Confrontation of The Emerald Witch

Chapters

Tragedy of the Emerald Witch
Altercation of the Emerald Witch
Escalation of the Emerald Witch
Corruption of the Emerald Witch
Immortal Class of The Emerald Witch
Downfall of the Emerald Witch
A Farewell to Wallflower Blush

Tragedy of the Emerald Witch

One month ago

The brilliant sun was setting on yet another day at Canterlot High. Slowly, the warm sun slipped behind the horizon as the pale moon rises above the quiet and barren school grounds. As quiet as it was, however, one sound breaks this serene silence. Seated at the base of the pedestal of the bridge between worlds was a young girl curled into a small ball; her long, emerald green hair drooping over her hanging head as she silently sobs into her arms. Lifting her head, she wipes her soaked eyes and dripping nose with her drenched, tan sleeves as she shivers. Much of her exterior, from her light green skin down to her damaged blue jeans, was covered in soot, debris, and small scratches. Most prominent of all was the ruined Duel Disk that dangled precariously from her left arm. The once sturdy metal blade of the contraption was all but battered and dented to no end as the shattered screen display flickered weakly. Scattered around the shaken youth was a mess of torn cards and broken glass from the aforementioned screen. Sniffling, the girl rises to her feet and begins to shuffle away down a beaten dirt path.

"Why is it always the same...." the teary eyed girl thought to herself.

Silently, she continued down the path through the dense forest. Feeling the dead weight of her destroyed disk, she unhinged what was left of the strap and let the crumpled pile of scrap fall to the dirt as she continued hobbling through the trees and bushes ahead. Wandering through the forest, she lets her mind wander as she looks back at the events that transpired just an hour ago.

Falling onto her back with a violent thud, the young girl let out a wheeze of pain as the counter on her disk rapidly dropped down to zero. As she lay there, defeated and shaken by the effects of the duel, the shadowy figure of her opponent approaches her.

"Is that all? i expected more from you. Especially after all that boasting you did earlier, erm... whoever you are." the figure said, in a mocking and toxic tone.

"Wallflower..... Blush..." the young girl wheezed as she tried to prop herself up, only to be push back down into the dirt by the large, leather boot of her opponent.

" Yeah, yeah whatever."the figure snorted. " Not like it matters to me. I'd never remember the name of a loser like you!"

With one boot planted squarely into Wallflowers chest, the figure delivered a quick and heavy stomp onto Wallflowers scrapped Duel Disk. A sharp crack is heard as the blade bends and shakes violently. After a series of successive stomps to her disk, one last kick is swiftly delivered to Wallflowers side that has her let out a small, pained yelp as she holds her side.

" You got really lucky today kid. Next time, I might break more than your disk."

Removing their boot from Wallflowers chest, the figure hacks and spits into her face and stomps away; leaving Wallflower in a crumpled heap of pain, scrap, and tears.

Wallflower slowly rises to her feet and begins to pick up the scattered piles of cards that flung from her Duel Disk. Despite her best efforts, a brisk breeze suddenly began to blow and the remaining cards began to fly away on the breeze. Horrified, she begins to chase the scattered cards past the remains of the pedestal at the entrance of the school. It wasn't until the winds took a sharp turn upwards and carried her cards beyond her reach that Wallflower began to slow down; eventually stopping in front of the marble pedestal.

"No...why...." she whispers as she collapses to her knees.

Tears now streaming down her cheeks, Wallflower stares at the few cards she managed to save. A long, bitter stare is given, until her hopeless expression contorts into one of rage as she begins to rip all of her cards in a fit of anger and melancholy.

"Why did I say all of that?

"Why was I so stupid?!

"WHY?!"

Wiping away the pool of tears that had formed in her eyes, Wallflower parts through a thick bush and steps into a small clearing. While most of the forest was shrouded in darkness due to the canopy of the trees, this clearing was illuminated brightly by the moonlight; thanks to the wide opening that parted above the treetops. In the center was a set of three short stone pillars that were lined in a triangular formation and covered in a thick layer of moss and vines. Letting out a small sigh, Wallflower wanders into the center of the rocky formations and kneels down. Reaching down into her striped sweater, she pulls out a rope that was tied around her neck. Tied to the bottom was a small, oval shaped stone with a smooth finish. Most peculiar of all was the strange carvings embedded into it; an eye with three small, inverted chevrons atop it, two whip-like carvings at the base of the stone, and a single, unnerving eye carved directly in the middle.

" What was i thinking.... The one day i no longer wanted to be invisible, and i get pummeled for it." she whispers. "At least i can make it so that this day never happened."

Kneeling in the center, Wallflower holds the strange artifact close to her chest as a loud, deep groan is heard. A bright, blinding cerulean ring of light suddenly forms at her knees as a pillar of light bathes her and the surrounding clearing. As the light slowly pulsated, Wallflower seethed slightly with discomfort. Suddenly, a long, green strip of light emerged from her forehead that resembled that of a reel of film. The "reel" flowed around precariously before being absorbed by the stone clenched tightly in her hand. Out of seemingly nowhere, more of these strange "reels" slithered in the air from the forest, each varying in color and length. They too floated around Wallflower, before the artifact swallowed them through its glowing eye as well. Once all of the "reels" were pulled in by the stone, the pillar of light dissipates, along with the ghostly aura that had surrounded the artifact. Dazed, Wallflower softly shakes her head before looking around. Clenching her forehead, she stands up again and surveys the clearing.

" Ugh... what am i doing he- oh..." she begins before she realizes what she has in her hands.

Eyeing the artifact, her torn clothes, and feeling the dampness of her cheeks, Wallflower sighs as a somber expression appears on her face. The realization of why she was here struck her almost as hard as what her opponent did to her, and it only served to reinforce the action she had just performed. Returning the stone back into her striped sweater, Wallflower parts through the thick bushes and begins her walk back to the school grounds. Throughout the walk, she clenches her side, curious as to what could have caused her such discomfort. Try as she might, the answer never came to her, even after leaving the forest. Nearing the sidewalk, she took one last look back at the front of the school and simply stared for what seemed like an eternity, before continuing down the street and disappearing into the night.

One week ago

It was just another day at CHS as always. Students chattering in the halls about most things that youth speak of these days; vanity, gossip, idle glances, and the occasional scuffle that broke out between friends and rivals alike. She had seen it all. Wallflower strolled down the hall and past all of the students, giving the occasional glance at some of the students, but never anymore attention than what was necessary. Likewise, the majority of the student body never batted an eye in her direction. She was used to it now, in a rather begrudging manner. Reaching one of the classroom doors, Wallflower entered the room and tossed her backpack aside. The room was relatively small, with a long rectangular table placed in the center of the room. Sprawled around the room was many cabinets, tables with computers, cork pin boards with various photographs, and a wide chalkboard with the words " Yearbook Committee " scribbled in the upper left-hand corner.

Wallflower lumbers towards one of the seats at the far corner of the room and plops down in the dark. She never bothered to turn on the lights anyways. Tacked on an cork pin board above her computer was various photos of the seven young heroes of the school, affectionately named " The Rainbooms." From the Fall Formal, to the Battle of the Bands, to the events of the Friendship Games and even Camp Everfree, these girls have been present and have saved the world numerous times. With the yearbook right around the corner, it was no surprise to anyone that they would win the "Best Friends" superlative. Wallflower shot a bitter look at the photos. While she had no real qualms with the other six girls, there was one of them that crawled under her skin.

"Sunset Shimmer." she growled under her breath as she tore the picture of the fiery haired girl off of the pins. " You think you have everyone fooled, don't you? Of course you wouldn't notice me...why would you? You haven't changed at all, yet everyone here just loves and accepts you, don't they? Well, that changes today!"

An evil and foreboding smile creeps along her face as she crumples the picture and tosses it into the nearby trashcan. Just like she did nearly a month ago, Wallflower reaches into her sweater and pulls out the same artifact she used on that fateful day. Rising from her seat, she walks over to her lime colored backpack and pulls out a Duel Disk; this one having a more rose-like appearance with many sharp petals surrounding a glass screen. Holstering it onto her left arm, she ejects the deck from the disks deck slot and quickly shuffles through it until she finds the card that she needs.

"The Memory Stone..." she thinks to herself. "It's been so long since that day i found it in my garden. Normally, I'd need my garden for this, but with all that I've learned and with the help of my new deck, I can do this anywhere."

Holding the card to the eye of the Memory Stone, a dim beam of cerulean light shot out from the main eye of the stone and engulfed the card in a radiant aura. A sudden flash of white dazzled the room as a bone-chilling chuckle could be heard reverberating around the room; the sound of the evil laugh emanating from the very card in Wallflowers hand. She gently taps the eye of the stone and the aura of light around her held card slowly fades away. Sliding the card back into her deck, she hides the Memory Stone back into her sweater.

"Still, this isn't my garden. The effects may take some time to take hold, and even longer for them to become permanent. However, there's no way Miss Bacon Hair and her band of friends can stop this. I'll make all of your friends think of you the same way you think of me; which is not at all!"

Wallflowers mental rant was swiftly cut off by the sounds of singing down the hall. In a panic, she quickly tossed her Duel Disk into her backpack and flipped on the switch. Thankfully, she had finished her work on the yearbook superlatives, not that she'd notice anyways. She continued her work on other tasks as Sunset Shimmer and the rest of her friends walked into the room. Singing, dancing, and other types of things you'd normally see in a movie were commonplace at CHS, much to Wallflowers chagrin. Rolling her eyes, she begins to move some stacks of papers and the old yearbook. That is, until a certain "bacon hair" girl waltzes right into her and they both come crashing down.

Author's Note

And here we go! Prologue to the eventual duel between Sunny and Wall. A retelling, of course, and a way to familiarize myself with FimFiction after all this time. If my writing style seems odd and a bit confusing, i do apologize. Its a habit i need to break out off, honestly. Anyways, eyes peeled for the next chapter! :pinkiehappy:

Altercation of the Emerald Witch

Present Day

Confusion. Deceit. Repression. Canterlot High has suffered from these events for nearly a week. Memories lost, friendships shattered, and numerous injuries caused by some outside force during the CHS Cup; Sunset Shimmer was fully aware of who was behind the chaos. The Rainbooms, the very girls she considered her friends and family, had all but forgotten about her. Time after time and duel after duel, all of the memories, trials and tribulations that they had experienced had suddenly been wiped from their minds.

"I know now... I remember...Hold on girls..." Sunset whispers as she sprints down the silent halls of the empty school. "The Emerald Witch."

The Emerald Witch; one of the many participants of the duelist Cup that took place just a few days ago. No one knows who they are nor where they came from. The day they dueled their first opponent was the day the mystery began. Despite the quiet disposition of the Emerald Witch, there was an air of hatred and cruelty that hung over their head. Every duel they won resulted in their opponent being severely injured and with no memory of the duel or who they battled.

That day, that fateful day that Sunset found herself on the shores of the beach; shunned by her friends and hated by her peers yet again. If it wasn't for the guidance of Princess Twilight and the unlikely aid of Trixie, the memories of all of her friends and the memories of everyone at CHS would be lost forever. Of all of the students who were affected by the magic of the Memory Stone, it was Trixie of all students who would help Sunset. Fending off students, investigating the students and teachers, and even helping reveal the identity of the Emerald Witch, Trixie had truly helped Sunset through it all and had sacrificed her freedom from the locked Yearbook Committee room to allow Sunset to confront the Emerald Witch.

" Thank you, Trixie. I won't forget this, i promise. I'll stop this madness once and for all!"

Bursting through the backdoor of the High School, Sunset finds herself running into the faculty lot. As she runs across the lot towards the woods in the back, her near full sprint slows to an awkward crawl as she can feel the stinging, angered glare from her six friends. Even when lowering her gaze, she can feel the spiteful gaze from Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the annoyed looks from Rarity and Twilight, and the cowering gaze from the downtrodden Fluttershy. Even Pinkie Pie, a party loving goof and a girl who usually had a wide grin on her face, gave a stern gaze as Sunset shuffled past them. Many soft whispers were heard from the girls as Sunset wandered past; most of which were some profane remarks from Rainbow and Applejack.

" Hold on girls. I'll fix this." Sunset thinks as she looks back before parting through the bushes and wandering into the dense foliage.

Cutting through the dense bushes and low hanging branches, Sunset follows a beaten dirt path and a pair of footprints along it. She remained thankful, even to this day, that her magical geode allowed her to see into the minds of whoever she made contact with. With the help of Trixie, Sunset managed to narrow down the list of suspects down to the most inconspicuous student at CHS. Even now, as she tears through the foliage to the hidden clearing, all Sunset could do was repeat the name of the true name of the Emerald Witch. The more she repeated the name of the one behind it all, the more her blood boiled at what they had done. Through her enraged eyes, she saw the clearing ahead and a shadowy figure walking away from them. Parting through the dense bushes and stomping into the garden, Sunset stands behind the figure as she yells the name of the Emerald Witch.

"Wallflower Blush!"

Startled, Wallflower turns around to face Sunset. Draped over her body was a long, dark cloak with hood over her now spiked and flowing green hair. All but her left side was covertly covered in her tattered cloak. Attached to her left arm was a large custom Duel Disk in the form of a blooming, red rose. Whatever expression she may have had when Sunset spoke her name was all but hidden by a prominent porcelain mask that covered her normally calm and freckled face. The mask was completely blank of any and all expressions and detail, save for the small marks underneath the eyes.

