Disclaimer - I own nothing in this that I haven't already said. I own the Shadow Man and the Princess. I own nothing else. Thank you, come again.

Last chapter provided the climax; Ness finally defeats the Shadow Man. Everyone starts celebrating in their spots, but Ness feels there isn't something right. What was it that Ness felt? Was there something he missed with the Shadow Man? Find out, in this ultimate climax, in the final chapter of EarthBound: The Attack of the Shadow Man!

Oh, and Robin, 'writer's block?' No, it's more the horrible 'can't be stuffed to upload a chapter' laziness thing, but you'll all forgive me right?

Warning: This is going to be the longest chapter in the entire story, this contains the entire events of the last battle with Trigas.

Chapter 15: The Greatest Battle, the Battle Universebound:

"Something isn't right..." Ness thought Ness looked at the Shadow Man. He was lying there, on his side, presumably dead. "If the Shadow Man is dead, why do I feel something missing?" Ness thought. "Trigas! What mockery are you planning!" Ness yelled. Then, in a blinding flash of memory it all came to him. He finally understood. "I don't believe it.the Shadow Man was merely a cover for the ultimate trap? It can't be!" Ness was staring at the Shadow Man, lying there unconscious. 'IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE FINALLY ENTERED THE REALIZATION ZONE, EARTHBOUND FOOL!' Everyone looked around, but the voice didn't come from Shadow Man or from the speakers. It seemed to come from within the Shadow Man himself 'YES, EARTHBOUND ONE, THAT THEY CALL 'NESS'. THE SHADOW MAN WAS MERELY A COVER FOR MY ULTIMATE FORM!' Everyone looked with horror at the voice coming from within Shadow Man. 'BUT NESS, I CONGRATULATE YOU. YOU HAD MORE POWER THAN I THOUGHT IF YOU COULD BEAT THE SHADOW MAN AT FULL POWER WITH YOUR FULL POWER. IT HAS SOMETHING EVEN I DIDN'T RECOGNISE. THE POWER OF TRUE FORM. THE POWER I HAVE HIDDEN FROM YOU FOR ALL TIME. THIS WAS A BODY I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO KEEP, BUT NOW IT IS GONE, BEYOND REPAIR.' The Shadow Man started to glow with an awesome power. 'NOW, NESS! STEP FORTH! MY TRUE POWER WILL BE UNLEASHED! THE FORM BEYOND ALL! I AM NO LONGER THE SHADOW MAN... I...AM...TRIGAS!!!!!!!! The black mist from before began to seep out of the Shadow Man's body. This time, it just stayed out while the Shadow Man lied there, unconscious of all. The black mist tried to take shape. It took the shape of a man in the end (the black mist looked in the shape of a man, it wasn't actually a man). It leered at Ness, and at everyone. 'I...AM...TRIGAS!!!!!!!!' It repeated, 'I...AM THE ULTIMATE...DESTROYER! THE SHADOW MAN WAS A WEAKNESS TO MY FORM, A FORM I COULD DEFEAT YOU WITH, AND HAVE EVERYONE KNOW AND FEAR. BUT NOW, YOU WENT AND BLEW THAT PLAN ALL DOWN THE DRAIN. I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER TO DESTROY YOUR UNIVERSE, NESS, AND YOURS, EARTHBOUND ONES!!!!' Trigas yelled, pointing at the others. 'NOW, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS GAME! IT MUST END, LIKE YOU SAID, NESS! GET READY! THE ULTIMATE BATTLE BEGIN NOW! YOU...NOW...DIE!!!!!!!!' Trigas formed a sword and did a slash and Ness with it. Ness blocked it, but this time he had to work harder (Ness is still in his PSI Charge Form, and with this, I believe they're both even) and a heated battle occurred. The rest of Ness' friends are, like true, loyal, helpful friends (note sarcasm), standing there watching Ness fight Trigas. It was something to see, so it's no wonder they're just standing there. A blast of PSI Energy was hurled between the two occasionally, and otherwise they were just belting each other with their weapons. Power flowed between the two and you couldn't see anything. "PSI Super Rockin' Alpha!" Ness yelled as the blast slammed into Trigas, "Destructive Blast of Doom!" Trigas yelled back and the blast stung Ness heavily. Had he not been in PSI Charge Omega that would have easily killed him. Ness swung underneath and hit Trigas 'stomach' with his bat, while he received a sword to the face for his efforts. Both realised that the battle was going nowhere. Both needed some help. And Trigas spotted it in a cage near-by the corner. Pokey also spotted it. He was looking at Giygas, trapped in the cage and unable to do anything. "CRUD! We've got a major problem here...guys? WAKE UP, DAM IT!!!" Everybody (apart from Ness, Trigas and Shadow Man) looks