I wish to thank all those who left comments, critiques, and sent e-mails with encouragement and prodding. As most of those who write here, my writing dates back to grammar school as does my fascination with the Voltron story. This story has brewed with the dozens of others in the back of my head for some time. For me, sharing a story means sharing something very intimate with others. As with many authors, something of myself goes into and winds around each chapter.

Look for one more post in the story, a few Cady scenes which did not make it into this story, and an example of "When good writing goes bad" or "DELETE, DELETE, DELETE!" Feel free to laugh, I did!

A very special thanks to Wade Wells who makes me laugh, reads my Betas as soon as they arrive because she cannot wait. Truly, this kind of response makes it easy to want to write more. Thank you, Ms. Wells, thank you.

The kind comments left by people, the encouragement, and the ability to see how many people read this story has bolstered my courage as a writer. Although I do plan a return to the Voltron world, the dream of putting to paper (so to speak) my own characters and story (and perhaps published?) can now proceed. I have started another story, but wish to have several chapters done before posting. No sense leaving people hanging for so long!

I finally feel and believe in myself enough to give it a try.

This story then, I dedicate to each person who followed it, told a friend, and most especially to those who wrote to me encouragement and sent demands for updates. Even the greatest of wordsmiths could not adequately express in language the gift each of you has bestowed upon me.

I thank you wholeheartedly. Blessings to you!

--Kristina McCrady

June 2009

P.S. Now that this is done, tell your friends! Tell your family! Heck, tell total strangers on the street…. :)

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Keith sat on the floor of the observation room, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees, palms face-up, head resting against the arm of the chair, eyes closed, letting the sun bake his bones. As each year passed, he felt the cold more deeply, never having regained all he had lost to the porcupine RoBeast. It had taken nearly a year before the doctor had finally declared him fit to fly.

Shortly after his return, the Garrison pilot who had come to fly Black declared she would feel more comfortable in Blue. After consulting with the other pilots, they decided to form a third team to fly Voltron. Black had informed Keith he would prefer Arusian people as more could hear him. Agreeing, the young monarch had scoured the ranks of the military until he and Black found two suitable people. He had then found four more pilots to train for the other lions. When Allura had asked why, Keith shrugged and said he felt it necessary. His insight proved itself once again when Allura found herself expecting their first child three months later. She retired as an active pilot for Voltron at the discovery. It would not do to have both parents putting themselves in danger.

As the years passed, each of the original pilots married and started families. Much to Cady's delight, her Uncles and their families chose to stay in the palace. Her dream of the extended family came true. Hunk and Saria married first in a small ceremony the same day as Keith and Allura. Lance and Nieve Jenkins surprised everyone with their announcement a year later, much to the amusement of their lions. Nieve had developed a strong connection with Green during Lotor's invasion with the porcupine beast. She would train each new pilot of Green even after stepping down from active duty. Three more years would pass before Darrell would find his Gretta.

The castle filled with the sounds of laughter and children. As the children grew, so did the castle occupants change and grow. The planet blossomed under the rule of Keith and Allura. Arus had her Hero and his Queen. Their children inherited their mother's heart and their father's valor. In turn, they would become Ruler, Prime Minister, and a Guardian.

Cady would follow her father as overall Leader of Voltron and pilot of Black. Keith watched with pride the day she graduated from the Arusian Military Academy and took his place. She had just turned 23. He would continue to fly Black on routine patrols and to escape in the times when Arus experienced peace. She married at 26 to an artist famous for his portrait of Keith and Black which hung in her parent's suite.

Dr. Gorma had retired from his active practice, with the exception of Keith, four years after the first graduates of Ebb, Earth, and Calanda returned. He continued to work with his King because, in his words, 'He would just eat the new batch and leave them wondering what happened.'

Opening his eyes, Keith looked down at his left hand. It had never recovered to the same point as before, although it came close. Near as Dr. Gorma estimated, he recovered 95% of movement and ability. Still far above the average, but it had been a big blow to Keith. He never recovered all his previous speed and strength. He always felt just a moment slower.

The final lasting effect became evident after his first encounter upon returning to active duty. Early the next morning, he had awoken with his left arm in spasms. Luckily, Dr. Gorma had the foresight to leave a muscle relaxant for Allura to administer in case of need. He would continue to fight, but after each battle reported for a massage and soak in a hot tub. Each recovery took a little more out of Keith, although he could hide it from everyone except the doctor and his wife. She watched him and nursed him at night as the spasms would hit, and participated in the deception for the rest of the world. The original team suspected something, but out of respect for their leader did not pursue their suspicions.

Both Keith and Allura breathed a sigh of relief when Cady graduated and could take her father's role as Leader of Voltron. With her ascension to Black, Keith became the last of the original team to retire from actively flying and fighting with Voltron. The rest of the team had passed on their responsibilities over the last ten years. Hunk had first retired to take a teaching position at the academy. Darrell had surprised everyone by leaving active duty shortly after Hunk to study and work exclusively on security systems and computer interfaces. Lance retired when he turned 40. He took a position at the military academy teaching flying and dog fighting.

