Voltron: Dark Universe

Chapter 21:

"Final Duel - Part 2"

"It's coming again!" Pidge yelled.

Orion Prime started to light up faster. The blast wave shook the surface and everything around it again, and this time the Lions suffered more damage. Their system was overloaded and they were disabled.

Allura uncovered her face and saw her friends not moving. "Are you all alright?" She asked and no one answered. "Paladins? Are you there?" Allura tried to activate the Blue Lion, but was not responding. "Come on, come on," she said. Suddenly she saw the Black Lion turn in her direction. "Keith? Can you hear me? She waited for him to respond, but after a few moments the Black Lion turned and headed to Orion Prime. "No!" Allura shouted.

She got up immediately and ran back to get out of his Lion, but when she reached the gate, the Lion roared and activated again.

"Allura?" They called her.

"Hunk! Are you all right? Where's Pidge?"

"I'm fine!" She replied. "We temporarily lost energy."

"Not all of us," Allura said. "Keith is heading to the planet alone. We must go for him!" Allura returned to the cabin. At the same time, Coran communicated again.

"Princess! Are you all right?"

"We are, Coran. I am relieved to know that you are well."

"Where's Keith?" Shiro asked.

"Where do you think?" Hunk said.

"Let's go! Quickly!" Allura said. She activated the Blue Lion and flew towards the planet. However, Orion Prime released a new blast wave. "Stop!" She shouted. The wave did not disable the Lions, or the Castle, but briefly overloaded them. Just as the Lions recovered, Orion Prime lit up again. This time outbreaks of purple energy suddenly emerged and began to transform. It was Dark Quintessence that took the form of Lions.

"Is that what I think it is?" Hunk asked.

"It is," Allura said.

"How are we going to catch up with Keith now?"

"Our fight is here." And it is now or never, protect the Castle!" The Quintessence Lions roared and flew through the asteroids. There were six of them, and Allura had a feeling they wouldn't be the only ones. The Dark Lions roared once more and headed towards the Paladins and collided.

Inside, Coran activated the Castle's weapons and fired to the Dark Lions.

"Coran!" Shiro shouted. "I need to do something!" He saw the Dark Lions attack his friends and the Castle.

"Sure!" He replied. "You'll be using the old Grand Canyon of the Castle!"

"The one that hasn't been fixed yet?!"

"Just that one!" Coran smiled.

Shiro was frustrated, but agreed and left the Bridge. He ran as fast as he could until he came to a small cabin with a swivel seat. He sat down and immediately a Cannon armed itself right in front of him. Controls were activated, he aimed and fired. The weapon moved slowly, but its power managed to disintegrate one of the Lions with one shot. He aimed again and fired.

A fair blow to his face made him fall to the ground. Keith was a born fighter, his strength and ferocity made him a dangerous enemy, but the Beast was even more brutal than him. Keith was trying to get up when Lance grabbed his hair and crashed him to the ground. He moved closer to Keith's ear. "Is that all you got?"

That made him angry. Keith used his thruster and they both shot out. With a twist, Keith managed to launch Lance to crash into the wall. Then Keith launched himself at him to strike him again. It worked, but Keith stopped for a few seconds and Lance hit him with the head. Keith was disoriented, and suddenly the energy sword reappeared in Lance's hand and cut his arm. Lance was going to hurt him again, but Keith escaped with his thruster. Lance did not hesitate, and started chasing him. Keith found his sword on the ground and went straight for it. Just as he reached it, he turned and barely managed to stop Lance. Once again swords collided. Keith was beginning to feel exhausted, and he could tell that Lance was the same, but the spirit of the Beast didn't. He struck Keith's sword twice and managed to make a cut on his face. Then he kicked him, throwing him away. Keith spun on the ground until it hit the walls once more.

He opened his eyes. He felt tired and hurt, physically and mentally worn out. But he couldn't stop. Not now.

Keith gathered strength again and stood up. He leaned against the wall and held his sword tight. He wiped the dirt and blood from his face and looked at his opponent. He was injured too, and he was breathing hard, but he wasn't going to give in, not until he was finished with his life.

