"Did they take anything?" asked Isaac as he was on a video call with his wife.
"From what Owloysius informed me, the thieves made off with most of the data. But he was able to lock them out in time. So they're missing some. I let the authorities know, but I doubt they can track them down." said Twilight as she was lying in their bedroom.
"I wish I were there to help you, honey," said Isaac.
"Don't worry. You know I can take care of myself," said Twilight.
"My girl still got it."
"How else do you think I captured your heart?" teased Twilight to her husband. "Either way, I'll still continue to look into the data. I'll say this, honey. It's definitely Shadow Game magic."
"That's what I was afraid of. I thought we left all that in high school," sighed Isaac as he knew how dangerous this situation had gotten.
"Whatever happens, we'll face it together. Just like any other time," stated Twilight. "While installing the new windows, I'll keep working from home to see if I can discover anything new."
"Alright. I'll be home in a few days. Love you."
"I love you too."
The two smiled as their video call ended.
Life at CHS kept on going. The students were all preparing for the upcoming Halloween night as Vice-Principal Luna had allowed the students to throw a party in the auditorium. However, they were mostly scared to see the strict woman turn into a giddy child at the mere thought of Halloween.
"So, Mario? You got your test evaluation today at the community center?" asked Zipp as she was sitting on a bleacher with her gym bag.
"Yeah. How'd you do in yours?" asked the boy as he slipped on his bag.
"Easy marks," boasted Zipp as she had done her test evaluation the other day and finished it with some high praise from Applebloom. "Finished it within six minutes."
"Aw, only six? I'll beat mine in five," bragged Mario as he looked to outdo the girl.
"Whatever," stated the girl as they both chuckled lightly.
The two teens soon split as Mario went to drop off his stuff at his dorm before heading over to pick up Pipp as Ms. Sweetie Belle had put them together as a pair for their appointment. Once he grabbed his Duel Disk and deck, the boy began to make his way across campus as he headed toward the Fusion Dorm. And speaking of the girl, she was currently busy doing something.
I'm the sun in your eyes
yeah, you don't see me
I wear no disguise,
but you don't see me
I'm a total surprise
and you don't see me
I'm so agonized
that you don't see me...
You don't see me
Pipp was in her room as she was singing a demo song she had created. The girl had her microphone in hand as a piano played on her phone to accompany and carry the melody she had in mind. The girl was unaware of Mario just leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed; the boy had arrived at the girl's dorm and made his way to her room when he heard the gentle signing that was iconic with her. That was one thing that Mario admitted he liked about the girl who had an obsessed crush on him; she was a damn good singer. The only good singing he heard was his mother and her voice. But Pipp really did have a good set of pipes, and just recently, he was amazed by Pipp's older sister as she also had a nice set.
As she stopped the recording and piano accompaniment, Mario heard Pipp finish her song. The boy, listening in, began moderately clapping as Pipp heard that and turned around to see her crush as he walked in.
"Mario, how long have you been standing there?" said the girl, slightly embarrassed that the boy she liked was secretly watching and listening to her performance.
"Not that long," responded the teen.
"You didn't see me do my vocal warm-ups, did you?" asked Pipp.
Mario didn't respond as he just stared off. The boy was now thinking back as he recalled seeing Pipp babbling with her tongue and poking her cheeks while making some weird noises as he stood there in the doorway with a confused look.
"No, didn't see anything," said Mario as he was brought back to the present.
"Whew," said Pipp, glad she didn't make a fool of herself in front of her crush.
Mario poked his cheeks while gurgling as Pipp gasped that he had lied to her. He then laughed as the girl felt more embarrassed and stomped to her bed with a pouting face.
"Hey, that song sounded great, chica. But the lyrics are a little girly," stated Mario as he entered.
"Well, that's great because the lyrics are for me, and I'm a girly," said Pipp as she removed her head from being buried into her pillow. "I sometimes write songs for myself, but I never publish or perform them, so I just record them for fun."
