It seems Masquerade was willing to defeat anyone to get Hydranoid to evolve. That included his teammates. We all got sent to the Doom Dimension, when the Six Ancient Warriors showed up and offered us a deal. If we passed tests, then we could be free from the Doom Dimension, along with all of our Bakugan. Right now, it's time for my test. I wonder what it's going to be.

Powers beyond reality,

Brought about by one.

Crossing time and space,

Changing the race.

Creating a whole new world.

The time to combine is now,

The time to recreate is upon.

The time now to find the power

To regain your lost time.

"Woah!" I screamed. Me and Tom, along with our Bakugan, were heading towards our testing realm, and Tom didn't seem very inclined to let go. We soon approached a blinding light, and then darkness. I opened my eyes, and looked around.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"I don't know." Said Leonidas, hopping onto my shoulder in ball form.

"Leo, why are you in ball form?"

"I don't know, but Slight is in ball form as well." Said Tom. "And also, we need to battle, right here right now!"

"Why are you so determined to fight me?"

"Because you have forced so much anger into me! I cannot overcome it until I beat you!"

"And you shall get that chance." Said a voice.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"I am the Bakugan of the timestream. The one who keeps the flow in check."

"You're the one I saw when I was fighting Masquerade for the first time!"

"Correct. I told you that you could alter the timestream, and you have. You have guided it to a brighter future. But that future is far from here."

"Ok then, so what must I do?"

"You and Tom must battle. The ones who win will be set free. The ones who lose will remain in the Doom Dimension forever!"

I looked over at Tom, and he seemed more than ready to brawl. I knew it would be a harder battle, but one that I would have to do.

"Are you ready Tom?"

"I've been ready for years Atom!"

"Then let the battle begin!"

"Gate Card, Set!"

"I'll go first." Said Tom. "Bakugan, Brawl! Stand Aquos Limulus!" Limulus stood on my Gate Card, but I was prepared.

"Fine then. Bakugan, Brawl!" I threw Leonidas onto Tom's card. "Let's go Leo!" He Roared.

"So predictable! Gate Card, Set! Bakugan Brawl! Stand Aquos Siege!" The Siege landed on the new gate card, right next to Tom's first one.

"Gate Card, Set!" It landed next to Leonidas, to the right. "Bakugan, Brawl! Stand Haos Robotallion!" My Robotallion Landed on my Gate Card, in front of Tom's Limulus.

Calculating G levels. Limulus at 280 Gs, Robotallion at 300 Gs.

"That won't save you! Ability Activate! Aquos shield!" Limulus was coated in water.

"Not good enough! Gate Card, Open! Triple Battle!" I threw out my Saurus.

Recalculating. Limulus at 330 Gs, Haos Team at 600 Gs.

"Take him down!" I yelled. They obliged, and Limulus was defeated.

"I'll get you for that! Bakugan, Brawl! Stand Aquos Slight!" Slight appeared before Leo.

Sensing new battle. Slight at 500 Gs, Omega Leonidas at 500 Gs.

"I see that Leonidas has evolved. No matter. Gate Card, Open! Character!"

Slight G power Increase by 100 Gs.

"Ability Activate! Haos Freeze!" The battle froze, and I threw in Saurus. Then, the Battle reinstated.

Aquos Slight at 600 Gs. Haos team at 800 Gs.

"Not a problem! Ability Activate, Aquos Switch!" Siege switched Tom's gate cards. We were standing on the unopened one. "Gate Card open! Quartet Battle!"

Aquos Siege has entered battle. Aquos team at 780 Gs. Haos team at 800 Gs.

"Looks like I win again!"

"NO!" Screamed Tom. He looked like he was trying to keep something in.

"Atom, do you see the strange sparkling in his eye?" Asked Leonidas.

"Yeah I do. It's almost as if." Then Tom began to cry. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable.

"Why can I not beat you? I'm the one with more power with the Bakugan!"

