My Little Pony: Friendship is Numerous

by Monty Eggman

RANK 60: The Final Face-Off: Ember vs. Sunset, Part 2:

RANK 60: The Final Face-Off: Ember vs. Sunset, 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...

Though the WCQ Qualification Tournament had finished, the action was only heating up as Ember, the Duelist from Bloodstone City that had become the tournament champion, had issued a Duel challenge to Sunset Shimmer. Ember wanted to rematch Sunset to make up for their previous Duel with each other on the day they had met. Back then, Ember lost that Duel without even damaging Sunset once, and she vowed to make up for that by becoming stronger and winning the tournament to prove that she was worthy of that rematch. Sunset agreed to face her, but was surprised when Ember demanded that Sunset use her Number Cards against her, despite not having Numbers in her own Deck.

Despite what seemed to be an overwhelming disadvantage, Ember proved that she was powerful enough to fight the Numbers regardless of their seemingly unbeatable power. She managed to defeat one of Sunset's newest additions - Number 17: Leviathan Dragon - with little trouble at all, and even managed to bring out the ace card of her Deck, Felgrand Dragon. With its power, Ember threatened to defeat Sunset in their rematch immediately, but Sunset managed to save herself and respond with her own threat of ending the Duel, using Number 33: Machu Mech to turn Felgrand's power against it.

Unfortunately, her plan failed to work, forcing Sunset to stall for more time with Swords of Revealing Light. Ember was proving to be even stronger than she was during the tournament...possibly strong enough to even defeat Sunset on her home turf...

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The Duel between Sunset Shimmer and Ember was getting more intense with every turn they took. Both of them had made incredible plays and even threatened to defeat their opponent at one point or another. Currently, Ember was way ahead of Sunset; both in their remaining Life Points (Ember: LP 1,400) (Sunset Shimmer: LP 300) as well as the number of monsters they each had on the field; Sunset currently had one of her Number Cards on the field, the massive Machu Mech (Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech: Rank 5 / ATK 2400 / DEF 1500 / OLU 1), while Ember had two of her powerful Dragons staring her down (Kuibelt the Blade Dragon: Level 7 / ATK 2500 / DEF 1900) (Felgrand Dragon: Level 8 / ATK 4200 / DEF 2800). At this point, it seemed that the first person to get a clean shot at their opponent would be the winner.

Sitting in the stands, Torch - Ember's ex-Pro Duelist father - looked over towards Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, telling them both, "Now you can see just how powerful my daughter truly is. She has been training herself for this rematch ever since the day she first met Sunset Shimmer, and I have done what I can to assist and strengthen her, to prepare her for this match. At this point, there's no stopping her."

"Well, I wouldn't count my student out of this game just yet if I were you, Torch." Celestia told him. "Sunset is the strongest Duelist at our school for a reason, and that was true even before she had a Number Card."

"Indeed." Luna chimed in. "Therefore, I would advise you not to make any assumptions about the outcome of this game until it's over. I believe that Sunset still has more than enough fight in her to overcome this Duel and claim victory." Torch understood that, but still believed that his daughter had this whole thing won.

"Man, has this been some Duel so far..." said Flash Sentry, sitting on the sidelines with Sweetie Belle, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike, watching the Duel in awe of the high-level plays that both of the competitors had made so far. "Both of them have been fighting really hard, right from the start of the game!" he then added.

"Not only that," Spike added, "but Ember's managed to get a lead over Sunset, even though she's using her Number Cards against her! Ember even managed to destroy one of 'em already!"

"Yeah..." Sweetie spoke up. "I knew Ember was good, but she seems TWICE as strong as she was when I fought her! Was I just lucky that I was able to do so well against her?"

"Well, don't forget: Ember was holding back some of her Deck's true power so that she could keep as much of it a secret from Sunset before they got to duel each other." Flash reminded her. "She was planning to keep the monsters in her Extra Deck hidden until she got to battle Sunset, and she only used one against you because you forced her into it - which is pretty impressive in its own right."

In Twilight's mind, Utopia spoke to her about the Duel in progress. (This Ember has proven to be a very worthy opponent for Sunset...) he said to her telepathically. (To be able to figure out the weaknesses of Sunset's Numbers after only seeing them in her Duel against the Dazzlings is no mere feat.)

(Yeah, it's pretty impressive...) Twilight admitted. (It's like Sweetie said: Ember seems to be way more powerful than she was even during the actual tournament, now that she isn't holding anything back. But still...I know Sunset can hold her own against her! She's not out of this just yet!) Everyone in attendance continued to watch the Duel, eager to see how it would all end, and who would ultimately claim victory.

(...It's hard to believe, but it's true:) thought Sunset Shimmer. (Ember really has been working hard to improve herself. She wanted to win this tournament just so she could face me in a true Duel without anything holding us back... Even with the power of my Numbers, I'm barely keeping up with her...!)

Facing her dueling rival, Ember asked her, "So what do you think of the new and improved me, Sunset? I told you that I'm nowhere near who I was when we met. Before, I couldn't even damage you. But now you're the one that's on the defensive, and that's where I'm going to keep you!" Pointing forward, she then proudly proclaimed, "I'm not planning to lose this Duel anytime soon!"

"...Yeah, you've certainly made that clear." Sunset responded. "But I'm not intending to lose this either! And if you do plan on winning this Duel between us, I'm gonna make you work for it!"

"Then let's finish this up and see what you can do - after my turn, that is." Drawing a card from her Deck, Ember then thought to herself, (My Felgrand's attack points are way higher than Machu Mech's are, so if I attacked it, I'd win the Duel...except that Sunset played Swords of Revealing Light earlier, which prevents me from attacking her at all. Worse, if I allow Sunset to play her next turn, she'll try to use her Number's effect to damage me and wipe me out!) She then looked at the card she drew and said to herself, "I'll just have to bet everything on this card...!" Playing the card she drew, Ember declared, "I activate Pot of Extravagance! With this, I can banish up to six random monsters from my Extra Deck and then draw a card for every three of those banished monsters!"

"A good play on Ember's part." said Babs Seed, watching the Duel from the stands with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Since she doesn't go into 'er Extra Deck a whole lot, the banishin' effect won't hurt her too much."

"I just wonder what Ember's gonna draw with her Spell Card..." thought Scootaloo.

"Me too." added Apple Bloom. "Hopefully nothin' that'll help her beat Sunset."

Drawing her two cards, Ember hummed a bit after looking at one of them. She then placed the card on the field, saying, "I'll finish my turn with a face-down card. Now let's see what you've got, Sunset." (Swords of Revealing Light: 2 turns left)

"I draw!" said Sunset drawing a card from her Deck and adding it to her hand. (Now what's she up to...?) she then wondered to herself. (She HAS to know that I'll try and finish her off with Machu Mech's effect...) Looking at the card that her opponent had placed face-down, she then wondered, (Is that card a Trap that can defend her, or not...? Whatever the case, I have to a least try and use my Number's effect to win the Duel...or at least get her to use up her face-down card.) Taking a card out from underneath her Number Card (Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech: OLU 1 - 1 = 0), she then shouted, "Now Machu Mech! Let's try your effect one more time! Target Felgrand Dragon and use its power to wipe out Ember's Life Points!" Her monster then absorbed its remaining Overlay Unit and charged up its cannons once more...

"That didn't work last time, and it's NOT gonna work now, either!" said Ember, tapping her D-Pad's screen. "I activate my Counter Trap, Divine Wrath!!"

"Arrgh! Not that!!" exclaimed Sunset.

"Yes, that." Ember responded, taking a card from her hand and sending it to the Graveyard. "By dropping a card out of my hand, Divine Wrath not only negates your monster's effect, but it also destroys it!" And on cue, a massive bolt of lightning shot down from the clouds above, striking Sunset's Machu Mech and eliminated it from the field completely.

"My goodness!" gasped Rarity. "That was the second time Ember managed to destroy one of Sunset's Number Cards!"

"Dang..." Applejack responded. "No wonder she wasn't afraid of facin' Sunset's best monsters; she's taken down two of 'em with hardly any effort!"

"And now Sunset doesn't have any monsters left on the field..." Fluttershy then pointed out, "and she only has three hundred Life Points left... If she takes another attack, she'll lose the Duel..."

"Sunset? Lose a Duel? No way!" Rainbow Dash said, pumping her fists up. "She'll beat Ember, no problem! There's no way she's gonna lose this one!"

"Yeah, that's the spirit, Dashie!" cheered Pinkie Pie. "We just gotta keep cheering for her, and she'll win! It always works somehow!"

Looking at her field, Sunset thought to herself, (That's my second Number she's managed to destroy... Even the power of the Number Cards alone won't be enough to beat Ember...) Looking at her hand, she then continued her thoughts, saying to herself, (If I'm gonna win this Duel, I'll have to play smarter, not just harder... Ember's pulled off some very impressive card combos in this Duel so far, and if I'm going to overcome her, I have to try and do the same.) Taking a card from her hand, she then declared, "I activate the Spell Card, Chronomaly Technology! After banishing the Chronomaly Crystal Skull in my Graveyard, I can then take a look at the top two cards of my Deck. One goes into my hand and the other is sent to the Graveyard."

(She's digging deeper into her Deck, trying to find some way around my two Dragons before her Swords card loses its effect on the field.) Ember thought. (But...is that ALL she's doing...?)

Taking the top two cards from her Deck, she chose one to put into her hand, and sent her Chronomaly Moai Carrier to the Graveyard. Then, she took the card she drew this turn and placed it on the field, saying, "I'll finish my turn with one card face-down."

"No monster, huh?" asked Ember. "Your Swords of Revealing Light still have two more turns left, so you figure that I have no way of getting around it this turn, huh?" Drawing a card from her Deck and humming a bit in disappointment, she then told her opponent, "Well, it seems your assumption was correct; I can't do anything this turn, so I'll pass off to you." (Swords of Revealing Light: 1 turn left)

"So far, so good for Sunset..." noted Octavia, watching the Duel with her best friend Vinyl Scratch. "Her Swords of Revealing Light are keeping her alive."

"Yeah, until they fizzle out eventually." Vinyl reminded her. "Then what's she gonna do, Tavi?"

"...I cannot say for sure, Vinyl." the sepia-skinned girl answered her. "But I'm sure Sunset's trying her best to work out some sort of strategy... I hope."

Breathing a sigh of relief that she survived Ember's turn, Sunset then began her own, drawing a card from the Deck. Looking at it, she gasped a little. (This card...! It might help me out here...) Smirking a little, she said to Ember, "You might remember this card I'm about to play from my hand; It's the same card I started with in our first Duel. I Special Summon Oracle of the Sun in Defense Position!" Since Ember was the only one to have a monster on the field (2 to be specific), Sunset was able to play her Inca-inspired monster straight to the field, despite that it was a Level 5 monster (Oracle of the Sun: Level 5 / ATK 1000 / DEF 2000).

