*WILL BE EDITED LATER. EXCUSE ANY WEIRD/OUT-OF-PLACE WORDS, GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, AND SPELLING ERRORS*

I skipped The Feud because I didn't have much planned for it. Also, this chapter is longer than I had intended it to be. I may have gone a little overboard and changed the ending of the episode a little... Hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
•••••••••••••••••••

A few days later, the group was back on track. They were on the road to home. The five lions soared through the vastness of space. Arcadia was aboard the green lion. It was almost time for them to get some sleep and Pidge asked her if she wanted to play some video games. Never having played a video game before, the draconian was curious and joined the green paladin.

When the title screen appeared, she read the game's name out loud. "Killbot Phantasm 1? Isn't this the game you bought at the space mall?"

"It is! I think you'll enjoy it." Pidge took the controller and chose the 'new game' option. She then handed the controller to her friend. "First, you're gonna want to play the tutorial. It'll teach you how to play the game."

Arcadia took the controller and carefully followed the tutorial. She took her time memorizing the buttons on the controller and what each one did. By the time the tutorial ended, she had a good grasp of how to play. She did have a few mishaps by accidentally pressing the wrong button, but nothing that kept her from having fun. When she came to a boss that resembled a dragon, she tilted her head in confusion. "This is an earth game, right?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Pidge asked, who was impressed at how good she was at the game for a beginner.

"I never once read about dragons while on earth. I thought dragons were only on my planet."

"You're familiar with some earth mythology, right? Well, dragons are part of some mythologies. We don't actually believe they existed on earth. There hasn't been any proof. But I guess that doesn't really matter since you're technically a dragon and you've been to earth."

"Maybe I should read these mythologies to see what similarities I have with these dragons."

Pidge went to reply but gasped in shock when she defeated the boss. "You...You defeated it in a single try?!"

"I guess I did," Arcadia replied. She wasn't sure what shocked the paladin so much. "Wait, was I not supposed to?"

"Nothing like that. It's just it took me hours to defeat that boss and it only took you one try! Let me check your stats." Pidge took the controller and accessed the character screen. She gasped again. "Look at all the rare items you have! I could only get a few!"

"I still don't understand video games," Arcadia confessed.

Pidge sighed. "You're so lucky with item drops it's not even funny..." She gripped the controller with a gleam of determination in her eyes. "I'm going to restart and see if I have better luck."

"Have fun. I'm going to bed."

She left the cockpit and headed to the room in the back of the green lion. She had been sleeping on the floor with just a pillow and blanket, but she didn't mind. Pidge had offered her the bed but refused.

As she grabbed the blanket, she heard something. When she turned around, she saw the wolf had appeared behind her. She smiled and stroked the top of its head. "Hey, boy. What're you doing here? I thought you were with—" Her surroundings changed and she found herself in the black lion. She looked owlishly, bewildered as to why the wolf teleported her here. "Keith..."

"Yeah?"

Startled at hearing his voice, she turned around to find Keith standing by the door in his casual attire. She didn't realize the wolf had teleported her directly to the black lion's private sleeping quarters. She was about to remark but stopped herself when she realized what was happening. "Oh," she grinned. "I see what's going on."

"What're you talking about?" Keith asked, glancing away for a split second.

That small gesture was enough for her to confirm her theory. "You used the wolf to get me alone. Clever." Still holding the blanket, she slung it over one arm. "But instead of using the wolf, you could've just contacted me."

"Pidge wasn't picking up," he confessed.

"Oh..." Arcadia muttered. "She does become laser-focused with that game of hers and it can be difficult to get her attention."

"But you got everything else right." He looked away, slightly embarrassed. "I wanted some alone time with you."

"Aren't Shiro and Krolia with you?"

"I...may have asked them to bunk with the others for a little bit."

She could only smile at his cute expression. "You have your cute moments, you know that?"

He groaned at being called cute, his cheeks burning red. "Not sure how I feel being called cute."

She laughed before changing the subject. "Anyway, is something wrong?"

Keith's eyes widen slightly. "Why would you ask that?"

"I know you pretty well by now. If I didn't, I wouldn't be a very good girlfriend. I know when something's bothering you even though you try to hide it. I also have a sneaking suspicion it's why you used the wolf to get me here."

He sighed. He still was fascinated with how easy it was for her to read him like a book even though he refused to show it. He always tried to keep a cool, level-headed expression, but that wasn't enough to fool her. "Guess there's really no point in hiding it." He walked over and stood in front of her. He gazed into her golden pools and spilled the truth. "The past couple of days, it's been hard for me to sleep. I've been having the same nightmare."

Arcadia's playful demeanor vanished. "This nightmare... Can you tell me what it's about?"

"It has to do with that vision I saw of us in the quantum abyss. I-I don't know why it's haunting me now..."

She looked away as she felt a sense of guilt. "I think that's my fault. I told you about my shortened life and now you probably can't stop thinking about it. I've worried you and now you can't sleep because of this nightmare." She sat down on the edge of the small bed with a sigh. "I'm so sorry, Keith."

Keith sat beside her. "It's not your fault. I'm glad you told me." He paused for a second and realized how that sounded. "Wait, I didn't mean—"

She silenced him by taking his hand and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I know what you meant," she giggled lightly. "Do you think me being here will help you sleep?"

Slightly embarrassed, he looked away with a nod. "Yeah..."

"Then I'll stay." She got to her feet with the blanket in hand. She was glad she had it with her seeing how thin Keith's sheet was.

Keith was more than grateful she would stay with him. He crawled further onto the bed and got comfortable. He waited for Arcadia to join him before he reworked the sheet and blanket over both of them.

Laying facing each other, Arcadia stared into his lilac eyes. She could see how tired he was. It explained why he rarely talked to anyone the past couple of days. Reaching out, she placed her palm on his scarred cheek and traces her thumb across the bags under his eye. "You definitely need sleep. It's a shame I don't know any sleep incantations."

