SailorStar9: 9 chapters up and no review. You guys don't love me anymore. (Pouts). Anyway, this is Chapter 12. read and review..
Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I do own the pairing, I hope.
Chapter 12: Masquerade Unmasked
"Where am I?" Alice was shocked. "I don't know how I got here."
"Alice!" Runo called out, the rest hurrying over.
"Oh no!" Alice exclaimed in horror. "I don't understand. What was I doing? I can't remember anything."
"Now it all makes sense." Marucho noted. "Alice was Masquerade all along."
"Come on." Dan chided. "Our Alice? No way."
Just then, Hal-G's over-towering hologram appeared before them.
"Hal-G!" he declared.
"He's ugly!" Runo gasped.
"Is that..." Julie gaped.
"It's Hal-G." Shun growled.
"Grandfather." Alice gasped.
"It is time to go, Alice." Hal-G told her. "Come with me."
"My dear." he soothed. "Don't you realize that Masquerade's personality will always be a part of you?"
"Masquerade's personality..." Alice trailed off. "Is a part of me?"
"Hey ugly!" Dan hollered. "You leave her alone!"
Running towards Alice, he was knocked back by an invisible forcefield.
"You okay, Dan?" Runo was instantly at his side.
"Do you remember that day, Alice?" Hal-G asked. "So long ago. I was in my laboratory and I had just returned from Vestroia. I wanted to leave a record of what I had seen in that dimension."
Flashback
"What I'm about to reveal here today is true." Dr Micheal turned on his recorder. "My research into the development of the dimension transporter system is a complete success. The tests achieved more than I hoped for, or even dreamed of. I can now transport anything I want from one place faraway to anywhere in the universe."
"Hey!" Preyas
Flashback
Preyas had hopped onto the power switch, turning the screen on.
"I see." Hal-G noted. "So, you saw my testimonial. But there's more you need to know."
Flashback
"And so," Dr Micheal continued. "I believe that these Bakugan creatures can only appear in our world in the form of a ball. Also, only on the battlefield, which has the same dimensional structure as Vestroia can they go back to their original form."
The doorbell then interrupted the report.
"I was unable to finish my research statement because during the time I recorded my testimonial, a mega-dimensional nova was occurring on Vestroia." Hal-G continued.
"Mega-dimensional nova?" Drago echoed.
"That's right." Hal-G added. "Obviously, you've heard of that before, haven't you? It's the phenomenon that occurred when Naga tried to take control of the Infinity Core, as well as the Silent Core."
Flashback
"Yes!" Naga laughed as he approached the Silent Core. "It's good. Now if I absorb the power of the Infinity Core, I'll have absolute..."
"AH!" he screamed in pain "NO! I didn't expect the negative power of the Silent Core to be this great! I won't be able to control it for much longer! It's absorbing me!"
"That was a very dark day that I would never forget." Drago noted.
Flashback
"What... what's happening?" Drago demanded as the energy wave shook him. "Why is a Darkus Bakugan in Pyrus space?"
"That was the day Dan and I first met." Drago concluded.
Flashback
"What is this place?" Dan wondered, finding his surroundings had changed.
"Yes, I remember that day." Tigrerra added. "That was when I saw the Infinity Core go after the Princess."
"And it changed me forever." Wavern cut in. "Things were never the same after Princess Eva entrusted the Infinity Core to me."
"Massive negative power from the mega-dimensional nova was being released." Hal-G added. "It passed through the dimension transporter system and contaminated my laboratory. Then, Alice arrived."
Flashback
"Yes," the door bell interrupted Dr Micheal's report.
"How are you, grandfather?" Alice inquired, stepping in.
"Alice was completely unaware that her life was never going to be the same after that day." Hal-G continued. "A flood of negative energy filled the lab and surrounded us. It changed my body and that's how I became Hal-G."
"And I changed to..." Alice concluded.
"That's right, Alice." Hal-G grinned. "You changed. You took on a separate personality known as Masquerade."
