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After Merla's vulture had battled the Voltrons and lost, no activity of threat had been initiated by the forces of Doom for quite sometime. For the time being, after finding out Merla was pregnant, Zarkon simply didn't have the ambition for conquering. Just when he thought he was rid of his son, he finds out the next heir to the throne is a grandchild on the way. For the first time in his life, he was thoroughly depressed and was wallowing in it.
Yet, the worst was yet to come!
The very same day on Planet Arus when Hunk and Darah had become engaged, and Lance had become engaged to Keith's sister, Karla; a very unexpected, very unwanted visit was paid to Planet Doom. A black craft, similar to Merla's star cutter, landed just outside Castle Gray Stone on Lonely Hill. Then a Drule woman with her two 6-year old Drule boys, disembarked from the craft through a hatch in the top. All three were not pure bred Drules and had pointed ears. The boys looked exactly alike since they were identical twins and were dressed the same. They looked very much like Lotor, even in the type of clothes they were wearing. The boys wore no crowns, but otherwise were dressed like little warriors, wearing kilts and even holstering their own swords. The mother had an especially royal yet renegade stature about her. She did wear a royal black, bat-like shaped circlet across her forehead, and her clothes were all black leather right down to her over-the-calf black high-heeled boots. She wore a black flared leather mini skirt, a revealing black strapless leather top that also revealed her midriff right down to a little past her navel, and a black leather long sleeved jacket that stayed open and conformed to her figure as it was as long as reaching where her mini skirt started. And, draped across her hips along the top of her mini skirt was a military belt displaying a classic skull of Doom such as what Lotor used to wear.
She led while the boys followed her straight into the castle without a care, as if they owned the place. Eyes got wide of any guards who saw them coming and made no moved to stop them. The had never met any of them before, but the allegiance to Zarkon imbedded in their circuitry caused them to "instinctively" recognize her importance. The woman somehow knew exactly where she was going and went straight to King Zarkon's throne room. And there upon his throne sat King Zarkon, moping.
"What's the meaning of this. . . " he started to say as he turned to face them and at the sight of her, he stopped himself short. His eyes for an instant grew wide in surprise with what seemed to be a touch of fear present in them. Quickly, He sat up out of his slump, showing his most doctorial posture.
"Travesty!" he spat out. "What are you doing here? You know you are NEVER to come here!"
"Oh, but Father, I've come to claim my right as heir to the throne. With my dear brother gone, the right passes on to me," replied Travesty in a very matter of fact, smooth tone.
Merla had just entered the throne room and caught what Travesty had just spoke.
And that's who Travesty was, Zarkon's last child and only daughter. After that, a spell cast upon Zarkon by Hagar for the benefit of lengthening how long he could potentially live plus guarding him against ever being poisoned, that same spell had side effects such as rendering him without the possibility of fathering anymore children. And he had considered Travesty a curse since the day she was born.
Zarkon questioned his daughter, "Are you using your royal right to challenge me for my throne? Because if you are, know that I'd have no second thoughts or regrets to impale you in an instant."
"You really think so, Father? I'm not so sure you would. Or, do you mean to tell me that there isn't a part of you that isn't in the least bit scared of me? Because I know that you do fear me."
"Cross me and find out," retorted Zarkon, though a feeling of dread followed the words. A feeling he knew she could see. Her very presence rubbed him the wrong way -- as being a curse.
And that was one of Travesty's "gifts," so to speak -- the ability to "see" feelings, and much, much more. She had the ability to so clearly read body language and facial expressions, that she could actually tell exactly what the thoughts and feelings were that caused the body language. And, she did this relentlessly without effort. She knew what people were thinking without actually reading their thoughts. She knew what people were feeling with no empathy involved on her part.
"Oh, I don't make more out of something than I need to, Father. Why go through the work of claiming your throne when it's so much easier to claim my sons' rights as heirs to your throne? I'm here to leave them with you, Father, as it's now their right to be here. In other words, I forfeit my right as heir to your throne to them. Because, honestly Father, I don't need it."
Then she gestured to her sons, "Meet your only grandchildren, Gnarl and Dagger."