"Does something like that really exist?" Keith skeptically asked.

"No, but there is a concoction my mom would usually make for my dad when he was having issues sleeping. It would knock him out in seconds."

Keith gazed into her golden eyes. "Do you really think your parents hated you?"

She shook her head with a gentle smile. "Not for a second. They were loving when I was a toddler, but when I turned four, they started to change. I think that's when they were beginning to become corrupt. It was a slow process. Even when they tried to kill me, I couldn't bring myself to hate them. I don't blame them for what happened. Crazy, right?"

"I don't think it's crazy," he confessed. "Power can corrupt anybody."

"I hope no other planet suffers the same fate as Draconia," she muttered. Dropping her hand from his cheek, she sighed. "Maybe this kind of topic isn't the best before going to bed. Let's talk about something cheerful. Are you happy to finally return home?"

He eyed her curiously. "You want the real truth? Because it'll probably sound cliche."

"I was hoping for the truth. Now I REALLY wanna know after you said that."

He admired her glimmering eyes. He found it odd how she was the one person he could spill everything to. Never once did he hesitate to hide anything from her. "I would be okay not returning to Earth because I already have everyone that cares about me here. My mom, Shiro, the paladins, you... I didn't like my life on Earth, either. It wasn't until I left did I find those who I really cared for and those who cared about me."

Arcadia did agree his answer was cliche, but not all cliches were bad. She found his answer to be sweet and endearing. "The same goes for me. Sometimes you have to leave home behind to find what truly makes you happy." She saw their conversation was making him drowsy. She placed her hand against his chest and idly drew circles in hopes to lull him to sleep. She lowered her voice to a whisper as her hand crept upward and behind his neck. "Everywhere feels like home if you're surrounded by those you care about." Her fingers combed through his hair. She smiled when seeing he was having difficulty keeping his eyes open.

Finally, Keith fell asleep.

Even after seeing he was asleep, Arcadia kept combing her fingers through his hair. She was happy to see him asleep and hopes the nightmare wouldn't wake him. Eventually, she too fell asleep.

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

A couple of days later, Arcadia was still in the black lion with Keith. Krolia was also with them after she had proposed a plan with her son after seeing he was completely refreshed. There were no longer bags under his eyes and his expression wasn't pale.

Inside the cockpit of the black lion, Arcadia stood to the right of Keith while Krolia was on the other side. She was setting up the training program she had been working on while Keith woke up the others. "Everbody up!" He shouted over the comms. He heard some of them complaining and replied, "Guys, we can't let this long journey make us soft or dull our skills. Routine will keep us sharp."

"Keith's right," Shiro spoke up. "Routine is what got me through being Zarkon's prisoner and being in the infinite void of the black lion. Well, it did help I had some company, though."

Arcadia grinned, knowing he was talking about Master Proliux. "At least he didn't bore you."

Shiro chuckled. "It was because of him I was able to keep my routine. Master Proliux really is amazing."

Lance groaned. "I guess that does make you and Proliux experts in killing time."

Keith intervened before the conversation got off track. "Okay everyone, to your stations. Running battle simulations now."

A collective groan came from the paladins.

"Can't we just have breakfast first?" Hunk asked.

"You can eat after training," Arcadia replied. "Everyone, get dressed."

More grumbling came from the paladins as they changes into their armors and headed to the cockpits of their lions.

Arcadia, who was already dressed in her spacesuit, glanced over at Krolia. "How'd it go with the new battle simulations? Were there any issues?"

"None whatsoever. It's programmed and ready to go." Krolia activated the battle simulation with a proud smile. "I think it's going to be especially challenging."

Hunk heard the jubilation in her voice. "Why do you sound happy about that?"

"Like mother like son," Lance grumbled.

"Focus," Keith interrupted.

Krolia then began to explain the simulation. "Heres the scenario: You're on a planet with double gravity, dense volcanic fog, and eight blovar raptors are attacking. What do you do?"

Arcadia watched the screen closely as the creatures appeared while screeching. She couldn't wait to see what the paladins would do to conquer this digital feat.

"This is a good one," Keith smirked.

"Do these raptors have eggs?" Hunk randomly asked. "I say we steal some and we make a little breakfast." One of the creatures swooped closer to the screen and startled him. He fell out of the chair while screaming.

"A blovar raptor just melted your face off, Hunk!" Krolia said. "Now it's eight on four."

"That's fine by me," Hunk mumbled. "I'm eating."

As the remaining paladins began pursuing the raptors, Krolia called out to the draconian. "Would you like to do the honor, Arcadia?"

She blinked in curiosity. "Honor?" She walked over and stood next to the woman.

"I made a few more adjustments and now the raptors are controllable. Would you like to be the one to challenge the paladins?" Krolia asked.

She glanced down at the controls before looking back up at her. "Can I play dirty?"

The woman chuckled with a smirk. "The dirtier the better. The enemy never plays fair."

The draconian grinned mischievously as she took control of the blovar raptors. It reminded her of the video game she played with Pidge. The only difference was she had more freedom. Her fingers danced across the controls. She manipulated the raptors and made the paladins work for victory. She did play dirty and would often direct the creatures towards a single paladin to overwhelm them. She wanted them to band together to obtain victory.

After a short while, Keith issued an order. "Everyone, split up to thin their numbers! If there was just some way we could..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Arcadia sent a raptor towards the black lion and fired its beam. She couldn't help but smirk as she hit the black lion, taking Keith out of the battle simulation.

"What?!" Keith shrieked over the alarms.

"Keith, you're out," Krolia replied with a not-so-surprised look.

Casting a toothy grin his way, Arcadia laughed. "Better luck next time, sweetheart."

Keith glanced at her. He crossed his arms with pursed lips.

