Man, I am enjoying writing this story so much and weirdly enough, despite it being kind of weird tone-wise, it's probably going to end up being one of my most romantic stories with all I have planned. I even made a full playlist for it – yep, a full one. I've made semi-ones on Youtube for other stories too, but this is a full one and is really helping me with both writing and editing. Also, a warning again for non-consensual touching in this chapter - it doesn't go further than that, don't worry! But just a warning for that.


2. How Far I'll Go

Allura didn't know what to think. So much had happened since she and Keith had left to keep Zarkon from tracking the group through them. It turned out not to be them though, so they had tried to head to Taujeer to help the others. Pidge's booster rocket had not worked so well, and they had ended up on a random planet with a creep named Lotor who had rather strange psychic abilities. He had been able to freeze both her and Keith in mid-air as well as force her body to move towards him against her own will. The stench of his cologne was so strong as he got a little close for comfort that she was forced to hold her breath so she wouldn't choke in on herself. When he had pulled back slightly, Keith had been able to reach her.

Her heart was racing so she didn't object as Keith stepped in front of her. She had never been more relieved that he had come with her. She wasn't sure if she could have dealt with someone like Lotor by himself with how he was acting.

Lotor chuckled a little. "Do you really think you can do anything, interloper? If you step out of my way, you may live a little longer."

Lotor spoke casually but something about the look in his eyes made a sudden cold chill envelop her heart. He was stronger here so would he really kill Keith if he didn't step out of the way and let him do whatever he wanted with her. Blasts filled the back of her mind of the people she loved being struck down and killed before her eyes waking up after 10,000 years to witness the destruction of her family within a memory. Would Keith suffer the same fate as the rest of her family did? Was she the reason the ones she loved suffered that fate? The reason those close to her perished?

"Don't kill him."

"I'm not moving."

Both her and Keith spoke at the same time. Keith turned to look at her, but Allura kept her gaze fixated on Lotor.

"I'll hear you out if you don't harm my friend," Allura said, her hands clenching into fists. She wasn't certain if this was the right decision to make but the thought of losing someone else put any doubt out of her mind. If it could keep Keith safe and alive, then she would do it in a heartbeat. I can't lose him too.

"Princess, this isn't needed," Keith began but Allura shook her head.

"You're needed, Keith," Allura said firmly. "As a Paladin of Voltron and as my friend." Why didn't he understand? He was precious to her – precious to all of them. Lotor was more powerful here – it was just the two of them without Voltron or any way of fighting him off.

"So are you," Keith argued. "I won't let you go anywhere with this creep alone. I don't trust him."

Lotor sighed. "You really are an interloper."

Allura opened her mouth to tell Keith that she could handle this, which was true because she could handle a fight more than she could handle losing anyone else. But before she could get the words out, a blast of light hit Keith, one which he tried to block with his sword, but the intensity of the attack was too strong.

"Keith!" Allura called out as he crumbled to the ground, kneeling beside him, and glaring at Lotor. "What did you do to him?! I said I'd hear you out as long as you didn't…"

"Calm yourself, flower," Lotor interjected with a roll of the eyes. "He's just knocked out, no permanent damage."

"A-Allura," Keith managed to get out weakly, grabbing a hold of her hand in his own. "N-not leaving you." That was all he said before he went still in her arms.

Allura sat down on the ground, wincing a bit at how rough the surface was, pulling Keith's head onto her lap and her hand closed around his. His closeness was comforting, and she could protect him this way too – she knew he was far too protective otherwise to not put himself in danger for his or any of the other's sakes. He didn't always show it, but she could tell with the way he silently looked out for everyone how much he cared. After all, when her helmet had fallen off her head with their landing, he had attempted to give it back to her – she just hadn't the chance to place it back on her head before Lotor had appeared in front of them.

"Flower, you sure concern yourself a lot with his well-being," Lotor said, sounding a little miffed at this as he moved to sit beside her. "When all he was really doing was interfering before our conversation could even begin." He took her free hand atop Keith's head in his own, pulling the glove off it, kissing it. "I do know how to respect a princess though."

Allura yanked it away from him, wiping it in her sleeve. "Where are we? And what do you want with me?"

"I answered this question before already," Lotor said simply. "You're in a place that's a nether reality. It isn't your reality, but it isn't anyone else's either. It's simply the entry point for both." He smiled a bit. "As for what I want with you, Princess Allura exists in the reality I am from as well. However, your beauty far surpasses hers. Is that a question you truly need to ask?"

Allura bit down on her lip. Another flattering compliment – what was Lotor honestly up to? Still, she had to play it smart. She saw what his abilities were, and he could easily overpower her if he so desired to. Would she be able to summon her staff here? Normal abilities did not seem to work here or if they did, she didn't know whether her staff could be manifested similar to a bayard. Still, Lotor had spoken about her in another reality – did that mean there were other realities beyond their own?

She was snapped out of her thoughts at Lotor's hand on her shoulder. Aiming to pull herself back, she tried to yank away from him, but his other hand pressed to the bottom of Keith's neck.

"I thought you wanted the interloper to live," Lotor said almost casually. "I can go back on that within tics if I so wish it. You asked me what I wanted, Allura. I want you. I want you to become my Queen. I want to always feel you close to me."

Allura's eyes widened a little, an icicle sliding into her chest at his words before they slid over to Keith who shifted a bit, wincing slightly. She knew if he was awake, he would tell her not to worry and to fight back, no matter what the consequences were of doing as such. There must be some power that I have. But she wasn't sure what. She had never been in this kind of situation before – she had always had a way to fight back. The Castle of Lions – the other Paladins and all her Altean weapons but right now, she had no access to any of that. Seeing her lack of response, Lotor pressed his hand down again below Keith's neck and her heart caught in her throat.

"Don't touch him!" Allura snapped, unable to stop the hostility from coming into her voice as she reached to grab Lotor's hand to pull it away from Keith. His hand closed around hers.

"I won't if I don't need to, flower," Lotor assured her, releasing her hand from his, it falling onto her shoulder, beginning to slither down causing her to tense but she forced herself not to react. She had to protect Keith, no matter what. His hand snaked further down her chest, cupping her clothed breast in the palm of his hand as his lips pressed against the side of her neck.

Her heart caught in her throat, bile rising up, as if she were going to throw up. She wanted to move away from the vile hands that made her shiver, a cold chill enveloping her heart. Her eyes clenched shut as if wanting to block herself from the sight, but it didn't take the feeling away. Get the hell off me. She wanted to say these words – wanted to push him away but she swallowed the urge to do so. A groan from Keith diverted her attention a little as she tried to ignore what was happening. It was the only way she would be able to manage through this. Keith's grip tightened around her hand, and he shifted a bit, eyes scrunching up as if he was trying to open them. Somehow, his presence grounded her though. She felt a pull at her shirt but ignored it. I have to fight back. There has to be something more I can do. Keith would want me to fight back, not just give in.

There was an odd power pulsating inside of her – one she did not know if she even had before her, but she slapped Lotor's hands away and wrapped both her arms around Keith.

"Flower," Lotor growled, a frown crossing his face. "What do you think you're doing?"

Please let this work. Her heart thudded wildly into her chest – if this didn't work. If this didn't help them somehow, she didn't know what would happen to her and Keith, without the Paladins, without the Castle, all they had was each other. The power grew stronger within her, a light blue glow surrounding her and Keith, spreading across the ground, lighting up the sand in the same colour she was being bathed in. Her head pounded as the racing of her heart became quicker, the light becomes almost blinding. When it faded, Lotor was nowhere to be seen.