(That card... I do remember that she used it in our last Duel...) Ember recalled. (Is she going to do what she did before...?)

"And next, since I still have a Normal Summon this turn, I'll summon the Tuner Monster, Supay, in Attack Position!" Sunset then said, playing her mask-like monster to the field next (Supay: Level 1 / ATK 300 / DEF 100). Thrusting her hand out, she then shouted, "Now I tune my Level 1 Supay to my Level 5 Oracle of the Sun!" Her mask monster then transformed into a small sphere of light that soon transformed into a single green ring that surrounded her Oracle, transforming him into 5 more small lights (Level 1 + Level 5 = Level 6). Sunset then chanted, "Dragon deity of the Moon, calm the chaos! Give rest to the weary with your soothing night breeze! Synchro Summon! Show yourself! Level 6! Moon Dragon Quilla!" And with that, her four-headed, blue and purple dragon monster entered the field in Defense Position (Moon Dragon Quilla: Level 6 / ATK 2500 / DEF 2000).

"So...guess you realized that your Numbers aren't gonna be enough to take me down, huh?" Ember asked her.

"What I realized is that I'm gonna need more than just my Numbers to win this Duel, Ember." Sunset replied. "I told you; I'm not planning to make this easy for you. Just like you, I'm playing to win this Duel here, and I'm not holding myself back!"

"And that's what I want you do, Sunset." Ember told her. "I want your best, and I'm gonna keep giving you MY best! That's the only way to know for sure which one of us worked the hardest to become the best Duelist they can be! So don't pull any punches! Give me everything you've got!"

Sunset nodded. "I will, Ember." she told her. "But for now, I'll end my turn with my Moon Dragon in Defense Position. Now go ahead."

Nodding, Ember drew her next card and looked at it. (Once this turn is over,) she then pondered to herself, (Sunset's Swords of Revealing Light will expire, and I'll be able to attack on my next turn. Until then, there isn't much I can do this turn, so I'll prepare a backup strategy in the meantime...) Taking the card she drew last turn, Ember set it and said, "I'll just set this card and end my turn." After she said that, the light swords that froze her monsters vanished one by one, and their effect had expired.

"Now Swords of Revealing Light is gone..." noted Luna. "So Ember is able to attack with her monsters again."

"Hopefully, Sunset will draw something that will keep her safe from both of those Dragons..." Celestia said. Torch simply kept his attention on the Duel, still confident that his daughter would triumph in the end.

"It's my turn; I draw!" said Sunset as pulled her next card. Looking at it, she thought, (This card will let me draw a few more from my Deck... The only problem is that it also lets Ember draw cards, too...) She wasn't happy at the idea of letting a strong player like Ember draw even more cards at this late point in the Duel, but she knew that she didn't have any other options at her disposal. Risking everything on this play, Sunset activated the card she drew and said, "I play Spellbook Inside the Pot!"

"Spellbook Inside the Pot...?" asked Ember. "So you're going to draw three more cards at the expense of letting me draw three cards also? I guess we'll see if the risk was worth it, won't we?" Sunset and Ember then each drew three cards from their respective Decks and added them to their hands.

Looking at the cards she drew, Sunset thought, (Okay...I might be able to do something with these. I just hope it'll be enough.) Taking one of the cards she drew, Sunset then declared, "I summon the Tuner Monster, Fire Ant Ascator!" Instantly, her large ant creature then appeared on the field (Fire Ant Ascator: Level 3 / ATK 700 / DEF 1300). "And that's not all:" she then continued. "I'll also activate the effect of my Chronomaly City Babylon Field Spell! By banishing any Chronomaly monster from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon another from the Graveyard with the same Level! So by banishing my Level 5 Moai Carrier, I can bring back my Chronomaly Moai, also Level 5!" Immediately afterwards, her Easter Island head monster reappeared on the field in Attack Position.

"So you're going to Synchro Summon again, huh?" asked Ember, recalling that the card that Sunset sent to her Graveyard with Chronomaly Technology earlier on was meant to prepare for a move such as this right now.

"Exactly!" Sunset then confirmed. "I tune Fire Ant Ascator, Level 3, to Chronomaly Moai, Level 5!" Her Insect monster then covered itself in flames before transforming itself into three small lights, which then became a trio of green rings that surrounded Moai and transformed it into five smaller lights (Level 3 + Level 5 = Level 8). "Dragon deity of the Sun, illuminate all the darkness! Brighten the day with your benevolent light!" Sunset then chanted. "Synchro Summon! Show yourself! Level 8! Sun Dragon Inti!" And after that was done, her other four-headed Dragon Synchro Monster appeared on the field, right alongside his counterpart (Sun Dragon Inti: Level 8 / ATK 3000 / DEF 2800).

"Now Sunset has both of her Synchro Monsters on the field!" noted Flash Sentry. "If I remember correctly about how those two monsters work, I think I know what Sunset's planning to do..." The others that were with sitting there him weren't sure what he was talking about, so they decided to keep on watching to see what Sunset's plan was, if there was one.

"So you've got both of your tough Synchro Dragons on the field now, huh?" asked Ember. "Too bad they're not as tough as mine are!"

"I wouldn't be too sure of that Ember." Sunset warned her opponent. "For my next move, I'll switch Moon Dragon Quilla to Attack Position...and I'll have her attack your Kuibelt the Blade Dragon!"

"Huh??" asked Ember, having been caught off-guard. She was expecting Sunset to attack with the Sun Dragon instead.

"Hold on...!" Gilda pointed out. "Both of those Dragons have the same attack points, so they'll take each other out! If Sunset was going to do that, why didn't she do it earlier?"

"I think I might know why..." pondered Martin, having a feeling to what Sunset was planning, just like Flash did.

"You do?" asked Gabby. "What's that?" But Martin didn't reply back, instead gesturing Gabby to just keep watching the Duel to find out for herself.

As expected, both Moon Dragon Quilla and Kuibelt the Blade Dragon fired their respective attacks against each other, causing a stalemate that resulted in them destroying each other. After the dust settled, Ember then shouted, "I activate the effect of Kuibelt! I'll use it to prevent your other monster, Sun Dragon Inti, from attacking this turn!" Even though Sunset's other Dragon wasn't powerful enough to take out Felgrand, Ember didn't want to take any chances, since she didn't know Sunset was trying to accomplish.

"Have it your way, Ember." Sunset simply replied, unfazed by Ember's move. Taking a card from her hand, she set it to her field and said, "I'll place a card face-down and end my turn for now."

Ember then drew her next card, still trying to figure out what Sunset's game plan was. (She left her other Synchro Monster on the field in Attack Position,) she thought, (so if I attack with Felgrand Dragon, I'll win...except that she has a couple of cards face-down on her field, and they could be dangerous...) As she tried to come up with something, she decided to make a few other plays in the meantime. "First off, I'll activate a Field Spell of my own: Dragon Ravine!" After she played it, a large canyon then formed all around the floating city that everyone was currently in.

(Now we both have our Field Spells in play...) thought Sunset, wondering what Ember was planning this time.

"Next," the Bloodstone Duelist continued, "I'll use the effect of Dragon Ravine to send Keeper of the Shrine from my hand to the Graveyard, and then follow up by sending Darkblaze Dragon from my Deck to join it." After doing so, she then looked over the field and wondered if Sunset really did have a way to defend herself from Ember's Felgrand Dragon. After weighing her options, Ember believed it was worth the risk. "Go, Felgrand Dragon! Attack her Sun Dragon!!" Her monster then fired its powerful blast of light, sending it straight towards Sunset's Synchro Monster.

"Sunset! Do something!!" shouted Twilight.

...And that's what she did. "I activate my Trap Card!" Sunset then shouted. "Go, Breakthrough Skill!" Ember growled a bit after the card was flipped face-up. "With this card, I can select any of your monsters on the field and negate its effects for one turn! So I target Felgrand Dragon, causing it to lose the attack points it gained through its effect!" And Sunset's Trap Card did just that, weakening Felgrand Dragon just enough for Sunset's Sun Dragon to defeat it (Felgrand Dragon: ATK 4200 - 1400 = 2800). "Sun Dragon Inti, counterattack! Solar Stream!!" Sunset ordered her monster, who then fired a blast from each of his four mouths, dispersing Felgrand's blast and striking the Dragon directly, taking it down for the count.

"RRRGH!!" grunted Ember, taking a small blow to her Life Points as her monster was destroyed (Ember: LP 1,400 - 200 = 1,200).

"Alright! Sunset took down Ember's ace card!" cheered Rainbow Dash. "That's so awesome! She's got this won now!"

"I wouldn't be too sure of that yet, darling..." Rarity told her. "With how Ember's played so far, I'm sure this isn't the last we've seen of her Dragon."

And sure enough, it wasn't. On her second Main Phase, Ember played the card she drew this turn and shouted, "I activate the Spell Card, Return of the Dragon Lords, to bring Felgrand Dragon back to the field!" And as quickly as it left the field, Ember's powerful Dragon had returned.

"Aw, C'MON!!" complained Sweetie Belle. "Sunset just defeated that Dragon! And now it's BACK?!"

"That's been Ember's whole strategy; sending high-Level Dragons to the Graveyard and bringing them back with card effects." Twilight noted.

"An old strategy, but still as effective as ever." Flash added. "Of course, that's just ONE of the reasons she's so tough..."

"Yeah, well Sunset's tough, too!" Spike informed him. "She beat that Felgrand guy once; she can do it again!"

"Hmmm...so your Dragon's back, huh?" asked Sunset.

"That's right, and I'm afraid he's about to become even stronger than he was before." Ember told her rival. "Because this time, I'm using his effect to target a different monster in my Graveyard: My Level 8 Nebula Dragon!"

"Wait, Nebula Dragon?" asked Sunset, confused. "I don't remember seeing that card go to the Graveyard... When did that happen?" And then it hit her: She realized that it must have been the card that Ember discarded to pay the cost of her Divine Wrath card earlier on. Sunset was quite amazed at how far she had thought ahead with that move.

"Since Felgrand's effect gives him attack points equal to 200 times the Level of a monster in my Graveyard," Ember continued, "my Level 8 Nebula Dragon will give him a total of 1,600 attack points!" (Felgrand Dragon: ATK 2800 + 1600 = 4400)

(Just great... NOW not only is her Felgrand Dragon back on the field,) thought Sunset, (but now it's even stronger than before! But that doesn't mean I can't beat it again!) Drawing a card from her Deck and adding it to her hand, Sunset then said, "Now I activate Breakthrough Skill's Graveyard effect! By banishing it, I can negate one of your monster's effects, just like before! And once more, I choose your Felgrand Dragon!" Again, Ember's Dragon lost the power boost it got from its ability, making it weaker than Sunset's monster (Felgrand Dragon: ATK 4400 - 1600 = 2800). "Sun Dragon, destroy Felgrand Dragon!"

