In the dead of night, an explosion rocked the landscape of Vestroia.

On that battlefield, Moondancer and Sorcerell cried out as they were both blown backwards. Moondancer hit the side of a rock, whilst Sorcerell fell to the ground. "Sorcerell!" Moondancer cried, clutching her arm as she looked up and saw her Bakugan struggling back to her feet.

She then turned to their opponent, a figure who couldn't quite make out. With a Bakugan that looked just like the one that had defeated Spike. The Bakugan roared, as the figure held up a card. And the next thing Moondancer knew, a powerful blast of fire flew towards them and struck her Bakugan.

"SORCERELL!" She screamed, seeing her Bakugan revert back to ball form and fly away from her. "No! COME BACK!" With that, the flames from the attack consumed her and she couldn't see a thing.

"NO!" Moondancer sat up in bed, panting as she realised she had been dreaming.

She looked around at the large room she was currently in, part of the palace where she had been living ever since she had joined the Bakugan Defenders. And she wasn't alone, as a Bakugan currently on the table next to her rolled over and jumped onto the bed besides her before opening.

"Moondancer. Are you okay?"

Moondancer sighed, as she grabbed her glasses and put them on. Memories of the dream she had had were still fresh in her mind, reminding her of the Brawl she had lost before. "No. No I'm not."

An hour or two later, Moondancer was making her way through the castle until she arrived at the dining room she could get breakfast in.

There, Flash, Lyra, Sunset, Braeburn, Twilight and Celestia were sitting around eating. Celestia had made her world famous pancakes, which the humans were enjoying for the first time. All the while, they were being told stories about things that had happened in Equestria.

"And the next thing I know, I'm back in the main square. Only now, I've got these wings." Twilight showed them her wings, Flash and Lyra looking amazed by this. "It was kind of a shock, let me tell you."

"I know how you feel," Leonidas stated. "I might not have gained any new wings, but I know what it's like to have my body change. It's quite the shock to get over."

"I still can't believe magic exists," Lyra smiled. "I know the Bakugan have powers that could be considered magical. But still..." She smiled, as she watched Sunset use her magic to pull a napkin over to herself and dab her lips. "I bet having that is really handy."

"It is," Celestia nodded. "However, unicorn magic does have its limits. After all, teleportation and other more powerful spells aren't something any unicorn can perform. Most unicorns have basic magic that allows them to levitate objects or do other simple things, whilst also having a more powerful personal magic."

Twilight nodded. "My friend, Rarity, has a spell that acts as a gemstone detector. She uses it to find jewels that she fashions into her clothing. But other than that, Rarity only has basic levitation magic."

"Still sounds cool," Lyra nodded. It was in that moment that they noticed Moondancer, who sat down at the last empty seat. "Morning."

"Good morning," Moondancer nodded as she started eating.

"Are you okay?" Lyra asked, seeing Moondancer's face seemed to be showing signs that she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep. "You look like you didn't sleep well."

"I'm fine," she assured her.

"No way she couldn't get a good night's sleep," Flash stated. "That bed in my room was the comfiest thing I've ever slept on. If we don't free the Bakugan soon, I might end up being unable to leave that bed in the mornings." The others laughed at this, as they kept eating.

"Speaking of freeing the Bakugan." Sunset got up and moved over to Flash, as she took something out of her pocket. "Here. These should help if you find yourself outgunned." She handed Flash a pair of Haos Bakugan, two Flash wasn't familiar with.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "I know there's safety in numbers, but I'd hate to make the Bakugan fight if they don't want to."

"No need to worry," Dragonia suddenly flew down from wherever she had been before. "Those Bakugan had been eager to help save their world. And now that a skilled Haos Brawler is here, they can finally help when they're needed."

"She's right," Leonidas nodded. "I might be able to take down three Bakugan at once, but I have my limits. The added numbers will help."

"Alright," Flash nodded. As he put them away, Lyra turned to the others.

"I don't suppose you have an Aquos Bakugan that want to help free Vestroia?" Everyone frowned at this, nobody willing to look Lyra in the eye.

"I'm sorry," Celestia told her. "But all the Aquos Bakugan willing to fight have already been captured. The others have even taken refuge with ponies that can't or won't fight, or hide themselves in large bodies of water to keep themselves safe if the Rugenga attack."

"I see," Lyra sighed. "I understand." Flash got up and placed a hand on Lyra's shoulder.

"Don't worry. We'll free those Bakugan and all the other ones from the Rugenga. Just watch." Lyra smiled and nodded, as Flash grabbed the last of his food and shovelled it down. "Alright. If we want to have any chance at saving them, we need to be in tip top shape. So let's get training as soon as we're done eating."

"Right," the others nodded as they also started eating.

As soon as they finished, Twilight teleported them all to the stadium. When they arrived, Sunset looked around and hummed. "Huh. No crowd today?"

"Huh?" Lyra asked.

"Canterlot elites," Braeburn explained. "They enjoy watching our training sessions. They see it as a great way to kill time and they even bet on who'll win."

