//------------------------------// // Water and Light Collide // Story: Bakugan EQG // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// It was another beautiful day in Canterlot and as the sun was rising, Flash had just woken up. He and Leonidas had spent most of the previous night going over their strategy for when they faced Soarin and Garuda, which resulted in them both sleeping late into the morning. So now, here they were having just awakened. Flash let out a yawn as he opened his window and looked out onto the street with the dragon jumping onto the windowsill with him. "What a great day!" "Yes," Leonidas nodded, "perfect weather for our battle with Garuda." "Yup," Flash smirked, "I'm actually kinda looking forward to this. We never got to actually end our last brawl against Soarin and with everything that's been happening, we haven't had a chance to brawl them again." "I'm glad you're excited," Leo told him. "But don't forget this is a test. One we're gonna have to pass, if we want to stand any chance of beating Lucifer when the time comes." "I got it," Flash nodded. "I'll take this serious, like I always do." "Just make sure you're not late," Leonidas stated. "I'd hate the show up there and find you got distracted and lost track of time." Flash frowned at this and brought his face closer to Leo's. "You're talking like you're not going with me." "I'm not." Flash was very confused by this. "It's nothing personal, but I've made other plans. I'll meet you at the park." "Since when do you make plans of your own?" Flash asked, Leonidas letting out a low growl. "Since now! I've learned to get around quite fine on my own, so I figured I could use this chance to go wherever I want to go. It's nothing personal, but everyone needs their space." Flash knew he was right, but still smirked and poked him on the head. "It's a big world out there." "I'm not a child!" Leo told him. "Don't talk to strangers." "Stop speaking to me like that!" Leo started jumping up and down, "I can take care of myself!" With that, he leapt out of the window down onto the street. "I'll see you later." Flash chuckled at this, "make sure to look both ways before you cross the street!" "Silence human!" Flash laughed for a good five minutes at this before finally stopping and heading out himself, deciding to go to Derpy's place. He hadn't had a chance to see why Derpy never showed up yesterday and wanted to make sure she was okay. He biked down to her house and when he got there, he spotted Lyra looking very concerned when she walked away from the building. She noticed him before he could say anything, "Flash?" "Lyra," Flash stopped his bike and gave her a look, "how's Derpy doing? She ill like we thought?" But then Lyra frowned and shook her head, explaining what she had learned. "WHAT!" Flash cried, looking horrified. "Derpy's missing!" "Not missing," Lyra told her. "But apparently, she hasn't come home since yesterday. When I got there, her family thought she was out with us or at work. I called the stadium and Derpy isn't set to work there for the next few days. When her mom heard this, we went up to check in her room and found a note. "What did it say?" Flash asked. "It said she had something important to do that she can't explain. It also said she didn't know when she'd be back, but to not worry about her." "That's strange," Flash frowned. "It's not like Derpy to go awol and not tell anyone way. What could she be doing that's so important she couldn't tell us?" Lyra frowned, wondering the same thing and worrying a lot. Back in the Doom Dimension, the Brawl between Phantom and Derpy continued to wage on. "Alright," Phantom smirked, "you've stocked my curiosity." He held up a Gate Card, "let's see what you can really do when I go all out." He threw it to the ground, "Gate Card...SET!" As it exploded and covered the field, Phantom took out another Darkus beast. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" He threw it as hard as he could and it hit the ground hard, "Bakugan...STAND!" It popped open with a burst of purple like, "Darkus Laserman arise!" The gun wielding robot stood tall, staring down at Derpy as she took out her Bakugan. "Here we go. Bakugan...BRAWL!" She threw it forward and it hit the ground, "Wormquake, stand!" Another blast of purple light and the giant sandworm appeared, quickly tunnelling into the decaying earth of the Doom Dimension before popping its head up. Laserman: 390Gs Wormquake: 340Gs "Get it!" Phantom roared as Laserman started unleashing multiple lasers at Wormquake, who quickly leapt underground and avoid them. Even so, several blasts managed to it it before it could dive fully. "Now, Gate Card, open." The ground began to glow, "Laserman!" The light shot into the robot, powering it up. Laserman: 490Gs Wormquake: 340Gs The robot's attacks became much more powerful, the lasers flying all over the place and shattering several statues whilst Regulus rushed over to Derpy and shielded her with his armoured body. "You know what you must do," he told her with Derpy nodding and holding up a card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed and Wormquake