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// RANK 51: Fluttershy vs. Gilda: The Long-Awaited Battle: 
// Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Numerous 
// by Monty Eggman 
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RANK 51: Fluttershy vs. Gilda: The Long-Awaited Battle:
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THE STORY SO FAR...:
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In Canterlot High School, every student is wild over the world's most popular trading card game: Duel Monsters! Every day, players of the card game, known as "Duelists", go head-to-head to see who among them is the best around. Among the Duelists in attendance at CHS, one of the best is a young teenager named Sunset Shimmer, a girl from another world...

As the WCQ Qualification tournament continues, all sorts of unexpected surprises were right around the corner for those in attendance: One such surprise was the sudden arrival of Spitfire and Soarin, members of the famed Turbo Duel team, the Wonderbolts. They had arrived looking for Steel Shadows, who had just finished his Duel with Ember in the tournament. Steel was surprised to see them, and even more surprised when they gave him an unbelievable offer: To join the Wonderbolts!

At first, Steel wasn't sure if he was the kind of Duelist they were looking for. But Soarin assured him that he would be perfect on the team, and even recounted a story from the day that he joined the Wonderbolts. There, he crossed paths with Crimson Inferno, a high-level member of the Wonderbolts team, as well as the most arrogant member. Inferno did not consider Soarin to be worthy of being on the same team as himself, calling the up-and-comer an amateur. This would lead to a Duel between the two of them, where Soarin managed to surprise everyone - especially Crimson Inferno, by beating the overly-prideful Duelist and finally getting his respect, not to mention a spot on the team. The inspiring story was enough to convince Steel to accept their offer.

With that matter out of the way, the Qualification Tournament was able to continue, and the next match was one that everyone had been waiting to see: The rematch between Fluttershy and Gilda...

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After the sudden unexpected arrival of Wonderbolts Soarin and Spitfire - along with the even-more-unexpected event of Steel Shadows joining the team, The WCQ Qualification Tournament was able to resume where it had left off. Ember had won the first Quarterfinal match, and the second one was ready to begin. This Duel would pit none other than dueling rivals (friendly rivals, mind you) Fluttershy and Gilda.

"Aw man...! This is gonna be so awesome!!" Rainbow Dash said, barely on the edge of her seat in anticipation. "Fluttershy and Gilda's rematch is comin' up next! I can't wait to see it!!"

"Said every person reading this series." Pinkie commented seemingly to herself, winking a little.

"I gotta admit, Ah'm excited t' see this match too." said Applejack. "Accordin' to them, both Fluttershy n' Gilda had been trainin' a whole lot just for this kinda moment. They've both been waitin' for their rematch fer a long time ever since that day after the Interschool Duel."

"It sure seems so." Rarity chimed in. "In fact, I could have sworn that - for the first time in a while, at least, I overheard Fluttershy actually saying that she couldn't wait to duel Gilda again, and she didn't even stutter once out of nervousness!"

"Yeah, this oughtta be a good match for sure." said Flash Sentry. "We'd better make sure not to miss a second of it!"

Back down in the arena, Gilda was talking with her school friends as she prepped herself for her long-awaited rematch, doing a few stretches to help loosen herself up a little. "Eeeee!! This is so cool! You're finally gonna have your rematch with Fluttershy, just like you always wanted!!" cheered the always-cheerful Gabby. "I'm so excited, I'm not even sad that I'm not the once dueling you right now instead!"

"Yeah, I can't wait t' get started either!" Gilda replied. "Now I can show everybody - especially Fluttershy, how much better I've gotten. No way am I repeating that sloppy game I had with her the first time we squared off, that's for sure!" She then asked her friend Martin, "So, did ya tell my old man?"

"Indeed I did!" the boy replied. "I called him just like you asked, and he's watching the live stream as we speak! Of course, I had to explain to him how to open the video, but everything's all good!"

"Cool. Glad t' hear it." Gilda responded. "Guess I'll head over to the field now. Wish me luck out there."

"Go for it, Gilda!" Gabby shouted. "Win this one for Griffonstone!" Gilda nodded and made her way to the center of the arena.

At that same time, Sunset, Twilight, and Spike were giving their friend Fluttershy some last-minute advice and supportive words before her Duel. "Well, Fluttershy... This is it: Your rematch with Gilda is finally happening." said Sunset. "How do you feel?"

"W-well... I am sh-shaking a little..." the shy girl admitted.

"You mean you're nervous?" asked Spike. "Well, I guess I don't blame ya for it..."

"Actually...that's not quite it." Fluttershy told him. "It's...it's not because I'm scared... No, it's...it's something else... Something I've never felt before..."

"I think I know what it is." Twilight told her. "You're excited, that's all. I've gotten the same feeling whenever I turned in a report or friendship lesson to Princess Celestia. You've been wanting to face Gilda again for a long time, and that anticipation to duel her is overcoming any nervous feelings you might have had about the match itself."

"You...you really think so...?" asked Fluttershy.

"I thought the same thing myself." Sunset spoke up. "That's just your instinct as a Duelist; to be excited and pumped-up when facing an tough opponent. More often than not, Duelists seek to face stronger opponents in order to become stronger themselves. And I have a feeling that - no matter which of you wins this, you'll both grow as Duelists as a result. So just go out there, do your best, and above all, enjoy yourself."

Managing a small smile, Fluttershy told Sunset, "I will. Thank you...both of you. I'll...I'll make you proud of me, I promise!" Invigorated a little, the normally-shy girl hurried to the center of the field to start her Duel with Gilda.

"Well, I'd better go and do my thing, then..." Sunset told Twilight. "I'll talk to you after the match is done."

"Okay. Do your best out there, too." Twilight told her friend before she returned to the bench with Spike as Sunset made her way to the center of the field, where Fluttershy, Gilda, and Megan Williams the MC were waiting.

"All right, dueling fans!!" Megan announced. "It's time to begin the second round of the Quarterfinals! And this will be a most interesting match-up indeed! For the two Duelists competing are none other than... Fluttershy of Canterlot High...and Gilda of Griffonstone High!! According to records, these two had previously faced off against each other right here on this VERY campus! At the end of that Duel, it was Fluttershy who managed to come out on top! Will she make a repeat performance? Or will Gilda even the score between them? The answers to those questions will only be answered after this match is through!!"

Gilda glanced over at her friend/rival and saw that she was trembling a little. "Nervous?" she asked her. "Well, I can't blame ya; I'll admit, now that we're finally getting our rematch...it's a bit overwhelming, actually."

"Well...to be honest," the shy girl started, "for once, I'm actually not trembling because I'm nervous..."

"Oh?"

"...I...I never thought I'd ever say something like this," Fluttershy continued to tell her, "but I'm... I'm actually excited to start our match...! When I heard that you wanted us to join up in the tournament together, I was hoping that we would get paired up at some point... And then, we were! We got through our first Duels and we can finally face each other again...! I never thought that I could feel this way about something like this; the old me would have never even attempted to enter a tournament before."

Chuckling a little, Gilda told her, "So actually, you're not trembling out of fear, but rather out of anticipation? Heh...I guess some of my toughness rubbed off on ya, seeing as how you want to have our Duel so badly." Humming a bit, she then said, "I guess I know the feeling myself; what with how some of your personality rubbed off onto me..."

"Really?" asked Fluttershy.

"All my life, I thought that being nice to others and stuff was something only wimps did... But I guess by being the jerk that I was, I was the wimp instead, thinking that I had to make others afraid of me to get their respect." the roughneck went on. "But thanks to you, I don't think that way anymore: Now I'm using my power to help others instead of hurting them, and it's also had a positive effect on my dueling skills as well." Smirking, Gilda then told her rival, "Fluttershy, once we start our match, you won't even recognize me! You're about to see the new and improved Gilda, who Duels with everything she's got! So don't expect an easy win this time!"

Fluttershy (who, for once, was not acting shy in the slightest) smiled and told her, "I won't make it easy for you either, Gilda...! I'm going to play my best out there as well! And I plan to win!" Satisfied with that answer, Gilda nodded and escorted Fluttershy to where Sunset was waiting for them.

"Okay, it's time to begin this Duel!" the red-and-yellow teen declared. "And to do that, we'll determine the turn order." She then presented a large coin. "Who wants to call it?" she then asked the competing Duelists.

"You can go ahead, Gilda." Fluttershy politely offered.

The Griffonstone student nodded and watched Sunset toss the coin into the air, catch it in her hand and place it on the back of her other hand, all without seeing the result. "Your call, Gilda." Sunset told her.

"I'll...go with heads." the kind roughneck responded. She and Gilda watched as Sunset removed her hand and revealed the coin result as...

"It's tails..." Fluttershy spoke. "I guess that means I'll go first...if that's okay with everyone."

"Fine with me." Gilda said, agreeing to the decision.

"Then it's decided: Fluttershy will take the first turn." Sunset stated to make it official. "Cut and shuffle your opponent's Decks, and then head to your respective sides of the field." The two Duelists did just that, mixing each other's cards and taking their spots in the arena.

"And now, without further ado..." announced Megan, "let the second Quarterfinal match begin!!"

"Let's DUEL!!" shouted both Fluttershy and Gilda as they drew their opening hands (Fluttershy: LP 4,000) (Gilda: LP 4,000).

