Within a large robotic room, five individuals stood around a chair in the centre.

Said chair contained the figure in red, who sat with his fingers interlaced whilst he heard about what had happened from two of the others. Those two were Hayate and Kiyrah, who had just returned from their battle against Flash and Sunset.

"So," the figure in red stated, "the Bakugan said to have saved Vestroia has returned."

"It appears so," Hayate nodded. "Though his power isn't as legendary as it was believed, he was still strong enough to defeat us and capture our Bakugan."

"He got lucky," Kiyrah stated. "I won't underestimate him next time."

"Be sure that you don't." This came from another girl, with a white and yellow version of Kiyrah's clothes. "We need as many Bakugan as possible for our plan to succeed. We can't allow anyone to get in our way."

"Thalia's right." The tallest of the group, wearing a blue version of the male's clothing, crossed his arms. "We must destroy this new Brawler before he becomes a nuisance." The final member, a girl in orange and brown clothes, let out a laugh.

"Would you relax, Beck? This guy just got lucky. We still outclass him in power." She leaned against the chair, "especially Cursor. Now that Draken's awakened, nothing will stop us."

"Azalea's right," the one named Cursor agreed. "In time, our true power will awaken. Those ponies can barely hold up against us as we are now. Once we have grown even stronger, we will crush them once and for all." They nodded, but were curious how these humans had gotten there. And where the rest of the legendary BakuFighters were at the moment.

Back on Earth, Heath and Bonnie had been left with a rather uncomfortable assignment.

"WHAT!?" Twilight's voice cried, as the pair had to move away from the computer screen. They were currently in Flash's house, having just told his parents and sister what had happened. Lyra's house would be next on the agenda, but one worried family at a time.

They had also chosen this time to call Twilight, Derpy, Soarin and the rest of the Rainbooms, to tell them what had happened. And everyone except Soarin had answered.

"You're telling me that Leonidas is back!? Vestroia is in danger and Flash went to help stop it!?"

"Pretty much," Bonnie nodded. "And Lyra went with him. If I know those two, Flash and Leo tried to ditch all of us and Lyra snuck after them." She moaned, "they are so getting an earful after this."

"Er...Bonnie. Focus." Heath turned back to the screen. "As much as I hate being out of the loop when it comes to Bakugan stuff, we can't exactly do anything. The portal's closed and we have no way of opening it again."

"There has to be some way to help," Derpy looked worried. "Ragnaroid and the others could be in great danger. We need to help save them."

"I agree," Rarity nodded. "But what can we do? I'm not exactly a car ride away, after all." That was true, given Rarity had moved to France in order to study fashion in the fall. And the others had also moved all over the country, preparing themselves for the colleges they would be going to.

"I'm not just going to sit around whilst Flash, Leo, Lyra and Spike are in trouble." Twilight looked determined to do something. "I'm going to find a way to help them."

"How?" Rainbow asked, with Twilight clearly not having any idea how to answer that question.

"I'll need to think of something. But I won't rest until I figure it out." Twilight chose to end the call there, clearly needing to think. At the same time, the others also started logging off until only Derpy was online.

"Still can't contact Soarin?" She asked, with the other two nodding. "We have to keep trying. He'll want to know Garuda is in danger. And like Twilight, he'll want to try and find a way to help." They nodded again, as Derpy had to end the call as well.

This just left them with Flash's parents and sister. "I should have known this would happen," Misty sighed. "Even after the Bakugan left, Flash's heart was always in that battle area. It was only a matter of time before he was pulled back into this craziness."

"Flash will be fine," Bonnie assured her. "Lyra's there to keep him from doing anything too stupid. And Leonidas will protect him." Misty nodded, but it was clear she was still worried.

Scootaloo was also looking worried, clearly concerned about her brother travelling to a completely different dimension. And Trail looked stoic, but Misty and Scootaloo knew he was also worried. No doubt if Flash didn't return soon, or news of his state remained unknown, they would all be driven mad with concern.

In her dorm room, Twilight sat on her bed.

She was looking at another framed photo, showing her and Flash at their Senior Prom together. That night had been absolutely amazing and Twilight would remember it for the rest of her life. She had been worried back then, wondering if their relationship could survive long distance.

Even though she was only one city over, she had worried not getting to see each other every day would ruin their relationship. Now there was an entire dimension between them.

"Flash. Where are you right now?" She hugged the picture to her chest, "are you safe?"

In Vestroia, Flash and Lyra were still standing there looking around.

With the battle over, the pair were once again enthralled by the amazing place around them. "Vestroia. It really is amazing." He then turned to their new 'friend', who stood there with her arms crossed. "So. You're not a Rugenga?"

"No, I'm not." Sunset moved towards them. "My name is Sunset Shimmer. A unicorn from Equestria."