" What?! How do you-" she says in a panicked tone.

" I remember everything. The events at the Cup, what happened today, how I treated you. Everything." she replys.

" What?! How?! I erased the whole afternoon!"

" What?!" A voice rang behind them

Parting through the bushes came the rest of the Rainbooms behind Twilight. Hoisted on Applejacks back was Rarity and Pinkie, with Rainbow and Fluttershy following close behind. After reaching the clearing, Applejack shrugs off the two girls as she rubs her shoulders.

" For petes sake Rarity, I dunno why I had to lift ya up just to get through this here forest." the southern gal says, tipping her wide brimmed hat.

" Well now, I'm not about to go gallivanting through these dirty woods while wearing my new outfit now am I?" she replys indignantly.

" Oooo! That was fun! Can we do it again?!" the pink haired girl says hopping up and down giddily. The rest of the girls simply give a sigh or and eye roll at the eccentric girls request.

"Girls...what are you doing here?" Sunset says.

" We saw you coming in here and thought you were up to something. So, we figured we'd see what you're up to!" Rainbow says rather bluntly.

" It was mostly Rainbows idea, but yes. Sunset, what did she mean by erasing the whole afternoon?" Twilight asks.

"ENOUGH!"

Before Sunset could get a chance to respond, Wallflower raises her left arm as a row of five, sharp petals extend from her disk. The center screen roars to life as a deep groan is heard throughout the clearing. Suddenly, a deep teal barrier expands from the center of the triangle rock formation and violently pushes out the rest of the Rainbooms. As the rest of the girls recover from the impact, Sunset turns to face Wallflower, who has now removed her mask and lowered her hood.

" I've had enough of you, Sunset Shimmer! All you've done is fool everyone into thinking that you've changed. That because of your 'friends' help, you've suddenly changed. Nothing's changed! You were popular and loved by everyone, and now you can feel what it's like to be me!"

" Wallflower, please! You don't understand. I used to be just like you. Sure, I was popular, but I was lonely. It was thanks to Twilight that I've changed. I've seen what the magic of friendship can do. Please, let me help yo-"

"SHUT UP!!!' Wallflower screams with a rage that seemed to shake even the trees." I've had enough of this. God, what did I ever see in you? Clearly, nothing i seem to do works! If erasing your memories and your friends memories wasn't enough, then what if I erased all of their memories of high school?"

Sunset steps back in terror. She was fully aware of the power of the Memory Stone ever since she returned to Equestria to learn more about the magic affecting her friends. The memories her friends held dear; the very memories that united them would be destroyed by the effects of dark magic held by an unstable, lonely girl.

" No! You can't!" Sunset yells in a panic. " You'd be erasing all of their memories of each other!"

" And what do you intend to do about it?!"

There was only one way Sunset knew how to confront the mad Witch. Even during her reign of terror before the Fall Formal, Sunset was considered to be the best duelist in all of CHS. Had it not been for the CHS Cup being cancelled due to the actions Wallflower took, she would have dueled her much earlier in the finals. Raising her left arm as well, she unfolds her mini duel pad and slides her deck into the pads slot. The set of cards Wallflower had hidden deep in her deck was the cause of all this chaos. If anything could stop Wallflowers cards, it would be Sunset.

" I've ruined their friendship before and I'm not about to let it happen again! If defeating you is what will end this madness, then I'll stop you here and now!"

" We'll see about that!" Wallflower declares as she places the mask back onto her face and pulls her hood back up.

Both of the girls quickly draw five cards from their respective deck trays as the screens on both of their Duel Disk emit a series of beeps and whirs. Displayed on both screens in the right-hand corner labeled "Life Points" was the number "4000." A monotone, robotic, female voice blared from both disks as well; saying the words "Duel, Start!" as both Life Point displays were projected as holograms in front of the two girls.

"DUEL!"

" I'll take the first turn. I draw!" the Emerald Witch declares as she draws her card. After intently eyeing her drawn card, she places it along with the rest of her starting hand as she reaches for another card.

" I'll start by summoning my Evil Thorn in attack position!" she declares as she places a card onto one of the extended petals of her disk. Bursting from the ground came a sickly green weed that twisted and bent itself to one side. The tiny pink and wilted flower that dangled at its side paled in comparison to the gigantic barbed seed that weighed it down. It stood before Wallflower with a pitiful 100 attack points.

" What? I don't get it? Why'd she summon such a weak monster in attack?" The rainbow haired teen asked in confusion.

" I activate my Evil Thorns effect! By sending it to my Graveyard, I can summon two more from my deck!" Wallflower continues as she summons two more copies of Evil Thorn from her deck. The two copies spurt out right next to the first copy as the original suddenly begins to twitch violently. " Furthermore, when my Thorn is sent to the Grave via this effect, I can inflict 300 points of damage to you! Go, Thorn Salvo!"

The first Evil Thorn suddenly detonates its giant seed as it sends a hail of barbs towards Sunset. Sunset braces herself as she raises her arms in front of her face. Then it hit her; a series of absurdly painful stings lining her arms that make her howl in pain as she fell back. The stinging was unbearable, as if several small knives had been flung into her arms. As she writes in pain, the life point counter whirs as Sunsets life points drop to 3700.

" Sweet Celestia, this hurts!" Sunset thinks as she painfully begins to yank out the barbs from her arms. A trickle of blood slowly seeped out from the newly formed puncture wounds on her arms. " She must have done something to make the damage real, just like she did before during the Cup. I can't be too careless in this duel. Not when so much is at stake!"

" Oh my.... Sunset.. are you-" Fluttershy whispers, but to no avail. Her gentle voice trailing off as Sunset rises to her feet.

" What in tarnation?!" Applejack exclaims. " So that there Wallflower is also behind all them injuries too?"

" And she managed to damage her on the first turn..." Rarity mutters.

" However, I can't use my Evil Thorns effects again until my next turn." Wallflower says.

" If that's all she has on her field, then I have a chance to counter attack. Her Thorns are weak and will fall easily." Sunset thinks as she stares at Wallflowers monsters.

" But, don"t think that you'll get the upper hand on me yet! Next, I'll activate my Spell, Closed Plant Gate! Since I control two plant monsters with the same name, this will prevent you from attacking until your next turn."

Sprouting from the ground came a long pair of translucent vines that encompassed both of Wallflowers monsters. Once the Thorns were fully surrounded by the vines, a radiant green barrier encloses both of them. Sunset seethes angrily as her plan was suddenly foiled by Wallflowers move.

"I'll set two cards and end my turn." Wallflowers says as she slaps two cards down onto her disk.

" Looks like It's my move then. I draw!" Sunset says as she draws from her disk. She eyes her hand as she wonders what to do.

" Well... with this hand, I can summon..no!" Sunset thinks as she shakes her head. " How can I say that I've changed if my past keeps up with me. No, I can do better. If Wallflower can burn me, I can do worse." Once her train of thought expires, Sunset reaches for a card in her hand and holds it up. "I activate my Spell, Extra Fusion! With this, I can Fusion Summon a fusion monster by sending monsters from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard!

" Incredible... she can Fusion Summon without wasting any resources from her hand." Twilight says as she stares in awe." But when did she add that card to her deck?"

" Now i'll send my Vermilion Dragon Mech and my Infernal Flame Vixen to the Graveyard!

Sunset reaches into her leather jacket and pulls out two cards. A massive, multi colored whirlpool suddenly appears above her as she tosses her two cards into it. As the cards swirl to the center, a ghostly image slowly fades into existence as a sudden blast of intense heat engulfs the clearing. The rest of the girls cover their eyes as a blinding light suddenly shines from the ever fading vortex. Peeking through their fingers , the Rainbooms saw a shadowy figure that was gigantic in size and dwarfed the clearing. Sunset stands tall as she raises her left hand skyward with a card placed in her fingers.

" Fusion Summon!" Sunset yells. " Descend! Level 8! Blaze Fenix, The Burning Bombardment Bird!"

The luminous whirlpool fades as the giant shadow becomes more visible as it descends from the sky. The monster was that of the torso of a metallic suit of armor with a pair of wide, wing-like appendages floating behind it. The entirety of its body was made up of a blazing fire that gave the monster a more avian appearance. Immense strands of fire that made up its "tail feathers' flowed behind it as it gave a metallic screech from its bird-shaped head. The intense heat only raged on as it lowered itself and its titanic 2800 attack points near Sunset.

" Woah... now that's a big birdie!" Pinkie said as she wiped the beads of sweat that had begun to flow from her brow.

" Man, that thing is gonna burn me to a crisp if it sticks around for too long." Rainbow sputters as she fans herself with her hand.

The rest of the Rainbooms could sympathize as they too suffered from the tremendous heat generated from the gigantic phoenix. Some, like Rarity and Applejack had the luxury of fanning themselves, be it with a wide-brimmed hat or a small fan. Others. like Twilight and the rest had to steer clear of the intense heat and fan themselves with just their hand or nothing in particular. The only ones who didn't mind the heat were Sunset and Wallflower. Sunset had grown up with a fascination of flames, ever since she was just a little filly back home in Equestria. The warmth of the flames reminded her of the fireplace she once slept in front of back home. Even now in the human world, most days of extreme heat were merely a light breeze to her. Wallflower, on the other hand, remained nearly unaffected by the heat. Most of the heat was centralized over by Sunset and the breeze to her back helped with keeping the heat at bay.

" What good will summoning that thing do? You can't attack me due to my Closed Plant Gate! Wallflower yells as she points indignantly at Sunsets new monster.

" I don't intend on attacking you, Wallflower." Sunset replys with a bitter look. " You made a grave mistake when you decided to strike me with your Evil Thorns, because I too can burn away your Life Points. Literally. I activate my Blaze Fenixs effect! Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can burn away 300 of your life points for every card on the field.

" What?!" Wallflower exclaims as she steps back nervously.

" An' with five cards out on the field..." Applejack mutters intently.

" That's 1500 points of damage!" Twilight gasps.

" Go! Giant Phoenix, Air Raid!" Sunset yells as she motions to her monster.

Sunsets monster lets our another screech as its spreads its molten wings and takes to the skies. It soars high up into the fray as it turns its torso downward towards Wallflower. Two large panels open up on its chest as a hail of fiery bombs embraced by even smaller, avian shaped flames rain down upon Wallflower. Despite her best efforts to run and steer clear of the blast, Wallflower was launched into the air as the explosion rocks the clearing. She violently crashes and tumbles onto her back as the rest of the girls take cover behind the surrounding trees and underbrush. Sunset stands unflinching as she hold her left arm in front of her face. A thick black smoke engulfs the clearing as the rest of the girls emerge from whatever cover they had taken. As the smoke begins to clear out, Wallflower groans in pain as she shambles to her feet. Turning back towards Sunset, she staggers back to her original position. A gasp is heard from one of the girls as they can see a long stream of blood trickle from a fracture above the left eye of her mask.

" Not... bad..." Wallflower squeaks as she wipes away the trickle of blood that trailed down the masks eye.

" Celestia... unless I can end this quickly, one of us is gonna die from this duel!" Sunset thinks to herself, still rubbing the wounds that lined her arms. " Thankfully, my Fenix should be able to end this duel long before... before it comes to that."

" I'll set two cards as well and end my turn." Sunset says aloud as she slides two cards into her duel pad.

Wallflower reaches to draw their card before stopping for a moment. The pain that was eating away at her face had subsided for the most part, but the throbbing continued to leave her somewhat stunned. Shaking her head, she draws her card before holding her head as the throbbing intensified.

' I.. draw!" Wallflower mutters.

" Wallflower, please. Just stop. You don't have to do this. No one else has to get hurt." Sunset worriedly says. Wallflower lowers her hand and ignores Sunset as she reaches for a card in her hand.

" I activate my Spell, Seed of Deception. This allows me to summon a level two or lower monster from my hand. I'll summon my level one Tuner monster, Glow-Up Bulb!

A large hologram of Wallflowers spell appears in front of her and it spits out a hefty seed. Once planted, the seed sprouts into a wide white and green flower. The flower suddenly uproots itself to reveal the underside of the flowers; revealing a single, beady eye at the base of the roots. It was once again another monster with a meandering 100 attack points.

" She's really going all in on the low attack point monsters, isn't she?" Rainbow says confused. " Why is she doing all of this?"

" Can't ya see what's goin' on? She just summoned a Tuner! " Applejack replys annoyed. " That means she can do a Synchro Summon."

" Next, I summon my Bird of Roses!"

Loud squawking began to reverberate through the trees. In a flash, a stocky green bird flew in through the trees and perched itself onto Wallflowers shoulder. Its thick body was leaf-like in appearance and it had long, whip-like wings that were segmented in a style not unlike a fern. Blooming on its head and in the tips of its wings were bulbous, crimson roses that swayed in the breeze. Unlike the rest of her monsters, the rose topped bird had a bulkier 1800 attack.

" Another monster... and a tuner..." Sunset wonders as she scans the field. She was well aware of what was coming ahead.

" I tune my level one Glow-Up Bulb with my level four Bird of Roses and my two level one Evil Thorns!"

The hefty bulb hops up into the air as the flowery monsters body becomes completely translucent, save for the neon green outline that now enveloped it. In a flash of light, the outline of Glow-Up Bulb scatters into a large, luminous, neon green ring that rotates rapidly. The Bird of Roses flaps its wings and picks up both of Wallflowers Evil Thorns with its talons as it carries them through the neon ring. Once through the ring, the bulky bird and the two thorns shatter into a series of six bright, white orbs that resembled twinkling stars. A column of light blasts through the ring as it expands. Wallflower then raises her hands upward in a beckoning motion as she begins to chant.

