Line #193 Fanfic/VoltronDuality


1	''Voltron: Duality'' is a AlternateUniverseFic of ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender''. The series page can be found [[http://archiveofourown.org/series/572659 here]] on Archive of Our Own.
2
3	This alternate take on the show is built around a few key divergences from canon:
4	* Matt Holt was the one who returned to Earth in the first episode instead of Shiro.
5	* Pidge is nonbinary.
6	* Hunk has GAD and Lance has ADHD, while Pidge and Keith are both Autistic.
7	* Keith is a full-blooded Galra, as opposed to only being a HalfHumanHybrid as he is on the show, and as such, was raised among the Galra empire, meaning he and Lance do not have the shared rivalry at the beginning.
8	* Shiro traded service to Zarkon's army in exchange for his release from the Arena, and he and Keith work to undermine the empire's expansion.
9	* While Season 3 of the show establishes that Zarkon and Alfor were the first generation of Paladins, here Voltron and its Paladins have existed since the time of Allura's grandmother, and Alfor himself was never a Paladin.
10
11	From there, the story explores the Butterfly Effect of how these changes affect the story, providing a DarkerAndEdgier take on the fight against Zarkon that fleshes out several of the characters who have not had much screen time in the series.
12
13	The stories included in the series thus far include:
14	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/7638178/chapters/17390476 Another Word For Never]]: The first "season" of this alternate universe.
15	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/8465635 Mama Holt's Army]]: A side story focusing on the efforts of Pidge's mom, Shiro's brother, Hunk's uncle, and Lance's cousin to uncover the truth about what happened to their loved ones that serves to set up their roles in the second "season".
16	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/8811013 Someplace Like Home]]: The second "season", focusing on the team as they adjust to [[spoiler:having multiple people chosen as Paladins at the same time]].
17	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9301925 One Week to Say Goodbye]]: A flashback piece focusing on Coran's thoughts and emotions in the wake of Zarkon's betrayal before he joins Allura in cryosleep.
18	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9640166 Twenty-five Days]]: A one-shot focusing on Val's mother's tense relationship with Karen Holt.
19	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/10807746 Finding Family]]: A series of side scenes that don't fit in the main stories.
20	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/11106234 Stars Burn Out]]: An ElsewhereFic depicting how [[spoiler:Nyma and Val got from Earth to the Castle of Lions]].
21	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/11593965 Something From Nothing]]: A backstory episode for Rolo and Beezer.
22	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/11632725 Kiss, Fake it Better]]: Another backstory fic focused on [[spoiler:Meri's time on Earth babysitting Lance and preparing him for the possibility of becoming the Blue Paladin one day]].
23	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/12130050 Dungeons And Dwarf Stars]]: An ongoing CurtainFic in which Team Voltron sits down to play a game of ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}''.
24	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/12231306 Shadows of Stars]]: The third "season", focusing on [[spoiler:the aftermath of the Paladins' return to Earth, the Paladins' families becoming more involved in the war, and the team splitting up to accomplish separate goals]].
25	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/13346361 Blue Arrow]]: A comedic one-shot elaborating on a NoodleIncident from ''Shadows of Stars''.
26	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/13632960 Paths May Cross]]: A side fic set during Chapters 15 and 16 of ''Shadows of Stars''.
27	* [[https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/14177883 Star Wars was Right About Spice]]: Hunk accidentally feeds Keith the Galran equivalent of catnip. HilarityEnsues.
28	* [[https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/14235495/chapters/32823438 Fight the Universe]]: A series of one-shot [[HurtComfortFic Hurt/Comfort Fics]] set during ''Shadows of Stars''.
29	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14812556/chapters/34274636 Schrodinger's Happy Endings]]: A series of One-Shot fics set in a happy time after the war that are and aren't Duality Canon. Ongoing as of May 30th, 2019.
30	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14908130 Rowan]] A backstory fic that shows the events of the second half of ''Someplace Like Home'' from Wyn's perspective.
31	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15627765/chapters/36286416 Akira Shirogane and the Accidental Interdimensional Road Trip]] Akira accidentally becomes a DimensionalTraveler.
32	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15698712/chapters/36483450 Bad Things Happen]]: Another series of one-shot [[HurtComfortFic Hurt/Comfort Fics]], but these contain more angst. Ongoing as of May 30th, 2019.
