A.N.// Welcome back everyone :D This chapter is a bit shorter than the last ones, but I think it was a nice extra one for the world building.
I have no clue where this story is headed, but that's what makes it so much fun. Brainstorming is the best part of writing!!!!

Keith POV:

Keith didn't like it at all. Everything about Lance's change was scary. From reading Keith's mind on accident to turning into a puddle when overwhelmed, Keith was terrified. And it all worsened with the knowledge that Lance was keeping secrets.

Keith slashed at the gladiator with vigour. Don't get him wrong, it had nothing to do with Lance keeping that he was turning into a god from the team. It was the small things. The fact that he ate goo even though he seemed disgusted with the taste, the reason why the Garrison had chosen him, his talent with languages... Those were small things that Keith would have expected Lance to be loud about.

What's more, Lance WAS loud about the usual stuff. But the way he talked... As if he knew when drawing attention would actually have people turn their back on him. Every word, every gesture, every shift in tone was calculated. Lance highlighted points about himself he wanted to hide and was more than successful in doing so.

Keith found that scarier than facing Zarkon himself.

Keith dodged another attack from the gladiator, too deep in thought to fight back. He was just enduring for his stamina's sake.

What was truly scary, however, was how nonchalant Lance was with his powers. Keith knew what power could do to people. How self confidence could get you to think that you were immortal. Not to mention that Lance might actually BE immortal. Some people would even lose their empathy once their role changed. Keith had been through a ton of foster homes, so he knew what it could mean when a man would get a higher job position, or what would happen if he lost it.

Keith grunted as the gladiator nearly graced his neck. He ducked and kicked out his feet. The gladiator fell to the floor and Keith stabbed it in the neck. Then he took a deep breath and waited for the next gladiator to form. Keith reminded himself to focus, then he lunched at the next gladiator.

What if Lance became as obsessed with power as Zarkon had? What if Lance took over the universe? Keith didn't know where the thought came from but he was sure that fighting Lance under such circumstances would mean even slimmer chances. Because Lance may look like a goofball on the surface, but the Lance who calculated, the Lance who was so easily able to keep secrets... he was scarier than a purple eyed monster who's biggest objective was to get his space kitten back.

Keith had recently noticed that during training, they would all focus on everything that lay ahead. Shiro and Keith would attack everyone at the front while Pidge would gather data and Hunk shielded her. Lance, however... Lance seemed to disappear. He'd have his eyes everywhere, telling Keith and Shiro where the biggest shots lay. And whenever they regrouped, Lance would make a joke about what a good shot he was and everyone would groan. Their destruction count, however, would be at least thrice as high as what Keith had counted Shiro, Hunk and him make combined.

Keith was slowly starting to go mad. This wasn't normal, was it? Sure, snipers had more range and stuff... but the way that no one else seemed to notice how much they depended on Lance was just something else.

Keith was scared. And it went beyond being scared OF Lance or FOR him. Because Keith was scared that Lance would drift away. When Lance touched water, or turned into it, he was on the verge of losing himself. And Keith was terrified that Lance would merge with water.

What did his new status as god in training even mean? Would Lance soon announce that he was the father of all creation? Would he distance himself to a point where no one could reach him? Would he despair in all the death he would experience? Keith felt like he was showering in Lance's changes. While Keith felt fully exposed, Lance slipped through his fingers and leaving him behind cold and alone.

Keith's knife slid through the gap between the armour of the gladiator, effectively separating its arm from its shoulder. Before Keith could end its existence, however, the gladiator suddenly stopped moving. As Keith stared at it, irritatedly waiting for a surprise movement, the gladiator melted in front of him, turning into water and then... slowly, into the form of no other than the man who had been occupying Keith's thoughts for hours on end.
This is what Keith meant. He nearly had a heart attack when Lance suddenly washed ashore in the room.

"Keith! Did you see that? I can TELEPORT!" Lance was beaming widely, and looked giddy and enthusiastic about his new discovery.

Keith was panting, his eyes wide. "Huh?"

"I can teleport! I figured since I can turn objects into water and back, and feel where everything is, and I AM water, that maybe I could move through these objects! This is so cool!"

