Chapter 4: The Mind's Dojo

"Shun, is something the matter?"

"No, it's nothing Skyress."

"Shun, after all the time we've known each other, do you really expect me to believe you?"

"Not really, but do you honestly want to know?"

"Yes Shun, I believe it's only fair."

"Okay, well, why did you bakugan come back to Earth, and more importantly, why now? Is Vestroia collapsing on itself again?"

"No Shun, Vestroia is fine, as to why we ended up coming back, I do not know."

Rising from his seat, Shun stretched and continued walking out into the garden outside of his residence, heading towards the crystal blue, serene lake. Reaching out with his cane, Shun pressed a symbol on one of the small statues on the shore of the lake, when a small bridge began to rise out of the lake. Walking accross the bridge, he stopped at the entrance of a small pagoday, standing there in silent meditationa moment, before walking in. Lined along the walls were a plethora of Bakugan, beside each one a gate card or ability card.

"My my, you've certainly been busy Shun."

"Heh. Yes well, when I heard that Bakugan had begun falling from the sky once more, I searced my hardest to find as many as I could, hoping I would find you."

"Well Shun, that way it would only have been a matter of time, correct?"

"I was hoping that was the case Skyress."

As he finished this sentence, Shun reached the end of the hall of Bakugan, reaching out and opening a door. Walking into the room, he reached over, searching the wall for the switch. Admitting defeat, he finally just gave a simple clap, illuminating the room with light.

"Why not just do that in the first place?" Skyress inquired with interest.

"I prefer the challenges in life." Shun replied with a sly grin on his face.

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Chapter 5: Marucho's Conundrum

"What?! Are you serious Alice?!"

Picking himself up off the floor from where he had fallen, Marucho replaced his glasses, and quickly returned to his seat accross from Alice, turning to once more face his friend. "I'm sorry but, could you repeat that?"

Well, I guess I should have expected something like this, Alice thought to herself. "I said, my grandson, Michael, visited me the other day, and he told me that he's become Masquerade."

"I thought that was what you said. One question comes to mind: How?" He replied, still trembling from what he'd just heard.

"That's why I came to you, I don't know, Michael doesn't know how either, and I figured you, if anyone, could figure it out."

"Well, Preyas, do you know anything?" Reaching in his pocket, Marucho then pulled out a small blue ball, that quickly transformed, revealing it to be the Bakugan Preyas.

"Nope, sorry Muchacho, I couldn't tell you anything about this, all I know is that it's amking me jumpy, jumpy, and jumpy!"

"Well Alice, do you think you could get him to come here?"

"I'm sure he'd be fine with it, getting to meet one of the old Brawlers."

"Bring him here at about four on Saturday, okay?"

"Yes. Thank you again Marucho."

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Chapter 6: Masquerade's Prey

"Where is he? I need to brawl him, now!" Masquerade snarled to himself, while leaping through the trees. It had been awhile, and Masquerade still wondered if Shun was in his top form. Finally reaching Shun's house, Masquerade paused as he saw the feeble figure come out of a small pagoda, relying on his cane for support. Landing behind him, Masquerade went to reach for his gate card, when Shun began to speak.

"Thinking you can sneak up on me, I'd truly expected better of you Masquerade"

"Heh, so you are still on the top of your game." Masquerade replied with his usual cocky attitude. "What I'm wondering is if you can still provide a challenge for me."

"That's funny, I was wondering the same thing."

"Heh, feeling confident, aren't we Shun? Can you back it up?"

"Let's see."

Reaching for his gatecard, Shun looked over at his opponent. So it was true, Masquerade had returned, but could it still be Alice? Pushing this thought to the side, Shun turned his gatecard and shouted "Bakugan, field open!" quickly being mimicked by Masquerade. Time slowing down, colors swirling, the nostalgia of the even quickly filled Shun with excitement to begin.

"Heh, Doom card, set." With that, and a flick of the wrist, the dreaded doom card was set to the field. "Gate card, set."

"Always relying on the same old tricks, eh Masquerade? Gate card, set." With that the small card landed infront of Masquerade, suddenly enlarging to form the other half of the playing field. "You ready Skyress?"

"I've been waiting for a match against him Shun, am I going in first?"

"Yep." Placing Skyress in the palm of his hand, Shun reached back, and threw Skyress toward the field. "Bakugan brawl!" Watching Skyress roll onto the card, Shun yelled "Storm Skyress, stand!"

Shrouded in a green light, Skyress transformed from a marble sized ball into a large, pheonix-like creature, surrounded by delta-force winds.

"Well, if it isn't Storm Skyress, this should be quick then. Bakugan brawl!" Masquerade said slyly while throwing his Bakugan. Rolling onto the card, it finally stopped, and popped open as Masquerade shouted "Hydranoid, stand!"

Throwing a card towards Skyress, Shun yelled "Ablility card, activate!"

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Author's Notes:

Here we end chapters 4-6 of The Masquerade Saga. I figured during these chapters would be a good time to introduce Shun back to the storyline, and have a Masquerade appearance as well. A cliff hanger at the end, but I needed someway to keep readers interested. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the next chapter, maybe finish the battle between Shun and Masquerade, but you never know, I might change my mind. Keep sending reviews, letting me know how to improve it and what you liked/disliked!