Warning:
Major Character Death
Ships:
None (I'm trying to be more ship inclusive but I just don't know which one to write about.)
(If you have any ship or prompt ideas, let me know in the vote chapter.)
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Teaser for this chapter...
"Stupid plant!" I shout. This plant was making me feel weird. It made me feel like I needed to obey anything. Everything.
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Lance's point of view-
We were going to go to some planet called Ibernus. Allura was briefing us on the planet and its inhabitants. I only heard a little. Something along the lines of, " Plant... Tempting... Touch... Silver."
I climb into Blue and felt comforting waves from her. She must know how I feel right now. I don't feel as happy as usual. I'm nervous. I feel like I'm worthless. Useless. A seventh wheel. Stupid. Blue sends me comforting waves, and the thoughts fade away. Blue glides among the stars and near the other lions. I let Blue do her thing and relax. After all, the Galra were too busy with their weird ass purple ceremony to bother us. Keith was doing the ceremony with the Blade of Marmora.
Then, we arrived. We got out of our lions and stood respectfully as the Ibernians applauded their efforts. There was a beautiful parade with colorful powder being thrown everywhere. Our hair had splashes of colorful dust. The parade ended with the king greeting us.
The king and Allura did some diplomatic talk, something about chereze? I honestly have no clue what that is. Allura said we could explore the planet, and take a break from everything. She also said to remember the warning.
What warning?
When I went to go ask Allura, she went with the king to talk some more.
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I ran through the dense forest. The trees looked like palm trees except they were all sorts of colors. All the people were colorful and pretty. I walked past children dancing and women singing. I followed some strange lines on the ground. Suddenly, I saw a door.
I go through the door of course. Inside, I saw black trees everywhere forming a ring around a silver flower. There was no silver anywhere on the planet. Or black. The door locks behind me.
I step towards the plant. There was an inscription in a foreign language. I scanned it using my suit. Apparently the inscription says chereze. What does that mean?
There was a story too. About a king who wanted all his subjects to obey him (coughZarkoncough). He used his magic to create a silver flower that forced people who see it to obey anything said to them, from wishes to orders. The only way to get rid of the curse is to tell your deepest secrets before the end of the week. If they touched the flower, they were cursed forever. He spread the flowers everywhere until it was contained and destroyed by the Ibernians.
Shit. I saw it. I'm screwed. I began to feel sleepy. There was a mirror nearby. I watched drowsily as my eyes turned a dull silver. A weird drawing of the flower appeared on my hand and silver vines appeared from the flower. I could only stare as they wrapped around my hand.
"Stupid plant!" I shout. This plant was making me feel weird. It made me feel like I needed to obey anything. Everything.
I hate this feeling. I wanted to shout and scream. I wasn't told to though.
Allura asked for us to head back to our lions. I arrive ten minutes late due to how far away the flower was. She yells at me about how I come late. She doesn't notice the vines and my silver eyes.
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We go back to the castle. I notice there are silver words engraved on my other arm. Everyone looks at me.
I turn around and head back to my room. After what seems like a few of hours, Hunk calls me for dinner. I go to the dining room and everyone else talks. I am not ordered to talk. In a conversation, Allura says, " I wish Lance would go and train."
I get up. I leave to go to the training room. Shiro yells out, " Lance! What are you doing?"
I say I am going to train. I can't stop my legs from moving. I try to. I just have to get to the training room.
Shiro asks me to stop. I stop. He looks at me, expecting me to sit down. Tears start forming in my eyes. I want to cover my eyes. I want to run into my room. But all I can do is stand here and wait.
What is he going to say this time? Shiro asks me softly, " Lance, are you okay. Please tell me the truth." Everyone looks at me concerned.
I didn't want to tell him the truth. I didn't want to say I wasn't fine. It slipped out of my mouth though. Everything spilled.
Allura and Shiro ask everyone else to leave. Then, they say something that surprises me.
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...
...
...
"Finally! He took the bait!"
They start cackling like witches. They finally reveal why they are.
Apparently, they wanted me to be under the curse of the flower so I could obey orders. That's why Allura was negotiating with the king. She wanted to expose me to the flower, but the king said no. When she said it was for the sake of the universe, the king finally sided with her. She's the one who made the lines I followed. Shiro is the one who locked the door behind me.
The real Shiro wouldn't do this...
Would he?
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They both give me orders
-No talking back
-No flirting
-No distracting the team
-Train every single day
-Don't interfere with the rest of the team
-Train instead of eating
-Train instead of sleeping
-No telling anyone about the orders
-Distance yourself
-Avoid contact
-When bored, train
-Become the best sharpshooter
-Stop talking
-Address us by Sir and Miss
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I ask them whether I can leave. They say yes.
I go to my room and sob my heart out. This torture continues for weeks and anytime someone makes a demand, I must follow it.
I no longer want to live. To me, life is hollow.
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One day Keith comes back. He joins the others in berating me, making my life a hell.
I want to end it all. Days turn into weeks turn into months turn into years. It's now been a year since the flower. My arms are covered in rude words they have said. Every single day I train. I never eat or sleep.
My life is no longer my own. I can leave it.
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Today, I miss one shot. In a month. The entire team yells at me, then goes somewhere else to rant and complain about me more.
I hide behind a corner, listening to every word as more words appear in silver on my arms.
Finally, I hear what I've been waiting for.
"Lance shouldn't be a paladin, he screwed up."
"Lance should die."
"Lance should be dead."
The words no longer hurt, because they come from my demons. My tormentors.
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I take a gun, not my bayard, and head to a pod. I set a course for a deserted planet. The pod lands and I look around. I wait a few seconds, hoping they might've snapped out of it and are rushing towards me. My feet stand on the dusty planet. I send the pod to go return to the castle.
I stand on the planet and end it all.
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Something in the castle changes. Everyone seems to snap out of a trance. All the paladins get up. They know what they did was wrong. They just didn't care.
Until now.
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Hey folks! Its me!
Feel free to check out LangstAngst, the account me and a bunch of authors are collaborating on.
Also, ideas, prompts, and ships are highly welcomed.
I mean, I think of myself as creative, but I need some help with ideas, so feel free to contribute!
Sayonara,
ElectricBlueMadness