Birthright: Chapter 19 Birthright: Chapter 20
Birthright Chapter 20 - Epilogue
Keith played with the medallion that was hanging from his neck as he
stared out over the country-side, the sun setting in the distance. He
breathed in deeply as he leaned over the rail of the balcony, taking in the
scenery as Vallis' two moons rose in the distance. He then looked down at
himself, dressed in the royal attire that was part of his family. A dark
sapphire blue uniform, adorned with gold piping that accented the heavy
lines that made the attire seem more regal. He was never used to wearing
anything as formal save for the dress uniforms of the Galaxy Alliance, and
even then, he only wore them once a year.
The only difference between this attire and that of the Galaxy
Alliance were the two slits that were made on the back, hidden by a small
piece of material that would give way when his new attributes were meant to
be used. He was still not used to that part of that yet.
"And before the ceremony tomorrow, please be sure that the villagers
have access to their share of the food in the storage units we've brought to
the surface."
Keith turned around seeing that his mother was giving out last minute
details for the coronation ceremony that was to be held for the people. They
were finally going to get their rightful ruler. She smiled as she met his
gaze, dismissing the porters and slowly approached him.
"You've found one of my secret thinking spots," she commented. "I used
to spend many an hour here, just thinking."
"It was the most private place I could find, away from the
preparations," he said as he turned back to the scenery before him. "Now,
this is something I could get used to."
"I don't miss the landscape that Earth held," she said as she came to
stand next to him. "I prefer seeing my skies, instead of one filled with
tall buildings."
He smiled as he nodded. "These landscapes are growing on me," he
stated. He then turned to her. "Did you ever regret..."
She held her hand up to him as she let out a sigh.
"Whatever decisions I made, I made them in good faith, Keith," she
said. "I know that you might not agree with most of that I made, but I had
to take your welfare into consideration. You were safer to be on Earth."
He nodded. "And when you had Anala?"
"She was the last gift that your father gave to me," she said. "As
much as I wanted to go back, to take you back, I knew that it would be
impossible. You were already in good hands. I followed you through the
years, and it made me proud to know how well you did, and how far you have
come."
He nodded. "At least I know that I have a family now," he said as he
turned to her.
She nodded as she walked up to him, taking his hands into her own.
"You always had one, Keith," she said. She then took him into a tight hug,
and before releasing him, she patted him on his back. She then stepped away
from him.
"And since I am very busy, I must get back to the preparations," she
said. "Are you going to be alright?"
He nodded. "I'm just going to be out here a bit longer," he said.
"Still need to clear my head."
She nodded as her gaze then shifted to the dark figure that was slowly
heading their way. She smiled to herself, seeing that he hadn't noticed.
"Then I will leave you to your thoughts," she said. "See you at
dinner?"
"I'll be there."
She said her farewell before leaving.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."
Keith turned around, and smile danced upon his features as Allura
walked toward him.
"No, you weren't intruding," he stated as she came toward him. "I was
wondering what you were up to."
"Well, we've been her nearly 2 weeks, helping your mother," she said
with a smile. "I had to give Coran and up to date status report. He was
concerned over our welfare. He also wishes to express his congratulations
for freeing Vallis as well."
He smiled. "Remind me to thank him when I see him again," he stated.
She slowly nodded and with a sigh she followed his gaze toward the two
moons in the distance.
"It is a beautiful site," she commented. "I've been working so hard
with Anala, that I hadn't had the time to take a break to see all of this."
Keith turned to her with a smile. "I'm sure she is thanking you for
all the help you are giving her."
Allura nodded. "Now, don't be angry with her for allowing Lotor to
stay here, for the time being," she said. "With his ship as damaged as it
is, he was stuck here."
"Im not angry with her for anything," he said. "She made him agree to
a truce between us, while we are here on Vallis. And that if ever called
back here, that truce still holds."
"I still can't get over the fact that he agreed to help us on this,"
she said. "But now, he knows your family secret."
"It doesn't bother me," he said. "Just one more thing he has to fear
if he bothers to attack."
She smiled. "I am going to miss this planet," she said. "Even through
all the strife, it seems to have a strength of its own."
"The people is what gives the planet strength," he pointed out. "And I
think the people have been tormented long enough."
She nodded. "Though I wish I could see more of it," she stated. "We
will have to leave shortly after the ceremony tomorrow."
He thought to himself for a brief moment, and catching her by
surprise, he took her hand into his, slowly pulling her toward him.
"Then there's no time like the present."
"What?"
Before she could protest, he wrapped an arm around her waist, hopped
up onto the rail of the balcony.
"You aren't?"
"Close your eyes," he said. "Trust me."
Before she could nod, she once again found herself screaming as he
leaped off the edge.
A
nala stared at herself as she held the dress she was supposed to wear
up toward a mirror. She ran her hand over the velvet like material,
smoothing out any wrinkles she saw.
"Are you sure its alright if I wear this?"
Alysson smiled as she turned toward Anala. "Why of course," she
stated. "I can't wear it anymore. It was to be the dress I would have worn
at my coronation, but I think it will suit you just fine."
