Baby 2 has been born! Now trouble is coming for the family and the Earth!
A big thank you to Shannon Muir for the info on planets in the show Voltron. She has a map of the Denubian Galaxy and info on her site. If anyone is interested her web site is here:
Disclaimer: Characters, places, and the like from the Vampire Diaries are the property of LJ Smith. Characters from Voltron belong to WEP. I'm just borrowing them to create this tale. All other characters that have no ties to any other fics or shows belong to me! Please ask before using them.
Chapter Twenty
Half-hour later, Bonnie was eating up her husband in his new uniform with her eyes. The collar on his jacket was high on his neck (about mid-way up) and from there down to his chest and down a triangle in the center was dark blue over gray. On either side of his chest down were two sets of gold buttons. A black belt with a gold buckle showed his physique beautifully. And the gray slacks showed off all of the lower points Bonnie loved on her husband. She was grateful that the lower part of the jacket kept that from view. No need to worry about losing her man.
Damon gave Bonnie the same knowing smirk that she had given him on her first hunt. "Enjoying the view?"
"Mmmm, and then some. When you are done with this meeting, I will be peeling you out of that uniform and make you enjoy every second of it."
Damon tugged his wife into his arms with a predatory growl in his throat. "I doubt that you will have to make me enjoy your touches, my Queen."
Bonnie sighed as he scraped the sensitive area of her neck with his fangs. She enjoyed that sensation, and he knew it. Bonnie smiled up at him. "Honestly my King, you are very handsome in this uniform."
"Bonnie, I know you're afraid. But, these aliens are new allies. All we can do is hope, that the Earth will survive this war." Damon looked into his wife's soft brown eyes that were full of worry, even though she was trying her best to be brave for him.
The men all left with Graham ten minutes later.
****
Four hours passed and Bonnie was driving herself nuts with what-ifs. But the men finally made it home. All of their faces were hard as stone.
"Time to pack ladies." Jeffrey said as he walked through the door with an air of not wanting to be questioned.
The girls all went to their rooms, Bonnie was grateful that Damon came in to help her. But when he started changing out of his uniform … that spooked his wife. "Damon, what's going on?"
"We're moving off of this planet. I'll explain once we're in the car." Damon said shortly. Seeing how his tone effected her, and remembering that look on his mother's face many a time because of his father, Damon sighed hard. "I want you and our family safe, and right now Earth isn't a place I want any of you."
"Then where are we going to go? The moon?" Bonnie was shaking inside. Damon had never spoken to her like this. Hard but worried, something had to have happened in that meeting.
"Too close by. Remember better safe than sorry. Just wait until we're in the car." Damon said, his eyes showing that he would go into no further details.
In no time, the group was packed up and gone. The boarding house looked as if no one had been there in months.
Bonnie looked expectantly at her husband overtop the heads of their two youngest children in their car seats situated between the couple. Damon began his tale.
**** Four Hours Earlier ****
Graham was grateful to have Damon on his right hand side again. Damon had seen things coming three steps ahead of the old man more times than the General really wanted to admit too.
To Damon's right was his eldest son, Shawn. A grown boy who was his father made over – this guy's adoption had to have been fated.
To his right was a guy Damon vouched for by the name of Matt. Graham personally only remembered about ten men Damon had ever sealed with his honored oath.
On Graham's left was Stefan. All that the General knew for sure was this was the little brother Damon had complained about. Yet he was stronger than Damon had ever described in the past. Whoever this Katherine and her sisters are, they had to be a serious threat to the planet for this vampire to feed enough to be as strong as Damon.
To his left was their great grandfather Jeffrey. Strong, determined, and not the kind of man one wanted to stare down – not hard to see where Damon got his attitude from, and his sense of honor.
Next to him was a Dr. Alaric Saltzman, a research psychologist from Duke University. Given the way Damon begrudgingly gave him his okay, these too respected one another at best. One never knew when this doctor could be useful, so Graham drafted him as well.
Seven men – five of who were vampires of various strengths – stood to represent a world recovering from the worse devastation it had ever seen. Adding together the losses for every war and conflict from America's Revolution to the end of the Vietnam War (including the Trade Center/Pentagon attacks of 2001), and there were still more people either dead or missing from the one day Earth faced the forces from planet Doom.
Luckily the Klaesons showed up when they did. Now their representatives wanted to meet to negotiate peace and make an alliance with Earth.
As the group walked onto the alien spacecraft and down the corridor, none really relaxed. It was a trying experience that was too soon after the attack.
