap," Arcadia chimed in.

"Only one way to find out." Shiro contacted the pod.
"Attention altean pod! Identify yourself!"

The screen flips to reveal Keith piloting the pod. "Shiro, it's Keith."

The team was astonished to see Keith. Arcadia blinked in surprise, wondering why he was here of all places.

"Keith! A-Are you okay?" Shiro stammered, bewildered at seeing him.

"Where have you been?" Pidge asked.

"And how did you get your hands on that pod?" Coran added.

Lance pointed at the screen. One could tell he was trying to figure something out. "Does he look...bigger to you guys? He's bigger, right?" He looked over his shoulder at Arcadia. "You're his girlfriend. Can't you tell? No?"

Keith ignored Lance's questions. "Where's Lotor?"

"He's in the quintessence field," Hunk informed him.

"Oh, no..."

As the pod closed in on the castleship, Shiro, Hunk, Lance, Pidge, and Coran rush to the pod bay. It took Arcadia a few seconds to follow due to being petrified by shock from Keith's sudden appearance. She hadn't been able to contact him in over a month and now he was coming back to the castle. She followed the paladins and Coran to the pod bay, lingering behind and forcing her body to move. She wanted to see Keith again, but she didn't expect it to be this soon.

Inside the pod bay, Arcadia stood behind the others. Her eyes were glued to the altean pod as it entered the castleship and landed. She blinked in surprise when Keith exited the pod, seeing what Lance had meant earlier. He was taller and his features were more mature. She questioned if it had been a little over a month since they last saw each other due to how much he physically changed.

Shiro was also in just as much shock as she was, but he was able to find his voice unlike her even though it was slightly shaky. "Keith, i-it's so good to see you."

"Hold on." Lance saunters up to Keith, blocking's his path to interrogate him. "How do we know you're the real Keith and not his bigger, cooler, grizzled older brother? Do you know who she is? The real Keith would know!" He pointed to Arcadia, who nervously stood behind Pidge.

The draconian huffed out a sigh in annoyance at the red paladin's behavior. Why did he have to drag her into it? She went to make a smart remark about how idiotic he was being, but her words died in her throat once seeing how intently Keith was staring at her. She could see the lilac void of his eyes, a myriad of emotions swirling in them. Her eyes gravitated down to his hand after seeing it twitch slightly. She cocked her head to the sigh, wondering what was making him twitchy all of a sudden.

Keith cleared his throat and walked past Lance. "I don't have time for this, Lance!"

Lance watched him walk away from him, sarcastically replying with, "Hey, everybody, Keith's back!" He rejoined the others.

"We need to stop Lotor. He's been lying to all of us!" Keith declared.

Shiro was perplexed at Keith's sudden proclamation. "Wh—lying about what?"

"Everything!" A feminine voice shouted.

Looking in the direction the voice came from, they saw a wolf, a galra, and an altean. Coran gasped once noticing the marks and pointy ears. "You're...you're altean!"

"And who's the galran?" Lance asked.

Hunk eyed the four-legged creature amidst the unknown trio. "Is that a wolf?"

The unnamed female altean glanced at the paladins and Coran before her gaze settled on Arcadia. She gasped as she darted over to the snowy-haired girl. Pushing past Pidge, she grabbed the alchemist's hands in both of hers and squeezed. "You're a draconian! Oh, this is amazing! I thought they were all killed by Lotor. I used to know another draconian. We were best friends back on my planet."

Arcadia wasn't sure how to respond. She was frozen in place when the altean suddenly stormed over and took her hand in hers. "I...uh...what? A planet?"

"What planet? Where did you come from?" Coran pried, eager to learn about where the altean was from.

Keith intervened before the female altean could answer any questions. "I promise, I'll explain everything once we get to Lotor."

"We can't get to him. He just entered the quintessence field with Allura," Pidge said.

"We traveled through realities before. Can't we fly in there and attack?"

