AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one is a very emotional duel for Blake, really showing her character in this duel. I will say the duel itself is not the focus here, it is her this time around. I really liked writing her and Yang this chapter for their dynamic here. Hope you enjoy this chapter, leave a review with your comments and questions, and have a nice day.

See Datasheet Chapter for cover art details.

Chapter 12 – The Black Shadow Rider Pt. 3

Blake: 4000 Life Points

Yang: 4000 Life Points

Yang drew first, seeing her result was a spell, "I active Moten Conduction Field." She played, causing two cards to eject from her deck, "This lets me take two Laval monsters from my deck and send them to the graveyard." The blond Ra Yellow said as two fiery ladies appeared at her side. Both with long flaming hair, causing Yang to smile, "I choose Laval Lakeside Lady and Laval Handmaiden." She said before looking to the one steel dress, "And since Handmaiden was sent to the graveyard with another Laval monster in my graveyard, I can send another Laval monster." She said as a third card ejected from her deck. "So, Laval Miller can join them," Yang said as the two fiery ladies turned in pillars of flame, spiraling into her duel disk.

"She's setting up her graveyard." Blake thought to herself.

Yang then took a card from her hand, "Since I have three Laval monsters in my graveyard, I can special summon Laval Burner from my hand." The blond Ra Yellow said before the ground erupted with magma. Emerging from the molten rock was a mad beast of rage. His arms were encased with heated gauntlets. Yang smiled as her monsters hit its fists together, (2100 ATK / 1000 DEF). Yang then looked to her hand. Weiss watched as Blake was focused on her opponent's next move, "Now, I'll end with three cards facedown."

Blake drew a familiar card to Weiss, "I use Lunalight Black Sheep's effect to discard itself to add Polymerization to my hand." She said as the spell card ejected from her deck. After taking the card out, the Black Shadow Rider played a monster, "I summon Lunalight White Rabbit in defense mode." A humanoid rabbit with an orange mask over her eyes, her fluffy fur resembled marshmallows. She reposed with her hammer in the moonlight, (800 ATK / 800 DEF). "Her effect now allows me to bring back Black Sheep from the graveyard." She said as the humanoid sheep in a suit reappeared and knelt, (100 ATK / 600 DEF). "Now, I active White Rabbit's second effect. I can send spell and trap cards back to your hand equal to the number of other Lunalight monsters on my field."

"Okay, but that means you only get to pick one." Yang responded, "Which will it be?" Blake then pointed to two on her left. Yang nodded as she removed the card from the field, putting it in her hand.

Blake then took the spell she added to her hand, "I play Polymerization, using Lunalight Black Sheep and White Rabbit." She then took another card out of her hand, "And Lunalight Tiger from my hand."

"Another three-way fusion!?" Yang said in shook as Blake nodded, "You really aren't taking it slow."

Blake ignored the last half of her opponent's words, "I fusion summon, Lunalight Saber Dancer!" She said a purple humanoid feline appeared, the moonlight gleaming off her golden armor and cutlass swords. Her masked over her right eyes as she held a stance with her left leg bent. However, in one stomp, the ground shock at her presence, (3000 ATK / 2600 DEF). "Not only is she immune to targeting." The Black Shadow Rider said before looking to Weiss, "But similar her Master Diamond, Saber Dancer gains 200 attack points for each Beast-Warrior in my graveyard and removed from play." She said as the spirit of the three fusion material hoovered behind Saber Dancer, (3000 + 600 = 3600 ATK).

"I'd say that's actually better than Master Diamonds effect," Yang commented.

"Hey!" Weiss restored, "Whose side are you on?" She said with Yang turning back with a giggle.

The two looked back to Blake, who was looking down as her body was shaking, "…Why?" Blake said before glaring at Yang, "Why are you not taking this seriously!?"

"I am," Yang responded, her voice focused and clear, "But I know I can't win if I'm always thinking about the worse outcomes." She said with Blake gasping, hearing those words ring in her mind.

However, the Black Shadow Rider shook her head before pointing, "Saber Dancer, attack Laval Burner!" Blake declared as her monster reposed her two swords and dashed for the fiery beast.

"Attacking while only getting rid of one of my set cards was bad idea," Yang responded before looking at her duel disk, "Because I can still use this one." She said before revealing her face down, "I activate Raising Energy. This lets me discard a card to give my monster 1500 attack points." She said with Blake gasping, Discarding her Threating Roar. Laval Burner hit his fist together again, this time with an eruption in the background, (2100 + 1500 = 3600 ATK). The two monsters then rushed towards each other; their attacks reeled back. at the same time, one unleashed a slash with the other a fire knuckle punch. The collision of blows caused an explosion to erupt between the two. As the smoke cleared, both monsters were gone.

