Act 3 Finale - Chapter 56:Clash of Ideals, The Battle for the Future!

"You've done quite enough," the voice echoes through your body.

Your muscles beginning spazzing, your power fluctuates beyond anything you've ever felt before. It's like power is attempting to crawl out your pores, your eyes, nose, mouth, every opening. You fall to your knees and let out an agonizing scream while your body undergoes this change. Elsa tries to run to your side but she's physically unable to. All she can do is watch in horror as you wail. However, both Elsa and Alec are shocked when they witness a dark aura expunging itself from you, slithering across the ground and stopping two feet away. More and more pools out of you until the last molecule is taken and added to this new being. You huff and puff, leaning on one knee as you wait for... whatever's about to happen.

The essence slowly molds itself together, starting with legs and moving up to the hips. A waist, torso, arms, all these things are formed from it. What you and Elsa notice is they're all inspired by you, presenting a perfect reflection that's more accurate than a mirror. Finally, the head and face are put together, with hair being used as the final touches. A new human stands before you, subtly stretching each part of his body.

"Amazing... it worked. All my preparations... and it worked," he marvels to himself.

As you get yourself back onto your feet he looks to the machine Alistair created.

"Three steps down, under the..." He kneels down and rips off a tile.

Below it is a holowatch, which he snatches up and equips on himself. You keep your eyes on him, making sure he's making no sudden movements towards Elsa or Alec. Who this person is baffling. Shadow and Carnage are dead, Hunter is dead, Alistair's dead... there's nobody left who could assume this persona. The man selects a preset, making his watch glow. It basks him in light as he's clothed with a pure black suit. The glow disappears and he looks down at himself, a clear sign of content. He then clothes his eyes and takes a deep breath and proceeds to exhale.

"Fresh air... for my own body," he smiles. He then opens his eyes and looks to you. "Hm, all confused and scared? I don't blame you, I told you nothing. I suppose it doesn't matter though. Like what I did with you, I managed to give you the majority of my spirit, enough to give you..." He rolls his wrist. "And I... the full Drakon power. I couldn't risk this against Carnage but it worked out anyway, so no matter."

"Wait... Shadow?" You question with relief. "You're alive? You're okay?"

"I would say so," he smirks. "I'm finally free... finally my own person," he stretches his neck side to side. "I barely have to get used to this body, either. Drakon power flows through it like yours."

You can't keep your excitement contained. You rush Shadow and embrace him in a hug. He's slightly surprised... but he doesn't return the gesture.

"I never thought I'd ever see you in real life... this is... Elsa, this is Shadow!" You release Shadow and stand to have both people in your view.

Elsa smiles at him, bowing her head.

"We've met... though I admit he was always something I... well..."

"No need for words, Elsa. Alec, if you would take Elsa into the building? She should get some rest."

Alec hesitantly nods, completely uneasy at the situation.

"R-Right... (Y/N)," he says, getting your attention. "Um... good job. I, uh..."

"Alec," Shadow repeats.

"Right, she needs help. Come on, Elsa. Let's get you a place to lie down. They can... finish things here."

"Okay... I'll see you inside, (Y/N)," she smiles.

You close your eyes and smile at her.

Alec brings the woman inside and to the first elevator. The moment it closes Alec takes out his phone and taps into the security network.

"Your family is at your house," he states, looking through the feed. I'll secure the building with the same protection as this one."

Elsa looks at him with a perplexing stare.

"Why?"

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You watch as Alec takes Elsa into the building then let out a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe it's finally over, huh?"

"Almost," Shadow responds, slipping one hand into his pocket while raising the other towards the machine. "Just a few more things to do."

His hand begins glowing a darkened light before unleashing a blast almost identical to Alistair's. It disintegrates the device and all the nanomachines held within it.

"Whoa! You can do that too now? I guess you do have all my abilities," you point out.

"You did this against Alistair?" He inquires, turning back to you.

"Well, no, I didn't have to," you shrug. "But I still know I can do it. Kinda like an inborn thing, you know? Guess it's our unique Drakon power?"

Shadow nods.

"I do indeed. Now, onto other matters." Shadow walks to the edge of the building, staring off at Arendelle which, from the battle between you and Alistair, is a quarter destroyed. "You know, I'm happy you defeated Alistair. It's more satisfying this way."

You follow Shadow to the edge of the building and stand next to him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you had lost then I simply would have taken you over and killed Alistair myself, eventually."

"Eventually?" You asked, perplexed.

"But now... Alistair is gone and it's just you and I. I'll become the new Monarch."

You step back, facing him completely.

"W-What? What're you talking about?" You shout at your counterpart.

Shadow shakes his head.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" He snickers, turning to face you. "Think about it for a moment, (Y/N). If there's three of us, you being independent, Carnage being a representation of mother, what does that leave for me..?"

Your eyes widen when the final piece clicks.

"Alistair..." You mumble.

"Indeed," Shadow nods. "I am the embodiment of Alistair, but by no means does that make us identical. I don't care for his nanomachines, his advanced humans. The Hierarchy is too useful to do away with, and thus I've spent the past few months solidifying my place as the Monarch. My only promise was to kill Alistair, which you have done for me," he smiles. "But if you had lost I would have sided with Alistair, for a time. He did teach me much."

You clench your fists at his words. You can't believe what he's saying, how he can so confidently claim all this.

"How? We were always together! You couldn't possibly-"

"That doesn't matter, (Y/N)," he shakes his head. "This world deserves its Arbiter, its hero. What better symbol of power and peace than a Drakon. It's in our blood."

"So what, you'll just become a dictator like him? Take over the world?" You scream, body tensing up every second.

"I suppose... maybe. It depends on what the world thinks. They're watching us right now, you know," he looks to the news helicopter recording the two of you. "They're watching the turning point of the world."

