Moonbeams and starlight, magical twilight
The warmest ray, hear it whispering your names
Rainbows at midnight, sparkling night skies
Don't go away, stay another day.

Sniffing was heard as Roll wiped her eyes and blew her nose. The girl was curled against a set of lockers, her phone up to her ear. She was listening to a voice sing a song as her crying ceased.

"Feel better, sweetie?"

"Yeah… thanks, Mom," said Roll, her voice filled with warm gratitude.

"Cheer up. You kids are still in this. Your father and I are proud of you two." said Twilight as she'd received a call from her daughter following their loss to their cousin and heard how upset she was.

"I just wish we didn't disappoint you two," said Roll.

"Roll, sweetie. You could never disappoint me," said Twilight to her daughter as she used her motherly voice. "I need to go, but… I love you, sweetie."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Tell your brother I love him too. Cheer up, you kids still got this," said Twilight as she ended the call.

The woman sighed heavily before putting her hand on the window she was looking out of. She reached upward With her other hand and undid her ponytail, letting her hair gently fall like a majestic waterfall. Coming from behind her was someone as they placed their hand on her shoulder.

"How'd it go with the kids?"

"They're holding up. Though… Roll's a bit upset they didn't win."

"I see. Well, like you said, they still have a chance," said Isaac, smiling at his wife.

"I wish we were there. I just want to hold her and tell her everything is okay," confessed Twilight. Although she wanted to be with her kids following their major loss, she couldn't abandon her duties.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll see the kids real soon," the World Champion said. Right now… we have our responsibilities to uphold."

"Right," said Twilight as she grabbed her husband's hand, and the two began to walk together.

The pair stood before a set of doors as Twilight took deep breaths. Isaac raised his wife's hand to kiss it as he assured her everything would be okay. The pair then turned to the doors; they began to open as the sound of an audience was heard.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the World Champion Isaac and his lovely wife, Twilight Sparkle, the world's lead card designer.

The two focused their minds as they stepped into the spotlight and prepared to do the media they were scheduled for.

"So, how did she do?"

"She did well, dear," smiled Cadance as she stood alongside her daughter and Sombra on a video call with the girl's father.

"That's my little girl," smiled Shining Armor as he was happy his daughter won. "Tell me, my little princess. Did you have fun tossing around your cousins a bit?"

"Yes, Daddy," responded Flurry with a cute tone. "I appreciate the cards you got me."

"Whatever my little girl wants, she gets."

"She's a chip off the old block," said Sombra as he made his presence known to his former top student. "Now, if you don't mind, Ms. Heart. I would like to speak with your father."

"Bye, Daddy!" said Flurry with a wave as she left with her mother.

Sombra smiled as he watched the girl leave with her mother until they were out of sight, then turned to the screen and looked at the pro duelist.

"How did she do?" asked Shining Armor.

"She's single-handedly leading her team to victory, just as predicted. She is a natural-born prodigy, just like her father."

"That makes me happy," said the man to his former principal.

"I gave you my word, Shining Armor. I would take your daughter and turn her into a winner. She's a leader; she's a star. She has massive potential for someone her age. She is… the next big thing."

"I appreciate that, Sombra. You kept your word you would turn my daughter into a proud duelist. I give you my thanks."

"I'll do anything for my former student. However… regarding your daughter's fun with her cousins, I dare say they would be a nice addition to Crystal Prep's roster. Imagine… your daughter and her cousins. A bloodline faction to run Crystal Prep and take it to new heights never before seen."

"That is an ambitious dream," said Shining Armor. "But… as you know, my sister and brother-in-law have made their decisions regarding their kids and school education."

"Indeed. And I respect it. But… don't they deserve the best? Just like your daughter. I'm not saying CHS isn't the perfect place for them. But is it really challenging them? And you become the best version of yourself when you're challenged. Don't you agree?"

"Yes," answered Shining Armor.

As Hitch stepped out, the door closed. Outside, Izzy and Pipp were waiting for him.

"How is she?" asked the stylish.

"She's calmed down right now. Managed to fall asleep," said Hitch as he just came from the girl's room after the full-blown panic attack she suffered from their loss.

"Sunny's gonna be okay, right?" asked Izzy.

"Yeah. She'll be fine. She just… needs some rest," said Hitch. "I'll stay with her for the night. Keep an eye on her."