"Equestria?" Flash asked.

"Unicorn?" Lyra stared at the horn on Sunset's head. "You mean the mythological horse creature?"

"They might be a myth where you're from, but in my world they're real and evolved into the impressive specimen you see before you." She started typing something into her Baku-Bracer. "Now come on. This isn't the best place to explain everything. And the princesses will want to meet you."

"Princesses?" Flash asked, as a bright burst of light suddenly appeared in front of them.

That light formed a portal, which Sunset walked towards. "You coming or not?" The pair frowned, as Leonidas turned to the pair.

"I think we should go. She clearly knows more about this situation than us. It's better than staying out in the middle of nowhere, with no food or water." The pair sighed, but nodded and followed Sunset as she stepped into the portal.

The pair were blinded for a moment, but the light eventually died down and they were able to open their eyes.

When they did, they found themselves in a large room. They were standing inside a large metal tube, which they stepped out of as they spotted more beings like Sunset. They had hooves and long snout-like faces, whilst some had wings or a horn on their head.

In the middle of the room, two of these beings stood with both wings and a horn. One was a tall white woman, whilst the other suddenly made Flash stop as he felt he recognised her. "Twilight?" He could hardly believe he said that, but the girl did look just like his girlfriend. Only with no glasses and the previously mentioned features.

The girl looked at him in confusion, as Lyra also recognised her. "That is Twilight. What happened to you?"

"This is not the Twilight you know." Another familiar voice filled the air, making them all look over and see a familiar Haos Bakugan ball flying towards them. "It is this world's version of Twilight Sparkle."

"Dragonia?" Flash asked, the Bakugan nodding. "I can't believe it. You're here. But how?"

"Where are we?" Lyra asked. "You called her this world's version of Twilight. What, does Vestroia have human-like beings in it?"

"No," Celestia stepped forward. "You're not in Vestroia right now. You're in an entirely different world. A world of magic and mysticism. Equestria."

"Equestria," Flash repeated. "That's what Sunset said earlier. Okay, does someone want to tell me what the heck is going on? How are we in an entirely different world? And who the heck are those guys that we fought before?"

"Yes," Celestia nodded, "follow me. We'll explain everything on the way." She began to walk off and they all followed her, as they left the room and made their way through a long hallway.

"I guess I should be the one to explain first," Dragonia stated. "Leonidas has likely already told you about what happened in Vestroia."

Lyra nodded. "Those guys showed up, turned the Bakugan into balls and started capturing them. Right?"

"Yes. The Bakugan stood no chance against them in such a state. Which is why myself and the rest of the Guardians, had no choice but to repeat the same plan as the last time Vestroia was placed in danger."

"Hang on," Flash couldn't believe what he was actually hearing. "You transported all the Bakugan into another world...again?"

"Yes. I know it seems to be our go to move, but it was the best plan we could come up with before we were captured. So yes, we were able to transport a good number of Bakugan out of Vestroia. Alas, we couldn't save everyone. Before we managed to open the portal and summoned everyone, about twenty percent of the Bakugan were captured."

"Does that include Nimue and the rest of our friends?" Lyra asked in fear, Dragonia nodding as Lyra looked heartbroken.

"So what happened?" Leonidas asked. "You managed to escape Vestroia and came here?"

"Not by choice. We were actually aiming for Flash's world. But there was a miscalculation and we ended up arriving here. Equestria. A world of magic."

Celestia chose this moment to continue. "When the Bakugan arrived, it was quite a surprise. A brilliant flash of light and suddenly, a bunch of different coloured balls were raining from the sky all over Equestria. It was quite a shock when those balls suddenly popped open and started talking."

"Tell me about it," Sunset smiled as she turned to the Bakugan on her shoulder. "But I got to meet Flarenix, so that's a plus."

"Yes," Dragonia nodded. "The Guardians and I managed to arrive in Canterlot, the capital of this kingdom. When we did, we met with Celestia and told her everything that happened."

"I agreed to grant them asylum in Equestria and we soon fell into a relatively peaceful coexistence. But we quickly discovered a small issue. The Bakugan's arrival had caused the dimensional walls between Equestria and Vestroia to weaken."

"A weakened dimensional wall?" Flash frowned, "that can't be good."

Twilight turned to him. "On its own, it wouldn't be a problem. The weakness is slowly repairing itself and the only issue it causes is portals to Vestroia popping up at random. But they only last a little while before closing back up again."

"Let me guess," Lyra sighed. "Those Rugenga guys are causing a problem?"

"Yes," Dragonia nodded. "Whenever they detect a portal opening, they attempt to come through. On several occasions, they appeared and attacked a settlement in Equestria. Using the Bakugan they have to do serious damage and capture any Bakugan that were there."