"No, this isn't what we wanted!" You throw yourself to the side. "We-"

"You, (Y/N)," he assertively cuts you off. "What you wanted. I am not you. I have never been you and I will never be you," he says with pure malice. "And we're going to make that clear right here, right now."

"Shadow... I don't want to fight you!"

He chuckles, turning back towards the city.

"You have to. Don't you remember, two Drakons cannot exist in one timeline. You can feel it already, can't you? Storms brewing, oceans flailing, the earth itself starting to shake. If we both live then everything dies. I know I'm going to kill you. If I can't then you'll kill me. If you can't... well..."

You struggle to find the words but Shadow doesn't give you the time.

"Take a moment. I'll meet you down there."

Shadow jumps off the building to leave you to your thoughts. You're stunned, mortified.

Shadow... what have you been doing? The new Monarch? Training with Alistair? How? When? I always thought we knew each other, but... you've been hiding so much, haven't you, Shadow?

You release your tension and take a breath of fresh air.

"But you're right, like always," you say to yourself. "I hate that you are, but... if we both live... Elsa... everyone. Damnit, Shadow..."

You hop to the side and fall down the building. Your clothes and hair ripple and flow as the wind pushes against your speed until finally, you come to a sudden landing just in front of W.A Industries. Shadow is standing on the street, staring up at the forming clouds.

"We don't have much time, (Y/N). Let me show you a true Drakon... someone who accepts the responsibility of this power and will save this world!" Shadow tightens his fist and summons his power. Similar to you, colours start swirling around him all the way into the sky. Unlike you, his colours are darker, cooler. The energy swirls into a Dragon, consumes Shadow, and his form is complete. Like you, he has his eyes and they're a darker shade than your bright ones. He smiles at you, proud of his power.

"I used this power to defeat Carnage! I've proven why I deserve this power! Proven that I'm not just a shadow to be overlooked by you!" He throws off his suit jacket, leaving just a dress shirt. "And I'll show you why right here, right now."

You step opposite to Shadow, facing him from down the street. You clench your fists and summon the power dwelling inside you. An ever changing aura erupts from you, waving like a flame while your eyes assume their various colours.

The world shakes at your tension. Volcanoes are bubbling, rain clouds are covering the entire world with lightning to accompany them, tornados and hurricanes are in their starting stages, earthquakes are popping up in a few places. The battle has yet to begin and the earth is already scared by the two of you.

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Alec leads Elsa out of the elevator the moment it opens. He brings Elsa into the rejuvenation room and sets her down on the nearest chair.

"We'll be going to the safe room in a moment. I just want to..." Alec pauses mid-sentence to take out his flask and have a drink. "Lock these guys down and send them to the room too. I feel like Alistair planned all of this... the design and security of the building," he speaks, not directly to Elsa.

"Why? There's nothing left..."

Alec chuckles, imputing commands and codes into the computer beside the tanks.

"The battle is reimagined. (Y/N) against the Monarch. Damn Shadow, I thought my brother would be the one wanting to take over but no... it was Shadow who found them all, convinced them he was better... if they really are so powerful..."

The tanks are covered in a thick metal and shot down through the floor.

"Perfect," he smacks the console then runs to Elsa. "Come, we're going down there too. We can watch the fight from there."

"Fight? But..."

"We have no time, Elsa. I'll answer everything later!"

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"I thought we were on the same side..."

"We were..."

You both remain as still as statues until the first lightning strike hits. The very instant the lightning appears you two clash, cutting through nature's extension with each of your punches. Both punches cut through each other, sliding to a stop while lightning flickers along your fists. You hit each other, you know it. You both feel the pain in your own stomachs. You both slide on your dominant leg, turning yourselves around and dashing at each other once more. Your auras flair as your rush each other with an intensity rivaling even your Dragon ancestors. Your fists clash, Shadow dodges your second punch, you catch his knee, he lands an elbow, he guides away your foot with his own then spins and kicks you away. You fly through several buildings, all shattering by such a small impact. Shadow blasts off from his location, the dark colours of his aura leaving a streak behind him.

You curl into a ball and land feet first against the side of the mountain. You focus for a second before pushing off and flying towards Shadow, utterly destroying the mountain with a shockwave that blasts even further to tear apart the earth behind it. Shadow's caught off guard by your fast recovery which allows you to hammer an earth shattering fist directly in the center of his face. The force alone sends a shockwave through Shadow that splits apart the clouds above. Your counterpart is sent soaring through the air at light speeds, but you go even faster, getting around and above him to execute an energy amped hammerfist to the same spot you hit before. Shadow instantly crashes into the ground miles outside of Arendelle. Shadow's impact results in an explosion that decimates everything within a ten-mile radius, which includes the outskirts of Arendelle.

You notice the impact and scold yourself.

"Damnit, I have to bring this fight away from the city. If I could, away from this planet. We might-"

Shadow bursts out of the dust, his arm cocked for a punch. You block it with both forearms but the force still pushes you farther into the air. You slip your back hand out and slam It just before Shadow's elbow, guiding his body over yours and upside down. Once he passes over, you spin around and drive your foot into his chest. He spins in the air but recovers quickly, eyes locked on you. He attempts to blitz you, nearly teleporting in a zig zag formation. You can tell he's getting more serious, that the warm-up is nearly over. You predict where his next appearance will be and charge an energy blast to fire. You follow through, but miss. Shadow appears behind you and his fist comes from above, catching your cheek while you turn around and forces you deep into the ground far below. Once again, you demolish the impact area just from sheer force and power.

Shadow relaxes somewhat and examines the damage. He doesn't want to destroy anything either so he'll have to think of a way to keep you both away from cities... but even he, with his fighting wisdom and control, might get carried away with this fight. Though winning means going 100%, that could destroy half the solar system. It's tricky – there's no way to really save everything. All either of you can do is fight your hardest to defeat the other.

