It was another busy day at the Bakugan Battle Stadium. Derpy was at the reception area, having just booked a battle for a pair of Brawlers and sighing at how exhausted she already was. Luckily, her break was coming up and she could relax a little.
But as she did, she started thinking about her friends. She couldn't help but wonder how they were doing after hearing about the strange dream they had all had. She planned on calling them as soon as she had a moment, but before she could she noticed someone step into the stadium that didn't look like she belonged.
Strangely, she looked like an older version of Bonnie. Her hair was entirely pink and she was wearing a business suit, but other then that she was a perfect copy of the girl. The woman looked around, clearly unsure what to do there. "Excuse me," Derpy then called out. "Can I help you with something?"
The woman turned to her and slowly made her way over to the front desk. "I'm...I'm looking for my daughter."
"Bonnie," Derpy guessed with the woman appearing surprised by this, "I'm a friend of hers. You two look so much alike." The woman nodded at this, "I'm Derpy by the way."
"Candy," the woman replied, "so do you know where Bonnie is?"
"I'm afraid she's not here," Derpy explained. "She and the rest of her team had something to take care of." Candy seemed surprised by this, but also looked a little happy.
"She has so many friends here." She looked around at the stadium, "and she made them all because of this game?"
"Not all of them. But she made a lot of them here. Bakugan have that effect. They bring people together and form bonds through battle." She pointed up at the screen, as a Brawl was being shown. Candy watched this and frowned.
"I heard this is becoming quite a sport. People might actually be able to make a living with it someday and grow famous." Derpy nodded, knowing that Bonnie was already rather famous. "But if that happens...he might find her." Derpy wondered what she meant, a look of fear on Candy's face making her feel like something was wrong.
She decided to take her break then, "can I get you a drink of something?" Candy nodded and moved over to an empty table, Derpy getting them both a soda from a vending machine before joining her. "Is there something wrong?" Candy frowned, clearly wanting to explain but probably didn't wanna say in case in upset her daughter. "I'm Bonnie's friend. If there's something wrong, I wanna help her." Candy sighed at this and nodded.
"It's about her father."
Bonnie let out a moan as she felt herself beginning to come around, the girl feeling herself sitting on something lumpy.
"Ahh," she grunted as she felt her body scream with discomfort at moving atop the lumpy surface. As she did, she took a breath and almost threw up due to a horrible smell that filled the air. A horrible, yet familiar smell. "Where am I?" She asked, clutching her head.
"I don't know," she heard Gaia say as Bonnie opened her eyes. She then found she was on some kind of couch, one that looked like it had seen better days, inside some kind of apartment that had a large number of beer cans littering the floor. Stains of multiple kinds covered the floor and were likely the course of the terrible smell, with Gaia moving carefully on the couch's arm since there were several sticky spots. "But wherever we are, someone needs to clean it up."
Bonnie couldn't agree more. As she stood up and looked around, she became scared of taking a single step for fear of stepping on something unsanitary. But as she looked around, she couldn't help but feel like she had been here before. But when?
Bonnie spotted a door leading to what she assumed were the bedrooms. She moved towards them and Gaia leapt onto her shoulder, Bonnie opening the door and heading down a hallway. There were three rooms, one being a very filthy bathroom. Another was an equally filthy bedroom, whilst the last was another bedroom. But it was one she seemed to remember.
"I've been here before," Bonnie asked as she stepped into the room. Said room was decorated, poorly, to be that of a young girl's. There was a bed in one of the corners that had a name on it. A name that Gaia noticed and hummed at as she jumped onto it.
"Who's Sweetie Drops?" Bonnie's eyes went wide hearing this, the girl turning to the bed and seeing the name. It was then that she realised where she was.
"No," she panted, "not here. Why did they send me here?" Gaia began to worry and turned to Bonnie.
"What's wrong?" She asked, "what is this place." Bonnie didn't answer, the girl looking like she was ready to start hyperventilating. "Bonnie!"
"This is my room," she whispered. "The room I grew up in for most of my childhood. The place he...he..."
"Your room?" Gaia looked back at the bed, staring at the name on the headboard. "But this says this room belongs to someone named Sweetie Drops."
"That's my name," Bonnie told her. "My old name." Gaia was very lost right now, as Bonnie leaned against the back wall whilst hugging herself. "My mom and I changed our name when we moved away from here, to make it harder for him to find us."
"For who to find you?" Gaia asked, only for them to hear something. Very heavy footsteps, which made Bonnie gasp and start saying no repetitively as she slid to the floor. "Bonnie, what's going on?" The footsteps got louder and eventually, the door was thrown open so hard it was a miracle it stayed on its hinges.
Gaia leapt off the bed and landed on the girls knee. Turning to the open door, she watched something push its way through the smaller opening.
It was a large man. An insanely large man. Almost ten foot in height with muscles covering every section of his body. He was wearing a stained white vest and ripped jeans, whilst his head was covered in a large beard and shaggy blue hair that was the same shade as half Bonnie's hair.
