The Greatest Gift A Voltron Christmas Tale
Chapter Ten
Time of Reckoning
Allura was in the same small snow covered house although this time it was different. The house was warm and inviting instead of cold and foreboding. The house was tiny, but more welcoming than any room in the castle. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas, no surface left unadorned. She wandered over to the tree which was covered in all sorts of ornaments. At its top was an exquisitely crafted porcelain angel with its head dipped and arms outstretched. She moved to the fireplace and noticed the three stockings hanging there. She ran her hand along them and read the names. Angelica…Little Angel….and finally…Keith. Allura's hand froze on his name. "Where am I?" She wondered aloud. "Is this Keith's house?" She heard laughter. Following the sound she reached the back door and opened it.
"Keith, you monster! You don't fight fair!" A woman's voice called out.
"Winning isn't about fighting fair." A man's voice answered from behind a berm. But is it Keith's? It was similar but different… deeper…older. Suddenly a barrage of snowballs rocketed across the yard.
"Hey! Ouch, ouch! Oh you're in for it now!" The woman's voice warned from behind her embankment of snow. She leapt over the top and ran across to her attacker's hiding place armed with a snowball in each hand. Allura took in the beautiful woman as she sprinted across the yard, deftly dodging snowballs as she went. The woman was stunningly beautiful with long, fluid jet-black hair floating all around her. She deftly jumped onto his berm and let loose her snowballs. "Ha! Counter attack landed."
He laughed and then barked out. "Attack now!" From overhead snowballs rained down on her head. She ducked, shielding herself with her arms. Like a flash the man launched himself from behind his hiding place tackling her to the ground.
Allura's heart stopped at the sight of the man. He looked just like Keith, same size, same build, same face, although covered in a light stubble. Same hair, just a little gray. Is it him? Is it Keith … just …older? He rolled with her on the ground eventually pinning her, hovering over her. "Give up?"
"Commander Keith Kogane! I will never surrender!" The woman defiantly looked in his eyes as Allura then too saw his eyes and choked. They were Keith's eyes.
He lowered himself over her. "You cannot escape. You're mine now." She looked back up to him, face softening as his lips grew closer. His tone turned soft. "I love you Angie." He kissed her and she responded, kissing back. It's was kiss that Allura has seen many times in her dreams only she was the one… Allura started to tremble seeing Keith obviously in love, lost in an intimate moment with the woman he loves.
A heap of snowballs suddenly rained down on the couple from overhead breaking the moment. "Hey! You're supposed to be on my side." Keith flipped off the woman and tackled a small boy who was holding a bucket over their heads. He grabbed the boy and gently wrestled him down to the ground, the boy giggling in hysterics as Keith tickled him through his coat. "I'll teach you to double cross me! … Hey!"
Using the distraction the woman had gotten free and then had Keith's legs and was pulling him across the snow freeing the boy. "Get him, son!" She cried. The boy grabbed more snowballs from the ground and began pelting Keith with them.
Keith was shielding himself from the barrage laughing. It was a laugh Allura had never heard from him before, one of utter joy and ecstasy. "Alright you two, you're in for it now." He flipped up in a single, deft move and lunged out, grabbing the boy with one arm then spinning and tackling the woman, pinning them both down to the ground under him. "Now I have both of you!" He got a demonic grin. "What to do with you?" He started to tickle them. The laughter that filled the yard was intoxicating, yet for Allura it just brought despair. Was this Keith's future? He's so in love with this woman and she is so in love with him. Is this what he would have had? Was I keeping him from all this? Allura knew she should be happy for him, yet she could not deny the jealous hatred growing within her as her stomach tied in knots.
"Okay, okay already! You win!" The woman laughed.
He stopped his attack, sitting up. "Weaklings!" He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest.
"Weaklings? She lunged at him grabbing at his ribs and began her own onslaught. "Get Daddy!" The boy enthusiastically joined in the tickle attack.
Daddy? Allura paled.
They immediately had Keith in an uncontrollable roar of laughter, unable to fight back from the attack. The two were soon both sitting on top of him tickling him to death.
"Okay, okay I… give…up." He blurted out between laughs.
"You're so cute when you turn bright red like that." She smiled turning him an even brighter red. "Even better." She leaned in and kissed him. "Come on boys, I've got cookies inside!" She stood up, reaching down to help Keith up. As he stood he pulled her into a bear hug.
His son started orbiting them. "Come on! I wanna cookie! I wanna cookie!"
Keith let go of the woman and grabbed his son on his next pass, flipping him upside down and holding him that way, feet flailing in the air. "Okay, let's get your cookie." The boy giggled in pure delight still hanging upside-down as Keith pinned him that way under his arms in front of him. The woman moved in behind and wrapped her arms around Keith's waist and tickled her son eliciting a stream of giggles from him as his feet kicked in the air. Matching stride they walked to the house together and right past Allura as if she wasn't even there.
Allura dropped to the snow below. She had never seen a family with more love, Keith's family. Her heart broke right there and she wept.
When she looked up from her tiers it was suddenly nighttime. She got up and made her way inside. The house was now only lit up with candles, the flickering light from the fire, and the twinkling multicolored lights from the tree. She wandered around taking in the quaint beauty of it all. She had never seen anything so beautiful. Her stomach was soon in knots again. Had this woman been able to do what I could not? Get Keith to enjoy Christmas? She heard their laughter from another room. Looking around again, there was no doubt. She had.
"Hi." A small voice called up to her.
She looked around and saw Keith's son sitting on the floor by the tree looking up at her curiously. "Hi." She smiled back at him seeing that he couldn't be more than four.
"Wanna play?" he asked.