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At the house that Fluttershy called her home, her parents were anxious to see their daughter compete in the Qualifier Tournament. Cueing up the tournament live stream onto their TV, the pair sat down on their extra-comfortable sofa to watch the Duel. "Oh my...!" spoke Mrs. Shy in her usual soft tone of voice. "Our little girl is up next... I'm so excited to see her...!"

"I know..." her husband said quietly to her. "As bold as our daughter is, even I never would have thought she would enter such a huge tournament...! I know I never could have worked up the courage to try and do something like that..."

"Ohhhh...should we, dear?" asked Mrs. Shy.

"...You mean...do 'that'?"

"Yes, let's cheer our hearts out for our brave little girl in the hopes that she hears us, even from all the way back home...!"

Nodding, Mr. Shy told her, "I think that's a great idea...! As long as you think it is, of course." The two of them took a long, deep breath, psyched themselves up, and then cheered in unison: "...Yay."

Angel Bunny, who was sitting beside the couch with a bowl full of his favorite brand of carrot slices, simply rolled his eyes at his owner's parents' less-than-audible cheer. Even so, even he was eager to see how well Fluttershy would do in her next tournament match.

Elsewhere, in a what appeared to be a school dormitory far away from town, Fluttershy's younger brother Zephyr Breeze was busy finishing up some work from his hair-styling class (that he had, admittedly, put off almost to the last minute). "Urrgh...FINALLY..." he groaned. "That's the last of it. I swear, they print this homework out faster than I can finish it...!" Glancing over to a family photo that he had sitting on his desk, he noticed a sticky note attached to it that read, "FLUTTERSHY DUEL TODAY".

"Aw man...! And look at that: All those assignments almost made me miss seein' my sister in that tournament back home!" Zephyr then complained, quickly grabbing his phone and pulling up the live footage so that he could watch it in his dorm room.

In the suburbs nearby where Girffonstone High was located, Mr. Gruff - Griffonstone High's principal and Gilda's grandfather - had just settled into watch his granddaughter's next match with a warm cup of tea. "Good luck out there, Gilda." he said, watching the live stream (that Martin helped him get onto). "Show 'em all what you've learned up to now!"

Back in the CHS stadium, as both Gilda and Fluttershy looked over their hands, Sunset glanced around the arena, seemingly looking for something...or rather, someone. (No sign of Sonata or her sisters anywhere nearby again...) she thought to herself. (They could be watching the match on a video screen somewhere in the stadium halls...or more than likely, they're up to something else... I'll find out what they're doing sooner or later, but right now, I'd better just pay attention to the match right now.)

Sunset brought her focus back on the Duel in progress as Fluttershy began her first turn. Glancing at the five cards she had, she focused on one of them and thought to herself, (This card again: Naturia Cherries... It helped me a lot when I first dueled Gilda, so maybe it will help me out here, too...) Taking the card from her hand, she placed it horizontally on her D-Pad and said, 'I'll place a monster face-down in Defense Mode... Also, I'll set three cards in my back row and end my turn."

(Just like before...) thought Gilda, (she's playing cautiously and not taking any risks...) She then smirked and a said to herself, "Well, I can do that too...AND take some initiative as well." Reaching for her Deck, Gilda drew a card, looked at it, and placed it into her hand before pulling out a different one. "I'll Summon Raidraptor - Napalm Dragonius in Attack Mode!" Immediately, her silver-armored, dragon-like bird appeared on her side of the field (Raidraptor - Napalm Dragonius: Level 4 / ATK 1000 / DEF 1000).

"Not a bad start for Gilda..." said Martin. "With its ability, Gilda can deal a small amount of damage to Fluttershy right away and give herself a slight lead immediately."

"Alright! That's awesome!!" cheered Gabby. "Go for it, Gilda!! You can do it!!"

The kindly roughneck glanced over at her friends in the audience and smiled, (So...this is what's it's like to have friends cheering you on... I have t' admit, it feels pretty good.) Keeping her smile and mixing in a fierce look in her eyes, she then shouted, "Go, Napalm Dragonius! Activate your effect!! Fire Bomb!!"

Fluttershy gasped when she saw Gilda's first monster unleash a barrage of fireballs straight down towards her, dealing some quick and early damage. "Eeeeeeek!" she screamed as she took the hit (Fluttershy: LP 4,000 - 600 = 3,400).

"Well...once again, it seems that Gilda still favors a brute force strategy." Rarity commented.

"Maybe..." Rainbow Dash responded, "but I'm gettin' a different kind of vibe from Gilda right now: I can't explain it, but I think she's got more than brute force on her side this time around."

Continuing her turn, Gilda then said, "Now since I've got Napalm Dragonius - a DARK monster - on my side of the field, I can now Special Summon Raidraptor - Strangle Lanius in Attack Mode straight from my hand!" After saying this, Gilda brought out another armored bird creature to help her battle her rival (Raidraptor - Strangle Lanius: Level 4 / ATK 1600 / DEF 1100). "And while we're at it, let's get Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius in on the action as well!" she then said, bring out her third monster - clad in blue and violet armor - in Defense Mode (Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius: Level 4 / ATK 500 / DEF 1500).

"In just one turn..." Twilight commented, "Gilda summoned three Level 4 monsters!"

"Is...is that bad for Fluttershy?" asked Spike.

"I guess we'll have to see..." Twilight answered, keeping her eyes glued to the Duel.

Looking over Gilda's field, Fluttershy thought to herself, (She must be planning to Xyz Summon... The only Rank 4 Xyz Monster that I know she has is Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon...but it would not be beneficial for her to summon it now, so she might be planning to summon something else altogether.)

"I now overlay both Napalm Dragonius and Fuzzy Lanius, each of them Level 4, and build an Overlay Network!" shouted Gilda as the two monster transformed into rays of purple light that flew into a red vortex in the center of the field. "Avian hunter of the afterlife," she then chanted, "seek the truth with your dark eyes, and grasp glory with your sharp talons! Xyz Summon! Take flight! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Force Strix!" Immediately afterward, she summoned her owl-like brid monster from her Extra Deck, placing it in Attack Mode.

"Force Strix?" asked Fluttershy. "I've never seen that Raidraptor before."

"He's not as powerful as my Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon," Gilda told her, "but he's pretty reliable: For one thing, he gets 500 extra attack and defense points for every other Winged Beast on the field (Raidraptor - Force Strix: Rank 4 / ATK 100 + 500 = 600 / DEF 2000 + 500 = 2500 / OLU 2)! But not only that, I can remove an overlay unit from him to search my Deck for any Level 4 DARK Winged Beast monster and add it to my hand!" She then detached one of her Xyz Monster's materials (Raidraptor - Force Strix: OLU 2 - 1 = 1) and chose to take Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius into her hand. "And since I detached Fuzzy Lanius to use the effect, I can pull another copy of it out of my Deck too! Then finally, I'll Special Summon Raidraptor - Singing Lanius from my hand in Defense Mode since I have an Xyz Monster out!" After that, a small, stout bird with gold and purple armor appeared beside Force Strix (Raidraptor - Singing Lanius: Level 4 / ATK 100 / DEF 100). The prescence of the new Winged Beast monster allowed Force Strix to get even stronger (Raidraptor - Force Strix: ATK 600 + 500 = 1100 / DEF 2500 + 500 = 3000).

"Once again...Gilda's got three monsters out..." Applejack pointed out. "Hopefully, Fluttershy's defense monster can weather all'o those potential attacks."

She and everyone else were about to find that out as Gilda proceeded to the Battle Phase. "Go, Strangle Lanius! Attack Fluttershy's monster!" Her monster dove down from the sky and approached its target, which revealed itself as Naturia Cherries (Naturia Cherries: Level 1 / ATK 200 / DEF 200). "Rrrgh...it's that monster again...!" she then said to herself, recognizing it from her first Duel with Fluttershy.

Naturia Cherries was immediately destroyed, but Fluttershy didn't even flinch (again, a first for her). "I activate the effect of Naturia Cherries! When you send it to the Graveyard, I can summon the other two copies of Cherries in Defense Mode!" And she did just that, placing them on the field face-down.

"I remember that effect pretty well, Fluttershy." Gilda told her. "But just like the last time, I still have two other monsters that can attack you, starting with my Force Strix! Take out one of her face-down Cherries!"

But before the owl-like bird monster could start its attack, Fluttershy responded, "Not so fast! I activate my Trap Card, Naturia Sacred Tree!" After the card flipped face-up, she then told her rival, "Now by Tributing an EARTH monster that is either Insect or Plant-Type, I can summon a monster of the other type from my Deck! So I'll Tribute the Naturia Cherries that is under attack...and replace it with my Naturia Butterfly in Defense Mode!" After that, Gilda's attack target was gone, replaced by a cutesy-looking pink butterfly (Naturia Butterfly: Level 3 / ATK 500 / DEF 1200).

"Hm, not bad." Gilda complimented. "But now that you took away my initial attack target, I can have Force Strix instead go after your OTHER Cherries! Attack her face-down monster!" The owl then dove down towards Fluttershy's other Naturia Cherries.

