From Ashes to Ambers - A Klance Fanfic

Chapter IV: Rising Heat

–With an energy source in hand, Lance and Keith returned to the Black Lion, with hopes that they might escape the planet. With grim determination, they clutched the salvaged energy source–a glowing, crystalline object that held the promise of restoring the Lion to its former glory. The Lion's hangar was bathed in an eerie, dim light, the air heavy with the sense of anticipation. Lance carefully inserted the energy source into the Lion's control panel, a spark of hope igniting in his eyes.

–"This has to work," Lance muttered, his voice trembling with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "It's our ticket home." Keith nodded in agreement, his fingers floating over the control panel. They activated the energy source, and for a brief moment, the Black Lion's systems hummed to life. Lights flickered, and the control panel displayed a series of intricate symbols and codes. But just as quickly as it had come to life, the Lion's systems shut down, plunging them back into darkness. Lance's shoulders slumped, and he let out a frustrated sigh. "What's going on? Why isn't it working?"

–Keith frowned, his gaze fixed on the control panel. "I don't know. It's like the Lion's rejecting the energy source. Maybe there's something else we're missing." They spent hours poring over the Lion's systems, checking and rechecking connections, and running diagnostics. But despite their efforts, the Black Lion remained unresponsive. Lance wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and sank into the pilot seats, his frustration growing with each failed attempt. "This doesn't make sense. We did everything right." Keith, equally disheartened, joined him in the cockpit. "Yeah, it's like the Lion doesn't want to wake up. But we can't give up, Lance. We have to keep trying." With a tired nod, Lance stands back up.

–The Paladins tirelessly worked on the Lion, trying to decipher its complex systems and coax it back to life. But with each passing moment, their hope waned, and the reality of their situation sank in. The Black Lion, more stubborn than ever, remained silent and dormant.

–Lance stared at the control panel, his eyes glazed with exhaustion. "Keith, I don't know how much longer we can keep this up. We've tried everything, and nothing's working." Keith's fists clenched in frustration, his own resolve wavering. "No, Lance, we can't give up. We just need to figure this out." He replies, hands digging deeper into the control panel, but Lance pulls him by the shoulder and forces him to sit down. "Keith, when are you going to realize that we are stuck here?!" He snaps, and Keith's eyes widen. "The fuck, Lance! You're gonna give up so easily?!" The raven haired boy shouts, pushing him backwards. "It's not my fucking problem that you can't see that there's no way out of here!"

– "At least I'm not giving up! What if we found a solution? What if we gave up without trying and stayed here until we died?" As Keith's frustration with their situation reached its peak, a sudden surge of heat coursed through his veins. It was as if an uncontrollable fire burned within him, threatening to consume him from the inside. His hands trembled, and he could feel the rage at the tip of his ears. Lance watched in astonishment as Keith's transformation began. At first, he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. Keith's ears elongated and took on a distinct purple hue, and then a tail, also tinged with the same deep shade of violet, emerged from the base of his spine.

–Lance gasped, his voice filled with a mix of shock and concern. He had heard stories of Keith's Galra heritage, but he had never witnessed this transformation before. That explained everything–how he defeated the other Galrans on the ship, how he hadn't gotten hurt that easily, the transformation Lance saw when Keith had entered the river...Keith Kogane was a Galra.

–Keith's breaths came in ragged gasps as he struggled to regain control. His anger had unlocked this part of his heritage, something he had tried to keep hidden for so long. "Shit–Lance, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see me like this..." The brunet nodded slowly, even though he was clearly traumatized by what he was seeing. Lance started to panic again, breaths becoming heavy and rasp, a reminder of what had happened the day before. "Hey, hey. Look at me. I'm not going to hurt you, Lance." Keith soothed, attempting to get closer to him, but Lance, in an effort to crawl back, falls miserably, hurting his tailbone in the process. "Ah! Get away!" He shouts, eyes entranced by what he was seeing. Keith was a Galra this entire time? Since when–? Since the first time they met in pilot training? "Lance, please. Let me explain!" He begs, closing his eyes momentarily as he takes a deep breath, willing his Galra features to recede. Slowly but surely, his ears and tail began to retract, and his normal appearance returned. Lance was still hypnotized, his mind going back to the successes that happened in the Galra ship. "I swore to myself that I'd kill any Galra I saw–" Lance remembered having said while he was captured. "Lance–"