Garrison never caught Lotor. For a time, he disappeared into the vastness of space without even a whisper of his whereabouts. No one knew how many ships had come in the first massive invasion. Although Garrison had captured many ships, aboard they found no living beings nor any useful data. The ghost ships had computer cores stripped, rooms empty. The stores had no food, no medical supplies, no weapons. Personal quarter did not yield a single artifact or trace of evidence anyone have ever occupied even one room.

Lotor continued to attack Arus every few years, each time with different ships, different technologies, and different species. The people of Arus defeated him every time he attacked, but not without causalities and massive amounts of damage to both sides. The Mad Prince, as the media named him (much to Keith's disgust) never again managed to raise an armada as large as the first. Rarely did he strike a target other than Arus and still demanded Allura marry him. Keith often wondered if Lotor would stop after their deaths, or, in his madness, continue to pursue Allura as his Queen.

Nearly 20 years had passed since Keith had passed Black to his daughter. Each original pilot still took out their lions on occasion. Keith uncrossed his legs to let them stretch in front of him, wincing as the tingling reminded him, at age 62 he could no longer sit with impunity for long stretches with his legs crossed. On Earth yoga and Tai Chi Chuan remained graceful until they passed into the next world. The King still practiced daily, but too many injuries, battles, and general abuse of his body had taken their toll.

He and Allura had already discussed stepping down from active rule and let their oldest child take his place. Jamis would rule with a firm hand and a kind heart. Besides, he wanted to spend his remaining years teaching Tai Chi Chuan and yoga, not as King, but simply as Coach or Teacher. He had placed his dream of teaching on hold for over 40 years. For once, he wanted to put his wants and needs ahead of others.

The door opened with a gentle swish, but Keith did not open his eyes. He felt someone settle next to him, and a head come to rest on his right shoulder. Smiling, Keith leaned his head against his daughter, and let his right hand take her left and rest on his thigh. "Hello, Sweetheart."

"Hello Daddy."

The two sat quietly together basking in the sunshine. They did not have opportunity for these stolen moments often, and tried to make time to spend just the two of them.

"Daddy, I have to ask you something."

Keith heard a hesitation in her voice seldom heard when they spoke. "I have no secrets from you Cady. Just ask."

She hesitated a long moment before asking, "Do you love Mama Allura?"

Catching his breath, Keith felt his body tense, and then forced it to relax. "Of course I love Allura, Cady. Why do you ask?"

He felt more than heard her sigh and she sat up to look at him in the eyes. "Are you in love with her?"

For the first time, words failed Keith. How could he answer his daughter? What words could he offer to explain what had occurred so many years before now? He opened his mouth several times and then closed it.

Cady nodded. "Did you ever want to marry Mama Allura and be king?"

Keith sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the chair once more. "No," he replied softly. "I had other dreams."

"People always speak of your great love and devotion to your Queen. How you never pursued her because of your humbleness and your honor. How you constantly stood between her and danger, never hesitating to sacrifice yourself for her. Your love for her allowed you to go beyond greatness. The people had to declare you a Hero if only to allow you to join the woman you loved beyond all measure. . .you never felt this way?"

The man could only shake his head helplessly. "Why are you asking now?"

Cady sat back and looked out the window at the vista before them. Now, in the spring time, green abounded as the land rose from slumber. "I have wondered for years, and needed to know." She paused and took a breath, "Why? Why would you sacrifice so much for a planet not even yours by birth?"

Looking at his daughter, Keith realized he did not know how to answer. Only one knew his struggle and his choice; Black. "How do you know to ask these questions?"

She shrugged. "Comments from Black, observing you and Mama Allura, trying to match the stories to what I remember from the time before you married. Some things just did not add up. I finally asked Black and he only replied to speak with you. Please, Daddy, why? Mama Allura believes you have the love of a lifetime. She adores you as much now as I remember from when I was little. You have always treated her like something precious and adored. Why, if you have never been in love with her?"

Closing his eyes once more, he sat quietly, gathering his thoughts. "You are sure Allura knows nothing of this?"

"I am sure."

"I will trust you to never speak of this again, not to anyone."

"I promise."

"When we first arrived on this planet, I cannot begin to describe the conditions. You have heard the stories. In the middle of this was a young monarch, trying desperately to follow in her father's shoes and save her planet. For years, she had known nothing but war, destruction, and the daily struggle just to survive. The five of us appeared, brash, filled with confidence, and belief we were invincible. Being young men, Allura's beauty stunned us. We quickly learned she had retained some naïve ideas and she decided I was her hero, her knight in shining armor, and the answer to her prayers all rolled up in one package.

"She took to following me around and finding the flimsiest of excuses to search me out. The other four quickly and gleefully dropped her in my lap, happy to not have to deal with this child in a woman's body. In many ways she exhibited wisdom beyond her years and in others, well you understand.