The man had a look of pure rage upon his face, making Bonnie shake and looked down as she sniffed. "Please go away. Please don't hurt me."
"Bonnie, what is this?"
"I would have thought it was obvious." Gaia turned to the voice and saw the Subterra Guardian, Trojan, appear within the room. "This is Bonnie's father. Or, at least how she remembers him." Gaia turned back to the man and realised there was a bit of resemblance. Gaia had noticed Bonnie's lack of a father, but never asked where he was. "He was arrested many years ago, serving a ten year prison sentence for domestic abuse."
"Domestic abuse?" Gaia asked, then realised what that meant and turned to Bonnie. "Don't tell me."
Bonnie continued to sniff as she heard Gaia's voice, knowing she needed to know.
"Bonnie's father used to be a good man," Candy told Derpy as they sat at a table. "He had a bit of a temper, but when he wasn't angry he was always smiling and treated me so well. It was a bit of a whirlwind romance after we met and got married after only six months of dating.
"So what happened?" Derpy asked.
"Not long after Bonnie came along, Crusher was fired from his job. He had been working incredibly hard to climb the corporate ladder, but he made one mistake that cost his company a lot of money and he was terminated." She let out a sigh as she took a sip of her drink, "after that he got depressed. He started drinking and when that happened, he turned into a completely different person. He blamed us for what happened, saying we distracted him and caused his mistake. At first it was just verbal abuse and I hoped that he would come out of it and go back to who he was before. But he didn't. Then the abuse turned physical."
"He'd hit us," Bonnie explained. "He'd hit us with whatever he had at hand whenever I made him mad. His belt. A can of beer, anything. He said he was teaching us to be proper ladies, who are seen and not heard."
"That's horrible," Gaia gasped before turning to Crusher. "How could anyone do such a thing to their family." Crusher said nothing and continued to stare down at Bonnie, making her quake in terror. "How...how badly did he hurt you?"
"When Bonnie was eight, she accidently spilled his beer. Crusher was so mad he grabbed her by the arm and intended to pull her into a small kitchen closet saying it was a time out."
"That's sick," Derpy whispered with Candy nodding.
"Bonnie tried to pull herself free, but Crusher was stronger and pulled her too hard. Her arm ended up dislocated." Derpy gasped. "I begged him to let me take her to the hospital, but he said it was a waste of money we didn't have. So he just pushed it back in himself."
"But that's so dangerous," Derpy realised with Candy nodding.
"When he finally passed out, I grabbed Bonnie and rushed out the house to the emergency room. There was damage to her arm but with treatment, she was as good as new. But that's when I realised I had to do something. I called the police and they arrested Crusher, allowing me to sell our apartment and move away. I changed our names and swore I would never allow him to find us."
"That's why you moved around so much?" Derpy asked, with Candy nodding.
"I don't want to stop Bonnie from doing what she loves, but if she gets too good at this game she might attract his attention. If he finds us...I don't think Bonnie could survive seeing him again."
"I understand what you mean," Derpy nodded before smiling. "But this isn't like then. You and Bonnie aren't alone. Bonnie's made a lot of really good friends. Friends that'll help her when something like that happens. Trust me. Even if he finds you, you'll be safe. "
"It's okay Bonnie," Gaia told her partner. "This isn't real. That's not really your father."
"No," Trojan told her, "he is simply the representation of all the fear Bonnie holds for him. Fear she has hidden away, tried to keep buried by believing he never existed. But you cannot escape him that way." Bonnie flinched at this, as her hand moved up towards her right shoulder. "Even if the physical injuries have healed, the mental scares have yet to truly fade. And they never will until you can overcome the fear that is holding you back."
"This is Bonnie's test," Gaia realised.
"Yes," Trojan nodded as the Subterra Energy appeared in his hands. "To defeat your father in a brawl." Bonnie gasped hearing this, looking up at her father only to flinch away when he stared at her.
"What would beating him prove?" Gaia asked.
"Bonnie is afraid," Trojan stated. "And she will not be able to grow into her true self until she overcomes that fear. Beating her father at the game she loves most will help her in that regard." He held up the Attribute Energy Orb. "And if she can overcome this fear, she'll be able to keep fighting in the upcoming battle no matter how terrified she gets."
The Subterra Energy unleashed a burst of orange light, blinding Bonnie and Gaia as they cried out. When they felt the heart of the energy fade away, they looked around and saw they were somewhere completely different.
The house was gone and now, they were in a mountainous around with large rocks surrounding them in every direction with power-up coins floating in the air. When they heard movement, they looked around and saw Bonnie's father standing atop a rock with Trojan next to him. "Do you dare face off against your father?" Trojan asked, as her father cracked his knuckles.
"I...I...I..." Bonnie couldn't even put a sentence together, at least until Gaia spoke up.
"Bonnie!" She turned to her, "snap out of it. This isn't your real father. He's an illusion. One you have to defeat if you want to get over what happened to you and pass this test."
