My Little Pony: Friendship is Numerous

by Monty Eggman

RANK 56: The Sirens' Swan Song, Part 2:

Author's Note:

And now, the second part of the two-part episode, with some major twists at the end. Hope you enjoy!

RANK 56: The Sirens' Swan Song, Part 2:
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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...

The Semifinals of the WCQ Qualification Tournament had stalled a bit as a result of several shocking developments: Sunset Shimmer - with the help of several friends - had uncovered evidence that Sonata Dusk - a member of the Dazzlings and a competitor in the tournament - had been cheating with the help of her sisters Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze. When she confronted the trio about their disregarding of the rules, the Dazzlings snapped back, refusing to let their chance to get revenge on Sunset and her friends from their last encounter. However, things changed when Sunset discovered that they were also Number Card holders; not wanting to let them get away and possibly use the cards' power to cause even more trouble, Sunset offered to Duel them. If the Dazzlings won, they could remain in the tournament. If Sunset won, they would be officially disqualified, with the loser's Numbers also being awarded to the winner as well.

Sunset began the Duel fighting Sonata, who found out the hard way that Sunset wasn't as easy of an opponent to beat, especially since the cards she was currently using weren't exactly suitable for fighting Sunset's Chronomaly strategy. Despite this, Sonata managed to summon her Number Card: Number 47: Nightmare Shark. She attempted to use it in order to finish Sunset off quick (and to prove to her sisters that she wasn't as dumb as she felt they thought she was). However, Sunset managed to counter the move perfectly (and legally) by summoning one of her own Numbers, Chronomaly Chateau Huyuk. When her Number was destroyed, Sonata fainted as a result of expending a lot of her own energy from just summoning her Number. Just when everyone thought that the Duel was over, Aria stepped in and took over the Duel from where Sonata left off.

Now Aria has made her first move, and made quite a strong move at that. She managed to summon her own Number to the field: the mighty Number 17: Leviathan Dragon. Now Sunset needs to figure out how to beat it, before it can consume her chances of winning this battle...

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There was quite a bit of tension hanging in the air above CHS Stadium, which was currently hosting the WCQ Qualification tournament. However, the tournament schedule was put on hold when Sunset Shimmer - the official Judge for the event - discovered that Sonata Dusk had been cheating during her last Duel with Bright Mind. She then challenged the trio to a Duel to not only determine whether or not they could stay in the competition, but also to relieve them of the Number Cards that they had somehow gotten a hold of.

"This Duel had become quite intense..." noted Steel Shadows, who was sitting in the audience with his fellow Wonderbolts members Soarin and Spitfire. "Neither side is allowing the other to remain in control for more than a turn."

"Yeah, not to mention those weird cards they're bringin' out..." said Soarin. "Just what kinds of wacko monsters are they using??"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Soarin." Spitfire replied. "I've traveled all over the country and beyond, but I've never seen nor heard of cards like the ones they've got out right now. All I can say for sure is that they're tougher than anything I've seen up until now..."

Further up in the stands, Sunset's friends were discussing the current situation with each other. "Unbelievable...!" Rarity spoke. "Just when Sunset managed to defeat Sonata's Number Card, her bandmate then comes in with a Number of her own! Where on Earth could they have gotten those cards from...?"

"My guess?" began Applejack. "Ah'd say they got 'em from those weirdos that're comin' after us fer some reason."

"You means like that meanie-pants Diamondbright?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"That's certainly one way to describe her..." noted Rarity, recalling the time in Manehatten when Sweetie had fought against her.

"Oh my..." said a worried Fluttershy. "If that's true...then this Duel could be much more dangerous that we could have ever thought..."

"Who cares how dangerous it is?" asked Rainbow Dash rhetorically. "Sunset's gonna beat those three and teach 'em all a lesson! Besides, there's no way that she would ever let them get away with cheating in this tournament!"

In the arena, off to the sidelines, Adagio Dazzle watched the Duel closely. She then glanced over at Sonata, who was still dazed and unconscious as a result of the destruction of her Number Card. Huffing, she then returned her focus to the Duel in progress and thought, (You'd better not let me down, Aria...)

On the other side, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Flash Sentry, and Sweetie Belle were also focusing their attention on the Duel, wondering just what was going to happen next. "To think that one of the other Dazzlings had a Number too, just like Sonata did..." Flash spoke.

"I'm willing to bet all three of them have a Number Card, to be honest." Twilight told him. "And I'm sure they were planning to use them to fight Sunset this whole time. That's probably the reason they showed up here in the first place."

"Yeah, they want to get back at her and probably all of us for totally wrecking their plans during the Battle of the Bands." Spike said. "I thought we'd never see them again, but now they're back and even worse than before!"

"...Sunset's going to stop them. I just know it!" Sweetie said. "She won't let those three beat her!" She was quite optimistic, truly believing in Sunset (or perhaps because she didn't want to fight the Dazzlings afterward).

Sunset Shimmer stared up at the massive Number Card staring her down, as if it saw its opponent more as lunch than as a worthy adversary (Number 17: Leviathan Dragon: Rank 3 / ATK 2000 / DEF 0 / OLU 2). "Wishin' you kept your nose out of our business now, huh?" asked Aria's voice. "Well you're too late for that: We were plannin' to destroy you and your friends the moment we walked through those doors to enter the tournament."

"If you guys were so fixated on fighting us so bad," Sunset began to ask her opponent, "then why here and now? If you three have some problem with us, you could have just confronted us on your own, instead of trying to cheat your way through this tournament at the expense of other Duelists who came here to win fair and square."

Aria hesitated for a second or two before answering, "...Well, seeing as how you and your friends decided to humiliate the three of us in front of a crowd at the Battle of the Bands, and doing that with singing - the one thing we were all good at, I think it's only fitting that we'd crush you at the thing that YOU were good at, in front of another crowd!" Sunset hummed a bit; it sounded like a plausible reason indeed, but she felt that there was more to their plan here than what Aria was willing to tell her. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now." the pig-tailed Dazzling then told her foe, "In this stadium or out of it, we'll take great pleasure in wiping you out!"

"That's not going to happen!" Sunset told her. "I won't let you three ruin this tournament over something like this! Now finish your move!"

"...Alright, if you insist..." Aria said in a low tone. She then took out a card from underneath her Number Card and declared, "Now I activate the effect of Leviathan Dragon. By just removing one of its overlay units, I can increase its attack power by 500!" The massive sea dragon creature then drew in one of the two blue orbs that flew around it into its mouth and devoured it whole (Number 17: Leviathan Dragon: OLU 2 - 1 = 1). Then, a violet aura surrounded the monster, strengthening it even further as it roared loudly to show its dominance (Number 17: Leviathan Dragon: ATK 2000 + 500 = 2500).

"So that thing can grow stronger by absorbing its overlay units?" asked Sunset. Worried, she then then thought, (That's not good... I used up both of Chateau Huyuk's overlay units already, so I can't de-power her Number Card with its effect anymore... There's nothing I can do to save it.) She then prepared herself for the inevitable attack against her.

Elsewhere, in the audience stands, Derpy Hooves (who had lost to Sonata during the first round of the tournament) was holding her smartphone up so that the camera was facing the Duel in progress. But she wasn't merely recording the match. "Are you seeing this, Doctor?" asked the grey girl, speaking into her Duel Gazer's microphone.

"Indeed, Ms. Derpy." said The Doctor's voice from the other end. "The Tardis's computer has synched up with your phone perfectly, as I intended. I can see everything that your device is recording." Observing the video feed from where he was, he then told her, "And from what I see, things don't seem too favorable for Sunset..."

"Yeah, it sure doesn't..." said Derpy. "I just wish I could have known that Sonata and those other two had Numbers much sooner; then you could have come here and dealt with them..."

"It's forgivable, Derpy." The Doctor told her. "Unlike Sunset and myself, you do not possess the ability to detect those that carry Numbers. Besides, from what you have told me concerning these 'Dazzlings', they seemed to already have very sour attitudes to begin with, so it would been hard for you to even suspect they were Number Holders...unlike that other individual you told me about; Night was his name?"

"Yeah, Night Switch." she confirmed. "I saw him sometime before my Duel in the tournament; he seemed as though he was talking to himself, and he was acting awfully creepy, too... Well, moreso than he did during his Duel, at least. It was like he shifted to another personality or something... It was hard to tell, and I haven't seen him anywhere since he lost his Duel, so I'm guessing he didn't stick around afterwards."

"Yes, I recall you said something to that effect in one of our earlier conversations..." The Doctor noted. "We still need more hard evidence, but for now, we may have to keep an eye on him as well. For now, we should focus on the matter in front of us: We must have faith that Sunset will overcome the Dazzlings, or be ready to step in if she cannot." Derpy nodded as she continued to film the Duel in the arena, also hoping that Sunset would be able to pull through and win the Duel.

Back at the Duel, Aria was ready to begin her assault on whom she and her fellow Dazzlings perceived as their mortal enemy. "Alright, Sunset... Your time in the spotlight is about to meet a real nasty end!" she cackled. "I've been waitin' SO long for this moment, and now it's finally here!" Pointing forward, she then shouted, "Go, Leviathan Dragon!! Attack her with your Vice Stream!!" The massive dragon roared loudly as it fired its massive attack, shooting a stream of purple energy at Sunset's only monster, reducing it to mere rubble.

"Urrghh!!!" Sunset grunted upon taking the hit (Sunset Shimmer: LP 3,000 - 500 = 2,500). Luckily, unlike Sonata, Sunset had more than enough strength to keep going even after losing her Number monster.

"Still standin', huh?" asked Aria. "Good... I want this to keep goin' just a little while longer. Moppin' the arena floor with you every turn is way too much fun for it to end too soon!"

Sunset was a bit disturbed by that comment; she could tell that the Number Aria was holding was bringing out more of her sadistic side. Aria didn't just want to simply beat Sunset, but to do it as slow and painfully as possible. "This whole thing may be 'fun' for you," she then told her, "but that fun's about to end pretty soon! There's no way I'm gonna let you and your sisters wreck this tournament just because of a grudge you have against me and my friends!"

"Heh...you think that's ALL this is about, Sunset?" asked Aria. "Sure, we're here to crush you and get our revenge, but for me, there's more to it than just that... I should've been the one to be dueling in this tournament, not that brick-head Sonata! I'm sure it's 'cause of her slipping up somewhere that you were able to discover what we were up to! That has to be it! But does anyone listen to me? NO!! No one takes me seriously! Not even my own sister Adagio!! In fact, I'll bet most of you don't even know what my name is, either!!"

"Aw, come on!" Pinkie Pie shouted to Aria. "Like it's our fault you never said your name during the Rainbow Rocks special?"

Adagio raised an eyebrow towards Aria's comment, a bit irked by it, but choosing not to say or do anything in response. Meanwhile, Aria continued her rant, telling Sunset, "Well, that ends here...! By the time this Duel's over, I'll make sure you and EVERYBODY here learns to fear and respect the name of Aria Blaze!!"

Thinking about everything Aria had just said, Sunset thought to herself, (Just like with Sonata, Aria has a reason for fighting me beyond just simply getting revenge... She feels inadequate because she thinks everyone is ignoring her and her opinions... She even feels that way towards Adagio; now that I think about it, she did seem to question Adagio's decisions in the few times I've seen them.) Looking at her Deck, she then told herself, "Well, Aria might have her reasons for winning this Duel, but so do I... I just have to hope my reasons for winning are greater than hers are." She then drew her next card for the turn and looked at it. (My Stonehenge Methods Trap... I might be able to use this, but it's kind of a long shot, and if it doesn't work...it could mean the end for me...)

