SailorStar9: Finally a review. I thought you guys don't love me anymore. (Sighs in relief). Anyway, this is Chapter 24. Read and review.
Disclaimers: See previous chapter.
Chapter 24: Burning Life
In the park...
"Ability activate!" Julie pulled out an Ability Card. "Grand Impact!"
"Vortex Dark Flame!" Druman countered the incoming hammer with his attack.
"Brace yourself, Julie." Gorem warned, blocking the flames, the resulting impact knocking both adversaries to the ground.
"Julie, no!" Dan gasped as Gorem returned to his ball form.
"It's my turn!" Harpus closed in. "Feather Storm!"
"How pathetic, Sirenoid." Centorrior mocked, deflecting the attack as the Aquos Bakugan emerged from the ground.
"Forcing Wind!" Sirenoid released her attack from her harp.
"What?" Centorrior growled, twirling his spear to avert the attack.
"Right Giganty!" Cycloid attacked Centorrior with his hammer, knock the hybrid off.
"Yes!" Klaus beamed.
"This is possible." Druman growled as he stood back up.
"In fact," Centorrior agreed. "We're just getting warmed up."
"Impossible!" Marucho gaped. "Nothing worked!"
"I hate to told ya." Preyas added. "But if we don't get to the Princess and Wavern, we're all gone for, kid."
"I guess we just have to hope Shun get it by himself." Komba remarked.
"Say what?" Dan looked at the African.
"I thought you knew." Komba replied. "Shun took off while you were battling to protect Eva and Wavern from Naga."
"Shun must have realized that this was all a ruse to give Naga time." Drago surmised. "Now, I'm worried."
"Man..." Dan muttered. "You be careful, Shun."
Near Wellington Tower...
both Shun and Alice were knocked out on the ground.
"Skyress!" Shun winced, reaching out to the Ventus bird.
"Ability activate!" Chan Lee pulled out an Ability Card. "Face of Rage!"
"I, Fourtress, will scotch any enemy who dares challenge me with my awesome rage!" Fourtress declared.
"Darkus Riot!" Naga countered the fire blades.
"Hey!" Chan Lee snapped. "Back off! Ability activate now! Face of Greed!"
"Go ahead." Fourtress mocked, dodging the energy ball. "Give it your best shot, Naga. But no matter what you throw at me, I will survive. I am Fourtress and my "Face of Greed' ability is impenetrable."
"I hate drama!" Naga growled, slapping the Pyrus Bakugan off with his tail.
"Fourtress..." Chan Lee muttered, catching the ball.
"Naga!" Eva called. "No! This madness has to stop! We're the ones you want!"
"So, you're finally ready to concede defeat?" Naga taunted.
"No, Joe." Chan Lee told him. "Don't let Eva and Wavern get involved in this fight. Quick, call Wavern back inside her ball."
"I'm trying." Joe replied. "But it's not working. Naga's sent out signal to the Infinity Core inside Wavern. And that signal is blocking all the commands from my Baku-pod."
"What do we do?" Chan Lee asked.
"I don't know." Joe replied.
On an oil rig...
"Soon Naga will possess the Purity Gem and the Infinity Core." Hal-G chuckled. "Now, to sit back and enjoy the show."
In the park...
"We're trapped inside the battlefield that Centorrior created." Drago remarked. "We can't get to Naga."
"Then, it's time to take Centorrior down." Angelo decided. "Let's do this, boys."
"No one gets past me." Druman stood in front of his partner.
"Okay, tough guy." Diablo leapt back. "Here's a boot to the head!" and kicked Druman, who dodged the attack, only to have Preyas appeared before him, raining his punches on the hybrid.
"Oh right, Drago." Preyas turned to the Pyrus Dragoniod after knocking Druman to the ground. "Centorrior is all yours!"
"I'm on it, Preyas." Drago replied. "Are you ready, Dan?"
"Yeah!" Dan replied. "Ability activate! Dragonic Vulgar!"
"Diablo Shield!" Centorrior guarded himself with his cape as Drago charged.
"No, no, this isn't over." Centorrior remarked after he was knocked over by Drago. "You can't defeat me, Drago."
"Ultimate Dragon!" Drago charged up again.
"Exceed!" Dan tossed in another Ability Card.
"Alright, the forcefield's gone!" he whooped after the forcefield dispelled upon Centorrior's defeat.
"Centorrior." Druman looked over at the smoking reminds of his partner. "No! You fools will pay for what you've done! Vortex Dark Flame!"
"No!" Harpus squealed as the fireball came at her.
"Watch out, Harpus!" Sirenoid leapt up, taking the brunt of the attack.
