SailorStar9: Finally a review. I thought you guys don't love me anymore. (Sighs in relief). Anyway, this is Chapter 25. Read and review.
Disclaimers: See previous chapter.
Chapter 25: Number One Battle Brawlers
On the floating piece of land...
"I'm alright, Dan." Drago got back to his feet.
"These monsters have now been spotted in every country around the world." Tiffany continued her report. "But the biggest battle appears to be right here in Wellington. My sources tell me these creatures are called Bakugan and children around the globe have been playing a strange battling game by the same name. But the question is: when did they come to life?"
On the ground...
"What is that dumb reporter talking?" Ryo remarked. "They're not toys."
On the floating piece of land...
"Swing in for a closer look, Bill!" Tiffany instructed the pilot.
"There's some kind of invisible forcefield." the pilot remarked as the copter was blocked by a wall surrounding the battlefield.
"Feel my wrath, Naga!" Drago hollered. "Lunatic Burst!"
"Paladins." Hal-G instructed as Drago rained numbers Darkus energy balls at the Paladins. "Protect Master Naga."
"Out of my way, clowns!" Drago growled.
"Now what?" he demanded when the Paladins landed in front of him.
"Ability activate." Hal-G pulled out an Ability Card. "Magnum Unis-is!"
At his commanded, the Paladins released their charged up shields at Drago.
"Hang on, Drago!" Dan shouted as the shields bombarded the Dragoniod.
"Drago, take two steps back!" Eva warned.
"But..." Drago looked up at her.
"Do it!" Eva barked, the silver orb of light between her hands growing bigger.
"Star Storm Implosion!" she summoned one of her destructive spells once Drago was out of the way, the falling star streams blasting through the flying shields.
"New ability activate." Hal-G pulled out another Ability Card. "Blade Terror!"
At his command, the Paladins slammed their spears into the ground, the resulting shockwave knocked Drago off his feet.
"Drago, say anything so!" Dan hurried to his partner's side.
"I hope you realize the consequences of this battle, Drago." Naga told the fallen Dragoniod as the Paladins parted. "Whoever controls the Infinity Core and the Silent Core shall rule the universe. And it all comes down to either you or me."
On the ground...
"Come on, Drago!" Alice shouted. "The whole world's counting on you!"
"But he doesn't stand a chance against so many of them." Runo remarked.
"That's it, you guys." Julie commented as an idea came to her. "We've got to help out Drago."
"Yes, but what do you think we can do?" Marucho asked.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Skyress." Shun noted. "But didn't that reporter say that there was a forcefield?"
"You're right, Shun." Skyress agreed. "It must be some kind of magnetic field created when Vestroia started to erode your Human World."
"And that must be the reason those humans could not get in closer to the battle." Hydranoid concluded.
"Isn't there something someone can do?" Preyas asked.
"That's it!" Marucho beamed. "Humans cant' get in, but Bakugan can!"
On the floating piece of land...
"Admit it, Drago." Naga stepped onto Drago's head. "You dream of having the Ultimate Power as much as I do."
"Hey, Naga!" Dan snapped. "Back off, you creep!"
"Why you!" Naga growled and kicked Dan off him.
On the ground...
"Be careful!" Runo warned.
"Looks like you're going in to help, Tigrerra." she looked at her partner. "It all comes down to this. I'm counting on you."
"And I won't let you down." Tigrerra promised. "Naga must pay for what he's done to Vestroia."
"This is it, boys." Marucho told his partners. "The final showdown."
"Let's get her done!" Preyas crowed.
"What he said." Angelo added.
"Are you ready to battle, Gorem?" Julie asked her partner.
"Never more, Julie." Gorem replied.
"So Skyress." Shun told his partner. "It looks like everyone's signing up."
"I won't miss this for anything." Skyress replied.
"Hydranoid." Alice looked at her partner.
"Say no more, Alice." Hydranoid replied. "Count me in."
"Alright, Bakugan roll!" the five Brawlers chorused.
On the floating piece of land...
"You're wrong, Naga." Drago corrected when Naga pulled him up by his horn. "I do not seek Ultimate Power."
"Then I hope you don't mind if I take all for myself." Naga scoffed as he reached to pull the Infinity Core out of Drago.
"Time Bind!" Eva released a time-stopping spell to prevent Naga from getting the Infinity Core.
"Everyone, hurry..." she muttered, feeling the effect of her spell weakening.
Hydranoid's energy balls interfered.
"Hydranoid!" the Darkus Bakugan declared.
"What?" Hal-G exclaimed. "Not the Hydranoid!"
"Everyone!" Eva beamed as the rest appeared before them.
"Yo, yo, Hal-G!" Preyas posed. "Ready to party?"
"How about, a piece of me?" Angelo added.
"Then, it's my turn, boys!" Diablo remarked.
"It's hammer time!" Gorem declared.