"Seriously?" Flash growled. "Who the heck are these guys? What do they want?"

"We don't know," Celestia sighed. "We tried talking to them, but diplomacy doesn't work on them." She closed her eyes, remembering something that she began to describe to the humans.

Celestia and several guards were standing in the ruins of a small town, as a portal to Equestria remained open.

In front of that portal stood a figure, illuminated by the light. And behind him were a bunch of red and yellow Bakugan, all ready to attack and destroy. "Please!" She told him, "you have to stop this! What purpose could these attacks solve!?"

"A great purpose," the figure replied. "And they will continue until all the Bakugan are ours. Surrender them to us, or the continued devastation will be on your head." With that, the Bakugan unleashed blasts of fire that exploded and destroyed more of the town. The figure then laughed and stepped through the portal, Celestia glaring at him.

"You're a monster."

"So they want the Bakugan," Flash frowned. "But why?"

"We don't know," Dragonia stated. "Many believe they want to use the Bakugan as weapons to conquer, but we believe there's more to it than that. Especially since they don't appear to use the stronger Bakugan they've captured. After Leonidas, Ragnaroid was the most powerful. But he hasn't appeared once since he was captured."

"So there's got to be more," Lyra agreed. "Please tell me you don't plan on giving the Bakugan away to them."

"Absolutely not," Celestia stated. "I would never force a race into slavery just to save my own people. But something had to be done. Luckily, during one of their attacks, Twilight was there."

Flash looked confused, "how is that lucky?"

Twilight giggled, Flash suddenly being reminded of his own girlfriend's giggle. "I have a spell that allows me to scan a piece of technology and learn how it works. During an attack, I scanned their Baku-Bracer and learned to replicate it. Once we had those, we learned to fight back."

Dragonia nodded. "I had already told Celestia about the Bakugan's experience in your world and how the Brawls were waged there. Surprisingly, the Rugenga use the same rules. So I taught her how to Brawl and she taught the rest of her kingdom."

"AWESOME!" Flash's eyes suddenly shined, stars appearing within them. "Are you telling me we've got an army of Battle Brawlers, waiting to fight against these guys?" But then, he saw the others frowning. "What?"

"Well," Twilight sighed. "We did send out a call, asking ponies and Bakugan to help us fight against the Rugenga and protect Equestria. And we found that a lot of ponies had already partnered with Bakugan and wanted to help them. The Guards were also keen to fight and protect the kingdom. However..."

At some point in the past, Twilight and Sunset were in an open field somewhere close to Canterlot.

Celestia and several others were also there, as Sunset and Twilight had Baku-Bracers on their arms. "You ready to do this?" Sunset asked, as Flarenix was on her shoulder.

"Let's go!" Twilight smiled, Spikenoid on hers. They both activated their Baku-Bracers and unleashed the energy field, allowing the Bakugan to return to their true forms. But before they could start the fight, Twilight's eyes suddenly went wide and she screamed in pain. "AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHH!"

"TWILIGHT!" Sunset gasped, seeing Twilight collapse to the ground. And she wasn't the only one who did so. The others watching also screamed, all appearing to be in absolute agony as they fell. "What's happening!?"

"Sunset!" Flarenix told her, "shut the Baku-Bracer down. Cancel out the field." Sunset nodded and deactivated her device, this cause it and the other Bracer to shut down and stop the energy field.

As the field vanished, Sunset rushed over to Twilight. "Are you okay?"

Twilight panted, the pain having gone but the after effects were still making it difficult to move. "What just happened?" She looked down at the Baku-Bracer, "what did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," she stated in the present. "I had build the Bracer perfectly."

"So what hurt you?" Lyra asked, wondering why someone would suddenly start feeling pain. It didn't make any sense. But as she thought about it more, she realised what it had to be. "You guys can't survive in Vestroia, can you?" The ponies looked surprised by this, whilst Flash looked confused.

"Huh?"

"The Baku-Bracers work by mimicking the natural dimensional conditions of Vestroia, am I right?" Lyra's question was met with a nod. "It's stupid to think anyone can exist in any universe. Bakugan can't exist in other worlds unless they're in ball form. And the same is true for people from this world."

"You're right," Dragonia agreed. "We've been trying to find a way to make it so ponies can enter Vestroia and battlefields. But so far, we haven't been able to do it."

"Ouch," Flash hissed. "So even if someone here wanted to Brawl, they couldn't." They nodded, as Flash turned to Sunset. "Wait. You were in Vestroia."

"Yup," She nodded. "It seems a small number of Equestrians can enter Vestroia's space without problems. But it's a really small number. So far, there are only three of us who can Brawl without feeling like we're getting ripped in two."