at Pokey. "Trigas is going to try to fuse with Giygas! If that happens, there's no way Ness can beat him?" "Well what do you expect us to do?" "There is...something you can do..." Everybody turned, including Ness, and Trigas, their battle momentarily stopped for a while. The Shadow Man, rose to his knees, regaining consciousness, and smiling. "I know who you think I am. Just some mere body possessed by Trigas. But that isn't true. I am a person, Ness." The Shadow Man could barely stand up, but he did, and he looked Ness right in the eyes as he did it. The boy was smaller, he seemed as small as Ness now. "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you, Ness. I didn't mean to do what I did. But this stupid ghost possessed me. He cocked up a small ball of PSI Energy, and threw it in Trigas general direction, receiving unbelieving stares from everyone (they thought that it was only Trigas using his PSI Energy inside the boy). "I've caused you despair and doom. And Mr. Saturn, don't worry, the other Mr. Saturn's are safe. But I have to do my last will. You can't all stay here. A few can, but you, Mr. Saturn, and you, Dr. Andonuts, must leave. You too, Pokey. There is nothing more you can do here. I am sorry to separate you from your friends, but you being here will only be another target for Trigas. "How dare you! I can defend myself quite fine, Shadow Man!" The boy took a chuckle to this. "Hmmm, Dr. Andonuts, I know you can defend yourself, but there is little you or Mr. Saturn can do against the great and evil Trigas. And I'm ashamed that you don't realise. I am not the Shadow Man. I never had been, and I never will be. I'm sorry to do this." The boy threw PSI Energy at Dr. Andonuts, Mr. Saturn and Pokey. It didn't hurt them, however, but they de-materialized. "Ness, they've been sent back to Saturn Valley. The rest of you, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING HERE. You must will your energy on Ness. The more power within him, the more ability he has to defeat Trigas. All can do something, but it's with you the power lies. I'm sorry, Ness. There's nothing more I can help you with. Only one thing. The boy opened the cage and let Giygas out. Then he jumped on Giygas back, Giygas not struggling to do anything. "I'm sorry, Ness, I wish I could have gotten to know you better, my only kin. But now I must part from this world. It was meant to be. Good- bye.........brother........." "Brother?!" Ness yelled, "WAIT!!" But nothing he could do would stop the boy reaching his goal. ".PSI Starball Suicide!!!" All the PSI he had in his entire life came out from him, causing him pain like nothing before. The thing came out Giygas, and everything in it was shocked to death. Giygas was killed as soon as the blast descended. "SHADOW MAN!!" Ness yelled, in despair. He ran over to the boy, who looked at Ness, with a smile on his face. "No, brother. I am not the Shadow Man. I never was. Forgive me, Ness. The boy fell over and collapsed. "NO!! YOU MUSN'T DIE!!! DAMN IT!!!" Ness screamed, spewing random vulgarities. Everyone was staring at him like he'd sawn just sawn off somebody's head. He suddenly turned and faced Trigas with so much hate in his eyes it seemed like the fires of hell themselves were burning in his eyes. "You...YOU!!!! GGGAAHHHHHH!!!!" Ness let out an almost un-earthly scream and ran towards Giygas like a man gone mad. He got out his bat and simply whacked the evil thing like it was the end of the world, which it would be if Trigas weren't defeated. "WHOA!" Jeff was amazed, "This power scanner shows that Ness has the advantage! And by the looks of it, it'll be enough to kill Trigas!" Everybody saw indeed that Ness had the advantage by far. They turned back to the battle, Paula first. "Please, Ness...you have to succeed for us all..." Paula willed silently. "Not again! Please tell me WHAT THE HECK YOU'RE DOING SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR NOTHING?!" a voice erupted in Paula's mind. "W...Who's that?" Paula thought. "It's me again, Buzz Buzz. And stop with the over-dramatic thing, it's really annoying at these times. And haven't you noticed? Ness, even if he is going medieval on Trigas butt, is not going to be able to keep this up forever. Trigas is getting more and more powerful. You have to help him eventually. I'm leaving you with that remark. Now you must decide what to do. Goodbye." Buzz Buzz's voice faded out. Paula just stood there staring at Ness.

