Allura panted as she climbed the mountain ahead with Lotor not far behind as they ventured up the mountain to seek knowledge of the lands. So far they only found out how sore they will be after.

"I wonder if father climbed this mountain," Allura stayed curiously as she focused on going on up.

"You know, I envy you growing up with king alfor, I always wanted to be an explorer and learn about the universe, my father was only interested in conquering it," Lotor grunted as he climbed up the mountain.

"He once put me in charge of a planet for a year, running the quintessence mining and getting to know the local population," Lotor shrugged as he saw they where close to a flat point rather than climbing.

"Rather than employ the usual galran methods of subjugation, I worked along side the leadership of the planet, learning their customs, I commonly used that strategy as I never thought violence would gain their motivation but rather as an equal, torture isn't a way to build an empire," Lotor pursed his lips as he got to his feet next to Allura.

"The same way you gained my Paladins trust," Allura smiled at him in awe almost.

"Well yes, I suppose due to me never wanting to truly hurt him but rather to use his talents and potential, not knowing how much he'd mean to me in the future," Lotor looked away blushing softly.

"It a smart way to gain ones trust Lotor," Allura nodded smirking at him.

"Yes, moving along," Lotor waved it off.

"So what happened to the planet?" Allura asked curiously.

"I enjoyed my time on the planet... but my father found out what was happening, he ordered me to destroy the planet, I refused... and he sent me away, exiled," Lotor swallowed a lump in his throat.

Dodging the sword that would've stolen his last breath if he moved smart and fast. Roaring as he swiped his own blade at the man that foolishly claimed to be his father.

Lotors footing stuttered but he pushed himself forward to continue the journey.

"At least you stood up for those people," Allura nodded.

"He destroyed them all, I was powerless to stop him,"

"I spent the following centuries searching for clues about my altean heritage, another culture destroyed by zarkon, with him gone now... that pattern will end, the things I am passionate for will last longer than the time it would take for a snitch to tell the bastard," Lotor didn't look back as he had a glare. He had someone to fight for, to live for. The bastard almost took that as well.

"I'm glad your here to help me now, I never would've gotten here without you," Allura said gently and Lotor looked back at her softly.

Maybe it was nice to have someone that you could share a culture with...

——

The two ventured out further in the lands as they found a pyramid temple that had glowing blue lights against the white stone of the architecture, they continued towards it.

As they made it to the structure to the entrance they saw a lion emerge from the frame as it turned around for them to follow inside. They did.

Lotor looked around in awe of the markings and the art inside the temple as it was abandoned inside. It was unfortunate lance would never be able to see this temple due to him not being an altean. He couldn't believe where he stood now, only stories and myths told him this much.

"Look at these ancient markings, they're beautiful," Allura cut him from his thoughts as he glanced at her.

"The temple of the Alchemists," Lotor nodded looking away.

"The mysteries we seek are hidden somewhere deep inside," he said and they saw the white lion at the door frame further inside and they followed it again to a hall of statues lined against the wall.

"The stages of Oriande," Allura took off her helmet.

Lotor did the same letting his hair flow out of the helmet and down his back.

"My father told me tales of their exploits but I always assumed they were just children stories," Allura moved forward watching the statues of alteans.

Lotor mentally scoffed at her, she's always been one to assume it seemed, she assumed until she was given full evidence, it was a great flaw of the princess. But Lotor moved along pass the annoyance she created in his chest.

"The life givers, they were the first alteans to unlock the secrets of Oriande, the beginning of altean alchemy," he explained remembering his studies. The late nights he spent memorized by the tales. "Allura the tales you grew up with were not just children stories,"

"As a child it seemed silly to believe it was true," she smiled at him.

"But that could be a reason why you've figured it out, alteans like coran and I grew up with them as nothing more than stories, but like you, you saw them as research," Allura pursed her lips to hide the shy smile on her face.

Suddenly they heard shuffling and a crackle from the side, Lotor gasped seeing the statue coming to life with the weapon of a spear aimed at them. He flinched away from them squeezing his eyes shut from seeing his death.

He refused to barely blink as adrenaline forced him to keep moving, watching for his fathers next attack. Afraid in a blink of an eye his death would come down on him.