"Yes," Dragonia nodded. "We tested everyone. Even your counterparts."

"Our counterparts?" Lyra asked.

"Yes. It's not just Twilight who has a doppelganger. We've discovered that everyone who we saw in your world, has a twin in this world in the form of an Equestrian. Although most of the similarities are just the name and some physical features. Personality wise, you two are similar but also very different. Byproduct of living in two completely different universes, I guess."

Flash was amazed to hear this, both he and Lyra wondering what their Equestrian Counterparts were like. Hopefully, they would be able to meet them at some point.

"So none of them are able to Brawl?" Lyra asked, as the group stopped before yet another long corridor.

"I'm afraid not," Celestia "Which means only Sunset and the other two have been able to defend our world from the Rugenga. As much as I wish we could help, Equestrian Magic does very little against Bakugan. So if we tried to fight them, we would likely be more of a hindrance then a help."

Flash and Lyra spotted a window off to the side, the pair stepping up to it. Looking out, they were amazed to see a massive city below them. They quickly realised they were in some kind of castle and all over the place, there were Equestrians flying through the air or walking around with things floating around and other carrying objects three times their size.

"Ponies and Bakugan are living in harmony," Twilight explained. "But that peace is fragile. The Rugenga could attack at any moment and they're powerful Brawlers. It's clear they have years of experience, whilst our Brawlers are..." Twilight glanced at Sunset, who didn't look happy to be called weak. "Inexperienced."

"I know we've already met two of them," Lyra stated as they continued through the castle. "But what about the others? How many are there?"

Celestia frowned. "As far as we know, there are six of them. Each one specialising in a particular Attribute." Sunset nodded and held up her Baku-Bracer, typing away at it before a hologram appeared of six individuals in different coloured clothing.

"You've already met Hayate and Kiyrah, the Ventus and Darkus members. But there's also Azalea, a ruthless Subterra Brawler, who loves crushing her opponents under foot. Beck, the cunning Aquos Brawler, that could outsmart even the most brilliant mind. Thalia is the Haos Brawler, who's devious and short tempered. And then, leading them, is Cursor. The Pyrus Brawler, who doesn't just want to win his brawls. He wants to absolutely destroy his opponents."

Flash stared at the images and wished he knew what they looked like in real life. But he would need to beat them, if he wanted the chance to discover their identities.

They finally arrived at a set of large doors, with a pair of guards standing to attention. As they opened, Celestia sighed. "We've been holding them off, but they're powerful. Even when we do win against them, we're unable to free any of the Bakugan they used."

"I see," Flash nodded as they stepped into a large throne room. The place was huge, with large stained glass windows on the sides and marble floors and columns.

Flash instantly spotted two individuals in the room. One was a woman almost as tall as Celestia, with dark blue skin and black hair that had twinkling star-like specks within. She also had wings and a horn, whilst the equestrian next to her was a unicorn with glasses.

"Let me introduce you to my sister, Luna."

Luna stepped forward, taking a closer look at them. "Ah, so these are the humans I was told about. And we're sure they're not spies, sent by the Rugenga?"

"I'm sure," Dragonia told her. At that moment, five More Bakugan flew down and the three newcomers instantly recognised them.

"Seadranoid!" Lyra smiled. "And the rest of the Guardians."

"It's good to sssssee you again," Seadranoid stated. "We had only been expecting Flash and Leonidasssssss. Having you here will certainly improve our chancessssss."

Lyra nodded. "Maybe you and I could work together. Until I find Nimue, I'll need another partner to fight with."

"I would be happy to," Seadranoid agreed. "Alassssss, I cannot battle at the moment. None of usssss can."

"What?" Leo asked, turning to Dragonia.

"It's true," she stated. "Bringing the Bakugan here seriously drained us. And with me granting you another body, I've once again lost all the power I've been regaining since coming here."

"Then we won't be able to have your help for a while," Leonidas sighed. "This isn't gonna be easy." As he said that, the other unicorn stepped forward and looked amazed by what she was seeing.

"So you're the famous Flash Sentry?" She moved around him, "the hero who defeated Lucifer and help rebuild Vestroia."

"The one and only," Flash smirked. "And you are..."

"Moondancer," She stated. "I'm one of the ponies fighting to help protect the Bakugan." As she said that, a Darkus Bakugan leapt onto her shoulder and opened up.

"And I am Sorcerell," she replied. "I have heard much about how the BakuFighters fought to save our world." Flash took a closer look at the Bakugan in question, having never seen this one before.

"I know it's been a decade on Vestroia, but I didn't think any new Bakugan would be born in that time?"

"They weren't," Dragonia chuckled as she explained. "Sorcerell and Flarenix, were both within the arc we kept safe after the destruction of Vestroia. Once Vestroia was reborn, we released them back on the planet and they were free to learn about your exploits from the other Bakugan."

