Colours of the Heart.

The construction continued on without many problems. Yarak says it might be done before the end of the month. I am currently in a training room with Hammer Strike and Night Slash, training with the captains among the various guards. I am trying to strengthen my connection to my Bayard, rapidly switching between forms and practicing how to use each one.

"Yah!" Hammer shouts as he brings a greatsword down on me as Night Slash fires at me with his crossbow. I block but attacks with my chain sword, slicing through Night's arrows and deflecting Hammer's sword. Quickly switching to the energy whip, I wrap up Hammer and throw him at Night, forcing him to dodge as Hammer flies into the wall, to the shock of the guards.

"Wow. I'm glad that wasn't- whoa!" Night exclaims as he barely dodges the blade of my katar.

~~Focus!~~ I shout, both to him and myself. Retracting the cable, I try to switch weapons again. However, I suddenly feel light headed, letting me get nailed by a magically explosive arrow from Night. Stumbling back, I hold my head.
Haaah, my head. Disengage… pain sensors. I think, alleviating my headache but not my dizziness.

"Diego, are you alright?" Night asks, him and Hammer, who has gotten up, both walking up to me.

~~I… I'm fine. I think I just… overdid it with constantly switching weapons for over an hour.~~ I reply.

"Yes, we have been fighting for a long time. I'm almost out of arrows." Night says.

"And I still have an ache from that staff you hit me with, half an hour ago." Hammer says, stretching his back.

~~I say we stop for today. Let the people watching have some training time.~~ I say, putting away my Bayard.

"Alright men. That's enough spectating. Groups of two, no same race pairs for the first hour. After that, start working in teams. Get your gear and get to it." Hammer orders.

Warning: Unknown quintessence wave approaching on short range scanners.

~~Wait, what?~~ I say as the ground begins vibrating.

"What is that?" Night asks.

"Look outside!" A guard shouts. Looking out a window, I see a wave of colour spreading through the sky.

~~What is that?!~~

Response: Quintessence signature identified: Rainbow Dash/natural quintessence mixture.

~~Rainbow? She did that? And what do you mean mixture?~~

"Wait a minute, that's a Sonic rainboom!" An older guard shouts.

"A Sonic rainboom? There hasn't been a Sonic rainboom in decades." Night Slash says.

~~What's a Sonic rainboom?~~ I ask.

"A shockwave produced either by an explosion of magic or a Flier moving faster than the speed of sound. They're very rare. Last one happened Twenty years ago." Hammer explains.

~~Well, my scanners say that rainboom matches Rainbow's quintessence signature. Which means she must have passed the sound barrier.~~

"Rainbow? You mean the element of loyalty, Rainbow?" Hammer asks.

~~Yes.~~ I say as the wave passes over Arcadia.

(In the Heart of the Empire)

"Hrah!" Zarkon shouts, slamming his armoured hand against his throne. "How can it be that a single machine constantly continues to exist?! I have thrown armadas at it. I have sent my best forces at it. And yet still, it continues to defy me!" Zarkon rages, hitting his throne again, this time denting the arm rest.

"Even my own occupation forces fall before it!" He shouts, panting in anger. "There must be a way to destroy it, once and for all. I'll send my entire fleet after it if I have to. And somehow, the very planet it came from is now lost to me!"

"LoRd ZaRkOn. LeT mE dEsTrOy It. I mUsT hAvE rEvEnGe FoR wHaT iT dId To Me!" Another voice says, garbled and mechanical.

"You have already failed me once. Why should I trust you to not fail again?" Zarkon demands.

"I aM yOuR mOsT lOyAl SoLdIeR. EvEn NeAr DeAtH, I sTiLl SeRvE. I wIlL gIvE mY lIfE tO SeE iT dEsTrOyEd." They say, straining on their knees.

"Hmm. That was true. You had never failed me… before. Perhaps I can have some use for you, Atchor." Zarkon says, looking down at the half metal body of the disgraced general. "What are your thoughts, druid?" Zarkon turns to the robed being to his right.

"I do believe we can have some use for her, my Eminence. She may be half dead, but she still has such spirit. I believe we can make use of that." The druid says, his voice echoing under his mask.

"Continue." Zarkon orders. The druid leans closer to him, whispering a single sentence into his ear. Zarkon leers at him before turning his gaze to the cyborg on her knees. "Yes. That may work. But a simple conversion will not be enough. Not against the menace. Send her to Pandemonium. If she survives, send her and Multexus to outer space. If she survives, we will have a new, more powerful slave under our control. If she doesn't, she will have been disposed of." Zarkon decrees.

"As you wish, lord Zarkon. I shall prepare my ship immediately." The druid obeys, vanishing into smoke a moment later. Atchor looks up at her emperor, adoration in her single eye and cruelty on her face as she is dragged away.

Soon. Soon you shall be destroyed and my reign shall continue on for all eternity. Whether you die to Atchor or to me, it does not matter. Your fate is inevitable. Zarkon thinks as he sits on his throne of metal and tyranny, in his empire of might and machine, completely unaware of the oncoming storm that is fate.

In Arcadia, Diego continues to train, strengthening himself for his future and for those he protects.

On Mystacor, Kolivan guides his brothers and sisters in arms, ready for any threat, even as the thoughts in his head tumble and unravel.

Hidden in a mountain, Grogar and Discord plot and scheme, forever consumed with thoughts of revenge and destruction.

On a far away planet, a Galra waits patiently, knowing the tyrannical rule of a false emperor will soon come to an end.

And during all this, one single A.I. changes and grows, more and more overcoming his programming.

I Am Voltron.

Author's Note

A nice litte advancement chapter. There are big things coming. Very big things.