Happy New Year to all fellow readers and fanfictioners out there! Has it been 5 months already? Time really flies back when you're chilling and having fun! OK, so maybe that wasn't exactly what I saw doing. I can admit that the first month I was trying to find and idea for Chapter 6, which I was failing at in the most epic way possible. Not to forget the piles of homework I was receiving nonstop. I swear that the teachers actually held a grudge against me. So, after some hard work and a few copied work from Google, I'm finally here. November was for NaNoWriMo, which I had also given up on due to the massive piles of homework ("Thank you teachers" I say sarcastically). So most of you would've probably been thinking that I would've updated first thing this December. However, luck didn't seem to be on my side as I was trying—and failing—to come up with an idea that would suit my needs. Fortunately, after some help from Switch-on-97, I was able to get up back onto my feet, and begin writing this Chapter, which I actually wrote a plan for, for the first time since I had started off this fanfic. Yes readers, most of the stuff I had written was mostly the first thing that came up from the top of my head, so I wouldn't mind if I got any negative reviews from this. Unfortunately, my mother, being a prick, decided that I wasn't doing enough work around the house, and decided to ban me from using my own laptop. Although I still use it in secret, which was how I was able to even write this in the first place. I was supposed to update this on New Year's, but I was too busy procrastinating and playing games (Why does life become so difficult when you get your own laptop?). So without further ado, since I've kept you waiting for all these four months, and some people probably would've given up reading this and gone straight to the chapter because of how boring and insanely long this is (why am I even stalling this chapter in the first place?) I give you:
SIX: CHANGE
"Please! No more!" a girl's voice that sounded much like Elise, coughed as she fell to his feet, pleading for mercy as another figure, cloaked in the darkness of the warehouse, only smirked evilly.
"Maybe if you had done as I had asked and gotten rid of that… kid, then we wouldn't be here, but seeing as the both of you—" the white haired boy said, gesturing towards Elise and Flare "—had actually done your job and gotten rid of Theodore ASAP, the least I can "reward" you with is some sort of punishment." Suddenly, the boy's eyes had now lost its original color, and was now a sinister shade of yellow. "I didn't think it would come to this…"
"P-please Master, it w-wasn't our fault, he had some h-help" Flare pleaded, trying to find some way out of the torment she was about to receive.
"Either way, you were meant to take care of him like I had asked, help or not" the boy said grimly. A small spherical figure then rolled onto his shoulder, before popping open, revealing a plain white Bakugan with purple accents.
"To be honest, this boy you speak managed to take down to of your most elite team" the bakugan spoke. "Seeing as these two had failed you twice now, it seems that this boy really is a force to be reckoned with, and if we allow him to let loose and train for much longer, then he might just be as strong as you—"
"No one is as strong as me, and nobody ever will be!" the white haired boy said as he punched the wall, raising his voice to the point where he was almost shouting.
"All I'm saying is allow these pawns here to rest and send somebody else who can actually get the job done" the bakugan said harshly, much to Flare and Elise's annoyance. The white haired boy pulled himself into his thoughts, scratching his hair as he pondered on what the Bakugan was saying. In the end, he merely shrugged.
"I guess you're right, if these two won't get the job done, then I better send somebody who will" the white haired boy finally spoke as he folded his arms and hung his head down, his eyes returning to their original colour as he whispered a few words foreign to the English language under his breath. It wasn't long before the sound of quiet steps filled the silence and each of them turned towards the source of the voice, revealing the white haired boy's right hand-man—or should I say girl—Aeolus.
"Ah, Aeolus, so glad of you to join us. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show" the white haired boy said, cracking a small smile for the first time that day.
"I am ready to serve you in any way I can" Aeolus said in a monotone voice, bowing down at the boy's feet.
"There is a certain… 'matter' I need you to take care of" the boy said, pacing around the room. "You see, due to these two's inability to take care of a little pest I would've assumed they would've taken care of without any trouble, I have decided for you to take their place instead, and take of this boy instead, since I know you are my trusted advisor and will get the job done."
"If I may interrupt, sire, is it okay if I can get some background information of my target before I engage him in a battle?" Aeolus questioned.
"Do as you please, just make sure you get rid of him… for good" the boy said, dismissing Aeolus before turning his gaze towards Flare and Elise. "I do not want the pair of you to displease Our Master any more than you already have, time is barely on our side and I don't want another group of "Battle Brawlers" chasing us down. I except you to train if you ever want to regain Our Master's trust. That is all."
With Flare and Elise dismissed, the white haired boy then turned his gaze towards the glass ceiling, his eyes fixed on the full moon above him. "Soon, the Earth will crumble under our strength… And no one will be able to stop us. Not even the Brawlers!"
After the long school day, Theodore found himself lying down on the sofa in the living room, staring at the small note he had received just a few days ago. "Call me when you want to become stronger." The phrase was literally glued to his mind. After what happened just a few days ago, he was beginning to doubt his brawling skills. He had almost lost Sentinel, and for a brawler who's only experienced that feeling only once in his career, it left him pretty shaken.