"Let us know if anything happens, okay?" said Pipp as the boy nodded.

The two then left. Izzy went to her room while Pipp went back to her dorm. Hitch leaned against Sunny's door as he looked upwards. The teen sighed deeply as everything was a mess and happening so quickly. However, he needed to be there for his best friend right now.

Mario was in the locker room, changing from the blazer Izzy made and returning to his usual getup. The boy closed the door before sitting on the bench as he leaned forward with a deep thought. The boy's Winged Kuriboh appeared as he was concerned for his master. The small, winged monster spirit floated near him, landed on his shoulder, and spoke.

"Yeah, I'm good, buddy," Mario said to his tiny monster spirit as he replayed the events of his duel with his cousin.

Winged Kuriboh spoke as he looked at his master holding his deck.

"Come on. Let's get out of here. I need a hot shower," Mario said as he stood up.

The boy left the room as he looked to head back to his dorm room. He arrived at his dorm and noticed a piece of paper stuck to the door. He grabbed it as it was folded and had his name on it. The boy flipped it open and read the writing before looking outward.

Nighttime had fallen on the campus, and nearly everybody was fast asleep. In Sunny's room, the girl was fast asleep. However, she was tossing and turning as she was experiencing a nightmare. Inside Sunny's dream, the girl was in a dark forest as she ran through it. Behind her was a shadow as it roared and was chasing the girl. The teen ran as fast as her legs could as she exited the forest and came to a cliff before halting, nearly going over it. She turned as the shadow revealed and it was Blue-Eyes. The girl fell on her behind and stared up at the beast before some laughing was heard. Sunny looked down to see Flurry standing beside her dragon.

"Say goodbye, Sunny," said Flurry with a sinister tone.

Blue-Eyes then opened its mouth and fired off its attack. Sunny could only put her arm up as she blasted off the cliff and began to fall. The girl screamed as she descended into darkness. The teen awoke suddenly, letting out a sound. Walking in a chair near her bedside, Hitch heard his best friend as he quickly went to her.

"Sunny…"

"Hitch."

"I'm glad you're okay," said the boy, pleased his best friend was fine. I'll let the others know." He began to get up and head for the door when Sunny called out to him.

"No, wait!"

The boy turned to look at his best friend. He approached Sunny's bedside as the girl sat up to look at her friend bending down.

"What's wrong?"

"I just want to say thanks for sticking with me. You're the best friend I could ever ask for, Hitch."

"Well, I couldn't leave without making sure you were okay."

"And I appreciate that. You've always been there for me. You stayed when I needed you the most. If that's not a hero… then I don't know what is." said the girl, looking into the eyes of her best friend.

"I'm no hero…" said Hitch as he looked away.

"Well… you are to me," Sunny smiled, getting her best friend to smile.

The two childhood friends just smiled as they held the other's left hand while looking at the other.

"Well… I think I should go. Let you rest and avoid getting caught for being in your room past curfew."

"Actually… can you stay with me? Just… for tonight?" asked Sunny. "Please…"

Hitch looked at his best friend as Sunny put on her puppy dog eyes. The boy was helpless against that as he gave in. Sunny soon scooted over, allowing Hitch to get into her bed. The boy was hesitant about this due to the many rules he was breaking just by being in the same bed with Sunny, even if she was his best friend, and trusted him not to do anything to her. However, the look in her eyes told him she needed her best friend to get through the night.

Hitch kept to his side of the bed as he tried not to disturb Sunny, but the girl wrapped her arms around him as if he were a teddy bear. In the end, Hitch rolled to his side as he looked at his best friend. Sunny was fast asleep as he gently put his arms over her and pulled her just a bit closer as if to protect the girl.

Meanwhile, under the cover of darkness, something else was happening.

Mario was shown approaching the duel arena. The message the boy got told him to come here in the dead of night as there would be nobody to spot them. Upon entering, Mario was making his way to the arena as he arrived, and there on the field was someone.

"Well, well, well… you showed up," said Axiom.

"I'm not one to back down from a challenge," said Mario. "So, what the deal?"

"Simple. Your cousin promised me something, and I intend to collect it," stated Axiom as stepping out from behind him was Flurry.

Mario was surprised to see his cousin present. He didn't know what exactly she had promised Axiom, but given that he was wearing his duel disk, it was clear what the boy wanted.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get this started!" said Mario.

