Yu-Gi-Oh! EQG 6: Grand Tournament

Chapters

Duel 2: Here comes a new challenger!
Duel 3: Date Night
Duel 4: Inferno vs Drocsid
Duel 5: Flash vs Shining Armor
Duel 6: Dark Ice vs Big Mac
Duel 7: Steel vs Gold
Duel 9: Ace vs Shadow
Duel 10: Blueblood vs Cadence
Duel 11: Applejack vs Trixie
Duel 12: Confrontation
Duel 13: Applejack vs Dark Ice
Duel 14: Inferno vs Gold
Duel 15: Flash vs Blueblood
Duel 16: Ace vs Sunset
Duel 17: Amends
Duel 18: Ace vs Dark Ice
Duel 20: Relationships
Duel 21: Inferno vs Ace
Final Duel: Best of Rivals, Best of Friends! Burst vs Inferno!
Duel 1: Fresh Start
Duel 8: Rainbow vs Sunset
Duel 19: Inferno vs Flash
Epilogue

Duel 2: Here comes a new challenger!

"Afternoon Burst Stream.", Luna said as she let Burst into her office. "I was hoping to speak to you about the tournament."

"Is there a problem Vice Principal Luna?", Burst asked.

"Please just call me Luna. You are dating Celestia.", Luna said with a small smile. "As I'm sure you're aware, there are plenty of students who wish to participate in the tournament. However to keep things simple, we've decided to keep it at sixteen duelists. I've complied a list for you to see who's entering." Burst scanned the list as after Luna handed it to him. It consisted of Inferno, Steel, Shadow, Ace, Gold, Rainbow, Aj, Sunset, Trixie, Big Mac, Blueblood, Flash, and Drocsid. At least, that was the list for Canterlot. Burst noticed the rest of the list was from Crystal Prep. The duelists from there were Shining Armor, Cadence, and...Dark Ice?! Burst was surprised at the last one, but figured it was something Ace could handle. Burst was about to hand Luna the list back when Celestia walked in.

"Burst. Principle Cinch is waiting outside the school. And she wants to duel you.", Celestia said. "I think she's pretty determined to duel you."

Burst cracked a smile. "Here comes a new challenger. Tell her I'll duel her. But before that, I need to talk to Twilight. It concerns last year's Friendship Games. And why she was there." Burst left to find Twilight, and was shocked at hearing what she had to say! "She threatened to have your application denied?!", Burst nearly shouted.

"Yes.", Twilight said with a sad look on her face. "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have turned into Midnight Sparkle and tried to destroy the world."

"But then you wouldn't have met us.", Burst said with a smile. "Look on the bright side Twi! As for Cinch, I'm gonna give her one from you!" Burst then went to face Cinch, and found that the whole school had gathered just to see this duel.

"So you are Burst Stream.", Cinch said with a smug smile. "You don't look all that impressive. Defeating you shouldn't be too difficult. And when I do, all attention shall be away from Canterlot High and back where it belongs. And I shall be known as..."

"Shut up!"

"Excuse me?"

"At first, I had every intention to treat you with courtesy like I would any other opponent. But now that I know you forced Twilight into the last Friendship Games, I'm not sparing you any mercy. But I'll give you one handicap. You can have the first move. So give me your best shot!"

Burst: 8000
Cinch: 8000

"Your first and fatal mistake! I play the field spell Geartown! Now I can normal summon Ancient Gear monsters for one less tribute! Now I summon Ancient Gear Beast! Then I'll equip him with Ancient Gear Tank to boost him by 600 points! And now I'll end my turn."

"I draw! Perfect! I play Cards of Consonance to send one dragon-type tuner with 1000 or less attack to the graveyard to draw two new cards! Then I'll play Trade-In to discard one level eight monster to draw two new cards! Now I play Dragon Shrine to send one normal dragon from my deck to the graveyard, and now I can send another dragon since it was a normal dragon! Now the effect of the tuner I sent to the graveyard activates! I can add a Blue Eyes White Dragon to my hand! Now I activate Harmony Absolute and send the Blue Eyes in my hand to the graveyard to summon Blue Eyes Absolute Dragon! Destroy Ancient Gear Beast! Absolute Neutron Blast!"

"Time to send metal mutt here to the scrap heap!", Blue Eyes cried as he fired his attack! Melting Ancient Gear Beast into nothing!

"I end my turn."

"Now that Ancient Gear was destroyed, you take 600 points of damage!", Cinch said with a sneer. It soon vanished as soon as she saw Burst's life points.

Burst: 8600
Cinch: 4100

"How is this possible?!"

"One of Blue Eyes Absolute's effects! Any effect that deals me damage increases my life points instead! Your move Cinch."

"I summon a monster in defense mode! Even if you destroy it, my life points will be safe.", Cinch said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I don't think so. Take down her defense mode monster!"

"Another one straight to the junkyard!", Blue Eyes said as he punched the defense mode monster! Cinch looked winded, and took a look at her life points.

"How did I take damage?!", Cinch nearly screamed. "My monster was in defense mode!"

"Another one of Blue Eyes' effects. He can inflict piercing damage when he destroys a defense mode monster.", Burst said. "And take another look at your life points Cinch. You've lost." Cinch gazed at her life points in horror. They were at zero.

"Impossible....I lost in two turns....", Cinch said in shock.

"And that's game!", Burst said. "The way I see it, you can stay and get your butt kicked by me again, or you can be a graceful loser and leave with what little honor you have and confess to the superintendent that you forced Twilight to participate. Your choice." For once in her life, Cinch actually felt scared of a student. And he hadn't even raised his voice! She took off in a flash! "Wise choice." 'Something tells me Crystal Prep will be getting a new principal very soon.'

Duel 3: Date Night

Friday. The end of the week, and one of Burst's favorite days of the week. Namely because it was when Celestia and Moon were free that night. "Just gotta last a few more classes.", Burst said with a smile on his face. He was walking up to Celestia, and noticed some guy was trying to make move on her. And she didn't seem to like it one bit.

"I'm flattered you're interested in me, but I'm taken.", Celestia said while trying to keep things civil. 'Someone please get this guy away from me.'

The guy hitting on her was Empty Vanity. Known for being one of the best looking guys in CHS. And he was also notorious for being true to the last part of his name. He only dated girls he deemed "Beauty parallel to his own." In short, he was a jerk. And it was taking everything in Burst to not deck him where he stood. "Oh please. The dog dating you could never be on my level."

"Care to say that to my face?", Burst said as he silently approached behind him. Empty nearly jumped to the ceiling! "Is this guy bothering you?"

'Oh thank the god cards!' "Yes Burst. And he was just leaving."

"Hmph. So you're the cur who's dating this lovely flower? I don't know what she sees in a duelist who uses such ugly creatures like dragons.", Empty said with a sneer. That nearly tore it for Celestia.

"Simple. He's got a beautiful heart. Which is more than I can say for you.", Celestia said.

"Your loss.", Empty said as he left.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue.", Celestia said as she kissed Burst.

"It's what I do.", Burst said with a slight blush as he went about the rest of his day. He texted Moon where they would meet that night.

Later that Night...

Moon was waiting for Burst and Celestia to show up at the movies. At the same time, Empty Vanity was looking for a rebound from his failed attempt at asking out Celestia. And Moon looked almost exactly like her. "Your appearance reflects the beauty of the night.", he said in a charming voice.

"I appreciate you compliment, but I'm waiting for someone.", Moon said. "My boyfriend and his other girlfriend."

"Oh please. What would he have that I don't?", Empty said as he tried to feel her up. A fatal mistake. He assumed she would be civil like Celestia would. But Moon was not Celestia. She responded by puching him in the face. Soon Burst and Celestia showed up and noticed her handiwork.

"Hi Burst! Hi Celly!", she said. "You two ready?"

"You saved me the trouble of decking him myself.", Burst said with a chuckle. Empty Vanity however, wasn't about to give up without a fight.

"You ugly dog!", he hissed at Burst. "Women such as these are too good for you!" Vanity activated his duel disk. Moon and Celestia were about to speak, but Burst stopped them.

"Funny. I was about to say the same about you.", Burst said as he activated his duel disk.

Burst: 8000
Empty Vanity: 8000

"My move! I reveal one Blue Eyes in my hand! Now I special summon Blue Eyes Alternative! Then I'll summon Keeper of the Shrine and banish him to special summon Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon! Now I play Trade-In to discard Blue Eyes and draw two new cards! Then I'll use REDMD's effect! I revive Blue Eyes from my graveyard! I end my turn."

"I set summon a monster in defense mode and set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My turn!", Burst said as he drew a card. "I'll use Alternative's effect! I can destroy one monster you control!" Alternative called down a bolt of lightning that fried Empty's monster! "REDMD and Blue Eyes, attack him directly!" Empty shielded himself as the blast hit him! "Now I'll set a card and end my turn."

Burst: 8000
Empty Vanity: 2200

"Time to strike back! I play Dark Hole to destroy all monsters on the field! Now I play Cost-Down to normal summon Vanity's Fiend at no cost! Attack him directly! Now I'll activate my trap! Vanity's Emptiness! Now neither of us can special summon! I end my turn"

Burst: 5500
Empty Vanity: 2200

"Well I'll be. Looks like pretty boy here is showing his true ugliness.", Burst said with a smirk. "I activate my spell card! Twin Twisters! I can discard a card and destroy up to two spell or trap cards on the field! Now I play Harmony Absolute! I'll send Blue Eyes White Dragon from my deck to summon Blue Eyes Absolute Dragon!"

