A/N:
kd: Hey guys! Long time no see ;D. I hope you all love this chapter…and please don't yell at me if you don't like how I made his past…-.-. Btw, I'm only revealing a little bit! So there's plenty more after this, I've already thought of it all, to tell you truth ^.^. Heehee, I could spoil the very ending for you, if I wanted to…but I'm not, you're going to have to wait for me to write it all, and in the meanwhile you can read and review my new bakugan story 'The Other One'…please? =D
Jet: Hey! That's product placement…cross advertising…thingy.
kd: Well if Disney channel can do it, so can I. (I know, really bad joke)
Jet: So now you're going to lower yourself to Disney channel?
kd: Hmmm…good point. How'd you get in here, anyways?
Jet: *points to front door*
kd: Hmmm, I wonder how that got there…
Jet: Ummm, kd…it's a front door, all buildings have them…
kd: Well aren't you the smart one…and unusually calm for today.
Jet: Yup =3
kd: Alright then…so without further ado—
Hydrie: KD DOES NOT OWN ANYTHING IN BAKUGAN!
kd: Huh? O.O, you popped out of nowhere.
Hydranoid: Are you aware, kd, that you have neglected to put a disclaimer up for the past…*looks through chapters*…nine or eight chapters?
kd: Ummm…not really…thanks?
Hydranoid: EXPLAIN YOURSELF!
kd: O.O;;…first of all ow *rubs ears from Hydranoid's yelling*, and second of all: It's fanfic, you don't need a disclaimer. Everyone knows you don't own the thing. And plus all the anime characters act as if it's a pain in the ass to even mention the disclaimer…so what's the point?
Hydranoid: …
Jet: It's fanfic, kd, there doesn't need to be a point.
kd: -.-;; *sweatdrops*
Hydranoid: You just swore =|
kd: Huh? *looks back through dialog*…oh, you're right, I did say 'ass'.
Hydranoid: *covering his burning ears* I demand you raise the rating! You have swearing in your other chapters!
kd: Why don't we ask the audience ^.^;;…do you think I should raise the rating? Review or PM me about this ^.^
Jet: This must be the longest A/N in history…
kd: Alright, alright…and without further ado…I give you chapter 11! *kd hears applauds inside her mind*
Jet: Don't flatter yourself XD
"Ummm…Hydranoid?" a dark haired ninja asked a black and purple ball as they stood in front of a closed door.
"Yes?" a naïve, energetic bakugan called from Shun's shoulder.
"Are you sure this is the door?" Shun asked hesitantly.
"Yup…Masquerade keeps diary in here, too." Hydranoid said matter-of-factly.
"He, what?" Shun asked in surprise, "I dunno, Hydranoid, he doesn't seem that kind of guy…"
"And how would you know?" Hydranoid said with a little sass in his voice, which annoyed the heck out of Shun.
Shun couldn't help but to look out the window at the colored sky of evening. Where was Masquerade? What could he possibly be doing without bringing Hydranoid along? He at least needed some bakugan to bring along…Shun tried to turn the knob only to find it locked. Of course, what else did he exspect.
"Alright them, let's go in! The key is under the mattress in his room." Hydranoid directed Shun.
Now Shun had morals, he wasn't going to sneak into Masquerade's house and his room, though he had not yet realized that the secrets held within this closet were far more personal. Shun, not wanting to waste time, took out a pick tool from his pocket and started to pick the lock.
"Wait! You can't do that!" Hydranoid was proved wrong as they heard a click and the door eerily and slowly swung inward, sending a dark invitation to the two unexpecting brawler and bakugan. "Ummm…maybe we shouldn't—"
Shun took a step inside, and by finding the light switch, lighted the room, revealing long-silent secrets into the limelight. There were file cabinets and tons of stacks of paper surrounding them. There was also a stack of…canvases?…Darkly hiding in the corners of the room. On the floor laid a plain, brown, leather bounded book with the title Diary on it. The only think unusual about it was that layers and layers of chains with small locks secured the book from uninvited eyes, such as Shun's. Shun decided to pick up the diary and try to pick it open, too. After a while of struggling with the top lock he finally decided that the locks were too small for his tool and that he would have to find the real keys. Who would want to lock up their diary like THIS? It must be a pain when ever he wants to write something in it. "Hey, Hydranoid…you wouldn't know—"
"Where the keys are?" Hydranoid asked, finishing Shun's thought.
