A/N:

kd: Hey everyone! Sorry about the short chapter last time. My escuse is that the last chapter was pure plot, right? Well you guys must've liked it because even though it was the shortest chapter, I had the most reviews for that chapter than any other. So thanks for all your reviews, guys! There's a lot of plot in this chapter, too, but I put in a pretty big Hydranoid filler that I hope you'll like!

Hydranoid: Finally! My time to shine! Take that, Masquerade!

Masquerade: What are you yaping about? Why would I care if you get a filler or not if this entire story is about me?

Hydranoid: You know, you're not the only person in this story!

Masquerade: Yeah, but I'm the only one that really matters.

Hydranoid: why you conceited, little…

kd: Alright, guys! Let's not fight!

Hydranoid + Masquerade: He started it…

Jet: Yeah, well, I'm ending it!

kd: Huh? Jet? How'd you randomly appear in this dialouge?

Jet: Magic…

kd: Oh, yeah, that explains it.

Shun leaned on the desk for support as the room was starting to spin. He tried to calm himself with deep breaths as he forced his racing mind to focus on the earlier events. He remembered that Masquerade had conversed with Hal-G yet said very little (because Shun could only see Masquerade's mouth movements but not hear what he had said). This might have meant that Hal-G was ordering him. Yet Shun found this unlikely that Masquerade took orders from Hal-Gbecause Shun knew that Masquerade personally detested Hal-G. So it probably meant that Naga was giving orders through Hal-G, and the order probably was to translate the ancient text that was faxed to Masquerade. But it became quite confusing at this point, because it's rather stupid for a white bakugan to hand over the instructions to perform a ritual that destroys white bakugan. Unless…unless Naga ordered Masquerade to kill another white bakugan. But the only other white bakugan Shun knew was…Wyvern…and the ritual also required a human sacrifice that trusted the one performing the ritual.

That's when Shun's stomach started to knot. It all made sense now. Alice was acting spacy probably because Masquerade was trying to gain her trust…and it was working. Now Alice actually cares about Masquerade and it may just lead to her death. His heart beat rapidly and the room continued to spin as he was forced to sit down or fall to the ground, so Shun quickly took a seat in the office chair. When his head finally stopped spinning he tried to think up a plan to foil Masquerade's.

I need to warn Alice! Shun though desperately. But…now that she actually, Shun shivered, trusts Masquerade, she may just say that I'm being jealous of her, or that I just dislike Masquerade. Shun was at his wit's end. He needed to tell someone about Masquerade's plans. Then Shun remembered that Alice wasn't the only one involved with this. I need to call Joe…

Shun, who was too shocked to think clearly, called Joe from Masquerade's home phone. Shun waited as the phone rung and then heard a…

"Hello?" Joe's voice came in through the phone.

"Joe! I'm so glad I could get a hold of you!" Shun said very relieved.

"Whoa! Looks like someone missed me, you know we saw each other, like, three or four days ago…"

"I'm not here cause I miss you, you jerk! This is serious!"

Joe felt scared himself as he could hear Shun's urgency, "So, what's the problem?" Joe said, now completely serious.

"I think Wyvern's in trouble…"

"What? Why would you say that?"

"It has something to do with Masquerade…"

"Well, uh, what's the worst a person can do to a bakugan in ball-form?"

"…"

"Shun?"

"I think Masquerade is trying to kill Wyvern…"

"Shun…this better not be some kind of prank call, because how in the worlddo you kill a bakugan?"

"I think he's using some ancient ritual that requires a human sacrifice."

Joe audibly gulped in fear, "Human…sacrifice?"

"Yes I think he's going to use Alice."

"Shun, that's…"

Shun waited.

"…the most ridiculous prank call script I've ever heard. Oh please, an ancient ritual about bakugan? You know, bakugan only came to earth fairly recently."

"I know, that's what confuses me…"

"Alright, Shun, call me back when you have something to say that isn't part of a prank call."

