CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: THE POWER OF LOVE

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Five and the others was taken cover behind the counter as Maddie who had lost control was destroying everything around them.

Dark red whisp was around her as dragon's wing made out of the dark red whisp was on her back while red whisp formed as hornes was on her head. 

"What do we do now?" Lila asked as an deadly wounded Freddy was laying against her chest.

"I don't know" Five said as he peek up from the counter "I thought the Cleanse would be the least of our problem" Allison said.

"Maddie stop!" Viktor jump out of the corner and she turned to him "We don't want to hurt you. This isn't you, you're strong, control it!" he said but Maddie used her powers and threw Viktor backwards.

"Sis, stop!" Klaus cried out but Maddie just threw him away too.

"We have to do something, she have completely lost control" Luther said "There is only one way" Allison said and Five looked at her "NO" he shook his head "She is gonna kill us all if we don't do something" Allison said "We're not gonna kill her" Five said "Made a choice Five, either we all die or she does" Allison said and Five looked down "If you wouldn't, I will" she hissed and Five looked at her before he glanced at Freddy who had half open eyes.

"You can do it, bring her back, you're the only that can. The two of you have a bond that is special and strong" he said "So have you two" Five said "I'm not the one she married and had a family with. She choose you for a reason Five. If yours and hers bond is strong enough, you can save her. Bring her back, you are the only one that can reach her" Freddy said and Five nodded.

"MADDIE!" Five jumped out of cover which caused Maddie to turn her head towards him, her eyes were glowing dark red, and she looked at him like he was the enemy.

"This is isn't you my love. You're Maddie Hargreeves Delany, my wife. We have two wonderful kids who need their mom and I need my Maddie, my first and only love, my best friend, my light, my hope, my home, my world, my wife, the mother to my kids, my everything" he took a step closer to her.

"Please Maddie, I'm so sorry for hurting you. I need you, so if you are going to do anything, then" he stop when he was close enough to her "Then you're just gonna take me with you, 'cause there is no way I'm living my life without you again" he put his left hand on her right cheek.

"Please come back to me, to us. Show us that we're right, that you're not a monster" he said and she leaned into his touch as she closed her eyes.

But then suddenly the red dragon took over her body again which caused Maddie's eyes to glow dark red again and with her powers she push Five away.

"Love, it's me" Five said "I'm not Maddie anymore. I'm sorry to tell you, but Maddie is gone, I have control over her body now and I don't plan on leaving, so whatever you and Maddie had, it's gone and you will be gone too" Maddie said darkly and Five knew what was going on. The Red Dragon in Maddie have taking over again.

"Love, look at me" Five said but Maddie used her powers to throw him away but he blinked in front of her again "LOOK AT ME WHOEVER THE HELL YOU ARE AND LEAVE MY WIFE ALONE. LEAVE HER BODY!"

Five grabbed onto her hands and held them while looking into her eyes "Maddie, I know you're in there, you need to fight, please don't let it consume you" he said.

Maddie swept her legs under Five's causing him to fell down on the floor.

She got ready to finish him but then he grabbed a brick before he hit her in the head with it, mumbling a sorry as he did it.

She winched in pain as she stumble back "I'm so sorry" he said and she looked at him.

She lunged at Five, her movements fluid and deadly. The sheer speed of her attack left little room for hesitation. Five's reflexes kicked in, and he teleported just in time, reappearing a few feet away with a breathless gasp. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing to find a way to get through her.

Dark veins crawled around her eyes, and her eyes flowed a deep, unnatural red.

"Love, damn it! What's gotten into you!" he shouted, his voice a mix of desperation and determination and his eyes locking onto her with a desperate please "You don't have to do this!"

But Maddie's face was unwavering. With a fierce determination in her eyes, she advances again, her strikes precise and relentless.

Diego, quick on his feet, threw one of his daggers in an attempt to slow her down. She twisted her body with practiced ease, dodging the blade effortlessly as it clattered to the ground.

Without a weapon, Maddie relied solely on her powers, the air around her shimmering as she channeled her abilities.

Five pressed on, his combined effort an attempt to subdue her without causing harm, but her powers made every approach perilous.

As Five lunged at Maddie, his teleportation swift and precise, she raised a hand, her face emotionless.

A sudden wave of energy burst from her palm, hitting Five square in the chest and sending him hurtling backwards.

He crashed into a pile of debris, the impact rattling through his body. Groaning, he pressed a hand to his ribs, pushing himself up with a grimace.

Despite the pain, his sharp, determined eyes never left Maddie's. He watched every moment, searching for an opening, for some sign of the person he loved still trapped inside.