Anala nodded as she hung the dress back up.
"Mom, I have strange favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Actually it's a request from Keith, and I told him that I would honor
his request."
"What is it?" Alysson asked as she approached her.
"And I'm going to need Xue's help."
Allura let out the breath she had been holding as Keith brought them
to a landing high atop a mesa that overlooked the land before them. The
light from the two moons illuminated the castle in the distance.
"I can't believe how beautiful this is," she said turning toward him.
"With Anala returning the water that was stored, back to the land,
soon, our oceans and lakes will form," he said. "The people will finally
know that everything they need to live will be free to them."
"At least Vallis has strong leaders," she said.
She then stared at him, for the first time since her discovery of his
new gift of flight, and suddenly realized that she was not accustomed to the
sight before her. It seems he too was distracted by the beauty of the
scenery before him, to bother in retracting his wings. Subconsciously, she
took a step away from him, which caused him to turn to her.
"What is it?" he asked as he turned to her.
"Nothing," she said. And she swallowed hard.
He then followed her gaze. "Allura, you don't have to be afraid of
me," he said. "I'm still the same person that I was when you first met me."
She nodded as she looked at him. "Not actually the same," she pointed
out. "You can fly. You're a prince. That's a lot to come by in such a short
period." She then let out a sigh as she turned to him. She slowly took a
step toward him, slowly reaching out to touch him.
"How...how do they feel?"
"Like an extra appendage, if you want to know the truth," he said with
a smile. "Like having an extra leg or something."
"I'd hardly call it a leg," she said.
He saw the hesitancy in her hand and slowly took it into his own. On
reflex, he flexed out one of his wings and slowly let her hand touch it.
The expression that crossed her features was one that Keith had to
remember. Like a curious child, who finally found the hidden surprise inside
a closed box.
"It's soft," she said with a slight giggle. "They don't feel like
feathers, yet..."
"I've been learning the advantages of having them." He said with a
smile.
"Oh?"
And as if on cue, the wind came up as he took her into his arms, his
wings coming around them.
"They do keep you warm."
She smiled as she brushed the strands of her hair out of her face. "I
guess they do," she said. "So you just can, retract them?"
"I guess that would be the term," he stated. "See?"
She smiled as the two wings disappeared behind him, leaving no trace
that they even were apart of his anatomy.
"Surprise surprise," she said.
She then realized their closeness and with an uncomfortable sigh she
pulled away from him.
"I think we should head back," she said as a reflex. "I don't want
Lance to worry about where we have gone."
"Let Lance worry all he wants," he stated. "I'm acting Prince here.
Whatever I say goes."
She smiled. "Is that a royal command?"
"Yeah, my first."
"Are you sure you want this?"
"It's the only way. To ensure everyone's safety."
"I understand."
"When the time comes, they will learn the truth. For now, it will only
cause an uneasiness that we don't need."
Alysson slowly nodded as she stared into her son's eyes.
"Then only you, Anala, Xue and I will know the truth," she stated.
"And until Xue's spell is broken by your act, your secret shall remain
that."
"Thank you."
She nodded as she took him into her arms and hugged him close.
"I will see that after the spell is casted, your friends will be seen
to," she said. "After that, it'll all be up to you."
"Enough," Anala stated. "We have a ceremony to perform."
Alysson nodded. She then took Keith's offered elbow as the servants
made way for them.
"It is by the power of the royal house, that I Princess Lyana Alysson
L'eorna, pass on my rule to my daughter the Lady Anala Alexa L'eorna," the
oration went on. "From this day forth she shall be your Queen, to rule with
kindness and justice. We welcome the new Queen into our hearts!"
Allura smiled as Alysson slowly lowered the small jeweled crown onto
her daughter's head, and a servant slowly placed a sequened robe around her
shoulders. The crowd that gathered below the Castle, roared with cheers and
laughter as Anala stepped forward to greet her new subjects. She clapped
along with those who stood by, as the new Queen waved to her people below.
"A new era has dawned on Vallis!" she announced. "No longer shall we
serve to the armies of the universe by furnishing them with machines of
destruction. We will now focus our energies into helping those planets who
are in need of help, and to provide the necessary resources to achieve an
alliance with our neighboring worlds."
The crowd cheered again.
"She learns quick," Lance commented. "I can't believe you'd pass this
up."
Keith smiled to his long time friend. "There's more to life than being
a Prince, Lance," he stated. He then caught Allura's gaze as she had turned
to them. She smiled before turning her gaze back to where Anala was
accepting the gifts given to her by her people. Lance caught their shared
look and smirked.
"Yeah, definitely a lot more to live for," he commented. "Had a nice
flight last night?"
"Even if it was nice, I wouldn't tell you."
"Hey, look at it this way," he said as he slapped him across his back.
"Coran and Nanny wont have to look far for a suitable suitor."
Ignoring his last comment, Keith turned to him. "Gather everyone
together after the ceremony," Keith told Lance. "In the main hall. There is
one last thing that I need to do."
"Sure," Lance said.
"Even Lotor."
"What?"