"Seriously?" Flash asked. "I know Brawling was a fun spectator sport in my world, but we're trying to save the Bakugan. We're not some dancing monkeys born for their amusement."

"Well, what can you do?" Twilight shrugged. "Celestia had to use tax money to build this place. It's only right that the citizens get to watch." They nodded at this, as Flash turned to the others and his eyes focused on Moondancer.

"Alright," he activated his Baku-Bracer. "Moondancer. I haven't gotten to see how you brawl. Let's go for it." Moondancer suddenly looked very worried, but nodded and activated her Baku-Bracer.

Twilight teleported herself and the others into the stands, protecting her from the Vestroia dimensional energy. As she did, both brawlers grabbed their Bakugan and held them tight. "LET'S BRAWL!"

Flash: 100%
Moondancer: 100%

"Let's go, Leo!" Flash took out a Gate Card and threw it, then grabbed his partner. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" His partner hit the ground and spun into a tornado of light, the dragon exploding out of it and letting out a roar. "Bring it on!" Moondancer stared at the dragon, as she suddenly found her hand shaking. Flash waited, as she didn't seem to have any plan of throwing Sorcerell out. "Uh...Moondancer? Hello?"

"What's wrong?" Sorcerell asked, as the others looked confused as well.

"What's the hold up?" Leonidas asked, his loud voice making her flinch. "Let's go already!" But instead, Moondancer suddenly deactivated her Baku-Bracer. The next thing Leonidas knew, he was back in ball form and falling towards the ground. "WHOA!"

Flash ran forward and managed to catch him before he hit the ground. "What the heck?" The others teleported back down, as they saw Moondancer staggering back. "What's wrong?"

"I can't," she told them. "I can't Brawl."

"What do you mean you can't Brawl?" Twilight frowned. "I've seen you Brawl countless times." But the others could tell this wasn't about being able to brawl. But being willing to.

"You're scared," Leonidas stated. "Scared of what could happen in the brawl." Twilight finally caught on, whilst Sunset moved forward and knelt besides Moondancer.

"This is about what happened to Spikenoid, isn't it?" The rest of the Equestrians looked confused, whilst Flash, Lyra and Leo frowned hearing about Spike.

"I'm sorry," Moondancer told them. "We were Brawling against Cursor. It seemed like an even battle at the time. But then something happened. Something that's never happened before."

"What?" Flash asked.

"It was...I don't know what happened. He had a Bakugan. It wasn't like any I'd ever seen before. One minute it was all gray and colourless. The next...it turned into a Pyrus Bakugan. Drakenoid."

"Gray and colourless?" Leonidas asked, as Dragonia flew up next to them.

"Yes. I was told about that. We believe it was a Bakugan that had lost a lot of its energy. Just like Lucifer was. Best guess is that the energy produced in the battle was able to charge the Bakugan back up."

"It was horrible," Moondancer stated. "Draken was like nothing I had ever fought before. Nothing we did was able to stop him. By the end of the brawl, we were completely overwhelmed. I lost my nerve. Then I lost Spike. He's gone and it's all my fault."

"Spike," Lyra sighed. She was glad Twilight wasn't there. Who knew how she would feel, if she learned what had happened?

Flash sighed and moved closer. "Moondancer. I know losing that fight was tough. But you can't just give up." Moondancer looked up at him, tears filling her eyes.

"You don't get it! I can't risk losing Sorcerell or any other Bakugan. It's my fault Spike was taken. Because of me, there's no telling what's being done to him. I can't let the same thing happen to my other Bakugan." She stood up. "Don't you care about Leonidas? If you lost him, wouldn't your heart break!?"

"Of course it would," Flash nodded. "But that doesn't mean I just give up. Leonidas knows the risks, just like Spike knew the risks. He was willing to risk everything, in order to save his world and his friends. As the Brawlers, it's our duty to help the Bakugan reclaim their home world."

"Even if it means potentially losing them?"

"That's why we have to train. To get stronger so we don't lose them."

"You're not listening to me!" Moondancer screamed. "You weren't there. None of you were! Drakenoid is like nothing any of you have ever faced before. A Bakugan like that can't be beaten. His power was like nothing I'd seen before. Do you really think you can face a Bakugan like that?"

"We've faced tougher opponents," Flash stated. True, it was when Leonidas was much stronger, but Flash was confident this Draken Bakugan wouldn't be as powerful as Ragnaroid or Lucifer. "Moondancer. You can't just give up."

As this was going on, Leonidas moved over to where Sorcerell was standing. "What are your thoughts about this?"

Sorcerell sighed. "I'll admit, the thought of facing Drakenoid again isn't something I wish to experience. But I still want to battle, to save my fellow Bakugan. But if Moondancer doesn't wish to brawl..."

"You must tell Moondancer how you feel," Leonidas stated. "You are her partner after all."

Sorcerell shook her head. "I can't. She is the brawler. I must obey her wishes. That is how a Bakugan and their Brawler work together."

"Don't be an idiot." Sorcerell turned to him. "Just because you've partners with her, that doesn't mean you're her mindless slave. A partnership is an equal relationship. I had to learn the hard way that just because I agree to battle with Flash, that doesn't mean I can't disagree with him. Honestly. If I did agree with every idea Flash had, the pair of us would have been done for a long time ago."