She returned to controlling the raptors and attempted to knock out the remaining paladins. She kept her focus on the screen while listening to Pidge take the lead. "Okay, I think I know what to do. This place has thick volcanic fog, right? That means the blovars must use some sort of thermal vision to see us."

Arcadia was curious as to where this was going to go. However, that didn't stop her from playing dirty. She tried to think of a plan while the paladins did the same.

After hearing Pidge's hypothesis, Lance decided to test it. "Maybe I can lure them away with my heat rays."

The draconian watched as the red lion fired a heat ray. She pouted when she lost control of the blovar raptors. All she could do was watch them soar to the spot where Lance fired the heat ray. Feeling eyes on her, she turned her head to see Keith smirking at her.

"Looks like we might win this round," Keith said.

Arcadia's pout remained as she listened to Allura. "Let's get them while they're distracted."

She heard the confidence in her best friend's voice and felt the urge to initiate her backup plan. As her smirk returned, she watched in satisfaction when she witnessed Keith's cocky expression turn into one of worry. "Who said the raptors were the only things at my disposal?" Without looking away from him, she pressed a button a geyser of lava consumed the red, blue, and green lions. "Oh, would you look at that? Lava!"

Keith was in utter shock as the simulation ended for everyone. "What the...?"

She grinned from ear to ear. "I win."

"More like cheated..." He mumbled.

"Wait," Pidge spoke up. "What happened?"

"You focused too much on the raptors and forgot about the volcano," Krolia replied.

Lance crosses his arms with pursed lips. "That fictional planet seems harsh," he grumbled. "And how come we didn't get a 'deploy space dragon' button?!"

"Arcadia may be your ally, but she won't always be there to help," she said. "I also programmed the simulator to be unbeatable. I wanted to see how long you'd survive. You might have survived longer if Arcadia wasn't the one controlling everything."

"Well, I hope you're happy," Lance directed towards the draconian.

"Oh, very," the golden-eyed girl cackled.

She sat down beside Krolia and cracked open Proliux's grimoire. She heard a growl from the black lion and knew it was the grand master himself. While she heard a growl, she could also make out his voice. She turned to where she left off before addressing him. "Hey, some of us don't have time to read each and every page. We don't know when Master Zenio will attack, and I have to focus on the stronger incantations."

When the cockpit of the black lion fell silent, she looked up from the grimoire to see Krolia and Keith staring at her as if she were crazy. She forgot she was the only one who could hear Proliux whenever he spoke through the black lion.

"Who are you talking to?" Keith asked.

"Master Proliux," she answered. "He's become more chatty recently ever since I started studying the grimoire again."

"What's he saying?" Krolia questioned out of curiosity.

"The old fool is..." She heard the black lion growl and sighed. "Sorry. Master Proliux is saying I should start at the beginning of the grimoire instead of skipping around. I'd love to study each word, but time is not on our side. It would take me years to study the entire grimoire."

"I wouldn't want to argue with a grand master, but I do have to agree with you, Arcadia. Time is not a luxury we can afford."

"Maybe it would be easier and quicker if he taught you himself," Keith stated. "It was his grimoire, right?"

Arcadia was about to reply when his words sparked an idea. "Why didn't I think of that?!" She slammed the grimoire shut and hopped to her feet. "Proliux's essence is preserved in the lions. If I can access the black lion's consciousness, maybe he can teach me."

"Can you really do that?" the boy wondered.

"Not sure, but I'm gonna try." She sat down on the floor of the cockpit, placing the grimoire in her lap. She leaned forward and placed her palms on the floor. Slowly, she closed her eyes. Focusing her energy into her palms, they radiated a faint gold. Within seconds, she found herself inside the black lion's consciousness.

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

She looked around for the grand master. "Master Proliux?"

The man sighed as he appeared out of thin air. "You are a troublesome child..."

"And you're a stubborn old fool," she retorted, crossing her arms. "Still, I respect you. I wish to learn every page of the grimoire, but I don't have time for that. However, I think such a task would be possible if you were to become my teacher. You know this grimoire front to back. It was yours once, after all."

Proliux cupped his chin between his index finger and thumb. "Hmm..." He circled her and analyzed her. "You've mastered fire and lightning. You still have four elements to go, one of which is light. That is what the tenth grand grimoire encompasses. Even if I do become your teacher, it will be difficult as you have yet to master that element. If we were to look at this from another angle, taking you under my wing could possibly aid you in mastering light."

Arcadia's eyes glimmered with hope. "Does that mean...?"

"Yes, I will teach you," he replied. "After all, I wish to aid the draconian who will be the first of our people to master all six elements."

She was perplexed at his words. "I thought the twelve grand masters excelled in all elements?"

Proliux chuckled. "That was a lie spun by the masters to prevent an uprising from the commoners. I only excelled in light, ice, and fire. Most masters only excelled in three or four elements."

"But what about Master Zenio? He's had time to master all six elements."

"Ha!" Proliux guffawed. "Are you not aware of the legend of the Tree of Mana, child?"

"I'm well aware of the tale," she replied.

"I am referring to the true tale, not a fairytale."

"True tale?" She parroted.

"Every thousand years, a child is born from the Tree of Mana. They are the child of Aethios and are known as the Child of Mana." He walked closer to her and gazed deeply into her eyes. "You are that child. It is because of your lineage that you were spared. Have you never truly wondered why you did not fall victim to the poison that corrupted our people?"

Arcadia stared wide-eyed at the man. She was having difficulty wrapping her head around the truth of her birth. She found it hard to believe she was the child of a god. She shook her head in denial. "Th-That... Th-There's no way I'm the child of Aethios."

"I am not surprised you do not believe me." He stepped back and clasped his hands behind his back. "When you became a master alchemist, were you not branded with the tattoo of the Tree?"

"You mean the one on my back? But I thought all master alchemists earned the tattoo."

