1005 A.R.

The cold winds howled loudly along the snow-white tops of the mountain peak. It was so cold that anyone could see the frost on their breaths. The endless waves of white land seemed like an eternity for many, but the sky was so blue, and seemingly so high up that if it were any higher, one would have mistakenly thought they'd be in space.

There seemed to be no sign of any life along this snowbound tundra. No wildlife, no Bakugan, no people of any kind. It was all a sheet of white that was as bright as the sun.

And yet, very lowly, the sounds of trudging could be heard from below. The snow-white peak's howling winds had snow pressed into the ground. It was extremely low, but it was drawing closer.

"…" A figure was seen with snow and heavy winter gear on as he went up the mountain slope. With all of the gear he had on, it was tough to make him out. However, he didn't seem to be alone.

Following in his wake, five other climbers wearing various snow gear was trudging through the footprints left by the hiking leader. All of them were panting heavily through their scarves and ventilation gear. All having snow sticks and snow boots, they all marched up tiredly towards the peak.

"Are we…there yet…?!" A masculine voice called out.

"It's up here! Just up this final hill!" The leading hiker shouted. Even he seemed to be out of breath. "This is the highest point we're about to reach. Be ready, everyone."

The six travelers were all moving at a slow pace, as slow as Erath turtles…or so the saying goes. But that slogan was so old that nobody would have thought of it; some didn't even know what a turtle was to begin with. Rather than worry about outdated saying, they all focused on making it to the very top.

Snow, snow, and more snow. Followed by less oxygen and much of their stamina being sucked out of them. If it wasn't for the oxygen and ventilation masks some of them had, they wouldn't have made it up the climb. They were so lucky that they came prepared this time.

"I see it…!" A feminine hiker with black and hot pink snow gear shouted. "Eyes on the prize!"

They all hurried and managed to finally reach a plot of the snow that stopped going up. They all stopped to take off their snow masks so their faces could be basked in the sun that beamed in the distance. And what they saw…was truly beautiful.

There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. In fact, most of the clouds were actually beneath them. It was a sea of clouds that were at the lower peaks of snow-covered mountains. Many had rugged valleys and much more that sloped into the cloudy, white fog below. The sun was beaming off into the distance, and many could actually see the edges of the world, of that was ever a thing. Over along the farther reaches, they could see aurora borealis, though faint as it was.

One of the hikers, which looked like a cross between a human and Gundalian with blonde hair, blue eyes, and Gundalian gray skin wearing neon green, looked out at the view. "So…this is what it feels like to be at the top." He breathed.

The hot pink and black woman, someone who seemed human with Vestal-pale periwinkle hair and eyes, nodded. "This is what the others were talking about. I heard about the legends…but wow."

"Mount Empyrean." The leading hiker announced, getting the others' attention. He was a man in his late 20's it seemed, and seemed fully human in appearance. His blue eyes observed the many mountains that were beneath them. "It was said to have been made to the tallest structure ever before A.R started. Up here, you can go no further, until you reach space itself…"

Another woman, shorter with red gear and having Neathian blue eyes with human skin, eyed with a whistle. "Wow…I can see why no one tries to climb this…it's so high…we actually need those oxygen masks…"

Another guy with blue gear looked out at the gorgeous view. He had red hair with blue eyes, but he had pointed canines when he opened his mouth. "Damn…you would think that you could see the Omega Ocean from here."

The leading hiker chuckled. "Yeah, considering that ocean is the largest on this planet."

"So where's that monument supposed to be? That's the whole point of you dragging our asses up here, right?" Another feminine figure sniped. She was a Neathian with black eyes, but had emerald hair with yellow highlights like blonde. She adorned black gear in full with leopard fur lining.

The led hiker dropped his heavy backpack, which prompted the others to do the same thing. They all took a few moments to collect themselves and re-supply their oxygen that they needed for their lungs.

The hiker looked over, seeing something that was on the far edge of the cliff. He smiled with pride. "There it is."

Those that followed drew closer as they gathered up to the monument that was basked within the sunlight. It wasn't just one big monument, but it looked to be six, all rounded up in a circle formation.

In the back was a small rock, where on it, a pair of worn down, fingerless gloves that were large. They were all tattered and worn out, yet somehow, they were still well enough to not be torn up. There were definite signs of wear, especially where the knuckles were.

Next to it was another rock, but tied around it, there were two pink ribbons, tied in a beautiful knot. The fabric looked worn out and the edges have seen better days, but it still had a charm about it.

Next to that, there was a sheathed, cylindrical-like object that was plunged into the snow. It looked like it had a thin lining, and had a switch that was rusted away. At the bottom of, resting up towards it, were a pair of spectacles that seemed untouched by time.