broke out from under the ground, "Quake Break!" The worm then slammed its head into the ground, causing it shake as the beast sent out a bunch of vibrations. Those vibrations caused the Gate Card to crack before shattering, nullifying the effects of it whilst Wormquake raised its head. The particles of the destroyed Gate Card were sucked into its mouth like dirt into a vacuum cleaner, Wormquake guzzling them down and powering itself up. Laserman: 390Gs Wormquake: 440Gs "Not bad," Phantom smirked as he took out a card. "But not good enough. Ability, Activate!" Before Wormquake could escape underground, Laserman's shoulder cannons fired at it. "Leap Sting!" The beams struck the worm as it was diving and caused it to cry out. Laserman: 390Gs Wormquake: 340Gs Once the beast was safely below ground, Laserman moved over to one of its holes and started firing into its with its hand blasters. But Wormquake was already out of range, meaning the attacks were pointless. "You're wasting your energy," Regulus told Phantom. "And I'll take advantage of it," Derpy held up a card. "Ability, Activate!" Suddenly, the ground beneath Laserman's feet began to crack. "Spiced Assault!" The ground suddenly collapsed and Laserman fell into a whole up to its waist, the robot finding itself trapped as Wormquake exploded out of the ground behind it. The worm then slammed it mouth onto Laserman, then began sucking out its power like a leech. Laserman: 290Gs Wormquake: 440Gs "Ahhh," Phantom growled, "get it off of you!" He ordered, with Laserman quickly beginning to spin its top half around. This caused Wormquake to be dragged out of the ground and eventually, it let go of Laserman who was still stuck. "Now," he held up two cards, "Double Ability, Activate!" Laserman continued to spin, as its many weapons charged up. "Hyper Phasor, plus All Out Assault!" It started firing in every direction, causing the ground around it to be blown apart and slowly form a ramp for it to escape from the hole with. It continued firing as its power rose, the blasts hitting everything and forcing Wormquake to dive whilst Regulus protected Derpy. Laserman: 490Gs Wormquake: 440Gs Phantom smirked as the lasers rained down around him, making the ground more and more damaged with every attack. Some of the rubble landed near Laserman's feet and as they did, Phantom noticed they started bouncing up and down as if something was travelling below the ground in that spot. "Oh no you don't!" Phantom took out his Siege, "Bakugan...BRAWL!" The orb shot through the air and landed near Laserman's feet, "Bakugan...STAND!" In a burst of light, Darkus Siege appeared behind Laserman. At the same time, Wormquake shot out of the ground attempting to tackle Laserman. But instead, it found itself coming face to face with Siege. Laserman+Siege: 850Gs Wormquake: 440Gs Before it could try to escape, Siege swung its blade around and slashed at it. Wormquake was knocked backwards, as Laserman turned towards it and pointed all weapons at the worm. Derpy gasped. She knew she didn't have time to throw in another Bakugan, but she could lessen the damage. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed as Wormquake sucked a bunch of stones into its mouth, "Dark Gravel Blaster!" Wormquake then fired the rocks towards the two Darkus Bakugan, but Siege began swinging its spear around to try and deflect them. Two of the rocks got passed and hit it in the knee and shoulder, whilst a third hit Laserman's chest. Laserman+Siege: 700Gs Wormquake: 440Gs However, it wasn't enough to damage Laserman. The robot let its attack rip and the lasers rained down upon Wormquake with great force. "WORMQUAKE!" Derpy cried, as Regulus protected her from the explosion that followed as Wormquake was reverted back to ball form. Derpy: 48% Phantom: 70% As the explosion began to die down and Wormquake fell to the floor, Derpy stepped out from behind Regulus and moved over to pick it up. "He's so strong," she whispered as Phantom's Bakugan returned to him. "But I can't give up." She stood tall, "I can't stop if it means my friends might be in danger." She pointed at Phantom, "I will defeat you!" "And I am here to help you," Regulus stated as Phantom simply smiled. "Bring it on." Flash and Lyra were walking together and continuing to talk, Lyra using her phone to try and call Derpy but not getting any answer. "I hope Derpy didn't get mixed up with some bad people," Lyra frowned whilst Nimue turned to her. "I'm sure she's fine. Derpy might be a bit clumsy, but she's a good girl and wouldn't do something too dangerous without telling her friends." Lyra smiled at this as Flash looked up at the others. "Maybe we should tell the others and have them search the whole city with us. We're bound to find something." He sighed, "we'll have to cancel my battle with Soarin but this is more important." "Battle with Soarin?" Lyra asked, looking confused. "What are you talking about?" "Oh yeah," Flash turned to her. "You weren't there when I explained it to the others." And so he told them all about what had actually happened during his trial with Dragonia. About how he managed to get