It means so much to me that you're all reviewing with such wonderful words. I've been getting nasty reviews from Salty, and the first time I read them, it stung, but I got another review after that, and it meant so much to me that you really do like it. Thank you all so much for sticking with this story right up to the end, and there is one more chapter after this one. It took a while to get this chapter planned out (lots of late nights, I might add). Once again, thanks to all of you who have stayed with me since the beginning of Christmas Disaster! It's been about eight months, so thank you so much for your continued support! To Sharpay Evans 11, elle baybee, animefreak101 and especially Forever-Forgotten22, thank you so much!

Nothing.

….everything is nothing...

...and nothing is everything...

….darkness is the world...

….there is no escape...

….but no pain...

Is this place so bad?

Maybe it won't be so bad... to sleep here...

The blond boy was silent, floating in oblivion. No thoughts penetrated his head. Darkness encased him, and a strange tingling sensation was all he could feel. It was everywhere in his body, no part of him was spared. No light penetrated his dark cocoon. No sounds reached his ears. A dizziness began to becoming evident in his head, and before long, he came to the conclusion that he had sensation, therefore, he must have a body.

His eyes opened, and he took in the dark expanse before him. His purple eyes scanned the darkness for signs of life, and after a moment, the darkness around him had substance. There were different shades, and then he was standing on uneven ground. The shades he soon realized were shapes, the shapes of rocks that lined a long, straight path. Different shades of gray and purple met his gaze, and when he turned his eyes to the sky, he only witnessed inky blackness. There were no stars, no clouds, no distant planets. No floating cities. No birds, no bats. Nothing but a dark oblivion.

The boy turned, trying to get a sense of his surroundings. A blue cape was caught on his arms and met resistance in the thick air around him, and the boy was puzzled. He knew what a cape was, but couldn't discern his reason for wearing one. How ridiculous,he thought as he pressed a piece of the smooth fabric in between his fingers. Capes are a children's toy, a garment used in dress up. Magicians are the only adults vain enough to choose to wear such ridiculous things. He tried to pull the cape from his shoulders, but to his surprise, he found that it was held in place by golden plates on his shoulders. Underneath the cape was a white and black shirt, and he wore matching pants. A pair of brown knee high boots adorned his feet and shins.

Confusion clouded his senses as he ran his fingers over the fabric on his upper body. It felt silky, smooth. It was cool. But these fabrics must have been expensive! It certainly wasn't the material that would be commonly worn by those of average status. His fingers once again closed around the cape hanging from his shoulders, feeling a warmth there that he found slightly comforting. Or at least, he assumed that was the word he sought. He wasn't sure of the exact feeling of comfort.

And then came this next thought, one that sent him spiraling in uncertainty. Who was he, exactly? No name rose to his lips, and he could think of no title to represent himself. Perhaps he was a goofy magician after all. That would explain the cape, wouldn't it?

The boy jumped and whirled around at the sound of a horrified yell, a subtle feeling of fear penetrating his being as all thoughts were forced from his head.. He gasped, taking a step back, at the sight before him.

The whole dark expanse he had stared at before was now a tear in the dimension. He was staring at a huge screen, but everything that was happening beyond it seemed so real. Too real. He stood there in shock and silence, taking in the scene unfolding on the other side of the screen, and then it was all around him. He blinked in confusion, glancing around, and he found himself in a clearing.

There was a sky studded with stars, an inky darkness that was only penetrated by those tiny pinpricks of light millions of miles away. Trees blocked part of the night sky view, their darkened canopies silhouettes against the deep indigo of the night atmosphere. A blueish silver glow was peeking over a tree on one side of the clearing, hiding most of the setting moon. A single, large orange star seemed to glow like a single flame in the sky, pulsing with light as it floated up there. Every so often small bits of flame would fall from the incinerating mass, no doubt concealing actual pieces of the substance burning, but the fiery shards would put themselves out after a few seconds of free fall, and the descending pieces were lost in the dark cloak of night.