Maddie moved like a ghost, weaving through the other's attacks with an almost unnatural grace.

Five blink again, reappearing behind Maddie, but she anticipated his move. A pulse of energy radiated from her body, forcing him to blink away before he could make contact.

He reappeared a few feet away, panting. He blinks in rapid succession, attempting to disorient her.

Lila took advantage of one of Five's distractions, rushing in low. She shot her laser powers at Maddie, aiming for a non-lethal hit.

Maddie twisted, the laser barely grazing her arm, but the pain was fleeting, drowned out by the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

With a sweep of her arm, she unleashed a shockwave that sent Lila skidding across the floor. Lila picked herself up, wiping a trickle of blood from her lip.

Without a word, Maddie advanced again, her powers crackling in the air around her. Five blink, appearing behind her, but she spun a blast of energy shooting out from her hand. He dodged just in time, the force grazing his side but missing a direct hit.

Diego charged from the other side, aiming to tackle Maddie, but another pulse from her palm sent him crashing into a wall.

Five's feet barely touched the ground as he advanced towards Maddie, his determination unwavering. His eyes were filled with regret, but beneath it lay a resolute anger and sadness. The anger was directed at the situation, at the force that had taken Maddie away from him, turning her into something unrecognizable. And the sadness, an overwhelming sadness was for the love they both shared, now trapped in a fight neither of them had wanted.

Maddie raised her hand, and the air around Five seemed to warp. "You can fight it Love, I know you can, just think---" but Maddie cut him off when she used her powers, lifting him up.

Without warning, Five was lifted off the ground, his body hovering in mid-air, and the red psionic energy tightened around his throat.

He tried to used his powers but it was no use "This is so easy, I can hurt you but you can't hurt me without hurting Maddie" the Red Dragon said angry as her eyes were glowing more dark red.

"Listen to me Love" he said "No" she said "Let me talk to you" he said "We are talking" she said "No. I want to talk to the real Maddie. I want to talk to my Maddie, my love, my wife, not a monster or the red dragon you are now. The red dragon that have taken control over you. All negative things formed you that's why you're doing this" Five said as he was straining in pain.

"Please, I know you're in there Maddie. Fight this, I know you can do it. I know you can hear me. Please don't turn into that monster you are scared of. Please Love, this isn't you, you let your powers control you, instead of you controlling them. You are not a monster" he said.

Maddie's eyes twitched, her head tilted a bit to the side and her fist clenched, her powers was holding him tighter. She was actually strangling him with her powers. Which 'cause him to winced, trying not to scream in pain. She stared at him blankly and numbly as if she didn't care if she hurt or kill him.

"I wouldn't give up on you Maddie. I love you too much for that" he said as he was choking a bit.

"That's it" Allison got out of cover "No Allison!" the others said.

Allison was about to use her powers on Maddie but then Lila blink behind her before holding her in a headlock "Lila let me go" Allison tried to get free "Don't interfere between two lovers, let Five handle it, he can reach her" Lila said.    

"Maddie please, I'm so so sorry for everything, I love you so much, show the world the kind and caring woman you are, show people that you can control your powers and change your destiny, please come back to me, back to us, back to the kids, who missed their mom so much" Five said. 

He gasped, his hands clawing at his neck, trying to break free from the pressure. His eyes widened in shock and desperation as he fought for breath, but the more he struggled, the tighter her grip became.

The moment Maddie's powers seized Five, she felt nothing. Five's eyes locked with hers in desperation, but there was no flicker of recognition in her gaze. His struggle felt distant, almost irrelevant. She tightened her grip, watching as his body contorted, gasping for air, but she felt nothing. Not pity, no regret.

But then as he struggled, something familiar pulled at her from deep within. It was a thread, frayed and weak, but it was there. Her hand trembled, the powers beginning to waver. It was the first sign of something breaking. She felt Five's life slipping away from her and part of her acknowledged that it would be easier if he just stopped fighting. It would be easier to finish. but then his eyes locked onto hers, and the realization hit her like a storm. She was choking him. Five.

She was choking him to death.

"So you'll never hold back on fighting me, if something serious happens? Maybe if one of us turns evil? You won't stop"

A dull, sharp pain filled her head and for the first time in what felt like forever, she felt something. The weight of her actions, the guilty, the confusion.

The room spun, her mind warring against the coldness that had consumed it. She knew who caused this and she was beyond angry.

"Kill him. No, not Five. I'm not going to kill him or anyone else that I love. I'm not a monster or a murderer"

Maddie dropped her hand, releasing the grip on Five's throat just in time as his limp body collapsed to the floor barely registered in her mind. 