the Haos Energy, but were unable to access it until he completed one final test. "Beating us?" Lyra answered, with Flash nodding. "That's harsh, but I guess it makes sense. You are our leader, even if you don't think you are." "So where's Leonidas?" Nimue asked, "shouldn't he be preparing for your battle?" "Nah," Flash frowned. "He said he has some place to be. Don't know where, but he wanted to go out on his own." Leonidas was sitting atop a speeding car, managing to hold on despite the speed it was going at. "Almost there," he stated whilst remembering what had happened last night. Last night. As Flash slept soundly after their intense strategy meeting, Leonidas sat on the windowsill looking up at the stars. As he did, he slowly began to drift off to a calm slumber. But as he did, he found himself falling into the strangest dream. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was in his true form whilst being in a black voice. "What's happening?" He asked, looking around but seeing no one else there. Then, a bright light appeared above him and he flinched. But after a few seconds, he forced his eyes open and saw what was causing the light. "Dragonia." The Haos Guardian floated above him in her true form, Leonidas unable to make out her expression due to the light radiating off her body. "If you wish, come to children's playground tomorrow. I will meet you there if you wish to talk to me." With that, she began to disappear as the light grey brighter. "Wait," Leonidas tried to fly to her but found he couldn't move. The light became so bright he was forced to shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he was back in Flash's room. "What was that?" Of course, Leonidas wanted to meet her again. How could he not, given that she was his mother. "Here it is!" He leapt off the car and landed on a bench on the side of the road, then began leaping from bins to any other object up off the ground. Eventually, he arrived at the area Dragonia had told him to met her. A bunch of kids play equipment, Leonidas leaping onto a roundabout. He sat there and waited, but Dragonia didn't seem to be arriving. "Maybe she's not coming." But then a bright flash of light occured behind him and he looked around. "Of course I'm coming," Dragonia stated as she stood there in her ball form. "I said I would, didn't I?" Leo couldn't help but smile at this, as the two moved closer to one another. As they did, several children arrived at the park and started playing. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me," she told him. "Why else would you be here?" "You're the closest thing to a family I have," Leo replied. "Of course I'd want to see you." "True, though there are others that you can call your family." Leonidas knew she was talking about Flash and nodded, all the while remember the battle he had to compete in later on. "Your challenge is going well." "Yes. I've defeated Gaia and Wukong. Garuda is the next one I face." "Good," Dragonia nodded, "hopefully you will be able to defeat them and evolve once again. Then you can focus your attention of Lucifer and his goons." "Yes," Leonidas watched as the kids played on the swing set. "To think one Bakugan could cause so much heartache. I hate to think what the Perfect Dragonoid would have thought if he learned the world he worked so hard to create, was destroyed because of one monster's foolish ambition." Dragonia chuckled, "he would have probably felt a sense of deja vu considering everything that happened to him." Leonidas gave her a confused look. "You talk like you actually know him?" "Oh, but I do." Leo had not been expecting that, "I wasn't always the Bakugan you see before you. A long time ago, I was known by a different name. Wavern the White One." "You were a White One?" Leonidas couldn't believe what he was hearing, Dragonia nodding. "Yes, my brother and I came into this world without any power of our own. We thought we would simply fade away and before that happened, I met a young Pyrus Bakugan who would one day become the Perfect Dragonoid." She let out a sigh, "I was so happy back then. I became content with my fate. But my brother, Naga, wasn't willing to simply fade away. Instead, he stole the Silent Core in an attempt to become the most powerful Bakugan in existence." "Did it work?" "Yes, but not as he had intended. He sent Vestroia into a state of chaos and caused the Infinity Core to be sent flying. Eventually, it was drawn to me and I was forced to absorb its power." "But I thought the Perfect Dragonoid combined the two cores?" Leo remembered the story his friends had told him. "He did. But to do that, he had to evolve into the Ultimate Dragonoid. My brother was attempting to take the Infinity Core from me and in order to keep it safe, I sacrificed my life in order to give the Perfect Dragonoid the core. With it, he was able to defeat my brother and take the Silent Core from him to forge the Perfect Core." "You died?" "Yes, but the power of the Perfect Core allowed my spirit to remain. I watched as Vestroia was created and over the years, it faced many hardships. But through the strength of the Bakugan