She was suddenly taken aback by how much Keith's son looked just like him. "Uh, yeah I'd like that." She walked over and sat down on the floor beside him, amazed. He really was a miniature Keith with large doe like eyes and absurdly long lashes. Eyes so dark you could get lost in them.
"Are you a friend of my Mommy and Daddy?"
Allura didn't know what to say so she just nodded. "What's that?" She pointed to a stuffed animal in his lap.
He lifted it up to her grinning. "It's my black lion! Santa gave it to me. My Daddy met him!"
Allura shook her head and blinked. "Your black lion?" She smiled at the thought of Keith giving his son the toy. "Your Daddy met Santa?"
"Yeah, Santa gave him our presents to give us cuz he was really busy."
Allura smiled, stroking the toy. "So what's his name?"
"Blackie. He's just like the one I saw."
"You saw a lion?"
"Yep, a big black one!" He swooped the lion around in front of him. "When I'm asleep he takes me for rides."
"He does?"
"Yeah, I climb on his back and he leaps up high in da air and we swoop around the sky." He demonstrated with the stuffed lion.
"You ride on a black lion in your dreams?"
"Yep. I told my Daddy. He said that was neat."
"Is it like the lion he flew?"
"You can't fly a lion silly." He giggled.
"You can't?"
"No, they can only take you for rides like this." He swooped the stuffed lion around again.
"So your Daddy didn't fly lions?"
"My Daddy's a soldier. He can't fly."
"He can't?"
"No, he hurt his hand as a kid so he can't fly."
"He what?" Her mind was trying to puzzle out the mystery.
"His hand don't work right." He lifted up his little hand and made a fist and then reopened it. "See." He smiled at her. "You're funny, everyone knows that!" He started to giggle.
Allura got caught up in his innocent laughter, giggling herself.
The boy looked at her, grinning. "What did you get from Santa?"
"I don't know, I haven't seen yet."
"You haven't? You are silly." He giggled again.
"And you're a cutie." She winked.
The little boy blushed and ran a hand into his hair, embarrassed, the gesture immediately recognizable to Allura. The boy pulled at his long black hair staring at the floor to hide his embarrassment. Oh my god! She reached out, putting a hand under the boy's chin lifting his little face to hers. Her eyes took him in again. Is he? "My name is Allura, what's yours?"
He looked at her totally confused. "Keith, silly."
She dropped her hand, stunned.
He giggled again. "Arura?"
She smiled. "Yes, Allura."
"I never heard of that name." He pointed to the circlet on her head. "What's dat?"
"What?" Her hand reached up to her head. "Oh this, this is my circlet."
"Circ…what?"
"It's like a crown."
"A crown?" His big eyes grew even wider. "Are you a Queen?"
"No..." she earned a frown from him. "I'm a princess."
"Wow! Really?" He beamed.
Allura smiled. "You are just too cute!" He snapped the stuffed lion to his face but Allura caught a glimpse of his flush before it disappeared into the fur. "Yes, and I live in a castle with a big black lion guarding its gate. Just like yours." The little boy curiously raised his head back up, looking extremely bewildered. "Yep, there's a black one and a red one and a…"
"A green one and a yellow one and a blue one." He finished.
"Well yes, but how do you…"
"Do you ride them too?" He held out his lion to her.
She took the stuffed lion from him studying it. "In your dream… do you ride all the lions?"
"Sometimes. But I like the black one the best. He's my favorite."
"Yes. And I believe, he likes you the best too." She bonked the lion's nose on little Keith's nose. Just as it hit he and the lion dissolved away, as did the house and the warmth and she was now back outside, sitting in the snow covered woods, moonlight the only illumination. She could hear the sound of gunfire in the distance and people approaching, she ducked behind a tree and listened.
"I've got a heat signature over there, Sir." A voice spoke and Allura looked around seeing a unit of Drule soldiers. One looked right at her, but didn't seem to see her. "There he is." A soldier jumped down into a ditch and yanked out a child. To Allura's horror it was the same boy, a little older, but unmistakably him. "Keith!" She cried out running to him. But it was no use, she was merely a spectator again.
"Well, well, well. Would you look at that?" The patrol captain chuckled. Then to Allura's surprise little Keith raised a gun and shot the man holding him in the ribs and the man fell to the snow.
"Run, Keith! Run!" Allura screamed. Little Keith made a break for it but the Drule captain leveled his gun at him. Allura tried to grab at the man's arm but her hands just passed right through him. He pulled the trigger, hitting Keith in the leg and bringing him down to the ground.
"Noooo!" Allura ran to the boy.
The Drule captain laughed again. "Definitely his father's son. Take him!"
They converged on Keith walking right through Allura. A man grabbed Keith, lifting him up off the ground. As Keith's eyes focused on the men he went into shock. Suddenly in the distance adding to the constant shrieking of babies crying, there were sounds of more laser blasts.
"Lets go, they're going to need help to bag that Kogane and this one might just do the trick." The Drule captain laughed as they made their way to the fighting. Allura watched, helpless, as little Keith was kicking and screaming the whole way in spite of his injured and bleeding leg. "Yep, definitely his fathers son." The Drule laughed.
They reached the fighting and the Drule captain called out. "Oh Kogane! I have a present for you. Looks just like you too. A little short though."
Allura then saw the man he was talking to. It is the man who was the image of Keith, gun drawn, defending his wife and two small babies. "Keith's father?" Allura breathed. She noticed all around them the wreckage of a Drule robot battalion smoldering in the snow.
Keith's father trained his gun on the Drule captain. "If you so much as lay a hand on him so help me…"
The Drule captain grinned. "Oh sorry, I didn't know. Too bad I already shot him then."