Lance walked over, standing to the right of Keith. "She said Allura is with him. We can't risk hurting her!"

"Why are we even attacking?" Hunk inquired, puzzled.

Shiro chimed in to avoid any more questions from the others. "Look, Keith--everyone, calm down. When they return, we'll get this all sorted out."

Keith nods in wariness. With that decision, the group left the pod bay. Arcadia followed behind the female altean down the hallway toward the bridge with Keith on her heels. She could feel his eyes boring into her back, making her tense. Questions crossed through her mind, wondering if he was going to say something or simply stare.

As the group passed one of storage rooms, Arcadia didn't even think twice about it until her wrist was grabbed and she was pulled into the room. It was dimly lit, but she could make out the figure that dragged her inside. The faint glowing of the suit they were wearing also proved to be a good indicator.

The lights in the storage room became brighter due to detecting movement once the person dragged her deeper into the storage room. Arcadia now had a perfect view of Keith, noticing his lilac eyes were locked on her golden ones. He didn't say anything and never relinquished his grip on her wrist. She had so much to tell him, but nothing came out of her mouth when she opened it. All she could manage was a feeble, "Keith...?"

His name rolling off her tongue in such a gentle manner was just enough to make him snap. Keith tugged on her wrist, pulling her body flush against his. Releasing her wrist, he wound his arms tightly around her smaller frame. Her faces was pressed against his chest, one of his arms wound around her waist with the other secured around her shoulders. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply before releasing a shaky breath.

After a prolonged silence, Keith was able to find his voice and speak, but it was low and feeble. "I've missed you so much and I can't stand it anymore. Let me do this, please."

It sounded as if he was begging her. Arcadia has never heard Keith sound so broken. She knew it'd been a month and a half since they last talked and seen each other. But something was off. His appearance suggested he was older. She noticed how tight he was holding her, like she was going to disappear if he let go. Gradually, she encircled her arms around his torso and hugged back. "Keith, what happened to you?"

At her question, Keith fell to his knees with her still in his arms, taking her with him. His voice was still low and brimming with emotions. "We were traveling through the quantum abyss. I-I know it's only been a little while since we've seen it each for you, but it's been two years for me."

She was confused when he said "we," but she rubbed circles on his back to soothe him. The quantum abyss was a place she was familiar with since she's read about. She was aware of how time was warped in such a dangerous part of the universe. She patiently waited for him to continue, knowing something else was bothering him.

Keith pulled away slightly to meet her gaze, but kept his arms around her. The arm he had around her shoulders fell, finding comfort around her waist with the other. He didn't go into too much detail, but he did tell her about the visions of the past and future he saw while traveling through the quantum abyss. He told her about seeing his mom and dad in the visions from the past, but when he started sharing the visions of the future, she was stunned and listened intently. "I saw the two of us together on Earth. We were visiting a flower meadow. You were spinning around, laughing while I watched you. We were...happy. But then...I saw another vision."

Arcadia saw the tears forming in his eyes. He was struggling to tell her about the second vision. She moved her hands from his back to his cheeks, cupping then gently. Her thumbs caressed his cheeks, ready to wipe away the tears if they fell. "If it's too painful, you don't have to tell me."

"No, I want you to know because this vision made me realize something," he choked out. He took a couple deep breaths before continuing. "You went somewhere I couldn't follow, and vanished."

She frown melancholically, wiping away the tears that sprung free from his eyes. "Keith..." she released his face and snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him back into a hug.

Keith's tall, lithe form curled over her smaller, delicate one as he held her as close as possible to his body. "That vision made me realize how much I can't stand to lose you. Those two years in the quantum abyss without being able to hear your voice or see you were tortuous. That single vision gave me nightmares almost every time I closed my eyes. My mind started to think you were gone forever and even when I returned to the castle, you'd be gone and I wouldn't know where you were."

"If I ever were to go somewhere you can't follow, know that I will always return to you," Arcadia spoke gingerly. "I can't imagine my life without you, Keith."