"No he won't! I activate Naturia Butterfly's effect!" Fluttershy quickly said. "I send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard and negate your attack!" After doing so, the butterfly flew in front of the attacking bird monster and flapped its wings hard and fast, creating a wall of wind that repelled its attack and blew it back to the other side of the field.

(Just like before...) thought Gilda, (it's taking everything I've got just to get even a LITTLE damage on her...! Only now, she's gotten even better at protecting herself!) Smirking, she then said to herself, "Just as I expected of her, I guess. But I planned on this possibly happening, and I've got a backup plan for it." Taking two cards from her hand, she placed them onto the field and said, "I'll set two facedowns and end my turn."

(Gilda has gotten even more aggressive in her dueling...) Fluttershy noted, (but I can see that she's a lot more methodical in her play style, and she's gotten better at managing her resources... There's no doubt about it: She HAS gotten stronger. And I'll need to pick up my game to keep up with her...!)

"It's my turn...! I draw!" the yellow girl said as she started her turn. Looking at the card she got, she thought to herself, (This could be useful later...) Putting the card in her hand for now, she then said, "I'll begin by Flip Summoning my last Naturia Cherries." After revealing her monster, she then told her opponent, "Then, I'll Tribute it with the effect of Sacred Tree, and summon Naturia Dragonfly in Attack Mode!" She then brought out her next monster: A somewhat large, red-and-blue dragonfly (Naturia Dragonfly: Level 4 / ATK 1200 / DEF 400).

"Heh...I remember that guy from our last Duel, too." Gilda commented. "And I remember that it's supposed to get stronger from all of the Naturia monsters in your Graveyard. You tryin' to take me down Memory Lane, Fluttershy?"

Giggling a bit, the pink-haired Duelist answered, "I suppose that's one way to look at it... And yes, my Dragonfly gains 600 more attack points: 200 for each Naturia in my Graveyard, of which there are three." (Naturia Dragonfly: Level 4 / ATK 1200 + 600 = 1800).

"Not only that," Flash Sentry pointed out, "but because the Naturia Butterfly is a Tuner Monster, she can go for a Level 7 Synchro Monster!"

"Yay! That means she can bring out the big dragon that helped her beat Gilda the first time!!" cheered Pinkie.

Gilda knew that as well, but she had a feeling that her opponent wasn't going to bring it out just yet. (If I were Fluttershy, the smartest thing to do is clear out some monsters first, and THEN go for the Synchro Summon...) she pondered. (So I'd better not take any chances...) Tapping her D-Pad's screen, she shouted, "I activate my Trap Card, Raidraptor - Readiness! For this turn, my Raidraptors can't be beaten in battle!"

"Then I'll chain Exterio's Fang!" shouted Fluttershy. "I negate and destroy your Trap Card, then I send Naturia Cliff from my hand afterwards!" In an instant, Gilda's Trap had been stopped before it could resolve.

(So she was ready for it...I thought so.) Gilda pondered to herself. (But I have a backup plan FOR my backup plan!)

Looking over the field, Fluttershy thought, (First things first...I have to get rid of as many of Gilda's monsters as I can before I try playing a bigger monster; I need to cut her off of any more Xyz Summons to have a chance here.) Repositioning one of her cards, she said, "I switch Naturia Butterfly to Attack Mode and move onto my Battle Phase! Naturia Dragonfly, attack Force Strix!!" Her monster then flapped its wings very hard, creating a deafening sound wave that shattered Gilda's Xyz Monster.

"Heh...nice to see ya taking the initiative, Fluttershy." the kind roughneck complimented (Gilda: LP 4,000 - 900 = 3,100). "You've gotten better at playing offensively... But now watch me show off how much better my defense is! I activate Raidraptor - Return!"

"Another Trap?!" Fluttershy gasped.

"Thanks to this card here," Gilda told her rival, "I can get a Raidraptor in my Graveyard back into my hand AFTER one of my Raidraptors on the field is taken out! So I'll get my Napalm Dragonius back. Thanks, Flutters."

"Oh dear..." said the shy Duelist. She was shy, but she was determined to win this Duel and show how much stronger she had gotten. So she didn't miss a beat when she shouted her next move. "Naturia Butterfly, attack Singing Lanius!" Her second monster then whipped up another whirlwind, this time to attack and destroy one of Gilda's other monsters.

"Now Fluttershy's in the lead." Spike commented. "That's good."

"It's not much of a lead, though..." Twilight pointed out, "and with how little damage each of them has taken, there's still plenty of time for one of them to take control of the Duel. I wouldn't be surprised if the advantage in this game changes hooves more than once before it's done, given the high level that they're playing at."

Fluttershy was now in control of the Duel...barely, and she wanted to make sure of it. "For my next move before I end my turn, I'll tune my Level 3 Naturia Butterfly to my Level 4 Naturia Dragonfly!" The pink butterfly began glowing an even brighter pink before transforming into three small lights that flew into the air. The lights transformed into three green rings that surrounded the dragonfly monster, turning it into four more small lights (Level 3 + Level 4 = Level 7). "Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro Summon!!" Fluttershy said, mustering up the energy to say it louder and more confidently than she even had before. "Appear now! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" And with that, her ace card, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, appeared in all its glory, giving off a mighty roar that seemed to shake the very stadium (Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: Level 7 / ATK 2500 / DEF 2000).

"Clear Wing...at last you show up!" said Gilda, remembering very well the monster that had defeated her during her first Duel with Fluttershy. Smirking, she added, "But don't think you'll get me so easily this time around! I'll use every last bit of my power to beat it!"

Giving a smirk of her own, Fluttershy told her, "And I'll use every bit of MY power to prevent that!"

"Oh my...just look at the two of them...!" gasped Rarity. "They seem to be invigorating each other quite a bit! Never have I seen such a display of confidence and determination in those two before!"

"Awwwwww YEAH!!! That's what I'm talkin' about!!" shouted a pumped-up Rainbow Dash, standing up in her chair. "This is what duelin's all about!!" Calling out to her two friends, "Go for it, both of you!! Give this audience a Duel they'll NEVER forget!!"

Hearing their friend's words from up in the stands, Fluttershy and Gilda were determined to do just that. "So," the Griffonstone Duelist asked her opponent, "any other moves this turn?"

Nodding yes, she then played the card she drew this turn. "I'll play Pot of Avarice from my hand. By returning five monsters in my Graveyard back to my Deck, I can draw an additional two cards. I'll put back all three of my Naturia Cherries, Naturia Dragonfly, and the Naturia Cliff that discarded with Exterio's Fang earlier, and then draw." After getting her two new cards, she placed one in her D-Pad, saying, "I'll finish with one card face-down. It's your turn now, Gilda."

(Okay...Fluttershy's got her boss monster onto the field already, so I gotta keep calm and play carefully until I can get a chance to even the odds against her.) Gilda thought as she drew her next card. She looked at it and thought, (Raidraptor - Nest...this might help me.) Putting the card in her hand for now, she then said, "This move oughtta look familiar to you: Normal Summoning Napalm Dragonius in Attack Mode!" Once the massive creature showed up again, she then added, "Get ready for another 600 points of damage!"

"That won't happen this time!" shouted Fluttershy. "I reveal my Book of Moon Spell Card! I can use it to change any of your monsters to Defense Mode and turn it face-down! And I choose Napalm Dragonius!" Immediately, the monster vanished and was replaced by the image of a face-down card.

(Clever move...) thought Sunset. (Now she doesn't take any damage from that monster's effect, and Gilda can't use a face-down monster to Xyz Summon.)

"Hmmmm...guess I shoulda expected that." Gilda admitted. "No prob; got lots of other things to use on you instead. And I'll start with the effect of Fuzzy Lanius in my hand! Since Strangle Lanius is still on my field, I can Special Summon Fuzzy Lanius to the field!' After her monster appeared on the field in Defense Position, Gilda continued, saying, "Now I'll activate the Continuous Spell Raidraptor - Nest! As long as I've got two Raidraptors face-up on the field, I can search my Deck for another Raidraptor to add to my hand!" Thinking for a while, she made her decision and said, "I'll pick this one: Raidraptor - Booster Strix."

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Raidraptor - Booster Strix:
(Effect Monster/Winged Beast/DARK/Level 4/ATK 100/DEF 1700)

When a "Raidraptor" monster you control is targeted for an attack by an opponent's monster: You can banish this card from your hand; destroy the attacking monster.

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"Hmmm...Booster Strix, eh?" Martin said to himself, knowing what his former bully was trying to do. "I see... Not bad, Gilda."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Gabby, not sure about the whole thing.

Looking at the card she got, Gilda thought to herself, (Raidraptor - Booster Strix might help me take that dragon down... From what I remember the last time I fought against it, Clear Wing can negate any effect from a Level 5 or above monster...OR any effect that TARGETS a Level 5 or above monster. But that's where Booster Strix comes in: By banishing it from my hand, I can use its effect to destroy her monster when it attacks... Since Booster Strix is a Level 4 monster, and its effect doesn't actually target the attacker, Clear Wing shouldn't be able to stop it. So my plan will be to leave Strangle Lanius in Attack Mode and lure Fluttershy into attacking with her dragon...I just hope that'll be enough.) After she was done thinking her plan over, she told her opponent, "Your move, Fluttershy."

