"Princess, you must eat. It's been ten thousand years," Coran tells Allura, who is typing whatever on the holographic controls.

Im standing next to Keith, staring in disgust at the weird green goo.

"Dude, " I whisper to Keith. "Even I wouldn't eat that. I think it moved."

He smirks at me and I start bouncing on the balls of my feet and falling back on my heels. I was getting bored.

"So," I tell Keith. "You up for a game of Chopsticks?"

"Aren't we a bit old for that?"

I give him a horrified look. "How dare you!" I gasp dramatically. "You're dead to me."

He rolls his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I don't think this is the right place."

"But I'm bored," I whine. "Ah, whatever."

I gather all of my hair and pull it over my shoulder and start braiding it and unbraiding it as I listen to the conversations around me.

"Man, 10 000 years? That's like one thousand plus ten," Lance says.

"That's times ten," Keith corrects him.

I sigh under my breath. "Here we go again." I pull out my phone and start filming again. Whatever's gonna happen, it's gonna be interesting.

"Whatever, dropout," Lance shoots back.

"I haven't eaten since breakfast and I'm starving," Hunk says.

That doesn't really count. Hunk's always hungry.

"Yeah, but you've thrown up, like, five times," Pidge tells him.

"Hm, good point," Hunk replies before trying the weird goo.

"I can't believe your civilization created such advanced technology ten thousand years ago," Shiro marvels. "It must have been an incredible place."

"Yes, it was... but now it's gone and we're the last Alteans alive," Alien Weasley says.

I smile ruefully. I know very well what it's like to want to go back to a time that was better. I'm sure Pidge does too. And Keith. Maybe Shiro thinks about what life could have been, sometimes too.

The princess throws herself at Alien Weasley and cries in his shoulder. He rubs her back in an almost fatherly way. The way Dad used to...

Suddenly, the princess looks up and rushes to her cylinder thing and bends over. I hurry over to see what caught her attention and I see four mice, each more adorable than the last. Alien mice. That's so cool.

"Looks like we're not the last, after all," she says.

I jump when an alarm starts blaring and quickly turn around to see what's going on, dread settling in my stomach.

"A Galra battleship has set its tracker to us!" Alien Weasley exclaims.

"How did they find us?" the princess says, walking back to the console with the mice in her hands.

I turn my phone off and stuff it in my bag as I hurry over too. I squeeze in between Keith and the princess to be able to see the screen.

"I'm not sure, but I bet it's Keith's fault," Lance says accusingly.

"Say whatever you've gotta say to make yourself feel better," he replies calmly. "After getting us stuck on the other side of a wormhole!" the next part isn't as calmly said.

"I'll stick you in a wormhole!"

Oh wow. Amazing comeback.

"Stow it, cadets," Shiro says, pushing Lance away from Keith. "This is no time to place blame." Lance throws his arm up in the air, as if he won the argument. "It's time to work as a team. How long before they arrive?"

"At their speed? Oh, well, carry the two..." Alien Weasley counts on his fingers, muttering under his breath. "I'd say probably a couple of days."

"Good," The princess says, glaring. "Let them come! By the time they get here, you five will have reformed Voltron, and together, we will destroy Zarkon's empire!"

Hunk lets out a loud burp and I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my laugh.

"Sorry. Food goo," he apologizes before his stomach rumbles, probably disapproving the alien gelatin.

"Princess, there are six of these lions. How are we going to find the rest?" Shiro asks.

Good question.

"Follow me," the princess tells us before walking out of the room.

We follow her up the staircase and down a few more halls and up another staircase before we reach a vast room.

"Whoa," I breathe.

The princess goes to stand in the center of the room, on some kind of raised platform. The moment she steps on it, a blue light turns on over her head and doesn't move.

"Um," I say, somewhat awkwardly. "Is she okay?"

"King Alfor connected the lions to Allura's life force," Alien Weasley replies. "She alone is the key to the lions' whereabouts."

The princess opens her eyes and the whole room is flooded with tiny orbs that I believe are stars.

"Whoa!" we all say.

"These are coordinates," Pidge observes. "The Black Lion looks like it's in the same location as the Blue Lion."

I look over to her. She's right. A small, holographic replica of the planet is floating in front of her, the Blue Lion next to it as well as a big, black lion with wings. It's at least twice the size of the Blue Lion and even more impressive.

