My Better Half
Part One: Changeling

Chapter 1:

Laughter penetrated the prince's bedroom as he slept. He half opened his
eyes to see Hagar staring at him from the foot of his bed. "What do you
want now, old witch?" he asked in a congested voice. His head was throbbing
from the cold he was suffering from. All he wanted right now was some
sleep.
"Sire, your father has proclaimed a feast day to celebrate your triumph
over Binary One. Or have you forgotten?"
"I have. Now, go away." The door to the prince's bedchambers closed
quietly. Lotor sighed, turned over, and fell back asleep...
For about twenty seconds. Then, a loud banging was heard on the door.
Lotor ignored it, pretending to be too asleep to hear it. He didn't hear
anymore banging for awhile and thought he was finally going to be left
alone. It was then that the door opened and heavy footsteps were heard
inside his room. "Prince Lotor! Why aren't you at the party?"
"GET OUT OF HERE, COSSACK!!" Lotor yelled at the stupid Drule.
"Come on, your Highness," Cossack, obviously drunk, stammered out, "There's
wine and wenches and wonderful..."
"Whatever." Lotor sneezed loudly. "I'm not leaving my room. Now, GET
OUT!!!!"
"Okay, okay. It's just so weird that...that you, that the guest of honor,
that you Prince Lotor...you..." Lotor reached for his sword belt hanging
near his bed. "Okay, okay! I'm going. I'm going!" Cossack ran out of the
prince's room, fearing that Lotor would follow and gut him.
Lotor sheathed his laser sword and fell back into his pillow. "That
dumb...*Achoo!* Ugghhh..." He couldn't shake this cold. He couldn't shake
the past week. He couldn't forget the sight of his mother or how he had
survived the cold cell by what could only be described as magic. He should
have died; he knew that. Lotor pulled at his newly cut hair, slightly
shorter than waist length. It seemed normal now. He could have sworn, back
then it had radiated heat or something.
All the castle was a buzz about the miraculous escape of the prince. He
had gained more fame in one week than he had ever since reaching Planet
Doom. How could he explain what had happened? He didn't even believe it
himself. Maybe Hagar would understand. He would have to confide in her.
His father, on the other hand would think him crazy, that's for sure.
There was the sound of lighter footsteps in the room. "Oh, for the love
of..." This time, he pulled his sword out and prepared to meet the
interloper on unfriendly terms. "Where are you, young wench? Are you here
to amuse me?" His eyes scanned the room but found no one. "I'll warn you,
I'm not in a playful mood. I'd sooner slice your throat!" He hoped it
would scare her out of his room. Damn that Cossack! He was trying to cheer
him up with one of the pleasure slaves. How could he possibly concentrate
on lust when his body was sick and his mind was confused?
"You would rather kill me? Shame on you!" Her voice sounded too mature
for a slave girl.
"Who are you? You're not a whore."
"Nice of you to notice. Is that the way you always greet women?"
"Come on! Show yourself! I'm not for games!"
"Yet killing is your sport."
"Who are you, my conscience? Killing is my sport?" How dare this woman
mock him! The voice sounded close to a window. The prince pulled back the
curtains to find nothing. He was beginning to feel slightly uneasy.
"Why don't you listen to your better half, Lotor? Just like your mother
told you to do years ago."
"My mother?" He was very confused now. "How do you know of that? Did you
know her?"
"Of course I knew her," she replied. Just then, the woman appeared in
front of him. She looked sort of human. She looked almost familiar, even.
In her hand was a bottle which held a dark green liquid. "Hello, Lotor.
I'm your aunt." She uncorked the bottle. Light green fumes swirled around
the prince's form. It smelled of plants and herbs. It was intoxicating.
"Oh great!" Lotor couldn't keep his balance. His sword dropped uselessly
to the floor, followed by his body. "Not again..."
"Actually," the woman said, "I am your great-aunt."