"Hey! You gonna make your move or what?!" Aria shouted to her enemy. "When I said I wanted to keep this going a while longer, I didn't mean you could slow play!"

Ignoring Aria's rudeness, Sunset went on with her move and said, "First, I'll play my Chronomaly Moai Carrier in Defense Mode. Since you have at least one card on your field and I don't, I can Special Summon it straight to my field." After playing her card, her blue stone monster then appeared on the field, glowing with a bright light (Chronomaly Moai Carrier: Level 5 / ATK 900 / DEF 1800). After she did that, Sunset then took the Trap Card she drew for the turn and set it to her field, saying, "Lastly, I'll play a card face-down to end my turn."

"That's all she's gonna do?" asked Spike.

"I think that might be all she can do..." said Flash, getting worried. "Sunset's in a real bad position, and there's no doubt her opponent's going to take advantage of it."

Twilight knew that things looked bad for Sunset, but hoped with all her heart that things would work out...somehow. (Stay strong, Sunset...) she mentally said to her friend. (You can do this... You can overcome this...!)

Aria, however, snickered and said, "That's all you've got left for me? It's almost kinda sad that this is how you'll got out... Whatever, it seems this game's not gonna go on for as long as I was hoping; I was so ready to enjoy bringing you down slowly..."

"Just make your move..." Sunset told her.

"Hmph...fine." Aria then drew her next card and played it right away. "I'll activate my Pot of Extravagance! I'll banish six random cards out of my Extra Deck in order to draw two more cards from my Deck!" She then said. "May as well do it, since I won't be needing the rest of my Extra Deck for this Duel anyway..." As her opponent resolved the effect of her Spell Card, Sunset now was wondering just what else Aria planned for her.

Taking the two cards from the top her Deck, Aria said in a rather bored-sounding tone, "Personally, I was kinda hoping you'd put up more of a fight than this, Sunset... Destroying you in this Duel isn't any fun if you don't even fight me back. So I guess I'll just have to make my own enjoyment then!" She then pointed to her Number monster and declared, "So just for kicks, I'll use Leviathan Dragon's effect to raise its attack power again!" Her monster then devoured its remaining overlay unit (Number 17: Leviathan Dragon: OLU 1 - 1 = 0), becoming even stronger as a result (Number 17: Leviathan Dragon: ATK 2500 + 500 = 3000).

"Now it's at three thousand attack points..." said Sunset, having no idea of how she could possibly take it down now.

"But that's not all:" said Aria. "Since the monster I detached from Leviathan Dragon was my Atlantean Marksman, I can use his effect to destroy your face-down card. So there won't be any comeback coming from you this turn!" Sunset gasped as a small, trident-shaped arrow struck her Stonehenge Methods card and destroyed it. "Next," Aria continued, "I'll summon Atlantean Dragoons in Attack Mode!" Instantly, the Dazzlings' seahorse-riding warriors entered the field, ready to strike (Atlantean Dragoons: Level 4 / ATK 1800 / DEF 0). "And last but not least," the pig-tailed Dazzling added, "I'll play my Field Spell Card, Lemuria, the Forgotten City! That raises the attack and defense power of all WATER monsters by another 200!"

Everyone watched as the massive, partially-sunken city rose up from the ground, bring with it a massive ocean. The audience stands were transformed from the sandstone-esque image that the D-Gazers displayed, to a polished white marble. Immediately, both of Aria's monster received a small boost from the Field Spell, becoming more powerful (Number 17: Leviathan Dragon: ATK 3000 + 200 = 3200 / DEF 0 + 200 = 200) (Atlantean Dragoons: ATK 1800 + 200 = 2000 / DEF 0 + 200 = 200).

"This isn't good..." said Rarity. "Now that her second monster is strong enough to destroy her defense monster, Aria will win the Duel if both of her attacks land successfully!"

"You...you mean... Sunset is about to lose...?" asked Fluttershy, becoming more worried than usual.

"No...no, this can't be how it ends!" protested Rainbow Dash, not wanting to believe that her friend was about to lose the Duel.

"...Hmmmmm..." hummed Pinkie Pie, who seemed to have a feeling that she knew just how this was going to turn out...

But from Sunset's perspective, she was sure that this was going to end poorly for her. (...Sorry everyone...) she thought to herself. (I guess this is it... Just another mistake to add to my growing list, I guess...)

"Heheheh... prepare to lose, Sunset; you'll never get in our way ever again...!" Aria cackled, sure that she had just defeated her. "Go, Atlantean Dragoons! Spear her Moai Carrier!!" Aria's two warriors then worked as one unit to eliminate the only monster that Sunset had left to defend her. With no cards left to protect her, it seemed like it was the end of the road for the red-and-yellow teen. "Now...it's time to finish this and finally get our revenge!!" shouted Aria in a crazed tone. "Finish her off, Leviathan Dragon!! ATTACK!!!" Sunset closed her eyes and turned her head away, expecting the worst. As everyone watched on in disbelief and awaited what was sure to be unceremonious end for Sunset...

...Nothing happened.

After a few seconds of eerie silence, Sunset opened one of her eyes, realizing that - somehow - she was perfectly okay. For some reason, she was still standing, and she still had all of her Life Points (Sunset Shimmer: LP 2,500). She looked straight towards Leviathan Dragon and saw that it was just sitting there doing nothing. "Huh...??" Sunset began to ask, confused as to what was going on. "...It didn't attack me...? What's going on?"

"Ummm... did something go wrong?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Why isn't that big dragon thing attacking her? I'm not complaining of course, but still..."

"Yeah, this is really weird..." said Flash, unsure of the situation as well.

Twilight then asked Utopia in her thoughts, (Utopia...? What's wrong with Aria's Number Card? Why isn't it obeying her?) Utopia said nothing at first, but seemed to have a feeling as to what was going on.

Aria, however, was the most startled by the inaction of her most powerful card. "Huh?! What's goin' on?!?" she asked, confused and angry. She looked up at her Number Card and shouted to it, "What're you doin'?! I told you to attack her!! ATTACK HER!!! What part of 'attack her' didn't you get?!?"

Sunset wasn't sure exactly how she survived this Battle Phase; despite how many times Aria yelled at her monster to attack, it didn't. (Something weird's going on here...) she thought. (But what? For some reason, that Number doesn't want to attack...) Then, a thought came to her. (Hold on...maybe if I can bring up the image of that card, I might be able to figure out what happened...) She then tapped her D-Pad and brought up the picture of Aria's Number Card. Though the device could not translate the Astral Language on the card, Sunset could still read it off of the displayed image. After she read the card's text, Sunset gasped, saying, "No way...!"

"Grrrrrr....!! What's wrong with this stupid thing?!" yelled Aria. "Why isn't it attacking?!?" Just then, she heard a soft laughter from Sunset Shimmer. Turning her attention over towards her foe, Aria asked her, "What're you laughing about?!" She then gasped and asked, "No...you didn't...! Did you have something to do with this?! What'd you do to my monster?!?"

Finishing her chuckling, the jacket-wearing girl answered, telling her opponent, "That's just the problem: I didn't do anything. The reason your Number isn't attacking me is because of something YOU did."

"You big fat LIAR!!" Aria shouted, denying it.

"...It's all true." Sunset insisted. "If you don't believe me, then why don't you read the text on your card and see for yourself?"

"Urrgh, FINE!" grumbled Aria. "If it'll get you to shut up already..." The pink Dazzling then read the card's text for a while... And then her irises shrunk and her heart dropped when she read a particular line of text on the card's effect...

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Number 17: Leviathan Dragon
(Xyz-Effect Monster/Dragon/WATER/Rank 3/ATK 2000/DEF 0)

2 Level 3 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. Cannot attack directly unless it has material. Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card; it gains 500 ATK.

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"What the-?!" asked Aria, cringing after reading the effect. "This stupid card can't attack directly if it doesn't have any materials?!?" Now she realized what had happened: When she detached Leviathan Dragon's last material during her Main Phase 1 to increase its attack strength, she unknowingly prevented it from being able to attack Sunset unless she had a monster out.

Snickering a little - and then going into a hysteric laugh, Rainbow Dash asked her friends, "Didja hear that?! That Aria chick misplayed! Now she can't attack Sunset with her Number Card this turn!"

"Oh my... That's a relief..." said Fluttershy, who was thankful that Sunset would be okay. "I thought that... Well, never mind what I thought."

"That means Sunset will survive Aria's turn, and she can strike back on her own turn." noted Rarity. "There's still hope!"

"C'mon, you guys really thought Sunset was gonna lose just like that?" asked Pinkie Pie. "That would be the worst possible ending, not to mention it'd make the episode WAAAAAAAY too short!"

"...Pinkie, do y'all ever actually understand half o' what yer talkin' about?" Applejack asked her silly friend.

"Eh, I fade in and out to be perfectly honest." Pinkie answered her, which didn't really help explain much.

Back at the Duel, Sunset smirked a little, knowing that she had the upper hand for the moment. "Well, this has to be pretty embarrassing for you, Aria." she told her opponent. "Especially after that whole speech about how you thought YOU should have been dueling in the tournament, and how you were so much better than Sonata. I'm not gonna lie; I don't think even Sonata would have made that bad a blunder even if she tried to."

"You shut it!!" Aria shouted, trying to act tough, despite what had just happened.

"She isn't wrong, Aria!" shouted the annoyed-sounding voice of Adagio, which caused her sister to turn around towards her in shock. "As much as I don't want to admit it, Shimmer's right!" she scolded Aria. "You always do this sort of thing! You get overconfident and smug, thinking you could do better than either me or Sonata, and what happens? You end up making a mistake that ruins everything! That's the reason I had Sonata duel in the tournament instead of you! She makes mistakes too, but at least SHE doesn't have an ego the size of a whale!"

"Sh-shut up, Adagio!" argued Aria, offended by her sister's words for her. "So what if I made one little mistake?! It only buys Sunset one more turn! This doesn't mean a thing!" Even so, she knew there was nothing else she could do for the rest of the turn, so she reluctantly said, "I'm leaving the Battle Phase and setting a card face-down to end my turn! Now hurry up with your move already!"

Sunset nodded and thought to herself, (Okay... I managed to hold out for another turn... But with my field completely empty, I need to turn things around right now!) She then drew her card for the turn and continued to think, (This won't be much help right now, but thankfully, I saved this in my hand for just such an occasion...) She then took out a different card and played, saying, "I activate my Pot of Desires!"

"What?!" shouted Aria. "There's no way you drew that just now!"

"As a matter of fact, I didn't." Sunset confirmed. "I actually drew it in my opening hand, but decided to save it for a time I really needed it..." The red-and-yellow teen then followed the card's instructions, banishing ten cards off the top of her Deck and drawing two more. "And it's a good thing I did, because I was able to get this card! I activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Chronomaly Golden Jet in Attack Mode!" At that moment, her strange, ancient-looking jet plane appeared from out of a dark-violet portal in front of her (Chronomaly Golden Jet: Level 4 / ATK 1300 / DEF 1400).

"That stupid blinged-out paper airplane is supposed to scare me?" joked Aria.