Mario approached a table full of sheets and lyrics, amazed to see how much songwriting Pipp did in her spare time. He thought back to when he showed Zipp his musical side, and here Pipp was writing song lyrics like it was second nature to her. The girl really was a teen pop star and a music icon; coupled with her social media mentality, she had the makings to make it big. Pipp saw Mario looking at her many drafts of lyrics as she got up and approached him. The boy held up a piece of paper as he began to read it, which Pipp noticed.
"This one I just came up with. Tell me what you think?" asked the girl as she cleared her throat and read the lyrics.
Does he know that it's flirtatious
When I do my combination?
16 left, 19 right
Gives my heart sweet palpations
When he's walking down the hall and he looks like such a doll
I want that hair, want that face
Want it now, I want it all
"Okay, that's enough!" said Mario as he stopped Pipp from singing any more lyrics as it was clear what the message was trying to say.
"So, what do you think? I uh... put some extra love in this one," said the girl, putting her arms behind her back as she swayed back and forth while looking at the boy.
"I can tell," stated Mario, rather bluntly as Pipp giggled. "Anyways, are you ready, 'cause it's time for our appointment?"
"Yes," said Pipp as she slung her purse across her body and followed Mario out the door.
The pair were heading to the Canterlot Community Center to meet with the Fusion teacher as she was running some test evaluations to see how far her students had progressed. Pipp held Mario's hand en route to the place and leaned against him as she just looked at the boy. The teen rolled his eyes as he didn't bother fighting against the girl crushing on him.
They arrived, and waiting inside was Sweetie Belle; the woman was at a table with her legs crossed as she was scribbling some notes down from the latest pair that had done their evaluations.
"Ms. Sweetie Belle!" called out Pipp as the woman looked to see her students coming at her.
"Ah, Ms. Pipp. Mario. Glad you two could come." said Sweetie Belle as she put her clipboard down.
"Let go of me!" shouted Mario as he ripped his arm away from Pipp. "Can we just get this done and over with?!"
"Heh. Alright, Mario," chuckled Sweetie Belle at seeing the boy act around Pipp's crush. "Step into the room."
Mario strapped on his Duel Disk and slotted in his deck. Pipp stood at the window as she and Sweetie Belle watched Mario; the boy's Duel Disk ejected his card tray as his robotic opponent prepared its Duel Disk.
No less than five minutes later, Mario had won his duel with exceptional skill. He didn't lose a single Life Point as he managed to pass his test in less than seven turns. Safe to say, Sweetie Belle expected Mario to pass and then some, to which she was not disappointed. The boy really did have his father's skill, as it showed. Mario exited the simulation room and stood before Pipp and his teacher.
"Very good, Mario. You got the highest mark of anybody in the class," stated Sweetie Belle as Mario just shrugged. "Alright, Ms. Petals. Your turn."
"Um, right now?" said Pipp, feeling slightly nervous about following up on Mario's performance after seeing what he could do.
"Yes," said Sweetie Belle.
"Uh, well..."
"Pipp! Get over here!" shouted Mario as the girl smiled at her teacher before approaching the boy. The teen placed his hand on the social media girl's shoulder and looked her dead in the eye. "Get in there!"
"What?" retorted Pipp.
"How many duels have you had since we started school?" asked Mario.
"15."
"And how many of those have you won?"
"About 8," answered the girl.
"Okay, so a little more than 50%. For someone just starting, that ain't bad, putting you at slightly above average. Especially cause I'm giving you pointers. The bottom line is this: Get your cute, pretty ass in there, chica!" stated Mario.
"Right," stated Pipp as she nodded upon hearing Mario's pep talk as she began to make her way to the simulation room. She then stopped as something registered in her mind, and she looked at Mario. "Did... you just call me cute and pretty?"
"Get in there!" shouted Mario.
Pipp just giggled as she took that as her answer and stepped in. Mario sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.