-Kat

Chapter 2:

He could swear he heard birds. He could also smell salt water traveling on
a light breeze. The air was so clean, it seemed alive. The warm sunlight
fell through an open window on Lotor's sleeping form. It must be a dream,
he thought, relishing the sounds, the smells, the feeling of this world. It
was so peaceful. He hated to wake up, but still he turned over to get out
of his bed.
Or at least tried to. His hands would only move slightly, and his feet
wouldn't move at all. Confused, he opened his eyes and found himself
staring at the woman. "I thought you were a dream," he murmured.
"I am real, child," the woman answered. She moved to the far end of the
room. One thing was certain: this was not his room. Lotor watched her as
she bustled about a small kitchen area. Her hair was long and black with a
few streaks of gray. It rippled like water as she moved from a cabinet to a
steaming pot and poured a liquid into a small cup. She turned her head to
the side, and her hair shifted. There, Lotor saw emerge a pointed ear.
"You," Lotor started, but couldn't find the words. What was this? Another
hallucination? Why was it happening again?
"I?" she asked.
Lotor tried again: "You look like a human. Yet, your ears..."
"Are pointed. I know." She returned to the side of his bed with the cup
of liquid. It smelled like honey.
"Elf?" he guessed.
"That's right. I'm an elf." She took a sip of the honey-liquid.
Lotor began to laugh: "And I'm completely insane! HAGAR!!" Lotor yelled
at the top of his lungs, "FATHER!! Anyone! Someone PLEASE wake me up!!!"
"Stop this foolishness, boy! You'll only wear out your voice screaming for
people who are not here."
"Listen, lady..."
"Oh please, Lotor, call me Aunt Mari."
"Where am I? Untie me at once, woman!" His hands and feet were wrapped in
vines. Lotor tugged at the living bonds, which wouldn't give to any of his
efforts. He was sure he could break a measly vine. But, these would not
even tear.
The woman did not answer. She just sat down on a small stool next to the
prince. She took a long drink from her wooden cup and stared out the
window.
"Did you not hear me, woman?" he snapped. She said nothing. Sighing,
Lotor decided to humor her: "Did you not hear me...Aunt Mari?" he asked.
"Of course I heard you, Lotor. And if you didn't have such a wretched
attitude, I would have answered you before." She set the cup down on the
window sill and looked Lotor square in the eyes. "You are my nephew, but
you are also in my home. While you are here, you will treat you dear aunt
with respect. Do I make myself clear?"
"I would just like to ask..."
"DO I make myself CLEAR?"
"Yes. Yes, Aunt Mari, perfectly clear."
"Good." Satisfied for the moment, Aunt Mari sat back down. She now wished
she had gotten to him earlier. She may have to go to drastic measures to
teach this boy the proper way to live. Her niece, Lotor's mother didn't
have time to teach him in her living years, and it didn't help that the boy
was sent to that horrid training school.
"Aunt Mari?" Lotor dared to ask. She did look a little like his mother and
him. She had a similar face; it was just older and slightly wrinkled. Her
hair, though black, had the same widow's peak. And, he kept on thinking he
had seen her somewhere before.
"Yes, Lotor?"
"May I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Lotor."
"Why did you knock me unconscious, bring me here (wherever this is), and
tie me up?"
Aunt Mari smiled at her nephew. "For your own well being, Lotor," she
answered.
"Well, that explains everything," Lotor grumbled under his breath.

