Illusions of Peace

Chapter 1

Soft music carried across the wind, the simple and harmonious notes greeting the coming dawn. Slowly the sun's rays came to shine down upon a land that was once a ravaged, almost inhabitable war zone. Hope at last had blossomed with the arrival of five young men, and from that brink of desolation, Arus had renewed itself with the five who found a way to save their world and a way of life that had been almost extinct. From that one planet, the efforts of this group of heroes started a ripple effect that began with the liberation of planets close to Arus and soon spread to the whole Galaxy. In spite of daunting odds and unmentionable horrors, they had become more than they ever expected to be. They had arrived on Arus to investigate a fairy tale named Voltron; instead they found themselves the defenders and saviors of the Universe.

These events occupied the thoughts of one lone figure, who had awakened early to bear witness to the breathtaking Arusian sunrise. This was a morning unlike so many others, for chances for relaxation and reflection had been almost nonexistent for the Princess of Arus in the past two years, and Allura now intended to savor the freedom that had been earned.

~It's all over~ she thought, as she leaned against the railing, tightening her robe against the early morning breeze. With the music as a slow, relaxing backdrop, her thoughts danced around the subject that she had spent an increasing amount of time thinking about.

Planet Doom had finally been defeated after a long war and a heavy price: her own heartrending loss of her parents, and the untold damage to the population of Arus. Heaven only knew how many people had been taken as slaves, how many had been murdered, and how many more still hovered in terror in the caverns. Hopefully soon her planet would begin the final recovery and healing process without the fear of everything that had been rebuilt being destroyed again in an attack by Doom. It had been a terrible cycle that the Arusian people had been forced to suffer through again and again. The victory of Voltron over another Robeast would ensure the rebuilding of both spirits and towns, but another attack would quickly force them to start over. It had been a cycle that repeated itself endless times since her father's reign.

A heavy sigh emitted from her slim body, stirring the golden strands that had found a resting place around her face. That final battle at Doom had been the climatic end to the siege and had allowed her and her people to hope again. As Zarkon's mangled body was pulled from the carnage of the defeated Robeast, she had felt her knees going out. Keith, keeping his promise to never let her fall, had caught her and held her close, allowing her to seek comfort, as the corpse of her parent's killers was uncovered. She had felt a weight fall from her shoulders at the realization that it was over. The proof was laying before her in a pool of his life essence. The scourge of the galaxy was dead and so it had ended.

Unfortunately, Zarkon's evil son Lotor had escaped after taking a fall from the Doom Castle tower. He was no longer deemed a menace, however, for with the death of Zarkon, the whole Doom Empire had collapsed within itself and so ended the threat. Lotor was finished, he had no resources to try to even attempt a comeback, and the rest of the Drule Empire would never ally with him because he had been branded a fool and weak, traits that were despised by the Drules.

An ironic smile twisted Allura's lips. Lotor had made her life a private hell for so long and now at last it was his turn. ~He finally got what was coming to him. I should be jumping up and down with joy, yet he did love me in his own sick and twisted way.~ Allura shook her head to rid herself of any pitying thoughts towards her enemy. He had only gotten what he deserved.

Inevitably, thinking about the end of the war turned Allura's reflections towards the men who had made it possible. She knew she owed everything to them....her life, freedom, and the survival of her planet. If it hadn't been for them, she would have became the wife of Lotor long ago, having to bend to his every whim. They had kept her safe while giving Arus back to its people, and she was so very thankful.

Her lips slowly quirked up into a smile as her thoughts began centering on Keith, the dark haired captain of the Voltron Force. He may have helped give Arus back to her and her people but he had stolen something in the process- her heart.

Allura wasn't sure when it had happened, but she had fallen devastatingly in love with the handsome captain. His capacity for always being there for her in times of need, his devotion and loyalty to her and all of Planet Arus.... There were a million reasons that had resulted in the surrender of her heart. But despite her love for him, she was sure he did not return her feelings.

~Yes we are close friends, but that seems to be the extent of his interest. And then there's the fact that I' m a princess and he's an Alliance officer... Koran and Nanny would never approve of relationship like that. I have to marry royalty for some reason or another-which also means that even if he did love me, Keith would never marry me because of that damn honor of his. ~ Allura mused miserably, biting her lower lip.

It wasn't right -she shouldn't have to marry without love, but to believe that was one thing and to act upon it was an entirely different matter. As much as it pained her, Allura had the instinctive feeling that inevitably; she would be forced into a marriage of convenience to help strengthen Arus.

"Besides, they won't be here forever, they have still have a duty to serve the Galaxy Garrison. " She murmured absently.

Her mind centered on that thought with sudden clarity, her head shooting up and her cerulean eyes widening as she fully grasped the implications of the situation.

The threat of Zarkon was gone... Voltron was no longer needed. The officers would be called to other hot spots of the Universe that were still battling tyranny. She had been lulled into the simple belief that since the Drule threat had been removed from the Denubian Galaxy, that meant that war everywhere was over. How childish and naive... the end of the war also meant that her friends and love would be leaving Arus!

Her protectors, her saviors, and her heart would be gone. She would lose her first true friends- those who had become so much more than even family to her.

A tear began to work its way down her face and soon a torrent threatened to follow. Allura slid heedlessly from the balcony into her room and catapulted herself into her bed. The music faded, and soon the only sounds heard were the sobs racking her body and the painful throbbing of a breaking heart...

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