"Harpus!" Komba shouted.
"Sirenoid!" Klaus exclaimed.
Tigrerra jumped at the charging Druman who was then heading towards Drago.
"Drago, you must go help the Princess and Wavern now!" Tigrerra shouted.
"Dan, you too!" Runo agreed. "You're our last hope."
"Alright!" Dan replied.
"Hold on!" Drago stood with Dan on his head and took off. "We're coming, Princess, Wavern!"
At Wellington Tower...
"Oh no!" Chan Lee gasped as Wavern was knocked against the collapsed Tower, causing Eva to fall onto an overhanging ledge.
"Wavern!" Joe called out.
"No more, Naga!" Wavern looked at the over-towering White Bakugan. "Please!"
"It's too late for that." Naga gripped her neck. "Listen very carefully, dear sister. The only way for the Infinity Core and the Silent Core to come together is if you willingly surrender it to me. And once I've merged, you will be destroyed and I should become supreme ruler of the universe. This is my destiny, Wavern. You have no choice! Those Bakugan who choose to serve me will survive. Then those who don't, will be eliminated!"
"But you will be alone, Naga." Eva reminded, as she pulled herself up with the help of her Holy Spear. "I don't know of any Bakugan who will serve you. You will be eternally lonely and there is no fate worse than that, Little One. If that is your destiny, then pity is all I have for you."
"I don't need your pity, Princess." Naga growled. "But I will offer the two of you this: if you dare join me, your lives will be spared. Then, you will help me rule the cosmos beyond the end of time!"
"That's never going to happen, Naga!" Wavern snapped. "We would never surrender our morals to join the dark side."
"Very well, dear sister." Naga scoffed and turned to Eva. "Now, I must answer the call of fate! Give me the Purity Gem, Princess!"
"Naga, no!" Dan came in.
"Unhand her!" Drago demanded before Naga could thrust his claw into Eva's chest.
"Drago!" Wavern teared.
"This doesn't concern you!" Naga barked, firing an energy ball at Drago who dodged the attack.
In the park...
"Destroy Force Down!" Druman released his attack.
"What's going on?" Tigrerra demanded as energy beams struck down from the skies at the battling Bakugan. "I can't move!"
"Tigrerra!" Runo exclaimed.
"I hope you fools like pain." Druman chuckled. "Because I can do this all day."
"Ability activate!" Julio pulled out an Ability Card. "Haos Freeze Attack!"
"What the..." Druman growled when his attack was nullified.
"Now's our chance, Tigrerra!" Runo shouted.
"Velocity Fang!" Tigrerra finished the fight.
"Good will always defeat evil." she looked at the smoking reminds of Druman.
In the sky above Wellington Tower...
"You ready, Drago?" Dan asked.
"Yes." Drago replied. "Ultimate Dragon!"
"Exceed now!" Dan pulled out an Ability Card.
"How did he survive that?" he was shocked when Naga came out unscathed after the smoke cleared.
"Oh please." Naga mocked. "Is that all you've got? I believe now it's my turn."
"Bottom Zero!" he released his attack.
"Drago!" Eva gasped as the shockwave knocked both Drago and Dan off the skies.
"Cosmic Bubble!" she summoned a spell that encased the two fighters within two rainbow-colored energy orbs.
"Dan!" Shun hurried over to Dan. Meanwhile, Drago had taken off to the sky once the protective orb burst.
"I'm okay." Dan replied as the bubble popped.
"Get to Eva and hand this to her." he passed the statue in his possession to Shun. "Noble Lion said that Eva will need this to win this war."
Shun nodded mutely and took the statue before hurrying to where his Soul Twin was.
"That should take care of those two." Naga turned to the two females. "Now, hand over the Purity Gem and the Infinity..."
"Princess, Wavern, don't!" Drago shouted.
"Drago!" Wavern gasped as the Pyrus Dragoniod charged at Naga. "Know the battle is lost. Please, you must go. Now!"
"It's not over, Wavern." Drago corrected.
"There is only one way to prevent Naga from getting the Infinity Core." Wavern told Drago.
"No, Wavern." Drago protested. "I won't hear of it."
"The only way we can save the universe is for you to destroy me, Drago." Wavern told him. "Then Naga will never have the chance to unite the Infinity Core with the Silent Core."
"I could never..." Drago objected.
"We have no choice, Drago." Wavern reminded him.
"Give me the Infinity Core!" Naga hollered. "Silent Down!"
"Ultimate Dragon!" Drago fired his attack.
"You fool!" Naga snorted as he turned around. "Haven't you learnt your attacks are useless?"
