//------------------------------// // Clashing Lights // Story: Bakugan EQG // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// The Bakugan Battle Tournament was in full swing, with multiple Brawlers battling it out to see who would come out on top. The tournament had its own leaderboard, helping people see which teams had the highest number of brawlers. At this point in time, there were many teams with between one and four members still in the game. But only two teams had more than that. At the top of the leaderboard, with six brawlers, were the Rainbooms. And just below them with five, were the BakuFighters. These two teams looked to be hot rivals and each member was determined not to lose. This was made obvious in the Ocean Field, where Lyra found herself battling in a fourway battle royale. It had started as a one on one battle, but then another pair of brawlers showed up and the two one on one brawls morphed into a fourway match. Now, Nimue was battling against a Subterra Hynoid, Haos Verias and a Darkus Bakugan named Cameraclops that was a giant robot with a head that looked like a camera with a long lens for an eye. One of the opponents, Photo Finish, took out a card and held it up. "Ability," she said with an accent, "Activate!" Cameraclops' lens began to light up with purple energy. "Dark Flash!" Verias: 650Gs Nimue: 650Gs Hynoid: 560Gs Cameraclops: 790Gs The camera exploded, firing a purple laser in Nimue's direction. "Wow!" She cried, leaping to the side as the laser shot passed her and hit a nearby island. As this happened, Verias and Hynoid shot forward to attempt to hit Cameraclops with their claws and staff. Another of her opponents, a girl with pink skin and headphones, held up a card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed along with the monkey Bakugan's staff. "Crazy Monkey Whack!" Verias: 850Gs Nimue: 650Gs Hynoid: 560Gs Cameraclops: 790Gs The ape began to swing the staff around wildly, hitting the robot several times and knocking it backwards. meanwhile, Hynoid ran passed they and flew through the water before skidding to a stop and turning towards them. It was here that the final opponent, a boy going by the name of Fido, took out a card. "Ability," he let out a dog-like laugh, "Activate!" Hynoid took a deep breath, "Howl Storm!" Hynoid let out a mighty bellow, causing shockwaves that shot towards the three Bakugan and made them all flinch at the noise. Verias: 650Gs Nimue: 450Gs Hynoid: 560Gs Cameraclops: 590Gs Knowing she had to end this, Lyra took out a pair of cards and held them up before yelling through the noise. "Double Ability, Activate!" The water around Nimue exploded upwards to create a barrier, which blocked the shockwaves. "Misty Barrier!" Verias: 650Gs Nimue: 650Gs Hynoid: 560Gs Cameraclops: 590Gs "Plus, Vapour Blast!" The Aquos Bakugan created a mist ball before thrusting it forward to fire a moisture blast that hit all three Bakugan, knocking each of hem flying backwards. Verias: 450Gs Nimue: 650Gs Hynoid: 360Gs Cameraclops: 390Gs The three Bakugan crashed into either an island or the water, the lot crying out before they were transformed back to ball form. Their Brawlers each rushed to retrieve them as their life points dropped. Fido: 35% Lyra: 80% Photo: 42% Lemon: 64% "Alright!" Lyra cried as Nimue returned to her, "nice one." She smiled, happy their team was doing so well. But that smile faded when her BakuColar gave an alert, telling her a teammate was about to start another Brawl. "Flash." Her eyes went wide, seeing who it was he was up against. "Oh no." Meanwhile, in the Canyon Field, Flash and Leonidas found themselves about to battle against someone they had hoped they wouldn't run into so soon. Rarity was standing atop one of the larger rocks of the canyon, staring down at the pair with a dark smirk on her lips. Cleopal was on her shoulder, the pair believing she was mimicking the look Rarity was giving them. "Finally found you," she stated with her hand on her hips and her finger twirling through her hair. "So it looks like I get to be the one to give Master Phantom his most sought after prize." "Rarity," Flash whispered before frowning. "I don't know what Phantom has over you and the others, but we can help you. You don't have to be under his thumb." "Oh hush," Rarity took out a Gate Card. "The only way you can help is by handing Leonidas over to me." "Not happening!" Leonidas cried as he jumped up and down. He then focused on Cleopal. "Tell me. You and the others suddenly start talking? Were you just holding your tongue before?" "That's for me to know," Cleopal stated. "And for you to never find out, as after this battle you'll be rotting in a box in Master Phantom's room. Or maybe Ragnaroid will use you as food to increase his power." Back in the team's bunker, everyone in it gulped when they saw Flash and Rarity were about to face off. "We should have expected this," Bonnie frowned. "I was hoping one of these battles wouldn't happen until later," Heath stated. "But with how determined they said they were, I guess it's no surprise they'd go straight for the kill." "Awe man!" Wukong cried, "This is bad." He jumped up and down. "Like...super bad. Ultra bad. Mega bad." Gaia turned to Wukong. "Calm down." He stopped bouncing, "all we can do for now is trust in those two. There's nothing else we can hope of doing unless Soarin and Lyra decide to step in. But even then, I doubt the situation will get any better." The others nodded, turning back to the screen. As they did, Derpy preyed. "Stay strong, Flash." Back on the battlefield, Rarity and Flash continued to stare one another down. Flash didn't want to battle her, but with the rules of the tournament they didn't have any choice. "We have to brawl them," Flash told Leonidas