Chapter Eleven

There would be no funeral. There was nothing to bury. An hour after both Lance and Keith died, their bodies disappeared into thin air. But no one was surprised. They had other things to worry about.

Mulder paced. He started pacing when they returned to the suite and he hadn't stopped since. Scully watched him from her spot on the couch. Where he was a nervous bundle of energy, she was the direct opposite, sitting completely still.

"What is it, Mulder?" Scully asked with a sigh. He had that wild look in his eye that she had learned to be wary of.

"I need to do something," he said, his arms waving in the air. "Those alarms have been blaring every hour, now Lance and Keith are gone, and we're just here."

"What can we do? We're out of our element."

He ran a frustrated hand through his already tousled hair. "I know. But I just feel so...so useless."

"It's been a long time since we've sat back and done nothing."

"You have no idea."

"I have a vague one."

He went to stand next to the window-viewscreen, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. She stared at his back, at the wide, muscled shoulders that she knew were at just the right height to lean her head on. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined loving this man. He was obsessive, single-minded, and determined to the point of driving her mad. But she did love him. That was why she had stuck around for so long when most women--most people would have left long ago. She went to him and he turned slightly to put an arm around her.

"What do you think you'll call me after we're married," she asked, wanting to lighten his mood.

"Scully...maybe Mulder," he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his face broke into the most peaceful smile she'd ever seen on him. "Who knows?"

"You would. Think."

He looked thoughtful. "Dana. I'd call you Dana."

She smiled. "Good. So does that mean I can call you Fox?"

He grimaced. "I don't know, Scully. It doesn't so bad when you say it." He brightened. "It'll probably sound better when we're in the middle of you know what." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Before she lost her nerve, she got on her toes and put her lips close to his ear. "Why don't we find out."

He didn't need any more urging.

The clock was ticking.

Allura felt it in her bones, but she forced herself not to delve to deeply into it. She and Nanny were close to achieving a perfect balance with each other. A balance they needed to cast the spell properly. One wrong move and Nanny would be lost in time, and everything they had worked so hard to achieve would be lost.

Murmuring under her breath, she repeated the words that Nanny was saying and what generations of spellcasters before them had said. The air around them was charged with an energy that was palpable, building up until they were both surrounded by yellow light. And when Allura opened her eyes, they glowed whitely, her blue irises invisible. They stood.

"It is time," Nanny said, her voice resonating in Allura's head and echoing around them.

"Yes."

They left the room.

They met at the docking bay. Hunk was preparing a groundcruiser to take them to the stone formation where Mulder and Scully had appeared. Nanny and Allura were already sitting inside. Scully and Mulder entered the bay with Pidge in the lead. They had dressed back in their original clothing. Reluctantly. The jumpsuits had been much more comfortable.

"Are we ready to go, Hunk?" Pidge asked.

"Five more minutes, Little Buddy," Hunk replied, sounding tired.

Hunk and Pidge had reacted calmly to Lance's and Keith's deaths because they knew that it was only temporary. They still looked calm even though the Castle of Lions was beginning to fall around their ears. They were two young men who knew their duty and didn't let their emotions get in their way. Had Allura been more observant, it would have saddened her, because their seriousness was a clear indication that the light from their lives was long gone.

Pidge entered the craft and glanced at Nanny and Allura. They had their eyes closed and there was a halo of light around them. They reminded him of angels, and in a way, they were. They were going to save Arus. They were going to save their lives. Pidge bit his lip. Well, their other lives. He didn't want to think about what would happen when Nanny succeeded. Would he just cease to exist? It was frightening, and the reason why he hadn't been able to sleep since this whole business had started.

Everyone in the groundcruiser was strapped in and ready to go by the time Hunk climbed on board. Mechanically, he started up the engine and readied the cruiser for their departure. Pidge sat next to him, but didn't make a move to help. He was staring out the window, his thoughts a million miles away.

"You alright, Pidge?" Hunk asked even though he knew the answer.

"As fine as I can be, Hunk. Ready?"

"Yeah. We should be there in twenty minutes."

On the armrest, Pidge's hand clenched.

Darkness on Arus fell like a heavy cloak. Much like it was before the Space Explorers had come to revive Voltron. Where crickets used to chirp, there was only the sound of the wind blowing through what little vegetation was left. Where the moon had cast a beautiful silver glow on the lush, rolling hills, it now cast ominous, jagged shadows on the ground. It was chilly, out though it was the end of summer.

Chills were going up and down Scully's spine and she wasn't sure whether it was from the coolness of the air or just the whole feeling she got from the place. Next to her, Mulder was shivering slightly. He was only in his shirt, having left his jacket at the office. But he still put an arm around her, though she was warmer than he was. She put an arm around him, her heart growing heavier with each second that passed. The moon was starting to creep its way across the sky. It wouldn't be long until it was directly overhead the stones and then the spell would be started. The Princess instructed them to stay outside the circle of stones and they were standing on the edges as the spellcasters prepared.

Mulder put both arms around her and held her tightly. Scully rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes. His heartbeat was strong under her cheek and she focused on that one sound, on him. Like Keith and Allura, they would lose everything they had found. But she drew comfort in the fact that they would find it again. As if reading her thoughts, Mulder tipped her chin up with a finger and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too. I always have, Scully...Dana..."

They smiled sad, slow smiles. Next to them, Pidge and Hunk tried not to eavesdrop, but it wasn't easy considering their proximity. So they turned away slightly to give the agents as much privacy as possible.

And the moon rose...

Allura tilted her head up. It was time.

She and Nanny faced each other, their hands linked. Between them was the book of spells Lance had used and the pages were opened to the spell they were now going to cast. Allura focused her energy on the moment and pushed all thoughts other than her present task out of her head.

Quietly, but with growing power, Nanny's voice rose as she chanted. The words were simple but powerful, and the louder she got, the brighter the glow around them became. So bright that the others had to look away. Allura felt the power filling her and she gave it all she had. To find again those they had lost.

With one final burst of brightness and a sound like a clap of thunder, it was over. Allura looked to where Nanny was standing and found that she was gone. She sighed and collapsed in a heap. The agents, Pidge, and Hunk rushed to her side. Scully put two fingers to her neck.

"She's gone..." she said, her lips thinning.

"I hope it worked," Hunk said. "It better have worked."

And then, Mulder began to grow transparent. His eyes shot to Scully and he saw that the same was happening with her. He reached out and she took his hand. They were relieved to find that they could still touch each other.

"Good-bye," Scully said simply.

"So long," Pidge replied.

"Good luck," Hunk added.

Mulder nodded. "You too."

As they began to fade, Mulder pulled Scully into his arms one last time and before they disappeared completely, Hunk and Pidge saw him dip his head and kiss her. Then...they were gone.

Hunk turned to Pidge and his eyes widened when he saw that the same was happening to his friend. By the look on Pidge's face, the same thing was happening to him.

"It better have worked..." Pidge echoed. "I don't want to fade into nothing."

"I'm with you there, Little Buddy. See you on the other side..."