A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. New stuff is mine.
Wow it has been a long time in waiting, but I am finally going to update. Hopefully I can keep on it but I have so many stories written that it gets hard to prioritize…
Haggar regarded Lissa with sympathy, understanding forbidden love only too well, though admittedly the tragic circumstances of her own life were different then those of the White Rider's.
"So I was right. The pilot came here for you," she finally whispered, and Lissa glanced at her with stricken eyes.
"I don't know," Lissa replied. "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Please, will you tell me what he looks like?"
Haggar tapped her chin thoughtfully and said, "I can't give much in the way of a description. He was covered in mud and unconscious when he was brought in to Zarkon's throne room," she explained. "He was tall and had dark hair, and if he was cleaned up I'd say he was handsome."
Well that narrowed it down to Lance or Keith, and though she could try and tell herself it was Keith, the rational part of her mind knew it had to be Lance. Somehow he had found out she had been captured and taken to Doom, and he had come to her rescue.
Damn him, did he ever stop to consider the consequences of his actions? She had already been in a difficult situation, a prisoner at the mercy of a galactic tyrant, stripped of her powers and used as a hostage to control Fire Storm. Now she had to deal with the knowledge that her beloved was a prisoner as well. It was imperative her captors not know of her true feelings for him. They would certainly use it against her.
Lissa conveniently overlooked the fact that her running away from Arus had led to her capture and Lance's as well. After all, how was she to know some mad man with a crush on the Princess would be hanging around like a stalker waiting to snatch up anyone who crossed paths with him.
She glanced at Haggar pensively, wondering if the witch would keep her feelings a secret. She had no choice but to trust the other woman, though she had earlier deemed it impossible to do so. Funny how life could change your decisions in the blink of an eye.
"Could you tell the color of his uniform?"
Haggar shook her head. "No. It was too muddy. But I have been in the service of Zarkon for some time, and have had many encounters with the Voltron Force. I know most of them on sight, and if I had to hazard a guess, I would say he's the pilot for the Red Lion."
Had Lissa been walking, she would have tripped. Her knees locked and her body trembled as she stared at the witch in open dismay. Haggar looked at her face and sighed.
"You had best learn to control your emotions better then that, or at least your expressions," Haggar advised her. "If you don't, the King is going to take one look at you and instantly know how much this man means to you. The last thing you need is another threat hanging over your head."
"Please take me to see him," Lissa whispered, ignoring the fact that the witch had been thinking the same thing she had only a moment before, slightly disconcerted how alike they were turning out to be.
"I cannot," Haggar regretfully informed her. "Not yet. Perhaps after his audience with Zarkon, and his interrogation by Lotor."
"Interrogation," Lissa queried.
Haggar eyed her for a moment, considering softening the truth since there was really nothing Lissa could do for the man at the moment. In the end, she decided truth was best, not quite able to bring herself to lie to the young woman. "A pretty word for torture."
Lissa eye's widened and for an instant, they swam with tears, but she quickly shook her head, refusing to cry. "I must see him. I can't simply stand by while he's…interrogated."
"There's nothing you can do for him at the moment," Haggar pointed out to her. "For now, I suggest you see to your dragon. I managed to convince the King it would be best if you comforted him so he doesn't tear Doom apart."
Lissa glanced at the witch in surprise.
Haggar correctly interpreted her look and laughed, a genuine laugh, and a sound rarely heard. "Oh, I'm not being totally selfless by gaining you this visit. I did it for selfish reasons as well. I've always been fascinated by dragons, but I've never gotten to actually interact with one."
"Well, you are about to meet one of the most stubborn of them," Lissa replied.
She bit her lower lip, her thoughts still on Lance. Maybe it's Keith, her mind stubbornly insisted, the witch could have been wrong, since she had said herself the man was covered in mud and difficult to identify. But in her heart, she knew the truth. Lance had come running to her rescue like usual…As much as the thought infuriated her, it also warmed her. He might not love her anymore, but they had always been friends and always would be, despite their frequent misunderstandings.
A heavy silence fell over the women as they continued to float down the halls, and Lissa was so lost in thought she didn't bother to examine her surroundings. She looked up in surprise when they at last reached a great balcony which overlooked the castle courtyard and much of the surrounding areas.
She tossed a questioning glance at Haggar. "I thought you told me he was in a pit under the castle?"
The witch had the grace to look uncomfortable. "A lie, and something I am sorry for. Zarkon ordered me to tell you that, and because I did not yet know you, I did as the King bade me."
Meaning what, Lissa wondered. Now that Haggar knew her she would no longer lie to her? If the witch had lied to her once, it was possible she had lied to her again, and trusting her seemed increasingly difficult. Then again, Haggar had admitted to lying earlier, so perhaps she was to be believed from now on. Lissa had no way of knowing.
However, all Lissa said was, "I see."
The two women stared at one another for a moment, but before either of them could speak, a great roar shook the heavens and Fire Storm descended on them with blinding speed, his massive form leaving a gale in his wake as he plummeted to the castle. Beside her, Haggar stiffened almost imperceptibly, but Lissa had eyes only for her Familiar. She felt a surge of joy at seeing him again; he had been part of her life for so long that his absence was an aching void. There was still no connection between them, but being in his presence soothed her senses. He drew as close to the balcony as his mass would allow, lowering his head to study Haggar for a moment before turning his attention back on Lissa.