"Hold on!" Dan snapped. "I remember! You never finished that story you recorded in your lab."
Flashback
"Hey, come back!" Dan demanded as the fizzle came onto the screen. "So what happened next?"
"Oh well, at least Alice's grandfather went to Vestroia, right?" Runo noted. "That's something."
"I'm sorry." Alice apologized.
"Alice, it's okay." Marucho soothed. "There's no need for you to apologize."
"Hello there!" Hal-G then came on screen.
"Grandfather?" Alice blinked.
"My name is Hal-G." Hal-G introduced himself. "Bow down before me.
"Hal-G?" Dan echoed.
"Together with the great Naga," Hal-G declared. "The Human World and Vestroia will be destroyed!"
"Everyone, quick!" Marucho exclaimed, rewinding the recording. "Come here and take a look at this! I found something! I'll zoom in so you can see better. Look, there!"
"That's..." Alice gasped.
"Masquerade." Dan finished her sentence as Masquerade's image came into view.
"When Naga triggered the mega-dimensional nova, he started the destruction of Vestroia." Oberus stated, floating into the arena with an unconscious Eva in her arms. "And created a second identity of Alice, known as Masquerade."
"Princess Eva!" Wavern exclaimed in shock.
"Oberus, why are you here?" Skyress pressed.
"And what happened to her?" Shun asked.
"Without the Silent and Infinity Cores maintaining the balance of Vestroia, the six Elemental Regions have started to merge." Oberus looked down at the Messiah. "And that unnatural merge is slowly killing her. Although it was a tough decision, but the Legendary Soldiers voted unanimously for her to be sent to the Human World; to be as far away from Vestroia as she could, in order to, at the very least, prolong her life."
"Wah?" Joe blinked as Eva then dissolved into a multitude of rainbow-colored light orbs and flew off into the sky.
"The Princess has found the place where she could recuperate safely." Oberus noted. If anyone could see beneath the mask, they could see her knowing smirk.
"Oberus..." Skyress muttered as the Ventus Legendary Soldier disappearing into the diminishing portal Apollonir created.
"I remember now." Alice muttered, causing everyone to turn to her. "I do. I remember everything."
Flashback
"I can grant you any wish with these cards here." Masquerade showed Kosuki and Takashi two Doom Cards. "All you have to do is use them."
That done, he teleported back to the plane and into his seat. Removing his mask, he changed back into Alice.
Later...
"Hey, Alice!" Runo called out.
"Runo, Marucho!" Dan shouted over his Bakupod. "Where are you guys?"
"Calm down, Dan." Drago assured.
"Runo and Marucho have disappeared." Dan told the Pyrus Bakugan on his shoulder. "How did you expect me to stay calm?"
"Dan, where are you going?" Shun asked as Dan took off.
"I'm going to find them." Dan snapped.
"Oh no Dan." Julie protested. "Wait for us. We'll come and help you."
"Any luck?" she asked Shun after a while as Alice hid behind a pillar.
"No." Shun replied.
Putting on Masquerade's mask again, Alice transformed into her alter ego.
"Anyone there?" Julie peered behind the pillar just as Masquerade teleported out. "Guess it was mouse."
"Heh! Those two look lost." Masquerade scoffed as he saw Runo and Marucho wander about through the security cameras, his group of lackeys standing behind him.
Sometime later...
Alice got up from the bed mechanically and put on Masquerade's mask, before disappearing.
"I'm coming in, Alice." Runo's mother sounded from the door. "I made you some oatmeal."
"Alice?" she blinked when she found the bed empty. "That's funny, I didn't see her go out."
"So, this whole time, I've been Masquerade." Alice realized and burst out sobbing.
"Alice..." Runo muttered. "I know why she didn't remember before."
Flashback
"Alice?" Runo blinked as Alice collapsed at the dishwasher. "What is it? Alice?
"It's okay." Alice assured her. "I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little tired today."
