SailorStar9: Chapter 8 goes up. This is Chapter 9.
Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I do own the pairing, I hope.
Chapter 9: Show Me What You've Got
The next day...
"Come on Daniel, it's time to get up now." Dan's mother chided.
"Another perfect day in the city." Dan stretched himself at the balcony.
"Yes, the conditions are just right for your battle with Skyress." Drago agreed.
"Yeah, I can hardly wait for the action to start." Dan nodded.
"I'm glad you're up for it because this could be your toughest challenge yet." Drago noted.
"Don't worry." Dan assured him. "I won't lose."
"I know." Drago replied.
"It is part of the test, remember?" Dan reminded.
"Just make sure you're not late." Drago remarked.
"I won't be." Dan replied. "Well, I said we'll meet them at Runo's house, so we'd better get moving."
"Runo's house?" Drago echoed.
"Yeah, I haven't seen her for a couple of days now." Dan replied.
"I suppose you're right." Drago noted. "And where has Alice been?"
"I have no idea." Dan admitted. "Haven't been online for a while either. So, we'd better go and check up on them."
"You'll have to go without me, Dan." Drago stated, flustered.
"Huh?" Dan blinked.
"Er.. I've made some plans of my own." Drago explained. "I'll be back in time for the battle. Why don't I just meet you at the park? "
"You made plans of your own?" Dan echoed. "That's not like you."
"You'll have to get used to it, Dan!" Drago protested. "I've figured out how to move around quite well in this form and I just feel like going out on my own for a change. It's nothing personal. I just want a little time to myself."
"It's a big world out there." Dan teased.
"I'm not a child!" Drago protested.
"Don't talk to strangers." Dan joked.
"Stop speaking to me like that!" Drago fumed. "You know I can take care of myself! I'll see you later."
"Hey, make sure you look both ways before you cross the street." Dan shouted after Drago hopped off the railing.
"Silence, human!" Drago exclaimed.
At Runo's place...
"What? Alice is missing?" Dan exclaimed.
"Keep it down. I don't want my mom and dad to hear us." Runo hushed him. "This isn't the first time that Alice's disappeared."
"I guess I should have told you before, but the truth is sometimes she's gone for days at a time." she admitted as the two crossed the street. "Who knew?"
"On her own?" Dan asked.
"Yup, but she always come back and seems just fine, so I never thought anything about it." Runo replied. "But she's been gone along time."
"I see." Dan noted. "So that's why you didn't make it to my last battle."
"Oh Dan." Runo muttered. "I hope Alice isn't in trouble."
In the Doom Dimension...
"And now, you must prove yourself, by passing the test." Exedra declared.
"Heh, and she is to be my opponent?" Masquerade scoffed. "You really are underestimating me."
"This girl is not real." Eva explained. "She is a figment of your imagination. However, she is the hurdle you must overcome."
"A hurdle I must overcome huh?" Masquerade echoed. "Heh, this is hardly worth my time at all."
"Are you sure you know yourself so well?" Exedra chuckled.
"If you underestimate her, you will be sorry." Eva warned.
A/N: I'm skipping the Bakugan battle because I know you guys know what happen.
On Earth...
"I don't think Alice is around here." Dan noted, looking around.
"I'll stay down here a little bit longer." Runo suggested. "But don't tell anyone where I am, I don't want them to worry about me."
"By the way Dan, where's Drago?" Tigrerra asked. "Are you two arguing?"
"Nah." Dan replied. "He made other plans, but he said he'll show up for our battle."
"What battle?" Runo asked. "Did Masquerade come looking for you again and challenge you to a duel?"
"No." Dan replied. "Well, kinda."
"You're kidding." Runo remarked after Dan explained. "So, your test is to battle all the other Brawlers?"
"Yeah, you can say Drago and I have our work cut out for us." Dan nodded.
"Who've you fought so far, Dan?" Tigrerra asked.
"Well, we beat Julie and Marucho yesterday." Dan replied. "And today we're going to battle Shun."
"Then, that means I'm next?" Runo asked.
"Yup, you're on my list." Dan replied. "Erm, go easy on me, okay?"
"Dan, I'm curious." Tigrerra started. "Tell me what would happen if Skyress defeats Drago?"
"Then, you don't have to battle." Dan told her. "That would be your lucky break, huh?"
"Hey! Are you trying to say that I'm going to lose to Shun?" he demanded.
"Er, no, er, of course not." Tigrerra replied. "However, there is something I want to ask you, Dan. It's about Drago and I; and it's very important to me."
On a pizza delivery bike...
"Hrm..." Drago mused. "What was it that Wavern said?"