* * *

While the boys were having the party of the century, Hagar wandered the
empty corridors. She had just left Prince Lotor's room; he seemed too ill
to attend that disgusting party anyway, so she didn't try to persuade him.
These feast days were actually the days she enjoyed the most. She had
freedom to explore any part of the castle without running into those foolish
warriors or slaves. She could install new spying crystals in the quarters
of those she did not trust and were likely to cause trouble against the
monarchy. Blackmail was a good friend of hers, and it helped her gain favor
with Zarkon.
Something distracted her as she hid crystals in Captain Untor's rooms.
Hagar knew she felt a strange presence in the castle. It seemed like a
gateway was opened by some foreign magical being. She had not felt a
presence like this before, at least not in a while. Perhaps she had run
into a creature like this in her younger years, its magical signature did
seem slightly familiar. Either way, she was intrigued by her find.
Upon reaching her laboratory, she pulled out her cursed map of the castle
and surrounding buildings. She poured her magic powers into the map to
activate its tracking spell. Then, she concentrated all her efforts to
mimic the signal the other being was using. If the signal she provided was
accurate enough, the map would hone in on the exact spot where the gateway
was located. Then, she could report her findings to King Zarkon.
Her signal was complete. The tracking spell now went to work, scouring the
map's surface in search of the gateway. Soon, a small light appeared on the
cursed map. It moved from the dungeon, to the next level, to the
next...then, it stayed on one level and moved through the corridors. The
light grew brighter and began to emit a high-pitched whine as it centered in
on its target. Finally, the light stopped in a room and turned bright red,
indicating the source. "Gotcha!!" Hagar declared. She checked the map.
Her ancient face paled under the years of wrinkles and leathery skin.
"Prince Lotor's chambers?" she questioned in disbelief. She rushed to find
the king.

-Kat

Chapter 3:

Aunt Mari departed some time ago, leaving her nephew still firmly bound to
the bed. After a fierce struggle with the unyielding plants, Lotor finally
accepted defeat, for now, and surveyed his surroundings. He seemed to be at
one end of a small wooden house. The bed was plain, the kitchen plain, the
chairs and stool plain, the door plain. The two windows on the side walls
were unadorned. The windows...the prince strained his neck to look out the
nearest one. All he could make out were trees and an occasional bird. He
could still smell salt water. There must be a sea somewhere nearby. It all
looked so primitive to the prince. There were no modern appliances, no
computers, no secret holograph pictures of Allura. There wasn't even a
scrap of metal to be seen. The only light in the little house came from the
sun.

The sun was shining in the opposite window when Mari returned. On her
shoulders was a dark green cape, on her arm a basket. She emptied the
contents in the kitchen, then turned to the prisoner.
Lotor was shifting uncomfortably on the bed, as much as the bonds would
allow him. He glared at her as she approached. "Do me a favor, Aunt Mari,"
he said in a cynical tone, "the next time you want to kidnap me, warn me
ahead of time, so that I might relieve myself beforehand." She chuckled at
the statement and snapped her fingers. As if on command, the vines
immediately unwound and disappeared into the floor. Lotor sat up, rubbing
his sore wrists and feeling even more uncomfortable with the increased
pressure on his bladder.
"There is no indoor plumbing, so I'm afraid you'll have to go outside."
"I've killed people for less than this," the prince mumbled.
"I know, dear. With frozen roots, as I recall." Lotor gave her another
sinister glare, then stumbled out the door. "Don't try to escape," she
called after him, "You wouldn't last long without me." She watched as Lotor
maneuvered through the trees and underbrush to a secluded spot away from her
gaze. She laughed and re-entered her home, draping the green cape on a
chair. Then, she set to making the newest magical surprise for her nephew.

Lotor leaned against a tree and sighed in relief. That stupid woman!
First, she ties me to a bed, then she lets me go just because I have to go
to the bathroom? She must be insane. Lotor made up his mind instantly that
he would not go back to his so called "aunt." He didn't care what she said.
Though, as Lotor made his way through the brush and forest, he began to
wonder. What if the cities had no space technology here? What if there
were NO cities? How could he get out of this nature preserve?
The soft soil of the forest gave way to a more rocky terrain. Why couldn't
that woman have kidnapped him when he was fully dressed? Here he was,
wandering around the middle of nowhere in nothing but his nightclothes. As
Lotor fought back a sneeze, he hoped it wouldn't get chilly later on. The
rocky ground cut his bare feet. He wished he had shoes. A sword would be
nice, too.
The sound of waves crashing on the shore grew louder as the trees thinned.
The forest opened up to a ground entirely of rock, and just beyond, a sudden
sheer drop. Lotor approached and found himself staring down the edge of a
steep cliff. At the bottom, the ocean smashed into the rocky shoreline,
sending plumes of spray almost to the top of the cliff. Beyond the shore,
the sea opened up to a crystal blue expanse of water. The sun glittered on
the surface like gold. The prince stood breathless, mesmerized by the sheer
vastness and beauty of it all. "Nothing like Doom," he uttered in awe.
Motion caught his eye, and Lotor came out of his trance. He thought he saw
something in the water, something slithering? It was gone. Wait, now it
was near the shore...
"Oh sh..." The ground shook, knocking the prince off his feet. As he
watched, the water violently parted, and a monstrous serpent shot out of the
sea. It easily surpassed the height of the cliff and stared at the tiny
creature before it with blood-red eyes. It bared its fangs and struck at
the prince, hoping for a quick meal. Lotor quickly rolled to the side, just
barely escaping the snake's gaping jaws. Fortunately, the beast was slow to
recover from the mouthful of rock, and Lotor retreated back into the woods.
The serpent hissed in defeat, then returned to the sea to await the next
victim.

