MBH Chapter Nine:

Chapter 9:

Why did I have to leave my gun with Sven, the princess asked herself in her
mind. The witch’s claws were digging into her left shoulder. Allura tried
to wrench free, but as she moved, the nails sent a numbing shock into her
body, paralyzing her.
“Not a good idea, your Highness,” the witch scolded.
Lotor froze in his tracks when he saw the situation. “Allura,” he
whispered. His hands slowly moved...
“Careful, my prince,” Hagar warned, taking a tighter grip on her staff, “I
can easily turn your precious princess to a pile of ashes at your feet
before you can blink.”
Coran was still kneeling by the unconscious doctor. Gorma had tried to
stop Hagar, but ended up with a viscous blow to his head. “Hagar, you
demon!” he yelled at her.
“It’s nice to see you too, Coran.”
“What is it you want? Just tell us what you want, and let her go!”
“Let’s just say you have something that doesn’t belong to you.” Her eyes
drifted over to Lotor.
“You want to take me back?” he asked the old woman. Doom. Back to that
death land.
“Your father misses you, my prince,” Hagar told him.
Allura! He should have protected her! Lotor looked at her, then the
witch. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
“Lotor!” Coran yelled in protest.
“Let Allura go, and I’ll follow you.”
Hagar cackled at the prince. “No. I don’t think so. She’s coming along
with us as insurance.”
“BLOODY HELL, Hagar!” Coran snapped. “You want insurance? Take me along!”
“Take us both!” Nanny added.
“But, the princess has such a greater pull on Lotor.” Hagar looked again
at the prince. “Doesn’t she?”
“Allura...”
“Either go with me or lose her forever!”
“No!! Princess!!” Nanny ran towards the witch.
“Nanny! No!” Coran warned as he left the doctor and tried to stop her.
“STAND BACK!!” Hagar warned. The witch’s staff glowed brighter, and Allura
cried out as it burned her skin.
Nanny stopped her advance in utter terror. “No! No! I’m shtaying back!”
She slowly backed up. “I’m shtaying back!”
“Don’t harm her!”
“I won’t, Lotor. As long as you come with me right now.”
“All right.” He stepped towards the witch. “All right, I’ll go.”
“Not too close, Lotor,” she warned backing up. “Just walk out that main
door, and I’ll follow right behind you with your dearest Allura.” Lotor
walked forward, looking over his shoulder to make sure she was indeed
following. He reached the four soldiers at the door. “Oh, and would you
care to unfreeze my escort?” the witch asked. “I need them to fly the ship.
Don’t try anything, though!”
Lotor closed his eyes and held out his hands, melting the ice. The
soldiers stumbled around, trying to regain their balance and wondering what
had hit them. “Get between us!” the witch ordered. The Drules moved behind
Lotor and in front of the witch, giving her more protection in case the
prince decided to do something drastic.
“Now, let’s get out of here. Your father’s waiting. Oh, and Coran? I
would suggest you tell the Voltron force not to fire on us, or you’ll be one
heir short.”
“We’ll get you back, princess! Lotor!” Coran called after them as they
left the infirmary. “We’ll get you BOTH back!”
“Like hell, you will,” Hagar chuckled.

* * *

It worked! Hagar was ecstatic as the ship landed on Doom. It actually
worked! She actually won; tricking Voltron, the castle...she burst out
laughing. Oh, they must feel like fools!
Her burst of pride had done nothing to make the journey over any easier,
though. It was less crowded with all the droids gone, but Hagar felt like
her arm was about to fall off from holding that staff. Even though the
little ship was fast, the time passed so slowly since she had to watch the
prince constantly from across the room. At least now, her ordeal was almost
over.
The hatch opened. “Get out, Prince Lotor.” The small group was soon
joined by the king’s guard, and all of them headed to the throne room.
Lotor looked around the black corridors. The last time he was here, he had
a twinge of remembrance. Now, he could not recognize anything. It was so
dark and cold. Where are we going, he
wondered. To my father? Who is he? My home? Is this my home? He needed
to know! Lotor was unafraid as they reached the gigantic doors. He wanted
to see...
“Your Majesty! Witch Hagar has returned with the crown prince.”
Zarkon looked up as the witch entered with the princess. “Excellent work,
Hagar!” he praised, then he eyed the stunned Allura. “You know, princess,
even on our uncivilized planet, kidnapping is still considered a crime.
Kidnapping royalty often results in capital punishment.” The monarch
watched as the guards entered, escorting the prince. “Especially when it’s
my son.”
“Are you my father, then?” Lotor asked the man who sat on the throne.
Zarkon was stupefied. “What do you mean am I your father? Of course I
am!”
“I do not remember,” Lotor said in shock. “I don’t remember you at all.”
Neither could speak. He looks like a stranger, Zarkon thought. That skin
and those eyes! It was eerie. “What is he doing dressed like that?” The
king glared disfavorably at his son’s Arusian clothing. “He looks like a
human! Take him out!” Zarkon ordered. “Take him out, and dress him
properly!” Maybe it would make Lotor
look more like his son.
“We don’t have TIME for this, sire!” Hagar interjected.
“I’m not having my son dressed like that! They can take him to his
quarters, then drag him to the infirmary, where we...” He looked over at
Allura. “...and the princess will be waiting. So, you better not think of
double-crossing us, boy!” Lotor merely looked at
his father and said nothing. Nor did he struggle as the attendants led him
away.