" Draconic deity with beautiful wings, scorch this world with your raging blue flames, and bloom into a new world of endless suffering! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level seven! Bloom in existence, Black Rose Dragon! "

The pillar of light scatters into shards of light and in its place was a gigantic crimson bulb, not unlike the ones that were present on Bird of Roses. Suddenly, two massive, wing-like appendages unfold from the bulb as a multitude of barbed vines extend and violently whip around. The wings had a similar appearance to that of Wallflowers Duel Disk, down to the dark grey that outlines the edges of the petals. The rest of the bud blooms as a long, slender dragon head rises from the center of the rose. Much of the creatures neck was segmented in a gloss, dark grey as more petals shook on its beady head. Three long extensions of rose petals flowed in the ensuing strong gale that came in this beasts wake. The dragon opened its sharp golden eyes and let out a deep, abnormal roar that rumbled throughout the trees. Its horrible howl caused a great discomfort to Sunset, and it even forced the Rainbooms to cover their ears and brace themselves from the shock wave it caused. The dragon nestles itself next to Wallflower as a hologram reveals its 2400 attack.

" What is this monster?"

Sunset says with wonder and sadness. " It looks... sad. Lonely. Its cry is... mournful.

" This is it Sunset. This is where it all begins. I'm tired of it all; solitude, abuse, neglect. With my dragon and the power of the Memory Stone, I'll make sure that you lose everything you know and love." Wallflower says bitterly as she places a hand onto her monsters petal. The dragon bows its head as it gently nuzzles her side.

Something about this monster rubbed Blaze Fenix the wrong way. Sunsets monster let out a threatening shrill roar that made the rose dragon raise its head and roar right back at it. Both of the titanic creatures took a standoffish position in front of their owners as they gave each other a series of roars and growls. Sunset remained startled at her own monster. Somehow, it had gained a mind of its own and was ready and willing to throw down with Wallflowers new behemoth. The rest of the girls stare at the ever-growing events of this duel and the strange occurrences that had transpired. Something told them that this duel had just changed into something far beyond their control. Whatever would happen next would all be on Sunset, and she knew this well. The true battle has just begun...

Author's Note

And with that, the duel begins! Quite a bit of exposition but don't worry, from here on out, it will be purely duel centric. Stay tuned for the next chapter my friends :twilightsmile:

Escalation of the Emerald Witch

The raging heat swirled throughout the violent gale that ensued in the wake of the Emerald Witch's monster blooming onto the field. The howls and shrieks from both behemoths thunders throughout forest as Sunset scowls at her opponent. Something about this new dragon gave Sunset a feeling of dread and sadness, and a feeling of hatred as well. Its mournful cry subsides as Wallflower motions to her monster.

" I've waited so long for this moment. The day I finally make you feel the way I do. As much as I want to bury you and your monster, I'll bide my time. I end my turn." Wallflower bitterly says.

" What?!" Rainbow exclaims as she throws her hands up. " She's just gonna summon that pretty awesome looking dragon and just end her turn. Just like that?"

" Now darling, it should be obvious that Wallflower is planning something. Her monster is still weaker than Sunsets." Rarity replys.

Sunset took notice of her friends words, and they were right. What could she be planning? Blaze Fenix was still stronger by 400 points. Even if Sunset didn't attack due to Blaze Fenix effect restriction, the burn damage would eventually end the duel regardless. Then there was the three face-downs that lay dormant by Wallflowers feet; the two that had Sunset worried throughout the duel and the one she had just set. The Memory Stone had created a set of three cards that were responsible for all the injuries and memory wipes during the CHS Cup and yet, they haven't made their appearance in the duel since the beginning.

" Why hasn't she used those cards yet?" Sunset wondered as she stared at the set cards. " If she really wanted to end this, wouldn't she use those cards as soon as possible? Something isn't right here... "

Nevertheless, Sunset brushes off her worries for the time being and draws her card at the start of her turn. She continues to stare at the face-down cards presented to her as she begins to weight her options.

" She summoned her dragon and made no attempt to destroy my Fenix. All she did was set a card and pass... which means she must want me to attack! But why set up such an obvious trap? Even with her trap, I can still use my Blaze Fenixs effect. With only 2500 Life Points left, I can end this duel here and now!"

" I'll start by setting two more cards! Next, I activate my Blaze Fenixs effect once again! Now by forfeiting my Battle Phase, I can burn you once again!" Sunset declares as she motions toward her monster.

" That's 2700 points of damage." Fluttershy gasps.

" That's more than enough to finish off Wallflower!" Twilight replys.

" And it'll be another big blast too!" Pinkie exclaims a she dives behind Applejack. " Hit the dirt girls!"

Sunsets monster begins to rise into the air; primed and ready to burn the last 2500 of Wallflowers life points. As the beast rose into the air, a brilliant flash of light suddenly engulfed the arena; blinding Sunset and the rest of her friends. In front of Wallflower was one of her now raised set cards, now face-up and shining in a blinding white aura. Covering her eyes, Sunset feels a sharp pain arise from her forehead, before the brilliant light finally subsides. Whatever the card was remained unknown to her as Wallflower pitches it to her Graveyard. The rest of the Rainbooms recover from the light as they too remain oblivious to what had happened.

" What... was that?" Applejack mutters as they raise their stetson from their face.

" What was that light?" Rarity squeaks as she lowers her fan.

" Woah... freeeeaky! Hey! Look at Sunsets big birdie thing!" Pinkie says as she points to the blazing avian.

The rest of the girls turned to see what the bubbly pink girl had seen. Sunsets monster had dropped to the ground and had lowered its gigantic wings in front of its face. Whatever raging blaze it once emitted was now quelled to nothing but a mere flicker of flames here and there. It folder its arms into its chest as it took a defensive stance with its 2300 defense points. A thick layer of steam hisses from Sunsets monster as it lets out a deep, pained groan.

" What... happened? Why is my monster..." Sunset mutters as she stared at her grayed out card on her disk. " What was I..."

" Your turns done, Sunset. You were ending it." Wallflower scoffs.

" Oh... was I? I guess.... I end my turn"

Something didn't sit right with Sunset after her turn. She was planning to end the duel with Blaze Fenix... and then? Something forced her monster into defense mode and negated its effects. Sunset stares intensely at her field; wondering why her effect didn't go through. Then it hit her. The sudden realization of what happened as she remembered what had happened long before.

" That light... it was one of those cards!" Sunset thought as she gazed at Wallflowers Graveyard slot.

" Whatever that card was, that was it, but what was it?! Damn. Whatever it did, it stopped my Blaze Fenix dead in its tracks. That's what she wanted me to do! Not to attack... but to use its effect!"

" My turn, I draw!" Wallflower says as she draws. " I activate my Black Rose Dragons effect! I remove one of my Evil Thorns from the grave, in order to switch your Blaze Fenix into attack position. Furthermore, your monsters attack is drained away to zero! Rose Restriction! "

The flowery dragon howls as the ground beneath Sunsets monster cracks open to reveal a flurry of roots and barbed vines. The black vines whip and flail around violently before they latch onto Blaze Fenix. The remaining roots spear into the sides of the tangled beast as it lets out a pained screech. The roots begin to pulsate as the fire of the avian begins to fade away; leaving only the few mechanical bits floating. The vines and roots, now with their victim completely drained away of all power, retreat back into the ground as the zero attack steel breastplate falls harmlessly before Sunset.

" Fenix!" Sunset exclaims in horror as the pile of scrap groans silently.

" Take this! Go, Black Rose Dragon! Black Rose Flare!"

At her command, Black Rose Dragon flapped its gigantic wings as it elevated itself above the canopy. Once it was high enough, it vomited a vile, black and violet torrent of fire towards the scrap pile that was Sunsets monster. The raging flames drowned Blaze Fenix as a massive explosion took its place; rocking the field and launching the now screaming Sunset backwards. She hits the floor face-down with a sickening thud as the few dark flames that lined her ruined jacket dissipate into a thick haze. The counter on her duel disk rapidly drops 1300.

" SUNSET!" the rest of the girls scream as they run over to Sunset.

With a snap of her fingers, Wallflowers monster blasts another stream of noxious fire towards the Rainbooms. The flames engulf the entire arena as the girls come screeching to a halt. The heat was intense and just as dangerous as the ones from Sunsets now destroyed monster. To further ensure that the girls don't advance, numerous barbed vines flail from the ground around the field.

" Stay out of this!" Wallflower snaps. " This is between me and this demon! I'll deal with you all later."

" Sunset! Are you ok?! Say something!" Twilight exclaims.

An audible groan is heard from the fiery teen as Sunset struggles to her feet. She slowly rises with a heavy, ragged pant and with a stagger that nearly forced her to the dirt again. Her wobbling hand suddenly turned into a clenched fist as her head rises from its slump. The concerned looks the girls had drastically changed when they all got a good look at Sunset. Whatever fearful or pain expression she had was all but swallowed away by the enraged expression she now wore. A small, bitter growl escaped her grit teeth as she turns to face Wallflower again; ignoring Twilights concern and her friends attention.

" You.... could have hurt them!" Sunset barks. " Damn you! I activate my Trap, Shock Draw! Now, fore every 1000 points of damage I took this turn, I can draw one cards! And with more than 2000 points taken, I can draw two cards!"

" Hmph! I end my turn."

" Then it's my move. I draw!" Sunset growls as she draws.

" Sunset... are you..." Fluttershy shyly murmurs, but to no avail.

" She can't hear us Sugarcube. I ain't never seen her this worked up before. Not since..." Applejack whispers to the pink haired girl.

" I activate my Spell Card, Fusion Birth! Now I can toss the top five cards of my deck into the Graveyard, and if there are and monsters that are Fusion Materials for a Fusion Monster in my Extra Deck, I can fusion summon that monster!" Sunset declares as she checks the top five cards of her deck. Her scowl deepens as she raises two of her excavated cards. " Now, i'll send my Solar Flare Dragon and my Motor Shell to grave for a fusion summon! Appear! level 6! Ignition Beast Volcannon!"

Just as before, Sunset tosses her two cards into the air as a swirling whirlpool of color forms above her again. An explosion of flames and steam dissipate the multi colored whirlpool as an amalgamation of steam and machinery stomps from the pillar of light. The grey, metallic, draconic beasts heavy stomps thunder throughout the forest as the ensuing earthquake staggers the rest of the girls. A heavy dark smog fumes from the pair of gigantic cannons equipped to the dragons shoulders as it releases a deep, metallic roar.

" Hmph, so you summoned another one of your fusion monsters. What difference does it make?! With only 2300 attack points, it can't lay a finger on my dragon!" Wallflower yells as her dragon roars back in defiance.

" There's more to my new beast than just its attack points. When Volcannon is successfully fusion summoned, I can destroy it and one monster you control!"

"What?!"

Sunset motions to her monster and it obeys. Volcannon lunges at Black Rose Dragon and snares it in a vice grip hug. Wallflowers monster lets out a horrible screech as its whip-like vines frantically lash out and strike Sunsets monster. Ignoring the strikes, Volcannon tightens its grip as the two large cannons on its shoulders begin to overheat and glow vibrantly. The rest of the machines body begins to emit similar glow as a hiss of steam clouds its body. The helpless rose dragon howls and bites away at the glowing behemoth, but is unable to free itself from the assault.

" And when both monsters are destroyed, you take damage equal to your Black Rose Dragons attack! Go! Genocide Meltdown!"

With one last guttural roar, Sunsets monster melts away into molten metal as Wallflowers monster howls in pain. The flowery dragon slowly sinks into the pool of molten steel as its writes and screeches. Suddenly, a massive blast detonates from the pool as the entire field is consumed by the raging light generated from the blast. The powerful shock wave knocks away Sunsets friends as the barrier of fire and vines fades away. Sunset hold her arms in front of her as the blast and shock wave begins to die down.

" Man! What a blast!" Rainbow yells as she struggles to her feet.

" Is everyone alright?" Fluttershy says as she helps Pinkie up.

The rest of the girls nod as they help each other to their feet. Once up, the Rainbooms stare out to the desolate field as the smoke clears. The sturdy, unflinching silhouette of Sunset is the first figure to come from the smog. Nearby, Wallflower struggles to her feet as she cradles the left side of her face. The entire left side of her mask was shattered and revealed her emerald eye. The wound that lingered over her left eye was now bleeding profusely as it trickled between her fingers and down her freckled face. She seethed as the counter on her disk plummeted to a critical 100 points.

" Now she's down to 100 life points... One more attack and its over." Twilight says.

"I warned you Wallflower. No one messes with me or my friends, and now i'm about to make that painfully clear!" Sunset yells as she reaches for a set card. " I activate my set card, Cost Down. Now by discarding a card from my hand, I can lower the level of one monster in my hand. And with that, I summon my now level 4, Motor Violence!"

In a flash of light, a large car motor appears before Sunset. Steam hisses from its line of pistons as two rails extend from the bottom and form its legs. Unfolding from behind the engine came a pair of over sized, tri barrel launchers that clamped down shut on each side of the engine. The pair of tall smokestacks spew out a thick smog as the new monsters pistons kick rapidly and a loud engine rev is heard from it. The machine stomps down onto the field as its counter reveals its hefty 2100 attack.