"I see," Leonidas nodded. "I guess we should be ready to meet a bunch of new Bakugan then."

"Indeed," Dragonia nodded. "The battles ahead will be difficult. But I'm sure you and Flash, will be able to turn the tides of this war before the Rugenga can cause any lasting harm to Vestroia and Equestria." Flash and Leo smiled, but their smiles disappeared when they heard another voice speak up.

"Are ya'h sure this guy's as good as ya'h say he is?" Everyone suddenly spun around and spotted someone leaning against one of the pillars.

He was a strong looking equestrian that didn't appear to have a horn or wings. The only thing distinguishing him from a human, was his snout-like face and hooves. He was a creamish yellow colour, with hair that was a mix of orange and the cream colour of his skin.

He was wearing an orange shirt under a brown leather vest and blue jeans, whilst a brown cowboy hat was on his head.

"Who's that?" Flash asked, as the guy pushed off from the pillar and moved towards them.

"That's Braeburn," Twilight explained. "Another Battle Brawler, who uses Subterra Bakugan."

"That's right," he tipped his hat with a smile. "And a'h wanna know if ya'h as strong as the stories say. Nothin' against ya'h. But a'h can't risk us takin' Brawlers into battle, if they don't have the skills needed to face off against the Rugenga."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Flash asked. "You think you're better than me?"

"A'h might be," Braeburn stated. "A'm not tryin' ta be mean or anythin'. But if we let you fight and ya'h not up ta snuff, the Rugenga will eat you alive."

"You don't have to worry about me," Flash told him before taking out the two Bakugan he had won from Hayate and Kiyrah. "After all, I seem to be doing a better job than you guys. Sunset said you haven't been able to free any of the Bakugan they've captured. So I guess this puts me up two over you."

Sunset and Moondancer frowned, not liking being upstaged whilst Braeburn just smiled.

"Don't get cocky. Ya'h might have won once, but that could have just been dumb luck. Anyone can beat them. The trick is ta keep beatin' them. Who cares if ya'h win the first Brawl, if ya'h gonna end up losin' every other battle after that?" Flash frowned, starting to get irritated with how this guy was.

"What's with this guy?" Lyra asked Sunset, who sighed and shook her head.

"He's not a bad guy. He just cares a lot about ponies. He's seen how much damage the Rugenga can do. Half of his home town was destroyed by them, during one of the first attacks. And when the ponies and buffalo there tried to fight back, a lot of them were badly injured and spent weeks recovering."

"That's horrible," Lyra frowned. "I guess it's no wonder, he doesn't want Flash to Brawl if he doesn't have what it takes." She then frowned and stepped forward. "But don't worry. Flash isn't your run of the mill Brawler. Leonidas might not be as strong as he used to be, but those two are super strong."

Braeburn smirked before pushing his hat up. "Then he won't mind if a'h test his strength."

"What are you talking about?" Moondancer asked. "Are you really gonna challenge him to a Brawl? We don't have time to waste messing around, when the Rugenga could attack at any moment."

"If he wants to fight against them, he needs ta prove he has what it takes." Braeburn reached into his vest and pulled out a Subterra Bakugan. "So how bout it. "Ya'h think ya'h stand a chance against Gunstinger an me?" Flash and Leo stared at him for a moment, then smiled before they glanced at one another and nodded.

"Alright," Flash told him. "Bring it on. I'll show you how I became the number one Brawler back in my home world. Besides, I didn't get to test out all of Leo's abilities in the last Brawl. It'll be good to see what we can do, without having to worry about losing."

The others sighed, realising they weren't gonna be able to talk these two out of this. "Guess we don't have a choice," Celestia stated. "I actually think this might be a good opportunity."

"Indeed," Luna nodded before turning to Moondancer and Sunset. "You two should pay attention. If you ever end up Brawling with Mr. Sentry, knowing how he battles will help you better formulate a strategy."

"So where's it gonna happen?" Lyra asked. "We can't Brawl right here. We'd destroy the throne room."

"Don't worry," Twilight assured her. "We have a place we built especially for battle brawling. It's a special stadium, that's enchanted to keep the battle contained within. Plus, the seats have a shield that protects the audience from feeling the effects of the Dimensional Energy. A lot of ponies actually like to watch when the Brawlers are practising. When they learn a new Brawler's here, they'll be really excited."

Flash wasn't sure how he felt about being a form of entertainment, for a bunch of bored socialites. But decided to focus on the battle he was about to have.

Twilight's horn glowed and in a bright flash of light, Flash suddenly found himself standing in a large stadium. Braeburn stood opposite him, whilst the others were in the stands as the magic of the area activated.