Keith felt a bit like he was dreaming. But dreams like this usually didn't start with Lance rambling about cool things. They were much more straight forward. It was a dangerous thought to have, now that Lance could read minds, but Keith's mind conjured the mental image anyway. "Uh..."

Lance stared at him with a wide open expression as if expecting a praise. Keith hesitated, then he decided that he had every right to be angry. "What the HELL, Lance! You can't just appear like that out of nowhere! I nearly had a heart attack!"

Lance pouted guiltily in response. "But I wanted to test out my power!"

"You testing your power ends with you turning into a puddle and forget you're a person! What if you had accidentally turned into me? Would I just turn up on the other side of the castle? Would I be DEAD? Lance, you have to THINK things through!"

Lance blinked. "No no no!" He quickly shook his head. "I can tell who is who! I know where everyone is on the ship! And I knew that you had already defeated the gladiator too! I was being careful!" He still looked a tiny bit hurt. "You're always so mean!"

Keith covered his face with one hand. "Why is this my life?" He sighed as he shook his head. "I guess... well done? On controlling your powers?"

Lance was BEAMING at him. It blinded Keith's conscience, as it always did. A moment later, Lance was hugging him, making Keith hold his breath for the full ten seconds it lasted. He awkwardly patted Lance's shoulder, hoping that Lance wasn't sensing his stress. Lance may be just a year younger than Keith, but he acted so much like a child sometimes. It reminded Keith that they were all teenagers, except Shiro and Coran (and technically Allura). Lance always managed to be so aloof and giddy, yet mature when it really mattered.

Lance finally released him. "Do you want another training session? I really want to check out how I can use this in a fight!"

Lance HAD been getting better at fighting with his new powers. He no longer needed Keith to remind him to focus, or that he was human. He could quickly change between forms now, although he sometimes lacked the finesse and details. He would sometimes forget to give himself a face, or enough fingers. He acted like AI sometimes, only that he noticed his mistakes himself. It was scary. Lance NEEDED that practice. And he needed someone to point out his mistakes. So, Keith would be his gym body.

Keith noticed that he was doing a lot for Lance. To keep his secret, help him train and even accept when lance messed up the whole mind meld agreement. And what did Keith get in return?

'Lance's friendship and a smile.' And wasn't it pathetic that it was enough to win him over?

"Yeah, fine. But not too long. I'm tired."

"Got it, buddy! Half an hour will be fine by me!"

It ended up being an hour. Keith wouldn't even deny that he enjoyed these training sessions. It was just difficult, because usually, Keith trained to get his mind OFF of certain things. Now his training was the problem. Although, Keith thought, as he watched Lance surf through the room, turning into various objects and jumping from place to place, Lance was also very distracting. It had been bad enough when he was the sniper in the background who's subtle glances went right under Keith's skin. It was worse now, watching Lance be in his element and searching for Keith's approval. It had Keith's heart soaring.

Keith wasn't in love with Lance, don't get him wrong. Lance was attractive. With his smooth skin, the gentle smile, the ridiculous smirk, the piercing blue eyes and the flexibility of an acrobat. Not to mention his skills as a sharpshooter. Keith liked hanging out with him and got a little grumpy when Lance flirted around. At most, Keith had caught a bit of a crush. It wasn't serious. Yet. And Keith intended to keep it that way.

It's not like Lance was an OPTION. The man was too hung up on ... any other girl in the entire galaxy to ever even consider going out with Keith. Not that they would have time to go out anyway. They were defenders of the universe! They shouldn't twaddle with relationships until the war was over. And that required that the war would be over.

Keith was pretty sure that he would die alone. Not lonely, he had grown to love his space family and all that. Alone does not equal lonely. You could be lonely in a family, and in a relationship too. As a foster child, Keith knew that better than anyone. But with everything they were doing in space, Keith had decided pretty much from the beginning that he wouldn't distract himself with boyfriends.

Dating random aliens was too dangerous. Any connection to people outside of Voltron was a risk. Any relationship within Voltron risked tearing the team apart. That also counted if Keith let his feelings overwhelm him. Nothing would be worse for Voltron's bond, than unrequited love.

Every time they'd form Voltron, they would all feel the suffering. That's why Keith kept himself at peace. He admired Lance from afar, found a place in his heart for his feelings and accepted that they couldn't be changed. He didn't have to think about them. He allowed them to be there. And maybe, with time, they would wither and disappear.