Flashback to the previous day as they parted ways
"You can meet me at Joe's condo if you like." Wavern told him.
In front of Joe's apartment...
"One small pizza for the customer, one giant tip for me." the delivery boy sang as he went to deliver the pizza.
"This must be the place." Drago looked up.
"There's someone I haven't seen in a long time." Wavern greeted.
"Wavern, is that you?" Drago chuckled.
In the park...
"I know, let's play hide-and-seek!" a boy suggested as the two Bakugan settled on a bench.
"Okay, I'll count to ten." another boy suggested, as the rest took off. "One, two, three..."
"It's so good to see you, Drago." Wavern beamed. "You remember the first time we met?"
"Yes, I do." Drago chuckled. "It was during the time when I first slipped between the dimensions of the two worlds. There you were, looking quite elegant as I recall. But you weren't alone, Naga and the Princess were there too. I was surprised to find three of you in such a desolate place."
Flashback
"What are you doing here?" Drago asked, approaching the trio.
"You don't belong here." Naga told the Pyrus dragon. "You should return to your world."
"What are your attributes?" Drago asked."I can tell you're neither Haos nor Ventus. Your skin is so white. I've never seen that before."
"They are the White Ones." Eva stated, her rainbow-colored silhouette appearing between the twins. "And they do not belong to any attribute world. They are the Forgotten Ones."
"The White Ones?" Drago echoed.
"After that, you came to see me, time and time again." Wavern reminisced. "That was so kind of you."
Flashback
"I'll like to see the outside world some day." Wavern remarked."I'd like to, but I don't know if I'll ever get the chance."
"I'll take you there, Wavern." Drago promised.
"Really?" Wavern asked.
"Yes." Drago insisted. "It would be my pleasure."
"But that's when Naga tried to take over my Fire Attributed world, known as Pyrus." Drago continued.
Flashback
"Wait, Naga!" Drago stopped the renegade Bakugan.
"Out of my way! This world is mine!" Naga barked.
"Why do you crave so much power?" Drago asked. "Even if you were to get it, it'll only lead to your destruction. You know you can't control it. The Princess is the only one who can contain that power."
"Be quiet!" Naga snapped. "You don't understand. I am a White One and I'm tired of being powerless!"
"The White Ones are a mutated Bakugan born during the process of evolving." Wavern explained. "They are the Forgotten Ones who live powerless in-between dimensions. When their time comes, they simply fade away. It is a sad fate. But my brother, Naga, wanted to change his destiny. He felt cheated that he was born without any real power, so he decided that he was going to get it at any cost, no matter who got in his way. So, he set his sights on getting the Infinity Core and the Silent Core, in hopes of becoming the most powerful Bakugan. He even attacked the Princess!"
Flashback
"The energy from the Silent Core feels good." Naga stopped before the energy core. "I'm sure the Infinity Core would be even better."
"This wasn't supposed to happen!" he grimaced when his body was taken over by the Silent Core. I didn't guess the negative power of the Silent Core to be this great. I won't be able to control it for long! No, it's too much for me!"
"And it's because of my brother's actions that Vestroia is now on the verge of destruction." Wavern sighed. "And after the Princess entrusted the Infinity Core to me, somehow I ended up in the Human World and that's how we ended up meeting again, Drago. That's one good thing that come out of this terrible situation."
"Yes, I suppose." Drago replied.
"I'm so ashamed of my brother, Naga." Wavern muttered. "What he's doing is wrong! All wrong!" using her wing, she set the moth free from the spider's web.
"Using one's power to gain total control is not the way of the Bakugan." she added as the moth fluttered off, only to be eaten by a bird. "And it never should be."
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"Look it's almost time for the battle." Marucho looked at the clock.
"Hey, there's Shun now." Julie pointed to the teen ninja-in-training who had arrived in a whirlwind.
With Drago and Wavern...
"At first, I couldn't control the Infinity Core inside of me and couldn't move about." Wavern confessed. "But eventually, I gained control of it, with the help of the Princess' Cosmo, and that means that my brother will soon find a way to free himself from the Silent Core and then, he'll make his move and come after the Infinity Core."
"Oh, Joe's here." she noticed her partner. "I have to go. Take care, Drago. That was good talking with you and good luck with your battle."
"Thank you, Wavern." Drago replied, the female White Bakugan taking off.
Somewhere else...
"I sense the Infinity Core's with my sister." Naga chuckled. "Now isn't that interesting? I think I'll contact her."
"Open your eyes, my sister." he droned, unleashing the Silent Core's power. "The White Ones are no longer powerless. It is time for us to fulfill our destiny by dominating Vestroia. Come, join me, your brother and we'll rule Vestroia, no, the entire universe! We will be reborn as the most powerful Bakugan ever!"
