SailorStar9: Chapter 6 goes up. This is Chapter 7.
Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I do own the pairing, I hope.
Chapter 7: Home Sweet Home
In the Doom Dimension...
"You have passed the tests." Clayf informed Julie as the five streaks of lights returned to Earth.
"You have proven yourselves yourselves to be worthy soldiers." Frosch told Marucho.
"The fate of Vestroia and the Princess is in your hands." Oberus said.
"We are counting on you." Lars Lion added. "Don't let us down."
"Only you can return Vestroia to its original state." Apollonir remarked. "It's up to you now."
"I'm counting on you, everyone." Eva whispered, seeing the lights return to Earth. "Please protect Wavern."
"They are indeed a very powerful team, but the one who leads them, I'm not so sure about." Exedra noted.
"This, you do not have to worry, Exedra." Eva assured the Darkus Soldier. "The Dragoniod will shine, when the time is ripe."
"Princess!" Exedra gasped when Eva clutched her heart in pain.
"It's begun then." Eva whispered. "The beginning of the end."
On Earth...
Dan opened his eyes to find himself on a grassy hill slope.
"We're home." he realized. "The Soldiers of Vestroia kept their promise, Drago."
"But we still have one more test to pass, Dan." Drago reminded him.
"That's right." Dan agreed.
"Dan!" Runo hollered, the rest of the group hurrying over to him. "Dan! Hey, Dan!"
"Welcome back Dan!" Marucho beamed.
"Danny boy!" Julie beamed.
"Hi guys!" Dan waved back.
"Dan." Runo started, the four unaware of Dan's internal conflict. "It sure is good to see you again."
"So, I guess you passed your test." Marucho noted. "Just like the rest of us?"
"Yeah, you bet." Dan replied.
Shun blinked at his best friend.
"Hey Dan, is something bothering you?" Julie asked.
"Oh, it's nothing." Dan assured them. "It's really nothing. Everything's a-okay! Hey, what could be wrong. We made it back from the Doom Dimension, didn't we?"
"Yes, that's right." Drago agreed, covering his partner's lie as he recalled what Eva had told him. "Of course, Dan."
"Something wrong, Draggie?" Preyas asked on Marucho's shoulder.
"You not feeling well?" Angelo asked on Marucho's other shoulder.
"It's probably just growing pains." Diablo chided.
"And what do you exactly mean by that?" Angelo demanded.
"He evolved, right?" Diablo argued.
"Of course he did!" Preyas snapped at his twin. "He's just been through a lot. Give him a break!"
"A trip to the Doom Dimension really put the wienies on these guys." Runo deathpanned, causing Marucho to chuckle.
"How cute." Julie gushed at the two arguing brothers. "They're just like these comedians that are on TV."
"Yeah, you mean cable." Runo corrected.
They're all my friends. Dan mused. But the only way Drago can become an Ultimate Bakugan is if I defeat every one of them.
On Joe's apartment's rooftop...
"So, you're the great Masquerade." Joe noted.
"That's right." the masked villain replied. "And I've come to take the Infinity Core from you. Let's battle."
"We're ready." Joe replied. "Right, Wavern?"
"I can take him, Joe." Wavern replied. "I know it."
"You have to battle." Joe added. "I don't have a choice."
"I know." Wavern replied. "And I think it'd be better if you let me handle this one on my own."
"I don't want to see you end up in the Doom Dimension." she added. "Like the other Brawlers."
"Can you beat him?" Joe asked.
"There's nobody better than me." Wavern assured him. "You know that. The Princess entrusted the Infinity Core to me, and I'm not about to let her down!"
"Field Open." Masquerade tossed a Gate Card in.
"Field Open." Joe threw a Gate Card in.
"Doom Card, set!" Masquerade tossed in a Doom Card. "Gate Card open."
"I'm in." Joe concurred, following suit.
A/N: I'm skipping the Bakugan battle because I know you guys know what happen.
After the battle...
"Masquerade!" Wavern shouted on Joe's hand. "I want you to give my brother, Naga, a message. Tell him to put a stop to his plan of destroying Vestroia."
"Wavern?" Joe blinked.
"If he agrees to this, then I will give him the Infinity Core." Wavern added. "But if he insists on using it so that he can have the ultimate power for himself, then he'll never get his claws on it. I will make sure of that."
"I'm not your messenger, so why don't you tell him yourself?" Masquerade scoffed.
"Masquerade, you know Naga only wants to use Infinity Core for evil." Joe remarked. "Why are you working for him anyway?"
"I have my reasons." Masquerade replied and disappeared.
"Hi! I'm home!" Runo shouted when she entered her family cafe.
"Runo!" one of the customers blinked. "You're back."