Across from that was a rapier that was stuck in the snow. It was also rusted within time, but at the same time when the light touched it, it had a rainbow gleam about it.

Further up front there was a spear with rainbow edging was plunged into the ground as well. The edging could barely be seen within the pure white snow, but they were able to ignite the snow with a rainbow array.

However, what was the largest and the one leading them all, it was a rusted sword that stood straight up. It looked like it was watching over the land itself, and even now it seemed so sharp that just looking at it made them feel like they could be cut.

"Woah…" The pink hiker hurried over with her fellow acquaintances. "So…these are them?"

"Yeah, you guessed right about that." The lead hiker said. "The legends…are true."

A small silence fell as everyone gathered around to hear about the tale.

"They say that back in B.R – Before Riaan – the planet that we were standing on was one of carnage and unstable destruction. Life that we would have known would have been constant shifts within the land, bringing out the loss of lives easily as they are made."

"Really? I didn't learn about that in history class." The blue-coat man commented.

"Because this was a thousand years ago. A lot of our textbooks and devices only have a few records about that time. Luckily, I was able to study up on as much as I can in the Solaris Library. Back then, the planet was barely held together, if not for the coordination of its creator assembling the finest of Interacians at that time.

The black-coat woman cocked a brow. "Wow, whoever was able to keep that rock stable…they must have been a genius ahead of their time."

"Probably." The green-coat said before turning to the lead hiker. "So what's that got to do with this memorial?"

"You know what today is?" He waited for a response, but he got nothing. "Today is New Years, of 1005. A millennium ago, it was said that when Riaan was on the verge of destroying worlds to fix this one, six people stepped up, and combined with their Bakugan to defeat the Ultimate Bakugan."

"The 'Ultimate Bakugan'?" the blue-coat asked. "I thought that was a myth?"

"There isn't any proof to date that there was an Ultimate Bakugan. However, it was said that by defeating the Ultimate Bakugan, these six Bakugan were granted its immeasurable power to protect Interacia in its place. After its passing, the six and their partners dedicated themselves for years to help keep the six worlds in line with each other."

"Please, that tale is as old and mythical as the one about the devil that purged the plague of this world." The neon green hiker scoffed.

"And who do you think wrote about that?" The question left many to ponder, but they all looked at each other and realized that they didn't have much of a clue. He continued. "So here's what supposedly happened. According to the legends, Interacia was its own planet. However, it was an unstable core. And so, it had to feed off the life force of any world that it seemed to have any relation with it. It was a parasite planet. The articles also said that the leader of this planet was also the Father of all Bakugan, who was making a unified home for all Bakugan."

"So really, Interacian Bakugan were really just from other worlds?" The black-coat woman questioned.

He shrugged. "That's what they say at least."

"Yeah…I think I remember reading up on something like that before." The hot pink-coat admitted. "There was a father, and a mother, and the mother created the sons that lead to those worlds being made. So the father created the Ultimate Bakugan to help him bring those worlds into one."

"That's crazy…" The red-coat girl quipped. "I heard of parents fighting, but to really take entirely different dimensions into this? Isn't it going too far you think?"

The neon-green covered man crossed his arms, trying to warm them up. "So what's that have to do with the six Bakugan?"

"Well, those six that were part of the beginning…they were a species known as human, which makes up a fourth of most of our Interacian DNA. These 'humans' got the weakest Bakugan that lived on one of the planets the original Dragonoid made called New Vestroia, and trained them to preserve their worlds. It was said that their battle was so massive, that they made an entirely new dimension to do battle in as all the worlds were collapsing. Together, the six Bakugan generated a power level of what was said to be 3 million Gs."

"3 Million? Okay, now I know that's gotta be some kind of a joke." The black-coat scoffed. "The highest recorded to date was 10,600 Gs. And that was by the Branwen Brigade of 514 A.R."

"With all that combined power…they were able to defeat the Ultimate Bakugan, and stopped the destruction of those planets. However, in order to do that, it was said the leader and his Bakugan both had to use their power, and become the core of the planet itself. Then, in 5 A.R, five years after the revolution, they were brought back to their full forms."

"How did that happen?" The red-coated girl asked.

"Nobody knows. They say that it was a blessing from Riaan. Using the last of his strength to restore the life that slain his to help keep the world in check."

"That's…kinda cool, I guess." The green-coated guy muttered. "And after that?"

"Well, it was said that after the six have finally reunited in 5 A.R, they went all around Interacia, solving all the problems that were caused by others." He directed towards the gloves. "The most powerful, toughest Bakugan battler ever, Shuji. He and Gaia were the strong arms and the shields of them. When enemies would ban together, even when they were supposedly combined, neither flinched. They bulldozed with the force of an earthquake and used one horn strike to level mountain ranges a hundred miles long and ran straight down to the lower crust. Not once was the armor on Gaia's body dented. That's why he and Shuji were called 'The Unbreakable Titans' by many of those who feared them."