"Nice try! But My fiend prevents us from special summoning! What?!", Empty cried out as Blue Eyes was summoned all the same. "But how?!"

"Absolute's summon can't be negated! End it Blue Eyes! White LIghtning!"

"NO! My flawless monsters!", Empty screamed. With his life points at zero, he left whining that he should have won.

"Man. What a sore loser. I hope this didn't ruin tonight for you two.", Burst said. Celestia and Moon smiled.

"You're kidding right?", Moon asked. "I REALLY wanted to see you kick his butt in a duel. It was just as satisfying as me punching him."

"That's right.", Celestia said. "You have no idea how bad I wanted to see him get what was coming for him. Now then. I believe we have a movie to see?"

"You better have not picked some dopey chick-flick.", Moon said.

"I think we'll all like the movie.", Celestia said with a smile. "I know how much you two love the Elemental Hero Neos TV series. So I got us tickets to see the new movie."

"AWESOME!", Burst and Moon said as they went inside and the show began. 'This night shaped up better than I thought.', Burst thought with a smile as he sat between Celestia and Moon.

Duel 4: Inferno vs Drocsid

The weekend had come and gone, and the Grand Tournament had begun at the start of the school week. Vice Principal Luna was the announcer of the duels. "Welcome everyone to the Grand Tournament! The sixteen duelists gathered here are all competing for one thing! A chance to face off against Burst Stream! Good luck duelists!" And with that, the Grand Tournament begun! The first round pitted Inferno against Drocsid. At hearing this name, Burst smiled.

'Really Discord? I thought you would've come up with a better disguise and wearing a mask.'

"Can't wait to see what you've got in store!", Inferno said as he activated his duel disk.

"The same goes for you sonny!", Discord said.

Inferno: 8000
Discord: 8000

"I'll give you the first move.", Inferno said.

"Most appreciated.", Discord said. "I'll summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode and set a card face-down."

"My move then! I summon Red Eyes Black Chick! Now I tribute him to special summon Red Eyes Black Dragon! Demolish Giant Soldier of Stone! Inferno Fire Blast!" Red Eyes roared as he fired a gigantic fireball that destroyed Giant Soldier of Stone! "I end my turn."

"I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Let's see if I can get past those pesky defenses! I equip Black Metal Dragon to Red Eyes! Now I'll play Red Eyes Fusion! I'll send Red Eyes Black Dragon and Summoned Skull to the graveyard to fusion summon Archfiend Black Skull Dragon! Destroy Giant Soldier of Stone! Now his effect activates! I can inflict the attack of one Red Eyes normal monster in my graveyard as damage and shuffle it back into my deck! Now my other Red Eyes attacks you directly!" The flames blew Discord's mask right off as they collided with his life points! "I'll set a card and end my turn. I know you wanted in on the tournament. But you didn't have to disguise yourself Discord." Discord just smiled sheepishly at this.

Inferno: 8000
Discord: 2600

"Oh well. Might as well continue with the duel. I play Double Summon! This lets me make an extra summon this turn! I summon Kaiser Sea Horse and tribute him to summon Light and Darkness Dragon! I end my turn."

"I could attack you right now, but I'll take care of that face-down card first! I play Mystical Space Typhoon! Now Archfiend Black Skull destroys your monster while Red Eyes attacks you directly for game!" Red Eyes launched one mighty final attack, and Discord's life points dropped to zero.

"Good duel Inferno.", Discord said as he shook Inferno's hand.

"Thanks! Can't wait to see who's up next!"

Duel 5: Flash vs Shining Armor

The next duel on the roster was Flash against Shining Armor. "Let's see how my Elemental Heroes stand up to your Heroic Champions!", Flash said.

"Show me what you got!", Shining said as he and Flash activated their duel disks.

Flash: 8000
Shining Armor: 8000

"I summon Sparkman in attack mode! Then I'll equip him with Spark Blaster and set one card face-down and end my turn!"

"I summon Heroic Challenger-Assault Halberd since you control a monster and I don't! Next I'll summon Heroic Challenger-Spartan! Now I overlay my monsters to xyz summon Heroic Champion-Excalibur! Now I'll activate his effect! I can detach two overlay units to double his attack! Take down Sparkman!"

"I don't think so! I activate my trap! Hero Barrier! I can negate an attack this turn if I have an Elemental Hero on the field!"

"Not bad. I end my turn."

"I draw! I play the field spell Skyscraper! Now I'll play Emergency Call! This adds an Elemental Hero to my hand! Now I'll play Polymerization to fuse Sparkman and Clayman to form Elemental Hero Thunder Giant and use his effect! I can discard a card and destroy one face-up monster on the field whose original attack was less than his!" In a flash of lightning, Excalibur was gone! Now attack him directly!" Thunder Giant let loose a ball of lightning that hit Shining Armor directly! "I'll then play Fusion Recovery to return Sparkman and Polymerization to my hand and end my turn."

Flash: 8000
Shining Armor: 4600

"I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn.", Shining said as he drew a card.

"Time to bring out another one of my favorites!", Flash said as he drew a card. "I play polymerization to fuse Avian and Burstinatrix from my hand to summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman! Thunder Giant, destroy his face down monster! Wingman, attack him directly! Skydive Scorcher!" Wingman wrapped himself in flame, and crashed right into Shining's life points! "I end my turn by setting one card face-down."

Flash: 8000
Shining Armor: 1500

"I draw! I play Soul Charge to bring back one Heroic Challenger from my graveyard! Now I'll summon Heroic Challenger-Extra Sword! I overlay my monster to xyz summon Heroic Champion-Excalibur! Now I activate his effect to double his attack! Then I'll play Heroic Chance to double his attack again! Attack Flame Wingman!"

"I activate Battle Fusion! Since an attack was declared with a fusion monster I control and your monster, Wingman gains that monster's attack points! Let's finish this Wingman! Super Scorcher Blaze!" Wingman's dragon arm gathered up flames and fired a massive fireball that obliterated Excalibur! "Good duel Shining!", Flash said as he shook his hand and went to the stands as the next duel was about to be called.

Duel 6: Dark Ice vs Big Mac

Ace couldn't believe it. Somehow, even after Dark Mist had been destroyed, even after he was sent to the shadows, Dark Ice was back! Needless to say, Ace and all his friends were shocked to see him alive again. But that wasn't what shocked them the most. What shocked them the most was that he actually had a smile on his face while he was with those girls from Crystal Prep. Not a maniacal or evil smile that Ace knew all to well. A real smile like the one you have when you're around friends. And he seemed especially happy around Dash's Crystal Prep counterpart Indigo Zap. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was actually happy. Maybe all it took for him to change was a trip to the shadows. And I'm sensing he had a new dueling partner. Like me it's a legendary dragon. One that seems to match his fire.' At the same time, Ice was telling his friends about what went down in Cinch's office.

"Whoa. You really just told Principal Cinch to do her own dirty work?", Indigo Zap asked.

"Darn right.", Dark Ice said with a smirk. "I know I can't beat Burst Stream. But I am dueling in this tournament. I have....personal reasons for entering." 'Zap's my kind of girl! No wonder I like her so much. It's crazy but....no. Am I really falling for her?'

'C'mon Ice!', Red Dragon Archfiend said to him in his mind. 'You two are perfect for each other! And if you are falling for her, go for it! You gotta approach life with the same fire you have for dueling!'

'Maybe I will. AFTER I finally beat Ace. That takes priority over prospective realtionships. For now.' Soon the next duel was announced.

"The next duel will be Dark Ice against Bic Mac.", Luna announced.

"Wish me luck girls!", Ice said as he went to face his opponent.

Dark Ice: 8000
Big Mac: 8000

"I think I'll let you have the first turn.", Ice said with an honest smile.

"Ah summon Battlin' Boxer Headgeared in attack mode and use his effect to send a Battlin' Boxer to my graveyard from mah deck. Yer move!"

"I draw! Nice! I play the field spell Pandemonium! Now I summon Archfiend General! Attack Headgeared!" But after he landed the hit, Headgeared was still standing! "Tough fella isn't he?"

"Once per turn, he can't be destroyed by battle."

"If that's the case, I end my turn."

Dark Ice: 8000
Big Mac: 6900

"Ah draw! Ah summon Battlin' Boxer Switchitter! Now Ah can summon the Battlin' Boxer I sent to the graveyard! Ah overlay mah three boxers to xyz summon Number 105: Battlin' Boxer Star Cestus! Now Ah'll play Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force! Ah'll use Star Cestus as xyz material ta bring out Number C105: Battlin' Boxer Comet Cestus! Now Ah'll use his effect! By detachin' one overlay unit, Ah can destroy one card on yer field, destroy it, and inflict it's attack points as damage!" Ice shielded himself from the flaming fist that gave his monster a house-sized knuckle sandwich! "An' now Ah'll attack you directly!" Ice got the wind nearly knocked out of him from the powerful punch of Comet Cestus!

"Float like an asteroid, sting like meteor!", Comet Cestus boasted.

"Ah end my turn. Want me to dial it down a bit?"

Ice smiled. "You kidding? I live for duels that push me to the wall! Just means I get to push even harder to get back up!"

Dark Ice: 3100
Big Mac: 6900

"And this is what I'm talking about!", Ice said as he drew a card. "I summon Gorz the Emissary of Darkness since I took damage! And since it was battle damage, I get to special summon a token with an attack equal to the damage I took! Now I'll summon Barrier Resonator! I tune him with Gorz the Emissary of Darkness to bring out my own dueling partner! Come on down Red Dragon Archfiend!" Red Dragon appeared in a burst of flames from the sky, and let out a mighty roar that signaled he was ready to fight!