The two boys were on the field, preparing to battle. Flurry watched from Axiom's side, interested in this duel between her right-hand man and her cousin.

"Game on!" said both boys.

"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said the pair's duel disks. Both slotted in their decks as Axiom's projected a purple card tray while Mario projected a red one.

Axiom's Life Points: 8000-
Mario's Life Points: 8000-

"Let's duel!" said the teens.

Turn 1: Axiom (Hand 5)

"I'll get things started!" said Axiom as he drew. "And I'll start off by summoning Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude(1400/1600). I then activate my monster's effect to excavate the top card of my deck, and if it's a normal spell card, I send it to the graveyard. Let's see what destiny has in store!" Axiom drew his top card and looked at it, producing a smirk. "The card on top of my deck is Destiny Draw. So, on my next turn, I can use its effect. Looks like destiny is on my side."

"Should I be worried?" remarked Mario.

"Next, I set two cards facedown and end my turn." (Hand 3)

Turn 2: Mario (Hand 5)

"Not bad. But wait till you see what I have in store," said Mario as he drew his card. "First, I summon Elemental HERO Avian(1000/1000)."

"Really? That's your opening play," said Axiom, expecting Mario to give him a challenge.

"Well, I'm not done. Because I also play the Skyscraper field spell!" said Mario as he slotted his card into his duel disk. The entire field began to change as many tall buildings appeared around the boys and surrounded them as they were in a courtyard between the towers.

"With Skyscraper out, my monsters' attack points increase by 1000, but only if they're weaker. And like you said, my monster is weaker than yours, but not by much. So those extra 1000 attack points will make my Avian stronger than your Diamond Dude. Elemental HERO Avian, take out Axiom's Diamond Dude!"

Mario commanded his monster as he flew to the top of a nearby tower before descending. The boy's monster dove as he spun and collided with Diamond Dude, creating an explosion.
Axiom's Life Points: 7400-

"You know, don't pat yourself on the back just yet. That's exactly what I wanted. I activate my trap card, Destiny Signal! Since you destroyed my monster in battle, I can activate this trap card to summon a Level 4 or below 'Destiny HERO' monster from my deck. So I choose to summon my Destiny HERO - Dark Angel(0/0) in defense mode!" Out came a monster wearing black attire with its angelic wings a bit darkened.

"That's one creepy monster," Mario commented on Axiom's creature. "But I still have the upper hand. So before I end my turn, I set one card facedown." (Hand 3)

Turn 3: Axiom (Hand 3)

"Alright, I draw! My Dark Angel may not have any attack points, but… this new monster does. I'll tribute Destiny HERO - Dark Angel to summon Destiny HERO - Dasher(2100/1000)! And then, thanks to Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude from the last turn, I can use the effect of the Destiny Draw I sent to the graveyard. So I draw two cards from my deck."

"Hold on a minute. You need to discard a Destiny HERO monster before you can draw two cards with Destiny Draw!" said Mario.

"Are you kidding? And here I thought the son of the legendary World Champion knew everything. Maybe the apple does fall far from the tree," mocked Axiom, getting Mario to grit his teeth at the subtle mention of his father. "Discarding a 'Destiny HERO' monster is a cost to activate the effect of Destiny Draw, but Diamond Dude only copies its effect. That means I get to skip the downside and go straight to drawing two cards."

"Great," groaned Mario.

"Alright, now… Destiny HERO - Dasher, attack, and destroy Mario's Elemental HERO Avian!" commanded Axiom as his monster rushed forward. It delivered a wheelie kick to take out Mario's monster before zooming back to Axiom's side and switching modes.
Mario's Life Points: 6900-

"After it attacks, my Dasher switches into defense mode thanks to its effect. Then I set three cards facedown and end my turn."

Turn 4: Mario (Hand 3)

"Okay, it's my turn. I draw! I activate Pot of Greed. So now I draw two cards from my deck. Next, I activate EN - Engage Neo Space! With this card, I can send a 'Neo-Spacian' monster and an 'Elemental HERO' to the graveyard. One from my hand and one from my deck to special summon a 'Neo-Spacian' monster or a Level 5 or higher 'Elemental HERO' monster from my deck. Then EN - Engage Neo Space allows me to add a Polymerization from my deck or graveyard to my hand. So I'll send my Elemental HERO Burstinatrix from my hand and Neo-Spacian Dark Panther from my deck. So come out, Elemental HERO Neos(2500/2000)!"