"Um, oh! Okay." said the normally-shy girl. "I'll draw my card this turn, then..." After she did so, she looked over at Gilda's side of the field and pondered something peculiar. (Gilda's Strangle Lanius...she didn't switch it to Defense Mode, but why? If I attack it, she'll take more damage this turn... And knowing just how strong she is, she would never make such a mistake like that...) Looking over her opponent's field - specifically her back row, she then thought, (She didn't place any face-down cards on her field, so...I should be able to to attack...) She then looked over at Gilda and saw that she didn't seem to be very concerned about the state of the field.

(...She has to be up to something... I just know it.) Fluttershy theorized. (So I had better play this carefully...) Taking the card she drew this turn and placing it on her D-Pad, she said, "I Summon Naturia Cliff in Attack Mode!" Afterwards, a giant stone slab with "hair" made of red-colored grass and a pair of small eyes on the front rose up from the ground to do battle (Naturia Cliff: Level 4 / ATK 1500 / DEF 1000).

(Here it comes...!) thought Gilda, knowing that Fluttershy was about to go on the offense.

Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy glanced at the cards she had out, looked up at her Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, nodded and shouted, "Go, Clear Wing! Attack Gilda's Strangle Lanius with Whirlwind Dive Slasher!!" Her dragon then whipped up a massive twister that it then flew into, increasing the power and impact of its attack as it zoomed straight towards Gilda's only Attack Position monster.

"Not so fast, Fluttershy!" Gilda announced. "Before your attack lands, I activate the effect of a monster in my hand!"

"I-in your hand?!" gasped the yellow girl.

Showing her rival the card she was about to activate, Gilda explained, "I now banish Raidraptor - Booster Strix from my hand to use its effect! Now I can negate your dragon's attack and destroy it!!" At that moment, a large bird monster in shiny blue armor raced out from Gilda's side of the field and headed straight for Fluttershy's dragon in an attempt at a kamikaze attack.

"Aw, no!! said Rainbow Dash. "Clear Wing's gonna get destroyed!!"

"But...but how?" asked Sweetie Belle, sitting on a seat on the arena sidelines. "Doesn't Clear Wing stop effects like that??"

"Not this one." explained Ember, who was sitting nearby. "Booster Strix doesn't technically target, so the dragon's effect can't stop it from working."

Gilda smirked a little, saying, "Too bad, Fluttershy...but it looks like I'll have finally beaten your dragon!"

"...Not this turn, you won't!" the not-so-shy-girl responded.

"S-say what??" gasped the roughneck.

Tapping her D-Pad's screen, Fluttershy said, "I activate the Trap Card, Follow Wing!! This card allows me to protect any Synchro Monster on my side of the field from being destroyed in battle or by card effects as long as it remains face-up! And of course, I choose to protect Clear Wing with its effect!" After that, a circular shield made up of fierce winds surrounded Clear Wing, causing Booster Strix to hit the shield instead of the dragon, taking out only itself.

"Rrrgh...I see." Gilda said, a little annoyed that her plan didn't work. "That Trap exists to protect your dragon from the effects it can't stop, right?"

"Exactly." said Fluttershy. "And now I continue my attack on Strangle Lanius!" Her dragon then re-initiated its attack, going for Gilda's Attack Mode monster once again.

"I may not destroy your dragon this turn," said the Griffonstone Duelist, "but I can at least stop the damage! I banish Raidraptor - Readiness from the Graveyard to use its effect! Now I can't take any damage this turn!" After removing her card, a bright barrier surrounded her, protecting her from the explosion caused by Clear Wing destroying her monster.

Fluttershy was impressed by Gilda's quick response. (Last time we dueled, she couldn't use the Graveyard effect of Raidraptor - Readiness because she had banished all of the Raidraptors in her Graveyard at a later point in the game... But now she had it ready, just in case something went wrong, and now she still has all the Life Points she had when the turn started... That was a very good move, Gilda...) Fluttershy then continued her turn, saying, "Now I attack your face-down Napalm Dragonius with Naturia Cliff!" Her Rock monster then slammed its entire body down, crushing Napalm Dragonius into a bird-shaped pancake.

Gilda, having regained her composure, asked her rival, "Anything else ya got for me, Fluttershy?"

Shaking her head, the yellow teen said, "No. I end my turn."

Gilda nodded and drew her next card as she tried to think of what she could do. (I can't deny it: That use of her Trap Card was pretty slick...) the roughneck thought. (Thanks to that card, her dragon's nearly invincible...) She then looked at the card she drew for this turn and said, "But maybe with this card... I can get something to even the odds." Playing the card, she then told her opponent, "I use Pot of Desires and banish the top ten cards of my Deck to draw another two!" After she did that, she looked at the cards she got and smirked. (That'll do just nicely...) She then played one of the cards she picked up, saying, "Now I activate Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy that Follow Wing card!"

"Oh no...!" gasped Fluttershy, knowing that her dragon was now a bit more vulnerable without that Trap Card to guard it.

(Now Gilda has an open window to destroy Clear Wing...) thought Sunset. (But will she be able to do it?) She watched on in order to see the answer to her question herself.

"And next," Gilda stated as she took the other card she drew with Pot of Desires, "I'll bring out my Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius in Attack Mode!" The next monster she brought out was her bird creature clad in green, blue, and silver armor (Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius: Level 4 / ATK 1300 / DEF 1600). "And with his effect, I'll Special Summon Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius from my hand in Attack Mode to provide him with some needed back-up!" A second bird-like creature then appeared, this one clad in mostly blue armor with some bits of gold and silver on it (Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius: Level 4 / ATK 1800 / DEF 400).

(She's building up her monsters again...) thought Fluttershy, a small bead of sweat running down her cheek. (Is she going to try to Xyz Summon this turn...?)

"Now, I'll use my Raidraptor - Nest and pull Raidraptor - Strangle Lanius from my Deck since I control at least 2 Raidraptors!" the Griffonstone student then told her opponent. "And then, I'll use Tribute Lanius's effect to send any Raidraptor card from my Deck to the Graveyard! I'll choose to send to send my Raidraptor - Readiness Trap Card to the Graveyard, just for some added insurance." After dumping the card out of her Deck, she then finished her series of moves by saying, "And then, I'll Special Summon Strangle Lanius with its effect once again, since I've got a DARK monster out!" And with that, she brought out her third monster for the turn; which, together with the Fuzzy Lanius she had out on the field, brought her to a total of four.

"Hmmmm...quite the predicament your classmate is in..." Bright Mind mentioned to the nearby Octavia. "Her opponent has her outnumbered four to two, and there is no doubt in my mind that those monsters are merely the steps to call out an even greater creature."

"It does appear so..." the sepia-skinned teen replied. "Hopefully, it won't be too much for Fluttershy to handle..."

"Aw, you guys're worried over nothin'!" said Vinyl, casually sitting on the bench with her friend. "Fluttershy beat her once already, and she'll do it again! No sweat."

But Fluttershy was at least a little worried, as she knew that Gilda was preparing to bring out a more powerful monster...and she had a feeling she knew which one it was going to be. (If I know Gilda,) she thought, (she would definitely want to fight my Clear Wing with...with THAT monster next...) She may have been a little scared, but she was prepared to face this creature, whatever it was.

Looking at her deck box (which held her Extra Deck), Gilda then said, "Alright big guy...I think it's time you came out and really showed off what you can do. And this time, I'll make sure to be more careful with ya... After all, you're the most-prized Monster Card in our family; it wouldn't do ya justice to get whipped so easily like the last time." Taking a card out of her Extra Deck, she then faced her friend/rival and said, "You ready, Fluttershy? 'Cause I'm about t' bring out a monster I think you're real familiar with!"

(Here it comes...) thought the normally-shy Duelist.

"One she's familiar with...?" asked Flash. "Does she mean-"

"Ah think it is." Applejack interrupted, nodding. "Ah had a feelin' we'd see THAT card again."

Raising the card she took from her Extra Deck into the air, Gilda shouted, "I overlay Vanishing Lanius and Fuzzy Lanius - both Level 4 - and build the Overlay Network!!" Her two monsters then transformed into a pair of purple rays of energy that flew into a red vortex in the center of the arena. The portal then exploded into a geyser of dark energy that shot into the air, crating black storm clouds.

"Urrgh...!" grunted Sunset as she shielded herself from the strong wind that picked up as a result of the geyser's eruption. Everyone else in the arena did the same as well. But Fluttershy did her best to stand her ground and not show any fear, which was not an easy task for her to do.

Gilda was then ready to recite the summoning chant for the monster she was about to bring to the field. "Formed from pitch-black darkness, to fight those foolish enough to oppose it with its treacherous fangs! Xyz Summon!!" At that moment, the dark energy shooting out of the ground began to form into a different shape: The shape of a massive dragon and one that wasn't unknown to those watching the Duel, as this wasn't the first time - or even the second time, that Gilda had summoned this monster on CHS's campus. "Appear now! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!!" The massive dragon belted a mighty roar, ready to show off its full power in front of everyone in attendance (Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: Rank 4 / ATK 2500 / DEF 2000 / OLU 2).

"Oh my...! She finally summoned it...!" said Fluttershy. "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon...!"