"I always wanted a shot at the title!", Red Dragon said as he got into a boxing pose!

"My token will take down Comet Cestus!" With a swift slash, the token had defeated Comet Cestus! "Now Red Dragon attacks you directly! Absolute Power Force!" Red Dragon wrapped his fist in flames as he delivered a powerful punch that almost had Big Mac reeling! "I end my turn."

Dark Ice: 3100
Big Mac: 1800

"Ah activate Battlin' Boxing Spirits! This lets me special summon a Battlin' Boxer from mah graveyard in face-up defense mode by sending the top card of mah deck to the graveyard! Now Ah summon Battlin' Boxer Veil! Ah overlay mah boxers to xyz summon Number 79: Battlin' Boxer Nova Kaiser in defense mode and end mah turn."

"Nice try! But I'm the one walking away victorious! I tribute my token to summon Caius the Shadow Monarch! Now I'll activate his effect! Since he was tribute summoned, I can target and banish one monster on your field! Finish it Red Dragon Archfiend! Crimson Blaze!"

"TKO!", Red Dragon cried as he fired a gale of flame that blew away the last of Big Mac's lifepoints!

"Good duel pardner.", Big Mac said as he shook his hand. Dark Ice then turned his gaze to Ace.

'You better win your duel Ace. I want to be the one to beat you. At the same time, Ace was looking at him.

'I don't know what you're up to Ice, but I'm going to put a stop to it!'

Duel 7: Steel vs Gold

The next duel announced was Steel Edge against Golden Rise. Both of them activated their duel disks, and the duel was on!

Steel: 8000
Gold: 8000

"Not bad.", Steel said as he looked at his hand. "I play Super Soldier Ritual! Now I'll send a monster from my hand to ritual summon BLS-Super Soldier! Then I'll set a card and end my turn."

"My move! I draw!", Gold said. "I play Statue of the Holy and set a card! Since you special summoned a monster, I can destroy it and special summon two tokens! Now I tribute them to summon Crimson Dragon! Now I'll use his effect! I'll target and destroy BLS-Super Soldier to add his attack points to Crimson!"

"Not gonna happen! I activate my trap! Super Soldier Shield! This lets me negate Crimson's effect and destroy him!"

"I don't think so! I activate my trap! Destruction Jammer! Since your effect would destroy a monster on my field, I can negate and destroy it by discarding one card! Now BLS is gone and Crimson gets his attack points! Crimson Plasma Arc!" Steel braced himself as the attack hit him directly! "I end my turn."

Steel: 2000
Gold: 8000

"Heh. Didn't think I'd be pushed back this far in only one turn! Since we're close to the end of this thing, let's go all out! I play Harmonic Ritual! I send monsters from my deck whose levels equal the level of the monster I want to summon! Onto the battlefield! BLS-Ultimate Soldier! If I'm going out, I'm going out with my best!"

"You said it! I play Harmony Absolute! I tribute Crimson Dragon from my field to summon Crimson Absolute Dragon! Now I'll use his effect! I can banish one monster from either your graveyard or mine, and Crimson Absolute gains their attack points! I target Crimson Dragon! Let's end this! Meet BLS's might with your own!" Crimson charged forth with his claw balled into a fist, while BLS charged with his sword! Both struck each other, but only Crimson remained standing as BLS fell to the ground exhausted. "Good duel Steel."

"You too Gold. Let's see who's in the next duel."

Duel 9: Ace vs Shadow

"You're kidding me?!", Shadow nearly shouted! "Dark Ice is back? AND he goes to Crystal Prep?!"

"It's true.", Ace said. "But the crazy thing is...he actually seems happy! I'd can't believe it, but it looks like he actually has friends over there! Not to mention he seems to hang around Indigo Zap a lot. But knowing him I'm sure he's got something nasty planned."

"Well we're going to have to find out after this duel.", Shadow said as he and Ace took the field.

Ace: 8000
Shadow: 8000

"I'm up first! I play the field spell Sorcerous Spell Wall! Then I'll activate Secret Sanctuary of the Spellcasters! Now I'll set a card and summon Defender the Magical Knight in defense mode! That's all for my turn."

"My move! I draw! I play Dragon Shrine to send a dragon from my deck to the graveyard! Now I play Return of the Dragon Lords to revive White Night Dragon! Now I summon Heliosphere Dragon! Sine White Night is level eight, Heliosphere becomes level eight too! Now I overlay them to xyz summon Dragluon! I'll attack Defender!"

"I activate my trap! Dark Renewal! This destroys your monster and mine so I can special summon a dark spellcaster from my deck! I special summon Dark Magician Girl!"

"I end my turn."

"I draw! I play Spellbook of Power to increase DMG's attack points by 1000 until the end of my turn! Attack him directly! Apprentice Dark Magic Attack!" Shadow braced himself as the blast of magic hit! "I'll set a card and end my turn."

Ace: 8000
Shadow: 4700

"I'll set a card and end my turn."

"My move then! I play the Eye of Timaeus and use it on DMG to fusion summon Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight! Attack him directly!"

Ace: 8000
Shadow: 1600

"I end my turn."

"I activate my trap! Xyz Reborn! This brings back Dragluon! I'll detach one overlay unit to activate one of his effects! Now any dragon-type monsters you control can't activate their effect until the end of my opponent's turn! Attack DMG the Dragon Knight!"

"Not happening! I activate my trap! Compulsory Evacuation Device to return Dragluon to the extra deck!"

"I end my turn."

"Attack directly for game!", Ace said as DMG the Dragon Knight fired off a blast of magic from her sword! Striking Shadow directly!

"Now if we only knew what Dark Ice was up to.", Shadow said as he and Ace went back to the stands.

Duel 10: Blueblood vs Cadence

"Nice to see you again cousin.", Blueblood said as he stepped onto the field.

"You too Blueblood. You seem a lot nicer than you used to be. And I also see you ditched the suit.", Cadence said with a smile.

"I'm just full of surprises.", Blueblood said with a smirk.

Blueblood: 8000
Cadence: 8000

"I've got the first move!", Blueblood said. "I summon Elemental Hero Heat! Now I play Mask Change to bring out Masked Hero Goka! Next I'll set a card and end my turn."

"My turn! I draw! I summon Cyber Tutu! And since your monster has more attack points, I can attack you directly! I'll then set a card face-down and end my turn."

Blueblood: 7000
Cadence: 8000

"I draw! Since Goka's on the field, he gains 100 attack for each 'hero' monster in my graveyard! Destroy Cyber Tutu! Flaming Fist!" Goka wrapped his fist in flames and sent Cyber Tutu flying! "That's all for me."

Blueblood: 7000
Cadence: 6700

"I draw! I summon Cyber Petit Angel! Now I'll activate his effect! I'll add Cyber Angel Dakini to my hand! Now I play Machine Angel Ritual and tribute Cyber Petit Angel from my field and Cyber Prima from my hand to ritual summon Cyber Angerl Dakini! Now that she's on the field, I can make you send one monster of your choice to the graveyard."

"Goka, your sacrifice won't be in vain!"

"Don't worry Blueblood! Another hero will rise in my place!", Goka said as he was sent to the graveyard.

"Now Dakini! Attack him directly!" Blueblood braced himself as Dakini unloaded a series of swift strikes right at him! "I end my turn. Now I return Machine Angel Ritual to my hand due to Dakini's effect."

Blueblood: 4300
Cadence: 6700

"I draw! Perfect! I play Mask Charge to return the 'change' spell card and the Hero monster in my graveyard! Now I summon Clayman and use the Mask Change I just returned to my hand! I summon Masked Hero Dian! Attack Dakini!" With a swipe of his sword, Dian destroyed Dakini! "Now that he's destroyed your monster by battle, I can special summon a level four or lower Hero monster from my deck! I special summon Elemental Hero Avian in defense mode! I end my turn."

"My turn! I draw! I play Polymerization to fuse Goddess with the Third Eye with Etoile Cyber to fusion summon Cyber Blader! And since you control two monsters, her attack doubles! Destroy Avian!"

"Not so fast! I activate Negate Attack! This puts an end to Cyber Blader's attack!"

"Nice counter. I end my turn."

"I draw! Just what I needed! I play Fusion Tag! I reveal one fusion monster in my extra deck and target one monster on my field! Now that monster's name is treated as one of the fusion materials for that monster! Now Avian counts as a Masked Hero! Then I'll play Fusion Sage to add Polymerization to my hand! I play Polymerization to fuse Avian and Masked Hero Dian! I fusion summon Contrast Hero Chaos! Now I play Battle Fusion! This lets Chaos gain attack equal to the monster he's attacking or he's being attacked by! Now I'll activate his effect! Once per turn, during either of our turns, I can negate the effects of one face-up card on the field! I choose Cyber Blader! Attack! Chaos Blast!" Chaos fired a beam of light and dark energy that destroyed Cyber Blader! "I end my turn."

Blueblood: 4300
Cadence: 3600

"I summon Cyber Tutu! And since your monster has higher attack points, I can attack you directly!"

"I use Chaos's effect again! Meaning your monster attacks Chaos instead!" Chaos leaped in to intercept Cyber Tutu's attack! And due to Chaos's higher attack points, Cyber Tutu was sent to the graveyard.

"I end my turn."