At the end of the corridor was a grand hall, set up as the meeting place. Two men and one woman were there. The looks on their faces were a mix of sorrow, pity, and remorse. All three were obviously weary and older than their physical age appeared.
The woman was taller than Jeffrey who was the tallest member of the group. Her eyes were a shimmering white with seemingly living onyx set within the centers and a band of silver marking where the irises ended.
She had straight hair that literally looked like fine-spun silver that seemed polished to a high gleam brushed back and left hanging down to the floor and trailed down the train she had clasped to her shoulders with amethyst and emerald brooches on either shoulder.
It was made of some dark amethyst purple material that had gold rune like decorations embroidered along all of the edging that Damon could see. The stuff laid on the floor a good four feet behind her … or was it hovering just an infinitesimal width off of the floor?
Her dress was made of velvet that was the same color and, like the train, the hem of the gored skirt seemed to be hovering just a breath above the floor. The skirt was pleated and shimmered as if covered with a dusting of extremely fine green glitter. An emerald green chemise showed through the gored area of the skirt and out of the openings in her sleeves.
The wing styled sleeves were open at the shoulders and bound at her elbows with plated bands of gold with amethyst jewels seemingly twisted into the ropes of metal. The top of the sleeves rested at just above the woman's wrists, while the bottom of each hung down to the hem of the skirt.
The emerald and amethyst bodice with gold ribbons holding it closed reminded the elder vampires of the days when high ladies would be identified because of such style of dress.
"Welcome to our ship gentlemen. I am Omaka, High Queen and High Priestess of Klaes."
To her right was a thin man with deep, old, and dulled gray eyes. His hair was a creamy white and fell down his back in waves much like Stefan's. He was a hand width taller than Omaka, and though tired seeming he gave off a feeling of royal strength and stubborn resilience.
He wore a burgundy shirt that seemed to be a full-cut body that had been gathered into a double layer yoke. The sleeves were billowing and Damon saw black lacing at the neck and sleeves. Covering that was a black fitted doublet that had a deep V-neck, epaulets at the shoulders, black lacings, and picadils at the waist. Black trousers and a knight's belt finished his look.
"I am High King Amiri, the High Priest of Klaes. We only regret that we were unable to prevent the attack that has brought our two worlds together."
To Omaka's left was a younger and yet equally as weak man. He dressed similar to the High King adding a black short cape to distinguish himself. His eyes were silver, as if the royal couple's eye colors had been combined. But he still had streaks of sandy brown running through his predominantly white hair.
"And I am Crown Prince Aslak. I and my parents hope that maybe our help will change the fate our seers foretold was coming for your world."
Damon hated the idea of any more risks to his family, but forced his normal emotionless mask to stay in place. "And what was it they said our world was deemed for."
"Annihilation as ours has already succumbed to." Amiri answered gravely.
Omaka raised both of her hands for calm. "Please allow us to tell our story."
Their planet had been at peace for just over three thousand years, and yet its military was one of the best in the galaxy. Until a young sorceress arrived looking for someone to teach her the ways of Klaes magic. She was too proud to become a servant to work for her keep anywhere, too impatient for the time needed to prepare before the rituals to bind her to one of the many powerful families, and power hungry.
She vanished only to return on her way with their worse enemy's fleet to attack a small neighboring planet called Earth. The sorceress' name was Haggar.
"I know that name. Katherine and her sisters boasted about a new friend who gave them new powers. King Alfor … he mentioned Haggar by name." Stefan absentmindedly snapped out.
Omaka smiled at this. "Yes, good King Alfor is an old friend of our planet. His robot called Voltron saved our world from Doom. So, King Zarcon's new mate's name is called Katherine."
"Yes. She was once a flame of mine, but her mind was twisted even then – she pretended to kill herself, and then nearly killed my wife when we first destroyed her. Now her sisters have returned Katherine to this life." Stefan explained.
Aslak continued the story. "Haggar was charged with the darkest magic our people have ever known. She put a curse on our entire world. Our people grow at an accelerated rate – a decade to one hour. Earth's time is different by ours by three days to your single hour."
Amiri seemed broken at the mention of this. "By now all of our people are dead and turned to dust. We three are the last of our people, and even still we are effected by the curse."
"But you all look so young and strong." Alaric gasped.
Omaka sighed sadly. "Kind sir, my husband and I were only young teens when we ascended the throne a mere two years ago. I was only informed of my being a few weeks along with our son, Aslak, when Haggar laid her curse on our world.
