Dan: I can't believe it!
WhateverMyNameIsXD: *sob* she was so young
Skylord: No how dare you die before we have the chance to finish the story!
Masquerade: She died from her laziness. Why am I not surprised.
Viki Boom: We get that you're heartless and all but, can't you show any pity
Terradoll: Oh please Jetravenex, may you rest in peace.
Jetravenex: what are you guys talking about. I'm alive for crying out loud!
All: AHHH! it's a ghost!
Jetravenex: *face palms* No! I'm very much alive thank you very much!
Viki Boom: then where have you been?
Jetravenex: school.
kdandsheela: and with me
Jetravenex: anyways somebody say the disclaimer.
Terradoll: Oh I will to blackmail you into putting in Alica sooner.
Jetravenex: *waves hand dismissivley* yeah yeah I get it juet say the disclaimer!
terradoll: okay! jetravenex doesn't own bakugan however she does own this story and Skylord.
Skylord: yup!
Chapter 23
Skylord strained to stay aloft her wings aching from the weight the two bakugan she was carrying were producing.
"Heyyou know what I think would be a good idea sister?" Preyas said breaking the silence that the bakugan had been in. Skylord let out a tired huff but craned her neck to look at Preyas. "Why don't we land over there to rest for a little bit, and the we can talk to mister sunshine down there." Preyas suggested as he gestured to a small plateau they were approaching.
"Be quiet you! I bet you'd be in a happy mood if you were betrayed and then sent here to spend the rest of your rotten life having to fight off the vengeful fiends that live here!" The bakugan snapped.
Skylord narrowed her eyes and glanced down at the bakugan she clutched in her claws. "Vengeful?" She said.
The bakugan tensed. Then it let out a sigh. "Yes, vengeful." He hissed.
"Okayyy then, I believe this will require further discussion." Preyas said.
Skylord snorted. "No one asked for your comment." She growled her wings straining to keep beating the weight of the two bakugan and her own growing exhaustion beginning to drag her down.
"Hmph, fine you can be that way, but nobody likes a-"
"Preyas." Skylord hissed craning her neck to glare at him. "Shut up. Or I will drop you."
Preyas flinched and closed his mouth with a quick snap. "Sheesh no need to throw a hissy fit." He muttered, Skylord shot him a glare but said nothing.
They continued to fly and as they neared the small plateau Skylord began a slow descent towards it, or at least she tried.
As they neared the land it felt as if suddenly the weight of the two bakugan had intensified and Skylord was struggling just to stay aloft. And then suddenly she felt her wings fold.
"Uh oh." Was all she managed to get out before the three of them began to plummet towards the ground.
"AAAHHHH! MOMMY HELP ME I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" Preyas cried clutching helplessly to Skylord's back. Skylord struggled to find a way to slow their descent. But to no avail. Every time she tried to open her wings she'd end up rolling over and her wings would go right back to being pressed against her sides.
"Let me go!" The bakugan in her grasp suddenly shouted struggling against her grip. Skylord who was too panicked by the fact that she could not slow their descent released him without a second thought.
The bakugan dropped out of her grasp and then using its own wings flew up above her and Preyas. Quick as a flash its bony hands caught Preyas's wrist and one of Skylord's wings. The two bakugan let out cries of pain, (Skylord's ultimately a little louder) as their fast descent was jerked to a halt.
"Ow!" Skylord hissed snatching her wing away from the bakugan and almost immediately began to sink towards the ground. But now that she was relieved of the weight of the two bakugan she was able to open her wings and simply glide her way down flapping only to stay on course.
The other bakugan merely snorted and descended towards the ground as well, with Preyas in tow. When they were only a few yards away from land, he simply dropped Preyas and landed down on the ground though paying heed to be careful to avoid Skylord, who now lay sprawled out on plateau her tail drooping over the edge.
"That *pant* is the last time *pant pant* I ever *pant* DO THAT!" She said wheezing from the effort it had taken to carry the three here.
"Despite your rudeness to me, I do owe you thanks for saving my life, though you owe me for making your landing…" The other bakugan said as he narrowed his yellow eyes. "More pleasant."
Skylord growled lifting her head up but then with a defeated sigh she laid it back down.
"Thanks I suppose." Skylord said, struggling to catch her breath. "Now we just have to-"
"Skylord!" A shout came from above as Fireblick appeared from above and dove towards the plateau. He landed with a heavy thud where Skylord lay.