He turned towards the ribbons that tied around the rock. "And there was another called Maggie, or otherwise called 'Nurse of a Thousand Books'. It was said that after the revolution, she studied every physiological and biological aspect of Interacian DNA from the four species they derived from in order to heal them and do emergency surgery on the battlefield. Her Bakugan known as Celestial used his thousand arms to incinerate foes to burn those who stood in his path and picked up the injured for Maggie to tend to."

He looked at the lance and glasses. "This weapon belonged to the brightest mind of the six. He was known as Jase, or labeled, 'The Gale General'. His Bakugan, Arcana, was said to have been so fast that it could pierce through space at lightspeed. Before enemies of war would have time to use abilities or weapons, Arcana would make a single flap of his wings to create a category 5 hurricane. It was said that when a meteor once fell from space that Arcana went clean through at lightspeed. Jase conducted the battles with superb coordination, and never missed a step."

He moved towards the rapier. "This belonged to a guy named Shawn and his Bakugan, Imperial. They were known as 'Six Paths' Sages' because they aided their allies by giving them strength to endure the fights ahead of them. They defended their friends and loved ones, and nullified everything that would harm them."

He looked at the spear that was across from it. "And that…belonged to the woman known as Esther, who was called 'Siren of the Dusk'. When she sang, her Bakugan, Galaxia, would mimic it, making even the brightest sunny days turn pitch-black. She wrote songs and stories about the adventures and the Forgotten Tale that she spread to the entirety of many world. Unfortunately, to this day, only a few survived after culturists and civil wars tried to rid of that information."

"Huh, so that's why I never heard of this stuff." The black-coated girl chimed. She turned towards the sword. "And who's that?"

The hiking leader turned towards the sword. "That…belongs to the one who led them all to victory. Luke Drake Revolutia, with his Bakugan, Excalibur. It was said that with their guidance, he rallied everyone through his actions, and with the blade of his sea dragon that embodies all Bakugan will, he sliced through the battlefield like a tsunami wave. When he fought, Excalibur would create sea storms that would last for months, and raise the ocean water levels indefinitely into water cyclones mixed with space. It's even said that he could slice through multiple dimensions to cut a star in half. There was nothing that they couldn't cut as long as they strove for the sake of Interacia. That's why Luke and Abis were called 'The Eternal Dragons'."

"And together, they spent the rest of their lives going around all the various planets and making Interacia a place where everyone is welcome. In their final days, before they and their Bakugan faded away, they all were said to have placed their mementos here, as signs that they will forever watch over this land…"

A soft wind stirred, leaving everyone befuddled with this knowledge they were received. They didn't know what to say, let alone think at the time. But one thing was for certain, and that was they felt a very peculiar sensation when they looked at the artifacts untouched by time.

"So…did they really just fade away?" the red-coated girl asked. "Just like time…so is, like, their ghosts around or…?"

"Hard to say. There have been documents of wars suddenly stopping by natural disasters. And sometimes, those who do evil, no matter how dark or pure, the calls of Esther's songs could be heard to torment them before they fall over dead. It could be ghosts, but others call them guardians of the world."

The black-coated girl eyerolled. "Remind me then to watch out the next time I accidentally drop a water bottle. I wouldn't want to get 'swallowed up' by the earth."

The blue-coated man said nothing as he observed the artifacts and Interacia's highest point with very high interest. The story felt so real. Either that or it was an old tale that was made up. There was no concrete evidence. But it was something still to marvel at.

The green-coated guy sighed. "Well, that was fun. At least I feel accomplished about climbing Mt. Empyrean. I can tell that off to the haters."

The pink-coated lass took a photo with the Bakumeter on her watch. The memorial picture was taken, with such great hue without much of the sun's glare to cast of the metal. She looked at her Bakumeter's picture and smiled. "This is going into the file for sure. Extra credit, here we come."

"Would have been nice to read some of those old stories or songs." The black-coated girl chimed, before turning away. "Okay, time to head down. How long will it be until we're within transport range?"

"About eleven miles downward." The hiker leader said. He took one more look at the memorial and nodded. He turned away and followed his associates. "Alright, let's head out!" He started with his associates, but he noticed the blue-coated individual slagging. "Hey, you coming?"

"Huh? Oh, right…"

The hiking leader put on his snow goggles again and started to trudge back down the way he and his associates came from.

"So…tell us more about that fable about the devil that purged this so-called 'plague'." The red-coated woman insisted.