before turning towards on of the large rocks behind them. "And if we wanna stay in the tournament, we have to win." "No problem," Leonidas told him as he landed on the rock and was now level with Rarity. "Those two might have beaten us before, but this time will be different." "Enough talk!" Rarity cried as Cleopal leapt into her hand. "It's time to take you fools down. Gate Card!" Rarity threw said card towards the ground, "SET!" The card hit the ground and exploded, as both she and Flash began to jump from one rock pile to another. They then spotted a cluster of power-ups and aimed at them. "BAKUGAN!" They threw Cleopal and Leonidas towards the cluster, "BRAWL!" Both Bakugan shot towards the cluster and both hit them before landing on the ground, their Brawlers leaping down to the ground as well. "BAKUGAN!" They popped open, "STAND!" The canyon field was filled with brilliant light, their Bakugan leaping out of it. Cleopal: 410Gs Leonidas: 400Gs "Prepare yourself!" Cleopal cried as she flexed her claws, "for this will be your final battle with Flash as your partner." "Hardly," Leonidas told her. "I may have lost to you before, but this time things will be different. I won't let you or anybody else take me away from Flash." He and Cleopal both began to glow, the power-ups taking effect. Cleopal: 560Gs Leonidas: 600Gs Before either brawler could use an Ability, Cleopal charged forward and started slashing at Leonidas with her claws. The dragonoid was quick to evade the attacks, dodging three swipes before taking to the air. That was when Rarity held up a card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed along with Cleopal's scarf jewels. "Gem Leech!" "Raaah!" She cried as the gems unleashed beams of light, which struck Leonidas and made him cry out as the beams drained him of energy. The shock allowed ten seconds to pass, resulting in a hundred Gs being stolen away from him before he was able to fly out of the beam's line of fire. Cleopal: 660Gs Leonidas: 500Gs "Ability," Flash held up a card, "Activate!" Leonidas took a deep breath before firing a laser, "Alpha Blaster!" Cleopal: 660Gs Leonidas: 700Gs The laser hit the ground and moved towards Cleopal, who laughed. "Is that all you have?" She asked before holding both her gloved hands up, the beam hitting the metal and refracting off it whilst she was only pushed back a few inches. "You'll need to do better then this. Rarity!" "Right," she took out a card and held it up, "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed as Cleopal swung her claws apart, dissipating the laser. As she did, her eyes began to glow. "Cats Eyes!" Her eyes fired out a beam of light, which struck Leonidas in the chest. "Augh!" He cried as he fell towards the ground, Flash flinching. Cleopal: 660Gs Leonidas: 550Gs "Hold on!" Flash cried before taking out a pair of cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" Both cards glowed. "Hyper Shield, plus Brawling Dragon!" The force-field appeared around Leonidas and caused him to bounce off the ground without incident. This allowed him to spin in midair and land on his feet before shooting forward. Cleopal: 660Gs Leonidas: 800Gs "Raaah!" He cried before slamming a fist into Cleopal, then another before kicking and then swiping her with his tail. "Gyah!" She cried in pain as the tail struck her stomach and made her skid backwards, her arms wrapped around her gut. Leonidas smirked, but then she looked up and he saw she was also smirking. "It'll take more then that to beat me." "Gate Card!" Rarity cried as the ground began to glow, "OPEN!" The light caused the area around them to transform, turning from rock to a sandy desert. In the distance, a long river could be seen along with several pyramids. "Cleopal's Kingdom!" In the bunker, Derpy raised an eyebrow. "Strange," the others turned to her, "I don't recognise that Gate Card." "So what?" Heath asked, "you can't know every card in the game? You probably missed that one." "No, I'm sure that card wasn't in the database the last time I checked it." A look of worry appeared on her lips, "it must have just been added. But if that's true, how'd Rarity get a hold of it." "Who knows what partnering with Phantom got the girls," Gaia pointed out. "It's possible they all have cards we've never seen before." "Which'll make beating them even harder," Bonnie realised as the Bakugan's scores appeared on screen. Cleopal: 860Gs Leonidas: 800Gs "Not only does this card power up Cleopal, it also protects her from Abilities that lower her G Power." Flash wanted to point out Leonidas didn't have any of those Abilities, but he just focused on the battle. Cleopal rushed at Leonidas and began slashing at him, the dragon avoid as best he could but she managed to get a hit in on his chest. "Gyah!" He cried in pain, holding his chest as Cleopal slashed at him again. He quickly jumped back and took to the air, whilst Flash took out a card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed as Leonidas spun around, forming a drill of light. "Shining Tornado!" Cleopal: 860Gs Leonidas: 950Gs The drill shot toward Cleopal and slammed into her, making her cry on as it dug into her. But Rarity quickly countered with her own card. "Ability, Activate!" Cleopal's claws glowed and extended, "Mad Scratch!" Cleopal: 1060Gs Leonidas: 950Gs The cat woman slashed at the tornado, breaking it apart and scratching Leonidas again. The dragon cried out, whilst Cleopal tried to slash at him again. "Ability," Flash held up a card, "Activate!" Leonidas' body glowed before he shot away at incredible speed, "Dragon Flash!" Cleopal: 1060Gs Leonidas: 1050Gs "Not enough!" Rarity cried as she and Cleopal watched Leonidas teleport around the battlefield. She then took out a card. Ability, Activate!" The