MBH Chapter Ten:

Chapter 10:

“Put shackles on her,” Zarkon ordered. Hagar was relieved to release the
paralysis spell. With her arms and legs fettered, the princess was going
nowhere.
“Why are you doing this?” Allura questioned harshly. “Don’t you know he
doesn’t like it here?”
“EXCUSE ME?!” The king’s height made him tower over the princess as she
lay bound to one of the infirmary beds. “For some reason, I have the
impression that YOU are in the wrong this time. YOU took my son!”
“He asked for my help!”
“We were trying to help him! Then you came barging in and ruined the whole
thing!”
“Why should you care? You never care!”
“Of course I care! I’m his FATHER! You think I like what’s happening to
him?!”
Anger left the princess’ face. “You really want to help him?”
Zarkon found himself in a very vulnerable situation. “Well, I...”
“Sire, the prince.” The doors to the infirmary opened. The attendants
ushered Lotor inside and towards the monarch. Allura turned her head to
look and gasped. He wasn’t in his normal battle uniform. Rather, it was an
extremely regal costume. The jacket and pants were of a smooth rich black.
The boots shone like obsidian. A long black cape was accented by an
under-color of midnight blue, which was matched by the silken shirt. The
cape was fastened to his jacket by what looked like a gold dragon with sharp
red eyes, the skull belt and sword secured to his waist. His hands were
covered with soft leather gloves, his hair held back by a gold clip. Allura
thought that he had never looked more handsome. An enchanted prince. He
was breathtaking.
Zarkon looked his son over. “It’s an improvement,” he snorted.
“Your Highness, I’m going to place him in stasis,” Dr. Jannick explained.
“It will slow down his metabolism and hopefully, the curse as well.”
“It should work, according to our knowledge,” Hagar added.
“At least it will buy us more time to find a cure.”
“Sounds good to me,” Zarkon agreed. And after he’s asleep, we can kill the
princess, he thought.
“NO!!” Lotor yelled out. “Don’t harm her!”
“I never said I would harm her,” Zarkon denied.
“You just said you would kill her!” Lotor spat.
“He can read thoughts,” Hagar reminded the king. She then had to quickly
hold her staff to the princess’ neck to keep Lotor from action.
“Let’s set up the chamber,” Jannick told his assistants.
“How could you want to kill her?” Lotor continued. “She HELPED me!”
“She’s our enemy!” Zarkon argued.
“I LOVE HER!”
“Oh, we’re not going to go through that again,” the king grumbled. “All
right!”
“You’re not even giving her a CHANCE to explain...”
“ALL RIGHT, you lovesick kid, I won’t kill her! Sheesh!”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well, what do you want me to do to prove it?”
“Perhaps you should let her go,” came a voice from nowhere. All the power
in the castle instantly went off-line. “Along with Lotor.”
“Where are the lights? Who is that?”
Hagar suddenly let out a scream and was thrown away from the princess.
Bright blue rings surrounded her body. “S...s..sire!” She tried to move
but couldn’t. “Another elf is in here!” Guards tried to reach both the
prince and princess but were thrown back as well. Soon, all except Lotor
were enveloped inside a large unyielding blue sphere in the middle of the
room.
“Aunt?” Mari became visible next to the sphere.
“You seem to have gotten yourself into a very odd situation, my child.”
She looked over at the bound princess. “Well, what are you waiting for?
Get her free and get out,” she urged.
Lotor raced over to the table. His hands touched the shackles around her
wrists, and the metal immediately shattered. Allura sat up, a look of
surprise on her face. “Aunt?” she whispered.
“She’s my aunt,” he told her, moving to her legs.
“She is?” The bonds broke easily.
“Well, my great-aunt, actually. She used to visit my mother when I was
very young.” He pulled her off the table.
His own aunt cursed him? “I never knew she was related to you.”
Meanwhile, Zarkon was having a heated discussion with the older elf. “Let
me out of here, you wretched old hellcat!” He pounded the supernatural wall
with his fists.
“Oh, now. Don’t be so furious, dear boy. I could have easily killed you,
but I didn’t.”
“'DEAR BOY?!'”
“I just want my nephew back,” Mari told him.
“DON’T YOU TOUCH MY SON!”
“He’s not your son anymore.” Mari turned towards her nephew. “Lotor, meet
with me. I wish to talk.” She lifted her left arm, and a thick ray of
magic destroyed a part of the wall, making it accessible to the outside.
Then, she took to the air and disappeared
into the gray haze.
“Lotor! Son! Don’t listen to her!” Zarkon pleaded. “Lotor, don’t listen!
Stay here! I’ll let Princess Allura go! Just stay here!”
Allura looked at Lotor. “Your father does want to help you,” she told him.
“I know,” he said. But, he also knew what he had to do.
“Lotor! Don’t leave!” Lotor held on to Allura, and they rose up and out
of the castle. “LOTOR!!”