His hands bunches up the fabric of her tunic top. "Neither can I. I don't want to lose you. I'll do everything I can to protect you."

"And I'll do the same." She pulled away, smiling from ear to ear. "We've been doing a good job of it so far."

Keith chuckled faintly. "Yeah, we make a pretty good team." When a silence threatened to fall over them, he finally decided to ask about the marks on her face. He'd notice them when he first saw her in the pod bay, but hadn't bothered to ask yet. "Did you get tattoos while I was gone?" Raising his hand, he trailed his finger over one of the inverted triangles under her eyes.

She giggled, shaking her head. "No, they're master alchemic markings. The ones under my eyes are the only ones visible. I've more markings on my back. While you were away, I...became a master alchemist. Surprise!"

He wasn't sure how to feel about her new status as a master alchemist. "Should I be happy or what?"

After all he's seen and been through in the quantum abyss, she decided to keep her shortened lifespan a secret. "Feel whatever you want. I'm still the same girl as before. My magic's just more powerful now. Well, certain elements are. Once I master an element, that's when it's power significantly increases."

"And how many have you mastered?"

"Two so far. Four more to go!" She cheered with laughter. That's when she remembered what he said earlier and gasped. Grabbing his face, she turned it side to side and examined his mature features. "Hold on a second! You said you were gone for two years! That's mean—!"

Keith blinked owlishly before smirking with a chortle. "I'm older than you by a year now."

"That's not fair!" She wailed dramatically. "I was supposed to be the older one in this relationship!"

From a smirk to a smile, his expression morphed. He leant forward and rested his forehead against hers. He deeply missed her flamboyant and cheerful personality. "Sorry, but you're the younger one now."

"You cheated!" She playfully glared. "Maybe I should go through the quantum abyss and age two years. Maybe three just to be safe."

He stared lovingly into her golden eyes. "Not happening, shortcake."

She blinked in astonishment. "Shortcake? The heck is a shortcake? Did you just insult me and I don't know it?"

He pressed a brief kiss on her lips before pulling away. "It's a nickname. You had those on Draconia, right?"

"No, but they did have them on Altea. What does "shortcake" mean? I think I've heard Hunk mention it before while cooking."

"It's just a nickname for short girls."

She scowled at him before standing up. She crossed her arms with a childish pout, "I am not short." Keith grinned widely as he stood up, watching her in amusement as she analyzed their height difference. She now only came up to just above his collarbone. Before, she reached his chin. Her pout grew as groaned in disbelief. "No fair..."

He patted the top of her head, still smirking. "C'mon, shortcake. Let's get back to the others. There's someone I want you to meet."

The couple left the storage room and headed to the bridge. The moment they walked through the door, Lance scooted over and eyed them suspiciously. "You both were gone for a while. Too long, if you ask me..."

"We don't have to explain ourselves to you," Keith sneered.

"Oh, I get it. You guys were "catching up"," he remarked, making quotation marks with his fingers.

"We were," Arcadia said. "And what're you doing with your fingers?" She mocked his motion with a puzzled look on her face.

She kept moving her fingers up and down until Keith grabbed her hands to stop her. "It's another Earth thing," he simply explained.

"Ohhh..."

Shiro chuckled at their interaction. It was like Keith never left. Taking a closer look at him, he did notice the physical changes. "Lance is right. You have changed."

"Time is different where I've been," Keith said without going into details.

The galra standing next to him stepped forward, smiling. She introduced herself to the team leader. "Shiro, I am Krolia. Keith has told me all about you." She holds out her arm and Shiro takes it. "Thank you for raising him to be the man he is today."

"Krolia is with the Blade of Marmora. Also...she's my mother."

Arcadia gaped in shock. She expected Keith to find answers about his lineage, but she never could've imagined him finding his own mother. She then smiled, happy to see him reunited with her.

