RANK 57: The Tournament Finals: Ember Vs. Sweetie, Part 1:
RANK 57: The Tournament Finals: Ember Vs. Sweetie, Part 1:
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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...
Tensions were high during the Tournament Semifinals when Sunset Shimmer, the Tournament Judge, confronted Adagio, Aria, and Sonata - known collectively as the Dazzlings, on them cheating during their last Duel in the Quarterfinals. After also finding out that the trio wielded Number Cards as well, Sunset challenged them to a Duel. If they beat her, they would stay in the tournament and take Sunset's Number Cards. But if Sunset won, they would lose their Numbers and be disqualified. During the Duel, each of the Dazzlings summoned their respective Numbers to try and defeat Sunset. But Sunset managed to not only defeat the Dazzlings, but also managed to awaken Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis - the Harmony Number entrusted to her by Kisara.
With the Dazzlings (literally) out of commission and the crisis over, the WCQ Qualification Tournament was ready to resume from where it left off. And with the Dazzlings' disqualification, the next match of the tournament would be the final one, pitting two very strong players against each other: Ember, daughter of a former a Pro Duelist, versus Sweetie Belle, a Duelist that Sunset had trained personally and was making great progress in the tournament so far. But who would come out on top at the end...?
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With the crowds calming down a little after Sunset's Duel against the Dazzlings, a fifteen-minute intermission was called, allowing the patrons some time to rest up before the upcoming match of the WCQ Qualification Tournament. And they would need it: that upcoming match would be the final Duel of the tournament, deciding once and for all who would go on to compete in the World Championship Qualifiers this year. Incidentally, the two competing Duelists would need the short break to prepare themselves as well, so that they would be in top form for the next Duel.
In the meantime, though, Sunset Shimmer - currently holding her black jacket that she had removed towards the end of her earlier Duel, as well as Flash Sentry, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Mr. Dunstan were currently in the stadium's infirmary. They had all helped bring the defeated Dazzlings there after all three of them had collapsed during their match against Sunset. As they were in no condition to leave the stadium as they were, Sunset had them brought here so that they could at least recover before they would be escorted out.
As the fainted Dazzlings lay on the cots in the room, Sunset asked Nurse Redheart, "So...how are they? Will they be okay?"
"Hmmm...I think so." the nurse answered. "Aside from being exhausted, they should be fine. They just need some rest first. But don't worry; I'll keep an eye on them and make sure they'll recover."
Sunset breathed a slight sigh of relief. She was thankful that the Dazzlings' misdeeds in the Duel didn't cost them their health. Satisfied with that answer, she told Nurse Redheart, "Thanks. Just let me know when they wake up. I at least want to know they're okay once they leave the stadium." The nurse smiled and nodded to say that she would as Sunset and the others left.
"Well, it seems like Adagio and the others won't be in too bad shape after all of this..." Twilight said.
"They're real lucky, considering what went on in that Duel." Flash noted.
"I'll say..." Sunset agreed. "Those three had no idea just how dangerous those Numbers can be, not only to other people, but also to themselves. They were risking more than I think they realized..." Taking a card out of her Deck - the Number she managed to awaken during that Duel, she added, "Thankfully, I was able to get this and end that Duel before things really got bad. I don't want to know what would have happened otherwise..."
(Your friend is right to be concerned.) Utopia told Twilight. (The Numbers' power can often be too great for just anyone to handle, and that is if they AREN'T tainted by darkness... It's safe to assume that Sunset's Harmony Number may have awakened because it sensed the danger that was present and formed itself right when it was needed.)
(Maybe...) Twilight said to him mentally. (But I think it had more to do with Sunset's speech about not letting her past mistakes control her. That's what I think mattered during that match: Sunset was able to let go of her past while the Dazzlings couldn't. Those three only cared about getting revenge on us, and it only caused them more problems in the end.)
Humming, Utopia then thought, (Observation Number Seven: When one seeks only revenge on another - to only seek to cause harm and destruction because of real or imagined wrongs committed against them, it more often than not ends only with more pain for the one seeking revenge... I shall remember that.)
"Well, the important thing is that Sunset beat those jerks and stopped them from ruining the whole tournament." Spike pointed out.
"Indeed." said Mr. Dunstan. "And I believe that the next match will begin in less than ten minutes. I will return to my office to oversee the last Duel of the tournament. You should all return to where you are needed."
"We should go and find Sweetie Belle." Twilight suggested. "I bet she could use a bit of a pep talk before the next match."
"Yeah, sound like a good idea to me, Twilight." agreed Sunset, putting her jacket back on. "I think she said she was going to meet with Rarity and the others at the food court. Let's go!" Flash, Twilight, and Spike nodded as they all followed her while Mr. Dunstan returned to where he was needed.
Sunset left the room last, because as she was about to head out of the infirmary room, she stopped and glanced back at the Dazzlings, still seemingly unconscious. Sighing sadly, she said to them, "Adagio...Aria...Sonata... I hope you three will be okay. I didn't want to put you three in this state, believe or not. But you were so obsessed with your revenge, that I had no other choice. I just wish that our first meeting could've been different... I wish that you could've gotten along with everyone. Maybe then, things might have turned out better for you all..." Humming in a solemn tone, Sunset then said, "Maybe one day... one day the three of you will truly realize that getting revenge won't make your lives any better; none of you are hopeless cases, and I think, if you work hard and put your mind to it, you three can become the people you were meant to be, and finally have the happy life you always wanted... I truly wish that for you." With that speech said, Sunset then left the room. Unbeknownst to her and anyone else still in the room, there was a slight twitch from Adagio's pointer finger just after Sunset had gone...
In the stadium's locker rooms, Ember closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself before she would fight her last Duel of the tournament. "...This is it;" she said to herself, "just one more Duel. If I can win this last game, then I'll be able to enter the World Championship Qualifiers. But more than that... I'll know that I have learned all I need to know to become the Pro Duelist that I always wanted to be." She then opened her eyes and added, "Then, and only then...can I feel that I can ask Sunset for a rematch, and make up for that first Duel I had with her. No more holding back for any reason...!"
She then stood up proudly and declared, "I will face any opponent with everything I have with nothing to weigh me down! I'll become a True Duelist that doesn't fear anything!" It was quite clear that Ember was determined to win this Duel, for the sake of her future career, those that supported her, as well as he pride as a Duelist. The Ember that stood there in that locker room was no longer that distressed and unsure person she was when Sunset first met her. She was much stronger now than she had ever been in her life, and she was ready show off that new power. "Now...time for me to show everyone what I'm made of!" she then shouted. She then turned towards the door and exited the room.
Elsewhere, in the food court, Sunset, Twilight, Spike, and Flash found Sweetie Belle, as well as the rest of their friends. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were all there to help Sweetie prepare for the Finals. Of course, Sweetie's own friends Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Babs Seed were there as well to keep her spirits high. "Hey guys!!" Sunset called out to them.
Hearing their friend's voice, the others smiled and waved over to her. "Hey, Sunnie! Over here!!" Pinkie shouted back.
Once they all joined up with each other, Rainbow said to Sunset, "Great job with that Duel, Sunset! Way t' teach those Dazzlings a lesson or two!"
"Honestly, I really do hope they learned a lesson after all that." the young Judge responded. "At the very least, I hope that after this experience, they'll think twice before they touch another Number card."
"I wholeheartedly agree, Sunset dear." Rarity spoke. "Things turned bad enough when I made the mistake of touching one of those cards; we certainly don't need people like them using such a dangerous power ever again."