A magical forcefield rose and covered the seating area, protecting them as the Brawlers turned to one another. "Time ta see just how good ya'h really ah." Braeburn took out a Baku-Bracer that was brown on the top, strapping it on as Flash checked his own gear. "Ya'h better impress, or a'm taking that dragon of yours for ma'h-self."

"Doubt it," Flash stated. "Never used a Subterra Bakugan, but I bet your Gunstinger will be fun to use once I win him." The pair glared each other down, as Flash held up Leo. "Ready to do this, bud?"

"You know it," Leonidas nodded before the two activated their Baku-Bracers. The energy flew out of them and allowed the Brawl to begin, the two yelling in unison as their Life Gauges filled.

"LET'S BRAWL!"

Flash: 100%
Braeburn: 100%

"Gate Card," Braeburn took out a card and threw it. "Set!" As the card hit the ground, it exploded into a burst of orange light before the pair held up their partners. "Bakugan," they both pulled back before throwing them forward, "BRAWL!" The Haos and Subterra Bakugan shot through the air, everyone watching being amazed as the two seemed to be heading towards one another.

And sure enough, the balls slammed into one another and pushed against the other for several seconds before bouncing back.

"BAKUGAN!" Both hit the ground and spun open, "STAND!" The tornado of light exploded out of Leonidas, whilst a tornado of sand suddenly burst forth from Gunstinger. The two tornadoes slammed against one another, bouncing back and forth like a pair of beigoma. But eventually, the sand spiral managed to overpower the light vortex and knock it backwards.

Flash leapt to the side, as Leonidas flew out of the light and crashed into the side of the stadium.

The impact made the whole place shake, as Leonidas cried out. "LEO!" Flash yelled, as the shaking stopped. "You okay?" The dragon groaned as he rolled onto his front.

"Lucky shot," he told his opponent. But then a voice hissed as it spoke up.

"Hardly." With that, the sand tornado exploded to reveal the Bakugan within. He was a large orange snake, only this one had arms sticking out his body and he was wearing dark brown clothes.

These clothes included a ratty cowboy hat on his head, a poncho on his chest and a belt where his waist would be. His belt had a buckle shaped like a snake and his right arm ended in a second snake-head, with large fangs in its mouth, whilst the left one had a bunch of dark brown stacked orbs that looked like a rattlesnake rattle.

His lower jaw was actually light brown and he had light brown diamond shapes running from the back of his neck, all the way down to the tip of his tail. On the end of said tail was what appeared to be the barrel of a gun or sand blaster pistol. "Look how high my power is compared to yours." Flash did and he frowned at the sight.

Leonidas: 500Gs
Gunstinger: 530Gs

Leonidas reverted back to ball form and flew towards Flash, who caught him whilst his Life Gauge went down.

Flash: 94%
Braeburn: 100%

Gunstinger reverted back as well, Braeburn catching him with a smirk on his lips. "So far, a'h ain't impressed." Flash frowned as he took out a card.

"I'll show you impressed."

Up in the stands, Lyra sighed. "Flash is riled up now. Braeburn better watch himself." The others wondered what she meant by that, as Flash threw the card towards the ground.

"Gate Card...SET!" As it exploded into a burst of light, Flash pulled Leo back with Braeburn doing the same. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" They both threw the balls and they shot towards one another, everyone gasping.

"Is he nuts!?" Sunset cried. "He's going for another straight forward attack."

"No," Dragonia stated. "Flash doesn't make the same mistake twice." And so they watched, as the Bakugan flew towards one another. But seconds before they clashed, Leonidas suddenly curved to the side and flew off to one side.

"Bakugan...STAND!" He spun open and in a burst of light, he appeared and spread his wings to fly upwards. "Haos Novus Leonidas!"

Meanwhile, Gunstinger hit the ground and spun open. "Subterra Gunstinger!" The sand tornado formed, but Leonidas was way too high for it to reach. So the snake Bakugan appeared and hissed in annoyance.

Leonidas: 500Gs
Gunstinger: 530Gs

Everyone was shocked by the sudden shift in the battle. "Did you guys see that?" Moondancer asked.

"Nice trick shot," Sunset nodded. "Flash must have put some spin on it right at the last moment." The others nodded, as they watched Braeburn take out a card and swipe it.

"Ability, Activate!" Gunstinger pointed his tail towards Leonidas, the gun on the end of it aimed right at the dragon. "Quickdraw Sand Shot!" Suddenly, blasts of sand exploded out of the gun and flew up towards Leonidas.

Leonidas: 500Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

Leo began flying around, doing his best to avoid the sand blasts. But one managed to hit him in the wing and the feeling of thousands of tiny grains hitting him at high speed, caused serious pain. But Flash was ready.