Lance smiled. "You give up already?"

"And you?" Keith replied. Although Lance lowered his voice, he could hear him.

"Just beginning."

Then Lance reached out his other arm, and so a second sword emerged. "Great", Keith thought. Once more he searched his side for the Light Quintessence weapon, but it still did not appear. It hadn't manifested itself even once in their battle, and Keith was beginning to fear that he wouldn't be able to use it. But he couldn't be distracted now. Lance leaned down, smirked at him, and ran to him. Just before the swords could seriously injure him, Keith interposed his own sword.

The Dark Lions kept popping up. Every time they destroyed one, one more had already emerged from the surface of Orion Prime.

"It's funny to kill these things!" Said Pidge, destroying one more. "But this isn't taking us anywhere!"

A Dark Lion was about to attack her, but it was destroyed by the long cannon fire that came from the Castle. "She's right!" Shiro said. "They're just distracting us! They should go help Keith."

"I would do it if I could!" Hunk said, destroying one with the Lion's claws. "But they don't stop!"

Hunk was attacked by three Dark Lions. They all attacked him at once, and then the Black Lion appeared and took two in his jaws. It raised the head and a beam of light shot out, killing them.

"Keith? Is that you?" Hunk asked, but there was no answer. The Black Lion only roared and attacked the Lions "Oh no. Hey! I think Keith is still on the planet!"

"We have no way to get there!" Pidge said.

"That's not true!" Allura said. "There IS a way! Head back to the Castle!"

"What are you planning, Princess?"

"We will do the same move as the first time we came here! We will make them follow us, we make them collide, and we make our way."

"You really think it's gonna work?" Hunk asked. "I mean, this plan seems-"

"Hunk! There is no time!" Pidge said.

"Okay, fine! Let's do it!"

Just like last time, the Lions dispersed, the Black Lion following the plan, and the Dark Lions chasing after them. The Lions turned and headed for the imaginary mark. Just before they collided, they strayed, and the Dark Lions were destroyed in an explosion.

"Yes!" Hunk snapped. "Oh no!"

Orion Prime lit up again and released another blast wave, and once again the Lions and the Castle were overloaded. This time, each of them felt a Quintessence discharge that caused them pain. And suddenly, just before it was extinguished, the Black Lion let out a painful roar. Allura could only watch Orion Prime. "No..."

Keith fell to the floor. Lance took a step toward him, but his legs faltered and he dropped to his knees; he could see Keith trying to get up again. Then Lance spoke, but now there were two voices at once: Lance's, a human teen, and the Dark Beast.

"Why do you keep fighting? Understand that you have already lost!"

Keith rose to his feet again. He splat blood before he spoke.

"I haven't lost yet." His voice was weak, but he managed to shout. "I know Lance is still there! And I'll not give up while he's alive! I will not give up, as long as your existence continues to endanger the Universe!"

Though Lance was looking at him with fury, tears welled in his eyes. Then the cave trembled because of another blast wave.

"As long as I live," Keith said, "I will not stop."

That Lance, crying, smiled mischievously.

"That can be sorted out."

Lance took his dark sword from the ground and threw himself at Keith. Then time stopped. Keith was exhausted, he knew he wouldn't make it. He couldn't save himself anymore, and he couldn't save Lance, or his friends. He knew he had failed... and suddenly a feeling. Keith opened his eyes and realized that an aura of white light emanated from him. He looked at his hands and discovered a fragment of Luminescent Quintessence. He knew it was the weapon the White Beast gave him. Then time turned back to normal.

Lance tomó del suelo su espada oscura y se lanzó hacia Keith. Entonces el tiempo avanzó lentamente. Keith estaba agotado, sabía que no lo lograría. Ya no podía salvarse, y no podría salvar a Lance, ni a sus amigos. Sabía que había fallado… y de pronto un presentimiento. Keith abrió sus ojos y se dio cuenta de que un aura de luz blanca emanaba de él. Miró sus manos y descubrió un fragmento de Quintaescencia Luminosa. Supo que era el arma que le dio la Bestia Blanca. Entonces el tiempo volvió a la normalidad.