"You heard me," he said before he stepped away to join his mother and
his sister.
Anala smiled as her new found friends joined them in the main hall. With all
the excitement, she was lucky to find this small moment to fulfill
a request that had been made of her.
"I thank you all for joining us today," she said with a smile as Keith
and Alysson joined her by her side. Another form came to join them, and
Alysson greeted him with a smile.
"Xue, I believe you have one last request to fill?" Anala asked as she
turned to him.
He slowly nodded as his gaze met Keith's. -Yes,- he stated. -If
everyone would be so kind as to join hands. The royal family would like to
share one last wish with all of you.-
Allura turned to Lance, wondering if he knew what this was all about.
He shrugged as his gaze turned back to them.
-Your time with us here on Vallis has been a eventful one,- Xue
started. -And its per the royal family's request that we reflect on this
time. Now, please take a deep breath, and close your eyes. This will be just
a moment.-
Allura nodded, but still confused. Keith then smiled as he went up to
each member and gave them each a handshake and requested that they close
their eyes. She smiled seeing that he mad the same request of Lotor. Since
she was the last, it seemed, he smiled as he took her hand into his own.
"What is this all about?" she asked.
"A surprise," he stated.
She looked around the circle, noticing the somber expressions everyone
held.
"Are they asleep?" she whispered.
"Somewhat," he said. "See."
He pinched Lance on his arm, but got no reaction from his long time
friend.
"What is going on?"
"Close your eyes," he stated.
"What if I don't want to?"
"Don't force me to."
"Then tell me what you are doing."
"We are going to share our experiences together," he said quizzically.
"Nothing more."
"And why in such a manner?"
"Do you question everything?"
"When I don't know exactly what it is I'll be involved in."
He smiled as he leaned toward her, whispering in her ear so no one
would be able to hear.
"If you do this just for me, I'll tell you a little secret."
"And that is?"
She pulled away slightly as she met his gaze. She found herself being
lost in those dark eyes.
"That one day, when we are both ready, there wont be any misgivings
about the feelings between us."
She breathed in deeply as he caught her by surprise by kissing her.
She closed her eyes, as soon as her head seemed to go dizzy. And soon, she
too, was in a state of sleep.
"Uhum."
Keith looked up with a smile as he turned to his sister.
"I thought it was supposed to be a kiss that wakes the princess and
not the other way around?"
"Hey, she wouldn't close her eyes," he said in his defense.
Alysson smiled as she turned to him. "Make sure you invite us to the
wedding, okay?"
"It's nothing like that, alright?" he stated. "We're just friends."
"Sure." Anala stated. "And Kelar will arise from the dead."
Xue cleared his throat. -Its now time for the spell.-
"** Castle Control to Voltron Force, Come in Voltron Force **"
Allura slowly opened her eyes, realizing that she was in her Blue
Lion. She quickly grabbed onto her controls, as her view screen before her
flashed red.
"Coran!?"
"** By all of Arus! **" came back the reply. "** Are you guys alright?
**"
"What happened?" Allura asked as she looked around her Lion ship. She
then looked at her view screen to spot the rest of her comrades.
"** I was about to ask that of you. **" Coran came over. "** Did you
happen to find the disturbance? **"
"Disturbance?" Allura asked.
"** There was a distress signal from the area you are in now, **" he
stated. "** Was it a false alarm? **"
Allura confused by what Coran was saying. "Coran, see if you can hail
the rest of the team."
"** They're coming online right now. **" he stated. "** What happened?
**"
"I don't know," she stated. "Its like all a dream."
"** Well, once you all regroup, head back toward Arus, **" he stated.
"** We have some unexpected guests visiting, courtesy of the Galaxy
Alliance.**"
"Guests?"
"**Yes,**" he answered. "**They are seeking an alliance with us, as
well as the Galaxy Alliance. WE need to give them a formal review before
they can submit their request."
Allura nodded. "We'll be returning in a few moments," she said. "We
will contact you once we are in Arus' orbit."
"** Will do, **"
Keith stared at this view-screen, silently watching his friends wake
up from the spell that had been cast over them. He absently played with the
medallion he wore, breathing in deeply as a signal came in.
"Keith, you okay?"
"Keith, here" he answered. "Any of you caught the license number of
that comet?"
"What?" Lance asked.
"Nothing," he stated. "Looks like whatever we were supposed to have
met out here, disappeared."
"Whatever it was, it costed us to lose 3 hours," Allura stated. "Let's
get back to the castle, and we can review our Lion's records to see what the
heck happened."
"Roger," Keith said. "Make a return course for home."
Keith switched his lion over the auto as he looked over to his control
panel. He smiled to himself as he grabbed the four dat discs from the top of
it. He silently crushed them in his hand and through the remanents out
through a disposal shoot.
"So much for records," he said to himself.
"I can't believe it!" Pidge stated. "The Dat discs are gone!"
"What?"
Allura approached Pidge seeing the frustration he held in his eyes.
"The discs they are gone!" he exclaimed. "We have no records of the
flight we took."
"Didn't you and Hunk change them out this morning?"
