Disclaimer; neither series is mine…

Summary; It started during New Verstoria and now little by little he's remembering...the past is returning and darkness is coming. Can Dan remember in time or will his friends pay the price? AU Guadalian Invaders Saga

Warning; Dan acting out of character and hints of other animes, possible cursing and quite possibly my horrible grammar…you have been warned. Also, I think I've said this before somewhere but I don't have a beta reader. All editing is done by myself. Keep that in mind.

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Chapter 2:

The Meeting

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Not for the first time, Shun lay on the roof of his house staring up to the night sky. It was a habit born purely out of his childhood days when Dan used to spend the night, and would constantly barge into his room unannounced, and so he climbed up to the roof using his height to escape from Dan.

Since that time, he made the trip countless times, but as an escape not just from Dan (the Pyrus Brawler had long found ways up to the roof), but everything in his life. And yet…after the last weekend returning from New Verstoria, Shun found himself coming to the top of his house, speculating, and trying to figure out what had caused the sudden change in his friend's behavior.

Dan Kuso, his closest friend, and brother in all but blood had been acting very odd the last couple of weeks. Instead of Dan being online, or training out in the park against other battle brawlers Dan camped out in his room, refusing to see anyone.

Ever since his birthday party, Dan's smiles were strained, and the bags under his eyes were growing, showing an extended amount of time Dan was going without sleep.

But why?

Shun didn't know frankly, and asking the other brawlers turned up nothing particularly dangerous, or even mildly traumatizing that could have changed Dan attitude this much or even given him nightmares.

And Dan's parents weren't any help, Dan hadn't spoke to them much more them he had to his friends, so three days after Dan's thirteen birthday Shun found himself standing outside his best friend's bedroom door…

He raised his hand ready to knock when a pair of voices, one worried, and another angry made themselves heard.

"…There's nothing wrong!"

"Then why are you refusing to go out, Daniel?"

"I just…I just don't feel like it-"

"I doubt that's the reason."

"Just drop it!"

The door swung open, making Dan and Shun come face to face. Dan's eyes were wide obviously having no clue that his friend had been there, while Shun's narrowed suspiciously. It was one thing for Dan to keep secrets from the others, but something was definitely up, if not even Drago knew what was going on.

Shun held his position in front of the doorway, just daring Dan to force him to move. Drago jumped closer only inches from his partner, and the two waited in silence for Dan to explain himself.

Dan was cornered.

"Explain yourself." Shun demanded moving to stand in front of his friend after five minutes of nothing but silence.

"Look, there's—"

"Stop lying!" Shun interrupted growling.

Dan blinked taken aback for a second before he glanced down, thinking hard. Lying had never been one of his strong points and now standing in front his friend he knew it was useless to try.

"I can't."

"Can't what?"

Dan paused.

"Answer me Dan! You can't what?" Shun asked almost hissing.

His Ventus Bakugan were safety tucked away in his side pocket watching the chaos. They may not have known Dan Kuso to the same extent that their partner did, but they knew how important Dan was to Shun, and that was enough for them. Dan was a friend, and a companion who fought alongside them and now it was time to come clean—but Dan wouldn't. He refused to answer. Something was wrong, very wrong….but what?

"I can't tell you!" Dan said finally.

Shun froze his anger subsiding at the pure confusion and pain running though his friend's eyes.

"Why not?"

Dan signed. "Because I don't even know what's going on!"

"Impossible, how can you not know? Is the recent return from New Vestoria the cause?"

"I...don't know?"

"Did Mira or Spectra say anything?"

Dan shook his head. "No, it's not them…It just frustrating!"

"What?" Shun asked.

"The dr—!" Dan started but the arrival of his Mom stopped him from finishing.

"I'm sorry boys," She started obviously noticing the tense atmosphere surrounding them (and somehow Shun suspected she had been listening in) before she continued. "Keiko's called she needs you home…she wouldn't say why but she insisted it was important."

Shun kept himself from cursing knowing how close he was to truly finding out Dan's problem.

"Fine, I'll head home." Shun sent a long look at Dan. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Mrs. Kuso nodded and waited for him to vanish into the distance before she turned to Dan clearly uneasy.

"Your father wants a word with you." She told him sadly. She looked close to tears.

Dan blinked and closed the door to his room giving Drago some space.

His mom was acting strange and his dad wanted a word…? About what? Work? Were his grades slipping or something?

He wasn't sure but he walked into the Living Room sitting himself on the sofa across from his father waiting for him to say something. His dad's glasses were folded neatly on the table and he was staring off into the distance as if looking at something only he could see.

It was very strange behavior for his normally very lack luster parent, and Dan wasn't sure he liked it.

"There's something I need to tell you." His dad paused. Dan waited his every instinct telling him to flee, but something made him stay in place, waiting for his dad's next words. "Seven years ago...we nearly lost you…"

Seven years ago?

He was five, and he had just entered elementary—a sharp pain made him wince. He was in first grade and then what? Why couldn't he remember anything else? His memories blurred together… coming up with nothing but pain.

His father continued, unaware of Dan's swirling thoughts.

"You were born a sickly child then, and the doctors told us you wouldn't live to see your six birthday. Your mother and I did everything we could— we took you to the best doctors, gave you the best medicine. We did everything we could…but nothing we did seemed to work."

The pressure on Dan's mind increased, and he held a hand up to his hair rubbing his head, brushing it off.

"Almost every day you lay in a hospital bed clinging to life, trying to live. Some days were better than others…" He paused running his hands though his hair. "But most days were bad, very bad. You were diagnosed with very rare genetic immune disease making you unable to fight sickness. Something about it not being formed properly at birth…" His dad leaned forward holding his head in his hands.

Dan shook, a flash of a memory appearing in his mind.

Red, blood red, covering him—

"And then it happened…"

Dan swallowed. "What...happened?"

"Your mother and I had returned one morning, and when we entered the room you were missing. Security didn't know anything, and the nurse and doctors were panicking trying to figure what had happened. Other children like you were missing, and the police was called in."

"We waited in the lobby, worried that we'd never see you again…eventually the police asked us as well as the other parents to leave, and they get back to us with any information. We went about our business your mother sitting by the phone as we waited again."

"Days went by and little by little the bodies of the other children started appearing….and then about a week later you appeared…"

"How…?"

"I don't know. We heard you were found wondering the streets, when the police picked you up. They had a doctor give you a check up and confiscated the hospital gown you were wearing before they called us."

"They said you couldn't remember anything but that you were healthy, healthier then when you vanished. The police did an investigation and tried to restore your memories, but nothing ever came to light and eventually both the doctors and the police released you back to us."

"And? Did I say anything?"

"Just one sentence… You said 'Everyone was dead.'"

Dan froze in his seat another memory playing in his mind.

"Time to die little boy…" A dark chilling voice said, and he laughed, coldness and despair clouding his mind as pain engulfed him.

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End of Chapter: Still kind of short and frankly I hate it. I'm going to make this longer next chapter as I finally enter into the Guadalian Saga, and the real action comes up. Sorry for the long wait. I'm still trying to get better. I think web layout really makes this story much short then it is….

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW—I'd like feedback.