Found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10698390
Metamorphosis
Manga_Otaku121344
Metamorphosis
-noun
Biology. a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly.
When Keith and Shiro returned from The Blade of Marmora headquarters, attack planning for a full out offensive against Zarkon had begun immediately. It held everyone's attention and was the number one priority. Due to this single focus, Shiro forgot the fact that Keith should probably spend some time in a healing pod after all he had endured during his trial, just for safe measures.
Keith wasn't complaining though and he wasn't about to bring it up. He had no intentions of leaving the discussion unless he was dragged out. Besides, he was fine. Only a lingering, dull ache made its self known across his right shoulder where he was first hit. There was nothing to warrant concern though. He had full range of motion with out any increases in pain; it would be bruised at most.
As Keith undressed for the night he checked the wounded area. Sure enough, there was a nasty purple, almost black, bruise spanning the height of his shoulder blade. After lightly prodding it a bit, Keith let the bruise be and headed to bed.
The pain was quick to fade but the bruise stayed stubbornly put. It wasn't until after he and Hunk had returned from retrieving the scaltrite that Keith realized something was...off.
Keith ran his left hand gingerly over the bruise, tracing the edges with his finger tips. It was larger. The center, the original bruise, was still an ugly, dark purple, but the edges -which know reached farther down his torso and to the right towards his arm- were a fainter purple. It almost didn't seem like a bruise, more like a stain. This lighter area wasn't tender, like the core of it was, either. Perhaps during the mission he had hit his shoulder without realizing it. Could that cause the bruise to spread? Keith made a mental note to keep an eye on it before continuing on with his daily routine.
As the sun rose on the day of the attack Keith was certain that this was not a bruise. The bruise, it's self, was practically healed; leaving healed, unblemished, light purple skin in its wake. The discoloration had spread way past its origins and now covered most of Keith's middle, his left arm was the only part of the torso that held its aboriginal paleness.
It was apparent now, his knife wasn't the only thing that awoken during the trial.
Shiro was gone; disappeared after the mostly successful attack on Zarkon. That was a month ago. Before the attack Shiro sat everyone down for a talk. To his small audience made of the paladins, Allura, and Coran, the former black paladin made it clear that if anything where to happen to himself, Keith would pilot the black lion. Looking back now, it was almost as if Shiro knew he wouldn't be coming back with everyone else.
However, piloting the black lion and leading Voltron were just two more things on Keith's plate. His most pressing concern at the moment didn't involve the wellbeing of the universe but rather his current cosmetic condition. The rate of the change from yellow undertones to to purple tint was rapidly accelerating. His entire torso and down to his knees had been recolored. Even his hands were now sporting purple. Keith was quick to change his clothing accordingly. He made sure to keep the offending color hidden anytime he wasn't alone. His fingerless gloves were exchanged with ones that completely encased his hands. His jacket stayed on at all times unless it was during training; a long sleeve shirt was then adorned. Was it preferable? No. Was it comfortable? No. Did it feel like he could pass out from a heat stroke at any moment? Yes.
Yet, it had to be this way. It's not like he could tell anyone. The only person Keith felt comfortable opening up to had up and vanished. Even then, would he had told Shiro? It's highly unlikely. If the others found out, though, how would they react? For Christ sake, the leader of Voltron is turning into a quiznaking Galra! But of course they would be perfectly okay with it since it worked so well the first time!
What about Allura? She was the most weary about Keith leading Voltron in the first place; not to mention the time she flat out ignored Keith's existence. He had just began to gain her trust, but now... Now he was becoming the one thing she despises with all of her being. She had stepped up to pilot the red lion (it was her father's lion after all) but will she be so willing if she knew? If it was discovered that he was Galra could Voltron even be formed? He had to keep this issue a secret, for the sake of leading Voltron and protecting the universe. All Keith had to do was pretend that nothing was wrong. Besides, if you believe a lie enough it will become truth, right?
Ignoring the problem worked. Or, it did at first. Keith began to distance himself. It had started as an unconscious act which developed into a conscious one driven by paranoia. The only time spent with the other inhabitants of the castle was when it was mandatory: missions, training, and meal time. During all free time Keith isolated himself. It was easier this way. After all, his secret can't be discovered by anyone if no one is around.
It was only a matter of time until Keith's anti-social tendencies were noticed. Allura was the first to voice her worry.
"Is something wrong with Keith?" She asked; the boy in question had hurried to make himself scarce after another successful mission.