"I think we did," he said. "That distress call did come in when we
were running out maintenance."
Allura smiled as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "It happens,
Pidge," she said. "And from the looks of things, it might have shown nothing
anyway."
"We lost 3 hours, princess."
"We could have lost even worst," she said. "Come, we have guests to
greet. I'd hate for us to be one member short."
Pidge let out a sigh as he stood from his computer. "I swear I'm going
to get to the bottom of this."
Allura shook her head as she pushed the younger member out of his
little lab.
"Don't let it kill you for trying," she said. "Now, go and get
yourself ready."
Coran stood as Princess Allura entered the room, followed by the rest
of the Voltron Force. She smiled as the three delegates stood to greet them.
"Allura, I would like you to meet, Lady Lyana Alysson L'eorna, her
daughter, the Queen Anala Alexa L'eorna, and their Court Advisor, Xue,"
Coran started the introductions. "Your majesty, this is Princess Allura, the
heir to the throne of Arus, and these are the members of the Voltron Force.
Captain Keith, Lt Cmmndr Lance, Lt Commander Hunk and Lt Pidge."
Anala smiled as she looked them over and her gaze met with Keith's.
She nodded, giving him her small signal as she then turned her smile to the
rest.
"Its an honor to finally meet all of you," she started. "I hope that
we can work out a well formed alliance."
Allura let out a sigh as she read over the last papers she need to
fill out on behalf of Queen Anala. She signed her name one last time, before
piling it on the side of her desk. She then pushed herself away from the
desk, stretching before she stood.
She walked toward her door, slowly pulling the pins out of her hair,
as she exited her small office.
She made her way down the hallway, checking in on the empty rooms as
she made her way toward her own. The last room she checked in on was the Rec
Room.
There, she smiled, not at all surprised to see Keith there. She knew
that he'd be there, as it was the place he'd go to, before a midnight shift.
"See anything different?" she inquired as she joined him by the large
window.
He turned to her, smiling. "Now I do."
She caught his smirk, slowly shaking her head. "You've been hanging
around Lance too much," she said.
"How did the paperwork go?"
"Just put on the finishing touches," she said. "Seems like everything
is in order for them. They had put the request in to the Galaxy Alliance
nearly a week ago. The preliminary researches are done. This is just the
formal part."
Keith nodded. "They seem like a nice bunch," he said. "Though, that
ore must've helped speed things along for the Alliance. I'm sure they'd want
to get their hands on it."
"Something that is indestructible like that?" she asked. "It'd be a
great benefit for building supplies."
He nodded. "At least it will be put used for a good cause."
She regarded him for a brief moment, wondering what he had meant by
that. "Is there anything you wanted to talk about?" she asked. "It seems
like there is something on your mind."
"Actually, not much," he stated.
She nodded, although she felt that she did not totally agree with that
statement.
"Oh, there was something I was meaning to ask you. Do you know what
happened to us earlier today?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked as he turned to her.
She smiled as she pulled out a small silver disc. She watched as his
expression turned to one of surprise.
"Don't worry, it was static for the entire 3 hours," she said as she
threw it to him. "But the last 5 minutes of it was quite interesting."
"What?"
"You do realize, destroying Dat discs is against Galaxy Alliance
regulations?" she pointed out. "Care to clue me in as to why you would even
consider doing something like that?"
"Al.. I"
She held her hand up to him. "Whatever your reason, it must be a good
one for you to destroy them," she said. "And I wont beat it out of you. But
if you wish to share with me what you tried to hide from us, know that I'm
only a hallway away."
He met her gaze and knew that she would wait until he decided to tell
her. Only if she realize that he wanted to tell her, but she was not ready
for her to know.
"I promise to tell you, when the time is right," he said. He smiled
one last time. "I'm going on my shift."
"Don't be late," she said as he turned to walk past her. "Coran is
having us reviewed for Galaxy Garrison in a couple of days."
"We know how Coran can be," he said. "Goodnight, Allura."
"Goodnight." She said. She then turned toward the window, as Arus'
single moon began to rise.
----no misgivings about the feelings between us.----
Allura turned around, gasping when she heard the whispered voice. She
saw that there was no one in the room. Keith was already gone. She then
noticed something gliding through the air, and her expression turned to one
of confusion as a single white feather landed in her hands.
She turned it over in her hand, noticing at the softness of it. Not
like any feathers of the birds she seen or felt.
She then stifled a yawn as she finally felt her own fatigue come over
her. She headed toward the door of the rec room, closing the light as she
did. With one last look, the door slid close behind her, as she headed
toward her room.
"That was mean, Xue," Anala smiled as they quietly appeared in the
dark room.
-Just nudging it along a bit,- he stated.
"Mom, is going to have your head for even thinking that."
-You know as well as I do, that they were made for each other.-
Anala smiled as she picked up the other feather that had fallen, that
had gone unnoticed by the princess. She turned it over in her hands.
"He was the only one born, to have white feathers," she commented. "I
don't think he even noticed that."
-Come, my queen, we have even more meddling to do.-
With a laugh, she took his hand and as quietly as they appeared in the
room, they left the same way.