"You have a way with words. Just like your father," said Sweetie Belle, who watched the interaction between the teens with a smile.
"Yeah, I know," replied Mario as he couldn't deny that.
Pipp was inside the simulation room when the robot came online; the girl reached into her pocket. She strapped on her Duel Disk and slotted in her deck. The thing came online as it projected an aquamarine-colored energy card tray. The teen breathed deeply as she recalled Mario's words and the lessons he taught her.
"Begin battle!" said the robot.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said the Duel Disks.
Pipp's Life Points: 8000-
Robot's Life Points: 8000-
Turn 1: Pipp (Hand 5)
"Alright, I'll start," said the girl with some uneasiness as she looked at her starting hand before drawing her card. "Um, right. So... I'll play this, the spell card, 1st Movement Solo. Since I control no monsters, I can special summon one Level 4 or lower 'Melodious' monster from my hand or deck. So I summon my Aria the Melodious Diva(1600/1200)!" Out came a female humanoid with a bobcut as she wore a flowing, regal outfit, and the end of the harp was her back.
"Next, I play the spell, Trade-In. So by discarding a Level 8 monster, I can draw two cards!" The girl selected her Mozarta from her hand and sent it away as she drew. "Perfect. Since I control a 'Melodious' monster, I can special summon my Sonata the Melodious Diva(1200/1000)." Another female humanoid appeared; on her dress and arms, she had musical notes, with her back being the end of a music bar.
"Thanks to my Sonata's ability, while it's on the field, all my Fairy-type monsters gain 500 attack and defense points!" stated Pipp as her two monsters boosted(1600/1200 → 2100/1700, 1200/1000 → 1700/1500).
"I end my turn."
Turn 2: Robot (Hand 5)
"Turn initiated. Calculating odds," said the robot as it drew. "Initiating move. Standby Phase. Draw Phase. Summoning Parlor Dragonmaid(500/1700) in defense mode."
"Dragonmaid?" said Pipp, as she had never heard of that archetype or any card related to that in Sweetie Belle's class.
Out came a girl with yellow hair and dragon ears while her maid outfit also had dashes of yellow.
"When Parlor Dragonmaid is summoned, effect activates. Send one 'Dragonmaid' card from the deck to graveyard. Sending Level 8 Dragonmaid Tinkhec." stated the robot. "Move to Battle Phase."
When the robot said that, the maid chuckled before transforming. The girl turned into a small yellow dragon as it roared.
"At the start of the Battle Phase, second effect of Parlor Dragonmaid activates. Can return card to its owner's hand to Special Summon one Level 8 'Dragonmaid' monster from hand or graveyard. Return Parlor Dragonmaid to revive Dragonmaid Tinkhec(2700/1700)." The small yellow dragon was engulfed in a ring of fire, and when it died down, a larger red dragon stood as it roared. The beast opened its mouth to shoot fire as it scorched the area before it.
"Okay, that's bad," said Pipp, staring at the big beast.
"Commence attack on Sonata the Melodious Diva."
The dragon heard the robot's command as it opened its mouth and fired a stream of fire toward Pipp and her monster. Both put their arms up to protect themselves initially. The girl felt the heat and intensity of the red flame as her monster held on.
Pipp's Life Points: 7000-
"Due to Aria's special ability, all 'Melodious' monsters can't be destroyed!" said Pipp as she was lucky that her monster wasn't gone but could still suffer the effects of battle damage.
"End of Battle Phase. Commencing Main Phase 2. Set one card facedown. End Phase."
Turn 3: Pipp (Hand 4)
"Okay, it's my turn now," said Pipp as she nervously drew her card.
"Come on, Pipp. Now's not the time to panic. You didn't know what you were facing, and that's okay. Now, you gotta learn on the fly. Find a strategy, chica." mumbled Mario to himself as he stood with his arms crossed to examine the girl.
Pipp was doing what Mario said as she looked at her hand to see if she could make any good moves. One look at the dragon as her fears rose; the girl took a deep breath to remain calm under pressure and not panic.