Meanwhile...
"Joe!" Wavern flew back to her partner.
"Wavern." Joe peered at the White Bakugan in his palm. "Where did you run off to on your own?"
"Just sightseeing." Wavern replied.
"Hey, are you okay?" Joe asked, as the Infinity Core within Wavern started reacting.
"It's the Infinity Core." Wavern winced. "It feels like it's trying to break free from me!"
"I'm right here." Joe assured her. "Don't you worry now."
"The Infinity Core must be resonating with the Silent Core somehow." Wavern surmised.
Stay strong, Wavern. Eva's gentle voice sounded through her Cosmo. Remember, I'm always with you.
"Thanks Joe." she sighed in relief after the Infinity Core stopped responding. "I'm better now.
And to you too, Princess. She passed a mental message to Eva.
"Good, that's a relief." Joe smiled.
It must be Naga. Wavern realized. He must be trying to absorb the Silent Core.
With the rest of the Brawlers...
"This isn't like Dan at all." Julie noted. "He never misses a battle."
"Maybe he stopped for something to eat on the way?" Marucho guessed.
"Wow!" Julie gushed as snow started to fall.
"It's starting to snow." Marucho noted.
"It's Dan." Shun remarked when his Bakupod started ringing.
On the streets...
"Can you believe this, ladies and gentlemen?" the news reporter stated. "It's the middle of summer and it's begun to snow. There's never been anything quite like this on record before."
Elsewhere...
"Oh no, I hope I'm not late for the battle." Drago remarked as he hurried off. "I know Dan won't be too pleased with me if I am."
"Huh? Who's there?" he asked when a Bakugan blocked his path on the bridge. "Tigrerra?"
"Drago, may I speak with you?" Tigrerra requested.
"Yes, of course." Drago replied.
"I have the outmost respect for you and your skills, Drago." Tigrerra started. "But I've always wondered what it would be like to face you in a real battle. That's why I've come here today because I really like to find out if you'll let me."
"What?" Drago demanded.
"Please." Tigrerra implored. "Before you battle Skyress, would you do me the honor of battling with me first? I greatly appreciate it."
"Er..." Drago trailed.
"Come on, go for it, Drago." Dan prodded.
"Daniel!" Drago protested.
"Tigrerra really wants to." Dan informed him, under an umbrella with Runo.
"And I'm okay with it." Shun added.
"Shun?" Tigrerra blinked.
"Think about it, it makes a lot of sense." Shun reasoned. "If I win against Dan, then Runo won't have a chance to battle him."
"Go ahead, Tigrerra." Skyress added. "Be our guest."
"Thank you, Skyress." Tigrerra replied. "I will. That's very generous of you."
"I'm the one who's got to pass the test here." Drago snorted. "Okay Tigrerra. Let's brawl!"
Both Dan and Runo smiled and took their places.
A/N: I'm skipping the Bakugan battle because I know you guys know what happen.
After the battle...
"You defeated me, Drago." a smoking Tigrerra sighed.
"Yes, this time maybe." Drago admitted. "But next time, who knows what will happen? I heard you say it yourself, sometimes it's luck that decides the winner."
"I don't think luck had anything to do with it." Tigrerra replied. "You beat me because you are the better warrior. It was an honor doing battle with you. I'll never forget this experience. Thank you, Drago."
"Stop it, Tigrerra." Drago chided. "You're embarrassing me."
"Hey Runo, that was a good battle." Dan noted.
Runo blushed and chuckled.
"But, I knew all along you didn't have a chance of beating me." Dan added.
"Well, thanks for nothing!" Runo fumed.
"Oh, thanks for waiting, guys." Marucho noted, when he and Julie arrived. "I, for one, knew we'll find you."
"Marucho, it's all your fault!" Julie complained. "You're the one who wanted to stop and make snow angels."
"Thanks for waiting, Shun." Dan turned to his best friend. "Guess I'd battle you next."
"Yeah." Shun replied.
"That, I got to see." Runo noted.
In the Doom Dimension...
"Heh, surely there's something better in store for me." Masquerade scoffed. "Let's have a real battle."
"As you wish. Perhaps, it is time you see how a Darkus Soldier really battles." Eva nodded and looked over at Exedra.
At her glance, Exedra turned into his spherical form and flew over the Alice's hand, the battle restarting again.
A/N: I'm skipping the Bakugan battle because I know you guys know what happen.
SailorStar9: Wow, that has to be the longest chapter yet. Now that's done, read and review.