I gazed at the picture of my son. He had my hair and Allura's eyes on a face that I hadn't seen in nearly twenty-five years. If Zarkon wanted revenge, he could get it easily through Keithy. I knew that one look into that little boy's face would put me under his spell, whether he was evil or not. I had lived too long in the darkness. I wasn't going to turn away from the light.

Allura had been gone for nearly two months without us hearing from her. I stayed with Sven and Romelle, surrounded by their four children. The eldest, Sven Rutgar Hausen II, was a carbon copy of his mother and didn't have anything of his father other than the name. The second, Laurelia, had black hair and blue eyes. Like my son. The twins, Keyth and Arula--I had to smile at their names--were both dark haired and dark eyed. I tried to enjoy myself in their company and most times I did, but then I would think of my own son and see how Sven interacted with his children and then I would get jealous. I wanted to see my son. I missed my wife. I worried over my lost family tirelessly. I still couldn't sleep which was why I was just sitting here in my room, staring at Keith's picture.

When I wasn't playing with Sven's children, I flew one of Sven's fighters or visited Lance in the infirmary. He was getting better. He didn't react as badly as I thought he did when he woke up and found himself safe and warm. He cried, but not so much so that he was hysterical. He smiled when he saw me and he played with the kids, but the doctor told me that sometimes he had lapses and he would think he was still in the dungeon. But I had hope when it came to him because when I looked into his eyes, I could see the old Lance fighting to come back. The other day, he said something almost sarcastic to me. I nearly burst into tears.

A knock at my door woke me from my reverie. I called for the visitor to enter and Sven came in, his face pale. I stood.

"Is it Allura?"

He nodded. "We usually hear from her on the 15th of every other month."

I felt the walls closing in on me. "That was yesterday."

"She hasn't checked in," he said in a low voice, unable to meet my eyes.

In two steps, I had Sven's collar in my hands and his face an inch away from mine. I felt like I completely lost any control I had. All the years of worrying, fearing, and wishing had built up and was about to explode. For two months I had been numb and feelings came rushing back to me. An old strength came over me. I was in charge again.

"I'm not going to sit around and wait anymore," I growled in a voice that I couldn't recognize as my own.

I pushed past Sven and marched down the corridors. I heard him come after me, but I ignored his questions and focused on my destination. Castle Control. I flew down the corridor and burst into the large room. Romelle swiveled around in her seat to see me coming up the ramp to the main control panel. She looked at me with expectation in her eyes.

"I need a ship," I said.

She regarded me with a careful eye. "Why?"

"I'm going to get my wife back," I told her.

She didn't say anything for a moment, and then she smiled. She held out an oval shaped object. My eyes widened when I recognized it. It was the key to the Black Lion. I could feel the fires inside me rekindle. I faced my friends with my back straight and my head held high.

"I was wondering when you would snap out of it," she said.

"I'm going to save my family," I said. "Do you have any information that will be useful?"

Romelle turned back to the panel and typed quickly on its surface. The large circular table before it lit up and projected a window filled with words, but on the left was a map. I walked to the table and studied it.

"Dat iz Zarkon's castle," Sven informed me. "Allura gave us dis map when she came wid you."

My eyes trailed over it and I struggled to unearth the skills I had honed for ten years as commander of the Voltron Force. Two years of captivity had made them nothing but a dim memory. I tried to memorize the path that I could see had to be taken from the pit of skulls to Allura's room. I didn't know how long I had been staring at the map until Sven put a hand on my shoulder. I blinked and realized that I was sweating.

"You're not ready for dis," he said quietly. "Do not push yourself, Keit."

"I've been a slave for two years," I told him firmly. "I'm not going to stay that way. I'm not going to let Zarkon take my family, my life, away from me again."

"Are you sure about this?" Romelle asked, taking my hand. "You can train with Sven for a while and then go..."

I looked at her. "Allura and Keithy may not have as much time as I need. I'm going to go as soon as possible."

Sven and Romelle exchanged a look. Sven put an arm around my shoulders and propelled me to the door. I shrugged out of his grasp and glared at him.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. "Didn't you hear me?"

"Veere going to de infirmary. You're going to leaf tomorrow and de doctor has to gif you vat you need."

"What might that be?"

"Anti-psychotics, anti-hallucinogens, painkillers, sedatives...you name it," Romelle replied. "Go with him."

I gave them a suspicious look. "Why are you letting me go all of a sudden?"