"Find Fireblick… Where have you been Blicky!" Skylord snapped turning her head to glare venomously at Fireblick. "I could've appreciated you carrying one of these guys!" She snapped gesturing to Preyas and the other darkus bakugan.
"I did not ask for your help." The darkus bakugan snarled reaching back and pulling out his scythe. He held it in front of him defensively.
Skylord snorted as she slowly pushed herself back onto her feet. Preyas and Fireblick moving to help her. When she finally stood she was forced to lean somewhat heavily on Fireblick's shoulder.
Preyas stepped forward and jabbed a finger at the bakugan. "Oh yeah, well you should be glad we did come to your aide! If it were up to me I would've left you there. We can live without your oh so charming personality!"
The other bakugan said nothing rather he tensed his scythe at ready for an attack.
"Wait," Skylord said her voice quiet and hinting at the true weariness she was feeling. "There is no need to fight each other. We're in a bad enough situation as is. Lets not make it worse." She said as she looked at Preyas and the other bakugan.
With a grumble both bakugan stepped away from each other. Preyas folded his arms across his chest and faced away from the other bakugan. The other bakugan dropped his defensive stance but still held his scythe in his claws.
"Now, can you please tell us your name?" Skylord asked focusing on the other bakugan.
The other bakugan narrowed his eyes for a moment before he said. "Darkus Reaper." He said quietly.
Preyas whirled around and stared at the other bakugan. "You!" He said angrily. "You're the one who was Masquerade's guardian bakugan before Hydranoid!" He balled his hands into fists. "No wonder those bakugan want vengeance you stuck them here!"
Reaper said nothing but instead bowed his head. "I will admit that I had indeed done so, and in the end my own master had decided to throw me away."
"A taste of your own medicine." Preyas growled spite dripping from his voice.
"Preyas!" Skylord said her tone sharp. She turned towards Reaper and dipped her head encouragingly. "You'll have to excuse Preyas, he won't stay quite unless you superglue his mouth shut."
"He does have a point though." Fireblick said. "What you have done Reaper is undeniably a terrible thing." Reaper raised his head to focus on Fireblick.
"But maybe if you can help us get out of the doom dimension you can atone for those crimes."
Skylord nodded in agreement and then she looked at Preyas. Preyas caught the look. And with a sigh he unfolded his arms.
"I guess I can put up with you.." He grumbled. "But! One bad move from you mister and I'll show you just who is Aquos Preyas!" He said cracking his knuckles.
Reaper was silent for a moment. "As much as I'd love to show you the way out, there just...isn't one." He said quietly.
The three bakugan blanched at him.
"That can't be!" Skylord screeched. "You're saying we're gonna be stuck here forever?"
"yes." Reaper said.
"No!" preyas wailed throwing his hands up in the air in distress. "I can't make fun of Dan or annoy Drago or Tigrerra anymore. Or make fun of Shun's hair and."
Fireblick suddenly stiffened and turned his head towards the left, his blue-green eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"And I'LL NEVER EVER SEE MARUHCO AGAIN! Or be able to show that blasted Klaus what for." Preyas said punching and kicking the air in frustration. "Grr, damn you all the way to-MMPH!" His rant was cut short by Fireblick clapping a hand over his mouth.
"Shut up for a moment will you?" Fireblick said glaring at Preyas. Preyas harrumphed but remained quiet. Fireblick focused on Preyas for a few more moments before he lifted his head to focus on the direction he'd been looking towards earlier, his eyes narrowing.
Skylord and Reaper exchanged confused looks.
"Um, what is it Fireblick?"
Fireblick suddenly looked confused. "I could've sworn I heard…singing?"
Reaper suddenly tensed. "You are Fireblick! But where is it coming from?"
Preyas wriggled against Fireblick's grip and finally managed to get free. "If it sounds pretty don't go near it! I lost to a bakugan that could hypnotize other bakugan with her voice!"
"Um, guys?" Skylord said grabbing their attention. She pointed upwards and they saw bakugan fleeing from the direction that Fireblick had been so intent on. "Any ideas as to why they might be running?"
As soon as she finished this statement a blast of purple lightning flew right past them and collided with one of the peaks behind them.
"Gah! Get down!" Reaper yelped. The others didn't hesitate. They dropped down behind the rock they had been standing on. Scratching themselves as they worked to take cover. When they'd reached a point where they were sure they could avoid the worst of the explosions, they looked up and watched as more bakugan fled and were forced to do anything else but, watch and listen to the explosions that rocked through the area.
After a while of explosions and rocks raining down on them, a tense calm came over the area. The bakugan waited a while before they all looked at each other.