33	* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18701059/chapters/44352637 Beyond the Breaking]]: The fourth "season", at 39 chapters and complete as of February 13th, 2020.
34	----
35	!! Tropes included in these fics:
36	* AdaptationExpansion: These fanfics expand on many things not covered in the show (at the time of being posted), such as the history of Altea, the minutia of Zarkon's army, and what's happening back on Earth while the Paladins are in space.
37	** In addition, Thace's role as a spy in Zarkon's ranks is given more focus than in the show, providing us with more backstory, including the fact that [[spoiler:he's Keith's uncle]].
38	** Earth plays a more significant role in the story than in canon.
39	** ''Shadows of Stars'' provides a great deal of background on the history and culture of Olkarion.
40	* AdaptationOriginConnection: [[spoiler:Thace is Keith's uncle.]]
41	* AdaptationalIntelligence: While on the show the lions' level of sentience is unclear, in this universe they're fully sentient.
42	* AlienSky: Because of the destruction brought about by an enemy attack that pulled planet Daibazaal out of its natural orbit, sunlight is so dim that it doesn't seem natural and debris orbiting the planet causes lights in the night sky that are too big to be stars and too small to be moons.
43	* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Coran had an unrequited crush on Alfor in their younger days.
44	* AmbiguouslyGay: ''One Week to Say Goodbye'' reveals that Coran had an unrequited crush on King Alfor, but it's unclear whether or not he's exclusively attracted to men.
45	* AmbiguousSyntax: Thace and Nadezda talk about Keith's dead mother without ever specifically mentioning using death-related words. [[spoiler:It turns out her death was faked when her cover was blown.]]
46	* AnArmAndALeg: Besides the canonical loss of his right arm, Shiro loses his Galra arm in ''Someplace Like Home'' when [[spoiler:Matt cuts it off in order to break Haggar's hold over him]].
47	* AngerBornOfWorry: Karen Holt is furious at the fact that her children are fighting in an intergalactic war, particularly Pidge, but it's because she's terrified for their safety.
48	* ArcVillain:
49	** Commander Orgul serves as the main villain of Shiro and Keith's storyline in ''Another Word for Never''.
50	** Commander Vanda and [[spoiler:the Galaxy Garrison]] in ''Someplace Like Home''.
51	* ArtificialLimbs: [[spoiler:Aside from the robot arm Haggar gave him, Shiro gets a second one in ''Someplace Like Home'', built by Matt. Unlike his first one, this one doesn't come equipped with a weapon and isn't surgically grafted onto his body.]]
52	* AscendedExtra:
53	** Nyma, Shay, and Ryner end up joining the team full time.
54	** Rolo, Thace, and Pidge and Matt's mother (named Karen Holt here) also feature as important characters.
55	** Allura's mother is also the previous Blue Paladin.
56	* BadassAndChildDuo: Lance and [[spoiler:the Altean child he rescues from Haggar's flagship in ''Someplace Like Home'']].
57	* BadassInDistress:
58	** [[spoiler:Shiro is captured by Haggar halfway through ''Someplace Like Home'', and Allura is captured when they try to rescue him.]]
59	** [[spoiler:Rolo is captured in the last half of ''Someplace Like Home'' and is being taken to one of the labs for Project: Robeast.]]
60	* BeAllMySinsRemembered: Shiro has a habit of blaming himself for the things he did to maintain his cover in ''Another Word for Never'', [[spoiler:even more so while he and Allura are under Haggar's control in ''Someplace Like Home'']].
61	* BetaCouple: Nyma and [[spoiler:Val]]. Also, Allura and [[spoiler:Meri]].
62	* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: The reason Keith is willing to commit treason and help Shiro is because Shiro's compassion and refusal to kill when he can get away with it spits in the face of the Galra ideals and yet he continues to beat everyone who fights him in the arena.
63	* BelligerentSexualTension: Keith and Lance combine this with regular UST.
64	* BigBadDuumvirate: Zarkon and Haggar, with Haggar being the most direct threat Team Voltron faces on a semi-regular basis, while Zarkon serves as a GreaterScopeVillain.
65	* TheBigDamnKiss: Shiro and Matt's reunion on Berlou in ''Another Word for Never''.
66	** Keith and Lance in ''Shadows of Stars'' before leaving for Daibazaal.