The earthen ground was covered by a thick layer of uncut grass. The grass was singed in several places, in circles in some areas and just patches in others. There was one large section that was completely burnt away in a perfect ring, exposing the blackened ground beneath it. The grass on the inside of that ring was singed and flattened, like someone had been standing or lying there for a while. However, nothing inside the clearing was actually alight with flame. It was silent and dark.

The boy, in confusion, looked around again, flinching when he noticed a crowd of people gathered around one point on the right side of the clearing. They were halfway between the middle of the clearing and the treeline, and clearly, something was wrong. Curiosity got the better of him, and he began to make his way over to the group of what looked like teenagers. He was surprised that instead of walking, he seemed to be gliding over the ground. But I've always done that... haven't I? he wondered. Why does this seem different?

After a moment, he found himself at the side of a girl with blue hair. Her hair was tied up in two pigtails that stuck out, and they were tied with opal hairbands. Her green eyes were wet and the boy next to her had and arm around her, holding her close to him. She was dressed in white and yellow, and he red and white, with the exception of his shirt which was gray. His red eyes were closed solemnly, and he looked upset.

Come to think of it, everyone in the clearing looked upset. When the blond looked around, he realized that several of the teens were crying, especially the young blond boy with glasses. His eyebrows creased as he tried to figure out what the problem was, and then he noticed a few of the teens kneeling on the ground. One was a girl with red hair that trailed down her back, another was a dark haired boy dressed in green and black. The third person there was a teen with dark skin and silver hair. He wore a black and purple shirt and gray pants, and he was kneeling over something. The blond floated closer, and his eyes widened.

A figure was lying, apparently unconscious, in the arms of the dark-skinned boy. The blond boy's head lolled, and his limbs were limp. The boy in the other's arms was wearing the exact same clothes as the nameless boy standing above them. The nameless boy stared at this scene before him, feeling a mixture of confusion, horror, and awe, because if he was judging the events unfolding around him correctly, then the boy being cradled in the other's arms was dead. And if the dead boy was wearing the same clothes as the nameless one, what did that mean for the nameless one?

"He... looks a lot smaller now... than he did... before..." an orange haired girl in the other ring of spectators whispered, obviously trying to hold back sobs. The boys next to her tried to calm her down, and the nameless boy felt something tug at the edges of his mind. There was something... familiar, about this group of teens, but he couldn't place it.

"Yeah," the mint-green haired boy next to her murmured softly. The nameless boy didn't quite understand. The voices were the trigger, he reasoned, for this strange sensation pulling on the inside of his head. With every word uttered, it seemed like the tugging became stronger, even more insistent, and he was filled with the notion that memory was important.

"What's going on? Who is that?" he asked suddenly, directing his questions toward the dark haired teen next to the silver haired one. Neither of them moved in response to his voice, and no one in the clearing seemed aware of his presence. He blinked, his face clearly showing his confusion, and then a voice cut through the night.

"Prince Hydron of Vestal." The nameless boy jumped at the intensity and sheer volume of the voice, whirling around even though the name had no significance to him. Behind him, he saw nothing but the clearing and more of the mourning teens, and his eyebrows creased to show his confusion. "We are the Six Ancient Soldiers of Vestroia, or now, New Vestroia," the voice came again, and the nameless boy caught on and looked up. He blinked, noticing the six floating beings above him. But because he, who retained no memory, was not sure of the norm of things, he was not surprised by their sudden appearance. Perhaps they had been there all along, he wouldn't know. But it did seem that no one in the clearing was aware of the six floating beings, or of the nameless boy in their midst.

The six beings were all floating in a circle above the nameless boy, looking down at him with interest. The boy was in the center, in between the red and purple-and-black ones, as well as the white and green ones, and the blue and brown ones. All of the figures seemed to be wearing masks of some sort, beautiful, ornate masks, and the boy felt that twinge in his head again. Something about these characters seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"Who are you?" he asked, realizing that they must be aware of him. "Who am I? Why am I here?"