–"I...You don't have to explain if you don't want to. I just...Give me some time." He mumbles, standing back up and turning away from the raven-haired boy, if he could even be called human anymore. He gave Lance a shaky smile. "Thanks, Lance. I appreciate your patience."

–Lance grinned back, but his smile was nothing less than a facade. Lance knew that Keith's Galra heritage was just one more facet of their complex journey, but they were stronger when they faced it together, no matter what form that journey took. Lance left the lion and went into the cave, Keith following shortly after as they both sat down on the ground without saying a word.

Lance didn't dare say anything, brows furrowed and teeth digging into his lips. The paladins sat in silence, their exhaustion and defeat weighing heavily on them. Both of them brought their eyes to look at one another, and the tension between them grew. It was that same invisible cord of unspoken words and emotions that they had shared the night before. It was that same cord that was hung in the air.

–As the tension between Lance and Keith hung in the air, neither of them wanted to be the first to break the silence. They both understood that their frustration had boiled over, and the stress of their situation had taken its toll on their patience. But beneath the anger and the exhaustion. Lance finally broke the silence, his voice softer this time, filled with regret. "Keith, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that." Keith nodded, his own anger dissipating as he realized the gravity of their circumstances. "I'm...I'm sorry too." Keith nodded, his own anger dissipating as he understood where Lance was coming from.

–They locked eyes, the unspoken understanding passing between them once more. They had come too far and faced too much together to let a moment of weakness drive a wedge between them. The cave provided a welcome shelter from the harsh elements outside, and Lance and Keith slowly glanced at the ceiling of the cave. It was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from a small opening in the cave's ceiling. As they settled on the cold, uneven floor, they couldn't help but steal glances at each other.

– Keith cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So... this cave is cozy, huh?" Lance nodded, his gaze darting around the cave. "Yeah, it's better than being out there." They both fell silent again, the awkwardness of the moment hanging in the air like a heavy fog. They had spent so much time together, faced countless dangers side by side, but right now, they found themselves at a loss for words. Lance shifted uncomfortably, trying to think of something to say. "Let's go make some dinner." Keith suggested, standing up to get some ration packs.

–Lance nods, grabbing the flint and steel from the corner and walking outside to set a few pieces of wood on fire. The logs of wood were leftover pieces from the breakfast they had eaten the night before. Keith brought some food and placed it on the pot, cooking the food and waiting for it to finish as they both sat on opposite sides of the campfire. Their eyes locked for a moment, yet they both looked away quickly, their cheeks tinged with a faint blush. Lance draws circles on the floor with his finger tip, holding his knees against his chest.

"Hey, Keith?" He calls, glancing over at the other, who was seated across the campfire, "Why did you come save me?" Keith's eyes waver suddenly, humming as he pushes a strand of hair behind his ear. "T-The others were worried about you." He stutters, purple eyes avoiding eye contact with Lance. The brunet smiled half-heartedly, rubbing his knees with his palms. "Oh–yeah. Stupid question."

Lance scratched the back of his neck, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I, uh, guess we're in this together, huh?" Keith nodded, a small, genuine smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, we are." Despite their shyness and the uncertainty of their circumstances, they couldn't deny the warmth that settled between them. They didn't need words to express the unspoken understanding that had always been a part of their connection.

–So they sat there under the sparkly skies, stealing glances at each other and looking away, content to share the quiet moments in each other's presence. It was a bond that didn't need to be spoken—it simply was, a silent reminder that they were never truly alone in this vast and unpredictable universe.