" It's over! Go, Motor Violence! Death Barrage!"

The rumbling of Sunsets monster turns into a raging rev as the pair of smokestacks blast a blaze of flames and smog. Violence hops into the air as a flurry of super heated rockets plunge towards Wallflower. The numerous blasts detonate around Wallflower as she reaches for one of her set cards.

" I'm not done yet!" the Emerald Witch says as she spits out some blood. " I activate my Trap, Impenetrable Attack! Now, for the rest of this Battle Phase, I take no damage!"

The trap then emits a wide, golden barrier around Wallflower as it deflects the incoming rockets. The remaining rockets bounce off the barrier as they crash around the forest and topple many trees and bushes. The Rainbooms once again dive out of the way of the incoming rockets as Sunset stares in horror.

" Girls!" she exclaims.

" That was close!" Pinkie say as she hops back to her feet. The rest of the girls rise up once again.

" Girls...i'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

" Still... as dangerous and as brutal as before. I knew you haven't changed. All you've done is show how destructive you can be to others." Wallflower says gritting her teeth. " As long as i'm still in this duel, i'll make sure to scrub out all of your memories. Everyone will see who you truly are again."

" You're wrong!" Sunset barks as she turns back to face Wallflower. " I'm not the same person that dueled Princess Twilight back during the Fall Formal. I've changed thanks to the help of my friends and the trials we went through. We can help you. Just stop this Wallflower. Don't make the same mistake I did."

" Spare me from you cutesy friendship speeches! I don't need friends, love, or any sort of admiration. All I ever wanted before was someone; a friend or someone to be with, but that's changed. I've never gotten in anyone's way nor was I a demon like you and still I remained just a shadow. Hell, even during that Anon A Miss fiasco months ago I never said a word to you, but even when I tried you just swatted me away! You're still the monster you were before, and i'm gonna stop you here and now!"

" Tch... there's no point in trying to convince her now." Sunset thinks to herself. " Has she really been around since then? Some friend I am... Trixie was right, not being mean isn't enough. Everyone matters, even the most meek of people like Wallflower. All this time, her neglect has poisoned her mind and heart, and those cards are feeding off of it. I need to stop her before she ends up destroying herself."

" It's my move. I draw!" Wallflower declares. " I'll start by using my Spell, Aurora Draw! Since I have no other cards in my hand, I can draw two cards. Next, I play my Monster Reborn! Return to my side, Black Rose Dragon!"

An indigo ring of light appears in front of Wallflower as a pillar of barbed vines spill from the it. Following right behind came the giant rose dragon as it let out its mournful roar once again. The raging gale returned to the field as the winds whip and flurry throughout the field. Once again, the crimson beats blasts a torrent of flames that surrounds the field as more vines tangle with the flames.

" And to make sure my servant isn't destroyed again, i'll play this! Wings of The Supreme Ruler!"

Black Rose Dragon roars as its petal-like wings begin to glow in a dazzling shade of violet and and cerulean. The dragon howls as the vines that surround the field suddenly grow wildly as they form a dome around the duelists. A deep aura surrounds Wallflower in a similar color to her dragons new wings as her flowing green hair grows even longer and wilder than before.

" What's going on?! Sunset! Can you hear me? Sunset!" Twilight yells as she pounds her fists on the solid vines that sealed her away from the duel. Despite her yells, Sunset remained deaf to her friend as she looks around in a panic.

" What is this? What's going on?" Sunset thinks worriedly. " That card she played... I can feel a powerful aura from it. That must be another one of those cards; the second of three."

" With this, none of your card effects can touch my dragon or this card! Furthermore, whenever my dragon destroys one of your monsters, I can have you take damage equal to the destroyed monsters attack! Go! Black Rose Static Flare!"

The gigantic wings shudder as they emit two bolts of lightning that strike Black Rose Dragons head. the dragon roars as it opens its mouth and unleashes a violent blast of fire charged by the volts of lighting. The flames strike Motor Violence as the machine falls apart to the flames. Multiple small blasts detonate from the living engine before one large blast destroys the machine. A splash of motor oil douses Sunsets raised right arm as her life points drop to 1000.

" My Motor Violences effect activates! When its destroyed, I can summon two zero attack Motor Part tokens to my field in defense mode!" Sunset declares as she wipes away the oil from her arm as two piles of metal scrap appear where her monster once stood.

" What difference does it make?! Due to my equip spell, you take damage equal to your Motor Violences attack! Now take 2100 and scatter!" Wallflower declares as another bolt of lighting fires from one of the wings of her dragon.

" That's what you think! I activate my Counter Trap, Hyper Burning! When I would take damage that would make my life points zero, I can pay half my life points to make that damage zero!"

Sunsets card flips up and slams directly into the oncoming bolt of lighting. The card then shatters and turns the bolt into a mist of harmless steam. The steam particles waver down and land onto Sunset as she kneels down. Her counter drops to 500 as she rises back up to her feet, now hanging on by a thread. Black Rose Dragon roars at Sunset as Wallflower growls.

" She's still standing ?! Well, not for long." Wallflower thinks as she stares at Sunsets tokens. " Come next turn, i'll stomp out her piles of junk and win this duel. I know Sunset all too well, and if i'm right, then this set card of mine will stop her dead in her tracks." A sneer escapes the Emerald Witches face as she passes her turn to Sunset.

" Phew... I barely managed to survive that turn." Sunset thinks as she stares at the field. " And that dragons back again, now even stronger than before with that equip spell. All I have left is my two Motor Parts. Maybe... with this hand I can..." Sunset stares at her hand before shaking her head. " Ugh... again with that! No, I can't. I won't summon it. I can't prove her right. What would my friends think? For now, I need to buy myself some time, cause one more attack, and i'm through!"

Author's Note

And with that, another chapter is out! Don't worry, this duel's just getting started! :twilightblush:

Corruption of the Emerald Witch

" Sunset! Can you hear me?! Sunset!"

" Oh dear. Twilight, i'm afraid she can't hear you." Rarity says as she places her hand on the lavender teens shoulder.

" What in tarnation is goin' on here? Where'd all them vines come from?' Applejack huffs as she places her hand onto one of the vines.

" This must be the power of that Memory Stone artifact that Wallflower has. Equestrian Magic is behind this again." Twilight mutters as she fell to her knees. " Sunset was right all along. She was always there, even if we can't remember it. She knew, and we didn't listen to her. We were....we are her friends."

" Hey, don't sweat it Twi! If there's one thing I can remember about Sunset is that she's one tough duelist. Princess Twilight barely managed to beat her before, so this Wallflower doesn't stand a chance!" Rainbow declares as she gives Twilight a reassuring smile.

" Yeah! She's right! Back when she was the biggest meanie pants, nobody could beat her! Her and her big dragon buddy will beat that Wallflower, count on it!" Pinkie exclaims as she helps Twilight up with a wide grin on her face.

" Um... about that?" Fluttershy mumbles worriedly. " If Sunset knows how dangerous she is, why hasn't she summoned her monster?"

The girls look at each other intently. Fluttershy was right to wonder why Sunset hadn't summoned her dragon against Wallflower. Since the start of the duel, Sunset did nothing but burn away at her opponents life points and destroy her cards. She had been holding back since the beginning and the Rainbooms knew this. Whatever was happening inside the thorn dome was unknown even to them, but they all hoped that Sunset would be able to beat Wallflower and stop whatever dark Equestrian magic was holding their memories. They huddled close as they stared at the burning vines; praying that Sunset would win.

The sounds of sharp crackling of electricity and the roar of the flames reverberate throughout the dome. Sunset stares at her field and her two monsters. All that was left was her two Motor Parts and her set card. Looming over her was Wallflowers newly summoned dragon. With only 500 life points left, her mind races furiously as she stares at her hand.

" I barley managed to survive that turn. I have nothing in my hand that I can use... or at least nothing i'd want to use. Still, with two tokens on my field, I can stall for a bit."

" Are you done staring at your hand?! It's your move!" Wallflower yells as she points at Sunset.

" Fine! It's my move. I draw! I'll set two cards and end my turn." Sunset declares as she slides two cards into her disk.

" Heh! If that's all you've got, then it's my turn. I draw!" Wallflower declares. ' Now I activate my Spell, Cross Draw of Destiny! Here's how this works: Both of us draw a card and reveal it. Now, if we draw any monsters, we must summon that monster to our opponents side to the field."

" Alright then, I draw." Sunset says as she pulls a card from her deck. Her face scrunches up as she sees her drawn card." I drew the monster, Red Resonator."

" And I drew the card, Twilight Rose Knight." Wallflower replys, revealing their card. " So now we summon those monsters to each others field."

A ball of fire spurts onto Wallflowers field as a small fiend clad in a fiery cloak appears from the fire. It cackles as it bangs its iron tuning fork onto its baton and reveals its 600 attack points. Onto Sunsets field came a blizzard of rose petals as a small knight appeared. Its deep indigo armor shimmered under the flames as its cape flowed in the winds. Its long, icy blue hair drapes over its eyes as it unsheathes its sword. The knights sword glows as its 1000 attack points appear next to it.

" Now Cross Draws other effect activates! We both gain life points equal to the attack of the summoned monsters."

Both of the newly summoned monsters glow in a deep cerulean and crimson as streams of light sail towards the two duelists. The blue wave strikes Wallflower as her life rises to 700, while the red stream hits Sunset and restores her life to 1500. A smirk crawls onto Wallflowers face as Red Resonator begins to tap its baton to its tuning fork. A wave of sound vibrates from the fork as Black Rose Dragon roars.

" I hope you didn't forget your own monsters effect, because i'm activating it! Now, since Red Resonator was special summoned, I can target a monster on the field and gain life points equal to its attack. Naturally, I choose my Black Rose Dragon.

An angry howl comes from Wallflowers monster as Black Rose Dragon begins to glow a bright green. As the aura begins to pulsate and shine brighter, a similar aura begins to radiate from Wallflower as her life point counter begins to flash. The counter flashes as her life points spike to 3100.

" Grr... so much for my Volcannons effect. Now her life points are almost back to normal, while mine are in the dirt." Sunset grimaces.

" Now I activate the effect of my Black Rose Dragon. I'll remove an Evil Thorn from my graveyard in order to switch your Motor Token into attack mode!" Wallflower says as she retrieves her Thorn from her graveyard.

The giant dragon howls as a storm of vines erupt from the ground. The vines wrap themselves tightly around Sunsets token as its changed into attack position. The Motor Token vibrates and puffs out a small cloud of smog as its attack points remain at zero.

" Go! Black Rose Dragon! Black Rose Static Flare!"

" I don't thinks so!" Sunset declares. " I activate my Continuous Trap, Scrubbed Raid! Now by sending a card I control to the graveyard, I can end the Battle Phase!"

A beam of white light fires from Sunsets trap as it strikes her Motor Part. The pile of scrap suddenly leaps into the air and slams into the oncoming torrent of static flames. The flames scatter away as Sunsets token fades away and Wallflowers dragon returns to her side.

" So you managed to stall for another turn. Big deal. Next turn, i'll destroy that trap and finish you off! I end my turn." Wallflower scoffs.

" Then it's my move. I draw!" Sunset says, drawing her card. She stares at her field and her hand as her mind wanders.

" Ok... I managed to stop her attack for now. As long as I have Scrubbed Raid on my field, I can keep stopping her attacks, so long as I have cards to pitch away. Though i'm sure she'll figure out a way to destroy my Trap, unless I can do something."

" I'll pass this turn." Sunset says aloud.

" Is that all? Hmph! Then it's my turn. I draw!" Wallflower hisses as she draws. " And with this, my card will decide your fate. First, I switch your Red Resonator to defense mode. Next I play my Spell, Roll of Fate! With this, I roll a die, and I can draw cards equal to the result so long as I discard the same amount of cards from my deck."

A hologram of Wallflowers card materializes as its spits out a large, white, six sided die. The die springs onto the forest floor with a hollow thud as it spins on one of its edges. Both duelists stare intently at the spinning die as the die begins to slow down and wiggle oddly. The die finally halts from its spin and lands face up; revealing a glowing set of four black dots on the smooth face.

" Fate favors me today Sunset! I rolled a four, so I can now draw four cards, and mill four more." Wallflower says as she draws her cards and removes four of her cards from her deck. " And with this, the duel is over! I activate Break Stream! Thanks to this card, I can target my Black Rose Dragon and when she battles this turn, you can't activate Spells or Traps this turn! Furthermore, when my dragon destroys one of your monsters in battle, I can destroy one of your Spells and Traps! So say goodbye to your Scrubbed Raid! Now, I use my Black Rose Dragons effect! I'll remove my Evil Thorn from the grave to shift the battle position of your last Motor Part! Go, Break Stream!"

Black Rose Dragon lashes out more of its vines as the barbed appendages dig deep into the rusted token. The beast then unhinges its jaws and begins to charge a vile green ball of energy aimed squarely at the helpless scrap pile. With a snap of its head, the dragon unleashes the torrent of green energy that forms into a wide wave that washes over Sunsets cards. All of Sunsets set cards and her face-up Scrubbed Raid were suddenly grayed out and turned to stone. The wave then intensifies into a single, solid beam that headed straight towards Sunsets monster. Before the beam could strike, a tall, lanky, sharply dressed being suddenly springs in front of the Motor Token and stops the blast with one of its wide shoulders. The beam scatters and strikes the token; shattering it into pieces. Sunset holds her hand up as her life points remain unchanged.