"At one point she overheard me complaining to Lance about her behavior and went running to Coran the next day. Suffice to say Coran and I had long discussions about the Princess and I agreed to help train her to lead and to protect herself. In return, he would speak to her about the behavior expected between a princess and a protector.

"Over the next few years, I taught her everything I could. I looked upon her as a younger sister. She spent time with you, and I thought she took the role of an aunt.

"I knew she harbored a crush on me, but thought with time and as the planet recovered, it would pass. Eventually, we all expected Garrison to reassign us. After the first year, they made it clear this would turn into a permanent post at the request of Arus and in exchange for the Voltron technology.

"I did everything I could not to encourage Allura into thinking anything could develop with us. On my side I had the traditions of Arus and the fact I had already married once and the union produced a child. It made me an unsuitable candidate for either Allura's hand or the throne.

"Then Lotor returned and the planet declared me a Hero, with a capital H. The 163rd in the history of the planet. With that came honor, glory, and the offer of their most prized possession, their princess and the throne.

"Black and I talked and I spent much time thinking and meditating on this problem. In the end, I had to accept this was an illusion of choice. A choice without substance. To refuse would not only crush Allura, but would rip away the Arusian's chance at a happy ending or beginning as the case may be. The honor of Hero showed me the people had placed me on a pedestal. I lived against all odds. Somehow my survival and existence became intertwined with the survival and existence of the planet."

Stopping, the man balled his right hand and lightly hit his thigh. "Since I had come here and saved their Princess, it was only right I should be given the Princess. Never mind I saw her as a little sister or that the great love affair was really one sided. I had made a promise to protect the planet and to abide by their traditions. I had no choice."

He blew out his breath and waited. In the silence, he felt her stillness next to him, and heard her breathing.

Then he felt himself enveloped in a hug. He wrapped his arms around his daughter as two tears escaped and trailed down his cheeks.

"I love you, Daddy. I have always been proud to be your daughter and follow in your footsteps. Today, I am awe of what you sacrificed for the people of an entire planet. I can only hope all four of us, your children, can be worthy of this sacrifice. I am in awe of how you never made Mama Allura feel you did not carry the same passion for her as she did and does for you. I cannot fathom making the choice you did willingly and selflessly. You truly are a Hero, Daddy. But not for the big sacrifice, but for the love you showered on all of us and the people you shaped the four of us to be. Thank you, Daddy, for giving me my dream of a family at the expense of yours. Thank you, Daddy, for giving me a world at the expense of your life."

Keith could say nothing, but simply held his daughter, letting the tears fall.

Eventually, she sat back and both took a moment to compose themselves. With a last deep breath, the man looked at the beautiful woman who sat beside him. "I have no regrets, Cady. For Allura has given me three beautiful children, and took you as her own daughter. You four are my passion and my reward. Now I have grandchildren to teach and to watch grow and develop. My children have a planet which has become a place of beauty, culture, and knowledge. Although peace comes and goes, we have built a world which will never again fall to tyranny and will come to the aid of any and all who need it. I have been rewarded a thousand thousand times for my decision. I would not change it."

Cady nodded and wiped her cheek. She leaned over to give her father a kiss. "Thank you, Daddy, for everything."

Keith pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket and gently wiped her face as he had done during her childhood. The two turned to sit and watch the sun travel over the land quietly, together.

Allura found them together near sunset. As she walked into the room, Cady looked up and placed a finger against her lips. Smiling, Allura approached her sleeping husband carefully. He had slept fitfully the last few nights, and she felt happy to see him relaxed. As she knelt beside him, Allura opened her mouth to ask Cady a question when she found herself pulled across her husband and quickly and thoroughly kissed. "I smelled your perfume."

Looking at her husband of nearly 35 years, Allura thought he never ceased to surprise her. She laughed and looked at Cady in time to see an indecipherable expression cross her face before settling into a smile. "It must be close to dinner if you came looking for us."

Allura nodded, "20 minutes says Helena. Just enough time to gather."

Cady gracefully stood and then offered her hand to Allura. The women stood at the window a moment while they waited for Keith to rise. Each year he moved a little more slowly and the stiffness took longer to ease. Using the chair, Keith leveraged himself to a standing position, shaking out the tingles from his left arm. Smiling he offered an arm to each woman. "May I have the pleasure of escorting two beautiful women to the dining room?"

When Allura placed her hand in his, he absently raised it for a kiss before turning to his daughter. He was stunned to see her quickly blink away a tear before placing her hand on his proffered arm.

Outside on his monument, Black Lion stood watch over the castle; the protector, the guardian, ready to defend Arus and her people at a moment's notice. He had taken from Keith Kogane into himself the honor, valor, and self-sacrifice inherent to the man. The man would live on forever in the spirit of the Black Lion, long remembered, long cherished, and the spirit of his teaching would forever pass to each pilot Black accepted. Black and Voltron would stand forever in front of their people as a shield, taught ultimate sacrifice by one man who changed the shape of their world.

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Finis