"No, what it'll help me bring out will." Sunset informed her. "But first, I think it's time I showed off a brand new member of my Deck for the first time!" She then played another card from her hand and said, "I Normal Summon...Chronomaly Tuspa Rocket in Attack Mode!" Her next card was one she hadn't shown off before: A large spaceship rocket that appeared to have been carved out of an orange and brown-colored stone. In the center of it was a glass dome with a man wearing an ancient-looking, spacesuit-like uniform. Despite that it should have no way of being able to fly, it was floating in mid-air effortlessly (Chronomaly Tuspa Rocket: Level 4 / ATK 1000 / DEF 1000).

"What's that card?" asked Applejack. "Ah've never seen Sunset play that before."

"I guess it must have been released not that long ago..." Rarity figured. "But what does it do?"

Sunset was more than happy to explain her new Chronomaly monster's effect for everyone watching, especially her opponent Aria. "Now, for those who aren't familiar with this monster, let me tell you what it does:" the jacket-clad girl began to say. "After it's Normal or Special Summoned, Tupsa Rocket lets me send any Chronomaly monster from my Deck or Extra Deck to the Graveyard to weaken any of my opponent's monsters by 200 times its Level or Rank."

"So you're gonna try and weaken my Leviathan Dragon with that useless hunk of rock?" asked Aria, not impressed even slightly. "That's the best you've got?"

"Heh...actually, that's not what I'm doing." Sunset told her. "I have a better idea in mind for dealing with your Number Card. But before we get into that, I'll use Tuspa Rocket's effect to send Chronomaly Crystal Chrononaut from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard to drop your Atlantean Dragoons' attack power!" And after she did so, Aria's card began to drop a little, losing some of its power (Atlantean Dragoons: ATK 2000 - 600 = 1400).

"That still isn't gonna help you!" Aria told her enemy. "Both my monsters are still more powerful than either of yours!"

"I'm afraid I'm not quite finished yet." Sunset informed her. "Now I'll activate Golden Jet's effect and raise the Levels of both itself and Tuspa Rocket by one each!" (Chronomaly Golden Jet: Level 4 + 1 = 5) (Chronomaly Tuspa Rocket: Level 4 + 1 = 5) And with that move made, she then said, "Now both of my monsters are Level 5... You know what that means, right?"

"Huh? You're not-!" But Aria knew that Sunset was about to make a big move next, one that she likely wasn't prepared for.

(Now Sunset is summoning the second Number that was directly entrusted to her...) Utopia said to Twilight.

(And hopefully, it will help her defeat those Dazzlings and put an end to whatever they're up to.) the young Princess hoped.

Putting her right hand into the air, Sunset then shouted, "I overlay Golden Jet and Tuspa Rocket - both currently Level 5, and build the Overlay Network!!" Her two monsters on the field then transformed into a pair of lights - one yellow and one orange - that flew into a galaxy-like vortex in the center of the field. The red-and-yellow girl then chanted, "Emerge, Number 33! Mysterious machine of ancient times, come forth and unleash your power upon my foes! Xyz Summon!! Megalopolis of monsters! Rank 5! Chronomaly Machu Mech!!" After she finished, the portal exploded, revealing a 33 mark on the field, out of which emerged her flying fortress-like Number monster (Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech: Rank 5 / ATK 2400 / DEF 1500 / OLU 2).

"Oh no...! Not another Number...!!" said Aria, realizing that she was in trouble now.

Taking a card from underneath her Xyz Monster, Sunset told her opponent, "I remove an overlay unit from Machu Mech and activate its effect: I select one of your monsters and then inflict damage on you equal to the difference between that monster's original attack power and its current attack power! And since you were SO generous to pump up Leviathan Dragon's attack points, this'll be a massive blow!" Sunset's monster then supercharged itself with one of its two yellow light orbs (Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), surrounded both itself and Aria's Number with a yellow light, and drew in some energy from Leviathan Dragon into one of its cannons. "Now, Machu Mech! Fire your Infinity Cannon!!" Sunset shouted, prompting the fortress to unleash a devastating blast that struck Aria hard.

"AAAACCK!!" screeched the Dazzling, losing almost the rest of her Life Points (Aria Blaze: LP 2,000 - 1,200 = 800). She then began to pant and sweat a little out of exhaustion. (What's..what's going on...?) she thought, her eyes getting a little hazy. (I'm...getting tired...? No way... Am I... Am I gonna end up...just like Sonata...?)

"I'm afraid that's not the end of my monster's effect." Sunset continued to tell her opponent. "Now those Life Points you just lost transfer over to Machu Mech's attack points." Her Number then drew in a large portion of energy into itself, making it more powerful than before (Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech: ATK 2400 + 1200 = 3600). "And that's not all:" she added. "Since Tuspa Rocket was used to Xyz Summon Machu Mech, it can attack twice per turn instead of just once!"

"That's awesome!!" said Rainbow Dash. "That means she can take out both of Aria's monsters and win the Duel! I knew those jerks couldn't beat Sunset!"

"Let's just hope that Aria doesn't have some way to counter her attack..." said Fluttershy, recalling that the Dazzling still had a face-down card on the field.

Sunset saw that Aria was staring to look tired, possibly for the same reasons that caused Sonata to collapse earlier on. She didn't want to put Aria in the same state, but she knew that there wasn't any other alternative at this point. Reluctantly, she shouted, "Now! Machu Mech! Attack Leviathan Dragon and Atlantean Dragoons in that order!" The massive Number monster prepared to launch what everyone on Sunset's side hoped would be the final blow against the Dazzlings.

"Urrrgh...! I don't care what happens to me now, but there's no way you're getting off THAT easy!!" Aria shouted with as much as she could muster. "I activate Enchanted Javelin against the attack on Leviathan Dragon!!"

"Enchanted Javelin?!" asked Sunset, caught a little off-guard.

"Thanks to this card, I can raise my Life Points by an amount equal to your Machu Mech's attack points!" said Aria as her card increased her Life Points dramatically (Aria Blaze: LP 800 + 3600 = 4,400).

(That means I can't finish this Duel on this attack...) noted Sunset. (Not only that, but I believe that card wasn't on their Deck List either, meaning they cheated that card into their Deck, too...) She then told Aria, "Still, that won't stop Machu Mech's attack!" The powerful Number than fired its cannons, blasting Leviathan Dragon and destroying it (Aria Blaze: LP 4,400 - 400 = 4,000), before turning its attention to the weakened Atlantean Dragoons and doing the same to that monster as well, depleting another sizeable chunk of Aria's Life Points in the process (Aria Blaze: LP 4,000 - 2,200 = 1,800).

"Urrrgh..." grunted Aria, trying her best to stay strong. "You... you won't... You won't beat..." But before she could finish her sentence, Aria collapsed to the ground just like Sonata did.

"Oh my...!" gasped Rarity. "Now Aria's been knocked unconscious as well!"

"Yeesh..." said Rainbow Dash, "I kinda feel sorry for them now... Don't get me wrong, they deserve it, but still..."

"Well, Ah'm sure Sunset's none too happy with havin' t' do that to 'em either." said Applejack.

Indeed, she wasn't. Sunset did feel bad about knocking out Aria as well as Sonata, but she knew that this point, there was no other option she could choose. She also knew that - despite Aria fainting - this game wasn't over yet...

"Hmph...It's true what they say..." Adagio grumbled to herself, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself..." She then got up from her seat and walked into the arena towards Sunset Shimmer.

"Now what's she doing?" Sweetie Belle asked as she and those she was sitting with watched Adagio entering the field.

"Well, based on the fact that Aria stepped in for Sonata after she fainted," Flash guessed, "it's safe to assume that she's about to do the same thing now that Aria's been knocked out too."

"Maybe so..." thought Twilight. "But I know Sunset will get through this. We just have to keep hoping for the best, and believe that she can defeat them in the end."

"Yeah, Sunset's gonna need all the help she can get..." Spike noted. "Now she's facing the leader of Dazzlings, and I'm sure she's got all sorts of sneaky things planned for this Duel..."

As Adagio entered the area where Aria had once stood, Sunset watched as the Dazzlings' leader calmly and stoically picked up her fallen sister and carried her back to the bench where the still-unconscious Sonata was sitting before returning to the battlefield, carrying the Duel Pad that Aria had on her left arm. "Let me guess:" the young Judge began to ask her, "You're filling in for Aria now, am I right?"

"...That's exactly right, Shimmer." Adagio answered, strapping the D-Pad to her arm. "As much as it annoys me that I have to take over for Aria and Sonata when they should have taken care of this on their own, I'm kind of glad that it came to this: I so wanted to deliver my wrath to you personally, and now I finally have the opportunity to do just that. Now prepare yourself, Shimmer: I'm going to finish the job that my sisters couldn't! And not only will I finally get our revenge on you, but once your Number cards become mine, I'm going to collect the rest of them and finally bring this world under MY rule!! You won't be able to stop me as easily as you did back when we first met; I'll see to that personally!"

"Is that so? Then bring it on, Adagio!" shouted Sunset. "Let's finish this once and for all!" Taking a card from her hand - the card she drew for her turn, she placed it into her D-Pad and said, "For my Main Phase 2, I'll set a card in my back row and end my turn!" Looking at her set card on the field, Sunset then thought, (Since both Sonata and Aria summoned Number Cards already in this Duel, I have no doubt that Adagio will do the same... But when she does, I can use my Breakthrough Skill card to hinder her Number as soon as it shows up... Hopefully, that'll be enough to win this Duel for me...) Looking towards her opponent, she told her, "Alright, now let's see if you can do any better than your sisters did." (Sunset Shimmer: LP 2,500)

"Hmph... Who do you think was the one who constructed this Deck in the first place, Shimmer?" Adagio asked her (Adagio Dazzle: LP 1,800). "I know all of the cards in it, and every one of its best strategies. I will tell you right now: I'm in a whole other league compared to my siblings, and I'll be the one to put you and your meddling friends in their proper places!" She then drew her card for the turn and smirked. "And right away, my Deck is about to show its true power now that it's in my hands once again... I activate Card of Demise!"

"Card of Demise?!" exclaimed Apple Bloom. "Doesn't that card let Adagio draw 'til she's got five cards in her hand?!"

"Not anymore." Babs informed her cousin. "Dat card got an errata a while ago, so it ain't as powahful as it used t' be. Now the card only lets 'er draw 'til she's got three cards in 'er hand, then she's gotta send anythin' left in 'er hand to the Graveyard at the end o' the turn. Not only that, but now she can't damage Sunset or Special Summon any monsters for the rest o' the turn either."

"Well, that's a bit of a relief..." Scootaloo responded, thankful that the card was not as broken as it used to be in the past. "Still with no cards in her hand, that means she can just draw three more cards!"

"Yeah, it ain't good fer Sunset..." Babs agreed. "Hopefully whatevah dat Adagio chick draws ain't gonna be anythin' that'll give 'er control of the Duel again..."

Chuckling a little, Adagio asked her adversary, "Scared yet, Shimmer? I told you I'm on a different level compared to my fellow Dazzlings."

"Well, that depends on whether or not you draw anything good with your Spell Card." Sunset reminded her. "So just draw your three cards and get on with your turn."

"Yes, but of course, Shimmer..." said the Dazzlings' leader as she drew three more cards from her Deck. Looking at the cards she drew, Adagio smirked, satisfied with what she managed to get. "Alright, I'll just make the rest of my turn simple:" she told Sunset. "I'll just set a monster in Defense Mode, and place the other two cards in my back row, face-down. Your move."