"Hiya Runo." another customer added. "It's her."
"Welcome home." Runo's father gushed.
"Hello everybody!" Runo sang.
"Hey, where's Alice?" she asked, looking around.
"You just missed her." her mother replied. "She went into town to run a few errands. But we're expecting her back any minute now."
"Oh..." Runo whined. "That's too bad. I was really looking forwards to seeing her."
"Hey Runo." one of the male customers gushed. "I'm not too busy, I'd love to hear all about your adventures."
"Where did you go?" another customer pressed.
"Was it fun?" another inquired.
"You had a good time?" a fourth asked.
"Yup, I guess so." Runo replied.
"Dad!" she yelled. "Who are these guys?"
"Oh, just some fans." Runo's father chuckled. "Now, let's have a big smile."
Runo screamed in frustration as her father snapped a photo.
In her room...
"Sheesh!" she sighed, slamming the door and sinking onto her bed. "What a zoo."
Walking over to the basket where she placed her Bakugan, she gaped before tearing in joy when she saw that the Bakugan that had been sent to the Doom Dimension had been returned.
"My Bakugan!" she gushed. "You're back! Oh, it's so good to see you!"
In Marucho's place...
"Hi mum, hi dad." Marucho greeted his parents. "I'm home and I've brought a couple of friends with me."
"Marucho." his father sipped his drink. I trust your trip overseas was a successful one?"
"Go on, we'd love to hear all about it." his mother urged.
"Well, I..." Marucho stammered.
"As long as the Infinity Core stays hidden inside Wavern, it's another level of protection against Naga." Shun covered for the pre-teen.
"Come on, you've all got a case of 'Doom and Gloom'." Julie added quickly. "Yeah, I told them all along they had absolutely nothing to worry about."
"Julie's correct." Marucho agreed. "Yeah, and we're as good as new, for sure." before bursting into laughter, followed by everyone else.
In Dan's place...
Dan. Dan's mother looked at the family picture on her cellphone. Please come home soon. I really miss you.
"It's bedtime." she shut the handphone.
"Who's there?" she asked, upon hearing the door open.
"Surprise!" Dan beamed at his astounded mother. "I gotcha! I'm home!"
"I really miss you, mom." he returned the hug his sobbing mother gave him. "Don't cry."
Later...
"So that's what pretty much what went down." Dan finished after explaining to his mother what had occurred. "If we don't do something, then all of Vestroia, Drago's world, will be completely destroyed. Yeah, I know it sounds like a crazy story; I didn't believe at first until Drago convinced me it was real. We went to a place called the Doom Dimension, and I saw for myself what was really happening. There's this guy called Hal-G and he's partly responsible for this mess. He wants to use the Bakugan for his own evil purposes but we can't let him get away with it. And they're others too, like the creep called Masquerade; he wants to get rid of all the Bakugan by sending them to the Doom Dimension. But I know the Brawlers are up for the challenge. We can take him. And with the help of our Bakugan, I know we can't lose."
"So, that's it." he looked at his mother. "I have to help save the Bakugan world because I know they'd do the same for us if our worlds get into trouble."
Looking down at Drago, he added, "The Bakugan are my friends, and I'd do anything for a friend."
"Thank you, Dan." Drago replied.
"I don't know what I was thinking." Dan chuckled. "I must be going bonkers if I expect you to believe a story like that, mom."
"I believe." Dan's mother corrected.
"Come on, Dan." she chided at her son's puzzled expression. "I am your mother, remember?"
"Geez, thanks mom." Dan blinked.
"You're very lucky, Dan." Drago noted.
"Whoa!" he gasped when Dan's mother picked him up.
"This one's got quite a deep voice." Dan's mother remarked.
"What?" Drago was shocked. "You mean you can hear me!?"
"For real?" Dan was astonished.
"For real!" his mother beamed.
"Listen now, Drago." she looked at the Bakugan. "You take care of my Dan. Promise me."
"Yes, madam." Drago sweatdropped as Dan chuckled nervously.
Back in Masquerade's mansion...
"I'll like to ask you something." Masquerade started. "Doctor Hal-G, or Doctor Micheal."
"Ah? I haven't been called that name in a very long time." Hal-G popped out of the wall behind the masked villain.
"Your dimension transporter system ahs been a great asset to me." Masquerade admitted. "With it, I'm able to transport myself from one place to another."
"That's what it's for." Hal-G replied.
"Tell me, will it work in the Doom Dimension?" Masquerade inquired.
"Of course. I designed the dimension transporter to work anywhere." Hal-G chuckled.
"Very well then." Masquerade decided after Hal-G was out of earshot. "It's only a matter of time before I get my hands on the Infinity Core.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.