"But," Bonnie still looked terrified, "how? He's so big and strong. And what if I get him angry and he attacks me again." Tears formed in her eyes.
"I won't let that happen," Gaia assured her. "Trust me, you're safe with me. I'll protect you no matter what." Bonnie turned to her, the Bakugan giving her a look that calmed Bonnie's nerves a little.
Bonnie took a deep voice and then nodded, smiling at Gaia. "Thank you." Gaia nodded back before they turned towards their opponents, Bonnie taking a deep breath before holding up her BakuColar. "Let's do this!" Her father did the same thing and they both called out, "BRAWL!"
Bonnie: 100%
Crusher: 100%
"Gate Card!" Bonnie quickly threw if forward, "SET!" As it hit the ground, Bonnie leapt onto a rock and took out a Bakugan before leaping into the air. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" She threw it and it shot through the air before hitting several power-ups, then landed on th ground. "Bakugan...STAND!" It popped open and exploded into a dust tornado, "Subterra Tuskor!" The giant elephant appeared from the dust cloud, stamping on the ground as it did.
Tuskor: 380Gs
It let out the famous elephant cry as it glowed.
Tuskor: 530Gs
Crusher then leapt into the air, taking out his own Bakugan and throwing it. It flew through the air and hit many power-ups before landing, rolling and opening up. "Subterra Warius!" He finally announced as the dust tornado appeared and exploded to reveal the giant ogre.
Tuskor: 530Gs
Warius: 350Gs
Warius swung its club around, the power-ups kicking in.
Tuskor: 530Gs
Warius: 600Gs
Before Bonnie could pick an Ability, her father took out a card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed as Warius swung his club around before slamming it into the ground. "Spiking Fault-Line!" A line of spikes shot out of the ground towards Tuskor and pieces its feet before it could escape, making it cry out as it staggered away.
Tuskor: 430Gs
Warius: 600Gs
"Tuskor!" Bonnie cried, then glared at her father before taking out two cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" Tuskor regained its footing and swung its nose up, as the mighty limb began to extend. "Nose Slap, plus Tusk Strike!" Tuskor swung its extra long nose downwards and Warius could barely hold up its club to defend. The impact caused it to fall to its knees, as Tuskor then charged with glowing tusks pushed forward.
Tuskor: 630Gs
Warius: 600Gs
Warius pushed itself back to its feet and swung its club around, colliding with Tuskor's tusks and duelling against them to stop from being impaled.
As they did, Crusher held up a card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed and Warius let out a roar as his muscle's flexed, "Berserker's Wrath!" His arms began to vain as it clutched its fist.
Tuskor: 630Gs
Warius: 750Gs
Warius swung its fist around and punched the elephant right in the face, causing it to stagger backwards and forcing Bonnie and Gaia to leap away to avoid getting stomped on. "Gate Card!" Bonnie cried, "OPEN!" The ground began to glow before the section under Warius's feet began to crack, "Unstable Footing!" Suddenly, the ground broke apart and Warius fell through the hole. It managed to save itself by holding onto the sides of the hole, but it couldn't pull itself up.
"What?" Crusher asked, as Bonnie smirked.
"Unstable Footing. It targets the Bakugan with the highest G Power and takes away two hundred Gs."
Tuskor: 630Gs
Warius: 550Gs
"Great work Bonnie," Gaia smiled. "I guess it's true what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Bonnie smiled back and commanded Tuskor to finish Warius off. But as Tuskor charged it and prepared to stomp on Warius, Crusher took out another Bakugan and threw it.
"Bakugan...BRAWL!" The Bakugan shot through the air and landed between Tuskor and Warius, popping open as Crusher yelled out. "Bakugan...STAND!" Bursting into a tornado of sand, a figure appeared within it before leaping out. "Subterra Fear Ripper!"
The large clawed demon hissed as it swung its claws around, slashing at Tuskor and making it stagger backwards whilst crying out in pain.
Tuskor: 630Gs
Warius+Fear Ripper: 930Gs
"What?" Bonnie cried out in shock, as Crusher held up a card.
"Ability, Activate!" Fear Ripper's claws glowed, "Slash Zero!" It swung its claws at Tuskor and the light flew off, hitting the elephant once again.
Tuskor: 630Gs
Warius+Fear Ripper: 1010Gs
Tuskor cried out as it reverted back to ball form and fell to the ground, Bonnie's eyes going wide as her life gauge dropped.
Bonnie: 24%
Crusher: 100%
"Bonnie!" Gaia cried as the girl looked shocked, whilst Crusher's two Bakugan returned to him. "That was a dirty move!"
"Was it?" Trojan asked, "Fear Ripper's friend was in trouble. Why wouldn't he try and help him against an opponent that had him trapped?" Gaia glared at the Subterra Guardian, feeling friendship wasn't on Crusher's mind when he did that.