-Kat

Chapter 4:

"Back so soon? I take it you ran into the local water serpent," said Mari
as she eyed her out of breath nephew. She knew he would be back. "You look
as if you've been rolling in the dirt."
The look in Lotor's eyes was one of pure murder. "I nearly got KILLED by
that DAMN snake, and YOU only ask why I'm so DIRTY?"
"Oh, he was only playing. He does that to newcomers."
"PLAYING?" Lotor sneezed several times in rapid succession. Being
outdoors seemed to have only worsened his cold. "You call THAT playing?"
"There's no need to shout, child. And there's no reason to be angry. I
did warn you, if you'll remember."
Lotor's rage was near the boiling point. He had had ENOUGH! The prince's
strong form easily overpowered the old woman, and he pinned her to the
floor. She let out a cry of surprise as his hands closed around her thin
neck. "Now, Aunt Mari, you tell me what's going on!" Lotor tightened his
grip to make the point more clear. "Come on, TALK! Why am I here?"
"You foolish boy!" she gasped, "Didn't I tell you to treat me with
respect?"
"Well, what are you going to do about it, huh?" he asked sarcastically.
"This." All she did was raise her left hand. Suddenly, Lotor's arms were
thrust away from her neck. Mari made another gesture with her arm. It was
as if a solid wall slammed into him. Lotor hit the far end of the house
with such force that his breath was wrenched from his body, and he blanked
out.
After a few moments, groans were heard from the prince. Lotor slowly
opened his eyes; his vision filled with bright flashing stars. He was
pinned to the wall and could not move. He winced in pain as his aunt
approached, a crystal goblet in her hands.
"You wicked creature!" she hissed, "You dare to harm your own family. I
knew you were too evil, too corrupted to listen to my teachings. I suppose
I have no choice now but to destroy you." She held the goblet up to his
face. It was filled with a golden liquid. "I suppose you won't drink this
on you own, either"
Lotor felt his mouth slacken as Mari placed the goblet to his lips. He
couldn't move. She poured the liquid steadily into his mouth. Lotor tried
to turn away, to cough, to tighten his throat, anything. He just was no
longer in control. He swallowed again and again, shuddering as the liquid
went down. It had no taste, yet tingled in his stomach.
When the last of the potion was gone, Mari finally released her nephew. He
fell to the ground, coughing and shaking from the spells and residing pain.
Carefully, she crooked an arm under his shoulders and led him to a nearby
chair. She sighed in relief. It was done.

-Kat

Chapter 5:

"Where is my son, Hagar?"
"I don't know, sire," Hagar tried to explain, "I guess wherever the other
side of the gateway is."

* * *

Lotor finally regained his senses. "Am I dead yet?" he asked. As if in
response, he violently sneezed. "I guess not."
"If you were a pure elf, you would have been rid of that cold long ago."
Mari watched as his cat eyes flickered open and focused on her.
"Who are you?" he pleaded, "Please, just tell me before I die."
Mari broke into hysterical laughter. "My dear boy," she managed, "what
will you say next?"
Lotor was irritated by her light-heartedness. "You said you would destroy
me."
"Yes, I did. But, I didn't say I would kill you."
"What's the difference?"
"The difference is: you aren't going to die."
"Can't you just give me a normal answer?" Lotor begged, "Can't you just
tell me what's going on?"
"All right, Lotor," Mari stood in front of the chair. "Ask me anything.
I'll try to give you the best...the most normal answer I can."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Marianna. I am your grandmother's...your mother's mother's
younger sister. I am also an elf."
"And this place?"
"This is a forest sanctuary. It was created as a refuge for magical
beings, such as myself."
"What planet?"
"It has no name..."