"So...how are those three, anyway?" asked Applejack. "They seemed t' be in awful bad shape after that Duel..."
"They're being looked after by Nurse Redheart as we speak." Twilight answered her. "She said they should be okay in a few minutes, and after that, they'll be escorted out of the stadium."
"I'm glad for that..." said Fluttershy. "I mean, I know how mean they were to us and everyone else, but even so, I would never want to see them get hurt or anything like that for any reason..."
"Yeah, I guess I really wouldn't want that either..." Rainbow admitted. "Is that a weird thing to think?"
"If anything," said Flash, "it shows that you're a better person than they were. If you felt good seeing them suffer - even if it was justified, then you'd be just as bad as them. Personally, I think it takes real strength to show sympathy towards someone, even - and especially - if they're your enemy."
"That's how I felt, especially after Adagio started saying all of that stuff about how similar we were to each other..." Sunset stated. "I hate to admit it, but she was right on some points... But she couldn't get over her past mistakes, while I did. And now that I have...well, I feel much better than I ever have before." Looking around at everyone around her, she then told them, "And it's all because of you guys. You helped me come out of that darkness that held me back for so long. Especially you, Twilight."
"...I'm happy you feel that way, Sunset." the purple-skinned girl told her, "but it's not just because of us that you are what you are now. That decision to change from bad to good, your courage to look your personal demons in the eye and deal with them... That came from within you, Sunset. All we did was help you to find that part of yourself. If Princess Celestia were here with us right now, she would say the same thing."
"Thanks, Twilight." the red-and-yellow girl replied. "That makes me feel a lot better hearing that... Thanks for keeping your promise..."
"Hm? Promise?" asked Twilight. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh! Uh...n-nothing!" said Sunset after realizing what she had said. "I-I meant, thanks for...always being there for me."
"...Oh, of course. You're welcome." Twilight replied. In the back of her mind, hearing the word "promise" reminded her of that dream she had a while ago...
Turning to Sweetie Belle, Sunset then said, "A-anyway, changing the subject, we still have one last Duel before the end of the tournament, and you're going to be one of the competing Duelists. How do you feel?"
Sweetie Belle smiled, then answered, "Absolutely, unquestionably, and without a doubt..." Then, her eyes bulged, and her confident smile was replaced with a look of worry. "...completely terrified."
"Aw what've ya got t' worry about, Sweetie?" asked Apple Bloom. "Ya just beat two really tough Duelists t' get this far! You've got nothin' t' worry about at all!"
"Um...Bloom...?" asked the nervous Sweetie, "you sure you were paying attention to all those Duels the other girl fought? She beat that person who got an OTK yesterday in the tryouts! And then she beat that guy that got into the Wonderbolts! She even beat GILDA! Why do you think I'm nervous?!"
"Don't worry yourself too much, Sweetie Belle." Sunset told her. "If you do that, then you'll be too nervous to make any good decisions during your Duel."
"Sunset's right, Sweetie." Babs then told her friend. "Ya wanna win dat Duel, you gots t' stay calm. Ya can't get too scared of what might happen at the end'f it. Just play how ya did so far, and you'll be just fine!"
"Indeed." Rarity chimed in, wanting to show some support for her little sister. "The beginning of the Duel is not the time nor the place to be thinking about the end result. What you SHOULD be thinking about is playing at your absolute best. That way - even if you don't win, you can feel a sense of worth knowing that you at least gave it your all. Believe me, that's the mentality you need to have at whatever life throws at you, including Duel Monsters."
"Yeah, what she said!" Scootaloo then said. "I mean, yeah, it'd be super-awesome if ya won the whole tournament, but making it all the way to the finals is something none of us ever thought we'd be able to do in our first major Duel Monsters tournament! No matter what happens next, you've proven to everybody in that audience, that the Duel Monsters Crusaders are a force to be reckoned with! Maybe we'll even get more people to join our club after all this!"
Sweetie Belle felt a lot better after hearing just how much her friends were supporting her. With a smile on her face, she overcame her nervousness - at least for now - and said, "Okay, just watch me out there, everyone! I'll give everyone a Duel they'll never forget!"
Giving her little sister a big hug, Rarity told her, "I know for certain that you will, Sweetie dear."
"Oop! We'd better hurry back outside." Sunset said, checking her phone's clock. "There's only a minute until the Finals begin." Looking around her, she then added, "Flash, Twilight, Spike, Sweetie... I'll see all of you in the arena."
"And we'll be in the stands cheerin' you guys on!" said Rainbow Dash with her usual enthusiasm.
"Yep! No scones about it!" said Pinkie cheerfully.
"Um, Ah thought the expression was 'no BONES about it'?" asked Applejack.
"Expression?" asked the pink girl. "I was just saying I didn't get to have your family's Apple Scones yet!" Pinkie then rushed off to get her fill of treats before the last major Duel of the tournament, leaving the others standing there, slightly befuddled.
"I swear, I'll never truly understand Pinkie's thought process..." Rarity noted.
"I can only imagine what goes on in her mind." Sunset replied. "No offense, but I sure hope I don't have to see what it looks like."
"Erm...anyway," Twilight spoke, returning to the main subject, "let's all get back to the stadium and finish up the tournament!" Everyone else nodded and parted ways for now.
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"What's UP, Duel fans?!" announced Megan Williams - the tournament MC - from the stadium's arena. "You ready for some awesome dueling or what?!" The crowd cheered loudly to say that were absolutely ready to see some more action. "That's great to hear!" Megan responded. "With the Semifinals out of the way, our next Duel will be the closer for this amazing tournament! And we're proud to feature two incredible Duelists who fought hard to make their way up here! So let's all give 'em both a warm welcome!" The audience cheered some more after that.
"That girl sure knows how to get the crowd going." Flash commented as he sat next to Twilight and Spike on one of the benches (Sunset was there as well, standing up against the wall). "I'm a bit surprised I hadn't seen her around here before. But I guess someone with that much spirit would've been easy to notice if she was from around here."
"No kidding." said Spike. "I just wish I had that kind of energy and confidence when I appeared at the Equestrian Games as a guest."
"Well, things still worked out, didn't they?" asked Twilight. "Despite those first few hiccups, you did a great job there. If anything, it shows that, even when you don't get something right the first time, Spike, you find a way to pull through and do it better then next time." The dragon-turned-puppy was happy to hear that from her.
"And now, fellow Duelists and spectators," Megan began to say, "it's finally time to bring out our two competing Duelists!" Turning to the left side of the stadium, she then said, "First, we have our fearsome and fearless Dragon Duelist coming here all the way from Bloodstone City! She's the daughter of former Pro Torch, who was also her personal dueling mentor! So please give a round of applause for...EMBER!!"
As Ember entered the arena, it was clear that she was a crowd favorite, despite not being a native of Canterlot City. She appreciated the cheers, but remained serious and determined for her upcoming Duel.
"And next," Megan said, turning to the other side of the arena, "we have the youngest Duelist to have entered the tournament, showing that big things come in small packages! This young Duelist has used the power of her Crystal Beasts to claim victory against some very tough opponents, and is now seeking to win it all and make her name in Duel Monsters history! So everybody give it up for...SWEETIE BELLE!!"
As Sweetie entered the arena and heard the crowds, her nervous feelings were starting to rise up inside of her again. She gulped a little, but did her best not to show any sign of fear right now. (You can do this Sweetie Belle...) she said to herself, (you can do this...you just have to win this one Duel, and you're done... So simple...!) She sighed a little, trying her best to remain calm and remember what everyone had to told her a few minutes earlier.
