Two weeks after the destruction of the battle compound, Keith was recuperating nicely in the med ward and the other Alliance officers were rotated into the shifts. Allura set up the old practice of allowing strict access into certain areas and had granted the officers higher access than before which they had all ascribed to Keith's putting his life on the line for her. They were not far off the mark. They had proven their usefulness but it was their commander's sacrifice that had moved her more than anything else.

Slowly, the housing compound was turning into the headquarters that the Arusians had lost. It saddened the Princess that she was taking away the last bit of freedom that she could offer her people by taking over the peaceful existence that they had known here. She sat in main, watching the viewscreens as Zarkon's war machines tore up more of the Arusian landscape and wished more than ever that her parents were still alive. Then she would not have to carry her people's hopes and dreams alone. Every time she thought of her parents, sadness and rage swirled inside her and threatened to turn her inside out; this time was no exception. A void had been created in her soul at their death under Zarkon's hand and she had learned that day that there was no limit to the cruelty in the universe. She had vowed her revenge and she would see it before her time on this planet was done.

"Princess?"

She turned and saw a young man standing at the doorway.

"Yes?"

He stepped in and handed her a small strongbox. She looked curiously at it, as it had the royal seal of Arus on its top.

"Where did you find that?" she questioned.

"In the shuttle you came in, ma'am," he replied. "We were taking it apart for scrap, and this was underneath the floor."

She gazed at it, turning it over and over in her hands, something in the recesses of her memory niggling at her. Her imagination took over as she considered what was in it--Letters? Alliance Credits?--but she didn't open it, at least not with someone else watching. The young soldier waited patiently until he was excused. She looked up at him expectantly, impatiently.

"Is there anything else?" she asked.

"No."

"Then what are you standing around here for?"

He turned beet red and shot out of the room. She turned her attention back to the box, turning it over in her hands and getting a closer look at the lock on its side. It was old and rusted, but at the sight of it, she felt her heart jump in her throat. She carefully looked around her to make sure that none of the men in the room noticed.

"Lialad," she said. "Take over for me. I'll be back soon."

"Sure, Allura."

She left the room and made her way to her quarters. She locked the doors behind her and leaned against them, her legs not wanting to move any further. She slid to the ground, the box clutched in her hands. She dug a hand down her shirt until her fingers could close over a chain that she never took off. She pulled it out. It was a silver chain with a small silver key at the end. It was the last thing her father gave her before he died. And it fit perfectly into the box's lock. With a small turn, the top popped open.

"Thank, Riaru almighty," she gasped as she stared into the box's contents.

Five oval shaped keys sat in the red velvet-lined box. She took one into her hand, her lips trembling. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks but she kept them at bay as she let out a loud whoop. She pumped her fist in the air with the key still in it.

"Thank you thank you thank you..."

"Allura."

The young Princess shot up, her blaster in her hand.

"Who's there?" she demanded, steel in her voice.

"Have you already forgotten, my daughter?"

The blaster fell to the ground heedlessly as a shimmering form appeared before her. The form took on the face that she had wished many times before that she could see just one more time. Her hands flew to her mouth, her blue eyes wide. This time the tears did fall but she was barely aware of them as she stared at a face she thought she would never see again.

"Father," she whispered. "Oh, father."

"I wish I could hold you," King Alfor said with a sad smile. "My brave, beautiful Allura."

"We've found the keys, Father," she said, showing him the box.

"That's why I'm here. I'm going to give you a glimpse of your destiny."

Allura frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Your pilots, they are the newcomers that you so adamantly refuse to allow into your trust."

"What?!?" she exclaimed before she could control herself. "Are you sure?"

He gave her a look. She had to smile.

"I guess you are sure." She tucked a strand of escaped hair behind her ear. "I just wish that you weren't. Can't you see if there are any Arusians available for the job?"

"Allura..."

She sighed heavily. "Alright, Father."

"I am so proud of you," he said. "You have turned into the strong leader that our people need, but you had to sacrifice so much of yourself to do so."

"I did it for you," she said softly. "More for you and mother than anyone else."

"For that, we thank you." He held out a hand. "I must go. My time is short."

Allura's throat tightened with an old grief and she reached out to him as if to stop him from leaving.

"But there's so much I have to tell you!" she said desperately.

"I have been watching over you," he said gently. "Even though you didn't know I was there, I never left you."