67	* BizarreAlienBiology: Alcohol is poisonous to every species in the universe ''except'' for humans.
68	* BrainwashedAndCrazy:
69	** [[spoiler:Shiro and Allura midway through ''Someplace Like Home''.]]
70	** [[spoiler:Sam Holt in the final arc of ''Shadows of Stars'' as the Dark Green Paladin.]]
71	* BreatherEpisode: Many of the side stories serve this purpose to distract from the drama of the main narrative. ''Dungeons and Dwarf Stars'', ''Blue Arrow'', and ''Star Wars Was Right About Spice'' are the most noteworthy examples.
72	* BrokenPedestal: Allura's faith in her parents is shaken in ''Shadows of Stars'' Chapter 29, when she learns of the role her father played in driving Zarkon down the path to conquest.
73	* CastHerd: Because of the larger than canon ensemble cast, the characters are broken up as follows:
74	** Allura, Coran, and the Paladins.
75	*** Shiro and Keith are their own separate group in the first "season" before being folded into Team Voltron in the final chapters.
76	** The Paladins' family members back on Earth.
77	** The Galra refugees liberated from the work camps of Revinor.
78	** Resistance fighters such as Thace, Rolo, and Nyma.
79	* CatapultNightmare: Matt has one in ''Another Word for Never'' after a dream about what Shiro's going through.
80	* CerebusRetcon: [[spoiler:The Galaxy Garrison already knew about the Galra, and had offered up the Kerberos crew as a sacrifice.]]
81	* ChekHovsGun:
82	** Project Balmera is only mentioned in passing in ''Another Word for Never'' before becoming a major subplot in ''Someplace Like Home''
83	** New Altea is mentioned throughout the first two stories, and finally appears in ''Shadows of Stars''.
84	** In ''Shadows of Stars'', [[spoiler:Keith's mother gives him a secret mission that the audience thus far is not privy to. The only things known are that hearing the details sends Matt into TranquilFury, and the idea that his mother thinks he can do it causes Keith to question whether or not he's a good person]]. Finally fired in Chapter 15, where the audience learns that Keith's mission [[spoiler:is to lead a team of Accords agents to the Galra homeworld and incite a rebellion against Zarkon with the intended goal of the Accords installing him as emperor]].
85	** When the Empire's knowledge of their battle plans on Olkarion indicates that there is a spy board their ship, Shiro brings up the possibility that [[spoiler:Haggar is watching through Wyn in a manner similar to how she tracked the team through his arm back in ''Someplace Like Home'']].
86	* ChekhovsGunman:
87	** Nyma gets an expanded role in the second season after a brief appearance for her canon theft of the Blue Lion.
88	** [[spoiler:Wyn, the Altean child thrown into the arena with Shiro during his time in captivity and was presumed to have been executed when Shiro refused to fight him, turns up alive as one of Haggar's test subjects for Project Robeast.]]
89	** Commander Iverson has a more direct role in the plot after the end of the first story.
90	** Vit, one of Keith's classmates during training, returns in the third act of ''Shadows of Stars'' after [[spoiler:Keith, Lance, and Thace return to Daibazaal following Hunk and Shay's Unity]].
91	* ChekhovMIA:
92	** [[spoiler:Keith's not-really-deceased mother Keena returns.]]
93	** Sam Holt has been missing since being taken by the Galra, [[spoiler:and then he appears as Rolo's cellmate in the Project Robeast labs in the final chapter of ''Someplace Like Home''. ''Shadows of Stars'' gives him several scenes focusing on his efforts to sabotage the labs and free the other prisoners]].
94	* ChildSoldiers: A consequence of the Galra empire spreading across the universe is that few children have the luxury of ''not'' fighting.
95	** While the Paladins' ages are never addressed in the actual show, here, the fact that Shiro and Matt are the only adult humans in the group [[spoiler:until Val becomes a Paladin]], is a source of tension with everyone's families back on Earth in ''Shadows of Stars''.
96	** Pidge is the biggest example of this trope among all the human paladins, because while Lance and Hunk both turn 18 over the course of the first three seasons, Pidge is still 14 in "Shadows of Stars".
97	** Keith is another big example, as he tells Lance the children of Galra officers like himself and Zuza start training at the age of 8.