Mario had his star monster out in a flash of light as he landed with a thud.

"There it is," growled Axiom as he looked forward to beating Mario and his monster.

"Since my Elemental HERO Neos was special summoned by the effect of EN - Engage Neo Space, he gains 1000 extra attack points!" said Mario, strengthening his monster. "Now, I'll complete the effect of EN - Neo Space by adding Polymerization from my deck to my hand."

"Pretty impressive, Mario… but I knew you would rely on Polymerization to fuse your monsters together, so I set this card. Mind Crush!" said Axiom as one of his set cards turned over.

"Wha?"

"And I'll use it to make you discard your Polymerization," smirked Axiom as Mario had no choice but to send his card into the graveyard slot of his duel disk. "Looks like you won't be fusion summoning this turn."

"I may not have Polymerization. But there's more than one way to summon a fusion monster, Axiom. You should know. Now… I activate Instant Contact!"

"What?"

"By paying 1000 Life Points, I can special summon any Level 7 or lower 'Elemental HERO' or 'Neo-Spacian' monster from my Extra Deck. So I'm gonna call on one of my favorites… Come on down, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman(2100/1200)!"
Mario's Life Points: 5900-

"You may have summoned Flame Wingman so easily, but you forget that because you used Instant Contact to bring it out, it can't attack or use its effect, and… it's destroyed at the end of the turn."

"You're right, but since I control Elemental HERO Neos, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman isn't bound by any of those restrictions and is here to stay. And that's not all! Next, I'm going to equip my Wingman with the Favorite Hero spell card. Now, as long as there's a card in my field zone, this equip spell increases Elemental HERO Flame Wingman attack points by its defense points, giving it a total of 3300 attack points! Plus, you can't target the equipped monster with card effects, and at the start of the battle phase, Favorite Hero lets me activate a Field Spell card directly from my hand or deck."

"Not bad, Mario," admitted Axiom, biting his lower lip.

"Now I'm gonna enter my battle phase to activate Neo Space from my deck and replace my Skyscraper!" said Mario as the huge city around them began to crumble and descend back into the ground before they found themselves in a nebula. "Neos Space increases my Elemental HERO Neos' attack points to 4000. Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, attack Axiom's Destiny HERO - Dasher!"

"Not so fast, Mario! I activate my trap card! D - Counter!" said Axiom as another one of his facedowns turned over. "Since you attacked my Destiny HERO monster with your Flame Wingman, your Flame Wingman is destroyed!"

"But you forget, my Flame Wingman has Favorite Hero equipped to it, so it can't be targeted by card effects!" said Mario.

"Unfortunately for you, my trap card destroys the attacking monster without targeting it!" said Axiom as Mario hated he walked into a trap and saw his monster explode.

"Come on, primo. You should have seen that coming. That's a rookie move." commented Flurry as she could tell her cousin was a bit off his game as normally he wouldn't be countered by such a predictable move.

"So, you want to attack with Neos?" taunted Axiom.

"Yeah, I'm not that stupid. You still have two facedowns left. So, instead, I'll end my battle phase and summon this: Neo Space Connector."

"You know what they say, Mario. No guts, no glory. And since you don't have the guts, I don't see this duel ending in glory for you!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Axiom. Now, I'll use the effect of my Neo Space Connector to special summon Neo-Spacian Grand Mole(900/300) from my deck in defense mode. Next, I'll use my Neo Space Connector's second effect. I tribute it to special summon my Neo-Spacian Dark Panther(1000/500) from my graveyard!"

From the ground came a hole with a drill where its head was. The drill was then pulled apart to reveal the mole's actual face. Next to it, a black hole appeared before it took shape, and a black panther wearing a black cape appeared and growled.

"Now I have three monsters on the field, and they're exactly the three I need. It's time… for a Contact Fusion!" said Mario as all three of his monsters leaped into the air. "By returning Neos, Neo-Spacian Dark Panther, and Neo-Spacian Grand Mole to my deck… A new hero is born from the depths of outer space. So crash down to earth and onto my field… Elemental HERO Nebula Neos(3000/2500)!" A light shot down before Mario as his brand new monster arrived.