-Kat

Chapter 11:

It’s all my fault for being curious, Lotor told himself. After that night,
after reading Allura’s memories of him, the urge to remember became stronger
than his fear. Later, he had tapped into a few memories from Lance, Coran,
and the others. He would have even looked in the book, if he had been given
the time.
“Where did she go?” Allura’s voice broke through his thoughts. He pointed
across the wasteland. “To that strange forest?” He nodded. “I can’t
believe your own aunt wants to curse you. What reason would she have for
doing this?”
“I don’t know,” he replied, “But I’ll find out soon.” He started flying
away from the castle, over the bones and caverns and lifeless terrain.
“Allura?”
“Yes?”
“I...I have something else I want to find out.” How could he tell her?
Allura looked into his eyes. “You want her to remove the curse.”
She knew. “Yes.”
They were coming up on the chasm where she had hidden Blue Lion before.
“Why?” she asked him. “Just tell me why you want to do this! Don’t you
know what will happen? What you’ll become again?”
“No, I don’t. And that’s why I must do this! Before, I could still feel
that other part of me inside, even though I couldn’t reach it. I knew I
still had my life and that maybe I could get it back. Now, it’s
disappearing. It’s like holes are forming everywhere
inside me.” He hovered above the entrance to the forest. “I can’t let it
die.”
“Why not?”
Lotor groaned. “I don’t know! I don’t know! I know it’s a dark part. I
know it’s pure pain. Maybe I’m curious about who I was. Maybe it’s because
my past memories are so torn and fragmented, and I want them back. I feel a
ghost. Like half a man.” He paused. “Even now, I know it’s dying. I FEEL
it being torn from me, and I can’t do anything about it!” He paused to take
a few breaths. “Dammit!” he cursed himself. “Maybe I’m just a fool! But,
I have to know.”
Listening to his words, Allura’s mind drifted back to that day; the day her
parents died. Afterwards, she had tried to forget. She had thought that if
the memory just disappeared, then she would be so much happier. She would
be free from all that pain and torment. But, as she realized now, Allura
found that she needed that memory. She used it, like all her others, as a
foundation for her life. What would happen, she wondered, if that
foundation crumbled? What if she was suddenly robbed of her memories, even
if they were her worst memories? Would she really want to lose her life?
It was then she understood.
Lotor slowly descended to the ground. He looked at the forest. “She’s
here,” he stated, then turned back to Allura, preparing to fly again.
“First, I’ll get you to a ship. With the castle powerless, you can easily
get back to Arus.”
“I’m not leaving you,” she stated plainly.
Lotor was silent, struggling inside. “Allura,” he started, “I need to know
who I am...” He stopped for a minute. Then, he decided. He nodded his
head. “All right. Just say the word,” he told her. “If you want me to
leave with you, to go back to Arus, just say it, and I will.” He smiled
feebly. “I’d rather lose myself than lose you.”
He is so cute...“No,” Allura said. “Lotor, I didn’t mean that I wanted you
to go back with me.” She started towards the forest. “I meant that I was
going with you.”
“Into the forest?”
“I understand what you must do,” Allura told him. “And...and I agree. And
if that’s what you must do, then I’m not leaving your side.”
“Thank you.” Without another word, both prince and princess followed the
path leading into the elven forest.

