A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Thank you to everyone who reviewed.

Starlette Rose: I think everyone has experienced futile love, which is hwy I enjoy writing about it. You hear about happily ever after all the time, when things rarely turn out that way. Real love hurts because it's so intense. I hope you find the story; I'd love to read it. When you send it to me, make sure you tell me who you are, because I don't open emails if I don't recognize the sender.

Smack54: Hey there, I guess it has been forever. I swear I'm going to get around to reviewing your stories. I've read some of them, I just haven't had time to write reviews because I suck at saying anything more constructive then "wow, that was good", and you always write such insightful reviews that I feel I should return the favor. But they are good, certainly fun, and I recommend his stories to anyone who is reading this.

Yamatoforever: Yes, our main hero was captured. But don't worry, Lissa already thinks the world of Lance and will be flattered he came to her rescue (after she's done being mad at him for being so reckless).

Haggar practically ran from Lissa's room to her own chambers, her stride hurried and almost panicked. She had told the girl far too much and yet, she felt strangely relieved. No one took the time to listen to her, besides her beloved familiar. Her conflicting emotions regarding Zarkon had bothered her for years; it was only lately that she had begun to seriously consider leaving his service.

Not that she had fallen out of love with him. She hadn't. Some small part of her loved him still, and would for the rest of her life. But the greater part of her knew she couldn't remain on Planet Doom much longer. As the years went by, she found it increasingly difficult to tolerate Lotor, and she thought less of helping Zarkon defeat Arus and more of living somewhere in quiet solitude.

Lissa's words had affected Haggar deeply, though the witch had been careful not to show it. The girl had given up so much of her life to serve in the Legion, and Haggar knew better then most the cost of duty. While she had been listening to Lissa's description of the life of a White Rider, she had suddenly found herself thinking of all the time she had wasted in her own life.

Now, as she paced the confines of her room, she decided that the time for action was drawing near. She had been considering leaving Doom for awhile, but now considering was no longer enough. After Zarkon had finished with Lissa, Haggar intended to leave, but not alone. She would take the girl with her, if only because she respected Lissa for having sacrificed so much for the sake of others.

Having made the decision to leave, Haggar felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Suddenly, there was a possibility for a peaceful future in her life, there was a chance she could live free and do as she pleased, and that knowledge brought her a lightness of spirit she hadn't felt in ages.

Of course, the first thing she had to do was discover what Zarkon intended to do with Lissa, and so with that thought in mind she made her way to the King's throne room.

At that very moment, Zarkon himself was pondering what to do about the girl. Lotor had told him she could be a powerful tool to use against Voltron, thanks to her pet dragon. The King himself had seen the great white leviathan; it restlessly circled the skies outside of the palace, its great bulk darkening the land. The King was tempted to kill the woman and be done with it, as he had little patience for dealing with prisoners. But he took one look at the dragon and wisely decided against such an action. There was no telling if he'd be able to subdue the creature, as Lotor seemed to think only the girl was capable of controlling it.

The Prince had mentioned in passing that the girl had mental powers of some kind, and he had ordered Haggar to make a potion to suppress them. Zarkon knew little of Psionics, as such gifts were rare and their secrets jealously guarded. But he knew such talent made the girl too valuable to kill, perhaps she could be ransomed once he had used her dragon to destroy Voltron.

Of course, once she was released, it was entirely possible she would use her dragon to attack Planet Doom to avenge herself. No, she certainly couldn't be released. And she couldn't be killed for fear of retribution from the great lizard. It seemed she would have to remain a guest in his castle, permanently.

Much as the idea dismayed him, Zarkon was wise enough to realize Lissa and her companion could be useful for more then simply ridding him of Voltron. He could use the dragon to conquer other planets. He would have no more need of those infernal Roe Beasts, or the witch that created them. Haggar. He grimaced just thinking about her. He knew that she loved him, knew too that she was perhaps his most loyal retainer. But he had no liking for her. He kept her around because she was useful. Once he no longer had need of her, she would be disposed of.

Almost as if she'd been conjured from his thoughts, the witch strolled into the throne room.

"Good evening," she called out in her high pitched voice, and he was hard pressed not to wince in dismay.