"That's incredible," said Axiom, taking in Mario's monster.

"There we go, primo. Now you're getting into it. Come on… show me that killer instinct you have." said Flurry as if egging on her cousin secretly into his ear.

"My Nebula Neos gains an additional 500 attack points from Neo Space. Since I special summoned it form my Extra Deck, I can draw cards equal to the number on your field! And I count three cards!" said Mario, pointing at Axiom before picking up. "Next, my Nebula Neos negates the effect of any face-up card on the field until the end of the turn. And I choose my Nebula Neos. Finally… I'll throw down a facedown. It's your move, Axiom!"

"Not so fast, Mario. During your End Phase, I activate my D - Tactics trap card," said the Crystal Prep boy as another one of his set cards turned over.

"This can't be good," said Mario to himself.

Turn 5: Axiom (Hand 2)

"Now, it's my turn. I draw. First, during my Standby Phase, the effect of my D - Tactics activates. Increasing the attack points of my 'Destiny HERO' monsters by 400. That means Dasher's attack points are up to 2500."

"Big deal. It's still way too weak to take down my Nebula Neos!" barked Mario.

"Yeah, that's true… but my turn is just getting started. Next, I activate the effect of Destiny HERO - Dark Angel! By banishing it from the graveyard alongside my Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude. We each get to search our decks for a normal spell card and place it on top."

"Thanks for doing me a solid," Mario remarked. "I'm going to take my Neos Fusion."

"I had a feeling you'd try something like that. Now, I activate Destiny Draw. I discard Destiny HERO - Dogma from my hand to draw two cards. And now… I play Fusion Destiny! Thanks to this card, I can fusion summon a monster from my Extra Deck using monsters in my hand or deck. So I send Destiny HERO - Celestial and Destiny HERO - Malicious from my deck to my graveyard to fusion summon… the one, the only… Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer(2500/2100)!" Like Mario, Axiom now brought his own powerhouse to match the boy's as it emerged from a burst of flames.

"What is that?" said Mario, taken aback by the new monster Axiom brought out.

"Let me introduce you to Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's special ability. As long as it remains on the field, all your monsters lose 200 attack points for each 'Destiny HERO' in my graveyard. And that's just the beginning of what my Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer can do. Since Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer is a Level 8 'Destiny HERO' monster, the effect of my D - Tactics activates when it's summoned and banishes any one of your cards. And I choose Nebula Neos!" smiled Axiom as Mario's monster vanished.

"Oh, no!" said Mario as he was without protection.

"And my turn isn't even close to being finished either; next, I special summon Destiny HERO - Malicious from my deck by banishing a copy of it from my graveyard. Now… I activate another effect of Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. This effect destroys one card on my field and then lets me destroy any other card on the field. I'll destroy my Destiny HERO - Malicious to take out your facedown card!"

"My Negate Attack!" said Mario as he covered up with his set card being blown away.

"Yes!" said Axiom with a smile. "It's over, Mario. I switch Destiny HERO - Dasher back into attack mode and then attack you with Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer!"

"A duel's not over until the last card is played. And I'm not nearly done playing cards!" said Mario defiantly. "Go… Elemental HERO Spirt of Neos(2500/2000)!"

"Elemental HERO Spirit of Neos?!" said Axiom in slight confusion.

"I can special summon it from my hand when your monster declares an attack. Plus, if it's special summoned, I can add a spell or trap card that mentions an 'Elemental HERO' monster's name or a 'Polymerization' from my deck to my hand. So I'll take my Over Fusion!"

"You may have a monster on the field, but my Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer is still stronger. Destiny HERO—Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, attack and destroy Mario's Elemental HERO Spirit of Neos!" Axiom ordered as his monster ran its claw at its foe. "Send it to the graveyard where it belongs."

"Guess I forgot to tell you, Axiom. My Spirit of Neos can't be destroyed in battle after I special summon it," said Mario as Axiom gritted his teeth. "So my Spirit of Neos isn't going anywhere!"

"Fine then! I activate my Break the Destiny trap card!" shouted the Crystal Prep boy. "I can activate this card by targeting a Level 8 or higher 'Destiny HERO' monster on my field, and I choose my Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. Break the Destiny destroys my monster and then forces you to skip the main phase of your next turn!"

"You got rid of your monster?!" said Mario.