Once more, Felgrand Dragon lost to Sunset's Synchro Monster, causing Ember to take a small amount of damage as well (Ember: LP 1,200 - 200 = 1,000). But Ember was ready for it this time. "I'll use the effect of a card in my Graveyard, too!" she declared. "By banishing Return of the Dragon Lords, I prevent Felgrand Dragon from being destroyed!" Sure enough, even though it lost the battle, Ember's ace was still very much alive.

"Rrgh...I forgot about that..." Sunset admitted to herself. "But at least I chipped off some more of her Life Points..." Looking at her opponent, she told her, "Alright, Ember...it's your move." After saying that, the effect of Sunset's Trap expired, returning Ember's Felgrand Dragon power (Felgrand Dragon: ATK 2800 + 1600 = 4400).

Ember nodded and drew her next card. (Now we're back in the same situation as before: I can end the Duel with one attack from Felgrand, but she still has a face-down card on the field...) she thought to herself. Looking at her hand, she knew what she had to do. "Alright, let's try this again! Felgrand, attack her Sun Dragon with your Ray of Grand Light!" Once more, Sunset braced herself for the incoming attack. "You can't defend yourself, forever Sunset! I'm ending this Duel right now!"

"...You certainly are, Ember!" Sunset replied with a cheerful smirk.

"What??"

Tapping her D-Pad's screen, Sunset then shouted, "Before your attack lands, I'll activate my face-down card! Go, Aegis of Gaia!! This card's only got one effect, but it's a good one! It gives me an additional 3,000 Life Points to add to my total! Which means that I'll be able to survive your attack!" Ember gasped as the Trap Card gave its power to Sunset directly (Sunset Shimmer: LP 300 + 3,000 = 3,300), moments before Felgrand's attack managed to hit her Synchro Monster and destroy it (Sunset Shimmer: LP 3,300 - 1,400 = 1,900).

"Woah...Sunset managed to survive this turn. That was cool!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Oh, she did way more than that, Sweetie..." Flash then told her. "That move might win Sunset the Duel right here!"

"Huh? It can??" asked the young girl, curious to know more.

"How?" Spike then asked, also wanting to know.

But they, along with everyone watching, were about to get their answer. "Ember, you were right: You ARE going to end this Duel. But not in the way you were hoping to." Sunset informed her opponent.

"What do you mean...?" Ember asked.

"Since you destroyed my Sun Dragon Inti in battle - WITHOUT taking out all of my Life Points," the red and yellow teen then explained to her, "you've triggered his special effect. This effect then destroys the monster that defeated him, and if it does, it also hits you for damage equal to half of the attack points of that monster! Which means that not only will Felgrand be destroyed, but you'll take 2,200 points of damage; more than enough to wipe you out!" Ember gasped in response; even though she remembered Sunset's Sun Dragon monster from their previous Duel, she had forgotten about its effect because Sunset had never gotten to trigger it before. She could only watch as several pillars of flame began to surround her Dragon, threatening to incinerate it to nothing but ashes.

"That's so cool!!" cheered Scootaloo. "Since Sunset survived the attack, this move's gonna wipe Ember out completely!"

"Yay!! Sunset's gonna win!" Apple Bloom said enthusiastically.

But Babs Seed wasn't as sure. (I've gotta feelin' this ain't ovah just yet...) she thought to herself. (Based on the way this here Duel's been goin', I'm almost positive Ember's got somethin' planned to keep herself in this...)

As the flame pillars began to engulf Felgrand Dragon, Sunset said to her opponent, "You played a fantastic Duel, Ember...but this is where it ends!"

"...Oh no it isn't!" Ember shouted back, playing a card from her hand. Not long after she did that, the flames began to expand into a sphere-like shape, which surprised Sunset a little.

"Wait...what's going on??" asked the red-and-yellow teen. Just then, everyone watched as the flames were blown away completely, revealing a large, blue, bubble-like enclosure that wrapped itself around Felgrand Dragon, seemingly protecting it from harm (Felgrand Dragon: ATK 4400 - 600 = 3800). "What happened?" asked Sunset. "Why wasn't your monster destroyed? And why did its attack points go down just now?"

"Because the moment your monster's effect activated," Ember then explained, "I played a Quick-Play Spell to protect it." She then revealed the card as its AR image flipped itself face-up...

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Forbidden Dress
(Quick-Play Spell Card)

Target 1 face-up monster on the field; until the end of this turn, that target loses 600 ATK, but cannot be targeted or destroyed by other card effects.

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"By playing this card from my hand," Ember continued to tell her, "I can protect Felgrand Dragon from your monster's effect. So not only is he staying on the field, but I also don't take damage either!"

"...Impressive, Ember." said Sunset, complimenting her opponent. "That was some pretty quick thinking on your part. But don't forget that thanks to my Aegis of Gaia Trap, my Life Points are now higher than yours are."

"Well you won't have 'em for very long anyway, Sunset!" Ember warned her. "I'm still gonna win this Duel, one way or another! For now though, I'll end my turn, which means the effect of Forbidden Dress expires as well." (Felgrand Dragon: ATK 3800 + 600 = 4400)

"Darn..." said Spike. "I honestly thought Sunset had her there... Now we've got to worry about what Ember's got planned for her next..."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Spike." Twilight told him. "I'm sure Sunset can handle whatever Ember's got for her."

"Yeah, especially if that plan of hers involving that Moon Dragon comes into play now." Flash mentioned.

"Huh? Her Moon Dragon?" asked Sweetie Belle. "What do you mean by that?"

But she wouldn't have to wonder about it for long, as Sunset began her next move. "It's my turn now; I draw!" she said, pulling the top card of her Deck and adding it to her hand. "But before I play my next card, I have an effect to activate during my Standby Phase."

"Hm?" asked Ember. "What effect?"

"The effect of my Sun Dragon in the Graveyard, that's what." Sunset simply answered. "On the turn AFTER he was destroyed, I can bring his mate - Moon Dragon Quilla - back from the Graveyard!" After that, her blue four-headed Dragon returned to the field in Attack Position.

"Urrgh...! I forgot they had that effect to revive each other..." Ember admitted.

"That's why Sunset destroyed her own monster when she attacked Ember's Kuibelt earlier." Flash explained to the others. "Once one of them is in the Graveyard, they're set up to use their effects."

"Oh, I get it!" Sweetie Belle said. "So when one is destroyed, it brings back the other one!"

"Just like the cycle of the real Sun and Moon." Twilight pointed out. "They cycle with each other almost endlessly."

"But...what good does it do Sunset?" asked Spike. "Her Dragon's not powerful enough to defeat Ember's."

"Perhaps not, but depending on what Sunset plans to do with her monster," Twilight told him, "that may not matter."

Taking the card she drew for the turn, Sunset then said, "Next, I'll play my copy of Pot of Desires!" After banishing ten cards and drawing two more, she looked at them before adding them to her hand. Taking a out a different card, she then placed it onto her D-Pad's tray, saying, "Now, since there's at least one active Field Spell in play, I can Special Summon my Chronomaly Tula Guardian in Attack Position!" Immediately, her giant blue stone golem rose up from the ground in front of her (Chronomaly Tula Guardian: Level 5 / ATK 1800 / DEF 900). "But it won't be staying out for long!" Sunset then added. "I'll release it and Tribute Summon my Chronomaly Sol Monolith!" After that, her golem vanished from the field, replaced with a tall, stone tablet that rose to the heavens (Chronomaly Sol Monolith: Level 6 / ATK 600 / DEF 600).

"Two Level 6 monsters...?" asked Ember. She then gasped and began to ask, "Wait! Are you-?!"

Nodding yes, Sunset thrust out her hand and shouted, "I Overlay my Moon Dragon Quilla and my Sol Monolith - both Level 6! I create the Overlay Network!!" After that, her monsters then transformed into a pair of lights - one purple and one orange - that flew into a galaxy-like vortex in the center of the field, eventually exploding in a brilliant flash that left behind a symbol resembling the number 6 on the ground. "Arise, Number 6!" Sunset chanted. "Almighty creature sleeping under the Earth! Crush all wickedness with the might of a continent! Become the harmony that shines in the darkness!! Xyz Summon! Embodiment of remorse and forgiveness! Rank 6!! Chronomaly Atlandis!!"

And with the summoning chant finished, the newest recruit to her Deck rose up once more from behind the stadium, towering above everything and everyone. With the might and size of a continent at its disposal, Sunset's new ace card was ready to do battle once again (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: Rank 6 / ATK 2600 / DEF 3000 / OLU 2).

"At last we meet...Chronomaly Atlandis!" said Ember, sounding eager to face off against Sunset's best monster.

"She got out Atlandis again!" said Applejack in amazement.

"Impressive!" said Rarity. "She managed to summon her best monster once more!"

"Aw man! This is great!" cheered Rainbow Dash. "This guy is just so awesome in action!!"

"I know, right?" added Pinkie Pie. "Now that Atlandis is here, Sunnie's got this Duel in the bag! ...Though, how WOULD you put a Duel in a bag, actually? Hmmm..."

Fluttershy watched on and said to Sunset in her mind, (You can do this, Sunset... We're all here to support you...! I know you can get through this Duel!)

After watching Sunset bring out her new and powerful ace monster out for a second time today, Twilight and the others watching from the sidelines were curious to see if Atlandis would fare better than its fellow Numbers did against Ember's powerful Deck. "So...Atlandis is back again." noted Flash.

"Do you...think it'll be enough to help her beat Ember?" asked Sweetie Belle who - like everyone else, wasn't sure just how this was all going to end.

"It has to!" said Spike. "That's Sunset's best card! It's not gonna lose!"

"Let's hope so, Spike..." said Twilight. Utopia watched as well, curious to see what Sunset and Ember were going to try on each other next...

Celestia, Luna, and Torch also stared up at the powerful Number Sunset managed to summon to the field. "Well, it seems our student still has some power to spare." Celestia noted to Torch. "Now she has her ace monster on the field, just as how your daughter has hers."

"Perhaps she has," he said to her, "and perhaps I have underestimated your student a little... But I can assure you, my daughter will prevail nonetheless. After all, she has yet to unleash her full power as well."

"Then I suppose we shall see just watch and see for ourselves which of our side's best Duelists will prevail in the end." said Luna, still confident that Sunset wasn't going to be defeated so easily...or at all.

Looking up at Sunset's new monster, Ember smirked a little and asked, "So...you've got your best card out too, huh? Impressive. And I'll take great pleasure in being the first one to ever defeat it!"

"You can try, Ember," Sunset told her, "but don't expect me to just let you do that!" She then declared, "Now I activate the effect of Chronomaly Atlandis! After it's been Xyz Summoned, I can equip it with any Number monster from my Graveyard, and add half that Number's attack points to it! So I'll equip Machu Mech from my Graveyard and grant Atlandis 1,200 more attack points!" And just as she had said, Sunset's other Number monster connected with her monster on the field, powering it up even more (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: ATK 2600 + 1200 = 3800).