that lived then, it always managed to come out on top. But then it happened. One day, eighty five percent of the Bakugan population vanished. The remaining fifteen percent had to start from scratch and over the millenia, new Bakugan were born. Some were the same as the first generations, whilst entirely new species of Bakugan were born like your friends. Through it all, I watched as the six factions began to war against one another. Then he appeared." "Lucifer," Leonidas growled. "When I saw him bring peace to Vestroia, I believed he was the second coming of the Perfect Dragonoid. But then he turned away from the light, like Naga before him. That's when I chose to reincarnate myself using the power of the Perfect Core. I was reborn as a dragonoid with barely any memories of my past life, but knew I had to stop Lucifer. I joined with fve other Bakugan and together, we evolved and were able to defeat Lucifer. And over time, my memories of my past life slowly returned." "So you really knew the Perfect Dragonoid?" "He went by Drago for short," Dragonia chuckled. "And yes, I knew him well. In fact, he was a lot like you in many ways." "Me?" "He could have a short fuse at times, but he cared about his friends and fought as hard as he could in order to gain the strength he needed to protect them. And like you, he was forced to battle them in order to evolve into his Ultimate Form." "You really think I'm like him?" "In more ways than you think," Dragonia smiled. "He also had trouble trusting his partner before they became the ultimate duo." "Partner?" Leonidas asked, "what are you talking about?" Dragonia seemed hesitant to explain this next part, but after a few seconds, she began her story. Back with Flash, Lyra and Nimue, Flash was explaining how his battles against Bonnie and Heath had gone. "Wow," Lyra whispered, "sounds like they really put you through the ringer." Flash nodded at this. "So your next opponent is gonna be Soarin?" Flash nodded again. "Yeah, and I hope Leo's gonna be heading there soon. It's almost time for the brawl to start." As she said this, Nimue was thinking about something and turned to Flash. "If you defeat Garuda, that means I will be the last one you need to defeat. Is that right?" "Yup," Flash nodded. "So I hope you're ready. Cause I'm not gonna be holding back. Leo and I are gonna hit you hard and fast, right from the start." "I see. And if you and Leonidas happened to lose your brawl against Garuda?" "Well then you won't need to worry about a thing," Flash replied before suddenly looking very upset. "Hey," he turned to her, "are you trying to say you think I'll lose?" "Oh, of course not. But that is the facts. Losing to Garuda means you won't challenge me and Lyra." "I guess so," Flash nodded. "Then I have a small request," Nimue stated much to the human's confusion. Twilight and Spike had just arrived at the park, where Applejack, Rarity, Bonnie Heath and Pinkie were waiting. "Hey Twi," Applejack waved as the girl smiled. "Whelp, it's almost time. Flash V Soarin and the winner takes all." They all smirked at this, looking forward to see how it would be that came out on top. "Any sign of Flash or Soarin?" Twilight asked, the others shaking their heads until Pinkie spotted someone come. "Look." They looked around and saw that Soarin, Fluttershy and Rainbow were all heading in their direction. "That's one, but where's Flash?" "Lyra and Derpy aren't here either," Bonnie frowned. "I wonder what's keeping them?" Soarin heard this as he stepped forward and frowned. "I know Flash isn't the type to run from a challenge," Soarin stated. "So what the heck is taking him so long?" It was then that his BakuColar started beeping, the teen seeing he had a message. "Huh, it's from Flash." He opened it up and when he saw what it said, he nodded. "So that's it." "Vestroia was originally created when a being known as Code Eve, gave birth to the first two Bakugan. One was Genesis Dragonoid, the ancestor of Drago, who used his power to create Vestroia as a place Code Eve's next Bakugan creations could live." "Wow," Leonidas whispered, "so every Bakugan that exists was created by Code Eve?" Dragonia nodded, "the only spirit that she didn't give birth to was yours. Though through me, you still share a connection. Anyway, Genesis Dragonoid's version of Vestroia wasn't stable. As such, it eventually split apart and created six Attribute Worlds. Only Bakugan of that specific Attribute could live in that world and there was...slight peace." "Until your brother threw everything out of whack." "Exactly," Dragonia nodded. "And in doing so, our world came into contact with another world. A human world. Different from this one, but with humans who created their own version of Bakugan Brawling. Drago eventually met a young human named Dan and together, the pair became the greatest Brawlers in the world." "And he helped Drago unite he cores and remake Vestroia?" Leonidas asked, with Dragonia nodding. "So what happened to them? Why aren't they here helping us right now?" Dragonia sighed, "I don't know." She looked up at the sky, "the eighty five percent of Bakugan that disappeared