"Okay... I'll... special summon my Canon the Melodious Diva(1400/2000), from my hand in defense mode since I control a 'Melodious' monster!" stated Pipp as another female humanoid appeared(1400/2000 → 1900/2500). "Then I'll have my Aria attack your Dragonmaid Tinkhec!"
The girl's monster leaped into the air as it soared toward the larger dragon.
"Does not compute. Dragonmaid Tinkhec has more attack points. Result: Aria's destruction." said the robot.
"Maybe. However..." said Pipp as she grabbed another card and sent it to the graveyard. "By sending my Score the Melodious Diva from my hand, any monster that my Aria battles has their attack and defense points drop to zero. So Dragonmaid Tinkhec loses all its bite."
Pipp's monster appeared as she opened her songbook and sang a note. It traveled in a soundwave as it zapped away all of Dragonmaid Tinkhec's power. Aria prepared to attack as she opened her mouth and sang as a soundwave headed toward the dragon.
"Deploying countermeasures. Activating trap card. Dragon's Rebirth." said the robot as their facedown flipped up. "Banish one dragon under owner's control. Special summon one dragon monster from hand or graveyard. Summon Dragonmaid Ernus(2600/1600)."
The dragon on the field turned into a white light as it disappeared. A pillar of silverish fire shot upward, and when it died down, another dragon stood as it roared.
"Original target gone. New monster appears. Replay?" asked the robot to Pipp if she would like to continue her attack given her original target was gone.
"No," stated Pipp as she halted her attack.
The soundwave attack split into two as they landed next to Dragonmaid Ernus.
"I'll switch Sonata into defense mode. And then use Canon's ability to switch my Aria also into defense mode," stated Pipp as she was looking to build a wall and protect herself using her monsters. "At least I can protect my Life Points for now."
Turn 4: Robot (Hand 4)
"Initiating turn. Standby Phase. Draw Phase. Main Phase 1. Playing field spell, Dragon Ravine. Activate second effect. Send one dragon from deck to graveyard. Sending Level 7 Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos. Summoning Chamber Dragonmaid(500/1800) in defense mode."
Out came another maid as the girl was dressed in all black, and her silver hair was the only thing different. She held a feather duster as she also had a tail.
"Activate Chamber Dragonmaid's ability. Add one 'Dragonmaid' spell or trap card to hand when summoned. Adding spell card, Dragonmaid Welcome. Activate Dragonmaid Welcome. Effect: Grants all Dragonmaid monsters an extra 100 attack and defense points for every 'Dragonmaid' on the field."
The two monsters on the robot's field felt the power boost as they let out a roar.
"Cannot destroy nor damage opponent's Life Points or monsters. Will not attack this turn. Main Phase 2. End Phase."
Turn 5: Pipp (Hand 3)
"So far, Ms. Petals is holding her own. Due to Aria's effect, her monsters can't be destroyed in battle; however, she's stalling. If she doesn't go on the offensive soon. She'll start to feel the pressure." stated Sweetie Belle.
Mario just looked on as he wanted to see if Pipp could turn this around.
"My move. And I'll play the continuous spell card, Fortissimo. So now I can give my Aria an extra 800 attack points until the end of my next Standby Phase!" stated Pipp as her monster was stronger than the dragon(2100 → 2900). "So, I'll switch Aria to attack mode and take down that dragon!" The girl's monster opened her mouth and fired another soundwave toward the beast as it made contact this time.
Robot's Life Points: 7900-
"Yes!" said Pipp as she jumped excitedly at taking down the dragon. "I did it! I did it!"
"Congrats, Ms. Petals. But the duel isn't over," said Sweetie Belle through the comlink as she got her student to refocus.
"Right. Sorry. In that case, I'll end my turn." stated Pipp, now having the stronger monster as she felt confident.