Bonnie continued to look shocked, but quickly shook it off as she looked up at Crusher. He continued to glare down at her, Bonnie flinching for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I...I can't let you scare me." She took out a Bakugan as Crusher threw a Gate Card onto the field, Bonnie then leaping up onto a large rock before jumping into the air. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" The Subterra Bakugan shot through the field and hit the power-ups, as Crusher also threw his Bakugan and did the same. "Bakugan," it landed and popped open, "STAND!" Crusher's did as well and two sand tornadoes appeared. "Subterra Mantris, Stand!"
The giant insect Bakugan appeared, whilst Fear Ripper broke out of its tornado and the two glared one another down.
Mantris: 380Gs
Fear Ripper: 380Gs
Fear Ripper rushed in, as the two's power-ups kicked in and increased their power.
Mantris: 530Gs
Fear Ripper: 580Gs
Fear Ripper began slashing at Mantris, who used its giant arms to try and block them. But the attacks still hurt and Mantris looked to be in trouble. "Hold on," Bonnie told it as she noticed her father pull out his other Bakugan. "Not this time!" She held up a card, "Ability, Activate!" Mantris' blades glowed again before it pointed them at Crusher, "Marionette!" The energy exploded off of the blades and formed a bunch of energy strings, which shot towards Crusher and hit the Bakugan he was holding.
"Augh!" He cried as he dropped the Bakugan, which was pulled back towards Mantris and dropped down next to the insect. As it did, it opened up and transformed into Warius.
"Ha!" Bonnie smirked, "how'd you like that!" She looked down at her BakuColar and saw the new total.
Mantris+Warius: 880Gs
Fear Ripper: 580Gs
"Take him down!" Bonnie cried as both Mantris and Warius rushed forward. Fear Ripper slashed at them both, but together the pair were able to block the attack and knock him back. Warius then charged, ready to deal a serious blow. But then...
"Ability, Activate!" Crusher held up a card as Fear Ripper slashed its claws through the dirt, throwing sand into the air towards Warius' face.
Mantris+Warius: 780Gs
Fear Ripper: 580Gs
"That won't be enough to beat us!" Bonnie told him as Mantris flew forward and slashed at Fear Ripper, who barely managed to block with its claws. "I won't let you win," she stated. "No matter what, I'll be stronger than you. I'll never let you hurt me again!"
"Bonnie," Gaia whispered as Mantris slashed Fear Ripper backwards. But Crusher not Trojan appeared at all worried.
"Gate Card...Open," he stated as the ground began to glow. "Trojan Horse!" The light spread to Fear Ripper and he flinched, as the light shot off of him and into Crusher's last remaining Bakugan.
"What is this?" Gaia asked, as Fear Ripper reverted back to ball form and fell to the ground.
"My Special Gate Card," Trojan announced before his armor dropped to the floor and revealed his Bakugan Ball form. "Now I can trade places with any Bakugan on the field and gain half their power." Crusher grabbed hold of him and threw the Bakugan in, the Subterra beast bouncing around before opening up.
In a burst of orange light, he appeared in his true form. Said true form was that of a giant wooden horse. He was one of the largest Bakugan Bonnie had ever seen. Not as big as Gaia, but still quite large. Though his body was made of wood, it was also covered in metal sections. His joints had wooden gears built into them to allow movement, whilst his body had a bunch of metal cannons and machine guns sticking out of it. His chest had a massive cannon sticking out of it, whilst his mussel was replaced by a metal cylinder that had metal strips coming off it to wrap around the head like a mask.
Mantris+Warius: 780Gs
Trojan: 890Gs
The girls were amazed by what they were seeing, as Trojan took a single step that caused the entire field to shake. "Wow!" Bonnie cried as she fell to the ground, Gaia falling off her shoulder and landing with amazement at what she was seeing.
"Tremble at the power of Subterra Trojan," he neighed. "You have no hope of defeating me."
"Don't be so sure!" Gaia told her, "Bonnie!" She didn't get a response. "Bonnie?" She looked over and saw the girl was terrified by the size of the beast. "Bonnie, snap out of it!" The girl blinked and seemed to realise what was happening and quickly got up.
"Ability!" She held up a card, "Activate!" Warius glowed and the light flowed off it into Mantris, "Power Redistribution!" Crusher looked at his BakuColar and saw that their total power hadn't changed, but their individual power did as Mantris stole two hundred Gs from its teammate.
"Interesting strategy," Trojan told her. "But pointless!" As he said that, Crusher held up a card.
"Ability, Activate!" Trojan began to move forward, as the blasters on his side powered up. "Gatling Gallop!"
Mantris+Warius: 780Gs
Trojan: 1140Gs
Before Trojan could fire, Mantris took to the air and shot behind Warius. As it did, Bonnie held up a card. "Ability, Activate!" Warius roared as he began to glow, "Raging Vengeance!" Warius charged as Trojan spun and unleashed a barrage of highly powerful blasts in the Bakugan's direction. They struck Warius and he screamed as he was blasted backwards, getting blown into ball form and falling to the ground as the red energy flew off of him into the sky. But Crusher was the one who flinched.