"Once we realized that her curse was irreversible, every ounce of magic and knowledge that is natural to our world was poured into mine and my husband's bodies for this journey. Right now a very small sliver of that power is all that is keeping the two of us alive."
Damon shuttered inwardly. He couldn't imagine being in that position with Bonnie. And he knew that their world's only friend was not going to be able to save the Earth the next time Zarcon and his forces attacked.
Amiri forced himself to stand slightly taller. "We know that our world is gone, and that our three's time is short. We ask for someone of your world who is naturally born and one who is respectful of true magic to accept our gifts."
"What gifts?" Graham asked. He pitied the couple and their son. To have nothing but hope that they would not be rejected.
Aslak seemed to be fighting to remain vertical at that moment. "All of the magic and knowledge of our entire planet. It can be blessed onto two and all their children and those they take to their hearts as their own family will be given the same in an instant. These gifts also open hidden talents naturally born to any blessed by it. At first only given talents emerge stronger in those given this blessing – our magics and knowledge do not come full circle in any until the story of how and why the person is part of this miracle is told."
"That is quite a blessing. A enormous responsibility as well." Matt answered. It felt as if their heart family had been pulled to this meeting for this very purpose.
"There is more." Omaka panted. Her time obviously was short. "Our planet maybe in a different spatial time, but without any to defend it, Zarcon can steal all of its resources … making him stronger. We are also offering our planet with its defenses … the defenses that Zarcon has yet to breech."
Amiri caught Omaka as she lost her strength and collapsed. "Earth is not a safe place for now. We have been able to guard your world from Zarcon's forces until Haggar tapped the powers of planet Doom. She was able to help them get past our world, but not on it. Please if some do not go to Klaes soon … Earth will be destroyed."
Damon had made up his mind. "I have learned to respect true magic since the day our heart family first met each other, and my wife is a born witch descended from an ancient race of magic that I too come from – the Druids. I know that Bonnie would agree to help … as do I."
"As do we all." Stefan added.
The look of relief on all three of the aliens' faces was a mark difference from the sadness and guilt. One could almost see how they all look when they were younger – only hours before.
Fast as the group could they rushed back to the boarding house and packed to leave.
**** Back in the Car ****
Bonnie understood why the need to leave in a hurry was so great. Thankfully the babies had fallen asleep early in their father's story, so they would not have the magic from the start. Bonnie wanted them to grow up as normal as the universe would allow them. So they would learn to use their own abilities rather than rely completely on magic.
"I will help them, my love. But, can we keep all of this from the kids until the time comes that they need it the most?"
Damon brushed a finger down the side of Bonnie's cheek. She was so beautiful, and brave, and wise. He knew how lucky a man he was that she only had a place in her heart for him as her mate. "That has been my plan from the start. See what they can do themselves, and then allow the blessing to come out."
Keith and Stephanie both sighed in their sleep, as they picked up on their parent's feeling of determination and courage instead of their fears. It was a comfort to the kids and they knew that there was no need for them to be ready to fight … just yet at any rate.
Keith began to dream of a little girl with beautiful blonde hair that shimmered like gold in the sun. Her eyes were a soft and pretty icy sky blue (very different from the dark lapis blue eyes of his favorite aunt). Her giggle was twinkling like crystal wind chimes. And the little girl's smile seemed to brighten the world.
But then he heard explosions and she started to cry. The world turned cold and dreary with her tears and weeping. He hated to see her cry.
Keith knew that this was the little girl he had sworn in his mother's womb to guard with his life and beyond. To be honest, he would have … even without that binding oath. Keith had fallen in love with that girl. And then he heard her name in the back of his mind when she turned and saw him standing beside her. "Hello, my name is Allura."
"My name's Keith. Keith Salvatore. I promise that I'll come to protect you as soon as I can, Allura. Right now I'm too little, but I'll come to you as soon as I grow up."
"I'm little too. I haven't been born yet. How will you find me, Keith?" Allura cuddled into his arms as if they had known one another all of their lives. And he liked the feeling – like he was whole and where he belonged.
At that moment Keith's heart recognized that he had found his soul mate, even if the little boy didn't know what that meant … yet. "Fate will draw us together. I'll never forget your smile, your laugh, your voice, or your name – my Allura. I'll come soon as I can. I love you, my heart."
"And I love you, my soul. I'll never forget your name Keith Salvatore, or your voice, or your strength, or your beautiful chocolate brown eyes." Allura vowed. Her heart belonged to this boy alone. Even before she was born she had found the only boy she'd ever marry.
