Role Reversal ~ Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is DotU in flavor and is AU. You need to have read "Role Reversal" in order to make sense of this twist on the Voltron DotU universe. ;-)

Author's Note: So, this story is the continuation of "Role Reversal" which was a challenge from the former KAEX group member, Cheetoy. In this case, Keith is the Prince and Allura is the Alliance pilot. It's hard to believe that it's been almost 7 years since I finished it. I've reread it several times since and it's one of my favorite stories. I decided that it was finally time to brush the dust off the sequel that I started writing when it finished. I scrapped the chapter and a half that I had written and began again. I will say that it's not complete yet. But I am on chapter 8 and think there will be only a few more chapters. I hope that you enjoy learning the rest of the story.

Proofreaders: I have sent the chapters to the Eternally KA group (please message Mylari if you are interested in learning more about the group) but the errors are still mine.

Summary: Sequel to Role Reversal. What if Keith were the prince and Allura was the pilot? Please read Role Reversal before reading this one.

Chapter One

~ This story takes up where "Role Reversal" left off. And I literally mean where it left off. :-) So, you might want to refresh yourself on the previous story.

Haggar stroked Koba's blue fur without thinking; her eyes closed. What she had seen through Koba's eyes was both disturbing and exciting. Keith Kogane, Prince of Arus, pilot of Black Lion, and the next Sorcerer of Arus had unstable magic that would stabilize when he joined with Allura Altaire. And he would either join with her this night or the near future; if she wanted him to turn dark she would either need to take him tonight or kill Allura tonight. While killing the Blue Lion pilot was appealing, the act would focus the hatred and magic of a potentially dark, powerful mage on Doom… and her. His final level of magic was currently unknown and while no one in recent history had come close to her abilities she would rather have him under her control that against her. She would have to take him tonight.

.**********.

The announcement had been made and the sumptuous meal was over. The disappointment on the faces of many young girls in attendance was quite noticeable, but Keith didn't really see it. He only had eyes for Allura.

Lance smiled as he watched his friends dance. They were a striking couple and he knew that all the tabloid news crews would be clamoring to come to Arus. He frowned and amended his thoughts; they would be clamoring to come once Doom wasn't sending robeasts to attack the planet. Not many intrepid reporters or gossip mongers had made the trek to the Denubian system in ages. There hadn't been any reason to… at least no glamorous news. The suffering of Arus after its devastation was old news within a couple of years after Keith's parents died. The galaxy had moved on to other tragedies or glamorous events.

In addition, news sometimes traveled slow, even with the satellites in orbit. Just days after Keith had been attacked by Haggar, they received word that Ebb had been attacked and that Sven was missing… presumably taken to Doom. A deep frown marred his handsome features as he thought about Sven in the hands of Doomites. Taking Keith to Doom with his unstable magic could be very dangerous and it was the reason they hadn't even thought about going there yet. But once Allura and Keith were joined they would find a way to free Sven.

Now, if Doom would just stay quiet until his friends married, then things would be going well. But he doubted they'd have that luxury.

.**********.

Haggar bustled around her small ship gathering the things she would need to cast her spell. She would have to hurry as her window of opportunity was bound to be small… and there was the chance this wouldn't work at all. She had only Lotor's word that the prince was a master at the lazon sword. If he wasn't… or if another member of the Voltron Force was, then she would be out of luck.

Finally having what she needed on the small table, she moved to the back of the craft to the two stasis units. She keyed the needed codes and opened the doors revealing two robeasts. She smiled as their eyes opened and she commanded them to step forward. Now to set her spells and wreak havoc on the ball.

.**********.

"Lieutenant McClain, this is Castle Control."

Lance put a finger to his ear activating his communication unit as he watched Keith talk to some dignitaries. "This is McClain. Go ahead."

"We've intercepted a coded Drule transmission on Arus."

Lance immediately began moving toward Pidge. "Location?"

"We can only determine that it was in range of the sensor located on Black Lion's pedestal. Which means a radius of twenty-five kilometers."

"Too close," Lance said. "I'm sending Pidge to Control. Notify security to get all guests inside the castle if some have ventured out to the gardens or the Lake Bridge."

"Understood."

"Damn it," Lance muttered as he stood next to Pidge who looked at him with a frown. "Sorry," Lance said as he gestured Pidge to step further from the crowd. He filled him in and Pidge left immediately for Control while Lance moved to notify the rest of the team and Coran.

.**********.

Keith scanned the room immediately for Allura and once he found her, his eyes stayed locked on her. "But we don't know where."

"No, but any Drule transmission on this night-"

"Probably means they will attack in an effort to make Arus look bad and stop others from allying with us."

Lance nodded but also thought that Zarkon was still looking to get his hands on the prince. His eyes scanned the room. There were so many possibilities for spies or saboteurs. He needed to get the prince out of this room. "Prince, we should get you and Allura out of this room and it would probably be good for the ball to start winding down anyway."

Keith let out a deep breath, "Once Coran makes the announcement that there has been a Drule transmission, we may have to work to keep everyone from panicking."

Lance actually laughed. "Well, there might be a few that panic, but I think most will want to see Voltron in action."

