Disclaimer: This is it; the final chapter. I do not own the WWE programming, in ring talent, announcers or the divas, nor do I own the venues.

The Road to WrestleMania: One Man's Journey to the Top
Chapter XVI; Finale
All That Remains

It was Sunday morning when Drake was awakened by his wake up call find himself alone in his hotel room. Today was the day for which he had trained and sacrificed since his teen years. After taking several minutes to get his gear together, Drake walked out of the door to the nearest elevator. He met up with Shawn Michaels in the lobby before they would be on their way to the First Mariner Arena for WrestleMania. By the time they even exited the hotel, there was a sea of people screaming for the WWE superstars; especially for Drake Williams, the hometown boy. He was so overwhelmed by the reaction of his Baltimore brethren that he almost fainted. The last time Drake was in Baltimore he was blaming them for his previous depression, but now they were cheering for him. No doubt they have long since forgiven him as Drake entered the limousine with his Shawn Michaels.

Later that day, as the final preparations were being made to the Mania set, Drake was sitting in the ring. He seemed to have a lot on his young mind and rightfully so; he was going to compete in the main event of the biggest show of the year. Plus his whole family and friends would be there to watch him compete. To him, it seemed like only yesterday when Drake Williams made his debut in the WWE. Now just three years later, the Crusader finds himself in the biggest match of his life. Drake was brought out of his daydreaming by the production crew's testing of the pyrotechnics for the opening display. Drake got to his feet and was about to leave the ring when he saw someone out of the corner of his eyes. It turned out to be the WWE Champion Edge, as he locked eyes with Drake. The two would face off later that night in the final match of the show. Everything was on the line.

Several hours passed and the opening fireworks ignited to kick off WrestleMania in the First Mariner Arena. The Baltimore crowd was absolutely electric as Joey Styles, Jerry "The King" Lawler and the Coach welcome everyone to the show. The Raw announce team introduced Michael Cole and Tazz from Smackdown, who in turn introduced the Spanish announce team. The music of Matt Hardy hit the arena and Matt Hardy came out as the WWE United States Champion. Meanwhile in the backstage area, Drake was sitting alone in his locker room watching the show. He noticed he friends and family in the front row of ringside; Stephanie McMahon had kept her word. A knock on the door brought out of his trans and switched off the monitor.

"Come on in." he said. The door opened to reveal Christy Hemme. Drake was stunned to see her. "Christy, what're you doing here?"

"You think I'd want to miss out on WrestleMania?" She asked. "Well actually, I wanted to see you."

"Me?" Drake asked. "Why me?" Christy sat down beside him and said, "I thought you'd want some encouragement, seeing as this is a big night for you." Drake smiled and said, "Yeah, big time. Listen, I uh, wanted to thank you for sticking with me even after you left."

"I would've stuck with anyway, Drake," Christy said. "You don't have to thank me." Christy pulled Drake to hers and kissed him, something Drake never expected from her. After breaking away, Christy said, "That was for luck. This is your night, so go beyond the league."

Christy stood up from her seat and went to the door; she would look back at Drake for a moment before leaving. The support from the woman he loved was the one thing that Drake all along and Christy was right about one thing; tonight is Drake's night. All through the night, many of the Crusader's strongest supporters came to him and gave him they're blessings as the main event drew closer. Shawn Michaels stopped by to join Drake in prayer as the second to last match came to an end. A stage hand entered the locker room to tell Drake that it was time for the match. Drake and Shawn got up and shook hands before Drake took his leave; the time has finally come for the biggest match of his life. In the arena, Howard Finkle made the official announcement. Edge was the first to come out as the current WWE Champion and undefeated at WrestleMania.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and is for the WWE Championship. Introducing first from Toronto, Canada weighing two hundred forty-five pounds the WWE Champion Edge."

Lita was not present with Edge because Mr. McMahon had barred all parties from the ring side area, otherwise they would be fired on the spot. Meanwhile, Drake was at the gorilla position on one knee; he was taking one last moment to pray and or get pumped up. The loudspeakers in the arena went silent for a few minutes and the Baltimore crowd heavily chanted for their hometown boy; Drake Williams had goose bumps running down his arms as he waited the signal. The production chief gave the signal to queue Drake entrance music. The whole crowd erupted as the opening riffs played on the loudspeakers. Drake Williams appeared on the stage as the challenger as the Baltimore faithful went ballistic for the Crusader.