98	** There's also Jeya, a rebel fighter whose parents died when she was younger, leaving her in the rebellion alone.
99	* TheChosenMany: [[spoiler:At the climax of ''Another Word for Never'', the Lions start picking up multiple Paladins. ''Someplace Like Home'' reveals that this is because no single Paladin is physically capable of taking their lion to its full potential on their own, so the lions have decided on multiple paladins as a way to maximize Voltron's power.]]
100	* CynicismCatalyst: The rest of her crew dying in a SenselessSacrifice is the reason Nyma is so bitter and cynical.
101	* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: Keith's dad died shortly before he first met Shiro. [[spoiler:His mom faked her death and fled to New Altea when her cover was blown.]]
102	* DarkerAndEdgier: While the fics still maintain the comedic elements of the show, the dramatic moments of the Duality verse are much more intense, and the action sequences more violent, than in canon, with several chapters focused on the human characters dealing with the fact that they've still technically kids thrown into a war and the fact that they're going to have to take lives to win.
103	* ADayInTheLimelight: Ryner gets significantly more focus during the Olkarion arc compared to her earlier role.
104	* DecisiveBattle: So far, each "season" has ended with one.
105	** ''Another Word for Never'' has the Battle of Beroul, where Voltron makes its official debut in the war against the Galra and [[spoiler:turns a doomed last stand into an outright victory for resistance forces]].
106	** ''Someplace Like Home'' ends with a climactic battle to defend Earth against Zarkon's main fleet, [[spoiler:completely destroying everything related to Project Balmera]].
107	* DrivenToVillainy: ''Shadows of Stars"''Chapter 29 reveals that [[spoiler:Zarkon, his Princes, and the Galra Empire as a whole started out as this. After a [[EldritchAbomination Vkullor]] attack devastated Daibazaal, the Galra were facing extinction, as their planet could no longer sustain the population. With King Alfor being an ObstructiveBureaucrat and repeatedly blocking their attempts to colonize uninhabited worlds, they were left with no other way to preserve their species but conquest]].
108	* DefrostingIceQueen: Nyma begins to lose her cynicism after [[spoiler:she becomes a Blue Paladin]].
109	* EndangeredSpecies: The Balmera are dying off one by one from Zarkon's constant mining efforts.
110	* FacialHorror: [[spoiler:Matt develops crystal scars on his face after he's blasted with Quintessence by a brainwashed Shiro in ''Someplace Like Home''.]]
111	* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Keith's mother is still alive as the leader of The Accords.]]
112	* FightingYourFriend:
113	** [[spoiler:The team is forced to fight a mind-controlled Shiro a total of three times in the first two stories, along with Allura twice.]]
114	** In ''Shadows of Stars'', [[spoiler:Sam discovers that he, Rolo, and Rax are slated to be turned into Robeasts for this exact purpose]].
115	* FromBadToWorse: [[spoiler:The team rushes in with guns blazing to rescue Shiro in ''Someplace Like Home''. The mission ends with Allura captured and brainwashed as well, along with Keith and Matt in critical condition.]]
116	* GargleBlaster: Anything with alcohol is considered this by the rest of the universe, as the ingredients are toxic to seemingly every species ''except'' humans.
117	* GemTissue: The test subjects of Project Balmera start growing crystals on their insides like Balmeras. Keeping the crystal growth in check requires specialized healing from Balmerans like Shay. [[spoiler:Matt Holt]] and [[spoiler:Lance's cousin Val]] are both victims of these experiments.
118	* GenerationXerox: Played for drama in Chapter 15 of ''Shadows of Stars'', where Keith notes that despite his career as a Paladin and his obvious distaste for the Galran military, [[spoiler:his mother still sees him as a Galra Prince like his father]].
119	* GirlsNightOutEpisode: ''Blue Arrow'' is about [[spoiler:Meri]]'s first time going out for a Girl's Night Out with [[spoiler:Rosario]]. Little do either of them know that [[spoiler:alcohol is toxic to aliens]].
120	* AGlassInTheHand: Shay crushes a juice pouch when Val describes the purpose of Project Balmera in Chapter 25 of ''Someplace Like Home''.
121	-->'''Shay:''' [[TranquilFury No. I will not let them do to your people what they have done to mine.]] [[BewareTheNiceOnes We are going to stop this. Today.]]