" What? But your life points..." Wallflower mutters angrily.

" When a monster with 1000 attack or less is attacked, I can send my Devotion Gardna from my hand to the graveyard to prevent any damage this turn." Sunset replys as she send the monster from her hand to the grave. Sunsets monster nods toward her and adjusts its tie before fading away.

" Grr... even so, since my dragon destroyed a monster, my Break Stream will shatter your Scrubbed Raid!" she snaps back as the stone statue of Scrubbed Raid collapses into a pile of dust and rubble. "I'll set two cards and end my turn."

" Here we go. My move, I draw!" Sunset says as she pulls her card. Sunsets brow furrows as she stares at the field.

" She's backed me into a corner... What can I do now? ....no. I know exactly what she wants me to do..Damn! I really don't have a choice. I have to summon it. Ok Wallflower... as much as it pains me to prove you right, you asked for it." Sunset thinks as she bitterly stares at her hand.

" I'll begin by summoning my Red Gargoyle to the field." Sunset declares as she slams down a card from her hand.

In flash of flames from Sunsets card came a large, red humanoid creature that was wrapped in flames and covered in green markings. The creature flexes its four thick, muscular arms as its crimson skin ripples under its gigantic, burning wings. A devious, sharp smile creeps along its beady head as it lets out a long, dark howl. It floats beside Twilight Rose Knight as its counter shows its 1200 attack.

" Next, I activate my Spell card, Plus Star 1 2 3! This lets me target a monster I control and I can increase its level by one, two, or three. Now my Gargoyles level goes to 5!"

A hologram of Sunsets card appears above her Gargoyle as a hail of bright, cartoony stars rain down onto her monster. The stars harmlessly shatter onto the red demon as a counter appears beside it. An additional yellow star appears along with the other four as its level rises to five. Wallflowers expression changes to a sly smirk as she waits for the inevitable. Her gaze is averted to one of her set cards as Sunset continues her turn.

" Now I tune my level five Red Gargoyle with your level three Twilight Rose Knight!"

The little knight raises its sword skyward as its body begins to glow in a familiar neon green aura. Its body shatters into 3 neon green rings that flip into the air as Red Gargoyle flys through the the rings as the demon fades away and five, sparkling white orbs line up inside the rings. The stars extend into a dazzling pillar of light that pours through the rings.

" The heartbeat of the former ruler burns through here. Bear witness as its existence shakes the heavens! Synchro Summon! Descend, level eight! My immemorial soul, Red Demons Dragon!"

The pillar of light suddenly bursts into a wall of flame as a deep groan is heard from the flames. In one giant wing beat, a pair of wide, tattered crimson wings part through the flames and reveal the beast behind them. The dragon was gigantic; dwarfing even Black Rose Dragon with its wings. Its body was a dark onyx coloration with many scarlet scales and protrusions. The dragon shifted its heavy scarlet shoulder pauldrons as it shook its tri horned head and scattered any lingering flames on its body. A deep, enraged roar escapes the creatures mouth as it lowers itself next to Sunset. A flash from the counter reveals the dragons hefty 3000 attack.

The dragon raises its head and howls skyward. The howl sends shockwaves throughout the dome as the vines begin to quiver and shake. In one swift motion, Red Demon slams its right claw into the center of the arena. A plume of savage flames erupts from the newly created crater as multiple fissures rip apart the field. The fissures strike the edges of the barbed dome as even more torrents of flames burned towards the vines. The raging flame caused by the strike begins to engulf the dome as the vines writhe and twist in the crimson flames. It isn't long before the entire dome and arena is drowned in the raging blaze.

" Ohh... I hope Sunset is ok..." Fluttershy mumbles, huddled next to Applejack on the forest floor.

" Argh.... come on! What's going on in there?!" the rainbow haired teen exclaims as she angrily paces back and forth in front of the vines.

The rest of the girls stared intently at the dome. With no openings in the vines nor any sound from the thorn prison, all of the girls remained on edge as they all wondered what was happening inside. Rarity continues to fan herself whilst seated on a log next to Twilight and Pinkie. Twilight stares worried at the dome as Pinkie wraps her arm around Twilight.

" Hey Twi, don't worry! I'm sure Sunsets got everything aaaaalll under control! She's probably giving that creepy witch a wallop of the ages!"

" I guess so..." Twilight responds. " Still... we've seen what Wallflower was capable of. All of those injured students and lost memories... and if Sunset can't beat her-" She shudders at the though of Sunset losing the duel.

" Why darling, even if we don't remember Sunset as our friend, I can assure you that she has more than enough dueling skills to defeat this...Wallflower Blush." Rarity says, stammering at Wallflowers name. " If what happened during the Fall Formal is anything to go by, Sunset shall win this duel."

" She's right sugarcube. Ah can't rightly remember anythin' bout Sunset changin', but I know that she's one tough apple, and it'll take more than just some old rock to beat her." Applejack says consoling Fluttershy. " Shucks, even Princess Twilight barley managed to whup her then. Trust me, she'll be ok."

Twilight smiles as she nudges her black rimmed glasses. She may not have known Sunset before the events of the Friendship Games, but she felt relieved to hear about Sunsets dueling skills. If she truly was the best duelist at CHS, then she would be the one to help restore the memories of the Rainbooms. A bright aura emanating from Twilights skirt pockets snaps her from her thoughts as it startles her. Reaching in her pockets, she pulls out a single, glowing card and stares at it. The rest of the girls also pulled out their own cards; each of them glowing just as brightly as Twilights.

" Huh? Wise Core? Why is my card..." Twilight thought as she stared.

" Hey! My Smile World is all shiny and sparkly again!' Pinkie says waving her card in the air.

" Yeah, my Clear Wing is glowing, just like it did during the Fall Formal and the Friendship Games!" Rainbow replied.

Fluttershys Gao, Guardian of the Sacred Tree, Raritys Gem Knight Lady Brilliant Dia, and Applejacks Naturia Exterio continued to glow even brighter as they stared whimsically at their cards. An earthquake suddenly shook the the forest as the girls fell over and braced themselves. The rumbling intensifies as the vine dome bursts into flames. The vines writhe and burn away into ash; finally freeing the field from the prison and leaving the field free from and lingering vines or flames. All that remained was the two duelist, now staring at each other with a burning hatred in their eyes, and their behemoths roaring and snarling in defiance next to their masters.

" Sunset! Are you...." Twilight exclaims as she recovers from the sudden earthquake.

" Alright! That weird vine dome is gone, and look! Sunset got out her dragon!" Rainbow says cutting Twilight off with a wide smirk on her face.

" Oh my... we've missed quite a lot. Sunsets life points are so low, and Wallflower has nearly recovered all of hers." Rarity says worriedly.

" Umm... girls?" Fluttershy says meekly. " I think something's wrong with Sunset... she can't hear us."

The shy girls words don't go unnoticed as the Rainbooms all notice Sunset. Despite the destruction of the vines, she had made no attempt to notice the girls and had kept her focus on Wallflower and her Black Rose Dragon. A fiery crimson aura had surrounded her as her hair flowed and glowed brightly; not unlike the starry manes of the rulers of Equestria. Something about her eyes gave off an unsettling aura of anger and melancholy. One could almost mistake seeing a burning flame deep into her pupils from her riled expression. Despite the ensuing heat that radiated throughout the field, a cold shiver ran up the spines of the girls. A feeling of dread the girls haven't felt in ages loomed over their heads as they all showed their concern over Sunset.

" Sunset darling.. Are you ok?"

" Heya Sunny? Is everything alright?"

" Ya doin' alright Sunset? "

" Yo! Sunset! What's wrong with you?!"

" Sunset! What's going on?"

All of her friends words of concern fell on deaf ears as Sunsets focus was on the duel. She could feel a fire coursing through her veins as her dragon roars in a bloody rage; a feeling she hadn't felt since her rule over CHS back before Princess Twilight appeared to place her on the right path. Her dragon, Red Demons Dragon, had always been her symbol of power and fear during her old reign and served as a constant reminder of her past. Ever since her defeat at the hands of the Princess of Friendship, she neglected her old symbol and modified her deck. Had it not been for the events of the Cup, she would have vowed never to use her dragon ever again. The jeers, the looks, the passing glances; Sunset felt it all during the events of the Cup and the summoning of her old beast. The removal of all good memories of her brought about something inside of her. She was robbed of stopping the one behind this chaos before and she wouldn't let Wallflower get away again.

" I didn't want to have to do this..." Sunset whispers, before raising her voice. " But you leave me no choice! I'm not the same person I was before, but if you won't believe that, then so be it!"

" Hehe... there you go Sunset.." Wallflower thinks slyly. " You've shown your true colors. I was right all along. One foot in the grave, and i'll be there to nudge you the rest of the way!"

As Sunsets Fenix did before, Red Demons let out a ferocious roar at Wallflowers monster as the Witches monster did the same. However, the roars and howls now were far more bloodcurdling and enraged. The howls shook the trees and made the earth rumble under the duelists feet as a powerful gale whipped from behind Wallflower. Likewise, as if to answer the wind, a wave of heat blasted from behind Sunset as both collided in the center of the field. All of the Rainbooms cards shone as bright as the few scattered stars left in the sky as Twilight stared at the events unfolding in front of all of the girls. Something was wrong with Sunset, and she could almost feel it; a familiar feeling that she had only felt once before...

" Sunset..."

Author's Note

Here we go! Time for the duel to really heat up :twilightsheepish:

Immortal Class of The Emerald Witch

Despite the crackling of the flames that soon settled around the ring, there was an eerie silence in the air. Both of the duelists dragons had settled down from their rage, but still kept their guards up as they growled and huffed silently. The aura that wrapped around Sunset slowly begins to intensify as her eyes glow even brighter than before. The rest of the girls stand idly by; holding their breath as they wait for Sunset to make her next move. The scowl on Sunsets face deepens as she raises her arm and points towards Wallflowers dragon.

" Go, Red Demons Dragon. Absolute Power Force." Sunset says with an eerie calm in her voice. The scarlet beast howls as its right fist ignites in a fiery blaze and charges at Black Rose Dragon.

" I don't think so!" Wallflower declares. " I activate my Trap, Rose Blizzard! Now, I can negate your attack and switch your dragon into defense mode!"

The petal covered dragon roars as its stretches its wings and releases a powerful gale of wind. As the wind rages, numerous rose petals scatter from the dragons wings and strike Sunsets monster. The injured dragon howls in pain as it land on the ground and crouches in a defensive stance. It shakes off some of the sharp petals as it recovers from the impact and closes its wings in front of its body. A large 2500 defensive body replaces its 3000 attack.

" Oh no! Sunnys dragon got blocked!" Pinkie exclaims frantically.

" And with that dragons effect, her monsters attack will drop to zero again!" Rarity adds.

" I end my tun." Sunset mutters, still unphased by Wallflowers counter.

" My move. I draw! I'll activate my dragons effect again! Rose Restriction! " Wallflower declares as she removes Bird of Roses from her grave.

" I activate my Trap, Breakthrough Skill." Sunset responds, still as calm as ever. " Now for the rest of this turn, your dragons effect is negated."

Sunsets card flips up and slams into the oncoming barbed vines; stopping them dead in their tracks. A bolt of blue lightning flashes from the trap and strikes Wallflowers dragon. The beast groans and writhes as its colors become washed out and dull. It lowers its head and rests beside its master. Wallflower curses silently under breath as her turn comes to an end.

" It's my turn. I draw. First, i'll switch my dragon back to attack." Sunsets dragon rises from its stance and stretches its wings as it roars ferociously." Battle." Sunset continues as she raise her hand towards Wallflowers dragon. " Go, Absolute Power Force." Sunsets dragon once again ignites its right claw as it dives towards Black Rose Dragon.

" I play my Counter Trap, Negate Attack. This will stop your dragon in its tracks!"

A wide barrier suddenly appears in front of Wallflowers monster. Red Demons claw slams into the barrier as it creates a shower of sparks. The barrier reverberates as a shock wave knocks back Sunsets dragon away from Black Rose Dragon. The scarlet beast growls in frustration as it shakes off the remaining flames from its fist and resumes its position beside its master. Sunset huffs quietly as she reaches for the card she drew at the start of her turn.

" Hmph. I activate Pot of the Crimson Devil Dragon. Since my Red Demons Dragon is on field, I can draw two more cards. Now I play my Spell, Necroid Synchro. With this, I banish my level 4 Red Gargoyle and my Level 3 Trust Guardian to perform a Synchro Summon. However, the monster summoned by this card has its effects negated."

" No way!" Rainbow exclaims. " She can do that?!"

Two ghostly, indigo portals appear before Sunset as two monsters rise from them. From one came the familiar image of Sunsets Red Gargoyle. The other was a small humanoid being. Atop its head was an over sized red helmet with a tiny pair of white wings jutting out from both sides. It wore a blue robe as it flapped its larger pair of pink wings. The little monster crossed its arms as it wore a stern expression on its face. Trust Guardian flaps its wings and flys into the air as its body scatters into three neon rings. Red Gargoyle rises into the air through the rings and shatters into four shimmering stars.

" The former ruler's shout echos through the field. May its Hammer of Victory strike down the very earth we stand on. Synchro Summon. Appear, level 7. Explode Wing Dragon. Sunset chants ominously.

