Epilogue

He never forgot that day. Allura chuckled softly to herself. Not that she would ever let him. I was just shocked, he had protested over and over. Well, I should have been shocked the most, having the King of Doom faint into my arms, she had replied.

The wedding took place soon after. And, the baby was late, another fortunate turn of events that seemed quite commonplace after their many earlier ill-fated ordeals. She was a beautiful little girl. Lotor fell in love with her right from the start. After leaving in the middle of a status conference, flying non-stop from Doom back to Arus and forcing his way through the protesting nurses into the delivery room, that is. She had hoped he would do some crazy stunt like that.

Moira. The gold child. Gold hair like hers. Gold eyes like her father's. And, how she took after her father. Strong. Will of diamond. She loved learning how to sword fight and how to use her mystic heritage. Lotor taught her everything he knew (including his dumbfounding ability to seemingly know what the other person was thinking! A trick which came very much in handy when dealing with the ruffians of the Drule empire). She had made a wonderful Princess of Doom, aiding her father in day-to-day business.

And, Zarkon had lived to see her; his first grandchild. He had even given her a gift. It was a beautifully carved recorder in a simple wooden case. Soon after seeing the small baby, he had called for Lotor. It was a long talk. One after which Lotor came out crying terribly. Zarkon had said many things to his son; things he had never expected to hear. About his mother. About his life. About his feelings towards his only son. About... just things in general, most of which caused both father and son to laugh quite heavily. Near the end, the former King of Doom had mentioned something about needing more music lessons. And, then he had passed away quietly.

Where was Moira now? Allura had trouble remembering. She could recall her earlier memories much easier. The wedding. She smiled, then gasped as her mind swirled out of control for a moment. She felt a pressure on her hand. Their wedding. Their first child. Then, their son, Oisin. Where Moira was strong, Oisin was wise. Very wise. How wonderful her children were. Then, after Moira was grown, she and Lotor had been blessed again. The twins Arianna and Alfor were born; the present Queen of Doom and King of Arus. The perfect rulers. And, their consorts were much to the parents' approvals, too. Their four children, three different species. Human. Drule. Elf. How they were born was still a mystery to her. But, Allura could never have asked for a greater blessing. All of them, just perfect children.

All of her children had come back, too. Well, three traveled to see her; for Alfor was on Arus. Alfor was always visiting his mother. So was his daughter (her third grandchild). They had all come back to see her once more. Allura could never have been happier.

They all looked just as she had remember them. Just as they had looked when they had grown into adults. Which was the problem driving Moira and Oisin away. Moira had to leave Doom, after it was becoming evident she wasn't... well, aging. Ah, yes. Moira was off after the Drule empire, trying to bring new order to the old corrupt ways. She did take after her father. Hagar had left with her, so Oisin sometimes stood in as Arianna's advisor; though mostly he stayed in the elfin forest, training with his Aunt Mari and other tutors in the area.

Dear Mari. She always came to visit. She loved to visit and teach. She must live to teach. And watch her great great... great was it? No, it was two greats nephews and nieces grow up. She hadn't come recently, though. Maybe soon. Allura hoped Mari would come soon, so that she could say farw...

Oh, it was darker again. Then, the light came back, but weaker than before. She couldn't see very well anymore. She just saw her memories...usually. Of the days her hair wasn't gray. Of the days Lotor would sweep her away and fly her off to a secluded spot on Arus. The one with a waterfall and yellow and pink flowers. The times they would talk all night long...*giggle* or something else. Surely, they didn't live a fairy tale. Surely they had fought at least a few times. But, to be honest, she could not remember the arguments, nor the sad times. Just the good times. Just the best times. Just the fairy tales of her life.

No. She did remember something sad. It was Lance. That one person that had changed. What did he do? He piloted...which one? The one that was lost in the forest. He had tried to rescue her, or something. Then... Well, soon after she had announced her engagement, he had left Arus without a word. She had tried to find him. She had tried to find out how to help him. Later on, Keith had asked permission to leave Arus for a new position in the Galaxy Alliance force. Oh, how she had hoped he had found Lance safe somewhere over there. Surely Keith had looked. Surely he had found him. At least, she hoped he had.