"Even so," Sorcerell turned back to Moondancer. "I can't force her to do battle."

"Maybe so. But you have to decide what you want to do. I know the idea of leaving your partner is hard, but leaving the Bakugan to suffer because your partners won't fight is worse. If Moondancer can't bring herself to battle, it's your responsibility to help her. Either that, or find a partner willing to brawl."

"I...I..." Sorcerell was clearly having trouble deciding what to do.

Moondancer got up and moved over to Sorcerell, picking her up as she turned to the others. "I'm sorry. I just can't do it. I won't risk losing Sorcerell. She's the best friend I've ever had." With that, she walked away whilst the others just stood there in shock.

"Poor Moondancer," Twilight sighed. "She's always been a bit shy. Especially after that party incident." She looked guilty about something. "When she met Sorcerell, she really opened up. I can understand why she would be scared of losing her."

"Maybe," Lyra nodded. "But if she's one of the only three ponies that can brawl, we can't afford for her to lose her confidence. We have to help her overcome this. Before the Rugenga attack."

Over in Vestroia, Beck and Azalea were in a small ship flying around.

Beck was piloting, whilst Azalea was sitting with her feet up on the console. "I'm bored!" She cried, looking absolutely annoyed by the lack of fun things to do. "This sucks! Why can't Vestroia have anything fun to do? Would it have killed the Leonidas guy to make one mall I could shop at? Maybe a movie theatre or something?"

Beck sighed. "We have more important things to worry about, than shopping or going to a movie. We're supposed to be searching for a breach into Equestria."

"I know," Azalea huffed. "That place better have a mall or something. Maybe a beauty parlour. Or a nail salon at the very least." Beck sighed again, shaking his head and wondering why he had been stuck with her as his partner.

But before he could say anything, the console beeped to indicate a breach beginning to form. "Finally. Hopefully, we can get there before the Defenders arrive." He pushed a leaver forward and the ship suddenly flew forward, propelling them both forward at high speed.

Back in Equestria, everyone watched as Moondancer sat in the stands looking worried.

They all sighed, as they tried to think of a way they could help her. "Isn't there anything we can do?" Flash asked, turning to the equestrians. "You guys know her best. Any idea how we help her get out of this funk?"

"I'm afraid not," Twilight sighed. "What happened is just too much of a shock. She lost Spike and it could have been Sorcerell." She turned to him. "How would you feel if you lost Leonidas?"

"Horrible," Flash replied. "But I wouldn't let that stop me from fighting. When we faced off against Lucifer and his minions, every battle we fought in could have ended with us losing everything. But we didn't give up."

"Well you're stronger than she is," Sunset replied. Before any of them could say anything, Sunset's horn glowed before she teleported up to the stands. "Moondancer! Get up! You can't just sit around doing nothing."

"Well what am I supposed to do?" Moondancer asked, with Sunset crossing her arms.

"You have to make a choice. Either you continue to battle, or you can't be a part of the Defenders." This statement shocked everyone. "I'm sorry, but you leave me no choice. Celestia put me in charge and if you're not going to Brawl, we have no reason to let you stay here."

"That's kind of harsh," Flash stated.

Braeburn nodded. "But it might be the only way ta snap Moondancer out of this." Moondancer didn't look like she was snapping out of it. Instead, she looked like she was ready to give up.

But before she could say anything, everyone's Baku-Bracers beeped. "What's that?" Lyra asked, seeing the device signalling something to them.

"A breach has opened," Twilight explained. "Which means the Rugenga could attack." Her horn glowed and before anyone could stop her, they were all teleported back to the castle. As they arrived, they found they were back in the control hub with the ponies working on the computers.

"We've located the breach," one pony announced. "It's roughly two miles south of Baltimare. The breach is level three."

"Level three?" Flash asked, turning to Twilight.

"Each breach is given a level depending on their size. Level three is between ten and fifteen meters. Big enough for anyone and their Bakugan to sneak through."

"So what happens now?" Lyra asked, as the transporter was powering up. Seadranoid and the other guardians then flew in.

"Now you five will travel through the transsssssporter. We will drop you off on the other ssssside of the breach and you'll need to remain on guard. The Rugenga have likely detected this breach and until it closes, you'll need to keep them from entering the portal."

"Got it!" Flash smirked. "Let's go, Leo!" He grabbed his partner and ran into the tube, the others doing the same. Moondancer looked a little unsure, but went with them as the device powered up.

"Transporting in three...two...one...ENERGIZE!" Suddenly, they were all blinded as they were warped into Vestroia. In the blink of an eye, they found themselves in a forest area with strangely shaped trees and odd and a small river running through it.

As they looked around, they saw some kind of shimmering tear in the air not too far away. "Is that the breach?" Lyra asked, with Sunset nodding.

"Yes. That leads back to Equestria and will come out in a forest not too far from the city of Baltimare. Lots of Bakugan live there, so it would be a prime area for the Rugenga to attack if they get here. Since it's Level Three, they'll be able to drive one of their ships through it in no time."