"You are still the greatest pilot that this Alliance has ever seen and one of its best soldiers," Romelle answered. "You are our best chance at this because Zarkon doesn't expect you anymore. He thinks you're still one of the slaves on his planet." She looked away from me, her eyes focused on something I could not see. "We are out of options when it comes to Allura. All the other men we've sent after her have either come back in pieces or are now serving as one of Zarkon's slaves. You are the only one left who is willing to take this mission." She stared at me. "And you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain."

"I'm expendable, too," I pointed out.

Sven hesitated but Romelle answered with a firm, "Yes, you are. Arus is nothing and you are no longer an officer in the Alliance. Although you've shown that you still have a good head on your shoulders, it's not reliable. Your mental state is hanging by a thread and you have a good chance of breaking down and giving yourself and the Black up."

"Then why give it to me?" I demanded. "Why let me go?"

"We saw you flying the other day. You still have it, Keith," she replied. "I have remote access to the Black. If you're not back here in three days, I'm going to send it back to Pollux, with or without you."

"I'll have it back to you still shiny," I said with a small smirk. "And I assure you that I will not break down in the middle of a fight. I'm going to massacre Zarkon and his soldiers. By myself."

She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "We'll see. I have more faith in you than I should have because I know you and something tells me you're just a bomb waiting to go off. Now go to the infirmary."

I bowed, gaining a new respect for her. That was why Pollux was still standing though Arus had fallen even though it had Voltron at its side. Pollux's queen could be just as cunning as the enemy. I allowed Sven to lead me away. When we got to the infirmary, Lance was sitting up in his bed. He smiled when he saw us, but it was weak. There were bags under his eyes. There was something different about him that I couldn't quite put a finger on.

"What's going on guys?" he asked, his voice raspy from the drugs that he was taking.

"I'm going to save Allura," I replied.

"Can I come?" he inquired, pushing his covered off and getting to his feet. His brown eyes looked sharply at me. "It'll be just like old times."

Sven and I stared at him. He smiled again and I could see that the flicker that told us that Lance was still in this body was no more. It had burst from inside his mind to encompass the body. We were looking at the Lance of old, thinner, quieter, and sadder, but it was Lance. I took a step towards him. Sven was bolder and he embraced Lance. I joined them.

"What did I miss?" he asked.

"You haf no idea."

Lance looks at me, a small, but definite smirk on his face. "So, what's this about you saving Allura? The past few months have been a little fuzzy. Where is she?"

I sit him down on the bed and told him the story. He doesn't even remember being in the slave dungeon. All he says is that it felt like he was screaming but no one could hear him. I understand exactly what he's talking about. While we talked, Sven got the doctor and he began shooting me up with this and that. I didn't even pay any attention, only noticing that I was more awake and my mind was clearer.

"So, can I come?" Lance says, crossing his arms.

I shake my head. "I won't risk you again, Lance. You're staying put."

Now he shakes his head. "I thought you might say that." He puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'm here for you, Buddy. I'll be waiting. If you're not back soon enough for my liking, I will come after you."

"We both will," Sven says, putting a hand on my other shoulder.

I nod and stand. Sven and I bid our good-byes to Lance and go back to Castle Control. The map is still hovering above the table. Two other men are in the room with Romelle and they turn to greet me. Immediately, they barrage me with information on Zarkon, his troops and their weapons. I listen, my entire attention focused on them. I am once again, Keith, King of Arus, leader of a people who were now spread all over the universe like weeds. I forgot the years when I nearly broke my back, breaking stones for Zarkon.

Five hours later, we emerge from the room and I am completely briefed. Sven and Romelle take me to the docking bay where my Lion waited. When I see it at least, I can't breathe. I remember the Black Lion lying broken on Arus' surface. Sven restored it to its former glory. Next to it are the Green, Red, and Blue Lions. The skeleton of the Yellow sits at the back, getting rebuilt from scratch. I hold my breath and put my hand on my Lion's paw reverently.

"It's you and me again, old boy," I whisper.

I hold the Lion key in my hand and the light caught it, reflecting a beam of light on the Black's chest, right on the shield. I clench my hand over the key. I turn my head and se Sven and Romelle a few steps back.

"Good luck," she says.

"Come back in one piece," he adds.

"I will. Have Keithy's room ready for me and make sure that you have some of Allura's things in my room."

Romelle manages a shaky smile. "Will do."

I open the entrance hatch on the Black's foot and make my way into the Lion.