"You bastard!" Keith's mother spat, leveling a gun on him as well, shielding the screaming babies.
The Drule captain laughed. "Oh come now, I only winged him, he'll be fine, that is if you cooperate and come with us." He eyed the woman.
"Never!" Keith's father yelled.
"Fine." He put his gun to little Keith's head.
The woman lunged forward. "No! No, don't hurt my baby."
The Drule captain sneered. "Will someone shut those kids up?"
To Allura's horror, two of his men aimed their guns towards the babies. "Nooo!" Allura screamed running between them and the babies. They opened fire, the shots going right through her. Then suddenly silence. Allura spun and instantly wanted to wretch for nothing resembling the two beautiful raven-haired babies remained.
Keith's father snapped, leaping out and grabbing the Drule captain who was holding the gun to Keith and snapped the man's neck instantly. He turned on the man holding Keith and shot him point blank in the head, the man dropping little Keith to the ground as he fell. He turned on the rest of the unit, taking them all out.
Allura saw a Drule officer appear out of the woods and using the diversion he grabbed the raven-haired woman from behind and drug her off. Keith's father finished the unit off, only to hear maniacal laughter coming from above. He turned and to his horror saw his wife being lifted away in a hovercraft. The craft was taken into a larger ship and as the door closed the ship rose high into the air. "Noooo!" The man screamed, falling to his knees as she disappeared into the sky.
Allura's eyes went to the little whimpering Keith, lying crumpled on the ground, his eyes darting from the ship carrying off his mother and the blood stained snow where the remains of the babies were scattered. Allura went numb. "Is this what happened, Keith?" She dropped to the boy, trying to hold him but she couldn't. "Oh Keith, is this what happened?"
There was the sound of more deep, roaring engines, as a huge firefight was erupting in the night sky as the Drule's made their retreat having got what they came for. One of the Garrison ships landed and its troops made their way to the scene.
Allura scooted back as the man approached carefully gathering his injured son in his arms.
"What the hell happened here?" One of the men from the Alliance ship asked as he walked up to them.
Without a word Keith's father wound up and decked him, knocking him out cold. The others then gave him a wide berth. He went to the car and set Keith down on the seat to tend to his leg.
Keith's father then walked to where the babies were. He knelt down beside them, taking off his coat and laying it down next to them. He began to sob as he reverently placed their tattered remains into his coat, trying desperately to get every drop of their blood from the snow. Every soldier stood in horrified silence, not quite wanting to believe the scene before them.
Allura wept. There was no doubt, those too were his children, Keith's siblings. "Keith! Oh god Keith, I'm so sorry."
After a long while the man carefully wrapped up the babies in his coat and cradled them in his arms. "I love you my little Christmas angels." He sobbed as he slowly stood up. He walked to little Keith carefully bending down and lifting him up as well. Little Keith grabbed on, wrapping his arms around his father's neck, nuzzling his tear soaked face into his father's hair. "Let's go home." He whispered to his son.
Allura awoke, remembering the entire vivid dream, putting the pieces together from her other dream of being a child in the same house. The bodies were Keith's parents, the babies were Keith's siblings. I…I was Keith. She stumbled across the hospital room to the window and looked out onto the beautiful afternoon snowfall of Christmas Eve. Leaning against the cold glass, she slowly slipped down its face smearing it with her tears. All those nightmares she had been having were Keith's nightmares, Keith's private Christmas hell. How could she have been so cold to him? "How… could I have been so selfish?" She wept, lying fetal on the floor, calling out to him. "Forgive me Keith."
Romelle walked in to find Allura a muttering crumpled mess on the floor. She called for the doctor and together they put her back into her hospital bed. The doctor began administering another sedative as Romelle crawled in beside her, hugging her distraught cousin until she finally drifted off to sleep. She wished she had comforting words to say, but she couldn't think of anything. Instead, she just held her.
Keith snapped awake from the same ever-present nightmare of his youth. He was completely disoriented. His head was pounding his hand going to his scull to find a bump. It all soon came back to him. He was fighting Lotor when… they were attacked by those wild men…and then… then…
His eyes slowly focused on the room… no, not a room he discovered…a cave. He tried to move only to find he was bound hand and foot. He then began to slowly make out some shadowy shapes far off in another section of the cave, huddled around a fire, each wearing a pelt of one of the green saber cats. Keith started to go to work on the ropes at his wrists.
"Where is that man that was with him?" Lotor bellowed as he entered the castle, servants running behind him trying to tend to his wounds.
"We do not know Sire" Yurak was careful to keep his distance, but not quite able to keep the mirth off his face.
Lotor glared at Yurak, more than ready to remove that look off his face for him. "Well find him! I want his head!" The servants all scurried around Lotor trying to bandage his wounds. "Get away from me!" Lotor took a swing at them.
Merla's entourage approached from another hall and she fully laughed at him and unlike anyone else didn't hide it. "Hahahaha! So your future champion got the best of you? And I wasn't ever there to see it. Hahahaha…"
"Shut up woman!" Lotor barked. "I'm in no mood for your games." He stormed off.
Keith eventually managed to work the knots free from around his feet and legs but he didn't want to make a move just yet, not until he knew who or what he was up against. He wrapped the ropes around him to look as if he was still bound and waited.
The large bear like man entered the cave carrying a large piece of meat from a kill, handing it off to another to prepare. He made his way towards where Keith was, stopping about ten feet away squatting down in front of him, and studying him intently. He let out a snort and moved to the other side of the room sitting down cross-legged on a pelt and began sharpening his spear, all the while keeping one eye on Keith.