card glowed as Cleopal's scarf jewels glowed, "Gem Strike!" Cleopal: 1160Gs Leonidas: 1050Gs The crystals unleashed several beams of light, which exploded against anything they hit. Flash cried out as one of the rock towers was struck and exploded, forcing him to avoid it whilst Leonidas did his best to dodge them. "Augh!" He cried as one hit his wing, another hitting his shoulder. He then spotted his partner almost getting crushed, "FLASH!" "I'm fine!" Flash yelled as he leapt away from the shattering rock, "but I am so done with this!" He took out a card and held it up. "Fusion Ability, ACTIVATE!" Still sped up, Leonidas shot towards Cleopal and began to spin and fire energy from his mouth. "ALPHA HURRICANE!" "RAAAAH!" He roared as he formed the energy drill, with lightning sparking around it, which shot towards Cleopal. Cleopal: 1160Gs Leonidas: 1400Gs The cat woman gasped whilst Rarity tried to activate an Ability, but couldn't do so in time to prevent the attack from striking her partner. "AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" She screamed as the attack struck her in the chest and blasted her backwards, causing her to be thrown into the air and reverted back to ball form as Rarity's life points dropped. Flash: 100% Rarity: 52% "Impressive!" The announcer cried as Leonidas returned to Flash, the battlefield returning to normal as the Gate Card's effects vanished. "Despite looking like he was in trouble at first, Flash managed to pull things back and take the first round. Will he continue this streak, or does Rarity have something else up her sleeve?" "An impressive manoeuvre," Rarity explained as she picked Cleopal up. "You've clearly improved a great deal since our last confrontation." "Well what can I say," Flash smirked as he took out a Gate Card. "You beating me last time really made me train hard. And your threat to take Leo from me didn't help slow me down." "Indeed," Cleopal agreed as she opened up, "but now we've seen you are your best. It won't be long before the scales tip in our favour." Leonidas growled at this. "Please, Cleopal. Wake up and see which side you're on. The moment Phantom has no more use for you, he'll throw you aside or worse." "Then we'll just have to stay useful then," Cleopal replied. "Not if I beat you!" Flash yelled, "Gate Card...SET!" He threw the card towards the ground, then leapt into the air and landed on a rock. He kept running, jumping from rock to rock as Rarity leapt up onto another, until he spotted another cluster of power-ups. "Bakugan," he let off the rock and threw Leonidas, "BRAWL!" The Dragonoid shot through the air, hitting three of the power-ups before landing on the ground and popping open. "Bakugan...STAND!" "RAAAH!" Leonidas roared as he transformed into his true form, powering up as he took to the air. Leonidas: 550Gs Flash landed on the ground, only to then see Rarity leap up and do several impressive acrobatic moves before pulling her arm back. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" She threw Cleopal and hit several power-ups before landing on the ground, rolling forward before popping open. "Bakugan...STAND!" In a flash of light, Cleopal appeared with her claws at the ready. Cleopal: 610Gs Leonidas: 550Gs "Ability," Rarity held up a card, "Activate!" Cleopal's scarves flew up before the gems floated together, "Blazing Light!" The crystals then unleashed a powerful flash, that blinded almost everyone who saw it. That included Leonidas. "Augh!" He cried, feeling his power burn away. Cleopal: 610Gs Leonidas: 500Gs Flash knew he couldn't let this continue. If he did, Leonidas would lose more power. "Ability," he held up a card, "Activate!" Leonidas began to glow, "Hyper Shield!" The force-field appeared and blocked out the light, letting Leonidas open his eyes as his power was restored. Cleopal: 610Gs Leonidas: 550Gs "You're still behind!" Rarity stated as she took out a card, the Blazing Light fading away as Cleopal pointed the gems at the shield. "Ability, Activate!" She fired a bunch of lasers at the shield, "Gem Strike!" Cleopal: 710Gs Leonidas: 550Gs The lasers hit the shield and caused it to shatter, knocking Leonidas backwards. "Ahhh!" He cried, crashing into some of the rocks and grunting with every hit. "Oow," the announcer cried. "That had to hurt!" "Flash!" Leonidas cried as he pulled himself up, only for Cleopal to suddenly bounce on him and pin him to the ground before digging her claws into his chest. "A little help!" "I gotcha, bud!" Flash took out a card. "Ability, Activate!" Leonidas too a deep breath, his mouth sparking. "Alpha Blaster!" Cleopal: 710Gs Leonidas: 750Gs "RAAAAH!" He roared, the laser exploding out of his mouth and hitting Cleopal. The cat lady let out a hiss as she was thrown back, but managed to swirl around and land on her feet. As she did, Rarity took out a card. "Ability, Activate!" Cleopal's eyes glowed, "Cats Eyes!" As Leonidas picked himself up, Cleopal fired the lasers from her eyes. They struck and he cried out as his power dropped. Cleopal: 710Gs Leonidas: 600Gs "This is bad," Heath stated as the others watched int he bunker. "Flash is barely holding on." "He's forced to play catch up," Bonnie pointed out. "Meanwhile, Rarity's storming ahead with barely any effort." "Leonidas needs to be careful," Gaia stated. "With his power low, it'll be up to him to keep from being hit until Flash can pull something out that'll give him an edge." "If he can," Derpy gulped before Cleopal charged at Leonidas. "She's on the attack!" Wukong stated as she slashed at him, Leonidas barely managing to dodge before leaping into the air. "You're mine!" Cleopal cried, trying to slam him with her scarf crystals. "Not yet!" Leonidas cried as he flew up as high as he could