Turn 6: Robot (Hand 3)
"Initiating turn. Standby Phase. Draw Phase. Main Phase 1. Activate field spell to send one dragon from deck to graveyard. Sending Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms. Next move: Activate Dragonmaid Changeover. Fuse Parlor Dragonmaid and Dragonmaid Tinkhec to Fusion Summon, Dragonmaid Sheou(3500/2000)."
"Wait, what?!" shouted Pipp as she was caught off guard by the robot's move.
The girl looked as out came a fierce black and white dragon as the black seemed like armor it was wearing. It roared as it eyed the teen, ready to feast like a snack. The teen struggled to look at the beast as she backed up slowly.
"Battle Phase. Dragonmaid Sheou attack Aria the Melodious Diva."
The dragon opened its mouth and fired its attack. Aria put her arms up as she tanked the hit.
"Aria's ability means she isn't destroyed," said Pipp, though her Life Points still suffered.
Pipp's Life Points: 6400-
"Deploy countermeasure. Activate Sheou's ability. When opponent activates a card or effect, negate and destroy it."
"No!" said Pipp, her eyes widened.
Aria felt herself losing her special power as she tried to hold on. Eventually, she couldn't as she let out a song-like scream and vanished. Pipp stood there in shock as her primary line of defense was gone.
"Second effect of Sheou activates. Return card to Extra Deck and summon House Dragonmaid(3000/2000) from Extra Deck."
The dragon that Pipp saw then turned into a white light as it vanished. Emerging was a tall housemaid as she appeared like a human with her tail, horn, fangs, and arms revealing her dragon features.
"Monster summoned during Battle Phase. Can attack this turn. Attack Sonata!"
The housemaid had her tail extend as it wrapped around another of Pipp's monsters; she struggled to break free before being crushed and shattered to pieces as the tail retracted. The girl was now down to a single monster as her line of defense was dwindling.
"End Phase."
Turn 7: Pipp (Hand 3)
"Okay. It's my turn again," said Pipp, as she was now more nervous, given she was no longer in control. "I summon Crystal Rose(500/500)." A rose made of crystals sprouted out on Pipp's field. "Then, I'll play Polymerization to fuse my Crystal Rose and Canon the Melodious Diva! Due to Crystal Rose's effect, she can substitute for a fusion summon requirement. So I Fusion Summon Schuberta the Melodious Maestra(2400/2000)!" Out emerged a woman wearing a golden masquerade mask that matched her long, flowing golden hair; she wore a dress with music as she wielded a baton.
"I now activate Schuberta's special ability. I can banish three cards from either player's graveyard, and she gains 200 extra attack points for each one I do." Pipp's monster waved her baton as song symbols appeared, and they transformed into three of the robot's powerful dragons he sent away as they vanished and gave Pipp's monster strength(2400 → 3000).
"And I'm not done because I'm using Fortissimo's ability to give my Schuberta an extra 800 attack points till my next Standby Phase!" stated the girl with a smile as she was back in control(3000 → 3800). "Now, Schuberta, attack that House Dragonmaid!"
The monster tapped her baton against her hand before she began to wave it about like a conductor. Soundwaves and music notes appeared as they headed to the dragon creature, and she let out a defeated cry.
Robot's Life Points: 7300-
"I end my turn."
Turn 8: Robot (Hand 1)
"Intiaiting turn. Standby Phase. Draw Phase. Main Phase 1. Activate Card of Sanctity. Draw till both players have six cards in hand."
"Very well," said Pipp, grateful she could replenish her hand.
"Activate Dragonmaid Changeover from graveyard. Target Chamber Dragonmaid and return to hand to add Dragonmaid Changeover also. Next, activate Graceful Charity. Draw three cards and send two to graveyard. Sending Chamber Dragonmaid and Alexandrite Dragon to graveyard."
"Huh? Why would it do that? Wouldn't it make sense to resummon Chamber Dragonmaid to activate its ability to get a 'Dragonmaind' spell or trap card?" said Pipp to herself as she questioned the robot's procedure.
