CHAPTER 2

Clouded Crystal

"WHAAAT? Lotor gave Arus one of our valuable Crystals?"
"Yes, Zarkon. It's all part of my plan! My Assistant, Tammaya will explain, your majesty."
"It had better be good!"
Haggar's Assistant, Tammaya Shields, steps out of the shadows. She walks toward the stairs which supported Zarkon's Great throne. She was a 19 year old human slave, who had trained in the Doominite Military, then later rose to the rank as Head Mistress Slaver in Haggar's Castle and became Haggar's Assistant. Tam gets on one knee, and looks straight forward, not darring to look into the eyes of her King.
"You see, sire, our Doominite Crystals hold a strong Energy, an energy we use for our weapons! It was discovered, that if one is not used to the Energy, the Energy will consume the beholder's being."
"So what your saying is that these crystals are Magical?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes! It will consume the souls of the Voltron force, making them mindless slaves. And Lotor will be waiting until then, and he will be victorious!"
"I like the Plan! But wouldn't the Force destroy the crystal when they notice it's purpose?"
"They might, but, the Crystal has a way of desguising it's true Origin. The Doominite crystal is capable of granting desires, but in exchange, it takes a bit of the wisher's soul. The Voltron Force will become greedy, and will ask for wishes galore. And every time, the crystal will consume more and more of thier souls!"
"Haha! Excelent! But, what if one of them nincompoops realize it's wickedness before anyone else? They might want to reverse the wishes! Will they succeed?"
"There is a posiblility, your highness, but a very slim one at that! You see, only she who had casted the wish, and that person alone, has the power to reverse thier wish. But, if there's one thing I've learned, is that not many like to give up what they have!"
"Very Well, Haggar! You may proceed with this plan! Let's just hope Lotor will use his brains and attack on Arus, instead of lusting over that Foolish Princess!"

~~~~~*****~~~~~ It had now been a week since the crystal Cat was discovered. Charlie had nominated herself, "Keeper of the Crystal" and allowed no one to even touch it! Lance had now given up all hope of ever getting his voice back. He had tried offering his Commander silly things at first, like Breakfast in Bed for a month, Washing the Black Lion for her. But as time went on, He got more desperate, and even pleaded to her on his knees. But Every time, Charlie would just turn away, more cruelly than the last. Because Lance could not regain his voice, Skye was still missing. No one had the faintest clue as to where she could be, not even Lance. Because Skye was not present, Zero was still frozen stiff. No one knew what to do with him. It was joked that he'd make a great Lawn ornament, or even a nice fountain. But even though he was immoble, he was still living, and breathing. Nanny had volunteered to Feed Zero once in a while, as to not leave him Starving.
"Charlie's going to far! Anyone would have forgiven Lance by now! I don't understand why this punishment has to go on for so long!" Exclaimed Keith, who was pacing around most of his team-mates, over at Castle Control.
"Even I tried to reason with Charlie, but she is still set on punishing them! How much more can they be punished? No one got hurt!"
"We don't know that for sure, Princess. What about Skye? She could be anywhere, Even Doom!" Exclaimed Pidge.
"Skye... May the gods help her, where ever she may be."
"It's not like she's dead or anything, Sonja! If I know Skye, she's one tough cookie! Charlie could be right, in fact, how do we know she's not in some tropical paridise, enjoying some sand, sun and surf and Peace?"
"Zero, shuddup before I tip you over! Remember what Charlie Said? The Crystal grants your every wish! I doubt Lance wished that Skye be in some tropical paridise for her harmless remark!" Dusty glared at Lance. Lance turns away, sorrowfully.
"Well, where ever she may be, we cannot help her by just sitting around here, and complaining. We got to do something!"
"Hunk's right! I say we get that crystal Cat."
"Right on Keith!"
"Well, Well, Well! Mutiny is on the rise!"
"Ch-Charlie! How long have you.. ? Oh nevermind. We weren't conspiring Mutiny, we just wanted the Crystal so that we can get things back to Normal!"
"I suppose I have been a bit harsh!" Charlie grins wickedly at Lance. She then pulls out the crystal cat, and closes her eyes. "Lance, your on Dish duty tonight!"
**Gasp**".. BUT what did I DO? I.. I.. I can talk! WOHOO! I can talk again!"
Dusty grabs Lance.
"Good, Good. Now bring Skye Back!"
Lance nods, and holds part of the crystal, Charlie still holding the bottom half. He squeezes his eyes shut. Suddenly a burst of wind enters the Room. A flash a light appears, and Skye stands there, in the exact spot she had disapeard from. She stands there, for a second or two, swaying, then suddenly, she collapses. She was not in a good condition. She had cuts and bruises everywhere, She looked as if she had been in a fight.
"SKYE!" Everyone rushes to her. Hunk sits her up. Skye smiles and looks straight at Hunk.
"Hey Paul.. hehe.. I finally killed that B*tch!" And with that, she passes out.
Hunk looks up, confused, he see's everyone else was confused as well, so it didn't bother him as much.
