Phoenix Rising

Chapter Thirty

Epilogue

The King of Canesian and the Queen of Arus watched their two children play, each toddling their first steps as they gambolled about the garden under the watchful eyes of their parents.

"No,no, D'aine..." Allura cried out as she scooped up her son. "Don't put that in your mouth!"

Lotor chuckled. "It's just a piece of grass, my sweet. It wouldn't hurt him if he did."

"He probably has your cast-iron stomach!" Allura countered as she tried to stop D'aine from eating the grass.

"Good thing too...that Earth food takes getting used to." Lotor made a face.

Suddenly, Skye toddled over to Lotor, and said, "Rei! Rei! (Daddy) Lap! Skye Lap - cuwuddle?"

Lotor hoisted the small girl up on his lap and smiled.

"Anything for my Princess!"

Skye giggled, knowing even at that early age, she had her rei wrapped around her tiny fingers.

It was an idyllic moment, and both Lotor and Allura had learned to cherish them when they could.

Devonn,the Emperor of the Doom Empire, still lurked, his forces attacking both Arus and Canesian, trying to wrestle them from the two monarchs. In his dark insanity, Devonn planned and plotted, seeking to recover *his* bride, as well as the entire galaxy itself. For Lotor, Devonn envisioned nothing but torture and death. As for Queen Allura, she would his docile wife forever, after he disposed of her mongrel children.

Devonn would be greater than all!

But for now, there was peace on both Canesian and Arus. Voltron 'patroled' them both, and a second Voltron Force was being formed on Canesian. Although they would not have the Lions, they instead would fly the Tiger Fighters - the technology freely given to Lotor by General-Ruler Stryde of Planet Malica, who had also suffered attacks by the monarch of Doom.

Keith and Giselle had elected to live on Canesian, although Keith was still Black Lion's pilot. With Canesian orbiting Arus, and the new secure space lane between the two planets,the Commander could go back and forth with ease.

Mostly Keith was juggling between training another squad of Lion and Tiger Fighter pilots, and worrying about his wife Giselle's pregnancy. When she gave birth to his son a month later, he was so happy, he even gave Lotor the customary cigar, which rather confused the Drule. Later, Allura had to tell her husband what it meant. Lotor said it smelled like one of Hagar's roebeasts. Allura giggled at that.

In time, both Keith's and Lotor's resentment would fade, although it would never wholly disappear. The two would learn to respect each other, and although it wasn't a close friendship, both men knew their mettle as warriors, and were bound by honor and love to protect their own.

Began: December 1999
Finished: January 2, 2006