"What?" he gaped when Drago's fire went past him.
"No!" Drago bellowed when the fireball hit Wavern straight in the chest.
Shun had already arrived by then, the ninja shielding Eva from the bright burst of light.
"WAVERN!" Eva screamed.
Shun looked at the grief-stricken girl in his arms and pulled her into his arms, allowing her to cry.
Unknownst to the pair, a single tear dropped onto the statue in Shun's hand, the said figurine started to pulse a rainbow-colored light.
On the ground near Wellington Tower...
"Wavern!" came Joe's bellow.
"Don't blame Drago, Joe." Wavern told him. "I asked him to. We didn't have a choice."
"But why?" Joe demanded.
"This is goodbye, Joe." Wavern bade her partner farewell.
"No..." Joe muttered. "Wavern!"
In the sky above Wellington Tower...
"Here Drago." Wavern told to the Dragoniod. "The Infinity Core is now yours."
"And I will do everything in my power to protect it, Wavern." Drago promised as the Infinity Core was transferred over.
"Thank you, Drago." Wavern replied as she faded off. "Until we meet again, my dear."
"Wavern!" Drago hollered.
On the ground near Wellington Tower...
"I'll miss you, Wavern." Joe wept. "But I'll never forgot you!"
"It's okay, Joe." Chan Lee consoled.
"See ya." Dan muttered.
In the sky above Wellington Tower...
"How dare you, Drago!" Naga growled. "The Infinity Core would have been mine by now; if it wasn't for you!"
"Enough, Naga!" Drago snapped. "Never in a million years will I ever forgive you for what you've done!"
With that, he absorbed the Infinity Core and evolved once more.
On the ground near Wellington Tower...
"Wow!" Julie gaped. "Check it out!"
"Looks like Drago has merged with the Infinity Core." Runo added.
"And become the Ultimate Bakugan." Marucho remarked.
"Now, he's Infinity Drago!" Dan realized.
In the sky above Wellington Tower...
"Wavern, was this what you had in mind?" Eva muttered in shock as the figurine in Shun's hand floated out of his grasp and in front of the girl.
"Now, I understand your sacrifice, Wavern." she realized, the statue floated over into her hands. " All along, you had wanted me to awaken my armor."
"Eva?" Shun blinked when the girl got out of his arms.
"If me becoming 'Silver Wing' once again is what it takes to end this war, then so be it." Eva decided firmly.
At her declaration, the figurine flashed brightly, causing the 'Silver Wing' mark on Eva's shoulder-blade to resonate.
"Incredible..." Shun gaped as the 'Silver Wing' manifested right before his very eyes; a corona of silver-white light was forming around the girl he loved. Yes, after much denial, our dearest Lone Wolf had finally admitted to himself that he loved her.
The ninja was forced to shield his eyes when the aura exploded into a blinding light.
"Nicely played, my friend." Naga noted "Now, it's the Infinity Core against the Silent Core in the ultimate battle where the prize is; control of the universe! And I shall be victorious!"
The both Bakugan's attention was then caught by a sudden burst of light.
When the light faded, Naga, Drago and Shun visibly gasped. The Princess had changed. Her long pure white ancient Roman dress was not pure white anymore. Silver markings, of a type they had never seen before, decorated it. Eva turned to smile at her Soul Twin and Shun swallowed a gulp when he saw the same silver markings on his Soul Twin's face and arms. Over the chest area of her dress was the symbol of a large bird, wings open in flight, in pure, glittering silver. Two long strands of hair that aligned Eva's face were now pure white and contrasted to her naturally dark navy hair. But most striking was what was on her back; two large, long silver-white wings.
The Silver Wing had awaken once again and low to he who has awakened her.
With everyone watching her, the armored Eva turned to the two battling Bakugan. Raising her hand, she summoned her Holy Spear.
"If you think you can defeat us," Eva growled, deflecting the Silent Core's power with the round shield in her left hand. "You're an even greater fool than I thought."
On the ground near Wellington Tower...
"This is insane!" Runo exclaimed as the outflow of energy spilled over the area.
"Drago!" Dan hollered, dashing into the blinding light.
"Dan, what do you think you're doing?" Runo demanded.
On the floating piece of land...
"Dan!" Drago shouted at his unconscious partner.
"Drago?" Dan sat up.
"Dan." Drago looked at the teen. "Please, let us take care of Naga."
"Don't blow me off, Drago." Dan chided. "Remember, we're a team and we always battle together."
"But this time may be different." Drago reminded.
"Oh come on Drago." Hal-G remarked. "Let the little whiper-snapper get in on the fun, but just make sure he knows the rules. Are you in or are you out?"