From the light came a large, ragged dragon with a torn, orange wingspan. Its wings came out of a massive tumor-like mass of flesh on its wrinkly, black skin. The rest of the new dragons body was relatively sickly and worn down as it shook its frilled head and let out a shrill roar. It lands with a heavy thud next to Sunsets other dragon as its 2400 attack are displayed. Sunsets blazing aura around her now intensifies even more as the unbearable heat around her rises even further.

" Oooo! Another big dragon! But ehh... why didn't Sunny summon that thing before?" Pinkie ponders as she rubs her chin inquisitively.

" She was testing her field." Twilight responds. " She wanted to see what her set cards were and either play around them or bait them out. Still... why did she summon her monster now? Due to her dragons effect, it will be destroyed if it didn't battle."

" Darling, Sunset knows what she's doing. Just look." Rarity says, stepping in as she beckons to Twilight to look at the field.

Sunsets Red Demons suddenly spreads its wings and unleashed a wave of fiery heat that swamped the field. The heat rages around Sunsets other dragon as it howls and spreads its own wings and shakes the excess heat off. The heatwave dies down as Explode Wing stands unphased by the heat.

" You see darling? While most monsters that don't attack are destroyed due to Red Demons effect, any monsters that are summoned after the Battle Phase are immune to this effect."

" I set a card and end my turn." Sunset says as she sets a card.

The howls and roars echoed throughout the trees as all three dragons took their places and stood their ground. Despite being outnumbered, Black Rose Dragon roared and screeched at Sunsets two raging beasts as it spreads its flowery wings to guard the witch. Both of Sunsets monsters spread their wings and roar in defiance as they too shield their master from the botanical beast.

" What's going on? Why are they acting like that?" Twilight wonders as she stares at the dragons.

" Dunno. It's like they have a mind of their own. Weird... Rainbow responded.

" Ah don' think i've ever seen Sunset like this, not since what happened durin' the Fall Formal."

The rest of the girls, save for Twilight, muttered in agreement. That final duel between Princess Twilight and Sunset during the Fall Formal brought about a similar degree of strange events, but none as bizarre as the current duel. During that fateful duel, Sunset had also summoned her scarlet beast against the princesses Endymion, the Divine Magical King and just like before, both monsters seemed to have a mind of their own. Sunset had a similar aura before, but now this was different. She was malicious, destructive, and radiated a raging tempest that was not unlike the heat generated by her Blaze Fenix before. But now? Cold, calm, dismissive, and far more collected then before. It was as if any anger and frustration that she held before was being restrained by some strange force. There was always something special about Sunsets dragon and its brethren that lay deep in her Extra Deck. A symbol of power and fury, whenever Sunset summoned her dragon before, there was some force that brought out a strange aura within Sunset. However, this was different, and the girls could feel it.

" Then its my turn. I draw!" Wallflower declares. A smirk creeps along her face as she eyes her drawn card. " Heh... you think you've won, haven't you? Look at you. Still the same unfeeling demon as before. You many not be a tyrant anymore, but I can see past the lies. You haven't changed at all, and that dragon is the very truth that no one could see. I made that mistake ages ago.... but now? Once this is over, everyone will see who you truly are, and i'll start with that demon! I play my Trap, Class Change! With this, I can raise your Explode Wings level by one. But that's not all! From my hand, I activate Star Changer. With this, I can drop your Red Demons Dragon level down to seven!"

Both of Wallflowers cards appear before her as they each fire off orbs of light towards Sunsets dragons. Explode Wing raises its stout head and roars while Red Demon lowers its head and growls bitterly. Each dragons level now swaps as Explode Wing rises to eight and Red Demon drops to seven. Sunset looks up at her dragons; puzzled as to why Wallflower would make such a pointless move.

" What was that all about?" Twilight thinks. " Why would she manipulate their levels? What is she planning?"

" With this, its all over. I'll set two cards and end my turn. "

' If you think i'm scared of your traps, then you're painfully mistaken." Sunset snaps. " It's my move, I draw. Go, Absolute Power Force."

" Not this time! You've played right into my hands! I activate my Continuous Trap, Dragon Creeping Plant!"

Multiple vines suddenly spurted from the ground in front of Wallflower as they anchored into the earth. From the deep hole came a garish looking creature that was vaguely shaped like a human heart. The skin was a vile pinkish red with numerous, pulsating veins running over its body. Most notable of all was its vaguely shaped dragonic head that held three bulbous, stained yellow eyes and its ragged wings that hung weakly on its back. Then it came; a horrible, guttural shriek that forced the girls to cover their ears.

" This beauty here will grant me the victory I need! Thanks to my Dragon Creeping Plant, if I control a Dragon type monster, I can take control of a Dragon type monster you control, provided it doesn't have the highest level! Now, your scarlet fiend is mine!"

" WHAT?!" The girls all exclaimed. Twilight eyes suddenly widened as she realized why Wallflower used her two cards to manipulate the levels of Sunsets monsters.

The grotesque mass of flesh let out another shill shriek as a stream of gnarled, vile vines gush from the creatures mouth. The vines wrap around Sunsets Red Demons as the dragon roars and struggles. Despite the struggling and slashes, the vines overwhelm it and the vines tighten around its wings and body. The Creeping Plant drags the giant beast toward Wallflower and turns it around; loosening its grip on the dragon and retracting its vines back into its maw. A sharp shock runs through Sunset as she kneels down and her crimson aura fades. Sunset stolen dragon howls as the familiar crimson aura now wraps around Wallflower and flows along with her current emerald aura.

" No... no way." Sunset mutters as she struggles to her feet. " My dragon! So this is what she was planning... "

" So much for your attack and dragon! With that, you may as well end your turn!"

" Grr... I end my turn," Sunset growls as her fist shakes.

Whatever calm facade Sunset held was all but gone once her dragon was dragged away. The force that she felt surrounding her body had faded away as she now felt a cold chill run up her spine. Red Demons Dragon, her former symbol of power, was now in the hand of the Emerald Witch. She knew there was some sort of strange magical force that her dragon held and that only she could control it, with that same force now in the hands of an unstable, emotionally driven girl who was meddling with a magic that was far beyond her control. Now, she had to face the wrath of both her old symbol of authority and the somber force of Black Rose Dragon.

" Oh no.... Sunset..." Fluttershy whispers meekly.

" That ain't right! Now what's Sunset supposed to do? She just lost 'er best monster!" Aj remarks angrily.

" Nothing." Wallflower snaps to Aj. " This is where it ends. Its my turn, I draw! Go, Red Demons Dragon! Absolute Power Force!"

Sunsets dragon ignites its claw once again as it charges toward Explode Wing Dragon. Unlike before, the scarlet beasts fiery claw meets its mark as it slams into the left shoulder of the weaker dragon. Explode Wing screeches in pain as numerous small flames scatter and land around Sunset. Dodging some of the flames, the ensuing heat stings at her skin as her life points drop to 1200. With a smoldering wound in its shoulder, Explode Wing strikes Red Demons claw away as it returns back to Wallflowers side. A counter reveals Explode Wing Dragons attack to have dropped to 2000.

" Hey, Sunnys dragon is still on the field, but why did its attack take a nose dive?" Pinkie says.

" My Trust Guardian." Sunset says as she hears her friends concern. " Once per turn, when the monster that was Synchro Summoned by this card would be destroyed by battle, I can reduce its attack by 400 instead."

" Hmph! I still have my Black Rose Dragons attack and thanks to Wings of the Supreme Ruler, you'll take damage equal to your Explode Wing Dragons attack! Black Rose Static Flare!" Wallflower declares as her dragon spews its violet stream towards Sunsets wounded dragon.

" I play my Trap, Battle Rush! This will keep my Explode Wing from being destroyed by battle and you take any damage I would have taken! Fight back! King's Storm!"

Sunsets dragon takes to the air and inhales sharply. the face-up trap begins to glow as it bathes Explode Wing in a bright aura. After a split second, the dragon releases a torrent of winding flames that mimicked a raging cyclone. The tempest clashes with the violent static flare and blazes through the beam. Wallflowers dragon howls as its struck by the flames. Wallflower covers her face with her arm as the blazing heat chips away at her life points and burns them down to 2700. Whatever was left of her cloak was left it tatters at the heat scorched away most of the hood and shoulders. A noticeable sizzling scorch mark now ran across the remains of her shattered mask, mimicking the look of a long teardrop on the masks right eye. She growls bitterly as she lowers her burned hood and carefully rubs the singed portion of her mask.

" Grr....damn you... I end my turn." Wallflower huffs.

Sunset made a relieved sigh as her wounded dragon hobbled over her. She managed to survive yet another turn, but was unsure as to how she would fight back now. Red Demons Dragon had been stolen from her and she was left with whatever was left of her deck. Few cards would be able to stop her own symbol of power and any that did have the strength were just evolutions and variants of her existing dragon. Both of Wallflowers dragons roared viciously at her weakened beast as it too roared back, albeit very weakly and with a deep groan following it. Throughout the whole duel, she believed she had the upper hand and could stop this all quickly, but now? Clearly Wallflower had planned this far ahead, so what else did she have in store? The more and more Sunset stared at the field, the more hopeless she felt. If she couldn't draw the right cards soon, it would be all over and all of her friends memories would be lost forever. Slowly placing her hand on the top of her deck, she prepares to draw the card that would either change the outcome of this duel, or end it all against her.

" I draw!"

Author's Note

To be continued? Oh boy! Fairly short chapter as we get quite the upset. More on the way :raritywink:

Downfall of the Emerald Witch

Canterlot High: 2 Days Prior

A cool breeze flows through the soft blades of grass in front of CHS as the glow of the moon above bathes the school in a comforting light. The chirp of a few scattered crickets travels on the wind as their sultry hums reached the ears of a familiar, young, fiery haired teen. Seated atop the marble portal to Equestria, Sunset Shimmer gazes out into the lit streets as she holds her deck tightly in her hands. Her cloudy eyes, now slightly scarlet from all the tears, look down at her deck as she sniffles and wipes away some remaining tears from her cheeks. Doubt and sorrow plague her mind as her mind races along through the events that had transpired.

" ... "

The CHS Cup had brought about a wave of misdirection and mystery ever since its inception. The excitement that Sunset and her friends felt had all but vanished after someone, or something, had wiped away all good memories of Sunset from the rest of the Rainbooms and all of the student body overnight. The calm that came initially during the first day of the Cup was a ruse as students began to suffer from strange injuries caused by a mysterious duelist that joined out of the blue under the guise of the "Emerald Witch". Canterlot High was no stranger to duels with real damage ever since the incidents with Sunset, The Dazzlings, and Midnight Sparkle, but this was different. The same magic that caused the damage also erased the memories of any student that lost to the witch. Most damaging of all was the loss of the memories that Sunset had made after the events of the Fall Formal. All that remained in the minds of the students was the memory of the bully that she once was.

Shoves, idle glances, and boos from the crowd was all Sunset received during the second bouts of the Cup. After the initial shock that occurred at the beach, Sunset found herself dueling her friends during the Turbo section of the Cup. There was malice behind these duels as the friendly bouts she once had with the girls were nothing like what she went up against. The end of the long day and string of hate fueled duels had worn her down as she consulted Princess Twilight on what had happened. With the help of Princess Celestia and Luna, Sunset had learned of the Memory Stone and the dark magic that it emitted. She was warned by the Princesses that if she was unable to find and destroy the Memory Stone within three days, the stolen memories would be lost forever. Returning back across the portal, she found herself seated atop the portal; reflecting on what Princess Twilight told her before she departed.

" No matter what happens, they're all your friends. Despite what anypon-- I mean, anybody says, you aren't the same as before. Even if the memories of the times you've spent with them is gone, the love and warmth of their friendship lives deep inside their hearts. I know you can stop all of this, and even if i'm not there with you physically, our friendship will see this through to the end."

" She's right." Sunset thinks to herself; her once somber expression now switching to one of determination. " They are my friends, and I can't just dwell on who I was before. They're all wrong. I'm not the same power hungry teen I was before and tomorrow, i'll make sure to stop her dead in her tracks!"

Leaping down from the marble pedestal with a new sense of resolve, Sunset slides her deck back into her jacket and runs down the street. The next day would be the finals of the CHS Cup and Sunsets one and only chance to stop whoever was behind this. She knew that the Emerald Witch was behind all of the damage caused by the duels, and now she knew that she has the Memory Stone. Once the finals were over and the Witch was unmasked, she could restore all of the memories that were stolen by the stones dark magic. A determined smile appears onto her face as she remains unaware of a shadowy, cloaked figure covertly spying on her from the forest.

School Garden: Present Day

" I draw!"

With a swift crack of her arm, Sunset draws her card. Silence. The Rainbooms all stare intently as they wait to see what her drawn card was. The soft growls of Wallflowers dragons is the only noise that wavers throughout the field as Sunset twirls the card around and glances at it. Her eyes widen and her grip tightens as she stares at her card.

" What did she draw?" Twilight says worriedly.

" I activate the effect of my Level Stealer from my graveyard. Now, by reducing my Explode Wings level by one, I can summon this guy to the field in defense mode."

Sunsets dragon gave a pained groan as a ghostly image of some sort of oversized ladybug flew out from its chest. The insects body materializes as a single, golden star appears on its orange back. It buzzes slightly as two counters show both its pitiful zero defense points and Explode Wing Dragons level drop to seven.

" Next, I summon my Tuner monster, Attack Gainer!" Sunset declares as she summons her new monster.