He knows you're still in the crater and decides to not allow you to retaliate. He flies even higher than he is and fires a volley of energy blasts down upon you. Each break through the surface of the planet more and more, shaking up the foundation and ruining Earth itself. He keeps up his barrage until he feels a shift in the wind. You appear beside him, momentum already gathered, and drive your heel into the side of his face. Your entire right sleeve and a few inches into your chest are gone from taking a few of his shots. Shadow recovers fairly quickly but you're on him instantly. The two of you trade blows, you being more on the offensive while Shadow weaves and blocks the majority of your attacks. This midair combat brings you over the city once more, closer to the seashore. Shadow grabs one of your punches and spins around, throwing you to the city below. You spiral back to the ground but still have control over your body. You curl into a ball to land, then immediately push yourself right to dodge Shadow's incoming foot. He snarls at your maneuver, keeping you in his sights, and follows with a large energy wave in your direction.

You slide your hands and feet along the ground as you look to the incoming blast.

"In the city?!"

You throw your hands forward and catch the beam, though it continues with its momentum and pushes you along the street.

This much power... does Shadow not know how to control his power completely either?

You throw your hands up to toss the blast away from the planet and into deep space. That one moment that your hands are up and your guard is open Shadow attacks, another blast in his right hand.

It's really like...

You jump back and wrap your legs around Shadow's torso.

"What?"

You flip backward, slamming Shadow to the ground and letting you sit on top of him. You extend both hands in front of his face and release your own blast point blank into his upper body. The beam absorbs Shadow and passes into the planet, going through the core and out the other side. Once the beam finishes you push your knees off the ground and fly away from Shadow, taking a position above any buildings.

The smoke clears and Shadow is standing in the crater, the upper part of his shirt completely gone. He looks down at the shirt and snickers.

"I could repair this, but it shows our progress, no? Much like your arm there," he points out.

You look at your arm and realize your clothes are gone. Returning your gaze to Shadow, you huff.

"You weren't lying, were you? You really have trained with Alistair?" Shadow nods at your statement. "But... when? When were you training, taking over the Hierarchy?"

Shadow crosses his arms.

"When you were sleeping, of course. All I had to do was make sure we were tucked in. While you were fumbling around in Corona and Sanfransokyo I was assembling a new leadership, learning about our enemy, our family. Did you know we're the last of our bloodline? That Alistair's family was murdered?"

You clench your fist.

"I... would you blame me for not caring?" You slightly shrug. "I didn't know those people."

"I feel the same, but it helped me learn about our father. His goal was admirable, one I want to attain with this power... especially with this power. It's our responsibility."

"Responsibility to reign over regular people? No!" You throw your hand outwards. "That's not what our power is for!"

"Is it not? Our power is meant to change the world! Look at Ryu and Carnage! Ryu is the King of Arendelle, someone of power and influence. He'll change his world. Carnage would have changed his world's fate too!"

"He would have destroyed it!" You retort.

"At least he's doing something!" Shadow shouts back, losing composure for a moment. He clears his throat and returns to normal. "It doesn't matter. I'll become the new Monarch and I'll change this world for the better, as is my duty as a Drakon."

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Rhaegos and Ryu reside atop of the mountain, staring into a rift in time that allows both to view the battle.

"You knew they'd fight, didn't you?" Ryu poses.

"Of course. I showed Shadow how to split himself from (Y/N). If they'd stayed together... it wouldn't have gone well."

"Their timeline's falling apart. How is this better?"

"It isn't. If one of them doesn't die in ten minutes... no, if they release their full power it would be five..."

"The timeline will collapse in on itself?" Ryu assumes.

Rhaegos nods his large head.

"Indeed. But this needed to happen. Two Drakons cannot be in one timeline, even if they are in the same body."

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Shadow flies up to match your height then flares his aura indicating he's releasing more power.

"No point in holding back any longer." Shadow clenches both fists as even more power surges through him. "HYAAAAAAAAA!" His aura breaks through the clouds, shaking the entire solar system with his power alone. He smiles at the feeling of his energy running through him. "How long do you think you can keep up with me?" He smirks.

"Tsk, fine! HYAAAAAAAAA!" You mimic his movements as your power flares up as well. Both auras swirl around each other, even after you're done powering up. "All cards on the table, no holding back!"

Rain begins pouring down all over the world... but not for you two. In your perspective, the rain is as slow as a snail – as if it's not moving at all. You both rush at each other once more, moving instantaneously from one place to another. Shockwaves fly from each impact, and at your speed, the entire battlefield is filled with these attacks. They proceed away from Arendelle and over the ocean, becoming faster and faster.

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The moment the elevator doors open the entire building shakes. Alec brings Elsa close, keeping against the sides of the elevator to stabilize them both.

"Hold on... we're safe..."

Once the shaking stops he brings Elsa into an extremely small room that could be mistaken for living quarters. A bed, television and couch, table, fridge, stove, and even a separate bathroom.

"This is a safe room?" Elsa questions. "It's... homey. Where're the others?"

"They're inside the walls. Don't worry, they're safe," Alec declares, pacing to the television and turning it on.

He quickly grabs the remote and goes through all the settings.

"Hm, as he said... clouds have covered the entire planet."

Elsa stops inspecting the room and instead looks at the screen.

"Is that..."

Alec nods.

"The planet. Our satellites have the entire planet covered and it looks just like this. Sadly... that's not the worst of it."

