Chapter 29: Normalcy
He sat cross legged in Drago's palm as they floated through a portal now.
"So, what's heaven like?" Drago thought to ask.
Dan leaned back and looked up at the pyrus Dragonoid, "I didn't really get a chance to see it since Code Eve took my soul into her for a while. I did get to watch everyone for a bit after I initially died. I stuck around until after the funeral. It was so weird I tell ya."
"How so?" Drago asked further.
"Hearing what everyone had to say and I was a little angry at you dude for not coming to it." Dan said becoming a little grumpy, "Then if it was the other way around I'm sure I would have done the same thing you did."
"I'm sorry, I was devastated." Drago stated, "At least everyone will be happy to see you."
"Dude they probably missed you too. Though we are gonna have a little problem of running into you. Two Drago is going to be a little hard." Dan mentioned and smacked his forehead at the realization.
"I have an idea on how to take care of that." Drago said, "We'll just have them all fake the funeral so it all works out."
"Yeah let's make it work." Dan said as Drago returned to ball form and the landed inside the library.
"I know where to go from here." Dan said as he slipped out of the library and found them all in the hall with his original lifeless body.
Miyoko was asking about Drago's whereabouts. Dan stepped into the hallway and grinned at them all.
"Hi guys." Dan said as if it were any other day making them all look at him and then to the dead body, "I know I got a lot of explaining so let's all head for the kitchen, I'm starved."
He went to the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the basket on the table and sat waiting for everyone to follow in. Eventually they all piled in unsure if it was all really happening and Miyoko went back to the mindset that it had all been a trick.
"You aren't dead?" Jake asked finally breaking the silence they all were in as Dan feasted on the apple.
"I was, but Code Eve brought me back after Drago went to talk to her." Dan explained plainly as he tossed his apple core into the trash.
"How do we know, it's really you?" Shun asked.
"You want proof? Okay then." Dan said taking a breath, "The last word I uttered was a name, Runo."
He looked down the table at the blue haired girl that was glaring at him and only relaxed her glare when mentioned that part.
"Also I know that Runo stuck around my gravestone to say to me that I promised to take her to prom, which I intend to do still." Dan continued on hoping that would be enough for them.
"I was just thinking about that a few moments ago…." Runo murmured making everyone's head turn and she blushed.
Drago popped out of his hand and rolled onto the table and popped out of his spherical shape.
"It really is him." Drago said.
"Well I believe it is so." Spectra said making everyone look at him and if Spectra believed so then it was good enough for Shun.
"Okay we get it now. It's great your alive and all, but could we get the full explanation?" Gus asked wanting to know.
Dan sighed and sat back in his chair and went on to explain how he ended up in Code Eve for a while and then Drago went on to explain his role in the whole ordeal which brought them to the topic.
"A fake funeral?" Marucho asked in confusion, "I suppose we could set one up, but what are you going to do during that time? What if the other Drago runs into you?"
"He won't if we all work together and do this plan accordingly." Drago said, "So can we count on you guys?"
Marucho looked down the long line of friends and gathered ones receiving multiple nods of agreement.
"Well let's get started then." Dan said with a laugh.
Thankfully everything went according to plan and two weeks later Dan and Drago came out from hiding in the basement of HQ. The fake grave was removed and things started to get back to normal. Summer break for school was still going on so they all relaxed and worked on sharpening their Brawling skills.
Today was Runo's last day in Bay View so Dan and her were out and about. They were sitting outside of the city enjoying a picnic on the beach.
"So what was heaven like?" Runo asked taking a bite of a pie.
"Ehh, I didn't necessarily go to heaven." Dan said taking a sip of water, "Code Eve kept my soul in her until Drago came."
"Oh, well also I've been wondering what else you meant to say after my name, before you passed." Runo asked moving on to another question.
Dan paused and looked at her his face all red, "Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes and sat down her pie folding her arms after it was nestled away from her.
"Dan Kuso." She said sternly her eyes still narrowed, "I know you are lying."
"Nope nothing." Dan said looking away to take another sip.
She launched herself at him and fake choked him, "Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!"
"Alright, alright," Dan cried trying to push her away and she relaxed her grip and sat on his stomach.
His face was bright red and his voice shaky as he muttered the words so she barely heard them.
"What? I couldn't hear you." She teased tickling him until he was begging her to stop.
He mumbled it again and she threatened to tickle him so he shouted it at her, "I love you!"
"Well that wasn't so hard now was it?" Runo said getting up off him and hid her face from him.
"You're blushing too aren't you?" Dan teased as he sat up.
"Shut up." Runo said throwing he water at him.
"Hey!" He chuckled opening his own bottle to toss some on her and she ran off laughing.
He chased her and managed to grab ahold of her waist and dragged her into the waves. They played in the waves for a while and then after they were both soaked they went to pack up the picnic and head back into town. Dan's black shirt was soaked along with his maroon colored shorts. Runo's pink tank top was soaked through so that you could see her white spaghetti strap she was wearing underneath and her denim shorts became stiff as they dried out in the sun.
They were still laughing when they arrived at Dan's parent's house.
"I'm home!" Dan called as he kicked off his shoes and Runo playfully nudged him off balance a little.
"No, we're home." She giggled before Drago floated in the hallway and Miyoko greeted them back from the kitchen.
"Hey, Drag-O!" Dan called snatching the pyrus bakugan from the air and placed him on his shoulder, "How was your nap?"
"Good. How was your date?" Drago said making Dan and Runo blush.
"Not a date." Dan grumbled through clenched teeth, "It was just a picnic."
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." Drago teased as Dan got a punch to the shoulder from Runo.
"Ouch." Dan whimpered as Runo giggled.
"Well at least things are back to normalcy." Drago murmured as Dan and Runo playfully attack each other.