"I had a feeling that Gilda would want to use that card in this Duel..." Sunset said to herself. "Last time, Dark Rebellion lost easily to Clear Wing because Gilda didn't know what Fluttershy's dragon was capable of... I have to admit, I'm curious to see what Gilda plans to do this time."

"YEAH!!!! This so AWESOME!!!" Gabby cheered as loud as she could. "Gilda summoned Dark Rebellion!! She's got this Duel in the bag now!"

"Try to calm down a little, Gabby." Martin informed her. "Gilda may have her best monster on the field, but that doesn't mean she can rest on her laurels just yet. There's still a good amount of the Duel left, and now she needs to play even more carefully than before... After all, if Dark Rebellion falls, she may not have enough time to recover from it. But if she plays smart AND strong, she can still win this." Gabby nodded, understanding what her friend meant.

Gilda knew that perfectly well too, and wasn't about to make a repeat of last time. (I lost my first Duel to Fluttershy because I didn't think she was a threat; and because of that, I made a bone-headed mistake that lost me everything.) she thought to herself. Dark Rebellion then seemed to glance over at her, as if it could sense her thoughts. Gilda looked back at her treasured card and said, "Don't worry D.R.; we'll win it this time, and we'll show everybody how much we've grown! We've come a long way from the Inter-school Duel, and there's no way I'll allow us to lose twice in a row!" Her dragon then nodded and let out a quite grunt, as if it understood its controller and was ready to truly fight alongside her.

Everyone in the audience and on the side lines were eager to see just how this battle between Fluttershy's Clear Wing Synchro Dragon and Gilda's Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon would turn out. The only thing they knew was that this battle was going to be an epic one.

"Alright, Fluttershy: Here I come!" shouted the Griffonstone Duelist. "I activate the effect of Dark Rebellion! By removing both of its Overlay Units, I can cut the attack power of any of your monsters in half, then add those points to Dark Rebellion's attack power!" Her dragon then absorbed both of the purple orbs that orbited it, fueling its special ability (Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: OLU 2 - 2 = 0). "But I've learned from last time:" Gilda informed her rival. "I WON'T be targeting your dragon with this effect. But I WILL target your Naturia Cliff instead!"

Fluttershy gasped as she watched her monster lose its strength after it was subjected to the black lightning bolts that Dark Rebellion unleashed upon it. The grass and plants on its head darkened slightly and began to wither away (Naturia Cliff: ATK 1500 ÷ 2 = 750). The siphoned energy then flowed into Gilda's Xyz Monster, increasing its strength (Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 2500 + 750 = 3250).

"Now Gilda's monster is strong enough to take out Clear Wing...!!" gasped Rarity.

"Aw man... I can't watch...!" said Rainbow Dash, shielding her eyes from what she and the others presumed would be the destruction of Fluttershy's Synchro Monster.

Smirking, Gilda then said to her monster, "Alright, Dark Rebellion! Attack Clear Wing and get yourself some much-needed payback! Revolt of the Lightning!!" And with that, her dragon then fired off more lightning bolts, striking Fluttershy's Synchro Monster hard and wiping it out in an instant, much to the shock of everyone watching.

"Oh no..." the usually-shy girl said in despair. "She actually did it...! She defeated Clear Wing..." (Fluttershy: LP 3,400 - 750 = 2,650).

"Woah...that's gotta be tough on her, losing such a cool and powerful dragon just like that..." said Spike, feeling sorry for her.

"Maybe..." said Twilight. "But I wouldn't count Fluttershy out of this yet."

"Really? What makes you think that?" To answer Spike's question, Twilight pointed towards their friend Fluttershy. The dragon-turned-puppy looked over and was surprised to see the normally-shy girl...smiling at her opponent. "She's...she's not scared??" asked Spike. "She's actually smiling?? What's going on, Twilight? Does she have some kinda plan up her sleeve or something that she's smiling like that?"

"She might..." the young Princess answered. "But I think her smiling is more about the fact that she's impressed with how well her opponent played her last move. In other words, Fluttershy seems to recognize Gilda as a worthy opponent, and she's happy to see how much she's improved." Spike still didn't really understand it, but he was at least happy to see that Fluttershy wasn't sad about taking such a heavy loss.

"...Gilda, that was a great move." the not-shy-at-all Fluttershy told her opponent. "You managed to defeat my Clear Wing."

"Uhhh...thanks?" asked the student from Griffonstone. "Sorry; not really used to havin' my opponent praise me for wiping out their best card like that."

"I would imagine." the pink-haired girl replied. "But you deserve the praise, Gilda. Your game strategy has most certainly improved since the first time we dueled, and now you've taken the lead in this Duel. You were right with what you said at the beginning of the Duel: The person you are now is so much more different than the person you were when we first met, that it's practically night and day. Not just your dueling, but your attitude as well. You so much kinder than you used to be, and it's obvious that it's had such a positive effect on you since then."

"Aw man...that's nice of ya to say that, Flutters." Gilda replied, fighting back the urge to blush from the compliment she received (after all, kind or not, she had a reputation to maintain). "But you know," she then added, "I'm not the only one who's improved themselves since that first Duel we had; you've changed for the better, too."

"I-I have...?"

"Y'mean ya didn't notice?" asked Gilda. "Just look at you right now: You're competing in a huge tournament in front of thousands of excited fans, and you haven't even flinched! Would that have been something you would have done before today?"

"...No, I guess not." Fluttershy admitted. "To be honest, I was so eager for my possible rematch with you, that I completely forgot that people were watching me."

"Y'see what I mean?" the kindly roughneck further inquired her rival. "You've gotten stronger too; both in your personality and in your dueling. That proves you've always had the instincts of a True Duelist, and that means always getting excited to face a tough foe, no matter what the circumstances are! Not to toot my own horn about it, but I'd like to think that - just as how some of your kindness rubbed off on me, that you applied some of my toughness into yourself. Makes sense, right?"

"I...I guess it does make sense...!" Fluttershy responded. "Even though I'm standing here, in front of so many people, facing you in such a big tournament...I...I don't feel scared at all...! I...actually feel excited about the whole thing!" Smiling and facing her opponent, she then told her, "You'd better watch out, Gilda...! I don't plan on losing this Duel! I'm going to play my absolute best right here!"

Nodding, Gilda said to her, "And that's just what I want you to do: That's the only way we can both walk out of here satisfied, regardless of who wins or loses. But don't get me wrong: I don't plan on losing to you twice in a row, Flutters, so YOU'D better be watching out for me!"

"Bring it on!" the animal-loving Duelist said with a giggle.

"...Wow, that was some exchange they had with each other there." said Applejack.

"Yeah...I've never seen Fluttershy this pumped-up before about...well, anything!" stated Rainbow Dash.

"It does seem that Gilda is quite possibly the reason for Fluttershy's excitement right now:" Rarity figured. "She seems to be coaching Fluttershy along so that she can get the best out of her; after all, they have both wanted this rematch for quite some time, and they want to make sure that it will be a Duel for them to remember for a very long time."

"That sure sounds like what's going on down there..." noted Flash Sentry.

"All that matters to me is that they're having the best Duel of their life right now!" Pinkie Pie chimed in. "That's the most important thing for them: To have fun playing a really great Duel!" The others nodded to say that they agreed with their pink friend.

Sunset, Twilight, and Spike also heard the conversation that Gilda and Fluttershy were having and were happy to see just how far both of them had come since their first Duel. (Fluttershy...Gilda...) thought the red and yellow-haired teen, (you both have grown a lot since you first met, and have proven that you belong here in this big tournament, dueling each other they way you always wanted to, holding nothing back. I'm real proud of you both, and feel honored to be the Judge for your Duel...)

"...Gilda," Fluttershy began to say, "it's still your turn... I believe that you were in your Battle Phase before we started talking. So go ahead and finish your turn."

Nodding, the Griffonstone Duelist shouted, "Attack, Tribute Lanius! Destroy Naturia Cliff!" Her second monster unleashed its attack next, reducing the weakened Naturia Cliff to a pile of rubble.

"Urrgh..." Fluttershy groaned a little as her Life Points took another hit (Fluttershy: 2650 - 1050 = 1,600)... But she was prepared to withstand it in order to get back her advantage. "I activate Naturia Cliff's effect! When it's sent from the field to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Naturia monster in its place! And I select Naturia Mantis!" In an instant, her next monster appeared on the field: A cutesy-eyed praying mantis with leaves in place of its scythes, and antennae with small pink flowers on the tips (Naturia Mantis: Level 4 / ATK 1700 / DEF 1500).

"Heh, well I guess the one thing that hasn't changed with you is that ya still like the cutesy cards." Gilda commented. "In any case, I knew destroying your Cliff would set its effect off, but it had to be done... Now, on my Main Phase 2, I can use the effect of my Tribute Lanius! Since it destroyed one of your monsters in battle this turn, I can add a 'Rank-Up-Magic' Spell Card from my hand to my Deck. She then made her choice, and looked at it for a while. (I hope you're watchin', Old Man...) she thought to herself with a smirk, ('cause this next move's for you!) She then put the card she chose in her D-Pad and said, "I'll set a card face-down and end my turn!"