The sound of the door opening broke him out of his trance, and was now met with the warm gaze of his mother, who despite the numerous plastic bags she was carrying didn't seem to mind at all. "Oh, hello Theodore" his mother said, clearly surprised. "I didn't realize you were home. Can you do me a favour and help me with these bags?"
Theodore merely shrugged as he pulled himself off the sofa, his mother handing him a couple of bags as they began to pack everything into their respective areas. Almost as if she had sensed her son's gloomy mood, Mrs. James turned towards her son. "Are you OK? You don't seem as cheered up as you usually do" she asked worryingly.
"I'm OK Mom, no need to worry about me" Theodore said, hoping that his Mom would just drop it and he'd continue on with his life, but she didn't seem so convinced. In truth, he really wasn't alright. After that battle with Flare and Elise, only one thing was certain: he was weak. He was just too used to brawling with ordinary bakugan, and was basically a newbie when it came to brawling with Guardian Bakugan, and charging into a battle recklessly didn't seem to be working.
"Are you sure? Usually you'd be begging me to go outside and do whatever you kids do these days. What was it called again? Bakuman… Battleman…"
"Bakugan,Mom, at least get it right once in a while" Theodore said, rolling his eyes as he sighed deeply. "But seriously, I'm okay, I just want to stay inside today."
"Who are you and what did you do with my son?" Mrs. James said, raising her eyebrow at her son. "Honestly, all the times I tell you to stay inside you're begging me to go outside, but the one time I allow you to go outside you want to stay inside. Is it Opposite Day already?"
Theodore let out a small laugh at his mother's joke. "He finally smiles. What a miracle!" Mrs. James joked. "But seriously, you need to get out more often, even though you do so already. If you're not going to do it for yourself, do it for me okay?"
"So you're pulling out the Mom card now huh?" Theodore said, folding his arms.
"Had to happen sooner or later" Mrs. James laughed as Theodore sighed.
"Fine, I'll go outside" Theodore said, raising his arms in defeat. Theodore grabbed his backpack from the ground and lazily made his way outside. His gaze fell on his bike, was sprawled across the pavement, just beside the garage. He contemplated cycling around the city until he was tired enough, but decided against it and ended up on a casual stroll, going wherever the sidewalk took him.
"I'm finally free!" Sentinel said, jumping excitedly out of Theodore's pocket as he rolled onto Theodore's shoulder. "So, any more opponents that you've hooked me up on? I can't wait to get battling!"
"Sorry Sentinel, but it doesn't look like we'll be brawling, much less anytime soon" Theodore mumbled, his mind brought back to his previous battle, his facial expression darkening.
"Come on man, you've been like the this for the past few days, all gloomy and depressed, and it's really starting to mess up our coordination" Sentinel said angrily. "You need to get over it. One loss shouldn't affect your overall performance."
"One loss? ONE LOSS?! I almost lost you Sentinel. It may not mean much to you, but for me, someone who's only joined this Guardian Bakugan-partner gig, it kind of puts me off my game" Theodore said raising his voice, but slowly calming down. "You're my first ever partner Sentinel, and I don't want to lose you."
"I know, and I get that too. But this is exactly why we need to find that Moses guy to make you—make us become stronger. Hopefully he can get you out of this… phase" Sentinel said.
"But even if we could, we don't even know where to find him. There weren't even any contact details or address on the paper" Theodore sighed. "Guess we're stuck on our own for now—"
"Hey! Theodore!" a familiar voice cut him off. A smile tugged on the corners of Theodore's voice as he turned to face his best friend, Chinatsu. Unlike her usual attire, she wore a dark purple long sleeved t-shirt and black shorts, accompanied by her trademark purple sneakers. Her bright orange hair, which was usually done in two long pigtails, which now done in a side braid that hung over her shoulder.
"Sup Chinatsu. What's got you all dressed up?" Theodore said, his previous darkened mood now completely forgotten.
"Oh, I'm going to meet Citra today. I kind of need help about… something" Chinatsu said, choosing her words carefully. Despite being her best friend, Chinatsu didn't want to tell Theodore about her real reason for visiting Citra. Theodore, however, knew it was pretty obvious that Chinatsu was hiding something, since she was a terrible liar, but didn't ponder on it too much. He didn't really know much about Citra, only that she was the one that gave Chinatsu her Guardian Bakugan, Lazuli, but apart from that he's never met her, and Chinatsu doesn't like to talk about her much.
"Do you need someone to accompany you? I don't really have anywhere to be, and you look like you need some company" Theodore offered.
"Really?" Chinatsu squealed, her eyes glinting with hope.
"I mean, i-if you're o-okay with it t-that is…" Theodore said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"Yeah sure, whatever" Chinatsu said, trying to sound casual, but ultimately failing.
