Chapter Six
Danni felt the gust from the flames warm her face to uncomfortable temperatures. It didn't burn her; instead, it seemed to strengthen her. The black space around her, with bits of all the Bakugan element realms represented in their colors, twinkled, seeming to smile at her. Pyrus Robotallion was on fire, literally and figuratively. Julio was practically cowering in fear! Haos Centipod's attacks were practically useless against Robotallion's awesome power surge.
"Keep it up, Robby," Danni yelled. The armored bakugan acknowledged her in its ferocious yell at the Subterra bug.
Julio scuttled around more fiercely than ever. He was waving his arms around frantically. "Come on, Centipod, get up! We've got to beat this chick!"
Danni cackled, the fire raging around her powerfully.
"Don't lose your head, Danni," Dragini cautioned from Danni's shoulder.
"I'm not," Danni smirked. "We have to save the cores anyway, right?"
"There is no anyway to this," Dragini muttered.
Danni shot her a stop being such a downer look.
Dragini ignored it. "I hope you friends are doing okay," she lamented.
"They're probably crushing the competition," Danni answered, as she got ready to send in the game-ending attack card.
"For Vestroia!" Danni yelled.
"This is too fricking easy," Ruon yelled, mostly to get the small bushy haired kid mad. He was such an annoying brat, but the whole situation was kind of amusing. Mostly because Ruon was winning.
Tigrerra roared in approval. "YEAH!"
Komba was skittering around, freaking out big time. His hand was on hit hat to keep it firmly in place. "No, El Condor! Not you, too!"
"What else ya got?" Ruon tossed his Monarus up and down threateningly. 'Cause whatever else it is, I'll be ready.
The bakugan battle world seemed to be closing in on Maru, making her suffocate. She couldn't see clearly. Her Aquos Limulus was screeching in pain as it disappeared into the dangerous black portal that led to the Doom Dimension.
"Bye, Limulus," she whispered. "I'm sorry that I failed you."
"Oh, not another one," Klaus said from the other side of the battle field. "Pity."
Maru's long eyelashes fluttered rapidly. She picked up another blue bakugan ball. It clicked open, and Aquos Preyas looked up at her expectantly. He was ready for action.
"Maru!-oh, no-are you okay-"
"Limulus," Maru choked out, unable to say anything else.
Preyas caught on immediately. "We've got to avenge him!" Preyas cried. "Let me at 'em!"
"Be careful," Maru sniffed.
"I'll be fine," Preyas assured her. "Let me in!"
Maru shook her head. "O-okay. Bakugan, brawl! Preyas, stand!"
Julian's bones rattled. The temperature seemed to have suddenly dropped to subzero. Ironically, Chan Lee's bakugan were blazing brighter than ever. The Asian's eyes gleamed with the reflection of her bakugan's flames.
"What's wrong, Julian?" she called, as his Tuskor rolled to his feet in defeat. "Given up already?"
"Can I see my friends now?" Julian dodged.
"Sorry, not yet." Chan Lee didn't sound very sorry at all.
"Then, no, of course not!" Julian set his jaw. "Bakugan, brawl! Gorem, stand!"
The bakugan realm seemed to swirl around Shuna, making it hard to stand. Falconeer, Monaurus, and even Skyrim lay at his feet, curled into vulnerable positions. She blinked at them-apologetic and confused.
"It was interesting, battling with you," Masquerade smiled. "Not. You didn't deserve to be ranked 1st. But of course, I took care of that just now. As usual."
Shuna felt the temperature around her rise, but she forced her expression to stay neutral.
"The world has been righted," Masquerade continued.
"No Doom Dimension card today?" Shuna interrupted. "What happened, is it low on battery?"
Masquerade was already turning around and walking away, slowly disappearing into a portal.
"Hey-answer me!" Shuna shrieked after him. The blonde boy just held up a hand in farewell. Shuna bared her teeth. She wanted to follow him-but did she really? Who knew what hole he hid in when he wasn't out ruining bakugan's innocent lives. Bending down to scoop up her bakugan, her mind tried to wrap around what just happened. I…lost.
Julio had run away-disappeared into a different portal of some sort. Danni hoped it was a Doom Dimension for humans. Stinglash and Mantris were gone. But Dragini was safe. Julio was defeated. All was supposed to be good. Yet… Well. Whatever. Danni looked around, wondering where she could find her friends.
"Danni?"