"You!" Blake said as Yang remained focused, "Tsk, I end with one card face down."

Weiss' eyes narrowed as she looked at Blake, "This is different from when she dueled me," She said to herself, "She rushed in without thinking, not planning for a counter-attack." The heiress Obelisk Blue then noticed Blake's stance slightly wobbling as she corrected herself, "She really should not be in another Shadow Game right away."

"My draw," Yang said before realizing her result was a monster, "I summon Royal Firestorm Guards in attack mode." A red dragon-like creature appeared on the blond Ra Yellow's side of the field, (1700 ATK / 1200 DEF) "And when it's normal summoned, I can return four pyro monsters from my graveyard back into my deck." She said as the Laval monsters ejected from the duel disk, letting her place them back into her deck and shuffle, "Then I draw two cards." Yang said before looking back to Blake, whose woozy stance was more apparent, "Now, I attack you directly!" The Royal Firestorm unleashed a beam of condensed cinders towards its opponent.

Blake gritted her teeth as she activated her face down, "I activate Call of the Haunted, allowing me to bring back me Lunalight Saber-"

"I activate Burgeoning Whirlflame," Yang countered as she sent a card from her hand to the graveyard, "I can discard Laval Cannon to negate your trap card." Blake gasped as her trap exploded and the flames enveloped her body.

"AAAAAA!" Blake screamed as Yang had a look of sorrowing in her eyes.

Blake: 4000 – 1700 = 2300 Life Points

As the smoke cleared, Blake stood with her breathing heavy. Yang lowered her duel disk, "Look, you don't have to push yourself this hard." She said with Blake gritting her teeth, "You would have been able to activate your card sooner if you weren't so preoccupied just trying to stay standing."

"Shut up already," Blake responded, "Why are you trying to help me?" She said as she had a forced, "If it's because I helped Ruby, forget about that." She said with Yang slowing glaring, "Because I didn't take her key then, I will just have to defeat her after I defeat you."

"That's not going to happen, because I'm going to win this duel." Yang said as she set a card, "I end my turn."

"I draw!" Blake announced as she looked at her hand of three cards. However, her blurry vision causing her to not make out the cards for a second. She began to think to herself, "I need to bring out another fusion monster, I need Lunalight Fusion." Blake said before turning back to her opponent, "I summon Lunalight Crimson Fox in attack mode." She said as the humanoid fox with a mask over its right eye and an enormous fluffy red tail, (1800 ATK / 600 DEF). "Attack!" Blake ordered as the fox dashed for the Firestorm Guard, slashing it across the chest. Yang felt the small shockwave of damage, remaining unfazed.

Yang: 4000 – 100 = 3900 Life Points

"She went from one-turn-kills to just 100 damage?" Weiss thought, "How desperate can she be now?"

"I end my turn," Blake said before Yang drew, putting the card in her hand before grabbing a different one.

"I summon Laval Blaster in attack mode," Yang played, revealing a think magma fighter with cannons mounted on his arms, (1200 ATK / 800 DEF). "When he's normal summoned, I can choose one to five cards to send from the top of my deck to the graveyard. And I'm picking five." Yang announced before milling the five cards. Of the discarded; one was a spell, one was a trap, and three were monster of a familiar naming system, "It looks like I get three Laval monsters sent to the grave, so Blaster gets 200 attack points each." Yang's monster's arm cannon glowed hotter as is aimed at the crimson fox, (1200 + 600 = 1800 ATK). "Fire!" Yang ordered as her monster blasted. However, the crimson fox rushed in, slashing the blaster at the last second before getting incinerated. "I guess I'll just end with a face down."

"You keep destroying your own monster to destroy mine?" Blake pointed out, "What type of self-destruction is that going to accomp-" She was saying as Yang smirked. The Black Shadow Rider gritted her teeth "I draw!" She said before gasping at the result of the spell, "I play Re-Fusion to bring back Lunalight Saber Dancer." She said as her life decreased by 800, but her golden feline warrior reappeared. "Also, I discard Lunalight Purple Butterfly, activating her effect to give Saber Dancer 1000 extra attack points!"

Blake: 2300 – 800 = 1500 Life Points

"Add with five Lunalight in her graveyard," Weiss pointed out, "Her monster attack points are-"

"5000." Yang finished as Saber Dancer glowed in a golden aura, (3000 + 1000 + 1000 = 5000 ATK).

