Hello, third chapter, oh yeah. Love Bakugan, don't own it, but am still loving it. Hehe. Sorry, it's long, took to long, probably boring, sorry.

The Explanation

"Ma-ma-Marucho is-is that r-realy yo-you?"

Preyas asked of what only could be, you guessed it, pure astoinishment and confusion. (Mixed with a little bit of wondering if this was a dream of not.) All Marucho could do was smile. If Preyas wasn't in his hand, he'd of thought he was going delusional. All was silent between the group. Guessing the confusion his friends were feeling, Murucho explained as casually as possible,

"That's what 5 years does to a guy."

"5 YEARS!!!!!!!" The Bakugan screamed in unison, that almost made it sound like a surround sound system.

"Shh. Guys not so loud." Marucho said sharply, but softly. He quickly scanned behind him to see that no one was watching. He grabbed his bags that he left on a park bench and sat himself to a tree near the Bakugan. He turned to his friends and beakoned them over to where he was sitting. They crowded round him like he was a magician in the circus. Their eyes full of mystified wonder.

"Has it really been 5 years since we left?" Skyruss asked.

"Actually, you came at exactly 5 years sharp to this day. I...I just...I can't wait to show you to the guys. We've all missed you so much."

"What's happened...since we've been gone?" Gorem asked hestiantly.

For the longest moment, the Bakugan and their human friend sat in silence. Marucho, for his part, was too shocked for words. His friends had just appeared out of no where, exactly 5 years after dissapearing for what everyone thought was for good, but it was still hard to think that tey didn't know what happened. Dan had said on many occasions that he could see Drago looking down on them, but for the last couple of years, that hasn't been so. The connection was broken and no one knew why...suddenly, a realisation came upon the young teenager. He slapped his face in a joking manner.

"Boy, have I got a lot of explaining to do." He chuckled to himself. He glanced down at his friends, knowing that they were curiously watching him,"Alright, but you better not move around to much. This may take a while."

As the Bakugan sat down (as much as they could) Marucho took photos from his bag and placed one of them under Drago. It was of a much older Dan. His hair still as it always was, a mess, but he had no goggles and was wearing a buisness suit. He had a grin on his face as a bulding behind him bore the words 'Bakugan Card Game: Remade'. Drago studied his old friends face over and over again, but he could not hold back the joy, excitment and interest as Daniel's face still held that proud, determination that had always been there. For his part, he could almost not hold back the tears that threatened to come forth, and didn't even bother noticing the other's whispers as they moved closer to the photo. He only reagained back to noticing things until Marucho's voice broke his concentration.

"Dan is still waiting for you guys. It never really sunk in for him that you guys were going to go...and never return. For the longest while, when alone, he would just stare at the sky, waiting for something he knew, or thought he knew, was never going to happen. After that phase, he went in all different directions. First, he was a clown at children's parties. I gotta tell you, the kids loved him. Then he went on to be a bit of a guitarist, but he never got an agent so it only last a couple of month's. Finally, he decided, scince he loved you guys and the game so much, he is now recreating the game of 'Bakugan'. No magic included this time, but the rules and cards, and everything else is still the same. He even let me help him with holographic projecters to make it seem more...realistic. His first prototypes were, well, all Drago's actually, and because of that, Bakugan is getting re-known around the world. Just to warn you though, he still hasn't learnt the words 'grow up' and had them in his volcabuary for more than a couple of seconds. He can still be...over enthusiastic"

Drago could only chuckle and answer to no one in particular,"He won't ever change."

After those words left his mouth, another picture was on the ground. Gorem stepped forward and was amazed to see a even more beautiful Julie than when he last saw her. Her silver hair was gustling in the wind, like an actress would pose, she had an arm holding the side of her head, keeping the hair out of her eyes. She wore a sparkling scarlet and white dress that swished round in the wind as her hair did. She was smiling confidently, like she could face the world. Gorem looked at the blue-eyed-human above to find answers to many questions.

"Julie has changed a lot and not at all, I guess. She is still confident and...a natural flirt. But this time she is actually making money out of it. She is now a multi-million doller actress and has been founded for her profound singing. She even makes Jenny and Jules run for their money. To get an interveiw with her alone is, at least, 670 thousand dollers. She has stared in 3 major motion picture films, has had her own series called 'Jewel of the Julie', voiced as a character in another film...What else?...Oh, yeah, uh, she also made 2 albums and 5 singles...for CD's I mean, and has been awarded an Oscar for best actress...I also think a few grammies, but memory fails old age."

Looking back down at the photo, Gorem found himself asking, "You remembered all of it?"

"She wouldn't stop nagging me if I didn't. Like I said, she has and hasn't changed. Oh, wait, her passion for arts has also increased and her compassion for others...but other than that...don't look to surprised Hydronoid. She was born to be like this."