* * *

"Sire!" Hagar exclaimed, "I may have an idea."
"Well? What is it, old witch?"
"I know the signal. Maybe I can reopen the gateway."
"Will it bring Lotor back?"
"If he's near it and can cross through the gateway."
"It's worth a shot. Do it."

* * *

Lotor finally managed enough courage to ask: "What was that stuff you
poured down my throat?"
"It was a potion. One of my own homemade curses, I guess you could call
it."
"And what will it do to me?"
"It will change you, rid you of your evil."
"I don't want your riddles!!" he snapped.
"Patience, Lotor. Let me think of how to say this...You know that you are
a hybrid, half elf and half Drule, to be exact. Well, this curse will
slowly start to pull your Drule side away from your body. Then, your elven
side will replace and destroy the Drule side."
Lotor's eyes looked as if they would pop out of his head. "WHAT?!"
"It will make you an elf. Don't worry, there will be no physical pain."
"But...but...I don't want to be an elf!"
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in this matter. What's done is done."
"Well, UNDO it!"
"I will not." Just then, a flash of light shone in the middle of the room.
It grew brighter and brighter, forming a large oval.
"What is that?" Lotor jumped to his feet. "Another one of your magic
tricks?"
Mari turned her head and watched the light, a bemused look on her face.
"Hmm, my portal has re-formed. It appears that someone of your world knows
a great deal about magic."
"Hagar," Lotor mused. At least she was still good for something. He
wondered if he could reach the portal before his aunt could stop him.
"Go on, Lotor," Mari said, as if reading his thoughts, "My work is done.
You may leave."
Lotor approached the portal, then turned back. "Well," he declared, "it's
been a living hell. You can bet I won't be back any time soon."
"Oh, you'll be back. Once you've changed."
"You think so? On the other side of that portal is a powerful witch. She
can break your curse."
Mari smiled slyly. "We'll see." Lotor jumped into the light and
disappeared. Moments later, the light faded until the house was dark. Mari
sat in the chair, still smiling. "I'll see you soon," she said.

-Kat


Chapter 6:

