Archive of Our Own ^beta

There is a blinding heat crawling up his spine at a rapid pace, clawing at his sides and his neck as he shoves Coran to the ground. Smoke claws its way down his throat, choking him until all he can taste is smoke, but Lance holds out for as long as he can, shoving Coran as far away from the explosion as possible as he crashes to the ground. His armor digs painfully into his chest, the hot air heating it so that it burns his skin beneath his suit.

The world flickers, dimming and brightening at random intervals until it finally goes dark.

-

His gun clatters to the ground, his vision blurring until all he can see is streaks of color and light. There’s an anguished shout from nearby, a clatter of heavy metal armor hitting the ground, the sound of footsteps against the solid metal of the ground. Lance can feel warmth at his side- the comfortable kind that clears his head slightly. His hand is lifted gently, held in a gentle yet firm grasp, and he turns his head to smile the best he can at Keith.

“We did it,” He says, knowing they’ll be the last words he ever says. “We are a good team.”

Keith, oblivious and unsuspecting, nods and smiles back.

-

“Blue.” Lance isn’t awake yet. He is dreaming, and he knows it, reaching out for his lion. “ I won’t have my voice anymore, will I?”

No, Replies Blue, her voice soft with sorrow. I’m sorry.

“It’s fine, Blue,” Lance says, sitting down. “ There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Blue walks up to his side, transitioning from a lion to a human in a smooth motion. She brings thin, calloused fingers up to the place on his throat where his vocal cords are and sighs. There is, but…

“Really, Blue, It’s fine,” Lance shakes his head, pushing back on her palm . “You don’t have to do anything.”

I want to, Lance, Blue says, her voice cracking. She pushes a short lock of pale blue hair behind her ear. I can give you a voice!

Lance pauses, looking up at her. He can feel the hope pushing upwards in his chest and tries to shove it back down. “...What do you mean?”

I can’t heal your vocal cords, Says Blue, kneeling in front of him. Her skirt shifts as it covers the rest of her legs.  But I can be your voice. I can broadcast what you want to say to the people you want to hear it, So that it’s like your voice is still there. You control what is said and what is not.

Her eyes, a bright yellow that reminds him of amber, or honey, or Hunk, bore into him with an open, honest expression. She leans forward, wrapping thin arms but strong arms around his shoulders in a silent, comforting plea. You don’t have to be alone.

Lance nods, feeling silent tears fall down his cheeks. “Thank you, Blue.”

-

Lance stumbles out of the pod, catching himself on the smoothened edge of the metal casing at the bottom and looking up at the group gathered around Pidge and Coran. He pauses, only for a second, and takes a few wobbly steps forward until he’s within arm's distance of Hunk. He takes a shuddering breath, and speaks.

“You guys havin’ a clock party?” He asks, knowing he’s spoken despite the fact that his throat doesn’t vibrate like it used to. Hunk turns around with a scowl.

“Aw, Lance, You just ruined it!” He says, and then the scowl drops. “Hey! Lance!”

-

“Coran,What’s happening?!” Shiro asks urgently as the wormhole around them goes from a gentle blue to a hostile purple.

“The integrity of the wormhole has been compromised!” Coran shouts. “It’s breaking down!”

“What does that mean?!” Asks Lance. Blue rumbles with panic beneath his hands.

“It means we have no control over where we’re headed!” Answers Coran. The castle shakes, forcing the lion hangar open and spewing them out as the paladins scream.

Lance tightens his grip on his controls and shuts his mouth. He can feel Blue’s voice fading as they fall through the walls.

-

He wakes up to flickering lights. Bue is silent in his head, but the machinery itself seems to be in perfect order. He pulls up his comms and opens his mouth, but Blue is still silent, and it occurs to him that no one can hear him if Blue isn’t there to speak for him. He closes his mouth as Pidge flickers into view, her voice loud in the silence of the cockpit, wringing his hands and wishing he had taken up sign language with Hunk when he had the chance.

“Lance! Are you alright?” Asks Pidge, worry etched into her face. Another screen opens up, and Hunk looks in, repeating Pidge’s words. “Hunk!”

Lance nods, deciding to act like his mic is broken. He makes sure not to make a sound as he moves around, looking for images of the planet he’s on. Blue doesn’t speak, and no screens pop up to show him what she sees.

‘ I’m fine, ’ He mouths, nodding.

“Is something wrong with your mic?” Pidge asks, leaning forward. “I can’t hear you at all.”

“Yeah, is Blue okay? She must be in bad shape if the mics aren’t working.”  Says Hunk, eyebrows furrowed slightly.

‘I don’t know ,’ Shrugs Lance, faking nonchalance even as panic claws at his insides. ‘ She’s not talking to me. ’

He taps the dashboard quietly, hoping for Blue to suddenly flare to life. She is silent, and he groans silently.