"I lied." Alice shut her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"It wasn't you." Runo told her. "It was Masquerade."
"It's all my fault." Alice remarked.
"Huh?" Runo blinked.
"Remember when I..." Alice trailed off. "Was in..."
Flashback
"I just don't feel like myself." Alice confessed. "So strange..."
"Huh?" Runo blinked.
"Help me." Alice muttered. "I don't know who I am anymore."
"Well, don't worry, you don't have to listen to Masquerade ever again." Runo told her.
"Huh?" Dan blinked.
"Your friends will take care of you now, Alice." Wavern assured.
"But how can all of you ever forgive me?" Alice wondered. "Oh no, I did so many bad things."
"Huh?" Joe blinked.
"Well, you proved one thing." Shun started. "Masquerade knew where to find us, because you were him."
At Shun's proclaim, Alice started sobbing.
"Alice!" Hal-G droned. "It's time to go home."
"Let's go back to the mansion in the forest." Dr Micheal's image appeared before Alice.
"Grandfather." Alice beamed.
"Come along, my dear." Dr Micheal took her hand.
"No, Alice! Don't go!" Dan called out.
Alice screamed and backed off as Dr Micheal's hand turned into Hal-G's hand.
"Don't be afraid." Hal-G soothed. "Now that everyone knows who you are, the only place for you be is with me, where you rightfully belong! So Alice, be a good girl and come along now."
"No, she stays here!" Dan snapped. "Alice is still Alice. She's going to stay her with us!"
"Dan?" Alice blinked.
"Don't you go, Alice!" Dan hollered. "You're a Brawler! Stay here!"
"You['re part of the team now." Marucho agreed. "Don't go!"
"Yeah, we need you, Alice." Julie added.
"Thank you." Alice replied. "I want to stay. No, how can any of you ever trust me again?"
"No wait!" Runo shouted.
"Goodbye, everyone." Alice said her farewell.
"Alright, grandfather." she pulled out a teleportation card. "I'm ready."
"Alice!" Runo ran off after her. "Don't go!"
"No!" she cried after being thrown back by a forcefield as Alice disappeared.
"Goodbye Brawlers!" Hal-G laughed as he too, vanished.
"No!" Runo sobbed on the ground. "Alice! Come back!"
"Alice has only been gone for a few days now, but it seems a lot longer." Runo started the narration. "We thought we might find her back at her grandfather's lab, but she wasn't there. I even miss her and I can't stop thinking about her."
Where are you, Alice? Where are you? She mused in the park. Please come back to us. We forgive you for everything. If there was only someway we can let you know.
The summer vacation is over. Marucho looked at the humming crickets in the forest as the sun set. Julie's gone back home and Shun's back at his place again. Our families sure are glad to see us again though. But strange weather patterns have been happening all over the world. Scientists have been trying to figure them out. So far, no one's come up with any explanation for it all. It's like the world's been turned upside down. The new school year should have started, but it's so hot, all the schools are still closed. The grown-ups are starting to worry, cos they realize something is seriously wrong. The world has changed.
"I know the real reason behind this bizarre weather." Drago noted on a rock in the dried-up river. "Vestroia is collapsing and its decay is causing the erosion of the Human World."
Wavern then rolled in and unfurled herself, releasing the Infinity Core's power in the process.
"This problem is affecting everyone on the planet." Dan reported. "And that's when my mom and dad decided they have to get the word out about Bakugan."
"That's right." Dan's mother informed over the Internet. "I have something important to tell you all."
"Marucho's parents were all ears." Dan continued. "As were Runo's folks. And so is Joe's mom. And Julie's parents were in and even though it took a while, eventually, Shun's grandfather was willing to listen, which was good for Shun though; now he can bring Eva back to his place so he could take better care of her. Of course, I'll never say that outloud, Shun'll slaughter me."