Sweetie Belle and Mario kept watching the duel as the boy had a thinking expression. He put a hand to his chin as he was thinking about something; the teen then turned to address his teacher.
"Ms. Sweetie Belle. What kind of access to cards do the robots have?" asked Mario.
"Whatever card exists in the database is fair game," said the woman.
"Uh-oh," mumbled Mario softly as he had a feeling what was about to happen.
"Banish Chamber Dragonmaid and Alexandrite Dragon to special summon Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End(3000/2500)."
"What?" said Pipp.
The girl didn't know what monster the robot said as she soon got her answer. As it appeared, the robot was summoning a rare card that only a few could access, spreading its wings to let out a mighty roar.
"Activate Chaos Emperor Dragon's ability, pay 1000 Life Points to send every card on the field and in players' hand to the graveyard."
Robot's Life Points: 6300-
"WHAT?!" shouted Pipp.
Chaos Emperor Dragon began to build up its power. The beast opened his mouth as he let loose his power and nuked the entire field. A huge white flash occurred as Pipp looked away as each of her cards disintegrated due to the dragon's effect, leaving her cardless. When it finally died down, there was nothing left.
"Additional effect of Chaos Emperor Dragon, player takes 300 points of damage for every card sent to the graveyard on their side of the field."
"Wait, then that means..." said Pipp as she quickly counted how many cards she lost.
Pipp's Life Points: 4000-
While it may have seemed bad, the robot also suffered the effect as it lost Life Points.
Robot's Life Points: 4800-
"End Phase."
Turn 9: Pipp (Hand 0)
"Please give me something. Please give me something. Please give me something." pleaded Pipp as she drew, knowing she was defenseless and was hoping for something. "I... play Pot of Greed to draw two cards."
"At this point, that's the only move she can make," stated Mario.
"The pressure is on Ms. Petals now. Let's see if she sinks or swims," said Sweetie Belle as she wrote on her notepad.
The boy heard that from his teacher as he recalled something his father told him in the past.
Sometimes, Mario, you just gotta be thrown into the deep end. Sink or swim. Do you have what it takes?
The teen turned back to look into the room as Pipp drew her cards.
"I summon Tantam the Melodious Diva(1000/2000). Then I play Monster Recovery. Now I return my Tantam to my hand and shuffle it into my deck to draw a new hand." stated Pipp as her monster turned back into a card as it appeared in her fingers. She placed it on top as the auto shuffler kicked in, and the girl drew five new cards.
"I... summon Senerade the Melodious Diva(400/1900) in defense mode. Then I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Mozarta the Melodious Maestra(2600/2000) from my graveyard. And then activate her ability to bring out another Score the Melodious Diva, in defense mode."
Pipp now replenished her field as a powerful monster stared down her foe.
"Now, Maestra, attack!" said Pipp as her monster waved her baton to make soundwaves travel toward the defenseless robot.
Robot's Life Points: 2200-
"I set one card facedown and end my turn," said Pipp.
Turn 10: Robot (Hand 0)
"Initiating turn. Standby Phase. Draw Phase. Activate spell card, Card of Demise. Draw until holding five cards, but discard entire hand after five turns."
"What?" said Pipp, amazed that the robot managed to replenish its hand like her and was looking to end her.
"Next, play spell card, Dimension Fusion. Pay 2000 Life Points to bring back banished monsters. Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storm, Alexandrite Dragon, Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, Dragonmaid Tinkhec, and Chamber Dragonmaid."
Robot's Life Points: 200-
Like that, five monsters reappeared and stood before Pipp and her monsters as they outnumbered hers. The girl felt a slight terror growing as the dragons eyed their prey.
"Commence Battle Phase. Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, attacks Mozarta."
The fire dragon let loose and burned Pipp's strongest monster away.
Pipp's Life Points: 3800-
"Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storm attacks Canon. Chamber Dragonmaid attacks Score."