She turned, and was happy to see a familiar face. Ruon was running up to her.
"What happened?" she asked, rocking back and forth on her tennis shoes.
"Won, of course," he snorted. His turquoise colored hair was a bit more mussed than usual. There was a light pink color under his cheeks wasn't in Danni's "official" memory file of him. Tigrerra hopped out of his pocket and onto his shoulder, apparently wanting to join the conversation.
"It was EPIC," the white tiger bakugan put in.
"So was I," Danni grinned.
"Anyone else back yet?" the blue haired boy looked around as he asked.
Danni shook her head.
"You worried?" Ruon asked after staring at her for a bit.
Danni shrugged. "Maybe."
Ruon cleared his throat, and looked at the ground beside his feet. "They'll be fine, I'm sure."
"I sure hope so."
Ruon didn't say anything.
Tigrerra looked from Ruon to Danni, then back to his brawler. "So, we wait?" he asked in his cat-growl.
Julian hung his head. Chan Lee had left without a word-no gloating, nothing. It almost made him feel worse. In her eyes was a feral glint, but Julian didn't have much time to mull over it. Chan Lee disappeared into a portal without much ado, leaving Julian to wallow in his defeat.
The white haired boy gently picked up his bakugan. "I'm sorry, guys," he whispered. "I…"
"Julian?"
Navy eyes wide in surprise at the faint yell, the tan boy whipped around. Danni and Ruon were running towards him. The brown haired girl's eyes were bright, and her mouth-in a grim line-was determined. Her very aura seemed victorious-and eager. Ruon looked about the same. Julian couldn't think of a time when he didn't want to be near Danni. This moment was the first.
"Who was your opponent?" Danni grilled.
"Chan Lee."
"Who's that?" Ruon snorted.
"One of the best ranked players, as of, like, yesterday." Danni recalled. Suddenly, she stared at Julian with new worry. "You battled against her?"
"That couldn't have ended well," Ruon said grimly.
Danni socked him in the gut.
"Oww-what the-"
"Are you okay? Your bakugan-" Danni's red brown eyes glittered with worry. Julian would have felt so warm inside, so loved, at any other time. Nothing else would have evoked such a reaction, he realized, feeling defeated yet again.
"My bakugan…are okay."
Danni threw her arms around him. "I-I'm sorry…"
Julian was taken aback. He couldn't even respond.
Danni jumped about five feet away, looking increasingly awkward. "Ah-well-hehehe, I guess-"
"Both of you just shut the heck up," Ruon scowled.
"Let them have their moment," Dragini said from Danni's shirt pocket.
"Dragini," Danni gasped. "There is no-what-I-"
"The suspense!" Julian cut in, extremely awkwardly. "Where are the others?" The three brawlers looked around for their friends.
Ruon cupped his hands around his mouth. "You guys, just win already!"
Then, the blue haired boy suddenly seemed very engrossed in something that was happening very far away. "What's that?" he asked. Danni couldn't see a thing about what he was talking about, so she just turned to Julian, about to ask him a question.
"Oi-Ruon, where are you going?" Julian yelled. Danni whirled around again, and of course, Ruon was sprinting at full speed away from them, towards some mystery event.
Danni facepalmed. They had just got Julian back, and now-"Hey, get back here!"
"Maru, tell everyone I love them."
"Nooo, Preyas! You can't-"
"Stop making it harder for me! I can't bear this! The world NEEDS ME!"
Maru didn't stop bawling. Preyas was gone. The Doom Dimension portal had just closed on her beloved Aquos guardian bakugan-forever.
"Give him back to me," Maru begged, on her knees by now.
"I'm sorry," Klaus said rather coldly. "But I can't. The Doom Dimension is what it is."
Maru sobbed. She tried to wipe her tears (but it was no use, she still couldn't dry her cheeks). She looked up at Klaus, her eyes searching his face, for an answer, for an emotion, something. "Why did you do this to me?"
Klaus just closed his eyes and looked away without an answer. He turned his back to her and walked towards a portal that opened up before him.
"No!" Maru shrieked. (The world suddenly turned slow-motion; Maru's tears glistened in the battle dimension's light. All she could see was Klaus's back, in his mauve, crisply pressed overcoat as she ran towards him. She didn't hear a voice call her name. She didn't notice a boy run up right behind her and follow her into the portal. Most of all, she didn't notice the small smile that played across Klaus's thin lips.)