"Quit stalling! Let's play!" Dan retorted.
"Bakugan, roll!" the two chorused.
On the ground...
"I've never seen any battle like this." Julie remarked as Drago and Naga clashed repeatedly as two glowing orbs of light.
"And chances are you'll never will ever again!" Marucho added.
On the floating piece of land...
"Ultimate battle engaged." Dan's Baku-pod reported. "Opposing powers at equal strength, 1000Gs."
"It won't be long before I own the universe, Drago!" Naga declared.
"Bottom Zero!" he unleashed a wave of energy.
"Cosmic Wall!" Eva formed a transparent, starry-like barrier between the attack, Drago and herself.
"Don't worry about me, Dan." Drago assured his partner. "Flame Striver!"
"But that Dragoniod should be done for the count." Hal-G was confused.
"Hang in there. You can do this." Dan muttered.
On the ground...
"Light-attributed means that was a Haos ability." Runo noted.
On the floating piece of land...
"That's it!" Dan realized. "Now that you're an Ultimate Bakugan, you can use other abilities like Pyrus."
"You're right, Dan." Drago agreed. "And Ultimate Bakugan has no ability limits."
"Dive Fleet!" he melted into liquid and disappeared.
"Surprise." he then re-appeared before Naga.
On the ground...
"Holy cow!" Marucho gaped. "Now he's using an Aquos ability."
On the floating piece of land...
"There is too much at stake to be playing your annoying little game, Drago." Naga growled as Drago headbutted him.
"Darkus Riot!" he released his power.
"Heads up!" Dan called. "Gate Card, open! Wall Lock!"
"This battle is ours!" Drago told Naga. "Fire Grandam!"
On the ground...
"Alright!" Julie beamed as Drago released a glowing double-headed hammer at Naga. "That last blast from Drago was Subterra ability!"
On the floating piece of land...
"Aerodragon!" Drago charged in.
On the ground...
"Amazing!" Shun gasped. "Now Drago's shifted to a Ventus Ultimate Ability."
On the floating piece of land...
"Triangular Shield!" Naga summoned a barrier.
"Cosmic Dispel!" came Eva's next spell, scattering the barrier just as Drago shot through the shattered shield.
"You must pay for what you have done, Naga." Drago barked.
"I've never seen anything like this, ever!" Tiffany reported in the news copter. "An entire city is floating in mid-air. And bizarre creatures from somewhere are locked in what looks like a battle. Right now, we're flying in for a better look. Wait a minute. It looks like some kind of goblin creature and a young kid."
At headquarters..
"That's Dan!" Dan's mother gasped.
On the floating piece of land...
"Why are you doing this, Drago?" Naga demanded as Drago headbutted again. "Join me and together we can rule the universe!"
"I want nothing to do with the likes of you, Naga." Drago growled. "Besides, it's payback time for what you did to your sister, Wavern."
"You must be destroyed, Naga." he swore, the two Bakugan meeting tail-to-tail.
"You're blaming me for what happened to Wavern?" Naga snorted. "You fool. You are the one who sent her back to Vestroia."
"Because of you!" Eva screamed, a silver orb of light formed between her hands.
"Burning Dragonia!" Drago released his attack.
"That ought to show him, Drago!" Dan whooped as Naga crashed onto the ground.
"What the..." Hal-G stammered. "I've got to revive Naga and quick!"
"Paladin appear!" he summoned. "Bakugan, roll! Paladin army, stand!"
"We're hooded!" Dan exclaimed.
"Say hello to Naga's personal royal guard." Hal-G introduced. "The Fifth Paladin!"
"Incredible!" Drago was stunned.
"No fair, Hal-G!" Dan retorted. "This brawl was supposed to be a one-on-one battle!"
"Don't be such a fool, boy." Hal-G smirked. "Since when has anything in life been fair? There's only one rule, and that's to win at any cost."
"Naga!" Drago hollered.
"Our time is now, my minions!" Naga laughed.
"Ability activate!" Dan tossed in an Ability Card. "Melting Burst!"
"Burning Dragonia!" Drago fired his attack as the spears the Paladins tossed at him melted when they came in contact with the fire wall.
The Paladins moved into position and blocked the fireball with their shields.
"What?" Drago gasped, before he was knocked down by a charging Paladin.
Then, the Paladins continued to ram against him in succession.
"Drago!" Dan gasped when the Dragoniod was knocked down with one final blow.
"Drago!" he hollered when Drago remained unresponsive.
SailorStar9: This chapter is down! And the next chapter, the final battle and the finale of the Bakugan series. Now that's done, read and review.