My Little Pony: Friendship is Numerous

by Monty Eggman

RANK 58: The Tournament Finals: Ember Vs. Sweetie, Part 2:

RANK 58: The Tournament Finals: Ember Vs. Sweetie, 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...

After the drama that had unfolded during the WCQ Qualifier Tournament, the Final Round was about to go underway. This final Duel would pit Ember - a Duelist from the city of Bloodstone that was trained by her former Pro Duelist father Torch, against Sweetie Belle - a founding member of the Duel Monsters Crusaders, which was a group formed by herself, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo to help improve themselves when it came to the game of Duel Monsters. Both of them had strong reasons to win this final Duel: Ember wanted to win to get into the World Championship Qualifiers and start her own journey as a Pro Duelist. Sweetie wanted to win to help promote the D.M.C. in the hopes of helping other people like them become Duelists themselves. She also had her eyes on the rare original print of The Despair Uranus, which she wanted badly for her Deck.

The Duel between them started, and while Ember once more continued her usual strategy of bringing out the megaton power of her Dragons to overwhelm her opponent, Sweetie set up what seemed like the perfect defense: Increasing her Life Points to an extremely high total, and then playing her Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins to limit the amount of damage she took in order to buy enough time to draw an out to Ember's Deck. However, Sweetie's plan was set back a bit when Ember made a surprise move that caught the young girl off-guard, putting her in a bit of a precarious position.

Ember has made it clear that she planned on winning the tournament, but Sweetie - despite her sudden increased nervousness - isn't ready to give up, either. Which one of them will come out on top and win the competition...?

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Everyone in CHS's football stadium was watching intently at the scene before them: It was the final Duel of the WCQ Qualification Tournament, which would decide who would get the last invitation to one of the biggest Duel Monsters competitions of all, the World Championship Qualifiers. The Duelists competing were Ember - the daughter of a former Pro Duelist, and Sweetie Belle - the youngest contestant and member of the Duel Monsters Crusaders club. The Duel started out mostly in Sweetie's favor when she set up a strong defense, but after Ember's last move, the Bloodstone City Duelist threatened to wrestle away control of the Duel to herself.

"This Duel's so exciting!" cheered Vinyl. "There's no way to tell who's gonna win this whole thing!"

"It has been quite the contest, that's for sure." said Octavia. "To think that Sweetie Belle was able to hold her own for this long is quite amazing. Then again, I didn't expect her to beat me in the Quarterfinal Duel, so I guess it really shouldn't be a surprise..."

Zecora - Sweetie's first opponent in the tournament - was watching from the stadium seats. "I must admit," she began to say, "this Duel has been quite the sight. I expected no less from Duelists that fight with such might."

Elsewhere in the stands, the Wonderbolts - Spitfire, Soarin, and the newly-added Steel Shadows, were also quite invested in the Duel before them. "Those two down there..." Spitfire started, "they're showin' off some real fireworks out there."

"I'll say." Soarin replied. "I'm glad we went through the trouble of coming all the way out here." He then turned to the new member of their team and asked, "Hey Steel... Who do you think's gonna win this one?"

"Hmmm...hard to say, if I'm being honest." he answered him. "I do know that Ember has considerable skill, having already dueled her myself. But this young girl has shown to be quite skilled for her age... It could go either way." Spitfire and Soarin seemed to agree with him there before they returned their attention to the Duel.

Indigo Bolt - the Amazoness user that faced Ember in the first round was sitting with her classmate Shining Spoon, watching the Duel closely. The two of them said nothing concerning the Duel, but they, like the rest of the audience, were curious as to how this would all end. Gilda, Gabby, and Martin were also very invested in the match as well, knowing just how strong both Duelists were (especially Gilda, who had lost to Ember in the Semifinals).

Based on their total Life Points, it seemed that Sweetie Belle had quite a massive advantage over the more experienced Ember (Ember: LP 2,600) (Sweetie Belle: LP 6,200). This was reinforced by the fact that Sweetie's Field Spell - Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins - allowed her several benefits, including the power to cut any damage she took in half. However, Sweetie had no monsters on the field, except the Crystal Beasts that were stuck in her back row, unable to defend her from any direct attacks by Ember's current monster, Guardian of Felgrand (Guardian of Felgrand: Level 4 / ATK 1900 / DEF 1900).

(Sweetie Belle has done quite well against me so far...) Ember thought to herself, contemplating the current situation. (I must admit; I didn't expect her to gain such a lead over me so quickly in the Duel... Then again, Sunset said she trained her personally, so I guess it only makes sense that she'd be strong. But now I finally have some advantage over her; I just have to keep that advantage...) She then looked at Sweetie Belle and noticed the slightly worried look on her face.

Why she felt worried wasn't a mystery. (I can't believe it...!) she said to herself. (I was really far ahead of her when this started, but now I don't have any monsters on the field! I don't even have any left in my hand! If I can't summon anything out on the field, Ember will just keep attacking me over and over until I lose!) A bead of sweat dropped down her face as thought about the possibility of that outcome. (Maybe joining such a big tournament wasn't the best idea the club's had...) Even so, she knew that she had to try and get through this somehow, even if it seemed hopeless to her.

Sunset stayed off to the side, noticing Sweetie's nervousness as well. (Don't lose confidence in yourself, Sweetie...) she mentally urged her. (Just remember everything I've taught you, and above all, stay calm...)

Looking over towards her opponent, Ember then said to her, "Alright, Sweetie... We have a Duel to finish here, so go and make your move."

"Oh...! Um, right then." said Sweetie, snapping back into reality. "I draw..." She pulled the top card of her Deck and looked at it, sighing with displeasure. "Crystal Blessing...? That's not gonna help me! My back row is already full of cards, so I can't use it!" Letting out a groan, she then announced, "I'll...I'll use the fourth effect of my Rainbow Ruins right now. That lets me draw another card, since I have at least four Crystal Beasts in my back row." She then drew a second card off the top of her Deck, but she wasn't pleased with that draw either. (Aw, C'MON!! Crystal Conclave?! I can't use that card either!)

"This ain't lookin' too good fer Sweetie..." Applejack said. "She doesn't seem t' be drawin' any good cards this turn..."

"If she can't summon any monsters this turn, Ember can just attack her directly again on her next turn..." stated Fluttershy, concerned for the young Duelist.

"...Come on, Sweetie dear..." Rarity urged her little sister. "I know you can do this..."

Having not drawn any monsters this turn, Sweetie knew that she wasn't in a good spot. Looking at the gem form of her Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon, she knew what she had to do in order to survive the turn damage-free. "I'll activate the effect of Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon in my back row:" she declared. "By banishing it while it's treated as a Spell Card, I can Special Summon any Level 4 or lower Crystal Beast monster from my Deck." She then removed the card from her back row to pay the cost of the effect.

"That sounds like quite a handy effect to have." noted Twilight. "Now she can defend herself on the next turn."

"I wonder what monster she'll pick, though..." questioned Flash.

After she initiated the effect, a window appeared on her Duel Pad, listing all the cards that fit the criteria to be Special Summoned. (Ohhh...which one should I pick? I need to stop that monster from attacking...) When she looked through the list, she saw Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise and its 2000 defense points, and immediately picked it on instinct. "I'll Summon Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise in Defense Mode!!" she quickly said, bringing out her turtle-like monster onto the field. After doing so, Sweetie Belle then said, "After that, I can also search my Deck for an Ultimate Crystal monster and add it to my hand." She then did that, adding her prized Rainbow Dragon to her hand.

"...Defense Mode?" asked Ember, a bit startled and confused.

"Well...yeah." Sweetie Belle said. "I chose him so I could block your attack. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, really..." said the Bloodstone Duelist. "It's just that...if you put him in Attack Position, your Trap Card would have allowed it to destroy my monster."

"Huh?" asked Sweetie Belle, a bit confused. She then looked at her field...and cringed when she saw what Ember was talking about. "Aw no!! My Crystal Brilliance Trap Card! I completely forgot about it!!"

"Rrgh... I was afraid this would happen..." said Sunset.

"What do you mean?" asked Spike.

"Between the weight of this final Duel, and the shock of losing her monsters last turn," the young Judge began to explain, "Sweetie was starting to get nervous. And now she made a bad move because of all the stress she's put on herself... Had she put Emerald Tortoise in Attack Mode, its attack power would have exceeded Ember's monster, and she might've taken the lead again. But she was so focused on defending herself, that the thought of doing that didn't even occur to her."

"Oh no..." said Twilight. "Does that mean Sweetie will lose this Duel now?"

"I wouldn't say that just yet, Twilight." Sunset told her. "She might still come back from this, but it's not going to be easy. Unless she can get rid of the fear she's feeling right now, this Duel could be over for her..." Sunset hoped with all her heart that it wouldn't end in such a way.

"Rrrgh...! How could I do something so stupid?!" Sweetie yelled at herself, annoyed and embarrassed that she made such a blunder. Sighing, she then said to her opponent, "Just go... I end my turn."

Ember hummed a bit. She actually legitimately felt sorry for Sweetie Belle right now. If it was just a casual game between them, she would have allowed her to take back her move. Unfortunately, this was an Official Tournament Duel, and the rules didn't allow for a redo. Sighing, she knew that the game had to go on, despite the circumstances. "I draw." she then said, drawing her next card. Looking at it for a moment, she then thought, (This card would put me in the lead if it were to work...unless Sweetie Belle negates it. Even if she does, I'm still in a pretty good spot right now.) She then looked towards Sweetie and recalled a moment from earlier on in the Duel...

