Five lion cubs were gamboling around in the forest under a proud and watchful eye of their father, Octan. His mate, Tarn, was with him.

"Look at them." Octan started one of his talks. "The last pride on Arus and of my bloodline."

Tarn cut him short. "They wouldn't be the last pride on Arus if you didn't kill all of the others and then taken me as your war bride." Tarn said angrily.

"I had to. They were a threat to the perfection of my bloodline."

"Bloodlines. It's all you speak of. There are more important things than bloodlines."

"Like what?" He scoffed.

"Try raising our cubs to adults. King Alfor will be very displeased when he hears you killed all of the lions on Arus."

"He has my pride. It's all he needs."

Tarn scoffed and turned away.

The cubs were too busy in their game of tag to hear the conversation.

"Gotcha, Drey!" Panache yelled as he pounced on his youngest brother.

"Oof. Why must you always catch me?"

"Like Dad always says: 'Pounce on the young, old, sick, or injured. It's the only prey you'll ever catch.' And you're the youngest."

"Why don't you try for Moth?"

"Not oldest brother. He'd pounce on me so fast it'll make my head spin."

"Then why don't you try? Challenge increases skill." Moth replied.

"Cause I'd lose no matter what I did. You could be dead and you'd still beat me back."

"It's all in the genes." He settled down for a nap. He kept one eye open as Poncho and Dulci came running up.

"What's happening, guys?" Poncho asked.

"Where have you been?" Moth asked in return.

Poncho didn't answer. Dulci did.

"I caught Poncho here swiping food from the castle, Princess Allura no less."

Moth got up fast. "You mean to tell me you swiped food from the princess?!"

"She was a baby. It was easy to take her lunch away."

"What was the lunch, may I ask?" Drey butted in.

"Hot dogs. Them I swiped more from some lady taking care of her."

"How many, this time?" Panache asked.

"THIS TIME?" Moth roared.

"Later, brother, later."

"Six." Poncho answered.

"SIX!" Moth repeated.

"The thing was when I approached Princess to take her food, she wasn't scared. She acted as we were the best of friends. She threw me her dogs which I gulped down and thanked her. The lady saw me and screamed, grabbed Princess, and ran inside the castle."

"The prophecy." Octan muttered.

The cubs turned to see their father standing over them. "I'll handle Poncho, Moth. You watch over your brothers and sister."

"Yes sir."

Octan walked away, Poncho silently in tow.

"His love of food is going to get him killed, someday." Dulci said.

"If not by Dad then by Alfor." Drey replied.

That night, every adult animal on Arus went to the Valley of Zohar. Ian, Alfor's animal messenger, had news to tell. "There is a prophecy that will soon be fulfilled. Trouble will come to Arus once more in the future. Five animals are destined to became immortals and join as one to protect Arus from this threat of evil. He is called Voltron."

"Who are the destined ones?"

"No one can say for sure, yet. Whoever they are now cubs and are in one family. That is all we know."

"Who's we?"

"King Alfor and myself."

A hush fell over the assembly. A bad feeling ran over Octan. He had heard of the prophecy but never excepted it to happen while he was alive.

Tarn seemed cool, calm, and collected.

After the assembly, they walked home in silence. Octan was fearful yet Tarn was beaming with happiness.

"What are you so happy about?" Octan questioned.

"What if our children are the destined ones?" Tarn answered.

"Don't say that. It might give the gods ideas."

"What's so bad about the thought of our children being the ones?"

"Then the bloodline is finished."

"Our children will then be the ones to protect Arus from this evil! You heard Poncho, he said the princess was not afraid of him. At her age she should be terrified of him, him being a large beast. But she wasn't. She acted as if he were Ian, one big puppy-dog for a playmate.

"Ian's a wolfdog."

"It's all the same. I believe our children to be the ones. And when I'm told they are the ones I'll beam with pride while you'll deny it. You can't stop destiny. All you can do is accept it, as I have."

Years passed. The cubs grew into powerful lions while their parents grew old. They attended Queen Aria's funeral by watching it from the borders of the forests. Dulci felt the worst of it and went to pay her respects to the Queen's grave after dark. She read her the markings on the gravestone and started crying, although she didn't know why.

"I swear I'll help protect King Alfor, Princess Allura, and Arus all that I can." She stopped short, wondering what made her say those words.

A rustling in nearby bushes alarmed her. She got ready to pounce as her attacker stepped out. It was Allura, nine years old. Dulci felt the urge to run but didn't. Allura didn't show any fear towards her. It was just as Poncho had said; she acted as if they were friends even though Dulci was a lion. Allura ran to her mother's grave, sat on the grass, and cried over the grave.