Blueblood: 4300
Cadence: 1600

"I draw! I play O-Oversoul to special summon one Elemental Hero in my graveyard! Now I play R-Righteous Justice to destroy as many spell and trap cards for as Elemental Heroes I control! That should take care of that face-down card! End this Chaos! Contrast Comet Kick!" Chaos executed a powerful kick that wiped out the last of Cadence's life points! After which he did a victory pose.

"Looks like you finally enjoy duels win or lose again.", Cadence said with a smile as she hugged Blueblood before going back to the stands with Shining. Blueblood went to join Flash and the others as the next duel was about to begin before the Quarter Finals started.

Duel 11: Applejack vs Trixie

"Let's see how your spells stand up to my monsters.", Applejack said as she activated her duel disk.

"Ha! My magicians will wipe the field with your monsters!", Trixie boasted.

Applejack: 8000
Trixie: 8000

"Trixie will take the first move! I play Dimensional Fissure! Now any monster sent to the graveyard is banished instead! Trixie then activates Graceful Charity! I discard two monsters, due to Graceful Charity's effect. Now I activate Magical Stone Excavation! I discard two more monsters to get Graceful Charity back and I'll activate it again! Now to wrap up this ultimate disappearing act! Trixie activates Dimension Fusion! By paying 2000 life points, Trixie can return as many spellcasters as she can to the field! Now to follow it up with Magical Blast! This deals 200 points of damage for every monster on Trixie's field!"

'Ah don't think so! Ah discard Junkuriboh to negate Magical Blast's activation and send it to the graveyard!"

"Impressive counter. Trixie ends her turn."

Applejack: 8000
Trixie: 6000

"Ah draw! Ah summon Junk Synchron! Then Ah'll activate his effect! Ah can special summon a level two or lower monster from mah graveyard in defense mode! And since Ah control a 'junk' monster, I can special summon Junk Servant from mah hand! Now Ah tune Junk Synchron with Junk Servant and Junkuriboh to synchro summon Junk Destroyer! Now that he's on the field, Ah activate his effect! Since he was synchro summoned, Ah can target as many cards on the field as non-tuner monsters used for his synchro summon and destroy them! Ah choose Cosmo Queen and Magician's Valkyria! Now Ah'll attack your last Magician's Valkyria!" The last Magician's Valkyria was taken down with one punch from Junk Destroyer! "Ah'll set a card and end mah turn."

Applejack: 8000
Trixie: 5000

"Trixie activates Magical Blast's effect! I add it back to my hand instead of drawing a card! Now Trixie activates it to deal you 400 points of damage! Trixie will then set a card face-down."

"Ah'll put Junk Destroyer in defense mode and end mah turn."

"I activate my face-down card! Shield Crush! This destroys your defense mode monster! Now Gemini Elf and Ebon Magician Curran can attack you directly!" Both of Trixie's monsters fired a powerful blast of magic right at Applejack!

"Ah special Gagaga Guardna from my hand in defense mode since you declared a direct attack! Nice try, but his defense is greater than either of your monsters' attack!" Trixie had to shield herself as the force of her own attack came right back at her!

"Trixie ends her turn."

Applejack: 7600
Trixie: 4100

"Ah draw! I summon Goblindbergh! Now Ah overlay mah monsters to xyz summon Gagaga Cowboy! Next AH equip him with Magnum Shield and activate his effect! Ah detach one overlay unit to have him gain 1000 attack, and the monster he's attacking loses 500 attack! Ah attack Gemini Elf! Double Draw Shot!" Gagaga Cowboy fired twin shots from his blasters that destroyed Gemini Elf and wiped out the last of Trixie's life points. "Good duel Trixie. Just remember you're not the only one with tricks up their sleeve.", Applejack said as she and Trixie headed back to the stands.

Duel 12: Confrontation

"Your finalists for the Grand Tournament are as follows!", Luna announced. "Inferno Flare, Flash Sentry, Dark Ice, Golden Rise, Sunset Shimmer, Arctic Ace, Blueblood, and Appljack. Tomorrow, the quarter finals begin!" As everyone started to head home, Ace gathered his friends together to bring up about the matter of Dark Ice.

"I thought you and Burst sent him packing last time!", Sunset nearly screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I did too." Ace said. "But apparently he's back and he has a new monster partner. But what I really find shocking is that he seems to actually be...happy. Not the psychotic kind I've seen when he tried to destroy me. The kind when you're around friends. In specific, he seems pretty fond on Indigo Zap."

"Come on Sunset! You're worrying too much!", Rainbow Dash said. "Ace kicked his butt before and he can do it again!"

"Thanks for the confidence Dash. But I'm going to see just what he's planning." Ace walked up to Dark Ice as he was about to leave.

"Well now. Isn't this a surprise.", Ice said with a smirk as he turned to face Ace. "I'll admit. I was expecting you and Shadow . But I guess I'll make do with just you confronting me."

"How did you come back Ice? And why are you back?", Ace asked coldly.

"My new monster partner helped me find a way out of the shadows. As for why, I ain't telling! Nyah!", Ice said as he stuck his tongue out at Ace! Red Dragon Archfiend replicated the gesture. And with that, Ice rejoined his friends and left.

Ace was fuming! "I go out of my way to confront him...and he doesn't even have the anime logic to explain whatever the heck he's planning!"

Duel 13: Applejack vs Dark Ice

Before anyone knew it, the next day had arrived and the Quarter Finals had begun. "Welcome to the Quarter Finals everyone! When the day is over, only four duelists will be left standing! Who will come out on top?", Luna announced. Ace met with Applejack as she was getting her duel disk ready.

"AJ, be careful if you're up against Dark Ice. I still have no clue what he's up to even after I confronted him yesterday."

"Y'know, Ah could just see what he's up to right now."

"Just try not to get spotted by him.", Ace cautioned. There were still a couple minutes before the duel started, so Applejack snuck around to the area Dark Ice and the girls from Crystal Prep were.

"Good luck in the next duel Ice!", Lemon Zest cheered for him.

"You're the only one of us left standing. So don't go out on the first round!", Zap said.

"Trust me. I've got no plans on losing.", Ice said with a smile.

'Well Ah'll be. He does actually look happy.', Applejack thought to herself. 'Still, Ah can't let my guard down. This could just be a cover.' Applejack then went back to Ace to report what she saw. Ace was still puzzled.

"This doesn't make sense. The Dark Ice I know would never be nice to anyone.", Ace said. "Regardless, be careful when dueling him." Luna then called out the next duel.

"The first round of the Quarter Finals will be Applejack against Dark Ice!"

"Wish me luck girls!", Ice said as he stepped onto the dueling field and activated his duel disk.

Applejack was next to arrive on the field and activated her duel disk.

Applejack: 8000
Dark Ice: 8000

"I got the first move!", Ice said. "I summon Mad Archfiend in attack mode and set a card face-down. I end my turn."

"Ah draw! Ah summon Junk Synchron! And since he's a junk monster Ah can special summon Junk Servant from mah hand! Now I'll tune them to synchro summon Junk Archer! Ah activate his effect! I banish your monster until the end of this turn and attack you directly! Junk Arrow!" Junk Archer shot an arrow that struck Dark Ice square in the chest! "Ah'll set a card and end mah turn."

Applejack: 8000
Dark Ice: 5700

"Not bad. But now Mad Archfiend comes back! Now I summon The Fabled Rubyruda! I tune my monsters to synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend! Next I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to take care of your trap card! Applejack's trap card was soon blown away! "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow huh? Now Red Dragon! Destroy Junk Archer! Absolute Power Force!" Red Dragon let loose a powerful stream of flames that burned away Junk Archer! "I end my turn."

Applejack: 7300
Dark Ice: 5700

"I summon Junk Giant in defense mode and end my turn!"

"I draw! Perfect! I discard a card to activate Lightning Vortex to destroy all monsters on your field! Attack her directly Red Dragon Archfiend! Absolute Power Force!" Red Dragon unleashed another wave of flames that collided with Applejack's life points! "I end my turn."

Applejack: 4300
Dark Ice: 5700

"Ah'm not out yet! Ah set two cards face-down and end mah turn!"

"I draw! I play Scarlet Security! Since I control a Red Dragon Archfiend, I can destroy all spell and trap cards you control! Attack again Red Dragon!" Red Dragon charged forth and unleashed another wave of flames!

"Too hot to handle!", Red Dragon boasted.

"I end my turn."

Applejack: 1300
Dark Ice: 5700

"Ah play Book of Moon to put your monster in defense mode! Then Ah'll summon Gagaga Magician! And since he's level four Ah can special summon Kagetokage from mah hand! Now Ah overlay mah monsters to xyz summon Gagaga Cowboy in defense mode and activate his effect! Ah detach an overlay unit to inflict 800 points of damage to you! I end my turn."

Applejack: 1300
Dark Ice: 4900

"Time to end this. I switch Red Dragon Archfiend into attack mode! Now I'll attack your monster and activate my trap card! Strike Slash! Red Dragon gains 700 attack points and inflicts piercing damage! And last I checked, their difference equals the exact amount of life points you have left!" Red Dragon smashed through Gagaga Cowboy's defense and wiped out the last of Applejack's life points. Ice walked off and rejoined his friends. Applejack did the same and went back to Ace and the others.

"Well that's new. Normally he mocks duelists he beats.", Ace said. "But I still don't buy that he's become any nicer. At this rate, we're bound to face each other in the finals."

Duel 14: Inferno vs Gold

"The next duel pits Inferno against Gold! Which of these legendary dragon partners will win?", Luna announced.

"Time to see if Red Eyes can live up to his potential!", Inferno cried.

"Crimson and I aren't holding anything back!", Gold said.