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"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.

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(Sweetie could have negated Burst Breath during her last turn, since her Rainbow Ruins Field Spell didn't have a once-per-turn clause on its third effect.) Ember pointed out to herself. (If she did, then she would still have a monster out on the field. But I don't think she knew that...or rather, her thoughts were so clouded, that she didn't think of it, just like with what she did now...) It seemed that Ember - like Sunset - knew that Sweetie Belle was becoming more and more stressed out due to this Duel, and from the look on Sweetie's face, it seemed as though she was on the brink of giving up. "...I have to know for sure." Ember said to herself, taking the card she had drawn for her turn. "Will this go the way I think it will...?"

Sweetie looked ahead, worried about what her opponent was going to do next. Looking at her hand, she knew she had no monsters to summon, so if she lost the one on her field, she'd be in a very bad spot.

"I activate...Return of the Dragon Lords!" Ember then announced, playing the card she drew for the turn. "With this, I am allowed to bring back any Level 7 or 8 Dragon monster from my Graveyard!" She then watched Sweetie Belle closely, wondering if she would use her Field Spell to negate the card's activation or not...

(If I use my Rainbow Ruins' third effect,) thought Sweetie, (then I can prevent that card from working, but...) She then looked over at her monster, knowing that it was the only one she had at the moment, and if she sent it to the Graveyard now, that would mean suffering another direct attack. And she had no idea if she would draw another monster on her next turn. Faced with that unknown and not thinking about anything else, Sweetie Belle said to Ember, "Go ahead; you can use that card..."

"...Hmm." hummed Ember; her tone of voice seemed to suggest a feeling of disappointment. However, she continued her move and declared, "With the effect of my Return of the Dragon Lords, I revive my Arkbrave Dragon from the Graveyard!" Instantly, one of her powerful, shining dragons returned to the field via a violet-colored vortex in the ground (Arkbrave Dragon: Level 7 / ATK 2400 / DEF 2000).

"Rrrgh...I had a feeling she'd bring THAT Dragon out." said Sunset.

"Why? What's it do?" asked Spike.

"I saw her play that card before;" the Judge told him. "When Arkbrave Dragon is brought back from the Graveyard, its effect banishes every Spell and Trap Card Sweetie has, and then its attack and defense are boosted by 200 for every card it disposes of."

"Wait, EVERY card?!" asked Flash. "Does that mean-?"

"Yeah." Sunset interrupted, knowing what he was going to ask. "That includes the Crystal Beast cards in Sweetie's back row, along with even her Field Spell, which normally can't be destroyed by card effects. But Arkbrave Dragon's effect doesn't destroy the cards that it banishes, so it still works anyway."

"If...if I recall," Twilight began to say, "didn't Ember send that card to her Graveyard on one of her turns? That meant she had this planned from the start!"

"I agree." said Sunset with a nod. "That Dragon is practically the perfect counter to Sweetie's Deck; something I don't think Sweetie knew going into this."

Sweetie Belle was startled and shocked after Ember had explained her Arkbrave Dragon's effect to her. "No...!" was all that the young girl could say as her entire back row vanished in a wave of bright, blinding light. Her own Field Spell was also done away with, and its image vanished from the surrounding field as well. Now all she had left was her Emerald Tortoise, whose defense points were nowhere near Arkbrave Dragon's attack, especially after its effect boosted its power (Arkbrave Dragon: ATK 2400 + 1000 = 3400 / DEF 2000 + 1000 = 3000), and her monster LOST power once Crystal Brilliance left the field (Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise: ATK 2600 - 2000 = 600).

"Aw man..." said Scootaloo, shocked at what had happened. "She got hit hard down there..."

"Poor Sweetie Belle..." said Apple Bloom, worried for her friend. "She looks like she's lost the will t' go on already..."

Babs Seed was also concerned for her friend like the others, especially since she had gone through feelings of hopelessness before. She just hoped Sweetie would snap out of it and try to get back in the game.

Ember just stared ahead at her opponent, seeing the forlorn look on her face. (I can feel it...) Ember thought to herself. (She's losing her confidence... Her fighting spirit is practically hanging by a thread... I can't allow this to go any longer; I must do what I feel I have to.) She then put her hands in a "T" shape and said, "Time out!"

"Huh? said Sweetie Belle, snapping out her depression after hearing that.

"What? 'Time out'?" asked Applejack. "What's that Ember chick doin'?"

"Beats me." said Pinkie. "But I have a feeling that this is the part of the story where we hear the life lesson, or something like that."

"Sunset...excuse me, Judge?" Ember began to request as she looked over towards her, "Can I have a few minutes to speak with my opponent? There's something I need to say to her right now."

The request was an unusual one, but since Sunset had a feeling of what Ember was planning to talk to Sweetie about, she nodded her head and answered, "Sure. I'll allow it. Just don't take too long, of course."

"Thank you." With the Judge's permission, Ember then walked over to her opponent and said to her, "Are you going to be alright?"

"...I...don't know." said Sweetie meekly. "I don't know what to feel right now. To be honest, I didn't expect to make it all the way to the Finals... I don't know what to do...! I thought I'd be alright at first, but...now I don't think I'm good enough... I don't think I belong here, dueling you. Maybe I should just give up before it gets even worse..."

"Don't you dare say that!" Ember told her. "None of that is true!"

"It's...it's not?"

Shaking her head, the Bloodstone Duelist told Sweetie, "You absolutely belong here in the Finals! You've shown how powerful you are despite your size, your age, or even your overall experience. From what I've seen in your past Duels, as well as in this one, I can see just how well Sunset's trained you. You've beaten opponents with very powerful Decks and tactics; Sunset herself has even told me about how well you've done with your training. You're an amazing Duelist, and that's not something I say about everyone. Believe me when I say that you absolutely deserve to be here, dueling me for the Tournament Crown."

"...But...but what if I mess up again and lose...?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"...Listen, as one who's gone through something like this before," Ember continued, "you can't dwell on your past mistakes; you need to learn from them. Remember earlier, when Sunset was fighting those Dazzling chicks? They lost because they didn't learn from their own mistakes. Believe it or not, I had that same problem a while back, when I first met Sunset. I dueled against her, carrying so much stress and worry in my heart; I ended up losing without doing a single point of damage..."

"R-really?" asked Sweetie Belle. "That must have been so awful for you..."

"It was, and to this day, it still bothers me. I don't like to admit it, but it's true." the blue-skinned teen answered. "But instead of letting it stew inside of me and cause me even more worry and stress, I bravely faced that demon inside and dealt with it. And now I feel like I can do anything without that heavy weight dragging me down. All people - not just us Duelists - have moments in our lives that cause us worry and make us fearful. Some, like the Dazzlings, use it as an excuse to lash out at others out of anger and frustration. Some, like you right now and me back then, try to hide it from even ourselves, trying to ignore it. But it's still there, still in the back of our minds, still having an influence on us even when hidden away..."

Sweetie look up at Ember, hearing her words carefully. Ember's speech was starting to have a positive effect on her, and some of that fear was starting to dissolve away...

"But in order to truly get over that fear and worry," Ember continued, "we have to do what Sunset did earlier: We have to face our personal darkness, not hide it. We have to dispose of it, not spread it to others. Our worst enemies are often in ourselves, but we also have strong allies as well, both in ourselves and in others. Thanks to Sunset, I found the courage to deal with my issues and become the person I feel I was meant to be. And you...you have the support of your whole school and all of your friends here. You have no reason to be afraid, and you definitely have no reason to let it hold you back." Smiling, she then added, "And besides, if you fight a great Duel right here and now, then there's no reason to fear defeat. As long as you can play to the best of your ability, you have no reason to feel ashamed of yourself, even if you don't win. That's the sort of opponent that I want to battle right now."

"...So...you're saying that I shouldn't be afraid of losing...?" asked Sweetie Belle, getting her hope back at last.

"Absolutely not." said Ember. "After all, what's the worst that could happen if you end up losing this game? I mean, it's not like there's a huge penalty if you're defeated here, right?"

(...She does have a point.) thought Sweetie Belle. (Even if I don't win this Duel, it's not like I'm gonna lose something because of it. And come to think of it...that Duel I had against Diamondbright during Spring Break; I was so psyched that I actually won that Duel, I forgot that it was probably way, WAY more scary than this...) Once she came to that realization, she slapped her face and said to herself, (Geez! What am I doing? Why am I letting myself get scared right now?? Ember's totally right: I don't have time to be worried about what might happen! I need to get my head AND my heart back in the game and do my best! As long as I can do that, I have nothing to worry or despair over!)

That finally did it; Sweetie managed to not only smile, but smile with absolute confidence for the first time since the Finals began. "Thanks for saying all of that, Ember." she told her. "I needed that. And I'm really sorry that I let myself get so worried and make all those dumb mistakes."

"There's still a lot of this Duel left to go, Sweetie Belle." Ember reminded her. "There's more than enough time for you to make up for those errors and make a comeback. Now what do you say we get back to our game and give this audience the show they deserve?"

Sweetie nodded. "I will!" she answered. "And I'll make sure to play my best out there!"