"It's an honor to meet you," Shiro replied with a faint smile.

"WHAT?!" Lance shrieked, butting in to the conversation. "Okay, this is nuts! You come back with your galra mom, a wolf, and an altean?!" He pointed to each as he called them out.

"I'm just as surprised," Arcadia giggled. "You've brought quite the party back with you, Keith. Never in a hundred years would I have guessed you'd come back with your mother."

Keith rubbed the back of his neck with a bashful expression. "I've been wanting to introduce you to her for a while now."

Krolia walked over to the couple, stopping in front of Arcadia. The draconian looked up at her, nervously fidgeting at how intimidating she was just by her gaze and stature. Before she could introduce herself, Krolia did something out of the ordinary. She grabbed Arcadia's face with both hands and examined her features. "So, you're the famous Arcadia Keith wouldn't shut up about. When I first saw your hologram on his communicator, I couldn't believe you were a draconian." Krolia stared deeply into her golden eyes, trailing her thumbs just below them to trace the markings. She then tapped the girl's pointy ears and horns in wonderment. "Never in a million decaphoebs did I ever think I would meet your kind. Keith couldn't stop mentioning how strong and beautiful you were. He did get one thing right. I look forward to seeing you in action and proving that second accusation is correct, Arcadia."

The alchemist smirked, glancing in Keith's direction once Krolia stopped touching her. "I never knew I was a hot topic of conversation during your travels. Did he tell you about that time I kicked his butt during training? Or how about when—"

Keith stepped forward, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Okay, that's enough."

Arcadia gently grabbed his hand, lowering it from her mouth. "Don't worry, I'll just tell her later."

"Okay!" Lance interjected, flaring at the couple. "We get it! You guys love each other very much and haven't seen each other in a while. Can you stop flirting in front of us poor single folks?"

Coran nodded in agreement with the red paladin. "Yes, I'm still waiting to hear the story of how you found this altean."

Hunk raised a hand, pointing his finger in the air. "And why we're supposed to be attacking Lotor."

Keith glances over at the female altean as he introduced her to his friends. "This is Romelle. And I think she should tell her own story."

Romelle had a distant look in her eyes once she began telling her story. "I come from a planet where there are thousands of alteans. There too were draconians living amongst us. We have lived there since the war with Zarkon began."

"What?" Coran gasped in bewilderment. "That's impossible! Altea was destroyed! Allura, Arcadia, and I were the only survivors!"

"Every altean child knows the story of how Lotor saved us from destruction and gave draconians another chance. When Zarkon attacked, many alteans were off-planet on trading expeditions. When news spread about the destruction of our home, those of us who remained went into hiding for decaphoebs. But Lotor, with his deep knowledge of altean culture, managed to track some of them down. To keep the alteans secure, Lotor hid them on a remote planet beyond the Quantum Abyss where he also kept watch over the remaining draconians he rescued decaphoebs ago."

"So Lotor...saved alteans and draconians?"

"Man, Lotor is even nicer than we thought," Hunk commented.

"He's already confessed to killing my people. This colony the collector mentioned must've been the one Romelle is from. He never did mention any alteans," Arcadia replied, keeping her anger at bay. She pushed past her personal emotions and apologized. "Sorry, Romelle. Please, continue."

Romelle nodded and proceeded with her story. "And over time, the alteans and draconians came to worship Lotor as their savior. Generations ago, in an effort to increase our odds of survival, Lotor announced that he was creating another colony far from our own. But in order to do so, he needed to assess which alteans and draconians were viable candidates to survive the journey. One by one, every altean and draconian in the colony was given a series of tests. Those who were deemed fit for the journey were loaded onto a cargo ship and taken to the second colony. It was considered the highest honor. Any communication between the colonies was strictly prohibited, for fear that it would compromise the other's location. This is the world I was born into, one of unquestioning devotion to a supposed messiah. My brother Bandor was always faithful, but Panlu and I had questions."