Moved by her emotion that she barely ever showed, Dulci approached her and sat next to her, as ever like Ian. A strange smell crept into Dulci's nose. She recognized it immediately: panther. Panthers were cannibals who had no respect for Arusians. The panther dove at Allura, but Dulci blocked his attack. She sent him back to the forest with deep wounds and a broken jaw.

Alfor and Ian ran out as the panther high-tailed back to the forest. They saw Dulci, Allura, and the blood stains on the ground. They figured out what had happened. Allura was too afraid to go to Alfor, still seeing the battle in her mind. Dulci escorted her back to Alfor for Allura seemed safe with her more than anybody.

"Thank you for saving my daughter's life." Alfor rubbed Dulci's head.

Ian wagged his thanks.

With one last look at them, Dulci went back to the forest, head held high. Moth soon met up with her.

"Why are you here?" Dulci asked angrily.

"I was worried about you. I saw a panther limping in here with blood gushing out of him and his jaw practically dropping to the ground and figured you were in trouble."

"I'm surprised he's still alive."

"Who could do a job like that? Whoever it was is one good fighter."

"Thanks for the compliment, brother."

Moth was surprised. "YOU?"

"When the princess' life is on the line even a new-born could kill a panther."

"You protected Princess Allura from a panther? And you of all people did a job like that?"

"Yeah, I was visiting the Queen's grave and for some reason, I told her I'd protect her family and Arus."

"Maybe Mom's right. Maybe we are the destined ones."

"I hope so." They reached their home by then and went to sleep.

Ian came to the pride the next morning. "King Alfor requests that he sees your children at the castle."

"They are the destined ones aren't they." Octan asked coldly.

"King Alfor and I believe so."

Octan slashed Ian across the face.

"THEY ARE NOT THE ONES! IT IS SOMEONE ELSE'S KIDS! NOT MINE! MINE SHALL NOT PROTECT ARUS!" Octan went on, every sentence defying their destiny. He beat up Ian pretty good before Tarn stood up.

"It is not up to you to say who they are. Only our children can decide their true selves." Tarn wished her children would do the right thing.

No one said a word at first. They didn't know what to say. Drey broke the silence. "I, Drey, accept my destiny as defender of Arus."

"I, Panache, accept my destiny as defender of Arus."

"I, Poncho, accept my destiny as defender of Arus."

"I, Dulci, accept my destiny as defender of Arus."

"I, Moth, accept my destiny as defender of Arus."

After one last farewell to their parents, the lions marched off to the castle.

"King Alfor, I'd like to present to you, Arus' saviors." Ian announced.

"I knew you five would be the ones. Especially after seeing Dulci protect Allura from the panther." Alfor approached Poncho. Poncho lowered his head as Alfor put his hand to his shoulder.

"Yellow Lion, Lion of Earth." In an instant Poncho changed into what looked like a yellow robot lion.

Alfor then approached Dulci. She lowered her head as Alfor put his hand to her shoulder.

"Blue Lion, Lion of Water." In an instant Dulci was changed into what looked like a blue robot lion.

Alfor then approached Panache. He lowered his head as Alfor put his hand to his shoulder.

"Red Lion, Lion of Fire." In an instant Panache was changed into what looked like a red robot lion.

Alfor then approached Drey. He lowered his head as Alfor put his hand to his shoulder.

"Green Lion, Lion of Life." In an instant Drey was changed into what looked like a green robot lion.

Alfor then approached Moth. He lowered his head as Alfor put his hand to his shoulder.

"Black Lion, Lion of Air and Space." In an instant Moth was changed into what looked like a black robot lion.

Everyone stepped back as the lions merged into Voltron. Although they looked like robot lions they were still the same lions they once were.

The threat of evil came that very day. Voltron was sent into battle and as victorious. He went into many more battles as the years passed.

Zarkon's witch, Hagar, knew just what to do to defeat the invincible one. She went into space and disguised herself as a goddess, promising to give him the power to defeat Zarkon. When he came near she placed a curse on him, splitting him into the five lions that made him. The lions were transformed into robots and lost most of their individuality. The keys to the lions appeared in Alfor's hands. He knew what had happened.

Zarkon killed Alfor at the Valley of Zohar the next day. He started his attacks soon after, knowing Arus was finally his. Coran managed to hide Allura in the castle. Zarkon took most of the people for slaves, hoping Allura would give up and surrender.

Five space explorers arrived on Arus. They reunited Voltron and once again began the fight for Arus. After Sven was severely injured Allura took his place in Blue Lion. Together they are, Voltron: Defender of the Universe.