"They were shocked." He added. "But in the end, they understood that the Bakugan were real, and even tried to help them. Then, one day, while our parents were meeting, something horrible begun to happen on Vestroia."
Somewhere else...
"I can feel it." Naga droned. "I feel the power, the power the Silent Core's energy is flowing through me. But I need the Infinity Core's power to complete my plan. I must have both of them and the crystal the Princess wields. Can you hear me, my sister and Princess? Listen to me, Wavern, you as well, Princess. I want the power of the Infinity Core and the Purity Gem. Give them to me! I've waited long enough. If you won't bring me the Infinity Core and the Purity Gem to me, then I'll come take them from you!"
With that, he let loose a burst of energy, opening a large portal in the Pacific Ocean.
In the Pacific Ocean...
"Ah!" the navigator exclaimed as Naga's energy tore open a portal, the shockwave sinking the cargo ship.
In Joe's apartment...
"No Naga!" Wavern bounced about her partner's room. "You can't have it!
"Wavern!" Joe awoke when a vase broke.
"My body!" Wavern exclaimed, the energy of the Infinity Core reverting the vase back to its original form. "It's burning up!"
"It's okay." Joe assured her, picking the glowing Bakugan up. "I'm right here now. Let me..."
"The Infinity Core within me... it's resonating with the Silent Core connected to my brother." Wavern remarked. "We must hurry or Naga... Naga will cross over to this world."
"Don't worry." Joe told her. "Just relax now."
At Shun's place...
"Princess Eva!" Skyress exclaimed in worry for the writhing Messiah.
"Shun!" the Ventus Bakugan looked over at her partner who had hurried in. "Please hurry..."
"Eva." Shun picked up the sweating girl into his arms, as he draped a cool towel over her burning forehead.
"Naga... you can't..." Eva mumbled. "I won't... allow..."
"No..." she managed a soft whisper before fainting in Shun's arms.
The next day...
"Right now, we're flying above the Pacific Ocean and what I'm seeing is truly amazing!" the newscaster gushed. "I've just learnt that late last night, a gigantic hole opened up in the middle of the ocean and swallowed an entire cargo ship. Rescuers are currently searching for survivors. Let's get a closer look. We're in the center of the hole, but I still can't see the bottom of it. No one we spoke seems to know where this hole came from or why it's even here. The wind is blowing hard out here, so we're going to head back! My report will continue. Stay tuned."
"I have some breaking news coming in." the camera shifted over to the hospital. "All right, go ahead, Ms. Emily."
"I'm coming to you from the hospital where the surviving crew members of the cargo ship have been taken." Emily reported. "Luckily, all crew members have been rescued. It's a real miracle, folks. Let's get a word from the navigation officer."
"A monster!" the navigator exclaimed once the microphone was placed in front of him. "A monster! Monster!"
"And now, over to you in the studio." Emily finished.
"We'll be back after these messages." the second reporter concluded.
"We should really tell them everything, Wavern." Joe looked at his partner.
At Dan's place...
"That's right, Marucho." Joe started.
"I don't believe it." Marucho chided. "You're alleging that the giant hole in the middle of the ocean leads to Vestroia?"
"Why yes." Wavern added. "I'm afraid so."
"So, that means Vestroia and the Human World are now connected." Drago surmised.
"Then, that means that Naga can come through." Runo noted.
"Yes." Tigrerra agreed. "He'll probably try and cross over very soon."
"And he'll be looking for the Infinity Core." Shun concluded.
"And he won't stop until he finds it." Skyress added.
"He won't be looking only for the Infinity Core." Wavern corrected the two Ventus warriors. "He'll also be looking for the Purity Gem inside the Princess."
"Purity Gem?" Joe echoed. "That's the first time I've heard of it."
"The Purity Gem is Princess Eva's life-force, literally crystallized. It's what enables Princess Eva to stablize the energies of both the Silent Core and Infinity Core. Naga needs it so that his body won't overload once he's absorbed the Infinity Core." Drago replied.