so long ago didn't just up and vanished. They were all on earth or one of the many other worlds that became allies with earth and Vestroia. Then, one day, the connection between Vestroia and the other worlds vanished. It was like Vestroia had been put in a box and unable to allow anyone in or out of the world." "Really?" Leo couldn't believe that. Vestroia had been connected to this world and so many Bakugan had gone to live there, but then suddenly Vestroia was sealed away. "What do you think happened to this other world?" "I wish I knew," Dragonia told her. "But it's been a millennia since Vestroia lost its connection to that world. Dan...Drago..." She suddenly looked heartbroken, "Joe. They've all long since passed on by now. For all I know, that earth has been destroyed or abandoned, or maybe even morphed into an all new empire. I just don't know. But I would like to see that world again, at least one more time." "Maybe you will," Leonidas told her. "You were able to travel to this world, so maybe whatever cut Vestroia off from the universe is gone now. Maybe when this is all over, you can find that place and see what happened." "Maybe," Dragonia nodded. "But with the time that's passed, that world will likely be so different I wouldn't be able to recognise it." She looked up and noticed the time on a nearby clock, "you should probably go soon. I wish we had more time, but you have an important battle to go too." "I know," Leonidas nodded. "Maybe you can come and watch?" Dragonia chuckled at this, seeing Leonidas as a child hoping for their parents to come and see their soccer game. "I am always watching you my dear," Dragonia assured him. "But I must get back to the other Guardians and keep watch on everything. If Lucifer makes a move, we have to be ready." "I understand," Leonidas nodded as Dragonia began to glow. "Good luck my child," Dragonia vanished in a flash of light and Leonidas sighed. He looked at a nearby clock and saw that Dragonia was right, he needed to get moving if he wanted to make it to the battle in time. He leapt through the playground until he reached the street and spotted a motorbike flying passed. He leapt onto it and luckily, he was heading in the direction of the park. "So, there were other world Vestroia was connected too. That's interesting." He wondered what this Drago and his human partner were really like, and if they really were just like he and Flash. In that moment, the bike took a turn and Leonidas had to leap off it and onto a car that was going the right way. As he did, he wondered about what Dragonia has said. What could have caused an entire world to become locked away from all the others it had come in contact with? And could it happen again? Leonidas didn't know what life would be like after they defeated Lucifer, but he liked to think Vestroia would be restored and earth could remain connected to it. He didn't want to have to say goodbye to Flash, or any of his other friends. He wanted to live with them for as long as possible, no matter what challenges that might bring. Eventually, he reached the street next to the park. He quickly leapt off the vehicle and jumped around, slowly making his way towards the fountain. "Ah man!" He cried as he leapt towards a bridge that went over a small stream that ran through the park, "I hope I'm not late for the battle. Flash won't be happy with me if I am." He leapt onto the bridge's barrier and rolled along it, only to stop when he sensed another presence. "Huh?" He popped open and spotted an Aquos Bakugan rolling along the wall towards him, "who's this?" He got his answer when the Bakugan stopped and popped open. "Nimue?" "Hello Leonidas," Nimue chuckled. "May I please speak with you?" "Of course," Leonidas nodded. "What's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong," Nimue stated. "I heard about what you must do in order to pass your test. And whilst I have no doubt you can win against Garuda, the thought of you losing before I got a chance to face off against you didn't sit right with me." "What are you say?" Leonidas asked. "I might not be the most battle loving Bakugan, but I still have my pride as the new Aquos Soldier. That's why, I want to test myself against you. So please, before you battle Garuda, will you accept my challenge?" Leonidas wasn't sure what to say, but then Flash's voice filled the air. "Let's do it, Leo!" He turned to see his partner walking over the bridge with Lyra, Flash smirking at him. "Nimue really wants to do this, so I say we give her what she wants." "Flash," Leonidas began. "But what about Soarin and Garuda?" "We're okay with it," Leonidas spun around and spotted Soarin and the others coming over the other side of the bridge. "It makes sense since there's no way Flash and Leo could beat us." The two in question shot him a look as Garuda spoke up. "Go ahead Nimue. Show us just how strong you and Lyra have become." "Thank you Garuda," Nimue nodded. "That's very generous." She turned back to Leonidas. "So my scaly friend, what do you say. Will you face me in battle?" Leonidas chuckled, "I'm always up for a challenge. Doesn't matter to