"Well, okay. So, from B.R. There was a terrible gas called Devil Miasma…"

The voice went out of audible range as the blue-coated individual stood there to admire the memorial for just a little while longer. He was so captivated in the beauty of it all that he almost lost track of time. 'I wonder…can that tale really be true?'

A harsh, cold wind picked up that flaked snow from the ground and scattered it in the winds. He closed his eyes and covered himself until it blew over. He blinked several times and moved his gloves out of the way. But what he saw next, he couldn't believe.

There were six silhouettes that stood in harmony, holding onto their weapons or objects in place of the earth itself. Their hair and coats shifted within the cold air that stirred up from seemingly out of nowhere. One looked like a general, and another had bright pink and white clothing with two ribbons streaming in the winds. The other had gloves that were balled tight within his broad arms. A blonde that had a rapier, and a beautiful, voluptuous woman that had a spear. They all stood behind the redheaded individual with deep blue clothing. He held his sword against the ground as he looked out at Interacia's landscape with pride.

The Interacian looked on stunned, but he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Wait…are you…?"

The redhead turned his head to glance over his shoulder, his green eyes looking back behind the Interacian. He followed them, and his heart nearly thumped out of his chest when he saw six Bakugan floating side-by-side in the high altitude behind their partners. Each one had an assorted, cosmic color that ranged from the indigo space within a moth's wings, to the blue sea that the sea serpent had.

The Interacian could have sworn he must have been delusional. He rubbed his eyes to get the snow out of them, and looked back to find that those silhouettes were gone, like ghosts that wisped away to thin air. He looked back and saw the same thing happened with the humans as their weapons looked untouched.

'Did I just really…?' He was more than a little confused at the moment, but for some reason, he felt…relieved? It was a really strange feeling. He didn't know what to say about that.

"Hey, are you coming or what?! If you're left up here, you'll die!" the hiking leader shouted.

Snapping out of his thoughts, the Interacian looked at the fellow hikers getting farther away by the second. He took one more look back at the moments basked in the sun's rays before he smiled one last time. He geared up with his snow goggles and strapped the extra oxygen ventilation to his mouth. He straightened up and started his trip back down the mountain.

There, the six objects laid at rest, with the sun's glare shining on the fabrics and metals that those who lived in the past once used. Though the bodies have faded away with age, the spirits of the past are said to never truly die. The tales from those who arose from depths no man should have survived came out strong. The wills that many have cultivated continued to live on. From those from the forgotten, to those who are revered. It made no such difference. Because here, on the beautiful land of Interacia, is where the wills of many live on as one.

As the sun started to rise higher over the hemisphere in the distance, the six objects shined beautifully, like stars that would never fade away from existence.


Well, that's it. That's a wrap everyone. It's been a very long 3 years and 1 month, but the long journey with Bakugan has finally come to its conclusion. I hope that you all enjoyed and were inspired by the tale that my fanfic gave to you. I wanted to make a Bakugan story that really stood out there beyond the rest, and I believe that I was able to achieve that goal inexplicably. I know that throughout this whole adventure, there were some of you who would still have preferred Dan and the Battle Brawlers still t the centerfield, but I'm not called Insane Dominator for no reason! If you were looking for a Bakugan fanfic that helps you appreciate the littler Bakugan and details beyond the Brawlers' perspective, then I hope this was the right place!

Now, regarding the Bakugan information, I'll be sure to update all of that, including abilities, original characters, etc. But what I'll do is remove the (Deceased) labels beside the characters and Bakugan who died along the way, just in case anyone wants to re-read the story again and don't wanna know what becomes of them.

As for the artwork, I'll be sure to take care of that, too. I'll take some time in the New Years to come and draw out everyone, including some characters and Bakugan that I didn't get to draw for you guys yet. You wanna see where they're at, check my Deviantart Bakugan Art folder.

And, it's also the end of 2020, so that means it's time for the annual chapter count of my FanFiction record. Starting from 2015, this is the total number of chapters I got done throughout per year.

2015 – 96

2016 – 120

2017 – 96

2018 – 63

2019 – 34

2020 – 43

43 chapters this year…well, it's better than what it was last year. In all of my stories that are in progressed (complete in this one), I was able to post 43 chapters in 2020. I know many of people have suffered this year, and I know much has happened to everybody, but I hope that this story finishing off 2020 was at least a good note to many readers and Bakugan fans alike. You guys are the best! Thank you so much for being there for the story up to the very end!

If you were expecting a sequel to this story, I don't plan on it. Sorry if the epilogue spoiled all of that. But I hope that this Bakugan fanfic left you guys with much to think about and with lessons learned. And so, to all of my faithful Bakugan fans and worshippers alike, I leave you all with hope lying ahead in the upcoming age of 2021!

This is Insane Dominator, out! XD