"Oh how creative," commented Zarkon sarcastically in reference to the boys' names.
"Thank you, Father. I learned it from you with how you named me and all."
The boys stepped forward in front of their mom after being introduced. Then after a quick smirk to each other, they smiled up at Zarkon sitting on his throne on the high set of stairs and said, "Hello, Grandfather," at the same time.
Zarkon moaned, and then said, "I don't know who's worse, you or your sons. One thing's for sure, they're not staying here. You're taking them back with you. Spooky twins . . . They give me the creeps!"
"I must protest, Father. They are heirs to the throne, and they have the right to stay."
King Zarkon smiled, and for the first time, was happy about the news about Merla.
"Ahh, but your sons are NOT heirs to the throne."
"They most certainly are!" restated Travesty, going into a pout, and for the first time since she'd been on Doom her tone had lost some of its cool.
"Merla," said the king fondly looking to the Queen of Darkness, who was standing just inside the entrance to the throne room, "go ahead and inform Travesty who the heir to my throne is."
Travesty was not aware there was another person in the room, and looked surprised for a while, especially that it was Merla.
"Travesty," said Merla.
Travesty turned around to face Merla, along with her boys.
"So good to see you again," went on Merla. "It's been a while. and your boys. . . they're still so cute with their pointed little ears."
"Thank you, Aunt Merla," said the boys at the same time.
"And this time, I really am your aunt."
"Yes, I heard tale that you had married my brother again," said Travesty, the composure of her tone had been regained. "Welcome to the family."
Then a look of awareness suddenly came over Travesty’s face, after hearing herself admit that Merla was part of the family. It was then that she realized what dreaded news Merla may have for her.
"Cut the chatter and get to the point!" demanded Zarkon.
"Yes, Merla, what is it that you have to tell me?" asked Travesty warily.
"Travesty, you know I've got nothing against you. But, your children are not heir to the throne. Lotor's child is."
Travesty knew that meant Merla was pregnant and didn't inquire any further to make sure. Instead she instantly reacted to what information she knew. she suddenly bolted up the steps to her father's throne, and at the top she kneeled at her father's fee, and bowed before then lifting her head and looking the king straight in the eye.
In a pleading tone, she began, "Father, you know she'll have a girl, and her girl will have a girl, and so on. Women would forever be heir to the throne of Planet Doom. Under such circumstances the empire would likely change hands and be under the rule of Planet Darkness. Surely you'd much rather have a son, a grandson to be heir to the throne. Merla's child is heir to Planet Darkness. You don't HAVE to allow her also to be heir to Doom. You're King, Father. What you decree is what will be."
The whole scene was very reminiscent of when Lotor would grovel to his father.
"Travesty, Travesty, Travesty. I plan on staying upon my throne for a long, long, long time to come. I could care less who's heir to my throne now, just so it's got nothing to do with you."
"Father, I know you despise me," Travesty continued in a desperate tone while looking straight into his face from a kneeling position without fear. "But there must be something I could do to win this honor of birthright for my sons."
Zarkon laughed and then said, "For you, Travesty, there's absolutely nothing you could do. I'd never give you that right!"
Travesty scowled and for the first time her voice turned angry as she said, "Very well then, Father. Then I'll take the right that is afforded to me. I challenge. . . "
"Stop right there!" roared Zarkon.
Merla's eyes were wide with surprise, knowing full well what royal right Travesty was about to demand.
"Something wrong, Father?" asked Travesty, suddenly sweetly calm.
"Don't you dare!"
"You leave me with no other choice."
"All right!" conceded the king. "I'll give you the right to earn the right of heir to the throne for your sons. If you fail, the right stays with your brother's child. And if you take on the challenge, it cancels your royal right to ever challenge me."
"I accept your terms," said Travesty boldly, without even knowing what the challenge would be.
"Then here is your challenge," began Zarkon. "To supersede your brother's right to the throne, you must accomplish what he attempted, but failed to accomplish on Planet Arus.
"Defeat Voltron? Father, when I accomplish that, it'll do far more than exceed what my brother has ever accomplished, it'll exceed beyond where you too have also failed."