Just then, they heard the audience clapping their hands for them both, which startled the two of them a little bit. "Huh? What's going on?" asked Ember, looking around at the applauding crowds. She then noticed something that hadn't caught her eye earlier: Sunset was standing next to them, holding Megan's microphone near them. "Wait, you didn't-! Did you?"

"I knew exactly what you were going to say to Sweetie Belle," the jacket-clad teen told her, "and I felt it was something that everyone here should hear. That's right: everyone here heard that speech you gave to Sweetie Belle, and I'd say they agree with you, Ember."

"That was the most BEAUTIFUL thing I've ever heard...!" said Megan, nearly in tears from hearing the inspirational speech. "You two are the best!!"

"Urk...that meant everyone here heard me getting all mushy and stuff...!" Ember said to herself. She began to get a little startled at the thought, but then - remembering her own advice to Sweetie Belle - sighed and said, "Fine...I guess it's okay if everybody heard all of that."

In the audience, the rest of the Duel Monsters Crusaders were happy to see Sweetie back to her normal self. "Phew... Ah'm sure glad Sweetie's not gonna be scared anymore in this Duel..." said Apple Bloom. "Ah was gettin' worried for a sec there."

"Yeah, whod've guessed that Sweetie's OPPONENT - of all people - would be the one to help her get her head back in the game?" asked Scootaloo.

"Ember just wanted t' make sure dat the two of 'em would have a satisfyin' Duel with each other." Babs figured. "A Duel that neither of 'em would evah regret. After all, it ain't no fun beatin' somebody that's practically on the verge of givin' up, right?"

Elsewhere, Luna turned towards Torch and said, "You raised quite the daughter there, Torch... Powerful, but also kind and inspirational. You must be very proud of yourself."

"...I must admit, I'm almost certain that 'kind and inspirational' part of her might've been from her mother..." the man told his Dueling rival. "She was always the optimistic one, while I was so buried in my work... I just always saw the glass half-empty. Now I wonder if that's the reason she left..." Torch sighed a bit, staring into space. "I wonder how she's doing... And I also wonder if she allowed Ember to stay with me to try and help me see the world the way she did..."

"I believe that could be a plausible reason." Celestia said. "After all, it worked, didn't it?"

"...I suppose that's true." Torch looked towards his daughter and thought, (You truly are a lot like your mother, Ember; something I hardly ever noticed in the past... That, combined with my power and determination, is why I truly believe that you will be an amazing Pro Duelist, far beyond even myself.) He then smiled and nodded, eager to see how this game would turn out...

"Man...that sure was some speech Ember gave Sweetie, huh?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, I'll say!" said Pinkie Pie. "But at least Sweetie's not all nervous and sad anymore! Now she looks like she could take on a hundred of that Dragon Ember just summoned!"

"I think she needed it..." said Fluttershy. "Having to deal with it so much in my life, I could see that Sweetie was getting so worried and nervous about losing the Duel..."

"But thanks to Ember," Applejack chimed in, "her fightin' spirt's back at full power! Now she looks like she won't let anythin' get in her way of winnin' this here tournament!"

Rarity said nothing, but smiled and wiped a small tear from her eye. (...Thank you, Ember.) she silently said to the blue-skinned teen facing her sister. (Thank you for helping my dear sister find her courage again...)

Returning to her side of the field, Ember smiled and asked her opponent, "So, Sweetie Belle... want to get this Duel going again? We're still not done yet."

"You'd better believe I'm ready to keep going!" the young girl responded with her usual optimism. "But I think you're gonna regret giving me that pep talk if I still manage to beat you after all of that!"

Chuckling a bit, the Bloodstone girl thought, (If that were to happen, then I still wouldn't regret it, Sweetie...) Keeping her vigorous smile, Ember then shouted, "Time for my Battle Phase! Arkbrave Dragon, attack her Emerald Tortoise!! Arkbrave Light Stream!!" Her massive Dragon then fired a ray of light from its mouth, wiping out Sweetie's only monster on the field.

"I use my monster's effect to put him in my back row as a Spell Card!" said Sweetie Belle, causing a green gem to appear in front of her.

"But now your front row is empty," Ember reminded her, "and without your Field Spell active, you'll now take the full damage from my monster's attacks, starting with Guardian of Felgrand and his 1,900 attack points!"

"...I wouldn't be so sure of that." said Sweetie Belle, causing Ember to stare back in confusion. "Luckily for me, I still have one other card I can use: I activate the second effect of my Crystal Boon!"

"Wait, what?? Crystal Boon?" asked the blue teen.

"Yeah, I almost forgot that it had a Graveyard effect... But now I remember it, and not a moment too soon!" Sweetie took the Trap Card out of her Graveyard and then said to her opponent, "All I gotta do is banish it from my Graveyard after a Crystal Beast is sent to my back row, and I can...uh..." She then looked closely at the next word in the card text. "...ex...ca...vate? Yeah, EXCAVATE the top card of my Deck! And if it's a Crystal Beast, I can Special Summon it right now!"

"Hmmm...then for your sake, I hope you are lucky enough to get one." said Ember. "Because if you don't, my Guardian will knock off a good chunk of your Life Points in my next attack."

Sweetie slowly placed her pointer and middle fingers on the top card of her Deck. Taking a breath to calm herself, she thought, (I'm not afraid... I'm NOT afraid... I can do this! I WILL do it!) She then pulled the top card and looked at it...and a big smile appeared on her face. "YES!!! I got Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger! So I'll put him in Defense Mode!!" she announced proudly as she summoned her strong tiger monster to protect herself (Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger: Level 4 / ATK 1600 / DEF 1000).

"That was incredible!!" said Flash, amazed that Sweetie Belle's Trap Card managed to work out in her favor.

"Yeah, that sure was lucky!" Spike added. "To think the top card of her Deck was EXACTLY what she needed!"

"I don't think it had as much to do with luck," Twilight told him, "as it had to do with faith. Right, Sunset?"

"I thought so, too." Sunset replied. "Now that Sweetie isn't as nervous or worried anymore, she found the courage to take a risk with that Trap effect, and it ended up paying off for her in the best possible way."

(Indeed...) said Utopia in Twilight's mind. (I can feel Sweetie Belle's hope building back up again at a significant rate; she is no longer allowing her fear or stress to control her actions anymore. Now she is fighting with every last bit of her power.)

"...Impressive. To have such an effect ready to go just in case things started looking bad. You certainly are quite skilled." complimented Ember. "Still, I plan to attack, even if it won't damage your Life Points! Now attack, Guardian of Felgrand!" Ember's monster then ran forward, slashing his axe at Topaz Tiger, destroying it and sending it to Sweetie's back row as well.

(At least I didn't take any damage this turn.) Rarity's sister thought to herself. (Even after those misplays, I might still be able to win this...!)

"I have no other moves for this turn, Sweetie." Ember told her opponent. "So go ahead."

"Alright...here I go!" said Sweetie, drawing her next card and looking at it. (Perfect! Just what I need for a comeback!) the young girl thought. She then looked at the rest of the cards in her hand, specifically the Trap Card she was holding. (This card... I'm glad I didn't set it too early in the Duel, or her Dragon would've banished it too...) Looking at her Rainbow Dragon, which she had gotten into her hand through its Crystal Beast counterpart, she then pondered, (If I play these just right, and with a little bit of luck, I might be able to finish this Duel and win it all...!) Sweating a little, she then said to herself, "It's really risky...but it's my best chance!"

"So...now what's Sweetie gonna do?" asked Scootaloo. "How's she gonna take that Dragon down?"

"Don't count 'er outta dis yet, Scoot." Babs told her. "She's still got some options left, and'f I were her, I'd know exactly what she's gotta do t' win this Duel!"

"Ah sure hope so." said Apple Bloom. She then shouted from her seat, "C'mon Sweetie!! Y'all can still win this! The D.M.C.'s got your back!!" The rest of the crowd cheered for the young Duelist as well.

Sweetie smiled, saying, "Thanks...with all of them behind me, this feels like a risk that's worth taking!" She then played one of the other cards in her hand and shouted, "I activate the Spell Card, Awakening of the Crystal Ultimates!"

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Awakening of the Crystal Ultimates
(Quick-Play Spell Card)

Reveal 1 "Ultimate Crystal" monster in your hand, then activate 1 of these effects. If you control an "Ultimate Crystal" monster, you can activate 1 or 2 of these effects in sequence, instead (and do not have to reveal a monster).
* Take 1 "Rainbow Bridge" card or 1 "Rainbow Refraction" from your Deck, and either add it to your hand or send it to the GY.
* Special Summon 1 "Crystal Beast" Monster Card from your hand, Deck, GY, or Spell & Trap Zone.
You can only activate 1 "Awakening of the Crystal Ultimates" per turn.

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Showing one of the cards in her hand, Sweetie then said, "Since my Rainbow Dragon is always treated as an Ultimate Crystal monster, I'll show you that card to use my Spell Card! And with it, I'll bring Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger back into the front row in Attack Mode!" The yellow colored jewel on her field then shattered, as the tiger monster returned to fight once again.

"If I recall," Ember began to say, "Your Topaz Tiger gains 400 more attack points whenever it fights an enemy monster, right?"

"That's right, which means he'll be strong enough to beat your Guardian!" the young Duelist confirmed. "But my Tiger's about to get even stronger than that! I'll equip him with the Crystal Release Spell I drew this turn and add another 800 attack points to him!" Ember gasped a little as the Equip Spell boosted Topaz Tiger's attack even more (Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger: ATK 1600 + 800 = 2400).