Alec switches to a view under the clouds. As a consequence of you both releasing your full power, the planet itself is falling apart. The land is breaking apart to reveal the red glow beneath in both desolated and populated areas, swallowing buildings, wildlife, and flora all over. Underneath the grey clouds sits a mix of dark blue, green, and red. The temperature fluctuates, ice burgs forming and melting all at the same time. Not even the planet can comprehend the changes anymore. Drakon power is morphing the planet into something that will inevitably destroy itself.

Elsa covers her mouth in pure shock.

"This is... because..."

Alec sighs.

"Alistair said that if it came to this the planet couldn't handle it. But to this degree... I think we've lost a few cities... maybe millions of people."

Elsa falls to her knees, tears rolling down her face.

"I can't... I... Why is-"

"They can't help it," Alec says, kneeling before Elsa with a hand on her shoulder. "My guess is neither wants this to happen. Seems this really is unavoidable..."

Alec stands up straight and takes out his flask, downing whats left of it.

"You're safe from any violence here. Perhaps..." Alec's eyes catch something on the monitor. He takes a closer look, grabbing the control he set down on the couch and flips through channels. "Is that... that's impossible."

"What?"

"It's raining."

Elsa wipes a few tears away, her sadness being overridden by confusion.

"So?"

Alec flips through channels, checking every angle that's still available to him around the world.

"They're so fast... it's raining all over the world, yet... not a single drop is touching that ground. Underneath the clouds is another layer of rain, desperately trying to coat the planet."

Elsa focuses on the screen a little more after wiping away the final tears. What Alec says is true, both about what's happening and about it being impossible.

"Does that mean they're... everywhere?"

Alec nods in disbelief.

"Could they be perceiving things at such speeds? Would minutes to us feel like hours to them? They'd have to... to move so fast that you're everywhere at once... Elsa," he turns to the woman. "Your fiancée is... not normal."

Elsa snickers despite everything.

"I know... I know he isn't." Her mind goes back to a dark place when she thinks of the harm you're doing. "How did it come to this..?"

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Two streaks fly over a city near half around the world from Arendelle. They clash once, twice, three times, shaking the planet with each clash. Shadow bursts towards you and slams his elbow into your back, sending you spiraling down to the planet. You slam headfirst into the planet and pushed even farther by a follow-up kick from Shadow. Moments later lava bursts from the impact area. Shadow flies a meter back, smiling at his attack... until you fly out of the lava and punish him with an uppercut to the jaw followed by a spinning kick. Once you follow through with the motion you jolt forward and follow Shadow into the city of Agrabah.

It's a beautiful city if you had time to stop and look at it. It's a technological marvel, mostly due to the Hierarchy's influence. However, the city is split in two by the fissures in the planet from your battle. You know the citizens are hiding away somewhere since you can't hear any talking or breathing. You're safe to continue fighting to your hearts' content.

You hover mere centimeters away from Shadow as you place your hands against his stomach and unleash an energy blast to send him barreling down into the ground below. The blast explodes on contact which results in a section of the city being disintegrated by the blast. You dash away when another blast shoots out from the dust. Shadow bursts out from below you, coming up with another blast charged in his hand. You fly faster away, towards the nearest ocean. You're still facing Shadow as you fly backwards, knocking back every blast he shoots your way. He sneers, crushing the blast in his hand and proceeding with more up close and personal attacks. He blitzes you, landing a strong back hit and following up with a punch to the ribs with his other hand, and attempts an elbow to your jaw but you catch it with your right arm which is now caught between your chin and his elbow. You return the favour by snapping your elbow to his across his face, slamming it into his nose, then following up with a punch with your left hand. Shadow slams his forehead against yours before the fist can connect. He grabs your head with both hands and slams it against his knee three times, backs up, then drives his foot into your neck, sending you down into the water. In a large explosion the water is shot in all directions but for you and Shadow its nothing at all.

Shadow throws his hands forward and follows your movements. His hand stops when he realizes you're sinking further and further into the water below. Having a moment, Shadow retracts his hands and closes his eyes. He keeps your location in mind, using his control over the water to keep track of you. The other half of his mind feels for the state of the planet. With all the control over the elements he senses the planet's pain. It's possible for both of you to put the planet back together, halt the tornadoes, stop the hurricanes, give pause to the tidal waves... but it would be like putting a band-aid on a dismembered arm – pointless.

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Your arms are crossed as you sink farther and farther into the ocean's depths. You know Shadow isn't moving thanks to your control over the air. If he comes after you it'll be easy to sense. That's not the only thing you can feel, however. All the destruction the planet's facing is pounding in the back of your skull as if your body is the one falling apart. Though your body and the planet have two things in common: you can heal neither at the moment.

If I don't end this soon the whole planet will be destroyed beyond repair. I think I can fix it, maybe, but the feeling of our timeline... Shadow can feel it too, I know it. The planet won't matter soon enough. But how can I beat him? We cancel out any element based attacks except this new energy power. Is that how I have to win?

You uncross your arms and look at your hands.

Do I have to unleash everything? But... if I do...

You tightly clench your fists.

I don't have the control over this power as the Elements. We've already destroyed so much just because of my... our... inability to handle this. If I mess up I might destroy everything... but if I don't try everything everyone would die anyways. I can't... but Shadow... why... you're my best friend... I don't want to go all out against you.

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"Must I use all my power to end him? Perhaps like I did with Carnage," Shadow mumbles to himself. "Carnage couldn't counter that... so he can't either." Shadow nods. "I have to. We have little time."

Shadow pulls his hands closer to his body, taking control of elements around him.

"It's only fitting that I kill both this technique, but this time... I can lace it with energy instead of fire!"

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You flip yourself right side up when you realize you've sunken into the sunless section of the sea. Despite feeling the earth's collapse, despite feeling for Shadow... there's something else that creeps into your mind. Someone or something is down here somewhere, you can feel it. This small distraction allows Shadow's attack to catch you. Hundreds of roots sprout from the bottom of the ocean and attack you.