Proliux shook his head. "I'm afraid that's another lie. The masters used it to lure out the Child to harvest their eyes in an attempt to gain their power. It is a unique tattoo gifted to the Child of Mana by Aethios himself. As for how the grand masters were chosen, well...that was predetermined by the previous grand masters. They chose possible successors to take their places in the grand council."

Arcadia pressed a hand against her head. She felt faint from everything she learned. "I...I think I need to lay down..."

The man nodded. "I understand. This is shocking, to say the least. We shall begin your training later. For now, return to your body and eat. I hear the yellow paladin has created quite the meal. A shame I cannot taste it."

She managed a weak chuckle. "I shall see you soon, Master Proliux."

"Farewell, Arcadia."

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

Returning to her body, Arcadia saw Keith sitting directly in front of her. She met his gaze in confusion. "What're you doing?"

"Just waiting for you to return." He handed her a sandwich Hunk prepared for her. It was neatly wrapped. "Hope you're hungry."

She took the food, but she didn't eat it. She kept replaying Proliux's words in her head. Just thinking about how corrupt draconian society was and that she was supposedly the daughter of Aethios made her appetite nonexistent. She gazed sorrowfully at the wrapped sandwich.

Keith could sense something was wrong, especially after seeing she wasn't eating. "Something happened when you were with Proliux, didn't it?"

"A lot happened, actually," she mumbled.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I'd...rather not until I can wrap my own head around it..." She sighed, lowering the sandwich. "I'm not hungry."

Keith slipped his hand into her free one and held it gently. "Just remember, whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

She smiled. "Thank you, Keith."

Krolia, who had been watching her son and the girl, spoke up. "You missed quite the ordeal while you were gone."

Arcadia glanced at the woman. "What ordeal?"

"We've given the wolf a name."

"Really? What is it?"

"Kosmo," Keith responded. "I still don't think we should name him."

She giggled. "I think it suits him."

"Not you too..."

"Oh, come on!" She grinned. "The poor thing needs a name. We can't just keep calling him "wolf" or "it." A name will give us the chance the create a stronger bond with him."

Just then, they heard Pidge shout excitedly, "A signal!"

"How did you get a signal?" Allura asked.

"I've been running a passive scan so I wouldn't give our location away, looking for any signs of communications. And I just picked up something!"

Keith got to his feet and returned to the pilot's seat. "Well, what is it?"

"I'm patching it through now."

Arcadia grew curious and stood up. She clutched the grimoire against her chest and held the sandwich in her other hand. She stood beside Keith's chair and watched the video feed of what appeared to be produced by the bii-boh-bis. "Dear Aethios, what is this...?"

Keith watched the show in confusion. A bii-boh-bi with a blue ribbon and another with a ponytail sat on a couch. Another bii-boh-bi enters a room, this one having scraggly hair. "I...think it's a tv show."

The couple could hear just how much Coran was enjoying the show. They exchanged glances, surprised the advisor was able to make sense of what sounded like jibberish to them.

When the ponytailed bii-boh-bi punched the scraggly-haired one, Arcadia winced as if she had been the one to be struck. She didn't understand what was going on. "Okay, this..." Her voice trailed off as her ears detected a strange noise. "Does anyone else hear that?"

"Definitely," Hunk replied. "What's that noise?"

Pidge also head the strange noise. "It sounds like some interference. I'll try to tune it out."

"No, wait," Krolia interrupted when she recognized the sound. "Pidge, can you amplify that signal?"

"On it."

The green paladin as Krolia requested. Coran groaned in disappointment when the bii-boh-bi drama vanished. "Oh, I wanted to know what was going to happen."

Pidge listened closely to the sound as did the others. She watched the frequency structure on the green lion's display. "Judging from the intermittent sound structure, it's just deep space interference. Most likely a radiation pulse from a nearby star."

"No, that's just what it's supposed to sound like," Krolia said. "Listen to the sounds in-between the pulses. There's a unique pattern."

All fell silent as everyone listened to the signal. After a few seconds, they could hear what Krolia spoke of.

"She's right," Allura stated.

"Before the Blades were unified, we could use this crude way of communicating with each other," Krolia explained. "Not many Blades know this code. It must be a senior member."

One name came to Keith's mond. "Kolivan?"

"Possibly."

"What does it say?" Shapiro inquired.

"It's a distress signal," she answered. "Whoever is sending it is in trouble."

"Can we even be sure it's not a trap?" Arcadia wondered. "The last time we intercepted a Blades' signal, we were ambushed."

Krolia met the draconian's gaze. "I won't deny the possibility of this being a trap, but the uniqueness of this code makes me believe there is a chance someone is in trouble."

Pidge used the green lion to trace the signal. "It looks like it's coming from this sector."

"Do we know anything about that section of space?" Shiro asked.

"Not without the Castle of Lions' research library core," Coran chimed in. "We would be flying in blind."

"We must go!" Krolia raised her voice.

"That's a pretty severe detour from earth," Hunk commented.

"If Kolivan is there, then maybe there will be more Blades," Keith responded. "We need all the help we can get to reach earth."

"Think you can lead the way, Pidge?" Arcadia asked.

"Leave it to me," the green paladin replied confidently.

The green lion took the lead and guides the group to a nearby planet. As they pierced the atmosphere, Pidge double-checked the coordinates. "The signal is coming from this planet. I'm detecting remnants of a civilization, but I don't see any signs of life."

"Is that a good or bad sign?" Romelle asked out of curiosity.

Hunk was the one to respond. "In all my space experience, there have never been any good signs."

The lions landed near the desolate ruins. Everyone exited the lions and regrouped before entering what was left of the city. Pidge led the way as she tracked the signal using her gauntlet. "I still can't tell exactly where the signal originates. I'll keep trying to triangulate its location."