Keith looked at Lance in surprise. "Really?"

Lance nodded. "Really. Voltron is why they are here in the first place. The reason they felt safe to come. The reason they are considering alliances with Arus."

Nodding, Keith agreed with Lance's assessment. "Well, let's have Coran make the announcement."

.**********.

Less than twenty minutes later, the team was in Castle Control in regular attire, their formal dresswear placed aside as they considered a possible threat. The only one missing was Hunk who was out patrolling in Yellow Lion. Lance had been right, no one left. In fact, the castle guards had to work to keep the guests from crowding next to the windows.

They were all looking at various scans and camera views when two non-magnified robeasts appeared on Lake Bridge. They had obviously been shielded by magic which meant that Haggar was around.

"Why haven't they been enlarged?" Pidge asked as he pushed his glasses up further on his nose. "It doesn't make sense to send them here like this."

"No, it doesn't," Lance said as he leaned over a console. "Which means they have a purpose that we don't know and we need to find that out." He turned to Coran. "Use the castle defenses to target them and fire at will."

Coran complied and soon the castle guns were firing at the beasts, but shield arose around them absorbing the damage. With each shot taken, the robeast grew in size.

"That's not good," Keith said as they watched the scene unfold. "Disengage."

The firing stopped but the robeasts, who were humanoid with two legs and two arms and one head, continued to move toward the castle. The blue one on the right began to jog ahead of the orange one splitting the pair up.

"Hunk?" Lance called.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" he replied.

"Do you see any signs of Haggar or reinforcements that we don't see?"

"None. And I've been afraid to target the robeasts while they are on the bridge but now that blue one is castle grounds, I'll try a small missile." The missile launched from Yellow and did not damage but only caused the beast to grow.

Keith hit the comm, "Try putting your paw on him."

Everyone was surprised when the shielding appeared and the robeast pushed up against the shield moving Yellow off of him. They were all at a loss as to what to do as both robeasts were now on the castle grounds moving to opposite sides.

"I'm not liking this," Lance said. Radioing the castle guards, he had them shoot blasters and throw lazon swords toward the robeast from the vantage of the balconies. "That's it!" he cried out. "We have to engage in closer quarters. Get your shields, blaster, and swords and let's engage them while they are small. We don't need to have them magnified."

Allura laughed, "Magnified might be better. I doubt that shield can withstand a blazing sword." But she too ran out of Castle Control to get her weapons.

They all gathered at a weapons locker on the ground floor getting their needed weapons and shields. The shield technology was similar to the magic ones of the robeast. The device worn on their arm would create a three foot by three foot shield that could withstand the attacks of conventional weapons for a period of time but they did wear down and a strong enough blast would break them. But it was a solid defense and the best they had at the moment.

"Prince Keith and I will go after the larger blue robeast. Pidge and Allura will take orange." Lance looked at Allura. "It's best to split you up. Keith nodded. "Let's go," he said and headed at a jog toward the royal garden where the blue robeast awaited them.

Castle guards armed similarly followed them out into the garden. Soon the robeast was surrounded but the shots fired were not having a large impact on the beast while the garden looked like a war zone from the small missiles and spikes being fired off by the robeast.

"I think we have to get in close and try the lazon sword to see if it does any damage," Keith said over the com.

There was a pause as Lance internally debated sending the Prince of Arus to engage a robeast in practically hand to hand combat. "Go for it but attack and pull back to analyze."

"Understood," Keith responded as he activated his shield and ran out from behind the damaged fountain with his lazon sword glowing. Keith was on the back side of the robeast and was able to get a slash in that went through the shield and drew a cry of rage from the beast who turned to face Keith.

.**********.

Back in Castle Control, Coran watched the two battles on the screens but Allura's words echoed to him. Why aren't they magnified? What purpose besides blowing themselves up and damaging the castle could they have for being the size they are? Two robeasts magnified would have been a challenge for Voltron, and they would have been able to damage the castle more than a mere explosion… so what are we doing differently? Coran watched as Keith ran forward and his lazon sword broke through the robeast shield. We're fighting hand to hand with a weapon the prince is a master of! His hand slammed on the comm as he yelled to them all, "Disengage!" But it was too late.

.**********.

Keith got in another slash and marveled that the lazon sword went through the shield so easily. Other guards were coming with their swords activated, it wouldn't take long. But as the robeast threw its arms open wide and screamed, Keith decided he could end it right now. He took a few running steps and stabbed the sword through the beast's chest and out the back. Keith saw the glow from the wound and knew this robeast would end like all the others… with an explosion that even Voltron turned his back on. Deactivating his sword, he dropped to the trampled ground and flung up his arm sending his magic out to cover him in a shield larger than the one on his arm. His eyes were on the robeast as it exploded in a flash of white that filled his vision before it went dark as the explosive blast hammered him to the ground.

When the smoke cleared, Lance was calling out to Keith but Keith didn't hear him as he lay sprawled on the ground next to a small crater that had once been a robeast. Standing next to Keith was Haggar in her dark robes who cackled in pleasure as she put the base of her wooden staff on Keith's chest and waved her hand in the air. Blaster bolts went through the space where she once stood, but she was gone and so was Keith.