"That's the way to do it!" cheered Rarity, unconsciously standing up out of her seat to cheer for her little sister. "Now do some damage, Sweetie!" After that slight outburst, Rarity regained her composure, calmly sat back down and said, "Beg your pardon..."

Pointing forward, Sweetie shouted, "Alright, Topaz! Attack Ember's Guardian of Felgrand with Topaz Bite attack!" Her powerful Beast then pounced on Ember's monster, delivering a fatal bite that sent the Warrior to the Graveyard. "And just like you said," Sweetie continued, "Topaz gains 400 more attack points in this battle!" (Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger: ATK 2400 + 400 = 2800).

"Urrgh...!" grunted Ember, taking a sizable hit to her Life Points (Ember: LP 2,600 - 900 = 1,700). However, she wasn't ready to give in yet; she was having too much fun right now to let the Duel end so soon.

Looking at her hand, Sweetie then took two cards from it and placed them into her D-Pad. "I'll set two more cards face-down and end my turn."

"Well, it seems Sweetie's trying her best to make a comeback." noted Flash. "The problem is that she has to find a way to deal with that Arkbrave Dragon that Ember has out on the field. Unless she can destroy it, Sweetie will be in constant danger."

"That won't be easy..." said Spike. "Trust me; dragons aren't easy to beat. I know that better than anybody. In fact, where I come from, the only thing that can defeat a dragon is another dragon!"

"...Wait...that's it!" thought Sunset. "I think I have an idea as to what Sweetie's planning to do...!"

"What's that?" asked Twilight. However, Sunset shook her head, essentially telling her friend that she wasn't allowed to say it. The others would just have to watch on and find out for themselves...

"I draw!" said Ember, pulling her next card. Playing it, she then said, "I play Pot of Extravagance! I banish six random cards out of my Extra Deck to draw two more!" After she did so, she then thought, (Alright Sweetie...if you're the True Duelist I think you are, then you'll be able to withstand this!) She then played one of the cards she drew, saying, "I activate Night Beam! I can use this to target and destroy any of the Set cards in your back row! Furthermore, which card I target can't activate in response!" Ember then looked at the two cards Sweetie had set in her Spell & Trap Zone, wondering which one to destroy. Both of them knew this decision could very well dictate who won the Duel...

After about a few seconds of deliberating, Ember pointed to one of the cards and said, "I destroy THAT card!" Afterwards, everyone watched as a red laser beam shot down from the sky above, striking the targeted card and destroying it, revealing it as Crystal Conclave. (That card...) thought Ember. (Crystal Conclave was a card that she used in her first Duel of the tournament. It allows her to replace any destroyed Crystal Beast with a new one from her Deck. And by sending that Trap Card to the Graveyard, she can bounce a Crystal Beast and one other card on the field back into the hand.) Ember was certain that Sweetie was planning to try and survive the turn on Crystal Conclave's first effect, then trigger its second effect to try and get rid of Arkbrave Dragon by returning it to Ember's hand. But now that it was destroyed, there was no chance of that happening now.

(There's just one problem...) thought the Bloodstone girl, looking at her opponent. (Was that her strategy? After all, she doesn't seem too worried at all, though that might still be from the pep talk I gave her earlier... She still has a face-down card left...) Shaking her head, Ember then told herself, (No! I have to take this chance! I either deal a major blow, or I at least get her to use up her Set card. I have to strike while I have the chance!) Pointing forward, she then shouted, "Arkbrave Dragon!! Attack and destroy Sweetie's Topaz Tiger!!" Her monster then charged up its powerful attack once more, ready to strike Sweetie's only monster...

(Here it comes...!) thought the young girl, bracing herself for the impact.

Then, at that moment, Ember then said, "And now, during the Damage Step, I activate a monster effect from my hand!"

"Wait...!" Sweetie began to ask. "Are you going to-?"

"That's right! I discard Honest from my hand, which gives Arkbrave more attack points, equal to Topaz Tiger's attack points!" Ember said, declaring her move and placing the Honest card in her Graveyard slot. With the extra boost, Arkbrave's light beam attack grew more powerful (Arkbrave Dragon: ATK 3400 + 2400 = 5,800), before it fired at Sweetie's remaining monster, blasting it out of existence.

"URRRRGGGHH!!!" grunted Sweetie Belle, taking a huge blow to her Life Points and falling to one knee from the impact (Sweetie Belle: LP 6,200 - 3,400 = 2,800). (Of course she'd have something like that to try and finish me off...) thought Sweetie Belle, remembering moments when she would Duel Scootaloo while in the club and having a massive advantage...only to lose as a result of Scootaloo discarding Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow and using its effect to close out a game; an occurrence that happened more often than one would think...

Ember was a bit confused and surprised that her attack managed to get through. (That...that worked...?) she asked herself. (I was expecting her to use her other face-down card to stop my attack, possibly destroy my monster... But she just took all the damage... Was that card just a bluff, or...?) But she would get her answer when Ember heard giggling from Sweetie Belle as she got herself back onto her feet.

"She's...laughing?" asked Rainbow Dash. "What's the deal? Did the pressure finally get to her or something?"

"Not a chance, Rainbow dear!" said Rarity with the utmost confidence in her voice. "What you are hearing is a laugh of triumph! She gets it from yours truly, of course."

"But...why would she be happy to take such a big hit like that?" asked Pinkie Pie. "For once, I'm confused..."

Ember wanted to know why, too. "So...what's going on? Why did you allow me to do so much damage?" she asked her opponent.

"Well, for one thing...I wasn't expecting you to use Honest." Sweetie told her.

"...Okay, fair." Ember admitted. "But, I have to tell you: I was expecting that other face-down card to activate when I attacked. So why didn't you use it?"

"Oh, that's simple: Because I can only play it if my monster is destroyed!" Sweetie revealed, eliciting a gasp from everyone in the stadium, including Ember. "And now that Topaz Tiger has been destroyed, I can activate the most powerful Trap in my whole Deck!"

"Most powerful Trap...?" asked Flash. "Is she talking about...the one she used in her Quarterfinal Duel?"

With a smile full of cheer and confidence, Sweetie tapped her D-Pad's screen and proudly declared, "I activate...Ultimate Crystal Magic!!"

"Oh NO!!" gasped Ember, realizing what was about to happen.

"Incredible!!" said Twilight. "Sweetie's summoning her Fusion Monster again!"

"Whod've thought we'd see it twice in a row?" asked Spike, also astonished by Sweetie's power move.

Taking seven cards from her Deck, Sweetie then said, "Using Ultimate Crystal Magic, I send these seven Crystal Beasts from my Deck to the Graveyard: Ruby Carbuncle, Amber Mammoth, Topaz Tiger, Emerald Tortoise, Cobalt Eagle, Sapphire Pegasus, and Amethyst Cat! Now combine and bring out my ultimate monster!!" Everyone watched with anticipation as the seven monsters appeared on the field and flew into a red-and-blue portal in the sky above them, causing a rainbow-colored pillar of light to shoot down to the ground.

"When the seven Crystal Beasts combine their powers together, the light of the world becomes a new, greater power and Earth's greatest savior!" said Sweetie Belle, clasping her hands as if she were praying. She then stretched her arms to the sky and shouted with a smile on her face, "Behold! The ultimate blessing of the Crystal Beasts! Manifest here! Fusion Summon! The Ultimate Crystal - Rainbow Overdragon!!" And at that moment, the pillar of light vanished, revealing Sweetie Belle's most powerful monster (Rainbow Overdragon: Level 12 / ATK 4000 / DEF 0).

"ALRIGHT! That's how ya do it!" cheered Rainbow Dash. "This Duel's over!"

"That's my little sister down there!" said a very proud Rarity. "Now that her Deck's strongest monster is on the field, her victory is all but assured!"

"It sure seems like it." said Fluttershy. "Let's just hope Ember doesn't have some way of fighting back. After all, she did manage to defeat Gilda's strongest monster when no one expected her to..."

"Ah agree." said Applejack. "We can't rest on our laurels jus' yet; this Duel's still goin' on, and Sweetie needs t' keep her head in the game in order t' bring home a victory."

"That's right, AJ!" said Pinkie. "After all, these Duels always seem to come down to a single card draw in the end."

Ember was beginning to sweat a little; she didn't expect to face Sweetie's powerful Extra Deck monster this late in the Duel. (This...isn't good.) she thought. (I was hoping to end this Duel before she could access her Fusion Monster... She must have been saving that Trap Card for a time like this, when her advantage would be lost. After all, not only does her monster possess high attack points, but also two very powerful effects: One lets her banish a Crystal Beast from her Graveyard and add its attack points onto Overdragon for a turn, essentially allowing it to mow down any other monster that dares to fight it. The other lets her Tribute it to return all the other cards on the field back into the Deck. And because the second effect is a Quick Effect, she can trigger it whenever she wants, so trying to destroy it with card effects or even higher-attack point monsters is pointless...) Looking at the Set card on her field, and taking a peek at some of the other cards available to her, such as the ones in her Graveyard, she then decided, (There's only one other way I can win, but it's quite a long shot... But there's nothing else I can do; I have to take a gamble!) Ember then said to Sweetie Belle, "My turn is over."