go. "But I'm not gonna win by playing defensively. Come on Flash!" "Way ahead of ya!" Flash stated before pointing to the ground. "Gate Card...OPEN!" The ground glowed, "Ring Zero!" The light flew over to Cleopal and formed a ring around her, the cat woman crying out as she suddenly felt her entire body freeze up. "What?" She asked, trying to move but couldn't. "What's happening!" "Your last Ability just got nullified," Flash smirked whilst Leonidas felt his power return. Cleopal: 710Gs Leonidas: 750Gs "Plus, it prevents you from moving. Which means you can't fight back." "Hardly an honourable move," Rarity stated as Leonidas charged. "I expected more from you!" As she said that, Leonidas swung around and smashed Cleopal with his tail. The cat woman fell to the ground, unleashing a burst of wind that struck Rarity as well "AHHH!" She cried as fell backwards, landing next to one of the cracks in the ground. "Ability," Flash held up a card, "Activate!" Leonidas flew upwards and began to spin, "Shining Tornado!" Cleopal: 710Gs Leonidas: 900Gs The drill of light formed around Leonidas as he shot towards Cleopal, who was still frozen to the ground. But as he approached, Rarity picked herself up and noticed a glow. "Huh?" She turned towards the light and saw it was coming from the crack in the ground, the girl looking inside and seeing a Surprise Ability floating in a bubble. "Rarity!" She heard Cleopal cry and instantly jumped into action, reaching into the crack and grabbing the card. In that moment, the light around Leonidas vanished. "What?" He asked, then turned to Cleopal and see her pull a fist back before throwing it forward and slamming him in the face. "AUGH!" Flash's eyes went wide as he saw this, wondering how Cleopal's able to move or punch Leonidas away. Then, he looked down at his BakuColar and gasped. Cleopal: 805Gs Leonidas: 805Gs "How?" Flash then noticed a light and looked up, seeing Rarity holding a card that vanished. "A Surprise Card?" "Level Playing Field," she explained. "Which nullifies any active Ability or Gate Card, then takes both our Bakugan's power and splits it evenly between them." "You gotta be kidding me!" Flash cried whilst Rarity took out another card, he and Leonidas gasping as Cleopal moved towards the dragon. "Wait!" "To late!" Rarity held up the card. "Fusion Ability...ACTIVATE!" Cleopal's metal claws were suddenly covered by a light, forming a giant metal claw that she pulled behind her as she ran towards Leonidas. "SHINING SLASH!" Cleopal: 805Gs Leonidas: 1105Gs Flash pulled out a card, whilst Leonidas spread his wings, but it was too late. Cleopal let out a mighty feline cry as she swung her claw around and slashed at him, the light burning Leonidas's skin. "AAARRRHHH!" He cried before reverting back to ball form and hitting the ground. Flash: 40% Rarity: 52% "Wow-hoo!" The announcer cried, "an impressive comeback. It looked like Rarity was about to lose, but then she pulled out a move. Surprise Card. Gotta love'em." "We don't gotta," Flash stated as he picked Leonidas up whilst Rarity recalled Cleopal. "Now do you see what you're up against?" She asked before flicking Cleopal up and catching her. "If you're having this much trouble against little old me, how will you fair against Twilight and the others?" Flash frowned, wondering the same thing. Back in the Ocean Field, Lyra and Nimue were still facing off against Photo Finish and Lemon Zest. Photo had managed to defeat Fido, meaning it was now a threeway match. And it didn't look like it would be even that for much longer. "Ability, Activate!" Photo cried as Cameraclops' lens suddenly extended. "Super Photo Photon!" The camera once again fired a laser that struck Nimue, making her cry out as her power dropped. Verias: 550Gs Nimue: 450Gs Cameraclops: 590Gs "Nimue!" Lyra cried. "I'm okay!" The lady of the lake told her, only for Verias to leap at her and swing its staff around. "Wow!" She leapt to the side, barely managing to dodge the attack. "But I could use some assistance!" "On it!" Lyra pointed to the water, "Gate Card...OPEN!" The ocean glowed and from it, hundreds of bubbles appeared. "Aquos Minefield!" Cameraclops and Verias looked around, very confused by the side. Then, Verias pocked one and it explode with incredible force that stung it. Verias: 540Gs Nimue: 450Gs Cameraclops: 590Gs "What?" Lemon asked as her Bakugan staggered back, hitting several more bubbles that exploded and caused it to lose more Gs. Cameraclops also fell into this trap, hitting bubble after bubble and losing ten Gs every time. "Impossible!" Photo cried as she looked up at Nimue and saw her walk through the bubbles without issue. "Are Aquos Bakugan immune?" "That's right," Lyra smiled. "Hope your Bakugan can battle and avoid bubbles at the same time." Eventually, the two Bakugan found themselves in an area lacking bubbles, but the minefield had taken its toll on them. Verias: 320Gs Nimue: 450Gs Cameraclops: 430Gs Nimue then took this moment to rush forward and punch Verias in the face, making it stagger back and dance around the bubbles. Meanwhile, Cameraclops got Nimue in its sights and zoomed in on her. "Ability," Photo took out a card, "Activate!" The Darkus Bakugan's lens light up with purple energy, "Dark Flash!" Verias: 320Gs Nimue: 450Gs Cameraclops: 630Gs Nimue saw this and jumped to the side, but Cameraclops managed to follow her as it charged its attack up. "You won't get away!" Photo cried before pointing at her, "FIRE!" The laser exploded and shot towards Nimue, but the Aquos Bakugan smiled. She hadn't moved to dodge the attack. She moved to get in front of Verias. "Psyche!" She leapt straight up, the laser shooting under her and hitting the monkey instead. Verias cried out as it was blasted back, returning to