Inferno: 8000
Gold: 8000

"I got the first move! I summon Red Eyes Wyvern and set a card! I end my turn!"

"I draw! I summon Angelic Guardian in defense mode! Then I'll set a card and end my turn!"

"My move!", Inferno said as he drew a card. "I banish Red Eyes Wyvern to bring out REDMD! Now I'll use his special ability to bring out Red Eyes Black Dragon from my hand! Now I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down card! Gold was caught off-guard when his Mirror Force trap was destroyed! "Red Eyes, destroy Angelic Guardian! REDMD, attack him directly! Darkness Metal Flare!" REDMD unleashed a mighty roar as he fired a stream of flames from his mouth that struck Gold directly! "I set a card and end my turn!"

Inferno: 8000
Gold: 5200

"I draw! I play Photon Sanctuary! This lets me special summon two Photon Tokens! Now I tribute them to summon Crimson Dragon! I'll target your REDMD and destroy him to have Crimson gain his attack points! Attack Red Eyes Black Dragon! Crimson Plasma Arc!"

"I activate my trap! Compulsory Evacuation Device! This returns your monster to your hand!"

"Well there goes Crimson's attack boost. I end my turn."

Inferno: 8000
Gold: 5200

"I play Red-Eyes Fusion to send Red Eyes Black Dragon and Summoned Skull to the graveyard to fusion summon Archfiend Black Skull Dragon! Attack him directly!" Gold shielded himself as a wall of flames crashed against his life points! "I won't activate his effect and I'll hold off on having all my monsters attack for now. Your move Gold!"

Inferno: 8000
Gold: 2000

"I guess Red Eyes is living up to his potential.", Gold said with a smile. "But I'm not going down without at least throwing one good punch! I activate Harmony Absolute! I send Crimson Dragon from my hand to the graveyard to summon Crimson Absolute Dragon! Now I activate his effect! I'll target Crimson Dragon in my graveyard to boost him by 3000 points! Bringing him to 6000 attack points! Destroy Archfiend Black Skull Dragon! Absolute Plasma Arc!" Inferno braced himself as Crimson's attack fried Archfiend Black Skull Dragon! "I end my turn."

Inferno: 5200
Gold: 2000

"I draw! I'll put both of my monsters in defense mode and end my turn!"

"I draw! I'll take down REDMD! Plasma Arc!" Crimson sent another monster to Inferno's graveyard in a blast of plasma! "I end my turn."

Inferno smiled as he drew his next card. "I play Harmony Absolute! I tribute Red Eyes from my field to summon Red Eyes Absolute Dragon! Now he gains 300 attack for each monster in my graveyard! Last I checked, there were five! Now I'll use another one of his effects! I halve his attack points to attack you directly!" Gold braced himself for impact as Red Eyes leaped into the air and fired a gigantic fireball that wiped out the last of his life points! "And that's game! Good duel Gold!"

"You too Inferno!', Gold said as he fist-bumped him. "Although I gotta say. Why didn't Crimson gain the same immunity as Red Eyes or Blue Eyes?"

"Well about that...", Crimson said as he materialized. "I was kinda...sorta....late to the ability distribution meeting. All they had left was a variant of my ability, so that's what I got stuck with." Gold and Inferno shared a laugh as they headed back to the stands for the next duel.

Duel 15: Flash vs Blueblood

"Looks like our heroes are gonna clash again.", Flash said as he stepped onto the field.

"We ended in a tie last time. Now we'll see if the outcome is any different this time around!", Blueblood said as he and Flash activated their duel disks.

Flash: 8000
Blueblood: 8000

"I got the first move!", Flash said. "I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman and equip him with Spark Blaster! Then I'll set a card and end my turn."

"I draw! I summon Elemental Hero Shadow Mist! Now I'll activate Mask Change and send her to the graveyard to special summon Masked Hero Dark Law! And since Shadow Mist was sent to the graveyard, I can add one 'Hero' monster from my deck to my hand! Dark Law, attack Sparkman! Darkness Claw Strike!" Dark Law wrapped his hand in shadow energy and a claw-like construct formed! With one swipe, Sparkman was destroyed! "Now for Dark Law's effect! Any card sent to your graveyard is banished instead! I'll set a card and end my turn."

"My move! I play my trap! Hero Signal! Now I can special summon a level four or lower 'Hero' monster from my hand or deck! I summon Elemental Hero Avian! Now I play Hero's Bond! This lets me special summon two level four or lower 'Hero' monsters from my hand if I control a face-up 'Hero' monster! I summon Elemental Heroes Bubbleman and Clayman! I play Fusion Substitute to fuse my three monsters into Elemental Hero Core! Attack Masked Hero Dark Law! Core Blast!"

"I activate my trap card! Mirror Force! This destroys your attacking monster!"

"I end my turn."

Flash: 7400
Blueblood: 8000

"I summon Elemental Hero Heat and then I'll play Mask Change 2! I discard a card to target Heat and special summon Masked Hero Goka! He gains 100 attack for each 'Hero' monster in my graveyard bringing him to 2400! Goka and Dark Law, attach him directly!" Goka and Dark Law unleashed a powerful combination attack of shadow and flame! "I'll then set a card and end my turn."

Flash: 2600
Blueblood: 8000

"I draw! I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix! Now I play Miracle Fusion! I banish Burstinatrix from my field, and Avian, Clayman, and Bubbleman from my graveyard to fusion summon Elemental Hero Electrum! While he's on the field, he also counts as an earth, water, fire, and wind attribute monster! Electrum also gains 300 attack for each monster you control that has the same attribute as him! Attack Masked Hero Goka! Electrum Surge!" In a flash of light, Goka was destroyed! "I end my turn."

Flash: 2600
Blueblood: 7200

"I play Form Change! This returns Dark Law to the extra deck and lets me special summon another Masked Hero with the same level as him! I special summon Masked Hero Blast! And since he was special summoned, his effect activates! Electrum's current attack becomes halved! He may gain 300 attack, but his halved attack brings him down to 1600! Destroy Electrum! Hurricane Gust!" Electrum was blown away from Blast's attack! "I set a card and end my turn."

Flash: 2000
Blueblood: 7200

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive! I return Sparkman from my graveyard to my hand and summon Wroughtweiler! Now I play Fusion Tag! I target one fusion monster and one monster on my field! That monster's name becomes the same as one of the fusion materials listed! Now Wroughtweiler's name counts as Elemental Hero Flame Wingman! I play Fusion Sage to add Polymerization to my hand, and now I'll activate it! I fuse my monsters to fusion summon Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman! He gains 300 attack for each Elemental Hero in my graveyard! There's two so that raises him to 3100! Attack Masked Hero Gust! Shining Skydive Scorcher!" Wingman leaped into the sky, and dove straight down at Masked Hero Blast in a blast of light! "And since he destroyed a monster by battle, you take Blast's attack points as damage! I'll set a card and end my turn."

Flash: 2000
Blueblood: 4100

"I play Mask Charge to return a 'Change' spell card and one Elemental Hero to my hand! Then I'll summon Elemental Hero Voltic! I activate Mask Change to send him to the graveyard and summon Masked Hero Goka! He gains 500 attack for each monster you control! Now I'll use his other effect! I can banish one 'Hero' monster in my graveyard and target one face-up monster on the field! It loses that much attack until the end phase! I remove Masked Hero Blast from my graveyard and target Shining Flare Wingman! Bringing him down to 900 points! Koga's at 3000! With this attack, it's all over!"

"You may destroy Wingman, but I won't take damage! I activate my trap! Hero Spirit! Now all battle damage I take is reduced to zero!"

"Nice counter. I end my turn."

"I draw! I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in defense mode and my turn! Your move!"

"I play Dimension Explosion! I return Masked Hero Koga to my extra deck so we can summon up to two monsters we banished! I don't have any banished monsters, so the last part only applies to you. I end my turn."

"I special summon Avian and Burstinatrix! Now I play the Polymerization I drew to fuse them into Flame Wingman! Now I play Fusion Weapon to boost him by 1500 points bringing him to 3600! I also play Heated Heart to boost him by 500 points! Attack him directly for game! Skydive Scorcher!" Wingman wrapped himself in flames as he dive-bombed into the last of Blueblood's life points! "Good duel Blueblood."

"You too. Good luck in the semi-finals."

Duel 16: Ace vs Sunset

"The last duel of the quarter finals is: Arctic Ace against Sunset Shimmer!", Luna announced. Both duelists stepped onto the dueling field and activated their duel disks!

Ace: 8000
Sunset: 8000

"I got the first move!", Sunset said. "I special summon Guardian Eatos and set one card face-down. Your move!"

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down! Then I'll summon Gagaga Girl and activate Magical Dimension! I tribute Gagaga Girl to summon Dark Magician Girl! And since I used Magical Dimension, I can destroy one monster you control! There goes your Eatos! DMG, attack her directly! Apprentice Dark Magic Attack!" DMG launched a powerful blast of magic right at Sunset! Now I'll set two cards and end my turn."

Ace: 8000
Sunset: 6000

"Not a bad start Ace. Now it's my turn! I summon Goblindbergh! And since I summoned him, I get to special summon a level 4 or lower monster from my hand! I special summon Vylon Prism! Now I'll tune Vylon Prism with Goblindbergh to synchro summon Stardust Dragon! Attack with Cosmic Flame!"

"I activate Magic Cylinder and Mirror Force to destroy your monster and inflict his attack points as damage!"