And yet... As Keith watched Lance experiment with his new powers and turned one of the gladiators into an ice sculpture of rover, Keith's heart beat faster. Keith felt his resolve falter for a second as he let himself admire Lance's smile.

It was slowly getting worse. Instead of letting it wither, Keith was nurturing his feelings. When Lance laughed, Keith knew he was doomed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Their next mission was a recruiting mission. The planet they landed on was a swamp. It lay so far back in the galaxy and had so little influence that Zarkon hadn't bothered spreading his propaganda this far. The reason why they were interesting to Voltron was because of their natural resources and the fact that they were trained fighters. Also, they seemed to have gathered information on Zarkon's military bases. And THAT was, of course, interesting to Pidge in her search for her family.

As they exited their lions, Lance was already pouting. "The entire planet is a swamp? Doesn't it have an ocean?"

"Urgh." Pidge rolled her eyes at him. "We're not here for vacation, Lance!"

Lance moped now, hunched over. "We're never anywhere for vacation."

Keith watched him from afar, as usual, and kept his mouth shut. A part of him was glad that Lance hadn't found an ocean yet. If he felt one, he may actually turn into it and lose his mind. Oceans were full of life. And Lance already struggled with not reading Keith's mind when he connected with the pool. If he connected with ocean life, he may not find his way back. Keith wasn't sure how to stop him. He knew, of course, that Lance needed to start connecting with bigger pools than the one in the castle of lions, otherwise the pressure of his powers would overwhelm him. But Keith was worried that it was too soon for this big of a step.

"There is an ocean on this planet. It's not very deep and probably toxic, so I would advise you to stay away." Allura warned. "All the water on this planet is filled with toxins that the human body can't handle. But the Kainens are aware of this fact. They have water filters for their guests and you also have some inside of your lions."

Keith casually walked up to Lance's side. "You're not thinking of doing that here, are you?" He whispered.

Lance's brows were drawn in worry. "I... don't know if I can be poisoned by the water." He smirked back at him as he whispered back. Probably to keep the cover. "Karak'nirir mentioned that her waters were intoxicated. But I didn't think she meant it literally."

"Maybe she didn't. Maybe she did." Keith crossed his arms. "How would we detox you, if you connected with THESE waters? Filter you?"

Lance laughed. "That may not be the worst idea." He frowned. Then, he seemed to zone out for a moment even while he kept following Shiro's lead through the muddy lands. "The planet is calling out to me though."

"It is?" Keith's worry deepened his scowl. "Is it bad? Is it the Galra? Are they being attacked?"

Lance giggled. "It's very welcoming. Almost feels like it's holding a parade in my honour."

Keith rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Seriously?"

"Hey, I ain't no liar!" Lance put a hand on his chest in mock offence. "I can feel where everyone on the planet is." Lance closed his eyes for a moment, yet seemed not to waver in his step. It occurred to Keith that Lance was able to see the entire planet without his eyes. "I can sense their intentions."

Keith huffed a deep breath. "Is there anything you can't do?"

Lance opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. "I'm not sure." That was not arrogance in his voice, yet Keith was worried at the hesitance with which Lance said it.

"Can't you wait until we're on a ... LESS toxic planet?"

"The castle is becoming very limiting, Keith." Lance's mind seemed to be far away, yet he remained stoic and monotonous.

Keith bit his lip and crossed his arms. He decided not to comment further on Lance's behaviour. This was Lance's battle to face, not Keith's. These were Lance's powers to explore, his feelings and identity to lose. "Fine, but there is no one who can save you if you go under. Don't expect me to jump after you into a pool of toxins!"

Lance hummed, not even listening to him.

They made it to their colony shortly after. Allura took over the introductions as usual and Lance quickly latched on to the nearest girls he wanted to impress. Keith decided to keep a close eye on him, just in case he did something stupid. That's how Keith ended up sitting at a small bar that had been set up to provide the guests with filtered water.

It made Keith mad. Because he couldn't even get drunk on this planet. It would have been a bad idea on any planet, but Keith really needed a drink.

Pidge had quickly latched on to the local tech genius, and her and Hunk were given a tour on their magic crystal that kept the entire planet electrified.
Allura and Coran were discussing some political stuff. Shiro was the last one left and sat down next to his brother, also getting himself some water.