‘ Come on, Blue! ’ He breathes, kneading his palms with his fingernails. ‘ Please… ’

“Is she talking to you?” Asks Hunk.

Lance shakes his head. ‘ No. ’

“Do you know where you are? Hopefully you’re nearby, maybe we can find you.” Pidge suggests with a tentative smile.

Lance shrugs. ‘ No clue. She’s not telling me that, either .’

-

Blue flickers back to life after the others find him. The panic in his stomach unravels when she finally speaks again as they enter the castle.

I’m sorry, Lance, Says Blue with an apologetic rumble. I don’t know what happened.

“It’s fine, Blue.” Replies Lance. “I’m just glad you’re back.”

-

“Keith, stay in place!” Lance shouts from his hiding place under a panel.

Keith freezes, staring with wide eyes as a sentry passes by. His gaze flicks to Lance in confusion, the sentry passing by him as well as if Lance hadn’t spoken at all.

“Okay, now go. You’re clear.” Lance nods. Keith flinches as his voice echoes down the corridor. No other guards rush in at the sound, however, so Keith moves.

-

“I’m fine! Let’s go!” Lance says- or rather, projects.

Blue is clamped firmly in Yellow’s jaws as the others escape. Lance is still in the Galra ship, trapped, and in order to save the others, he projects his voice into Blue so that she can stay out of Galra hands. She isn’t happy about him using his “voice” like this, but what he is doing is within her values, so she doesn’t stop him.

The others disappear through a wormhole, and Lance cuts off his voice.

-

“Speak, Paladin!” Growls his assailant, grabbing a fistful of his suit. “Tell me where Voltron is!”

Wouldn’t you like to know, Lance smirks weakly, blood trickling from his lip.

“Speak! You have a voice, use it!” The angry Galra shakes him roughly.

Sorry babe, but I really don’t, Lance laughs. Have a voice, that is. I lost it a while back.

“Fine.” The Interrogator lets go of his suit and shoves him back.  “If you will not speak, We will find other ways to make you.”

Lance grits his teeth as his back hit the wall shifting his wrists in attempts to loosen the cuffs.

“Perhaps you’ll talk if we make your friends watch, hm?” He grins, snapping his fingers at a guard.

The guard taps something out onto a computer and a screen flickers into view. Lance turns his head away from Allura’s fearful gaze and Hunk’s worried look, away from Keith’s rage and Pidge’s confusion, away from the look Coran wears that screams of sorrow. He looks way from Shiro’s fear-ridden panic with clenched fists and determination.

No, I won’t. I have my loyalties, and- The Galra slams his head back against the metal wall, cutting him off with a silent cry of pain.

“Tell me. Where is Voltron?”

Allura gasps from her place in the center of the screen, and Keith shouts out in anger.

“ Don’t do it, Lance!” Someone shouts over someone else’s “ Just tell them! You need to protect yourself!”

Lance huffs a breath of air and follows the former, moving his lips. I’d rather not tell you anything.

There is a distant rumble in the back of his mind, and he smiles. A foot collides with his stomach, but he stays silent. The others are loud, the clamor making the soldier do it again, so Lance looks up.

He smiles apologetically and turns to look at his assailant. I have an idea. Blue, will it work?

From somewhere behind the others in the castle, Blue roars. Lance grins as the others whip around in confusion. He takes a long breath and opens his mouth slightly, moving his voice from the castle to the Galra ship. A loud, unearthly noise pierces the air, high enough in pitch to shatter glass if it were truly audible.

The guard falls over first, followed quickly by sounds from outside the door and his assailant, the sounds of their pained cries echoing. Lance winces as he snags the guard’s blaster to shoot his cuffs off. When the cries go silent and his interrogator falls unconscious, Lance walks up the the computer and smiles up at the team, sending out his coordinates and waving. Then, ignoring their protests, he shuts off the camera.

-

Lance makes it back safely a few hours later. The noise had completely incapacitated the remaining Galra on the ship by the time the team gets there, and he grins at them through the monitor when he opens the hangar.  Hunk is the one to pick him up, and he checks him over as they head back to the castle.

“Jeez, Lance! What did they do to you?” Hunk asks, carefully lifting Lance’s chin to look at the bruises on his neck.

Lance shrugs and waves him off. “I’m fine, Hunk. Relax.”

Hunk purses his lips but goes back to the controls. “Fine, but you’re getting into a pod when we get back.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Lance says, laughing lightly.

-

It happens after the final battle. Blue, injured fatally from the final blow that she selflessly threw herself before to save the others, lays in Lance’s lap now, glowing faintly. She is dying, and both of them know it.

“No!” Lance wants to scream, but no sound escapes his mouth. “No! Blue! Stay with me! Blue!”