Suddenly, a loud engine could be heard and everyone looked up to see a blue ship of some kind flying above the treeline.

"Speak of da'h devil," Braeburn stated as the ship flew down and seemed to be aiming right at the breach. Sunset quickly rushed over to the portal and her horn glowed, as a wall of light appeared in front of the breach.

This stopped the ship from entering, the transport pulling up at the last moment. It then swerved around before hovering above the ground. "Hey!" The top opened up and a girl stood, "are you crazy? That could have killed us!"

"I'm not hearing a reason I shouldn't have done that," Sunset smirked as the girl leapt down.

"So that's one of the Rugenga?" Leo stated, as Flarenix flew over to him.

"Indeed. Azalea, the Subterra Brawler." He then looked up at the transport, seeing the figure in blue. "And Beck, the Aquos Brawler."

"Great," Lyra sighed. "Two at once. Just what we need."

"Out of our way!" Azalea stated. "We've got business in Equestria."

"I don't think so," Flash told her. "There's no way we're letting you anywhere near Equestria. Why don't you do us all a favour and head back to wherever you came from? And leave the Bakugan behind while you're at it."

"Yeah," Beck spoke up, "that ain't gonna happen. If you want us to give up our mission, then you'll have to defeat us. And that's as likely to happen as us giving up on our own." Azalea nodded in agreement, whilst the Bakugan Defenders glared at them.

"I'll show you how likely it is," Flash stated. "Let's go. You and-"

"No!" Sunset interrupted, stopping Flash before he could say anything. "Not you." She turned to their Darkus Brawler. "Moondancer. This is your battle."

"What?" Moondancer looked horrified, the others being shocked by the statement. "You can't be serious?"

"I am," Sunset nodded. "If you want to remain as part of the Bakugan Defenders, then prove to us you're worth keeping on the team." She pointed at the Rugenga. "Defeat them and recover their Bakugan. Do that and you can stay. Fail and that's that."

"Sunset!" Flash cried, "you can't just force an ultimatum on her like that."

"Yes, I can. Celestia made me the leader and I refuse to let her down by allowing someone on the team, who's too weak to Brawl. Well, Moondancer? What do you say?"

"I...I..." Moondancer looked between her and Azalea, as Sorcerell landed on her shoulder.

"Moondancer. We can do this. We have to. For the Bakugan they have captured." Moondancer still looked unsure, as she glanced over at the other. But they all nodded, showing they trusted her. And after a few moments, she sighed.

"Alright." She stepped forward, adjusting her Baku-Bracer as she did so. "I can do this. I can do this. I, Moondancer, shall defeat you and reclaim the Bakugan you have forced into servitude." Azalea smiled at her, as Flash and the others cheered.

"That's the way," Flash told her. "We know you can do this. Show that loser what a real Bakugan Brawl looks like." Moondancer nodded, but she still felt an overwhelming sense of terror overcoming her.

"This is gonna be fun," Azalea laughed as she activated her Baku-Bracer. Moondancer did the same, as Azalea pressed another button. "And to add a little spice to the game..." Suddenly, a bunch of objects suddenly appeared floating in the air.

Flash and Lyra quickly caught sight of them and realised what they were. "Power-Up Coins!?" Flash asked. "You guys use those too?" They nodded, as Moondancer looked even more nervous.

"Scared?" Azalea asked, "you don't have to do this. Just hand over your Bakugan and this'll all be over."

"Never!" Moondancer cried, as she raised her Baku-Bracer. Azalea did the same and the two spoke in unison. "Let's Brawl!" Their Life Gauges filled and the battle had begun.

Azalea: 100%
Moondancer: 100%

"I'll go first," Azalea took a card out. "Gate Card...SET!" She threw it towards the ground, the card exploding in a flash of orange light. She then took out a brown ball. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" She threw it towards some power-ups, the ball hitting several before landing on the ground. "Bakugan...STAND!" It popped open and was consumed by an orange light, "Subterra Slashide!"

From out of the light came a strange looking creature. It looked like a giant orange rodent, which had brown pointed scales sticking out of its back, shoulders and the back of its head. It had large white claws on its front legs.

Slashide: 430Gs

The Bakugan then glowed, as the power-ups kicked in and pumped up its power.

Slashide: 580Gs

Moondancer stared up at the pangolin Bakugan and suddenly felt herself beginning to panic. 'What do I do? Should I send out Sorcerell? But what if this Bakugan is too powerful? I could lose her.'

Azalea quickly grew bored. "Hello. You gonna do something this century?" Moondancer said nothing, still trying to make up a plan. "Fine. I'll just have to make you Brawl. "Gate Card, Open!" Suddenly, the ground began to glow and the light flew towards Moondancer. "Drag Out!"

When the light hit her, Moondancer cried out as she suddenly found one of her Bakugan being pulled away from her. "Sludger!" The Bakugan flew through the air, hitting two power ups by chance, before hitting the ground and bursting open. The light exploded out of the ball and revealed a strange pile of purple slime, with a mouth and eyes.