He began to fade away and she grabbed for his hand in a futile gesture...but she only found air.

"I love you," she said tearfully.

"I love you, too."

Allura stood, staring at the place where her father had disappeared. She looked down and saw the keys had fallen out of the box for she had dropped it. She knelt down and started to gather them up but it suddenly became very hard to breathe. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and struggled to calm her thundering heart. Her hand tightened on the key she had reached for and she felt its smooth edges against her fingers and palm. She opened her hand and stared down at it, saw it was the key for the Black Lion. The red, blue, white, and yellow crest of her family caught the light and shone brightly agaisnt the paleness of her skin and she knew then who this key would go to. She picked the rest up and went out the door, headed towards the med wing.

Keith tried to keep focused on the book he held in his hands, but so far was unsuccessful. He had been lying in bed for over a week and he was getting restless--had been restless since he had enough strength to become that. He was feeling a lot better except for a little soreness around the blaster burn, but nothing that would kill him if he walked around. Unfortunately, the Princess listened to everything Doctor Gorma said and ordered him to stay in bed or else she would shoot him again to keep him there. From the look in her eyes, he knew she was pretty serious about that threat.

Still, he and the Princess had a better relationship than the one she had with the others in that she actually talked to him in even tones rather than hostile ones. She also did not look at him as if he were an insect, which was how she tended to regard the others, especially Lance who seemed intent on becoming her nemesis. He didn't know when she started calling him Keith or when he dropped her title, but it was the norm nowadays. And it only took him a month.

However, that wasn't to say that they still did not rub each other the wrong way. Her attitude left a lot to be desired and he couldn't help thinking that had she been in the Academy, she would have spent all four years cleaning latrines. Lucky for her, she had her own planet. He had to bite his tongue plenty of times but he thought it was for the better since she had her hands full sparring with everyone else. If he wanted to make the most out of this tour, he needed to remain on her good side--or at least on the border.

"Keith?"

He looked up and saw the object of his thoughts standing at the doorway. The first thing he noticed was that she looked different. Gone was the arrogant tilt of her chin, the ever-present suspicion in her eyes. Instead, he was looking at a shaken young woman who was trying valiantly to hold herself together. The box in her hands trembled as she walked in but he knew better than to ask if she was alright. That would only succeed in getting his head bitten off. Better to let her tell him on her own time.

"What's up, Allura?" he asked lightly. "Did you bring me a present?"

She came to sit on the edge of his bed and held the box in her lap.

"You could say that," she said cryptically. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," he said. "Ready for duty, Princess."

"I'm not going to risk you ripping open your wounds just because you're bored," she said, but her usual bite was missing. "Although if you had been enjoying your time off in here, I would be suspicious of your work ethic."

"You win some, you lose some. Are the guys doing alright?"

"Your friend Lance is going to die by my sword very soon," she said. "But the rest are good workers and have been altogether useful. Galaxy Garrison sent some good people for once but as far as I'm concerned, you are all few and far between."

"We're entitled to our own opinions," Keith said dryly, as impatience overcoming wisdom, he added, "So...are you going to tell me what's in the box, or are you going to make me guess?"

"Arus' future is in this box," she answered.

His dark eyebrows knit together as he studied the old box, which had clearly seen better days. His opinion as to what kind of future Arus could expect from its contents showed on his face.

Allura placed it in his hands. He opened it carefully, afraid that the top would fall off, and saw the five keys; black, blue, red, green, and yellow. There was something familiar about them and he felt something inside him urge him to pick up one particular key.

As Keith racked his brain for what he knew about Arusian folklore, Allura's eyes widened when his hand closed around the Black Lion's key.

"Five keys...five keys," he muttered, unaware of her reaction. "Where have I heard that?"

"These are the keys to the Black, Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow Lions," she said. "These are the keys that will form Voltron. What you have in your hand is the key to the Black Lion, the leader."

Keith's eyes widened. "The legend was true then."

"Oh yes." She smiled, something that he had never seen before. "And I'm giving you a chance to be part of the legend."

He looked at her, unsure if he heard right. "What?"

She took the box from him but stopped his hand from returning the Black Lion's key. With growing comprehension, he looked from the key to her face, something between panic and amazement on his own.

"You're going to save Arus," Allura said. "You're going to fly the Black Lion."