Five groaned as he pushed himself up, still gasping for air, but she didn't look at him.

He gasped, his breath still ragged as he fought to steady himself.

He looked up to see Maddie had her hands on the side of her head. She swayed, her knees buckling beneath her, struggling to stay upright.

Maddie's gaze was distant, lost in the chaos inside her mind. She dropped to her knees, shaking uncontrollably.

She looked up at him and he noticed her eyes were glowing dark red "Please, save me. Please" she sob before she let out a grunt "It hurt" she said.

Five rushed over to her "I'm here Love, fight it" he said "Kill me" she said "No" he shook his head. He reached out, his fingers tremblind slightly as he grasped her hand, trying to steady her as well. 

 "I'm not going to hurt you, I'm going to help you, fight this, I'm here" he said before putting her face in his hands "I love you, always and forever" he said before he pressed his lips against hers.

But as soon as his lips made contact with hers, something shifted. His body suddenly tensed, and his eyes rolled back into his head, his entire form arching involuntarily as an unseen force gripped him. The bright red glow flared from his eyes, like fire burning through the dark.

In an instant, he felt himself being pulled from his body. The world around him dissolved into shadow, leaving nothing but a cold, dark void. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked around, confusion clouding his thoughts. He tried to make sense of what was happening.

Was this another side effect of the Marigold?

Had he gained some new power he hadn't known about?

He walked through the shadowy expanse, the air thick with the sense of something lost, something forgotten.

His footsteps echoed in the stillness until he noticed a figure ahead of him. The figure turned slowly towards him as if seeing his presence. It was Maddie, but not the same he had seen moments ago, not the one the red dragon was controlling. This was a softer, calmer version of her, the same person he fell in love with, the real Maddie.

"Five?" the real her gasped, her voice full of wonder and relief "You're alive...and you're here" she smiled.

Five took a step towards her, reaching out a hand.

But before he could touch her, an overwhelming sensation overtook him. His body jerked back and the next thing he knew, he was no longer in that dark place. He gasped, his lungs desperate for air as he was thrust back into the real world. He blinked rapidly, trying to regain bearings.

The faint pulse of Maddie's energy still clung to him as his mind raced to process everything he had just seen.

His eyes fell on Maddie, still kneeling on the floor, groaning in pain as she fought to regain control.

"Are you okay?" Diego's voice cut through the fog in Five's mind. He was standing close by, concern written all over his face "I pulled you away. You were...you weren't yourself"

Five couldn't answer, though, because at that moment, Maddie screamed. The sound was full of agony and torment, echoing through the space like a final cry for help. But then just as quickly as it had begun, the scream was cut off, muffled as though it had been swallowed up. Five and the others watched as Maddie collapsed forward slightly, her body shaking. Her eyes flickered shut, then reopened slowly, as if the effort was too much. Her gaze found Five, then the others, but her expression distant, pained.

Her gaze locked onto Five, still keeping her distance from the, but her eyes softened as she met Five's worried gaze. The change in her eyes didn't escape Five's notice, no longer the glowing red, but the familiar color that he'd known.

But suddenly an energy force push Five away from Maddie and she started floating up in the air.

"I'm not a monster" 

"Yes you are, it is your destiny to destroy the world" the red dragon said "You can change your fate and destiny, beside I'm stronger than you, 'cause I have something to fight for" Maddie said as she thought back to all the happy memories she had with her family.

"You have no one, so therefore get the hell out of my mind, you're not taken control of me" Maddie said "You need me" the red dragon said "No, I don't"

Five and the others watch as they could see that Maddie was fighting against the red dragon in her mind.

Then suddenly Maddie found herself in a dark red place which caused her to look around confused.

"Love" Five said as he looked at Maddie when he notice that her pupils were glowing dark red "Maddie" Five said as he shook her, but she didn't reacted "Maddie"

"Hello little one" a voice said and Maddie turned around to see another version of her. But it was the Red Dragon.

"Missed me" she said with an evil smile "Go away" Maddie said but suddenly some chains appeared on her hands before pulling her down on her knees.

"LET ME GO!" Maddie shouted as she tried to get free.

"You can't get free Maddie" The Red Dragon said  "You are weak without me" it said.

"I can beat you" Maddie said "Alright, let's prove that" it said before it snapped its fingers and the chains around her wrists disappeared.

"Now get up and let me show how weak you're without me" it said and Maddie got up before the two of them started fighting

The Red Dragon threw a punch at Maddie who dodged it before she threw a punch at it but it moved to the side dodging the punch.

It threw a punch at her who dodged before she kicked it in the waist, making it stumbled back.