Arcadia looked around the ruined city in awe. She was fascinated with its structure and wondered who used to live here. She could sense what felt like magic and wondered where it was coming from. She had been so enthralled with trying to figure out what happened and was about to venture off. However, a hand grabbed her wrist before she could wander away from the group. Keith had been the one to stop her. "Do I need to babysit you?"

She saw how far they were from the others and smiled innocently. "Sorry, I was—" Her smile fell as her head snapped towards one of the crumbling buildings. She thought she heard what sounded like running. The sound was also accompanied by a spike of magic that caused her skin to tingle.

Keith followed her gaze but only saw an empty building. He remembered a draconian's hearing was stronger than any humans. "What do you hear?"

"It sounded almost like running," she replied. "Or maybe it was part of the building collapsing. But I'm leaning more towards the former with the pattern of the echoes."

"Think someone's watching us?"

"That, or a creature has made its home in these ruins."

"Whatever or whoever it is, just make sure not to wander off," Keith said. "If we get separated and we were attacked, who knows what would happen."

Keith and Arcadia returned to the others. They wandered the streets of the collapsed city in search of the signal. They came to a stop and examined the ruins.

Krolia looked around at the heavily damaged buildings. "The signs are all around us. There was a massacre here."

Allura placed her hand against the debris and examined it. "Some of this damage looks like it's from magic." She turned to Arcadia. "Can you sense it?"

The draconian nodded. "I can, but..." She looked off into the distance.

"But?" Hunk parroted. "Buts are never good."

"There's still a mass of magic here, but I can't pinpoint it. It seems to be moving around the city. It's really strange."

Shiro glanced around at everyone. "Everyone, stay alert. Who knows what's out there."

Arcadia heard the hitter patter of footsteps again. She eyed the building she thought the noise came from as Kosmo did the same. He growled as his fur stood on end. She looked away from the building and petted the top of his head. "Looks like I'm not the only one hearing things."

Walking further into the city, Krolia stopped and trailed her hand across a large gash in the stone rubble. "These strike patterns look Mamoran."

"Keep looking," Keith commanded. "We need to find whatever Blade is broadcasting that signal."

Suddenly, Kosmo started to growl again. He learned his fangs, eyes focused on something in the distance.

Hearing him growl, Keith wondered what the canine had detected. "What is it?"

"It's back..." Arcadia muttered once hearing the footsteps.

Kosmo dashed off with everyone following him. The paladins activated their bayards and caught up to the wolf as he tackled someone to the ground. The canine pinned the person to the ground while Hunk and Keith aimed their weapons at them. "Good job," he commented the wolf before questioning the masked person. "Who are you? Who's broadcasting the signal?"

"It was me," the man confessed.

"Impossible. You're no Blade of Marmora."

"I will explain all if you would put down your weapons."

Krolia was skeptical. "Let's see what he has to say."

Kosmo hopped off the man and allowed him to get to his feet. He brushed the dirt off his clothes and led them to one of the collapsed buildings. Inside, he started a fire. While he kindled the flames, Arcadia's eyes never left him. She could sense the tremendous amount of magic seeping from his being. She felt it was familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint why.

Romelle looked around to see insects buzzing around and smelled the dampness of the air. "This place is disgusting."

"I have called this place home for the past two decaphoebs," the man remarked.

Realizing her mistake, she tried to cover up her rude remark. "Oh, well, "disgusting" is altean for "lovely." You don't speak altean, do you?"

Pidge, who still had her tracker activated, said, "This is where the signal was coming from. Somewhere below us."

The unnamed man sat down. "You are clever. But I wouldn't expect less from the paladins of Voltron."

Everyone was surprised he recognized them.

Lance lowered his bayard in shock. "You recognized us?"

"Of course, of course. It was easy to recognize you, especially after seeing your draconic friend. The paladins of Voltron have been said to be traveling with a draconian," he replied. "Though, I am surprised to see you. All were certain you perished."

Lance looked away. "Yeah, we just found that out." He glanced back at the man. "But we're back."

"And I am so grateful that you are. It's been so long since I've had...guests."

"Well, thank you for your hospitality, but who are you?" Shiro asked. "What happened here?"

"Bloodshed happened here. Death happened here. I am Macidus. This is my home planet. But now I am the only one left alive."

As Macidus introduced himself, Krolia spotted curtains and saw something hiding behind them. She walked over, pulled back the curtains, and gasped in horror. Luxite blades were embedded in the wall. She whips out her gun and aims it at Madicus. "What are you doing with these?"

A collective gasp came from the others.

Macidus was unfazed and kept calm. "I hang them in honor of their sacrifice. They died trying to protect the universe."

"How did it happen?" Krolia demanded.

"This all started when Voltron disappeared, when--when you disappeared," Macidus began. "The power vacuum that ensued destabilized much of the universe. Galra turned on each other. Warlords and pirates became rulers of the land."

"It almost sounds like what happened to my people," Arcadia mumbled.

"What happened with Haggar and Master Zenio?" Allura asked.

"No one knows," he answered. "It is rumored she and the grand master vanished together, but not until after the druids carried out her final orders. They set out to destroy every Blade.

"After Lotor took over the throne, almost every Marmoran agent was exposed," Pidge muttered with wide eyes.

"And that's when the slaughter began," Macidus continued. All Blades were called away from their assignments and sent to this base."

Krolia lowered her gun as she listened closely.

"Kolivan knew they were being hunted and he wanted to make a stand against them. He believed it was their only means of survival."

"That must be why they abandoned that base we found," Romelle deduced.

"Indeed," Macidus confirmed. "When they arrived here, my people helped them fortify their base, but the druids found us sooner than we hoped. They arrived without warning. The druids encircled the base and besieged it with magic. After a long battle of attrition, the base fell. Casualties on both sides were enormous. My people were the first to try to escape. They were slaughtered. I stayed behind with Kolivan. He led those of us that remained to battle the last of the druids. But for each one we managed to take down...nearly a hundred Blades would fall. In the final battle, I was buried beneath a collapsed structure. When I regained consciousness, the fight was over and I was the lone survivor. I've been sending the signal Kolivan gave me ever since in the hopes of finding any remaining Blades."