"Well, not quite. Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer also has another effect, which I'll activate now! If it's destroyed by battle or by a card effect, including the effect of my Break the Destiny trap card, this effect allows me to special summon a 'Destiny HERO' monster from my graveyard during the Standby Phase of the very next turn. And that includes my Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. So my monster may be gone for now… but it won't be for long." chuckled Axiom while making Mario sweat a bit.

"I set one card facedown, and then I end my turn."

Turn 6: Mario (Hand 3)

"Alright, here goes something. I draw!" said Mario as he took his turn.

"With your first Main Phase skipped, I wouldn't be surprised if that's all you can do, Mario. But I, on the other hand, will make the most of your shortened run. In your Standby Phase, I'll return Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer to my field. Then, since I special summoned a Level 8 or higher 'Destiny HERO' monster to my field, the effect of my D - Tactics activates once more! This time, I'll use its effect to banish a random card in your hand."

One of Mario's cards that he was holding glowed as he looked at it. The boy gritted his teeth as he took the card and slotted it into the banished compartment of his duel disk.

"That's not all I'll do in your Standby Phase. I'll also use the effect of D - Tactics to increase the attack points of Dasher and Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer by another 400, bringing them both up to 2900!" said Axiom with a smile. "You know, I'm making so many plays, I almost it's your turn!"

"It is sure," Mario remarked at Axiom's taunting. "But just because I don't get a Main Phase 1 doesn't mean I have nothing to play. I now enter my Battle Phase."

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead, Mario. You have no attack-position monsters on the field, so you might as well end your turn now."

"Don't underestimate my Elemental HERO deck. As long as they've been with me, I can count on them to pull through. I now activate my Quick-play spell card, Over Fusion! Now, I reveal an 'Elemental HERO,' 'Neo-Spacian,' or Level 10 monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard, and my Spirit of Neos can be treated as that monster for a fusion summon this turn. I reveal Elemental HERO Sparkman from my deck."

"That's fine by me. I can still use Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's quick effect to destroy one of your cards this turn. And as soon as you activate your fusion spell card, I win."

"There is no fusion spell card, Axiom," smiled Mario, causing the boy and his cousin to be confused.

"What do you mean?!"

"Thanks to this card, I never needed it. I activate my facedown… Favorite Contact!"

"What?! A fusion trap card?!" shouted the Crystal Prep boy.

"Oh, yeah. This trap card lets me special summon a monster from my Extra Deck that lists a 'HERO' as a fusion material. Unlike most fusion spells, this card lets me fuse monsters from among my hand, field, graveyard, and banished cards by simply returning them to the bottom of my deck."

"Not a bad card, Mario. But it won't make a difference. I'll chain the effect of my Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer to destroy my Destiny HERO - Dasher, and your Elemental HERO Spirit of Neos!" said Axiom as both monsters exploded into smoke. "Now your Spirit of Neos is in the graveyard, which means it's no longer treated as Elemental HERO Sparkman. Your Elemental HERO Flame Wingman is gone, and there's nothing left for you to fusion summon. You wasted your Favorite Contact just like you wasted your Over Fusion. This duel… is over."

"Don't be too sure," Mario replied defiantly. "I fuse the Elemental HERO Neos in my hand with the Elemental HERO Flame Wingman in my graveyard by returning both to my deck."

"That's impossible! There's nothing you summon by fusing those two monsters!?" said Axiom.

"Nothing you know about, Axiom. Meet… Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman(3100/2500)!" shouted Mario as a blinding light descended on his field. Axiom and Flurry covered their eyes, and when it died down, there was the girl's cousin's latest monster.

"Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman has a bunch of awesome effects. Now since I just special summoned it, I can use its first effect to destroy a number of cards up to the number of different attributes of monsters on the field. Since Shining Neos Wingman is a light monster and your Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer is a dark monster, I get to destroy two of your cards. So say bye-bye to your Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer and your facedown card!" said Mario.

"I activate my Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's special ability. I'll resurrect it from my graveyard during the next Standby Phase."

"My Shining Neos Wingman now gains 300 extra attack points for every monster in my graveyard. Since I have four monsters in my graveyard, it gains 1200 attack points, plus it gets another 500 points for Neo Space, bringing it up to a grand total of 4800 attack points!" said Mario as his monster shined even brighter.