me which order I take you both down in. Alright Nimue." He turned to shoot her a look, "let's Brawl!" Flash and Lyra both nodded and leapt away from one another, landing on the end of each bridge as their partners leapt onto their shoulders and the lot of them held up their BakuColars. "BAKUGAN...FIELD OPEN!" In the blink of an eye, their BakuColars unleashed a bright light that filled the entire area. That light completely surrounded them and in a moment, they were transported to the world of the battlefield with the Attribute Worlds swirling around them. "Let's do this!" Lyra cried as he held up a card and threw it, "Gate Card, Set!" It hit the ground and exploded, as Lyra turned to her partner. "Are you ready, like, Nimue!" "With you by my side, I'm always ready for battle." "Then let's do this!" Lyra threw her, "Bakugan...BRAWL!" Nimue shot through the and and hit the ground, rolling for several seconds before opening up. "Bakugan...STAND!" A tornado of water exploded from her and she quickly took her true form, "Aquos Lady Nimue!" The tornado exploded as she revealed her true form, the others amazed by the sight of her. "Spectacular," Rarity whispered. "This isn't gonna be easy," Flash smirked. "But we can do this. Ready Leo?" "You know I am." Flash smirked and grabbed him before throwing the Bakugan forward. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" Leonidas hit the ground rolling before popping open, "Bakugan...STAND!" The tornado of light exploded into the sky, "Haos Omega Leonidas!" "RAAAAAAAAAAH!" He roared, breaking out of the tornado and staring down at Nimue. Both Bakugan smirked at one another, ready to see which of them was truly the strongest. Nimue: 600Gs Leonidas: 650Gs "Ability, Activate!" Flash held up a card as Leo dived, "Dragon Slash!" Leo swung his glowing claws at Nimue, who did her best to block them with her claws. Leo did manage to get one good hit in though. Nimue: 600Gs Leonidas: 800Gs "Augh!" Nimue staggered back, as Leo charged for another slash. However. "Ability, Activate!" Lyra held up a card as Nimue slammed her staff into the ground, causing water to explode out of it and form a bubble around her. "Hydro Sphere!" Leo slashed at the bubble, but his claws just passed through it and stopped glowing. "Huh?" He asked, as Nimue smirked and swung her staff around. Doing so caused the bubble to explode and the wave slammed into him. "Ahhhh!" Nimue: 700Gs Leonidas: 650Gs He hit the ground and rolled for several moments before managing to jump back to his feet and leaping into the air, Nimue staring up at him with her staff raised in defence. "Is that the best you can do?" She asked with a smile on her face, "come on. Where's the great Omega Leonidas' true strength?" "Right here!" Leo roared before diving downwards, Flash holding up a card. "Ability, activate!" Leo's body glowed, "Dragon Flash!" Nimue: 700Gs Leonidas: 750Gs He shot forward with incredible speed, turning practically into a blur that shot passed Nimue. "Augh!" She cried, as the light curved around and slammed into her back, "gyah!" The light curved again and prepared what he hoped was the finishing blow. But then. "Ability!" Lyra held up a card, "Activate!" Nimue began playing her harp, causing water to appear on the ground. "Whirlpool Trap!" The water exploded into the air right as Leonidas flew over it, swirling into a powerful vortex. "Augh!" Leo slammed into the water but bounced off of it, falling backwards as Nimue chuckled. "Now you're trapped and forced to sit and wait as your power is drained away. Nimue: 700Gs Leonidas: 650Gs "Leo!" Flash cried, trying to think of a way to save him. "Maybe Reflector Prism? No, I'm gonna need that for when she brings out the big guns." Leo tried to break through the swirling water, but he just couldn't no matter how hard he hit it. Nimue: 700Gs Leonidas: 550Gs "That's it!" Lyra smirked, "and whilst you're taking your bath, we'll win this battle!" She pointed to the ground, "Gate Card, OPEN!" The field glowed before spouts of water exploded into the air, "Aquos Reactor!" Nimue: 900Gs Leonidas: 550Gs Flash frowned, but then smiled. "Thanks, you guys gave me a reason to use this." He held up a card, "Ability, Activate!" Leo dived down deeper into the water vortex, as his mouth began to spark with energy. "Omega Eraser!" He fired the laser at the base of the tornado, ripping right through it and slamming into the ground. This caused the Gate Card to crack before shattering, the water being blown away. Nimue: 700Gs Leonidas: 800Gs Before Leo lost the energy from his attack, he quickly swung it around and fired the rest at Nimue. The Aquos Bakugan leapt back, the ground in front of her exploding and making her almost trip up. She managed to regain her footing thanks to her staff and as Leo flew low to charge at her, Lyra took out two cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" Nimue leapt into the air and hew up the bottom of her staff, a sphere of water appearing on it. "Overflow!" She thrust the water ball down and it exploded upon hitting the ground, creating a wave of water that flew out in every