This isn't good. This man is obviously more than I can easily handle in a fist fight especially with an injured leg. If he can take down one of those things with just a spear, I really don't want to have to fight him. Two others entered the cave and move up to Keith. The younger of the two held a hand-hewn ax in his hand and stayed near Keith's head while the other, an older man, moved to Keith's leg and ripped open his pant leg, fully exposing the wound. Keith flinched as he began to clean it out.
"Hold still." The older man grumbled. "The wound is deep but it will heal."
Keith took a breath and relaxed letting the man treat him. Not like he had much choice in the matter. From the mans touch and manner he could tell he was obviously skilled in medicine. He produced a compress of leaves and began packing the wound with them.
Yet another pelt clad man came in the room and stood to look over Keith. "Why are we helping him? He's one of them you all saw that!"
"Yes." Another entered. "But we also saw him try to kill Lotor and that makes him a friend."
"I don't like it. It stinks of one of Lotor's traps. He's a spy I tell you!"
"A spy? You think Lotor would allow himself to get cut up just to put a spy in our ranks? Be serious. Lotor wouldn't waste his time on us."
"He's a spy! We should have left him in the field to die or better yet be eaten!"
"Calm down!"
"Calm down? Don't you tell me to calm down! You're getting soft, you all are! Lotor will get us!" He pushed his way towards Keith, shoving the two men beside him away. "I'll settle this!" He drew a dagger and placed it against Keith's neck.
Keith quickly tried to form a plan. If he got the dagger then what? He'd have to fight his way…
A spear suddenly pierced through the air logging into a hunk of wood against the outer wall, the staff vibrating just in front of Keith's attacker's face stopping him cold.
All eyes in the room shifted to the bear of a man still sitting there coldly staring forward. The bear man slowly rose and walked up to the attacker who was now too petrified to move. The bear man grabbed him by the scruff of the neck lifting him away from Keith and effortlessly tossed him aside. He took hold of his spear and with a swift yank pulled it free. He looked at Keith a moment then walked back to the other side of the cave to sit down and resume his ritual sharpening.
Keith was stunned. Not because of what just happened but for what he saw in the bear man's eyes. Behind the pelt, the shaggy hair, and beard were oh so familiar eyes. The eyes of a long time friend and teammate. But the eyes were hollow, much like Allura's. "Hunk…" He breathed, the word just sounding like a breath.
Then from across the room his booming voice filled the cave. A voice familiar, yet totally different, this was not the jolly Hunk he knew… this man had suffered. "The Lion's spirit has spoken. He is a friend." The bear man simply spoke before resuming his sharpening.
After he was bandaged, the others exited cave leaving just Keith and the Hunk of a bear man alone. They sat and stared at one another for a long time.
"You did not kill the lion warrior. Why?" The bear man asked.
Keith then understood, Hunk knew all this time that he was free of his bindings yet didn't say a word. "He is not my enemy." Keith softly replied.
"Who is your enemy?"
The word forming was foul on Keith's lips, he almost spit it out to get rid of the taste of it. "Lotor!"
The bear man slowly stood making his way to Keith and extending his arm out towards him. "Come."
Keith, knowing he had been found out, extended his hand up to the man, the rope that was just loosely twisted around it falling to the ground. The bear man firmly took hold of Keith's hand and pulled him to his feet, Keith taking most of his weight in his good leg. Whatever herbs the medicine man packed his wound with were doing an amazing job of numbing the pain.
"Come, you must go. Many here will want you dead. You are not one of us."
Keith nodded in understanding. The utter fear these people must live in as they eeked out an existence under the shadow of King Lotor must be immense.
The bear man led him out of the caves grabbing up Keith's sword on the way out, Keith followed behind, wary of all the eyes upon him. All sorts of people, men, women, elders, children, and the maimed all sought shelter in these caves, and these lion warriors were protecting and providing for them. Keith's heart swelled with pride. These people were the soul of Arus, valiantly fighting to be free. "I will try." Keith silently promised them. "I am sorry…"
The bear man led him outside and down a winding path to where some horses were waiting. Another Lion warrior approached Keith. "We will see you out of the forest. You are on your own after that."
The bear man reverently handed Keith his sword giving Keith an intense stare. "Lotor." He spat.
Keith's eyes became slits and he slowly partially drew the sword out of its sheath eyeing the blood dried there. "Lotor…" Keith sneered slightly smiling at Blue Boy's blood on his blade. He snapped the blade back into its sheath and extended his hand to the bear. "Thank you." Hunk.
One of the men produced a set of armor from one of Lotor's men and handed the bundle to Keith with a nod. Keith thanked him and pulled on the pieces and carried the helm.
They mounted up and rode off in silence everything that needed to be said already said. They escorted Keith to the edge of the forest and showed him a trail that would give him cover most of the way back to the castle. Keith dismounted and handed his reins to one of them then saluted the men. He pulled on the helm and continued on his way on foot. It was dusk when he made his way on to the castle grounds, the pathway the Lion warriors showed him doing its job well. Keith imagined they must use it when conducting supply raids. He saw a group of soldiers casually heading back to the castle proper and fell in amongst their ranks, blending in with the crowd as best he could. Luckily for Keith Lotor's armies were an ever changing mixture of both commissioned soldiers and mercenaries for hire so no one really paid much attention to him in his half torn up armor.
Keith made his way into the castle itself, all of his senses on full alert, no time to screw up now. The castle however was relatively empty. Very odd… Keith wondered why until he heard two guards talking, both angered that they were on shift and not able to go to the arena and watch tonight's mystery fight.
Lotor will be at the Arena. So that's where I am headed. Keith found a new energy to his step, blocking out the dull pain in his leg. One of us dies tonight, Lotor! Keith weaved his way through the crowd of people as he got closer to the arena, everyone too busy chatting with one another wondering what this suddenly scheduled arena battle was all about to take notice of him.