* * *

“You certainly took your time getting here,” Mari told her nephew from her
perch in the tree. She looked at the young lady standing next to Lotor.
“Stay there, girl. I wish to speak only to Lotor.” As he approached the
tree, Mari left the branch and descended
to the ground. “So, do you wish to leave?”
“No.”
“I see.”
“Aunt Mari,” Lotor started out, “I need to ask you why you are doing...”
“Child,” Mari interrupted him, “Tell me: what is evil?”
The question took him by surprise. “Evil? W...what do you mean?”
“You may or may not remember, but I had called you evil when you attacked
me at my home. Now, why would I say that?”
“Because fighting is wrong,” came the voice of the princess.
“Did I ask you?” Mari asked harshly. She turned to glare at Allura.
“Fighting. Battles. Wars. I’ve seen them come and go so many times in my
life that I could care less! One side says they’re right, so does the
other! No, I am asking about the REAL wrong. The reason behind all of our
problems.” She faced Lotor. “Now, answer! What is it?”
“I don’t...”
“How can’t you know?! I have already GIVEN you the answer several times!”
Aunt Mari was enraged. “And even if I didn’t, by now you should still know
what I’m talking about!” She turned away from her nephew and stared at the
trunk of the tree. “After all, I tried to rid you of it when I took away
your Drule side.”
“Because my Drule side hurt people?”
“EVERYONE HURTS PEOPLE!” she said to the trunk. “It doesn’t make them
evil, but sometimes it is caused by it. WHAT IS IT?!”
“What caused me to hurt?” Lotor asked.
“What caused you to hurt.” Mari confirmed.
“I don’t remember.” Mari didn’t answer him. “Why would I?” he asked
himself aloud. He looked at Allura.
“Don’t help him!” Mari told the princess.
The prince resumed thinking, this time changing the question. “Well...why
don’t I hurt them now?” he wondered. “What am I doing different?” What did
Coran think strange? What did Allura think strange? Their thoughts
were...that I was....listening? “Not listening?” he tried.
“Close.”
What did Mari say to me several times, Lotor wondered. He remembered a
little: You will treat your dear aunt.... What about Allura? When she was
talking to Coran: He....he...respects me now, Coran. Respects... “No
respect?”
“EXACTLY!!” Mari turned around and clapped her hands together. “Evil is
the lack of respect. You never understood anyone. If you don’t strive to
understand people and respect them, you HURT them as you did. And that hurt
grows, leading to more barbaric results. Bravo, child! I’m glad you have
finally learned. And now, if you’ll excuse me.” She turned to leave.
“Wait!” Lotor cried out. “Where are you going?”
“I only wished to speak with you, figure out if you wanted to leave yet,
and know that you understood your lesson. I am finished and must go now.”
“But, the curse,” Allura chimed in. “Can’t you get rid of it?”
“Please, Aunt,” Lotor begged. “I want to be the way I was.”
“The way you were? The demon?!” Mari shook her head. “I’m not removing
the curse,” she explained. “I have no reason to.”
“But, I want it removed!” Lotor told her.
“That’s not a reason,” she replied, walking away. “You’ll just have to get
used to being an elf. And remember Lotor: you must respect others, even if
it’s just a little.” Her figure was disappearing. “And most of all, you
must respect yourself.”
Myself? Lotor’s eyes lit up! “But I don’t respect myself.”
Mari stopped and turned around in shock. “What?!”
“I don’t respect myself,” he repeated, walking up to her. “How can I
respect myself if I don’t know who I am?”
Mari eyed him. Lotor would not flinch. “You have heard of what you were,”
she reminded him. “How could you ever want that back?”
“I need to understand.”
“How could you live with yourself?!”
“How can I live without myself?!” he replied. He looked at his aunt
coldly. “If you can’t see that, you aren’t respecting me! And, by your own
definition, isn’t that evil?”
Mari was silent, staring at Lotor straight in the eye. Suddenly, she
smiled, then laughed, taking her nephew in a giant hug. “I knew it!” she
said with a grin. “I knew you would catch on! You have learned! You can
still be taught, my dear nephew!” She held
out her hands. A silvery light filled her palms, and then vanished,
revealing a small vial.
“What is that?” Lotor asked.
“The reward for your efforts,” she replied. “But, are you sure you can
live as a half breed?”
Lotor took the vial from her hands. “I must,” he said.