"I am Pyrus Apollonir." The voice seemed to come from everywhere, but the nameless boy's eyes found the red one and somehow came to the conclusion that the voice had come from him. "I am a Pyrus Bakugan. I'm sure you're familiar with Bakugan?"

"Bakugan?" the nameless boy repeated, testing the word. Something felt right about that word. It rolled easily off his tongue, taking form in the air in front of him in the form of sound. "Bakugan..."

"Do you remember what a Bakugan is?" the creature to the left of Apollonir asked. "I am Sub-Terra Clayf."

"Pyrus... Sub-Terra," the boy repeated again, like a young toddler learning to speak for the first time. "And then comes... hay... hi... h..."

"Haos," the white-clad creature to the right of Clayf said, and the nameless boy turned to her. Her mask had pointy, elfish ears that branched out to the side, giving her an intimidating appearance. "I am Lars Lion, the Haos Soldier."

"Pyrus... Sub-Terra... Haos... and now... Dark... Darkus...?" the boy recited, feeling something click.

"Correct. I am Darkus Exceedra, the Darkus Soldier," a large, purple-clad creature announced, and the boy turned to face him.

"Pyrus, Sub-Terra, Haos, Darkus, aqua... no, Aquos!" he recited, excited.

"That is correct my young friend," a raspy voice floated from a large, bearded creature holding a worn wooden staff. "Do you know my name?"

"Um... it's... Frog... no... Froh... Frah... Frosh! Frosh!" the boy cried, his eyes wide. The creature nodded. "So I guess that makes you... the Aquos Soldier, right?" Another nod was earned by the nameless boy, who could feel words pouring into his brain. And now, he turned to the right again, taking in the green, masked female figure. Her mask was tall and looked intricate, and the nameless boy could feel a name rising to his lips. "Ventus... Oberus?"

"Good work," she approved, a smile in her voice. "You have remembered all six Bakugan Attributes. Now, do you remember your identity?"

"I'm... I'm..." he stammered, thrown off by the sudden question. "I am..." The sound of "H" rose to his lips, ready to roll of his tongue, but he couldn't remember the rest of it. "I'm Hydon?" he asked, trying to remember.

"Yes."

"But I only knew that because you said it before," Hydron told them, still looking lost.

"I suppose you're right. Perhaps a few more exercises will help you regain your memory," Apollonir suggested, gesturing toward the group of teens in the clearing. Five more had joined them and were looking around in confusion. The ones that had been there before were looking at them strangely, trying to figure out who they were. A girl with blue hair and glasses spotted the boy with silver hair and called out to him.

"Ren!" The boy with silver hair responded, glancing back toward them. A few others picked up their heads to investigate what was happening, but the sobbing blond on the ground was one of the few that didn't respond.

"Lena?" Ren asked hoarsely, quickly wiping the tears that were streaming down his face away.

"Ren, what happened? We saw the lights-" she froze in mid-sentence, taking in the pale skinned boy in his arms, and the reactions of everyone else in the clearing. She saw the wetness in his eyes, and how the red haired girl next to him appeared to be crying. She stared at him, her eyes wide, and then a boy dressed in brown walked up behind Lena.

"Ren, what's going on?" he asked. "Isn't that Hydron?"

"Yes Mason," Ren whispered. "But... he's..." He fell silent, and for a few moments, no one dared break the silence. Only the quiet flipping of pages was heard, but no one seemed to notice. But then an English accented voice came through, and Lena and Mason glanced back at their comrade.

"When he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he will make the face of heav'n so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun," the teen read out of a book (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet). It was at that moment that Hydron realized his predicament, his eyes widening.

"That's... surprisingly fitting," Alice whispered, a bitter smile appearing on her face.

Hydron stared at her, then at his own hands. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that his hands, which appeared so solid, were actually mere fragments of what he had used to be. He no longer had the ability to touch. No longer had the ability to lift anything, or press buttons, or even tuck a loose stand of hair behind the ear of another. Before he realized what he was doing, he had floated forward a few feet so that he was floating directly to the right of Alice. He lowered a hand experimentally, unsure of what to expect. To his horror, it passed harmlessly through her shoulder, and she expressed no awareness of the touch.