But all dreams do come to an end – even if one father instigates the connection between two young dreamers destined for one another, he cannot keep that connection going on forever. Keith woke up, but would never forget that dream – or the little girl he would forever love.
Bonnie and Damon left the two babies with their new friend, General Graham. Then the rest of the family walked into the throne room of that ship to accept what fate had given them.
Omaka and Amiri were seated on their thrones, looking about a century older than when the men had left. Aslak sat on his mother's left side, looking a little worse than his parents had during the meeting. None of them had much longer left to them in this life.
Bonnie couldn't help but feel and immense surge of pity. They were the last of their people, and had only the hope of a few humans to keep them going to now.
Omaka smiled softly, as if she knew what had gone through Bonnie's mind. The rapidly aging Queen coughed slightly for a moment and then gasped out her last words. "Three must come to accept the blessings of our world. Father, mother, child – this is how it must be. The blessing will spread out from there to the rest and so on through time."
As the High Priestess, she was the focus of the energies and the initiator of the rite. But she was also weakened from the rapid growth and birth of her own child, who sat at her side – dying as she and her husband were. This had to work.
Damon, Bonnie, and Shawn all three stepped forward. Bonnie too was the High Priestess of their little family, and so was the one to speak for them all. "We come forward. My husband, myself, and our first son – born of our hearts. We will accept your blessings and the responsibilities that come along with them; on our behalf, on behalf of the family who with us have gathered here, and all that have yet to become a part of our family."
Omaka took her husband's hand and then their son's. Almost on instinct, Bonnie followed the elder woman's lead. When Damon took Amiri's hand, and Shawn took Aslak's, the circle was complete. A brilliant light filled the room, when it died away the three aliens were nothing more than dust blown away by the breeze created by the magic.
Then once again there was a flash of light, and every member of the family was endowed with that same magic and knowledge.
It was time for the family to split up once again.
Jeffrey and Sabrina commanded the first ever deep exploration mission. Meeting new worlds and explaining Earth's story, while learning other cultures and stories of the Universe. Thanks to them, many good worlds joined together with Earth to maintain peace throughout the Universe. They were also the ones who learned more about the robot Omaka had told them about – Voltron – and the King of a far away world called Arus, or so many suspected was the world the five mighty robot lions were buried on.
Matt and Lydia helped to organize the first meetings with each new world. Eventually they also pulled together the first council that would one day become known as the Galaxy Alliance.
Margaret became a pilot and a teacher. The Alliance began an Academy and she was one of the first teachers to sign up to teach.
Once all of the tales came back to her fifteen years later, she helped to plan out a training system for future pilots to go to Arus with the hope of resurrecting the robot. Many tried, but only five made it through – including her nephew Keith, who was named the commander of the mission.
Stefan and Elena took Jeffrey to Florence for a while. They ended up moving ahead of Damon and Bonnie by birthing twins about a year and a half after the attack – a boy they named Bryan Ulfred (for the strength he gave their hopes and dreams and the wolf Elena saw help bringing peace their way) and a girl they named Nadja Rachel (Nadja for hope and Rachel for Bonnie's middle name). After Jeffrey's seventh birthday, the family all moved from Earth to planet Torres in the Opal system of the Coral Quadrant of the Denubian Galaxy.
Shawn became a soldier and was off on many missions. Every time he was near family and was not in communication's silence he'd check in.
Caroline was listed among the missing. This left hope in the hearts of the family, but all knew that she could have been crushed to nothing or burned to ashes in the attack.
Damon and Bonnie of course took the rest of their children and raised them on planet Klaes. They held the roles fated to them by that night. Roles that would one day give their son his dearest dream.
Keith and Stephanie grew up and both decided without question to join the academy and eventually go on to fight Zarcon. Once they reached ten (the minimum age a student is accepted to the academy) their parent wiped the kids' minds of most their childhood. Protecting their secret gifts until the time those gifts would be needed most.
Well that ends the early years. Any takers on the rest of the story? It gets really good. Katherine's more of a bitch than ever, her sisters grow-up ?!?!, Keith finds Allura, Voltron comes back, and what is to become of poor Caroline? Ask me nice and I'll tell you all.
Sorry that it took so long to update – writer's block, and then school work to boot.
Well, now it is decision time. Do we keep book two here … or move it over to the Voltron section? Help!!!!!! Tell me where to go people!