"Did you and Lance have a fight?"

Keith blinked as he looked up at Shiro. His face was friendly, despite his hard features. "We're not fighting... we just had a slight... disagreement." He didn't even know where Shiro had gotten the idea that they had fought, but it was better than admitting that he was annoyed because Lance was being his careless, naive and flirting self.

"You're spending quite some time together lately. I didn't think that Allura telling you to get along better would actually make you put your differences aside. It's nice seeing you get along. Try not to lose that, yeah?"

Keith sighed and frowned as he saw Lance flexing for one of the aliens.
They weren't even pretty! Okay, fine, they were, but Keith was gay, he didn't care about girls! What did Lance even find in these women? They looked like humanoid alligators. They had scales everywhere. And most likely a toxin resistant body. If they weren't venomous too. Keith clicked his teeth, knowing his arguments were petty and probably not even relevant. Or, in Lance's case, enticing. Keith hated it here.

Look, Keith knew he didn't have a chance with Lance and couldn't indulge even if he did. But it still hurt to know that the ONLY thing that kept Lance from flirting with him was that he was a guy. If he were a girl, he could have tails (multiple), or iron skin, or claws, or a second head and it would be fine. This wasn't fair! Keith sighed and covered his face. Nothing could come of this, and yet it was so frustrating to watch.

"Yeah." Keith let out frustratedly, only half listening.

Shiro smiled, suddenly. "You're making a funny face."

"Huh?" Keith ripped his eyes from Lance's miserable performance.

"The last time I saw you like this, you had a crush on... what was his name? That really straight boy from the Garrison?"

Keith's face reddened. "That was over three years ago." He didn't think Shiro remembered that. Well, that only made this worse.

"Yeah, but you're making the same face." Shiro laughed at him. "You kept complaining about him ALL DAY, telling me how nice his smile was and how unfair it was that he was so kind to EVERYONE except you and..." Shiro paused. "Hold on..." His eyes went mockingly wide. "Do you have a crush, Keith Kogane?"

"I do NOT. Shut fuck." Keith covered his face again and tried to down it in the slightly sweet tasting detoxed water.

Shiro laughed and it wasn't fair because Shiro rarely laughed. Unfortunately, it was Keith's embarrassment that never failed to make him. "But Keith Kogane? Having a crush? In space? Oh my, who has captured your heart that you're glaring at poor old Lance?"

"One day, I will design your gravestone and you will be remembered as a man who went bold at sixteen and died in a car crash while peeing against a tree."

"Wow, Keith!" Shiro's smile faltered. "I was just joking."

"At my expense."

Shiro cleared his throat and sighed deeply. "You know... if you need someone to talk, I am here. You haven't really been talking to me ever since we ended up in space. And you... WE are all still young. We need support now more than ever. So... whatever you and Lance are fighting about, you can tell me." He looked at Keith with an inviting expression. Then he turned sheepish. "And sorry for making fun of you. I know you don't actually like Lance. But you were glaring at him and I couldn't help it."

Keith paused. Hold up... What? "Eh..." Keith blinked and looked back at Lance. Why on earth would Shiro make that connection and NOT think that Keith would like... His eyes widened. Lance had turned around to flirt with yet another alien. But by the looks of it... THAT guy was definitely a guy. Tall, muscular, bearded and Lance was kissing his hand.
Keith's head tilted, his heart nearly stopped. "Since when is Lance flirting with guys?" He hoped it didn't sound as pathetic as he felt.

Shiro's eyebrows raised. "Keith... Do you know how I knew Lance from the Garrison?"

Keith blinked. Actually, now that Shiro mentioned it, Keith had been wondering how Shiro had known Lance's name, back on earth. When they first met in Keith's shack, Shiro had shaken Lance's hand and somehow known his name. Keith had always assumed that maybe Hunk or Pidge had yelled at Lance and Shiro recognised the name... but now that he thought about it... Shiro had been unconscious. That idea was very unlikely. Keith shook his head as an answer.

Shiro smiled. "After I retired from leading the Queer club at the Garrison, Lance was the one to replace me. I never met him, but I was told his name and Adam showed me his file. Apparently, he's bisexual."

"Oh." Keith's eyes widened.