"I remember that effect." stated Ember. "But it's still not enough to beat my Felgrand Dragon. If you attack it, you'll just damage yourself! Of course, I'm sure you know that, so I'm guessing that you're gonna end your turn, right?"

"Sorry, but you guessed wrong, Ember." Sunset told her with a sly wink.

"Huh?"

"You're not the only one that can keep some of their cards secret until when it really matters." Sunset stated to her. "You see, the effect I just used was only ONE of Atlandis's effects!"

"It...has more than one effect?" asked Ember.

"That's right." Sunset confirmed. "And now I'm going to use its other effect right now! By removing an Overlay Unit (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), and sending the monster equipped to Atlandis to the Graveyard, I can trigger his greatest power!" Atlandis then absorbed one its two floating orbs as Machu Mech inside of it vanished from the hole in its body (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: ATK 3800 - 1200 = 2600). Then, it began charging up a powerful sphere of energy in front of the crater on the side of its volcano. "Now Atlandis! Orichalcum Gate!!" The monster then fired a powerful blast of energy that struck Ember directly, bypassing her Dragon completely.

"Urrgh...!! What was that?!" asked the Bloodstone girl. "How'd it hit me?!"

"That's Atlandis's other effect." Sunset explained. "By using it, I can cut your Life Points right in half. So you'll still take some damage, even though I summoned Atlandis in Defense!" Ember gasped upon hearing that as her Life Points went down by another small piece (Ember: LP 1,000 ÷ 2 = 500).

"Now Sunset just has t' get another 500 damage, and she wins this whole Duel!" stated Gilda. "That shouldn't be too hard...is what I would say, except that Ember chick NEVER makes things easy for her opponents; I know that all too well." Gabby and Martin nodded, knowing this pretty well themselves from watching her earlier Duels, including the one she had with Gilda.

Taking a card from her hand, she placed it on her field, saying, "I'll set a card face-down and end my turn."

(Thanks to that Atlandis monster,) thought Ember, (Sunset just needs one more shot at me, and she'll beat me again...! But there's no way I'm gonna let her do that! I'm ending this before she gets that chance! My honor as a Duelist demands it!!) She then drew her next card and looked at what it was...and gasped in surprise. This was soon followed by a slight chuckle. "This is it, Sunset!" Ember told her. "I'm about to end this Duel and claim my victory over you at long last!"

"And...how do you plan to do that?" asked Sunset, wondering what her opponent might be up to, but having some idea as to what it could have been...

"With this!" Ember replied, revealing the card she drew. "I activate Monster Reborn and bring back Arkbrave Dragon, who sleeps in my Graveyard!" In an instant, her white and gold Dragon returned from the Graveyard, ready to display its power (Arkbrave Dragon: Level 7 / ATK 2400 / DEF 2000).

"Huh? Since when did that card get into Ember's Graveyard?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Ember sent it there after she equipped it onto her Paladin of Felgrand and then released it for its effect." Fluttershy reminded her friend.

Sunset hummed as the powerful Dragon appeared before her. "This Duel's over, Sunset." Ember told her. "Know why? Because Arkbrave's effect allows me to banish all the face-up Spell and Trap Cards you have on the field after it's been brought back from the Graveyard!" Sunset gasped a little upon hearing that.

"So what?" asked Spike. "What's the big deal if Sunset loses her Spells and Traps?"

"It's a very big deal." Flash told him. "Sunset's Trap Card - Aegis of Gaia - has a second effect: If it's face-up and it leaves the field, it damages its controller for an entire 3,000 points worth of damage."

"Th-th-THREE THOUSAND?!?" exclaimed Sweetie Belle in shock. "But if that happens, Sunset loses the Duel!"

"Ember...she must have sent that Dragon to the Graveyard, waiting for a chance to use it for something like this..." Twilight figured. "What an incredibly well-calculated move...!" Of course, she wasn't that happy about it, considering that the calculated move was about to hand her friend a defeat.

"Too bad, Sunset." Ember told her opponent. "Thanks to your Trap Card's nasty side effect, you're about to lose this whole Duel! A bit of a shame that this is how it has to end after all this, but so be it." She then shouted to her Dragon, "Now, Arkbrave! Activate your effect and remove all of Sunset's face-up Spells and Traps!!" The powerful Dragon then began radiating itself in a bright, pure light, ready to unleash its power...until suddenly, a powerful bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and struck it, blowing the powerful monster to bits before it could use its ability. "What the?! What happened?!" asked Ember. "How'd my monster get destroyed??"

"Because just before it could use its effect, I activated a Counter Trap to stop it." Sunset explained to her. "Thanks to Solemn Strike, I can negate your monster's effect and destroy it completely! It cost me 1,500 of my Life Points (Sunset Shimmer: LP 1,900 - 1,500 = 400), but since it saved me from losing the Duel, I'm more than happy to pay that much!"

"...I had a feeling you weren't going to let me beat you that easily." Ember admitted. "It was worth playing my card just to confirm that. But now that we're both low on Life Points, I think it's time I stopped messing around with you." Tapping her Duel Pad's screen, she then added, "I'll start putting some pressure on you by activating a Trap Card of my own! I play MY Breakthrough Skill!"

"So you got one too?" asked Sunset, knowing what was going to happen next.

"I drew it a while back while I was stuck under your Swords of Revealing Light." Ember told her. "And I decided to save it for whatever Number Card you'd bring out next. So I'll use Breakthrough Skill to negate Atlandis's effects, making it vulnerable to an attack by ANY monster!" Under the effect of the Trap Card, even the colossal Chronomaly Atlandis hobbled to its knees.

(Now the effect that protects it from being destroyed in battle by non-Number monsters has been negated.) said Utopia. (So now any of Ember's monsters can eliminate it...!)

Twilight - worried for her friend, said to herself, (Please...stay strong Sunset...! You can still win this!)

"Felgrand Dragon, prepare to attack!" ordered Ember. "Target and destroy Chronomaly Atlandis!!" Her powerful Dragon then fired its attack, reducing Sunset's monster to rubble. After the smoke cleared, Sunset was still standing, but she was sweating a little from having witnessed Ember destroy the third Number Card in this Duel. "Well, you're still alive." Ember noted. "Since you were wise enough to put your Monster in Defense Position, you didn't take any damage. But unless you can draw something good next turn, I'll end this game with one more attack from Felgrand!"

(She's right...unless I get a good draw now, I'm finished!) Sunset thought to herself. Placing her fingers on the top card of her Deck, she took a deep breath to calm herself...and pulled the top card. Looking at it, she nodded and said, "I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Extravagance!"

(You've gotta be kidding me...!) Ember thought in disbelief. (She actually drew Pot of Extravagance at such a crucial moment...?!) She then smiled a bit and said to herself, "That's the way, Sunset... I'm not ready to end this game just yet, either. Let's enjoy this this as much as we can...!"

Sunset banished six random monsters from her Extra Deck, allowing her to draw two more cards. Smiling a little, she then said to Ember, "Sorry, but my new ace monster isn't going to go down THAT easily, Ember!" She then revealed one of the cards she drew with Pot of Extravagance to her opponent. "That is, as long as I keep drawing cards like this!"

"What?! You didn't!!" protested Ember. "You drew YOUR Monster Reborn too?!?"

"I sure did!" Sunset confirmed. "And as you probably guessed, I'm using it to revive my Chronomaly Atlandis and put it in Defense Position!" Her monster then rose back up from the ground, taking its place behind the stadium. "And next," she continued, "I'll finish with a card face-down, too! Now let's see if you can try and take my Number down a second time!"

Drawing a card from her Deck, Ember placed it into her hand and said, "That's exactly what I'm going to do! Did you forget about Breakthrough Skill's Graveyard effect already? After I banish it, I can negate your monster's effects again!" And that's just what she did, negating Atlandis's effect a second time in a row.

"Not this again!" said Scootaloo.

"If Ember attacks Sunset's monster again," Apple Bloom began to say, "she'll be back t' havin' no monsters on her field!" But Babs was sure that Sunset might be ready for it this time...

"Felgrand Dragon, attack Atlandis one more time!!" shouted Ember as her monster shot out another blast from its mouth, intending to repeat its performance from last turn.

"That won't happen a second time, Ember!" Sunset told her. "Activate Lumenize!!"

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

Lumenize
(Normal Trap Card)

When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the attacking monster; negate the attack, and if you do, 1 face-up LIGHT monster you control gains ATK equal to that target's ATK, until your next End Phase.

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

The power of Sunset's Trap Card bathed Atlandis in a powerful light that forced everyone else watching into shielding their eyes so as not to go blind from it. The attack from Felgrand got swallowed up by the intense light and then proceeded to strengthen Atlandis even more (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: ATK 2600 + 4400 = 7000). "Oh no...!" said Ember, not expecting that move. "Now her monster is more powerful than Felgrand is!"

"And that attack gain lasts until the end of MY next turn!" Sunset informed her rival. "Which means that I can strike back and end this Duel!"

(Rrrgh...not if I can help it...) thought Ember as she placed two cards into her D-Pad. "I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn!"

"And because your turn's over, so is the effect of Breakthrough Skill, so my monster has its powers back!" Sunset then reminded her before drawing a card from her Deck. She then looked at it and smiled. (Perfect! I drew Limiter Removal!) she said to herself. (This card can boost the attack power of Atlandis even higher!) However, she decided to place the card away in her hand for now, thinking, (That being said, there's no reason for me to use it right now; Atlandis has more than enough power to defeat Felgrand and wipe out Ember's Life Points this turn...that is, unless she can defend herself with either or both of the two face-downs she set last turn. So I'll keep this card safe in my hand for if and when I need to use it...)

Moving her hand to her D-Pad's card tray, she adjusted the position of her Number Card, saying, "I'll switch Atlandis to Attack Position, and then use the power it gained from Lumenize to attack and destroy Felgrand Dragon!! Go, Divine Illumination!!" Her monster then charged up a powerful blast using both its own power and the additional strength it got from Sunset's Trap Card, threatening to eliminate Ember and her Dragon with one attack...

"This is it...!" said Luna confidently, "If Sunset's attack lands perfectly, the Duel will end in her victory!"

"We'll see about that, Luna." Torch said to her. "Ember's too strong and stubborn to lose like that. I daresay she's even more stubborn than I am; I came about this close during my sparring sessions with her, and she always seemed to keep herself in the game long enough to make an overwhelming comeback. And I'm more than certain she will do the same right now."

"Well then, as you yourself put it," Celestia said to him, "we'll see about that." The three of them continued to watch with everyone else, waiting to see if this would be the game-ending move or not...

Atlandis then fired its massive energy beam straight towards Felgrand Dragon, it actually succeeded in destroying it completely. Sunset breathed a sigh of relief to herself, saying to herself, "Phew...that was a real hoof-biter... But now it's finally over." Then, as the smoke cleared away, Sunset gasped when she saw that Ember was still standing, having not taken any damage despite losing her monster (Ember: LP 500).