Sludger: 380Gs
Slashide: 580Gs

The sludge pile then glowed, as its power began to grow.

Sludger: 480Gs
Slashide: 580Gs

"What just happened?" Flash asked, shocked that a Bakugan could be pulled out on its own.

"Drag Out," Azalea laughed. "It forces the weakest Bakugan, out onto the battlefield. And prevents any new Bakugan from being sent out, leaving it all alone." The others turned to Moondancer and saw she was terrified. The sudden send out of her Bakugan had clearly thrown her for a loop.

"Sludger, get out of there!" The slime pile tried to escape, but Slashide was faster and managed to block its exit.

"Pathetic!" Azalea took out a card and swiped it. "Ability, Activate!" The spines of Slashide's back glowed, "Pin Missile!" The light shot off and flew into the air, then ached down and shot towards Sludger.

"Do something!" Lyra told Moondancer, who panicked and took out a card.

"Ability, Activate!" But as she slashed it, several of the needles stabbed into Sludger and made it cry out.

Sludger: 430Gs
Slashide: 580Gs

The other projectiles shot down, but the Ability finally activated. "Slime Barrier!" Sludger opened its mouth and spat out a bunch of black gunk, which hit the spines and stopped them. But as this was happening, Slashide suddenly curled up and rolled into a ball that shot towards Sludge.

Before Moondancer could counter, the ball slammed into Sludger and knocked it flying backwards. As it did, it reverted back to ball form and fell at Moondancer's feet.

Azalea: 100%
Moondancer: 70%

"Ouch," Flash hissed, "that had to hurt."

"At least she didn't lose Sludger," Lyra pointed out as Moondancer picked it up. "Don't worry about it. This battle's just getting started. But if you wanna win, you've gotta go on the attack."

"She's right," Flash nodded. "Can't win with just defence." Sunset and Braeburn stood there, clearly looking worried with Braeburn turning to Sunset.

"Should a'h take over?"

"No," she shook her head, "Moondancer needs this. If she runs now, she'll keep running and never stop. Win or lose, she has to face this battle head on."

Moondancer took out a Gate Card, as Sorcerell spoke up. "Let me in this next battle. I can beat her."

Moondancer said nothing and threw her card. "Gate Card...SET!" As the card exploded, Moondancer took out another Bakugan and Sorcerell frowned.

"Moondancer!" But she didn't listen and ran to a different spot before leaping into the air.

"Bakugan...BRAWL!" The ball flew through several power-ups before hitting the ground. "Bakugan, Stand!" It popped open and was consumed by the dark mist. "Darkus Scutum!" The mist faded to reveal a Bakugan that looked like a large purple barrel, with a large triangular shield attached to the front of it. The top of the barrel had a World War One Brodie Helmet, which rose to reveal a pair of eyes between it and the barrel.

Scutum: 420Gs

The Bakugan glowed, as the power-ups kicked in.

Scutum: 520Gs

"Seriously?" Braeburn frowned. "Moondancer, that Bakugan only has defensive capabilities. You're not gonna be able to win with it."

"Maybe. But I won't lose either." She would tire out Slashide and when that was over, send in another Bakugan to finish it off.

However, Azalea seemed to have other plans. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" She threw the ball and hit several power-ups, eventually landing on the ground and rolling along it. "Bakugan...STAND!" It popped open and the orange light consumed it. "Subterra Death-Top!" From out of the light came a strange looking Bakugan.

It had a round orange head with a brown coned point on the top, a circle of red eyes moving in a ring around its head. It had a smaller round body beneath it, with four belt-like arms sticking out of four sections. Each arm ended in a brown metal spike and on its bottom was a brown coned point, that was longer than the one of its head.

Scutum: 520Gs
Death-Top: 420Gs

The Subterra Bakugan glowed, as the power-ups activated and its power increased.

Scutum: 520Gs
Death-Top: 570Gs

Moondancer gasped, seeing a completely different Bakugan from the one before. But she quickly shook her head and took out a card, slashing it as she did. "Ability, Activate!" Scutum retracted its head, as the shield on its front suddenly glowed. "Iron Defence!"

Scutum: 670Gs
Death-Top: 570Gs

"What a lame attack!" Azalea took out her own card and slashed it. "Ability, Activate!" Death-Top used its four legs to twist itself around before flinging itself into the air and swinging the legs in the opposite direction. "Razor Spiral!" This caused it to start spinning and as it hit the ground, the tip on its bottom kept it balanced.

Scutum: 520Gs
Death-Top: 670Gs

Everyone watched as the Bakugan turned into a spinning top of doom, the arms held out and making it look even wider.

They watched as the top spun towards Scutum and slammed into it, the spikes on the end of the arms slamming into the shield over and over and cutting into the metal. Everyone could tell that Scutum was having trouble staying upright, as his shield was slowly sliced up.

"Do something, Moondancer!" Flash called out to her, "you need to fight back." But Moondancer wasn't listening.

"Gate Card, Open!" The ground suddenly started glowing a purple light, which flowed into Scutum. "Darkus Reactor!" This seemed to allow Scutum to endure the attack much easier, but it still couldn't fight back.

