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FanFictions
- by Moira

Greatest Gift

1 Why Keith Hates Christmas
2 The Academy Years
3 A Christmas Wedding
4 Keith Loses Everything
5 Keith's Angel

6 Meeting the King
7 Meeting the Queen
8 Awakening
9 The Hunt
10 Time of Reckoning
11 The Dreamtime
12 Christmas Morning
13 Epilogue

About The Greatest Gift


The Greatest Gift A Voltron Christmas Tale
Chapter Eight
Awakening

In the deep dark places beneath the Castle of Lions, a shimmering form materialized in the royal tomb as the glowing image of the late King Alfor appeared over his crypt. He held out his cupped hands in front of him which were tightly clasped together. He closed his eyes and his image moved as if taking a deep breath. He then raised his hands in front of him. Opening his eyes he cracked his hands open. Suddenly a blindingly bright light filled the crypt as it burst from his hands a pinpoint ball of light then danced before him. The King smiled at the light. "Go on now, go home." The light made a few passes around him and then disappeared into the wall. King Alfor waved goodbye to the light then, grabbing his red cape he whipped it around him and dissolved away.


In a darkened hospital room lay the tranquil form of the princess of the planet Arus. Her body was still, quiet, as if in sleep. The young man holding watch over her had fallen asleep, his head resting upon the bed on which she lay. The Green Lion pilot didn't see the bright ball enter the room and the room momentarily filling it with light, then returning it to darkness as the light entered the body of the princess.

For a moment nothing changed… but then… the body of Allura inhaled a deep breath then softly expelled the air and the faint sound of a muttering of a word escaped her lips. "Keith…"

The young pilot stirred, thinking his must have dreamt hearing it. He lifted his head to study the face of the princess. His eyes searched her face for any change and that was when he saw it. Her eyes! Her eyes were moving! They remained closed, but under her lids her eyes were searching…searching for… The word again came from her lips, more air than anything but the word was unmistakable "Keith."

"Allura! Allura!" Pidge called out to her grabbing her hand in his. "Allura can you hear me?"

"Hmmm…P…Pidge?"

"Allura!" Pidge cried collapsing on top of her. "Allura…"


Soon the hospital room was full, everyone racing to Allura's bedside. They all intently watched her as she occasionally stirred and, ever so often murmured that one word. The one word none wanted to hear, the name of their captain, the name… Keith. Every time it escaped her lips each person winched at the sound of it and of the thought of what they were going to have to tell her when she awoke, the fact that Keith… her captain and champion was gone. She ever so slowly began to stir more and more.

Romelle moved up to her head. "Allura? Allura are you there?" She stroked her cousin's face. "Please wake up."

Ever so slowly Allura's eyes fluttered open and started scanning the room, seemingly unable to focus. "Where…where am I?"

Romelle's face beamed at her Cousin. "Your safe Ally, you're in the castle."

"The castle?"

"Yes." Pidge moved up to her other side.

Allura turned to look at him still groggy. Her face lighting up when her eyes finally focused. "Hi, Pidge." She reached out to touch his cheek. She then scanned all the other smiling faces in the room. Sven, Hunk, Coran, Doctor Gorma, Queen Orla, Nanny, Lance, and Romelle... "Where's Keith?" Every smile in the room faded and a heavy silence loomed over them. Allura looked around again quickly growing more anxious. "Coran… Lance…Where is he?"

Sven finally broke the silence, as they had all concluded earlier Allura would sense their hiding something and the sooner she found out the easier it would be in the long run. He solemnly spoke. "Keith is gone."

"Gone?" Allura still searched. "Gone where?"

Lance looked at Allura. "Princess…he…" His voice cracked and he spun away.

Hunk started to choke. "We can't find him, he… he… fell…in the lake."

Allura looked at him totally confused. "Keith? He wouldn't fall in."

Coran closed his eyes. "Princess, we think he purposely jumped in."

"What! No, not Keith. He wouldn't. He couldn't. No, I…we need him. Where is he?"

Romelle put a calming hand on Allura's forehead. "Allura, Shhh. We saw the surveillance tapes. He didn't look good, and well, he jumped in and never came out."

Tears started to rain down Allura's cheeks. "Where is he then? Take me to him. I want to see him."

Lance moved in. "We can't find him. We've been searching the lakebed but with all the ice and snow it's been difficult."

Romelle's eyes shimmered. "Allura we all thought you were dying and well, Keith snapped. He couldn't take it…"

Sven turned away, unable to look at Allura as he spoke. "We just didn't know how badly he was doing. We never realized that Keith was in so much pain."