"Don't forget about Storm Skyress!" Skyress took her place.
"And the claws of Tigrerra!" Tigrerra finished.
"Right on guys." Dan smiled.
On the ground...
"Hey Dan!" Runo shouted. "You just give us the word! Your wish is our command!"
On the floating piece of land...
"Look at all those pathetic Bakugan." Naga mocked. "What a waste of time. Paladins, attack!"
"We're ready, Dan." Drago told his partner.
"Gate Card, open!" Dan tossed in a Gate Card. "Hyper Merge!"
"Velocity Fang!" Tigrerra attacked.
On the ground...
"You go get them, Tigrerra!" Runo cheered.
On the floating piece of land...
"Blue Stealth!" Preyas activated his ability. "And now, for my patented disappearing act."
On the ground...
"So cool!" Marucho gushed. "That's my Preyas!"
On the floating piece of land...
"Smack down time!" Angelo swatted a Paladin.
"Now is my turn." Diablo took over, holding the Paladin's head up and allowing Preyas to rain punches on the Paladin.
"Mission complete!" the two landed.
"Grand Impact!" Gorem was next.
On the ground...
"You show them your stuff, Gorem!" Julie cheered.
On the floating piece of land...
"Destruction Meteor Storm!" Skyress released her attack.
On the ground...
"Get them good, Skyress!" Shun told his partner.
On the floating piece of land...
"Trident of Doom!" Hydranoid fired his attack.
On the ground...
"Go, Hydranoid!" Alice smiled.
On the floating piece of land...
"No, no way!" Hal-G was stunned when the Paladins were defeated. "They destroyed all my Paladins!"
"You'll pay for this." Naga growled. "Bakugan Drain!" and absorbed the fallen Paladins.
"Feel my wrath, Naga!" Drago swore. "Infinity Demon!"
"Please Drago." Naga mocked as he blocked the attack with a hand. "You can do better than that."
"Silent Down!" he deflected the attack.
"Your little attack only gives Naga more power." Hal-G laughed. "So I suggest you keep it up as long as you like. And take your time, I'm enjoying this."
"I agree." Naga added. "Because once you run out of power, the Infinity Core and the Purity Gem will be all mine!"
"The Infinity Core shall never be yours, Naga!" Eva snapped, as she revealed the true form of her Holy Spear; the Heavenly Bow.
"Nor mine because I do not seek Ultimate Power." Drago added. "Not now, not ever! It goes back to the time I came to the Human World and met Dan and the other Brawlers. That's when I gained the confidence to overpower any opponent, no matter how many, no matter how strong."
"He's right." Dan agreed. "Because we're the..."
On the ground...
"Bakugan Battle Brawlers!" everyone chorused.
On the floating piece of land...
"And we're a team." Dan remarked. "Fusion Ability: Dextra Attack! Now the power of all six abilities will be fused together."
That said, the six attributes merged their power into the tip of the light arrow Eva had mounted on the Heavenly Bow. With the arrow charged up, Eva released the arrow.
"Impossible!" Naga exclaimed in shock as the light arrow shot right into his chest gem. "The energy.. too great! I can't fight it! Pure power, combined with the humans' is too much... for me to handle! Must.. resist! Must win! I will have the Ultimate Power!"
"Fight it, Naga!" Hal-G cried out in horror. "Fight it!"
Drago growled and released more energy from the Infinity Core, totally assimilating Naga in an energy orb.
"It's over." Eva remarked, powering down from her 'Silver Wing' form as the Silent Core entered Drago.
On the ground...
"We won!" Runo beamed.
"We defeated Naga!" Marucho cheered.
"We did it! We did it!" Julie whooped. "Yes, we did it!"
"Alright!" Komba cheered.
"Good job, guys." Klaus praised.
"Hey!" Dan hollered as the piece of land landed back to its original position.
"Hey Dan!" Marucho shouted.
"Look guys, there's our hero." Julie beamed.
"Give me a hug!" she threw herself at the incoming Dan, but missed.
"Way to go, Dan!" Runo remarked.
"Grandfather!" Alice ran over to Micheal who had burst out of the ground. "Is it really you? Are you back for good, grandfather?"
"Yes, my dear. I'm back for good." Micheal replied. "And I promise I'll never leave you again. I promise."
"I'm so happy." Alice wept.
"And it's all because of you, Dan!" Julie threw herself at him.
"Way to go, buddy." Shun gave him a thumbs-up.
"Thanks, Shun." Dan smiled. "I appreciate it."
"It's a little early for celebrations." Eva cut in.
"What?" Dan blinked. "What do you mean, Eva? We beat Naga fair and square and we got both the Infinity Core and the Silent Core back."
"Take a look at the sky." Eva pointed her spear upwards.
"Snap!" Dan cursed.
"Why is it like that?" Alice blinked.