"Now, before we get things started," Megan said to the audience, "our Official Judge has a few more words to say." She then handed the microphone to Sunset, who had now walked to the center of the arena.
Clearing her throat, the red-and-yellow girl then said, "Alright, before we start this game, I just want to thank all of you for helping make this tournament one of the best ever! To those of you in the audience, I thank you all for the support you gave to me, Megan, and to all our competing Duelists. And to those Duelists who didn't make the cut for the Finals, do not get discouraged; continue to refine and polish your skills so that you can be better prepared the next time you compete in a major tournament. A defeat does not always mean a failure; rather, it's just another step towards total success."
The Duelists that were watching the Finals that had competed in the tournament (at least the ones that were still present and conscious), took those words to heart. This included Flash - who was sitting with Twilight and Spike on the bench, Indigo, Steel, Gilda, Fluttershy, Gabby, Derpy, Octavia and Zecora sitting in the audience, as well as Slid, Bright, and Sol who were watching the upcoming Duel together from their D-Pads in the food court.
"And to our two remaining competitors standing here right now," Sunset continued, "I hope you will give us all a Duel for the ages right here and now. And to make sure that happens, allow me to remind you all of what awaits the winner of this last Duel." She then pointed to the giant TV screen, which displayed the logo used for the annual WCQ Tournament. "The winner of the tournament will be personally invited to join the country's best Duelists and compete against them in the World Championship Qualifiers! The winner will then go on to World Championship Tournament against the best from around the world!"
Ember, looking at the screen and thinking about the Duels she was sure to have if she should make it into the WCQ's, thought to herself, (And that's going to be me... I cannot and will not let this opportunity pass me by...!)
The screen's display the changed to show a Duel Monsters card instead as Sunset added, "The winner of the Tournament will also receive an additional prize: The original prototype of The Despair Uranus, designed by the father of legendary Duelist Aster Phoenix! This card is said to be extremely valuable and a prize worthy of only the best and strongest Duelists!"
(Wow...) thought Sweetie as she stared at the card on the TV screen. (I'd love to get a card like that for myself...! So I gotta try and win this Duel!)
After the display of the card disappeared from the giant screen, the young Judge then said, "I hope that, knowing what glory awaits the winner of this Duel, that the two of you will give us only your best! You made it to the Finals for a reason, and that's because you were the strongest out of everyone who entered! Now it's time to put all of your experience and skills to the ultimate test...and give us a Duel that'll make history!!"
Now the crowds were more fired up to see the upcoming match even more than before. Ember remained serious, but smiled a little, appreciating all the hype the audience was giving her. Sweetie was also happy to hear that so many people were eager to see their Duel, though she did feel a bit nervous about making sure she would give them the Duel they wanted to see.
Taking a coin from her jacket pocket, Sunset then motioned both Ember and Sweetie to meet in the center of the arena. "And now, we'll begin this Duel by deciding turn order; Sweetie, since your Semifinal match had to be cancelled due to your opponents' actions, I'll give you the honor of calling Heads or Tails."
Sweetie nodded and watched as Sunset tossed the coin high into the air, caught it in her hand and placed it on the back of her other hand without looking at it. Rarity's younger sister hummed for a bit, wondering what the result was before guessing, "Um...i-it's Heads! ...Or Tails... No! Heads! I'm going with Heads!"
Sunset removed her hand from the coin and said to the young Duelist, "Sorry, Sweetie... It's Tails."
"Awwww...Darn it! Not again!! That was going to be my other guess!!" Sweetie Belle complained.
"Seeing as how there were only two guesses you could have made, that would technically be true." noted Ember. "In any case, I'll choose to go first, then." Sweetie nodded to say she was okay with that, though she would have preferred to make the first move.
After the competitors returned to their respective sides of the field, Sunset walked off to the side so as not to get in the way. "Now, Duelists," she began to say, "Let's begin the Tournament Finals Duel! Draw your cards and let's get this started!" The crowds cheered as both Ember and Sweetie Belle drew their opening hands, ready to begin their climactic Duel (Ember: LP 4,000) (Sweetie Belle: LP 4,000).
"Well...here we go..." Rarity said to herself, trying to remain calm for her younger sister. "You can do this, Sweetie... I know you can...!"
"Go for it, Sweetie!!" cheered Apple Bloom. "You can do it!!"
"Yeah, Duel Monsters Crusaders FOREVER!!" shouted Scootaloo.
"Yeah, dat chick ain't got nothin' on yous!" Babs chimed in, showing her support for Sweetie as well.
Elsewhere in the stands, Torch - Ember's father - sat with Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna as his daughter's Duel began. "Well, I must say," Luna began, "you've taught your daughter quite well, Torch. I expected no less from someone in your family to make it this far into the tournament."
"Hmph, what if I told you that Ember hasn't even shown all the power she has yet?" the man said to his former Dueling rival. "As impressive as Ember has been up to this point, she has yet to unleash her full strength. Not only did I teach her everything I know, but I've also reinforced her Deck with a few of my old cards as well. Trust me, Luna; you haven't seen anything yet."
"Perhaps," Celestia spoke up, "but don't underestimate the power that Duelists from my school have. I think even you'll be amazed at what even the youngest among the student body has to show."
Chuckling, Torch then said, "I suppose we'll see, Ms. Celestia." They then returned their focus to the Duel currently in progress.
As she devised her strategy, Ember thought to herself, (This is it... This is the Duel that could very well determine my future: Whether I begin my career as a Pro Duelist starting today... Or if I need to train even harder before that can become reality. But no matter what, I plan to show my full strength in this Duel! No holding back!!)
Taking a card from her hand, Ember said to her opponent, "I'll start this Duel by activating the Spell Card known as Terraforming. This allows me to search out any Field Spell Card from my Deck and add it to my hand." After searching through her Deck and selecting the card of her choice, the Bloodstone girl then said, "I will select Dragon Ravine from my Deck and activate it immediately!"
Instantly, the field changed to resemble a vast canyon lit up only by a setting sun. "And...what're you gonna do with that?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Well, if you recall from a few of my Duels in the tournament - like against Indigo and Steel, you'll know what I'm planning to use my Field Spell for." Ember replied. "But just in case you forgot, I'll go and use its effect right now: By discarding any card from my hand, I can then send a Dragon monster from my Deck to the Graveyard immediately. So I'll discard my Omni Dragon Brotaur that's in my hand and send Darkblaze Dragon to the Graveyard with it."
"As we've already seen so far with Ember's Duels," Flash noted, "her Dragons get more power if they return to the field from the Graveyard. She must be planning on bringing them out later on."
"It seems that way," noted Twilight, "but as we've also seen from her, Ember also likes to set up for moves much later on, like how she set up her cards to make a big play that won her the Quarterfinals Duel. I'm almost certain she's trying to do that again."
Taking another card from her hand, Ember then said, "Next, I'll Summon Paladin of Felgrand in Attack Position!" Instantly, her blonde-haired, armored warrior entered the field, sword ready to go (Paladin of Felgrand: Level 4 / ATK 1700 / DEF 300). "Now for my Paladin's effect!" Ember then declared. "After he's Summoned, I can equip him with any Level 7 or Level 8 Dragon from my hand or Deck to him! So I'll equip him with Felgrand Dragon from my Deck!" Afterwards, a ghostly spirit resembling Felgrand Dragon appeared behind her monster to support him. "As long as he's got something equipped to him," she continued, "he's unaffected by all other monster effects."