Hydron could feel it all rushing back now, all of his memories. They flooded into his mind at once, and images flashed before him, mostly of the battle that had just taken place. His instigation of Dan Kuso, the brunette comforting the Runo in the outskirts of the circle, his switching sides, their struggle to reach the Humane Extirpate Program Device, and his sacrifice. All of it, as well as all his childhood memories, flew back into his mind, and he whirled around to face the Six Ancients. They were still there, their faces impassive for their masks.

"What are you playing at?" he demanded. "Why are you showing me this? Wouldn't it have been better if I didn't realize all that I had just lost?" The Soldiers were silent. "Answer me! Right now!"

"The fact is, Prince Hydron," Exedra started, "is that you willingly gave all of that up. You gave up your life, your throne, and even your hatred, for the sake of others. You used the power bestowed upon you to activate the Ancient Athame."

"So what?" Hydron cried, feeling despair and anger well up inside him. "So what? What does a noble deed matter now? Now that I've..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, the mere prospect of facing the truth making him feel nauseated. He shook his head, glaring at the six Bakugan. He lifted a fist as he snarled, "Well?"

"Because of your selfless sacrifice, we are willing to offer you one more chance." Oberus told him, and Hydron's angry expression melted away.

"What...?" he whispered.

"It takes a great deal of modesty and courage in order to make a decision like yours right on the dot like that," Lars Lion said in her silky smooth voice. "It is very difficult to give up ones possessions, ones comforts, and ones previous views for the sake of others, especially those who you previously viewed as your enemies."

"Because of your act of selflessness after living a life of selfishness that we, the Six Ancient Warriors, are willing to use a method reserved only for the Chosen of the Ancients, to give you a second chance at life," Frosch told him as Hydron turned to face the bearded Aquos soldier.

"For real?" Hydron breathed, amazed.

"We should warn you, however," Clayf protested, and Hydron twisted to face him, "that this method does not come without price. It only has limited power, and can only grant you half of your intended lifespan."

"How much time would I have left then?" Hydron questioned, his heart sinking at the thought that he might only have a few more years left anyway.

"Thirty years," Clayf answered, and Hydron's face erupted in an exited smile.

"I'll do it!" he cried, and he could hear satisfied grunts come from all of those surrounding him. "This way, I'll be able to right the wrongs of my father. I'll be able to bring Vestal into a new age, one that will coexist with the Bakugan on New Vestroia, since you have shown me this kindness even though my father and I were the ones that enslaved your people. Thank you."

"You didn't think you were made a Chosen of the Ancients by accident, did you?" Apollonir asked, sounding amused. Hydron blinked. To be honest, he had never actually thought of that. He hadn't even known he was a Chosen until he placed his hand on the Athame, and by that time, he hadn't had much time to think about it. But now that he did consider it, it seemed odd that he, who had caused such destruction on New Vestroia, would have been marked as a Chosen by the very Bakugan he had sought to conquer. His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Apollonir began to explain.

"You were marked down as a Chosen before you were even born. You were granted the Right to wield the Ancient Athame by us, along with the human Battle Brawlers. Your Vexos comrades were granted a part of the Right, as were the members of the Resistance, and the Gundalians your father employed. However, they would have to have two members of their party to compensate for each member of the Brawlers or yourself absent. So, if three members were absent, six with the Half-Right would have to hold on in order to balance the power," Apollonir explained. "Do you understand?"

"I think so," Hydron nodded.

"Now, because the Brawlers all had powers and would have been able to wield it on their own without a problem, they were not able to wield it safely with substitutes," Frosch picked up where Apollonir had left off. "It would not have worked for those touching it, only those that were absent. The effects were reversed, in a way."

"Alright..." Hydron murmured. "So they needed someone with a Complete Right to give it the extra boost?"