Hagar waited patiently in the prince's outer chambers. As soon as the
infirmary released him, Lotor had ordered Hagar to speak with him
immediately. She knew it had to be about his experiences on the other side
of the gateway, which sparked her curiosity. He hadn't spoken to anyone
about what happened yet. She was actually looking forward to meeting with
the prince.
A few minutes passed, and Lotor entered his chambers. Hagar watched as the
prince, apparently unaware of her presence, took a seat and placed his hands
on the sides of his head, deep in thought. His eyes briefly caught sight of
Hagar, then shut tight. "Sire?" she dared to speak.
"What is it, old witch?"
"You sent for me, sire."
"I know. Just give me a little time."
"Of course." Hagar moved to sit in a chair opposite the prince. The
continuing silence made her grow steadily uneasy as well as more interested
in what the prince would say.
Finally, Lotor spoke. He told her everything, from the kidnapping to the
cursed drink. Then, he told her of Eko-Parm, of his mother and the strange
miracle that had occurred. Hagar absorbed every word of the prince's story.
She was very startled by it all; here was the ruthless prince, who had, on
several occasions, considered her magic unnecessary, telling her that he had
been affected by and might even possess supernatural powers himself.
"So, you are telling me that you are an...elf?" she asked. Though it was
far-fetched, it did make sense to Hagar. She had encountered elves in the
past. An elven signal could have been what she sensed in the castle
earlier.
"Well, that's what my mother and my aunt have told me." Lotor was
confused. He thought that Hagar would be cackling her head off at the
suggestion, yet she was listening to him.
"Have you told your father what you told me?"
"HIM?" Lotor burst out laughing. "Are you kidding? He would call me
crazy in a heartbeat." Lotor rose from his seat and walked to a side table.
He poured himself a glass of wine, then returned to the chair, glass in
one hand, bottle in the other. He drank the glass of wine in one gulp, then
poured another.
"And I wouldn't?" she asked.
"Well, I hoped you would understand this, I mean, being a witch and all."
"It does explain what happened on Eko-Parm, though it's still quite a
fantastic story."
"I know. I barely believe it myself."
"How about the doctors? Did they find anything unusual?"
"No, they didn't. But then, Aunt Mari told me it started out slowly. They
might not have been able to detect it yet."
"I wouldn't be surprised. Those damn medics don't know half of the time
what they're doing anyway." It's amazing that we're talking in such a
civilized manner, Hagar thought.
"Why is that amazing, Hagar?" Lotor asked in an irritated tone, "Do you
think that I can't talk to you in a civilized fashion?"
"No sire! It's just that we don't often see eye to eye on many..." Hagar
realized what had happened.
"What's the matter, old witch?" Lotor asked, taking another sip of wine.
"Sire, I didn't say anything."
"Yes, you did. You were talking about us not seeing eye to..."
"No! No! Before that, sire. The part about talking in a civilized
manner. I was thinking that. I didn't say it!"
"You did so."
"No sire! I swear it. You heard my thoughts! Look, tell me what I'm
thinking right now." Hagar put her fingertips on her forehead in seemingly
intense concentration.
"What?" Lotor couldn't believe what the hag was doing. He laughed at the
sight of her trying to project her thoughts to him. "I told you; you SAID
it to me. You must have forgotten!"
"Just tell me what I'm thinking."
"I don't KNOW what you're thinking!" Lotor shouted back, "You're..." His
face turned pale.
"What is it, sire?" Hagar asked, "Did you hear what I was thinking?"
"No..." Lotor put his hand to his stomach, "I...I don't feel so good. I
feel sick!" Lotor stood up, one hand still pressed to his stomach, the
other to his mouth. He tried to run towards his bed chambers, to the
bathroom. He couldn't even make it out of the room. Lotor fell to his
knees and vomited on the floor. Hagar stared at the young prince, wondering
what she should do. Was he just drunk? Lotor tried to stand up, but ended
up throwing up again and again.
Hagar finally decided that the prince couldn't be drunk and went to the
intercom to call the medics. Then, not quite knowing how to comfort him,
she took a cloth napkin from the side table and knelt beside Lotor. She
carefully pulled his long hair away from his face and wiped his mouth. Sick
kids! Ugghhh! His skin looked almost white, and he could only manage short
shallow breaths. "Sire," she said softly, "I've called the medics. They
can try to figure out what's making you ill. However, if you think it might
be related to...magic, I could take you to my laboratory and run some
tests."
"I don't know," Lotor gasped, "I don't know. I'm sick of tests!"
"Well, we can see what the doctors say first, then go from there. Okay?"
"All right. Sure. Whatever. No physical pain. Yeah, right!" Lotor
threw up yet again, groaning as the acid burned his throat. "Bubbles," he
moaned.
"What?"
Lotor swallowed: "You were thinking of bubbles."
"Yes," Hagar replied, "That's what I was thinking, all right."

"You're telling me that, all of a sudden, my son has become severely
allergic to alcohol? That's the damnedest thing I've ever heard!" King
Zarkon entered the infirmary just in time to find out the answer to his
son's most recent problem. Needless to say, he was shocked. The kid
practically lived on alcohol, and now he was allergic? Not that Zarkon was
upset or anything. "Are you sure you aren't making a mistake?"
"All our analyses point to the same conclusion, sire. There is no
mistake."
"Well, that's quite...interesting. Solves the drinking problem
lickety-split, doesn't it, Hagar?"
"Yes, sire," Hagar agreed. Although she kept her composure, in the back of
her mind, her thoughts were racing. She had dealt with elves before, and
she knew of some of their characteristics. The one that stuck out in her
head was that, to elves, alcohol was extremely toxic. She had to get Lotor
to her lab!

-Kat