"I don't like the sound of that." Preyas whined.
"That's not good." Angelo agreed.
"Yeah, that's bad." Diablo added.
"What do we do, Dan?" Julie asked. "Any ideas?"
"We don't have much time." Gorem added.
"Okay." Dan smiled. "If we all go into that hole, that'll take us to Vestroia, right?"
"Huh." the rest of the Brawlers nodded.
"Dan," Drago started. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"
"Face it, Drago." Dan reminded him. "We just can't sit around here and wait for Naga to come to us. We strike first. All of us are going in after him."
"Yeah!" the rest of the Brawlers agreed.
"Right!" Dan nodded. "Let's do it!"
Later in the afternoon...
"I'm sorry, Dan." Joe apologized as everyone sent the Brawlers off. "I really want to, but I won't be coming with you guys this time."
"Ah, that's okay." Dan told him. "Somebody's got to stay here and hold down the fort. And we're all counting on you."
"No problem." Joe assured.
"Joe, look after Wavern and the Princess too, okay?" Drago requested.
"Sure!" Joe smiled. "You bet."
"You be careful, Drago." Wavern cautioned.
"I will." Drago replied.
"So, let's see." Runo's father rummaged through the backpack he had packed. "What we've got here... cough drops, you'll need them. Where are the first aid kit?"
"Don't worry, dad." Runo soothed her panicking father. "We'll be fine. We'll be home in no time. Just wait and see."
"My baby!" Runo's father cried in his wife's arms.
"There, there now." Runo's mother chided.
"See you soon, mom and dad." Marucho noted to his parents.
"Yes, we're so proud of you, son." his father beamed. "You certainly are becoming quite a fine young man."
"Alright, stay safe." his mother smiled.
"I will." Marucho assured.
"Be careful." Dan's mother warned.
"Of course." Dan replied.
"Dan." his mother added. "We both will be thinking of you. You do your best. And don't let anything stand in your way."
"We know you'll succeed." his father remarked. "And when you finally get back, we'll be here."
"Great." Dan beamed.
"There's nothing to be worried about." Drago assured them. "We'll keep them all safe."
"Thank you." Dan's mother looked at the Bakugan. "Take care now."
"Okay, see you soon." Dan remarked.
With that, the three Brawlers went off.
"Warning, warning, please clear the launch site." the mechanical voice droned as the plane prepared to take off. "Firing main engines, One and Two, maintain open."
As the plane took off, the parents waved goodbye to their children.
"Hey!" Runo's father realized the backpack was still with him. "Come back! Come back, Runo! You forgot this! Come on!"
"I'll be picking up Master Shun at his dojo now, sir." Kato reported.
On the roof, Shun used his rope-and-hook entrance and boarded the plane.
"Hey, check it out." Dan remarked. "Look at all the bright lights."
"Give it a rest, would you Dan?" Runo sighed.
"Sir, I'll be setting the plane down here to pick up Miss Julie." Kato reported. "Standby."
"I'm ready for action!" Julie posed once onboard.
"Sir, we're approaching our destination." Kato reported.
"So, that's it?" Runo blinked as the portal came into view.
"The negative energy coming off it is very strong." Tigrerra remarked. "I can feel it all round me."
"It's giving me the ebby-jibbies." Preyas shivered.
"I guess there's no turning back now." Angelo noted.
"You want to turn back?" Diablo snapped. "Heh! Not me! This is going to be fun."
"Come on Kato." Marucho told his butler. "Let's do this!"
"Yes." Kato nodded. "Yes, right away, sir."
"Alright." he added, opening the hatch. "I expect everyone to be back for dinner. I'll be making a batch of my world famous liver kebabs, so don't be late."
"Go." he winked at the chuckling kids.
"Okay!" Dan started. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah!" the group chorused.
At that, the five jumped right into the portal.
At Shun's place...
Everyone, I'm counting on you. Eva passed her mental message to the Brawlers.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.