He made his way to the darkened royal box, a heavy drape drawn closed screening it from the arena. He quickly scanned the area, no one was there yet. Good, Keith decided he could hide in wait and then…
"Keith?...is… is that you?" A soft quivering voice came out from the shadows behind the screen to one side of the royal box.
"Allura?" Keith breathed, making his way to the screen and removing his helm.
She rushed up to the fabric that separated them, tears coming to her face. "I thought you were dead. Lotor said…"
"Shhh… I'm fine." He reassured her with a soft soothing voice. He lifted his hand up to caress her face through the fabric. "Please don't cry, my princess."
She couldn't help but to nuzzle into his hand.
"And the trap is sprung! HAHAHAHA…." Lotor's maniacal voice filled the royal box.
"NOOOO!" Allura screamed as Keith jumped back towards the railing drawing and readying his sword.
The box filled with Lotor's goons all laughing and grinning like idiots. Lotor moved to Allura and with his dagger slashed thorough the fabric with one hand and grabbed Allura with the other. "Oh what lovely bait you make, my dear." He took her lips with his, his hands forcefully pulling her firmly to him. He came up for air to smile devilishly at Keith. "I knew you couldn't resist my little sweet princess. Once you have a taste…"
"You bastard! " Keith growled his hand clenching around the grip of his sword. Lotor's goons all moved in closer each leveling either a gun or other weapon at Keith, holding him at bay.
Lotor laughed at having so easily found his opponents weakness. He spun Allura around so they were both facing him, so Keith could watch Allura's terror ridden face as Lotor played with his dagger at her breast.
All Keith could do was watch. Having seen the scars on Allura's body he knew Lotor had no problem cutting her. Keith grit his teeth, his knuckles going white around the hilt of his sword.
The tip of Lotor's dagger found the edge of the fabric covering Allura's breast and he made a show of cutting it free. His hand restraining her quickly moving up to grab a handful of her now bare breast. "Yes lovely… she is so lovely."
It was all Keith could do to keep calm as beads of sweat begin pour down him, his whole body on fire with rage.
Lotor traced the dagger point over her flesh, firm enough to leave a scratch. Then he moved the dagger lower to her belly and then lower, tracing a line just above her pubic bone.
As the guards turned to lustfully watch their King, Keith saw his chance. He lashed out taking two down before they even knew he was attacking. The remaining guards all turned on him two large pistols now leveled at his head, Keith froze.
"Don't kill him…" Yurak pushed his way to the front smiling from ear to ear. "That honor is for King Lotor and for King Lotor alone."
Keith was loosing it. He was caught. They held all the advantage now, a deafening silence loomed between them when suddenly Allura's scream pierced out from behind the guards. The guards shifted giving Keith a full, unobstructed horrific view of Allura writhing in pain as Lotor slowly drew the blade along the line of the large scar on her stomach drawing blood as it passed.
"Hahahahaha…." Yurak laughed. "Look at the poor little princess... aww that's gotta hurt." The guards all had a laugh.
Keith's whole body shook. He closed his eyes and mentally called out to her in his anger…Allura be strong… we will beat him… Allura… But he got nothing in return. Keith then herd a thud which snapped his eyes open to find Allura thrown down against a chair, utterly terrified, and Lotor smiling over her.
Lotor strode up to Keith. "So now where were we…Ahhhh… He turned to the heavy drape which a servant quickly pulled open revealing the crowd of the now full stadium. Lotor raised his hands to his people who all rose to greet their king. "My people, for your pleasure tonight I give you a fight between the Lord Kogane and myself…" The crowd went wild. "TO THE DEATH!" The crowd lost it completely becoming riotous in their seats. The noise was deafening. Lotor then turned to Keith and bowed. "After you…My Lord…" Lotor rose back up with a cocky grin plastered on his face, one Keith couldn't wait to make him eat.
The guards took a step back to give Keith some room. Keith took a deep breath and leapt over the railing to the arena below, landing like a cat, sword at the ready and only slightly favoring his leg as his adrenaline levels were so high, pain no longer mattered.
Lotor quickly followed deafly landing fifty feet away, he drew his laser sword and began to stalk Keith. The crowd never returned to their seats. The King himself was in the match, a rare day indeed. Lotor started to laugh as he circled Keith. "So, how is your leg, My Lord? HAHAHAHA…" He continued to laugh.
Keith ignored him, focusing on the attack he knew was to come.
"Are you going to make me wait all day? Very well… Aghhhhhhh!" Lotor charged at Keith with a simple straight attack. Keith readied himself and prepared for a possible fake. He was not disappointed. At the last second Lotor pulled back and changed target. Keith managed to deflect the blow bringing his blade around for a counter strike. It grazed off Lotor's leg.
"Heh heh heh… I underestimated you, Lord Kogane." Lotor's eyes turned to slits as he hatched a new plan. "So you like my little Princess do you? Hahahaha… Do you want her for yourself?"
Keith's rage started to over run him… He moved to attack swiping at Lotor's head which Lotor easily parried away. He then swung around to Lotor's side, Lotor dodging just in time. Lotor then took a swipe at Keith's injured leg just grazing it, but enough to send a shot of pain rocketing through Keith's body.
Lotor, getting the reaction he wanted continued. "You sure you don't want a fresher woman? She does have an awful lot of miles on her"
Stay focused Keith…he's baiting you… keep… mind focused.
Lotor charged in and they exchange a volley of attacks and parries. Each keeping up with the other, the blades moving so fast they seemed more like a blur. The two sprang apart each breathing hard, each again searching for an opening.