"Introducing the challenger weighing two hundred forty eight pounds," Finkle announced. "He is Baltimore's own Drake Williams."

The crowd exploded at the announcement as Drake entered the ring and came face to face with Edge. The referee came between them to give them rules; this match is for the WWE Championship and as per instructed by Mr. McMahon, the title could change hands not only by pin fall or submission, but also by disqualification or count out. This was a must win for both men as Edge handed the title to the referee and he backed away from Drake, who did the same. The referee held the belt high above his head before handing to the time keeper and signal for the bell to start the match.

Edge and Drake circle around the ring trying as the crowd chanted for the Crusader. Edge looked at them in disgust while Drake was quite amused; the Crusader then held out his arm as if calling to a higher power. They finally locked up and powered each other against the ropes before breaking it up; then Edge smacked Drake in the face and garnered a chorus of boos from the crowd. Drake held the soft spot and just snickered before returning the favor on Edge; and the crowd loved it. Too bad Edge did not as he and Drake locked up again and performed a series of chain-wrestling to start off. Drake quickly started out wrestling Edge and getting the Champion in numerous rollups on the Champion, prompting Edge to bail out of the ring.

Drake stayed in the ring waiting for Edge, who was pacing outside the ring and he needed to be careful because he can lose the title on a count out. The Champion returned to the ring and once again locked up with Drake. The Crusader slipped in a headlock on Edge, who threw Drake into the ropes only to get knocked to the mat. Drake ran the ropes as Edge rolled to his gut, then leaped over Drake as he ran under Edge; but Drake stopped behind Edge. As soon as Edge turned around, Drake viciously slapped the Champion and sent Edge spiraling out of the ring. The Baltimore crowd went nuts for their hometown boy; all the while Edge was getting real pissed off. He even screamed at the audience to shut up, but of course they only got louder.

Drake could not wait any longer and went after Edge who ran around ringside before slipping back into the ring. Drake followed and got stomped on by the Champion before Edge picked him up and hit a snap suplex for a one count. Edge stayed on the challenger with firemen's carry for another one count. The Champion picked up Drake and tried for the Edgecution but Drake fought out of it before looking for the Celestial. Edge scurried out of position only for Drake to clothesline him over the top rope and to the floor in front of the announce tables. The Crusader followed and bounced Edge's head off the Raw table before tossing him back into the ring; Drake would follow and strike Edge with a swinging neck breaker for a near fall.

The Crusader was in control of the WWE Champion, much to the delight of the crowd. Drake picked Edge up to deliver some very hard knife edge chops, sending the Champion bouncing off the ropes with every blow. Then Edge plowed through Drake with a clothesline out of the nowhere followed by a low dropkick to the midsection. Edge brought Drake back to his and tried as Irish whip but Drake managed to reverse it. Edge ducked under another clothesline but still ran into a face buster and covered Edge for a near fall.

Drake waited for Edge to get back up and ran off the ropes; Edge saw it coming and gave Drake a flapjack onto the top rope, sending Drake crashing to the outside. Right then and there, the momentum was the corner of the WWE Champion. Edge went out of the ring to stalk his prey and drove his knee into the midsection, hoping to wear out that area. Edge went so far as to drop Drake on the barricade in front of Drake's family before blatantly flipping them off. While the gesture earned Edge a chorus of boos, the WWE Champion did not give a damn as he rolled Drake back into the ring for a near fall.

The WWE Champion worked on the midsection of Drake Williams and locked in the body scissors submission hold, thus making it hard for the Crusader to breathe. The Baltimore started chanting "Lets go Drake" to try and will the boy back into the match. Edge even grabbed the hair of the challenger but doing so prompted the ref to tell Edge to release the hold. When Edge refused, the referee starting counting and only then did Edge leg go of the hold; if he had not, he would have been disqualified, meaning the title would change hand. Edge stood up and got in the referee's face, and the distraction bought Drake enough time to recover and then nip up.