"What the-"

The roots sprout around you, dozens grabbing each fragment of your body as it lifts you towards the air. You attempt to break free but it's pointless.

This isn't normal wood! I can't even manipulate it!

Roots continue to grow at an exponential rate all around you, forming the base of an immense tree that surpasses the size of even the largest city. Finally, it bursts out from the water, finally forming a completed tree a fair distance above the water. Branches, leaves, all these things come to life as well, all with a dark golden glow off of every section.

"I hope you find solace in the fact that I'll take care of this world, (Y/N). I'll even make sure Elsa is safe."

Shadow extends his hands to his side as he hones energy on those two points. Shining balls of dark colours. It distorts time itself as he puts more and more power into each ball. Once full enough, he slams his palms together, conjoining both attacks into one grandiose and pointed straight at your exact location. His muscles tense as he fully releases the energy in a devastating wave of destruction. In a millisecond the beam connects with the tree, blasting through the wood and overwhelming your helpless form. The connection between the wood and his energy causes an explosive reaction with his creation. The entire tree explodes upwards, adding a second layer to his attack. The beam flies out from the planet into deep space, just passing the moon and going off to meet a new, unfortunate object. This combination blast creates a light that's visible to the entire solar system if anyone was there to see it. Even Shadow is pushed back from the intensity of this blast.

Shadow rests his arms once he unleashed all the energy, taking a breather as he marvels his work. The ocean below is now distorted, the water trying to compensate for the massive, sudden change. The smoke of the attack clears... and you're still there. Your jacket and shirt are completely done, your left pant leg only goes to your knee while your right has a few holes despite being mostly intact. Your body is bloodied, scorched, but you still persist. You're breathing is distorted and heavy, yet you're smiling. You know what's behind you, what that blast has done. He notices over your shoulder.

"A distortion in time..."

"Drakon blood mixed with pure energy. We've been leaving these around the world," you state.

"All the more reason to finish this quickly!"

Shadow rushes you and attacks with a hook. You block it with your forearm, duck under the following kick, and then drive your fist into his cheek.

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Ryu feels the mountain shake to the point where he nearly is knocked off his feet.

"What the? Is that them?" He frantically asks.

"The shockwaves they're creating are slipping through the dozens of holes they've created. Ryu, I must tend to this. Remain here and keep everything stable."

"Right," Ryu nods.

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Shadow continues to barrage your forearms with punches as you hold him back. Now in Sanfransokyo, your battle puts more innocents in danger. Shadow puts more power into a punch and slams you through an office building, though you're still stable. Shadow dashes around the building and catches you off guard with a kick that sends you through another building. You flip around once to stabilize yourself then grab his second kick. You spin yourself around over and over, gaining momentum that would tear the skin off a regular person, and throw Shadow straight into the ground and quickly follow. He slams into the ground to create a devastating shockwave that is caught by your intense strike to his chest. The entire city shakes when the blow connects, shattering all glass throughout the entire city. Shadow grinds his teeth as he grabs your fist and throws you over him. You slide across the street a few miles down and ready yourself for Shadow's assault. He first speeds in right shoulder first and smacks your face with the back of his right fist. You slide back from the impact only to be hit by his subsequent flurry of right kicks. Leg, stomach, face, all seem to be hit repeatedly at the same time. After three rounds you get the pattern and manage to block his foot and counter with a fist to the stomach. Shadow slides back a few meters then charges you once again. You dodge his first punch, block his kick with your forearm, throw your own punch which misses, collide fists, connect a left kick, receive a hard punch to the jaw, and retaliate with a head-butt.

Your battle brings you through the streets, leaving a massive cloud of dust in your trail. You go through the entire city until you reach the water's edge. You jump over Shadow's kick and fly into the air once more, spinning as you gain altitude. Shadow soars into the air to follow your course. You turn around to face the incoming enemy and raises your hands for any attacks he may deliver. Shadow amps up his speed, moving behind you in an instant then spins around and drives his foot into the side of your head.

Your attacks continue to make shockwaves as you proceed along the sea, breaking up the raining clouds and blowing back the water. You clash again and again all around the world, sometimes only centimeters away from each other sometimes flying around the world and clashing with more momentum.

Shadow finally stops it all and smacks you down to Corona, watching you crash through the castle of Corona. You land close to the ground, fearing what could happen if Shadow continues attacking. The civilians of Corona are all collected within the various rooms of the castle. As you thought, Shadow fires an energy blast straight at you. You turn your body around, still on one knee, and fires a blast out of your left hand. It collides with Shadow's which blows away the roof of the building. Some of the stone flies towards the still civilians. With your other hand, you blast the small pieces of stone away so they won't hit anyone. You put more energy into your attack as you stand up and fly out of the building.

You get closer and closer to Shadow, farther and farther from the civilians. Once close enough to Shadow you throw your hand to the left, redirecting both blasts diagonally into the air, then follow up with an unblockable punch that spins Shadow farther away.

"There are civilians down there!" You scream at him.

Shadow, once recovering, notices the people. He was too distracted from the fight. Sneering, he flies past Corona towards a nearby forest that's ablaze. A crack in the earth formed in the middle which seared everything around with lava and fire. Shadow stops far from Corona to the point where he can no longer see it. A small town or two is around, but this time he made sure to listen for any bystanders. There are none.

You don't bother slowing down, instead rushing him with a combination of punches intended for his face. Shadow leans his head left, right, and under to avoid the straightforward punches. He catches your right fist then throw his own punch, which you catch. Your arms are crossed, locked in a struggle to see who can overpower the other. In a sudden move, Shadow thrusts his knee towards your stomach. You counter with your own knee which leads to a constant flurry of colliding knees. You move across the forest, ocean, and finally reaching a more populated city, New York.