Lotor sneered, wiping a sweaty brow. "Do you truly want my used up leftovers?"
At that something in Keith's mind switched off. He went numb. He looked down to the earth no longer feeling any pain. When his head came up and his eyes leveled on Lotor the King visibly shuddered, lips parting in surprise for the Keith he was fighting was no longer there.
Keith removed the bulky armor that he was wearing as he slowly stalked his pray circling like a lion on the hunt. Soon he was down to just the red uniform that now felt like home to him. He flipped the sword around deftly in his hand then charged in with unimaginable speed. It was all Lotor could do to block the hit… If that were Keith's intent. But Keith flipped around at the last minute, his feet suddenly in Lotor's face hitting him with the full momentum on the run squarely in the jaw as he flew past him. As Keith landed his sword hand took a sweep behind him, cutting Lotor across the back just before he hit the ground from the first kick. Keith swung around as Lotor fought to get up and he kicked him in the head again sending him flying.
Lotor's men quickly jumped into the arena running to their King's aid, Yurak coming between his fallen King and Keith. "I have been waiting for this moment since you got here." Yurak sneered as he leveled his sword at Keith.
Keith didn't respond. Words were now meaningless to him. All he saw was a new opponent. He stretched his neck and attacked and in three moves Yurak had been speared on his sword. The other guards then all charged in and Keith pushed the now lifeless Yurak into two of them. He then whip kicked around into another while goring a fourth with his blade. He recoiled into himself like a spring ready to strike again at the closest target. One soldier dared to move and Keith was on and off him like a shot, taking off an arm with the strike.
Lotor had just the time of the distraction to regain himself getting to his feet he changed his strategy. He sorely underestimated this man and Lotor was far from how good he was in his fighting prime, that now so painfully obvious as this human walked all over him. Some more guards approached and Lotor motioned for them to surround Keith. Once Keith was surrounded all the men jumped him at once. Keith fought them off, killing one immediately and insuring another would never procreate. He was going for a third when Lotor's hit landed, an overhead chop to the collarbone dropping Keith to his knees. Two guards then grabbed him from behind and restrained him, allowing their King to open up on him, letting loose a fury of punches and kicks. Then they let the battered and bloodied Keith drop limp to the ground.
Lotor laughed. "What a match this was!" He raised his hands to the roaring crowd and then turned to the royal box to see the look of utter horror on Allura's face. Allura looked on to Lotor almost pleadingly. "My silly little Princess, does he deserve to die honorably?" A sharp searing pain shot through Lotor's entire body as he looked down to see the tip of a sword protruding from his gut. He looked up again at the princess, her look of pleading gone, replaced by a look of utter contempt. "She tricked me… she…." Lotor gasped.
Keith's voice sneered into Lotor's ear. "You underestimate people to much, oh great King." Keith gave the sword a twist, reveling in it when a burning fire scorched into him from behind, making every muscle in his body seize up then release limp. He dropped to his knees behind Lotor, his mind fuzzing out.
"Hmmmm… so, my husband I see you have had you fun?" Merla walked up to Keith kicking him over with her heel. "Honor is for fools…" She gestured to a medical team that rushed in and quickly went to work on their King. She gave Keith a last perusal, running the barrel of her smoking gun over his body. "What a pity… so promising." She turned and strode away… "So promising… THROW HIM IN THE PIT!"
Allura was in stunned shock. Everyone around her was in a frenzy. She couldn't move, she could barely breathe. The man that was to be her salvation had been smote down before her eyes. Keith! Her mind screamed out. "Keith! Don't leave me! Don't leave me…"
Nanny soon found her, wrapping her up in her cape and tried to usher her away. "Come my baby. Come…"
"No Nanny, I must see him… I must…" She looked back out to see him being drug along the ground by his ankles by two overgrown goons, off in the direction of the Pit. "Nooooo…. Noooo….noooooo….." Allura screamed.
Merla looked up from the arena floor and smiled at the princess. "Merry Christmas, Your Highness." She called up to her and broke into a maniacal laughter that continued to resonate in Allura's head.
Keith awoke, his body broken, as he was being drug off to die in Lotor's very own Pit of Skulls. His body long ago had switched off. They reached the side where a crowd of onlookers had gathered and without so much as an announce of ceremony, dropped him in, the crowd above letting out a roar or approval. Keith felt his body weightless for a moment but didn't really feel the hit. All he knew was that it felt wrong. He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, my Princess."
The castle medics and mystics worked on their King feverishly to stop the bleeding, using every trick of modern medicine and magic they could to piece him back together. If by some miracle he managed to survive he would never be the man he was. His body would just be a shadow of his former self.
Merla entered the King's room to see him laying on the grand bed all sorts of tubes and equipment attached to his body, a container of smoldering incense at his head. "So, my King, will you live?" She ran a hand along his body. "And all this just for a pretty face… I am disgusted! Your male bravado will be your undoing if it hasn't already." She walked towards his head not knowing if he could hear her or not. "Lotor you're a pig!" She rubbed her swollen belly. "Your son will grow up to be the man you could never be! I will see to that!" She reached out to him with her mind. I hope you die! She then turned on her heel and strode out of the room, her cape billowing behind her.
Allura again stood staring out the window of her cell like room. Nanny had done all she could to comfort her, to no avail. She looked out over to where the pit lay imagining him there, body broken. Did I bring this upon him? She questioned herself. I have brought nothing but pain to everyone in my life. I'm weak, I'm so weak. She leaned her head upon the glass, trying to touch the Pit with one thought ringing in her mind. "I will avenge you, my Lord. That I promise."
