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!