"Panlu?" Arcadia questioned.

"Yes. He was the draconian I mentioned before. We were best friends until Lotor rounded up the last remaining draconians without assessing any of them, even the children were taken. Panlu didn't want to go, but Lotor forced him and his people to make the journey. That was a few decaphoebs ago. Then, Bandor grew old enough to be assessed for the journey to the other colony, and he was selected to leave immediately. With both Panlu and Bandor gone, I felt completely alone. I tried to use the communicator Bandor had given me, but it never worked."

Romelle then told the paladins, Coran, and Arcadia about how she received a transmission from her brother while she was sleeping. Bandor has told her to head to the forest outside of town. She did as her brother told her and ran through the woods towards a column of smoke. Locating the source of the smoke, she found a crashed altean pod and her brother in the pilot's seat. She tried to help him, but he died in her arms after warning her about Lotor and the eyeless corpse of Panlu.

"My brother and Panlu were dead. I knew the truth, or at least part of it, but I also knew that no one would believe me without proof. When Keith and Krolia arrived, they were my last chance at finding it. I told them what had happened to my brother and Panlu, and, as it turned out, so many alteans and draconians that had been taken before them. As they explained their mission to me, we knew there must have been a connection between the missing alteans, draconians, and the pure strain of quintessence," Romelle said.

The next part of her story consisted of her, Keith, Krolia, and the wolf infiltrating a galra base located on the moon orbiting the planet. In the base, they had discovered the eyeless corpses of draconians and  the bodies of alteans. The eyes of the draconians were safely stored in jars waiting to be used while the alteans were directly hooked up to a machine that harvested their quintessence.

"That's...horrifying!" Coran shrieked.

"All this time..." Pidge's voice trailed off.

"I can't believe he fooled us," Lance muttered sorrowfully.

"He's a monster," Keith spat.

Romelle glanced over at Arcadia and was taken aback at seeing her cool expression. "You don't seem surprised."

"My people have been hunted by many seeking our power. Such a terrible act has been around much longer than I've been alive. The harvesting of draconian eyes does not surprise me." Arcadia stared at the floor. "Our high level of quintessence is what Lotor desired, which is why he kept the eyes and stored them. If preserved properly, draconian eyes can remain stable."

"I...I never knew draconians had high levels of quintessence. Panlu never told me much about his people, only that they destroyed their home and those that escaped were now trying to live in peace."

"Did the draconians who lived alongside you practice alchemy?"

"Only a few," Romelle replied. "Panlu wasn't one of them."

"I see..."

"I wish Panlu would've told me more about his people. If only we knew what Lotor was planning sooner, we could've saved your people, Arcadia."

"Welp, now Arcadia's got a really good excuse to maul Lotor," Lance stated. "We should've let her turn him into a chew toy earlier."

"What're you talking about?" Keith asked, glancing between the red paladin and his girlfriend.

"Ever since we started working with Lotor, not once has Arcadia trusted him," Pidge answered. "She even tried to stop Allura before they headed into the quintessence field."

"A draconian's intuition is quite frightening," Krolia commented.

"I'm not sure I would call it intuition," Arcadia sighed. "I never could bring myself to trust Lotor because of what he did to my people. His reasoning behind killing them was to prevent another threat. He never mentioned eye harvesting. His greediness has not only taken the lives of my people, but the alteans as well. He will pay," she growled.

Suddenly, the castleship's sensors are triggered. Everyone's attention was drawn to the computer as it beeped. "They're back," Coran announced, watching the ship return to the castle.

"What are you waiting for? Open fire!" Romelle demanded angrily.

Lance quickly protested against the idea. "No! Princess Allura is with him!"

"We're gonna let him back on board?!" Hunk shockingly bellowed.

"We must! As long as the princess is with him, we cannot risk any sort of attack!" Coran exclaimed.

"Coran and Lance are right. We can't do anything until the princess is safe. Once Allura is secure, we will take Lotor down," Shiro said, devising a plan.

