Do not go calmly into that dying light. Rage! Rage against the dark night.

I flew away. I had to. It was all I could think of. I had to get away. I kept flying until I struck the ground. I pulled my head out of the ground, looking around.

"Voltron… where are we?" I asked, looking around at the decayed trees.

Location: We are in the… quintessence forest.

"What? What happened to the trees?" I asked, standing up.

Answer: Their quintessence has been drained away. Voltron answered. I shuddered in realization.

"When I went to recharge, 0 made me drain the trees. I… I have to fix this. Form super wings, begin quintessence amplification." I ordered, sitting on the brown grass. My wings exploded outwards as my body glowed. Immediately, the plants and trees around me started regaining their colour.

Restoration: 9% complete. 13%. 24%. 30%.

"Increase quintessence output."

Acknowledgment: Increasing quintessence output. Restoration is 55% complete. 70%. 83%. 99%. 100%. You are now increasing the size of the quintessence forest. 118%. I stop glowing, my body sluggish and heavy.

"Quintessence level?" I drawl.

Reading: Quintessence level is at 17% and slowly rising. You should rest. You've… we've been through a lot. I'll keep us safe.

"Promise?" I ask, laying on my back, my wings flattening out underneath me.

Declaration: I promise.

"Thank you… Voltron." I drifted off, haunted by the memories of what had happened.

(Spitfire POV)

I awoke both in pain and feeling numb. I was confused. I looked around before I noticed I was in the infirmary.

"How the heck did I get here?" I asked, my throat hoarse. A nurse must have heard me because she speed-walked to my bed.

"Captain Spitfire. You're awake." She announced in surprise.

"Yeah I'm awake, what happened? Agh! And why do I feel like a pillar landed on me?" I gasped in pain, my body aching and my throat sore like I had been telling orders for hours.

"Uh… well…" The nurse stammered as I tried to sit up. She immediately stopped me. "Oh no, captain, you shouldn't try to move. Just keep your head on the pillow." She eased me down again. I noticed something wrong. I couldn't get up properly.

I couldn't move my right arm.

I couldn't feel my right arm.

I looked at my shoulder, trying to see what was wrong.

"Oh no." The nurse whispered. My right arm was gone. My shoulder was wrapped in gauze, ending at my bicep. I tried to scream but I couldn't. I had run out of screams. I couldn't look anymore. I threw my head to the side, unwilling to look at my injury. My gaze landed on another bed. The person in it wasn't moving and they were completely covered with a sheet.

"Who…" I coughed as I spoke. "Who is… that?" I gagged. The nurse had a look of utter defeat as she looked at the other bed. The other two beds. I looked between the nurse and the two beds, connecting the dots.

It all came back.

"No… no." I looked at the closest bed, seeing a hand, partially uncovered. I recognised Hammer's skin colour. I couldn't scream. The other bed had a horn poking up from under the sheet. I couldn't cry out. The nurse was trying to say something. I couldn't hear her. Everything was going dark. I fell into the void of unconsciousness.

(3rd person)

Shining was standing around the roundtable of Celestia's study, multiple privacy wards on every wall. Celestia, Luna and Kolivan were all sitting around it with Shining pacing in front of the door. He had too much energy to sit down.

"Captain, can you please explain what happened? And do you know where Diego is?" Celestia asked.

"I'm not sure. I… I don't know where Diego is. He flew off. He was… heartbroken." Shining answered. It was obvious, he was still coming to terms with everything that happened, just as much as everyone else.

"Can you describe what happened after we were knocked unconscious?" Kolivan asked.

"…After Diego knocked you out, the other captains entered the room. When they saw what happened, I ordered them to attack while I tried to evacuate everyone else. Diego… responded. He cut off Spitfire's arm." The princesses gasped.

"That was him?" Celestia asked.

"Yes." Shining answered. Luna gasped loudly.

"Did he…" She couldn't finish.

"Yes. He killed Hammer and Spell. Afterwards… I snapped. My Luxite blade appeared in my hands and my body changed." Shining described.

"Is that where those markings on your face came from?" Celestia asked, tears on her face.

"Yes. I was stronger and faster. Almost as strong as Diego and fast enough to keep up with him. I attacked him head on, eventually hitting him out of the throne room. As we were falling, he tricked me into thinking I had cut him into pieces. After we landed, he baited me and attacked me with lasers. I was barely able to dodge but… I wasn't fast enough to dodge one."

"But you are not harmed?" Luna asked. "The doctors said you are perfectly fine. They said you were "better than fine"." Luna added.

"Yes. As I was about to be hit… something strange happened. I heard a voice, then suddenly everything stopped. Time stopped. A stranger, in strange clothes, appeared out of nowhere. He… said things I don't understand. But he did help me." Shining pulled his Luxite dagger from its hidden sheath and held it in front of his face.

Where before, it was a small, two sided, straight dagger with the Blades of Marmora symbol on the front and back of the guard, now it had fire-like serrations on the side and the guard glowed bright purple.

"What happened to your blade?" Kolivan asked.

"The stranger… added something to it. A stone or gem of some kind. It hurt, too. Like I was dipping my arm in a volcano, while covered in cantrips. Afterwards, the stranger told me to stop Diego before he restarted time. When I could move again, I dodged Diego's attack and retaliated. Whatever the stranger added to my Blade, it gave me energy. Like I could run forever and never get tired.

I used this… power to attack Diego. Eventually, he switched to his Halberd. Then he stopped moving. The real Diego had stopped his body. I used it to disable him and allow Diego to regain control of himself. Then, when Lotor saw that we had stopped fighting, he tried to order him again but it didn't work. Diego flew back into the throne room. Lotor tried to take you hostage, princess Celestia, but Diego stopped him. And killed him.