"The only explanation is the Human World and Vestroia are still merging together." Micheal surmised.
"What does that mean, Doctor?" Marucho asked.
"It means, once the two worlds have fused together into one dimension, they will simply collapse." Micheal replied.
"I thought all we had to do was defeat Naga." Runo pointed out.
"That's true, Runo." Tigrerra replied. "But we must also restore balance to Vestroia."
"And there is only one way to do that." Drago added. "I must travel to the center of Vestroia and return both the Silent Core and the Infinity Core."
"That makes sense." Shun remarked.
"I guess it's all up to you, Drago." Dan noted.
"It is." Drago replied, tearing.
"Sounds pretty simple to me." Dan remarked. "Just put the Cores back where they belong and come back home."
"It's not that simple, Dan." Eva sighed.
"There's something you should know, Dan." Skyress cut in.
"Drago cannot return." Gorem revealed.
"Seriously?" Julie exclaimed.
"That's because Drago himself will become Vestroia's core." Preyas added.
"Is it true what they are saying?" Dan demanded.
"Yes." Drago replied.
"Let us explain, Dan." Angelo took over.
"The Human World and Vestroia are completely different and should have never collided." Diablo replied.
"The fact that we exist in your world goes against the basic laws of nature." Hydranoid added.
"That means..." Alice trailed.
"I will become the new Core and restore balance to Vestroia." Drago remarked.
"I, too, will have to be reinstated as the Pillar." Eva added. "And the other Bakugan will return home with us and we shall never come back to the Human World again."
"Eva?" Shun blinked.
"This is goodbye." Drago finished.
"No way!" Dan objected. "This is just crazy talk! What do you mean you can't come back? It can't be true, cos it bites!"
"It's true." Drago replied.
"But what will he do?" Runo pressed. "All I know is Dan needs you. Just like I need my Tigrerra."
"Runo." Tigrerra looked at her.
"Me too." Julie agreed. "I need Gorem. We've become the best friends in the whole world."
"Ah..." Gorem sighed.
"There has to be some way to keep all of you here!" Marucho wept. "Everything we do is with you and that just can't change. I don't know what I'll do without my precious Preyas, Angelo or Diablo."
"That is so touching, kiddo." Preyas gushed.
"But it is what it is." Diablo said.
"You've got to be joking!" Dan snapped. "This wasn't... this wasn't part of the deal! I thought... I thought this was going to be a fresh start. But no!"
"Daniel?" his mother inquired behind him. "It's time to go home, dear."
"But mom... Dan sobbed. "You just don't.. understand!"
"It'll be okay." his father assured as Dan cried in his mother's arms. "But we should get you home, Daniel."
"Well son." Marucho's father added. "Let's go."
"Now, put on a brave face." Marucho's mother encouraged. "And let's go home too."
"I guess there's nothing else I can do." Marucho wiped his tears off.
"Hey Runo." Runo's mother greeted her. "Well, you ready to go home with mom and dad?"
"Yes." Runo threw herself into her mother's arms and cried.
"Everything will be okay, dear." Dan's mother assured him. "It will just take some time, that's all. But try not to make it any harder than it is."
"She's right." Drago agreed.
"Drago." Dan looked at his partner.
"Dan?" Drago inquired.
"Hey gang, what do you say we take a group picture of everyone?" Runo's father suggested. "Cheese!"
Later on the hill...
"Well I suppose I should begin my journey home." Drago noted, opening a portal with the Perfect Core inside of him.
"I guess," Runo looked at Tigrerra. "This is goodbye, Tigrerra."
"That it is, Runo." Tigrerra replied.
"Okay then." Runo replied. "But always promise to keep in touch, got it?"
"This is goodbye, Runo." Tigrerra bade her farewell.
"Goodbye, Gorem." Julie gave her partner a goodbye kiss. "I love you."
"Ah..." Gorem flushed. "I'm going to miss you, Julie."
"I really must thank you for everything." Marucho bowed. "Really, you're the best friends a kid could ever ask for. And I'm going to miss like crazy."
"So will I." Angelo agreed.
"And thank you for everything, Marucho." Diablo added.
"Well, I guess this is it." Preyas noted.
"Right!" Marucho nodded.
"Hey Drago." Dan looked at his partner. "We sure had a lot of good times, didn't we?"
"Yes, I guess you could say these last few months were never boring." Drago agreed.
"I'm going to miss you." Dan remarked.
"Daniel." Drago started, noting his downcast look. "One other thing."
"What?" Dan asked.
"I was lucky to have met you." Drago admitted.
"Me too, Drago." Dan replied.
"Take care, my friend." Drago commented.
"You bet I will." Dan agreed.
"Okay. This is the last time we'll ever brawl guys." he started. "Everybody ready?"
"Yeah!" the group chorused.
"Bakugan!" Dan shouted.