"Yeah, you would know that, had you joined us."

"Fuck." Keith covered his mouth. No no no. This was bad! This meant that Lance could, technically, see him as an option. That alone was bad enough, but... he still DIDN'T! Keith scowl deepened and his grip on his water bottle tightened. He breathed in and out. Okay, this was fine. He wasn't Lance's type. It was fine. He was still a paladin, still didn't have time for relationships.

"But seriously. Are the two of you ONLY training when you hang out?"

"We do talk. Just not about who we like."

"Really?" Shiro blinked in surprise. "I would have thought that Lance would have forced you to spill your soul's deepest secrets."

"Like I would ever do that."

"Yeah, but he would try." Shiro paused and resorted to play with his water. "You know... When I can't sleep, I usually run myself ragged in the hallway. Somehow... Lance always knows when it's particularly bad and he stops me."

Keith nodded. Yes, Shiro, remind him that Lance is a really great guy with a good personality and a kindred heart. "He does that with everyone."

Shiro looked up in surprise. "He does that with you too?"

"No. I don't run around the castle like you do. He just shuts off the training deck. He comforts you, and Hunk, and Allura, and makes sure Pidge and Coran get enough sleep."

"Oh." Shiro was somehow even more surprised than before. "That's... I didn't know that."

"Of course you didn't. It's Lance. No one ever notices what he does." Keith didn't know why he was spilling these truths, he was just so frustrated.

"What are you talking about?" Shiro paused.

Keith sighed. "Nothing. I just -" He looked back over to where Lance was gesturing widely, making the (male) alien laugh. He sighed, even more frustrated. "He's just so annoying."

Shiro chuckled. "We all have our flaws. You're not very easy to deal with either."

Keith supposed that it was true. Not soon after, another figure approached them and flopped herself down next to Keith and Shiro. "Is this seat taken?"

"These are literally our assigned seats. They colour coded them, Pidge." Keith responded dryly. As they continued talking, Hunk walked over to where Lance was STILL flirting.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't paying attention."

Shiro straightened his back. "Wow, Pidge, you're even grumpier than Keith. Is something wrong?"

Pidge growled into her water. "YES! EVERYTHING is wrong! I had thought everyone on this planet just... lives with the toxins in their water but guess what? They DON'T. They DIE."

"Huh?" Shiro blinked. "What do you mean?"

"The crystal! The one that sustains their planet, it's as broken as the one in the castle was after the Galra attacked."

Keith looked up. He remembered that fight. Not just because of the bonding moment, but also because the castle had been corrupted after that and one of the gladiators had tried to murder him. And Lance had always been sucked out of an air lock.

"Their electricity works just fine, but their entire planet is suffering from it! Not everyone can afford a filtering system and those who drink the water simply get sick. This is terrifying!"

Keith blinked... Hold up, that didn't make sense. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Honestly, I'm glad that this has only affected the ground and ocean and not the air. Hunk and I are going to do something about this. The Kainens actually thought this was normal!"

"So, you're only here to get a drink?"

"Hunk insisted."

Keith covered his mouth. But... hadn't Lance said that the planet was welcoming him? If everything on this planet was toxic... then why would Lance seem so calm... Keith stood up, completely ignoring Shiro and Pidge and made his way over to Lance.

Up until now, Keith had only watched his back and maybe gotten a slight glance of his face, but now, as he got closer, he could see his eyes in a close up. The normally blue, ocean iris, had turned completely purple. He was talking and gesturing like usual, joking even with Hunk who seemed to welcome Keith with a friendly smile.

Keith grabbed Lance by the arm. "McClain, we need to talk."

"Hey, hey, careful with the goods, Keith," Lance protested but Keith didn't let anyone deter him.

"Hey, Keith! What are you doing?" That was Hunk, according to the voice.

"We will be back!"

. . .

Keith let go of Lance once they were under the shadows under a dark tree. It hadn't occurred to Keith until now, but the plants and the ground here were all tinted in a similar purple to the on in Lance's eyes.

"You need to stop connecting to the planet!"

Lance frowned. "What, why? I told you, I need to expand a little. And it's not like I've dissipated in their ocean or anything. I'm literally just walking on land."

"Your eyes are purple!" Keith shot back and knocked against Lance's armour once. "This isn't good."