I looked over at him, and I felt very sorry for him. All he ever wanted to do was beat me, and now he would never have another chance. If I won now, my friend would be trapped forever! I knew I couldn't let it happen.

"Leo, we need to take a fall."

"What?"

"I won't let my friends suffer over anything. If Tom wants to win, then let him win. It will help him get some closure, and bring him peace."

"Time for my final ability! Ability Activate! Desperate Lunge!"

Slight quickly dashed Leonidas, and hit him.

G power exchange of 50 Gs. Aquos team at 820 Gs. Haos team at 750 Gs.

"Finally! Now, all I can do is wait. I know Atom has two more ability cards. I just have to hope."

"You don't have to hope. I'm not playing anything."

"Then that means I win!" Then Realization dawned on Tom. "But wait, if I win, then."

"Then I remain here forever. I know, but I cannot stand seeing my friends suffer. I will not let them as long as there is something I can do! Tom, just win. Get your burden off of your shoulders, and live on."

"But, I can't just leave you here! If I do, then I may never, never." He seemed to be losing his focus.

"Tom, don't worry. I know what I am doing. Just trust in me, and win!"

"But I can't! If I do then you will be trapped here forever! Not only would it be impossible for me to beat you again, I would never see you again! I am in my decision, I will not win!"

"Ability Activate. Forced Attack!"

One of Tom's used ability cards returned to him. His Aquos Shield then activated, and his team went up another 50 Gs. Then, as if dragged, his Bakugan began to attack mine.

"No! Atom, Why? I don't want to win!"

"Because, your burden in too much for you to bear. If I won now, you would be crushed. I won't let my friends do that. If I can stop it, if I can lighted their load at all, then I will. I will never put myself in front of my friends!" Then Leonidas began to glow.

G power increase detected.

Leonidas soon began to emerge from the glow, and he looked different. He seemed to be similar to Ultimate Dragonoid.

"I am Ultra Leonidas!"

Aquos team at 870 Gs. Haos Team at 800 Gs.

"Atom, just win this already! I couldn't bear losing you!" Screamed Tom.

"No! I will not crush you under defeat."

"But you must! You are needed to be able to stop Naga!"

Then I looked at my new Ability Card. An idea formed in my head.

"Tom, I know you don't want to win, but what if we tie instead?"

"Tie? How?"

"With this! Ability activate, G Rise!"

All Aquos, Haos and Pyrus Bakugan set to 500 Gs. Aquos team at 1000 Gs, Haos team at 1000 Gs. Battle Draw."

Our Bakugan returned to ball form, and the battle was over. Then, the unknown Bakugan spoke.

"Interesting. You two were able to tie the brawl. That is the result I did not expect. I assumed one of you would win, and force the other to stay. But, you two were able to work it out. Atom, you saved Tom from his darkness. And Tom, you allowed Atom to see how much his friends mean to him, and get Leonidas to evolve. You both have won in your own respective ways. But, before you go, there is something I must tell you." He gestured to the two cores above us.

"I didn't even notice those!" I said.

"These are replicas of the twin cores of Vestroia. The Silent Core and the Infinity Core. You two are reality shifters, and you can tell the difference between right and wrong. But, you don't fully understand what each means. There must be a balance. You have to do wrong sometimes to be able to do right. You must be willing to do the unthinkable sometimes, in order to achieve the impossible. The cores represent that. You must be able to balance positive with negative. Do you understand?"

"I understand all too well. I let my anger for Atom consume me, but if I hadn't, then I wouldn't have found my friendship with him again."

"I know now that I cannot defeat my friends forever. But I also know that I cannot let my friends use me. There is a delicate balance."

"Yes, you two understand. But now, you must return home." Said the Bakugan. "But Atom, I need to tell you something really quick." He whispered in my ear, then backed away with a smile before we were consumed in a bright light.

Hey guys, Atom here. We've escaped our testing worlds, and are now back home. But then Dan reveals that his test wasn't completed yet. You don't want to miss what happens next. Tune in to find out. See you there!