Fluttershy looked over the field and thought to herself, (Now that Gilda's gotten her best monster onto the field, I have to be careful: One false move and Dark Rebellion can wipe out the rest of my Life Points at any time...!) Looking at her Deck, she then added, (There's one card in my Deck that can save me right now... Only one monster that can fight Dark Rebellion... But in order for me to summon that monster, I have to draw the card right card, right now...! Please...please let me draw the card I need...please!)

Fluttershy then closed her eyes and pulled the top card from her Deck. For a moment, she made no other movement after drawing the card, other than a slight nervous tremble. But, once she had the courage to look at what card she drew, she slowly cracked an eye open...and saw that she had drawn hey copy of Pot of Desires. Still not sure what was going to happen next, she played the card and said, "I activate Pot of Desires to banish the top ten cards of my Deck, then draw two more..." After she did so, she slowly and carefully looked at the two cards she drew...and gasped in shock. "I-I-I-I don't believe it! I actually drew what I needed!!" she cheered.

"You did, huh...?" asked Gilda, curious to see what her opponent had in store now. "Then why don't you go and show us all what you managed to draw, then?"

"...Okay!" said the not-so-quiet girl. "First, I'll use the effect of Naturia Sacred Tree to tribute my Naturia Mantis in order to summon Naturia Rosewhip!" Immediately, her Insect monster vanished, replaced by a grinning rose plant with short, thorny whip-like vines (Naturia Rosewhip: Level 3 / ATK 400 / DEF 1700). "As long as this card is on the field, Gilda...you cannot activate more than one Spell or Trap on each of our turns!"

"Interesting..." thought Gilda. "That means I have to be careful with whatever Spells or Traps I use, 'cause I'll only get one use of 'em each turn. Still, that shouldn't affect me too much...right?"

"I'm afraid that I'm just getting started, Gilda...!" said Fluttershy, taking a card from her hand. "Now I'll bring Clear Wing back to the field using Monster Reborn!" And with that, her mighty Synchro Monster emerged from out of a dark purple portal and returned to Fluttershy's field.

"Alright! She brought back her dragon!" cheered Spike.

"Maybe so," Twilight pointed out, "but its attack power isn't high enough to beat Gilda's Dragon, so there must be more to her plan than just bringing it back..."

And that was proven true when Fluttershy declared, "And now, I'll summon the Tuner Monster, Naturia Cherries!" And with that, her cherry monster reappeared one the field as well.

"A Tuner?" asked Gilda. "Does this mean that-?"

"It is." Fluttershy interrupted. "Now I can finally show you just how strong I'VE really become! I tune Naturia Cherries, Level 1 to Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, Level 7!!" Naturia Cherries then transformed into a small light that then expanded itself into a bright, glowing ring - different from the regular green rings that usually resulted when a Synchro Summoning was performed. The bright ring then surrounded Clear Wing and transformed it into seven smaller lights, prompting a massive column of light to come down and engulf the ring and the lights completely.

Clasping her hands in a prayer-like gesture, Fluttershy spoke, "Shine the wings that store the holy light, and strike down your enemies with its radiance! Appear now and create an even greater world! Synchro Summon!" At that moment, a pair of wings made out of light energy emerged from out of the column, which then revealed themselves to be attached to an even greater creature: The true ace of Fluttershy's Deck. "Come forth! Level 8! Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon!" The massive beast belted out a powerful roar that shook the very ground it hovered above (Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon: Level 8 / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500).

"C-C-CRYSTAL Wing Synchro Dragon?!" exclaimed Gilda, not expecting Fluttershy to pull out a monster even more powerful than her first Dragon monster. (Rrgh...I guess I should've expected this...) she then thought.

"Say..." Applejack began to say, "ain't that the card that she-"

"Pulled from that pack back at the Duel Museum?" Rainbow interrupted, finishing AJ's statement. "Yeah, it sure is! And now we'll get t' see it in action!"

"I still can't believe she managed to get that card so easily like that..." said Flash Sentry. "How does someone get that lucky?"

"Anime protagonist powers." Pinkie said, offering yet another nonsensical answer.

Looking at her even-more-powerful Synchro Monster, Fluttershy began to think to herself, (Crystal Wing has 3,000 attack points...which is just shy of Dark Rebellion's 3,250... So first, I'll need to weaken that dragon so that it can't destroy mine...) She then declared, I now activate the effect of Breakthrough Skill in my Graveyard!"

"Wait, Breakthrough Skill??" asked Gilda. "When did that get sent to the Graveyard? I never saw you play it!"

"That's because I didn't." her opponent informed her. "Remember when I used Naturia Butterfly's effect earlier on? In order to use its effect to negate attacks, I had to send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard as cost. And luckily, the card I sent was Breakthrough Skill, which set me up to use its effect later."

"Oh...I see." the Griffonstone Duelist replied, understanding what happened.

"Now, by banishing Breakthrough Skill in my Graveyard," Fluttershy continued, "I can use its effect to negate the effects of any one monster on your side of the field. And I choose your Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!"

"I see...by negating its effect, Dark Rebellion will lose the attack points that it gained, making it vulnerable to Fluttershy's attack." Twilight figured.

"Not a bad move, Flutters..." said Gilda with a smirk. "But, really; did you think that was going to be enough to bring my dragon down?"

"Huh?" asked Fluttershy.

"...Thinking back to our past Duel, I remember your playing style very well." the Griffonstone student explained. "You keep up a strong defense, protecting yourself and your monsters for as long as you can to outlast your opponent. Then, once you see an opening, you make your big moves towards the end to secure a lasting advantage that ultimately ensures your victory. That's how you won the first time." Putting on that smirk again, she then added, "Too bad for you; I've been doing the same thing as well!"

"Y-you have?"

"While it appeared that I've just been using brute force just like before, I was also preparing my strongest move for a moment like this, when I knew you were about to make your big play!" Gilda told her. "As for what that move is...well let's just say you aren't the ONLY person who can evolve their dragon into a more powerful form!"

"What's she talking about?" asked Sunset, curious as to where Gilda was going with this. Everyone else just watched on to see what was going to happen next.

Suddenly, Gabby gasped a little and asked Martin, "Hey...wait! Is she-?"

"Mhmm." Martin nodded. "Gilda's about to bring out her TRUE trump card, Gabby. And I expect that it will bring this Duel closer to its finale."

"Here I go, Fluttershy! Get ready!!" Gilda shouted as she tapped her D-Pad. "I activate this card to chain to your Breakthrough Skill effect! Go, The Phantom Knights' Rank-Up-Magic Launch!!"

Fluttershy gasped in shock at seeing Gilda's newest card, courtesy of her grandfather. "That must have been the card she chose with Tribute Lanius's effect...!" she said. "Is she planning to use it to make Dark Rebellion more powerful?!"

"That's exactly what's happening, Flutters!" Gilda told her. "I can use The Phantom Knights' Rank-Up-Magic Launch during a Main Phase, on any DARK Xyz Monster with no Overlay Units!"

(...Oh dear...!) thought the animal-loving girl. (Is that the REAL reason she used Dark Rebellion's effect earlier? To set up for this move?)

"I target my Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon with Rank-Up-Magic Launch, and use him as an Overlay Unit to Xyz Summon a DARK monster that's one Rank higher!" shouted Gilda as her ace monster transformed into a massive black cloud that radiated massive bolts of blue lightning that fired off randomly. Even though it was merely an AR image, people instinctively moved out of the way of the bolts that flew in their direction.

"Eeeeep!!" shrieked Sweetie Belle as a bolt flew towards her, narrowly missing her.

"Calm down." Ember told her. "They're not real, remember?"

"I can't help it." Sweetie replied. "I see a lightning bolt, I'm gonna dodge it!"

"If it were a real lightning bolt, it would have struck you before you even knew it was there." the girl from Bloodstone explained to her. Sweetie just huffed a little, not feeling very reassured by that fact.

Everyone continued to watch as Gilda's prized monster drew in power from all around it, feeding into the black cloud and making it larger and more intense. "From the depths of Purgatory," Gilda chanted. "sing the song of rebellion dedicated to the unsinking souls! Appear and echo forevermore! Rank-Up Xyz Evolution!!" At that moment, a massive, bright purple light began to leak out of the cloud before exploding with incredible force, sending shock wave throughout the stadium. "Appear, Rank 5! Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon!!" Gilda finished as her monster completed its transformation, displaying wings that looked like stained glass windows (Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon: Rank 5 / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500 / OLU 1).

"Oh my goodness...!!" gasped Octavia. "Look at the size of that beast!"

"Aw man...! And I thought her dragon was wicked-scary in its original form!" Vinyl commented.

Fluttershy's friends up in the stands were also at a loss for words when Gilda summoned her new ace card right in front of them all. They thought that with the Summoning of Crystal Wing, their shy friend's victory was assured. But now they weren't so sure. Sunset, Twilight, and Spike were also unsure as to how this Duel would turn out, now that both combatants had summoned their strongest cards to the field.

"Surprised, Flutters?" Gilda asked her. "I told you I've gotten stronger, and this big guy's proof of it! I got Dark Requiem from my grandpa; a former Pro Duelist, for showing him just how far I've come along! I proved to him that I became a better Duelist AND a better person... And with this card and him fighting by my side, losing isn't an option for me!"