"This can't be!" said Axiom, as he didn't like he had nothing to stop Mario's attack on him.

Just as Mario was about to call his attack, Flurry's ears picked up on something. The girl heard footsteps as she looked to one of the entrances to the duel field. The footsteps started to get louder and louder as they seemed to be closing in.

"Oh, shit. I thought they'd still be on break," said the Crystal Prep girl, as she knew the dangers of being way past our curfew. "Hey, Axiom. Time to bail!"

"What?!" said he and Mario as they were in the middle of the duel.

"Look, unless you want to get caught, I suggest we hightail it out. 'Cause even Sombra is gonna scold us for being out past curfew!" said the girl.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me! You said campus security would be on break at this time!" said Axiom to his friend, as he wanted to finish the duel he was having with her cousin.

"Guess they decided to have a quick one. Now, let's go!" said Flurry as she could hear them getting closer.

"I ain't trying to get suspended again!" said Mario as he listened to Flurry and hopped off to avoid being caught. "Not to mention, I don't want to hear Mom yell at me."

A few moments later, campus security entered the arena where the teens were, as it was dark and empty. Meanwhile, Mario was sneaking about the building halls, trying not to get caught or spotted. He passed by a door when it opened and reached out to grab him. He let out a yelp just as a group of security came around the corner. Upon entering, Mario looked to see that the person who pulled him into the space was Zipp.

"Zipp…"

The heiress put her hand on the boy's mouth and told him to be quiet. She listened carefully as security was passing by their closet. She made to lock the door, but given they might have keys and could open it if they decided to investigate it, they were still in trouble. Thankfully, from below the door, the flashlights started to leave, as did the sound of retreating footsteps. Zipp waited a few moments to ensure they were gone before peaking her head out and seeing nobody. The girl quickly grabbed her friend, and they used the secret way she had discovered to get out unseen.

"Thanks for the assistance, rich girl," said Mario as he bent over, catching his breath.

"You really have a knack for trouble, huh, lover boy?" said the heiress as they stood in front of her dorm building.

"Yeah, well, part of my natural charm."

"Yeah, it is," Zipp said to herself, blushing a bit.

"Well, see ya!" said Mario as he began to head for his dorm.

"Hey, hold on!" said the heiress, getting her friend's attention as he walked away. "Lover boy, I want to tell you about your cousin."

Mario stopped and sighed. Given what happened in their duel, he had a feeling the girl would bring up Flurry. The boy's cheery mood changed on a dime. He now started to get annoyed as he turned to look at Zipp.

"So how do you want to do this, rich girl?"

"Look, I got something to say to you after what went down," said Zipp, who needed Mario to listen to what she had to say. "From day one, we didn't trust you. But then… week after week, we started to like you and your sister. Izzy liked you, Hitch liked you, my own sister liked you, but I was still skeptical. I always thought it was my job to protect my family, and I will do so today. Tell me where to aim, I'm shooting. So the one time I put my guard down, then somebody who I thought I could trust, who I could call a friend. What did you do? You betrayed us. You embarrassed us. You made us look stupid in front of the school."

"Yeah, and who was it that put the others in danger when she was running her mouth off when her ass couldn't cash in the checks she was writing. Who put Sunny, Hitch, Izzy, and your own sister in the line of fire because of your arrogant ass!" fired back Mario. "Who was it that stepped to my cousin after me and Roll warned you? Huh?! So what happens next, huh, Zipp? What happens next? I ain't got no choice…"

"No, no, that's a lie!" shouted Zipp as she cut off her friend. "You keep saying that you've got no choice. Guess what, lover boy? You've had a choice since day one! And you choose to take your cousin's abuse over and over and over. That is your choice! This is something you keep forgetting, you talk about blood.
Well, guess what? Blood's not the only thing that makes you family. Loyalty makes you family!"

"And what do you know about loyalty!" said Mario.

"What do I know about loyalty? I know that family doesn't make you test your loyalty every single week! They don't make you jump through hoops just to prove you're worth something! They don't manipulate you like your cousin is doing to you and your sister, whether you see it or not. I don't give a damn what the final boss says!"