After that, he flew off." Shining finished.

"Did you see where he flew?" Celestia asked.

"Yes. I believe he flew to the quintessence forest." Shining answered.

"The forest. He must have gone there to recharge again." Kolivan said. Luna suddenly perked up, her eyes wide.

"Sister?" Celestia asked.

"I can feel him. He's asleep, in the forest. He's… having a nightmare." Luna said, her horn glowing lightly. "I will try to make contact with him." She said, sitting back in her chair as her horn began to shine and spark. After a moment, she opened her eyes. They were glowing white.

"I've established a connection. I am entering his dream…" Luna said.

(The Dreamscape)

A door emerged in the pitch black. It opened, shining a light into the void. Luna stepped out, looking around at the black. The light of her entrance didn't go far. Couldn't go far. The pitch consumed it. Luna lit her horn as her Dreamdoor closed behind her. She started walking forward into the void. Calling out.

"Diego! Diego, can you hear me!?" Her calls faded quickly. She continued looking around, searching. She could hear whispers around her. They came from the pitch. She could hear them coming from ahead. She felt fear and sorrow ahead as well. Something was being tormented. She continued advancing, going towards the feelings. For a moment, she saw a spark of white light.

"Diego! Is that you?" She called again. She saw nothing. She started running forward, determined. She stopped as she collided with something solid. She felt the wall in front of her. It was where the whispers were coming from.

"Traitor.

Murderer…

Monster!

Coward.

Demon!

Betrayer…

Killer!

Charlatan." The many voices whispered as the barrier shifted like slithering chains.

"No!" Luna shouted. "None of those are true!" She denied. The barrier shifted. There I sat, a boy of flesh and bone. Crying as a sphere of light kept the pitch from touching me. "Diego." Luna said. She knew my true form, even if I was regressed to a child.

"Go away, Luna." I turned away. I couldn't bear to look at her. The whispers turned on Luna, staying close to me.

"Not true?

Then how do you explain…

All the terrible things he did?

To his friends!

To his comrades…

To you?"

"That wasn't his fault! He was being controlled!"

"Controlled?

He allowed himself to be controlled!

He was weak…

He should have been better!

Stronger.

But he wasn't."

"He couldn't have known."

"But he did!

He noticed the signs…

And yet he did nothing.

And now his friends…

The people who trusted him.

Are dead!"

"He made a mistake. We all do. No one is perfect. But just because he made a mistake, doesn't mean he can't learn from it and become-" Luna tried to argue.

"Learn from it?

Why…?

So that he can dismiss it?

Forget it…?

Forget the people he hurt?!

Forget us?!"

The whispers screeched. Three people manifested. Three shades.

Spell Blade, with a hole through his chest.

Hammer Strike, with his face missing…

Spitfire, with her arm cut off!

"He did not mean to kill you. To hurt you. He was not in-"

"He was responsible for it!

He performed the act…

It was his hand that dealt the blow."

"But he was not the one who orchestrated it. The monster who did is dead."

"Killer!"

"Saviour! If he didn't do it, more would have died. What is done is done but the past doesn't define the present. He can change. Remember this and stop it from ever happening again. This pain will stay with him but he will not let it consume him. He shall crush it like he has crushed others. No one else shall ever have to feel it. Feel that pain. Because he won't let them. He is a saviour. Our saviour." Luna decreed. I turned to face her, remembering all the battles I had fought. An oath stirred, echoing from my memories.

I CHOOSE TO FIGHT!
Are you sure?
I WILL LEAD THEM TO VICTORY!
With what?
WITH THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART! I WILL BE THE STAR THAT GUIDES THEM! TO A NEW TOMORROW!
Then do it. Shatter your bonds. Protect those who light your heart. Awaken, Super Voltron!
AWAKEN!

I stood up, my halo of light growing brighter. The shades turned to me, screeching in pain. My body solidified as I stood tall.

"You are my own creations. Begone!" I commanded, the pitch black void being torn away. The shades cowered on the white ground. "I will never forget. And I will always strive to prevent this from happening again. Until my last ounce of strength." The shades went silent before smiling, fading away. I turned to Luna. I reached up to my faceplate, removing it to reveal my old face. I smiled at her.

"Thank you, Luna. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along." I told her.

"No thanks necessary. I was only doing my duty as princess of the night." She responded. "And put your face back on. That's not the Diego I know." She added. I looked at the faceplate in my hand.

"Huh. I guess not, eh? Silly me." I replaced the faceplate, my face clicking into position. I was no longer that person. Not anymore.
I am still Diego Logis but… I'm more than that now. I am the knight of white. I am the star that drives away the darkness.

I am Super Voltron.

I emerged from my dream, feeling freer than I ever had before. I flew back to the castle, to apologize to the others. From there on, I continued my work. Ridding my galaxy of the last of the Galran empire.

Shining eventually became General. A promotion well deserved.

Spitfire made a full recovery. Thanks to Marmoran technology, she got a prosthetic. She forgave me for what happened.

Hammer and Spell had a soldier's funeral. Statues of them lie in the royal garden of Fantasia.

Lotor's body was not given such privilege. His corpse was tossed into the sun. No name or gravestone to bear his memory.

Caulina took to space. Her powers combined with her curiosity carried her into the great unknown.

I helped expand Arcadia. Eventually, it rose to the limits of the sky and into space, spanning solar systems. It took time and time took from me but I still persist. Luna still stands by my side along with her sister. Queens of a vast civilization with their shining knight beside them.

Long live Arcadia.

Author's Note

Here it is. The end. I think it fits. This story grew more than I ever thought possible. Thank you for reading it. And now, I bid you farewell.
🖖
Peace and long life.
Live long and prosper.