"There are still a few of us alive," Keith said.

"Good."

Arcadia eyed Macidus suspiciously. She didn't doubt that all he said was a lie, but some facts weren't adding up. She crossed her arms in thought. While sifting through the details, she noticed Krolia walked over to the wall embedded with luxite blades.

"I recognize every one of these Blades. I trained many of them myself. If I had only been here." Krolia took a single blade from the wall and held it gently. "Kolivan," she muttered sorrowfully.

Keith walked over and joined his mother. "Their service will not be forgotten."

Just then, Kolivan's blade radiated a violet glow before fizzling out. Krolia was shocked to see the blade came to life. "Kolivan? His blade, it's flickering."

"Flickering? What does that mean?" Pidge questioned.

She held out the blade. "A Marmoran agent's life force is connected to their blade. I just saw it glow. He must still be alive."

"Just barely," Macidus responded.

Arcadia glared at the man while the others gasped. She stepped forward and addresses him. "So, you're finally done with lying."

"What're you talking about, Arcadia?" Lance asked.

The draconian stared at the blank mask the man was wearing. "Some of the details in your story didn't add up. You mentioned the druids and how they were carrying out the last of Haggar's orders which happened to be eliminating the Blades." A fire burned in her golden eyes. "It would be impossible to know such information unless you are one of them."

"Wait, are you saying..." The red paladin's voice trailed off as his eyes widened in horror.

Macidus began to chuckle as he stood up. "It seems I wasn't able to fool you, draconian. You were suspicious of me from the start. You truly are perceptive of the magic surrounding you." He then glanced over at Keith. "Your hand is looking better."

"My hand?" Keith questioned.

"You don't remember our fight?" Macidus retorted before gesturing to Arcadia. "Your draconic friend does."

"He's the druid we fought aboard the universal hub," Arcadia hissed.

Memories flashes through Keith's head as he remembered the fight. He activates his bayard and glared at the druid. "You've been using that signal to draw Blades in!"

The other paladins activate their bayards and aim them at him.

Macidus cackles menacingly. "Kolivan proved to be useful after all." He vanished into thin air.

A galra device fell where he once stood and shattered on the ground. It discharged, the bright light causing Arcadia to wince. She opened her eyes and saw everyone was frozen. Everyone except for Kosmo and Keith, who were missing. She looked around at the faces of her friends. She wasn't familiar with the type of device that froze her companion or why it didn't have any effect on her, but she didn't have time for idle thoughts. She needed to find Keith and Kosmo and stop Macidus.

Running out of the building, Arcadia used her senses to locate the druid. She noticed he was moving underground and searched for a tunnel. She found a tunnel not far from Macidus' hideout. She heard what sounded like fighting and ran as fast as she could.

Dashing down the tunnel, she spotted Keith and Kosmo facing off against the druid. She saw the boy destroy the mask of Macidus to reveal his face. Seeing an opening, she primed herself with a lightning spell and charged at the druid. Running past Keith, she placed her hand on Macidus' chest as he leaped towards him. A powerful shock coursed through his body and caused him to scream. She then released him and kicked him in the gut, causing him to stumble backward. "You druids really are ugly."

The druid recovered and glared at her. "It seems the device didn't work on you, Draconian. Master Zenio warned me of such."

Arcadia held out her hand and conjured a sword made of pure flames. She didn't have to make a move as Macidus had already dashed forward. Their blades clashed over and over again until she focused her mana into the sword. The flames turned from red to blue and began melting the luxite blade he was using.

"What?!" Macidus shouted.

She pushed him back with a smirk. "Guess Master Zenio didn't tell you everything."

He growled and suddenly vanished. She lowered her blade, extinguishing it with a sigh. She sensed he wasn't far and figured he'd be back very soon. She turned to Keith and Kosmo. "Glad to see you two are okay."

"Thanks for the assist," Keith said, lowering his bayard.

"I'm glad I made it on time. Need any healing?"

"You showed up before any real damage could've been done."

"Good," she sighed in relief. "For now, let's see where this tunnel leads. Maybe we can—"

Out of thin air, Macidus returned. He appeared behind Keith and swung his blade.

Arcadia acted quickly and pushed Keith out of the way. The blade slashed her back and cut through her suit and ruptured the skin. She didn't cry out in pain due to the cut being rather shallow. She kicked Macidus in the side before grabbing Keith and running down the tunnel. Kosmo was behind them, following closely.

Macidus recovered and took chase. He warped to and fro to catch up to the trio.

Rounding around a corner, Kosmo teleported Arcadia and Keith to another set of underground tunnels. They kept running while being stalked by the druid. He appeared next to them and aimed the luxite blade at Keith, but he missed as Kosmo teleported them a second time.

After being teleported to another tunnel, Keith and Arcadia tried to catch their breath. The black paladin looked around once noticing a wire running along the ceiling. "Huh?"

Arcadia also noticed the wire and the storage containers littered around the area. "What is this place...?"

Glancing toward the artificial light source, they gasped when they saw a figure chained to a metal structure. They both recognized the Marmoran agent.

"Kolivan," Keith called out to the galra, eyes wide as saucers. "We'll get you out of here."

As the couple took a few steps forward to help their friend, the all-too-familiar sinister chuckle of Macidus echoed through the tunnel. He appeared before them, blocking their way to Kolivan. "Our high priestess, Haggar, has forsaken us because of your treachery. But after I kill you and the other paladins, I'll take the draconian as a prize and Haggar will allow me to return! Perhaps even Master Zenio will see my worth!"