Lance fell into a chair burying his head in his hands. "Blame us Allura. We should have noticed."

Nanny who had uncharacteristically remained at the back of the group, unwilling to get any closer to Allura, suddenly spun and bolted out the room.

"Nanny?" Allura called after her. "Nanny!"

Romelle tenderly stroked Allura's hair. "I'm sorry Allura. I'm so sorry."

Gorma approached Allura's bedside giving her a check over. Allura's mind seemed to be gone again, still awake but her mind had retreated elsewhere and was no longer aware of the people in the room. "Please, we should leave her be. Please, go back to bed and let her rest. I'll call you if there is any change."

"May I stay?" Orla asked. "I think I might be able to help calm her."

Gorma looked at her then closed his eyes dropping his head knowing Orla had methods he did not. "Yes, Queen Orla. If you think you can. Her current pain is out of my hands now."

The rest reluctantly filed out of the room, heads held low, and wordlessly plodded their way back to their beds.

Orla waited a moment before moving to sit beside Allura on the bed, watching the play of emotions move across Allura's tear soaked face.

Allura eventually looked at her. "Orla, why…Why would he?" Allura broke and begin to sob uncontrollably, choking on each breath. "He can't be gone…No…He can't…I…I…" Allura raised her dripping face to Orla. "I love him." Allura gasped for breath reaching out to her Aunt's waiting arms. "I love him… he can't be gone…" She buried herself into Orla clutching at her. "Why, Auntie why? How could he… How could Keith…?"

"Oh Allura." Orla cradled her niece in her arms, rocking her to and fro. "I wish I had the answers for you." Orla's own tears mingled with Allura's. She reached down clutching either side of Allura's face to look deeply into the depths of her eye's. "He felt you die. He felt your soul leave his…he was suddenly alone. He…he loved you Allura… And to him, you were dead."

"You were dead, Allura."

"Doctor?" both Allura and Orla turned to the new voice in the room looking completely confused.

Doctor Gorma moved closer to sit on the opposite side of the bed. "Allura you were clinically dead. You were dead before your body arrived here. I can't explain it. Allura, you shouldn't be alive. Your brain was completely gone. I don't know how you could have survived let alone awaken. No medicine could have healed you…It's truly a miracle." He took her wrist in hers to take her vitals.

"Doctor Gorma? Are you saying you lied to us?" Orla looked to him. "You always said she would wake."

"Yes, Queen Orla. I lied. I didn't think it was the time to tell you the truth of Allura's condition, but somehow Keith knew. He knew the truth." He set Allura's hand back down. "Allura, don't get me wrong, I am relieved that you are alive, but you shouldn't be."

"It is a miracle." Orla half smiled at Allura.

"No…" Allura dropped down onto the bed grabbing at her pillow. "No…no…no…no…" Her cries became more and more muffled.

The doctor stood. "I will leave you now. Her healing is out of my hands. There is nothing more I can do for her."

Orla nodded placing her hand on Allura's trembling head. "Goodnight doctor." She whispered and then laid down next to Allura, both women soon drifting off into troubled sleep.


Keith? … Keith I hear you… Keith I feel you…where are you? Allura's eyes slowly fluttered open to darkness. She could hear the sound of steady breathing from behind her. She carefully turned to see in the dim lighting the sleeping form of her aunt lying alongside her. She carefully scooted herself away from her and off the bed finding her wobbly feet beneath her. She stood a moment holding onto the side of the bed until she found her balance. "Keith?" She whispered. "I'm coming."

The castle was dark. It was still the wee hours of the morning and most were sound asleep and no one saw the form of the princess, dressed only in her hospital gown, aimlessly wandering the halls searching… reaching out with her mind to her love. "I feel you… Where are you?… You're here." She kept repeating on and on in a mumble to herself, her hands brushing along the walls as she walked. "Keith where are you? I know you're here." She continued on in her half daze. She suddenly stopped, her hand resting on a door. She turned to face it. "Keith?" She waved a hand over the door's controls and it obediently swished open.

Allura's own darkened room greeted her. "Keith?" Allura stepped in and closed her eyes to the darkened room, the door closing behind her. "Keith?" He's here! He's here! She rushed to her bed throwing herself upon it.

"Keith! Keith!" She ripped the covers from the bed her eyes finally coming to focus in the darkness of the room. "Keith?" But, the bed was empty. Allura shook her head in utter confusion. But? I felt him… I feel him! "Keith where are you?" Allura's tears burst forth again and she collapsed onto the bed grabbing a pillow in close to her, clinging to it as if it were him. "Keith …" She breathed and drifted off to sleep.