The walk to Airedale Hospital was one with little words, the two friends only exchanging words about what they were planning to do afterwards, but nothing to make the conversation more interesting. It wasn't long before they found themselves at the wide doors of Airedale Hospital, each letting out a breath they didn't know they were holding.
"Well, I guess this is my stop. I've already brought you this far, I guess it's high time I started my own journey" Theodore said quietly.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow…" Chinatsu said awkwardly. Theodore was only able to salute goodbye before they both made their way to each of their destinations. A few minutes later, Theodore found himself sitting on a small bench in the park, watching a few kids trade cards as they argued with of their bakugan was stronger than the other. Theodore smiled, he had honestly missed the times when he wasn't brawling for his own survival. Just watching those kids brought back so many memories of his own brawling days. However, the only one he could remember was that day…
Theodore felt something tugging on the sleeves of his jersey, drawing him out of this thoughts. Slowly opening his eyes, he met the tear-eyed gaze of a small kid with messy black hair and brown eyes. Tears streaked down his face, the helpless bow trying not to let any more mucus fall down his face as he sniffed his mucus back into his nose.
"H-hello Mister, c-can you pl-lease help me? I l-lost my bakugan to my friend over t-there—" the boy said, pointing to another overly determined kid with spiky hair "—and I d-don't have any other b-bakugan left to defeat h-him."
"Uh, I don't know, kid…" Theodore began to say, until Sentinel cut in.
"Come on man, just this once. It's been a while since we've brawled, and I REALLY need to stretch my legs" Sentinel pleaded. Theodore tried to say no, but the puppy dog eyes made him think otherwise.
"OK kid, you've got your wish" Theodore said, finally giving in. Getting up onto his feet, Theodore challenged the spiky haired kid to a brawl. At first, the kid's trash talk almost intimidated him, but like a kid, he didn't have much skill, and he defeated him with time to spare. After giving the kid back his bakugan, Theodore sat back onto his seat, replaying the events that had just unfolded before him. He was just about to lock himself back into his thoughts when a familiar voice interrupted him.
"I thought I might find you here. Then again, I didn't give you much to start off with anyway" the voice said. Snapping his eyes open, Theodore found himself face to face with none other than Moses Harington himself. A smirk tugged on the corners of his lips as he leaned on the edge of the bench, his guardian bakugan—Gravelon, if Theodore recalled—sitting on his lap.
"YOU!" Theodore said, startled by Moses's unexpected appearance as he jumped off the bench. "What are you doing here anyways?" Theodore asked, curious as to how Moses had found him in the first place.
"Well, finding you here was more of fate than planned. I was just taking a casual stroll along the park—the one place where I can actually clear my head—until I spotted you going to help that kid out" Moses said, scratching his head. "I would've excepted you to notice much earlier, but it seemed as though you were lost in your thoughts, so I decided to say hello. Besides, I was beginning to wonder why you haven't decided to take up my offer."
"I would've, but you decided not to leave any contact details on this scrap piece of paper you gave me" Theodore said, swinging the note around in his hands.
"Hey! Don't blame up, I was just… uh…" Moses trailed off, Theodore raising his eyebrow as he waited for an answer. After what seemed like eternity, Moses continued. "I was, uh, just making sure that you would get the note as planned. If it had fallen into the wrong hands, then who knows who might show up at my doorstep."
"Yeah sure" Theodore said, clearly not convinced.
"Anyway, we're getting off topic now. I didn't just come here to say hello" Moses said as he pulled out a brown gauntlet with light brown accents and strapped it onto his arm.
"So you decided to train me?" Theodore said, his eyes widening at the thought of becoming a much more experienced brawler.
"First of all, let's see if you're good enough to be trained" Moses said, a smirk falling on his face once more. Theodore laughed lightly as he pulled out his gauntlet from his bag, and a black card with the six attributes. Moses soon followed suit, pulling out a similar card.
"GAUNTLET POWER STRIKE!" they both yelled, the surroundings around them slowly beginning to slow down until they were frozen in time.
Chinatsu took a few breaths as she stared at the door in front of her. Number 106. Citra's room. It had been a while since she had visited her, and like then she was just as nervous. She hadn't planned on what she was going to tell Citra, but she was the only person she knew that could help her. After all, she was the only person besides her that had ever wielded Lazuli in a battle, and their previous bond might help her understand her partner in more depth in order to work together as a well-oiled machine.
Chinatsu felt Lazuli roll up onto her shoulder, and she too stared at the door in front of her, which seemed like a big step for both of them. "Do you think you're really ready to see her?" Lazuli said worryingly. "You don't have to go in if you don't want to."
"If I don't do it now, Lazuli-san, then when will I do it, when will I be ready?" Chinatsu sighed. "It's better to do it now than any other day, or else we might never accomplish Citra's dream."
Lazuli only nodded, as though she understood why her partner was there in the first place. After taking a few more breaths, Chinatsu cautiously reached for the doorknob, her palm shaking with fear.