“Even if it means pain?”
He looked at the bottle and at the deep black fluid inside. “I need to be
whole.”
“It is your decision. Just please remember what I have taught you.” Then,
Mari left her nephew and approached the princess. “Hello, child,” Mari said
to her. “Allura, am I correct?”
Allura looked at Lotor, but he was too busy staring at the vial, trying to
make up his mind. She turned her gaze to Mari. She didn’t quite know what
to say to the woman. “You’re his aunt?” She did look a little like him.
“Yes.”
“You cursed him?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“You gave him the antidote?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“So, this was all a TEST?” Allura exclaimed in disbelief. “All this to
teach him a word?”
“And he passed my test with flying colors.”
“Why?” she asked the elf. “Why did you put him through all this torture?”
“Because, I love my nephew.”
“You have a funny way of showing it.”
“Do I, now? Allura, I care for him deeply. Ever since he was born, I have
watched over him. Dear Ellysia would let me come over every chance I had.
I would play with him and teach him. He was like my own son at times.
“But, I had to leave for some years. During that time, his mother died.
And I couldn’t see Lotor anymore because he had gone away to
be...brainwashed!” Allura saw the Mari’s calm face torn with emotion.
“They taught him not to listen, but act! His father never taught him at
all! They made him lose respect, even for himself. He gave up his mother’s
half, and I lost track of him. I was heartbroken. I thought he was dead.
“I could barely believe it when I sensed him again. I could just touch his
mind when he first met you. Then, when I felt his magic reborn, not two
weeks ago, I knew I had to go to him. I needed to pick up teaching where my
niece had left off.”
“A rather unique way of teaching, too,” Allura pointed out.
“So I’ve been told. It can be brutal, but I get results!” Mari said with a
chuckle. She then turned serious. “He loves you. Only because of this
love, and his rather flimsy respect for you did his better half not die.
For this, I thank you very much, Allura. It gave me something to work
with.” She sighed. “But, he’s still not through learning. There’s so much
more for him to find out. And, he’ll need your help.”
“My help? What can I do?”
“Well, for one thing: it is easy to recombine the body. But the mind,”
Mari told the princess, “that is difficult. He will be divided between what
he was, and this rediscovered part. If you can, I’ll need you to aid him in
finding his balance. In some ways, you are his balance.”
Allura smiled. “I’ll try to help him,” she promised Mari.
The old woman nodded. “I’m glad. Thank you, Allura.” Slowly, she faded
into the forest wind. “Oh, and he’ll definitely need your help for this
next trial, too,” her voice echoed.
“Wait a minute! What next trial?” But Mari was gone. So was half of the
black liquid as Lotor tilted the vial and finished drinking the spell.
Lotor stared at the empty bottle, then began to shake. The vial fell from
his hand, and he staggered backwards, reached for his head, and finally lost
his balance. Allura quickly approached and knelt in front of him. “I...”
he whispered.
“Lotor?” she asked worriedly.
Lotor looked at Allura, his eyes changing from the round, human-like eyes
to golden cat eyes. “I remember,” he said. “I...am.” He shrieked in pain.
Allura could imagine the memories pouring into his mind, becoming a part
of him again. A part that terrified him before, but that he knew he needed
to be whole.
“Lotor?” His flesh was becoming blue in tint. He would be Drule again.
Allura felt a slight twinge of fear. He would be the same uncaring monster.
Then, the fear dissipated. No. No, he wouldn’t. Maybe a little, but
never the same.
His eyes were welling up. “Allu...” The torrent of memories finally broke
him. Tears flowed freely from his eyes, the pain clear in his face. Pain!
Pain! Hate! Allura! She would hate him now. Never. Never. No love.
No! No!
A hand touched his shoulder. Through his blurred eyes, Lotor could see her
looking at him. He cried out in grief, choking on his misery. Yet, if his
vision wasn’t so fuzzy, he would also have seen tears in her own eyes.
Then, Allura’s arms were around him, pulling him to her, until his face
rested on her. There, he cried and cried as she held him close and ran her
fingers through his long white hair.

-Kat