"Ability, Activate!" He swiped the card, as Leonidas' mouth glowed. "Neo Phaser!"

Leonidas: 800Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!" Leo fired the light out of his mouth and it flew down, slamming into Gunstinger and pushing him back. But the human snake hybrid just smirked before firing another blast of sand from his tail.

"Not good enough!" The sand slammed into Leonidas and blasted him out of the sky, his laser cutting out as he fell. "Got you now!"

"Flash!" Leo cried, "a little help please!"

"I gotcha!" Flash pointed towards the ground. "Gate Card, Open!" With that, the ground began to glow and the light flew into Leonidas, "Haos Reactor!" The light almost blinded everyone watching, as Leo spread his wings and managed to keep himself from hitting the ground.

Leonidas: 1000Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

Gunstinger saw him coming and the snake coiled his tail like a spring, which suddenly extended and shot him up and over Leo. "Now try this on for size!"

"Ability, Activate!" Braeburn swiped a card and the rattle on Gunstinger's arm began to glow. "Rattle Break!" He raised it up and prepared to use it like a club, his power raising as he did.

Leonidas: 1000Gs
Gunstinger: 1030Gs

"Ability," Flash swiped a card, "Activate!" Leonidas' body glowed before some kind of shield appeared around him, which was made of multiple hexagons made of transparent yellow light. "Particle Barrier!"

Gunstinger slammed his club into the shield and found himself flinching, as the energy flowed into his body and zapped him.

Leonidas: 1000Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

As the shield vanished, Leonidas flew at Gunstinger and grabbed him. He dug his claws into the Bakugan, making him cry out as Braeburn swiped another card.

"Ability, Activate!" The snake head on Gunstinger's arm flew up and bit Leonidas in the neck, making him finch. "Mercury Fang!"

Leonidas: 900Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

"HA!" Flash laughed. "Not enough!" Leonidas slammed Gunstinger into the ground, as the snake mouth released him. But as Leonidas started punching Gunstinger in the chest, Flash heard a beep and looked down.

Leonidas: 890Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

"What?" Flash asked as another beep quickly followed.

Leonidas: 880Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

"Don't tell me." Another beep.

Leonidas: 870Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

"Poison." Yet another beep.

Leonidas: 860Gs
Gunstinger: 830Gs

But just as Leonidas lost more power, his punch finally knocked Gunstinger back into ball form. "Now we're even!" Leonidas leapt back and reverted to ball form as well, flying back towards Flash as Braeburn's Life Gauge dropped.

Flash: 94%
Braeburn: 94%

"This might take a while," Celestia stated. "They appear evenly matched and neither of them have yet to really pull out the big attacks." The others nodded, as Braeburn picked Gunstinger up.

"So what do we do?" Twilight asked. "Just watch as they keep senselessly brawling?" Lyra heard this and realised this Twilight clearly didn't understand what being a Brawler meant.

The boys smiled at one another before Braeburn threw down a Gate Card and the pair launched their Bakugan. The fight that followed was an intense one and both sides refused to give the other an inch. But one eventually managed to get the advantage.

"Ability, Activate!" Gunstinger suddenly leapt at Leo and swung his tail around, wrapping it around his body and squeezing him tightly. "Coil Shot!" Suddenly, the sand blaster tail pointed at him and fired sand into him.

"RAAAH!" Leo cried, getting the life squeezed out of him whilst his body was bombarded with sand. And soon enough, he couldn't help but revert back to ball form.

Flash: 88%
Braeburn: 94%

"Ability, Activate!" Flash swiped a card, as Leo flew down towards Gunstinger. "Power Brawl!" Before the snake could say or do anything, the dragon unleashed a flurry of punches, kicks and ended with a tail strike.

"GRAH!" He was thrown backwards and reverted back to ball form.

Flash: 88%
Braeburn: 74%

"Ability, Activate!" Braeburn swiped the card, as Leonidas unleashed his Neo Phaser attack. "Sand Barrier!" A tornado of sand appeared and surrounded Gunstinger, blocking the attack and freeing him up to fire a blast from his tail gun.

"AUGH!" The sand slammed into Leonidas' eyes and knocked him back, blinding him as he was forced to land. And by the time he managed to get the sand out of his eyes, Gunstinger flew out of his tornado and punched him back into ball form.

Flash: 64%
Braeburn: 74%

"Ability, Activate!" Leonidas's body glowed, "Speed Burst!" Suddenly, Leonidas' body transformed into a white and yellow blur. One which flew around the arena at super speed before flying down.

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!" He smashed his tail down onto Gunstinger's head and knocked him into the ground, the snake flinching as he was forced back into ball form.

Flash: 64%
Braeburn: 59%

The two continued to battle, as more and more time passed. Whenever one seemed to have the edge, the other managed to pull themselves back from the brink.