The dawn blazed into the large windows of Allura's old room meeting the sleeping form of Keith, still dressed in his clothes given to him the day before by Al. He pulled the pillow he had wrapped himself around even tighter to him, the light, annoying his eyes, made him bury his face into the pillow denying the morning. He slowly shed off the sleep becoming more and more aware of his surroundings and the undeniable throbbing in his head. "What a dream." He muttered. He pulled the pillow in tighter. "What a dream."

"Here you are, my Lord." A woman's voice came from behind him.

Keith's eyes snapped open as he fumbled with the pillow. He flipped over, and landed face to face with Allura. A scantily clad Allura, with drawn features and weary eyes but in spite of that she still smiled at him beautifully. Keith tried to speak but barely managed to find his words. "You? …Not…a dream?"

She smiled. "Dream, my lord? Were you dreaming? I'm sorry if I woke you. Here." She extended her hand to him, in it was a glass with a pinkish liquid.

Keith recoiled a bit eying the glass. "What are you giving me now?"

She smiled again. "My Lord, please. It will just clear your head, you drank much last night. King Lotor likes me to…"

Keith grumbled, taking the glass from her, his tone gruffer than he would like. "Can we please not speak of him?"

"My Lord?"

"He did this to you." He gestured to the marks all over her body. "Yet you speak of him like it was nothing! Agghhh!" Keith clutched at his throbbing head.

"Drink it." She dropped her eyes and moved away walking over to the windows and looked out over the landscape, her clothing all but disappearing in the bright light of the sun.

Keith watched her for the longest time wondering what she was thinking just standing there. He lifted the glass to his lips and tentatively took a sip. It tasted sweet, like some sort of juice, quite refreshing. What the heck! He took a larger sip. Almost instantly he felt better, the throbbing in his head subsiding.

"Did you know today is Christmas Eve?" She asked still looking out.

Keith froze mid sip. Christmas Eve? He swallowed dropping his head. It would have to be… Why wouldn't it…stupid Christmas… he lost himself in his own memories.

She reached up and touched the window. "I don't suppose you would know about it. My world was so beautiful before. Out there, there was a forest, and it would have been all covered in a blanket of snow. And around the castle there was a huge lake, which would be shimmering in the sun. My mother loved this time of year. She would decorate the castle from head to toe with garlands and ribbons. It was beautiful. After she died I continued on her tradition of celebrating the holiday in honor of her memory. But now…now…along with my world…Christmas is dead."

"You did it for your mother?" A soft voice came up from behind her making her whole body shiver but he remained at a safe distance.

She too afraid to turn instead regarded his reflection in the glass. "Yes. She loved Christmas and so did I. It seemed only right to continue with her tradition… her memory, even in war." She tried to see his eyes in the reflection but they remain downcast. "You know about Christmas?"

"I…" He slowly looked up and to her surprise she found his eyes shimmering. "My… mother… she…" He turned away, walking back to the computer in the middle of the room and sat in front of it, staring at the screen, grabbing at either side of the desk, his body racked with emotion, losing the battle to regain control.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I will leave you now." She whispered. She headed over to her cloak and pulled it on then made her way to the door. She turned to look at him to find him now hunched over the terminal… sobbing. My Lord… You're so… different. She bowed and left the room.


"What do you mean you lost her? Find her!" Coran bellowed to the com. He then keyed the com to all the Voltron force members and security guards. "The Princess is missing! I want a full search of the castle immediately!"

Soon the castle was in a flurry of activity, all hands randomly searching everywhere for the princess, everyone but one who had a better plan. He headed down below, to the hole in the wall he knows will be able to find the answer. "Cheddar, you there?" Pidge called. "Cheddar, please it's an emergency!"

Soon a little face poked out of the hole. Looking half asleep, the mouse let out a yawn.

"Wakeup would ya! The Princess is missing and you are going to find her."

The mouse jumped to attention at his words squeaking frantically into the hole. Soon four more very worried faces appeared. They exchanged some frantic shrieks and gestures and then bolted down the hall.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Pidge raced after them.

The mice squeaking and sniffing their way soon were making a beeline for Allura's bedroom, jumping up and down as they reached the door. Pidge soon caught up to them and keyed it open. As the door opened he was momentarily blinded by the early morning rays of the sun. As Pidge's eyes adjusted he found the room was empty. "She's not here!" The mice raced up onto the empty bed that had apparently been stripped and leapt off the far side. "Wha?" Pidge moved over to the bed. And then he saw her, huddled into the corner by her bed, clutching at the tangle of sheets and a pillow, dressed only in her hospital gown. "Princess? Princess are you okay?"