"That doesn't scare me, Ember...!" said Sweetie Belle.
"Believe me, I haven't gotten to that part yet." the Bloodstone teen responded. "I'll wrap my turn up by setting another card face-down. Go ahead."
"That means it's my turn! I draw!" said Sweetie Belle as she drew her first card of the Duel. As she looked over what she had in her hand, the young girl thought to herself, (Well...here I am in the Finals... I honestly never thought I'd get this far... I still remember when I would lose all the time to people at school. But now, I made it all the way into this big tournament, and if I win, I'll get to be in an even BIGGER tournament!) The thought of that made her sweat a little, knowing that the actual WCQ's was going to host even stronger Duelists. (In any case, I have to win! As a member of the Duel Monsters Crusaders, I gotta give it my best!)
"First things first," Sweetie said, beginning her turn, "I'll play the Spell Card Crystal Bond! This lets me search my Deck for not one, but TWO Crystal Beasts: One to go into my hand, and another to go into my back row as a Spell Card!"
"I see...a nice two-for-one effect." stated Ember. "How very efficient."
After taking two more cards out of her Deck, Sweetie presented them, saying, "I'll add Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus to my hand and put Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon in the back row!" After she did so, a large diamond-shaped white jewel appeared on her field.
(Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon...) thought Ember. (The most recent Crystal Beast monster, and the one she used to help win her Quarterfinal Duel... I have to be careful with that one...)
"Next, since I now have Sapphire Pegasus in my hand, I'll Summon him to the field in Attack Mode!" Sweetie said as she brought her equine Crystal Beast to the field (Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus: Level 4 / ATK 1800 / DEF 1200). "And I'll use his effect to place Ruby Carbuncle in my back row from the Deck!" After that, a large ruby appeared on Sweetie's field, next to the diamond. "Now, Sapphire Pegasus! Attack her Paladin with Sapphire Tornado!" Her monster then used his wings to whip up a powerful cyclone that blew away Ember's monster and destroyed it. "He may be immune to monster effects, but NOT from monster attacks!" Sweetie noted.
"...Oh, I'm perfectly aware of that." said Ember (Ember: LP 4,000 - 100 = 3,900). "But you attacking my monster was part of my plan! I activate the effect of Omni Dragon Brotaur in my Graveyard. This allows me to bring it back to the field in Defense Position after one of my monsters is destroyed!" Immediately, the tiny little Dragon emerged onto the field, taking a defensive stance (Omni Dragon Brotaur: Level 1 / ATK 0 / DEF 0).
"Hmmm...she used that same tactic against me in our Duel." Steel Shadows noted. "She used it with her Dragon's Rebirth Trap Card to revive a monster from her Graveyard. The only question is...what does she plan to use it for this time?"
Sweetie hummed a little, annoyed that she didn't clear Ember's field of monsters liked she hoped to do. "I'll just set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn!" declared Ember. "I draw!" After drawing her card and putting it into her hand, she looked at the other card she was holding and thought about it for a while...
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Bloodstone, Ember's Home (Two Days Ago):
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"A marvelous victory, Ember." said Torch as he and his daughter entered the front door of their home. "Despite my best efforts, you managed to claim a well-earned win in the end. Your training has certainly improved your skills in dueling drastically."
"Thanks, Dad." the blue-skinned teen replied. "For the comment and for helping train me. I do feel like I've come a long way in the past few days." She then sighed a little to herself, frowning a bit.
"Hm...?" Torch glanced over at his daughter and asked her, "Something troubling you...?" He then realized what it was and asked, "Oh...you're thinking about that Duel you had with Ms. Sunset during your Spring Break, am I right?"
Nodding, Ember said to her father, "Even after everything I've done to improve myself since that day I faced her the first time, I still can't stop thinking about that Duel...if I could even CALL that a Duel. I played so horribly, it's literally embarrassing... It's nothing like how I usually play, even before I met her. But I was careless and cocky, not to mention all of the emotional weight I had at the time... Honestly, that's why I've been pushing myself so much during my lessons with you, Dad; I want to be able to show Sunset what my true power looks like, and give her the Duel that I should have shown her that day...!"
Torch didn't show it on his face, as he rarely ever did, but he felt sorry for his daughter (mainly because the "emotional weight" she had mentioned was inadvertently caused by him). At that moment, his and Ember's Duel Pads - which were still attached to their arms at the moment - began to beep softly, indicating that they had gotten a notification. "Hm? What's this...?" said the man as he tapped the screen to see what it was. After checking the notification, he then said, "Hm...! It's a message from Industrial Illusions...!"
"I-Industrial Illusions?" asked Ember, snapping out of her funk for a moment. "What's it say?"
Reading the note on his D-Pad, Torch told her, "According to this, there will be a special tournament going on in Canterlot City, at the city's high school."
"Canterlot?" asked the blue girl. "That's where Sunset's from! What kind of tournament is it?"
"It's a tournament to determine who will be the last entrant into this year's World Championship Qualifiers." Ember's father answered her. "There is only one invitation left that hasn't been issued out, so whomever wins the competition will receive that invitation, as well as an additional prize."
"An additional prize?" asked Ember. "Eh, who cares about that...? If I were to enter, getting into the WCQ's would satisfy me just fine. This tournament would be the perfect test to see just how much I've grown as a Duelist, don't you agree?"
"I do agree, Ember." Torch replied with a nod. "It would be a strong first step to your future as a Pro Duelist if you were to win the tournament and enter the Qualifiers." Tapping the screen again, he then saw a bit of information that made him smirk a little. "Oh...and this should interest you even more:" he said to his daughter next. "As it turns out, Ms. Sunset will be the official Judge for the tournament."
"What?! Sunset's the Judge?!?" exclaimed Ember, looking at the notification herself, finding her father's words to be true.
"...You know, this is the perfect opportunity for you, my daughter." Torch said to her. "Perhaps you may get the chance at a rematch with Ms. Shimmer if you were to enter the tournament and impress her with the skills you've picked up. I strongly recommend that you do not let this chance slip you by; in the end, it IS your decision whether or not you want to-"
"You can just stop right there, Dad." Ember interrupted. "This is the chance I've been waiting for...! I'm going to enter that tournament, win the whole thing, and get a rematch with Sunset! Fate's given me this opportunity and I'm not gonna ignore it! What better way to start my road to becoming a Pro Duelist than with this tournament?" Turning to her father with vigor on her face and in her voice, she told him, "So, I've made up my mind! I'm entering that tournament!"
Chuckling in a low voice, Torch replied, "I expected no less, my daughter. You certainly have the desire and determination to succeed, and for that, I'm truly honored to have helped you in your goals and dreams." Walking over to a small box that was sitting on his Desk, he then added, "And I plan to continue helping you achieve your desires, even after your training is over." He then opened the box, revealing several Duel Monsters cards inside, taking a few of them out before closing the box once more. Walking over to Ember, he presented the cards and said, "Take these: They are my gift to you for furthering your Pro Dueling career, and also because of how proud I am of you that you've come so far."
Ember looked at the cards he was offering to her, an amazed look appearing on her face. At first, she didn't want to take them, but she knew just how stubborn her father was, and he wouldn't accept "no" as an answer, not even from her. And besides, she was happy to know that her father - who once was against her becoming a Duelist - was now doing everything he could to help her realize her life's dream. And it was for that reason that she accepted the gift from him.