"I tribute Stardust to negate and destroy Mirror Force! Too bad I can't negate Magic Cylinder's effect.", Sunset said as Stardust released a blast of cosmic energy to destroy Mirror Force and soon faded away. "Now I end my turn. And now Stardust comes back from the graveyard!"

Ace: 8000
Sunset: 3500

"You've gotten better since Battle City Ace."

"You haven't seen anything yet! I play Spellbook of Power and Dark Magic Expanded! This boosts DMG to 4000! Attack Stardust Dragon with Apprentice Dark Magic Attack!" Stardust was sent to the graveyard with one blast! "I'll set a card and end my turn."

Ace: 8000
Sunset: 2000

"Looks like I'm down to only a quarter of my life points. Time to see waht I draw and make the best of it. Yes! I play Harmonic Fusion! I'll banish Eatos and Stardust from my graveyard and send BLS from my deck to the graveyard to fusion summon Stardust Luster Guardian-Eatos! I'll just have DMG take a little vacation. Celestial Banishing! Now I'll pay 500 life points to equip her with Vylon Prism from my graveyard! Any time she attacks or is attacked, she gains 1000 attack during damage calculation! Attack him directly! Cosmic Flame Slash!" Ace braced himself for impact as Eatos charged forth with her sword and struck him directly! "I end my turn."

Ace: 3500
Sunset: 1500

"Your monster may be strong. But it isn't invincible! I play Dark Magical Circle! Now I can look at the top three cards of my deck and reset them in any order! And now Dark Magician girl comes back to my field! I end my turn."

"You had a pretty good start. But I'm afraid I'm the one who's going to be moving on! Let's go Eatos!"

"I don't think so! I activate my trap! Compulsory Evacuation Device! Eatos can't destroy it because it doesn't destroy a card! And it returns her to the extra deck!"

"You pulled this out now to create more tension in the duel didn't you?", Sunset asked with a smirk.

"Wouldn't want our audience to get bored with too easy a victory now would we?"

"Fair enough. I end my turn."

"I draw! Just what I needed! I play the Eye of Timaeus! I'll use it on DMG to fusion summon Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight! Attack her directly for game! Dragon Knight Blaze!" Dark Magician Girl fired a blast of magic from her sword that laced around Timaeus's flame breath!

"Good duel Ace! Hope you make it through the semi-finals!", Sunset said as the two of them headed up to the stands while Luna got ready to announce the match-ups for the semi-finals!

Duel 17: Amends

"Attention! The matches for the semi-finals have been arranged! The first round will pit Dark Ice against Ace, and the last round will have Inferno face-off against Flash! The semi-finals will take place tomorrow! Get some rest duelists!", Luna said. After that announcement, everyone started to clear out and head home. Everyone except Burst and his friends and Dark Ice and the girls from Crystal Prep. Ace was the first one to speak his mind while the girls were catching up.

"Okay. Drop the act.", Ace said sternly.

"What are you going on about?", Dark Ice asked.

"The whole...happy thing! I'm not buying it! The Dark Ice I know is a heartless, cold monster who has no place for friends or family!", Ace was tearing up as he spoke. "Mom and Dad were heart broken when you partnered with Dark Mist! You caused them pain no physical harm could inflict! They had to hide Shadow because of the monster you became! I first set out to stop you so I could save you! So I could bring you back home! And what did you do? You stole Timaeus from me! And after that you stole the treasured cards of every duelist you defeated! I realized then that you didn't want to be saved! The only way to stop you was to destroy you! And now you're back? Why?! What could a legendary dragon ever see in you? What do you have to say?! What do you have to say after all the pain you've caused?!" Tears were streaming down Ace's face.

"..........I'm sorry." Ace was shocked! For the first time, Ice actually looked like he regretted something! "And as for what Red Dragon saw in me, I don't know. All I know is that he feels....like the monster I was meant to bond with. He also said he liked the fire I had in me."

"Then why are you here at the tournament?"

"Simple. I want to avenge the defeats you've dealt me. However now that Dark Mist isn't nagging me, I can't even remember why I wanted to destroy you. For whatever reason, he was pretty scared of you."

"And what about Zap and her friends? Would you throw them away for your vengeance?"

"They're my only friends. Why would I do something so stupid?!", Ice shouted. "For the first time I actually feel happy! Really happy! What makes you think I would give that up?!"

"Because when I first met you, you were a deranged duelist who wanted nothing more than to end Ace's existence.", Moon said as she walked up to them. "But I suppose I should thank you for making me realize my own mistakes."

"That, and you haven't been exactly the nicest guy in the time we've known you.", Burst said with a glare. "I know two girls who're pretty mad at you for kidnapping Sonata."

"Not to mention you tried to take us all out back when you manipulated Sonata into dueling Ace.

"Maybe I did!", Ice said. "But now I know how much that would hurt.", he said as his thoughts turned toward Zap. "I only came here to beat Ace. Maybe after that, I'll go back home." Ice then began to leave with his friends.

".......Ice.", Ace said.

"What is it now?"

".......Mom and Dad still kept your room the same as you left it."

".....Tell them I said thanks.", Ice said as he and the girls from Crystal Prep headed for their bus. Timaeus soon materialized near Ace.

"I sensed no evil intent from him Ace. Maybe...you should give him a chance. I know what he's done, but if a legendary dragon was willing to bond with him maybe he isn't so bad anymore."

"Maybe. But there's only one way to know the true answer. I'll face him in our duel tomorrow. Then we'll see if we can all move on."

Duel 18: Ace vs Dark Ice

The next day arrived, and everyone was buzzing with excitement! After today's duels, it would be down to the final two duelists! "After today, only two duelists will be left standing! On with the duels!", Luna announced!

"Only one of us is winning this Ace!", Ice said as he activated his duel disk.

"Bring it on!", Ace said as he activated his duel disk. "Ice. There's a promise I want you to keep after this duel is over."

"What kind of promise?"

"You'll know as soon as this duel's over."

Ace: 8000
Dark Ice: 8000

"I've got the first turn!", Ice said. "I summon Mad Archfiend and set a card face-down and end my turn!"

"My move! I play Dark Magic Veil to special summon Dark Magician Girl from my hand! Now I'll activate Dark Burning Magic! Since I control Dark Magician Girl, I can destroy all cards you conrol! I'll then play Spellbook of Power to boost her by 1000 points! Attack him directly! Apprentice Dark Magic Attack!" Ice braced himself as a blast of magic was sent his way! "I'll set a card and end my turn."

Ace: 7000
Dark Ice: 5000

"I forgot just how hard she hits!", Ice groaned. "Time to bring out my partner! Since I control no monsters, I can special summon Kaiser Vorse Raider! Now I summon Dark Resonator and tune him with Kaiser Vorse Raider! I synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack Dark Magician Girl! Absolute Power Force!"

"I activate my trap card! Magic Cylinder! This stops your attack and inflicts Red Dragon Archfiend's attack points as damage to you!"

"You always did have tricks up your sleeve!", Ice said with a smirk as his own attack was sent right back at him! "I end my turn."

Ace: 7000
Dark Ice: 2000

"I set a card and play Dark Magical Inheritance! I banish two spell cards from my graveyard to add a spell card that lists Dark Magician, or Dark Magician Girl in its text from my deck to my hand! I add The Eye of TImaeus to my hand and activate it! I fuse it with Dark Magician Girl to summon Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight! Now I'll activate her effect! I discard one card to destroy one face-up card you control! I choose Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack him directly for game!"

"Heh. Somehow I knew it would end like this...", Ice said as he embraced the blast that hit him. "So Ace? What was the promise you wanted me to keep?"

"That you tell Zap how you feel about her!", Ace said with a smirk. For the first time in his life, Ice blushed.

"No! No way! I'm not gonna make a fool of myself!"

"Come on man. I know you like her, and the worst she can say is no. What do you have to lose?"

"A prospective girlfriend.", Ice deadpanned as he walked up to Zap. "Uh, hey Zap."

"Hi Ice! I'm guessing you won't get to take care of that personal business you wanted?"

"Actually, I just did. But there's one other loose end I need to tie up."

"What's that?"

"Zap...would you go out with me? It's kinda silly but, I've got a thing for you. You're the one girl I can really like in a romantic way in our whole school."

"You were willing to let out that much sap just for me?"

"Is that a problem?" Ice was surprised when Zap kissed him right in front of everyone!

"It's sweet. Next time though, not so mushy."

"D-duly noted!", Ice said as his face turned bright red as Zap went to rejoin her friends. "Ace what do I do?"

"Ice. You have a lot to learn about having a girlfriend." Ace and Dark Ice then went back to the stands as the last duel of the semi-finals was about to take place.

Duel 20: Relationships

"Okay Ace. What do I need to do to get my girlfriend to not hate my guts?", Ice asked.

"Make sure to take her out on a date at least once or twice a week. If you try too hard, they'll think you're a stalker. If you don't try enough, you'll be seen as someone who doesn't care. Just knowing you made the effort to try lets them know you're crazy about them."

"So any suggestions on where to take Zap for a first date?"

"Try dueling. It worked for a lot of my friends and me, so it should work for you too. And if she's not a duelist, I know a couple of places you two could go to."

"Wow. Were things this easy for when you started dating Sonata?"

"Not exactly. I remember Aria threatening to break my spine if I broke Sonata's heart. We all know I'd never do something like that, but I wasn't going to object. But that's a story for another time."

"Any advice you can give me Burst?"

"just don't try to stress it. Also, don't try to set up an ideal image of what you want to be. Just be you. Well, the you we know now that you're not being driven crazy by an evil monster."

"Thanks! By the way, how did you manage to have two girlfriends at once?!"