"You know, if you're just going to come in, you might as well come in, unless you plan on staying outside for next hour or so" a voice said from the inside, startling both Chinatsu and Lazuli. Chinatsu froze at the sound of the warm, quiet voice. How did she know we were outside? Chinatsu thought.
Finally mustering up the courage, Chinatsu twisted the doorknob and stepped into the room. Laying on the large hospital bed was a tall Indonesian girl with warm brown eyes and long black hair that fell down to her shoulders. She smiled as she turned her head to face Chinatsu and Lazuli.
"Hello, Chinatsu and Lazuli. It's been a while since I've seen you. Make yourself at home" the girl spoke. "I don't usually get company, and although the silence allows me to wonder what will happen to me after I get out, it's always nice to have a few visitors once in a while, especially if it's you two."
"H-hello C-Citra. It's finally n-nice to s-see you t-too" Chinatsu stuttered, unable to find her voice. It had always left her stunned when she saw her longtime friend was lying in the hospital, strapped to a bunch of machines as they fought to keep her alive. She had always felt fortunate because of this, because it could've happened to anyone else, even her, but she hated the fact that out of everyone in the world, it had to be Citra.
"So, what's the story today? Usually you don't tend to visit unless something troubling you" Citra said. "Although I do hope it isn't, because I really feel I've been missing out too much of the world. Maybe we could catch up on old times, eh? What's Bakugan Interspace like these days? It's been a while since I've battled, and I really want to know how much you've moved up in your rankings since our last meeting—"
"Well, actually, there is something troubling me, but it's really nothing major" Chinatsu cut in, before stopping herself. She laughed lightly as she smacked her forehead with her palm. "You know what, forget I even asked. Let's just do what you did instead and catch up on old times."
"You know it's not really good to bottle up your problems like that" Citra said. "It doesn't matter; we can catch up about our lives at another time. Right now we really need to help you first."
"Do we really have to? I mean, like I said it's really nothing major—"
"We're doing it now whether you like it or not. Don't try to argue, you have no say in this" Citra said, which silenced Chinatsu. Sometimes, Chinatsu thought Citra sounded more like her mother than her friend, which actually kind of scared, but it just showed how much she cared. The fact that she was willing to deal with her problem first rather than catching up on all the days she's missed crammed inside the small hospital room just showed how much she had changed since their last meeting, both physically and mentally. "So what's the problem this time?"
Chinatsu then began to recall the battle she was engaged in with Atticus just a few days ago, and how easily he had overpowered her since their last meeting and had almost lost Lazuli in the process. As she continued on with the story, Chinatsu felt the pain coming back to her, and she had to fight back tears with all of her willpower. When she finished, Chinatsu stared at Citra, waiting impatiently for an answer.
"Well, I kind of get what this story is explaining, the fact that you want to become stronger just because you had almost lost Lazuli" Citra said breaking the silence, leaving Chinatsu once again amazed at how she was able to deduce all that just from the short story she had told her. "But what does that have to do with me?"
"Well, since you were Lazuli-san's previous partner, I thought you might help me understand Lazuli-san much more as a bakugan, so that we can work better as a team" Chinatsu said, the once embarrassed gaze disappeared from her face, which now held a more determined one. "Please, Citra, I need your guidance. Help me to become a better brawler."
"Gate card set!" Moses said as he threw down a gate card onto the ground, sending a light brown shockwave around the battlefield. "Bakugan brawl! Subterra Gravelon stand!" Gravelon bellowed with all his might as he landed onto the battlefield, the same menacing aura that he had in Theodore's previous encounter still visible.
"Bakugan brawl! Ravenoid stand!" Theodore said, throwing the bakugan onto the battlefield, much to Sentinel's disappointment.
Gravelon: 700 Ravenoid: 580
"How come you didn't send me out? You know how much I've been dying to fight a good opponent" Sentinel whined.
"Chillax Sentinel, I know what I'm doing. I've got everything under control" Theodore said, trying to calm down his partner.
"Or do you? Ability Activate! Gaia Smash!" Moses yelled. Gravelon began to swing his hammer as he charged towards Ravenoid, sending it to the ground.
Gravelon: 1000 Ravenoid: 580
"'I have everything under control, I know what I'm doing'" Sentinel said, mimicking Theodore's voice. Theodore only grunted in response as he pulled out an ability card from his deck and slotted it into his gauntlet.
"Just stand aside and watch me do my thing. Ability Activate! Immobile!" Theodore said, multiple clones of Ravenoid shot up in puffs of smoke beside the original Ravenoid. The Ravenoids all charged towards Gravelon, but they were beaten just as easily as the original.
Gravelon: 800 Ravenoid: 780
"Tsk-tsk. Still not strong enough I see, maybe this battle is a waste of my time" Moses said feigning a yawn, only angering Theodore further.
"Oh, you want power, I'll give you power! Double Ability Activate! Wind Resistance plus Piercing Storm!" Ravenoid was engulfed in a blazing green aura, harsh winds surrounding him as he flew at high speeds towards Gravelon.