"Did she just cuss? That is the first time I've ever heard her cuss!"
"Yeah! Mostly she just yells out PG rated words, like 'Gad-Dangit' or something like that. Especially durring repairs!"
"What's going on? Why can't I still Move? Is Skye there? Hellooo?"
"Not Now! Skye's injured! We gotta take her to the infirmary!" Exclaimed Keith. Who Helps Hunk carry Skye out. Everyone else follows, except for Charlie, who walks the other direction.
"Oh sure.. leave me here! After all, I'm just a statue!"~~~~~****~~~~~ Skye looks looks around. She saw several people looking at her. She couldn't quite place it at the moment, but she knew them! She starts digging into her memory, to find a name.. any name.
"ER.... Dusty?"
"Hehehe! Welcome back to the Living, Skye!"
"Where am I? Where's Paul?"
"Who's Paul? What are you talking about?"
Skye cocks her head at Dusty, and examines her closely.
"Wow, You've aged well! I was thinking you'd some grey hair now, because of Lance!"
"Huh? Skye, are you okay?" Asked Hunk. Skye turns to him, and grins.
"Wow.. you've all aged well! If only Jasmine knew how good people age well here!" Skye Laughs.
"Skye, it's only been a week since you left! I doubt people age dramaticly in 7 days!" Exclaimed Sonja.
"SEVEN DAYS? Surely you jest! I've been gone for 10 years! I know I have!"
"No you haven't Skye! Trust me, it was Seven Days!"
"Sure, then what about Galiub Wars? Paul, Jasmine, Nihm? Where's Trey? Where's my Son?"
Everyone stood there, blinking at her!
"Skye, take a look at yourself! Your only 13!"
Allura hands a mirror to Skye. She looked at it. There, in that silver piece of Glass, Skye was looking at her younger self! At first she thought it to be just a picture, but as she touched it, she saw her reflection move. Skye dropped it on the bed, shook her head and began to Cry.
"It's immposible! it Can't Be! They Need me!"
"Who is 'they'?" Asked Allura. Skye looks at the blond princess. She looks into her blue eyes, and see's that she really did not know what she was talking about. Skye sighs, and looks at the her hands.
"Paul, my lifemate," Skye looks at her left hand, and see's that the wedding band that she had cherished for who knows when, was gone. Not even a mark was left to show that it had been there. "He was to be promoted today, Captain of the Air squad. He had destroyed Galiub's amo shipments, thust giving us a great advantage!" She smiled to herself.
This was all to wierd for them.. yet they wanted more.
"Ooo-Kay. Who's Jasmine?"
"Jasmine?" Skye laughs. "The queen of wickedness, Twin Sister to Nihm. Together, we were known as the 'Tornado Trio'. Nihm's a great marksman soldier, she hardly ever misses a target. Jaz, a great flight pilot. For every battle we had faught, we'd always be one of the few left standing."
"But what did you mean, 'A son'? You can't have a baby in just 7 days!"
"To you, it probably was 7 days, Pidge, but to me. It wasn't! I had to endure 10 years of fighting hand to hand combat, loosing friends, gaining new allies. Why won't you all believe me?"
"If you were in our position, would you believe yourself?"
She Glares at Keith. Her memory of these people was a dim one. Durring her absence, she tried to forget about them. She thought, she would never see them again. But, now, she was back. But, in exchange, she left some others behind. Others who had grown deeply fond of. She just can't forget them. She won't even dare to think of forgeting them.
The truth hurt her, like a stab in the neck. All that time she spent, was now nothing. All those memories she lived, were now just a dream. All that pain, and joy she felt, was only the past. She looks down at the covers, and turns away.
"Just... Leave me alone! Just go away!"
Everyone walks out the door, still confused, and shocked. Once outside the door, Dusty turns toward her friends.
"Could she really be telling the Truth? Could it have been, for her, 10 years, while for us it had been only a week?"
"If what she said, is true.. Oh how awful, she must feel!"
"But, if she was gone for 10 years, as she said, why didn't her body grow older?"
"All I said to the crystal, was to bring Skye back, and make it as if she hadn't left at all!"
"That's it then! She couldv'e spent those 10 years where ever she was, but when Lance wished her back, somehow the crystal brought her back in her younger self!"
"This all must be very hard for her, I'll go talk to her."
"Okay Dusty, we'll be waiting for both of you at CC, there's still the matter of unfreezing Zero."
Dusty nods, and heads back into Skye's room.
Keith, Allura, Sonja, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge arrive at CC. But what they saw, was nothing what they'd expect it.
They saw Zero, Blindfolded. The Castle Controls, were sabotaged!
"Zero! What happened?"
"I was standing here, well, I couldn't do anything else. When suddenly it went all black. Then I heard smashing noises, and a laugh! A really scarry laugh!"
"Who could have done such a thing?"
"Guys!"
Everyone turns to See Dusty, in the doorway. Out of breath.
"She's gone.. Skye's not in her room!"

To Doom's Crystal - Three
To Doom's Crystal Menu
To The Throne Room