Shadow pulls back his head only to slam it into yours. Your hands unlock with Shadows allowing his to deliver a flurry of punches in your gut, bury his knee there, slam his elbow into the back of your head, then slip around to your back, sliding his arms under yours and locking them behind your head. Immediately he flips you both upside down and charges towards the ground. You both easily break all natural barriers as you get closer and closer to the earth below. Once the momentum is strong enough he pushes you towards the ground while altering his course and flying along the ground. You crash into the streets, the impact demolishing buildings, streets, anything that was on the block. He takes position higher up and raises his hand to your location.

"Don't pretend like you're done!" He screams, firing small blasts at your position.

Out of the dust, you backflip away from each small blast as Shadow follows your movements. He sneers, noting he won't hit you like that. He fires a few extra blasts then dives towards the ground. You flip twice in the air to avoid the extras but fail to land. Shadow bursts through the smoke and connects a kick that sends you far into the sky. He immediately soars after you to keep his momentum going.

"You're on the defensive! Are you losing your nerve?" Shadow taunts as he hovers over you with a blast charging.

Your eyes sharpen before surprising him with a powerful punch to his jaw and a second to his cheek. He falls back for a mere moment before snapping forward and landing a blow on you. You retaliate and initiate another clash of rapid punches and kicks, blocking and dodging. You both smash your right fists together. You try to overpower each other which leads you to collide left hands at the same time. You push against each other, teeth clenched, muscles strained. You both open your hands and unleash a blast from each hand. So much power in small spaces pushes you both back a centimeter or two. The power builds and builds in an attempt to win.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

"HYAAAAAAAAA!"

The immense and unstable energy can take it no longer. It violently explodes, damaging both of you as the explosion grows to cover a large portion of the planet. Yet when the smoke clears you're both still hovering in midair a fair distance apart, battle damaged and fatigued. You're both panting at this point despite only fighting for mere minutes.

"Shadow... there's a way to pass this. We can think of something! Move one of us to that other timeline!" You propose.

Shadow clenches his fist, his hair covering his eyes.

"And you would be the one who stays here, huh?"

You keep silent since he isn't wrong. You have too much to leave.

"So I get the seconds... the consolation prize... YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, DO YOU?" He violently shouts, throwing away his calm, calculating persona. "IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT YOU! YOU'RE ALWAYS THE ONE THAT MATTERED, NOT ME!"

He takes a moment to catch his breath while his anger bubbles even further. In a flash, he appears in front of you and slams his fist into your face.

"I'm nothing... nothing but a shadow to you, something that nobody cares about. I've never had my own life! My own friends! I NEVER HAD CONTROL!"

You block his subsequent attacks as you speak.

"What're you talking about? You could always take over me whenever you felt like it!"

Shadow buries his fist in your stomach, forcing up blood, whilst he slowly shakes his head

"No. After you met Elsa... after you made friends your will grew stronger. I could no longer take control of your body unless you allowed me, or if you were asleep."

You retaliate with a strong side kick to the ribs, getting him away from you.

"That's why you always went out at night," you realize.

"Yes... it was my only chance!" He returns with another punch. "The only time I could make my mark!" Punch after punch. "I learned all the members of the Hierarchy, learned to control Drakon power far beyond you, mastered dozens of fighting styles, became the fucking future Monarch and yet you still kept up in every regard! You found facilities, evidence, your way to Alistair, unlocked just as much power and became just as skilled as I because of others!" You block his fist and counter with a hit to his shoulder, knocking him off balance, then a stronger one to his chest.

"So? What's wrong with finding help? Ryu and Rhaegos helped you too!"

"No... they helped you," he scorns. "And yet after all this here you are standing before someone who should be superior to you and yet... yet..." He clenches his fist hard enough to draw blood. He rushes you once more, this time anger fueling his punches. "Yet I can't kill you! You who don't even want your Drakon power!" Deep in your gut. "You don't understand the responsibilities of this power!" Tearing skin off your cheek. "Why do you, someone who's granted power of the gods themselves, you, someone who has this power handed to them while I unlocked it! Why do you get to come this far! I've done everything right! You've just... just..." Shadow continues his relentless, unblockable flurry of reckless, rage fueled punches. What you don't see is a tear falling from his eye as he attacks. "You don't deserve to take my freedom away from me! I've never had your freedom, (Y/N)! I want it! I want to find someone to love me! Want to find friends! Be recognized by others to be someone other than the 'other you.' That's all I've ever been my whole life... stuck in your body... no control," he says through his teeth with a mix of anger and despair. "I WON'T LOSE CONTROL ANYMORE! AS DRAKON I'LL GUIDE THIS WORLD, PROTECT IT, BECOME AN ARBITER THAT CONTROLS EVERYTHING! NO LONGER WILL I BE HELD BY THE SHACKLES OF YOUR MIND!"

His fist glows as he hits you with the strongest punch you've felt from him. He slams you into a plain south of Arendelle where farmers tend to reside. You hold your stomach as you slowly get back to your feet. His punches are sluggish, tired. He's worn out just as much as you.

"I... I won't let you take away life, (Y/N). I refuse it. You're my best friend, my brother... I love you more than anyone, but..." Shadow's power flairs to a point you've never felt before. He pushes back all the clouds around the world, knocks buildings over, shakes the sun itself with the pressure he's releasing now. "I won't let that get in the way of a life I never had."

Your hair and tattered jeans are whipping around thanks to Shadow, yet your expression remains stagnant. "That's more than your full power. For once you're letting emotions drive you. Shadow..." You look away while tears fall from your face. "I love you. You've been with me since I can remember... you've been my best friend, my brother, too. I suppose you were right... neither of us has a choice. To truly live we need to kill the other. I'm sorry I took all that away from you, but... I WON'T LET MYSELF DIE!"