"Look at your primitive synapses firing away in their little brain cages," Alien Weasley coos.

"Very observant." At least Allura is polite. "That's because the Black Lion is in the castle."

"To keep the Black Lion out of Zarkon's hands, King Alfor locked it in the castle. It can only be freed if the other five lions are present."

Wow. This King Alfor was big on security.

"As you have found, the lions choose their pilots. It is a mystical bond and cannot be forced. The quintessence of the pilot is mirrored in its lion. Together, they form something greater than science can explain."

I nudge Keith. "Magic," I say, making jazz hands.

Allura swipes her hand in the air and the stars and planets move.

"The Black Lion is the decisive head of Voltron. It will take a pilot who is a born leader, and in control at all times, someone whose men will follow without hesitation." A mini hologram of the Black Lion floats to Shiro. "That is why, Shiro, you will pilot the Black Lion."

I shrug. "That's pretty obvious."

Allura swipes her hand in the other direction. "The Green Lion has an inquisitive personality and needs a pilot of intellect and daring." A hologram of the lion floats to Pidge. "Pidge, you will pilot the Green Lion."

I catch her attention and give her a bright smile and two thumbs up.

"The Blue Lion—" Allura starts.

"Hold up, let me guess. Takes the most handsome slash best pilot of the bunch?" Lance asks.

"Or the flirtiest and most self-centered," I whisper to Keith who snorts.

"The Yellow Lion is caring and kind," Allura continues, swiping her hands again. "Its pilot is one who puts the needs of others before his own. His heart must be mighty." Another hologram floats before Hunk. "As a leg of Voltron, you will lift the team up and hold them together."

Hunk looks around and points at himself questioningly.

"The Purple Lion is always ready to defend those close to her heart, whether they be friends, family or innocents. As the torso, the Purple Lion is both the heart and shield of Voltron. Its pilot has to always be willing to take a hit for others without hesitation and has to have great compassion along with courage and determination." My heart beats faster as the hologram of a lilac purple lion floats up to me. "Nova, you will pilot the Purple Lion."

Keith bumps my shoulder and I look at him. He gives me a reassuring smile and I try to mirror it.

"The Red Lion is temperamental and the most difficult to master." A hologram of a red lion appears in Allura's hands. "It's faster and more agile than the others, but also more unstable." She sends it over to Keith. "Its pilot needs to be someone who relies more on instincts than skill alone. Keith, you will pilot the Red Lion." I grab his hand and squeeze it as if to say, I'm here.

"What? This guy?" Lance asks.

"Cram a clam in it, Lance," I tell him.

"Unfortunately, I cannot locate the Red Lion's coordinates yet," Allura admits. "There must be something wrong with the castle. After ten thousand years, it might need some work."

"Don't worry, we'll find it soon," Alien Weasley says. "They don't call me 'The Coranic' for nothing." Blank stares. I can almost hear the crickets chirping. "It's because it sounds like 'mechanic'," he explains. "So... 'Coranic', 'mechanic'. It's not— it doesn't sound... exactly like it. It's similar."

"Alien Weasley," I cut him off before he embarrasses himself further. "The point of a joke is that you don't have to explain it, so..."

I'm interrupted by six roars. I gasp as all of the lions fly together.

"Once all the lions are united, you will form Voltron." I take a step back as a really, really big hologram of the robot I saw in the vision back at the cave takes form. "The most powerful warrior ever known, the Defender of the Universe."

The hologram vanishes and the lights are turned back on, as are the windows, giving us a wonderful view of the hills and ocean beyond and of the fluffy clouds and blue sky above.

"Awesome," Hunk says. "Wait. okay, we're going to be in there and flying lions. Got that part. How do lions turn into legs? Also, is this going to be a long trip? 'Cause I have to pee. Do you people pee?"

"We don't have much time," Shiro announces. "Pidge and I will go after the Green Lion. Lance, you take Hunk and get the yellow one. Keith, you and Nova will go find the purple one." He looks at all of us in turns and puts his hand on Keith's shoulder.

"In the meantime, I'll get this castle's defenses ready," Allura adds. "They'll be sorely needed."

"I'll ready some pods and load the coordinates so that you can reach the Green and Purple Lions," Alien Weasley also adds.