Zipp was venting out some personal feelings. However, when it panned behind her, there was Flurry herself. The Crystal Prep girl had been listening to the whole thing, especially with Zipp and her last statement of disrespecting her. The girl had enough of Zipp badmouthing to approach the heiress from behind. Mario noticed his cousin as he just stepped back, which confused Zipp. She felt herself yanked around and smacked by Flurry's backhand. The heiress was knocked to the floor from the impact and power Flurry delivered with her smack. The Crystal Prep girl stood over the fallen girl and got in her face.

"I'm tired of you disrespecting me! I'm tired of you disrespecting my family, pendeja! I told you to stay out of family business! And I told you before… this is what happens when you fuck with the final boss!" yelled Flurry as she kicked some dirt onto the heiress' cheek.

Flurry straightened her blazer before walking with Mario, glancing at Zipp.

"Let's go, Mario."

Flurry stopped to turn to look at her cousin as he didn't move but kept looking at the heiress.

"Primo. Let's go!" repeated the girl.

Mario huffed as he began to walk away from Zipp, who got to her feet. The heiress watched the two cousins leave as she wiped the dirt from her cheek. Her anger and hatred toward her friend and his cousin were reaching an all-time high.

Upon returning to their dorm, Flurry began talking with her cousins. Roll sat on the couch, watching her cousin and brother trade words.

"What did I tell you, primo?! That pendeja has no respect for us!"

"Alright, alright, I get it! What do you want me to do? You act as if I have control over her!" yelled Mario.

"She's your girlfriend, ain't she!" responded Flurry.

"She's not my girlfriend!" responded the boy to his cousin.

"Really? 'Cause she really loves to put her fingerprints all over you. You two don't deserve someone like her. Her ego and hotheadedness are gonna come back to bite you two. You're paying for her mistake!"

"Flurry, I don't care about this! I don't care! I don't care what you're wearing or anything! I care what's in here!" said Mario as he pounded his chest. "I care about you and Roll! Truth is, prima. You've been doing this since we were kids."

"Is that what she told you? Are you sure she's not trying to manipulate you?" responded Flurry. "You see what's happening to him, Roll? You see how he's putting you out there in the middle?" said the Crystal Prep girl as she looked at her cousin.

"Ain't nobody doing that, Roll!" said Mario.

Mario and Flurry began to shout over each other as they looked at Roll. The girl was starting to feel the pressure and anxiety build up as she covered her ears to try to silence the fighting between her family. Eventually, she had enough as she couldn't take it.

"Chill out!" yelled Roll, attracting the attention of both family members. "Enough! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of all this! I'm tired of our family fighting!" The girl got up, and Mario and Flurry looked on as she began to head upstairs to be alone in her room.

"Roll!" said both the girl's family members as the sound of her door being shut was heard

"You see what you did, prima! You see. Now what?" said Mario as he turned to look at his cousin. "You want to throw down, then let's throw down. I'm tired of this. I don't care anymore."

"For what? W-... What have I done? We ain't little kids anymore. This ain't about thinking what you want to do up here. This is a family business. This is our livelihood. This is blowing you up when you should be here."

Flurry pointed at her heart to get her message across to her cousin.

"This is how we make our decisions. This is how we represent our family. Why… why would you do this to your own sister?! You're siblings, yeah. But who came out first? Who came out first?! So you're the older brother, right!"

"Yeah."

"You're the older one, so you should be looking out for her. I shouldn't have to depend on her to reel you in! I shouldn't have to depend on her to teach you how to do this. You should just know. I should be able to depend on you because it's not about you, it's not about me, it's about us! It's all of us! The only way we continue to get it done is to be ourselves and be the best every single time. That's our ticket! That's all I know! That's all we've ever known: to be the best!... Why would you do that to her? You're the older brother; why would you do that to your sister? How could you treat your sister like that?"

Mario took in his cousin's words as Flurry put on her sympathetic look.

"Since day one, right? And you just… let her go? She busts her ass every day, completely elevates herself, and you just let her go… for what? That's your sister. Don't do this to your sister. Make this right with her. Make this right with us. This is our family."

Mario looked at Flurry as her words got to him. He ran a hand down his mouth before leaving for Roll's room to talk with her. Flurry watched her cousin leave, keeping up her sympathetic look before it turned into a semi-smile/smirk.

Author's Note: Talk about gaslighting to the max. Flurry Heart shows she's not just a pretty face. She's as deadly and cunning, and perhaps a bit manipulative, as she is pretty.