Scutum: 720Gs
Death-Top: 670Gs

And before Azalea could do anything, Moondancer took out another card and swiped it. "Ability, Activate!" Scutum's head popped out and the eyes glowed before they fired a beam of light. "Total Defence Barrier!" The beam hit the spot right above Death-Top and suddenly transformed into a dome, which split the two Bakugan apart.

"Huh?" Azalea asked, as Death-Top started grinding against the doom. But it wouldn't break. "What gives?"

"Total Defence Barrier," Moondancer stated. "This ability, prevents the Bakugan it hits from using any abilities. Which means, I'm safe."

"Hardly," Azalea laughed before taking out another Bakugan and leaping into the air. "Bakugan, BRAWL!" The orb flew through the air and landed next to the dome, opening up and transforming before Moondancer could react. "Slashide, STAND!"

The pangolin flew forward and curled up again, morphing into a spiky ball that slammed into Scutum.

Scutum: 720Gs
Death-Top+Slashide: 1100Gs

The attack knocked Scutum backwards and it almost crashed into Moondancer, who leapt away at the last moment whilst the barrel skidded to a stop. Slashide uncurled itself as it did and raised its claws, ready to attack again before Moondancer slashed a card.

"Ability, Activate!" The Scutum's shield glowed again, as Slashide rushed forward. "Victory Shield!" The light flew off and formed a shape in front of it that was a larger version of the shield, which Slashide thrust its claws into.

Scutum: 920Gs
Death-Top+Slashide: 1100Gs

"Not enough," Azalea laughed as the claws shattered the barrier. And before Moondancer could fight back, Slashide swung its over claw around and broke Scutum's damaged shield into a million pieces.

"SCUTUM!" Moondancer cried, as her Bakugan reverted back to ball form.

Azalea: 100%
Moondancer: 34%

As Scutum bounced down towards her, Moondancer's confidence shattered just like the shield. And as the Subterra Bakugan returned to Azalea, the others watched Moondancer stand there silently. "Is that it?" Lyra asked. "Is Moondancer even gonna try and Brawl?"

"I don't know," Sunset sighed whilst Flash clenched his fist.

"Alright. Let's go, Leo."

"No," Leonidas shook his head. "We can't. This is still Moondancer's fight. Win or lose, she has to face it like a true Brawler. But more than that, Sorcerell needs to learn how to give Moondancer her two cents. If she doesn't, then it won't matter if they win or lose. The two of them will always be doomed to failure."

Moondancer finally moved and picked Scutum up, as Sorcerell jumped off her shoulder onto her Baku-Bracer. "Moondancer. Please."

"No," Moondancer was close to tears, "I can't. I can't go through that again." Memories of her fight with Cursor came flooding back, making her whole body shake with terror. "Spike. I wasn't strong enough. And if that happens to you..."

"You're breaking my heart," Azalea stated before launching her Gate Card towards the ground. "But now it's time I break you." She took out another Bakugan and threw it. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" She didn't even aim for the power-ups, the ball instead hitting the ground and slowing to a stop. "Bakugan...STAND!" It popped open and the light surrounded it. "Subterra Crush-Breaker!"

"Augh!" Moondancer cried, as the light almost blinded her.

From out of the light, a humanoid Bakugan appeared. It looked robotic, having several mechanical parts. It had three arms, two normal ones and a third on its back. each hand ended in a metal pincer that looked like it could crush a car between them.

Crush-Breaker: 460Gs

Moondancer's eyes widened in horror, as she took a step backwards. "It's no use. I don't stand a chance against that."

"Moondancer!" Sorcerell cried, everyone waiting to see if the Bakugan would finally speak up and say what she was holding back. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Moondancer looked shocked, as Sorcerell leapt off her onto the ground. "I'm sorry. But if you refuse to truly battle, then I can't stay with you."

"What?" Moondancer asked, shocked by her partner's statement.

"I want to stay with you," she explained. "But I also want to help save Vestroia, Spike and all the captured Bakugan. And if you refuse to fight, I have no choice. Lyra needs a partner. I might not be an Aquos Bakugan, but she's willing to fight." Moondancer looked heartbroken. "But it's not too late for you. We can still win this Brawl. But you need to let me battle."

"But...but what if we lose? What if you're taken from me?"

"We have to take that risk," she stated. "Nothing worth having, comes without some kind of risk. To save Vestroia and my home, I'm willing to put everything on the line. Are you?"

Moondancer stared at her for a moment, then glanced over at the others. They all smiled reassuringly at her, Moondancer feeling new confidence swelling up within her. "You really think I can do this?"

"I know you can," Sorcerell stated. "We might have lost once, but that can't stop us from doing what's right. If we do surrender, everything our Bakugan friends fell to will be for nothing."

Moondancer smiled and nodded. "Alright. Then let's do this!"

"That's my girl!" Sorcerell leapt into the air and closed up, Moondancer catching her before throwing the Bakugan into the battle.