Gravelon: 600 Ravenoid: 1350
"Ability Activate! Mountain Tundra!" A slab of rock formed a protective barrier around Gravelon, shielding him from the attack.
Gravelon: 800 Ravenoid: 780
"Maybe you're beginning to overestimate your abilities if you think you've got what it takes to defeat us!" Gravelon laughed.
Theodore growled angrily as he slotted in another ability card. "Ability Activate! Shadow Raven!" Ravenoid pulled out a bunch of kunai from underneath his armor, which were encased in light green flames, and fired them all towards Gravelon. However, they merely bounced off his armor, leaving Theodore back to square one.
Gravelon: 700 Ravenoid: 880
"I think it's time we put these two in their place, don't you agree Moses?" Gravelon said.
"So soon? But I was just beginning to enjoy this battle" Moses said sarcastically, but complied either way. "Fusion Ability Activate: Maguinity Colossus!" Gravelon's hammer disintegrated, and a second later Gravelon's hand was now covered in a light brown aura. Letting out a loud battle cry, Gravelon charged forward, striking Ravenoid on the chest and sending him out of the battle.
"What? Is the battle over already?!" Theodore exclaimed, surprise and doubt overcoming him as Ravenoid's ball form rolled onto the floor beside him.
Gravelon: 1000 Ravenoid: 880(K.O)
Theodore James' life force, 80 percent.
Moses chuckled as he caught Gravelon in his arms. "C'mon Theodore, I thought you were better than this, but clearly you're nothing but a one hit wonder" Moses said, hoping to infuriate Theodore, which he did. Theodore cursed under his breath before pulling out a gate card.
"You want power? I'll give you power! Gate card set!" Theodore said angrily, throwing down his gate card. "You ready Sentinel? It's about to get serious."
"Serious and ready are two of my middle names" Sentinel said, determined. "Stop stalling and just throw me in already."
"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's show them true power, Ventus Sentinel!" Theodore yelled as he grabbed Sentinel off his shoulder and threw him onto the battlefield.
"He sure talks a lot for someone who's just lost a battle. Let's end this now, Moses" Gravelon said, closing his ball form and landing into Moses's palm.
"Couldn't have said it any better myself" Moses said as he threw Gravelon onto the gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! You know what to do, Subterra Gravelon!"
Gravelon: 700 Sentinel: 700
"Let's see how well you do against this. Ability Activate! Darkening Glow!" Sentinel began charging up a ball of energy, which then separated into arrow-like tendrils at shot towards Gravelon.
Gravelon: 600 Sentinel: 900
"Ability Activate! Mountain Tundra!" A slab of rocks formed around Gravelon like a protective shell, shielding him from the purple tendrils.
"Dang it! Not enough power" Theodore said, doubt once again overcoming him.
"Now that we're done with that petty display, let's show the what real power is" Gravelon said.
"Ability Activate! Gaia Smash!" Gravelon began swinging his hammer as he charged forward. Sentinel tried his best to dodge the blows, but was unable to see the blow coming from the side, sending him to the ground.
Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 900
"Uh, Theodore, now would be a good time for boost" Sentinel choked as he steadily got to his feet.
"Just one sec…" Theodore said, trying to find an ability card that might help him in this situation. "Umm, Ability Activate, Aerial Ace."
Sentinel's body was covered in a faint greenish glow which died down just as quickly as it had started. Sentinel shot off the ground at an unimaginable speed, circling Gravelon from high above before swooping down, aiming his fist at Gravelon's chest.
Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 1100
"Ability Activate! Great Hammer!" Sentinel could feel the aura around him slowly diminishing and his speed slowly decreasing as he neared Gravelon, who began swinging his hammer for a powerful blow.
Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 900
"Theodore, we have a problem!" Sentinel shouted, the space between him and Gravelon decreasing. Gravelon readied his hammer before throwing straight to Sentinel. "Hurry up Theodore, or else I'm going to get creamed!" Sentinel shouted, a few seconds away from his ultimate demise.
"Ability Activate! Diamond Edge!" Theodore said just before the hammer came into contact with Sentinel's body. Sentinel's wings turned into diamond as he shielding himself from the blow. However, he wasn't strong enough to withstand the full force of the blow and was knocked to the ground. Sentinel stood on one knee, his body covered in multiple scratches and bruises. Gravelon, who stood grinning on the other side of the battlefield, totally unscathed.
Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 1000
"Looks like your Sentinel over there can't seem to handle the heat" Moses mocked. "This battle is kind of going back and forth and not really that interesting. Why don't we just end this and save you the misery of your bakugan?"
"A-ability A-activate… Ventus N-Night!" Thedore said. The whole battlefield was encased in a blanket of darkness, Sentinel's eyes and feet now shielded in green flames with purple wisps. Sentinel sprinted towards Gravelon, throwing a fury of rapid punches and kicks at Gravelon.
