Voltron/Keith/Klance Oneshots

13-Aquarus

For those who missed it, the first chapter of my Galra Slave AU is up in a separate book called "Forgiveness is the Hardest Act." Check it out!

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Aquarus reminded Keith of a coral reef. It was blue with various swirls of pale, vibrant colors that Coran told them were beaches of different colored sands. Though it was a small backwater planet—quite literally since 90% of surface area was underwater—the inhabitants were renown for their unrivaled swimming and aquatic fighting abilities along with their access to deep-sea treasures such as pearls and various amphibious metals that they then use to make solid armor and weapons.

They had almost completely bypassed the planet before they picked up their distress signal. Apparently, the Galra had recently invaded the planet and were attempting to occupy it. The Aquari are still fighting them underwater, but all of the islands were lost unless Voltron did something about it. Besides the undeniable fact about saving people from the empire's clutches, Allura explained that this was the perfect opportunity to persuade them into joining the coalition, as the Aquari were very old fashioned and as stubborn as the seas they live in, making them extremely wary of newcomers.

The mission went on without a hitch. The paladins and the Aquari joined forces and pushed back the Galra, making them turn tail and head back to Zarkon. The Aquari were very thankful for their help and wanted to host a feast in their honor. Everyone immediately agreed, eager to get out of the castle after being cooped up for weeks.

Keith, on the other hand, was less keen on the idea. A few weeks ago, Keith got hit by a blast of Druid magic that forced his Galra side to emerge. Instead of his normal pale skin, his body was covered in thick, purple fur, and his face grew sharp fangs and long, cat-like ears. Though he knew of his Galra heritage for months prior, it still took a lot of willpower to adjust to the physical changes. Yet, even after weeks of staying in the castle, he wasn't used to his Galran features: his fur kept tangling in his armor, his fangs kept stabbing his lip every time he moved them to speak or eat, and don't even get Keith started on how annoying Galran hearing was. Gods, the castle was never quiet anymore.

But there was a considerable difference with looking Galra in the castle surrounded by his friends and looking Galra out in space, where he was part of the most hated race in the known universe. In the few times Keith left the castle, he was a nervous wreck, even though he was safely in a lion where nobody but his family could see him. He flat out refused to exit the hanger unless he had his helmet firmly on, and he didn't take it off no matter how hot and stuffy it got.

If they went to the party, though, Keith couldn't hide behind his armor or his lion. He'd have to mingle, and that meant showing people his face.

He tried to get Shiro to allow him to stay in the castle, but he only shook his head sadly.

"Coran is planning on giving the Aquari a demonstration from Voltron," Shiro explained, "which means we'll need you. Besides, it would look rude not to show up to a celebration that you are honored in."

"But Shiro, I don't think I could handle it. Not right now."

Shiro's gaze softened, and he put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I know it's difficult. All change is difficult, but you know as well as I do that you can't hide in the castle for the rest of the war. You need to embrace the change, even if it might seem very difficult at first."

"But what if they hate me?" Keith whined. He hated sounding so weak, but the thought of facing other people, their anger at him, petrified him. He spent most of his life singled out as different, a freak, and his heart seized at the thought of, even in the eyes of other aliens, he would once again get labeled as such.