Satisfied, Torch nodded and said to her, "The tournament's Preliminary Rounds being tomorrow. I recommend you continue refining your skills until that day comes." He then turned to leave; after all, he had some work to do as well.
Ember looked at the cards that her father had given her and thought, (I'll do it...! I'll win that tournament! I'll make you proud, Dad... I'll make you proud, Sunset... And I'll make myself proud, too!)
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(I meant that with every fiber of my being...) thought Ember, having finished recalling that event. (I'm going to be the best Duelist out there, and I won't let anything stand in my way! And I'll use one of the cards you gave to me right now to do just that!) Looking towards her opponent, she told her, "You ready to see what my full power looks like?"
"B-bring it on!" said Sweetie Belle, trying her best to remain brave, even though Ember's question worried her a bit.
"For my next move, I will Special Summon a monster from my hand." Ember stated. "But in order to do that, I must first pay a cost: I banish Omni Dragon Brotaur from my field!" Instantly, her tiny dragon monster vanished from sight.
"Why'd she do that?" asked Spike. "Just what is she trying to bring out?"
"I don't know." Twilight replied, just as curious as he was. However, she glanced over to Sunset and saw the surprised look on her face; she could tell that Sunset might have an idea as to what Ember was about to bring to the field next.
Gasping a little, Luna turned over to Torch and asked, "...N-no...! Torch, you didn't-!"
Chuckling a little, the man replied, "I did indeed, Luna. I'm a bit surprised that it's taken this long for her to bring it out, but I suppose the Finals are the perfect time for her to unleash our family's secret weapon!"
Taking the card that she had been looking at earlier, she then said softly to herself, "...Dad...lend me your strength..." She then played the card and shouted, "Come forth! Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!!" After she played the card, a massive tower of red-hot flames burst out of the ground in front of Ember, swirling like a tornado. Then, a pair of silver-armored wings with red highlights came out of the flame tornado. After the fire vanished, a massive dragon coated in the same silver armor as the wings was floating there, belting out a shrieking cry that reverberated over the stadium.
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Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon
(Effect Monster/Dragon/DARK/Level 10/ATK 2800/DEF 2400)
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 1 face-up Dragon monster you control. You can only Special Summon "Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon" once per turn this way. During your Main Phase: You can Special Summon 1 Dragon monster from your hand or GY, except "Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon". You can only use this effect of "Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon" once per turn.
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"What the heck is that?!?" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, astonished. "That thing's HUGE!!"
"I knew it..." thought Sunset. "Considering that her father used a Red-Eyes Deck, I figured he'd probably give her a card like that."
"So...what's that guy do, Sunset?" asked Spike, curious about the new monster due to it being a Dragon.
"It's practically a staple for any dedicated Dragon Deck." the red-and-yellow girl answered him. "It's summoned by banishing any other Dragon from the field, but since her Omni Dragon Brotaur would have banished itself if it left the field anyway, it was the prefect fodder to bring out Red-Eyes. But not only is it strong on offense, but it has an even greater power; one that Ember's Deck in particular thrives on."
Smiling a bit, Ember then told her opponent, "If you think my Darkness Metal Dragon is impressive now, just watch as I activate its effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon any Dragon from my hand OR my Graveyard!"
"Wait, you get to do WHAT each turn?!?" asked Sweetie Belle in shock.
"Basically, as long as Darkness Metal Dragon is on my field, my Dragons can keep on coming back no matter how many times they fall!" the Bloodstone Duelist responded. "I use the effect of Darkness Metal Dragon to revive Felgrand Dragon from the Graveyard!" And with a mighty roar from her monster, Ember's favorite card came back to the field (Felgrand Dragon: Level 8 / ATK 2800 / DEF 2800). "Felgrand Dragon can only be revived from the Graveyard if it was sent there from the field," Ember noted, "so it's a good thing my Paladin of Felgrand's effect helped get it there."
"Of course..." Martin said from the audience, "Even though it was brought out as an Equip Card, it still technically entered the field first. So she was able to bring it back from the Graveyard."
"I see..." said Gilda, understanding. "That was the whole point of her summoning that Paladin. She had this planned from the beginning."
Continuing her turn, Ember then declared, "Now I activate Felgrand Dragon's effect! The moment it is Special Summoned, I can select any monster from my Graveyard, and give Felgrand Dragon attack points equal to 200 times the chosen monster's Level! So I'll select Darkblaze Dragon, who's Level 7!" Her revived Dragon then roared, gaining strength from its ally in the Graveyard (Felgrand Dragon: ATK 2800 + 1400 = 4200).
"Unbelievable!" remarked Octavia. "That was the reason she sent it there in her last turn, even discarding that monster to set up for its Graveyard effect so she could bring out Darkness Metal Dragon...!"
"Woah, that's nuts!" said Vinyl. "No way she thought that far ahead!"
But it was true; Ember's ability to think several moves ahead, combined with the power of her Dragons, made her a force to be reckoned with. "Now for my Battle Phase!" she then shouted. "Felgrand Dragon! Attack her Sapphire Pegasus! Ray of Grand Light!!" Her mighty Dragon then fired a blast of light energy at Sweetie's monster, threatening its destruction and a lot of damage.
"Hold on a sec! I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Sweetie, tapping her screen. "I play my Crystal Brilliance card! Thanks to this, all my Crystal Beast monsters gain attack points equal to their defense points!" Her card then strengthened Sapphire Pegasus, raising his power (Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus: ATK 1800 + 1200 = 3000).
"That won't stop Felgrand Dragon!" Ember reminded her. "Continue the attack!" The light ray then hit its mark, wiping out Sweetie's only monster. But thanks to the Trap Card, her Life Points didn't take as much of a hit as they would have otherwise (Sweetie Belle: LP 4,000 - 1,200 = 2,800).
"I use the effect of Sapphire Pegasus, and put him in my back row as a Spell Card!" Sweetie Belle then said as a large, dark-blue gem appeared on her field.
Thinking to herself, Ember pondered, (Okay...if I have Red-Eyes attack next, that'll be exactly enough to win the Duel with an OTK... The thing is...) She then glanced to the far left side of the field, where a single face-down card was sitting. (...I'm sure that card might stop me. Still, I should take this chance; worst-case scenario, I force her to flip that Set card.) Pointing forward, she then shouted, "Go, Red-Eyes!! Attack her with Darkness Metal Flare!!" Her second monster then began charging up its attack, threatening to end the Duel right here and now.
"Sweetie, dear! Watch out!!" shouted Rarity out of concern.
But Sweetie wasn't going to let her opponent win that easily, shouting, "I play my other Trap Card! Crystal Boon!"
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Crystal Boon
(Normal Trap Card)
Special Summon up to 2 "Crystal Beast" Monster Cards from your Spell & Trap Zone, and if you do, gain LP equal to their combined original ATK. If a "Crystal Beast" card(s) is placed in your Spell & Trap Zone while this card is in your GY, even during the Damage Step: You can banish this card; excavate the top card of your Deck, and if it is a "Crystal Beast" monster, either add it to your hand or Special Summon it. Otherwise, send that card to the GY. You can only use this effect of "Crystal Boon" once per turn.
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"I'll use this card to bring back these guys!" said Sweetie Belle, taking two card out of the Spell & Trap slot of her D-Pad. "Come on back, Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus and Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon!!" Her two monster then busted out of their gem-like forms and returned to the field as monsters, first the wing and horn-bearing creature, who immediately was powered up by the first Trap Sweetie activated (Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus: ATK 1800 + 1200 = 3000), followed by the massive Dragon that bore similarities to her Deck's strongest monster (Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon: Level 8 / ATK 3000 / DEF 0).