"Yeah…" Shun said a bit uneasily, hoping Masquerade wouldn't find out about Hydranoid's betrayal.
"No clue." Hydranoid stated honestly.
"Hey, Hydranoid? Can I ask you something?" Shun questioned curiously.
"Yeah?" Hydranoid didn't really know what Shun was thinking so he just waited for the question.
"Why are you doing this?"
Hydranoid thought about this for a while, not so sure about the answer himself, then answered, "Masquerade has hid under his mask for too long. It drives me nuts. We're supposed to be partners but he tells me nothing, he treats me like some disobedient dog that pees on the carpet. How am I just supposed to accept that he's some evil genius when I don't even know how he became who he is today. I guess…curiosity got the best of me, just as it is with you."
"Hydranoid," Shun said quietly, stunned by his honestly, "Really, I can't imagine you as someone on the…'dark side'. If you don't like Masquerade then you can just choose to leave. I'm sure someone nicer and more respectful than Masquerade would want you as their partner.
Hydranoid stayed silent.
Shun, not being able to read bakugan expressions, especially if they were in ball form, felt uncertain.
"What's that on the back?" Hydranoid pointed out.
"Huh?" Shun looked from Hydranoid back to the diary to realize that Hydranoid had spotted the faded text on the back of the diary, hidden by chains. Shun slightly moved the chains around so that he could read the text. Where manmade nature resides. "Where manmade nature reside?" Shun didn't know Masquerade was a poet.
"It might be a clue to where the diary keys are!" Hydranoid said excitedly, then fell silently as he tried to think of what it meant.
"It doesn't make sense because there is no such thing as manmade nature!" Shun said in frustration.
"Shun, all riddles are like that, sometimes Masquerade practically speaks in riddles, so I'm used to it." Hydranoid said rather casually. "Think, in what instances do humans try to create nature?"
"All I can think of is a zoo…because they try to make the habitats close to nature" Shun said with a furrow of his brow.
"The keys have to be pretty close, though. Maybe something like a zoo? Maybe a farm? But the closest farm is about three miles from here, Masquerade might not keep the things he's trying to hide so far away." Hydranoid tried to reason it out.
Shun shrugged, "Who knows, he does have the power to teleport wherever he wants, whenever he wants. Who's to say his key isn't in China somewhere?" Shun exaggerated.
"Shun…would you travel across the world just to open your own diary?" Hydranoid asked logically.
"I guess not, but if Masquerade went through the trouble of chaining this multiple times, how do we know he hasn't decided to go all the way." Shun felt irritated by their lack of progress.
"Oh I got it!" Hydranoid jumped up and down in excitement.
"What is it?" Shun asked slightly irritated by Hydranoid's enthusiasm.
"I was thinking of all the different locations around the mansion and I realized…the garden!" Hydranoid almost chirped in glee.
"That…makes sense." Shun sounded surprise by Hydranoid's sudden logic.
"Well, then, let's go!"
Shun had followed the pebble path, not expecting what he was next. Near the end of the path there was a rather large ivy-covered archway leading into a garden…except that it wasn't really garden. Shun could tell that once, maybe a long time ago, that this was a breath-taking garden…now it seemed as if its last breath had been taken away. The manmade nature was slowly being reclaimed by the ground from which it once grew. Dark, sometimes dead, plants clinged to what was left of the once beautiful garden. The glow from the setting sun painted the haunting, dead garden scenery in a surprisingly bright orange that made it look like it was a place on some other planet. Shun felt like he had just entered a different world. As he walked around he noticed that a few flowers were able to survive to pop out between the ivy and other overgrown or withered plants.
"Hydranoid…" Shun quietly called out to Hydranoid in amazement.
"Yeah, Shun?" Hydranoid asked, curious of Shun's tone.
"What…happened to this place?" an eerie tone crept into Shun's voice as he started to walk around the garden, trying to find anything unusual, well, unusual for a long dead garden.
"Well…I'm guessing no one tries to take care of the garden anymore…" Hydranoid pointed out the obvious.