Fluttershy was happy to hear her friendly rival say those words, knowing that she was fighting this Duel not just for herself, but for all the people that helped her along the way. "You have become a better person, Gilda..." she told her. "And I'm pleased to know that you take me seriously enough to not hold back... I guess that's the best compliment you can give to a Duelist..."

"I feel the same way." Gilda replied. "I mean after all, if you're gonna fight your hardest, then I should do the same. After all, it's no fun winning a Duel if it's too easy, right?" After finishing her comment, she then said, "Now, after my Spell Card summons Dark Requiem, I can then attach it to the summoned monster as an additional overlay unit." (Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon: OLU 1 + 1 = 2) After attaching the Spell to her monster, Gilda then added, "And since Dark Rebellion is technically not the field anymore, your Breakthrough Skill's effect fizzles out."

(Maybe, but at least her new monster is not stronger than mine is...) Fluttershy noted. (I might still have a chance... At least, I hope so...). Since she knew her monster would only destroy itself if she attacked Gilda's dragon, she changed her plan. "Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon! Attack Tribute Lanius with Crystal Gale Edge!!" Her monster then unleashed its attack, wiping out Gilda's other monster and damaging her Life Points even further (Gilda: LP 3,100 - 1,200 = 1,900).

"Fluttershy managed to deplete a lot of Gilda's Life Points..." Sunset noted to herself. "But now we'll have to see if she can land the finishing blow...or if Gilda's new monster comes out as the victor..."

Fluttershy looked over the field, thinking to herself, (If that new monster is an evolution of Dark Rebellion - like how my Crystal Wing is an evolution of Clear Wing, then its powers must be similar to her previous monster's but more powerful...) Glancing up at her monster, she continued to ponder, (Crystal Wing's special ability allows it to negate any monster effect that activates and destroy it... But I'm sure Gilda's aware of that, too... I need to assume that she might have a way to counter it, so I need to try and protect Crystal Wing as best as I can...) Taking a card from her hand, she then said, "I move on to Main Phase 2 and activate the Continuous Spell, Insect Neglect!"

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Insect Neglect:
(Continuous Spell Card)

When your opponent's monster declares an attack: You can banish 1 Insect monster from your GY; negate the attack.

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(At the very least, I can use this card to keep her from attacking me...) thought the no-longer-shy girl. (At least, I hope I will...) Taking a deep breath, she then told Gilda, "My turn is over now."

"I guess it is." the roughneck replied rather calmly. "And I'm pretty sure you know - with both of us having our best monsters out, and having so few Life Points left... This Duel might end pretty soon."

"...I know." the animal lover replied. "A part of me wishes this could have gone a little bit longer... But I do know that I've enjoyed every minute of our Duel together."

"Same here." Gilda replied. "It was worth the long wait to finally get to this point. And I know that both of us will walk away satisfied, no matter which of us wins. You agree with me?"

Fluttershy smiled and nodded to say she did agree with her rival/friend. (I do agree with you Gilda...) she thought. (Because of this Duel...because of you, I feel like I've gotten much stronger inside... You were right; a long time ago, I never would have had the courage to enter a big tournament such as this one... But thanks to my friends - including you, I've become a lot braver inside... I still have a long ways to go, but now I feel that I can stand on my own two feet and face whatever life throws at me...! I promise to all of you...I will be braver! And I WILL stand tall, no matter how scary the world can be!)

Gilda also had some time to think to herself as she looked towards her opponent. (Before I met you Fluttershy, I thought that being tougher than anyone else was all that mattered. I only cared 'bout myself, and no one else's feelings even registered in my mind; I didn't even care about the concerns of my old friend Rainbow Dash, and I almost lost her as a friend forever...) She then smiled to herself and thought, (But that all changed after that Duel we had with each other; you showed me that you can be kind AND tough, by usin' your strength to help people and not hurt them... I've been doing that ever since then, and for the first time in a long time - maybe for the first time ever, I felt happy...I felt good about myself... And just like you, I now have great friends of my own that support me... And you're one of those friends, Fluttershy; I'll never forget how much you've helped me. I may still have a long way to go, but I promise that I'll continue to better myself: Both as a Duelist and as a person!)

Preparing to draw her next card, Gilda then said to Fluttershy, "Alright, what do ya say? Should we finish up our Duel with a real bang?"

The yellow girl nodded and - without flinching - told her, "Bring it on!"

"I draw!" The Griffonstone girl then drew her next card and looked at it before immediately playing it. "I activate the card I drew: Pot of Extravagance!!"

"Amazing!!" exclaimed Martin. "She actually drew that card just when she needed it most!"

"Now we just have to hope that she can draw something good with that Spell Card..." said Gabby, getting excited again. "Good luck, Gilda!!"

After choosing to banish six random cards from her Extra Deck, Gilda took a deep breath...and drew her top two cards. Finally, after she got a good look at them, she gasped a little. (Th-these cards...) she thought. (These might just do the trick...!) Taking one of the cards she drew, Gilda then said, "I Summon Battlestorm in Attack Mode!!" And with that, a human-like bird creature with black wings flew into the arena, standing tall on Gilda's side of the field (Battlestorm: Level 4 / ATK 1700 / DEF 1000). "And in case you forgot," she then told her opponent, he gains an extra 100 attack points for every Winged Beast I have out. So with both him and Strangle Lanius on the field, he gets a 200-point boost!" (Battlestorm: ATK 1700 + 200 = 1900)

"Are...you planning to summon more monsters to power him up further...?" asked Fluttershy.

"That's right." Gilda replied. "Now I'll activate the effect of Strangle Lanius! Since I've got an Xyz Monster that has a DARK monster for one of its overlay units, I can bring back any Level 4 or lower Raidraptor in the Graveyard with its effects negated! So I'll bring back Tribute Lanius in Attack Mode!" In an instant, the monster reappeared onto the field, ready to fight. "And of course," she continued, "bringing him out boosts Battlestorm by another 100 points!" (Battlestorm: ATK 1900 +100 = 2000)

(She must be building up her monsters, preparing for one last attack...) thought Fluttershy. (But with my Spell Card out, I can hopefully hold her off until I can strike back...)

But Gilda surprised her by saying, "I know you're planning to try and keep me from attacking you by using that Spell Card." This elicited a gasp out of Fluttershy, especially when her rival told her, "But I'm afraid I won't let you stop me that easily! I activate Battlestorm's effect! Since I now have a total of THREE Winged Beast monsters on the field, I can destroy any Spell or Trap Card you've got! So I'll destroy Insect Neglect!"

Fluttershy watched as Gilda's monster whipped its wings, sending a fierce wind straight towards her Spell Card. (I could use Crystal Wing to negate the effect...) thought Fluttershy, (but I can only use the effect once each turn... I need to save it just in case Gilda uses an even more powerful effect...!) After her Spell Card was blown away, she then shouted, "I activate the effect of Naturia Sacred Tree! I Tribute my Rosewhip and Special Summon Naturia Stinkbug from the Deck in Defense Mode!" In a flash, her Plant monster vanished, replaced by the tiny, green Insect monster (Naturia Stinkbug: Level 3 / ATK 200 / DEF 500).

"I see..." Gilda responded, remembering the Stinkbug from their last Duel. "Since I destroyed your Spell Card, you're falling back on using that monster to block my attacks instead... But now that you've gotten rid of your Rosewhip monster, I can now play all the Spells and Traps I want this turn!" Taking another card from her hand, she played it, saying, "I activate the Spell Card, Xyz Import!"

"Huh?? What does that do??" asked Fluttershy.

"Xyz Import lets me target any Xyz Monster I've got, plus one monster you've got that has less attack points than it." the Griffonstone Duelist explained. "I'll choose my Dark Requiem of course, along with the Stinkbug you just summoned; since it only has 200 attack points compared to my Dragon's 3,000, it's more than good enough as a target."

"So...um...what happens now...?"

"I'll tell ya, Flutters: Now your monster gets attached onto my Dark Requiem as an additional overlay unit!" Gilda answered, causing her opponent to gasp again.

"That ain't good..." said Applejack. "By doin' that, Fluttershy lost her only other way to stop Gilda's attacks this turn..."

"So...does that mean Gilda might win this...?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"I guess we will just have to wait and see..." Rarity replied.

Fluttershy could only watch as her last line of defense against an attack was absorbed into Gilda's monster, transforming into a third purple orb that orbited the creature (Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon: OLU 2 + 1 = 3). (With all of my cards that could have stopped her from attacking gone,) she then thought, (it's all up to Crystal Wing now...!)

Knowing what she had to do, Gilda then declared her next move: "I now activate Dark Requiem's effect!" she shouted. "By removing one of its overlay units, I can drop the attack points of one of your monsters to zero, and then transfer those attack points to himself!" The dragon then absorbed one of its floating orbs into its chest (Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon: OLU 3 - 1 = 2), powering itself up to use its ability. "Dark Requiem, target Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon!!" Gilda then shouted, sending her monster after Fluttershy's.

"But...how's that going to work?!" asked Flash Sentry. "Crystal Wing can just negate the effect before it can work!"

"Something tells me that might not end the way we think it will..." Pinkie commented.

Fluttershy wasn't sure what Gilda was trying to do, but knew she had no choice but to try and stop her. "I counter with Crystal Wing's effect!!" she shouted. "When you activate the effect of a monster, I can negate the effect and destroy it!" Her monster then began to glow, preparing to activate its effect to counter Dark Requiem.