Arcadia went to attack, but Keith stopped her. He grilled his luxite blade tightly. "I'll distract him. You free Kolivan."

"But he can use magic," she remarked. "Let me handle him while you free Kolivan."

"No," Keith retorted. "I need to do this for the sake of the Blade."

She understood where he was coming from and sighed. "All right. But if I see you're struggling, I will intervene."

Keith placed his hand on Kosmo and used the wolf's teleportation to attack Macidus.

Arcadia ran to Kolivan. She saw his labored breathing and the various wounds scattered across his body. She then examined the restraints. Seeing they were made from simple metal, a single spell would be enough to break them. Her wings sprung from her back and she flew up to the cuffs restraining Kolivan's legs. One by one, she melted the metal and made sure not to burn him.

When she moved her focus to the shackles around Kolivan's wrists, her concentration shattered when she heard Keith scream. She turned around to check on him but found herself being grabbed. Her wings retracted as she was dragged to the ground. An arm wrapped around her throat as her injured back was pressed firmly against the druid's chest. She went to burn him, but he grabbed her wrist and shocked her. She screamed at the top of her lungs as the lightning surged through her body.

"Stop!" Keith growled. He recovered with support from Kosmo. He glared sharply at the druid as he ceased shocking the girl. "Ler her go."

Macidus felt the draconian slump against him. He snickered and tightened his arm around her neck, choking her. She gasped for air and weakly clawed at his arm that was wound around his throat. She tried to attack him, but he seemed to be able to read her mind. He shocked her again, preventing her from attacking. "You best behave, draconian, or I'll—"

A loud explosion shook the tunnel. A portion of the ceiling shattered. A cloud of dust masked the area and quickly vanished just as it had appeared. When the dust settled, the other paladins were revealed. They had their bayards at the ready.

"What'd you do to space dragon?!" Hunk furiously demanded, aiming his cannon at the druid.

Macidus was shocked at seeing the other paladins. "How?"

"Doesn't matter!" Lance snapped. "Now let our friend go!"

The druid saw he was outnumbered. He thought about killing the paladins, but changed his mind. He believed the draconian would be enough for Haggar's approval and Zenio's acknowledgment. "I think our playtime has come to an end."

Keith knew what he was planning from just hearing his words. "Wait!" He charged toward the druid with his sword at the ready, but he was too late.

With one last maniacal cackle, Macidus took the girl and vanished. He reappeared in one of the collapsed buildings near the center of the ruined city, which so happened to be home to his second base. He tossed the unconscious Arcadia to the ground while he devised a plan to leave the planet. He searched through his things until he located a pair of handcuffs. They were the same model Lotor used on her during the Kral Zera.

With the cuffs in hand, the druid stalked back over to the girl. He went to cuff her wrists together, but felt something wrap around his ankle. He was violently yanked back and slammed into the wall. He dropped the cuffs as he fell from the indent created by the impact. His body crumpled to the ground, pain wracking his entire being. He managed to lift his head and noticed Arcadia's body was enshrouded in shadows. Her golden eyes were a menacing red.

Macidus watched in horror as the draconian got to her feet. He fought through the pain that wracked his entire body and stood on shaky legs. He wondered how she was able to cast a spell when she was unconscious. That was when he came to the realization. He chuckled feebly. "You faked being unconscious. Clever girl..." Having lost his luxite blade during his battle with Keith, he grabbed another one that had been discarded by him many months ago.

He prepared himself to attack, but was caught off guard by a black tendril. It shot from the girl's back and wrapped around his neck. He choked and tried to shock the tendril, but it only seemed to constrict his throat tighter. With a distorted scream, she commanded the tentacle-like appendage. It slammed the druid's body against the ceiling, was, and ground before throwing him out a window.

Macidus' body went flying across the city and slammed into another building. His body shattered a wall and he found himself inside the building. He could barely move from the pain. Wounds were scattered across his body and blood seeped from cuts that littered his arms, face, and legs. He could feel some under his clothes as he saw blood beginning to taint his robes.

Before he could push himself off the floor, Arcadia appeared from a cloud of darkness. Her crimson eyes bore into his broken form. More tendrils emerged from her back and wound around each part of Macidus' body. He tried to use his powers, but he was rendered completely immovable. This was the first time he was experiencing fear and it showed in his eyes.

"Kill me," he spat. "You draconians are good at that, right?"

His words didn't faze Arcadia. She remained silent as the whispy shadows that engulfed her form seemed to whisper to her. She knew this man wouldn't stop killing Blades if she were to let him go. Still, she wanted to have fun with him for a little bit longer. She tossed him our the how in the wall and into the center of the city. She flew after him and watched in amusement as his body skidded across the ground.

The chuckle that escaped was warped, a sound that caused a chill to creep down Macidus' spine. He was severely injured and couldn't fight back. He was helpless as he watched her approach. She was about to throw him a third time, however, the worried cries of her friends caught her attention. She heard then shouting her name and she knew her playtime was over. She sent a tendril straight through the druid's chest. It was somewhat bittersweet to hear his wails before his body vanished into nothingness.

Displaying the shadows, Arcadia let out an exhausted sigh. She collapsed to her knees and was too numb to feel the burning sensation in her back. She had mastered the element of darkness. Her back pulsed in pain from not only the newly-acquired mark but from her injury as well. She performed a healing spell to patch up her back and suit. She could barely lift her head after all the mana she exhausted. Curious, she checked her nose, ears, and eyes for any blood. There wasn't any.

Hearing the paladins shouting her name, Arcadia managed to raise her head just a little. She wanted to call out to them, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. She felt faint and wasn't sure if she would be able to keep from falling unconscious.

Eventually, she saw blurry figures running towards her. She could barely make out the silhouettes of her friends, but she knew it was them from the various color blotches she could see. She closed her eyes and just as her body tilted forward, she felt two arms wrap around her body. Her head rested against someone's shoulder as they held her. Opening her eyes, she caught a glimpse of red. Keith was the one holding her.