-fin-
Birthright Chapter 20 - Epilogue
Keith played with the medallion that was hanging from his neck as he
stared out over the country-side, the sun setting in the distance. He
breathed in deeply as he leaned over the rail of the balcony, taking in the
scenery as Vallis' two moons rose in the distance. He then looked down at
himself, dressed in the royal attire that was part of his family. A dark
sapphire blue uniform, adorned with gold piping that accented the heavy
lines that made the attire seem more regal. He was never used to wearing
anything as formal save for the dress uniforms of the Galaxy Alliance, and
even then, he only wore them once a year.
The only difference between this attire and that of the Galaxy
Alliance were the two slits that were made on the back, hidden by a small
piece of material that would give way when his new attributes were meant to
be used. He was still not used to that part of that yet.
"And before the ceremony tomorrow, please be sure that the villagers
have access to their share of the food in the storage units we've brought to
the surface."
Keith turned around seeing that his mother was giving out last minute
details for the coronation ceremony that was to be held for the people. They
were finally going to get their rightful ruler. She smiled as she met his
gaze, dismissing the porters and slowly approached him.
"You've found one of my secret thinking spots," she commented. "I used
to spend many an hour here, just thinking."
"It was the most private place I could find, away from the
preparations," he said as he turned back to the scenery before him. "Now,
this is something I could get used to."
"I don't miss the landscape that Earth held," she said as she came to
stand next to him. "I prefer seeing my skies, instead of one filled with
tall buildings."
He smiled as he nodded. "These landscapes are growing on me," he
stated. He then turned to her. "Did you ever regret..."
She held her hand up to him as she let out a sigh.
"Whatever decisions I made, I made them in good faith, Keith," she
said. "I know that you might not agree with most of that I made, but I had
to take your welfare into consideration. You were safer to be on Earth."
He nodded. "And when you had Anala?"
"She was the last gift that your father gave to me," she said. "As
much as I wanted to go back, to take you back, I knew that it would be
impossible. You were already in good hands. I followed you through the
years, and it made me proud to know how well you did, and how far you have
come."
He nodded. "At least I know that I have a family now," he said as he
turned to her.
She nodded as she walked up to him, taking his hands into her own.
"You always had one, Keith," she said. She then took him into a tight hug,
and before releasing him, she patted him on his back. She then stepped away
from him.
"And since I am very busy, I must get back to the preparations," she
said. "Are you going to be alright?"
He nodded. "I'm just going to be out here a bit longer," he said.
"Still need to clear my head."
She nodded as her gaze then shifted to the dark figure that was slowly
heading their way. She smiled to herself, seeing that he hadn't noticed.
"Then I will leave you to your thoughts," she said. "See you at
dinner?"
"I'll be there."
She said her farewell before leaving.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."
Keith turned around, and smile danced upon his features as Allura
walked toward him.
"No, you weren't intruding," he stated as she came toward him. "I was
wondering what you were up to."
"Well, we've been her nearly 2 weeks, helping your mother," she said
with a smile. "I had to give Coran and up to date status report. He was
concerned over our welfare. He also wishes to express his congratulations
for freeing Vallis as well."
He smiled. "Remind me to thank him when I see him again," he stated.
She slowly nodded and with a sigh she followed his gaze toward the two
moons in the distance.
"It is a beautiful site," she commented. "I've been working so hard
with Anala, that I hadn't had the time to take a break to see all of this."
Keith turned to her with a smile. "I'm sure she is thanking you for
all the help you are giving her."
Allura nodded. "Now, don't be angry with her for allowing Lotor to
stay here, for the time being," she said. "With his ship as damaged as it
is, he was stuck here."
"Im not angry with her for anything," he said. "She made him agree to
a truce between us, while we are here on Vallis. And that if ever called
back here, that truce still holds."
"I still can't get over the fact that he agreed to help us on this,"
she said. "But now, he knows your family secret."
"It doesn't bother me," he said. "Just one more thing he has to fear
if he bothers to attack."
She smiled. "I am going to miss this planet," she said. "Even through
all the strife, it seems to have a strength of its own."
"The people is what gives the planet strength," he pointed out. "And I
think the people have been tormented long enough."
She nodded. "Though I wish I could see more of it," she stated. "We
will have to leave shortly after the ceremony tomorrow."
He thought to himself for a brief moment, and catching her by
surprise, he took her hand into his, slowly pulling her toward him.
"Then there's no time like the present."
"What?"
Before she could protest, he wrapped an arm around her waist, hopped
up onto the rail of the balcony.
"You aren't?"
"Close your eyes," he said. "Trust me."
Before she could nod, she once again found herself screaming as he
leaped off the edge.
A
nala stared at herself as she held the dress she was supposed to wear
up toward a mirror. She ran her hand over the velvet like material,
smoothing out any wrinkles she saw.
"Are you sure its alright if I wear this?"
Alysson smiled as she turned toward Anala. "Why of course," she
stated. "I can't wear it anymore. It was to be the dress I would have worn
at my coronation, but I think it will suit you just fine."