122	* GreaterScopeVillain: Zarkon is this, having only fought the Paladins once at the conclusion of ''Someplace Like Home'' while Haggar serves as a more direct antagonist.
123	* GroundhogDayLoop: [[spoiler:Oriande experiences the same day over and over again. However, unlike most examples, everyone remembers what happened in previous loops.]]
124	* HandicappedBadass: Matt becomes one once [[spoiler:the crystals start growing inside him]].
125	* HeKnowsTooMuch: In Chapter 26 of ''Someplace Like Home'', [[spoiler:Iverson finally decides to send a hit squad after Karen Holt, Eli Kahale, and Akira Shirogane when they finally become too big of a thorn in his side for him to handle without risk of Galra intervention]].
126	* HighOnCatnip: Happens to Keith in ''Star Wars was Right About Spice'' when Hunk accidentally cooks dinner with an ingredient that has the same effect on Galra that Catnip has on Earth cats. Because of their psychic link, Matt and the Red Lion fall victim to it as well.
127	* HollywoodAutism: Averted as the author is autistic.
128	* HumansAreSpecial: [[spoiler:PlayedForDrama, as the very thing that makes humans special, their ability to produce significantly more Quintessence than they need to survive, is the reason the Galra Empire wants to turn Earth into a {{People Farm\|s}}.]]
129	* HumanPopsicle: [[spoiler:Meri takes a cyropod from Altea as she leaves, stores it in the Blue Lion's cockpit, and puts herself in it after she lands on Earth. She reamins in cyrosleep for the vast majority of 10,000 years, only waking up for good 12-13 years before canon when Blue finds her new Paladin.]]
130	* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Keith runs Sendak through with his mother's sword in ''Another Word for Never''.]]
131	* InterGenerationalFriendship:
132	** Coran forms one with [[spoiler:the Galra refugees from Revinor]]. He also develops one with [[spoiler:Wyn, the young Altean child Lance rescues from Haggar's clutches]].
133	** ''Kiss, Fake it Better'' gives us one between Lance's mother Rosario and [[spoiler:Meri, the previous Blue Paladin]].
134	** One also forms between Pidge's mother, Hunk's uncle, Shiro's brother, and Lance's cousin.
135	* InvoluntaryGroupSplit: Unlike the show, it's Hunk and Coran trapped on the Castle of Lions when Sendak attacks instead of Pidge, Shiro, and Lance.
136	** Happens again on Vel-17, with Allura, Matt, and Lance teleported to parts unknown.
137	* KilledOffForReal:
138	** [[spoiler:Sendak is killed off midway through ''Another Word for Never''.]]
139	** [[spoiler:Commander Iverson dies in Chapter 27 of ''Someplace Like Home''.]]
140	** [[spoiler:Mir, Shay's grandmother, is KilledOffscreen in Chapter 19 of ''Shadows of Stars''.]]
141	** [[spoiler:Ryner is killed in Chapter 45 of ''Shadows of Stars''.]]
142	* LaResistance: The Accords.
143	* LesCollaborateurs: [[spoiler:Iverson and most of the senior officers of Galaxy Garrison are willingly collaberating with the Galra in Project Balmera.]]
144	* LetsSplitUpGang: In Chapter 15 of ''Shadows of Stars'', the party splits up to accomplish multiple goals:
145	** Matt, Allura, and Val travel in search of a Pygnar Master who can teach them how to use Altean magic (important for Matt and Val as a way for them to release the extra Quintessence in their bodies and keep their crystal growths in check).
146	** Keith, Lance, and Thace travel to the Galran homeworld of Daibazaal in order to kick start a revolution among the local populace.
147	** Meri uses her shapeshifting to infiltrate the Galra Empire's central command and gather intel alongside Nadezda.
148	** The rest of Team Voltron stays on the Castle of Lions to build up the Coalition.
149	* LivingBattery: Project Balmera [[spoiler:is an attempt to harvest humans and turn them into organic crystal production facilities to provide easier access to fuel for the empire. Matt was their first human test subject]].
150	* LockedIntoStrangeness: Besides Shiro's skunk stripe, Matt [[spoiler:ends up with crystaline scars on the side of his face and one of his eyes turns electric blue]].