The mice frantically pulled at her fingers and hair trying to get her attention but she was far away. Pidge dropped to her side and put his hands on hers only to find her body freezing cold. "Princess? He pulled some of the bedding around her and then keyed his com. "Coran, She's in her room. Send the doctor."

"Her room? But we… Yes Pidge, on our way!"


He's here I can feel him he's here. Allura frantically searched for him with her mind. Keith where are you? I can feel you.

"Allura, Can you here me. Allura, come to my voice."

Keith, is that you?

"Allura, come to my voice."

Auntie?

"Allura, come to me."

Allura's eyes fluttered open to a fuzzy world. "Auntie? What? Why?" Her eyes searched around the room eventually focusing on many a worried face.

"Come Allura, let us take you back to your hospital room." Orla stroked her face, and slowly helped Allura to her feet. The doctor moved in with a wheelchair to take her in. Orla aided a still dazed Allura into the chair. "There you are, Allura."

The group started to file out of Allura's bedroom, Hunk wheeling Allura, fell in behind them.

No… Allura suddenly panicked. "No!" She leapt from the chair before it was out the door. "No, I can't leave him!" She threw herself onto her bed grabbing at the mattress. "He needs me!"

They all exchanged worried looks. Coran finally looking to Orla and then at the doctor. The doctor nodded and slowly approached Allura. "Come now Allura, I need you to come with me." He readied an injection behind his back.

"Stay away from me!" Allura shot back, pulling herself up into a kneeling position on the bed.

"Boys." Coran nodded to the team.

Sven, Lance Hunk, and Pidge slowly approached, Pidge taking the lead. "Princess, please come with us. We want to help you."

"Then leave me alone, you hear! I'm not leaving!"

Sven and Lance slowly made their way around the bed. They were all soon surrounding her. Hunk reached out a hand to her. "Please, Princess? Come with me."

"Stay away!" Allura barked, shoving the hand away. She spun on them all. "Stay away from me!"

Lance moved in. "Now Allura…" He reached for her.

"No!" Allura screamed, grabbing his wrist, and flung him over the bed and right into Hunk, using enough force to knock the big man down.

Everyone froze for a moment in shock over what they just saw as Lance and Hunk push and shoved at one another to free themselves from each other.

"Allura?" Sven approached.

She quickly turned on him. "You stay back!" Allura brandished her fists at him.

"Allura!" Pidge yelled, giving Sven the distraction he needed. As Allura turned to Pidge, Sven leapt in from behind.

Just as he reached her she ducked under him and came up with a fist to his jaw. She then grabbed him and flipped him off the bed. She lunged forward, grabbed Pidge by the shirt, and lifted him to her face. "Nice try." She then leaned backwards with enough momentum to fling Pidge over her, releasing him. He crashed against the wall by her bed. "Leave… me… Alone!" Allura snarled.

The four men slowly regrouped, each nursing their bruises. Painfully now realizing how badly they had underestimated their opponent. And, only then realizing that all those private training sessions she had been having with their captain must have really been training sessions and not what they had all teased. No, this was not Princess Allura they were fighting with… this was the Blue's pilot, trained personally to fight by her captain, it was truly more like they were fighting Keith himself. She had learned his tricks well indeed.

They all exchanged a nod and all four leapt at her at once pinning her to the bed, each getting their share of Allura's wrath. The struggle continued as they fought to control the princess, just barely able to keep the upper hand. The doctor seeing his chance moved in and tried to find a limb that was Allura's and inject it with the sedative. Finally, seeing his chance he grabbed for an arm. But, somehow its mate swung out of nowhere and landed squarely against his jaw sending him backwards and into Coran's arms. The doctor shook it off and moved in again towards the sprawling mass. He again targeted a bear piece of flesh and quickly injected it. The throng soon settled. "I hope I got the right one." He muttered under his breath.

The men slowly peeled away each clutching at a different injured body part, each shaking their head in disbelief. Hunk wearily bent down and picked up the now limp Allura and carried her to the wheelchair. The doctor, Orla, and Romelle rushed to her side to make sure she was okay.

Lance let out a grown as he rubbed his arm, concern etched on his face. "Is she okay?"

The doctor looked up from Allura. "I don't know."

On to the next part

Fan Fiction, Moira, Greatest Gift, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, About