its ball form. Fido: 0% Lyra: 30% Photo: 40% Lemon: 0% "Wow! Lyra bluffed her opponent into taking out her other one. Now that's strategy." Lyra wanted to tell him it was Nimue's idea, but knew she had to focus. "Ability, Activate!" Nimue created a water orb and thrust it forward, "Raging River!" The sphere exploded into a stream of water that hit the ground and flew forward and began to wrap around Cameraclops like rope. Nimue: 450Gs Cameraclops: 230Gs The machine cried out as it tried to escape, whilst Nimue shot downward. "Raaah!" She cried as she thrust a foot into its lens, shattering it and causing Cameraclops to revert back to ball form. "NOOOOO!" Photo cried as her life points dropped. Fido: 0% Lyra: 30% (Winner) Photo: 0% Lemon: 0% "She did it! Lyra Heartstrings stands victorious out of the four brawlers that battled it out. Talk about impressive." Lyra recalled Nimue and sighed in relief, then checked her BakuColar and saw Flash's current score. "Be careful," she told him before heading off to find her next opponent. Back in the Canyon Field, Flash and Leonidas were still recovering after that last beatdown they got. Rarity, meanwhile, merely laughed as she took out a Gate Card. "Face it. You don't stand a chance against us. Just give up now and spare yourself any more embarrassment. "No way!" Flash cried out, "we'll find a way to win. Against you, and against anyone else that tries to beat us." "We're not gonna let ourselves be beaten by someone who's lost the true will of a brawler," Leonidas stated whilst Rarity raised an eyebrow. "When I first came to this world, all I cared about was winning. But thanks to Flash and the others, I've learned so much more. I've learned that a true brawler battles with everything they have, respecting their opponent. Only then can victory be worth having." "How sweet," Rarity told him. "But very wrong. Victory is only worth having by completely annihilating the opponent and taking everything from them that they care about. Only then will victory truly be achieved. That is what Phantom helped me to realise." Flash sighed, "what did he do to you?" "He helped me see the light!" Rarity threw her Gate Card towards the ground and then leapt up onto a rock, Flash following her as they raced to find some power-ups. It was then that they noticed a bunch of brawlers in the distance, battling with a Terrorclaw and Rattleoid. Neither seemed interested in turning this into a fourway match, so both rushed off in the other direction. And as they did, they both spotted a cluster of power-ups. Both shared a look at one another and raced forward, jumping from rock to rock before leaping into the air. "BAKUGAN...BRAWL!" They threw Leonidas and Cleopal, both hitting the cluster at the same time before landing on the ground. "BAKUGAN!" They popped open, "STAND!" In a flash of light, Leonidas and Cleopal appeared in what they assumed would be their final battle. Cleopal: 560Gs Leonidas: 600Gs "ABILITY!" Both teens held up a card, "ACTIVATE!" They glowed as Leonidas and Cleopal prepared to strike. "Alpha Blaster/Mad Scratch!" Cleopal: 760Gs Leonidas: 800Gs "RAAAH!" Leonidas fired the laser at Cleopal, who was able to avoid the attack and run up close before jumping at him. "Kyah!" She swung her glowing claws at Leonidas, the dragon barely managing to dodge them and grab her by the wrist. "Big mistake." "Ability," Rarity held up a card, "Activate!" It glowed as the gems on her scarf floated up and pushed themselves into Leonidas' chest. "Gem Leech!" The energy fired point blank and stole Leonidas' power, making him cry out until he let go of Cleopal and kicked her way. Cleopal: 810Gs Leonidas: 750Gs "Ability," Flash held up a card, "Activate!" Leonidas glowed and began to fly around at incredible speed, allowing him to avoid the Gem Leech beams. "Dragon Flash!" Cleopal: 810Gs Leonidas: 850Gs Cleopal tried to blast Leonidas again and again, but the dragon's increased speed allowed him to avoid every blast. Meanwhile, Rarity and Flash both held up a card. "ABILITY, ACTIVATE!" Cleopal's beams changed colour and fired faster, but Leonidas was still able to avoid them and started flying downwards. "Gem Strike/Brawling Dragon!" Cleopal: 910Gs Leonidas: 950Gs Leonidas reached Cleopal and started throwing a barrage of punches and kicks, the cat woman grunting with every hit. But then, Rarity held up another card. "Ability, Activate!" The gems floated together, "Blazing Light!" Flash's eyes went wide and pulled out a card as the gems began to glow, making Leonidas cry out. But before he could lose any power, "Ability, Activate!" The force-field appeared around Leonidas, blocking the light. "Hyper Shield!" Cleopal cut the light from her attack and leapt back, waiting as the barrier remained around Leonidas. Then, as it started fading away, Rarity smirked at took out a card. "Ability, Activate!" Cleopal's eyes glowed, "Cats Eyes!" The laser fired out and hit Leonidas the second his shield faded. "Augh!" He cried, feeling his power drop. Cleopal: 910Gs Leonidas: 800Gs "Hang on Leo!" Flash cried as he took out a card. But before he could activate it- "Gate Card," Rarity cried as she pointed to the ground. "OPEN!" With that, the ground suddenly began to glow. The light spread to Flash and Rarity, then flew up and hit their Ability Card. "Anti-Ability Zone!" In the bunker, Derpy's eyes went wide again. "Another one." The others turned to her. "That's another Gate Card I've never seen before." The others panicked as they watched Flash try to activate his Ability, but the card didn't light up. "Don't tell me," Bonnie whispered. "It nullifies Abilities," Heath realised. "That's right, darling!" Rarity smiled after Flash asked the same question. "Until its power runs out, all Ability