But death never came.

Lotor opened his eyes and saw Allura standing her ground holding the stone from Hager's lair as the stone guardian was stopped and no longer saw the need to destroy them.

"Great protectors, we seek passage through your land," Allura spoke strongly and bowed to them holding the stone. "We bring you this gift,"

Lotor bowed as well seeing it fit for their respect.

The protector took the stone from her and they let the two royals through as they stood again looking back at the stone protectors that blocked their path.

——

Lotor and Allura made it down the stairs deeper in the temple as they searched for the secrets Lotor heard of and Allura desired to know more of. In both of their hopes for their lost culture.

They saw the white lion in the middle of the room once again.

"Now what," Allura bit out looking at the lion.

"I don't know but be prepared," Lotor glared a little. "We May yet have to prove that we're worthy to be here,"

Then the lion disappeared.

Suddenly there was a door that shut behind them as it was the only entrance of the room and the room began to shake.

"We're trapped," allura hissed and Lotor looked back at the room seeing the ceiling was slowly lowering down to them. As a favorable human has said before: shit.

"There must be a way out, something a trained altean would recognize," Lotor told her quickly and they searched for any sort of clue.

The metal freaked as the ceiling got lower and lower, Allura looked across the room and saw something familiar.

"There, it's like that bridge of the castle, a teludav," Allura ran to the controls and Lotor quickly followed. She placed her hands on it and concentrated all her energy on it as Lotor watched the ceiling that would soon crush them.

Until their visions went white.

——

Lotor woke startled as he noticed he was no longer in the temple, a mind setting perhaps, he looked around seeing a blue sky with white clouds but under his boots was white fog that covered throughout the horizon, there was nothing but him.

"Allura?" He called to the only person he knew that was reliable at the moment. His voice echoed.

Lotor gasped turning to see only the white lion, as it growled and roared walking towards him and soon turned into a sprint at him with a fierce growl.

It leaped at him and Lotor ducked the attack only to see the lions still seizing for him, a moment later Lotor caught the lions jaws to avoid its teeth.

A sword came down on him and Lotor was forced to use his own to block it but gravity was on his fathers side at his moment. Sweat running down lotors face as his heart raced, fearing for his own life. Fearing for his people and empire. His love.

"I will never yield!" He snarled falling on his back as the lion gained its advantage. "I will gain your secrets!"

"LOTOR LOOK OUT!" Lance screamed in his mind.

The lion grabbed his arm with its teeth and threw the emperor across the ground as he grunted looking up with his hair falling in his face. His vision blurred from seeing a white lion to a tall dark figure.

"Insolent weak boy," his fathers voice was cold. A voice that's disgraced him since his birth.

Lotor ducked sliding on his knees as he slid past his father, swinging the blade back for it to slice his fathers leg but growled feeling claws dig through his armor and into his flesh, blood running down his arm and his bone was slowly shattering.

"No!" Lance cried but zethrid held him back.

"You weak pathetic hybrid, you claim a battle for freedom but you bring what holds you down," zarkon snarled down at him coldly. He tossed Lotor across the ships metal like nothing hit trash.

Lotor panted getting back to his feet.

He lost his sword but zarkon moved to the side but it sliced across his cheek over the scar that was there. Zarkon glared down at him as Lotor panted, no where near giving up.

But a strangled cry caught him off guard. Zarkon slammed zethrid unconscious as lance was at his feet with a grip of his neck in zarkons large hands.

"NO!" Lotor screamed as he ran at full power at zarkon as his father raised the sword on his lover. This wasn't a dream. The fear was not a dream. The pain was not a dream. He would never wake up from this night mare.

"Victory-" Lotor grabbed his sword as the lion ran towards him.

"-or death!" He sneered throwing himself into his father with all his weight and kicked lance away. A sword went into his chest instead as he heard lances shriek and his own breathing stop in shock.

Lotor inhaled deeply as he took out the blade from his body and with a roar.

He finished his father off with his own sword.

The lion evaporated when his blade hit the lion. In a flash of white Lotor appeared in the temple once again.

Eyes wide in horror of where he was. What he lost. His restless nights, thrown away like nothing as he failed. He failed.

"NO!"