151	* ManchurianAgent: [[spoiler:Shiro's arm has a function that allows Haggar to control him directly. She uses it once in the battle of Berlou in ''Another Word for Never'' and fails. Then she does it successfully for a large portion of ''Someplace Like Home''.]]
152	* TheMedic: Shay fills this role once she joins Team Voltron full-time.
153	* TheMole: Despite pledging allegiance to Zarkon's army, Shiro does what he can to undermine the Galran war machine with Keith's help.
154	* MoleInCharge: Nadezda is an agent of The Accords undercover as head of the Galra Empire's StateSec
155	* NamedByTheAdaptation: Several of the Paladins' family members who were unnamed as of Voltron Season 1, as the author started the series after Season 1 came out but before Season 2 came out, were given names and personalities in the Duality universe.
156	** Lance's mother, Rosario
157	** Lance's siblings, Matteo and Luz
158	** Lance's cousin, Val
159	** Hunk's mothers, Akani and Lana
160	** Shay's grandmother, Mir
161	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:The team's attempt to rescue Shiro from Haggar in ''Someplace Like Home'' results in Allura getting captured, Keith and Lance in critical condition, and the Black Lion captured by Zarkon.]]
162	** Happens again in ''Shadows of Stars'': [[spoiler:After receiving a warning that an invasion of New Altea is underway, Team Voltron travels by wormhole directly to New Altea, destroying the defensive zone that kept it hidden from the Galra empire, and paving the way for the real invasion to begin.]]
163	* NonIndicativeName: Zarkon's princes. Since he's 10,000 years old, Zarkon never had an biological children (unlike the actual show). His inner circle have taken to calling themselves his Princes because he can't be everywhere at once, and so are the closest things the Empire has to actual heirs. As TheDragon, Haggar holds the most senior position, with the remaining Princes scheming and backstabbing for dominance.
164	* NonhumanHumanoidHybrid: Rolo is half-Galra.
165	* OfficialCouple: While the fics don't place much focus on romance, the story and tags make it clear that Shiro and Matt are one, along with Keith and Lance, and Hunk and Shay.
166	* OocIsSeriousBusiness: Coran is absolutely terrified when he learns that there was [[spoiler:a viable Vkullor egg buried beneath Earth's surface]].
167	* OperationBlank: Project Robeast, Project CORE, and Project Balmera.
168	* OriginalCharacter: Quite a few.
169	** Shiro's twin brother Akira.
170	** Hunk's uncle Eli.
171	** Lance's cousin Val.
172	** Commander Anamuri, leader of the Kera Sector Rebellion.
173	** Jeya, one of the younger members of the Kera Rebellion.
174	** Meri, a close friend of Allura's who became the Blue Paladin temporarily after the death of Allura's mother [[spoiler:and has been living in hiding as Lance's babysitter and CoolAunt]].
175	** Nadezda, an agent of The Accords and Thace's friend.
176	* ParentalAbandonment: [[spoiler:When her cover as a spy for the Accords was blown, Keith's mom left him with his father, a die-hard Zarkon loyalist, faked her death, and fled to New Altea.]]
177	* ParentalSubstitute: Even before her parents' deaths, Coran was like a third parent to Allura.
178	* PartyScattering: The ambush on Vel-17 results in Lance, Allura, and Matt being wormholed across the galaxy, with no way to contact the others, or for the others to know if they're still alive. [[spoiler:They reunite at the battle of Berlou at the end of the first fic.]]
179	* PeopleFarms: [[spoiler:What the Galra empire ultimately plans for Earth.]]
180	* PlayingWithFire: [[spoiler:Matt's newfound ability to manipulate Quintessence manifests as fire powers.]]
181	* PostPeakOil: A sci-fi version. Balmerans across the universe have become an endangered species thanks to Galra mining efforts, and Zarkon needs to find a new source of crystals to keep his war machine going. [[spoiler:Project Balmera is an attempt to remedy this by harvesting humans as living crystal farms.]]
182	* PoweredByAForsakenChild:
183	** [[spoiler:The crystals created by Project Balmera are grown and harvested from unwilling human hosts.]]
184	** [[spoiler:An integral part of robeasts are aliens and humans, forced to fight as war machines.]]
185	* ProperlyParanoid: [[spoiler:The people of New Altea are hesitant to get directly involved in the war, but they have valid arguments for their position.]]