Cards are on lock down." "You gotta be kidding me," Flash realised as Cleopal charged forward and leapt into the air. She let out a cat-like cry as she tackled Leonidas to the ground, the dragon grunting as his back skidded along the dirt and crashed through a few more rocks. "LEO!" "Get off me!" Leonidas cried as he tried to spread his wings, only for Cleopal to stab her claws into one of them and push hard. "RAAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" He cried in pain before managing to swing his tail around and wrap it around her neck, using it to pull her off him enough for Leonidas to pull his leg up and slam it into her. "Ahh!" She staggered backwards, but then grabbed his tail and used it to swing Leonidas around. "Gyah!" He cried as he was thrown around and crashing into the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop. He groaned, pushing himself up before trying to spread his wings. But when he did, he was suddenly hit with pain from the area Cleopal had stabbed. "Ahh," he groaned, "I should not be having this much trouble." "Just goes to show how weak you truly are," Cleopal stated as she slowly moved over to him. "I guess the Doom Dimension can't be all bad if the Bakugan it created is so weak." Leonidas growled as Cleopal raised her claws. "Maybe after we win and take you, Phantom will send you back there." "Not happening!" Leonidas roared as he stood himself up, "I will not lose." Then, Cleopal charged forward and started slashing at him. Leonidas barely managed to evade, his loss of flight taking away his biggest advantage. "Ahh!" He cried when Cleopal snagged his shoulder. Flash grimaced at the sight of this, only to then hear a laugh and turn to glare at Rarity. "This is just too much fun." Leonidas cried out as Cleopal swung her scarf around and smashed him in the face. "Soon enough, Leonidas will be ours. Then, master Phantom will be the strongest Brawler in the world!" With that, she started laughing along with Cleopal as she tried to kick Leonidas. The pair glared at them, the anger and pain they felt from their betrayal stirring up. But then, something happened that changed everything. A strange dark light suddenly appeared around Rarity, surprising Flash as he stared at it. "What?" He then noticed another light and looked up at Cleopal, seeing the same aura wrapped around her. "What is that?" Leonidas wonder the same thing. But when Cleopal tried to slash him, the aura flew over to him and he felt what it was. "Dark energy?" He leapt backwards to a safe distance. "Some kind of negative energy that's flowing from within them." "Negative energy?" Flash asked as he stared back at Rarity, "could that mean...Rarity really is being controlled." It would explain a lot of things. But if that was the case, "then the others must have the same energy as well." As he said that, Cleopal swung her scarves around and smashed them into Leonidas, making him cry out as he was thrown to the ground and Cleopal pounced. He barely managed to grab her wrists before she slashed at him, but was slowly losing ground as the claws moved closer to him. "Not...good," he moaned. "Leo!" Flash cried out, "we can't lose! If Rarity really is being controlled, then maybe beating her will knock the dark energy out of her." "Where'd you get that idea?" He asked, groaning as Cleopal pushed down again. "It's the best idea I can come up with!" Flash cried back before looking back at Rarity, who had stopped laughing and just stared at him and smirked. "Either way, we can't lose. If Rarity does take you and then is freed, she'll spend the rest of her life blaming herself. We can't let that happen!" Leonidas groaned as Cleopal pushed down again, her claws beginning to stick into his chest. "Ahhh," he groaned in pain but then thought about what Flash had said. "He's right." He put extra effort into his arms and pushed Cleopal back, "I can't give up...I won't!" With that, his eyes shot open and they suddenly started glowing. That light then spread to the rest of him, as he felt a sudden surge of energy flow through him. Flash and Rarity saw this and looked confused. "Leo?" Flash asked before staring down at his BakuColar, only for his eyes to go wide seeing Leonidas' score begin to raise. "Power surge detected." "Power surge?" Down in the underground lab, Sombra was watching the brawl on a computer screen and was interested when Leonidas started glowing. "What's this?" He then heard a beeping and turned to another computer, which showed a sudden increase in power being absorbed by the field. "These energy reading and far beyond what Leonidas should be capable of." "Maybe not," Lucifer whispered before turning to the computer. "Maybe he's just reaching a new level." The energy flowing through Leonidas finally stabilised, Flash and Rarity staring at their BakuColars and seeing his new Power Level. Cleopal: 910Gs Leonidas: 925Gs "RAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHH!" Leonidas screamed, his roar shaking the whole stadium as he threw Cleopal off of him. The cat woman screamed as she hit the ground, whilst the dragon picked himself up and clenched his fist before throwing it down towards the ground. The punch caused the light from the Gate Card to shatter, shocking Rarity as she realised her card had been destroyed. "Impossible." She then watched as Leonidas charged at Cleopal and tried to punch her, Cleopal barely managing to evade. "I have to stop this," she looked around and then noticed a Surprise Ability a ways off. She ran towards it as Leonidas managed to hit Cleopal with his tail and knock her down. "The entire battle's been turned on its head by this suddenly surge of power from Leonidas. We're still trying to figure out how this occurred, but will Rarity be able to