Drawing her card for the turn, Sunset looked over Adagio's side of the field. (That Card of Demise let her draw three more cards this turn, so she could be trying just about anything...) thought the young Judge. (All I know for sure is that she'll probably summon her Number Card at some point, so she might be trying to set up for it. If there's a chance, I have to try and keep her from playing it!) Taking the card she drew this turn, Sunset played it, saying, "I Special Summon Chronomaly Tula Guardian in Attack Mode!" At that moment, her massive, blue stone golem rose up from the ground (Chronomaly Tula Guardian: Level 5 / ATK 1800 / DEF 900). "I can Special Summon it since there's currently an active Field Spell in play: Namely, your Field Spell, Adagio!"

"Hmmm... Well don't YOU feel so clever, Shimmer..." said Adagio, not afraid of the move.

Looking over the field, Sunset figured that - between Tula Guardian, as well as her double-attacking Machu Mech, she should be able to wipe out all of Adagio's Life Points and end the Duel... Provided that neither of Adagio's set cards could stop her somehow. Still, Sunset felt that attacking right now was the move, to at least put some pressure on her opponent and force her to use her face-down cards. Pointing forward, Sunset then shouted, "Go, Tula Guardian! Attack her face-down monster!" Her blue golem then stomped forward and punched the face-down card image on the field, revealing it to be Atlantean Attack Squad before destroying it. Once it was out of the way, Sunset then ordered, "Now, Machu Mech! Attack her directly and end this Duel!!"

But as Machu Mech charged up its cannons, Adagio then asked her enemy, "Did you REALLY think it would be THAT easy to beat me?! Think again, Shimmer! I activate Call of the Atlanteans!! I use this card to bring back THREE Level 3 or lower Sea Serpent monsters from the Graveyard and summon them all in Defense Mode! So I'll revive Atlantean Marksman, along with two copies of Atlantean Attack Squad!!" A wave then formed from the AR image-generated ocean around them all, revealing the three monsters behind it after it subsided (Atlantean Attack Squad [x2]: ATK 1400 + 1000 = 2400 / DEF 0 + 200 = 200) (Atlantean Marksman: ATK 1400 + 200 = 1600 / DEF 0 + 200 = 200).

"Now Adagio has three monsters to defend herself with..." noted Ember. "So she'll survive this turn at least." She - along with her father Torch - knew that Adagio was doing more than defend herself this turn, and was likely preparing a counterattack.

Annoyed, but not ready to give in yet, Sunset then shouted, "Machu Mech! Attack and destroy Adagio's Atlantean Marksman and one of the Attack Squads!" Her fortress then fired its cannons at both the chosen monsters, wiping them out and weakening the remaining Attack Squad's attack power (Atlantean Attack Squad: ATK 2400 - 800 = 1600).

Not fazed in the slightest, Adagio casually asked, "Are you quite finished, Shimmer...?"

"Rrgh...unfortunately, I am." the red-and-yellow teen replied. "But only for this turn."

"Hmmm... A shame;" hummed the Dazzlings' leader. "By not finishing me off this turn, I'm afraid to say that you've doomed yourself to a crushing and humiliating loss; but then, I suppose that wasn't the first time that's happened to you, isn't it?" Sunset said nothing, but didn't appreciate that Adagio brought up the past memory of when Twilight defeated her - mostly because it reminded her once again of how horrible she used to act. Drawing a card from her Deck, Adagio smiled cruelly and added, "Oh... SORRY for opening up old wounds and reminding you of how miserably you failed back then; It must have been that devastating to you, that you decided to cave in and be a little goody-two-boots, isn't it?"

"That's not the reason I changed, Adagio..." Sunset responded.

"Hmph...I'll bet..." Adagio taunted her foe. "You and I are just so much alike, Shimmer... The only difference between us, however, is the fact that I haven't given up on conquering this wretched world someday, while YOU wimped out."

"That isn't true at all!" the jacket-clad teen argued. "I just didn't want to be a jerk anymore! That's all!"

"Hmmm...Oh, Shimmer, when are you going to learn?" asked the Dazzlings' leader. "If you want anything good in your life, you're going to have to break a few eggs to do it. And believe me, I'll take great pleasure in breaking you apart and finally get the life that my sisters and I deserve!" Tapping her D-Pad, she then added, "And speaking of 'breaking', I'll do just that with my Double Cyclone card! This Spell destroys two cards in the back row: One on your side and one on mine. So just to make sure your face-down card doesn't get in the way of my next move, I'll destroy it along with my Bubble Bringer Trap!"

Sunset shielded herself as she watched her set Breakthrough Skill get destroyed at the same time as Adagio's Trap Card. (No...! I was going to use that on whatever Number Adagio summons!) she then thought to herself.

"Now that the way is clear, I think it's time for our ultimate weapon to be unleashed!" said Adagio as she played the card she drew for her turn. "Now I'll summon Left-Hand Shark in Attack Mode!" The hand-shaped predatory fish creature then appeared on the field, instantly powering up both itself (from the Field Spell) (Left-Hand Shark: Level 3 / ATK 1300 + 200 = 1500 / DEF 1500 + 200 = 700), and Adagio's other monster (as a result of its own effect) (Atlantean Attack Squad: ATK 1400 + 1000 = 2400).

"But neither of those monsters can even scratch Sunset's Number monster, right?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Maybe," said Flash, "but I'm sure they're just there to bring out something even worse for her." Flash noted.

"I agree." Twilight said with a nod. "I'm almost positive we're about to see the Dazzlings' third Number Card." Utopia also felt the same way, observing the Duel carefully.

Sunset then asked her opponent, "So... I guess you're going to bring out YOUR Number, huh?"

"Indeed I am, but it won't be in the manner you THINK it will be, Shimmer." Adagio pointed out.

"What do you mean?"

The Dazzlings' leader then went on to explain, saying, "As you can see, both of my current monsters are Level 3, which is enough to call up a Rank 3 Xyz Monster... HOWEVER, that won't be what I'm going for: First, I'll activate the other effect of my Lemuria, the Forgotten City; once per turn, I can raise the Levels of all my WATER monsters by an amount equal to the number of WATER monsters I currently have out!"

"Oh no...!" gasped Sunset, realizing what was going to happen.

"Uh, what's she talking about??" asked Scootaloo.

"It's simple, Scoots..." Babs answered her. "Since Dagi's got two monsters on 'er field, it means she can give each of 'em two extra Levels!"

"That...don't sound good..." said Apple Bloom, getting a bit worried.

Raising her hand towards the field, Adagio then said, "I use the effect of my Forgotten City to increase my monsters' Levels by two!" And just like that, both of her monsters strengthened up a little (Left-Hand Shark: Level 3 + 2 = 5) (Atlantean Attack Squad: Level 3 + 2 = 5). "Now," she continued, "instead of a Rank 3 Xyz Monster, I'm able to summon one that's Rank 5 instead!"

Sunset braced herself, knowing that whatever Adagio was summoning, it was going to be the toughest monster she would face yet. She did her best to remain brave, despite the worry that hung over her right at this moment.

"I overlay the now-Level 5 Left-Hand Shark and Atlantean Attack Squad to form the Overlay Network!!" Adagio shouted, transforming both of her monsters into beams of blue light and sending them into the galaxy-like vortex in the center of the field. The vortex then exploded with great force, revealing a mark that resembled the number 73. "Arise and appear, Number 73!" the Dazzling chanted, closing her eyes and smirking wickedly. "All-powerful warrior from the bottom of the sea, raise your trident in the name of war and strike down my foes! Show your power and grant me my victory! Xyz Summon! Emerge, Rank 5! Abyss Splash!!"

Everyone watched as a massive geyser shot up from where the number symbol was etched. The water shot up to what appeared to be miles above the ground. When it finally subsided, four, blue shell-like fragments - all of which were surrounding a light-blue sphere in the center - was revealed, floating in the air. The sphere in the center then began to glow, opening up and revealing its true form: A warrior clad in blue and gold armor, with several jewels resembling its sealed form's central sphere. In its hands was a trident-like weapon with a similar blue sphere attached to it on the top. A pair of blue orbs orbited around it as it floated just above the water surface.

*******************************

Number 73: Abyss Splash
(Xyz-Effect Monster/Warrior/WATER/Rank 5/ATK 2400/DEF1400)

2 Level 5 WATER monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card; double this card's ATK until the end of your opponent's turn, also, any battle damage it inflicts to your opponent this turn is halved.

*******************************

"Hmmmm...! I thought this was going to happen." said Rarity. "After all, if Adagio's sisters each had a Number, there was no doubt Adagio would carry one of her own!"

"Well, so what if she's got one?" Rainbow asked rhetorically. "Sunset'll trash this one just like the other two! Adagio's got no chance!"

"Ummm...I'm not so sure..." Fluttershy said meekly. "That look on Adagio's face... I'm sure she has something bad planned for Sunset..."

Looking at the newly-summoned Number monster, Sunset hummed a bit, wondering what it was capable of. She then asked, "I'm sure there's more to your move than summoning your Number, Adagio... After all, your monster isn't strong enough to defeat Machu Mech, even with the boost your Field Spell gave it.." (Number 73: Abyss Splash: ATK 2400 + 200 = 2600 / DEF 1400 + 200 = 1600)

"I have to say, this is one of the few times that I can agree with you, Shimmer." said Adagio, opening her eyes and revealing them to have changed from their usual raspberry-pink color to a deep crimson red. In addition, the 73 mark that was on her Number also could be seen on her forehead, between her eyes. "My Number is far more powerful than either Sonata's or Aria's. And with it, I'll personally put an end to you and make sure you never get in my way again!!"

"More powerful doesn't mean invincible, Adagio." Sunset reminded her. "Every card has its weakness, and I'll find it!"

"Not likely." Adagio simply told her. "Since I used Left-Hand Shark to Xyz Summon Abyss Splash, he cannot be destroyed by card effects. And his own ability will prevent anything other than another Number from destroying him in battle! Of course, I plan on exterminating you LONG before you get the chance to summon another Number monster to fight me with." She then took one of the cards under her Number Card and added, "And thanks to Abyss Splash's effect, that's exactly what I plan on doing! By removing one of his overlay units, I can double his attack points until the end of the next turn!"

"What?! Double its attack?!?" exclaimed Gilda, surprised from hearing that. But it was true: Upon absorbing one of its two blue orbs (Number 73: Abyss Splash: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), it became strengthened by it, making its power grow incredibly high (Number 73: Abyss Splash: ATK 2600 x 2 = 5,200), far beyond Sunset's Number Card.

"This isn't good..." thought Sunset, though she remained calm, even under the current situation.

"You and your friends made a grim mistake opposing us..." Adagio said in an intimidating tone. "Now get ready to pay the price for your meddling! Abyss Splash, attack Machu Mech!! TRIDENT FINAL BLOW!!" The monster then charged up blue bolts of lightning in his trident staff and jumped forward towards Machu Mech, thrusting his weapon and sticking it into the massive fortress. Despite the clear difference in size, Machu Mech cracked apart and exploded with incredible force; Sunset did her best to try and stay strong, even with the massive force of the explosion threatening to push her down to the ground. When the blast subsided, Machu Mech was no longer on the field.

"How do you like that, Shimmer?" Adagio asked tauntingly. "Your Number is gone and no longer a threat to me! But you can rest a little easier knowing this: On the turn I use Abyss Splash's effect, any damage he causes you is cut in half for this turn."