"Don't even imply that such a feat supersedes my authority as king! My accomplishments go FAR beyond the weight of the simple task of defeating Voltron! If you want this throne for yourself, the only way is if you defeat me, and you forfeited that right!"
"There, there, Father. High-blood pressure is quite destructive for someone of your age. Now grant to me the resources you once afforded to my brother, and I shall do away with Voltron in no time."
"Resources?" said Zarkon, who was calm and composed again. "Grant you resources? Travesty, you're dreaming. I'll never grant you any such thing. You have my offer. It's up to you to accomplish it on your own. You'll get no help from me. Your brother couldn't defeat Voltron, and you certainly can't. I'm not wasting any of my resources on you. If you attempt the feat I've proposed, you're doing it all on your own."
"Very well, then Father," replied Travesty, bowing in false honor to him.
She then turned and jumped to the bottom of the throne steps, landing between her twin boys.
"Travesty," called Zarkon.
She turned and looked back at her father.
"What'd you do to your hair anyway?" he asked, not that he really cared. It was just something eerie about her that he noticed, and wanted to make sure that something that otherwise would be so benign didn't represent some sort of hidden danger for him.
"My hair?" she asked, surprised by the question.
"Yes, your hair. It used to be all black didn't it?"
"If you must know, yes it was. Then it started growing white in places. I dreaded the idea of it all going white, like what happened to my brother, but it stopped and my hair is still mostly black. I rather like their new look. What do you think, Father?" She brushed her left hand across her hair on the left side, gesturing what she sarcastically suggested he take notice of. Indeed her hair had one white stripe down the middle of it, starting at her forehead. She had it parted and cascading down each side of her head. Two small black braids began on either side of the white swatch beginning at her forehead, crisscrossed over each other, and cascaded down over those swatches of white on either side of her head. She was reminiscent of a skunk, although that didn't do justice of showing what a stinker she truly was.
"The way I like you best is out of sight, out of mind. Now go!"
"You just found it unnerving not to know what happened," said Travesty and smiled. "Father, when it comes to me, I'm not your worst enemy; your imagination is. But you'll never dare believe that."
Then she turned and proceeded to walk for the exit of the room without looking back, her boys following behind her.
As she approached Merla, she stopped and said, "I trust you'll take care of my boys while I'm gone." Travesty had no desire to harm the mind-reading Queen of Darkness who expected no respect from the Doom princess, and Merla had this lack of expectation without fear or feeling of being insulted. She merely accepted Travesty’s right to existence, and respected her existence as non-threatening to Merla's own existence.
"Of course, Travesty," Merla answered with no fear. She had never feared her, but had always had a calm respect for the Princess of Doom. Merla simply didn't sense the same accursedness everyone else seemed to sense about Travesty. And in fact, with a touch of aloof distance, the Queen of Darkness liked her. "It's good seeing them again. They're so cute with their pointed little ears," a phrase she had long liked to use often, and while saying it, she leaned forward, grabbed them each by an outside ear, and playfully tugged at them. In reaction the boys smiled back at her happily. Although they had no qualms over gaining power if it meant her loss, they really did like her.
"Good," said Travesty. "Then I'll see you all when I get back."
Travesty then exited the room, leaving the boys behind with Merla.
Merla soon turned to leave the throne room with the boys, but then Zarkon called out to her.
"Merla!"
Merla turned and faced Zarkon. "What is it that you want, Zarkon?" she asked calmly.
"Did she do something to the boys' hair?"
Merla could well read the concerns on King Zarkon's mind.
"You really do need to get a grip on yourself, Zarkon. No she hasn't done anything with the color of their hair. They've always had white hair. Though they look a whole lot like their Uncle Lotor, they've never had the atrocious looking reddish brown hair he once had when he was younger, before it grew out white."
Having said that, Merla turned and exited the room with Travesty's sons following along on either side of her.
So Zarkon was left alone, and for a long while remained in a disquieted state of mind.
[Author -- Sheila Bliss, based on the previous creation of Voltron by World Events Productions]
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