As soon as Edge turned around, Drake fired back with hard rights before shooting Edge off the ropes; but Edge came back with a Spear out of nowhere. Drake rolled back to the outside and was holding his midsection as Edge followed. The Champion dropped his victim on the Spanish table before climbing up himself; then Edge got Drake in position for an Edgecution. Drake fought out of it and hit a belly to belly suplex on Edge all the way to the Smackdown announce table, which prompted a "Holy Shit" chant for the audience. The referee checked on both guys before administering a count out.

Drake and Edge made it back inside the ring at a count of eight before they collided with a double clothesline. Again the referee made the count before Edge was able to drape arm over Drake for another near fall. Edge picked up Drake, who suddenly scooped up the Champion for the Celestial but Edge escaped and hit the Edge-o-Matic for a two count. As Edge tried to pick Drake up again, the Crusader somehow tripped Edge and locked in the Sharpshooter. The crowd went nuts for the Crusader as he applied as much pressure as he could on the Champion before it to the bottom rope. Drake brought Edge to his feet and got in position for the Celestial; but Edge escape again and shoved Drake into the referee, knocking him out. Edge once again went for the Edgecution but Drake countered and hit a German suplex followed by two more. Drake went for the cover but there was no ref to count the fall.

Drake tried to revive the official but it was futile and Edge sneaked in a low blow from behind. Edge followed that up with the Edgecution and made the cover, but still know referee. Edge went back outside and grabbed the title belt from the timekeeper before returning to the ring. Moments later, Edge nailed Drake in the face with the belt and revived the ref before making the cover. The referee, though still groggy, made the count but Drake somehow got a shoulder up; and Edge was in disbelief. The WWE Champion set Drake on the turnbuckle and came off with a superplex and covered Drake again; and again the Crusader kicked out. Edge went to the opposite corner and set Drake up for the Spear and charged. Edge nailed the Spear on Drake and the referee and Edge made the cover but again the ref was slow to make the count. The official finally counted and once again, Drake kicked out and Edge could not believe his dumb luck.

Edge threw every right hand he could muster before running off the ropes, and right into a spine buster from Drake. The Crusader draped an arm over the Champion just as the referee was coming back to life. The official got a long near fall as Edge got his shoulder off the mat. What a hell of a match! Drake peppered Edge with rights before coming off the roped and walking into a dropkick from the Champion. Instead of making the cover, Edge went outside and grabbed a steel chair. Once back inside, Edge measured his prey while ignoring the ref; evening scaring him away from the ring for a moment. As soon as Drake pulled himself up with the ropes, Edge took a major swing at the Crusader, but Drake ducked just in time and the chair bounced off the ropes and back into Edge's skull. The Champion was knocked loopy and walked into right into the Celestial and Drake finally hit the move with everything he had left. The Crusader made the cover as the ref administered the three count. All of the attendance in the First Mariner Arena absolutely erupted; for the hometown boy, Drake Williams has done the impossible.

"The winner of this bout and," Howard Finkle said, "the NEW WWE Champion, Drake Williams."

Drake climbed out of the ring and leaped out into the crowd in celebration because he had finally reached the top of the mountain in the WWE. After Drake came back to ringside, the referee handed the title to Drake as he climbed onto the Raw table and the crowd went insane for him. Drake returned to the ring where Christy was waiting for him and two kissed each other and embraced. Drake then invited his family and friends into the ring for the big celebration; and even Shawn Michaels came down to the ring to congratulate the new Champion. The two friends who were like father and son, embraced in the ring surrounded by Drake's family. Drake climbed onto the middle turnbuckle with his family, Shawn Michaels and Christy behind him as Drake Williams held the WWE Championship above him as his hometown of Baltimore cheered and the fireworks went off from above as WrestleMania came to a close.

So it was, the journey has come an end for Drake Williams, as now he went from a boy with a dream to a rookie, to the Crusader and to the WWE Champion. Having finally reached the top of the WWE, the boyhood dream has come true for Drake Williams.

The End.

Author's note: Well, that's it. I hope you'll enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Send in any comments you wish to state.

For Eddie Guerrero, a true WWE Champion.
Thank you.