Shun sighed, he noticed a realistic statue in the center of the garden. The statue was of a pearly white woman, covered in ivy, who held a pot, tilted so that the liquid the pot contained gracefully flowed down to her bare feet, the other hand was outstretched, as if begging for Shun's assistance, but raised slightly above Shun's head, as if she was asking god for help instead of Shun. She was dressed in loose robes and had flowing hair, but the thing that Shun paid attention to was the shining necklace around her neck. Shun walked up closer and saw that a small and highly decorated key was hanging from this necklace-chain. Shun quickly detached the chain and raised the key in the air in a silent signal of triumph.
"Ummm…but there's still two more keys." Hydranoid coughed, hating to be the bearer of bad news.
"…" Shun lowered the key, along with his head, in slight frustration.
"Ah! But! Ummm, I'm sure we'll quickly find the other keys! We should try to find another clue!" Hydranoid babbled quickly. trying to raise the high spirits of Shun that he had just lowered.
Shun glanced around until the metallic glint cause the orange light of the escaping sun. Shun kneeled down to see the golden label on the statue's base, pushing away the covering ivy. The caption said 'by Riven Macbeth' but Shun was more interested in the scratched letters below the official caption, "Where sky meets earth." Shun read the sentence scratched.
"Ummm…well there is another strange statue at the top of a really tall hill…" Hydranoid offered.
Shun thought it was good enough and followed Hydranoid's directions.
They finally reached the top of the ridiculously tall hill, the sun slightly peeked over the top like a watchful eye. Another statue awaited them at the top. It was the same style of statue, looking like a replica of Greek and Roman statues…only clothed. This time it was of a man. He sat on top of a bolder. He had a hand rested on one of his bent knees and his arm outreached to the direction of the house, slightly raised upward. Shun quickly took the key from around his neck and crouched down to read the next clue, he had no time to play one of Masquerade's games.
"Where the statues point is where you may feel on top of the world." Shun didn't get it, they were already on a really tall hill, what other place could there be?
"I…don't get it." Hydranoid had finally run out of his usefulness.
Shun then thought about where the statues were pointing. He then realized that both statues pointed to his house…but also more toward the sky…which meant…the roof! "Let's go, Hydranoid!" Shun almost broke his usual calm composure in excitement.
They ran to the house and up staircases to finally make it to the roof. When Shun reached the top he stood still for a while to catch his breath, and enjoy the sunset, making everything now glow in a light gold. Shun didn't have to look around much to see the third key, hanging from the TV antenna, glittering in the beautiful light. He snatched up the key with a raising fist in victory.
Soon the unusual duo had made their way down back to the file closet. With shaking hands Shun unlocked and brushed aside all of the chains, leaving a harmless, plain, old looking diary.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Open it!" Hydranoid was literally bouncing up and down on Shun's shoulder.
Shun, almost hesitantly, slowly started to open the diary to the very first page. Not expecting when Masquerade had in store for them.
*A small piece of paper was taped on the other side of the cover of the brown leather bond diary* If you are reading this…then I am most likely dead. If you are reading this and I'm not dead…then you shall be dead soon. And yes, this is a true threat, for the information in here has the ability to kill me…and you. Whoever you are, that is.
*Now to the first page*
Well then, if you are so confident about the security of your life, then go right ahead. When I die I'll need someone to read this so that maybe, just maybe, they'll be able to fix the big pest problem on earth and Vestroia. Now then, I might as well start off explaining my situation before getting into the details. But seriously…your life will be a lot happier and safer if you stop here…oh well, here goes nothing. Don't say I didn't warn you…
You will not find any diaries earlier than this. I've always found diaries needless since I have a perfect photographic memory. I could remember almost anything that happened to me by replaying it in my head, like in a film. If you asked me where I went on a certain date, I could tell you that I might've went to the park, and because I would be seeing the film, I would be able to tell you what color the benches and swings were. Or, by judging the position of the sun, I could tell you exactly what time I was at the park or what the people looked like, I would remember their faces exactly. So a diary didn't really seem like something I would benefit from. It's only now that I have something really important to say.
I saw the cards fall to the earth a day before it actually happened. I was in the garden, leaning against the statue I had made for it. I don't really remember exactly what I was thinking, it was something about my parents being unfair bastards again. All of a sudden I saw a vision where cards fell from the sky, from the grey clouds that hid the brilliant sun. I was confused because it was currently sunny in the garden. And I'm not the kind of person to imagine such illogical things as some stupid card game cards to fall from the sky. I then saw a brunette looking up at the sky in utter amazement. He held out his hand as a card slowly floated down. The card landed then laid down onto his hand. A small red and yellow ball emerged from the card and the brunette smiled at it. What the hell? Was all I could think. I didn't know this person nor was it even possible for clouds to rain cards and not water. I tried to comfort myself by making up irrational theories. Maybe I overdosed on some medication or something, even though I wasn't medicated nor had taken any over-the-counter pills within the last few months.