"Rrrgh...!" grunted Ember, not expecting that, despite knowing full well that her opponent was going to use their face-down card in response to her attack.
"And thanks to my Trap Card's other effect," Sweetie continued, "I get more Life Points equal to their original attack points, added up!" In an instant, she regained the Life Points she lost, and more (Sweetie Belle: LP 2,800 + 4,800 = 7,600). "Not only that, but I even get to use Sapphire Pegasus to put Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle from my Deck into my back row!" She did just that, causing a lighter-blue gem to appear there.
"...I choose to cancel Darkness Metal Dragon's attack." said Ember, knowing that it wouldn't beat either of Sweetie's monsters, since they each had slightly higher attack points. "I must admit: That was quite a good move. But don't think I won't play a better one later on!" Taking the last card in her hand, she added, "I move to my second Main Phase and discard my Darkstorm Dragon in order to use the effect of Dragon Ravine to send my Arkbrave Dragon from the Deck to the Graveyard." After doing so, she then thought, (Arkbrave Dragon will definitely help me out later...but in case it doesn't, I'll be ready to use Darkstorm when the time calls for it...) She then said to her opponent, "It's your turn, then."
"Dat was a pretty good move for Sweetie there..." said Babs. "She got two really strong monsters on the field, and got a huge boost to 'er Life Points at th' same time."
"Yeah! I'd like to see that Ember chick try and beat her now!" said Scootaloo, confident that Sweetie had this game won now.
"Let's not get too comfortable, yet..." Apple Bloom reminded them both. "Ember's still got that Dragon with 4200 attack points on the field, an' neither of Sweetie's monsters are strong enough t' beat it."
"True, but maybe now, she'll have plenty'o time t' draw an out to Ember's strategy." said Babs, still confident that Sweetie had a good fighting chance.
"Alright, it's my turn...!" said Sweetie Belle as she prepared her next card. Before she did, she thought to herself, (I gotta try and win this somehow... I need to win for the rest of Crusaders...!) She then had a flashback to the day when the WCQ Qualifier Tournament was announced...
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"This is so awesome!" said Scootaloo, after she and the rest of her friends in the Duel Monsters Crusaders read about the tournament from the notification in the D-Pads. "They're gonna be havin' a tournament to see who'll get into the WCQ's this year!"
"Ah know, right?" said an equally-excited Apple Bloom. "Ah'll bet there'll be a lotta Duelists tryin' out for it! Maybe we'll even get see Duelists we've never met before!"
"Yeah!" said Sweetie Belle. "And not only that, our school's even gonna be hosting the whole tournament! I'd like to see Crystal Prep top something like that!"
"A tournament t' determine who'll get into the WCQ's..." said Babs Seed. "Now that's a prize worth fightin' for. No doubt about it: there's gonna be some tough Duelists competin' t' try an' get that honor!" Looking at the rest of them, she then suggested, "And I think we should try n' throw ourselves into th' ring and play in the tournament, too!"
"HUH?!? Us compete?!" exclaimed Scootaloo. "You're kidding, right?"
"There's no way we'd be able to beat all those tougher Duelists!" said Bloom. "They're too high above us!"
"Yeah, what she said!" agreed Sweetie Belle.
"Look, girls: I know it sounds impossible..." Babs began to say, "but ask yourselves: How d'ya KNOW you won't get far in the tournament, unless you get out there and at least give it a try?" The other three said nothing first, realizing their fellow club member had a point. "Besides," she then continued, "don't ya see that this sorta thing is the perfect opportunity for us?"
"What do you mean?" asked Sweetie.
"Think about it: If even just one'f us gets in the tournament an' does really well," Babs explained to them, "then it'll get our club some real good publicity! People from all over the city will wanna join up with us and become bettah Duelists!"
"Ah...guess ya'll got a good point there, Babs." said Apple Bloom, agreeing with her cousin.
"Exactly." Babs replied. "It's our duty as members of the Duel Monsters Crusaders t' get the club's name out there, and help othah people just like us to be the best Duelists we can be! Even if we don't win the tournament, if we still do well enough, then I'm sure we'll have tons'f people wantin' t' join up with us! Besides, what's the worst that can happen if we just give it a try?"
Humming a bit, Scootaloo then said, "Well...I guess we don't have anything to lose. Maybe it's not a bad idea after all."
"I guess we could at least head to where they're hosting the Preliminary Rounds and see what we'll be up against." said Sweetie Belle. "But if I could make a suggestion, maybe we should just have one of us enter the tournament?"
"Ah think that'd be a good idea." Apple Bloom said. "That way, we don't have to worry about gettin' paired up with each other; Ah know we've had Duels with each other before, but those were just fer fun. Ah can't imagine how it'd feel to have t' fight one of mah best friends in a more high-stakes Duel..."
"In that case," Scootaloo began to say, "I think we should have Babs enter the tournament; she's the best out of all of us."
"Actually, I had a different idea in mind." the tough girl replied. Turning towards one of the others, she then recommended, "I nominate Sweetie Belle t' be the club's rep for the tournament."
"WHAT?! ME?!?" exclaimed Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were equally shocked by Babs's suggestion.
"While it's true that I've had the most duelin' experience out of any of us," Babs then told them all, "I've been keepin' a close eye on the rest of yous, and I have to admit, Sweetie's been on a really good winnin' streak evah since she got back from Manehatten. Need I remind yous that you even beat me in a Duel once earlier this week?"
"Huh?" Apple Bloom (as well as Scootaloo) turned towards Sweetie and asked, "Is that true? You actually beat Babs in a Duel one time?"
"Well...yeah, I guess I did." said the white-skinned girl, rubbing the back of her head. "But it was only one game, and really I just got lucky, is all..."
"But ya still won, and dat's what matters." Babs told her. "And dat's why I think you'll be the best choice outta all'f us t' enter the tournament. No...not just enter the tournament, but WIN it! I'm tellin' ya, I really think you've got what it takes t' beat everyone else, no matter how tough they are!"
"I...don't know..." said Sweetie Belle, unsure if she really was the best one to enter such a big competition.
"Ah'm with Babs." said Apple Bloom. "She never says those sorts of things about just anybody. If she really thinks Sweetie can do it, then Ah believe it too!"
"Same here!" said Scootaloo. "After all, I still haven't been able to beat Babs even by luck! And who knows? Sweetie might win this whole thing and even get into the World Championship Qualifiers! Wouldn't that be something?"
"...You...you guys really think I can do it?" asked Sweetie, feeling a little happy that they all believed in her so much.
"Yous bet we do!" Babs told her. "You're gonna do amazing, I know it for a fact!"
Sweetie was still a bit unsure about it, but she didn't want to let her friends down. And knowing that if she got really far into the tournament, it would give their club more positive attention and possibly future members. Smiling and nodding, the young girl then said, "Okay... I guess it couldn't hurt. I'll do it!"
"Yeah!!!" cheered the other members of the club, pleased to know that Sweetie was willing to try and enter the tournament. They then went on to say that they would offer her all of the support they could give her, and wished her luck in the competition...
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(Everybody in the club believed in me...especially Babs.) said Sweetie Belle. (And now look at me: I'm actually in the Final Match! Which means if I win this Duel, I win the whole tournament! I'll get into the WCQ's, get that rare card, and even get our club's name out there! I gotta try...! I gotta try and WIN!)