Not quite knowing how she got there, she found herself standing in front of the closet where Nanny stored her meager wardrobe and the thing she was really there for, the blue liquid that her body craved almost as much as her mind craved the release it provided. She placed her hand on the door of the small closet and dropped her head, hating the need she has developed for this… this stuff.
She remembered the first time Lotor gave it to her mixed with some wine. She had felt odd and weak as he raped her again, but that time it hadn't hurt nearly as much and she's found herself able to forget what was happening to her even as he was on top of her. The pain afterwards was excruciating, but Lotor had given her another 'drink', this time giving her the blue liquid without diluting it. The pain had vanished and the cycle that followed was as simple as that. Sighing heavily, knowing the inevitable, she opened the closet digging behind a stack of clothing and finding the fresh store of vials all neatly capped. So pretty the liquid was, really. Such a calming hue. She reached towards the vials and hesitated yet again. Was this who she had become?Was this really the fait of the Princess of Arus? Tears formed as she realized that she could no longer deny the need inside her for the numbing relief. She took the first vial before she had a chance to think further, downing it instantly. Taking another and another, she continued until half of them were gone and she was nearly staggering from the effects.
In another world not so far away another Allura awoke. In her gut she felt as if something was terribly wrong but she could not say what or why. She gently crawled out of the hospital bed trying not to wake Rommelle who was sleeping next to her. She went to the window and looked out to the lake shimmering in the moonlight. Something was wrong but… feeling anxious she sunk out of the room and begin aimlessly wandering the halls of the castle only to find herself at Keith's room.
Her hand ran along the door. The door was cold to her touch. How many times had she walked past this door before, taking for granted that he was there inside, always at the ready to come to her aid whenever called upon. She touched the control panel and keys in an access code, the door swishing open before her.
She hesitated a moment before the darkened empty room. How many times had she wanted to step through this doorway to see him, to tell him how she truly felt, but she never dared. How many times had she stood right here in the middle of the night to just feel his reassuring presence? She tentatively took a step.
The room was as cold as the fear gripping her heart. She took a deep breath as her eyes acclimated to the darkness, the moonlight shining in from his window the only illumination. To her surprise she saw the usual order of his room was lost. The room was absolutely trashed. Everything that used to sit in neat stacks on his desk was strewn about the floor. Even the mattress on his bed was slightly askew. She made her way over to his bed and fell onto it, his scent still strong in the mattress. Why Keith why? She hit his bed in her utter frustration. Why would he? How could he…? She just couldn't imagine Keith ever wanting to kill himself.
She then caught a glimpse of black fur poking out of a cubby at the side of his bed. She reached for it and to her amazement pulled out a very worn looking black plush lion, just like the one she held in her dream. Her dream…Keith's dream? Keith's lion? How could I have been so insensitive? All this time I just thought he was just being a jerk about Christmas. I'm sorry, Keith I'm so sorry! She pulled the lion in close to her breast. All this time I was having Keith's dreams. That was Keith's Christmas… Ohhh how horrifying! No wonder he hates Christmas. And all I've done is give him even more grief! I drove him to this… She moved to reverently replace the lion in its den only to find a notepad in there. She bit her lip, feeling guilt for intruding into his most private space. She gingerly pulled it out her eyes tearing instantly as she reads.
My Dear Ally,
Oh Keith did you?… Was this meant for me…? She read the date scrawled on the top. It was dated the night before the accident. The night she confronted him in the coach. Allura's fingers touched her mouth, lingering. It was the night he dared to kiss her lips.
I know you are growing frustrated with me, and you don't understand where my head is. I can't say myself. I can't seem to be able to talk to you anymore and I don't know why. Allura, I don't mean to hurt you I'm just inept when it comes to expressing my feelings.
I'm so afraid, afraid of us, of what that means. My responsible mind keeps telling me that it's impossible, improper, and detrimental. Yet, my heart. My heart is screaming out for you. That's why I've been avoiding you Ally. It hurts too much to be with you and not be with you. I'm sorry Ally. But I need to tell you, I want to tell you
The note ended mid sentence. Tell me? Allura cried searching the ceiling for answers that weren't there. Tell me what? She dropped the pad, crumpling back down onto his bed. Keith my love… I need you… I miss you… I LOVE you… you can't leave without me…. She opened her mind again searching, ever searching…
Keith? She lifted her head up from the mattress and she pulled herself up. I feel you… I'm coming Keith.
A scantily clad Allura carrying a tray of goodies made her way through the halls of the castle, Lotor's men all taking notice approvingly of the very revealing number she had chosen to wear, forgoing her usual cape she hides beneath. She arrived at his door and the guard stops her. "No visitors. By orders of Queen Merla."
Allura sauntered up to the man rubbing suggestively against him. "Well I have orders from the King to be with him tonight and I do not intend on breaking them." She purred at him grabbing hold of his most prized possession. "I can see you when I'm done, if you like." She gave him a squeeze.
The guard wrapped his arm around Allura's bare waist and pulled her to him. "I'll be waiting." He huskily replied and took a bite of her neck.
She smiled lustfully at him as he opened the door for her and disappeared into the king's chambers.
Allura quietly glided into the royal chambers, tray in hand. This room would have been her parent's suites if they had lived to see the birth of the new castle. She remembered Nanny insisting she live there but to her it was too big a room for just her. To big and too empty. Instead she chose a smaller room for herself, one she figured she would have had if her parents were still alive. She would often come into these rooms and imagine what it would have been like, how her mother would have decorated it. She could almost see how their room would have looked on this Christmas Eve, a large tree at its center, no doubt the castle's children playing all around. Zarkon crushed that dream and then his son crushed the rest when he took over. She slowly approached the large bed dominating the center of the bedroom. Luckily for her the servants apparently had all been ordered to leave.