186	* PsychicDreamsForEveryone: Matt has a dream about Shiro's ordeals, as mentioned above under CatapultNightmare.
187	* PsychicLink: The lions can form one with their Paladins, and all the Paladins can form one with each other as part of Voltron.
188	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld:
189	** Allura is about 150 years old.
190	** Meri, the previous blue Paladin, was 140 when Altea fell. [[spoiler:Now she's 2-3 years older than Allura after the time she's spent on Earth, becoming part of Lance's family and infiltrating the Garrison.]]
191	* RelationshipUpgrade:
192	** [[spoiler:Matt and Shiro in the climax of ''Another Word for Never''.]]
193	** [[spoiler:Keith and Lance in Chapter 15 of ''Shadows of Stars''.]]
194	* RelatedInTheAdaptation: Both inverted and played straight in the same example. Lotor is referenced as a PosthumousCharacter and one of Zarkon's original lieutenants, rather than his still-living son like in the show the fic is based on. However, it's implied in ''Another Word For Never'' that Keith is Lotor's descendant, whereas the two are unrelated in the show.
195	* RescueRomance: [[spoiler:Nyma and Val hook up a few days after the latter is rescued from Commander Vanda's prison ship.]]
196	* TheReveal:
197	** [[spoiler:The Galra have been to Earth before the abduction of the Kerberos crew.]]
198	** [[spoiler:Haggar's override and tracking functions in Shiro's arm aren't physical chips, because the arm itself is an ad hoc Bayard.]]
199	** [[spoiler:Matt's arrival on Earth at the beginning of the fic wasn't because he escaped. The Galaxy Garrison was willingly collaborating with the Galra, and they needed to extract the crystals growing inside him for Project: Balmera.]]
200	** [[spoiler:Keith's mother is alive and serving as the leader of The Accords.]]
201	** The mission Keith was given by [[spoiler:his mother? overthrow Zarkon and become emperor]].
202	** [[spoiler:Keturah is alive, and she is Haggar.]]
203	* ReviveKillsZombie: [[spoiler:The crystals growing inside Matt grow when exposed to the Quintessance of the Castle's healing pods.]]
204	* SensoryOverload: Keith undergoes this in the first chapter of "Fight the Universe." Luckily, Akira is there to help him.
205	* ShaggyDogStory: Shiro and Keith's efforts to sabotage and undermine the Galra invasion of Yaltin end in vain when Zarkon grows frustrated with the drain on the empire's resources and sends Haggar to [[WorldWreckingWave harvest the Quintessance of the planet, killing every living thing on the surface]].
206	* SheCleansUpNicely: Genderbent example. In Chapter 19 of ''Shadows of Stars'', Shiro and Hunk are decked out in Altean suits for the first part of the chapter.
207	* ShellShockedVeteran: Shiro and Matt both have PTSD from their time in captivity. [[spoiler:The Red and Black lions have this as well.]]
208	* ShoutOut:
209	** In ''Kiss, Fake it Better'', [[spoiler:Meri]] learns English by watching ''Film/IntoTheWoods''.
210	** Nyma and Val watch WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast in ''Shadows of Stars'' Chapter 8.
211	* SimultaneousArcs: ''Mama Holt's Army'' takes place concurrently with the events of ''Another World For Never''.
212	* SlumberParty: When Altean training proves to be ineffective at team bonding with the Paladins as stressed as they are, Pidge and Matt talk Allura into doing a group slumber party in the castle lounge as an alternative, and it works far better than Altean training does.
213	* SplitPersonality: [[spoiler:In ''Rowan'', Wyn is revealed to have Dissociative Identity Disorder. His other personalities, Rowan, Eran, and Wyrda, have been around since Wyn's childhood on New Altea. A new one, Leth, appeared when Wyn was being experimented on by Haggar. Rowan acts as a [[BigBrotherInstinct protective sibling]] towards the Wyn while acting as a mediator between the others.]]
214	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Keith and Lance in the first half of ''Someplace Like Home'', before they evolve into VitriolicBestBuds [[spoiler:and then an OfficialCouple]].