"What do you want, Haggar?"

She ignored his rudeness, used to it after so many years. "I have been to see the prisoner."

Zarkon slanted her an assessing look. "She is awake?"

"Indeed, and recovering from her sleep quite rapidly," Haggar replied.

"Is your potion working?"

Haggar cast him an indignant look. "Of course it is. But we might want to let her see her dragon so that he calms down. I'm not so sure he won't decide to tear down the castle if he's kept unaware of her well being."

Zarkon nervously glanced out a window to where the massive reptile was gliding in the air, its gigantic head turned down to glare at the castle. "Perhaps you're right. I'll have the guards take her out to see him."

"Why don't I take her instead," Haggar offered, wanting to meet the White Rider's familiar, intensely curious about the dragon since she had only read of such creatures in myth and legend.

"Fine," Zarkon agreed. "Just see to it that the matter is taken care of soon. I have no wish to deal with a rampaging dragon."

Haggar silently thought to herself that the dragon could not be dealt with if push came to shove, though she wisely refrained from pointing this out to Zarkon. While it was true she had only read tales of the leviathans, she knew more about dragons then all but the most learned scholars. She knew very well what they were capable of.

"As you wish," she replied.

Haggar was just turning to leave when the doors to the throne room crashed open without warning.

Because of the nature of his identity, and the location in which he had been captured, the guards had decided to immediately take Lance to see King Zarkon.

The arrogant ruler was not aware of his capture, and so he looked up in annoyance when the two guards first entered his throne room.

"What is the meaning of this," Zarkon snarled. "How dare you enter my presence unannounced?"

One of the guards quickly bowed to the temperamental ruler, rightly fearing Zarkon's awesome wrath. "Forgive us, Your Majesty. We have captured a prisoner and thought you might like to see him before we take him to the dungeons."

Zarkon's eyes narrowed on the figure being dragged between the guards. It was a dark haired man in a uniform of some kind. He was filthy, as if he had been crawling through mud, and the amount of grime on his clothes made him impossible to distinguish.

Zarkon knew his servants would not dare to disturb him with something as trivial as a prisoner under normal circumstances. "Well, bring him closer so I can see his face," the King demanded, his voice impatient.

The guards hurried to obey him, hauling the prisoner up the stairs leading to the King's throne. One guard reached down to yank the man's head up, but his eyes were closed and there was evidence of swelling around his right eye.

Zarkon glared at the guards. "You have beaten this prisoner. He's not even conscious. What good is it for you to bring him to me when he cannot even speak?"

"Forgive us Your Highness," one guard rushed to explain. "He was resisting us and we were forced to knock him out so he could be subdued."

"Well, who is he then," Zarkon barked. The two men exchanged uneasy glances, causing him to scowl in irritation. "I obviously cannot question him myself since he is unconscious. Surely you managed to ascertain his identity before bringing him directly to me. You would not have interrupted my valuable time with something as mundane as a common prisoner, now would you?"

The softness of his words was more terrifying then the blackest of threats, and one guard stammered, "Truthfully, sire, we do not know his name."

"But he is from Arus, we're certain," the second guard quickly added.

"Actually, I believe he is a pilot for one of those Lions," Haggar suddenly commented, drawing the men's attention to her.

Zarkon's annoyed expression instantly vanished, replaced by a look of intense interest. He glanced back down at the prisoner. "Indeed? Have him cleaned up and brought back in here at once. I wish to see if the witch is correct."

The guards bowed once more and fled from the room, dragging the still comatose prisoner between them.

Zarkon glanced over at Haggar. "Interesting. A Voltron Force pilot here, on Doom. I wonder if he knows the girl Lotor captured."

Haggar shrugged. "It's possible, but she made no mention of him to me."

Zarkon waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind, it is of little import how he came to be here, hardly worth conjecturing over. We will know the truth of the matter soon enough, once he wakes. For now, see to it that the girl soothes her pet."

Haggar gave a curt nod and then wandered out of the throne room, lost in her own musings. The King had a point, had the pilot come to Doom because of Lissa? Was it possible he was one of the many things the girl had been forced to abandon when she had joined the Legion of Light?