"And because it is, your Arkbrave Dragon's attack power goes back to normal!" Sweetie pointed out as Honest's effect expired (Arkbrave Dragon: ATK 5800 - 2400 = 3,400). "Now it's MY turn!" she then said, drawing a card from her Deck. After placing it in her hand, she then asked Ember, "And ya wanna know what's better than ONE rainbow-colored dragon? TWO!" Taking another card from her hand, she then happily shouted, "Because now can I summon the original Rainbow Dragon!" Ember gasped upon hearing that.

"Oh, that's right...!" said Sunset Shimmer. "She added Rainbow Dragon to her hand with its Crystal Beast counterpart a while back... And now that she's sent seven more Crystal Beasts to her Graveyard last turn, she can Summon it!"

"Man...who'd have ever thought Sweetie Belle would get such a massive advantage?" asked Flash. "She's practically won this Duel already!"

(...Unless Ember has one last trick up her sleeve, that is.) thought the red-and-yellow teen, knowing full well that the Bloodstone Duelist shouldn't be counted out until the game was over.

Placing the powerful and rare card onto her D-Pad's Monster Zone tray, Sweetie then chanted, "When the seven Crystal Beasts are all together, the light tied to the world is revived on Earth! Behold! The greatest miracle of the Crystal Beasts! Be revived! The Ultimate Crystal - Rainbow Dragon!!" And with that, Sweetie Belle's SECOND ace monster appeared on the field, right next to its Fusion counterpart (Rainbow Dragon: Level 10 / ATK 4000 / DEF 0).

"That's amazin'!!" cheered Apple Bloom. "Not only did she bring out her Fusion Monster, she even got the original Rainbow Dragon on the field, too!"

"Yeah! This is so cool!" said Button Mash in the audience, getting to see the Fusion Monster he traded to Sweetie Belle pop up a second time. "You can do it, Sweetie!!"

Ember was feeling a bit more overwhelmed by Sweetie Belle impressive comeback... But more than that, she felt proud of her opponent for managing to get so far. However, she was prepared to show off some late-game skills of her own, provided that she make it through the rest of the turn in one piece...

Sweetie Belle knew that she got her advantage back, but by this point, she figured that - despite what the field looked like - Ember wasn't completely defenseless. At this late point in the Duel, Sweetie knew she had to try and end this quickly and not give her opponent a chance to make a comeback of their own. "I activate the effect of Rainbow Overdragon! By banishing a Crystal Beast in my Graveyard, I can give its attack points to my Dragon for one turn! I'll choose my Sapphire Pegasus!" She then removed the card from her Graveyard, increasing Overdragon's power (Rainbow Overdragon: ATK 4000 + 1800 = 5800).

"That pushes Rainbow Overdragon's attack just high enough to defeat Arkbrave Dragon and end the Duel..." noted Celestia. "If all goes well for her, she'll win on her next attack." Torch looked towards his daughter with a smile; he was confident that Ember would make it through the turn, despite how low her chances seemed to be.

(This...this is it...!) thought Sweetie Belle. (If I attack with Rainbow Overdragon right now, I'll win the Duel...! I'll win the whole tournament and get to go to the WCQ's! I'll get that prize card! All I have to do is attack, and all of that will actually happen!) But before she made a move, she took notice of the face-down card left on Ember's field. (Wait, I need to do this smart...) Sweetie briefly second-guessed herself. (She still has that face-down card... That could be a big problem.) After thinking about it for a bit, she then realized something else. (Wait a sec... She's had that card out since the Duel started, but she never played it. If that card had the power to destroy any of my monsters, she would've used it by now. So maybe it's just a bluff...? Or it's something she couldn't use yet? Well either way, I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a card-destroying effect, and even if it did, I can just use Overdragon's effect to clear the field anyway.)

Everyone watched the field, wondering what Sweetie Belle would do. In any case, many in the audience figured that what happened on this turn could decide the Duel right here and now.

(...I'll...I'll do it! I can't back down now!) said Sweetie in her mind, pumping herself and her courage up. (I have a chance to end this Duel, and I need to take it. No more getting scared or doubting myself now! I'm a Duelist, and it's time I really started acting like one!) Thrusting out her arm, Sweetie Belle shouted, "Rainbow Overdragon! Attack Arkbrave Dragon and end this Duel!!" The powerful monster then began charging up a blast of light energy in its maw.

"Will...will this actually work...?" asked Twilight, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Go!! Over-Rainbow Diffraction!!" shouted Sweetie Belle as her mighty Fusion Monster's attack fired straight towards Ember's only monster. It seemed that Sweetie was about to claim victory...

...But Ember had other plans. "Activate Quick-Play Spell Card!! Cleansing Water!!" she shouted, flipping up her Set card.

"Wait, huh? Cleansing Water?" asked Sweetie Belle. "I've never heard of that card... What does it do?"

"With this card, I can revert the attack and defense power of any monster on the field back to their original values." the blue teen explained. "So, I use its effect to drop Overdragon's attack power back to normal!" Afterwards, a bright aura of light surrounded Sweetie's Fusion Monster, returning its attack power back to what it was (Rainbow Overdragon: ATK 5800 > 4000).

"That still won't matter!" Sweetie told Ember. "I'll still destroy your monster, and then Rainbow Dragon can attack you directly for game!"

"That won't be happening either." the Bloodstone Duelist said, just Rainbow Overdragon's attack hit her monster. "I trigger the second effect of my Return of the Dragon Lords: By banishing it from my Graveyard, I keep Arkbrave Dragon from being destroyed this turn. I'll still take damage from this battle (Ember: LP 1,700 - 600 = 1,100), but thanks to this effect, I'll still be in this Duel!"

"Aw man...I was so close to beating her...!" said Sweetie, a little annoyed that Ember managed to keep herself in the game. However, she would at least try and keep her off any more monsters next turn. "Rainbow Dragon, attack Arkbrave with Rainbow Refraction!" she then ordered.

The second of Sweetie high-ATK Dragons then fired its blast next. This one however, DID succeed in destroying Ember's monster and caused her a slight amount of damage as well (Ember: LP 1,100 - 600 = 500). Sighing a bit, Ember then said to herself, "...That was a close one..."

"Ember's down to just 500 Life Points..." said Gilda in the audience. "One more attack by Sweetie and she's down for the count." Humming a bit, she then added, "But that was a similar case in my Duel with her, and she still managed to beat me anyway... We can't be sure of anything until this Duel actually ends."

"Indeed..." noted Martin. "You can plan out a strategy for days or weeks and play it flawlessly... But sometimes, it all depends on one good card draw to completely turn things around. There's a phrase that says, 'It's better to be lucky than good'. The problem for Sweetie Belle however, is that Ember seems to be both lucky AND good. At this point in the Duel, we just have to see whose luck holds out better."

"So...Ember managed to defend herself from Sweetie's boss monsters." said Flash. "Man, just what does it take to bring her down?"

"She wasn't anything like this when we first met." said Sunset. "Back then, Ember had all sorts of stress and doubt in her mind because of the issues she had with her father. But now that all of that emotional baggage is out of the way, Ember's true power as a Duelist has shone through, and she intends to keep it shining."

"Well, in any case," Twilight pointed out, "Ember's still not in a good position: She doesn't have any cards on the field, and she's facing two monsters with 4,000 attack points. Ember needs to get a good enough draw on her next turn, or Sweetie will defeat her next turn."

"Guess we just have to watch and see what happens..." Spike chimed in. The four of them - as well as everyone else - leaned in to see just what the outcome of this phenomenal Duel would end.

Ember smiled a little, despite being in a tough spot. She then told her opponent, "Now you see just what your true power looks like, Sweetie Belle."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Sweetie, confused.

"...Now that you have put your fears aside," the Bloodstone girl continued, "nothing is holding you back anymore. You placed yourself in such a good position, that it all depends on my next draw to decide the game. I must tell you... You are are mighty opponent, and deep down, a True Duelist with incredible potential. I see a great future ahead of you as you continue your Dueling path."

"You...you really think I'm strong?" asked Sweetie, feeling pleased to hear such words from a talented Duelist like Ember.

"Indeed I do." Ember replied. "I have faced you with my full power from the beginning, and you've not only managed to hold your own, but even take control of the game, despite the few misplays you made earlier on. Once you can truly focus yourself and duel with every bit of your power and heart, then I'm certain that you will be even more incredible than you are even now."

"Wow...thank you so much..." said Sweetie, getting a little teary-eyed. "That means a lot coming from you..."

Nodding, Ember then said, "And it's for that reason, that I cannot back down, even though the odds are against me. As one who aspires to become a True Duelist myself, I must show my respect for you by fighting with everything I've got!" She then placed her fingers on her Deck and pulled the top card off of it. "I Draw!!"

Sweetie and everyone else watching remained motionless, wondering what Ember drew. Was it something that could help her turn things around? Or was it a card that couldn't save her from what appeared to be certain defeat...?

Looking at the card, Ember smirked and said, "This Duel's not done yet..."

"Wh-what...?" asked Sweetie Belle, anxious to see what was going to happen next.

"But before we get into that," Ember told her next, "I have another effect to play. On the Standby Phase AFTER Arkbrave Dragon is sent to my Graveyard, I can bring back any other Level 7 or 8 Dragon from my Graveyard to my field. And I choose my Darkstorm Dragon, which I had discarded earlier with my Dragon Ravine Field Spell." After that, a large, black-scaled dragon then rose out of a violet-colored vortex in the ground (Darkstorm Dragon: Level 8 / ATK 2700 / DEF 2500).