"So I take only eight hundred points of damage instead of sixteen hundred..." the red-and-yellow girl noted (Sunset Shimmer: LP 2,500 - 800 = 1,700).

"I see your math skills are stronger than your dueling skills." the Dazzlings' leader taunted further. "And just think about it: If you hadn't cowered and attempted to take over this pathetic world again, you'd be in much better shape than you are right now. But I guess only people such as I have the boldness and the persistence to get what they truly deserve. While people like you - who wimp out after the first failure - are left with nothing. Again, that's where you and I differ, and once you're out of our way Shimmer, I'll finally have the life my sisters and I deserved from the start!!" Sunset wasn't too happy with those comments from her opponent and was starting to get angry at Adagio for saying all of that, but she wasn't sure how to overcome her at this point.

"No... Sunset's Number got trashed by Adagio...!" said Spike, getting more worried. "What's she gonna do now?!"

Looking towards the image of Utopia that only she could see and nodding to him (to which he nodded back), Twilight said to him, "She's going to stay strong; that's what she'll do. This may look bad for her, but I believe in Sunset! I know she'll overcome this, just like she overcame all her other difficulties to get where she is now... Believe me, this is nothing compared to what she's faced before!" Standing up out of her seat, she continued saying, "We just have to make sure she knows that we're behind her! Sunset has come a long way since they day I met her, and she's grown stronger inside; much stronger than anything Adagio can handle! She will get through this! There's still hope!!" Spike was a bit amazed by how sure his Princess friend was that Sunset would pull through, but he knew that whenever she said things like this, they were hard to disagree with. The dragon-turned-puppy nodded and smiled, and shared Twilight's confidence in Sunset. Flash and Sweetie felt the same way and remained positive for Sunset's sake.

Sunset looked back towards Twilight; she had heard what she had said and was also a bit amazed by how much she believed in her; this started to help her calm down after Adagio's taunting. Then she looked around her and saw that - to her surprise, her friends, rivals, guardians, and pretty much everyone else in the audience shared the same belief. They didn't say they did, but their faces said it all: They still believed in Sunset, and they weren't going to count her out until the last Life Point was gone. Seeing this - and remembering everything she had heard the Dazzlings say to her so far, made her realize something. And upon doing so, she smiled and looked towards Adagio with unwavering confidence in her facial expression.

"Wh-what are you smiling about?!" asked Adagio, expecting her opponent to be broken down by now, not smirking.

"...Adagio, I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed in you." she told her opponent.

"What...?! D-disappointed?!"

"Don't tell me you actually believe all of that stuff you said to me?" Sunset then asked her. "If you do, then you and your sisters are more misguided than I could've ever thought."

"Excuse ME?!?"

"Your words are right about one thing, I'll give you that..." the jacket-wearing teen told Adagio. "You and I DO have some similarities: We both come from another world and came to this one with similar sinister goals in mind. Back then, we both thought that it was us against the world and everyone was just an enemy or an obstruction getting in our way..." She then sighed sadly a bit and added, "Back then, we felt alone and unloved..."

Twilight heard what Sunset was saying. She said nothing, but felt sympathetic towards her, knowing just how she must have felt back before they had met.

"And yes, there is a clear difference between us, Adagio." Sunset continued. "But as for who you think cowered and gave up in the end - as well as which of the two of us is in a better state, I think that's where your logic starts to fall flat."

"Wh-what are you talking about?!" asked Adagio, beginning to get annoyed.

"You think having power and control is the only thing that matters - just like how I used to think a long time ago." the young Judge told her. "And you'll do anything to get what you think you need to have a better life, even if it means exploiting and ruining the lives of other people; and that even includes your own sisters!"

"WHAT?!? How DARE you say that?!?" shouted Adagio, losing her cool upon hearing that. "YOU'RE the reason that my sisters and I are in the miserable state we're in! It was YOU!!!"

"Oh, is that right?" asked Sunset. "Then let me ask you this: Was I the one that banished you from Equestria and sent you here? Obviously not; I wasn't even born the day you and your sisters came here."

Adagio didn't have a response to that question; she knew Sunset had a point. "...O-o-okay, fine, maybe YOU weren't the one who dumped us here. But your and your annoying little friends are the reason we lost our magic! We can't even sing anymore because of what you did!!!"

"Yes, my friends and I did stop you that day." Sunset agreed. "But only because you were causing misery and trouble for everyone else at school... And on that note, I have another puzzle to pose for you: The day that I first met you, Aria, and Sonata, I was being as nice as I could, to give you three a friendly welcome to our school in the hopes that you could get along with everyone else here... And how did you repay my kind gesture? By turning everyone at school against each other, feed off their negative emotions, and ultimately destroy everything around you in your lust for power." She then asked her opponent, "So that begs the question: What would have happened...if you DIDN'T cause that whole mess? What do you think would have happened if you had just joined our school and tried to be friendly? If you just got rid of your personal grudges and desires and found a way to live your lives peacefully? Can you answer that for me?"

Adagio was stunned - not in anger, but in shock. "Ummm... I-I...well...umm..." was all that came out of her mouth. Somehow, in all of her cunning plans and her sharp mind, she never once thought of what could have happened if she and her sisters didn't go through with their scheme that day.

"I don't need to go into that mirror portal to know that there's probably another universe out there... One where the three of you did try to be nice; where you tried to make friends and live here without any conflict..." Sunset told her. "And I'll bet those Dazzlings are having a much happier life than you are right now. Maybe they might have even realized they didn't need their magic to learn how to sing; maybe they're trying to make a better life for themselves without having to exploit other people to do it. Maybe...they realized the thing that I realized back when I failed to take over this world; that in the end, having all that power doesn't really mean anything, if it doesn't even make you happy in the end."

"Y...you don't know anything about us...!" Adagio argued futilely.

"Believe me, I know more about you than I think you give me credit for, Adagio." the red-and-yellow girl continued. "I'm going to get straight to the point of my speech: If my friends and I hadn't stopped you three from ruining the lives of everyone at our school, someone else would have, and then you'd be angry and trying to get back at them instead of us. Don't blame me or any of my friends for doing something that - when it comes down to it - any other concerned person would have done. If you have anyone to blame for the misery that you and your sisters are in, you ought to be blaming yourself for it!"

"WHAT?!?" exclaimed Adagio.

"You heard me correctly." Sunset told her. "You're the one who came up with the plan to turn everyone in the school against each other just so that you and your sisters would have a source of power to absorb. And I'm sure you were the one who did the thing that got you and your sisters banished here in the first place." Pointing right at her, she finished, saying, "You put yourself in your situation, and you dragged Aria and Sonata down with you! And deep down, you know that's all that you've done. But instead of admitting to your mistake and owning up to it, you just cower and blame someone else for your problems instead. I'm afraid that if you keep going down this self-destructing road, you and your sisters will never find true happiness."

Again, Adagio was stunned by Sunset's words; of all the things she had said to her, these were the last things that the Dazzlings' leader expected to hear. But, as expected, she tried to ignore it all and yelled, "Y-you don't know anything, Shimmer!! Stop trying to weasel your way out of this! I'll crush you, take your Numbers, and then use them to finally get what I desire most!! Now get on with your turn and stop wasting my time!!"

Putting her hand to her heart, Sunset said to herself, (Adagio...when you and your sisters showed up here yesterday, I was angry at you for it; maybe I even hated you three for coming here just to push my buttons... But now I can see that you're just like how I was back when I still had so much darkness in my heart... It's for that reason...that I truly feel sorry for you, Adagio.) Putting on her determined look once more, she mentally told her opponent, (I can't allow you to continue to suffer as I used to; I have to defeat you here, so that perhaps you can defeat your own madness... That's what friends are for, even though you don't see me as a friend, Adagio.)

It was clear to Sunset that the only way to make Adagio see things her way was to defeat her in this Duel; now she wanted to defeat the Dazzlings to save them, as well make sure their Numbers could not be used to cause any more misery to others...or to themselves. "Alright, Adagio..." Sunset said to the Dazzling, "You may not believe this, but I'll face your anger and hatred dead-on, and I promise that I'll destroy it for good!"

"Just shut up and play your next card!" spat Adagio, not in the mood to hear any more of Sunset's lecture.

"...I draw." the otherworldly girl replied, drawing her next card and placing it in her hand for the moment. Looking at Adagio's monster, she thought, (Thanks to its ability, Abyss Splash's attack power is at 5200...) Checking her Graveyard, she added, (If I were to banish Breakthrough Skill in my Graveyard, I could negate the effect and drop its attack power, but I don't have any monsters on the field or in my hand that could fight it, even at 2600 ATK...) Knowing that she couldn't do anything this turn for now, she calmly said, "I'll just switch my Tula Guardian to Defense Mode and end my turn."

"Hmph...after that big speech of yours, that's all you have...?" asked Adagio. "How pathetic." Sunset said nothing, knowing that it was pointless to get irate now that she knew more about what made the Dazzlings tick. Drawing a card for the turn, Adagio snickered and said, "My Abyss Splash's attack power will return to normal, since your turn has ended (Number 73: Abyss Splash: ATK 5,200 > 2,600), but that doesn't mean you're safe from him! Even if you somehow manage to summon a more powerful monster on your next turn, I can activate his effect to destroy any monster you try to attack him with, since I can trigger it even when it isn't my turn!"

"Rrrgh..." Sunset grumbled a bit, realizing that fighting it head-on wasn't currently an option after hearing that.

"But of course, you still have that Trap Card in your Graveyard that could keep me from using that effect if you were to trigger it next turn..." noted the Dazzlings' leader. "So I'll take the liberty of eliminating that possibility! I activate my Made to Order Mermaid Outfit Outfitter!"

"Her...huh?" asked Rainbow Dash, confused by the long name of the card. "What the heck's that card do?"

"That Spell Card allows Adagio to banish a card from Sunset's Graveyard." Rarity explained. "And she'll likely decide to dispose of her Breakthrough Skill to ensure that it doesn't prevent her from using its effect at any point during the Duel."

Sunset sighed a little, forced to remove her Trap Card from the current game. Adagio then thought to herself, (The other effect of my Spell Card then allows me to take a copy of whatever card I banished from my own Deck and add it to my hand...except that I had taken OUR copy of Breakthrough Skill out of the Deck in order to change up our cards for our Semifinal Duel, before Shimmer stepped in and fought us instead...) Even though this seemingly little detail annoyed her, Adagio was still confident that it wouldn't matter in the end. She then shouted, "Now, Abyss Splash! Attack Sunset's monster now!" The Number Card obeyed, striking Sunset's Tula Guardian and destroying it.

"Rrgh..." Sunset grunted as her monster was destroyed.

"Hmhmhmhmm..." chuckled Adagio. "You're finished, Shimmer... Soon, you'll be out of our way, and my sisters and I will finally have our revenge! Nothing can stop us now!!"

Sunset sighed a little and told her opponent, "You just don't get it, Adagio... I told you before: Having power doesn't mean anything if it can't make you happy. And getting back at me isn't going to solve any of your problems, either. Even if you beat me in this Duel, it won't change anything; you'll just find another target for your hatred and anger, until - ultimately - you'll pick a fight that you cannot possibly win, and end up losing everything. Until you learn this lesson, I'm afraid you'll never find true happiness; either for yourself or your sisters."

"Quiet!" yelled Adagio, becoming quite tired of Sunset's words. "You have no idea what you're talking about! You're just trying to psych me out, and it's not going to work! You know nothing about what we've been through since the day we met!!"