direction. "Augh!" Leonidas cried, as he was knocked backwards and his power cut in half. Nimue: 700Gs Leonidas: 400Gs "Plus, Maiden's Fury!" As Nimue landed, she started playing her harp and glowed as the difference between her power and Leo's doubled. Nimue: 1000Gs Leonidas: 400Gs "Smart move," Twilight smiled as Flash held up a card. "Lyra knew Flash was saving his defence card for Overflow, so she used it first in a Double Ability." "Ability, Activate!" Leonidas shot out of the water, his defensive crystal construct appearing around him. "Reflector Prism!" He charged with the shield around him towards Nimue, who thrust her staff forward in an attempt to block it. Nimue: 700Gs Leonidas: 500Gs "Reflector Prism only nullifies the last Ability used," Bonnie caught on. "So using Overflow in a Double Ability means it can't be nullified." "The perfect way to protect it from protection effects," Soarin finished. "Lyra's gotten really good," Pinkie smiled as Nimue knocked Leonidas back and shattered the crystal construct. "Nice try Flash!" Lyra smiled as she played with her hair, "but my Nimue's still stronger." Flash knew she was right. If he wanted to wind this battle, he had to pull out all the stops and hold nothing back. "Let's do this Leo!" Flash cried as his dragon shot into the air, Flash holding up two cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" Leonidas' mouth filled with light, "Shining Roar!" His mouth then sparked, the energy combining with the light. "Plus Fusion Ability, Roaring Omega!" Lyra's eyes went wide hearing this, quickly taking out her own Fusion Ability. But before she could activate it. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Leonidas roared, unleashing the light and energy in a wave that shot out towards Nimue. The Aquos Bakugan gasped as she held up her staff, trying to block it. But it struck with so much force she could barely withstand it. "Augh!" She cried as her power dropped harshly. Nimue: 350Gs Leonidas: 800Gs "NIMUE!" Lyra cried, her Fusion Ability now unable to work now that Nimue's G Power was lower. "HOLD ON!" But Nimue couldn't, the refined Bakugan finally losing her footing. "AUGH!" She was thrown backwards, the wave washing over her. But despite this, she smiled. "Well done Leonidas. I concede." With that, she reverted back to ball form and the field around them vanished. In the blink of an eye, they were right back where they were before the battle had started. Lyra fell to her knees as Nimue lay on the ground of the bridge at her feet, Flash and Leo looking a little winded but fine all things considered. "Ahh," Nimue sighed as her ball form opened up and turned towards her opponent. "Looks like you defeated me." "Yes," Leonidas jumped down, "maybe this time. But you didn't make it easy for me, that's for sure. I was lucky to come out on top." "Luck had nothing to do with it," Nimue stated. "You defeated me today because you are the better warrior. You were born to battle, unlike me. Even so, I'm glad I had this chance to test myself against you. Maybe next time, I'll have a better chance." "Well when you decide you're ready, I'll happily accept your challenge." Flash and Lyra smirked at one another and high-fived, glad that the battle had gone so well. Lyra and Nimue may have lost, but they had given it their all and they wouldn't feel any shame at losing. Flash then turned to Soarin, smirking at him as he did so. "Now it's down to just you and me." He held up his BakuColar, "ready?" "Not yet," Soarin replied before gesturing him to follow. "If we're gonna do this, I wanna do this right. At the stadium, for everyone to see. You good with that, or are you too scared that you'll lose in front of so many people?" Flash smirked, "bring it on. But it'll be you losing in front of everyone." Soarin smirked back and everyone else was excited, looking forward to seeing Flash and Soarin duck it out for real. It was time for Flash's final challenge. Only time would tell whether or nor he could succeed, or if this was as far as he and Leonidas could go. "Gate Card!" Derpy threw the card towards the ground, "Set!" As it exploded, Phantom held up his two Bakugan before throwing them forward. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" The two shot through the air and struck the ground, "BAKUGAN...STAND!" In a burst of light, Laserman and Siege appeared and stared Derpy down. Laserman+Siege: 750Gs "It is time," Regulus announced. "Okay," Derpy nodded before Regulus' armor glowed and collapsed to reveal a ball. It shot over to Derpy and she caught it before throwing it towards the field. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" The ball hit the ground and opened up, then unleashed a purple light brighter than anything they had seen before. "Darkus Regulus, STAND!" The light took shape and slowly began to fade, allowing them to see his new appearance. He was a giant mechanical lion, made of black metal with purple trim. His face was like that of an Egyptian sphinx and his tail looked more like that of a scorpions with a pyramid trident on the tip. Each of his shoulders had pads in the shape of dragon heads, with open mouths that contained purple orbs. And on his back were a pair of wings made from purple steel. The Darkus Bakugan let out a roar that shook the area around him before he took off, Phantom hardly looking impressed by the sight of it. "So I'm guessing this is your true form?" "Yes!" Regulus growled, "this is who I truly am. Darkus Regulus, the Guardian of Vestroia!" Regulus: 700Gs Laserman+Siege: 750Gs "I am so not impressed," Phantom cried. "What makes you such a legendary warrior!?" "Let me show you!" Regulus announced. "Now my child!" "Okay!" Derpy held up a card, "Ability, Activate!" Regulus opened his mouth as it filled with a strange black mist, "Dark Roar!" He let out a mighty cry as the blast mist shot out of him, down towards Laserman and Siege. Regulus: 950Gs Laserman+Siege: 750Gs The mist slammed into them and both Bakugan were pushed backward by the force. But they didn't let this stop them, as Phantom held up a pair of cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" Laserman's shoulder cannons powered up, as Siege rushed forward. "Leap Sting, plus Nightmare Thrust!" Laserman fired and the blast struck Regulus' wing, making him flinch and forcing him to drop down a bit. Drop down enough for Siege to be in range to attack. Regulus: 850Gs Laserman+Siege: 850Gs Siege thrust its spear at Regulus, but the Darkus Bakugan quickly spun around and parried the spear with his trident tail. "Nice try," he growled. "But you'll have to do better than that!" He pushed Siege away as Derpy held up a card. "Ability, Activate!" Regulus' claws glowed purple, "Shadow Slash!" Regulus: 1000Gs Laserman+Siege: 850Gs "Raaaah!" Regulus slashed at Siege, knocking the Bakugan back and making him fall to the ground. But before Regulus could attack again, Phantom held up another two cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" Laserman's weapons powered up. "All Out Assault-" He began firing multiple times, creating a smoke screen between Regulus and Siege as the knight picked itself up. Regulus: 1000Gs Laserman+Siege: 950Gs "Plus, Phantom Earth!" Once Siege was stood up, he stabbed his spear into the ground. This caused the ground to glow purple as the Gate Card appeared and shrank back down into a card, Derpy gasping as Siege swung the spear around and flicked the card into the air. "No way," she gasped as the card flew towards her. "He got rid of my Gate Card." She grabbed it and tried to throw it back down, but Phantom was faster. "Gate Card...SET!" He threw his towards the ground, the light flowing around as Regulus flew through Laserman's barrage and prepared to slash at Siege. "Now, Gate Card open!" The ground glowed a tendrils of purple light shot out of it and wrapped around Regulus, "Doom Desire." "What?" The Guardian asked as he was pulled towards the ground, whilst his opponents prepared to attack. "Doom Desire causes the opponent to lose a hundred G Power for every Darkus Bakugan on the field, including yours." Regulus flinched as he felt his power drain away. Regulus: 700Gs Laserman+Siege: 950Gs "It's over!" Phantom announced as Siege thrust his spear at the Bakugan. "Not yet!" Derpy then cried, holding up a card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed as Regulus' tail began sparking with black lightning, "Curse of Darkness!" She then threw her other Two Bakugan towards Regulus and the light exploded off his tail and hit them, both Sylvee and Wormquake appearing before being sealed within black energy orbs that had two red rings around them that formed an X-shape. "What?" Phantom asked as the energy from these orbs flowed into Regulus, causing him to gain new power. "RAAAAAAAAAAH!" He roared as he ripped through the tendrils before swinging his tail around, deflecting Siege's attack. Regulus: 1100Gs Laserman+Siege: 950Gs "How?" Phantom asked in horror, as Regulus took back to the air. And before Siege of Laserman could attack again, he unleashed another Dark Roar and the mist enveloped them both. The Bakugan cried out as they were swept up in the attack and thrown backwards, both reverting back to ball form and falling to the ground. "Impossible!" Derpy: 48% Phantom: 10% "Now you see what you're messing with," Regulus told him as he and Derpy's other Bakugan returned to ball form and flew back towards her. Phantom growled as he moved over and picked his Bakugan up, then turned towards Derpy and Regulus. "You are powerful, I'll admit to that much. But even so, you can't expect to win this battle. Not when I've still got my strongest ace in the hole." "Yes," Ragnaroid hissed, "I look forward to finally getting revenge upon you after what you and the other Guardians did to me back on Vestroia." "You had that coming," Regulus stated. "In my opinion, you got off easy back then. I won't make the same mistake a second time. And since your Phantom Earth card was used, Derpy gets to set the next Gate Card." "Then let's not waste our time with anymore talking!" Phantom announced. "Let's end this brawl once and for all!" Derpy nodded, as she and Regulus prepared themselves for the final battle. And hopefully, it would end in Derpy's victory.