Gravelon: 600 Sentinel: 1500
"This is the opening we've been seeking, Gravelon. Double Ability Actvate… Copycat plus Fusion Ability: Aegis Break!" Gravelon's body turned from stone in diamond, shielding him from the multiple blows that Sentinel was throwing at him, completely rendering Theodore's ability useless. Gravelon then began to match Sentinel's blows, smashing his fist into his while countering a kick with another. It went on for another few blows before Gravelon found an opening, smashing his rock-like fist into Sentinel, smashing him into the ground.
"He copied Diamond Edge?!" Theodore shouted, surprised, doubt once again overcoming him.
Gravelon: 1100 Sentinel: 800
"Time to finish this Gravelon! Fusion Ability Activate: Maguinity Colossus!" Gravelon's hammer disintegrated in a flash of brown light, which was then transferred to his arm, covering it in a dark brown aura. Gravelon began running forward, smashing his fist straight into Sentinel's body and knocking him out of the battle.
Gravelon: 1400 Sentinel: 800
"Theodore James life force, 15 percent" Theodore's gauntlet sounded as Sentinel landed beside his feet, signaling his defeat. One more battle and we're toast, Theodore thought as he picked Sentinel thought sadly as he picked Sentinel off the ground.
"I have to say, that battle was much more interesting than the first one, tougher too" Moses said as he caught Gravelon in his arms, pulling out a gate card from his pile and holding "it in front of his face. Theodore could merely nod as Moses threw the gate onto the battlefield. "Bakugan brawl! Subterra Gravelon, stand!"
"Bakugan brawl. Ventus Sentinel, stand" Theodore said, but with less enthusiasm.
Gravelon: 700 Sentinel: 700
"Ability Activate… Undead Power" Theodore said, once again in a monotone voice. The clear sky was covered in dark clouds, the booms of the loud thunder breaking the peaceful sound of the calm breeze. Purple lightning shot out from the sky and struck Sentinel, leaving him covered in a purple aura, boosting his speed and strength.
Gravelon: 700 Sentinel: 1000
"Boosting our powers, are we? That's not going to save you when you're going up against this" Moses grinned, slotting an ability card into his gauntlet. "Gate card open! Subterra Lockdown!" A coliseum formed around the two bakugan, the ground beneath them turning into sand.
"That's your greatest plan, a coliseum battlefield?" Sentinel mocked, folding his arms. Gravelon began to lose his patience and wanted to attack, but Moses stopped him.
"Wait for it" Moses said, a smug grin plastered on his face.
"Ability Activate. Angelic Storm" Theodore said, but nothing happened. Theodore tried again, but ended up with the same result.
"It's no use, once Subterra Lockdown is activated, any opponent that doesn't have the Subterra attribute is unable to activate any more abilities" Moses said. "Now it's our turn to attack! Ability Activate! Gaia Smash!"
Gravelon charged forward, aiming his hammer at Sentinel, who was unable to defend himself as he succumbed himself to the pain of the blows.
Gravelon: 1000 Sentinel: 1000
"Theodore, going to need some backup here" Sentinel coughed, ignoring the pain his body was put through and getting to his feet.
"Oh, right" Theodore said, typing a few buttons on his gauntlet before a spherical Bakugan showed up. "Come Bakugan Trap, Oragon!"
Gravelon: 1000 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270
"Ability Activate! Destiny Flight!" Theodore said, finally regaining momentum. Oragon flew up into the sky before letting a fury of purple bolts rain down on Gravelon, inflicting some damage and leaving a few dents in his armor.
Gravelon: 700 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270
"It's going to take more than that to defeat Gravelon and I" Moses said as Gravelon got back to his feet.
"Exactly" Gravelon said.
"Fusion Ability Activate: Maguinity Colossus!" Gravelon's hammer disintegrated in a flash of brown aura, his fist now concealed in an orange flame as he charged forward, throwing a fist at Sentinel.
Gravelon: 1000 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270
"That's not going to save you now. Ability Activate! Full Moon!" Oragon's eyes began to glow purple before shooting a beam of light all around the battlefield, blinding Gravelon and stopping him in his tracks. Soon, the light quickly died down, bringing all bakugan back to their base power levels. The coliseum arena around them also vanished from sight, leaving the battlefield as it was before.
Gravelon: 700 Sentinel/Oragon: 970
"Now that Subterra Lockdown has been nullified, Sentinel can now use his abilities again" Theodore grinned, slotting an ability card into his gauntlet. "Now Sentinel! Ability Activate, Angelic Storm!" Sentinel's body was concealed in a white aura, which formed into an oval disc slightly above his palm. With a loud battle cry, Sentinel shot the disc towards Gravelon, sending him to the ground.
Gravelon: 500 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270
"Moses! I don't think I can take any more of those blows!" Gravelon growled angrily as he began to get to his feet.
"Got it. Time for our backup" Moses said as he typed something into his gauntlet. "Ready, Hypershot" Moses's gauntlet sounded. "Battle Gear Boost!" Moses shouted as the Battle Gear equipped onto Gravelon, forming a trio of cannons fitted onto his back.