You release the same amount of energy which causes the flow of time itself to shake. You're both threatening to tear apart more than just your stream of time with this amount of power. The timeline won't last more than a minute if this much strain is put on it.

"Then we pit our wills against each other!" Shadow screams, raising his hands to parallel his chest as his body shifts diagonally to face you. His ten fingers curl at varying degrees to hold the forming energy. You pull your right hand to your side, the same height at your armpit, and let your left hand move just under it, crossing your chest. You form your own ball of energy there. Each of your attacks adopts your colours, constantly glowing a different light every instant. "Our hearts, our passion, hopes and dreams, everything! It's all in this blast!"

You keep your gaze sharp as you focus all nearly all your energy into this final attack. There's no doubt in your mind that Shadow's putting everything he has into it. If you slip up for even a moment it's over. Everything is on the line.

"Now show me your will!" He shouts, letting his energy fire in a massive beam that pushes even Shadow back. You throw your hands forward, palms mere inches apart, and release another beam swirling with your colours. The beams clash in an instant, pushing water, clouds, and earth back for miles. The only thing that remains is a small bit of land you're standing on, and even that's lonely.

You grind your teeth as you feel the massive strain being put on your body. There's so much weight you're pushing against with just your two hands, so much power in such a small area. The beams have small specs of energy flying off as they push against one another. Second by second the power and density grows thanks to their users. Shadow pushes his body forward in a useless attempt to gain the upper hand. The entire planet starts shaking as it can no longer handle the immense pressure you're putting on it. Pieces of the earth all around the planet start lifting into the atmosphere, taking pieces of buildings, plants, animals, and any other unfortunate object that happens to be brought up. The tectonic plates of the earth shift, tearing apart cities and landmarks. Lava flows out from the cracks to swallow anything in its path.

You're pushed to the ground you use while Shadow is thrown farther up. The flares of each beam circles around it, becoming its own entity entirely. A constant wind is shot from your location preventing anything from coming close to you. Even Rhaegos wouldn't be able to approach this clash now. Your bones and muscles are falling apart just from taking part in this clash. Neither of your bodies can keep this going for any longer.

"You won't take my future away from me!" Shadow howls, hunching forward and putting every last ounce of power he has into the blast.

It expands at an alarming rate, The size of his blast exceeds that of Arendelle, and thus it begins overtaking you.

"I could say the same... to YOU!"

You throw your body forward, putting nearly everything you have into the blast. It equals Shadow's, thus stopping his advance before it can truly begin. But this is it. All of Shadow's power is in this attack. He has absolutely nothing left. Everything is being bet on this final attack for him.

You wince as you feel both the weight of the blast increase and the earth fall apart. There's no time left. Something has to happen.

Shadow's slightly pushed back by the power you've thrown into the blast. He isn't betting everything carelessly, however. He knows full well that this clash will tear your bodies apart. However your body is more injured than his, thus you'll end up giving in before him. There's nothing left but to wait you out until he eventually-

The blast in front of him breaks apart as you burst from it, right in front of him. Your eyes are sharp, fist clenches, body tense. Shadow cannot react. He just watches as your charged fist inches closer and closer. Behind you, despite seeing his energy blast, he can clearly see an ethereal Dragon made of bright colours.

"DRAGON SOUL!" You scream, shoving your fist straight into Shadow's gut.

Shadow screams as you push him farther and farther into the sky. You're unseeable anymore by Shadow. It's only the Dragon. Finally, once passing over the clouds, the Dragon's mouth opens and swallows Shadow whole.

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You and Shadow stand in the middle of a completely empty space in time. Unlike the other times when it was completely white, the surroundings mimic your aura and eyes in its ever changing fashion.

"You... how did you..."

"My body wasn't going to outlast yours, I knew that," you say, crossing your arms and taking a breath. "But you were more fatigued – you had less power."

Shadow shakes his head, scorning himself.

"Huh... you're more perceptive than I gave you credit for... and I lost because of that."

"Shadow... I didn't know you... that I took your life away from you," your eyes drift to the non-existent plain. "I guess I just thought we'd be together forever, or..."

"Please," he chuckles. "You knew something had to happen. Don't lie to me. It's true that I don't like the results, but by no means will I be a poor loser. You bested me. There's nothing else to it. My dream, and by extension, Alistair's dream dies."

You clench your fist then adamantly shake your head.

"Shadow, you're right." Shadow raises a brow at your words. "I don't like the thought of ruling over people, and I won't, but... you have a point. I don't think I can just sit by with this much power and not do anything. After everything I've been through... seeing Ryu and Carnage, Elsa and Anna, and Hunter... I can't hide away anymore. I promise you, Shadow, as my best friend, I will carry on your will."

Shadow snickers.

"A regular super hero, huh?" Shadow crosses his arms. "You do what you want, (Y/N). You proved your path was correct. But... if you really mean what you say..." Shadow raises his arm diagonally. "Then I'll wish you luck. You're a Drakon. You're the last one standing. Shape the world as you see fit."

You hesitantly raise your arm and touch forearms like you did years ago. Shadow adopts a smile that you've never seen his face bear. It only lasts a millisecond before his body dissipates into small particles that surround your body. They fall on you like snowflakes, melting into your skin until he is no more. Just like that, the shadow finds light and disappears.

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The Dragon evaporates leaving you completely out of energy. Your Drakon form deactivates as your eyes close and you fall towards the dark below. For a brief moment time returns to normal for you but stops entirely right after. You land on a platform of water a few meters below, spreading out like a starfish as you breathe heavily.

"Rain..? No... this is..."

A massive beast breaks through the water and hovers just over you. It's beautiful scales and shining figure nearly blind you.