Bonnie: 24%
Crusher: 28%
"Forgot that Warius was your Bakugan, huh?" She smirked, as Crusher growled.
"Maybe," Trojan told her, "but now your out of shields to protect yourself with. And you power is lower.
Mantris: 730Gs
Trojan: 1140Gs
"One more blast and your life gauge will be nothing." But Bonnie just smiled, making Trojan wonder if he had missed something. Then, the red light shot down and slammed into his back. "AUGH!"
Mantris: 730Gs
Trojan: 570Gs
"What?" He asked, then remembered the last Ability, Warius used. "Raging Vengeance. It cuts the power of the Bakugan that beat Warius in half."
"Exactly," Bonnie smirked as Mantris flew forwards, ready to end the Brawl. "Now take him down!"
"Double Ability!" Crusher held up two cards, "Activate!" As Mantris got in close, the gears on Trojan's shoulders detached and flew towards it. "Gear Strike, plus Wood Stomp!" The gears slammed into Mantris and ground against the insect, making it cry out in pain. As it fell towards the ground, Trojan galloped forward and got in close.
Mantris: 630Gs
Trojan: 720Gs
Before Bonnie could activate her own card, Trojan raised its wooden hoof and brought it down. Mantris was suddenly crushed beneath it, crying out as it reverted back to ball form and fell to the ground. "NO!" Bonnie cried as he life gauge dropped to almost nothing.
Bonnie: 6%
Crusher: 28%
Bonnie fell to her knees as Trojan returned to Crusher, the girl panting in absolute terror of the force she was facing. "Bonnie!" Gaia cried, "you have to stay strong."
"I can't," she told her. "They're too strong!"
"Don't let them scare you," Gaia cried. "We still have a chance to win. Throw me in." Gaia turned to her, looking terrified at the idea.
"But they might hurt you. You can't stand up to that kind of power."
"I can," Gaia stated. "Those two might be strong, but the strength I have when protecting those I care about is unrivalled." Bonnie still didn't look sure. "Do it!" This shocked Bonnie into action, the girl taking out a Gate Card and throwing it before grabbing her.
"Bakugan...BRAWL!" She threw Gaia forward without trying for the power-ups, Gaia landing and opening up. In a brilliant flash of light, the giant Bakugan stood tall and ready for battle.
"Her fear is overwhelming her," Trojan chuckled. "This battle is over." Crusher grabbed Trojan and threw him in, not bothering with the power-ups either as he landed and opened up. In the blink of an eye, Trojan took his true form and the two Subterra Bakugan stared one another down.
Gaia: 350Gs
Trojan: 600Gs
"I commend you for wanting to protect your friend," Trojan told her. "But it is clear she has reached her limit. She cannot overcome the fear that is holding her back."
"She doesn't need to overcome it," Gaia told him. "For there is nothing for her to fear. You've just tricked her into forgetting that." She began to charge forward, "and I will make you pay for upsetting her!"
"You can try!" Trojan yelled as Crusher held up a card.
"Ability, Activate!" The horse spun around as Gaia got close, "Mega Kick!" Before she could stop, he leapt onto his front hooves and thrust his back wards into Gaia.
Gaia: 350Gs
Trojan: 750Gs
"Augh!" She staggered back, Bonnie gasping and holding up a pair of cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" Gaia regained her footing as Trojan attempted another kick, "Oak Defender, plus Earth Power!" She raised her shield and blocked the oncoming attack, flinching as it connected whilst she raised her foot and slammed into the ground to make it shake.
Gaia: 350Gs
Trojan: 400Gs
"Ability!" Crusher held up a card as Trojan spun back around, "Activate!" The cannon on the front of his chest began to power up. "Greek Cannon!" The weapon fired a powerful beam, which struck Gaia and made her cry out in pain as she felt her energy be drained away
Gaia: 250Gs
Trojan: 500Gs
"Gaia!" Bonnie cried, then pointed to the ground. "Gate Card...OPEN!" The field began to glow and from the light, trees made of energy appeared. "Grand Forest!" The trees began to share their light with Gaia, allowing her to overpower the cannon. "This Gate Card doubles Gaia's G power if it's below five hundred.
Gaia: 500Gs
Trojan: 500Gs
"Raaah!" She cried as she swung her arms around, the laser exploding off her as she jumped back to her feet and charged. But as she got in close, Crusher held up another two cards.
"Double Ability, Activate!" Trojan spun around and started firing its weapons at her, "Gatling Gallop!" The attacks slammed into Gaia, making her cry out as she was forced staggering back. Eventually, she lost her footing and feel to the ground.
Gaia: 500Gs
Trojan: 750Gs
Before she could pick herself up, Trojan rushed forward and raised its hoof. "Plus, Wood Stomp!"