Maybe it was actually a clip of a movie I had seen when I was younger, though I would have remembered the title of the movie if that was the case. The last thing I wanted to think of was that I was going crazy, though right now that seemed like the most logical answer.
I then saw my cousin, Elisa, run over. We weren't really cousins, more like siblings, yet we weren't even related. To explain this: I was adopted by a couple who couldn't have children but my mom had one sister who had a daughter. And this was Elisa, my parents were her god-parents so when my aunt and uncle both died in a car crash when she was only five years old. We were only a month apart, I was also five when she moved in with us, so we got along…sorta. "Riven," she called my name as she reached the garden's statue, "Why are you sitting here all by yourself, being anti-social?"
I rolled by eyes, "Because I am anti-social."
"Well…I can't disagree with that." Elisa giggled.
I sighed at her cheerfulness. I tried to stay away from most people, to be completely honest I really don't like humans. I didn't like them then and I don't like them now. Other people always tried to get things from you. They hardly even come up to you in just good intentions. They would say they wanted to be friends with you just to ask for your autograph later and never speak to you again. Other times they just do so that they'd be able to brag to others that they met you or that they were your friend…when they were not. Of course, I'm not expecting anyone's empathy as this may only happen to a child prodigy, huh, lucky me.
Elisa seemed different though. I still remember the time when we first met. I had decided to paint the park…exactly the way it was. After all, I was famous for realistic painting that looked almost like a photograph because of its exactness. Elisa peered through the small crack she had opened in the door. I didn't stop painting as I heard the whinny creek of the old door of the Victorian style mansion. "Come in." I offered stoically to my unexpected guest.
The continuous creaking signaled that the door slowly and fully opened. I heard her gasp so I turned around to see her reaction. Her eyes were wide open from the quality of the painting. I smirked smugly, "Just don't distract me from my art." I said with a snobbish tone, as if I was her superior. Back then I thought I was better than everyone else…I still think that way.
"What…what is that?" she asked, amazement still on her face.
I sighed realizing she actually wanted to converse. I stepped down from the stool I was using to reach the canvas. Did I mention we were both five at this time? "It's a painting of exactly how my favorite park looks like."
Elisa walked closer and studied the half-finished painting, "Then it's not art." she stated bluntly.
"Wait…what?" I questioned in surprise. I actually got very annoyed by this comment. Who was she to just walk into my life and criticize my painting skills? Everyone thought I was good, darn it! I was a child prodigy!
"I meant…how do you feel about the park?" Elisa asked, as if her question was completely normal and had to do with art.
"I don't know, I just decided to paint it." I said with an annoyed shrug.
"Yes, you can paint…but you can't paint art. Art shows how someone feels about something." Elisa chuckled a bit.
"It does? How?" I was totally clueless of this.
"It shows how someone sees something and uses symbolism to convey a feeling or message." Elisa spoke almost robotically, as if reading it out of a textbook, yet she understood it.
I rolled my eyes, "Alright then, give me an example."
Elisa thought about it for a moment, "OK, so if you decided to paint a person you thought was evil…you might paints her in tones and shades of red."
"But that doesn't make sense because that person isn't actually in shades and tones of red, or is she?" I pointed out, as if I knew everything and I was always right.
"But art doesn't have to make sense, and it usually doesn't if you take everything so freaking literally." Elisa growled with a hint of annoyence.
I was stunned. What the hell was she talking about and getting on my case for? My parent said anything I painted was art and would be apreaciated by anyone who saw it. It was only till later that I realized that she was right, all of the paintings before had been a shallow remeberance of places without any feeling.
Anyways, back to the other scene I was trying to describe. Elisa had just laughed when I said I was antisoical. She took it light heartedly in the past but her face has dulled into seriousness. I looked up at her in curiosity of her expression change.
"You know…" now her face almost seemed sad, "you just can't stay antisocial forever…"
"…what do you mean by that?" I asked in a mixture of annoyence and confusion.
