Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Onyx Connection"

Keith didn't know what forging a connection to the Black Lion meant for the team, let alone for himself. He could feel something was off the minute Black accepted him back as his pilot. It turned out he could feel what was happening to Black, which turned out to make the trials on the Pathway of Lions harder than it already was.

During the fourth test (the human element), Keith faltered a bit, feeling a pain in his chest. During the fifth test, just after Daniel and Lance got shocked for the last time, Keith fell to his knees, panting in pain. He barely registered Vince entering the chamber. He called out, "No!" but Vince either didn't hear him or didn't listen to him. However, it turned out to be the correct course of action as the blacksmith appeared and the cuffs fell off, but once the cuffs fell off, Keith collapsed to the floor, still conscious.

As everyone made their way outside to the lions, Hunk supported Keith to make sure he made it. When the blacksmith started working on Black, Keith was nervous.

"You may want to keep a safe distance," the blacksmith said before he swung his hammer, causing Black Lion to roar weakly, and Keith to lean more fully against Hunk. When the blacksmith used his vices, Keith clutched his head in pain The blacksmith used his pincers, and Keith felt the pins and needles sensation all over his body. Keith wasn't sure what the next tool was, because he was clutching his chest and squeezing his eyes shut, hoping to block out the pain. However, when the blacksmith swung his hammer again, Keith blacked out for several minutes until Black Lion came back online.

Hunk still supported Keith until he was sure the leader could stand on his own. The blacksmith came over to Keith and said, "You have a unique bond with your Black Lion?" Keith nodded. "Then, I apologize for the agony you have endured, but your lion is better than ever."

Keith stood on his own and tentatively explored his bond with Black before smiling. "He is."

"Go."

The pilots entered their lion, and the moment Keith sat down, he could feel the difference, Black even reared up and roared as he pawed the air. Keith smiled again. "Ah yeah. That feels good."

Keith could feel how good Black felt and felt their bond deepen due to Keith going through the trials in order to repair the nexus problem. The Black Lion was grateful that his pilot would go through anything to help him, and their bond could never be broken or replaced.

Fin