Showing what he meant, Marucho placed a signed photo of an-even-more-gorgeous-as-she-can-get Alice. Her red air hung straight down to her hips, her deep dark brown eyes shone with excitement. She smiled as if she had won a million dollers, holding a huge trophy in one hand bearing the words 'Best dressed model award'. The little Darkuss dragoniod could feel himself bulsh and wonder...Wonder how many boys are chasing after her this time?

"As you can see, Alice is having a run for her money. People all around the world want to see the 'natural star'. With how many times she'd appeared in magizines only the gods can know. I don't think there has been a single magazine corporation that hasn't been trying to get at least five minutes of her behind the camera. Seriously, to get this very picture, it took me 2 and a half hours from waiting in que and she officially has her own fan club, girls who want to be her, and boys who want to marry her. But hey, like I said she was born for it. Not to mention all the boyfriends she's had. From my last count it was 54, but I'm still not certain. Haven't seen her ina couple of months. Oh, and Skyruss, no offense but you need to set Shun straight again, he's going lone wolf again."

He placed a torn, and rough, picture in fromt of Skyruss, only to find that the boy on the picture was...a little younger than expected. But he was older. His green eyes sparkled as emalds still, his dark hair was still long and he was smiling, well, half smiling. But the first thing Skyruss really noticed was that he looked distant, sad even. Tears met her eyes seeing her friend so...alone.

"Sorry how battered and how young he looks. He's never really around so I never get good, right now pictures of him. He's been traveling the world saying 'I'm trying to find myself'. Ah, but he's been to England, Africa, Russia, America, Australia and France, no closer than he was back then. Don't worry, he's coming back from his latest trip to China today. Maybe then he'll..." His voice trailed off into nothingness.

"Uh, hey Marucho," Preayas said, a little uneasy, "What about you? No offense, but besides height, you must have changed in some ways over the years we've been gone."

At this, Marucho buffed up his chest, grinned from ear to ear and said proudly, "Well, no need for me to brag, but I am officailly the owner of a multi-billion doller company. Get to knock down a couple of buildings, rebuild them better then ever, and profit off it. Not much, but enough."

"Wait, please..." Tigreira said, "What about Ru-?"

"Speak of the devil. Excuse me guys, gotta be a gentleman for a little while."

As the Bakugan registered this new information, they all saw a young woman being interceded by a very cramped Marucho. As soon as Tegreira saw this girl, however, she knew it was Runo in a heartbeat. Her sparkling blue hair was down to her hips, her aqua eyes happy about seeing an old friend. She wore a very nice white dress, with a white beuare (can't spell it. ^^;) planted on top of her haed. She was holding a very nice bouquet of flowers and was flustered, as if in a hurry.

"Hey Runo. How's everything in your life?"

"Fantastic. My parent's resturant is now 4 star so have to work double time, their and my flourist buisness is going great. Thanks for asking."

But in Tegreira's eyes, something ws wrong with her friend. Something dreadfully wrong that just wished she could shout and fix the problem, not even knowing what it was, or hold she could help. But what worried her the most was that her life long friend seemed to be...lying?

"So, you coming to the party of are you to busy for that as well?" Marucho joked, half-heartedly.

Me' Lady?

That was when the Haos Bakugan's words hit home. When Marucho was looking, Runo seemed...frustrted/exhasburated/tired/destressed/lonely/emotional/depressed all in the one package. It broke Tigreira's heart the way she even tried to cover it up, and not trust her feelings to her. She did the best she could to look both happy and excited, only half-succeeding.

"That was today? Oh shoot. Ah, completely spaced out. I need to get my tribute ready. I'll meet you at the party, k?" Were here final words before she ran off into the distance. Marucho sat back down with his friends, looking slightly bemused, and dissapointed.

"That answer your question, Tigreira?"

Before she could reply how ever, a ringtone rang out and Marucho quickly dived into his bag. He then pulled out a flashy, flip top blue phone, while muttering something along the lines of 'busy, busy, busy'.

"Hello?"

Even from the ground, right away from the phone, as they looked at their friend, all of the Bakugan could hear the sound of a womans voice from the other side of the line. The high-pitched enthusiasm indicated that it was none other then Julie, lifting Gorem's spirits quite high. Her voice was as sing song and as carefree as usual.

Oh, Marucho, it's been to long

"I know Julie."

Oh, and by the way, can I ask an enny wneeny wittle question?

"Sure, what?"

Well, just to be frank, why are you in that bush in the park?

Marucho suddenly looked up, as did the Baukugan, to find a black limosine, with the side window down, and a white gloved hand coming out of it.

Come on over, and quit looking so down, will ya. Going straight to the part-tay. Join us k? Bye.

With that, the line went dead. Marucho turned to his small, bewildered, friends and smiled once again.

"Well guys, this is where the fun really begins."

Gosh, so upset with myself for taking so long and making a pathetic chapter. Someone put a gun to my head. (JOKING, Shesh, put that away) Anyways, will get better. Promise as a Brawler. Review please. Flamies will help Drago evolve again, k?