"I am relieved to find you well," he murmured, his expression conveying the depth of his sincerity. "Someone is interfering with our link."
Lissa glanced at Haggar but decided now was not the best time to disclose the full truth to the dragon; he might try to kill her and then they would be stuck in an awkward position since only the witch knew the antidote for the potion she had used on Lissa. "It is an elixir that suppresses my psychic abilities; it was administered at the behest of the King."
"I will crush him for such impunity," the leviathan hissed, rage evident in his entire demeanor.
"That's going to have to wait until we can get a cure," she gently rebuked him. "And we have one other problem. I think Lance might have followed us and been captured."
Fire Storm sighed. "The boy is an idiot where you are concerned."
During their exchange, Haggar was silently studying the enormous lizard. Up close he was incredibly intimidating, his scales were like sleek overlapping mirrors; each half as long as a human body. He had to be over a hundred feet long; he could carry an entire squadron on his back. His wing beats caused gusts of wind to swirl around the balcony, jarring the force orb they were inside. He was fluid grace and strength; nature at its finest and most terrible. No roe beast she had created could compare to the creature.
"This is my companion Haggar," Lissa informed the dragon, waving a hand in the other woman's direction. "She is going to help me find Lance."
Haggar hadn't actually agreed to do anything other then guard Lissa's secrets, but she let the matter go for the moment. Better to let the dragon believe the best of her.
"I will do what I can to find the boy as well," he said. "I have sensed his life essence before and would probably recognize it if I were to find it again."
"Thank you," Lissa sighed, reaching up to place a hand on his muzzle. "Try and keep the King on his toes, so he pays less attention to his new prisoner. I find I can't handle the idea of Lance being tortured because of me."
Fire Storm nodded once, his look grave. "He is loyal and his love for is sincere, of that I do not doubt."
Lissa blinked at him, how could the dragon possibly know Lance loved her? She felt her spirits soar momentarily before she realized he was most likely telling her that just to comfort her.
"I will see you again when I can," was all she said, leaning in to hug his muzzle. The leviathan wheeled away then and returned to his aerial scouting of the area; a new objective in mind.
Haggar turned the orb around and headed back to Lissa's quarters. "I will do what I can to keep you informed of the prisoner's status, but as for helping him escape I can't guarantee that. I do have an obligation to my King."
Lissa understood loyalty; she would take any aid the witch was willing to offer her.
xXx
Lance woke to find himself in a Doom prison cell. It was dank, dark and devoid of any other inhabitants. He sat up on the bed, groaning when he felt the various aches of his body. His captors had certainly beaten the hell out of him, of course it hadn't helped that he'd run his mouth at them the whole time. He wasn't surprised he'd gotten caught; it had been stupid to rush to Planet Doom on his own like some knight in shining armor; but the problem was he couldn't think straight where Lissa was concerned. What he realized in hindsight did him no good; he could think sensibly at the moment but as soon as he got around her again he knew his common sense would fly out the window. Love was a crazy thing.
He studied his surroundings, but he had been isolated from the other prisoners and Lance was sure it was deliberate. He had probably been present to Zarkon already, though he couldn't recall the meeting he knew the bastard would love having a Lion pilot for a prisoner. Lance would most likely be kept alone until some ridiculous punishment or execution was thought up; after torture of course. He had no doubt that would happen.
He had no idea how he was going to help Lissa; it was likely she wasn't being kept in a prison cell. Knowing Lotor's perverted inclinations, it was possible she was being kept as the man's companion. The thought made Lance's eyes darken with rage; he'd kill Lotor if that had happened. His angry thoughts were quickly allayed by the realization that Lotor generally was only a pig when it came to Allura; no one else had ever captured the prince's attention and so Lissa was probably safe from his advances.
Lance slumped back on the hard pallet that served as the bed in his cell and wondered how long it would be before the rest of the Voltron Force came after him. At the moment he was of no use to Lissa, but once the team arrived a real rescue effort could be mounted. He might have to goad Lotor for her location, he was going to see the prince shortly anyway since the other man tended to either administer or oversee torture of prisoners. It was relatively easy to rile Lotor's temper, Lance was confident he'd be able to gain some information about Lissa. He would just have to endure long enough to get what he needed.
xXx
Keith located the Red Lion with difficulty; Lance had left under a tree, which was poor cover considering the bright red color of the robot. Then again, the entire landscape was brown, gray or black so there was little likelihood of finding an adequate hiding place for the Lion. This didn't mollify Keith's anger, which was primarily based on the fact that the idiot had run off on his own to rescue Lissa. It was a miracle the Red Lion hadn't been discovered yet; it gave Keith hope that Lance might be scouting the area rather then charging in to save his love.
Keith scanned the surroundings with the Black Lion and felt his hopes die when he located a spot of trampled, muddied ground with three sets of footprints not too far from where the Red Lion was hidden. He had to assume Lance had been captured, which was very bad indeed since breaching Doom's defenses without Voltron would be incredibly difficult. Cursing under his breath, Keith had no choice but to land his Lion near Lance's. He wasn't about to do anything foolish; he was going to wait for the rest of the team. If any guards came by and found the Red Lion, he would take them out.