Two days went by, and she hadn’t been allowed to see him. Little did they know she had. Being a witch had its advantages - one being that you could pop in and out of someone else’s unconscious mind on a whim. That is, if the participant was willing…or weak. Earlier in the forest, he had been willing, although maybe not intentionally so. But she had not purposely entered his mind then either. His essence was so strong that it had just pulled her right in. The event had taken her so unaware and unprepared that it had completely drained her of her powers, inducing the witch’s sleep of replenishment. But now she was strong and ready.

Haggar sat down in front of her large-mirrored dressing table and inspected the reflection. She was beginning to grow weary of the unnatural face that was staring back at her. It was a beautiful face, but it was on borrowed time. The spell would be wearing off soon. But it would be of no consequence at that point; she would already have taken him back to the spirit world with her. There were no faces or physical forms in the realm of the spirits - just emotion. She would leave this mortal world behind her - along with Zarkon and all his empty promises.

Haggar had entered his sleep the night before, but she could feel very little of him. His body was fighting for its life, and his energy was dim. His soul was trying to keep him in this world, and if it was unable to, he would pass up the spirit world for that Other place where souls rarely (if ever) return. And what if he was granted another life form? It was doubtful she would ever be able to find him again. The Universe was vast - even more so than any mortal could comprehend. No, she would wait until he was stronger before entering his mind again. Patience, she reminded herself.

She knew he would come when the time came. The spirit world was beautiful and peaceful. No one had ever been able to turn away from it. Yes, she could wait, and when he was ready, she would know it.

His face was sunken and pale, and his hair lay in clumps across his creased forehead, damp with perspiration. His eyes, usually full of passion and life, were squeezed shut as in struggle. He never moved. If not for the slow rhythm of his heart monitor, one could have mistaken him for a dead man. Allura held his hand which was warm, another reminder to her that he was still with them.

She barely left his side since the accident, sleeping in a chair next to his hospital bed, and taking meals in his room (despite she had yet to touch food in recent days). Allura reached out, letting her fingers run across the moist cheeks of her distant loved one.

They had said it was by miracle alone that he was still alive. The explosion had ruptured the cockpit, but Keith’s chair had shielded him from the momentary flash-fire. The majority of injuries came from the fall. His helmet had provided him little protection from the high speed impact.

She could still see the vivid picture of the Black Lion falling helplessly toward the planet’s surface. It was like a scene right out of one of her bad dreams. In fact, whenever she had managed to catch a few minutes of sleep, she would always awaken to the hope that it had been just that - a dream. Alas, this was more than that; it was a living nightmare. Allura stood from her chair and kissed him lightly on the forehead. She lingered to study his face for some kind of hint that he was still the man she knew…and loved.

“Keith?” she whispered. “Can you hear me?”

Nothing.

She sat back down, picking up a cool cloth to lay it across his forehead. “Don’t you dare leave me.” Then, for the first time since it had happened, she began to cry. She had tried so hard not to. If he could hear her, she didn’t want him to know just how scared she was, but she could no longer hold it in. “Why you? You never did anything to deserve…” She trailed off, put her head down on the hand she’d been holding, and cried herself to sleep.

A tunnel. He was floating. ‘So beautiful,’ he thought. The dazzling light was so bright, but it didn’t hurt his eyes to look at it. It was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. Specs of gold and silver shimmered everywhere.

So happy. So peaceful. Two forms from the distance came towards him, the beautiful white light behind them.

“Mom? Dad?” What are you doing on Arus?”

His mother extended her arms. Her smile…oh, how he missed her smile. “Hello, my son. Your Father and I wanted you to know how very proud we are of you.”

Keith tried to go faster…needed to reach them. They were drifting back into the light! “No! Don’t go!”

The tall man next to the woman put a hand on her shoulder. When he spoke, Keith heard a voice much like his own. “We must, son, just as you must go back to your world. Your time has not yet come.”

Further and further away. “But I want to come with you! Please take me with you! I’ve missed you both so much!”

“Soon enough” his father replied. “Waste no time, son. Life is infinitely short. Always remember that we love you.”

Suddenly, Keith felt a large, dark force wrap around him. It was pulling him away, away from the light…away from them. Pain came flooding back. No!

Darkness blacker than the most sunless planet. Pain so great he wanted to give in. But then he heard something, or rather someone, in the distance. A woman, and she was weeping. “Allura? Is that you?”

“Keith, where are you?”

“I’m over here. I can’t see.”

A form emerged from the blackness. “Allea, what are you doing here?” She was dressed in long, golden robes. There was no wind, but her cloak blew about her as if she were an angel fallen from heaven.

She extended her hand for him to take. “I have come for you. It is time to move into the next world with me.”

“But what about Arus?”

“It no longer concerns you. Don’t you want to live in a place that is free of pain, and full of love and happiness?”

“But what of my friends? I can’t leave them to face Zarkon alone. Arus needs me.”

Her smile that had been so warm began to sour. “We haven’t much time. You must come with me before it is too late.” She tried to run to him, but she seemed held back by an invisible force. “Your mother and father are waiting for you. They told me to tell you they are waiting for you on the other side. Take my hand! I will lead you to them!”

“Mom and Dad?” Keith reached out to take her hand, but stopped abruptly. “Did you hear that?”

Haggar leaned forward but could not yet reach him. “Hear what?”

“That voice. That beautiful voice.”

Haggar listened. “I don’t hear anything. We must go. Take my hand.”

“There it is again!” It was coming from behind him, so he turned to see where it was coming from.

Its echo rang throughout in the darkness. “Don’t you dare leave me.”

He knew that voice.

“Allura? I’m here! I won’t leave you!”

There was another sound, a frightening, horrible one. He turned around to see a swirling portal of some kind. It engulfed her, and she fought against it.

“No! Leave me be! I’ve done nothing!” She reached out at the last minute for him, but he couldn’t. He could give his hand to no woman but the one who was begging him not to leave her. He turned around and began running toward the voice.

There was a jolt, followed by the worst pain of his life. And he felt hot, so terribly hot.

There was a beeping noise.

He opened his eyes to blinding, stinging lights.

At first, Allura thought it was her imagination. But then she felt him twitch again. She bolted to her feet and leaned in close. His eyelids fluttered. “Keith, can you hear me?” They fluttered again, then opened.

He almost mistook her for a golden-haired angel, but this was no one but of his own heaven. He tried to smile, but he didn’t have the strength. That was when he became aware of the lines and tubes entering and exiting his body, and he became afraid.

Allura was overcome with joy, but she quickly collected herself. She could see his confusion and fear. “It’s okay, honey. You were in an accident, but you’ll be fine now.”

His eyes questioned her, and she knew exactly what he wanted to know. “No one else was hurt. I’m fine…the team is fine. You just worry about getting well.” She could barely keep from throwing her arms around him.

He relaxed and made a weak attempt to nod. His team was safe. She was safe. He relaxed back into bed to ease the rhythmic pounding pressure deep in his head. His eyes sought hers for comfort, but what he found was so much more, and it filled him with a joy he’d never known and would never forget. Leave the angels to their heaven; he wasn’t going anywhere.