215	* TheStationsOfTheCanon: ''Another Word for Never'' covers the dramatic crash on Earth (albeit with Matt rather than Shiro), the hunt for the lions, the training excerises, fighting the Robeast to protect the Arusian village, Sendak capturing the castle of lions, liberating the Balmera, and Nyma stealing the Blue Lion. However, because of the WhatIf nature of the fic, several of these events are combined and overlapped to show the divergences from canon:
216	** Keith's shack on Earth doesn't exist in this fic, so Lance and Hunk find the Blue Lion on their own while exploring the caves after rescuing Matt from the Garrison.
217	** The first robeast attack happens in the middle of the training exercises.
218	** Coran is the one captured by Sendak instead of Lance, and Hunk is the only one on the inside instead of Pidge. Since everyone else is out of the castle at the time, the Balmera visitdoesn't happen until after Sendak is defeated.
219	** The two visits to Shay's Balmera are condensed into a single event.
220	* ThirdLineSomeWaiting: With [[spoiler:Shiro and Keith now permanent members of Team Voltron]], ''Someplace Like Home'' adds two new plotlines: one detailing what the human paladins' family members are doing back on Earth, and another focusing on Thace's missions for The Accords.
221	* TimeSkip:
222	** Shadows of Stars picks up a few weeks after the end of ''Someplace Like Home''.
223	** Chapter 16 of ''Shadows of Stars'' takes place six months after the end of Chapter 15, with ''Paths May Cross'' detailing the important events that happen during that time.
224	* TitleDrop:
225	** "Someday's just another word for never."
226	* TwoAliasesOneCharacter: The Spymaster, the leader of the Accords [[spoiler:is Keith's mother, Keena]].
227	* TwoLinesNoWaiting: ''Another Word for Never'' has one story-line focused on the new Paladins in the beginning of their fight against the Galra, and another focused on Shiro and Keith trying to sabotage the imperial war machine from within. The two plot-lines intersect when Sendak captures the Castle of Lions [[spoiler:and again at the climax on Berlou when Shiro and Keith deliberately request Voltron's aid in fighting back against the Galra]].
228	* VicariouslyAmbitious: Debatable, but an argument can be made that [[spoiler:Keith's mother is this, considering her big plan in ''Shadows of Stars'' is to install her son as emperor]].
229	* VitriolicBestBuds: Lance and Keith, once they get past their initial hostility.
230	* WarIsHell: Even without Shiro and Keith's chapters in ''Another Word for Never'' giving readers a look at the front lines of Zarkon's conquests, this verse takes a much grittier look at what the war against the Galra entails.
231	* WartimeWedding: [[spoiler:Hunk and Shay declare Unity in ''Shadows of Stars'', which, while not exact, is the closest analog to marriage in Balmeran culture.]]
232	* WellIntentionedExtremist: Commander Iverson is doing what he feels is necessary to defend Earth. [[spoiler:This includes offering up Shiro and the Holt men as sacrifices to Zarkon and covertly disappearing people in order to provide Commander Vanda with lab rats for Project Balmera.]]
233	* WhamLine:
234	-->"System X-9-Y was indicated as the base of operations for Project Balmera". [[note]] The designation used by the Galra to refer to Earth's solar system in the series. [[/note]]
235	-->'''Naomi:'''"Get your [[HumanDisguise Quiznaking]] hands off of her!" [[note]] Naomi's use of an alien curse word is quickly followed by the reveal that Akira's enigmatic ally was secretly an Altean in hiding on Earth, and that her name is Meri. [[/note]]
236	* WhatMeasureIsAMook: Subverted. Shiro and Keith have a lot of angst over all the Galra soldiers they kill in ''Another Word For Never'', and Lance starts to do it as well in ''Someplace Like Home'' as he gets used to Keith being on the team.
237	* WishfulProjection: Played for Drama. Lance spends the final chapters of ''Another Word for Never'' and the first arc of ''Someplace Like Home'' viewing Keith as a spy waiting to stab them in the back when it's convenient for them. He does this because acknowledging that Keith pulled a genuine HeelFaceTurn causes him to start angsting over all the nameless Galra mooks he's killed since becoming a Paladin [[WhatMeasureIsAMook that might have defected like Keith if given the chance]].
238	* WorldBuilding: A highlight of the series.
239	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre:
240	** Val gives this to Nyma in Chapter 4 of ''Stars Burn Out''
241	** Shiro and Nyma have this conversation in ''Shadows of Stars'' Chapter 3.

Context Fanfic / VoltronDuality