Appearing from Sunsets card was a small, humanoid being clad in a grey and blue jumpsuit. Its upper body was covered in a bulky, obsidian armor that covered much of its shoulders, arms, and hands. On its head was a large, heavy-looking helmet that sported a deep cyan visor and a single crimson jewel in the center of its forehead. Flaring out from the back of its head was a long, blood red stream of hair that seemed to mimic a knights feather. The monster stood its ground in an offensive stance as it stood by with its 0 attack points.

" A Tuner monster?!" Rainbow exclaims. " But why summon that now? She doesn't have any other level eight Synchro monsters she can summon!"

" That is, unless, she is trying to summon... Jeweled?! But that's impossible." Rarity adds with a scared tone in her voice.

' Jeweled? What's that?" Twilight asks, blissfully unaware of what she meant by "Jeweled."

" Jeweled Demon Dragon - Red Daemon." Aj replys. " That was a card that Sunset used durin' her duel with Princess Twilight, along with its bigger forms; Bane, Abyss, and King Calamity."

" But... Sunset doesn't have those cards anymore.They turned to ash after she lost." Fluttershy adds meekly.

" I now tune my level one Attack Gainer with my level seven Explode Wing Dragon!" Sunset declares. A vibrant glow radiates from her jacket as she reaches into it and pulls out a shining card. Her wounded dragon shatters into stars and flies into the neon green ring left behind by Attack Gainer.

" The tyrants fall brings about a new soul reborn. The one and true ruler arises scarred and primed for the new world! Synchro Summon! Arise, level eight! Red Demons Dragon - Scarlight!"

From the light shaft came yet another dragon; this one having a nearly identical appearance to Red Demons Dragon. Most of its body and scales was covered in numerous gashes, burns, and cracks. Lined around its shoulders, legs, and wings was many citrus colored tribal markings that flared out in a style not unlike the scars it bore on its front. One of its three curved horns was damaged and burning brightly as it huffs and growls. Most prominent of all was the cumbersome, heavy mass of scales and skin that covered its lower right arm. Lining the cast-like mass was deep imprints that glowed a deep scarlet and orange aura. The new dragon lets out an enraged howl as it spreads its wings and ignites its damaged claw. A bulky 3000 attack points arise along with its howls.

" What is THAT?! I've never seen or even heard of that crazy dragon!" Rainbow exclaims shocked at this new dragon.

The rest of the girls stare in a mix of amazement and confusion. Sunset had summoned another dragon that was nearly identical to her old beast, and yet, there was something different about this one. Whatever feelings of dread and malice that Red Demons Dragon and its darker counter part Jeweled held before wasn't present in this new dragon and the Rainbooms felt it. Despite never having seen or heard of Scarlight, deep down they could feel a sense of relief; as if a heavy burden had just been lifted from their shoulders. Sunset could feel it too; a warm feeling from deep inside of her that she hadn't felt in ages. Before she left Equestria, her mentor Princess Celestia gave her one last memento, that being her new dragon. The fear she felt about going back to her former teacher was all but quelled when she had learned that she had been forgiven for her past transgressions, and it was made even clearer when Scarlight was bestowed upon her.

" What is this?" Wallflower responds in a nervous tone. " You summoned another dragon?! What good will that do you?"

" My Scarlight is nothing like my old dragon. It's more than just a symbol of power, and i'll show you right now! Since my Attack Gainer was used as Synchro Material, your Black Rose Dragon loses 1000 attack until the End Phase!"

A deep violet haze surrounds Wallflowers monster as its attack slowly drains away. The dragon lets out huffs and coughs as a counter shows its attack power plummet to 1400.

" Now, I activate my dragons effect! With this, I can destroy all other Special Summoned monsters on the field, provided they have less than or equal attack to my Scarlight and you take 500 points of damage for each monster destroyed. Go, Absolute Powerflame!"

Scarlight howls in rage as it slams its ignited fist into the ground. From the crater came a torrent of molten lava that consumes Wallflowers stolen dragon and Sunsets Level Stealer. A splash from the lava splatters near Wallflower as she sidesteps away from the pool of hazardous flames. The stinging heat forces her back as her life drops to 1700. The remaining pools of lava sizzle out and fade away as she curses under her breath.

" Now go! Attack Black Rose Dragon! Crimson Hell Burning!" Sunset declares as she points at the botanical dragon.

Sunsets dragon flaps its wings and takes to the sky. It raises its head and roars viciously as a fiery glow forms in its mouth. With one whip of its neck, Scarlight blast a giant torrent of flames that streaks across the sky and strikes Wallflowers dragon square in its chest. The dragon screeches in pain and writes before it explodes in a shower of burnt petals. Despite her best efforts to shield her face from them, many of the petals embedded themselves into Wallflowers arms and torso. Whatever was left of her mask was all but shattered to pieces as the strong gale from the blast launched her backwards into a nearby tree. She lets out a pained gasp as she slumps down; her life dropping back down to 100.

" Whoa! That was insane!" Rainbow exclaims.

" Oh... I hope she's ok...." Fluttershy mutters. " That was a really bad hit."

" Wallflower! Are you-" Sunset begins before a pained cough from her opponent cuts her off.

" Spare... me, Sunset." the girl replys, spitting out some blood. " You've sealed your fate... when you destroyed my dragon. The final effect... of Wings of the Supreme Ruler now activates! Now, your Scarlight is destroyed and you take damage equal to its attack...."

A ghostly image of Wallflowers equip spell appears briefly on the field before detonating in a shower of indigo lightning. The lightning strikes Sunsets dragon and engulfs it in its aura. It howls angrily before spreading its wings and dispelling the lightning. A new crimson aura surrounds Scarlight as it roars back at the wounded Wallflower, now horrified at seeing her Equip Spell fail.

"W-what?! Why didn't it..."

" I activated my Trap, Red Crystal. This prevents all 'Red' monsters from being destroyed this turn."

Wallflower stares blankly at Sunsets trap. That was it; her last chance at beating Sunset was burned away. With a heavy heart, she falls to her hands and knees as she stares at the ground, now with tears streaming down her face. Sunset and the rest of the girls could only stare at the beaten down girl as her choked sobs echoed through their minds.

" How? Why...." Wallflower chokes as she slams her fist into the dirt. " I was so close... Damn! Why?! Why is it that nothing I do matters?! All I wanted was to be noticed by everyone, by you Sunset! Time and time again, no matter what I did, I was spat at and kicked to the curb and forgotten."

" Wallflower..." Sunset sighs, " This isn't the way. I understand how you feel and i've been through these feelings before. A Great and Powerful friend reminded me that just because i'm not mean doesn't mean I was very nice to you. Everyone matters Wallflower, no matter how insignificant or worthless they might feel."

" ....why? Why do you care? All of this forgiveness and friendship and other crap that I don't deserve..." Wallflowers hold on her Memory Stone tightens as she shakes in anger. Slowly, she rises back to her feet as she tears the stone from its string. " I've had enough!"

The stone begins to vibrate and shine brightly as she holds it above her. The emerald aura around her intensifies as her eyes begin to glow even brighter. After a series of bright flashes and vivid sparkling, she lowers the stone and points it toward the rest of Sunsets friends. The girls step back as the stone ceases its pulsating light as the eye on its center emits a small ball of aqua green light.

" I'm tired of all this. The constant failures, neglect, and all of you!" Wallflower yells as the Memory Stone fires a straight beam of energy towards the girls.

" NOOO!" Sunset screams as she hurls herself in front of the beam. It strikes her as she falls to the ground, now surrounded by a crackling aqua aura.

" SUNSET!" The girls scream in horror as they quickly run over to her.

" I won't let this happen! I've already ruined their friendship before, and I won't let it happened again! I would rather give up my own memories instead."

A pulse of energy and a wave of blinding static suddenly expels from Sunsets body as it stops the girls in their tracks. The static crawls around Sunsets body before centralizing itself on her forehead. Gently touching the warm orb of light, Sunsets hand trembles as her eyes widen.

" It ends here! I draw" Wallflower yells as the aura around her body blazes even more. The Memory Stone vibrates and glows with an even harsher light. " I play my Trap, Lost Star Descent! With this, I can revive my Black Rose Dragon in defense mode, so long as I negate her abilities, lower her level by one, and drop her defense to zero! Furthermore, I send a card from the top of my deck so I can revive my Glow-Up Bulb!"

The same powerful gale from before whips through the scorched field as Wallflowers dragon rises and bursts through the earth. The dragon lets out a mournful howl as it wraps itself around Wallflower and lowers its wings in front of her. Whatever was left of its now pale red petaled wings was all but scraggly and weathered. A counter reveals its weakened defensive power and its lowered level now sitting at six. Sprouting from the ground nest to her dragon came the mono eyed mutated plant bulb. A small squee can be heard from the bulb as it begins to glow in a bright neon green.

" One last move is all I need... the last, immovable power created from this relic will finally bring everything back to normal. Her jumping in the way is just a minor setback. Once I beat her, I can erase her friends memories...." Wallflower thinks to herself as she eyes her field. Sunset had no other set cards on her field and nothing in her hand. One last attack and it would be all over.

" I tune my level one Glow-Up Bulb with my level six Black Rose Dragon!" Wallflower says aloud, raising her hand as she holds a glowing card in her hand.

Her dragon rises from its lowered stupor and soars into the neon green ring created by her tuner. Unlike all the other pillars of light, which were normally a bright white ray, this new pillar was a deep shade of navy blue. Even with the sun setting over the horizon, the entire field was bathed in a dim light, save for the blazing auras around Wallflower and Sunset. The pillar of shadowy light burst up high into the air, seemingly headed straight for the full moon that had risen over the field. Suddenly, several marking that resembled the carvings on the relic appeared over Wallflowers face and now exposed right arm that held her new card.

" Wilting rose bud in a garden of shadows! Be bathed in radiant moonlight, and evolve into an aria of sorrow! Synchro Summon! Appear, Moon Flower Dragon - Black Rose!"

A dark haze falls over the field as Wallflower finishes her chant. Swirling around her, two deep crimson light shine through the choking smog behind her. In a sudden gust of violent winds, the smog is cleared away as Wallflowers newest servant stands behind her. Much like Sunsets Scarlight, Wallflowers new dragons was nearly identical to the original dragon. However, this new dragon was had a much darker aura around it. Whatever vibrant splendor of color its wings once had were now darkened and dulled out. Numerous strange markings lined its petals and face as it lets out a screeching how and flaps its gigantic wings. Just like its counter part, a counter reveals its 2400 attack.

" Behold, the final, greatest power created by the Memory Stone! Go! Rose Ballad!" Wallflower declares as her mighty beast howls and violently flaps its wings. A storm of treacherous winds and scattered petals slams into Sunsets dragon as the scarlet fiend is shattered into scattered pieces of light. Before she could even react to her dragons defeat, a throbbing pain overtakes Sunsets troubled thoughts and she falls to her knees and clutches her head.

" Hnggh.... no.... not... yet...." Sunset mumbles as the pain intensifies.

" I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you left me no choice." Wallflower mutters angrily, tightening her fist. " It's over. My dragon attacks you directly."

No roars, no growls or snarls, Wallflowers dragon extends one of its barbed vines toward Sunset. The vine wraps around her tightly as she's hoisted high into the air. In one swift motion, Wallflowers dragon slams Sunset into the dirt and loosens its grip on its victim. A pained gasp is all that's heard from Sunset as she bounces from the impact and lands face first into the dirt near her friends. Whatever was left of her life slowly dropped to zero as her disk emitted a loud buzz that was eerily similar to a flatline.

" No way... Sunset.. lost?" Twilight says, completely dumbfounded at what had just happened.

" Oh no. Sunset! Are you ok?" Fluttershy says as she rushes over to her.

The rest of the girls rush over to Sunset and huddle around her. With a pained groan and a cough of blood, Sunset rolls onto her back as she tries to get up. The shredded pieces of her clothes dangle loosely from her scarred frame as her attempt to recover fails. A sharp sting strikes her left arm as she slowly goes to rub it. The sharp pain that crawls around her left arm was far greater than the stings she felt when Wallflowers Evil Thorn burst and scattered its bolts into her arms. Despite her best efforts to move her arm, all she could muster was a few limp movements and some pained grunts. A horrid realization suddenly slipped int her head as she held her still arm in her right hand; her arm was broken.

Before any of the girls could continue, a long reel of light suddenly slips from the light perched on Sunsets face. Thin, yellow, and flickering in the wind, a horrified Sunset stares at it. The reel slips away from her as its swallowed by the cursed Equestrian artifact. Sunset feebly reaches out for it with her only working arm as more strips of multi-colored film reels eject themselves from her forehead; each just as painful as the last.

" Fluttershy!"

" AppleJack!"

" Rarity."

" Pinkie Pie..."

" Rainbow Dash..."

Weakness and fatigue slowly crept into Sunsets mind as the last memory reel tore itself from her head. She could barely keep her eyes open as she turned to her last friend among the strangers that stood beside her.

" Twilight... don't forget me..." Sunset whispers weakly as her consciousness fades away.

" Sunset..." Twilight whispers as she places her hand onto her friends shoulder. She averts her bitter gaze toward Wallflower as she stands to face the witch and her dragon. " What have you done?!"

" Sunset, wake up... please. Sunset!" Fluttershy says in a panicked tone as she she hold her unconscious friend in her arms.

" I... don't know." Wallflower replys meekly. " This wasn't supposed to happen!"