It then a punch at her, but she grabbed its wrist and kicked it in the stomach making it let out a grunt.

She threw a few punches at it hitting it in the face a few time, but as she threw another punch, it grabbed her arm and turned it around, before it went behind her and wrapped its arm around her throat.

But she headbutted it, making the chip stumble back, before she swung her legs under its making it fall.

It then got up and threw a punch at her, but she grabbed its arm before she threw a kick at its waist making it stumble back.

It then punched her in the face before it grabbed her throat, pressing jer back against the wall before it had its arm on her throat.

"It seems like you're weak" it said before it leaned closer "Just let me in. Let me take over and I promise you will be powerful" it said.

"Let her go" a voice said and the red dragon turned around to see a image of Five and the other siblings.

"Look who we have here. The family" The red dragon said before it let go of Maddie who fell to the floor.

The Red Dragon opened it palm causing a red energy ball to appear.

"She don't need you guys. She need me" it said "You're wrong" Five said before the family looked down at Maddie "You can do this" they said

"I love you, more than anything and we're not gonna leave you" Five said with a smile "We love you, and will always there for you, always and forever" Five said.

"Shut up, you don't love her" the red dragon said.

Maddie closed her eyes "I'm not afraid, I'm not weak" she said "Yeah, you are. You always have being, you are weak without me" the red dragon said and Maddie just squeezed her eyes even more while the red dragon looked at the family "I guess she needs me after all" it said.

"Maddie, our love and connection is so strong that you can fight this. I know you can fight this. I love you" Five said.

"Shut up" the red dragon said before it lifted it left hand where the energy ball was.

"Leave them alone!" Maddie use her powers and push the red dragon away.

She then turned around but the red dragon used its powers against her, grabbing her leg causing her to fall on the ground and she started dragging her across the ground.

She let out a scream as she tried to resist but it didn't work and she were pressed against a pillar while some dark red branches wrapped around her legs, arms and neck.

The Red Dragon walked closer to her with an evil smile, she looked behind the Red Dragon to see that farther behind was a small gate where she could see herself.

The Red Dragon looked over its shoulder to see the gate "They can't help you anymore" it said before it looked at her. "You belong here" it said with a smile "Let me take over" it said before it put two of its fingers on her temple.

In the real world Maddie's body started floating up in the air "MADDIE!" everyone call out to her.

"What the hell?" Luther asked as they were looking at Maddie's body floating in mid-air.

"What is going on?" Viktor asked "I have no idea" Five said before he got up "Love, CAN YOU HEAR ME. MADDIE!" he called out.

Maddie opened her eyes to look back at the gate again and she saw a image of her family.

"Maddie, you're strong" Viktor said "Stronger than this" Luther said 

"You can get through this, We're right here" Diego said "We believe in you sis" Klaus smiled "Show everyone that you can change your fate" Freddy said "We are right here, we are your family and we will always be with you" Viktor said "We love you mommy" Noa and Sam said.

Then Maddie used her powers, pushing the Red Dragon away causing her to fell to the ground.

Maddie got up before she started running towards the gate while she thought about all the happy memories she shared with her family.

She looked behind her to see the Red Dragon looking at her before it clenched its fist causing rocks to fall down around Maddie.

She kept running towards the gate as rocks and ruins felled down around jer, trying to hit her or make her fall.

But everytime she fell, she quickly got up again while avoiding some of the rocks.

The lovely memories she shared with her family, the strong connection and love her and Five shared kept giving her strength so she could fight.

"You're weak because you don't know anything about love, you don't have anyone and that is what is making you weak" she said as she saw the gate come closer and closer.

"You get more strength if you fight for others than for yourself"

"What are you doing? You are powerless without me" the Red Dragon said "No, I'm powerful without you" Maddie said

She let out a cry as she reach the gate.

Then suddenly Maddie's eyes changed back to normal and the red around her plus her red dragon wings and horns disappeared before she fell from the air.

"NO!" Five cried out as he watch his wife falling from the air.

But then suddenly Freddy stretched his right arm towards Maddie and he used his power which made Maddie's fell down slowly and Five blink over below Maddie as she slowly floated down from the air before she landed in Five's arms who sat down on his knees as his wife was in his arms.

"Maddie. Love" Five shook his wife gently but she didn't opened her eyes.

Five put two of his fingers on her neck to feel a puls.

His eyes widened when he couldn't find one.

"Guys. She is not breathing and I can't find a pulse"

A/N: Sorry if I didn't described it well. Did my best

Do you think Maddie is dead?

Hope you like the final battle chapters

What do you think about this chapter?

One chapter left so it can still be a sad ending

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