"Wait, no, Joe. Don't—"

Shun's only answer was the constant, low, ringing from the phone that indicated that Joe had hung up. Shun slammed the phone into the phone holder and ran out of Masquerade's house in anger. If Joe won't even believe me, how can I expect anyone to believe me? Now that Shun thought about the past events in his head he realized that what he claimed really didseem ridiculous. Ancient rituals? Human sacrifices? All for killing a bakugan (which may or may not be possible)? He realized just how stupid he sounded over the phone. What do I do now?

Shun slumped all the way home, feeling hopeless in the tragedy that may soon befall his best friend, Alice. The brawlers were inside eating dinner while Shun was still in his bathing suite. He sneaked upstairs and changed to join the other brawlers.

Later that evening…

The phone rang in haunting tones in the close-to-empty house. A few moments later someone did pick up the phone.

"May I help you?" a boy said in an irritated tone, rather than someone who actually wanted to help the person.

"Ummm, yes…is there anyone there who knows anything about bakugan rituals?" answered an unidentified voice.

Masquerade almost dropped the phone in shock. He barely got done translating the thing and now someone already knows about it? "Uh, sorry, you must have the wrong number."

"No, I have the right number. The white bakugan are on to you…" said the voice in a scary tone.

Masquerade was scared…yes, the great Masquerade was scared. He knew what Naga could do to him if he found out what he was planning.

"If you put onefinger on Wyvern, I swear I will go over there and kick your butt."

Masquerade now recognized the voice, "Wait a minute…Joe?"

"Yeah, what's it to you, Masquerade?" Joe tried to sound tough.

Masquerade almost laughed aloud. He was actually scaredthat Naga had found out his plans, but it was only Joe (who was scared of almost everything) that had found out and called him because he thought he was after Wyvern. It doesn't get any funnier than this when you're a villain. Masquerade felt like telling Joe that he was wrong, so he could call Joe stupid for jumping to conclusions, but Masquerade saw that he would be in a better situation if Joe misinterpreted his intentions. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Joe had no answer as he sat in silent fear for Wyvern (and Alice).

"Hello? Anyone home?"

"Thanks…for sharing this with me…" Then Joe hung up.

"Sheesh, those guys are getting weirder and weirder…" Masquerade said to himself as he hung up the phone. Wait a minute…how'd he get my number anyways?Masquerade thought deeply. Somehow his computer was hacked of his translation before he even saved it into the hard drive…something was up. He tried to think about when his personal information may was been in the open, when he had let his guard down. He then realized that he left the house wide open when he decided to take a break and used the DT (dimensional transporter) to exit the house, with the computer still on. What if…holy crap! Alice must've read the translation and told Joe about it! Who else could it be? She was the only one who knew he lived here unless…Well, the other brawlers may have seen me cross the rocks on my way off their beach, Masquerade thought. So hopefully it wasn't Alice, it doesn't seem like her to break into people's houses…although she is a little obsessed about me. Masquerade decided not to jump to conclusions, like what Joe did, and decided his next course of precaution.

Meanwhile…

"Ummm, hey…Hydranoid." Runo said trying to make conversation.

"Yes, human?" Hydranoid replied. (A/N: He sneaked back to the brawlers' again.)

"Ummm, aren't you, like, obsessed about being the ultimate bakugan? So don't you see everyone as a rival? How'd you fall in love with Tigrerra, anyways?"

"Ah, yes, well it all started that one night…"

Hydranoid POV: flashback to sometime in the fall

Me and Masquerade were unstoppable. No one could stand in our way. And for a small amount of time, I was mildly satisfied. But I would never be happy because even with so much training, I was still bossed around by the trueultimate bakugan…Naga. As long as I was in his shadow he snuffed out any light of hope for me. My dreams slowly crumbled away as I realized there was no way I could catch up to Naga. His presence was a consent reminder of my eternal failure and soon after, my former high spirits plummeted to the ground, joining the remains of my dream that was the abyss of my dark heart. Yet I continued going through the motions of life. After a while Masquerade started to notice it as well.

"Hey, Hydranoid," he asked one afternoon, "wanna make brawlers cry for their bakugan?" he said with an evil grin.

"I think I'll pass…" I said as I continued to look out the open window, wishing the light breeze could lift my heavy heart.