"I told you to leave me alone!" A gravelly voice erupted from the bed.
She defiantly continued to walk forward. "You asked for me tonight my King?" She cooed as she reached the bed.
King Lotor's eye's didn't seem to register her at first but then he smiled. "Allura…" He breathed out her name like a prayer.
"Majesty." She answered running her hand along his arm. She saw the state he was in seeing he must be in agonizing pain, his injuries grave indeed. The dressings on his wounds were soaked with blood. If this were any other man she would have felt pity for him, but she didn't. Lying on this bed was the one man who destroyed her life, destroyed her dreams, destroyed her planet, and destroyed her soul. And she felt as though she let him. She was week. Instead of fighting him she just curled up in defeat. She watched him kill the captain and she ran. She watched him kill Coran and she ran. She watched him beat Nanny to a pulp and she ran. Well tonight she would run no more.
She looked down at his pathetic form. "May I please you, your Majesty?" She smiled at him.
Lotor almost laughed but caught himself before he injured himself further. "My Princess…"
"Shhhhh…" She smiled. "Let me comfort you…" She set her tray down and climbed up on top the bed to straddle the king. She lightly brushed his bare skin alongside the dressings. "Shhhhhhh…"
"Allura…" Lotor's eyes almost rolled back in his head. "Allura, my beautiful princess." He closed his eyes and started to breathe deeper as her soothing hands relaxed him. "You are not like the rest of them. You know who your King is."
Allura smiled as he relaxed. She started to hum a little soft Christmas lullaby as her fingers danced along his skin.
"What is that you're singing?"
"Hmmm…oh a Christmas song… it's called Silent Night…" she continued to hum.
"It's beautiful… like you… Allura. You should have been my Queen."
"Hmmmm…" She continued to trace circles on his skin with one hand, the other reaching for the tray, her fingers snaking under the cloth covering, finding what they seek.
"You and I could have ruled the Galaxies side by side. Why did you have to…?"
"Shhhhhhh…." She continued to hum.
His eyes flashed open as he suddenly looked up at her. "You could have had it all! I would have given you everything! Anything you would have wanted would have been yours. Anything!"
"Anything?"
He reached up with his weak hand to take hers in it. "Yes, anything."
Her eyes narrowed to slits. "But…" she pulled her hand free from his. "Anything but what matters most in the world. The thing you have taken from everyone. Freedom!"
His eyes instantly flashed with rage. "How dare you! You!" He sputtered. "You have no place to say…"
"Exactly. I have no place."
"Your place, Allura, was by my side."
Allura rolled her head atop her neck. "Very well." And with one powerful thrust she buried the dagger she had hidden on her tray into his chest, burying it all the way to the hilt, piercing his heart. "Together… in death." She sneered as the blood poured out of him.
She slowly turned her head away, sliding off him and wandered to a secret passage at the other end of the room. Not looking at him again or acknowledging the faint sounds of his gurgling coming from behind her. Following The winding passage's twists and turns the hidden corridors took her to her destination, outside. She headed off into the darkness to her final end, the bridge over the pit. Looking down she could see Keith's broken body lying below. She closed her eyes, no longer feeling a thing, the drugs having numbed her completely. She no longer had any fear, now having sealed her fate. She stretched her arms out to her sides as Merla's blood curdling cry could be heard echoing in the distance.
Keith slowly looked up to see Allura. He tried to stand but could not and fell back to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Allura swayed on the bridge and then stepped off the edge falling into the pit, a hundred feet below.
Allura wandered lost in a daze still only clad in her hospital gown ever searching for him. She eventually found herself being inexorably drawn outside and out on the long bridge over the water. She looked down into the icy depths feeling his presence so strong. "Keith I know you're down there. I can feel you. Why? Why did you leave me? Keith I…I…miss you." She closed her eyes and stretched her arms out to the cold breeze. Why did you leave me? She started to sway body growing so cold and numb, but she didn't feel a thing. I love you…
A pair of strong arms quickly wrapped around her sweeping her off her feet, cradling her to a huge warm chest. Half conscious, she muttered. "Why did he leave? Why did he…" Her head fell limp as Hunk held her in his arms and carried her back to the castle.
"Ally! Nooo!" Keith pulled himself along the ground to her crumpled and bloody form. Eventually reaching her, he pulled her into his arms, her limbs falling into unnatural angles. "Ally…Ally…" He wept.
"Keith, did I escape?" Blood was pouring out of her.
"Yes Princess, you escaped. Hold on okay. Help is coming." Keith brushed blood soaked blond tresses from her face.
"I'm sorry Keith. I had to help you."
"Shh… Princess save your strength." He cradled her in his arms
She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "Keith, did I escape?"
"Yes Princess." He stroked her face.
She slightly smiled. "Thank you, my Lord."
"Princess? Ally, please save your strength."
"Keith, did I escape?" Her voice was fading.
"Yes Princess, you escaped." Keith tried not to cry but could not help himself, his tears beginning to flow.
"Keith, did I escape?" Her voice was just above a whisper.
"Yes Princess, you escaped."
Her eyes slowly drifted shut. "Thank you, Keith …Keith, did I escape?"
"Yes Princess, you escaped."
"Keith, did I escape?" Her last words were just barely more than air.
"Yes Princess…"
She stopped breathing.
"Nooooo!" He pulled her bleeding and battered body to him, rocking her back and forth. "No Ally don't go… don't leave me again."
A single ear piercing shot rang out from above. He heard it just before he felt the sting in his back. A burning fire radiated through his whole body. He snapped up, the pain unbearable and then he felt nothing. His body wavered as he fell forward onto Allura and everything went black.
Fan Fiction, Moira, Greatest Gift, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, About