"Wait a second, Battle Gear?!" Theodore said, his eyes literally bulging out his head, as this was the first time he had encountered Battle Gear.
"Battle Gear Ability Activate! Hypershot!" The cannons fired out multiple bolts of brown energy towards Sentinel and Oragon, increasing Gravelon's power level by 200Gs whilst also dropping each bakugan on the field back down to their base Power Levels. Sentinel was able to withstand the blows of the cannons, but Oragon wasn't so lucky, the beams instantly knocking him out the battle.
Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 600
Theodore James's life force, 5 percent.
Sentinel fell to the ground, his body covered in multiple bruises and cuts. He tries several times to get back up, but the pain from the previous blows kept him down.
"It really is a shame, though" Moses said lazily. "I thought your Sentinel was actually going to be a challenge for Gravelon, but it seems as though he's just a one hit wonder."
"Don't listen to him Theodore. I can keep going as long as I want" Sentinel said, hoping for perhaps a reply from Theodore, but nothing came. Sentinel looked down towards his partner, who had now fallen to his knees, his eyes refusing to meet his. "Uh Theodore, are you okay?"
"We can't win…" Theodore said in a monotone voice, so much like a whisper that Sentinel almost didn't hear his words.
"What are you saying? Of course we can win, we've come this far haven't we, and we can't quit now!" Sentinel said, trying to motivate his partner, but nothing seemed to be working.
"Don't you get it Sentinel? We've been nothing but a ball of yarn to him. He could've finished us just as easily as he did in the first round, and it's clear to me now that our differences in both skill and power are too wide for us to win this battle…"
Citra chuckled lightly at Chinatsu's response, much to Chinatsu astonishment. "Seriously? That's why you came all this way, for my help?" Citra laughed.
"What's so funny about that? This is a serious problem we're talking about here" Chinatsu said, almost trying to conceal her disappointment.
"Which is exactly why I'm going to tell you what I told you when I first gave you Lazuli" Citra said, wiping the tears of laughter away from here eyes. "All you need to do is trust Lazuli. She already trusts me enough for me to give her away to you—adding to the fact that she also trusts you and your abilities, or else she wouldn't have agreed to being your partner in the first place. Your job now is to believe in Lazuli just as much as she believes in you, and you can both go a long way."
"Easier said than done" Chinatsu huffed, crossing her arms. "That doesn't really help me in this situation. What I really want to know is how you were such a really good brawler when you had Lazuli-san?"
"It's because I believed in Lazuli, and through that I was able to look beyond my limits. It didn't matter how strong my opponents were compared to Lazuli and I, but because that trust—that bond, was there, we were able to defeat even the toughest of foes" Citra said, turning her head to face Chinatsu.
"What I don't get is, why would you hand Lazuli-san over to me if you had such a strong connection?" Chinatsu asked, stunned by Citra's words.
"Because I saw something special in you. When I first looked at you, I didn't see some shy little kid who was too scared to face her fears. I saw… a part of myself inside you, and it was because of that that I knew you were going to do extraordinary this, much greater goals than I had ever dreamed to accomplish. I knew that with the right guidance, you would grow into as great a brawler as I was, probably even better. I handed Lazuli over to you because you needed her more than I do—you still do—and because I saw a great connection between the two of you, and that you could carry her on a much more prosperous journey."
Chinatsu seemed glued to the spot, her eyes widening with surprise and happiness, Citra's words touching her heart. Before she could even register what to do next, she felt Citra's arms wrapping around her, bringing her into a warm hug. Tears of joy spilled down Chinatsu's face as he hugged Citra back, slowly bringing her confidence back. When they finally parted, Chinatsu was hastily wiping the tears off her face while Citra looked at her with proud determination.
"I want you to become stronger on your own, and find a path that will bring both you and Lazuli happiness" Citra said. "Will you promise me that?"
"I p-promise" Chinatsu stammered, both girls sharing one final hug before Chinatsu departed from Citra's room, a newfound confidence shattering through her barriers, a smile tugging on the corners of her lips. It wasn't long before Lazuli rolled onto Chinatsu shoulder, finally breaking the silence.
"Do you think Citra's words helped you regain your confidence?" Lazuli said.
"Not really, all she did was make me realize the truth" Chinatsu said, stopping for a moment before she held Lazuli in her palm. "I'm sorry I wasn't being fair to you, Lazuli-san. I should've trusted in my own abilities, but most of all I should've put my faith in you."
"I'm glad to here it. From now on, we're going to keep moving forward with Citra's promise, and make sure we accomplish her dream" Lazuli said determinedly.
"Forward…" Chinatsu smiled.
"Come on Theodore, you're the best brawler I know. The Theodore I knew wouldn't back down from a challenge, and he certainly won't back down now" Sentinel said.