"Well, we won't be living in the same house together forever. And you view me as your only friend, don't you?" Elisa pondered, refusing to just get to the point.
"Yeah? And?" I pretended to pay her little attention, as if I'd stop listening if she didn't stop beating around the bush, Of course, that would never happen, I'm always interested in what Elisa has to say.
"What will you do when we grow up and part our own ways? You'll be all alone. You need to learn to trust more people, sometimes I don't even think you trust me." Elisa placed her hands on her hips.
I looked at her darkly, "Maybe I want to be all alone, that's when I'm happiest."
Elisa raised an eyebrow at my response and replied scarcastically, "Oh, well, excuse me Mr. 'I vant to be alone'," Elisa imitated that line from the movie Grand Hotel, "If your so happy without anyone around, I'll just leave, then." Elisa turned her back and started walking away.
I got onto my feet, I didn't want her to leave while she was angry at me (I wouldn't hear the end of her complaints about my antisocialness), "Wait! Elisa!"
She turned around, hand on hip, waiting to hear what I was going to say, "Yeah?"
"There was one thing I wanted to ask you about. But I'm only going to tell you this because I actually do trust you." I tried to think of a way to both prove my trust and get that vision off of my chest.
"Yeah?"
"Alright here it goes…" I took in a large breath of air, "…do you think it's possible for cards to fall from the sky?"
Elisa's blank expression matched her silent untill her compossure broke with the silence in a histerical laugh, "Oh comon' Riven! Cards? From the sky? AHAHA! Where the hell did you get this load of crap? Have you been watching that weird TV show where they talk about the end of the world? You know they only make those shows to freak people out."
I knew she wouldn't listen…no one does, "Yeah, you're right, I'm just being paranoid. It was just a stupid daydream."
Elisa shrugged, "Alright, but that's not like you, Riven. Are you feeling ok?"
I turned my head away from her, not wanting to continue this conversation, "I'm fine."
Elisa sighed, "If you say so…"
And we both walked back to the house together. Little did I know that what I saw would change my life, and not just mine, either…
"Hey Alice!" a crude voice called out to the unexpecting red-head.
Alice looked around her room at the beach house, only to jump at the sight of a certein blonde perched on the window sill of the window she opened a while ago. "M…Masquerade?"
"That's my name, don't wear it out." Masky bluntly and rudly replied.
"W-what," Alice looked around to see if any of the brawlers had noticed this unwelcomed visitor, the coast was clear, "What are you doing here?"
"Wow you seem a bit stressed out…maybe this isn't the best time…" Masquerade started to take out his DT (dimensional transporter) but Alice grabed the hand holding the card.
"Wait, no! This is a perfect time just…what exactly is it that you want?" Alice said with uncerteincy.
"I was just wondering…where would you like to go?" Masquerade offered without explaining.
"Huh?" Alice grunted in confusion, what exactly was Masquerade asking her?
"You know, I have the DT so we could go anywhere you wanted, even outside the country. Of course, you're the lady, so where do you want to go?" Masquerade said nonchalantly with a shrug at the end.
Was…was Masquerade asking her out on a…date? Alice crossed her arms behind her back so that Masquerade wouldn't see when she pinched herself.
Masquerade crossed his arms over his front, "I'm waiting." he reminded her, though he was not waiting patiently.
"Oh, um, I want to…want to…go to an amusement park!" Alice said as her face lit up at the last word she said.
Oh gawd, "Ummm, an amusement park? Really?" Masquerade asked an unpleasant tone.
Alice's once lit up face instantly dulled from Masquerade's reaction, "You said anywhere I wanted…" Alice tried out her best puppy eyes on Masquerade.
Damn, those are good puppy eyes, "Yes, I did say where ever you wanted but…do you really want to go to an amusement park?"
"Yes!" Alice put her hands together in a pleading motion.
"You know, it's, like, in the middle of winter. How the heck are going to find an amusement park?" Masquerade tried to slyly get himself out of it.
"We're in Florida, aren't we? I'm sure there are some year-round amusement parks down here!"
"Ummm…is that your final answer?" Masquerade said, sounding more like a game show host than a guy taking a girl out on their first date.
"Yes."
"…are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes! Are we going or not?" Alice actually lost patience.
Masquerade grabbed her wrist and took out the DT, "Alright…let's go."