Just before impact, Lance regained control of his body. "No, Keith!" Lance landed and the sword stabbed into Keith's chest. Lance's eyes filled with tears, but the Beast was smiling. That, until he noticed Keith holding the sword in his hands, both of which glowed. Suddenly Keith glared at him, and his eyes went white for a moment. Keith yelled, and he managed to withdraw the sword and struck Lance in the face, knocking him back. Then Keith closed his hand, and the White Sword materialized.

"Luminous Quintessence!" Lance/Beast shouted. "Where the hell did you get that from?!"

Keith was glowing. He wielded the sword with both hands, and then launched himself at Lance, faster than him. Lance managed to block the attack, but Keith's strength had increased and he lost his balance. Keith attacked again, and again, and again, with increasing strength. And Lance could only block and back off, until Keith attacked his arm. Two things happened when he made the strike: first, Lance's arm stopped moving, and then, an arm of dark energy separated from him after a cry from the Dark Beast.

Keith didn't allow him to recover, as soon as this happened, he tried to attack the second arm, but Lance pushed him away and attacked with his own sword. In just two seconds, Lance regained the mobility of his arm. The weapon hit his side, but Keith didn't give in to the pain and attacked again. Once again, they were one on one, this time being equals. Lance attempted to attack, but his arm did not move. He looked at his hand and once again tried to move it, but failed. The Beast roared, and Keith took the opportunity to attack him again, but a blast wave emerged from the ground and launched him backwards.

"Keith!" It was Lance. The real one. Keith got up immediately and found Lance staggering and trying to move. "Now! Do it!" Then he roared.

Keith knew that Lance was trying to help him. He didn't hesitate. Keith launched himself directly at Lance, sword steady and pointed at his chest. Lance looked at him, leaped back, roaring and screaming at once. Keith attacked again and Lance backed away again. Everything was repeated, until Lance ran into the wall and couldn't go back any further, and then the white sword pierced him. Keith looked up.

"I want you to go away!" He thrust his sword through him further. Lance screamed and his body began to glow in purple light. "I want you to leave him alone!" Keith did it once more and from Lance a dark figure was appearing. "I want… I want you to die!" Keith gripped the hilt tight and slashed upward. The sword managed to separate that dark figure from Lance's body. As his body fell to the ground unconscious, the figure stirred and roared. It began to deform and Keith brandished his sword for one last blow. Just as he did, the figure turned liquid, and as it fell it disappeared into the cracks in the ground.

It was over.

Keith was breathing heavily, staying in his last position, until the sword disappeared and he stopped glowing. Then he fell to the ground exhausted. He felt sore and had trouble breathing. He covered his side and knew he was bleeding. But he opened his eyes looking for him. Beside him lay Lance. Keith leaned into his arms and crawled toward him.

"... Lance..." he said weakly. He reached for him and shook him lightly. "Lance... talk to me..." Keith approached and dropped to his knees beside him. He shook him holding his shoulders. "Lance ... Lance!"

He waited. He was scared. He was afraid that- Wait…

"..." He opened his eyes slowly "...Keith..."

Keith laughed out loud "Lance!" His side ached as he laughed.

Lance smiled. "...You did it..."

"No, Lance. We did it."

"But... if I didn't ..." He closed his eyes "I didn't do anything ... it was all my fault, I-"

"Hey!" He shouted him.

Lance looked at him again, and Keith hugged him. Lance groaned.

"Sorry," Keith said, still hugging him. And suddenly he heard footsteps in his direction, he looked up, ready to fight, but he ran into Allura, Pidge, and Hunk.

"Keith!" They called him.

Keith relaxed and smiled at them. "We made it... We made it," he said exhausted.

His friends smiled, and ran towards them. "Lance!"

He looked up and smiled at them. "Hello…" Then he winced.

"Oh, buddy!" Hunk said, coming closer. "I'm so glad to see you!" He also hugged him while crying.

"Aaaagh!" Lance shouted. Hunk released him.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Allura approached Keith. "Are you okay?"

He pressed his side again. "I will be... What about you?"

"We are."

Keith sighed and then looked back at Lance. "It's over."