" You were messing with a power you didn't understand! What did you think was gonna happen?" Rainbow barks as she approaches angrily.

" We may not remember anythin' about Sunset bein' good..."

" But after the sacrifices she's made..."

" We're glad to call her our friend!"

A profound glow radiates from each of the girls necklaces. Equestrian magic once again began to flow through the girls bodies as the girls rose into the air; each sporting their trademark wings and extended ponytails that normally came when they "pony up" The marvelous light show that ensued and enveloped the girls brought about a new set of dazzling and vibrant outfits. Streams of magic swirl around the girls bodies as their new clothes ripple in the wind above Wallflower. The lime colored girl falls back in shock at the sight of their transformations. A wave of magical static washes over her body as she feels an odd sensation run over her. Before she could even react, Wallflowers Memory Stone was torn from the rope that held it around her neck and it floated into Twilights hand as she clenched it tightly in her palm.

" Wallflower Blush, you have used magic that you do not understand, but it is nothing compared to the magic of--"

" Yeah yeah, we get it." Pinkie says as she stops yet another one of Twilights speeches (much to her chagrin.) "LIGHT EM UP LADIES!!!!"

With a crack of her arm, Twilight pitches the cursed relic into the air she goes to lock hands with the rest of her friends. More magical energy surrounds their bodies as a single orb of concentrated energy appears beneath the girls. In a brilliant flash, a ray of pure, magical energy fired itself from the orb of light and it slams into the airborne relic. The stone detonates in a violent shower of luminous magic and sizzling rubble. Multiple whisps of the reels of memories suddenly swirl from the blast and fly towards each of the girls; embedding themselves into their foreheads. Each of the transformed girls could feel all of their memories return to them, with only Sunset being the last one to receive her memories again. The Rainbooms return to the ground as they once again huddle around the still unconscious Sunset as the last reel of stolen memories slowly pulls itself into Sunsets head. A small groan her heard from her as she slowly forces her eyes open.

" Ugh.... Twilight... Sparkle?" Sunset croaks, staring at the lavender teen above her.

" Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight replies with a renewed feeling of joy in her voice.

Pain still ran through Sunsets body, but she let out a sigh of relief knowing that her friends memories were finally safe from harm. With a bit of help from the girls, she rose to her feet and had Rarity help keep her balance. Some warm and careful hugs from the rest of the Rainbooms further calmed her troubled mind as she kept her soft smile on her face.

" I sure am mighty glad all of our memories are safe 'n' sound. Now, about that there Wallflow--- hey! Where'd she go?!" Aj begins before noticing the former witch's absence. The rest of the girls turn to see this as well.

" She got away?! We gotta go find her!" Rainbow declares as she starts to run towards the dense forest, but is promptly stopped by Sunset only working arm.

" No. Leave her be." Sunset says, staring blankly past the trees. " She has no power anymore. I could feel it throughout the duel. Hatred, sorrow, lonesomeness; all of it was feeding that stone. It wouldn't do us any good to talk to her in this state. Right now, she needs some time to recover and reflect on what happened here."

Despite a few murmurs from the girls, they agreed with Sunset as they helped her leave the clearing. Sunset had sustained a considerable amount of damage and she needed medical attention as soon as possible. While shuffling away from the ruined garden, Sunset takes one look back at the field before it disappears from view. Whatever the girls did to stop Wallflower, she knew it was the right call to leave her be. Ever since what she'd learned about Wallflower, she knew that girl was suffering and to confront her now would only damage the situation even further. Forgiveness was a virtue that all the girls, especially Sunset and Twilight, had experience with and that with time and love from friends, things would get better. For now, however, the only thing that would need help getting better was Sunset. With a heavy heart, Sunset pressed onward with her friends as she left the emotionally damaged teen to her own vices.

A Farewell to Wallflower Blush

A soft breeze drapes over the calm school grounds of CHS. It was the end of yet another peaceful day and nearly all of the students had left for home or whatever obligations called them away. There was, however, one last student that remained seated atop the roof. Riddled with bandages and a prominent cast and sling on her left arm, Sunset stares out at nothing in particular as she contemplates on the events that had happened nearly one week ago. She lets out a tired sigh as she diverts her gaze to the peaceful setting sun before her.

With Sunset recovering from her injuries, the rest of the Rainbooms would explain what had happened just a day before to Principal Celestia and V.P Luna. They weren't surprised as to what was behind it all, but neither of them had suspected it to be Wallflower. ( Celestia had barely any recollection of having any students with that name.) With this new information in tow, an announcement was made to everyone who was a witness to the events at the Cup and the temporary stop to the competition was lifted. With the Emerald Witch being absent from the tournament, Sunset was declared the victor of the Cup and would be awarded her prize as soon as she recovered; a beautiful golden trophy with the title of "Duel Champion" embossed on it. Sunset, however, was more interested in finding Wallflower after her disappearance. Despite their best efforts, the girls couldn't find any trace of Wallflower. After a few days of tireless searching, all the girls managed to find was the damaged remains of Wallflowers rose shaped duel disk and the three cards created by the Memory Stone, now grayed out and petrified. Whatever power or dark aura the cards held was no longer present as the girls held them. Sunset continued her own search for the damaged girl after she was discharged, with little success of her own.

Life went on, and the girls slowly began to move past the events at the garden. With some persuading from the girls and some help from Derpy, Roseluck, and the other students, the school garden was restored and the new Gardening Club was formed. Sunset had hoped that Wallflower would return once her garden was restored, but days passed with no sign of her return. Time passed and with no sign of her return or any chance to speak to her, Sunset stopped her search and merely reflected on what she would have said to the former witch. She knew that whatever hatred Wallflower had for her and her friends could be quelled with friendship and forgiveness. The words that Wallflower spoke had touched a chord with Sunset, as she once felt the same way. Time and time again, Sunset's mind wandered as she reflected on the duel that happened days ago and hoped that Wallflower had recovered from the physical and mental toll the duel took from them both.

" Wallflower... " Sunset mutters to herself. " Wherever you are, I hope you're doing better. Celestia knows i'm not doing too hot."

" Guess we're both worse for wear, aren't we?"

Startled by this sudden response, Sunset turns swiftly around to face the voice. Standing before her was Wallflower Blush, the Emerald Witch. Wrapped tightly around her head was a worn, stained bandage that looks like it hadn't been changed in days. Covering her body was her tattered, scorched cloak that only served to hide her bandaged arms. Despite this, more bandages could be seen through the tears and holes that riddled her damaged sweater. Most notable of all was her eyes. Red, tired looking, and glossy, Sunset knew it was the result of excessive crying. She looked tired; as if she would collapse from exhaustion at any moment.

" Wallflower! You..I..." Sunset stutters as she finds herself at a loss for words.

" It's okay Sunset. I just.... came to apologize. Ever since what happened before, all I could feel was... shame." Wallflower says lowering her head. " When I first found the Memory Stone, I only erased little things; awkward hellos, saying the wrong thing, and literally any public speaking. Soon, I found myself going completely overboard and erasing all kinds of memories. I was so wrapped up with erasing memories, I didn't realize that I was causing my own problems... It's all my fault."

Wallflowers glossy eyes slowly begin to fill with tears as she attempts to hold them back, clenching her fists tightly as she struggles. Sunset slowly walks up to the miserable teen and carefully gives her a warm, comforting hug with her only working arm and pulls her in close. That was it. With this act of kindness from the one person she felt so much hatred for, Wallflower bawls bitterly as she returns her act with a hug as well. Sunset slowly pats her back and lets her cry on her shoulder.

" Shhh, it's okay...I'm sorry too. I was never nice to you in the first place. Not being mean to someone isn't enough and it took me so long to realize that. I don't blame you for doing what you did. Everyone has their moments of feeling worthless and forgotten, and I couldn't see you suffering. I know how you feel."

" B-but.. that's no excuse for what I did! Everything I did... I... I'm so sorry." Wallflower blubbers as she releases Sunset from her hug.

" It's ok. I'm just glad you're back. All this time, i've been looking for you so we could talk. Me and my friends helped fix your garden, and your Gardening Club is really taking off! We want to help you recover from whatever it is you're going through."

" Oh... gosh. Thank you." Wallflower sighs as she wipes away her tears and smiles. " I've missed them. My plants, I mean.... that.. sounded weird. I'm sorry. I guess I have so much on my mind right now."

" It's ok Wallflower. I understand. If you aren't ready to talk about this, we can always do this some other day. Maybe with the rest of the girls?"

The warm smile on Wallflowers face slowly fades away as she stares down with a forlorn expression. While she did stop her crying after listening to Sunsets words, she could feel her misty eyes begin to water again. Wiping away her tears, Wallflower pulls down the hood of her withered cloak as she looks and faces Sunset once again.

" ...no. I can't. I'm afraid that won't happen...The reason i'm even here at all was to say i'm sorry... and goodbye."

" What?!" Sunset exclaims. " What do you mean 'goodbye?' "

" Sunset... look, I get it. You and your friends want to forgive me for the horrible things I did, but I don't deserve any of this. That day... after the duel, I felt something deep down inside me, as if whatever hatred I felt for you had just faded away. Guilt. That was all I could feel. Everything that I did, I did to myself. You didn't deserve to suffer because of what I did, and on that day I realized that no matter what you or anyone says, I will never be forgiven for what I did, especially if I can't forgive myself. I think its best if I just disappear. Honestly, I kinda hope everyone forgets about me."

" Don't say that! I know it hurts now, trust me, but talk-"

" Sunset, please!" Wallflower speaks up, nearly yelling at her. Noticing Sunset wincing nervously, she continues in a calmer voice. " I'm sorry, I really am, but this is just something I have to do. You've done so much for me, and i'm forever grateful for that. I was wrong about you, and I couldn't see it. I let my emotions get the better of me, and now I have to pay for it. I just need to get away from all this"

Sunset was at a loss for words. All this time, she believed that Wallflower had finally come to terms with whatever internal hatred she felt. Instead, all of the guilt and shame she had felt during these days had only intensified and festered within her. While Sunset mind dwelled on this revelation, Wallflower turned away from her and begins to walk away as she pulls the hood on her beaten cloak back over her head. Halfway across the rooftop, she feels a warm hand softly grab her shoulder.

"Wallflower... I..." Sunset begins as her hand trembles. She sighs and shakes her head. " I'm sorry. I know I can't change your mind no matter what I say. I just want you to know that me and my friends do care about you. We'll all be here for you if-... when you come back."

Wallflower turns and gives her a weak smile. The feeling of guilt and shame would always persist, but there was something about Sunset she had always admired. There was something about her empathy for people like her that brought about a smile on her face, despite what she was feeling. " Maybe if things had been different... If I had spoken up sooner..." she thinks wistfully. Flustered, Wallflower resumes her stride to the edge of the roof as Sunset stares at her. With one last smile, she steps off of the edge and vanishes from Sunsets sight.

" WALLFLOWER!" Sunset screams as she bolts to the edge. Her heart races as she looks over the edge and prepares for the worst. Much to her surprise, there was nothing. No body, no movement, nothing. All that she could hear was the brisk wind rushing over the treetops behind the school. Recovering from the sudden shock that hit her, Sunset peers over the edge and stares at the woods beyond.

" Goodbye Wallflower... " Sunset whispers with misty eyes. As she turns back towards the door on the rooftop, something flutters out from her sling and slowly floats onto the floor; a card. Puzzled, she reaches down to pick it up and she examines it. Her eyes widen as she grips it tightly and slides it into her pocket. She takes one last look at the setting sun as she leaves through the door.

Writing with one hand had been a challenge for Sunset, even if she was ambidextrous. Perched on a pillow on her bed, Sunset scribbles away at her journal as she delivers yet another message to Princess Twilight. She had kept the princess updated on the situation with the search for Wallflower and her subsequent disappearance. Twilight had been uneasy about the whole situation, but she trusted Sunsets choice to help Wallflower. Naturally, Sunset knew she would be disheartened to hear about Wallflowers decision to leave CHS, but hoped she would understand why. Sometimes friendship couldn't save everyone. With one last movement of her hand, Sunset places her pen and journal back onto her nightstand along with the card she pick up back on the schools rooftop. She rolls over onto her side and thinks on the message she wrote to Princess Twilight as she slowly slips away into her dreams. The soft glow of Sunsets journal slowly faded away as the image of Black Rose Dragon on the card sinks into the dark of her room.

Dear Princess Twilight,

It's been a long week, hasn't it? With the Memory Stone gone, things have gone back to normal, for the most part. I'm still not in the best of shape, but i'll manage. Me and the girls have been looking for Wallflower this whole week with little success. That is, until yesterday. I found her Twilight ,or specifically, she found me. She came to apologize to me, and to say goodbye. Ever since that duel, she's been feeling nothing but guilt and shame to what she did to me and the girls. She's gone, and I don't know when she's coming back. I don't know if i could have said or done anything to help her. She told me that she can't forgive herself for what she did, and until she does, she won't return.

Honestly, I don't know if I did the right thing. I haven't told the girls about this, less they go on a wild hunt for her. She's not looking for friends right now and I doubt the girls could say or do anything that would help her. I've always thought that friendship could help anyone recover but maybe she needs more than just a hand on her shoulder and friends behind her. Maybe she really does need more time. I hope I did the right thing. Still, thank you for all of your help. Give my regards to Princess Luna and, of course, my second best teacher Princess Celestia.

Make sure she knows you're kidding when you say that.

Your friend,
Sunset Shimmer