"The Leviathan... Vespera," you mutter.

"I see your father has spoken of me. Well, not your real father but I see your Dragon side, not your human one," she speaks in a calming voice that puts your mind at ease. "You're the cause of much grief and work for us, you know? We had to contain your timeline during your fight. It took all of us working as one to keep the timeline together for this long."

"Hehehe, sorry... It's not like I wanted this to happen," you say with clear signs of exhaustion.

"It matters little. I've taken the necessary procedures to rectify your damage to this planet. It's returned to normal, at least in a geographical sense. No more cracks in the earth, spills of lava, rampaging elements. Your civilizations problems are something I won't touch. You'll have to deal with that."

You lift your back off the ground and assume a sitting position.

"Yeah, I got that. Thank you, Vespera."

"No need. I am the guardian of the world, this timeline. That doesn't mean you can do this again, however," she says in almost a joking tone.

You snicker.

"I won't. I guess I have things to do," you say, moving now to your feet.

"One word of warning before you go, (Y/N)," she starts. "You took the other one's power again. You're amplified your Drakon power three times now."

You look down at your hands.

So that's what he did. Does that mean... if Rhaegos said I'd be a six hundred and twenty-five... and he was... what power did you entrust with me, Shadow?

"I suggest proceeding with caution. Your strength is not meant for mortals. You might cause a rebellion by the other half-breeds in your timeline."

"Other half-breeds? You mean there's more than just Drakons?" You take a step towards her.

She snickers in amusement like a mother to a child.

"And in the end, you are just mortal," is her final words before she slithers back into the depths of the ocean and freeing time from its pause.

With your perception of time slowed now that the battle is over, rain starts falling then stops immediately thanks to Vespula. You can feel all the natural disasters fade away and the earth correct its placement.

"She really did fix everything. I thought I'd have to do it. Well... I guess I have a lot of work to do. I should find Elsa first! Anna and Kristoff too!"

You attempt to take off and... achieve it. You stop a second later realizing you're flying without your Drakon form activated. You look at your body once more as if there's a visible change.

"You really did give me something special, huh, Shadow? I won't let it go to waste!"

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Alec and Elsa experience the scariest minute of their life. Constant explosions and shaking every second makes it feel like they're going to die any second. But soon enough it all just stops. Elsa and Alec share a look, neither having an answer to this sudden pause. Alec grabs the remote and starts checking satellite coverage of the planet.

"What the... everything's back to normal? No rain, tornadoes, earthquakes? What happened?"

"Is (Y/N) okay?"

Alec flips through every camera until he spots you walking into W.A Industries. He turns off the T.V and heads for the door.

"Come on, he's here!"

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"Hunter brought them in here, right? Where did they go?" You ponder to yourself as you look around the lobby of the building.

Soon enough an elevator noise catches your ear and you turn your attention to said elevator. The doors open revealing Elsa and Alec. You smile at the beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes of your beloved. You dash across the ground and catch Elsa in a hug, spinning around as you go higher into the air.

"Elsa! I... it's finally over. I can hug you and... I can..." You lose your train of thought and simply hug her even tighter.

She hugs you tightly, though half of it being out of the fear of falling.

"Um, do you mind if you go back to the ground?" She nervously laughs.

"Oh, right!"

You lower the two of you back to ground level just beside Alec. You break apart and look at the Westergaard.

"So, you defeated Shadow?" Alec inquires.

"Yeah... No Monarch anymore. In fact, I think the entire Hierarchy should disband. I'll see to that."

Alec nods in approval.

"I agree. But that's easier said than done. Besides, the planet is... well, your battle did a toll on a lot."

You rub the back of your head nervously.

"Yeah, we kinda got carried away. I'll try and do all I can. Maybe you can help, Elsa?" You turn your head to her.

"Of course. I'll allocate as many resources as possible to rebuilding Arendelle and all other cities affected by... you," she softly scolds.

You cross your arms and look out the glass door of the building.

"There's a lot to do. But first I want to see Anna and Kristoff. Alec, do you-"

"I'll get things started. First we have to let the people know that they're safe. There's a lot to clean up but I'll see to the first steps."

"I knew I could count on you. Elsa, let's go tell your sister the good news!"

You pick Elsa up and fly towards the entrance.

"H-Hey! What's with this flying thing!"

"It's faster, trust me. I'll go slow," you laugh.

You bring her outside then fly above the city. The destruction is clear to see for both of you, putting a dark cloud over your head.

"We'll rebuild," she reassures you, pecking your cheek.

"I know... Well, let's go!" You fly towards your house at a slower pace so Elsa can handle it. "Let's see where this takes us!"

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The remaining members of the Hierarchies breathe easy knowing their organization isn't in complete shambles, yet now their Monarch is dead and no one is fit to take the place. They remain silent around the table as each has their own thoughts on how to move forward. You'll come for them eventually and they have no defense against someone like you.

"So what do we do? Will we let our own project be the end of us?"

"It seems like Alistair wanted it that way."

"But what do we do now? We can't just wait for him to come for us."

The door at the end of the room opens revealing a face none have seen for years. Erik Westergaard walks in with confidence in each step. He takes a free seat and sets his arms on the table.

"Oh, he won't be an issue under my Hierarchy."

Holy crap it's done... sort of. Still, the main story, the actual listed chapters are finally over. An epilogue will be coming in the next few days! You'd think I'd have more to say but I'll save it for the epilogue when the story really ends. I have a lot to say in the next author's note so... well, I'm just glad you all were here to read. Thank you. Thank you all for reading up to this point. I hope this chapter lived up to... whatever expectations you had. Again, this isn't the technical end so I'm not ending it with a cliffhanger and a flying through the air ending, don't worry. I have an ending in mind that I've been saving since Act 2. I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you again in a few days!

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