"Hydranoid…you need to get stronger." Masquerade replied with slight impatience.

"Oh…do I?" I felt detached from the conversation, and my voice must have reflected because Masquerade started snapping at me.

"What's wrong with you, Hydranoid? Lately you've been real spacy and you've been slacking off during brawls, as if you don't give a care in the world!"

"So then maybe I don't 'give a care in the world'…"

"Alright, that's it!" Masquerade yelled as he picked me up from the windowsill.

"What the heck are you doing?" I asked in irritation.

"Get a life, or get out!" Masquerade yelled as he threw me out the open window. It's a shame our mansion goes up to four floors…I landed on the ground, happy that the grass was there to soften my fall. I looked back at the house and saw Masquerade slam the window closed. Just what I needed, now my Master has kicked me out onto the streets (or more like threw me onto the lawn). Man, aren't there any bakugan abuse laws out there? Not really having any desire to go back to the mansion, I wondered around town. I went to the park that Masquerade me and Masquerade used to brawl at. It was crowded, since it was such a nice day. I was stepped on twice before I could find an appropriate hiding place. I rolled under the root of a giant tree and watched the children contently play with brilliant smiles on their faces. Everything was bright and happy around me and I felt jealous at the rest of the world for allowing such happiness to exist while I laid in gloomy exile.

I just continued to watch the people pass by, hoping their bright modes might lighten my dark one. But no such thing could happen to such a lonely bakugan and before long night fell around me, cold and starless, with only the moon as a companion. I continued watching the now empty park when I saw…a small white ball? No, it was a haos bakugan. It (I thought of her as 'it' at the time because you can't tell at first glance weather a bakugan is a girl or boy) rolled along the path and then jumped up on a park bench. I sneaked from under the tree root to get a closer look. I could tell that it was a female mammal-like bakugan. The light swirling down from the park lamp posts reflected off her ball form invitingly. I jumped on the park bench next to her. By now he could tell that it was defiantly Tigrerra. I was right next to her but she didn't notice, she was looking up at the starless sky. She then sighed a sigh of content. I was confused by this gesture.

"Why are you sighing?" I asked her.

Tigrerra jumped in surprised, "Hydranoid?"

"Why were you sighing?" I reaped my question, not wanting to have to explain why I was here, stuck at the park.

"Oh…uh, I was just thinking about how beautiful the sky looks tonight. I looked up at the empty sky and then at her as if she was crazy. What was she really looking at, anyways? "So, uh, why are you here?" Tigrerra asked. Darn, now that she asked there's really no reason to avoid the question.

"My master, Masquerade, threw me out, I've nowhere else to go."

I heard Tigrerra gasp, "But…why? You're his best bakugan!"

"I guess I was taking up shelf space…"

"But how could you, the guardian bakugan of the number one ranked brawler, be a waste of space?"

"Maybe I don't deserve to be his partner, after all, I could never become the ultimate bakugan…"

"What! That's absurd! You're the strongest bakugan I know!" Tigrerra said with passion.

"Wait…what?"

"I'm not kidding, you could whip anyone's butt, even Drago's!"

"Why…"

"…"

"Why are you saying this to an enemy?"

"…How could I turn away a lost bakugan? Enemy or not?" She said a bit motherly.

"Do you really think…I'm that strong?"

"I don't think, I know. Hydranoid, in my eyes you're already the ultimate bakugan because what you don't have in strength, you make up for in determination."

I then realized that she was right, who said that being the ultimate bakugan was determined by strength alone? And in that very moment, I fell in love, and I could see the stars again. As we looked into the beautiful sky together I realized that it was only her opinion that mattered to me. As long as I was the ultimate bakugan in her eyes, then I actually wasthe ultimate bakugan. Her brilliant light entered by dark heart and lifted my spirits again, restoring my weakened heart. At the same time I also admitted that I wasn't the ultimate bakugan…Tigrerra was, we both were. I was the shadow and she was the light, neither existing without each other yet existing at the same greatness. As long as we existed together then nothing could stop us. My dream was no longer to become the ultimate bakugan, but to be with Tigrerra…until the end of time, shadow, and light.