Anala nodded as she hung the dress back up.
"Mom, I have strange favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Actually it's a request from Keith, and I told him that I would honor
his request."
"What is it?" Alysson asked as she approached her.
"And I'm going to need Xue's help."
Allura let out the breath she had been holding as Keith brought them
to a landing high atop a mesa that overlooked the land before them. The
light from the two moons illuminated the castle in the distance.
"I can't believe how beautiful this is," she said turning toward him.
"With Anala returning the water that was stored, back to the land,
soon, our oceans and lakes will form," he said. "The people will finally
know that everything they need to live will be free to them."
"At least Vallis has strong leaders," she said.
She then stared at him, for the first time since her discovery of his
new gift of flight, and suddenly realized that she was not accustomed to the
sight before her. It seems he too was distracted by the beauty of the
scenery before him, to bother in retracting his wings. Subconsciously, she
took a step away from him, which caused him to turn to her.
"What is it?" he asked as he turned to her.
"Nothing," she said. And she swallowed hard.
He then followed her gaze. "Allura, you don't have to be afraid of
me," he said. "I'm still the same person that I was when you first met me."
She nodded as she looked at him. "Not actually the same," she pointed
out. "You can fly. You're a prince. That's a lot to come by in such a short
period." She then let out a sigh as she turned to him. She slowly took a
step toward him, slowly reaching out to touch him.
"How...how do they feel?"
"Like an extra appendage, if you want to know the truth," he said with
a smile. "Like having an extra leg or something."
"I'd hardly call it a leg," she said.
He saw the hesitancy in her hand and slowly took it into his own. On
reflex, he flexed out one of his wings and slowly let her hand touch it.
The expression that crossed her features was one that Keith had to
remember. Like a curious child, who finally found the hidden surprise inside
a closed box.
"It's soft," she said with a slight giggle. "They don't feel like
feathers, yet..."
"I've been learning the advantages of having them." He said with a
smile.
"Oh?"
And as if on cue, the wind came up as he took her into his arms, his
wings coming around them.
"They do keep you warm."
She smiled as she brushed the strands of her hair out of her face. "I
guess they do," she said. "So you just can, retract them?"
"I guess that would be the term," he stated. "See?"
She smiled as the two wings disappeared behind him, leaving no trace
that they even were apart of his anatomy.
"Surprise surprise," she said.
She then realized their closeness and with an uncomfortable sigh she
pulled away from him.
"I think we should head back," she said as a reflex. "I don't want
Lance to worry about where we have gone."
"Let Lance worry all he wants," he stated. "I'm acting Prince here.
Whatever I say goes."
She smiled. "Is that a royal command?"
"Yeah, my first."
"Are you sure you want this?"
"It's the only way. To ensure everyone's safety."
"I understand."
"When the time comes, they will learn the truth. For now, it will only
cause an uneasiness that we don't need."
Alysson slowly nodded as she stared into her son's eyes.
"Then only you, Anala, Xue and I will know the truth," she stated.
"And until Xue's spell is broken by your act, your secret shall remain
that."
"Thank you."
She nodded as she took him into her arms and hugged him close.
"I will see that after the spell is casted, your friends will be seen
to," she said. "After that, it'll all be up to you."
"Enough," Anala stated. "We have a ceremony to perform."
Alysson nodded. She then took Keith's offered elbow as the servants
made way for them.
"It is by the power of the royal house, that I Princess Lyana Alysson
L'eorna, pass on my rule to my daughter the Lady Anala Alexa L'eorna," the
oration went on. "From this day forth she shall be your Queen, to rule with
kindness and justice. We welcome the new Queen into our hearts!"
Allura smiled as Alysson slowly lowered the small jeweled crown onto
her daughter's head, and a servant slowly placed a sequened robe around her
shoulders. The crowd that gathered below the Castle, roared with cheers and
laughter as Anala stepped forward to greet her new subjects. She clapped
along with those who stood by, as the new Queen waved to her people below.
"A new era has dawned on Vallis!" she announced. "No longer shall we
serve to the armies of the universe by furnishing them with machines of
destruction. We will now focus our energies into helping those planets who
are in need of help, and to provide the necessary resources to achieve an
alliance with our neighboring worlds."
The crowd cheered again.
"She learns quick," Lance commented. "I can't believe you'd pass this
up."
Keith smiled to his long time friend. "There's more to life than being
a Prince, Lance," he stated. He then caught Allura's gaze as she had turned
to them. She smiled before turning her gaze back to where Anala was
accepting the gifts given to her by her people. Lance caught their shared
look and smirked.
"Yeah, definitely a lot more to live for," he commented. "Had a nice
flight last night?"
"Even if it was nice, I wouldn't tell you."
"Hey, look at it this way," he said as he slapped him across his back.
"Coran and Nanny wont have to look far for a suitable suitor."
Ignoring his last comment, Keith turned to him. "Gather everyone
together after the ceremony," Keith told Lance. "In the main hall. There is
one last thing that I need to do."
"Sure," Lance said.
"Even Lotor."
"What?"
"You heard me," he said before he stepped away to join his mother and
his sister.