"Sorry, Fluttershy...but that's not gonna stop me this time!" said Gilda, "I now activate Dark Requiem's SECOND effect!!"

"S-S-SECOND EFFECT?!?" exclaimed the animal-loving Duelist.

"By spending another overlay unit," the roughneck told her rival, "I can negate YOUR monster's effect and destroy it instead!!" And just as she said, her monster then absorbed a second orb into himself (Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), causing its shimmering stained-glass wings to shine even bright, overpowering the light emanating from Crystal Wing and unleashing a mighty blow on it. The blast was more than even the powerful Synchro Monster could handle, and it was destroyed in an instant.

"Oh no...!" gasped Fluttershy.

"Th-that was INSANE!!" exclaimed Spike. "Gilda took out Fluttershy's monster like it was nothing!!"

Both Twilight and Sunset were shocked by the result, as was everyone else. But it was true: Fluttershy's best monster had been defeated by Gilda's and it appeared that the Duelist from Griffonstone High would be the victor of this Duel.

"Aw no..." said Applejack. "Fluttershy lost her dragon...just like that..."

"Yes..." Rarity commented. "And now that she has, I'm afraid that this Duel will end in her loss. Poor Fluttershy..."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be so worried about Fluttershy, guys..." Rainbow told them both. "Just get a look at her face; it doesn't look like she's too bummed out about it." The others - including Pinkie and Flash - took a closer look at their friend in the arena. Sure enough, like Rainbow had said, Fluttershy didn't seem sad at all. She still had a warm smile on her face, even though her defeat was inevitable at this point.

"She's...still smiling?" asked Flash. "She's...happy about losing?"

"Nahhhh!" Pinkie corrected him. "She's happy 'cause she played the best Duel ever! That's what! And I'm happy for her, too!" The others understood what their pink friend was talking about and smiled as well, knowing that Fluttershy was pleased with the outcome, even though she wasn't going to win.

"...Gilda..." the shy girl spoke at last. "Congratulations...you were amazing in this Duel, and you deserve to win it for all your hard work... Now please, if you could...make your last move."

Gilda felt a little bad about the fact that she was about to beat the person who had helped turn her life around so much...but she knew she had to make the last move, out of respect for herself and for her rival, Fluttershy. With a bit of a heavy heart, Gilda shouted, "Go! Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon! Attack Fluttershy and end this Duel!! Disobeying Requiem Disaster!!"

Everyone watched as Dark Requiem's chin-spike began glowing a deep purple as it flew high up into the air, preparing its mighty attack. Fluttershy looked up - still smiling - as the dragon went into a super-fast dive bomb straight towards her. The animal lover instinctively put up her left arm to block the attack, even though it wouldn't make any difference. Dark Requiem slammed chin-first into the ground, unleashing a mighty blow that signaled the end of the Duel...

(Fluttershy: LP 1,600 - 3,000 = 0) (WINNER: Gilda)

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"...This Duel is now over! Gilda is the victor and will move on to the Semifinal Round against Ember!" Sunset shouted, making the official announcement.

Everyone at CHS was shocked and saddened to see their classmate lose her rematch against Gilda. But at that moment, Rarity stood up and - with a smile on her face - began to clap. She was soon joined by Applejack and Rainbow Dash, followed by Pinkie Pie and Flash Sentry. Soon after, the rest of the audience gave a round of applause, congratulating the both of them for playing such an incredible game.

Gilda took a deep breath, feeling good about her victory and feeling like she truly earned it. Then, when she looked over towards Fluttershy and saw her fall down to her knees, she then snapped back to reality and rushed over to her opponent to see if she was alright. "Fluttershy!" she called to her. "Are you gonna be okay...?" She then heard what sounded like a sniffle and realized that the yellow-skinned girl may have been crying. "F-Fluttershy...don't do that..." she tried to tell her. "It's just a game... Nothing to cry over..."

But before Gilda could say anything, Fluttershy quickly stood up and...hugged her opponent. "Gilda..." she said in-between soft sobs. "...Thank you... Thank you so much...!"

"You're...thanking me?" asked the kindly roughneck. "And you don't sound sad at all... What's up?"

Finally looking up at her rival/friend, Fluttershy showed her that - while she did have tears in her eyes - she still had that smile on her face. "Gilda..." she began to tell her, "I'm not crying because I'm sad... Far from it: I just felt so happy that...that you treated me like a serious opponent. I'm happy that you didn't hold anything back... Not to sound boastful, but I found it very flattering that you thought I was that strong a Duelist."

"Is that it?" asked Gilda. "That shouldnt've been such a surprise to ya. I treated you like a strong Duelist 'cause you ARE a strong Duelist, Fluttershy; one of the toughest I've ever met. Besides my old man, you're the only person to have ever beaten me in a Duel, so I got treat you like a serious opponent, you know?"

"I guess that makes sense..."

"Of course it does." the Griffonstone student told her. "In fact, even though I won the Duel this time around, it still was a real close game; it could've easily ended with you winning again. I don't throw this around a whole lot, but I think I can safely say that you n' I pretty evenly matched at this point."

Fluttershy was very happy to hear that Gilda thought so highly of her, especially compared to what she thought of her during their first meeting. The shy girl then said to her, "Then I guess...until our next Duel, then?"

"Sure. I'm lookin' forward to it." Gilda told her with a smirk. "Just make sure you get even better next time, 'cause I'll be doin' the same!"

"I will. I promise..." Then, just after saying that, Fluttershy let out a tired sigh and suddenly fell down in between Gilda's arms, prompting the Griffonstone girl to catch her so that she wouldn't fall onto the dusty ground.

"Woah! Fluttershy?! What's the matter?!" asked Gilda, panicking a little. "Are you alright?? Speak to me!!"

"Relax, Gilda... I think she just fainted." Sunset reassured her.

"Fainted?"

"Yeah" the red-and-yellow teen answered Gilda. "I think - now that she's out of the tournament, the realization that she had dueled openly in front of so many people finally caught up to her. To be honest, I'm a little surprised she managed to hold back her nervousness this long...not to sound rude or anything." Helping the woozy girl to her shaky feet, Sunset asked her, "You gonna be okay there, Fluttershy?"

"I...think so..." she managed to say. "I could...just use a...a little rest, that's all... If it's not too much trouble..."

"Nah, it's fine." Sunset replied. "After everything you've been through, I think you've earned it." Turning over to Twilight and Spike, she asked them, "Can you get Fluttershy over to Nurse Redheart? She 's in the stadium's infirmary."

"Of course! We'd be happy to." Twilight said as she ran over and allowed Sunset to help Fluttershy onto the young Princess's back so that she and Spike could help get her some much-needed R&R.

"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen!!" announced Megan. "Gilda had emerged victoriuos in one of the most exciting matches we've had here yet! Gilda will move on to face Ember in the first Semifinal Duel!" Ember, who was standing beside the back wall and observing the last Duel, glanced over at Gilda, knowing that she would be dueling her next, and was already mentally preparing herself for the upcoming game.

"But for now, we will soon begin our THIRD Quartfinal Duel!" the MC continued. "Sonata Dusk will face off against Bright Mind! We will have a short 15-minute intermission so that the Duelists - AND the audience - can prepare themselves for another white-hot match!"

At the mentioning of Sonata's name, Sunset then looked around and wondered, (So...where have the Dazzlings been all this time...? I just hope that whatever they're up to, it won't ruin this tournament...! Or they'll have to answer to me and my friends!)

Elsewhere, in a secluded room under the stadium, the three girls in question - Adagio, Aria, and Sonata - were busy with matters of their own. "Hmph..." huffed Aria as she put down her cell phone. "Looks like the wimpy chick in the Rainbooms is out of the tournament."

"Perhaps..." said Adagio, "but I have to admit...for as shy as I remember her being, she put a good fight against that scruffy tomboy that was her opponent. That...could be a slight concern."

"You don't seriously think she's an actual threat do you?" asked Aria.

"No...but if she has gotten so much stronger since our last encounter, there may be a chance that the rest of her little circle of friends may hvae as well." the Dazzlings' leader informed her sister. "But that's the reason why I've come up with this little plan of ours: To cover any and all possible outcomes and ensure that - this time, we get what we want." Turning over to Sonata, she then told her, "I believe it's time for your next match, Sonata..."

"Yeah, against that brainy know-it-all kid, whoever he is..." the blue-skinned Dazzling responded. "Are...you sure I'll be able to beat him, Dagi? He seems like he really, REALLY knows what he's doing out there... I mean, you saw his last Duel."

"I did see his last Duel, indeed." Adagio told her sister. "And because of that, I can assure you: The one thing that 'know-it-all' won't know about it...is what hit him..." She then let out a quiet, sinister-sounded chuckle; whatever she had planned, she was sure that it would bring them closer to whatever their goal in the tournament was...

-- To Be Continued...

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TOURNAMENT RESULTS (Round 2):

1. Ember vs. Steel Shadows [WINNER: Ember]
2. Gilda vs. Fluttershy [WINNER: Gilda]
3. Sonata Dusk vs. Bright Mind [WINNER: ???]
4. Octavia Melody vs. Sweetie Belle [WINNER: ???]

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