"Oh, are you suddenly worried about me?" Lance's smirk turned into an even wider smile. "Maybe my eye colour just changes depending on what colour the ocean has?"

Keith gritted his teeth and shoved Lance forward against a tree. "Lance, NO! Didn't Karak'nirir WARN you of intoxicated planets?"

"She meant they were infected by war and hatred. My soul is pure as -"

"You don't know that!" Keith took a deep breath. "These toxins aren't natural! Pidge says they come from a corrupted crystal. You could end up like the Altean Castle! This is a disease, you could be contagious, infect the castle again or even the lions! And then your precious secret is OUT. Because I will not protect it any longer if -"

At that, Lance's expression suddenly shifted. His purple eyes suddenly glowed, the veins under his skin pulsing with the same light. "I'm not sick."

Keith's eyes widened and instinctively stepped backwards. That voice wasn't Lance's. That was definitely NOT Lance's. "Who are you?"

"What are you talking about?" Lance smiled confusedly, looking almost like Lance, yet uncanny and creepy. "It's me. Good old Lancey Lance!"

Keith increased the distance, but this time Lance stepped closer and right into his comfort zone. "You're NOT Lance."

"I am." He put a gentle hand against Keith's skin. "This is new." He whispered and Keith could feel how his skin heated where Lance had touched him. "You're burning."

Keith's eyes widened in stilled horror, as slowly, the heat on his skin spread everywhere. Without a mirror close, he ripped off a glove and had to watch his own hands turn violet. No no no! That was what had happened in Honerva's secret magic facility. Purple quintessence had affected him, changed his colour. "Lance... You have to stop this." It was more than that. Where the skin turned purple, it quickly turned grey and Keith simply KNEW that this wasn't one of Lance's changeling tricks.

Lance seemed oddly distracted. "You look like Galra now."

Keith's eyes twitched and he pushed Lance backwards again, this time reaching for his bayard. Lance didn't do the same. "What are you doing?" Somehow, he seemed lost, although his eyes were blazing. "Why are you scared of me?"

"This isn't you," Keith said through gritted teeth and formed his sword. He closed his eyes for only a moment before attacking.

Lance didn't use his powers, simply evaded him. "Keith, I don't understand... Why are you attacking me?"

It nearly broke Keith. "Because you're KILLING me! Because your eyes glow purple! Because you're not yourself!"

"Huh?" A little lame, Lance stared at Keith again. Then his eyes found where Keith's skin was breaking off. "No." Lance blinked. "No, I can fix that." He reached out again but Keith kicked him in the stomach, grabbed him by the arm and held his sword against his neck. The grip wouldn't hold for long.

Lance held on to a tree. "I can fix it! I promise. See?" He tested it on the tree. Before them, the entire pine tree burst to ashes. "What?" Lance's eyes turned wide. "What is this?"

Keith felt his left arm giving out where Lance had touched him. To his own horror, it fell right off, got stuck in the muddy ground. Panic reached Keith's lungs. "Fuck fuck FUCK." It didn't even hurt, it just... fell off. He scrambled to his feet, as far away from Lance as he could. It was sand. His arm had turned to SAND.

Lance, now free due to Keith's sudden amputation, watched him in horror. "No. NO NO NO! What the hell? Keith, I didn't mean to -"

Keith realised in that moment that Lance was still conscious. He was still here. "Lance, listen closely. You have to filter yourself, right now! Whatever it is that is affecting you, it's messing with everything you are! Get rid of it and then -" Keith shuddered as he felt more of his arm falling off in small dusty clouds. "If there is still time, safe me." Somehow, his words sounded like: 'safe yourself first.'

Lance nodded. It looked like he wanted to say something but then, he got up with determination in his eyes. "Wait here."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lance POV

Lance couldn't remember the last time he had been running so quickly. Leaving Keith felt wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. 'Fuck fuck fuck!' He hadn't considered that something like this could even happen! That he could somehow be corrupted. Karak'nirir was the goddess of water and of creation. How was he supposed to know there was something that could harm him? And the people around him?

As Lance skidded around the final tree that lead him to the camp, he saw all of his friends conversing and talking and suddenly, his lungs felt tight. He would have to expose his secret or else Keith would die. And all that only because he had been so stupid to connect to a corrupted planet! It had seemed trusting and kind... But maybe that should have been the give away. He felt guilty and terrified.