"But...he's not strong enough to beat either of my Dragons." Sweetie reminded Ember.

"Then I guess I should try this, then..." the Bloodstone Duelist then said. Playing the card she drew, she then declared, "Activate Spell Card! Pot of Avarice!"

"You're kidding me...!" said Rainbow Dash. "She managed to get that card so easily?! How lucky can ya get?!"

"With this card, I can draw two more cards, after I return these five monsters in my Graveyard back to the Deck." Ember explained. "I'll return the following monsters: Darkblaze Dragon, Paladin of Felgrand, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Guardian of Felgrand, and Honest." She then placed the cards on the top of her Deck, and her D-Pad's auto-shuffle function mixed them into her Deck.

(Now what is she planning...?) wondered Sunset. (Whatever it is, this is her one and only shot at getting a win, so she'd better hope she draws the cards she needs.)

Sweetie Belle was equally curious as to what her opponent was up to. (What is she trying to do now...? There's no way she can get past either of my two Dragons... They each have 4,000 attack points, and their effects let me clear the field in case she tries to do something to them...) Try as she might, Sweetie couldn't figure out what Ember was attempting to do.

Once her Deck was reshuffled, Ember looked at it and thought to herself, (This is it...it all depends on this draw... Whether I can finally walk the road to becoming a Pro Duelist...or if I still need to continue my training, it will be decided right here and now... But I will hold onto my belief, my dream...and I will achieve that dream!) She then slowly placed her fingers on her Deck and pulled the top two cards from it...

Everyone watching the Duel waited to see what Ember managed to draw from her. At first, it wasn't clear if the cards she drew would help her or not. Ember stayed there, motionless with the cards in her right hand, not having looked at them yet...

Then finally, Ember moved her hand holding the cards she drew and finally saw what they were. "...Hmmm. I see." She then turned towards Sweetie Belle and told her, "...I meant every word I said to you, Sweetie: You have been one of, if not THE, most powerful opponents I have faced so far. I can now truly see how Sunset has managed to help you become the Duelist standing before me... I admit, it was thanks to her that I am here right now as well."

"Th-thanks, Ember..." said Sweetie Belle, very pleased to hear that.

"...I truly believe that this Duel was one of the greatest challenges I have faced in my path to becoming a Pro Duelist." Ember continued. "And it is a path that I must continue on if I ever hope to realize my goal!" She then took one of the cards she drew with Pot of Avarice and played it onto the field. "I activate Monster Reborn and revive Felgrand Dragon from my Graveyard in Attack Position!" In an instant, her mighty Dragon re-emerged onto the field.

"That guy again?" asked Sweetie.

"Indeed." said Ember. "Felgrand Dragon is the card I consider as the very heart and soul of my Deck; the embodiment of my very fighting spirit. So it will be though Felgrand that I will achieve my dreams!"

"That's...really nice and all, and I really do hope you get to be a Pro one day..." Sweetie began to tell her, "but neither of your Dragons can beat mine. So why did you bring it out?"

"...I said that you were a worthy opponent mostly because I truly believe that you have what it takes to be a True Duelist." Ember replied back. "You have the heart and strength to achieve your dreams, and once you can truly overcome your internal fear, you would be unstoppable... But there's another reason why I said that you were one the strongest opponents I've dueled against."

"And...why's that...?"

Chuckling a bit, Ember told her, "...Because you're the only Duelist in the whole tournament...that's forced me to use my Extra Deck."

"Your...Extra Deck...?" asked Sweetie, a little confused.

(...Extra Deck...?) wondered Sunset. Then, after thinking about it for another second, she let out a gasp. "Sweet Celestia...! Why didn't I notice that?!"

"What's up?" asked Spike. "What're you surprised about?"

"I just...realized something about Ember's Duels so far:" she told the dragon-turned-puppy. "In every one of her Duels, she managed to secure a victory...WITHOUT using a single monster from her Extra Deck!"

"No way...!!" gasped Flash. "So she's managed to beat all of her other opponents without a Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster?!"

"That's incredible!" said Twilight. "Even I didn't notice it myself!"

Nodding, Sunset continued to tell them, "All of the powerful cards and monsters she's used so far came from her Main Deck. In fact, she's actually managed to fight Decks that used powerful Extra Deck monsters in each of her tournament matches: Indigo Bolt's Amazoness Deck - which uses Fusions, Steel Shadows's Six Samurai Deck - in which he focused primarily on his Synchro Monsters, and Gilda's Raidraptors - which are heavily invested in Xyz Summoning."

"So that means Ember's fought every single variety of Extra Deck monster...with just her Main Deck alone!" Flash summarized.

"That's right." said Sunset. "So ask yourselves this: If Ember's strong enough to beat all those Decks with only the cards in her Main Deck, then just how powerful is she when she uses her Extra Deck?" This was a question that Indigo, Steel and Gilda also wondered to themselves as well; none of them were quite sure just what Ember was truly capable of when she used the full extent of her Deck.

Once Sweetie Belle realized this, she trembled a bit, but did her best not to let it bother her. Still, she wasn't quite sure what Ember was going to do next, and the thought of what she could bring out disturbed her. (I...I can't be afraid...!) she told herself. (Whatever she's got...I'm gonna beat it!)

Ember said to her opponent, "You were a magnificent opponent, Sweetie Belle...and the only way I can show my respect for your strength, is to show you MY full power! Prepare to face my fighting spirit in its truest, purest form!! I overlay the Level 8 monsters Darkstorm Dragon and Felgrand Dragon!! Now, combine and create the Overlay Network!!" Instantly her two monsters transformed into a pair of lights; one purple and one yellow, before flying into a red-colored vortex in the middle of the field. Lightning bolts shot out of the vortex, displaying an impressive show of power in front of everyone watching.

"Urrgh...! NOW what's going on...?!" said Sweetie, bracing herself as best she could.

"Just what is Ember summoning this time?" asked Rarity.

"Ah'm guessin' we're about t' find out soon!" Applejack responded.

Placing her hand on her heart, Ember then began her Summoning Chant: "Brightest and bravest of warriors, come forth! Inherit the might and heart of a dragon and shine brighter than the stars in the sky! Appear now and unleash your full power! Xyz Summon!!" After that, the vortex on the field exploded in a brilliant sphere of light, covering every inch of the field. This light persisted for a while before fading away. When it did, everyone - especially Sweetie Belle - was shocked at the sight before them: There on Ember's side of the field was a mighty warrior in brilliant, shining armor that greatly resembled Ember's Felgrand Dragon, consisting of gold and silver metals that shined and sparkled in the sunlight, complimented by a cape that was designed to look like Felgrand Dragon's wings. In his right hand was a large, elegant sword with eight stars engraved on each side of the blade. The warrior had piercing red eyes that showed that he possessed as much fighting spirit as the Duelist who summoned him, and a pair of floating yellow orbs that orbited around him. "My soul, my spirit! Rank 8! Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand!!" Ember shouted, finishing her chant.

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Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand
(Xyz-Effect Monster/Warrior/LIGHT/Rank 8/ATK 2800/DEF 1800)

2 Level 8 monsters
Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster on the field; this turn, its effects are negated, but it is unaffected by other card effects.

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"Oh wow...!" said Sweetie Belle, who upon seeing Ember's Xyz Monster, was more amazed by its appearance than she was afraid of its power.

"My GOODness!" exclaimed Rarity. "That knight's armor is positively STUNNING! Not to mention that he looks quite dashing as well!"

"...I have to agree." spoke Fluttershy. "It certainly is a very pretty card..."

"What Ah'm wonderin' is what that guy can do on the field, though." said Applejack.

"Yeah, lookin' pretty isn't gonna be enough t' make a card good." agreed Rainbow. "Especially since his attack points aren't higher than Sweetie Belle's Dragons (Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand: Rank 8 / ATK 2800 / DEF 1800 / OLU 2). And even if she could attack them, Sweetie can just use their effects to clear out the field!"

"...I wouldn't be so sure of that yet, Dashie." Pinkie told her. "Ember brought that guy out for a good reason, I'll bet!" Rarity reluctantly agreed with her; she wanted her sister to win, but knew that Ember had something planned if she was willing to bring out a monster weaker than both of Sweetie Belle's Dragons.

"Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand..." said Flash. "I've heard about a card with that name, but had never seen it in action. I wonder what it can do...?"

"Whatever it does, it must be something very powerful if Ember felt she needed to bring it out in order to win the Duel." Twilight noted.

"But it can't beat Sweetie's monsters...!" said Spike, telling the same this that Rainbow Dash had said to the others. "If she attacks with it, it'll just get clobbered!"

"That may not be the case, Spike." said Sunset, sure that Ember knew what she was doing.

But Sweetie wasn't sure of Ember's plan either. "So...that's it?" she asked. "Your monster only has 2,800 attack points, so it's weaker than my two 4,000-attack monsters? What's going on?"

"While it is true that my new monster is weaker than either of yours are," Ember started, "that will all change once I play the other card I drew this turn." Revealing the card, she shouted, "I equip my Dragon Knight Felgrand with Megamorph! Now, since my Life Points are lower than yours currently are, this Spell Card will double my monster's attack power!"

"D-double?!" said Sweetie, surprised.