The other three paladins looked between each other to see if anyone had an answer.
"Maybe he's tired? Missions can be pretty draining," Pidge offered with a shrug and minimal concern.
"Could it be that he is hungry? I've seen him eating more lately; always taking seconds during meals." Hunk spoke with furrowed brows and turned to Lance for his opinion.
Lance snorted.
"It's probably just his time of the month. Or it could be that stick that has become permanently lodged in his -"
"Lance." Allura cut him off with an unamused stare.
"Well, he was never a social butterfly to begin with," Lance finished with a huff.
The princess hummed softly as she mulled over her team's suggestions. Perhaps it could be chalked up to 'just a bad day'; with all the stress the young paladin was under, she could didn't doubt it.
Keith laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt; rather underdressed as of late but since he was alone he could get away with it. Being alone had become the only time he had to relax. If anyone else was around he was always on guard, watching his behavior and actions, always making sure no one noticed any of the excellerating changes. In just a week the unwanted change had claimed everything from the collar bones down. If the situation was different, he would say it looked like he bathed in grape Kool-Aid.
Keith worried his bottom lip as he thought over today's mission. They had gained important information regarding Shiro's where abouts. Everyone was ecstatic. Shiro was alive! He could be saved and returned to his rightful position as leader! Keith was happy too but the joyous feelings were quickly hindered by insecurities.
For the longest time, Shiro was all Keith had. He was just as much as a brother as he was a friend to the lonely orphan. Things had changed though. Sure, Shiro had only been gone for five weeks, but in those weeks Keith had become ninety percent purple and short, soft hairs began to grow; its color matching the skin it sprouted from.
Keith suppressed the lump that threatened to settle in his throat and lightly bit down on the lip he was previously worrying. As he did so he felt a sharp prick of pain. He sat up with a jolt and raised his hand to feel the accidentally afflicted area.
Blood? He drew back his hand and looked at his finger tips. A small red blotch decorated it. He didn't realize he had used that much force. Was he really that out of it? Curiously, he slipped his thumb past his lips to assess the condition of his teeth. Everything was how it should be- wait. The canines.
Keith haphazardly launched himself from the bed and towards the mirror on the opposite wall. He curled up his top lip and opened his mouth to view both rows of teeth at once. The canines. Both pairs were wider and elongated ever so slightly. The most jarring deduction, though, is that they were sharper. A lot sharper. Keith braced himself against the wall with his left hand and dropped his head into his right. When this metamorphosis reached its end, how much of him would remain Keith?
Energy was running high and, all around, moods were elated. Two weeks of digging for information and careful planning were over. The rescue mission had been a success. Shiro was back, in one piece, and with all human limbs still accounted for plus his faithful robot arm. Everyone was worse for wear but more so for Shiro. He walked into the common area supported by Hunk's arm around his waist and his own arm slung around Hunk's neck.
"I'm fine," the older male insisted in response to the worried gaze the large boy was giving him. A soft smile graced his lips, "but thank you, Hunk."
"We kicked their butts!" Pidge shouted with her arms thrown in the air.
"Heck yeah, we did!" Lance bellowed in celebratory glee.
Keith cracked a small smile as he slunk past the rowdy blue and green paladins. However, Keith's escape wasn't as stealthy as he had wished it to be.
"Hey Keith," the blue paladin abruptly ended his hollering. It was obvious that Keith didn't outwardly express many emotions but he figured he would at least stick around and not lock himself in his room now that Shiro was back. Shiro deserved better than to be brought back just to be brushed off by Keith, especially since everyone knew how close those two were. It pissed him off. Lance turned to the paused escapee. He raised an eyebrow; not only was Keith's helmet still on but the front was darkened making his face barely visible. "I know you fell in love with the solar protection option of the helmet, but could you stop being emo for five minutes?"
"No," Keith replied, only sparing a moment's glance at the boy, who now stood with his hip popped and his arms crossed, before proceeding with his departure.
He only managed a few steps past Lance before he was stopped again. It was Shiro this time.
"Keith. Off with the helmet." His tone was authoritative and left no room for argument.
"Yeah buddy, you're creepy with those shaded looks." Hunk, who was still holding up Shiro, spoke as he helped Shiro hobble towards the most troublesome two of the team.
Keith didn't respond but he didn't move either. Everyone was gathered around now and all eyes were on him; exactly what he had spent the last three months avoiding. He can't keep this up much longer. Constantly having your hackles raised was exhausting. With a defeated sigh, he let his shoulders sag.