Time ticked by as everyone waited for Allura and Lotor to reach the bridge. The paladins, Coran, and Arcadia stood in a semi-circle while Krolia, the wolf, Romelle, and Keith hid themselves from sight.

The moment the bridge door slid open and Lotor and Allura entered, everyone surrounded the two. The princess looked around in bewilderment when seeing the others and how they were acting. "What's going on?"

Krolia and Keith silently move in behind Lotor, Krolia with her pistol and Keith with his blade. Lance pulls out his bayard, ready to fire. "Allura, step away from Lotor."

Allura places herself in front of Lotor, arms to either side in defense. "I will do no such thing. Tell me what's happening here!"

"Lotor is a monster and has been harvesting altean and draconian quintessence for generations!" Romelle shouted angrily, grabbing the attention of Allura and Lotor.

Allura couldn't believe her eyes. "An Altean!" She turns to Lotor and saw the horrified expression on his face.

Romelle focuses her fierce glower on Lotor. "You killed my brother, my best friend, and thousands of others!"

"Lotor has been lying to us the whole time! He's a murderer, just like his father!" Pidge yelled.

"You know nothing about what you speak!" Lotor protested.

"What are they talking about?" Allura demanded.

"Allura, listen to me. I've dedicated my life to preserving altean culture and preserving the last remaining draconians. Now that we have unlocked the quintessence field, all of your people, who would have been hunted down long ago just like the draconians had it not been for my intervention, can live in peace. Were some lives lost in the process? Yes. But they were martyrs to a noble cause. I sacrificed a few to preserve the future for millions. Allura, do not let this—"

Arcadia tossed the icy dagger she'd concealed behind her back. It impaled Lotor's shoulder, causing him to stumble back a few steps. She glared fiercely at him, a fire of hatred burning in her eyes. "You talk as if you're an almighty being who deserves to be praised and worshipped, but you're nothing but a murderer like your father." Conjuring a second icy dagger, the marks on her cheeks radiated with a brilliant golden hue. "And what is this nonsense about preserving my people? You killed them all!"

She went to throw the second dagger, but stopped when Lotor reaches out towards Allura. He grabs her hand in hopes she would help him, but she has had it. The princess grabs his hand, picks him up, and hurls him toward the ground, rendering him unconscious.

Allura, whose eyes are full of heartbreak and rage, focused on the unconscious Lotor before her attention was drawn to the computer as the alarm sounded. The pod bay hangar had been infiltrated by Acxa and Ezor. "The hangar's been breached!" Coran shouted.

Hunk easily recognized the two aliens depicted on the screen. "It's Lotor's troops. They're stealing the ships!"

Suddenly, Shiro falls to the ground, crying out in pain. He clutches his head, eyes wide with fear. Arcadia's icy dagger vanishes as she rushes over to him, kneeling down by his side. Hunk was on the other side, wondering what he could do to help.

Keith wasn't sure what was wrong and worriedly called out, "Shiro?"

Shiro cries out, gritting his teeth. Arcadia searches her pocket for the mixture she formulated as Coran shouted, "What's happening to him?!"

"I don't know, Coran," Arcadia calmly replied. She managed to grab the glass vial from her pocket and held it tightly, waiting for his pain to subside so she could administer the concoction. Looking up, she saw the concerned and frightened faces of Lance and Pidge. Turning back to Shiro, she saw he had managed to raise his head. Peering into his eyes, she saw his pupils beginning to burn scarlet.

Seeing Hunk and Arcadia were tending to Shiro, Lance made the call and ordered his teammates. "Allura and I will secure Lotor! Hunk, Arcadia, help Shiro! Everyone else, get down to the hangar and stop those guys!"

Keith, Pidge, Krolia, and the wolf rush out of the bridge. Hunk placed his hand on Shiro's shoulder and warily called out his name. "Shiro...?"