"Exactly," Exedra granted. Hydron looked puzzled and rested one elbow in the palm of his left hand, his right hand cupping his chin as he thought.

"But, if it balanced it out, why did...?" Hydron's throat closed, baring him from voicing the truth about his predicament.

"Why did you die?" Lars Lion asked. Hydron nodded, grateful that she understood. "You lost your life because the energy you possessed was completely consumed by the Athame. Your very life force was pulled from your body, and was utilized by the Athame to protect your friends and the planet Earth."

"That white light was my life force?" he asked, connecting the dots.

"Yes," Oberus nodded. "That pure light was the pure light of your Life Force, your reason for living. Yours was incredibly powerful, as you had just realized that you had allies. But not simply allies. They were friends now, and that meant a lot to you. That is why it was pulled away, complete drained into the Athame. You had made the connection between your lack of Bakugan attribute and the stone on the bottom of the Athame, which is part of the reason why it took your Life Force so forcefully, and you didn't try to stop it."

"I could have?" Hydron asked, blinking.

"Yes," Clayf told him. "You could have called it back. It would have been as simple as saying no. However, you didn't, and it was because you accepted your fate that you ended up sacrificing your Life Force, and thus, your actual life."

"Had you called it back, the Athame's protective powers wouldn't have been enabled. It wouldn't have worked, and everyone would have died," Frosch explained. "Your Life Force was used up as a jump start for the Athame. Had Dan and Runo been able to reach it in time, your actions would not have been necessary."

"Oh." Hydron murmured. He was silent for a moment. "...Thank you... for explaining that."

"Think not of it," Apollonir said, and beckoned the boy forward. Hydron glanced around at everyone, noticing Ren especially as he began to gather the lifeless body in his arms. Ren then got to his feet, and everyone lifted their heads to look at him.

"Can we all go somewhere to rest? I think that after tonight and all that's happened, we all deserve some sleep," he said, his voice still scratchy. Marucho wiped his eyes and sniffed.

"Y- yeah," he sobbed, and Julie put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "You guys... everyone can c-come to my hou-house and sleep," he whimpered, and Baron knelt down to hug the poor small teen with a big heart.

Hydron smiled at them, an acknowledgment that none of them were aware of. He began to walk over to the center of the Bakugan's circle, but was stopped when a heard a loud shriek. He turned in confusion, and even the Ancients seemed startled at the commotion.

Everyone was staring at Zenet in the light of the brightening sky, who looked so terrified that she was ducking behind Sid. He stared at her in confusion.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, sounding irritated.

"G-ghost!" she yelped, pointing directly at Hydron. Hydron stiffened, turning to look at the Six Ancients. Just like before, their faces were impassive for the masks, and Hydron turned back to Zenet. He lifted his hands in a gesture of peace as he began to float over to her, and she whimpered, ducking further behind Sid.

"What are you going on about? There is no such thing-" Sid began, but Zenet shook her head.

"No, no! He's coming over here!" she cried, looking so scared her eyes were watering in the light of the rising sun.

"No, don't be scared," Hydron protested, beside her now. Her eyes widened and she let go of Sid's jacket, stepping out to face Hydron curiously.

"No way..." she whispered, reaching out to touch him.

Everyone else in the clearing was obviously perturbed. Runo was clutching Dan's jacket fearfully, but still staring at Zenet. Sid was just staring at her with a weird expression on his face. Mira was hanging onto Ace while Keith moved in front of them, and Shun moved protectively in front of Alice, as if their actions would protect the girls from ethereal beings. But Hydron didn't notice, instead grimacing when Zenet's hand passed through his chest with no resistance. It tingled painfully and he floated back a bit, out of her reach.

"Hydron?" she whispered. Everyone gasped, and Hydron nodded.

"Yeah, but listen. I'll be back in a few minutes, but don't tell. I want it to be a surprise!" Hydron grinned.

"Huh?" Zenet blurted, clearly confused.