Meanwhile, Ness was having a difficult time taking out Trigas, now Trigas had charged to his full power, to keep up with Ness, and they were even in power. Ness couldn't look cooler as many PSI Super Rockin' Alpha attacks came blasting into Trigas. Nothing was working, and the giant wouldn't be stopped. And Ness was starting to tire. He knew that well. But he kept on fighting. And it was so even it seemed neither was getting a scratch. Nothing was working as the two battled for what seemed like ages. With the battle, time and reality itself began to slip away, the world becoming a starry background as the two fought with nothing else anywhere.

Everyone could see Ness was beginning to tire, but Trigas wasn't (typical plotline, huh?). Only Paula was actually thinking along the lines of Buzz Buzz. Suddenly, something in her mind simply snapped. She wheeled around behind and quickly yelled out, "WHY AREN'T WE DOING ANYTHING?!!" She quickly ran into the fray before they could say anything. "Jeez, I am stupid for doing this, but who cares?" Jeff rushed off after her, followed by Poo. The Princess just stood back and looked at them. "The danger is always extreme, but they'll do it. I cannot do anything here. I can only sit back and watch.

Ness only blocked a swing from Trigas sword in time to see three characters run into and attack Trigas. He couldn't look for long. Trigas was simply attacking again. Ness noticed though he was trying to attack behind him. Without time to wonder why, he kept whacking Trigas stupid. Being unable to hit from behind and in front of the same time, he suffered the full blow of the crazily powered Legendary Bat. It quickly brought him to his knees. The three attacking from behind also annoyed him greatly. Trigas could take one on, but he was falling to the Chosen Four. Suddenly, it sheathed its sword and grabbed Ness by the neck. It then faced the others behind it and triumphantly shouted, "HAH! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW? THIS TIME I HAVE NESS, AND HE'S AS GOOD AS DEAD UNLESS YOU DO WHAT I SAY! GET AWAY FROM MY BACK SO I CAN FACE HIM IN HONOURABLE COMBAT!" "Honourable?" Jeff figuratively threw the words out of his mouth. "HONOURABLE?! You wouldn't know honourable if your life depended on it! You took Ness' brother, tried to get him to kill Ness, caused world destruction, kidnapped Giygas himself, YES, GIYGAS HIMSELF, in order to destroy the world, and now you say you want an HONOURABLE match?!" "WHO'S MORE IMPORTANT? YOU THREE, OR NESS? MAKE UP YOUR MIND!" Ness remained silent. He just stared at open space and looked gallant, even when he was being choked to death. He stared there, still in his PSI Charge Form. He knew death was coming to him. He looked down for his last look at his friends, Jeff, Poo, and...Paula. As the thought of the entire adventures he'd had with her came back to his mind, a tear rolled down his cheek, and then he went into death, his eyes shutting for the last time.