"That puts my monster's power higher than either of your Ultimate Crystals!" said Ember as her monster's size doubled along with his attack power (Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand: ATK 2800 x 2 = 5,600).

"So now if Ember attacks," Gilda began to say, "she can defeat either of those two Dragons. And even after the damage is calculated, Sweetie will still have 1,200 Life Points, so Ember's monster will still have doubled attack points!"

"But...it shouldn't matter." stated Martin. "If Ember tries to attack, Sweetie Belle can just activate Overdragon's effect and send every card on the field back into each player's Decks. Then Sweetie just has to play a monster with at least 500 attack points to win the Duel."

"If that's all true, then...why doesn't Ember look too scared right now...?" asked Gabby.

Torch didn't seem worried for his daughter either. In addition to the Red-Eyes card she had, the Megamorph Spell was also given to her from him. However, despite how confident he was in his daughter, even he didn't know much about the Xyz Monster she had Summoned, as she didn't use anything from her Extra Deck whenever she had dueled him. Still, he trusted that his daughter had some sort of plan in mind.

Ember kept her smile, as if she knew that she still had a chance to win this. However, she knew that this turn was still a big gamble; but it was a gamble she had to take in order to have any chance at a win. "This is it..." she said. "This next move will decide the victor. And I'll do it with this card...the one that I trust the most; the one that helped me decide my future... I'll pin all of my hopes and dreams on him!" Taking a calm breath, Ember shouted, "GO! Dragon Knight Felgrand, attack now!! Your target is Rainbow Overdragon!!" Ember's monster then rushed in to strike Sweetie's Fusion Monster and take it down.

The sight of seeing the 5,600-attack point monster coming towards caused Sweetie Belle to act quickly. "I activate Rainbow Overdragon's effect!!" she shouted. "I release it in order to send every single card on the field back into our Decks!!" After sending the monster to the Graveyard, Rainbow Overdragon then unleashed a powerful cry as its entire body began to wrap itself in a powerful light that exploded into a massive shock wave that engulfed the entire field. Ember hummed a bit as she tapped her D-Pad's screen...

Sunset, Twilight, Spike, and Flash shielded themselves from the bright light and blustering winds that had kicked up as a result of her Overdragon's ability. "Urrgh...! These winds...!" said Twilight, trying her best to withstand it all. "Is this really coming from Sweetie's monster? It's incredible!"

"You know it!" said Spike. "There's no way Ember's gonna survive this! Sweetie's got this game won!"

But Sunset wasn't as sure; she knew by this point that Ember always had something planned ahead just in case. Right now, it seemed unlikely, but the otherworldly girl couldn't shake that feeling from herself...

The bright light then covered the whole arena, causing everyone in the audience to cover their eyes instinctively. The light then formed into a series of massive tornadoes that swept away every card on the field, including Rainbow Dragon, Emerald Tortoise, Dragon Ravine, and Megamorph. All of them seemed to vanish in an instant. (Yes!! Yes!! I did it!!) Sweetie cheered in her mind. (Now next turn, I just have to draw a monster and-) But her thought was interrupted when she heard something coming from the center of the field. Before she could say anything, a massive sword struck her hard from seemingly out of nowhere. "AACK!!!" she screamed, falling rear-first onto the ground.

"What?" said Rarity, shocked by what happened. "What just happened? Where did that attack come from??"

Doing her best to get back up, Sweetie wanted to know as well. "What just hit me...?" She then looked up and was shocked by the sight before her: It was Ember's Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand, and though he had returned to his normal height and had one less yellow orb flying around him, the Xyz Monster was still somehow on the field. "Your monster's still there?!" the young girl asked in surprise. "But how?! I thought my Overdragon's effect sent him off the field!"

"Unfortunately, it didn't." replied Ember. "And that's because when you used Overdragon's effect, I activated the effect of Dragon Knight Felgrand: By sending one of his Overlay Units to the Graveyard (Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), I can have him select a monster on the field and negate its effects for the turn. In addition, the affected monster is rendered immune to all other card effects during that time."

"But...I still don't get it." said Spike. "If she used the effect on Overdragon, then it wouldn't have sent all the other cards on the field away!"

"...That's because she didn't use her Dragon Knight Felgrand's effect on it." Sunset told him. "She had him use the effect on himself!"

"On himself?" asked the purple puppy.

"Oh...! I get it!" Flash realized. "That means Ember's monster wouldn't get sent off of the field by Sweetie's monster's effect!"

(That's not all.) Utopia said to Twilight. (It also means that, after all of these effects resolve, Sweetie Belle would be left with no monsters on the field, allowing Ember's monster to attack directly instead.)

"So that was Ember's plan..." said Twilight. "She must have figured that Sweetie would attempt the same trick she used against Octavia, and found a way to use it against her instead! Ember predicted what Sweetie might try to do, and found the best counter against it!"

(Observation Number Eight: Often, in order to overcome an enemy, you must know the enemy...) pondered Utopia. (I shall remember that.)

Back in the Duel, Ember had explained everything to Sweetie Belle just as Sunset and the others had discussed themselves. "By activating this effect, it does mean that my Dragon Knight's attack power returned to its normal value (Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand: ATK 5,600 > 2800), because Megamorph no longer affected it. But that is a small price to pay to ensure that he would stay on the field, despite your Overdragon's effect. Since you have no monsters left, and you just happened have exactly 2,800 Life Points left, his attack managed to hit you directly...and I'm sorry to say that it's enough to finish you off completely."

Sweetie dropped down to her knees upon hearing that. Despite her best efforts, she had lost the Duel (Sweetie Belle: LP 2,800 - 2,800 = 0) (WINNER: Ember)...

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Once the AR holograms vanished, Ember looked over at her defeated opponent, who had not gotten back up yet after she lost. Feeling sorry for her, Ember walked over to her and asked, "Are...you okay?" She then saw what appeared to be a tear fall to the ground. Feeling a little bad, she then told her, "Hey...please, don't cry... High stakes or not, it's still just a game...!"

"...No..." said Sweetie in a low voice. "It wasn't just a game for me..." She then looked up, but it was revealed that there was a smile on her face, despite the tears in her eyes. "It was the BEST GAME EVER!!!" As it turned out, losing the Duel didn't make Sweetie sad or angry; rather, she was happy to have been treated as a serious opponent by Ember. "That was the best I've ever done in a Duel, and I can't wait to do something even better next time! Thank you!" she said gratefully to her opponent. "Thank you for giving me such a great Duel! I mean it!"

Ember wasn't expecting to see this sort of reaction out of Sweetie Belle, but was nevertheless pleased to see that losing didn't seem to hurt her spirited personality. Smiling warmly at this, Ember nodded and said, "Thank you, too. I think this was a game that helped us both become stronger; I mean it." Offering her hand, she then asked, "Want some help back up? A great opponent like you shouldn't be on her knees." Sweetie nodded and took Ember's hand, getting back up onto her feet. "You truly have what it takes to become a champion one day, Sweetie Belle; once you can fully overcome your fears and worries, there is nothing that can stop you. I sincerely hope that we can face off against each other again someday."

With a tear of joy still in her eye, Sweetie said to her opponent, "Me too...! Again, thank you so much for the great Duel!" She then suddenly hugged Ember out of gratitude.

Sweating a little, the blue teen said to her, "Uh, yeah...you're welcome. Now, uh...mind letting go of me now?" But telling Sweetie to break off a hug that soon was like trying to pry open the mouth of a crocodile when it caught its prey: in other words, nearly impossible.

In the stands, a tear fell from Rarity's eye as well. But like with her sister, it was a tear shed out of happiness, proud of Sweetie for fighting her hardest, even though she couldn't get a victory in the end. She calmly stood up and began to clap her hands for her sister. She was soon joined by Applejack, then Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Soon after, the applause and cheering spread over the entire audience, congratulating the two Duelists for a battle well fought.

Torch, of course, was very proud of his daughter for winning the Duel. In a rare case, he smiled warmly as he added his clapping to the audience's applause. (You did it, Ember.) he said to her mentally. (You've gone above and beyond what I expected of you, and you're now a champion our family can be proud of.) He then recalled the moment where Ember used her Xyz Monster's ability to win the Duel, which also caused the power-up bonus from Megamorph to be nullified. (I was proud to have been your dueling mentor, Ember...) he continued to silently say to her, (but now I see that I have nothing more left to teach you; From now on, it is up to you continue your training alone. But I know you'll continue to make me - and yourself - proud.) He then continued clapping his hands, happy to have helped support his daughter and help her achieve such a grand accomplishment.

"I couldn't agree more, everybody!" announced Megan with a smile on her face. "That was some of the best dueling I've seen in a long time! And I am proud to say that the winner of this Duel and the WCQ Qualification Tournament...is Ember, from the city of Bloodstone!!" The audience cheered even louder, praising the blue-skinned girl for her achievement.

"That was one heck of a match!" said Flash, clapping his hands. "Those two are something else, huh?"

"Mhmm. They definitely have the heart and the desire to do anything they set their minds to, and face any enemy that stands in their way." Twilight said to him. "No two ways about it: Both of them are the perfect examples of what a champion looks like."

Sunset nodded as she began walking into the arena to congratulate the two tournament finalists. "Great job, both of you." she said to them. "That was a Duel worthy of the Finals; you both proved that you belonged here, fighting such a great Duel. Honestly, it could have gone either way. You both should be very proud of yourselves." Turning to Ember, she told her, "Ember, you came to this tournament hoping to begin your career as a Pro Duelist, just like your father or perhaps better. There's no doubt what you learned here, competing in this tournament, will help you to achieve that dream."