"Attack, wipe out the rest of her life points!" Blake ordered as her monster rushed forward the swords at each side. Blake was lost in thought as she watched Yang, "I did it, I can still do this, I need to do this, I-"

"I active my face down card, Dustflame Blast." Yang said before taking out after graveyard, "I remove all my Laval monster to destroy any number of cards on field up to the monster I banished." Yang said as Blake gasped, "But I only need to destroy one card."

"I told you already, Saber Dancer cannot be targeted!" Blake retorted.

"I'm not aiming at that card; I'm destroying Re-Fusion," Yang said as the spell broke.

Blake gasped as her monster faded to removed from play, losing her last line of offense. She gritted her teeth harder than before, "DAMNIT!" She screamed before looking at the last card in her hand, "I play Lunalight Yellow Marten in defense mode." The Black Shadow Rider said as a humanoid weasel-like female with yellow fur appeared on her side of the field knelt with her arms crossed, (800 ATK / 2000 DEF).

"You think stalling with work against me." Yang said as she started her turn, seeing the result of her draw, "That's not gonna work out for you. I summon Solar Flare Dragon in attack mode." She played her result, causing a serpent-like dragon of fire to appear out of the ground, roaring at her opponent, (1500 ATK / 1000 DEF). "Now, I end my turn. And since I didn't attack, Solar Flare Dragon burns you for 500 points of damage." She said as her monster breathed fire onto Blake, who shielded herself from the inferno.

Blake: 1500 – 500 = 1000 Life Points

Her body still steaming, Blake composed herself as she drew. However, this was not the card she needed, "I end my turn." She said with regret as Yang drew. The blond Ra Yellow did nothing, casing her monster's effect to reactive. Blake shielded herself again from the flames, but this time, she could not withstand the torment, "AAAAAA!" She screamed before falling to one knee.

Blake: 1000 – 500 = 500 Life Points

However, the Black Shadow Rider stood back. Her stance was wobble, she still focused on Yang, "I…Draw!" Blake announced, but her vision was too blurry to make out the result.

"Blake…" Weiss spoke, "It's okay to ask for help."

"It doesn't make you weak," Yang added on, "It actually takes a lot of courage to admit that you can't do something yourself."

"I…I…" Blake said before her eyes focused seeing her card, "I active Lunalight Perfume!" she played her spell, "Now, I can bring back Crimson Fox and destroy your Solar Flare Dragon." The Black Shadow Rider said as her monster reappeared, (1800 ATK / 600 DEF). The monster jumped as it slashed the dragon across the throat. Yang shielded herself from the explosion, her damage minimal.

Yang: 3900 – 300 = 3600 Life Points

Blake's breathing was heavy as she spoke, "I'll keep fighting, I'll never give up, I'll win so nobody else has to get hurt!" She shouted as Yang's eyes filled with remorse, "…Don't look at me like that." The Black Shadow Rider said tears started to form in her eyes, "I choose this path, I don't need any pity."

"You need help, you can't save the world by yourself." Yang responded, "It's amazing that you want to do this alone for the sake of others, but it's not right for you to suffer like this."

"I can endure it," Blake responded before almost falling over.

"Quit lying to yourself!" Weiss called out, "Look at you, you're the Strongest Ra Yellow at this academy. Yet you're losing to some nobody first year." Yang turned back to Weiss with a glare, "Hey, that's for making fun of my Master Diamond."

Yang sighed, "You're right Weiss," The blond Ra Yellow said before looking back to Blake, "I shouldn't be winning like I am now. You're better than this." She said as Blake did not respond, "Just stop, I don't want to hurt you anymore in this duel." She said as she extended her right arms with an open hand, "I want to be your friend." Yang said with a smile.

"…I." Blake said before tightening her fist, "I…I can't stop myself." She said as the tears fell on the grass, "If I do, then it means everything else I have done was pointless. I can't go back, I can't face my parents again, I-"

"Stop saying 'I' all the time!" Yang called out, causing Blake to gasp, "We can help you succeed at anything. Your friends will stand by you if you stand by them." She said before drawing, smiling at the result, "And when a friend helps you out, you can do anything." Yang said before placing her card in her hand momentarily, picking a spell card to play, "I activate Cost Down, discarding a card to lower the level of all monster in my hand by two." She said as the only card in her hand was the card she just drew, "Now, it means I can normal summon this monster without a tribute." Yang said before playing the card, "I summon Prime Material Dragon!" Emerging on Yang's side of the field was the golden yellow dragon. It's six wings gleamed as it shined in the night. Blake gasped as the dragon roared, (2400 ATK / 2000 DEF).

