Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Bakugan Battle Brawlers or any of the characters in the first few chapters.
Prologue
Sunlight filtered down through the leaves of a willow tree, dappling the grass with gold as a warm breeze ruffled the reddish brown hair of the teen gazing up at the sky. All was calm as she watched clouds float by in slow motion. Even the birds and insects were strangely quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the whisper of the wind through the trees. It started in the east, and then slowly meandered its way down until it brushed across her face and clothes. But the mind of the nineteen year old was filled with unrest.
Alice's thoughts drifted back to the events of a day much like this some five years past. She remembered him clearly…his spiked blond hair, his white trenchcoat, the blue visor that made it impossible to read his emotions if it were not for the occasional smirk or frown that betrayed them. The day she remembered so vividly was the first time they had talked face to face, despite her being well aware of, and indeed part of, his presence for so long.
A brown haired teen dressed in red and yellow offered his hand to the blond. An offer of friendship, as a way to thank his unlikely savior for protecting him from defeat. From the darkness that would enshroud Vestroia should that occur. His hand lingered in the air. Dan waited. So much depended on this moment.
His rescuer refused. The casual gesture of friendship triggered an unexpectedly pivotal event in the masked boy's mind. He retreated into a different dimension of sorts, where he would tell his other half about his decision. A decision that he felt was the right one. She did not take it lightly…much as he expected.
"No, please…don't leave! We still need your help Masquerade!" Alice shouted to him, eyes wide in disbelief.
"I cannot help you…that destiny is yours alone." Although his eyes were shielded under a plane of blue glass, his tone of voice revealed only the deepest sincerity. He had faith in her.
"No, I can't…not all by myself. I've only begun to learn about Bakugan, and I feel so inexperienced. It's all too much for me." Her voice was soft, unsure. The one she spoke to was but a few feet away, but she felt like they were worlds apart. In a way, they were.
"You will be fine. I know you can do it!" Confidence shown through his voice. Confidence that Alice could only hope for.
"But how?"
"Don't you know? It's because I AM you. Here, have this." In the palm of Masquerade's red-gloved hand was a small black ball. To the average viewer, it might appear to be a child's plaything. But it was no toy. It was a Bakugan. It was Hydranoid, one of the strongest that existed.
"But…Masquerade..."Alice couldn't believe that he was willingly entrusting his companion to her. She realized then that he had more trust in her than she had in herself.
A pang of sorrow went through Alice at the memory. She never did see him again after that day. Hydranoid was hers, and they shared many battles together. However, even Hydranoid was gone now, back to Vestroia after Naga was defeated and the realm restored to its natural order. She had a great fondness for the three headed dark dragon, despite his rough demeanor. He always encouraged her to trust in herself, and to never give up. When they fought, they worked as an unlikely team. Confidence and uncertainty, outspokenness and shyness, fiendishness and righteousness. It reminded her of her relationship with Masquerade, but not as close.
Alice sighed again and looked up at the clouds, who just like her: drifting along not knowing what the future held. Drifting to and fro, building up storm clouds of emotion.
Thinking of Masquerade was guaranteed to bring that emotion.
Her mind ran over the events that led to Masquerade's appearance. Or perhaps, creation…Alice wasn't sure which.
Her grandfather had been working on an inter-dimensional portal, determined to prove the existence of other realities. He got more than he bargained for when the portal opened at last, just as Vestroia was experiencing a surge of negative energy. The energy permeated the lab, contaminating it. Later on, Hal-G and Masquerade appeared in their dimension. These people were, in essence, alter-egos of Dr. Michael and Alice, respectively.
Masquerade was never separate from Alice, so to speak, until the day he helped Dan. Prior to that, Alice could become him at will, by donning his blue visor. Whenever she took on his personality, she remembered nothing of what she did as Masquerade, and always felt guilty for his actions. Masquerade himself must have somehow picked up on this guilt, and that must have been why he began abandoning his evil ways, Alice mused.
Masquerade wasn't just any villain. Being her alter-ego, he knew her better than anyone. He had a special insight into how she thought, into her innermost feelings. Many people would be uneasy at the thought of their body housing an alter ego, unaware of their presence until evil deeds had already been done. A shadow that would never fade away. Alice was, at first. With time, her feelings changed more than she ever anticipated. And as sure as she knew there was evil in her heart, she knew there was good in his.
She still wondered…did he disappear that fateful day because he was created out of negative energy, and his body could no longer take it? No…surely not…he was much more than a mere evil presence. More than a shadow. He was as real as Vestroia and the Bakugan were, with a personality of his own and hopes and dreams to match.
And people couldn't just fade away…could they?
A/N: The prologue has been revised. I didn't change anything too major, just tried to explain more of the connection Alice feels with Masquerade. Hopefully you liked it, and my explanation of the alternate universe stuff wasn't too confusing. :P Please read and review, but no flames!