Chapter Text
Honerva attacks the city, a sign it means nothing to her now. Αlpha Voltron sends his sword to block it, but Honerva uses the opportunity to attack, gaining the upper hand and destroying some of the city. They try to lure her away, grabbing their weapon, but they are clunky and slow and she is fast and connected.
They manage to get the sword between them and her drill, buying them time as they are slowly buried.
Allura activates eye beams and Honerva loses her wings. Voltron manages to get an upper hand and Allura is ready to finish it-
"INCOMING!" Lance warns.
But it's too late and Alpha Voltron is struck in the back. He is hit over and over again, falling and the others form a ring, wormhole. They use Alpha Boltron's quintessence to open it and Honerva flees.
None of them are willing to stand down.
Alpha Voltron removes the wings and chases her.
Just a game of cat and mouse that the mouse is winning.
———
These are all the timelines, all the worlds, all the realities.
It's agony.
They can't do anything.
And then it's dark and empty, only one strand left.
As much as they want to rest, they cannot allow this. They have to stop it. They have to save something.
They've already lost everything and everyone, they won't let her destroy this final strand.
And they manage it, to push her away from it.
———
This time, Allura doesn't attack someone with memories.
Keith swallows down the bile.
Allura's memories of Lotor show a man full of joy.
Keith's memories of Lotor show a man full of hope.
Hunk squeezes his shoulder and Keith smiles at him, stepping forwards.
"Lotor may have been misguided, but, ultimately, he wanted to preserve life," Keith crouches down in front of the woman, glaring at her, a reminder that this woman cannot outrun her sins, "If you want to do good by him, be able to call yourself his mother, live up to that."
Honerva believes there is nothing left to save.
Allura has a stupid idea.
"Yeah, no," Keith shakes his head, "There's a way to do it without dying."
Everyone blinks at him.
"What? Did you really think dying was your only option?" Keith raises an eyebrow at her.
"There's an alternative?" Allura asks, voice slightly sceptical.
"For you, yes," Keith nods and looks at Honerva, "For her, no."
Lance pats Keith's arm and looks at him, "You have an idea?"
Keith nods, "Some time ago, I died," Keith shakes his head and waves off the protests, "It's undeniable. I died. I saw-," Keith swallows, cupping his hands as a small light forms there and he smiles, "Quintessence can't be destroyed. It can be corrupted or changed, but never destroyed. You can change that to return quintessence back to what it was as long as you remember... like a save point in your video games," Keith smiles at Pidge and Lance who both chuckle, before glaring at Honerva, "Your quintessence will be needed to power the change, but as long as there is a guide, no one else has to die."
"Guide," Shiro frowns, "How would someone remember the quintessence layout of the Universe?"
Keith smiles as tears drip down his cheeks and blood drips down his chin, "I do."
———
The Galra are no longer conquerors. They proceed to help the Universe and usher in peace.
Hunk uses food to help settle tensions between planets and systems.
Shiro handles negotiations, but Hunk is the biggest contributor to peace.
Pidge has created their own robot child with their brother's help. Max finally got a haircut, resembling their father a lot more. They pass on the glasses.
Coran runs Altea and Lance tells their story to the children, Allura and Veronica sit nearby in the field of Juniper flowers. Lance usually is home on his family farm, but he doesn't mind. It's nice and he's surrounded by his family all of the time.
The wormhole opens up and Pidge travels through.
"Looks like it's time to get going."
Lance shakes his head at the brother in an Altean version of a wheelchair that was really just a cute little hover chair.
Keith rolls his eyes, "Don't think I didn't hear you stomach grumble."
Lance baps his head gently and Kosmo shows up to playfully bite the offending hand, "Hey! Get your dog, Keith!"
"It don't bite."
"Yes it do!"
Veronica chuckles as she approaches, her and Allura's hands intertwined, showing off their engagement rings, "It's okay, dear brother, maybe they didn't hear you on the other side of the planet."
"You guys are the worst," Lance groans, holding his head in his hands.
Allura pats his back with a smile, "Don't worry, Lance. I didn't hear anything."
"See! Allura has my back! This is why in-laws beat actual family."
"I'm pretty sure that's because she was so invested in Veronica's mouth."
Veronica smirks and Allura's face matches her pink dress.
"KEITH!"
———
"I wish we could all get together like this more often," Allura smiles, eating her food.
"Unfortunately, peace doesn't like to stay peaceful," Shiro grins, rubbing Keith's head.
"But we'll all be here in two weeks, no matter what!" Hunk declares, "I'm not letting anyone else cater."
Allura rolls her eyes, "I know Hunk. You've said this a thousand times."
"It's your wedding! It has to be perfect!"
"As long as Allura is there and we are surrounded by the people who love us, it will be perfect no matter what," Veronica takes Allura's hands and stares into her eyes, making her blush.
"Oooo," Keith and Pidge coo together, "Someone's in loveeeeeeeee."
———
The wedding ends with a food fight, much to Hunk's dismay, but they all laugh and cry and have the best time.
———
The Galra Empire have a certain lighting aesthetic, Keith knows, to help with their sensitive senses, but it doesn't help the sense of foreboding he feels as he enters the file room alone, his only companion his white and blue Altean chair that stands out against the purple and blacks and Kosmo, his ever loyal companion.
Antok, Ulaz and Kolivan are already there and Keith takes a deep breath in, forcing out the question he has had ever since he got the message.
"What do you know about my mother?"