Gaia: 500Gs
Trojan: 900Gs
The hoof flew down and smashed into her chest, making the Bakugan unleash a scream that echoed throughout the entire valley. "GAIA!" Bonnie yelled, as Trojan raised its hoof and stomped down on her again. "NO!" She turned to her father. And as soon as their eyes met, Bonnie saw the same angry expression she had seen so many times in her childhood. The expression she had seen whenever he was about to make her hurt badly. "STAY AWAY!"
"BONNIE!" She gasped and turned to Gaia, who caught Trojan's hoof as he tried to push him off. "You...you have to snap out of this. You mustn't be afraid."
"How can you say that?" Bonnie asked, turning back to her father as the man began to make his way towards her. She gasped as she suddenly found herself remembering a similar time she had seen him walk towards her like that. Right before he used his belt to beat her. "NO!"
"Bonnie!" Gaia cried, "don't be scared. Remember, it's not real!"
"He's real enough to hurt me," Bonnie moved backwards and tripped. She cried as she fell onto her rear, continuing to shake in terror as Crusher got closer and closer. "No..."
"Bonnie," Gaia groaned under Trojan's strength. "You have to stand up to him." Bonnie barely listened, "he's can't really be that big. He probably just looked that way because you were so small." Bonnie was still not listening, her fears still too strong. "You have to stand up to him. It's the only way you'll ever truly be free from him."
"But he's too strong."
"He's not. He's a weakling!" Gaia lost her strength and Trojan's hoof slammed into her chest again, the Subterra Bakugan flinching and doing everything in her power to no go back to ball form. "If he was really strong, he wouldn't have had to pick on you and your mother. He hurt you because if he went up against anyone else, he would have gotten beaten six ways to Sunday. Does that sound like someone who's strong? Hurting defenceless woman because he's scared to fight someone his own size?"
"N...no," Bonnie replied, "it doesn't." he looked back at Crusher, and he still towered above her. "But he's still stronger than me."
"Maybe back then," Gaia told her. "But you've gotten so much stronger since you were a child. I've seen how strong you can be. And you don't have to fight back. He's a bully and the only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them." Trojan raised his hoof and prepared to stomp on her again, but Gaia once again reached up and grabbed his hoof. "All he has is fear. If you weren't scared, he wouldn't be able to do anything. Take away his only weapon. Stand up and show you're not afraid of him."
"But I am afraid," Bonnie whispered. "So afraid."
"He doesn't deserve your fear," Gaia told her. "He's nothing to be afraid of. He scared you as a child because it was the only way to make himself feel like he had power. Take his power away from him. Stand up to him. Because if you don't, then you'll never be free of him. You can move to the other side of the world, change your name and never see him again. But until you truly face him and overcome your fear of him, he'll always have his clutches in you."
Bonnie let those words sink in and realised she was right. She couldn't escape him by just pretending he didn't exist. She looked up at Crusher again, fear continuing to grip her heart.
"You're strong Bonnie. And you're not alone. You have me with you." Gaia continued to push Trojan's hoof back, actually managing to lift it. "And it's not just me. You have Lyra, Flash and all your other friends. Your real family may have let you down, but your true family will always be there to help you stand up against any bully."
Bonnie still felt fear, but then felt a presence behind her and a sudden grasp on her shoulder. She looked around and when she did, she saw Lyra standing behind her with her hand on her shoulder and a smile on her lips. Another hand on her other shoulder made her turn to see Flash was there, with Hearth, Soarin and all their Bakugan behind him.
"Guys," she whispered as more people appeared. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie and the other Rainbooms. Plus so many other friends that she had made. "You're all here." Staring at them, she suddenly didn't feel so alone. Not like when she was a child. She had people who cared about her. Who wouldn't want to see her scared and upset. "Thank you," she couldn't help but cry at this. But then she stopped crying and turned to glare at her father, standing up and as tall as she could. "I am not afraid of you..."
"That's it Bonnie," Gaia smiled as she pushed Trojan back more. "Show him who the truly strong one is."
"I'm not afraid of you!" She repeated. "You've terrified me my entire life, made me spend every day fearing my happiness could be stripped away. You made me scared to make friends because I figured I'd have to leave them again if you found us. You've been ruining my life for too long. And it ends right now!" As she yelled this, her body began to glow orange. "I don't care if you find us. I'm not leaving my new life behind. You might be my father but you'll never have a place in my life!" The light grew stronger and Gaia also felt it. "I won't ignore you and pretend you don't exist, because you don't deserve that much of my attention."
"What's happening?" Trojan asked as he noticed the light on the two, then looked up at the Subterra Energy. "Don't tell me!"
"I'm not gonna run from my past anymore," she cried. "You're apart of my past and I can't change that, but I can leave you in my past." The light grew stronger and stronger, "you can try and act tough all you want but I won't let it affect me. Because I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" With that final outcry, the light exploded off of Bonnie and shot into the air.
Everyone else saw this and watched the light hit the Subterra Energy, causing it to glow brighter before it unleashed its own light down towards the ground. Down towards Gaia.