"She...she survived...!" said an equally amazed Twilight. "She didn't lose any Life Points!"

"But...how??" asked Spike, wanting some answers.

"...How did you survive that attack?" Sunset then asked.

"I'll tell you, Sunset." Ember said, showing the card on her field that had flipped face-up. "At the moment you attacked me, I activated Defense Draw. While this card can't save my Dragon from your attack, it DOES at least keep me from taking any damage from the battle. So I'm still in this!"

"I had a feeling you had a way to save yourself from that attack..." said Sunset, who seemed to have already known her attack wouldn't defeat a Duelist as strong as Ember.

"Exactly." said the Bloodstone girl. "And as an added bonus, I can draw another card from my Deck." She then did just that, her eyes widening a little when she saw what the card was; a fact that she did her best to keep to herself.

(This isn't good...) thought Sunset. (Now Ember has another turn to fight back, and since my Lumenize's effect on Atlandis will wear off at the end of my turn, I'm sure she's going to try and finish me off somehow... I have to prepare my side of the field as best as I can to try and protect myself, and with some luck, I might be able to survive somehow...!) Taking the Limiter Removal card she drew this turn, she set it to her field and said, "I'll end my turn by placing this card face-down!"

"And now your monster's attack power goes back to the way it was before your Trap Card powered it up, giving me a chance to defeat it." Ember reminded her opponent (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: ATK 7000 - 4400 = 2600). Taking a deep breath, she then said to Sunset, in a calmer voice, "Hey...before we eventually end this Duel, I just want to say...thanks."

"Huh? For what?" Sunset then inquired.

"For pretty much everything, actually." Ember answered her. "Back before we met, I was still dueling in secret, and I had established a rep as the best Duelist in the city. But that title made me cocky, and I only cared about beating the best Duelists to bump up my ego, not to improve myself as a Duelist. But then, when you handed me my first defeat...as much as I hated the fact that I lost without even damaging you once - and as much as I still hate it now, it did do me some good..."

"It did?"

Ember nodded and told Sunset, "Losing like that humbled me, and I realized that winning Duels just to make myself look good in front of others wasn't the right path to becoming a True Duelist. That day, I knew that to become stronger as a Duelist, I had to re-evaluate myself and create a better path, a better reason for dueling. Instead of dueling to show off my power, now I duel to strengthen myself, regardless of whether or I win or lose. Realizing that allowed me to accept your help in trying to convince my father to allow me to duel and achieve my dreams of becoming a Pro. And setting you and our rematch as my overall goal today was what allowed me to win the tournament and finally see my dreams come true. You did a lot for me that day, Sunset Shimmer...and it's for that reason, that I wanted each of us to fight this Duel with everything we had, without holding back!"

"Wow...that was...that was beautiful...!" said Rarity. "It appears Ember views Sunset as both a rival and as a friend...!"

"Yeah, an' this whole rematch is a way fer both of 'em to show how much they care n' respect one another." said Applejack.

"Just like Gilda and myself..." Fluttershy added. "They're just pushing each other to fight at their very best, to help each other become stronger...!"

"I hafta admit, that's pretty cool of 'em both to do that for each other." said Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, I agree!" Pinkie Pie chimed in. "Helping each other is the thing that only best friends do for each other, no doubt about it!" Standing up from her seat, she then loudly cheered, "Sunnie! Ember! You can do it! Give these people a Duel that they'll never EVER forget!!" Her friends did the same, standing up and cheering for both Duelists to give it their all.

"Yeah! Go for it!!" cheered Apple Bloom.

"You guys are the most amazing Duelists ever!" said Scootaloo. "Keep it up!"

"Keep fightin' wit everything ya got!" shouted Babs Seed. "No holdin' back, ya hear me?!"

"Go for it! Sunset and Ember!!" cheered Gilda, Gabby, and Martin in unison.

"You guys rock!" said Soarin. "Kick this game into high gear, you two!!"

"There's no stoppin' you guys now!" Spitfire added. "so keep on goin' and don't slow down!"

Steel Shadows then calmly stood up and said, "Let your strength and courage as Duelists carry you to a monumental conclusion."

"Yeah!! Give it your best!!" cheered Slid Diamond, Sol Burner, and Bright Mind, who were still watching the Duel on their D-Pads in the food court.

Celestia, Luna, and even Torch were also proud of the two Duelists for fighting such an incredible Duel so far. Though they remained silent, one could tell that they were mentally cheering them both on, hoping to see a grand conclusion.

"You can do it, Sunset and Ember!" said Sweetie Belle, getting pumped up for what would hopefully be a satisfying conclusion.

"Don't give each other an inch! Fight with everything you've got!" Flash then added.

"Yeah! Give these people a real show, you two!" Spike then chimed in.

"Sunset and Ember," Twilight began to say, "you two are absolutely amazing... And watching this match has made me feel even better to call myself a Duelist as well." Standing up, she cheered them both on, saying, "Now finish this Duel the same way it's been going so far: In the most spectacular way possible!" The rest of the audience cheered as well, giving both Duelists their support in hopes that they would give this Duel a thrilling conclusion. Even Utopia was eager to see how this would end, even smiling a little (even though his smile wasn't visible through his helmet).

After looking around at all of the people supporting them, Sunset turned to face Ember and asked her, "Well, what do you say? Shall we give these people what they came here to see?"

Smiling and nodding, Ember answered her, saying, "I certainly do, Sunset. So get ready for the grand finale!" She then drew the top card of her Deck and looked at it. (Th-this card...!) she thought, surprised to see what she managed to get from her Deck this time. (Perfect! This practically guarantees me a win! If things go smoothly, I'll be able to finally defeat Sunset! It just depends on what she set face-down... Since I don't know what they are, and therefore, I don't know what kind of action they'll respond to, I think I'll make a few other moves first, just to see what she does...)

Staring at her opponent, Sunset said to herself, (Ember's taking some time to figure out her next move... Of course, at this point in the game, when each of us barely have any Life Points left, I don't blame her for being a bit more cautious; one false move, and it'll be over for either of us.) She continued to watch Ember carefully, wondering what she planned on doing...

"First things first," Ember said, making her move, "I'll summon my Divine Dragon Apocralyph in Attack Position!" Her next card was a large Dragon that looked like it was either on fire, or made OF fire, as it flew its way onto the field (Divine Dragon Apocralyph: Level 4 / ATK 1000 / DEF 1500). "But if you think that's all I've got this turn, think again!" she then informed everyone watching. "I banish Apocralyph from the field to Special Summon...Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!!" Instantly, her fiery Dragon vanished into thin air as the massive, metallic Dragon that her father gave to her took its place (Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon: Level 10 / ATK 2800 / DEF 2400).

"So...you got him out again, did you?" asked Sunset. "So are you about to do what I think you're going to do?"

"If by that, you mean bring back a Dragon from my Graveyard," Ember responded, "then yes: I am! So once more, I call back Felgrand Dragon from the Graveyard!!" At that moment, her ace monster once again reappeared on the field.

"Aw geez...not him again!" said Rainbow Dash.

"It's like the monster that just won't quit!" stated Pinkie Pie.

"Indeed, much like its owner." said Rarity. "That Dragon never gives up no matter how many times it gets knocked down. And Ember appears to be the same way; never letting any sort of setback stop her from what she sets her mind to."

Back in the Duel, Ember then told Sunset, "Since you're already familiar with what Felgrand can do, I'll just skip right to the part where I use its effect." Pointing forward, she then ordered, "Felgrand Dragon! Draw power from the Nebula Dragon in my Graveyard and boost your attack power!" Her mighty monster then began to absorb the power of its fallen ally once again.

But Sunset was ready for it. "I activate the effect of a monster in my hand!" she suddenly shouted.

"In your hand?!" exclaimed Ember. "A Hand Trap?!"

Revealing the last card in her hand, Sunset declared, "I send Effect Veiler to the Graveyard to negate the effect of Felgrand Dragon this turn! Which means its attack points will stay right where they are!" After that, a small, winged angel with bluish-green hair appeared and used a mystical power to block Felgrand Dragon's ability, causing its attack points to remain at 2,800. "Sorry Ember, but that isn't going to work this time!" Sunset informed her.

(...Now what's going on here...?) Ember asked herself. (If she had that card in her hand, why didn't she use it when I activated Darkness Metal Dragon's ability? If she had, then I wouldn't have been able to revive Felgrand from the Graveyard. My two monsters may not be able to destroy her Number monster, but each of them will deal 200 points of damage if I attack with each of them, and that would be just enough to win the Duel...) She glanced at Sunset's field and noticed the two face-down cards again...and then it hit her. (Aha... NOW I see.)

"So what now, Ember?" Sunset then inquired. "Are you gonna attack me right now?"

"You'd like me to do that, wouldn't you?" the blue teen then asked her, knowing something was up. "But you can't fool me that easily, Sunset: I know you let me play my Felgrand Dragon, even though its attack - along with Darkness Metal's attack - would add up to 400 points of damage, which would be exactly enough to wipe you out... You thought I would see that fact and blindly rush in to attack you upon knowing that...so that you can trigger your face-down cards to make it backfire on me, right? That trick might have caused some other Duelists to get a case of tunnel vision, but not me."

(...Darn, she saw through me.) Sunset hummed, dismayed that she wasn't able to trick Ember into attacking her.

"If those Sets could destroy a monster when it's summoned," Ember continued, "you would have used them when I played Darkness Metal Dragon. The fact that you didn't tells me that their purpose is to help defend you from my monsters during a battle. Those cards might be some way to boost your monster's attack power so that if I attack you, I'LL take the damage instead..." Taking the last card out of her hand, she then told her, "I don't know exactly what you have face-down, but to make sure that your monster can't get over mine, I'll just summon an even bigger monster to deal with it!"

"An...even bigger monster...?" asked Sunset. "How?"

"With this card." said Ember, revealing it to her rival. "I activate...Dragon's Mirror!!" Sunset gasped in shock upon hearing what the card was.

"Uhhhh...what's that?" asked Spike.

"It's a very powerful card." Flash answered him. "It allows Ember to summon a Dragon-Type Fusion Monster from her Extra Deck, using any appropriate monsters from either her field OR her Graveyard!"

"Her field or her GRAVEYARD?!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle. "But...but that means she could summon almost anything she wants!"

"Yeah..." said Flash with a nod. "And I have a bad feeling that I know what she's planning to bring to the field..."

Sunset seemed to have that same feeling herself. "Ember..." she began to ask, "are...you telling me that...you have THAT card??"