"Really?" asked Sunset, unconvinced. "Because if you really, truly believe that we've have so much in common, then you'd know that I know EXACTLY what you've been through... Let me guess: After you left the school, people probably started hating you and not wanting anything to do with you, huh?"

"Well...I, uh..." Adagio stuttered, not wanting to admit that Sunset was right about that.

"Listen...as someone who's been through something like what you and your sisters have gone through," Sunset told her, "I know full well how hard it can be to change from bad to good. After all, those who know how you used to be will probably not want to give you a chance to show that you've changed; they may still think that you're bad, and not be willing to forgive you for what you did in the past... Sometimes...you have a hard time trying to even forgive yourself for the things you did, and every day, it just feels like you'll never be able to overcome that darkness and move on with your life..."

Everyone in the audience fell a little silent; as most of the audience consisted of CHS students, they knew full well how they used to still treat Sunset as their enemy, even after she decided to change. They felt a little bad about not giving her a chance back then, including Derpy - who until recently, still thought that Sunset was still the nasty bully that she was back then.

"Back then," she then continued, "almost no one at school was willing to forgive me for what I did, and I don't blame them; I had a hard time trying to forgive myself for it all... And I know it's the same for you and your sisters, Adagio. But instead of doing what you did - taking the easy way out and acting as bad as people believe you are, I kept moving forward and trying to be a better person, despite what people thought of me. It wasn't easy, but in time, I started feeling a little better about myself each and every day. And eventually, that better feeling began to permeate towards others. Now, most everyone here has forgiven me for my past... And even if that weren't the case, I know that I can finally look forward and become the person that I know I was meant to be. I don't let my past mistakes drag me down; instead, I learned from them and tried my best not to make those mistakes ever again."

Every one of Sunset's close friends watching smiled warmly, happy to know that she was finally ready to put her painful memories behind her for good. They also felt a little good that they had a hand in helping Sunset come into her true self.

"...Adagio, you may not believe me, but I'll tell you anyway:" the jacket-wearing teen began to say, removing her jacket as she did so and gently placing it on the ground next to her. "If you ever want things to be better for you and your sisters, then you need to stop blaming others for the mistakes you've made. You have to show a little bit of remorse for the problems you've caused yourself and others; you need to admit to yourself that you've done wrong and make an effort to change. As long as you keep using your past troubles as an excuse to make others as miserable as you are, it's only going to cause you more pain in the long run..."

Adagio just said nothing; she was stunned by what Sunset was telling her, as if deep down, she knew that it was all true. But her silence was her last futile attempt at trying to ignore that hard truth.

Closing her eyes and sighing calmly, the red-and-yellow girl then said, "I may not know what the future holds, but hear me when I say..." Pausing for a moment to soothe herself some more, she then said, "that my past does not define me:" She then opened her eyes, showing a look of self-confidence that greater than anything she could muster before. "'Cause my past is not today!!"

The moment she said that, a bright glow began to emanate from Sunset's deck box: a glow that only a few select people could see. This of course, included Sunset's close friends. "Oh my goodness! What is that?!" asked Rarity in surprise, pointing down towards Sunset.

"I dunno..." said Rainbow Dash. Just then, she gasped a bit and said, "Wait! I remember something like this happening already! A few months ago, Sunset was sleepin' over at my place, when she found one of those Number Cards outside. And when she picked it up, it started glowing bright! Just like what's goin' on right now!" The others weren't sure about it for sure, but they all had a feeling that something big was happening right before their eyes.

(...Hmm!) hummed Utopia, startled by something.

(Utopia? Is everything okay?) Twilight asked him in her mind.

(...I sense great power coming from your friend, Twilight.) the bright warrior answered her. (It is not just any ordinary power... I feel that it comes directly from the Astral World!)

(The Astral World??) asked the young Princess. (You mean like...another Number Card? When did she-) But before she could ask where and when Sunset could have received another Number, she then realized that she already knew the answer to that question...

"...Ms. Derpy? What is going on right now?" asked The Doctor via the communicator built into Duel Gazer.

"Doctor?" the grey girl asked, not expecting to hear from him right now. Doing her best to answer his question, she told him, "Um...well, Adagio just brought out her Number against Sunset, and then Sunset gave her this big speech about remorse and stuff... And now, Sunset's looking at her deck box for some reason..."

"...I see." The Doctor replied. "Very well then." After ending the call, the man then looked at the ring on his finger - the one that bore the same symbol as the necklace Sunset wore around her neck. He couldn't explain it, but he could feel a great power from it at that moment...

(What...what is this...?) Sunset thought, seeing a glow coming from not only her deck box, but also her Emperor's Key necklace. She then felt a strange pulse in her mind... It was more like a voice, a voice that told her to open the deck box and look inside of it. She wasn't sure where the voice was coming from, but she felt that she could trust it as she opened her box and pulled out one of the cards in it; it was revealed that this card was the source of the light that had suddenly appeared. Once Sunset saw what card it was, she gasped, realizing what was going on.

"This...this card...!" she said to herself. "The card I got from Mrs. K...! Does this mean...?" And right before her eyes, the blank yellow space began to change, and the image of a massive monster began to appear within it. Once the picture fully materialized, the rest of the card filled in as well, such as all of the text, which - of course - was written in the Astral language. "The card... It awakened...!" Sunset said in amazement, wondering if all of that stuff she said earlier was what triggered it all. Right now, all she knew was that this card was going to help her defeat Adagio and hopefully save her from herself.

"What...what just happened...??" asked Adagio, who had seen the light show herself, but not knowing anything about what it meant. "What did you do??" she then asked her foe.

But Sunset didn't answer, instead telling her, "I'll tell you what I'm GOING to do. I'm going to put an end to your madness forever!" She then prepared to draw a card, hoping with all her might that it would aid her in defeating Adagio in this Duel. Her necklace then began to glow as she pulled the top card of her Deck, appearing to lend its power to her.

"Sunset's necklace..." Twilight began to say. "I've never seen it glow so brightly before..."

(Its power is going into Sunset.) Utopia explained as best he could. (It's combined with her will and determination, creating an almighty force. There is no doubt in my mind that she has drawn the card she needs to end this battle at last.)

Looking at the card she drew, Sunset sighed and said to her opponent, "This is it, Adagio... I'm sorry that it has to be this way, but the only way you'll take my words seriously is if I defeat you here and now! And maybe then, you'll start to try and see things from my perspective, and realize that it doesn't have to be you against the world..."

"Hah! Not likely, Shimmer." the Dazzlings' leader rebutted. "You actually think that you can defeat me now? You'll never overcome the power of my Number Card!"

"...If that's what you think," the otherworldly girl began to say, "then I think my next move will be quite the rude awakening for you." Playing the card she had just drawn, she shouted, "I summon Chronomaly Gordian Knot in Attack Mode!" Afterwards, her strange intertwined rock monster then appeared in front of her (Chronomaly Gordian Knot: Level 3 / ATK 300 / DEF 900).

"That's all you've got?" asked Adagio. "You actually think that card's going to save you?"

"I do, Adagio." Sunset replied. "And that's because Gordian Knot's effect lets me bring out a second Chronomaly monster from my hand after I Normal Summon it." She then placed a second card on the field and said, "So I'll play this: My Chronomaly Sol Monolith in Defense Mode!" And after that, a massive stone tablet rose up from the ground, casting its digital shadow over the field (Chronomaly Sol Monolith: Level 6 / ATK 600 / DEF 600).

"And then what?! I still don't understand what you're trying to do!" Adagio asked her.

"You'll get it when I do this." Sunset then told her, "After Gordian Knot uses its effect to summon another monster, it then changes its Level to match whatever it summoned. Which means that, since Sol Monolith is Level 6, Gordian Knot ALSO becomes Level 6!" (Chronomaly Gordian Knot: Level 3 > 6)

"What?!? They're BOTH Level 6?!" exclaimed Adagio. "Does that mean-??"

"Now, you're getting it." said Sunset, showing Adagio her newly-awakened Number Card. "Adagio Dazzle; prepare to face the Light of Harmony!" Her two monsters then transformed into a pair of orange lights, shouting, "I overlay both Gordian Knot and Sol Monolith - both Level 6! I create the Overlay Network!!"

The two lights then flew into a galaxy-like vortex, similar to the ones that formed before when a Number was about to be summoned. But after the two monsters used as material were sucked inside, the portal began to glow a bright, soothing yellow light. Adagio still wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she began to feel a sense of worry for the first time since she stepped in to take over the Duel in Sonata's and Aria's place.

Clutching onto the Emperor's Key necklace she wore - its string now transforming from its usual black color to a golden yellow - and closing her eyes, Sunset then chanted, "Arise! Almighty creature sleeping under the Earth! Crush all wickedness with the might of a continent! Become the harmony that shines in the darkness!! Xyz Summon!" After that, the portal then unleashed its mighty light all over the arena, leaving behind a pink Number symbol that glowed just as brightly. Sunset then finished her chant, shouting with confidence in her voice, "Embodiment of remorse and forgiveness! Rank 6!! Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis!!"

Everyone then felt a massive tremor all around them. But the quake quickly left their minds when the audience got a good look at what was causing it: An enormous, towering behemoth was rising up from the ground behind Sunset, outside of the stadium. The creature revealed itself as not just being as big as a continent, but likely, it WAS a continent, consisting of a towering mountain, and active volcano, and a gigantic glacier. The front of the volcano had a large eye-like mark, two long arms grew out from its sides - one of them equipped with a stone block-shaped fist, and a pair of legs that seemed be made of pure magma. On its upper chest, the pink number symbol could be seen upon it. This creature was certainly imposing in its appearance, and it was more than prepared for battle.

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Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis
(Xyz-Effect Monster/Machine/LIGHT/Rank 6/ATK 2600/DEF 3000)

2 Level 6 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. When this card is Xyz Summoned: You can target 1 "Number" monster in your GY; equip that target to this card. This card gains ATK equal to half the ATK of that equipped monster. Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card, then send the monster equipped by this effect to the GY; halve your opponent's Life Points. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect.

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"No...no way...!" gasped Adagio, completely stunned by the appearance of this new Number Card. "There's just no way...!"

"Uh...guys...?" said an equally-as-stunned Rainbow Dash. "You seein' the size of that thing?"

"Oh mah stars..." said Applejack. "Who would've ever guessed that Sunset had somethin' like that in 'er arsenal?"

"It's positively HUMONGOUS!!" exclaimed Rarity. "Why it just might be the biggest thing I've ever seen in my entire life!"

"Oh...my..." said Fluttershy. "I'd never want to be the one having to fight something like that...!"

"Then that's pretty bad luck for Adagio," Pinkie stated, "'cause that's what she's doing right now."

Flash, Sweetie, Twilight, and Spike were also shocked to see the massive creature that Sunset managed to bring to the field. "Holy cow!!" said Sweetie in surprise. "That thing's as big as a mountain!!"

"I doubt it; that monster's got THREE mountains growing on it, so I'd say it's way bigger than that!" Spike pointed out.

"Man, that thing's huge..." said Flash. He then asked Twilight, "You think that means Sunset's got this Duel won now?"

"It sure seems like it." the young Princess stated. "Let's just hope that is the case." Utopia nodded silently in her mind, sending out his best wishes to Sunset Shimmer as well.