"I draw!!" said Sweetie Belle, pulling the top card of her Deck. She then looked at it, and smiled a huge smile. "YES!! I drew my Field Spell Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins!! I'm gonna play it right now!!"
After she played the card, Ember and the rest of the audience watched as Sweetie's entire half of the field changed to a set of beautiful ruins with a rainbow appearing over it. "She actually managed to draw her Field Spell..." muttered Ember. "I was hoping to end this Duel before that happened..."
"Thanks to my Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins," Sweetie began to explain, "I get a buncha effects for each of the Crystal Beasts in my back row! Since I have two there right now, that means that Rainbow Ruins can't be destroyed by card effects, and once per turn, I can cut any damage I take in half! And with the Life Point boost I got last turn, that puts me in pretty good shape, if I do say so myself."
"No kidding..." said Flash. "Right now, Sweetie is almost invincible. With so much Life Points, she can stay in the game for a longer amount of time!"
"Which means that the likelihood of her drawing her way to a card that can overcome Ember is much higher." said Twilight.
"Yeah, Sweetie Belle knows exactly how to make the best use of her Crystal Beast cards." Sunset said. "But Ember also knows how to make the best with her Deck, too. This Duel could still go either way."
Taking another card from her hand, Sweetie played it and said, "Now I'm summoning my Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth in Attack Mode!" The massive mammoth monster then entered the field, trumpeting out a powerful battle cry. "And thanks to my Crystal Brilliance Trap Card, he gets even stronger!" (Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth: Level 4 / ATK 1700 + 1600 = 3300).
"It's still not powerful enough to defeat my Felgrand Dragon, Sweetie Belle." Ember reminded her.
"Maybe not, but your other monster's not safe!" the young girl then told her. "Amber Mammoth, attack her Red-Eyes with your Amber Stomp attack!!" The beast then stamped its foot onto the ground, cracking the ground underneath it and creating a fissure that sent Darkness Metal Dragon plummeting to its doom.
"Urrgh..." grunted Ember, taking a small hit to her Life Points (Ember: LP 3,900 - 500 = 3,400). "I can't believe she destroyed Red-Eyes so easily..."
"That's the end of my turn, then!" said Sweetie, feeling a bit more confident. "So go ahead and make your move!"
"I will, then." said Ember, drawing a card from her Deck and looking at it. (Hmmm...this card could help, but I have to be careful; That Field Spell is a lot of trouble. Thanks to its effects that are currently active, I can't destroy it, and each turn it'll cut any damage I deal to her in half once each turn. But there's more: Sweetie Belle will get even more effects if more Crystal Beasts are placed in her back row...and at three, she can send any of the Crystal Beasts in her Monster Zones to the Graveyard to negate a Spell or Trap that I play... It's bizarre; I have the most powerful monster on the field right now, but I'M the one at a disadvantage!) Still, she knew she had to try something, so she placed the card she had drawn this turn in her hand and shouted, "Felgrand Dragon, attack Amber Mammoth!!" Her monster then blasted Sweetie's monster, destroying it and dealing a bit more damage (Sweetie Belle: LP 7,600 - 450 = 7,150).
"Wait, why didn't she attack any of the other monsters?" asked Spike.
"Because Amber Mammoth forces the opponent to attack it first." explained Sunset. "That's why Sweetie didn't bother to switch her other monsters to Defense last turn."
"I'll move Amber to my back row instead of the Graveyard with his effect." said Sweetie Belle, doing that and making a large, smooth, orange stone appear in front of her.
"And I'll set a card in MY back row and end my turn." said Ember, playing the card she had just drawn.
"Then it's my turn!" said Sweetie, drawing her next card and looking at it. After staring at her newly-drawn card and then at her Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon, she placed the card into her hand and played a different one. "I'll Summon Amethyst Cat in Attack Mode." Her purple-furred, cat-like monster then appeared in front of her after the card was played (Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat: Level 3 / ATK 1200 + 400 = 1600 / DEF 400). "And then I'll switch both my other monsters to Defense Mode." she then said, re-positioning her other two monsters. Pointing forward, she then ordered her sole offensive monster, "Now, Amethyst Cat! Use your effect and attack Ember directly!"
The cat-like creature then pounced towards Sweetie's opponent, slashing her with its mighty claws and dealing a small amount of chip damage (Ember: LP 3,400 - 800 = 2,600). "Hmm. Not bad, kid." Ember complimented. "Is that all you're doing this turn?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Sweetie answered her. "So go ahead."
Drawing a card from her Deck, Ember looked at it and thought, (This could help, though she might negate it with her Field Spell. Either way though, I'm planning to take back control of this Duel...!) Playing the card she drew, Ember declared, "I activate my Pot of Desires! By banishing ten cards off the top of my Deck, I draw two more! Unless of course...you wish to use your Field Spell's effect to negate it?"
"Negate it?" asked Sweetie Belle. It was true: Since she currently had three Crystal Beasts in her back row, she was able to negate any Spell or Trap that Ember might activate, but at the cost of sending one of her front row Crystal Beasts to the Graveyard. Not wanting to risk the possibility of being left with no monsters in the face of Ember's 4200-attack point Felgrand Dragon, she said to her opponent, "...No, that's fine. You can play that card."
"...Very well, then." said Ember, a little surprised by the decision, but not questioning it. She then removed her top ten cards, then drew the next two. She then saw what one of the cards was and came up with an idea. Facing her opponent, Ember then said, "Alright, I think it's time that I take back the advantage in this Duel. And I'll do it with this: My Ruins of the Divine Dragon Lords!!" She then played the Continuous Spell Card on the field.
"Ruins of the Divine Dragon Lords?!" exclaimed Gabby. "Isn't that the card she used on you, Gilda?"
"Yeah, and it's a real pain in the butt." the kindly roughneck answered. "That card negates the effects of any monsters Special Summoned from anywhere that ISN'T the Graveyard, while Ember's got a Level 7 or 8 Dragon out on the field. That card almost perfectly countered my Raidraptor Deck...! And since that girl's Crystal Beasts do a lot of Special Summoning, it's also good against her Deck as well!"
"But there's just one thing..." Martin pointed out. "If Sweetie Belle were to use her Field Spell's effect, she can negate that card's activation and destroy it." However, Martin also was aware of the fact that Ember KNEW about the Field Spell's effect as well, and yet she played the card anyway...
While Sweetie didn't care too much about letting Pot of Desires resolve its effect, the Ruins card was a different story. "I can't let you use that card! So I'll activate Rainbow Ruins' third effect! I send Amethyst Cat to the Graveyard to negate your Spell and destroy it!" At that moment, the cat creature vanished from the field altogether, causing purple bolts of energy towards Ember's Spell Card, suppressing its power. "I saw you use that on Gilda, but you won't be using it on me!" Sweetie told her.
"...Which is what I was counting on." Ember replied.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I'll admit, I was a bit surprised you let me resolve Pot of Desires," the Bloodstone girl told her, "but I figured that - after what you saw of this card last Duel, you couldn't resist negating it. And now that you've committed to it, I can now freely use my REAL trump card!"
"Your...real trump card?" asked Sweetie, getting more nervous.
"I activate the Trap Card, Burst Breath!" said Ember, revealing her face-down card. "To use it, I must Tribute my Felgrand Dragon. But in exchange, I can now destroy every monster on the field with less defense points than Felgrand's attack points! In other words, both of your remaining monsters!"