"Thanks, Sunset." said Ember respectfully. "I feel the same way."

Sunset then knelt down to speak with Sweetie Belle directly. "And Sweetie," she said to the younger Duelist, "don't let this defeat set you back on trying your best next time. Use this loss to strengthen yourself and become even better. If you put your mind to it, I'm sure you'll win the next tournament you go to, whether if it's in an arena or at the local card shop."

"I promise, I'll do much better next time, Sunset!" Sweetie replied. "I won't lose like this ever again! That's a fact!" Sunset chuckled, amused by Sweetie's enthusiasm.

"And now..." Megan then started to say, "to present our tournament Champion with her prize, allow me to introduce our representative from Industrial Illusions - the company responsible for the Duel Monsters Trading Card Game - Mr. Jay Dunstan!!"

Everyone watched as the suit-wearing man hosting the tournament walked out onto the field and approached Ember. "Congratulations, Ms. Ember." he said to her. "You truly have the makings of a future Pro Duelist. If Mr. Pegasus were still here with us, it would have warmed his heart to see such passion and heart for the game he created. You deserve to be here with us, along with all those who fought with honor and respect for their fellow Duelists."

Bowing in respect, Ember responded, saying, "Thank you, sir."

"And as our tournament Champion," Mr. Dunstan then told her, "you will now receive your prizes, directly from me." Reaching into a pocket inside of his suit, he pulled out a white envelope that bore the Industrial Illusions logo on the front. "This envelope contains your invitation to this year's World Championship Qualifiers, which will be held two months from now, here in Canterlot City." Ember took the envelope and opened it, showing a Duel Monsters card that showed the WCQ logo in the picture. "Present that card to an official," he went on to explain to her, "and you will be allowed to compete with the strongest Duelists throughout the country. I recommend you to prepare your Deck - possibly even make a new one - to ready yourself for the competition."

Ember nodded, saying that she would make sure she was ready for the even tougher battles ahead. "I promise, I won't back down!" she said to him. "I'll be ready for it!"

"Good to hear, Ms. Ember." said Mr. Dunstan as he then presented another item for the tournament champ: A Duel Monsters card that was encased in a hard plastic case. "And here is your other prize: The original copy of The Despair Uranus, hand-made by the late Mr. Phoenix himself."

Taking the card, Ember hummed a bit. "A great prize deserving of a great Duelist..." she muttered to herself. She then glanced over at Sweetie Belle and said to her, "...which is why I would like you to have it, Sweetie."

"Huh?!?" gasped the young girl. "You're giving that to me?! How come? That card's gotta be like, hundreds of thousands of dollars!!"

"It may be worth $100,000, or maybe even a million..." said Ember with a smile, "but the Duel I had with you here was worth more than anything this card could be worth. You were one of the strongest opponents I have ever faced, and one that can only improve with time. And I feel that this card will help you do just that. A bit ironic that a card with 'Despair' in its name is about to help you fulfill your greatest hopes, huh?"

"Oh yeah... I didn't catch that." Sweetie giggled.

"But...I guess you could, well...put all of those fears and concerns you have in your heart into this card," the Bloodstone Duelist told her next, "and have it fire it all out with its attack, so that...you wouldn't feel so nervous anymore...right?"

"...Uh, I don't get it." Sweetie responded.

"...Sorry. It's the best I could think of on the spot." Ember admitted. "In any case, I really think this card could help you become the strong Duelist that you're clearly meant to be. So, please...take it and become even stronger for the next time we meet, okay?"

Sweetie Belle still wasn't quite sure if she should accept the card or not, but feeling as though Ember really meant what she said, the young Duelist smiled and took the card from her. "Thank you so much, Ember!" Sweetie said to her. "I promise to take good care of it And I promise that when I see you again, I'll win for sure!!"

"...I'm looking forward to that, Sweetie Belle." Ember responded.

"That was pretty nice of you to do that for her, Ember." Sunset complimented. "Though, I kind of had a feeling that you weren't in this tournament to win a rare card, right?"

"When I entered this tournament," Ember said to the Judge, "I came here with the desire to win the competition, get into the WCQ's, and begin my path to becoming a Pro Duelist...along with one other thing."

"One other thing?" asked Sunset. At first, she didn't know what that meant, but it didn't take her long to realize what Ember was referring to. "Wait," she began to ask, "do you mean-?"

"Exactly." answered the Bloodstone Duelist, already knowing what Sunset was about to say. "You remember what you promised me yesterday at the Preliminary Rounds? You said that if I did well enough in the tournament, you would honor your end of the bargain. Last I checked, winning the whole competition falls under 'doing well enough', am I right?" Sunset nodded to say yes.

"Bargain?" asked Sweetie Belle. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Allow me to get straight to the point:" Ember then pointed straight at Sunset and said, "Sunset Shimmer of Canterlot City, I challenge you to a Duel!!"

-- To Be Continued...

---------------------------------------------------------------------

TOURNAMENT RESULTS (Final Round):

Ember vs. Sweetie Belle [WINNER: Ember]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note:

Yep...this ain't over just yet.

On a side note, there's a lot of interesting fan-made things that have recently popped up for us fans of both MLP and Yu-Gi-Oh! to check out. A new episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged recently dropped, and of all things, a mod of Pizza Tower that lets you play as Pinkie Pie. I'm still very impressed with what fans can come up with, and am happy to put in something of my own as well.

Comments

[MLPMekarm]

hey if your looking for more dulests i can help out with that. if you want that is.

[Vakama95096]

Sweetie Belle did amazing in the finals. She deserve to be in second place.

[ArcanaMaverick7]

Sweetie Belle and Ember's Duel was amazing! An incredible match and a wonderful ending that had Sweetie earn Ember's respect. Now for some more action before continuing the Numbers hunt.

[SuperSonicHeroes]

Yes! YES! The final duel of the tournament between Ember and Sweetie Belle has concluded, with Ember emerging as the victor!

Ember wasn't my first choice for the winner, maybe not even my second, but I was cheering her on during every single match she had and I am happy to see her crowned the winner. But Sweetie Belle gave her a run for her money. I felt like she had the most interesting plot points of all the tournament competitors, and that it would make the most sense for her to win, given how she wanted a rematch with Sunset and all. Not to mention how witnessing the Number Cards herself when Sunset faced the Dazzlings just made her excited to face a Number Card herself.

I actually noticed how Ember didn't use any Extra Deck monsters herself in her previous duels, so I just assumed she didn't use them. The fact she had them though and just didn't need them until now was a testament to her skill.

It was clear Sweetie Belle was letting the pressure get to her, and was making several big mistakes. That would have made it even easier for Ember to beat her, but her calling a time out to talk to Sweetie and get her to calm down shows her good sportsmanship. Also, the reveal that their conversation wasn't so private after all was funny. I would be pretty embarrassed if that had happened to me.

Even though Sweetie ultimately lost the duel, she gave an amazing performance and almost had Ember, despite the earlier mistakes she made. I also feel like that The Despair Uranus card is much better suited for support in Sweetie's deck than Ember's so it was sweet to see Ember give it to Sweetie.

Now, Ember can finally get her rematch with Sunset. I have no idea what to expect from this duel, but I bet that if Ember can get Sunset to summon a Number Card or even just damage her life points this time, she'll be satisfied enough to declare it a personal victory.

[Monty Eggman]

11673337

I'm really glad you enjoyed what I came up with. For me, I had noticed that in the Duels I wrote up, Ember won without going into her Extra Deck, so once I saw that, I knew it would be very interesting to have her not use it until she actually felt that she needed to. I thought it was the perfect way to show just how greatly she had improved since her first meeting with Sunset.

Anyway, I have some neat plans for the upcoming Duel, which - I'll just say it now - will finally wrap up the WCQ Qualification Tournament story.

[LunarChaos88]

Oh my god, this was so amazing! I was excepting Sweetie Belle to take the win. I'm glad Ember was able to get so far. ^^

[Monster Tamer AJ]

I did watch the new YGOA. Sadly it was a bit overshadowed by Little Kuriboh having to respond to allegations thrown at him and Team Four Star along with his cat dying that week.

[Magic135]

While I wished Sweetie had won, the duel she had with Ember was fantastic.

[gfr091702]

Can we have another Numbers Recap Chapter? Just wondering because its been a while since the last one.

[Monty Eggman]

11679409

That's a good idea. I'll likely do one after the tournament story arc has completely wrapped up.

[gfr091702]

11680012
Good to know. Hey, do you watch Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir? Because I am trying to figure out what kind of decks they would use and which Number they would each have. Any suggestions?

[Monty Eggman]

11684269

I'm afraid I don't know much about that series. I don't hate it, I just haven't watched it, really. But I'm sure you could think of something. There's likely a Number that fits everyone, so I'm certain you could figure it out.

[ScarfStar]

I feel I should hold off till I've really invested in reading every chapter but...

You gotta dial back on the descriptors Monty XD
There's too many like Otherworldly girl, Bloodstone girl, jacket wearing, young, *Colour of said character* girl.
That's my only gripe really.

[Monty Eggman]

11699933

After thinking about it for a while, I do agree; I might have overused it a bit. That was mostly due to the way I had written things in the past, but I'll try to do far less often in the future.