"Just trust me!" he grinned, then hurried back to the center of the circle. Zenet stared at him, following with a puzzled expression on her face. She noticed Hydron tilt his head upward and copied his action, taking in the sunrise as it got gradually brighter and gasping when she saw the Six Ancient Soldiers. She stumbled backward, falling onto her backside.

"Zenet! What's wrong?" her Bakugan, Contestir, asked.

"They- there's—uh..." Zenet stuttered, pointing fearfully at the group of Bakugan floating in the air above Hydron. Hydron twisted to look at her, grinning.

"What are you talking about?" Gus demanded.

"You're kidding me!" Zenet cried. "You guys can't see it?"

"Can't see what?" Dan asked. Zenet hesitated, glancing back and forth between Dan and Hydron. Hydron winked and then the Ancients extended their hands toward him. He closed his eyes, smiling.

"Be warned, Prince Hydron," Exedra said. "It will not be without pain."

"I'll be fine, just do it!" Hydron cried, tensing.

"Very well," Apollonir obliged, and lightning shot from the tips of his fingers to Hydron's chest. Hydron gasped, arching his back when a bolt hit him in the back, no doubt from Exedra. One by one, the rest of the Soldiers added their powers, and Hydron's spirit body felt like it was being pulled apart at the seams. His chest was on fire, but and then again, so was the rest of him. It felt like someone was holding a flame to every inch of his skin, slowly smoldering the tissue away and then charbroiling his muscles. A bloodcurdling scream escaped his lips, cutting through the night like a blade, however, the only one with the ability to hear it was Zenet, who sank to her knees in shock. She bent over her legs, clutching her ears.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked.

"Zenet!" Lena cried, racing to Zenet's side. Zenet shook her head.

"No, no!"

"What's going on?" Julie yelped, holding onto Marucho while Baron moved in front of the two.

And then, the pain was gone, and Hydron relaxed, his eyes closing. Zenet lifted her eyes when the scream stopped, staring with tears visible in them, at the spot where Hydron was floating. "Huh?" she whimpered, noticing the bright silver glow evident around his translucent body. He smiled, and then, much to her surprise, his form vanished. However, the silver glow around him suddenly let out a sound much like glass breaking, and the glow was reduced to a cloud of sparkles. Zenet's eyes were wide as she stared at the little particles of what looked like pixie dust, watching them float over toward Hydron's body.

The sparkles spiraled around him, then entered his body through his parted lips. The glow of the sparkles vanished inside him, and then, he gave everyone a heart attack. He gasped for air, earning terrified screams from everyone in the clearing. Dan forced Runo behind him, flames growing in the palms of his hands. She didn't protest, but her eyes were glued to Ren and Hydron, who Ren had accidentally dropped on the ground when he moved.

Hydron was panting on the ground, the color slowly returning to his face. No one moved, staring at him in horror and terror. Before long, he was able to sit up. He blinked, looking down at his hands. Easily, he flexed his fingers, and his face broke into a wide smile. He turned to look at everyone in the clearing, trying to hold back laughs at their looks of disbelief. Dan blinked when Hydron looked at him, and his arms lowered. The flames in his palms went out, and he relaxed. Hydron got to his feet, still smiling. His body worked just as it had before, and surprisingly, he felt better than he ever had right now. He turned toward the corner of the clearing, where the Six Ancients had previously resided, and they were all looking at him. His smile softened, becoming one of gratitude.

"Thank you," he softly said, and then everyone seemed to understand what had happened. His voice had been the trigger, and then sound erupted in the clearing as the sun burst over the treeline, signaling the start of a new day, and for Hydron, a whole new life.

DONE! I wanted to update this so badly... :) I intend to have only one more chapter, and then I'll be focusing only on Ultimatum. Thank you all for sticking with this, again, and please, do me the honor of pressing the button below. Please tell me what you like the most about this, that way I can get a sense of what my readers find captivating. Thank you!

That quote from Romeo and Juliet I found on this website: .

Review! :D