stop it before Flash and Leonidas overpower them?" In that moment, Rarity grabbed the Surprise Ability from atop a few rocks and held it up. "Surprise Ability, Activate!" The card exploded into light, which flew into Cleopal and powered her up. "Strength of the Stone!" Cleopal: 1010Gs Leonidas: 925Gs This extra power allowed Cleopal to block Leonidas' second tail whip before trying to slash at it, only for Leonidas to pull it back and then leap into the air. It appeared the power surge he got had also healed his wing. "Flash!" He cried, "we have to end this now!" "Right!" Flash cried as he took out a pair of card. "Let's do this thing. Double Ability, Activate!" The cards glowed as Leonidas began to spin in place, the light drill forming around him. "Shining Tornado, Plus Fusion Ability, ALPHA HURRICANE!" In that moment, the drill began to spark with lightning before it shot down towards Cleopal Cleopal: 1010Gs Leonidas: 1425Gs Rarity and Cleopal both gasped seeing this and Rarity took out her own Fusion Ability. But before she could activate it, Leonidas' attack slammed into Cleopal and unleashed a powerful shockwave that hit her and made the card slip from her hand. "NO!" She cried, whilst Cleopal screamed in pain. As she screamed, the aura surrounding the two girls was pushed back by the wind. And as Leonidas gave one final push, the extra force slammed into the pair and they were both sent flying backwards. The two girls could feel the force of the wind buffeting against them. "AAAAARRRRRHHHHH!" They both screamed as the aura around them was finally ripped off and pushed into the air, where it seemed to congeal into a cloud before dying into nothingness. The second it did, Cleopal returned to ball form and the two fell to the ground. Flash: 40% (Winner) Rarity: 0% "It's over!" The announcer cried as Leonidas returned to Flash. "With that, the Rainbooms and BakuFighters are now tied with the most amount of Brawlers." "Rarity!" Flash cried as he rushed over to the girl, who appeared to be unconscious, kneeling down next to her and lifting her head up. "Come on. Please be okay." It was then she let out a moan, her eyes flickering open. As her vision cleared, she looked up and saw Flash before a confused look appeared on her face. "Flash?" He nodded as she sat up and looked around, "where am I?" She then noticed the clothes she was wearing and looked horrified, "and what am I wearing!?" "She doesn't remember?" Flash asked before a look of hope appeared on his lips. "Quick question." She turned to him, "what do you think of Phantom?" "That uncouth degenerate?" She asked, "I think he's the absolute worst." This made Flash sigh in relief, Rarity once again looking confused. "You're back to normal." "Normal?" She asked before spotting Leonidas next to Cleopal. "What about you?" He asked his fellow Haos Bakugan, "still wanna take me down?" Rarity was about to ask why he was talking to her, but then the Bakugan popped open. "Of course," Rarity's eyes went wide hearing that voice. "You're clearly very powerful. I would be honoured to face you in battle and attempt to beat you." Leonidas seemed to consider this a good answer, whilst Rarity was still shocked by Cleopal's sudden ability to talk. "How?" She asked as she picked her up, "how can you talk?" "I don't know," Cleopal replied as Rarity stood up. "I just know I can now." "Rarity," she turned to Flash, "what's the last thing you remember?" Rarity hummed for a moment, trying to think back. Then tried harder to get a clear picture. "I...got a message from Fluttershy. Pinkie and I went to meet her. We ran into Twilight along the way and..." She tried to think passed that, but everything was a complete blur. And when she tried to force the memory, she was suddenly bombarded with terrible pain. "Ahh!" She cried, clutching her head and almost falling over. Luckily, Flash was able to catch her. "Don't push yourself." Cleopal was also trying to remember and unlike Rarity, she managed to remember more of what happened to them. "I remember." They turned to her, "well...most of what happened." "Come on," Flash helped Rarity along. "I'm taking you back to the bunker. You can talk about it there." They nodded and Flash led them back into the forest, contacting the others and explaining what had happened. "I'll need someone to tag me out." "I'm on it," Heath stated through the BakuColar. "I'm heading back too," Soarin stated. "I'll be ready to swap with you then," Bonnie told him. Meanwhile, inside the Rainboom's bunker. The TV told those inside in to send a member out. "I can't believe Rarity lost!" Rainbow cried, punching her fist into her palm. "What the heck. That battle should have been an easy win for her." "It wasn't just Rarity that caused the loss," Twilight told her. "It was Leonidas." "I've never seen that kind of energy from a Bakugan before," Spikenoid stated. "You think it has something to do with him being from the Doom Dimension?" "I'm not sure," Twilight hummed as Applejack turned to the exit. "Only one way ta find out." The door opened, "a'll just have ta battle him and see for ma'h self." "Hey!" Rainbow cried, "who says you get to be the one to go out?" "Me." Applejack smirked before stepping out into the field, Rainbow growling and looking like she was about to chase after her. "Don't," Twilight told her, "she's already out and we can't have four Brawlers out. Just let it go." Rainbow groaned and sat down, annoyed as she watched the other brawlers battle. Meanwhile, Twilight continued to wonder about Leonidas' sudden power-up. "What was that?" Miraculously, Flash managed to get back to the bunker without getting into a brawl. All the competitors they ran into were already battling, so he was able to run passed without getting involved. When