The Forgotten Paladin

Chapter 35: Best laid Plans

The monster goes down with a crash, ultimately defeated. The sun dawns on a new day, a day with a hope of freedom, from the Empire, from the tyranny of Zarkon. I place my new discovery of the blade in my sheath and run out of the castle to find the paladins. 

They're standing on the ledge of a building, watching the sun over Olkarion. I walk slowly up to them, placing my hand on Hunk's shoulder, smiling at him.

Y/N: "Well done guys, you did great."

SHIRO: "So did you, Y/N. How did you get the defences back online?"

KEITH: "More importantly, what the heck happened on your mission? You're transmission cut off after you screamed." His face was concerned, I didn't want to ruin the moment so I decided not to go into detail.

Y/N: "There were a few bumps but I got a cool new scar."

I lift off my jacket, revealing the scar going up my neck.

Y/N: "Cool, right?"

PIDGE: "Woah, that's huge! Are you okay?"
Y/N: "Perfectly fine, Allura helped me."

KEITH: "I thought the bases were abandoned, what did that to you?"

Y/N: "Let's not talk about the details, today is a new day, a new hope for freedom. Right?"

LANCE: "Exactly."

Silence dawns on us, we stand comfortable in each other's company, watching the dawn of a new day behind the towering buildings of Olkarion.

PIDGE: "What's everyone thinking about?"

SHIRO: "Zarkon."

HUNK: "Calzones. I mean- uh- heck, yeah. I'm thinking about Calzones okay? I mean, does it always have to be about Zarkon? He's a bad guy. We're trying to defeat him. I get it, I'm hungry." His stomach rumbles as we all laugh. 

KEITH: "We've come a long way."

LANCE: "Yeah, remember when Hunk used to throw up from riding in the elevator?"

HUNK: "You guys remember that Arusian, Klizap? I think his name was? Cool name."

LANCE: "Yeah, Keith tried to beat him up even though he's the size of a peanut."

KEITH: "He was their bravest warrior!" We all laugh at his silliness. 

PIDGE: "How about the time the food goo machines attacked us in the kitchen?"

HUNK:" That was THE scariest thing that's happened to me the entire time I've been here."

LANCE: "Oh, come on."

HUNK: "What? It's the truth!"

LANCE: "We faced sentries, a haunted castle, giant Robeasts, a mall security guard."

PIDGE: "And don't forget that cool cube thing."

LANCE: "Yeah that awful cube thing."

I sit down next to Pidge, dangling my legs off the edge, the feeling of freedom washing over me, the revelation that for the first time in my 15 years of living, I'm free.

SHIRO: "You realize once we defeat Zarkon, the universe won't need Voltron anymore."

LANCE: "We can return to Earth."

PIDGE: "I can look for my family."

KEITH: "I guess I could look for mine."

SHIRO: "This is it. As long as everything goes according to plan, we can't fail.

LANCE: "What about you Y/N?"

Y/N: "What about me?"

LANCE: "What will you do when this is all over."