Lance shook his head and made his way to one of the Kainens who operated the water stand. Before he approached the others, he had to know. "Please, I need to know -"

"What is wrong with your eyes?" The Kainen looked afraid.

"How long do your water filters take to filter out the toxins?"

"About half an hour per gallon? Our filter systems run all day every day and even at night. Why?"

Lance cursed and pulled at his hair. That wasn't nearly enough time to save Keith. He could feel it, the way his light slowly tickled away. Lance had tears in his eyes. He was going to get Keith killed! What had Karak'nirir done against toxins of this caliber?

Lance halted, his arms dropping to his side... She had just accepted it, hadn't she?

Lance let go of the Kainen. "Where is your crystal?"

"Ehm... Over there in the cave."

Lance nodded his thanks and ran towards it. He no longer cared if the other's saw him running past, if they saw what he could do... Lance was currently holding on to the sign of life he could feel through his bond with the planet. It was such a small little light, yet Lance held on to it, hoping against hope that he could still save him.

There was a small voice in his head, slowly invading his mind, just as slowly as his intrusive thoughts sometimes did. "You cannot save him. You're so small. How can someone as small and fragile as you are save your friend?"

Lance ignored it up until the point where he finally stood before the purple, glowing, pulsating crystal. How much magic corruption had the thing pushed into the planet? How long had it been like this? Lance put his hands against the crystal, trying with all his might to turn it to water but it wouldn't listen. Upon Lance's touch, it corrupted even further, breaking underneath his hands.

Lance realised in that moment, that he was no longer in control of the oceans, but a master of destruction.

The image of an ashen looking Keith who's eyes widened as more and more of his arm corrupted and fell off of him like sand appeared in Lance's mind. He could watch him from here, from every corner of the planet, if only he closed his eyes. He could see Keith falling to his knees, terrified for his life.

And Lance had left him alone without any hope of saving him. If this kept going, then Keith would be gone in less than ten minutes! Lance hit the ground. He wanted to disappear. He wanted to...

"Hold on."

Lance stared at his hands, the veins glowing underneath. The more he focused, the more he felt how the toxins were trying to reach his brain and corrupt him. Had they done that to all the people on this planet? Reached their brains? Made them insane? But Lance hadn't turned insane yet. He could force them out of his own mind.
Lance hadn't even noticed this happening until Keith had pointed it out. And the more nervous and frightened Lance was getting, the harder the panic and anxiety ate at his brain.

When Karak'nirir had said that that all her waters were corrupted, that she couldn't take it anymore, she had turned away, shut everyone and everything out to stay away from all the pain. When she had seen Lance, she had been surprised that he wasn't corrupted. That was why she gave him her powers in the first place.

Lance tried to think quickly, tried to calm himself. Why had he been chosen?

Being calm and steady, like a rock against a wave... that's how he had been taught to shoot. Meditating, prioritising his own mental health, being at peace with his problems and mistakes. Lance had learned to let people in, even if they could hurt him. He had been taught to take it and find his peace within all the pain and corruption. He had found his own routine to wash it out, all the pain and hurt, to be able to focus on bigger tasks.

Lance sat down on the ground and crossed his legs. Calm and steady. As if he were meant to take a shot... Lance hoped he was right.

"You're hurt too, aren't you?" He muttered and tried to feel it from the planet.

The whole planet had been inviting him, welcoming his visit. But not how Lance had initially believed. It had been like a banquet at the feast of a poor king. The one's suffering had not been allowed to show themselves. And the best of the best of the planet had been presented to him, hoping for his approval.

The entire planet was a swamp, was made of water, corrupted by this magic. And they had been abandoned for a long time. Karak'nirir was their goddess too and they felt like they had enraged her. Made her look away and leave them to suffer. That's why they pretended to be fine in front of her successor. The same way Lance somehow pretend to be fine until he had found his peace behind the curtains.

Lance emphasised with that. With the entire planet. He understood the feeling.