"Simple.", Celestia answered. "Moon and I have no problem sharing Burst." she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Plus it sort of helps that he loves the both of us just as much as we love him.", Moon said as she hugged Burst too.

"True Moon. But you lucked out that we share a bed.", Burst said with a smile.

"And they make a great triple-ship!", Pinkie blurted out.

"I don't know whether to admire him for this, or be jealous of him.", Ice said dumbfounded.

"Eh. You'll get over that feeling when you spend time with the girl you love.", Inferno encouraged. "Just remember to have fun and not worry about messing things up!"

"Thanks guys! Wish me luck!", Ice said as he went to ask Indigo Zap when she was available. At the same time, Burst notice Pinkie writing in a notebook.

"Hey Pinkie? What do you have there?" Pinkie smiled and showed Burst the cover. It read Current Relationships of My Friends. "Glad to know you're looking out for us Pinkie.", Burst said with a smile.

Duel 21: Inferno vs Ace

"Only two duelists remain! Who will emerge victorious and face Burst Stream?", Luna announced.

"Don't hold out on any moves Ace!", Inferno said.

"I was about to say the same about you. Let's duel!"

Inferno: 8000
Ace: 8000

"I've got the first move!", Ace said. "I play Dark Magical Circle! This lets me look at the top three cards of my deck and replace them in any order! And since one of the cards includes Dark Magician in its text, I can add that card to my hand! Then I'll set a card face-down and end my turn."

"I draw! I play Red Eyes Fusion! I'll send Red Eyes and Black Skull to the graveyard to fusion summon Archfiend Black Skull Dragon! Attack him directly! I'll also hold off on using his effect! Archfiend Blaze!" Ace braced himself as a gigantic fireball collided with his life points! "That's all for me. Your move!"

Inferno: 8000
Ace: 4800

"I activate my trap card! Eternal Soul! This lets me special summon a 'Dark Magician' from my hand or graveyard! Now I'll special summon Dark Magician Girl from my hand! Now I can activate Dark Magical Circle's effect! Since I special summoned a Dark Magician, I can banish one card you control! Next I'll play Dark Magic Expanded to boost DMG's attack by 1000! Attack him directly with Apprentice Dark Magic Attack!" Inferno braced himself as the blast hit him! "I'll set a card and end my turn."

Inferno: 5000
Ace: 4800

"Not bad! But now it's my turn to strike back! I summon Black Stone of Legend and tribute him to special summon Red Eyes Black Dragon from my deck! And now I'll equip him with Black Metal Dragon to boost him by 600 points! Then I'll use Black Stone's other effect! I'll shuffle the Red Eyes in my graveyard back into my deck! Now I can add Black Stone back to my hand! Red Eyes, Attack Dark Magician Girl! Inferno Fire Blast!"

"I activate my trap! Mirror Force! This destroys all attack mode monsters you control when you declare an attack!"

"If that's how it is, I activate my own trap! Red Eyes Burn! Since Red Eyes was destroyed by card effect, we both take damage equal to his original attack! And since Black Metal Dragon was sent to the graveyard, I can add one Red Eyes card from my deck to my hand!"

"I end my turn."

Inferno: 2600
Ace: 2400

"I draw! I play Black Stone of Legend and tribute him to bring out Red Eyes Black Dragon from my deck! Now I activate Cards of the Red Stone! I'll send Red Eyes Black Dragon from my hand to the graveyard to draw two new cards! And now I'll activate one of them! Harmony Absolute! I'll tribute the Red Eyes on my field so I can bring out Red Eyes Absolute Dragon! Now that he's on the field, he gains 300 attack for each monster in my graveyard! Raising him 5500! I'll hold off on attack and end my turn."

"My move! I play The Eye of Timaeus! I'll fuse it with Dark Magician Girl to summon Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight! Now I'll discard one card to target and destroy Red Eyes Absolute!" DMG-the Dragon Knight released a bolt of magic from her sword, but Red Eyes was still standing when the dust cleared!

"Sorry! But Red Eyes is immune to all card effects! The only down side is that he can still be destroyed by battle!"

"I end my turn."

"Let's end this Red Eyes! Absolute Inferno Fire Blast!" Red Eyes released a rainbow-colored blast of flame that incinerated Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight!

"You beat me pretty good Inferno! You've won the tournament! You ready to duel Burst?"

"You kidding? I've been waiting the whole tournament for this!"

Final Duel: Best of Rivals, Best of Friends! Burst vs Inferno!

"I figured you'd be the one to make it.", Burst said with a grin. "We've been through it all haven't we?"

"Yup.", Inferno replied. "Crazy villains, evil monsters, a world full of magical talking ponies. And through it all, there's no one I'm more proud to call my best friend."

"Same here buddy. Now let's gave these people one heck of a duel!"

"Right! No matter how easy or hard, win or lose..."

"We'll have fun in every duel we fight!"

Burst: 8000
Inferno: 8000

"I got the first move! I summon Red Eyes Black Chick and banish him to special summon REDMD! Then I'll set a card and end my turn!"

"I draw! I play Trade-In to discard a level eight monster and draw two new cards! Then I'll reveal one Blue Eyes White Dragon in my hand to special summon Blue Eyes Alternative! Now I play Silver's Cry to revive Dragon Spirit of White! And since he was special summoned, I can banish one spell or trap card you control! Next I'll use Alternative's effect to destroy REDMD! Now Spirit! Attack him directly! White Spirit Lightning!" Inferno was struck by the full force of the blast! "I end my turn."

Burst: 8000
Inferno: 5500

"I draw! Perfect! I play Red-Eyes Fusion! I send Red Eyes and Summoned Skull to the graveyard to fusion summon Archfiend Black Skull Dragon! Attack Blue Eyes Alternative! Archfiend Blaze! Now I'll activate his effect! I'll inflict the attack points of the Red Eyes Black Dragon in my graveyard as damage, and shuffle it back into my deck! Then i'll set a card and end my turn!"

Burst: 5400
Inferno: 5500

"Good counterattack! But now I get to strike back! I play Return of the Dragon Lords to revive Blue Eyes Alternative! Now I tribute Dragon Spirit of White to special summon Blue Eyes White Dragon from my hand! I'll use Alternative's effect to destroy Archfiend Black Skull! Now Blue Eyes! Attack him directly! White Lightning!" Inferno braced himself as he was hit with the full force of Blue Eyes' attack! "I end my turn."

Burst: 5400
Inferno: 2500

"I figured you might pull of that move. My move! I draw! I summon Black Stone of Legend and tribute him to special summon Red Eyes Black Dragon from my deck! Now I'll equip him with Black Metal Dragon to boost him by 600 points! Attack Blue Eyes White Dragon! Inferno Fire Blast!"

"Meet his strength with yours Blue Eyes! White Lightning!" The attacks of both dragons were equal, and the resulting collision of powers destroyed both dragons! "I guess we both knew it would all come down to this.", Burst said with a smile.

"You know it!" Burst and Inferno activated their dragon powers!

"I draw! I play the spell card Harmony Absolute! I'll tribute Blue Eyes Alternative from my field since his name becomes Blue Eyes White Dragon while he's on the field or in the graveyard! Now I summon Blue Eyes Absolute Dragon from my deck! Next I'll play Dragon Shrine! I'll send another Blue Eyes from my deck to the graveyard! Then I'll send another dragon since Blue Eyes is a normal monster! And since he gains 300 attack for each monster in my graveyard, this boosts him up to 6500 attack points! I end my turn!"

"I activate my face-down card! Harmony Absolute! I'll send a Red Eyes Black Dragon from my deck to the graveyard to summon Red Eyes Absolute Dragon from my deck! There's six monsters in my graveyard, so that brings him up to 5800 attack points! Now I'll halve his attack points so he can attack you directly! Meteor Rush!" Burst braced himself as Red Eyes wrapped himself in flames and crashed into his life points! "I end my turn!"

Burst: 2500
Inferno: 2500

"Let's end this with a bang Inferno!"

"I'm with ya Burst!" Both duelists momentarily took off their duel disks. Burst and Inferno gathered energy, and fired hadokens that collided with each other! Burst's surging with energy while Inferno's was blazing with flames! Both of them charged at each other and executed a twin shoryukens that created a spiral as they soared into the air! The whole crowd watched in awe as their respective dragons mimicked their moves! Soon Burst and Inferno were hovering in the air with their wings, and charged at each other! Just before they got too close, they stopped and executed a fist bump! The dragons executed the same movement.

"Dragon Soul Session!", Burst and Inferno cried out in unison! Soon a spectacular display of energy was released from their meeting of fists! The whole crowd watched in amazement at the sight before them! When things had calmed down, Burst and Inferno were in their normal states and their dragons stood still. Red Eyes collapsed and faded away to the graveyard.

"That...was...awesome Blue Eyes!", he said as he faded away.

"Sure was Red. Probably the most epic fist bump in history."

Burst: 2500
Inferno: 1800

"I guess we gave them too good a show!", Inferno said.

"Seems that way since most of the crowd is still speechless. I end my turn."

"I draw! Well, there's literally nothing I can do now. I end my turn."

"My move then! Let's finish this! Absolute Neutron Blast!" Blue Eyes released a mighty roar as he fired his signature attack! Wiping out the last of Inferno's life points! "Good duel Inferno!"

"Thanks Burst! But come on. Was there ever any doubt you'd win?"

"Only if we wanted to end the duel early. But that would be dull." The two of them shared a laugh as they joined their friends to celebrate their duel.