"Wait for a second," Weiss noticed, "It's that Bastion's card."

"After he lost to Pyrrha, he gave it to me to help in our future duels against the Shadow Riders." Yang responded before looking back to her cards, "My deck wouldn't be half as good as it is now without my friend's help."

"You mean-" Blake said with Yang nodding.

"I'm only this far because of them. They give me the strength to keep moving forward." Yang said as the image of everyone she meant at Duel Academy filled her mind, even the one person soon to arrive at this school, "It may just be me dueling now, but I know they are supporting me. And in all their duels, I'm right there with them. Cheering them to victory." She said as Blake remained speechless, "Even if one of us lose, the others will help pick up the pieces and learn from the mistakes." Yang then pointed to Blake, "And if that speech doesn't drive my message home, then maybe this will! Prime Material Dragon attacks Crimson Fox!" Yang declared as her monster unleashed a golden beam from its mouth. The laser enveloped Blake's monster, wiping out the rest of her life points with a flash of light.

Blake: 500 – 600 = 0 Life Points

Blake fell to her knees, her body falling forward. She lacked the strength anymore to slow her momentum, surrender herself her failure. However, she heard someone running towards her. At the last second, someone caught Blake before she could fully fall. She moved her head to see the one who caught her was the blond Ra Yellow, "Yang…" Blake said as the last of her tears fell, "Help me…" She asked before closing her eyes, passing out.

Yang hugged Blake as she closed her eyes as well, "Of course." She responded as Weiss watched, a small smile on her face forming at the victory.

A few moments later.

Weiss and Yang walked through the forest on their way back to the academy. The blond Ra Yellow carried the unconscious Blake on her back, causing Weiss to sigh, "We lost two keys today."

"Yeah," Yang responded before a smile formed, "But hey, we still have three left and only two more Shadow Riders to go." She said before looking back to Blake, "She wasn't bad, she was just going without thinking things through first." She said before giggling, "I get that."

"Yes," Weiss said as she looked forward, "However, I don't think the remaining two Shadow Riders will be as morally in the right as Blake is. They seem to be the ones to want to release the Sacred Beast to cause harm to everyone."

"I know," Yang said as her smile faded, "Cinder, the woman that hurt my little sister. And that Adam creep," She said before she glanced back to Blake "I don't even want to imagine what he did to Blake to make her so scared of him." Yang said with her eyes turning red for a second, "If I see that guy, I won't hold back at all."

Weiss nodded as the two walked down the dirt road in silence for a second, "Hey uh," The heiress Obelisk Blue spoke as Yang turned to her in confusion, "Back when you were talking about all your friends," Weiss said she looked away, hiding her red face, "Do I count as one?"

Yang had a smile as her eyes turned back to normal. Lightly, she punched Weiss in the left shoulder, "Of course we're friends." she said with Weiss now hiding her smile as well, "…Ice Queen." Yang said with a smirk at the end.

"Hey!" Weiss turned back with a scowl, "I said I hate that nickname!" She said with Yang laughing. The two walking the rest of the way in silence with the heiress Obelisk Blue pouting.

AN: There you go, one more Shadow Rider taken care of. Blake may have a deck that is levels above everyone else's so far, but if your head is not in the game, that really doesn't matter. This chapter is where I feel the WBY trio does get a lot close to what the cannon friendships are like. It was one of my favorite chapters to write so far for that reason, showcasing the traits of each that I liked. Next Shadow Rider up, The Strongest Slifer Red makes his mark. But who will he duel; Jaden, Ruby, or someone else? Yang had the upper hand against Blake, but will she lose it against Adam? You'll have to wait for the next chapter as the series will continue in 2020. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.

Now, answering a few questions I could not reply to. Adam's deck is already deiced. It was very close to being Six Samurais, but I talked with some people about an alterative that gives more chooses to the readers on cards represented in these fanfics. Regarding Society of Light Arc, I am debating with it. After the Shadow Riders, I would want to go back to more one-shot chapters like at the start of the series. Having some cool duels with new rwby characters introduced to this crossover, paying homage to some episodes I liked of GX, and other fun ideas. I more want to do a Genex Tournament than a Society of Light Arc, because I like tournaments arcs, (Which is why I am sad GX and RWBY both had underwhelming tournament arcs). I will say, if I do the Society of Light, most of the RWBY characters are going to be the ones that get brainwashed. That answers the questions, if you have more, I will answer them right away or in the next chapter.