The robot's monsters wiped out Pipp's remaining monsters as the girl had no line of defense, and two monsters hadn't attacked yet.
"Alexandrite Dragon attacks directly."
"I activate my facedown, Card Defense!"
Pipp's facedown flipped up as a wall of cards appeared before her and tanked the hit for the girl.
"Now I draw one card."
"Dragonmaid Tinkhec attacks directly."
Pipp, however, had nothing to block the next attack as the dragon knocked the girl to her feet, and she took the hit.
Pipp's Life Points: 1100-
"Battle Phase end. Main Phase 2. Activate Polymerization to fuse all monsters on the field to form Five-Headed Dragon(5000/5000)."
"That card?!" said Mario, shocked to hear the robot say that.
Pipp's nightmare just got a whole lot worse. Standing, no... towering over her was one of the mighties and most difficult monsters ever in Duel Monster history. A dragon stood on its hind legs with five heads, each being a different color and element. The teen looked at the horror that eyed her as she fell on her bottom with her knees inward. The beast roared as there was little to no hope of Pipp winning.
"Monster's special ability. Cannot be destroyed in battle by a Fire, Water, Earth, Dark, or Wind monster. End turn."
Turn 11: Pipp (Hand 2)
The girl was stunned as the great beast before her eyed the teen. After seeing and hearing how powerful of a monster this was, it seemed there was no hope for the girl to do anything. And it was on full display as Sweetie Belle and Mario saw this. The woman sighed as she hoped Pipp would pass this test, but she seemed wrong and began to scribble something on her notepad. As for Mario, he stood there with his arms crossed; the boy kept his gaze on Pipp as he began to speak softly.
"Come on, Pipp. You got this. Remember the exercises we did in the library. See all the angles and plan. See every potential step. Use it."
While Mario mumbled this to himself, Sweetie Belle managed to hear it. The woman then had a memory as she looked at Mario, and he soon transformed into his father when he was his age.
Remember, Sweetie Belle, see all the angles. If you and the Crusaders want to get better, you have to learn to see every angle. Even the ones you don't see. As much as it's a strategic game, it's also a mental game. You need to think ahead of your opponent and plan for moves you don't see.
Sweetie Belle's mind returned to reality as she saw Mario standing there like his father was years ago when she was in Pipp's position of wanting to get better. It was clear that Mario was like his father in more ways than one, even if he didn't want to admit it.
Pipp somehow managed to snap out of her trance and stood up. The girl just looked at her hand and saw no card could help her. And with no monsters on the field, she had to do something this turn or risk losing. She placed her hand on her deck and drew; the girl was looking at her card. A look of confusion occurred before she glanced at the viewing window and saw Mario and Sweetie Belle as they waited to see what she would do. Fight or surrender.
"Okay. I play the spell card Ostinato. Since I control no monsters, I can Fusion Summon a 'Melodious' monster from my Extra Deck, using two monsters from my deck. However, during my End Phase, it's destroyed. So I fuse a second copy of my Mozarta and Senerade the Melodious Diva." Pipp's two monsters appeared behind the girl as they were sucked into a vortex as orange and purple lights mixed. "Together, you'll sing a sensational duet to form an even more Melodious monster! I Fusion Summon Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir(1000/2000)!" A flower bud appeared as its petals began to drop to reveal the songstress inside.
"Due to Bloom Diva's effect, it can't be destroyed by battle or card effects. So that means it bypasses Ostinato's effect of destroying it at the end of my turn."
"Yes!" said Mario as he did a fist pump at seeing Pipp's move. "That's my girl." The boy was proud to see she pulled off an expert move that not many would do or think.
"Now, Bloom Diva, attack Five-Headed Dragon!"
The small songstress put her arms out and opened her mouth to send a soundwave toward its foe. The five-headed beast growled and opened their mouths as they fired back to repel the weaker foe. The two attacks met as it began to push the small diva's attack slowly toward her.