Duel 1: Fresh Start

"Heh. Barely here a week and I've already made a name for myself.", Dark Ice thought out loud as he walked the hallways of Crystal Prep. "I'm one of the best duelists here and everybody knows it. Not to mention I've gotten pretty popular." Ice thought about when he first enrolled. 'That lady Cinch seemed way too eager to have me aboard because of my dueling skills. Meh. Not important right now. What does matter is paying Ace back for humiliating me time and again!'

"Hey Ice!", Indigo Zap shouted as he got near to her and her friends. This brought a smile to Dark Ice's face. Not a malicious or evil smile like when he fought Ace. A real smile that showed up when he was around his friends. One more thing that made this stuffy school worth bearing.

'Most of the kids here a rich-kids or know-it-alls. These girls though. They're cool. Especially Indigo.', Ice thought to himself. "Yo Zap. How's it hangin'?"

"Meh. Pretty dull day." Soon the loudspeaker went off.

"Dark Ice. Please report to Principal Cinch's office."

Dark Ice sighed. "Might as well see what she wants. I swear if I have to hear her ramble on about reputation I'll duel her into next week." Ice went to Cinch's office, and it looked like she was expecting him. He noticed she had a folder on her desk.

"Ah. Good of you to come Dark Ice."

"Cut the chat and get to why you wanted to see me."

"Very well. I thought you would be interested in the tournament CHS is holding. As you know, the winner of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City attends that school and the winner of the tournament shall face him in a final duel. His name is Burst Stream." Ice kept a calm exterior, but on the inside he was thrilled that he would have his chance to beat Ace! But when he heard Burst's name, the excitement was quickly replaced with dread. Burst was the one who destroyed Dark Mist. "And as you also know, there was no clear winner of the last Friendship Games. I will not stand for that. Crystal Prep's reputation has taken a significant hit, and I will stop at nothing to restore it. And this tournament is the perfect opportunity to restore it. I want you to enter the tournament and CRUSH Burst Stream."

"I'll enter the tournament. But I won't face Burst Stream. If you want to take him down so bad, do it yourself if your precious reputation. Red Dragon Archfiend and I are entering the tournament of my own accord. There's nothing you can say or do to make me fight him.", Ice said as he left her office.

"Perhaps I shall take his words to heart.", Cinch said as she opened a drawer with her duel disk inside.

Duel 8: Rainbow vs Sunset

" The next duel is Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash.", Luna announced.

"Looks like our girlfriends are dueling next.", Steel said as he heard the announcement. "So who do you think's gonna come out on top?"

"Really? You're going there?", Gold deadpanned.

"Just a joke dude! No need for a death-glare."

Rainbow Dash: 8000
Sunset: 8000

"I got the first move! I'll set a card face-down and summon Sapphire Pegasus! Now I can send one Crystal Beast from my hand, deck or graveyard to my spell and trap card zone face-up! That's it for my turn. Your move Sunset!"

" I draw! I special summon Guardian Eatos since there's no monsters in my graveyard! I'll attack Sapphire Pegasus!"

"Sorry, but I activate my trap card! Rainbow Path! I can send one Crystal Beast from my spell and trap card zone to the graveyard to negate the attack and add one Rainbow Dragon or Rainbow Dark Dragon from my deck to my hand!"

"I'll set a card and end my turn."

"My turn! Wow. Didn't expect to pull this card yet! I play Harmonic Fusion! I'll fuse the Rainbow Dragon in my hand with the Rainbow Dark Dragon in my deck to summon Rainbow Ascension Dragon! Now I'll use his effect! I can return Rainbow Dragon to my deck to shuffle all other cards on the field back into their decks! Attack her directly! Ultimate Spectral Surge!" Sunset braced herself as a beam of rainbow-colored light hit her directly! "That's all for my turn."

Rainbow Dash: 8000
Sunset: 4000

"You've shown me your best, so I'll show you mine! I play my own Harmonic Fusion! I'll fuse Eatos, BLS, and Stardust Dragon to summon Stardust Luster Guardian-Eatos! Now that she's on the field, I'll activate her effect! I can banish one monster my opponent controls until the end phase! Celestial Banishing! Now attack her directly! Cosmic Flare Slash!" Eatos's sword was soon enveloped in cosmic flame, and she charged at Rainbow striking her directly! "I'll set a card and end my turn. Now your monster comes back."

Rainbow Dash: 4500
Sunset: 4000

"Looks like we're not holding anything back now!", Rainbow said with a grin. "Now to use Rainbow Ascension's other effect! I'll return Rainbow Dark Dragon to my deck to double his attack points! However, he can't deal any battle damage from this effect."

"I activate my trap card! Magic Cylinder! This stops your attack and deals your monster's attack points as damage!" Rainbow Dash was nearly blown back from the force of her own attack!

"Good duel Sunset! You think our boyfriends were betting on which one of us would win",She said as she gave Sunset a high-five for winning the duel.

"Gold? No. Steel? Probably.", Sunset said with a smile as she and Rainbow went to join Gold and Steel back in the stands.

Duel 19: Inferno vs Flash

"Time to see how your E-Heroes do against my dragons!", Inferno boasted.

"Bring it on!", Flash said.

Inferno: 8000
Flash: 8000

"I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in attack mode! Then I'll set a card face-down and end my turn."

"I draw! I play Red Eyes Fusion! I send Red Eyes Black Dragon and Summoned Skull to the graveyard to fusion summon Archfiend Black Skull Dragon! Now I'll normal summon Red Eyes Black Chick and banish him to special summon REDMD! Now I'll use his special ability to special summon Red Eyes Black Dragon! I'll then play Inferno Fire Blast to deal Red Eyes Black Dragon's attack as damage! Now I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down card! REDMD destroys Wildheart while Archfiend attacks you directly! I'll hold off on activating his effect , set a card, and end my turn."

Inferno: 8000
Flash: 1100

"Didn't expect to get burned that much on my first turn. I play Swords of Revealing Light! Then I'll play A Hero Lives to special summon Avian from my deck by paying half my life points! Now I'll summon Sparkman and play Fusion Tag! I'll reveal Shining Flare Wingman and target Avian! Now his name counts as Flame Wingman! Now I play Fusion Substitute to fuse my two heroes to fusion summon Shining Flare Wingman! I also play R-Righteous Justice to destroy your face-down since I control one Elemental Hero! Destroy REDMD! Shining Skydive Scorcher!" Inferno braced himself as Shining Flare Wingman dive-bombed into REDMD! "And since he destroyed your monster by battle, you take its' attack points as damage! I end my turn."

Inferno: 4600
Flash: 550

"Not bad Flash. But the duel's not over until the last card is drawn! And I'm just getting fired up! I'll switch my monsters into defense mode and end my turn."

"My move then! I'll attack Archfiend Black Skull Dragon! Shining Skydive Scorcher! And once again, you take Archfiend's attack points as damage! I end my turn."

Inferno: 1400
Flash: 550

"Time to end this with a blaze of glory! I activate Harmony Absolute! I tribute my Red Eyes from my field to summon Red Eyes Absolute Dragon! Now that he's on the field, he gains 300 attack for each monster in my graveyard! Last time I checked, there were five including the Red Eyes I tributed! This brings him to 5500! Attack Shining Flare Wingman! Absolute Inferno Fire Blast!"

"Time for a fiery finish!", Red Eyes said as he fired a rainbow-colored blast of flame that wiped out Shining Flare Wingman and the last of Flash's life points!

"You do know you could have had a one-turn-kill on your first turn right?", Flash asked.

"Please. Where's the fun in ending a duel in just one turn?", Inferno replied.

"Good luck against Ace in the finals."

"Thanks. Something tells me it's going to be one of the best matches of the tournament!"

Epilogue

Everyone was having a pretty good time at the celebration of Inferno winning the tournament and the epic duel he and Burst put on! Ace and Shadow meanwhile, were meeting with Ice while their girlfriends were chatting.

"I've been waiting to say these words for a long time. Welcome back home Ice."

"Thanks. It's nice you know? Having a family again."

"Take it from the guy who was hidden from you when Dark Mist forcibly bonded to you. I know what that feels like.", Shadow added.

"I take it you're all getting along?", Burst asked.

"Pretty well. Like I'm waking up from a really long, bad dream.", Ice said with a smile "As much as I'd like to stay for a while longer, I'll say bye to Zap and my bros and I'll be headed home." True to his word, Ice and his brothers said goodbye to their girlfriends and left for home. As they left, Burst had a smile on his face.

"Looks like we've helped another ex-villain find a better path." Moon and Celestia held him close at hearing this.

"Yeah. I can relate to that.", Sunset said. Starlight gave a knowing smile.

"So can my Dad.", Gold said. The group then reflected on the friends they had made out of former enemies.

"Speaking of home, I think we should all head to ours.", Burst said breaking the silence.

"Burst. Can your bed hold three people?", Moon asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because she told me how good of a pillow you make and how cute you look while sleeping.", Celestia said with a smile.

"Something tells me I'm gonna be having plenty of sweet dreams with you two around for the night."

Meanwhile with Ace, Shadow, and Ice....

"Are you guys sure about this?", Ice asked. "I don't know how they'll react..."

"Ice. They'll understand.", Ace said with a small smile as he opened the door. "Hi Mom and Dad! Guess who came back home?" Their parents were shocked to see Dark Ice standing with them. Their Mom approached Ice with caution, but was caught off-guard when Ice pulled her into a hug with tears falling down his face.

"I-it's good to be back home.", Ice sobbed as he held onto his Mom tightly.

".......Welcome home...Son.", she said tearing up at having her last son back home.