"Raaah!" She cried before finally managing to push the distracted Trojan off of her, seconds before the light struck. "YES!" She cried, feeling new energy flowing through her "You did it Bonnie!" As the light spiralled around her, something else happened.
The ground beneath her began to grow upwards, first encasing her feet, then her legs, waist and the rest of her body.
"Gaia!" Bonnie cried as she and the light became entirely encased within a stone cocoon. She then looked down at her BakuColar and saw Gaia's G power raising.
"Power Surge detected"
They all watched and waited, Bonnie hoping Gaia was okay. Then something happened.
Grass began to grow atop the cocoon, breaking out of cracks that appeared all around it. Flowers soon followed and eventually, they were looking at a giant flowery hill. But then, the flowers and grass exploded off of it whilst a burst of light erupted out from within. It blinded them all but they quickly recovered, not daring to miss a second of what was happening.
The light finally faded, revealing Gaia in all her glory. If Bonnie thought she was tall before, that had nothing on Gaia now. She was tall enough that two Trojans standing one on top of the other would only reach her chin. Her helmet and mask were now made of solid stone and looked more stylised, whilst her chest, waist and feet armor was also replaced with stone armor. Her vine skirt was gone, replaced by more armor that was either stone or wood. Her knees had wooden knee pads and her wooden arm gauntlets remained, but the shields she previously had were gone so the gauntlets were thicker than before. Her bushy hair was much more controlled, now appearing to have fruit of all varieties glowing out of it along with some long vines that flowed down the sides of her head and down her chest. Her chest armor also had the Subterra attribute engraved in the centre of it and connected to the back of her shoulders were a pair of large wooden logs.
The new Bakugan stood tall and strong, a single step causing a minor earthquake. "Behold!" She bellowed whilst holding up both arms, "I am the evolved Subterra Gaia!" She swung her arms around and unleashed a powerful gust of wind that blew Trojan back. "I am Grand Gaia!"
"Grand Gaia?" Bonnie asked, as Gaia turned to smile at her.
"Yes. Because you managed to overcome your fears, you've allowed me to evolve and grow stronger. I knew you could do it. I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks," Bonnie smiled before getting serious and turning to her father, "now let's win this Brawl!"
"You read my mind," Gaia turned back to Trojan as the Brawlers checked their BakuColars.
Gaia: 750Gs
Trojan: 900Gs
"Alright," Bonnie held up a card, "Ability Activate!" Gaia's body began to glow a bright green glow, "Gaia Spirit!"
Gaia: 1000Gs
Trojan: 900Gs
Gaia charged forward and tried to punch Trojan, only for the wooden horse to dodge her attack and cause her to hit the ground instead. This caused it to shake and Trojan barely managed to stay upright, as Crusher held up a card.
"Ability, Activate!" Trojan's shoulder gears flew off and shot towards Gaia, "Gear Strike!" The new Subterra Bakugan held up both her hands and blocked the gears, flinching for a moment but remaining strong.
Gaia: 900Gs
Trojan: 900Gs
"Ability, Activate!" Bonnie held up a card as Gaia pushed the gears away, the ground beneath her feet beginning to glow before the light spread to the rest of her. "Heart of the Earth!"
Gaia: 1100Gs
Trojan: 900Gs
She swung her foot towards Trojan and he once again barely managed to avoid the attack, Crusher holding up a card. "Ability, Activate!" Trojan spun around as Gaia tried to kick him again, "Mega Kick!"
Gaia: 1100Gs
Trojan: 1050Gs
He thrust his legs backwards and struck Gaia's leg, knocking her back though she managed to keep herself upright. As she did, Bonnie held up two cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" The logs on Gaia's back shifted upwards until they were on her shoulders, looking like a pair of anime shoulder blasters. "Gaia Cannon!" The logs were filled with energy and then, they fired two green beams at Trojan.
Gaia: 1250Gs
Trojan: 1050Gs
Trojan's eyes went wide at this and he did his best to escape, the beams hitting the ground and causing it to explode and send him flying. "Augh!"
As this happened, a gale suddenly appeared around Gaia and the force caused the leaves of her hair to fly off. "Plus Leaf Cyclone!" The gale turned into a whirlwind, which carried the leaves towards Trojan and slammed into him as he picked himself up.
"Gyah!" He cried, the leaves and twigs slashing against his body. After a few seconds, he felt his power drain.
Gaia: 1250Gs
Trojan: 950Gs
He endured it, but the longer he was in it the more power he felt he lost.
Gaia: 1250Gs
Trojan: 850Gs
"RAAAH!" He jumped up and stomped his feet onto the ground, creating a shockwave that blew the tornado away from him. "You've grown stronger, but will this strength be enough?" As he said that, Crusher held up a card.
"Fusion Ability, Activate!" All of Trojan's weapons began to power-up and turn towards Gaia, "All Out Siege!" With that, they fired a barrage of energy attacks that shot through the air. They slammed into Gaia, making her cry out as she was knocked back whilst Trojan's power grew and hers depleted.