"You won't like what you'll see." His voice was distant and small; showing a glimpse of the insecurities that had been bottled up and held out of view ever since he left The Blade of Marmora headquarters, perhaps even before then.
"All I see is that you're hurting and you're-," Shiro let go of Hunk with a quiet grunt and moved towards Keith.
"Shiro..." Hunk followed Shiro's form with hovering hands.
Shiro, although thankful, ignored the yellow paladin and, with a set jaw, reached out and placed his hands on the sides of Keith's helmet.
"You're hurting and you're not letting me help! Nothing can make that worse." He began to tug the helmet off.
Panic exploded through out Keith. He felt it coarse through his arms and his legs, he felt it tingle in his fingers in toes.
"No!" His hands shot up and grasped the forearms in front of him, halting their movement and the removal of his last threads of solace.
"What?!" Lance, to the left of Keith, shouted, taken back by the show of stubborn resistance. "Are you injured? Why didn't you say something!?" Any petty disdain had vanished and was replaced with genuine concern.
"Keith, please," Shiro tried again to lift the helmet.
Keith tightened his grip. He was sure if he wasn't wearing gloves he could see that his knuckles had turned white. Or would it just be a really light purple? That didn't matter at the moment.
"Please." It was Hunk now; his hands flitting between Shiro and Keith as if they couldn't decide who to focus their worry towards. "You've been avoiding us for weeks."
Keith stayed silent.
"Keith," the smallest of the group pleaded, a whisper so quiet it was barely heard. She lingered to the right of Keith. Allura and Coran were by the doors; both wore looks of concern but stayed put.
After another thirty seconds -a lifetime to Keith who was having an internal debate- the silence that had settled was broken by another sigh as his resolve crumbled.
"Fine." Keith said and reluctantly dropped his arms.
Shiro began to lift the helmet hesitantly; watching for signs that Keith would withdraw.
The helmet was removed with out further protest and revealed the face of its wearer. If all eyes hadn't have been on Keith before they certainly were now.
Instead of the pale skinned Texan they were expecting, they were met with purple fur, yellow eyes, and large, pointed ears- traits that seemed to hold resemblance to a cat.
Keith took in the expressions surrounding him. Everyone had donned shock in varying degrees but those in front of him weren't who concerned him the most. Nervously, almost unwillingly, he forced his gaze towards Allura. She stood ridgily straight, on alert; her expression was unreadable.
Tears welled in his eyes as he quickly ducked his head.
"I...." he swallowed around the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry," he forced out. The words were choked and heavily pained. "I'm a monster."
Shiro was the first to respond. His face softened as he cupped Keith's cheek with his right hand. He gently coaxed the crying half-breed to raise his head.
"Keith, you're not a monster."
"I think you look kinda cute," Hunk chuckled quietly, now adjusted to the situation.
"This doesn't change who you are," Pidge spoke with reassuring confidence in her words, "looks don't dictate you." She then added with a grin, "trust me. I know best of all."
Lance, who seemed to be perceptually frozen in shock, stared at Keith as if he was in a daze.
"You're beautiful."
The words caused Keith to pause, his hand halfway through pushing his hair behind his ear. His eyes cut to Lance.
An incoherent, jumble of what was supposed to be words spewed from Lance's mouth as he processed that he did, indeed, say that out loud. He opened his mouth too refute his previous statement but stopped at the sight of Keith blushing so darkly it could still be seen through his newly added fur. To be honest, Lance wasn't any better off.
"Thank you," Keith said with a soft smile. He moved his gaze to the floor to avoid Lance's.
"You two are so gross," Shiro teased with a smirk.
"Hey! Hunk called him cute!" Lance cried in defense. Hunk snorted out a laugh and Pidge was cackling by this point.
As Lance began to argue with Shiro and Hunk, Keith looked over to Allura. He held his breath as she looked over his new form, still no expression. Keith began to worry that she wouldn't be able to accept him, but his fear were dispelled when her eyes met his. Her intense gaze withered and was replaced by a kind, warmhearted smile. Keith smiled back.
He knew everything was going to be alright now. His appearance might have changed but he didn't and everyone around him knew it. This was still his family; they accepted him with open arms from the beginning and here will always be welcome.
Keith spent most of his childhood alone and lost, never staying in one household for too long, but it's alright now. He doesn't need to know about his past anymore, it no longer matters to him. This is where he belongs; this is his home. Permanently.