Looking up at her new Number monster, Sunset thought to herself, (So this...is MY Harmony Number Card...) The monster - known as Chronomaly Atlandis - then glanced down and stared at its master with its "eye". Then, the creature gave a respectful bow, as if to say that it was ready to fight by her side. Sunset smiled and nodded to her new partner, ready to do the same. She then turned to face Adagio and told her, "This Duel is about to end, Adagio... Your pursuit for power and revenge are about to be crushed for good by the light of Atlandis!"

"Hah! Not likely!" said the Dazzling. "Your monster may have an obvious size advantage, but despite that, its attack power is equal to Abyss Splash!"

"That may be true for now..." the otherworldly girl told her opponent, "but that's about to change once I do this! I activate Atlandis's effect! After it's been Xyz Summoned, I can bring any of my Number monsters back from my Graveyard!"

"Go ahead and summon any one of them you want, Shimmer!" Adagio told her. "None of them are strong enough to beat my Number either!"

But Sunset chuckled and asked, "...Whoever said I was SUMMONING the Number?"

"You're not? But then what are-?"

"Allow me to explain:" Sunset interrupted. "When Atlandis's effect goes off, the Number doesn't come back as a monster... Instead, it gets brought back as an Equip Card for Atlandis himself!"

"It can bring back a monster as an Equip Card??" said Ember, amazed.

Tapping her D-Pad's screen a few times, the red-and-yellow teen declared, "I use the effect of Atlandis to bring back Machu Mech!" A dark-purple portal then appeared on the field, and out of it came her massive fortress Number Card. "Now, Machu Mech!" she then ordered, "attach yourself to Atlandis!" The fortress then plugged itself into Atlandis's midsection (where there actually was an appropriately-sized hole for it to enter into).

"But what then?" asked Adagio. "Just what are you trying to accomplish??"

"I'll tell you:" Sunset began to answer. "After Atlandis equips itself with another Number Card, half of that Number's attack points get transferred to Atlandis!" Adagio gasped in surprise; she didn't expect it to have such an effect. "Since Machu Mech's attack points are 2400, Atlandis gets to absorb 1200 of those points into his own attack power!" she then stated. After that, bolts of yellow lightning began racing all around the mighty Number Card, making it even mightier than before (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: ATK 2600 + 1200 = 3800). "So that puts its attack power higher than Abyss Splash!" Sunset finished saying.

"Maybe so, but don't forget: Abyss Splash's effect to double his attack power can be triggered even when it's your turn!" Adagio reminded her. "The moment you attack - or I attack, I'll trigger it and end this whole thing once and for all! We WILL have our revenge! We WILL!!"

"...We'll just see about that, then." Sunset calmly told her. Turning towards Atlandis, she stared into its "eye" for a while before it nodded back to her. It was essentially telling her that it had complete faith in her, and knew that she wouldn't lead him astray. Sunset - who seemed to be in perfect sync with Atlandis, despite only having just met it today - could read its feelings perfectly; she then knew exactly what to do. Pointing forward, she then shouted, "Chronomaly Atlandis! Attack now!!" The colossal monster then readied its square-shaped fist to attack Adagio's Number.

"WHAT?!? She's doing it?!" exclaimed the Dazzling's leader, who expected Sunset not to attack this turn and was caught totally off-guard.

"But...is her attack going to even work?" asked Flash. "Adagio just told her that she could make her monster stronger if she was attacked!"

Twilight said nothing, but she - along with Utopia, were both certain that Sunset knew what she was doing.

As the massive fist closed in on her, Adagio cackled manically and shouted, "You absolute FOOL!! Didn't you hear what I just said?! I just told you that I can double Abyss Splash's attack power, even during your turn! And that's what I'm going to do right now!!" She then removed her Number's remaining material in order to strengthen it some more (Number 73: Abyss Splash: OLU 1 - 1 = 0). "Finally!! I've finally defeated you, Shimmer!! Your Numbers are now mine, and this world will soon follow!!" She then laughed like crazy; the full might of her madness on full display, enhanced by the Number that was influencing her.

"...Sorry, Adagio..." Sunset said in a calm tone, "but that's not going to happen!"

"Wh-what?!"

"That's because I have a card of my own that I have left to play," the otherworldly girl explained. "Let's just say..." she said as she revealed a card from her hand to her opponent, "you're not the ONLY one that can double their monster's attack power."

"N-no...! No, not that!!" Adagio cried out in shock. "Not Limiter Removal!!"

"That's right." said Sunset as she played the card. "This Quick-Play Spell doubles the attack power of all the Machine monsters I currently have on my field for one turn! And it's pretty fortunate that my new Number Card happens to BE a Machine."

Everyone gasped at Sunset's skillful play; in particular, Ember and her father Torch, along with the Wonderbolts that were watching the match, as well as those in the stadium lobby watching from their D-Pads - like Sol Burner, Slid Diamond, Bright Mind, and their new friend Flare Flutter, were very impressed by her timely move.

"N-no...! This can't be...!" Adagio said to herself in distress. "Thanks to that card, her monster's attack power will climb too high for even Abyss Splash's doubled attack power...!" With the Spell Card's effect strengthening it, Atlandis was literally glowing with power, surrounded by an orange glow that shone incredibly bright (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: ATK 3800 x 2 = 7,600). Abyss Splash was still able to increase its own attack points (Number 73: Abyss Splash: ATK 2600 x 2 = 5,200), but it was nowhere near Sunset's monster.

"...Adagio, I'm sorry that it has to be this way." Sunset apologized. "But the safety of my friends and everyone else here comes first. I cannot allow you to harm them or this tournament. I understand that things have been hard for you and your sisters, but like I said, blaming me or anyone else isn't going to fix anything. If you want things to change for the better, you need to admit to your mistakes and work hard to correct them... You can be so much more than you are right now if you can just let go of all that anger and hatred weighing you down. At the very least, do it for your sisters; don't let your madness hurt them any more than it already has..."

Adagio just stood there as Atlandis's fist got closer and closer to her. For the first time, she didn't have anything to say, but a lot was going on through her mind. (I...could be so much more...?) she thought. (...Is...is Sunset right...? Has this whole goal of getting revenge and power gotten out of control...? Am I...am I really the reason we're suffering so much...?) These thoughts continued to go through her mind as Atlandis's attack finally struck Abyss Splash, destroying it. The force of the blow struck Adagio as well, shattering the number symbol on her forehead and causing her to faint, just like her sisters...

(Adagio Dazzle: LP 1,800 - 2,400 = 0) (WINNER: Sunset Shimmer)

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The hard-fought Duel was finally over; a hush fell over the crowds at first, astounded that Sunset had managed to defeat the Dazzlings and their Number Cards in battle. For a while, not a sound was made in the dead silence that had flowed over the entire stadium. Once the initial shock was done, the audience cheered loudly, excited that Sunset had emerged victorious.

"I-i-in-INCREDIBLE!!" announced Megan. "What a finish! You saw it here, ladies and gentlemen! Our Tournament Judge, Sunset Shimmer, has emerged victorious over the Dazzlings, having beaten all three of them single-handedly!!"

"That was AWESOME!!" cheered Rainbow Dash. "Sunset beat them! She beat ALL of 'em!!"

"That was the most impressive dueling I've seen from Sunset yet!" Rarity complimented. "To have defeated three Number Cards in one Duel is no mere feat!"

"That's our Sunset: Never fails to impress!" said Applejack.

Fluttershy said nothing, but she smiled, stood up, and began clapping. She then soon joined by Pinkie Pie, then the rest of her friends, and soon the rest of the audience. All of them were proud of Sunset for helping to stop the Dazzlings from ruining the tournament for everyone. Principal Celestia was very proud with how far Sunset had come along since she first arrived, and Luna even shed a tear of joy thinking about it. Gilda and her friends were praising Sunset for putting up such an incredible fight, and Ember and Torch praised the girl for showing everyone watching what the power of a True Duelist looked like. Slid, Bright, Sol, and Flare - who were watching the Duel in the stadium lobby on their D-Pads, were also impressed with how well Sunset played; they were happy to have been there to witness such an accomplishment.

Even the Wonderbolts watching the match were amazed at the otherworldly girl's skills. "Man, that girl can Duel, that's for sure!" said Soarin. "No wonder they picked her to be the Judge!"

"Yeah, maybe we oughtta ask if she'd like to join the Wonderbolts, too." Spitfire casually suggested.

"I cannot argue with that." said Steel Shadows. "Though I suspect she may not be ready to leave this place anytime soon to go traveling around with us. For now...I truly think that this is where she belongs." The other Wonderbolts felt the same way, but still considered the possibility in the possible future.

Sunset clutched onto her Emperor's Key, which began to glow faintly, silently thanking whatever the powers that were for giving her strength she needed to finish the Duel. She then raised her hand towards the fallen Dazzlings, causing a small ball of light to come out of each of them and fly towards herself. Then, in her hands, were all three of their Number Cards: Nightmare Shark, Leviathan Dragon, and Abyss Splash. Sunset took a short sigh, relieved that the matter involving the Dazzlings was over.

"That was incredible, Sunset!" cheered Twilight as she, Spike, Flash, and Sweetie Belle all ran up to congratulate her. "You defeated the Dazzlings, all by yourself!"

"Yeah, that was probably your best work yet!" Spike told her. "Those three didn't know what hit 'em!"

"Yeah, way to show those cheaters a thing or two!" Sweetie added.

"I agree with them;" Flash began to say, "you did amazing out there, and you managed to save the tournament from becoming a major disaster. You must be pretty proud of yourself, huh?"

"Hm?" Sunset turned to face the four of them and said, "Oh! Uh, yeah, I guess I'm pretty proud..."

Noticing something strange about that remark, Twilight then asked, "Um...is something the matter, Sunset? You don't sound too happy... Why?"

"Don't take it the wrong way, guys; I'm happy that I kept those three from ruining the tournament." Sunset explained to them. Sighing, she then said, "It's just...after hearing the things they had to say - I can sort of understand WHY they were doing the things they were doing. I mean, you heard what they said to me, didn't you? They came here because they thought that we made their lives harder, when in reality it was their own actions that caused them so much suffering..."

"That's true..." said Twilight. "They tried to take over Equestria, and they got banished to this world... They then tried to turn everyone against each other to conquer this world, and lost their magic. Now they tried to get revenge on us, and they lost their Number Cards."

"From what it sounds like," Flash began to say, "their biggest enemies aren't any of us: They're their OWN worst enemies..."

"I feel the same way..." Sunset responded. "That's why I can't really bring myself to hate them for what they did, even though what they did was wrong... They were like me when I came to this world: Alone, scared, and unsure of the future, and lashing out at others in self-defense, not knowing there was a better path we could have chosen for ourselves... Adagio was a little right about she and I being very alike."

"Perhaps in some areas." Twilight pointed out. "But you chose to let go of your grudges and move on, while they did not. That's the biggest difference between you and the Dazzlings. That's why you've been able to grow more as a person, while they continued to follow a path that only resulted in more pain and anger."

"...Yeah." the red-and-yellow girl replied, doing her best to smile. "But I do hope that one day, those three will see things the way I see them. I'd like nothing more than for them to one day realize that becoming stronger doesn't mean seeing everyone else as an enemy, but working hard to overcome your own struggles and improving yourself. We need to learn from our past errors; not wallow in them forever."