"Bloom Diva's effect means I don't take any battle damage from this attack. Also... instead of me taking the damage, you take it instead."
Bloom Diva tapped into her hidden power as her song intensified. The soundwave was now pushing back the five combined attacks as the dragon tried to apply more power, but it was fading, and soon, the beast had its own attack, striking it before piercing a hole through the beast. The five-headed beast roared before each head fell off and crumbled as soon as the beast's body fell with a loud thud.
Robot's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Pipp
"Simulation complete," stated the robot as it shut down and recorded the result.
Pipp was exhausted as she fell back on her bottom; the girl soon lay down with her limbs spread out while looking at the ceiling. She was taking deep breaths while trying to calm her heart, which was beating fast. Sweetie Belle wrote something down as she pushed a button on the microphone stand to get the girl's attention.
"Ms. Petals!" echoed Sweetie Belle's voice into the room. The girl lifted her head to look at her teacher; a stern expression appeared. The woman didn't say much but simply one thing. "You swam."
Pipp looked as Sweetie Belle got up and left. She panned her gaze to Mario as the boy crossed his arms. The girl soon put her head back against the floor as she stared at the ceiling.
"Here you go, sir. One triple strawberry sundae," said a waitress as she brought the dessert to its table.
"Thank you," said Mario as he reached into his wallet and gave the woman a tip, who thanked the boy. "Alright, here you go, chica. As a reward for passing."
"Ooh," said Pipp when she heard Mario wanted to get her ice cream as a treat for passing; she thought he was messing with her.
But now, seeing the delicious treat before her, she was excited and quickly grabbed a spoon to take a bite. Immediately, the girl moaned as her taste buds went into overdrive, and she began to eat the sundae.
"Try not to choke," stated Mario as he picked up his bottle of cider and took a sip from the straw.
"Mmm," said Pipp as she enjoyed the treat her friend got her.
"I'm impressed, Pipp. You managed to remember what we practiced. You still got work, but that's something you'll get better at with time." said Mario as the girl looked at him. There was some whipped cream on her nose; the boy used a finger to wipe it off her, sending her into a blush as he ate. "Keep it up."
The boy went back to drinking his drink. Pipp looked at her friend as she was grateful for the extra time he took out of his day to help tutor her, seeing as she never played Duel Monsters before coming to CHS, unlike her older sister. Today's stress test from Ms. Sweetie Belle really put things into perspective for her; she had a golden opportunity in Mario. Putting aside her crush on him, she was lucky someone was willing to help. His initial attitude may make him seem like he didn't care, but there was a caring heart under that mystique.
"Hey," said the girl as she got her friend's attention. "I appreciate all you've done for me. I know sometimes I'm too focused on my social life, but I genuinely appreciate you helping me stay on track. Thank you."
"Yeah, well... don't get too sentimental, alright, chica?" said Mario as he responded the best way he could.
The girl smiled at her schoolmate as he returned to sipping his cider while placing an arm on the booth. Soon, the girl slid closer to him as she leaned against him; Mario felt that as he saw Pipp cuddling against him while she closed her eyes and let out a happy sigh. He then got a quick kiss on his cheek from the girl before going back to leaning against him and closing her eyes to relish in the moment. The boy sighed heavily as he wrestled with the thoughts in his mind; eventually, he just gave in. His arm responded as it dropped down to slowly and cautiously put it around Pipp. The teen pulled the girl in a bit closer as, despite not seeing it, she felt it and smiled. The boy sighed deeply as he finished his drink and waited for Pipp to finish her little daydream. The lights from the diner they were in lit up as it panned upward to see the night sky.
Author's Note: And so after all this time, we finally get to see Pipp's onscreen debut. At this point, she has had experienced, but for the audience this is the first time we see her actually dueling. And against a deck that had some serious heat packing, especially being able to overcome the powerful and mighty Five-Headed Dragon card. The extra time and hours that Mario has put in to helping her has shown and in the end, she was able to swim rather than sink.