he got back, Soarin was already there and Heath quickly rushed off once he was in. "Alright," he put Rarity down, "feeling better?" "Yes," Rarity nodded, "much better. Thank you." Flash nodded and leaned against the wall, Derpy opening the coms channel so the rest of the BakuFighters could hear as they focused on Cleopal. "Now what happened?" "I don't remember everything that happened," Cleopal explained. "But I think I remember enough to figure it out. You were right about being contacted, but it wasn't your friend that sent you the message. It was Phantom." She went on to explain everything that happened. The meeting of their enemy in the under-bridge court. The six on one battle against him and Ragnaroid and Cleopal's suddenly acquisition of her ability to talk. "So you woke up during the battle?" Leonidas asked, Cleopal shaking her head. "No. I've been awake for a long time. I think it was around the time you first arrived, based on what I overheard from Rarity and the others." This surprised the others, wondering how Leonidas' appearance could have caused her awakening. But then they remembered that day was also the first time other people heard their Bakugan talk as well. "Since then, I was trapped within my own mind. I could see and hear everything that was going on around me, but I couldn't talk or move my body at will. Even when in battle, I wasn't the one in control. It was just my instincts, taking over and fighting for me." "So you were a prisoner in your own body?" Lyra asked through the coms. "That's horrible," Bonnie cried. "It's a miracle you weren't driven insane." "In a way," Cleopal agreed. "But I had something keeping me strong." She turned to Rarity, who seemed amazed by this. "Rarity. Even before you knew I was alive, you treated me with respect and love. That allowed me to stay strong when I was unable to communicate with you." Rarity smiled and picked her up. "I'm just glad we now have the chance to talk to one another." She then looked worried, "if you don't want to ever battle-" "I'm usually not one for fighting," Cleopal explained. "But if it's with you and for the right reasons, I'll happily stand by your side. Because you are my perfect partner." Rarity smiled at this. "During the time I was unable to talk to you, I watched how you battled. And nine times out of ten, you activated the same Ability I would have activated. And even on that tenth time, it was because you had a plan I hadn't seen. It is clear you and I are destined to be together and what allowed me to finally break the restraint keeping me from talking." "Oh!" Rarity cried, beginning to tear up before rubbing the Bakugan against her check. "I love you, darling!" Cleopal blushed at this, whilst the others laughed at her embarrassment. When the laughing stopped, Soarin spoke up. "So you were able to finally break through whatever stopped you from talking during the battle with Ragnaroid. Is that when the rest of the Rainboom's Bakugan started talking as well." "Yes," Cleopal replied. "I can't be sure about the others, but I wanted to help Rarity defeat Phantom and Ragnaroid. Nothing else mattered. Just saving her from him. That's when I suddenly found I could control my body again. I assume the same is true for the others." She then sighed. "But despite that, we still lost against Ragnaroid." "What happened after that?" Garuda asked, only for Cleopal to shake her whole body. "I don't know. The last thing I remember is being beaten. Everything after that's a blank." "Phantom did something to you," Leonidas stated. "During the battle, I sensed some kind of dark energy coming off you and Rarity. But now," he moved over to her and seemed to be trying to sense her energy. "It's gone. I'm not feeling it anymore." Flash turned to Rarity. "So when we beat you, the energy was removed and you were freed." Rarity frowned, then realised that she wasn't the only one defeated by Phantom. "But what about the others? Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow...Pinkie?" The others frowned and Derpy switched on the TV, allowing Rarity to see a battle featuring Fluttershy and she saw what she was wearing. "They're all the same as you were," Soarin stated. "Phantom made them join him." "And the lot of them are now gunning for us," Heath stated. Rarity looked upset by this, whilst Flash placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We were able to save you, so we can save them as well." Rarity looked at him, her face asking if he truly believed that. "He's right," Soarin nodded. "If beating you got that dark energy out of you, then I bet beating the others will do the same thing." "Are you sure?" Rarity asked. "There's only one way to find out," Lyra told her. "We have to find the others and-" She stopped, making the others raise an eyebrow as it wasn't usually Lyra's thing to stop in the middle of a sentence. "Lyra?" Flash asked, "you okay?" He didn't get an answer, which made them begin to worry. But then, the TV caught their attention as it changed to show another image. "Wow!" The announcer cried, "Not long after Brawlers from these two teams faced off, another brawl between them has begun." They turned to the computer and looked shocked when they saw Lyra on it with another brawler. The aquamarine coloured girl stared at the opponent that had just arrived on an island not far from the one she was on. Pinkie Pie, looking just weird in the new clothes and makeup style, was staring at her. The look on her face looked like something out of a psycho thriller film, her head even slightly tilted the the side. "Hello Lyra," she smiled. "Do you wanna play with me?" Lyra just gulped, hoping their theory about beating the Rainbooms was true. If not, they might be stuck with this nut-job forever.