Shiro looks up with red-pupiled eyes full of rage. An alarmed expression appeared on Hunk's face as Shiro punches him straight into Coran, knocking them both aside. Arcadia immediately backed away from him to avoid being hit.

Lance was in utter shock at the black paladin's actions. "Shiro! What are you—" Shiro punches him mid-sentence, throwing him backward.

"Lance!" Allura yelled.

Shiro's hand glows vibrant purple as he summons the black bayard, which takes the form of an angular and menacing sword. He throws it at Allura, who dodges and moves protectively toward Romelle. He leapt at the two alteans and used his bayard to knock them unconscious.

Arcadia, after having slipped the glass vial back into her pocket, felt her body freeze when Shiro turned his attention to her. She tried to figure out a plan that wouldn't involve hurting him. As she raised her hand to place a barrier around him, he moved with tremendous speed and wrapped his mechanical hand around her throat. Gasping for air, she gripped his prosthetic arm as he lifted her body into the air. She struggled to breathe, staring into his scarlet eyes. She pressed her palms against the cold metal, but before she could use her magic, he shocked her. Electricity courses through her body, causing her to scream at the top of her lungs in pain. He continued to shock her until she fell unconscious, smoke rising from her skin.

Shiro revealed the handcuffs they used on Kral Zera, shackling her wrists together. He then secured her underneath his left arm and hauled Lotor's body over his right shoulder. As he makes a break to escape, Allura regains consciousness just in time to see him leave the bridge. She gasped in horror at seeing him with not only Lotor but Arcadia as well.

Shiro ran down the hallway towards the pod bay. As Ezor edited the pod bay with the ship, the black paladin ran towards a pod, passing Pidge in the process. The green paladin was shocked to see Shiro running while carrying both Lotor and Arcadia.

"Shiro's gone mad! He's escaping with Lotor and Arcadia! Stop him before he leaves the ship!" Allura's desperate voice came over the castle's intercoms.

Pidge snapped out of her daze and runs after them, noticing something sliding it of Arcadia's pocket as Shiro haphazardly tosses her unconscious body into the back of the pod. Next, he placed the still-unconscious Lotor in the passenger seat of a pod and jumps in to take the helm. Pidge summons her bayard, preparing to fire, before Shiro meets her eyes. She falters, and the pod's shields activate. The pod takes flight, leaving the castle.

Seeing Shiro was gone, the green paladin returned to Krolia, Keith, and the wolf. She helps Keith up while Krolia is supported by the wolf. "What do we do?!" She asked frantically.

Keith clenched and unclenched his hand. His heart was racing a mile of minute in his chest knowing both Shiro and Arcadia were gone. Keeping a level-head, he replied, "We have to stay focused." Over the comms, he contacts the bridge and checks on the others. "Lance, Hunk, can you still pilot your Lions?"

"Yeah, I'll manage," Hunk responded.

"We've got this," Lance confidently replied.

"Then let's go! If we're gonna fight Lotor's ships, we'll need Voltron," Keith said.

"Shiro's gone; who's gonna pilot the Black Lion? And with Arcadia missing, there's no way to know who can pilot it."

Keith walked forward, heading in the direction of the black lion's hangar. "I will."

Watching Keith leave, Pidge remembered something falling out of Arcadia's pocket. She ran over, grabbed it, and saw it was the elixir she made for Shiro. It was useless now, but she didn't want to dispose of it. She tucked it away and hoped it could be used later. She looked at where the pod once was, worried for Arcadia and Shiro. She hoped they could bring both of them back safely.

<————————————<<<<<

With a faint groan, Arcadia's eyes fluttered open. Every inch of her body throbbed in pain. She couldn't even move her arms or legs due to how much they hurt. Looking around, she saw she was laying on the floor of the pod behind the two seats. She saw Shiro in the pilot's seat and an unconscious Lotor in the passenger's seat. She tried to use healing alchemy on herself, but she felt all of her energy was siphoned from her. That was when she saw the familiar handcuffs secured around her wrists. They were the same model that Lotor used on her at the Kral Zera.