"Bakugan...BRAWL!" Sorcerell flew through the air and hit the ground, everyone thinking Moondancer had forgotten about the power-ups. "Bakugan...STAND!" Sorcerell popped open and in a burst of purple light, grew into the true form.

The magic wielding Bakugan began to dance around, waving her arms around as she shook her hips. "I am Darkus Sorcerell. And all those that have evil in their hearts will face the full power of my might." She stood firm, ready to fight as the battle truly began.

Sorcerell: 520Gs
Crush-Breaker: 460Gs

"Finally!" Azalea stated. "If I knew you would take so long, I would have brought a magazine!" But as she said that, Moondancer took out a card and swiped it.

"Ability, Activate!" Sorcerell swung her arms around again, her hands creating a bunch of different shapes. And as she did, light came out of her hands and formed a bunch of symbols. "Magic Circle, Level One!" The symbols were soon sealed within a circle of light and once complete, she thrust her hands forwards and the circle flew at Crush-Breaker.

The robot tried to move, but wasn't fast enough and the magic circle slammed into it before exploding. Doing so caused the magic within the circle to fly into the machine and shock it.

Sorcerell: 520Gs
Crush-Breaker: 160Gs

"Oh, so you actually can brawl." Azalea took out a card. "Too little, too late. Ability, Activate!" One of the claws on its arm shot off, still connected to the arm by a strong cable. "Crushing Grip!"

Sorcerell: 520Gs
Crush-Breaker: 510Gs

The claw flew towards Sorcerell, ready to grab her and crush her between the vice. But Moondancer was ready and swiped her own card.

"Ability, Activate!" Sorcerell swung her hands around, light flying out of them. "Magic Barrier, Level One!" The light formed a dome around Sorcerell, which the claw bounced off of before returning to the Bakugan.

Sorcerell: 520Gs
Crush-Breaker: 160Gs

Crush-Breaker then moved forward, swinging its robotics arms around and smashing them into the shield over and over again. But the barrier managed to maintain its integrity as Sorcerell hide within it.

"Hiding behind your shields again?" Azalea laughed. "And I thought you'd finally grown a backbone." She took out her other Bakugan and tossed it forward. "Bakugan, BRAWL!" The Bakugan hit the ground rolling for several moments before popping open. "Bakugan, STAND!" A familiar pangolin leapt out before curling into a ball, "Subterra Slashide!"

Sorcerell: 520Gs
Crush-Breaker+Slashide: 590Gs

Moondancer watched the new Bakugan fly through the air before falling down towards the shield, slamming into it and causing it to explode and leave Sorcerell exposed.

But as Crush-Breaker reached down to grab her in its claws, Moondancer took out another card and swiped it. "Ability, Activate!" Sorcerell's hands glowed purple, as she started chanting something. "Mystic Enchantment!"

"Ellora Van Garonok!" The light exploded off of her hands and hit the two Bakugan, making them flinch as they suddenly felt their power being drained.

Everyone checked their Bracers and saw what was happening, their eyes going wide.

Sorcerell: 920Gs
Crush-Breaker+Slashide: 190Gs

"The difference in power level is over five hundred," Flash laughed. "That's awesome."

Sunset nodded. "Mystic Enchantment steals two hundred Gs from every Bakugan on the field. With two out, that's four hundred power being stolen." She smiled, "you've got this!"

"She's got nothing!" Azalea growled before taking out another Bakugan. "This isn't over yet. Bakugan, BRAWL!" The ball hit the ground and popped open. "Bakugan, STAND! Subterra Death-Top!" The spinning top Bakugan appeared and quickly made itself spin on its tip, moving towards Sorcerell and forcing her to cancel her spell.

Sorcerell: 920Gs
Crush-Breaker+Slashide+Death-Top: 610Gs

As Sorcerell leapt out of the way, looking almost like a ballet dancer as she did, Azalea smiled before taking out a card. "Ability, Activate!" She swiped it, as Death-Top moved faster and slammed its bladed arms into Sorcerell. "Grind Down!"

"Augh!" Sorcerell grunted, the blades cutting into her arms as she braced herself.

Sorcerell: 720Gs
Crush-Breaker+Slashide+Death-Top: 610Gs

"Sorcerell!" Flash cried, worried that the Bakugan's arms would be cut to pieces.

Lyra turned to the unicorn Brawling. "Moondancer, do something!" But Moondancer did nothing, even as she took out another card. "What's she waiting for?"

"Not yet," Moondancer stated. "I have to trust in Sorcerell."

"Not gonna make a move?" Azalea took out another card. "Then I will. Ability," she swiped it, "Activate!" Slashide's frills glowed. "Pin Missile!" The light then exploded off and flew towards her, with Moondancer still making no move to protect Sorcerell.

As the magician leapt away from Death-Top, the spikes suddenly started slamming into her. "Gyah!" With each successful hit, she felt her power being taken. And eventually, the last projectile hit her shoulder and she staggered backwards.

Sorcerell: 420Gs
Crush-Breaker+Slashide+Death-Top: 610Gs

"Hold on," Moondancer cried. "We can do this!"

"I know," Sorcerell agreed. "I promise you. I will not falter. So long as you believe in me, I will keep fighting no matter what's thrown my way." Moondancer smiled, whilst Azalea rolled her eyes.