"Okay, so who's gonna take the first peek?" Preyas asked. Everyone looked at one another, most of them unwilling to risk going out.
Skylord raised her claw. "I will." Then she grabbed onto the rocky face and began to slowly claw her way up the rock face. It was hard for her, since she was so used to simply flying up to where she wanted to get to rather than climbing. But she persevered and managed to reach the top after a long grueling process of climbing. She rested for a few brief seconds before she lifted her head over the rock to look out.
Her stomach clenched. There were three bakugan standing in the middle of the clearing. Two she didn't recognize, but one she knew all too well.
"Hydranoid!" She breathed. "What is he doing here?"
She watched as the darkus bakugan charged at a patch of tall rocks and swung his mace like tail causing the rocks to crumble from the force of the blow. When the dust cleared he went over to the pile of tiny rocks where the big rocks had once stood.
"Nothing here as well." Hydranoid said in his hiss of a voice.
"Klaus this is pointless!" Three figures, much smaller caught Skylord's eye.
"Humans." She thought. "Oh no."
Sure enough standing behind their bakugan stood Masquerade, Klaus, and Julio.
Skylord heart plummeted. They were brawlerless and thus their abilities were left useless.
"Now what do we do?" Skylord wondered.
Meanwhile, back at the outside of Masquerade's mansion. Jet and Viki stood before a tall tree focusing on the window that was right beside the tree.
"You know, we could try the front door." Viki suggested glancing back in the direction hopefully. "It's safer and provides less of a danger than trying to climb trees.
Jet snorted at the comment and walked up to the tree sizing it up.
"Oh, for the love of God Jet don't do it!" Viki said grabbing onto her friend's wrist. But Jet jerked it free. "Jet what if you fall and land on your back you could be paralyzed.
"Relax Viki." Jet said at last as she reached up and grabbed onto one of the lower branches and hoisted herself up onto one of the branches. "There were plenty of trees to climb in Chicago, and I've fallen off of plenty of them." She grinned as she continued to scale the tree. "So stop being a spoil sport and get up here."
Viki opened her mouth to argue but Jet was too absorbed with her climbing up the tree to care, so with a grudging sigh Viki grabbed onto the branch that Jet had used to get up into the branches of the tree. She struggled to hoist herself up. Her legs kicked furiously as she managed to bring her upper body over the branch and then finally managed to kick one foot over the branch and then she found herself resting atop the branch. She wrapped her arms around the branch and fought to catch her breath.
"Good work!" Jet called from above her and Viki looked up to see her friend already perched up on the branch that extended towards the window. "Now get up here."
"Viki had to resist the urge to face palm.
After a few tense minutes, and near falls Viki managed to climb up and join Jet at the window.
"Okay, so we're up here now." Viki said grudgingly. "Now how do we get in?"
"Oh, that's simple." Jet scooted over to the window. "Hold onto me for a second." Viki obeyed and reached over and wrapped an arm around her friend's waist.
Jet reached over and grabbed at the edge of the window and then to Viki's surprise the window slid open.
"That was easy." Jet said as she opened the window wider to allow enough room for the two of them to slip through.
"Shouldn't Masquerade have locked them?"
Jet snorted as she grabbed onto the edge of the window and managed to wriggle through.
"Yeah, well I figured with the massive size of his mansion he wouldn't have enough time to check all of them let alone been in all of the rooms!" Jet said as she reached back to help Viki get in. Viki grabbed onto her friend's offered hand and pulled herself in as well.
"Or this could be a trap and Masquerade's waiting for us to arrive." Viki thought shuddering slightly.
Suddenly Jet tensed. And Viki became all too aware of the people now standing before them.
"Masquerade's minions?" Viki whispered to Jet.
"No worse." Jet whispered sharply back.
The figure to Jet's left jabbed a finger and shouted.
"just who the hell are you two!"
Jet and Viki resisted the urge to groan.
They'd managed to stumble into the room where Masquerade had locked up Runo and Marucho!
"We really have to stop doing this." Jet grumbled.
Jetravenex: a pretty decent comeback don't you think?
All: ...
Jetravenex: Okay i know I've been AWOl for way too long (aparently long enough for people to assume I'm dead) *shakes head* but I hope that since school's out I can get back on track.
Skylord: okay then lets get back in the game and show the world our true awesomeness.
Jetravenex: ...
Skylord: okay anyways. All you people you better review because Jet came back from the dea- I mean back. SO YOU BETTER GO HIT THAT LITTLE BUTTON DOWN THERE AND REVIEW!