"I couldn't agree more, Ms. Shimmer." said the voice of Jay Dunstan, the Industrial Illusions rep that was overseeing the tournament. Walking into the arena himself, he said to his faithful Judge, "And I thank you for not only preserving the integrity of the tournament, but fighting an impressive Duel as well. If Mr. Pegasus were watching, I'm certain he would have been very proud of you." Looking over at the fainted Dazzlings, he then asked her, "So...what do you wish to do with them?"

"...Well, obviously we have to disqualify them, since they did break the rules." Sunset began to say. Looking over at the trio herself, she then asked Jay, "Could you have them taken to the stadium infirmary? At the very least, I want them to be conscious when they leave..."

"As you wish, Ms. Shimmer." Mr. Dunstan said, calling his two security guards to carry the fainted Dazzlings to the recovery rooms. Twilight smiled a bit, happy to see Sunset showing a generous amount of mercy towards Adagio and the others despite the trouble they had caused them.

At that moment, Ember entered the field and asked, "So...now what? What's going to happen with the next match?"

"Oh yeah...I almost forgot about that." said Sweetie Belle. "I was so engaged from watching the Duel, I didn't think about it."

"Well, it's obvious what will happen next, right?" asked Sunset as if the answer was that straightforward. Asking for Megan's microphone, she then spoke into it, saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I must apologize for the actions of the Dazzlings. I must remind you all that cheating is something that will not be tolerated in any sort of competition, and we have to enforce that rule very strongly. As for the next match of this tournament..." Sunset then turned towards the others beside her before saying, "with the Dazzlings' disqualification, the next Duel will be the final match of the competition: Ember verses Sweetie Belle!"

The crowds cheered, excited to see the last Duel of the tournament. Ember remained confident, sure that she would fight her hardest. And though Sweetie Belle was a little nervous, finding out that she had now made it into the Finals, she was willing to give it her all and show the crowds how strong she was...despite her slight quivering.

Meanwhile, in the deep corners of Sunset's mind - her "soul room" as it were, a small cage sat in a dark corner of the room. Though it appeared to have signs that someone (or something) was inside of it at some point - such as claw marks on the bars and floor, there was no sign of life in there now. All that was left in there were several chains, a pair of black boots, and a tattered dress with a flame pattern on it. Soon after, the cage and everything left in it vanished as well, and the dark corner became as bright as the rest of the room...

-- To Be Continued...

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TOURNAMENT RESULTS (Round 3):

1. Ember vs. Gilda [WINNER: Ember]
2. Sonata Dusk vs. Sweetie Belle [WINNER: Sweetie Belle (due to Sonata Dusk DQ'd)]

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NUMBERS OBTAINED:

Sunset Shimmer (17 Numbers total):

- Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis
- Number 17: Leviathan Dragon
- Number 47: Nightmare Shark
- Number 73: Abyss Splash

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Comments

[nightshroud96]

I thought Adagio would have Shark Drake but I am surprised she has Abyss Splash instead.

And surprised Sunset's Harmony Number awoken(I knew it be Atlandis)
2 down, 6 remaining

Sunset lucked out by Aria not reading her card.
Always read your cards, kids

"Hmph...fine." Aria then drew her next card and played it right away. "I'll activate my Pot of Extravagance! I'll banish six random cards out of my Extra Deck in order to draw two more cards from my Deck!" She then said. "May as well do it, since I won't be needing the rest of my Extra Deck for this Duel anyway..." As her opponent resolved the effect of her Spell Card, Sunset now was wondering just what else Aria planned for her.

I see that attitude is why Spike would not want to run that card nor Pot of Desires if he gets his own deck.
Since it can end up disrespecting one's deck and could end up symbolizing giving into greed that harms his friends(his deck)

The moment she said that, a bright glow began to emanate from Sunset's deck box: a glow that only a few select people could see. This of course, included Sunset's close friends. "Oh my goodness! What is that?!" asked Rarity in surprise, pointing down towards Sunset.

Is Spike able to see it too?
Its hard to tell if he can see what other chosen beings can see or not.

Meanwhile, in the deep corners of Sunset's mind - her "soul room" as it were, a small cage sat in a dark corner of the room. Though it appeared to have signs that someone (or something) was inside of it at some point - such as claw marks on the bars and floor, there was no sign of life in there now. All that was left in there were several chains, a pair of black boots, and a tattered dress with a flame pattern on it. Soon after, the cage and everything left in it vanished as well, and the dark corner became as bright as the rest of the room...

So She-Demon Shimmer was erased?
Honestly not a good idea since light can't exist without the darkness.

If we will see the Rainbooms(and Hooves's) past lives explored more soon, will Spike have a past life too?
I really hope Spike's past life isn't a dog(Hopefully not a freaking kuriboh either) if he has one.
In fact will we know why he's stuck as a dog(which robbed him of his choice of being a duelist) while everyone else(especially other dragons, Diamond DOGS, a freaking manticore) got to be humans?

[MLPMekarm]

So Sunset's inner demon is gone.

[Aerodragon2]

That was an amazing climax to a sensational duel. I eagerly await the epic finale to the tournament art. Keep up the excellent work

[Monster Tamer AJ]

God that was so good.

[Snow Fire]

I've been looking forward to this moment for so long. Glad to see it's finally here. Sunset has grown so much since her start in the human world and I love it.

Hopefully her words got through to the Dazzlings.

Closing her eyes and sighing calmly, the red-and-yellow girl then said, "I may not know what the future holds, but hear me when I say..." Pausing for a moment to soothe herself some more, she then said, "that my past does not define me:" She then opened her eyes, showing a look of self-confidence that greater than anything she could muster before. "'Cause my past is not today!!"

This. This was one of the two things of this chapter that made my day. I loved how you built it up to Sunset saying the lyrics of my favorite song from her.

The second was her summoning Atlandis. Always thought she'd summon it one day. And this duel definitely counts as a defining moment for her. Also, seems like Atlandis has a duel spirit of its own with how it behaved. That's nice. Now I'm looking forward to when she unlocks its Chaos Number form.

[SuperSonicHeroes]

Oh man this chapter was awesome! Picking up right where the previous one left off, Sunset faces Aria after Sonata passed out, but after Sunset defeats Aria's Number Card, Leviathan Dragon, with her own second Number, Aria passes out as well, leaving just Adagio standing, and that's where the real climax of the chapter began.

I loved Sunset's speech to Adagio, how she ultimately has no one to blame for her and her sisters' situation but herself. It's a case of Adagio being her own worst enemy. She could stop at anytime and live a normal life but refuses to because she feels entitled to everything, so she lashes out and blames everyone but herself. She is like a dark reflection of what Sunset would have been if she never changed.

Sunset unlocking her Harmony Number to defeat Adagio was good, but it was especially awesome to see her Harmony Number was Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis. I was wondering when Sunset would get that one. It felt pretty fitting that Sunset defeated each of the Dazzling's personal Number Cards with a different one of her three Chronomaly Numbers. So by the end of this, Sunset got four new Numbers of her own instead of just three. Out of all the Dazzling's Numbers though, Abyss Splash was the biggest surprise. Sunset now has most of Shark's iconic Number Cards, except for Shark Drake. I wonder who will have that one? Plus one other bonus is it looks like Sunset's duel against the Dazzlings helped her overcome her personal demons and get rid of them for good instead of just locking them up in a corner of her mind.

So now that the Dazzlings are defeated and Sonata is officially disqualified, that means the Finals of the tournament can finally begin! Ember vs Sweetie Belle! I might have a preference for Ember and hope she wins, but if Sweetie Belle wins instead you won't see me complaining. Both of them deserve to be in the finals and I will be fine with whoever comes out on top.

"Heh...you think that's ALL this is about, Sunset?" asked Aria. "Sure, we're here to crush you and get our revenge, but for me, there's more to it than just that... I should've been the one to be dueling in this tournament, not that brick-head Sonata! I'm sure it's 'cause of her slipping up somewhere that you were able to discover what we were up to! That has to be it! But does anyone listen to me? NO!! No one takes me seriously! Not even my own sister Adagio!! In fact, I'll bet most of you don't even know what my name is, either!!"

"Aw, come on!" Pinkie Pie shouted to Aria. "Like it's our fault you never said your name during the Rainbow Rocks special?"

That part was funny. It's true, Aria was the only Dazzling whose name was never mentioned on-screen in Rainbow Rocks, maybe partly because she was the only one who said the other Dazzling's names at all. In fact, Aria's name was never mentioned until the Holidays Unwrapped shorts.

"What the-?!" asked Aria, cringing after reading the effect. "This stupid card can't attack directly if it doesn't have any materials?!?" Now she realized what had happened: When she detached Leviathan Dragon's last material during her Main Phase 1 to increase its attack strength, she unknowingly prevented it from being able to attack Sunset unless she had a monster out.

I thought it was pretty funny how Aria had made such a big misplay. Normally misplays from not reading the cards are for when you don't check your opponents' cards, but not reading your own cards is just pathetic. Still Sunset should count herself lucky, since if Aria hadn't of used her last Overlay unit, or had attacked with Leviathan Dragon first, she would have lost.

Closing her eyes and sighing calmly, the red-and-yellow girl then said, "I may not know what the future holds, but hear me when I say..." Pausing for a moment to soothe herself some more, she then said, "that my past does not define me:" She then opened her eyes, showing a look of self-confidence that greater than anything she could muster before. "'Cause my past is not today!!"

I love that part. It is a genius way of incorporating the lyrics of one of Sunset's best songs into her speech.

[Monty Eggman]

11591299

I'm glad that you enjoyed this episode. I wanted to have some personal growth with Sunset by the end of this, with her sort of sympathizing with the Dazzlings' plight by trying to help them see the world how she sees it now. I basically made the entire portion with Adagio as sort of Sunset fighting the person she used to be and finally overcoming her darkness once and for all. The last part with the cage at the end was added a bit last minute to further symbolize Sunset finally putting her past behind her and being able to move on, as well as incorporating the lyrics from Sunset's song to show that as well.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who enjoyed the episode, and I hope to see you all for the tournament's final Duel!

[ArcanaMaverick7]

An awesome chapter to show off Sunset's skills against three different Numbers and get the tournament to its next and final match. And with the first Harmony Number revealed, let's see what the others will be.

[Brian Sheil]

11591510
In the chapter titled “Wrong Way Railway”, The Doctor unlocked his Harmony Number. Number 90: Galaxy Eyes Photon Lord.

[ArcanaMaverick7]

11593899
I meant the Mane 7's Harmony Numbers.

[Brian Sheil]

11594041
Oops.

[LunarChaos88]

If that was the Humane 7's reaction to the size of Atlandis, wait until they see Dyson Sphere. XD

Also, amazing chapter as always. I was wondering what Adagio's Number would be. I guessed either Shark Drake or Abyss Splash. ^^

[Monty Eggman]

11591510

Thanks. As I've said to others, I had thought about that Duel between Sunset and the Dazzlings since I started the series, and wanted to make it one of my best episodes.

11595055

Yeah, I kinda wanted the Dazzlings to be sort of like this series' version of Shark. And I do have some plans involving Shark Drake, as well as the other Numbers Shark used in ZEXAL...

[Brian Sheil]

I just thought of something, Monty. Since Twilight Sparkle has Gogogo Golem and Gogogo Giant, I wonder if she’ll eventually find Number 55: Gogogo Goliath.

[Monty Eggman]

11618919

I actually have an idea for that already. Don't know when it'll happen yet, but I have it in my head right now.

[Bahamut Omega]

The first Shining Draw of the story...

[Red nova]

Now sunset has all chronomaly number cards