Ok, I lied. (I'm sorry don't kill me!) chapter five was chapter five and chapter four was chapter four. There is not second part. Anyway, I haven't updated in a long time! I mean the phrase: "A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away," totally applies here (and to all my other fics as well...) I hope that I will update more often, but school is killer, and my teachers just don't know when to quit with the loads of Homework! Maybe morerover Christmas break? I can't promise anything, because I will be in Cali, but let's hope so!

Chapter 6: So Close, Yet So Far

As Kyle and Falc made it their personal mission to seek out Cassie and return Lumino to her, Skyler, Alex, Jayne, Toryn, and Keri were trying to comfort Cassie over her loss.

After Skyler had finally put her down, she refused to move until she got Lumino back.

"Cassie, you can't just sit here forever," Jayne tried to reason.

"Yeah, Cass," Alex leaned on the tree Cassie sat against. "You can't-" Cassie stood up abruptly, almost knocking Alex over.

"I've had it with you, Alex! You hear me!? I. Have. Had it! I don't want to hear any more "Cassie can do this because I say so," or "Cassie can't do this because she's not strong enough,"!" Cassie grew red as she continued. "I am sick and tired of being told what to do and how to do it! So just leave me ALONE!" She ran off, tears streaming down her cheeks. She felt like she had just lost everything. Her Bakugan, and now her best friend, even though she hated to admit it. He could be demanding and sarcastic like there was no tomorrow, but that was one of the qualities she liked most about him.

As she ran, Cassie hadn't realized she was being followed, until she ears a slight rustle in the trees. She turned, slightly frightened and shaken up after her battle with Sage. She might have won, but she remembered each painful detail of his threat, and it was singed into her brain. She couldn't shake the troubled feeling that washed over hero body.

"Wh-who's there?" She still didn't see anyone.

"Poor girl," Jay sighed shaking her head slightly.

"Maybe we should go after her," Toryn suggested.

"Yeah! She might need some cheering up!"

"Yeah, because we did so well the first time," Alex muttered.

Sky hadn't said a word since Cassie had run off. He kept his eyes on Alex the whole time, and noticed his shocked and worried impression.

"Be reasonable you two," Jay tried, her voice gentle yet stern. "Cassie needs some alone time, so we will let her have it." The two young brawlers looked at each other, and replied in a small nod.

Sky walked over to the still in shock-but not showing it- Alex who spaced out in the direction Cassie ha run off.

"Ya know," Sky started. "I thought you would have been the first to run after her."

"And what made you think that?" Alex demanded softly.

"I have a knack for these sorts of things, but I think you like her." Alex gave no response, but to Sky, that was all the response he needed.

"Don't worry," he assured him. "I'll keep this a secr-"

"I don't need you keeping sweets because I don't like her! I never have and I never will!" Alex shouted a little to loud, and everyone stopped to look at him. He just fell back into his same position against the tree trunk and glued his eyes to the path ahead.

"Uh-huh," Sky nodded, not believing a word Alex had spoken.

Before any fights could break out, a young boy, tuckered out from all the running, stopped near them and panted heavily before speaking.

"I'm...Kyle...do any...of you-"

"Hey!" Keri said excitedly. "That's Lumino! Am I right?!"

"Oh, your right, alright," A voice answered. A voice all to familiar to the group aside from the young boy who was holding Lumino.

Sage instantaneously appeared in front of Kyle, and tore Lumino from his grasp.

"Hey!" Kyle shouted defensively. "That doesn't belong to you!"

"Right you are," Sage smirked. "My little girls gonna be wanting it back, do might as well take it to her."

"Give Lumino back!" Falc shouted leaping with all his strength off of Kyle's head and toward Sage, who skillfully caught him.

"Falc!" Kyle shouted. "Give him back!"

Sage looked over the Falconeer. "From one Pyrus brawler to another," He tossed Falc back to Kyle. "Cool down."

Sage had his back to the rest of the brawlers, and Alex was furious. He was the reason Cassie had run off. He was the reason Cassie had got in trouble with Mr. Mills, and now, he was going to take Lumino, Cassie's most belove thing on the planet. That wasn't gonna happen on his watch. He got a running start and jumped at Sage, who had noticed him just in time to teleport far enough from him that he would not get tackled.

Alex-furious as ever-fell face first to the ground and clenched his fists against the ground. "This is all your fault!" He shouted angrily. "Cassie's gone an it's all your fault!"

"She's gone did you say?" Sage said sounding intrigued. "Well, wherever did she go?"

"Shut up, and get over here so I a wipe that smug smirk off your face!" Alex continued in rage.

"Sorry, no can do, punk, but maybe next time." He gave a devilish grin and waved a he disappeared into thin air.

Alex shouted at the top of his lungs as Skyler and Keri restrained him.

"We'll find her," Sky promised. "She can't have gotten far."