Gaia: 1150Gs
Trojan: 1200Gs
The bombardment upon Gaia continued on and on, with some of the blasts missing her entirely and causing the ground around her and Bonnie to be decimated. But Gaia and Bonnie stood tall and Bonnie stared her father down. "No matter what you do, I won't let you scare me." She took out her card, "I will protect everything I card about. Bare your teeth all you like, you won't stop me from marching forward." She held the card up, "Fusion Ability, ACTIVATE!"
"Raaah!" Gaia held up her hands and the attacks bounced off of them, as the log cannons moved back up onto her shoulders and Gaia began to draw power from all of nature. "Prepare yourself, for the ultimate power of the earth!" The light she had summoned began to fill the cannons, which hummed as more and more energy built.
"INFINITE GAIA!" Bonnie screamed as Gaia swung her arms around and caused Trojan's assault to be deflected, whilst the cannons fired the super blasts that quickly combined into one powerful laser.
Gaia: 1550Gs
Trojan: 1200Gs
Trojan gasped and tried to escape, but the laser slammed into him and caused a massive explosion that made him cry out as the light consumed him. The shockwave of this attack also flew towards Crusher, who gasped and tried to run. But the force hit him and he too was blasted away whilst screaming in terror.
Bonnie: 6% (Winner)
Crusher: 0%
The light from the attack blinded Bonnie and when she finally felt the brightness dime, she opened her eyes to see she was back home. Back in her real home in Canterlot. She looked around, unsure whether she was really there of just having a dream.
"Bonnie!" She looked around and smiled seeing Gaia on the couch, rolling to the end of the arm rest before popping open. "Bonnie, you did it. We won."
"We did," Bonnie smiled as she picked Gaia up and looked her over. "Loving the new look by the way."
"Thank you," Gaia nodded. "I wouldn't look like this is it wasn't for you. Thank you." Bonnie smiled before a light appeared behind them, the pair looking back and seeing someone Bonnie hadn't been expecting.
"Mom?" She asked, looking at her mother. Bonnie wondered why she was here, but then realised Trojan was probably trying to tell her something. "I'm sorry. I wasn't the only one who suffered under dad for so long. You took the brunt of his bullying and protected me as best you could. And you finally stood up to him and managed to get him out of our lives. I'm sorry I was such a pain whenever you showed your concern." Bonnie's mother nodded at this. "But you don't have to worry about me anymore. Even if dad finds us, we'll stick together and he won't be able to hurt us. And if he tries, my friends will help us stop him. I promise. Let me be the one to protect you for once."
Her mother smiled again and nodded, the woman moving over to hug her daughter. Bonnie hugged her back and even though she knew this wasn't her real mother, she felt like something in their relationship had changed. When she returned home, she was going to make things up to her mother for real.
Candy smiled as she watched some playbacks Derpy had brought up to show her, seeing Bonnie having so much fun as she and Gaia fought against their opponent.
Bonnie really was a great Brawler and the look of joy she had on her face was like nothing she had ever seen her daughter experience. Candy didn't wanna take that away, especially when she saw the rest of her team move onto the battlefield to congratulate her victory. She looked over at the desk Derpy was once again working behind, remembering what she had told her.
Maybe she was right. Bonnie clearly had some good friends. Ones that would do anything for her. And Bonnie really had grown a lot since she was younger. If Crusher found them, maybe things wouldn't go back to the way they were when she was younger.
Candy hoped she could find her daughter soon and apologise for getting on her case. Hopefully, she could make things up to her.
Derpy smiled at this and as she did, she got a call on her phone. "Excuse me," she smiled before getting up and moving over to a quieter area to answer it. "Hello?" She asked, hearing who was on the other side. "Twilight. What's wrong?" Twilight replied and as she did, Derpy's eyes went wide. "What?"
Bonnie and the fake Candy continued to hug for several more moments. The image of her mother then slowly vanished and as it did, Bonnie felt a weight be lifted from her heart. She smiled as Trojan's voice echoed out from around them. "Well done Bonnie," he told her. "Or maybe you'll prefer to be called Sweetie once again."
Bonnie smiled. "I won't deny that used to be my name. But that's not who I am anymore. My name is Bonnie and that's who I am. Sweetie might be a part of who Bonnie is, but she's not who I am completely."
"Wise words," Trojan told her. "You have passed your test. I'll admit, I didn't think you had it in you. But I'm glad I was proven wrong and also proven right in choosing you two. Go forth my young Subterra Warriors and battle with all your might. The road ahead of you will be difficult, but as long as you remember what you've learned here you won't falter."
The girls smiled at this and Gaia leapt onto Bonnie's shoulder as a light appeared around them, shocking them as they suddenly found themselves being pulled upwards. They cried out in surprise, but didn't panic. They had passed their test and could now begin to gain their full potential. No matter what, Bonnie was going to live her life to the best of her ability. She wouldn't hide her past from herself or her friends anymore.
Speaking of her friends, she wondered how their tests were going.