It was Red Lion! That was the one she had seen in the volcano. But, there was a new Red Lion. A new one. There was a story behind it, involving the magic skills of Witch Hagar and a rather intriguing new Voltron pilot. What was her name again? Byte? Maybe. One of the residents of Eko-Parm. She was still here, in fact, piloting Red Lion. Defending the galaxy.

She had to be rambling. She did a lot of that these past few years. Allura found herself laughing weakly again. She wondered if Lotor was hearing these jumbled thoughts. She felt the hand squeeze hers again. I guess that was a yes. She wasn't scared, of course. She felt such peace now. Such peace. And yet, such sadness. Not for her. But, for one sitting day and night beside her. The one she would be leaving behind.

Mari entered the realm of the Denubian galaxy, then made her way to Arus. The Castle of Lions had changed somewhat, but then everything did, given time. It was peaceful here. The villages still had the old charm. The forests and hills still had the lush wildness about them. Even with the alliances throughout the years, it still clung to its tried and true style.

The elf silently passed into the castle and up the stairs to the chambers in the right tower.

"I'm glad you came, Aunt Mari." Mari smiled as she heard the greeting from the old man seated next to the bed, holding a frail and pale hand in his own. Knowing she was there without hearing a sound. His powers had developed quite well these past years.

"I received your summons," Mari explained. "I make time. Especially for family."

"Please come in. Allura has wanted to see you again." The former King of Doom smiled sadly as he rose and let the elf take his seat next to the former Queen of Arus.

People had thought it strange that the King of Doom would choose to live on Arus, Lotor remembered as Mari talked quietly to his wife. He leaned on the window, overlooking the lake and trees. The sun was setting. The breeze blew a soft hint of flowers through the air. But, he loved it here. It hadn't been a bad commute, he thought with a smirk. And, since both of them had ceded their powers to their children, it was the perfect place to retire, as it were.

But, the pain in his heart soon came back. She was dying. His love. His cherished love was dying. They had been together... how long? He thought back. Almost sixty-three years. A tear slid down his cheek as he walked back to the bed. Too short a time! Much too short a time! Damn doctors! WHY couldn't they find a way to help her?! He rubbed a sleeve across his eyes. Why did they say there was nothing that could be done?

"It is quite disturbing..." Mari turned to her nephew, eyeing him rather irritatingly. "To see one of your lineage hiding under such a disguise." She cocked an eyebrow. "Especially around your dear aunt."

Lotor put a hand to his wrinkled face. "The ruse is for our people," he replied. "To make me look... normal."

"Well, your people are not here now."

"But..." Lotor sighed, then gave up, letting the magical disguise he had learned and kept throughout his life finally fall away. As he glanced in the mirror over Allura's desk, he could see his face...

"And, who is this young rash prince who comes to steal me away and make me his queen?" He smiled warmly at Allura's chide. But, his youthful looks still held the agony he felt.

"Allura..." He knelt beside the bed, twirling a lock of her gray hair in his fingers.

"Lotor." She reached a trembling bony hand to touch his face. "You are still so young, aren't you?" He had told her that dreadful news so long ago. That he wouldn't age for a long long time. Tears flowed freely down his face. "And, I am old."

"No," Lotor protested. "No... there... there has to be a way to get you better!"

"I am dying, Lotor," Allura whispered with a shake of her head. "And, you are just beginning to live. Oh... don't be sad, my love. We knew this day would come."

"But... but I..." A cry of sorrow escaped him, and he bent his head to the bed covers. "I can't leave you."

Mari stood and moved a short distance away, giving them some room but still watching the scene. "You have to," Allura was saying. "After I die..."

"No..."

"Lotor," Allura tried to calm her husband. "Lotor, I want you to go on. You will live for so long. You can visit our Oisin... or Moira... or you can go anywhere in the universe. Anywhere!"

"But, Allura..." he choked out, "I just want to be with you." He stroked the aging face. "I can't live without you."

It was then that Lotor remembered the other in the room. He turned his tear-stained face towards his aunt. "Yes, child?" Mari questioned.

"You know how, don't you?"

"How what?"

He stood to face her. "How to let me... how to make me mortal or something like that. You must have SOMETHING..." Lotor's voice had raised unintentionally, and he strove to control it. "Something to make me grow old and die with her."