Paula stood looking up at Ness. She'd seen his last tear rolling down his cheek...for her. And now all she loved had gone to waste. Ness was dead, and the world was doomed. It seemed impossible to believe. Trigas simply laughed and threw the dead body over his soldier into the wall. He then faced the other three, knowing he could easily defeat them. Jeff and Poo, ran for their life (not because they wanted to leave Paula to do that, but if you were faced with certain death by murder, what would you do?). Paula didn't run. She faced Trigas herself, her eyes level with Trigas. And then she let out the most horrendous scream that everyone who heard never forgot, "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" All the rage in Paula's mind at seeing Ness die was let out in that one scream. A power unknown began to work on Paula's mind, and she began to overflow with power. It rushed through every vein of her body, and soon an incredible change came over her. She was glowing with power, her eyes and her frying pan. And it looked like she had more then enough energy to spend as she faced the evil thing.

Paula gripped her Holy Frying Pan in one hand and went medieval on Trigas. Trigas couldn't understand her speed and power, and he couldn't hit the girl either as she was almost invisible with speed and more than a match for Trigas. Trigas understood that he couldn't do this. He grabbed his sword and swung at Paula, but Paula simply dodged it, ran beside, and swung. "NO MORE FUN AND GAMES! NOW YOU MUST TASTE MY FULL POTENTIAL!!" Trigas absorbed power like it was the end of the world. The Trigas became an oversized, muscled man, and now had power equal to Paula. The two began battling, much like Ness and Trigas had done before. Jeff and Poo looked at Paula. She was doing a good job, but would she perish, just like Ness? It seemed inevitable that no matter what they did, Death would claim them. Poo said, "Well, this is the end, I guess. Ness is dead, Paula will probably die just like Ness, and we'll be dead, the world is doomed. "Oh well," Jeff sighed, "At least we had fun, got to know each other better. Ness really was a great guy. But it had to be Paula. "Yes," Poo nodded in agreement, "Paula had to have loved him. There was no bond stronger than those two together. Anyone with half a brain could have seen it. "Did she...love...me?" An unknown voice asked from behind them, but nobody recognised someone else was speaking. "Yep, she really loved you, Ness, and this battling is for you. Even in death she still loves you. "She...loves...me?" That unknown voice inquired again. "Yes, my friend, Ness, she loved you with all her heart. It pained her greatly to see you go. You are the only reason we still have a small hope of winning." "Then...I...can't...let...her...down..." the unknown voice struggled to get out. "Wait a minute........WHAT THE HECK?!!" Both shouted out as they looked behind him at the pile of rubble that buried Ness. Or had, anyway. There, standing in front of the pile of rubble, breathing heavily, still in PSI Charge form, was none other than Ness. "She did this...all for me...I won't let her down! I'M COMING, PAULA!!!" Ness yelled as he rushed back into the fighting.

Paula had not noticed anything, and suddenly Trigas felt a pain equal to Paula's in his back. He looked back, and received a smash from Paula's frying pan and Ness's legendary bat at the same time. This couldn't go on. Trigas knew he was defeated. Trigas fell to his knees, letting the pain overwhelm him. "I...misjudged you...you are much stronger, together, than apart. I...underestimated your power. But you are the Chosen Four, and I now know that my prophecy cannot come to pass. I accept defeat. Finish me off." "PSI GLACIAL FREEZE OMEGA!!!" Paula yelled "PSI SUPER ROCKIN' OMEGA!!!" Ness yelled, at exactly the same time as Paula. The two greatest attacks slammed into Trigas. "I may have failed, but Giygas is still alive! One day, he'll be back. But I'm finished. I congratulate you. You have potential I have never seen. Good luck in the future, Chosen Four." An honourable speech came from Trigas, before he was utterly destroyed. Paula laughed happily, and then collapsed into unconsciousness. Ness walked over, picked her up, and silently told the others that they were going back home. And thus, the Shadow Man's base remained until the end of time undisturbed. The show isn't over yet. The Epilogue is still approaching! But this is the last chapter of the adventure. The war against the Shadow Man is now over.

Wait until the Epilogue, if you want to see some special stuff (there may be some romance, but remember, it's G, possibly PG, so if you want anything...more hardcore, change to R.)

The End...

For Now...

And thanks to all who reviewed this fanfiction! Soon as I get everything ready I'll make sure to add all your names in the epilogue.