Anala smiled as her new found friends joined them in the main hall. With all
the excitement, she was lucky to find this small moment to fulfill
a request that had been made of her.
"I thank you all for joining us today," she said with a smile as Keith
and Alysson joined her by her side. Another form came to join them, and
Alysson greeted him with a smile.
"Xue, I believe you have one last request to fill?" Anala asked as she
turned to him.
He slowly nodded as his gaze met Keith's. -Yes,- he stated. -If
everyone would be so kind as to join hands. The royal family would like to
share one last wish with all of you.-
Allura turned to Lance, wondering if he knew what this was all about.
He shrugged as his gaze turned back to them.
-Your time with us here on Vallis has been a eventful one,- Xue
started. -And its per the royal family's request that we reflect on this
time. Now, please take a deep breath, and close your eyes. This will be just
a moment.-
Allura nodded, but still confused. Keith then smiled as he went up to
each member and gave them each a handshake and requested that they close
their eyes. She smiled seeing that he mad the same request of Lotor. Since
she was the last, it seemed, he smiled as he took her hand into his own.
"What is this all about?" she asked.
"A surprise," he stated.
She looked around the circle, noticing the somber expressions everyone
held.
"Are they asleep?" she whispered.
"Somewhat," he said. "See."
He pinched Lance on his arm, but got no reaction from his long time
friend.
"What is going on?"
"Close your eyes," he stated.
"What if I don't want to?"
"Don't force me to."
"Then tell me what you are doing."
"We are going to share our experiences together," he said quizzically.
"Nothing more."
"And why in such a manner?"
"Do you question everything?"
"When I don't know exactly what it is I'll be involved in."
He smiled as he leaned toward her, whispering in her ear so no one
would be able to hear.
"If you do this just for me, I'll tell you a little secret."
"And that is?"
She pulled away slightly as she met his gaze. She found herself being
lost in those dark eyes.
"That one day, when we are both ready, there wont be any misgivings
about the feelings between us."
She breathed in deeply as he caught her by surprise by kissing her.
She closed her eyes, as soon as her head seemed to go dizzy. And soon, she
too, was in a state of sleep.
"Uhum."
Keith looked up with a smile as he turned to his sister.
"I thought it was supposed to be a kiss that wakes the princess and
not the other way around?"
"Hey, she wouldn't close her eyes," he said in his defense.
Alysson smiled as she turned to him. "Make sure you invite us to the
wedding, okay?"
"It's nothing like that, alright?" he stated. "We're just friends."
"Sure." Anala stated. "And Kelar will arise from the dead."
Xue cleared his throat. -Its now time for the spell.-
"** Castle Control to Voltron Force, Come in Voltron Force **"
Allura slowly opened her eyes, realizing that she was in her Blue
Lion. She quickly grabbed onto her controls, as her view screen before her
flashed red.
"Coran!?"
"** By all of Arus! **" came back the reply. "** Are you guys alright?
**"
"What happened?" Allura asked as she looked around her Lion ship. She
then looked at her view screen to spot the rest of her comrades.
"** I was about to ask that of you. **" Coran came over. "** Did you
happen to find the disturbance? **"
"Disturbance?" Allura asked.
"** There was a distress signal from the area you are in now, **" he
stated. "** Was it a false alarm? **"
Allura confused by what Coran was saying. "Coran, see if you can hail
the rest of the team."
"** They're coming online right now. **" he stated. "** What happened?
**"
"I don't know," she stated. "Its like all a dream."
"** Well, once you all regroup, head back toward Arus, **" he stated.
"** We have some unexpected guests visiting, courtesy of the Galaxy
Alliance.**"
"Guests?"
"**Yes,**" he answered. "**They are seeking an alliance with us, as
well as the Galaxy Alliance. WE need to give them a formal review before
they can submit their request."
Allura nodded. "We'll be returning in a few moments," she said. "We
will contact you once we are in Arus' orbit."
"** Will do, **"
Keith stared at this view-screen, silently watching his friends wake
up from the spell that had been cast over them. He absently played with the
medallion he wore, breathing in deeply as a signal came in.
"Keith, you okay?"
"Keith, here" he answered. "Any of you caught the license number of
that comet?"
"What?" Lance asked.
"Nothing," he stated. "Looks like whatever we were supposed to have
met out here, disappeared."
"Whatever it was, it costed us to lose 3 hours," Allura stated. "Let's
get back to the castle, and we can review our Lion's records to see what the
heck happened."
"Roger," Keith said. "Make a return course for home."
Keith switched his lion over the auto as he looked over to his control
panel. He smiled to himself as he grabbed the four dat discs from the top of
it. He silently crushed them in his hand and through the remanents out
through a disposal shoot.
"So much for records," he said to himself.
"I can't believe it!" Pidge stated. "The Dat discs are gone!"
"What?"
Allura approached Pidge seeing the frustration he held in his eyes.
"The discs they are gone!" he exclaimed. "We have no records of the
flight we took."
"Didn't you and Hunk change them out this morning?"
"I think we did," he said. "That distress call did come in when we
were running out maintenance."