"I've got you," he whispered to her.

She hummed weakly in response. She could hear the others asking about her, but she couldn't assuage their concern. She was too real to even lift a finger. She only listened as Keith told them he would carry her. It was then she felt him moving her body. He adjusted her into a position that allowed him to pick her up into his arms. She felt like a doll as she lay limply in his arms. Her eyes slipped close and she fell unconscious.

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

When Arcadia came to, she looked around to see she was back in Macidus' hideout. She was still exhausted, but she felt better than before.

"Thank the ancients you're awake!" Coran chanted.

The girl sat up and realized she was laying on the ground atop a blanket. The fire was extinguished and the paladins were focused on the injured Kolivan. With Coran's help, she got to her feet and slowly made her way over.

"He's in pretty bad shape, but it looks like he's gonna be okay," Pidge said as she examined Kolivan's vitals.

Hearing this, Arcadia spoke up. "May I?"

All eyes fell on her.

"Arcadia," Krolia worriedly called out the girl's name. "Please, rest. You are in no shape to provide healing."

She smiled gently. "One healing session won't hurt, I promise." She kneeled beside Kolivan and placed her hands on his chest. They radiated with a golden hue as she healed him.

"Vitals are stabilizing," Pidge said. "Aaand they're stable!"

Arcadia removed her hands.

Kolivan felt much better, but he was still exhausted and would require rest. "Thank you, Arcadia."

"I've managed to heal your wounds, but you'll need to rest to regain your strength," she explained. "Don't push yourself, Kolivan."

He nodded. Then, he began his apology. "I...I'm sorry my code lured you here."

"There was nothing you could do," Keith responded. "The coordinates I gave you, the altean colony, we're you able to find it?"

Kolivan grunts feebly. "I sent a team. There was nothing there. Just an empty facility. They were all gone."

Krolia glanced over at the wall with the luxite blades. "Judging from the blades that Macidus collected, he may have delivered a critical blow to the Marmora, but he did not defeat us entirely."

Kolivan sighed. "I must find the others. The universe needs us now more than ever."

Krolia looked away. She made her decision, but it was a difficult choice. Her eyes returned to Kolivan. "I will join you. We will revive the Blade of Marmora together. We'll just need to find a ship."

"The druid had a cruiser stored not far from here. We can use it to reunite the Blades."

She smiled. "That's our first bit of luck in a long time."

Kolivan tried to stand up, but Krolia and Keith stopped him. Arcadia placed her hands on her hips with a disapproving glance. "What did I tell you, Kolivan?"

He hung his head with an exhausted exhale. "Rest..."

"Exactly. Don't make us knock you out..."

He chuckled weakly before reclining back against the metal container.

She left him and sat down on one of the metal containers. She brought a knee up and hugged it against her chest. She placed her chin atop it and closed her eyes. She overheard Krolia apologizing to Keith for her decision. He then gave her his luxite blade before hugging each other.

Hearing Shiro telling Keith it was time to leave, she stood up. While their leader was expressing his love for his mother, she stumbled forward. Fortunately, she caught herself before she face-planted on the ground. As she steadied herself, Krolia walked over to her. She smiled kindly at her. "Take care of Keith for me while I'm gone. You're the one person I trust the most to keep him safe."

Arcadia smiled back. "Of course, Krolia. I pray you and Kolivan have a safe journey."

The woman's laughed lightly. "You really are a sweet girl, Arcadia. Take care."

Arcadia followed the paladins out of the building. They didn't make it far and she stumbled a second time. This time, however, Keith broke her fall. He grabbed her before she fell. She thanked him and went to free her arm. When she did, she didn't make it two steps before she was scooped up into his arms. She gasped in surprise and unconsciously wound her arms around his neck. "Y'know, my legs do work."

"Looks like they're malfunctioning to me," Keith commented.

She groaned and rested her head against his shoulder. "You're not going to let me down, are you?"

"Nope."

She huffed out a sigh and decided to enjoy being carried by him.

When they were back inside the black lion, he gently placed her on the bed in the private quarters. He kneeled on a single knee in front of her. He arched a brow as he questioned her. "You're going to rest, right?"

Arcadia laughed. "Yes. Trust me, I'm not going anywhere."

He knew he could trust her. "All right. I'll come and check on you soon. Get some rest."

His concern made her heart flutter. She stopped him before he left by removing his helmet and setting it on the bed. Cupping his cheeks, she leaned forward and placed her lips over his. It was a brief kiss, having only lasted a few seconds. She looked away to smile at him. "Thank you for carrying me."

"It's the least I could after you saved me," he replied, placing his hands on her knees. He gazed deeply into her eyes. "It looks you've been saving me a lot recently, but..." He hung his head in shame. He squeezed her knees. "I couldn't do anything when that druid took you. I felt powerless. I know you're strong, but I just want to be there for you when you need me."

She trailed her thumbs across his cheeks. She couldn't bell but smile as she remembered an earth phrase. "Is what your feeling what humans refer to as being a 'knight in shining armor'? Y'know, where they want to protect the one they love?"

Keith was taken aback at how she knew such a phrase. He lifted his head and met her gaze again. "I can't believe you know about that..." He then sighed and figured the phrase was the easiest to describe what he was feeling. "Guess that would be the easiest way to put it."

"But you have been there for me numerous times, and I think you're the strongest person I know. Don't beat yourself up over this, okay?"

He started at her in silence before nodding. "Okay."

"Good," she smiled. "Now go be the stronger leader I know that you are. I feel like I'm about to pass out." She removed her hands from his cheeks and handed him his helmet.

He stood up and took the helmet with a smile. "Yeah."

Arcadia watched him leave. Once the door closed behind him, she crawled onto the bed and curled up. A few seconds later, she fell asleep.