"Then I'll throw something at you that you can't beat!" She took out a card and quickly swiped it. "Ability, Activate!" Suddenly, Crush-Breaker's three arms started flying back and forth with incredible speed. "Powderizer!"

Sorcerell: 420Gs
Crush-Breaker+Slashide+Death-Top: 960Gs

The Subterra Bakugan raced forward, the mechanical fists smashing into Sorcerell over and over again. She cried out in pain, unsure how much more she could withstand. And as she did, Moondancer took out a card.

And to her relief, the Brawler saw it was beginning to glow. "It's time!" She quickly swiped the card. "Fusion Ability, Activate!" Sorcerell leapt backwards before thrusting her hands down onto the ground. "GREAT SORCERY!" Suddenly, a massive magic circle appeared and surrounded the four Bakugan.

"Huh?" Azalea asked, as the Bakugan glowed before the light flew off of them. Sorcerell's light split into three and flew into Azalea's Bakugan, whilst those Bakugan's lights combined and flew into Sorcerell. Azalea then looked down and was shocked by what she saw.

Sorcerell: 960Gs
Crush-Breaker+Slashide+Death-Top: 420Gs

"Impossible!" She cried, as Sorcerell began to dance around.

"And now. With the mystical energies of gentle darkness, I release my brethren from captivity!" With that, her hands began to glow before she thrust them forward. In doing so, the light exploded into a large wave of purple energy.

That wave struck the three Bakugan and knocked them all backwards, causing them to revert back to ball form before flying over to Moondancer. And as Azalea saw her Life Gauge drop, she couldn't believe it.

Azalea: 0%
Moondancer: 34% (Winner)

"I lost? How is that possible?"

Moondancer smiled. "Great Sorcery is a Fusion Ability, that allows me to swap Sorcerell's G Power with the G Power of any Bakugan on the field. And since the power level between our Bakugan was five hundred, the swap allowed me to win and free the Bakugan." She smiled, staring at the Bakugan in her hand whilst Sorcerell returned to her.

The others rushed over to her, cheering for Moondancer's victory. "You did it," Flash laughed. "Way to go."

"Yes," Sunset nodded, "you won. And because you trusted in Sorcerell, you were able to free those Bakugan. You could have used your Fusion Ability sooner, but you had to wait until you were on the brink of losing everything in order to truly win. You put everything on the line to save the Bakugan. That's what a true Brawler is like. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Moondancer smiled as they heard Azalea moving.

Looking over at her, they saw her running back towards their ship. "I hope you're happy," Beck told her. "You had your fun and look what it cost you."

"Oh be quiet," Azalea stated. "Just get us out of here!" She leapt onto the ship and Beck began to take off, flying away in a completely different direction than the one they came from. As they watched them disappear, Moondancer turned to Sorcerell.

"Thank you. For staying by my side."

"Of course," Sorcerell nodded. "I know what happened to you was hard. But now we can work together to save Spike and all the other Bakugan. It won't be easy and we'll face many challenges. But together, we can do it."

"You're right," Moondancer smiled. "No more running away. As long as we're together, nothing can stop us." The others smiled, happy that Moondancer had gotten her confidence back. Now they were stronger than ever.

"Alright," Sunset smiled as she turned back to the breach. "Now we just need to stand guard until this thing closes. Once that's done, we can head back to Equestria without worry of the Rugenga attacking." They all nodded, but wondered just how long the breach would stay open.

As the two flew back to their base, Beck changing direction at one point to really head there, Azalea huffed before taking out a Bakugan.

This Bakugan was a greyish colour, showing it had no power of its own. She then placed it on her Baku-Bracer's scanner and pressed a few buttons. "I guess that brawl wasn't a total waste." Energy seemed to be flowing into the Bakugan. "I'm now one step closer to the sweet little Goliath waking up."

"Yes. We might have lost this battle, but we're drawing ever closer to winning the war."

The sun was beginning to set in Equestria, where we find Sunset at a balcony staring at the descending celestial body.

Flash stepped out onto the balcony and moved up beside her, the pair leaning against it as they watched the sun disappear. "You did great today." Flash smiled at her. "Giving Moondancer the push she needed."

"I'm just glad I didn't have to kick her out of the Defenders. I never would want to, but I wouldn't have had another choice if she couldn't brawl." Flash wasn't sure how he felt about that. "Celestia has a lot of trust in me, but that means making decisions that might not make me popular."

Flash nodded. "Well, we know you're not doing it because you want to."

"Thanks," Sunset smiled. "I just wonder how many hard decisions I'll have to make before this battle's over. There's no telling what challenges we'll face in the future."

"Well as long as we face them together, we'll be fine." Sunset nodded, as they kept watching the sun disappear. Their team was growing stronger every day. And hopefully, the strength their gained would help them overcome the Rugenga once and for all.

Author's Note

Moondancer went through a lot in this chapter. She had to overcome her failures and self doubt, but she showed just how strong she and Sorcerell can be. Next time, something you probably won't be expecting.