I’m sorry, Lance, She whispers back, wiping his tears away with a thumb. I can’t be your voice anymore.

“Blue!” Lance sobs, hating his silence. “Blue, you can’t die! I need you! The team needs you!”

It’s okay, Lance, Blue says, and she’s crying too. It’s my time. You will take my place when it is yours.

Lance leans down to press his forehead against hers, their tears intermingling. Eyes of sunlight and ocean meet. “Please don’t go, Blue.”

I’m sorry, Lance. Blue breathes, dragging her fingertips down his face. I’m sorry I have to leave you alone.

Lance takes her hand in his, squeezing firmly as if it will keep her with him.

“...You never told me your name.” He mouths, if only to lighten the mood.

It’s Meri. Blue smiles, squeezing back. Her eyes grow lighter.

“I’m going to miss you, Meri.” Lance chokes out, closing his eyes.

Goodbye, Lance. And then Blue fades into a shimmering, glowing blue dust, scattering in the air and disappearing in the wind.

“... Goodbye, Meri.” Lance drapes himself over his knees and sobs freely.

-

Lance stays in the hangar, for a few days, staring at the empty vessel that was once Meri. The other lions bow their heads in silent vigil, mourning the loss of their sister along with him. Hunk Brings him food during mealtimes, and Allura brings him blankets and pillows so that he can sleep. He sleeps in the Blue Lion’s cockpit more often than not, and the other lions speak to him in his dreams. They cannot be for him what Meri was, and they cannot be his voice like she was, but they can communicate what he wants to say to their own paladins and Allura.

Hunk and Coran work together to make something similar to a cell phone for everyone, and Pidge creates a messenger for them to use so that Lance can still talk to them when he’s away from the lions.

Hunk also teaches everyone the sign language he remembers, mostly simple words and finger spelling, but it works for them. They can function like this now, building and creating their own codes for words when they’re too long to spell. Hunk does apologize for not remembering everything, but it’s been 6 years since they left Earth, and 8 since the last time he learned the language, so he is forgiven.

The universe is at peace, but 6 years fighting a battle that seemed impossible has taught them that peace can be broken at anytime. They do go to Earth, but they do not stay. They build alliances, meet their families- or in Pidge’s case, reunite them- and they leave. Earth is a safe zone, but they do not stay longer than 3 month when they do visit.

The Universe is at peace, and their world keeps spinning.

-

Lance is 98 when he dies. He doesn’t know what he was expecting to see- white gates, perhaps? Or maybe a bridge of some sort, something to represent him crossing over. Instead, he sees Meri and the Blue Lion.

She’s wearing the same thing she always has, a white and burgundy dress with silver accents that complements her dark skin and shows off her shoulders, the skirt ending just below her knees. Her eyes are still just as friendly as they had been the first time he saw her like this, a shimmering gold like sunshine.

It’s your time, She says, motioning to the Blue lion with an airy sort of grace. The others will join you when it is theirs.

Lance feels his age fade away, and he steps into the Blue Lion with Meri at his side.

I cannot stay, Says Meri, The short blue curls of her hair hanging over her eyes as she lowers her head apologetically. I have died long ago, so I cannot show you everything. I can, however, give you my knowledge, like my predecessor did before me.

“You being here now is more than enough for me.” Lance smiles.

Meri takes his hands and kisses his knuckles softly, smiling. You will make a great Blue Lion, Lance. I believe in you.

The two of them close their eyes, and Meri fades away.

“ Goodby, Meri.” Lance breathes into the empty air.

-

Lance becomes the Blue Lion, and his voice returns- but it is smoother now, soothing like honey and deep like the ocean he loves so much- or so his paladin says.

The others, like him, take over as the spirit of their lions, choosing Paladins and helping them grow, teaching them and comforting them like their own lions had done before them. Allura and Coran create AI’s in the castle to take over when they die, though they have yet to do so due to Altean lifespans. Within themselves, they keep their language, and Lance projects his own voice so that Coran can hear him.

The Universe is safe, and they protect it even in death.

-

His paladin is a bright and cheery girl named Myra, also from Earth, with dark skin and bright brown eyes. She talks to him a lot, about everything and anything, and listens to his stories of his Blue.

“What is your name then, Blue?” She asks him one day, when he’s telling her of Meri’s death.

Lance pauses, thinking. I’ll tell you when you have grown into yourself fully, like Meri had for me.

“Aw, Blue!” She whines, tugging at his sleeve. “Come on, tell me!”

Not yet, Myra. Lance laughs. Soon.

“Fine.” Myra groans, giving up. “But you better tell me soon, you hear?”

I promise, Lance says, grinning back.

The Universe is at peace, Their World is safe, and life moves on.