The Gold Paladin

Knights of Light pt. 1

Novae's birthday was wonderful, with the celebration and the lights surrounding everyone on the planet. She had felt the love of her people, her friends, her family, all wrapped up in one night.

However, as soon as they got back to the Atlas, Sam came to them with terrible news. Allura, for whatever reason she had, came into contact with the entity that they retrieved from Tavo after his interrogation. And she had yet to regain consciousness.

Novae, Coran and Lance all stood in the Atlas medical bay, waiting for Allura to wake up again.

"Why would she make contact with such a thing?" Novae wondered to herself, "I warned her to stay away from it."

"Young Star, this entity is much stranger than before." Zaurelia said, "It seems to have bonded with Allura."

"Can't I help her the same way as I did with the other Alteans?"

"I believe you can, but first we should get an answer as to why she entered the room without you in the first place."

Novae agreed with her Lion wanting the same answer. Just then, Allura suddenly gasped for air, her eyes wide with such terror that it even scared Novae.

"Allura, are you okay?" Lance asked.

Allura looked around the room, her mind in a haze when she noticed the visitors to her room. She tried to sit up, doing so with only Novae's help. From the touch, Novae could feel the entity within Allura, such coldness and anger radiating from that touch.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Allura asked once she was fully sat up.

"You'd in the medical bay." Coran answered.

"When we got back from Estellia, we found you collapsed on the ground." Lance explained.

"You were unconscious for two quintants, Allura. And the entity is missing." Novae said sitting on the edge of the bed and taking Allura by the hand, "Allura, I can feel the entity inside of you. Why did you go into that room when we warned you how dangerous that thing was?"

Allura's eyes widened, but then slowly softened as she looked away from her friends. She heard that entity calling her, compelling her to take it inside of her. And now that she had the entity within her, Allura had a plan to get back at Honerva. It was risky, but it was their best course of action.

"I did what needed to be done." Allura answered.

"No." Coran gasped.

"What needed to be done?" Lance repeated questioningly, "What are you talking about? Novae, what do you mean the entity is inside Allura?"

Allura looked down at her slightly shaking hand, "This entity, it is connected to Honerva in some way. I believe we can use it."

"Use it? I...." Lance couldn't say anything more and lowered his head.

"Allura, this is a dangerous piece of the game you are playing." Novae said urgently, "If you had given me a little more time, I would've found a solution to this."

"We don't have much more time." Allura said, "Novae, I know you would have found a solution eventually, but who knows how long that would have taken. Now that I have the entity within me, I have a plan to defeat Honerva."

"I swore to your father that I would look after you, but I fear I may have let him down." Coran said, his voice filled with guilt.

Novae sighed and stood up from her place on the bed, "We should call a conference with the other Paladins. I will meet all of you in a couple of hours."