Ember nodded and said, "And just like my monsters on the field, this card represents a part of me that forms the puzzle that is my Duelist's spirit!" She then went on, saying, "First, Felgrand Dragon represents my very heart and soul... A being that always fights hard, even if it doesn't succeed right away; it'll just keep trying and trying until it DOES succeed. And to me, that is like my journey to become a Duelist, never stopping until I got what I desired most." Turning to the other monster, she then said, "And then there's Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, a card my father gave to me before the tournament began. To me, it represents how my dad has supported me in my goals, despite him being against them at first. But since he's allowed me this chance, he's always been there for me, supporting me, just like how Red-Eyes helped support Felgrand by bringing it back to the field..."

Everyone was quite astonished to learn just how much Ember's cards meant to her, especially Torch. (My word...) he thought. (I never realized that's how she felt about that card I gave her... I just gave it to her because I knew she could use it well, but she values it far more than just something to help her Deck... There is no doubt that the heart of True Duelist beats within my daughter...) He smiled, proud of what Ember had become now.

Placing the Spell Card she was activating on the field, Ember then said to Sunset, "And the card I'm about to bring out, represents my true power as a Duelist: My full power! With nothing to hold it back! And it's that power I will use to win this!" Taking several monsters out of her Graveyard, she then declared, "From the Graveyard, I banish Delta Flyer, Darkfire Dragon, Kuibelt the Blade Dragon, Keeper of the Shrine, and Darkblaze Dragon: A total of FIVE Dragons!"

"F-f-f-FIVE Dragons?!?" exclaimed Gabby.

"Oh dear...this is not good for Sunset..." said Martin. "I know what Ember is about to summon to the field...!"

"Yeah, me too..." said Gilda. "To think Ember actually has that powerful Fusion Monster in her Deck...!"

As her five Dragon monster leapt into the red and blue portal above the field, Ember then chanted, "Dragon that flies with the winds! Dragon of black flames! Dragon of the Kuiper belt! Draconic being that protects the divine shrine! And the Dragon whose fire blazes in the shadows! Merge and combine your spirits together, and create a greater, almighty power that shakes the heavens themselves! Fusion Summon!!"

The portal then exploded, in a massive flash of energy, causing everyone to step back in awe and fear. Then, a figure could be seen in the massive light: A massive Dragon that was every bit as huge as Sunset's Atlandis, with a large, yellow body, a long tail, and a massive wingspread. Most notable about it were its five heads: A blue sea dragon-like head, a head made of flames, a cream-colored head with spikes on top, a mechanical-looking head, and a black head with piercing red eyes.

"The mythic being, Level 12! Five-Headed Dragon!!"

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Five-Headed Dragon
(Fusion-Effect Monster/Dragon/DARK/Level 12/ATK 5000/DEF 5000)

5 Dragon monsters
Must be Fusion Summoned. Cannot be destroyed by battle with a DARK, EARTH, WATER, FIRE, or WIND monster.

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"No way..." said Sunset in astonishment. "She DID have that card...! I should have figured that she would..."

"Sunset!" Ember said to her dueling rival. "This is my Deck's full power, and its strongest monster! And it's the card that's going to end this Duel once and for all! At long last, we will truly see just which one of us has strengthened themselves as a Duelist the most!" Sunset hummed to herself, mentally preparing herself for whatever was to come next.

"Amazing...the Five-Headed Dragon..." said Flash, amazed. "Once of the strongest monsters out there, with the highest attack and defense scores at five thousand each. And not only that, most monster Attributes can't even destroy it in battle, with LIGHT virtually being the only one that can!"

"How's Sunset supposed to beat a monster like that?!?" asked Spike. "There's just no way!"

"Well, she DOES have a LIGHT monster on the field," Sweetie Belle pointed out, "but its attack points aren't high enough to get over that Dragon..."

But Twilight wasn't ready to lose hope yet. Clenching her fists resting on her legs and getting a handful of the pant leg on her suit in each hand, she said to them, "If anyone can beat a monster that powerful, Sunset will! She's gotten herself out of more difficult situations before, and she can do it again!" Utopia also remained confident that Sunset wasn't out of this game yet, despite the overwhelmingly powerful creature that was facing her.

Smirking a bit, Sunset then asked Ember, "So...this is what you're like at your full power; with nothing holding you back and no emotional baggage weighing you down... This is the kind of Duel I wished we had when we first met."

"...I agree." Ember commented. "That Duel we had before doesn't truly represent me as a Duelist, and for a long time it's been haunting me that I played so awful that day. But it's also because of that Duel that I trained myself to overcome those weakness that I had - weakness that I didn't even KNOW I had, so that when we would one day face each other again, I could show you just how strong I really was. Even after winning this tournament, I knew I still couldn't call myself a True Duelist until I could face you again and give you a much better game than we had before." Pumping her fist in the air, she then shouted, "Now, Sunset! Now it's time for me to finish this Duel and finally realize my dream of becoming the best Pro Duelist in the country, and the whole world!"

Sunset smiled again, pleased to know just how hard Ember had worked to better herself; not only in her dueling skills, but also in her self-confidence. She knew it from the start, but it was even more obvious now that the Ember facing her today was not the same uncertain girl that she first met back in Bloodstone. It was through this Duel that Ember was able to show off what she was truly capable of as a Duelist, and it made her feel good inside knowing that Ember could only keep going up from here. Nodding to her, Sunset then said, "Well, Ember...let's do as you said you would, and finish this Duel in the most spectacular way we can?"

"It'll be spectacular, alright, once I win this!" Ember said with pure confidence in her tone of voice. She then shouted, "Now, Five-Headed Dragon! Attack Sunset's Chronomaly Atlandis and end this Duel!!" Her powerful monster then began charging up energy in the mouths of each of its five heads, preparing to launch a powerful attack against Sunset's Number Card. "Even though your monster will not be destroyed in this battle," Ember reminded her, "if this attack hits, your Life Points will run out!"

"She's right!" said Rarity, getting a little worried. "Atlandis may survive this fight, but Sunset won't! The damage will take her down to zero!"

"C'mon, Sunset! Do something!!" Rainbow Dash urged her. "And do it fast!!"

But before Five-Headed Dragon could launch its attack, Sunset quickly shouted, "I activate my face-down card, Ego Boost!! With it, my Chronomaly Atlandis will gain a thousand more attack points for the rest of the Battle Phase!"

"That's still not enough to save you, Sunset!" Ember informed her. "That'll only put your monster at 3,600 attack points! So my Dragon still surpasses it by 1,400 points! You'll need to do better than that to beat me and my monster!"

"Then I'll go right ahead and do just that, Ember!" Sunset told her with a smile on her face. "In response to my Quick-Play Spell's activation, I'll activate another one! I play Limiter Removal!!"

(Limiter Removal?!) Ember asked herself, gasping. (No...! I was hoping to beat her before she could play that card!)

"You remember Limiter Removal's effect, don't you?" asked Sunset. "This card doubles Atlandis's attack points for the rest of the turn. Which means that - after both of my Spell Cards resolve, my monster will first go up to 5,200 attack points, and then Ego Boost will push that score to 6,200! That means my monster will have 1,200 more attack points than your Five-Headed Dragon, so not only will YOUR monster lose the battle, but the backlash damage will finish you off!" Her cards then went to work, powering up Sunset's ace monster so that it ready a powerful counterattack to win Sunset the Duel. "Sorry, Ember..." she then said, "you played well in this game, but it seems that I'll be going 2-0 between us."

"...You are right;" Ember began to say. "At this point, there's nothing I can do to win this Duel..." Then, all of a sudden, she glared at Sunset and told her, "But that doesn't mean you're going to win, either!"

"Huh...? What are you talking about?" asked Sunset, unsure what Ember meant by that.

"I'll show you, Sunset..." she then replied, "by activating my last card of the Duel. I play the Trap Card, Armory Call!"

"Huh? What's that card do?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"That Trap allows Ember to retrieve any Equip Spell Card from her Deck and add it to her hand." Rarity explained. "But there's more: She can then choose to play that Spell Card on any monster she has on the field that is permitted to use it."

"A-any Equip Spell Card?" asked Fluttershy. "And she can play the card immediately...?!"

Nodding, the violet-haired girl then said, "Depending on what Spell Card she chooses, she could still defeat Sunset's monster, despite the boosts it gained!"

"So...do you have an Equip Spell in your Deck that can give your monster enough attack points to beat Atlandis?" asked Sunset.

"...Unfortunately, there's only ONE card in my Deck that can do that." answered Ember.

"There is?!" gasped Sunset. Then, realizing something, she then asked, "Wait...why did you say, 'unfortunately'? Isn't that a good thing for you? That you could give your Dragon enough attack points to beat my monster?"

"The reason I said that, Sunset..." said Ember as she held up the card that she chose to add from her Deck, "is because THIS is the card I have to use."

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Double-Edged Sword
(Equip Spell Card)

You can only control 1 "Double-Edged Sword". The equipped monster gains 2000 ATK, also both players take any battle damage from attacks involving the equipped monster. If you take 2000 or more battle damage: Send this card to the GY.

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Sunset gasped again, realizing what Ember meant by what she said. She began to ask, "So, does this mean that-?"

"I see you that you understand what's about to happen:" Ember began to answer her, already knowing what her opponent was going to ask. "This card will put my Dragon at 7,000 attack points, which is enough to get over your monster and deal enough damage to take out all of your Life Points... But - since MY monster is the one attacking, all the damage that you take...gets sent to me as well."

After hearing that, Spike then asked Twilight, "So...what does this all mean exactly?"

"Well, first..." Twilight began to explain to him, "Five-Headed Dragon will gain 2,000 attack points from the Equip Spell that Ember played on it (Five-Headed Dragon: ATK 5000 + 2000 = 7000). Then, Sunset's Limiter Removal resolves, doubling Atlandis's attack points (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: ATK 2600 x 2 = 5200). Then, at the end of the Chain, Ego Boost will increase Atlandis's attack power by another thousand (Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis: ATK 5200 + 1000 = 6200). After all of that, the difference between the two monsters' attack powers is 800, which is higher than either Sunset's or Ember's remaining Life Points."

"So once Ember's monster attacks, they'll BOTH go to zero at the same time because of Double-Edged Sword's effect." Flash finished explaining.

"You're serious?! They're going to tie?" asked Sweetie in astonishment.

"Yeah, they are..." Flash confirmed. "A Draw in a Duel Monsters doesn't happen often, but that's what's about happen right now."

Realizing the situation they were in, Sunset sighed a little. "In all my time as a Duelist," she said to herself, "I never thought something like this would ever happen to me."

"Can't say I disagree with you there, Sunset." Ember told her. "But...in a way, I guess it's...kind of calming somehow, knowing what's about to happen to us."

"I guess this means we're equals, huh?" asked Sunset. "I mean, we're about to end this game in a Draw."

"I suppose we are...for now, at least." Ember replied. She then smiled and added, "But next time we face each other - whenever that day comes, I promise that I'll completely surpass you. So you'd better be ready for when I come back for you."