"It does WHAT?!" gasped Sweetie Belle. She just stood there and watched as both of her remaining monsters were instantly destroyed.
"Oh no..." said Fluttershy. "Now all of Sweetie's monsters are gone...!"
"...Wait, hold up a sec:" Applejack began to ask, "Why didn't Sweetie use her Field Spell's effect again to stop that Trap? That way, she'd still have one monster left on the field..."
"Indeed..." Rarity hummed. "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins' third effect isn't a once-per-turn effect, so she could have done that... But judging by the look on my sister's face, I don't think she was aware of that..." The violet-haired teen then looked towards her sister and saw the uncomfortable look on her face, wondering if that also had anything to do with what had happened.
Torch, however, was quite pleased and proud of his daughter for her well-timed move. "I didn't expect any less of you, Ember." he said to himself. "But don't rest easy just yet; this opponent of yours has proven to be quite strong as well..." He continued to watch the Duel, confident that Ember wouldn't disappoint him.
Sweetie Belle was still in total disbelief that all of her monsters had been wiped out so easily. "No..." she said. "I don't believe it..." Now she wasn't so sure about how this game was going to end, now that her advantage had been lost. Still, she wasn't planning to give up just yet as she took her Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon card and said, "Since this monster was destroyed, I'll put it in the back row for now." In addition, Ember's negated Spell Card also removed itself from the field.
"Maybe, but now your front row is clear of any monsters, which means I can start chipping away at your Life Points!" Ember informed her. Taking the other card she had drawn with Pot of Desires, she then said, "Now I'll summon my Guardian of Felgrand in Attack Position!" She then brought out her other Warrior monster that shared the name of her favorite Dragon (Guardian of Felgrand: Level 4 / ATK 500 / DEF 500). "He may start out with low stats," Ember began explaining, "but I can use his effect to equip him with any Level 7 or 8 Dragon from my Graveyard, then add half that monster's attack and defense points to his stats! And of course, I'll choose to equip him with the Felgrand Dragon that I just Tributed for my Trap Card." Her Warrior then raised his axe as the ghostly image of Felgrand Dragon appeared behind him (Guardian of Felgrand: ATK 500 + 1400 = 1900 / DEF 500 + 1400 = 1900).
"Now that Sweetie's front row is completely empty," stated Sunset, "Ember's attack won't fail to get through... The only things keeping Sweetie in the game are that her Field's Spell second effect will halve the damage done, and the fact that she has so many Life Points right now..."
"So does that mean she still has a chance?" asked Spike.
"Maybe..." said the jacket-wearing girl. "Sweetie just needs to try and remain calm, even under all the pressure she's in right now." Like Rarity, Sunset wondered if Sweetie earlier nervousness was what caused her not to use her Field Spell's effect to negate Burst Breath earlier. (C'mon Sweetie...) she thought, (you can't get scared now...)
"Now, Guardian of Felgrand! Attack Sweetie directly!" shouted Ember. Her monster then swung his axe, performing a horizontal slice that created a powerful shock wave that was brimming with power. The shock wave struck Sweetie Belle fairly hard, causing her some damage.
"Urrgh... I use Rainbow Ruins' second effect!" said the younger girl. "So that damage is cut in half!" (Sweetie Belle: LP 7,150 - 950 = 6,200).
"I'm well aware of that." stated Ember. "But unless you can get another monster out onto the field, I'll just keep on attacking you until your Life Points run out, or until I find a way to get past your Field Spell. With all due respect to you, especially since you've proven to be a very strong opponent, I still must say this: I'M going to win this Duel! I am going to win this tournament and begin my dream of becoming a Pro Duelist! And I don't plan on letting up anytime soon! For the sake of my goals and desires, I WILL come out victorious!!"
There was now no doubt in anyone's mind that Ember wasn't planning on just handing Sweetie a victory: Ember was determined now more than ever to win the tournament and become the powerful Duelist she felt she was meant to be. Either way, it seemed that the real Duel was only just about to begin...
-- To Be Continued...
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TOURNAMENT RESULTS (Final Round):
Ember vs. Sweetie Belle [WINNER: ???]
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I am surprised we got a new chapter 1 month early.
Sweet
11649810
I was originally going to post this only AFTER I wrote both Parts 1 and 2, but since I made a significant amount of progress on the second part, I felt like putting this up sooner.
11649812
Cool
I just learned something interesting about the original 100 numbers. While you did quite a few of them already, 30 of them NEVER appeared or got mentioned in the Manga/Anime.
Numbers that Didnt appear in Manga/Anime:
Number 18: Heraldry Patriarch
Number 24: Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon
Number 26: Spaceaway Octobypass
Number 27: Dreadnought Dreadnoid
Number 29: Mannequin Cat
Number 36: Chronomaly Chateau Huyuk
Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir
Number 45: Crumble Logos the Prophet of Demolition
Number 49: Fortune Tune
Number 51: Finisher the Strong Arm
Number 55: Gogogo Goliath
Number 57: Tri-Head Dust Dragon
Number 59: Crooked Cook
Number 60: Dugares the Timeless
Number 67: Pair-a-Dice Smasher
Number 68: Sanaphond the Sky Prison
Number 71: Rebarian Shark
Number 74: Master of Blades
Number 75: Bamboozling Gossip Shadow
Number 76: Harmonizer Gradielle
Number 78: Number Archive
Number 79: Battlin' Boxer Nova Kaiser
Number 81: Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Super Dora
Number 85: Crazy Box
Number 86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad
Number 87: Queen of the Night
Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker
Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord
Number 97: Draglubion
Number 98: Antitopian
Sweetie Belle is hanging in there, but Ember's got plenty of power to fight through. We'll see which of them can take the victory.
Nice! The final duel is off to an intense start. Both of the finalists show they have a lot riding on winning this tournament for different reasons. I am still cheering for one of them specifically, but I stand by my previous statement that whoever wins will be worthy.
The duel is just getting started and both Ember and Sweetie Belle have already made some incredible plays. I certainly wasn't expecting Ember to use Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, a gift from her father. It certainly helped but was dealt with quickly. But that wasn't the only card Torch gave her so who knows what the others are. As of right now I feel like Sweetie Belle has a slight advantage, since she has way more life points than Ember right now thanks to her trap and her Field Spell Ancient City is reducing all her damage by half. However, Ember is slowly catching up to her so the winner is still anyone's guess.
11649829
If you haven't noticed this by now, I have featured quite a few of those Numbers in the series already, and I'm planning to (eventually) showcase all of them as soon as possible. That way, they get their deserved moments in the spotlight.
11651453
I have some interesting things planned for Part 2 (which I am currently writing as of making this comment), and I promise, no matter what, that it'll be good.
11651653
I'm looking forward to seeing all of them debut.
I am also especially excited to see particular Numbers appear and who will use them. Like Shark Drake, Gimmick Puppets, the other Mytherian Numbers, Rhongomyniad, and the Over 100 Numbers.
And I feel like it's a strong possibility Flash will use Rhongomyniad given his Heroic Champion deck. I wonder how he will act under its influence. Or will he actually control it?
11652151
I have plans for them all, so at some point, I will try and have them all appear sooner or later.
Oh, this duel is a nail biter. I can’t wait to see how it progresses.
11654163
I have the perfect summoning chant that Flash can use for Rhongomyniad. "Sacred Lance, removing restraints. Split the heavens and tether the earth, anchor of the storm. Xyz Summon! Appear now from the Ends of the World, Number 86: Heroic Champion Rhongomyniad!"