Klance Oneshots

Lance's Lion Castle: Part 2

"Keith!"

"Axca?"

"What happened? Someone just told me you floated down onto our balcony!"

"Oh… um… so it was real and… not a dream…"

"Axca, would you like to use my office?" a man asked behind Keith.

"Oh, um… no thanks," she smiled kindly at him.

Axca led Keith downstairs to the storage room, where she sat on a crate as he explained to her what had happened.

"Keith, you've got to be more careful. If that wizard had been Lance- he would have stolen your heart."

Keith sighed.

"No, he wouldn't. Lance only does that to people he deems the most beautiful."

"Keith… don't say that… you… just need to be more careful. It's dangerous out there. Even the Wizard of the Waste is back on the prowl- Are you listening?"

"Hmm?" Keith hummed, looking confused as he stared off into space.

"Ugh!" his sister groaned in agitation.

"I'll be fine, Axca. Nothing will happen."

Axca would have spoken again, but a box shifted in the wall and a young man poked his head through.

"Axca, the garlic knots are done."

"I'll be right there, thank you."

"Ok," he smiled and replaced the box.

"Keith, promise me you'll be more careful," his sister chided as he got up to leave.

"Bye, Axca."

His sister sighed before going back to work.

Keith made his way back home. He stood on the trolley as it wound its way through the city, watching the sunset, his arm wrapped around the pole in the entrance. The wind caressed his cheeks and black hair as he looked back, thinking of a pair of blue eyes.

Couples were walking all over the place as the trolley passed. Keith never felt jealousy against any of them. He knew he was too plain and ugly for romance.

Keith had a scar, one he didn't remember getting, from his childhood. It went from his cheek, crossing over his jaw, before trailing halfway down his neck. He always thought it made him look grotesque- too much so for anyone to fall in love with him. He felt that people in the street avoided him like he was a monster. Keith never really had time for romance anyway, but his heart ached a little more with every couple he spotted in the street. He was alone.

He made it back home at dark and closed the front door, locking it behind him. He strode to the table in the main room and placed his key on it, combing his fingers tiredly through his bangs. He was about to turn out the lights to go upstairs to bed when he heard the doorbell behind him. He turned and felt his heart jump as the nerves in his shoulders twinged from his fear.

"I'm sorry, but the shop is closed now, sir. I could have sworn I locked that door," he said, the last part more to himself.

The man before him was looking at him with dark eyes, almost x-raying him. Long white hair was braided at his back and his posture was elegant and straight, as if he owned the shop. Even his tailored purple suit suggested class and money. The man ignored Keith's statement and instead looked around at the hats.

"What a tacky shop. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing any of these ugly little hats. But you are by far the ugliest thing here," the man's voice was like a burning poker to Keith's ears as the insults kept coming.

Keith straightened his spine and clenched his jaw in his spiking anger. He strode past the man and opened the front door, clenching his cloth hat in his fist.

"I'm afraid you will have to leave now. The door is over here, sir. We are closed," he stated sharply.

"Standing up to the Wizard of the Waste, now that takes some guts," the man smirked dangerously.

"The Wizard of the-"

Keith's eyes widened in horror as he whirled around and saw the purple slime figures from that afternoon dressed in matching uniforms blocking the front door. His knees trembled as he backed away. He turned just in time to see the wizard flying at him, his cloak open like wicked wings. The man passed through him as Keith shielded his face in his arms.

"The best part about that spell is that you can't tell anyone about it. Give my regards to Lance."

The wizard chuckled and the shop door closed with a thunk, leaving Keith utterly alone again.

After a few seconds, Keith straightened from his defensive position. He could hear things he hadn't heard before and see easily in dark corners, and- something was swishing behind his back… He whirled around, but there was nothing there. He looked down at his feet and saw his hat. He bent down to pick it up, but stared in shock at his hands. They were covered with purple fur and his nails were claw-like and black. His harsh intake of breath sounded monstrously loud in his ears in the empty room.

He ran to the mirror and let out a cry at what he saw. He was truly a monster now. His face, neck, and hands were covered in short purple fur and he had huge, furry, pointed, purple ears sticking out from his head. His black hair had remained black on the top, but it faded to purple toward the back of his head, down to the end where it was in a much longer ponytail down to his waist. Some of his teeth had elongated into sharp fangs and he winced as he brushed the tip of one with his tongue. His eyes were glowing yellow, but as he stared at his reflection, he felt his panic ease and they dimmed back to their normal violet.

He truly looked how he felt: like a monster. His scar was still visible from his cheek, across his jaw, and down his neck, but it was a paler purple than the rest of his skin. He turned his head, still looking at his reflection, and glimpsed a tail poking out of the seat of his pants. It swished back and forth as if waving at him.

"Oh no- what the hell?" he growled in shock, touching his throat.

His voice was deep and scratchy, and while it sounded like his, it was alien to him. He also noticed he was taller too. His original height would have barely reached his bicep compared to his new height.

Then, a new thought struck him. What would his coworkers think?! What would they do?! Everyone was used to the Galra walking among them, but he had been human before, so what would happen?

He clumsily made his way up the stairs to his room, tripping over his feet a few times, and closed the door. He changed into a set of Shiro's pajamas and jumped as he heard a scurry across the floor. He landed on his bed and with a loud creak followed a louder CRASH!, his bed frame broke right down the middle. He sank into it, curled in a ball, and let his fears run through his mind as he buried his wet face in a pillow. He finally cried himself to sleep, but his dreams were far from pleasant.