"Why?" Mari queried, a disturbing hint of a smirk on her face.

"I cannot live without her," Lotor stated plainly. "I cannot live without her!"

"Calm down." Mari slowly led Lotor back to his seat in the chair, trying to placate her nephew. "But, surely you do not have to resort to death..."

"Have you not listened to a word I..."

"I have heard every word you have spoken, child," Mari interrupted. She then chuckled. "Very well. Very well. I had told you that something would work out." She retrieved a small vial from her cloak. In it was a shimmering silver liquid. "Here."

Lotor stood up again, taking the vial from his aunt. "So..." He turned the glass vessel slowly, observing it from all sides. "This will do it? Should I drink it now?" He reached to unstopper the vial.

But, his hand was soon slapped away by Mari and the vial retrieved. "You really are thick-headed, even after all this time, aren't you?" she snapped.

"Hey!"

"You still don't see, do you?" Mari chuckled. "Maybe you just have the wrong end of the stick. Then, let me explain. This potion is NOT for you!"

Lotor stopped trying to take back the vial and stood silently for a moment. "Not for me?"

"It's for Allura. If she wishes it." She watched the confusion in her nephew's face, then the sudden spark of realization. "Exactly," she told him.

"But... but, you can turn her... You can TURN her into...?!"

"...into an elf? Yes. It's a changeling spell, which incorporates elfin traits into a human body. Quite simple, really. Don't think elves haven't lived for so long without learning a little bit about genetics."

The air in her lungs seemed to be getting thicker, adding to the haze in her mind. But, she could hear the conversation. And, Allura could see the silver gleam of the vial in Aunt Mari's hand. She could live? She could drink the potion and live?

"But...wait a minute!" Lotor seemed to grow fearful. "But, with the potion you gave me to change me, it took away my memories! If you give this to Allura, she will...she will forget me, won't she?" Lotor sighed in despair. "She will forget me, our children, our lives, our times together..."

"What are you talking about?" Mari interrupted.

"Well, it's true, isn't it.?"

"Not at all!" Mari stated, acting rather surprised at her nephew. "She'll still be the same Allura and still remember everything."

"But, the potion you gave me..."

"Was meant just for you. It was made to remove your memories as part of your lesson."

Lotor glared at his aunt. Even in her failing vision, Allura could tell he was rather peeved. "You mean you could have made it so I wouldn't have lost my memory back then?!"

"Yes."

"Well, WHY didn't you do that??!!"

"It was necessary, for your lesson, child." The two elfin beings were now squared off.

"But, I could have been saved ALL that trouble and..."

"Calm down. I did what was necessary for..."

"Excuse me?" Allura's voice was very weak now and neither heard through their argument. With that, the ailing queen raised herself in her bed and took a deep breath. "EXCUSE ME?!!"

That quieted them down. "Allura?" Lotor gulped out in surprise.

"Would you two stop bickering?" Allura managed a large grin. "And, just give me the damn potion?"

Without another word, Mari the elf approached Allura, tilting the old woman's head forward as she drank. A shiver ran down the queen's spine, and Lotor soon held her close. As he watched her in concern, Allura's face began to glow. The years soon faded, her hair turning lush and golden and her eyes the sparkling blue of her youth. Though, as she felt with her fingers, her ears were rather different now.

She could see so clearly now. So very clearly. "Lotor?" A passionate kiss was her answer.

What happened is only known by a select few. For, as all the others on Arus discovered, their former queen lay at peace in her bed. Her husband lay dead beside her in the chair, his hand clasped on hers.

There was a beautiful funeral for them, for none wanted to feel too sad. Flowers decorated the entire castle and all nearby villages and cities. Even on Doom, the dismal realms were a bit more cheerful. For six days, tributes were made to the two revered rulers who had brought such great prosperity and even some harmony to their lands.

As the bodies were laid side by side in the tomb and the marble stone covered them, the two figures vanished, the illusion Mari had created fading. No one but a few knew this, though.

They had watched from a distance, letting only their four children catch the brief glimpse of them.

They had turned to a glowing oval portal, appearing on the edge of the forest.

Hand in hand, they would remain, throughout their new travels. From land to land. From age to age.

And so, they stepped through the portal.

And into legend.

The End