A purple tear slid past his eyelid, falling to the ground as his mind began to mingle with their pain and before Lance knew it... he merged with the planet. His body evaporated. The next thing he knew, he was the planet itself.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Keith PoV

Keith knew he was dying. The corruption from Lance's touch had reached his shoulder and now ate his bones like it was nothing. He was going to die in this forest and he was going to die alone. He was terrified.

Wildly, he tried to hold on to a positive thought. But all he could think of was how he had wished Lance would be here when he died. But Lance was corrupted himself and needed to be saved. Keith wasn't mad at him for what he did. It had been an accident, Lance hadn't meant it. Still, angry tears escaped Keith's skin, begging time to slow down. Every second ate at his frame, and he wondered if it even needed his whole body to turn to ash before he died.

In a few minutes, seconds, maybe, it would reach his heart. Keith was breathing harder, trying to get away from his own body. He didn't care that he lay in the mud now, his armour stained with the dirty water. Could Lance even safe him? Would the pods be able to save him? Could anyone safe him?

Keith wanted to scream, but felt himself trapped in the horror of these moments. They cruelly ticked by, sending shockwaves of adrenaline to his brain with every bit of flesh that turned to ash.

"Keith."

Keith swirled his head around. "Lance?" He couldn't see anything. Saw neither person nor creature around him. It vaguely tickled in his mind that he was surrounded by water. Hope filled him and he turned around onto his knees to search for Lance in the water.

"Found you."

The voice was gentle, as if whoever it was was in some sort of zen-mindset.

Keith, who had been turning to dust mere seconds later, suddenly felt his entire body fill up with water. His feet, knees, even the phantom feelings of his left arm appeared out of nowhere. To the point where it felt like he was two people at once. His mind was being shared with another, much bigger mind. One that seemed to share the minds of an entire planet. How he knew that, he didn't know.

"I've got you." Lance's voice echoed in Keith's ear and he felt his heart beating faster than before. The odd part was, it wasn't just his own heart. Yet, it felt whole and warm and at ease.

Before Keith knew it, the phantom feeling of an arm on his left side had turned into an actual arm that he could move. A moment later, the mind parted from his and a being made entirely of water rose from his own body.

With a wet sound, Lance fell into the swamp before Keith, eyes blazing and electrifying blue. "Ow."

Keith stared at him with wide eyes, heart hammering against his chest. "What the fuck?"

But Lance was snoring. He had fallen asleep against the wet ground.

Keith gawked at him. He wasn't sure whether to be terrified, amazed, or shocked. He got up hesitantly. What the hell had Lance just done?

Flashes of emotions and feelings resonated with his brain still, showing him the feelings of an entire planet. A HEALED planet. When had Lance... His eyes skidded over Lance's knocked out form.

Their minds had synchronised. Only for a few moments but to Keith it was more than that. There had been more memories than that of a planet. There had been memories of Lance talking to Karak'nirir. There had been moments of Lance feeling ignored by the team, being called dumb or inadequate at the Garrison. And there had been Keith's own face. Multiple, multiple times.
At the Garrison, how Keith had always kept his back to Lance, or glaring at him, always in that orange cadet uniform. Teachers comparing them to each other, students gushing about Keith from behind Lance's back.
There was Allura, ridiculing him during training, Pidge telling him not to touch something, Hunk having fallen asleep when they were supposed to have movie nights.
Lance had shared his feelings with the planet, feeling its corruption, its pain and then... emphasised with it so it could heal.

Sincerety, empathy, understanding. Not judgment, no critique, only care and even love for someone he didn't even know.

Keith reached out a hand. That was so... Lance. To risk his life for people he barely knew. For people who made him feel like shit. And yet, he somehow never mentioned it, just learned to keep his peace.

That's why he had been chosen.

Keith had been wrong. This... all of this, Lance hadn't been corrupted earlier. Not really. He had looked weird, yes, but only a bit. He would have been able to deal with it on his own.
Lance wouldn't be corrupted by his powers. Lance wouldn't lose himself by reaching out to other people. Lance found his identity in being so much more than himself, by putting others before himself. Lance was the most powerful when he accepted that he wasn't. It shouldn't make sense, yet it somehow did. And Keith had seen all that in that one moment their minds had connected.

Keith didn't have words for this. He lifted Lance from the mud, finding his own expression soften. Maybe Lance's calm still lingered in his mind too. "You do remember the bonding moment, asshole."

A.N.://

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