"Ability, Activate!" Flash yelled, as Leonidas's body glowed again. "Photon Force!" The light flew off Leonidas' body and swirled into an orb between his hands, which he raised above his head as it grew to the same size as him.

With a roar, he threw the orb downwards and it flew towards Gunstinger. And since Braeburn had already used his Sand Barrier ability, he couldn't stop this attack from colliding.

Flash: 27%
Braeburn: 21%

"Seriously?" Celestia asked, seeing Braeburn rush to pick Gunstinger up. "How long can those two keep this up? I know Braeburn has impressive stamina. Earth Pony Farmers can usually be active for hours without the need of a rest. But how can Flash keep up with him?"

"That's just Flash," Lyra stated. "He's not exactly the most impressive human most of the time. But whenever he's brawling, he can tap into an inner strength that lets him keep going no matter what happens." This impressed the ponies, as Flash and Braeburn continued their fight.

The entire battlefield was getting utterly destroyed, either through dodge or deflected attacks, or the Bakugan getting smashed up.

The floor of the stadium was eventually completely shattered, the rocks smashed into powder with each passing round. And by the time Celestia had to start lowering the sun, the two stood on opposite sides of a large crater.

The pair were a mess. Their clothes had been ripped up. They were covered in cuts and bruises. And they were panting up a storm whilst checking their Baku-Bracers.

Flash: 10%
Braeburn: 10%

"This has gone too far," Twilight stated.

"No. I think this is just what they need." She turned to Sunset, who smiled as she saw how the pair of them suddenly started laughing.

"Not bad," Braeburn stated as he held up Gunstinger. "But it's time for me ta'h bring this ta an end."

"I don't think so," Flash smirked as he held up Leonidas. "I'm the one ending this." The two pulled their partners back, "BAKUGAN..." They tried to throw them, but suddenly found themselves losing strength.

The next thing they both knew, they fell forward mid throw and the Bakugan didn't even go two feet. "FLASH/BRAEBURN!" They both cried, the others gasping as the two fell into the pit. Luckily, they both landed on the sand-like surface that had been made by the battle and rolled closer and closer together until they were in the very centre of the hole.

Their Baku-Bracers deactivated, allowing Twilight to teleport the others into the stadium. "Are you okay?" The purple alicorn asked, seeing them both face down.

"Say something!" Moondancer yelled, only to suddenly hear laughing. And as the pair rolled onto their backs, they both burst out laughing whilst wiping the sand away from their faces.

Flash forced himself to sit up and turned to Braeburn. "You're nuts!"

Braeburn did the same. "You're one ta talk." They both laughed against and held out a hand, shaking the other whilst everyone except Twilight smiled.

"I don't get it," she looked confused. "They're friends now?"

"They're Brawlers," Dragonia explained. "This is how Brawlers bond." Twilight clearly didn't understand, but it didn't matter. What mattered is that Flash and Braeburn had earned the other's respect.

"You weren't half bad," Gunstinger told Leonidas.

"Neither were you," Leonidas chuckled. Everyone was sure that Flash and Braeburn would be able to work alongside one another. Now, the battle against the Rugenga could truly begin.

Once the battle was over, everyone returned to the castle.

A quick spell had repaired Flash and Braeburn's clothes, whilst also healing the light injuries they had acquired. Now they were standing in the room they had first arrived in, staring at the many monitors that surrounded them. "This is our Bakugan Control Hub," Celestia explained.

Sunset carried on. "Here, we're able to keep a watchful eye on both Equestria and Vestroia. If a disturbance is located in either world, we transport ourselves over to it to make sure everything's okay. We can also detect breaches forming, which is very important to stopping the Rugenga."

"That makes sense," Lyra nodded. "So we've gotta be on alert for anything that might happen?"

"Exactly," Twilight nodded. "But that's not all. We've also been sending drones into Vestroia, to try and find the Rugenga base. If we can do that, we can find where the device keeping the Bakugan in ball forms is located. We can shut that down, the Bakugan will be able to fight back."

"Alright!" Flash cheered as he punched his fist into his hand. "Watch out, Rugenga. The BakuFighters are back and we're ready to take you down. You'll regret ever coming to this place." The others nodded, ready to truly help the Bakugan retake their home and free their brethren. The battles would be long and difficult, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

Author's Note

Flash, Lyra and Leonidas have met their new teammates and Flash got to face off against Braeburn, the pair earning the other's respect. Now, how will things turn out for our heroes? And what do the Rugenga have planned? Only time will tell.

For those wondering, Sorcerell's ball form is that of Siege's. And Gunstinger's ball form would be similar to Nemus and Brontes, though there would be some different in how the head and arms appear. How that helps