Lissa had been restlessly pacing her room when she heard a knock at her door. She glanced over in surprise as Haggar glided into the room.

"I'm sorry to bother you again so soon, but King Zarkon has issued an order for you," the older woman apologetically explained.

Lissa stiffened in anger, her eyes narrowing. "You can tell that pompous ass to stick his orders where the light doesn't shine."

Haggar laughed in genuine amusement. "I have felt that way myself in the past, but here's a friendly word of advice: it's easier to just do as he says. You are at his mercy, and it'd be best to stay on his good side."

"I doubt he has one," Lissa tartly replied, earning another smile from the witch.

"You are entirely correct," Haggar agreed. "Nonetheless, you would be wise to do as he commands. And I think this particular command will be to your liking. He has ordered you to visit your dragon and assure him of your well being."

Lissa stared at Haggar in surprise. "He is allowing me to see Fire Storm?"

"I will be with you, of course," Haggar replied. "And we will be surrounded by a spell shield, so do not entertain any ideas of escaping. But yes, he is allowing you to see your Fire Storm."

Lissa felt a strange pang of sadness as she regarded the witch. She did not want to think of her as an enemy, yet she knew she must. After all, it was Haggar's potion that had rendered her powerless. Much as she might empathize with the other woman, she could not trust her.

"Very well, I will do as he says, but only because it is something I want as well," Lissa muttered.

"Excellent," Haggar smiled. She gestured with her hands and a bubble of force closed around them, gently lifting them into the air.

The bubble slowly drifted out of the room and down the long halls of the castle. Lissa looked around, curious in spite of herself. "This place is certainly dismal."

Haggar sighed. "It has never known a woman's touch. I'm afraid I'm not the domestic type. I find spells and potions far more interesting then picking out furniture and creating floral arrangements."

"Nor am I," Lissa agreed. "Give me combat before cleaning any day."

The women shared a brief glance of camaraderie before Haggar hastily glanced away.

A peaceful silence elapsed between them as they glided down the halls, until Haggar suddenly said, "You told me that when you entered the Legion you were forced to give up everything. Tell me, are allowed to have emotions? Are you allowed to love?"

Lissa turned to the witch in surprise. "Why?"

Haggar frowned, considering her answer for a moment before shrugging. "I was going to say I wanted to know out of curiosity, but the truth is, a member of the Voltron Force has just been taken prisoner. I think he may have come here alone, but I do not know for certain, and I find the timing of his appearance highly suspect. Almost as if he was coming here after you. And it occurred to me that perhaps he was one of the things you had been forced to forsake."

The witch was so close to the truth that it chilled Lissa's blood. Her heart began to pound in her chest as Haggar's words rang in her head. "Who is it that has been captured?"

"I have no idea," Haggar honestly answered. "I just know he is a member of the Voltron Force."

"What does he look like?"

The bubble came to an abrupt halt as Haggar calmly regarded her with shrewd eyes. "Answer my question first."

Lissa hesitated, reluctant to trust Haggar with such private information when she hardly knew her and had no way of knowing if the witch was trustworthy or not.

Haggar frowned at her. "I have already told you more then I should have by even mentioning the fact that we captured a Lion pilot. The King would be furious with me if he knew I had told you anything at all. The least you could do is show the same faith in me that I have shown in you. I give you my word I will tell no one what we speak of."

"Why do you want to know," Lissa quietly demanded.

Haggar glanced away, a look of sadness on her face. "Because I know something of love and loss, and regret. If you are giving up love for duty, I want to know, because I have followed that path, and I tell you now, it is not the road to travel."

The witch's words rang with the conviction of truth, and Lissa was moved by the sheer feeling in the other woman's voice, sensing she did not display emotion often.

"Alright then, to answer you question, no I am not allowed to love," Lissa finally whispered. "And yes, there is a man I was forced to leave behind. But that was years ago and best forgotten."

The Black Lion reached the Planet Doom not long after Lance had been captured. Keith immediately sensed trouble was afoot, because there were a large number of scout ships scouring the planet's surface.

"Damn it, Lance," Keith swore as he set the Black Lion's scanners to do a search for the Red Lion. "You better not have done anything rash!"