"Roll!" the group chorused, tossing their partners into the portal.
"Eva!" Shun called out just as Eva spread her wings, ready to take off after the Bakugan.
"Yes?" Eva blinked, stopping in mid-flight.
"This..." Shun removed the chain around his neck and took off the ring.
"Just wanted to..." he flushed slightly, taking her left hand and slipped the ring on her ring finger.
"I know." Eva smiled knowingly, leaning forward and brushing her lips against his forehead as a faint mark on Uranus glowed on his forehead, a sign that the memory seal had been removed.
"This is where we part, my little Wind Rider." she whispered and took off, causing Shun to blush deeper.
In Vestroia now...
"My mission is to restore Vestroia to its original form." Drago stated.
"And mine is to become the Pillar once more." Eva added on the Dragoniod's clawed hand. "This is where we part. And everyone, thank you."
"This is what they call the end of the line, huh?" Preyas teared.
"Don't worry Preyas." Angelo assured. "There'll be other adventures. Wink, wink."
"He's right." Diablo agreed. "And besides, the Princess and Drago's got a job to do."
"Thanks Drago." Tigrerra added. "I'm really going to miss you."
"You were a great leader." Skyress commented.
"Same goes for me." Hydranoid added. "Drago."
"And me as well." Gorem concluded.
"Thanks to all of you." Eva stated. "Now, we must go."
"Shall we?" she looked up at Drago.
Drago nodded and took off to the center of Vestroia.
"Vestroia is safe because both the Infinity Core and the Silent Core are buried deep inside of me." Drago declared. "And Wavern, we shall be together for an eternity."
"Yes Wavern." he agreed as an after-image of Wavern appeared before them.
"I'll never forget you, Dan." he promised.
In the center of Vestroia, the change had began as Drago became the Vestroia's Core. Behind him, Eva had landed on the Prayer Table of the Pillar and she replaced the Pillar's crown upon her head. And her armor, now an enlarged version of the statue before, stood behind her.
"The change..." Hydranoid started as Eva's Cosmo radiated outwards. "Has began!"
"Yes!" Skyress agreed. "Vestroia is returning to normal again."
"And the land is becoming one." Gorem added.
"It's a wonder revolution." Angelo noted.
"And it's amazing." Diablo added.
"Eons ago," Tigrerra started. "Vestroia was one world, but then it split into six attributed worlds. Now it's back to being one again. The 'Wonder Revolution'!"
"Drago!" Skyress realized.
Flashback
"My mission is to restore Vestroia to its original form." Drago stated.
"And mine is to become the Pillar once more." Eva added on the Dragoniod's clawed hand.
"Now, I know exactly what they meant by that." Skyress noted.
"And because of them both," Hydranoid added. "There won't be anymore rival Bakugan like Naga."
"Our world is one." Gorem remarked. "Finally."
"Okay." Diablo stated. "Let's go home."
"Let's go!" Angelo agreed and the six Bakugan headed back to Vestroia.
On Earth...
"The Bakugan are returning home!" Joe exclaimed as the balls the children possessed flew towards the portal.
"That means Vestroia has been restored." Dan noted.
"Bye-bye Tigrerra!" Runo waved. "By-bye! I'll miss you!"
"I'll never forget you, Preyas." Marucho promised.
"Take care of yourself, Gorem." Julie called. "You behave, okay?"
Finally, with all the Bakugan returned to Vestroia, the portal shut on its own.
Sometime later...
"I'm home!" Dan sang.
"Hey Dan, your lunch is in the fridge." Dan's mother informed him as she was doing her yoga. "Did you wash your hands?"
"Later!" Dan called out. "Places to go, people to meet."
In the park...
Dan skidded his bike to a stop when he saw Runo.
"Hey, sorry I'm late!" he called out.
"Yeah, I hope you know it's rude to make a girl wait." Runo complained.
"Jeez, that's weird." Dan remarked. "I've never thought of you as a girl before."
"You're a jerk!" Runo fumed.
Dan was so startled to see Runo in a dress that he fell off his bike.
"Wow, Runo!" he surveyed her up and down, causing Runo to flush.
"That's a cool-looking hat!" Dan remarked.
"I don't know why I even bother!" Runo knocked him on the head.
"Not the face! Not the face!" Dan whined.
"I was only kidding around!" he chased after her.
Take care, my friend. Drago's voice echoed in his head.
Dan looked up at the sky and saw an after-image of Drago and smiled.
"Dan, are you coming or what?" Runo took him by the arm, as Joe and Chan Lee were seen sitting on a bench in the background. "So what are you waiting for? The movie's about to start in a few minutes."
"Wha?" Dan blinked.
"Everything is perfect." he smiled at the camera as Runo hung on his arm.
SailorStar9: This chapter is down! And the next chapter, the start of the Bakugan: New Vestroia series. Now that's done, read and review.