Just then, her attention fell on the screen of the pod as it received a transmission. Her eyes widen when hearing Keith's voice over comms. "Shiro, it's Keith! Shiro, it's gonna be okay. We just have—"

Shiro coldly raises his finger and taps the screen, cutting off communications. Arcadia didn't know what was going on with him and wondered if it had anything to do with Lotor. She weakly glared at the galra emperor, trying to sit up. Pushing through the pain and the stiffness in her limbs, she managed to sit up with her back leaning against the wall of the pod.

Thinking about the possibilities of what could be wrong with Shiro, Arcadia mentally slapped herself after remembering the golden bands wrapped around the bases of her horns. She could use them to contact the paladins. Taping into them, she was able to get in touch with the black lion. "Keith, can you hear me?"

It took Keith only a split second to reply. "Are you okay?! What happened to Shiro?!" His worried and angered voice filtered through her head.

"It hurts to move, but I'll be fine. I'm not sure what happened to Shiro. He just suddenly started attacking everyone. I'm so sorry, Keith..." She mentally said, her voice feeble.

"This isn't your fault." Keith fell silent for a second before continuing. "Listen to me: no matter what happens, I will save you. I made that promise and I'm going to keep it. I'm not going to lose you."

"I—"

Arcadia fell silent once Shiro's neck snapped to the side. He glared at her from the corner of his eye as he carefully maneuvered between the two seats with something in his hand. It glinted, the light bouncing off the white and blue exterior of the object. She tried to scoot away from Shiro as he climbed into the back of the pod. He landed in a crouch position, holding the strange object in the air. She could feel her heart racing and her breathing become shallow. "Sh-Shiro, what're you doing?"

Without muttering a syllable, Shiro pulled out a vial from his pocket. It contained an eerie, green fluid. Her eyes widened, remembering Lance had told her Shiro left Haggar's room with a vial. He poured the liquid into a chamber located on the strange device, tossing the vial on the floor.

"Arcadia, what's going on?!" Keith demanded after hearing her frightening voice. She hadn't realized she'd been projecting her thoughts as she tried to speak with Shiro. She heard him, but was too focused on Shiro as he crept towards her. She needed to do something to escape, opting to kick him. She swung her leg and aimed for the device in his hand, but he grabbed her ankle mid-swing. She tried to wretch her leg free, but couldn't.

Shiro gripped her ankle tighter, causing her to wince. She cried out as he yanked her ankle and pulled her closer to him. Her mind was filled with Keith's worried shouts. Hearing a faint 'clink,' she looked at the device and saw a needle protruding from the tip. Her eyes widen in horror, her fight-or-flight instincts kicking in. She struggled against Shiro, trying to kick him with both legs. He easily stopped her by straddling her hips. She swing her shackled wrists at him once she was no longer able to use her legs. She tried to push his body away from hers as he hovered above her. Gasping, her fear skyrocketed when he grabbed her face and forcefully turned it to the side. "Shiro, please stop!"

Keith's desperate cries continued to fill Arcadia's head. Shiro couldn't hear him as he demanded him to stop. She could hear Keith shouting her name over and over again, his voice cracking. Her heart hammered in her chest, watching from the corner of her eye as the needle drew closer to her neck. She tried to unseal her powers to grant access to her claws, but that too was blocked by the cuffs.

Arcadia felt tears forming in her eyes as Shiro pressed her face harder against the floor. The feeling of the needle piercing her neck elicited a shriek from her. The feeling of the green liquid entering her body caused chills to engulf every part of her being. She pleaded with Keith to save her the second she started to feel the effects of the mixture. The edges of her vision were becoming consumed in darkness, her consciousness slowly slipping away. The last thing she saw and heard was Shiro's cold, scarlet eyes and a final desperate cry of her name from Keith before being consumed by darkness.