Sunset nodded to say that she would. "Before that though," she said, "we still have to end this Duel. So let's give each other our best shots! No regrets!"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" said Ember in full agreement. She then order her monster, "Go, Five-Headed Dragon!! Unleash your attack!"

Smiling more so - even when she knew she wasn't going to win this, Sunset proudly declared, "Chronomaly Atlandis!! Let's give it everything we've got!" Her Number Card then charged up its mighty laser once more, this time with even greater power than before. Both titanic creatures stared each other down as they readied their most powerful attacks against each other. Though it couldn't seen be on their faces (especially since it was hard to pinpoint where Atlandis's face even was), they seemed to display a sign of mutual respect towards one another, as did their controllers.

"ATTACK!!!" Ember shouted. "Ferocious Element Steams!!"

"GO!!!" Sunset shouted to her monster. "Over-Limit Divine Punishment!!"

Everyone watched with anticipation as both behemoths fired massive blasts of energy at each other, which collided in a massive explosion that rocked the entire field. Everyone, including the two combatants shielded themselves as best they could from the mass explosion of intense energy, which engulfed the area for several seconds. Finally, when the light died down, the field had returned to its original state: no floating arena, no ravine below; the area now looked like the regular CHS stadium once more. The Duel between Ember and Sunset...was finally over.

(Ember: LP 500 - 800 = 0) (Sunset Shimmer: LP 400 - 800 = 0) (Result: DRAW)

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There was a slight hush in the air after the Duel had concluded. For several seconds, not a single sound could be heard as everyone watching was still processing the Duel's result. No one had expected the Duel to end in a tie between Sunset and Ember, but it seemed like it was the only way it could have ended, given how neither of them gave it anything less than their best. Then, finally, Torch stood up from his seat and - with a satisfied smile on his face, began to start clapping. He was soon joined by Celestia and Luna, followed by Twilight, Spike, Flash, and Sweetie Belle sitting in the arena, the rest of Sweetie's friends - Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Babs Seed in the stands, all of Sunset's and Twilight's friends - Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Raindow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, and eventually all of the remaining people in the audience.

"What a Duel, ladies and gentlemen! What an AMAZING Duel!!" cheered Megan Williams, more psyched up from watching the match than she ever was before. "A thrilling end to a game by two of the greatest players to have ever picked up a card! Everyone, let's give our amazing Duelists, Sunset and Ember, the cheers they absolutely deserve!!" And the audience did just that, cheering and applauding for a Duel well-fought.

"That was the most awesome Duel EVER!!" cheered Rainbow Dash. "Those two are best ever!!"

"Yeah, Ah can't remember the last time Ah enjoyed a Duel this much!" stated Applejack. "They really knew how t' put on a real good show fer everyone here!" The others agreed, proud of both Sunset and Ember for doing such a fantastic job.

Torch, still clapping his hands, said to his daughter mentally, (I couldn't be any more proud of you than I am right now, Ember... You've gone beyond wishing to become a skilled Pro Duelist; you have proven that you ARE a Pro this day. And I know you can only get better and better from here on...)

In the arena, Sunset walked over to Ember and said, "Thanks for giving me such an incredible Duel, Ember. That was the hardest I've ever fought a game. You've become an incredible Duelist, and I know you'll do amazing at the WCQ's!"

"And thanks for giving it everything you had, Sunset." Ember responded. "Getting to face you here in this arena made all of the hard work worth it in my book. But my journey's not done yet; now I'm gonna show everyone at the WCQ's what I'm made of, and for their sake, they'd better be ready for me. I've got some new cards and strategies I'm working on just for them."

"Well, you know I'll be supporting you all the way." Sunset told her. "Do you best out there. If anyone can win the World Championships, I know you can." She then offered a handshake to her rival.

Accepting the gesture, Ember shook Sunset's hand and told her, "And I know you'll be able to find all those Number Cards, too. I'd wish ya luck, but I know you're gonna do it with your skill. Just promise you won't let anyone else beat you until I get back, okay?" Sunset nodded to say that she would.

"Wow...even after all that action, those two are still smiling and being such good sports about the Duel." said Sweetie Belle.

"Rivals on the battlefield, but friends off of it." Flash stated. "That's how I think True Duelists oughtta behave."

"I agree." said Twilight. "Even in a heated battle, it's important to remember who your friends are, even if they're your opponents. I think this Duel really helped them both to grow as Duelists, and even more as friends."

Utopia thought about Twilight's words for a while. He then recalled Sunset's Duels today, including the one against the Dazzlings, as well as the one she just had with Ember. After analyzing them for a while, he then said to himself, (Observation Number Nine: I have concluded that rivalry between two individuals can take on two different forms: The most common form of rivalry is where one or both individuals are bitter and envious of the other's accomplishments. This drives them towards seeking a pointless revenge on the other, which in the end, serves no purpose. The other form of rivalry is where the two are instead friends with each other. They seek only to push each other to the best of their abilities, so that each of them gains something from the experience, no matter who wins or loses, leading to personal growth between them... I shall remember that.)

"Ms. Sunset...Ms. Ember..." said Mr. Dunstan, walking up towards the both of them. "You have both shown yourselves to be prime examples of what a True Duelist should be: One who works hard to improve themself, one who fights with everything they have, and one who respects and admires the strength of their opponents. I've said this numerous times already, but it bears repeating: Mr. Pegasus would have been very proud of you if he were here to see this for himself. And as a representative of Industrial Illusions, I am proud of you two as well."

"Thanks, Mr. Dunstan." said Sunset politely.

"Yeah, thanks sir." Ember added.

Turning to Ember, Mr. Dunstan then said to her, "I expect great things from you at the World Championship Qualifiers, Ms. Ember. If you fight even half as hard as you did today, I have no doubt I'll see you in the World Championships as well." Ember nodded, happy to hear that from him. He then turned to Sunset and said to her, "And you, Ms. Sunset...I am certain that you'll be able to prevent these Number Cards from being misused any more than they already have. I'll continue to look into them and see if there's anything I can figure out. I'll be keeping in touch with you during that time."

"Thanks. I could use whatever help you can give me." Sunset told him.

"And on that subject," he then said, "during your Duel, I received a message from Nurse Redheart; she told me that the Dazzlings had regained consciousness and were escorted out of the stadium calmly and quietly."

"Oh, I see." said Sunset. Humming to herself a little, she then told Ember, "I'll...talk to you a little later, Ember. I just remembered something I need to take care of." She then ran off into the stadium hallways, leaving everyone else there wondering what this "something" was...

Meanwhile, outside of the stadium, a pair of girls had just finished watching Sunset and Ember's Duel on their Duel Pad with frowns on their faces. They were Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk - two of the Dazzlings. They, along with Adagio Dazzle had been removed from the CHS Stadium after recovering at the infirmary. Switching off their device, Aria grumbled, "Tch...why'd we waste our time watching those two dorks?"

"Yeah! Especially since that could've been US in there!" Sonata complained. "But Sunset just had to mess everything up for us again! We can't even get our reward from that woman who gave us the Number Cards, now that we lost them all!"

"Grrr...well Sunset and her loser friends are gonna pay for that someday..." said Aria, scowling a bit more. She then turned over to her side and asked, "Ain't that right, Adagio?" But when she asked that, the pig tailed Dazzling didn't get a response from her older sister. Confused, she asked again, "I said, ain't that RIGHT, Adagio??"

But once again, there was no response from the Dazzling's leader, who was sitting by herself on a large rock, seemingly in her own world. Since they had left the stadium, Adagio had not said a word to anyone, with the only sort of noise coming out of her was the occasional sad-sounding sigh. But in her mind, several thoughts were running around. More specifically, those thoughts were the words that Sunset had said to her at the end of their Duel...

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

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Back at the time, Adagio couldn't come up with an answer to that question. This was because she had never once considered what would have happened if they didn't try to pursue their plot for revenge and try to control the minds and emotions of everyone in the school. And then she recalled the next thing that Sunset had told her: It was a warning to Adagio and her sisters for what would happen if they kept following their desires for revenge and power...

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

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Adagio just sat there, thinking about that warning, not making any sound whatsoever as she - probably for the first time in her life, began re-evaluating her actions so far, and wondering if she really was just putting herself and her sisters through even more misery. And then, she remembered the advice that Sunset had given her, in the hopes that she would listen to it and try to make a change for the better...

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

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"Hey! Adagio!!" shouted Aria's voice, which snapped the Dazzlings' leader back into reality. She then asked her, "Weren't you listening to me??" Adagio then turned over towards her sister, who - upon seeing her older sibling's face, calmed down a little out of bewilderment. "A...Adagio...?" Aria then asked in a much softer tone of voice, "Are...you alright...?"

The reason was because, when Adagio faced her younger sister, Aria saw what was quite possibly the saddest expression Adagio ever had on her face; there was even a small tear in her left eye. Wiping away said tear, she then told her, "...I heard what you were saying, Aria... It's just...well, I..."

"Just what?" asked Aria, confused.

"Yeah, what's wrong...?" asked Sonata, also showing concern.

Sighing sadly and getting up from the rock she was sitting on, the eldest Dazzling told them both, "Aria...Sonata... I...can't keep doing this anymore; I can't keep putting you two through all of this..."

"What're you talking about...?" asked Aria.

"...This whole plan of ours; it's done nothing but put the three of us through so much pain." Adagio finally admitted to them. "It's gotten so out of control, and all that we've accomplished was making our situations even worse than when we started... We got banished from Equestria, we lost our magic amulets, and now we lost our Number Cards... In fact, that Duel we all fought could have even possibly cost us our lives in the end. But we were so obsessed with our revenge we couldn't see the danger that was right in front of us..."

Aria and Sonata looked at each other, a bit amazed that Adagio was actually admitting that she was wrong.

"I've...I've just recently come to a decision, and I'm sure neither of you will like it...but here it is anyway:" Adagio then said to them. Sighing, she then told her sisters, "I've...I've decided to...abandon my plans for taking over this world."

"You're...giving up?" asked Aria, a little shocked. "You're serious?"

"...I am." Adagio answered. "It would be one thing if I was the only one who suffered from my mistakes this whole time...but I don't want to drag you two down into it any further than I already have. I've caused you both so much pain and sadness all these years because of my selfishness, and I can't keeping doing that any more..." Sighing again, she added, "So my mind is made up: As far as I'm concerned, Sunset's won, and the best thing I can do is pick up the pieces and try to move on..." She then turned her back to them and said, "I'll understand if you don't agree with me; after all, all of my decisions so far have only hurt you two... So if you don't feel the same way as I do, then...I suppose this is good-bye."

For a few seconds, there was an awkward silence in the air, with no one really knowing what to do. Aria and Sonata didn't expect their leader to show so much emotion right now, and Adagio was certain that they wouldn't go along with giving up their desires for revenge anytime soon, and that she might never see them again...