Allura smiled as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "It happens,
Pidge," she said. "And from the looks of things, it might have shown nothing
anyway."
"We lost 3 hours, princess."
"We could have lost even worst," she said. "Come, we have guests to
greet. I'd hate for us to be one member short."
Pidge let out a sigh as he stood from his computer. "I swear I'm going
to get to the bottom of this."
Allura shook her head as she pushed the younger member out of his
little lab.
"Don't let it kill you for trying," she said. "Now, go and get
yourself ready."
Coran stood as Princess Allura entered the room, followed by the rest
of the Voltron Force. She smiled as the three delegates stood to greet them.
"Allura, I would like you to meet, Lady Lyana Alysson L'eorna, her
daughter, the Queen Anala Alexa L'eorna, and their Court Advisor, Xue,"
Coran started the introductions. "Your majesty, this is Princess Allura, the
heir to the throne of Arus, and these are the members of the Voltron Force.
Captain Keith, Lt Cmmndr Lance, Lt Commander Hunk and Lt Pidge."
Anala smiled as she looked them over and her gaze met with Keith's.
She nodded, giving him her small signal as she then turned her smile to the
rest.
"Its an honor to finally meet all of you," she started. "I hope that
we can work out a well formed alliance."
Allura let out a sigh as she read over the last papers she need to
fill out on behalf of Queen Anala. She signed her name one last time, before
piling it on the side of her desk. She then pushed herself away from the
desk, stretching before she stood.
She walked toward her door, slowly pulling the pins out of her hair,
as she exited her small office.
She made her way down the hallway, checking in on the empty rooms as
she made her way toward her own. The last room she checked in on was the Rec
Room.
There, she smiled, not at all surprised to see Keith there. She knew
that he'd be there, as it was the place he'd go to, before a midnight shift.
"See anything different?" she inquired as she joined him by the large
window.
He turned to her, smiling. "Now I do."
She caught his smirk, slowly shaking her head. "You've been hanging
around Lance too much," she said.
"How did the paperwork go?"
"Just put on the finishing touches," she said. "Seems like everything
is in order for them. They had put the request in to the Galaxy Alliance
nearly a week ago. The preliminary researches are done. This is just the
formal part."
Keith nodded. "They seem like a nice bunch," he said. "Though, that
ore must've helped speed things along for the Alliance. I'm sure they'd want
to get their hands on it."
"Something that is indestructible like that?" she asked. "It'd be a
great benefit for building supplies."
He nodded. "At least it will be put used for a good cause."
She regarded him for a brief moment, wondering what he had meant by
that. "Is there anything you wanted to talk about?" she asked. "It seems
like there is something on your mind."
"Actually, not much," he stated.
She nodded, although she felt that she did not totally agree with that
statement.
"Oh, there was something I was meaning to ask you. Do you know what
happened to us earlier today?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked as he turned to her.
She smiled as she pulled out a small silver disc. She watched as his
expression turned to one of surprise.
"Don't worry, it was static for the entire 3 hours," she said as she
threw it to him. "But the last 5 minutes of it was quite interesting."
"What?"
"You do realize, destroying Dat discs is against Galaxy Alliance
regulations?" she pointed out. "Care to clue me in as to why you would even
consider doing something like that?"
"Al.. I"
She held her hand up to him. "Whatever your reason, it must be a good
one for you to destroy them," she said. "And I wont beat it out of you. But
if you wish to share with me what you tried to hide from us, know that I'm
only a hallway away."
He met her gaze and knew that she would wait until he decided to tell
her. Only if she realize that he wanted to tell her, but she was not ready
for her to know.
"I promise to tell you, when the time is right," he said. He smiled
one last time. "I'm going on my shift."
"Don't be late," she said as he turned to walk past her. "Coran is
having us reviewed for Galaxy Garrison in a couple of days."
"We know how Coran can be," he said. "Goodnight, Allura."
"Goodnight." She said. She then turned toward the window, as Arus'
single moon began to rise.
----no misgivings about the feelings between us.----
Allura turned around, gasping when she heard the whispered voice. She
saw that there was no one in the room. Keith was already gone. She then
noticed something gliding through the air, and her expression turned to one
of confusion as a single white feather landed in her hands.
She turned it over in her hand, noticing at the softness of it. Not
like any feathers of the birds she seen or felt.
She then stifled a yawn as she finally felt her own fatigue come over
her. She headed toward the door of the rec room, closing the light as she
did. With one last look, the door slid close behind her, as she headed
toward her room.
"That was mean, Xue," Anala smiled as they quietly appeared in the
dark room.
-Just nudging it along a bit,- he stated.
"Mom, is going to have your head for even thinking that."
-You know as well as I do, that they were made for each other.-
Anala smiled as she picked up the other feather that had fallen, that
had gone unnoticed by the princess. She turned it over in her hands.
"He was the only one born, to have white feathers," she commented. "I
don't think he even noticed that."
-Come, my queen, we have even more meddling to do.-
With a laugh, she took his hand and as quietly as they appeared in the
room, they left the same way.
-fin-