"Listen to your bakugan, Theodore. Don't you remember all the fun times you've had as a brawler?" Moses said, causing Theodore to flashback on all the events that had led up to this one. The first time the cards started falling from the sky… the first time he had ever brawled… when he had met Chinatsu… When Sentinel had crashed through the window… His win against Amy and Streak Blazer… His near loss against Flare and Elise… All these moments brought a smile onto Theodore's face, and he slowly began getting back up onto his feet.
"You're right. I guess all this time I've just been rushing blindly into battles forgetting the one important thing about Bakugan… to have fun" Theodore said. "From now on, win or lose, all that matters is that we keep moving forward."
"Yeah! There's the Theodore we all know and love!" Sentinel said, finally finding the strength to pull himself back onto his feet.
"So, he's finally returned to his original state" Gravelon said.
"Why don't we stop with all this chit-chat and continue straight on from where we left off? That is, if you're up for the challenge" Moses taunted.
"You bet. Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!" Sentinel was covered in a light green aura as he shot forward towards Gravelon, letting loose a fury of melee attacks, sending Gravelon a few feet backwards.
Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 800
"You think that's going to stop us? Battle Gear Ability Activate! Hypershot!" The cannons on Gravelon's back fired beams of light brown energy towards Sentinel, sending him flying back a few metres, but managed to regain his footing. By now, each bakugan had their fair share of bruises and cuts, and it seemed as though they were on their last legs.
Gravelon: 1200 Sentinel: 800
"It's now down…" Theodore said.
"To the last card!" Moses continued.
"Ability Activate! Ventus Night!" Sentinel was covered in a purplish-green aura as he charged forward, charging all his remaining energy into one final punch.
"Fusion Ability Activate: Maguinity Colossus!" Gravelon's hammer disintegrated in a bright brown light, his fist now concealed in a brown aura, putting in all the remains of his energy into his fist. Both blows clashed into one, the battle field now covered in a bright flash of white light. For a moment, nothing happened, but as soon as the light had died down, only one bakugan remained standing on the battlefield.
Theodore James life force, 0 percent. Winner, Moses Harington.
Theodore picked up Sentinel from the ground. He was surprisingly not saddened by the lost, but the battle still left him pretty shaken. "Sorry I couldn't hang in there, Theodore. It was my fault that we ended up losing" Sentinel said.
"Don't worry about the end result. Besides, it was also partly my fault for charging in blindly without assessing my opponent first, so were' both equally at fault" Theodore laughed lightly just as Moses began walking towards him. "So… I lost. Guess that means you won't train me."
"Actually, I've decided that I'm going to take you as my disciple after all" Moses said. Theodore stared at him in confusion. "The only reason I battled you was to get you out of your depressed state, and now that that's finally done, I can continue with my original plan to train you."
"So, what you're saying is that that whole battle was for nothing?" Theodore said, almost shouting.
"Not entirely, I did manage to get you back to your old self, so I guess it wasn't completely useless" Moses grinned. "So, are you up for the challenge?"
"You bet!" Theodore smiled as they bumped fists in agreement.
"So, first things first, we need to move you up some ranks" Moses said as he tapped a few buttons on his gauntlet. A holographic screen projected out from his gauntlet, showing Theodore's ranking on 137. "Ok, it seems you've dropped from your original position of 119, but we can work with that. Now, for your homework—"
"Seriously… HOMEWORK? I already have enough of that at school, I don't need any more of that in my social life" Theodore whined, but Moses gladly ignored him and continued on.
"Your homework from now until Monday, is to move up 5 ranks each day. Seeing as today is Friday, then you have two days, meaning that you can go up as far 127, but I would be impressed if you can go higher than that."
"Five ranks each day? Is that even possible?"
"That's what you signed up for when you decided to become my disciple. I'm not just going to let you wander around attracting trouble unless you can actually fend for yourself."
"You're the so-called "kid" that defeated Flare and Elise?!" an unfamiliar voice said in the distance, startling Moses and Theodore, who had now turned their heads to the source of the voice. A teenage girl stood not far away from them. She had long turquoise hair that fell just above her ankles, and sea blue eyes. She wore a white sleeved t-shirt, blue faded jeans, and black boots. A pair of black gloves were worn on her hands. Her eyes had a menacing edge to them, and an evil smirk was plastered onto her face. "Honestly, I expected more from you. But seeing as you're just a kid, I'll let you live for now. I don't like to waste my time with people who can't even give me a challenge." the girl said as she began to walk away.
"Who are you?" Theodore said, the girl stopping in her tracks at his words.
"My name is Aeolus. Remember that, because it'll be the name of the person that takes your precious Sentinel away from you" the girl said, before disappearing off over the horizon, leaving both Moses and Theodore too stunned to even move or speak.
So, that Chapter 6 in a nutshell. Sorry to all the readers who had been anxiously waiting for this update, but the piles of homework just kept on coming and I had to spend most of my weekend actually doing work instead of chilling, and after some time I finally found the free time to acutally update this fanfiction. That being said, it might also be a long while to update, so I doubt you will expect any frequent chapter updates from me from now on. Until the next time we meet, Skyrider out!