"...I'm not leaving you, Dagi." said the voice of Sonata, who had walked up to her older sister and placed a hand on her left shoulder to comfort her. Adagio was surprised to hear this; she was sure that neither of them would go along with the idea. But Sonata told her, "You're my sister... No matter what, we stick together. Even if you think you caused us problems, I'm staying right here with you...! And if you think that we should stop this whole 'revenge' thing, then I'm fine with that."

"...Sonata..." was all that Adagio uttered, moved by her sister's words.

"I never thought I'd say this, but Sonata's absolutely right." said Aria, in a much softer and far less cynical tone of voice. She placed her hand on Adagio's right shoulder and said to her, "We can't afford to split up now; no one else is gonna help us, so we need t' be there for each other. We...need to start acting like real sisters for once and really support each other... Besides, I've gotta be honest: this whole 'take-over-the-world' thing was gettin' boring anyway."

"So...you're really okay with this?" asked Adagio, still not believing any of this. Aria and Sonata nodded, smiling warmly for once. Then, finally smiling herself, Adagio brought her sisters in for a hug and said to them, "Thank you...both of you... I don't deserve to have sisters like you..."

"Maybe, maybe not," Aria told her, "but either way, you're stuck with us for life."

"Yep! You can't get rid of us that easily, Dagi." Sonata added, giggling a little.

"...Then I guess that settles it:" Adagio responded, feeling good inside for the first time in a long time. "No more greed...no more revenge...no more of that nonsense weighing us down. From now on, we're going to build our lives back up, and we'll do it without causing anyone else any misery or pain." Her sisters nodded in agreement.

"...Soooooo, if that's the case," Sonata began to ask, "and we aren't going to go after the Rainbooms anymore...what ARE we gonna do?"

Once again, there was an awkward silence. "Oh...I didn't think about that, actually." admitted Aria. Turning to Adagio, she asked her, "Got any ideas?"

"...There is ONE idea I had." said the Dazzlings' leader, reaching into a pocket on her skirt. "When we were leaving the stadium I...came across a bulletin board that had this flyer on it. Out of curiosity, I took the flyer and stuffed it into my pocket while security wasn't looking... Here." She then handed to Sonata, the piece of paper she retrieved from her pocket.

Looking at the paper, Sonata was a little surprised to see what it said. "Huh? Singing lessons...?" she asked.

"What good's that gonna do us?" asked Aria. "We can't sing anymore, remember? We lost our amulets..."

"I know that, Aria...but I think we might have had it wrong this whole time..." Adagio told them both. "Don't you remember? Back when we were still in Equestria, we were incredible singers! But..." sighing a bit, she paused before telling them, "when people harshly criticized our singing, coupled with how we were trying to use it to take over peoples' minds...I think that's when our troubles really began. We were abusing our gift for singing, so it's no wonder no one seemed to like it."

"Oh yeah, I remember that..." said Aria. "After we basically got booed offstage, we then went and got those amulets, which seemed to help us sing better..."

"That's what we thought, at least." Adagio then said. "But maybe that's not what they were doing... Maybe they were just increasing our malice and our greed; perhaps they even made us THINK that we couldn't sing without them so that we would rely on their power for everything. We tried to use that power to control others with our music, even started a war in Equestria with it, but...maybe it was the three of us who were being controlled this whole time..." Clearing her throat, she then said, "Anyway, it's just a theory, really... Who knows if that's really the case. The point I'm trying to make is that we don't need some magical object to do something we were already good at, and if we did things even just slightly differently, we might still be in Equestria...or at least here at this school; maybe we would have even been able to make friends, like Sunset has."

"Yeah...I guess that would be nice..." Sonata thought.

"So...I thought that, maybe if we take these singing lessons and learn to sing without relying on some sort of crutch," Adagio suggested, "then...maybe we could make things better for the three of us. What do you say?"

"...I think it's a great idea, Dagi! I'm in!" Sonata agreed.

"I'm up for it if you two are." agreed Aria, as they all placed their hands together, coming to a mutual decision.

"Then it's settled! The Dazzlings are going to make a comeback and become even bigger than ever before!" said Adagio with confidence in her voice. "And this time, we'll do it for the right reasons!"

"Yeah! Dazzlings FOREVER!!" cheered both Aria and Sonata, happy to begin a new and brighter chapter in their lives.

The three of them then began to leave the CHS campus for good, but Adagio stopped for a moment, turned to face the stadium and thought, (Well Sunset Shimmer...it's over: You've won. As much as I didn't want to admit it, you told me some things that I needed to hear, and I suppose I should thank you for it...) Smirking, she then added, "But...just because we aren't going to cause trouble for you, your friends, or this school anymore, I promise that you have NOT heard the last of us, Sunset. Next time we meet, we'll be at heights that even you won't be able to reach...! But for now...good-bye, Sunset Shimmer... Until we meet again." She then turned back around to catch up with her sisters as they left the area.

"...Until we meet again, Adagio Dazzle." said Sunset's voice from a bit further away. Little did any of the Dazzlings know, she had been listening to their entire conversation the whole time. She smiled a bit, happy that they had finally listened to reason and promised to never cause trouble for anyone ever again. In fact, Sunset was looking forward to the day they would meet again, hopefully as friends and not as enemies.

"Yo! Sunset!" called Flash Sentry's voice. Sunset turned to face the direction his voice came from, seeing that he had just exited the stadium with Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie.

"Hey, everyone!" Sunset greeted them as they all walked up to her.

"What's up?" asked Rainbow Dash. "What're you doing out here?"

"...Just saying good-bye to some friends, that's all." she told them, looking in the direction that the Dazzlings had left the campus.

"Um...which friends?" asked Spike. "Everyone else is in still in the stadium. They're havin' a big party to celebrate the end of the tournament; we came out here so you wouldn't miss out on the fun., that's all!"

"And missing out on something fun is the LAST thing I wanna do!" Pinkie Pie informed her.

"Oh!" Sunset exclaimed. "Sure, I'd be glad to come over. Thanks!"

"You're welcome, Sunset." Twilight told her. "Now let's go; you don't want to keep everyone inside waiting, do you?" Sunset shook her head no as they all went back inside to join in on the festivities.

Sunset then thought about how well everything ended after the tournament had concluded. Ember, as the tournament winner, was now on her way to the World Championship Qualifiers to compete with the best Duelists in the country. Sweetie Belle had shown off considerable skill as well, and even earned the original print of The Despair Uranus to add to her collection. The four out-of-town Duelists - Slid, Bright, Sol, and Steel - had formed a circle of friends with each other, and Steel of course, was going to go with the Wonderbolts to officially join the team. Flare Flutter, the girl that helped out Slid and Sol with the fake security guards that tried to stop Twilight, also decided to keep in touch with them all as well.

While Derpy Hooves didn't do much in the tournament, she was able to put in a positive report to her friend, The Doctor, telling him that Sunset had managed to defeat the Numbers held by the Dazzlings, ensuring that no one had to worry about them. Sunset would then - at the party, thank her former associates, Snips and Snails for everything they had told her concerning the Dazzlings that eventually led to her discovering that they were Number Holders. The Dazzlings themselves were now going to make a better future for themselves and turn over a new leaf. Everyone else that had been watching the tournament or participated in it would comment about having a great time, and hoped that another amazing competition would come soon. But now that it was all over and done with, Sunset would then return to her original self-imposed mission, and that was to round up the remaining Number Cards and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.

And on that note, Utopia - sitting by himself in Twilight's mind - looked at a card that was in his hands: It was the Number Card that he and Discord had discovered lying deep within Twilight's subconscious, Number 78: Number Archive. He was going to show it to Twilight after the tournament was over, but for now, he felt it was best not to do so now, and let her enjoy the after party with her friends. But soon, he and the others would have to continue to delve deeper into the mysteries behind the Number Cards and the Astral World, before it was too late...

-- To Be Continued...

Author's Note:

And with this episode, the WCQ Qualification Tournament story ends. Thanks to everyone who enjoyed reading it, as well as those who asked to be a part of the story. This was quite a long story arc, but it was all worth it in the end.

The story continued next episode, and it's a story that I had planned for a while that I'm pleased to finally get to. Look forward to it!

Comments

[Vakama95096]

Ember and Sunset's duel was simply amazing. You really outdid yourself. I'm also glad that the Dazzlings manage to turn a new leaf, hopefully they'll come back in the near future.

[Monty Eggman]

11754116

Thanks. As I might have said before, it was the longest and toughest Duel to write so far because of not just how I wanted it to end, but how to build up the excitement leading up to that conclusion. So I'm very glad you enjoyed it.

[MLPMekarm]

hey if you need any more duelists i can lend you 2 of my ocs.

[nightshroud96]

Whats the story you planned?

[ArcanaMaverick7]

An amazing end to the battle! And some nice scenes with the Dazzlings. Glad to see this chapter.

[Gundoru]

An amazing conclusion conclusion to an amazing arc! Happy to see the Dazzlings leaving with a new resolve and wishing them the best, even if we might not see them again in this. Looking forward to seeing what happens next now that the tournament arc is over!

[Monty Eggman]

11754488

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

11754562

Thank you. This was quite a massive story arc, and I was glad to end it the way I did. I would like to bring the Dazzlings back someday, too. Anyway, I hope you and everyone else will enjoy what I have planned next!

[Monty Eggman]

11754723

It's quite possible, as I did enjoy that Duel from the series.

[SuperSonicHeroes]

Woohoo! That was awesome! I was definitely not expecting a draw in this duel, but I guess that with how well both Ember and Sunset were playing and countering each other blow for blow it was the only true way it could have ended. Ember revealing to have Five-Headed Dragon and the final clash between it and Sunset's new ace Chronomaly Atlandis was just too good.

This was a great arc! I admit I was a bit surprised at seeing Adagio and the rest of the Dazzlings decide to give up on their whole revenge and world domination plans. I guess Sunset's speech had a bigger impact on Adagio than I thought, and she's finally realized how her actions have consequences on both her and those around her. It's a bit hard to tell if they actually consider Sunset a friend now after everything, but it is definitely a start at least.

[Monty Eggman]

11755489

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Trying to make the Duel end in a draw was one of the toughest things I had to write, but I felt it was worth it. And I do hope to do more with the Dazzlings later on down the road.

[LunarChaos88]

Oh my god, this was intense. Watching them go card for card was awesome and showed how much Ember has grown as a duelist.

[Aerodragon2]

This was such a fantastic way to conclude this story arc and I can tell you had an absolute blast writing it. Greatly looking forward to what comes next

[Monty Eggman]

11756547

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

11756670

I did enjoy it, though trying to get the Duel to end the way it did was the biggest challenge. Still, I had a good time writing this part and was happy to end the tournament story on such a high note.

[Nighlight Moon]

So... there´s a chance still for Adagio to get Shark Drake/Veiss or Spider Shark in the future?

[Monty Eggman]

11766390

I won't say anything just yet; you'll just have to keep reading to see.

[Nighlight Moon]

11766994
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