His Beautiful Nightmare 》Voltron [Voltron WA 2017]

Chapter 36

Hunk walked along with Lance.
He willingly carried Piflin on his shoulders.

Who wouldn't anyways? He was a blonde little bundle of joy!
But apparently Lance was too tired to carry the sleeping boy, after chasing him around screaming something about "wedding plans".

"I think I need a space juice or something", Lance moaned.

A red lump on the ground ahead caught Hunk's attention.

What is that?

Lance must've seen it too, because he took off in a halfhearted jog towards it.

Hunk stayed a safe distance behind with Piflin, just in case it was some sort of alien monster.

"What is it?", Hunk asked out worriedly.

Lance knelt down in the blue grass beside it.

Hunk could see him laughing.

"It's just Dropout!", Lance called back after punching Keith in the arm.

Keith sat up and stretched. He must have been asleep.

Hunk didn't blame him, he was tired too.
And hungry...

He carried Piflin over to them, and curiously looked around.

There's something missing....

But I can't think of it.

"Hey", he finally said, "I thought Azalea was hanging out with you today!"

Keith shaded his eyes with a hand and squinted up at Hunk.
"She is, she's right behind-"

Keith stopped when he realized Azalea was nowhere around him.

"Great man, you lost my flower!", Lance accused.

"I didn't lose her, she's just not here!", Keith snapped.

Maybe she took a walk or something?

Hunk felt Piflin stir in his sleep.
Then a small hand touched his cheek.
Hunk looked up.
"What is it, little man?"

Piflin was staring aimlessly at the sky, and when Hunk looked, he saw something peculiar.

"Is that Azalea?", he asked aloud.

The other two looked up.

It was true. They could see the faint outline of Azalea's body high up in the air.

"Dude, I think she fell asleep...", Lance mumbled.

Keith shook his head and used the jets on the back of his uniform to fly up and get her.

When he came back down, Azalea was knocked out in his arms.

But she seemed paler than usual. And her facial features were hardened, as if she were having an unpleasant dream.

"We should take her back to the castle", Hunk suggested. Lance and Keith both nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azalea held Keith's body.

"No- you have to be okay!", she cried, her body shaking.

Keith's eyes flew open, and Azalea was no longer holding Keith.

A lavender-skinned girl with dark purple hair and oversized ears cackled in her arms. Yellow eyes burned into Azalea's.

Azalea dropped the girl and flew backwards.

Who is that??

The purple girl stood up and brushed off her black and red Galra uniform. Then she turned her head to Azalea, and grinned, revealing sharp teeth.

Azalea's question was answered when she saw the black battle mark curling down the girl's left side of her face.

"Hello, Me", Nightmare chuckled darkly.

No... I'm not a monster....

That can't be me.

"Oh, quit being in denial!", Nightmare sneered. She looked every bit like Azalea, just with Galra features instead of human ones.
"You know that you're me. On the inside, really. But you keep listening to that alien boy. What's the use of controlling your emotions, anyways?"

Azalea clenched her jaw.
"If I don't", she said in a low voice, "I might lose myself and become.... You."

Nightmare laughed, "Well, what's wrong with that? You'll finally be accepted back home! All you have to do is lose it. Lose your temper! Let it all go!"

"I have no home!", Azalea spat, getting in her counterpart's face, "And it definitely isn't on one of those godforsaken ships!"

Their noses were almost touching. Nightmare was terrifyingly beautiful, and just plain terrifying, but Azalea didn't let that faze her.

"Can you imagine how proud Father would be if we killed a paladin?!", She said eagerly, her yellow eyes blazing, "We would be the heroes of the empire!"

Nightmare grinned, "And it might save your life..."

Azalea narrowed her eyes, "How?"

"He wants you dead, really. But he's using you instead. Getting into your head. Making you hear things. Push you to your breaking point so you'll be like putty in his hands", Nightmare whispered eerily.

Azalea could feel her blood boiling.
"Who?!", she demanded.

Nightmare cackled.

The same butterfly that Azalea chased into the forest came into view again.

She watched with shock as it transformed into a tall human male, wearing a Galra uniform. A maroon cape fell past his shoulders and sweeped the ground.

He was a handsome young man, really. Light tanned skin and wide black eyes. Neatly cut jet black hair was combed behind his ears. He was tall, and well built, and the way he stood and the grandness of his armor showed that he was of great importance.

He grinned a familiar grin,a wide crooked grin that Azalea wore all the time. But it was different too.

It was purely sadistical.

"Astrid DiNicolo", he chuckled, "Or would you rather go by your pathetic human name, Azalea Korraine?"

Azalea glared at him questioningly, "How do you know my birthname?"

The man took an extravagant bow.
"My name is not so common to you", he said smoothly, "I am specimen number one of the DiNicolo experiment, Haxus's Fury."

He looked up and smirked at her, "But you might know me as-"

"Ferin DiNicolo", Azalea said barely above a whisper.

Her older brother laughed menacingly.