An airplane flying through the air was heard as it pierced through some clouds. On board the private jet was a woman leaning back in her seat with her cup of coffee. She was on her laptop while taking care of some last-minute stuff for the new year.

"We'll be arriving in Zephyr Heights in a few hours," said the pilot over the PA system.

The woman smiled upon hearing that as she closed her current tab, and a picture of herself and her family was shown. She looked at the image of her children and husband as she couldn't wait to see them. The woman then pulled up another tab as she began to send a company email to all her workers about the new protocols that would be in place once the new year started.

In Zephyr Heights, the city was still in the festive season. According to the weather report, there was expected to be snow within the next couple of days. This worked out in favor of Haven as her big event gala party was tomorrow, and right now, she was busy putting the final touches on the event to make sure everything was perfect for her big announcement to the press and media.

In Pipp's room, the girl was currently working on something for her mother's party.

If you wanna run
I'll be your road

"What's the next line?" asked Pipp as she had to look over at Mario.

"If you want a friend," said the boy as he held the lyric sheet.

The teen was in the girl's room as she wanted his help recording and making music. Mario sat on the piano bench facing the girl after giving her a melody sample to sing to.

"Right. Friend. I like that." said Pipp as she smiled and looked at her crush.

"Hey, eyes up here, chica!" said Mario as Pipp snapped out of her loving trance.

"Hey, guys!" said Zipp as she entered her sister's room and saw her friends. "What's up? Anything new?"

"Yeah, being stuck here," commented Mario as Pipp rolled her eyes.

"Look, Mom's party is tomorrow, and I wanted to sing a song for her gala."

"Seriously?" said Zipp as she flopped onto her sister's bed. "It's bad enough we have to attend."

"Now, I'm regretting not going with my dad and my sister to pick up my mom from the airport," said Mario.

"Alright, enough chit-chat! We need to get back to work!" said Pipp as she reached into a drawer from her desk and pulled out a piece of paper with music notes. "Here. Can you play this?"

Mario looked at the music sheet; some words corresponded with the music notes. He saw the tempo sign and tapped his foot to imitate the speed of the music as he sang the words in his mind. He then turned around, placing the music on the stand as he cracked his knuckles. The teen tapped a few keys as he began to play the first line of music. The melody was what he imagined it to be, producing a graceful sound that both sisters found soothing.

"Aw, that's perfect. Thanks," said Pipp as she hugged the boy from behind. She then sneaked in a kiss on his cheek as she giggled and let him go. She then returned to her desk and pressed record as she signaled for Mario to play; the boy began the melody as Pipp sang.

I'll be your shoulder
If you wanna laugh
I'll be your smile
If you wanna fly

I'll be your sky
Anything you need
That's what I'll be...

While Mario was with the two sisters, Roll was with her father as the pair had decided to await Twilight. Haven was pleased that her big announcement would announce her sponsoring and signing of Isaac, but with the World Champion's wife coming in, it would add even more publicity if she was in attendance. And so, the businesswoman was ensuring everything in the mansion was perfect for tomorrow night's grand party.

Roll and Isaac were at the airport, waiting near the checkout area. The girl and her father sat at a table near one of the food establishments as many people were leaving.

"I can't wait to see Mom."

"I'm sure she misses you too," smiled Isaac at his daughter.

The private jet began to descend as it landed on the runway. Once it settled in, the door to the jet opened as a set of stairs rolled toward it; stepping out was Twilight in her winter garments as she took a deep breath and got out. Isaac and Roll were having a duel to pass the time as they soon heard the signal that Twilight's plane had landed. The two got up and went to the gate where she was expected; many others were also expecting their guests. Soon, there was a massive crowd at the top as they began to go down the escalator.

"I don't see her, Dad."

"Get on my shoulders, sweetie," said Isaac as he bent down and allowed his daughter to get on. "You got the sign?"

The World Champion stood up with his daughter on his shoulder as she nodded. Roll held up a sign they made, but it didn't have Twilight's name. As for the card designer herself, Twilight had retrieved her luggage as she extended the hook and had it rolling behind her. She pulled out her phone to let her husband know she was heading out as she came to the escalators. She merged with the others, leaving as she saw the crowd waiting. Twilight began to look for her family, and she immediately spotted them. She saw her daughter on top of her husband's shoulders, but the sign they had was the thing that caught her eye. On it, instead of her name, was a drawing of her signature monster, High Priestess of Prophecy. Twilight chuckled as she had to give it to her family for being creative in making a sign that only she would understand.

"I see her!" said Roll as she spotted her mother.

Isaac bent down to set his daughter on the floor as Twilight came into view, and she stopped before bending to a knee and allowing Roll to come into her arms. The girl hugged her mother as tons of emotions flooded from both.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hey, sweetie," said Twilight as she looked at her daughter.

She brushed away some of her hair from her face as it'd been quite a while since she last saw her child. She then noticed the sign she held as she grabbed it to look at it.

"Did you make this?"

"Um, Mario did. He's... busy," said Roll.

"I see," said Twilight as the drawing of her signature monster done by her son was impressive.

Isaac approached his wife and daughter as Twilight stood up. She smiled at her husband before giving a quick kiss and hugging him.

"How was the flight, honey?" asked Isaac.

"Smooth," answered Twilight.

Isaac smiled before taking his wife's luggage as they began to head toward the exit. The taxi cab was waiting for them as Isaac opened the trunk to put his wife's stuff while they got into the backseat. Twilight handed her daughter her satchel before entering as Isaac then joined them. With that, the taxi began to drive off as it headed toward the Haven estate.

"Here," said Zipp as she handed Mario a water bottle.

"Thanks," said the boy as he put his phone away and took the thing from the girl. "Why did I agree to do this?"

"Because you had no choice. My sister cashed in her idea of the bet from our bowling," smiled Zipp as Mario was being forced to perform with Pipp for her mother's party.

"Why did I have to lose?!" shouted Mario as he kicked himself for having to perform in front of people for tomorrow's event.

"You guys! Come on!" shouted Pipp from inside of her room.

"Back to rehearsal," smiled Zipp.

"Yeah. Let's go," groaned Mario as he opened the door and allowed Zipp to enter first.

The two teens entered the social media girl's room. She was now standing in a dress and black heels as she twirled around.

"So, what do you think?" asked Pipp as she showed off her attire for tomorrow's party. "Fabulous, right?"

"Yeah, it looks good on you, sis. But uh, do you really have to wear that just to rehearse?" asked Zipp.

"A performer needs to feel the part to be the part," said Pipp as she bopped her older sister's nose, which Zipp held an unamusing look.

"I thought we talked about you not tapping my nose anymore," said the older sibling, which Pipp just laughed off.

"Okay, we got the comedy stuff down. So let's start with some warmups," said Pipp as Mario sat behind the piano with Zipp leaning against the front of it.

The boy began the melody of the song as Pipp cleared her throat. Pipp practiced the song she and Mario would perform for her mother's party for the next half hour. After the 30th practice attempt, the boy felt exhausted.

"Alright, one more."

"I think we're good!" shouted Mario as he reached his limit.

"Come on, sis," said Zipp as she lifted her head from resting on the piano. "I think Mario's right. You're good for Mom's party tomorrow. Besides, I already got the lyrics to your song stuck in my head."

"Fine," said Pipp as she sat beside the boy she had a crush on. "Thanks for helping me."

"Yeah, whatever," said Mario.

The boy was caught off guard as Pipp quickly captured her lips with his, and his eyes widened. Zipp groaned at what she saw as Pipp removed herself from the boy. Before Mario could say anything, his phone went off. He looked at it as he got up to check the message.

"What is it, lover boy?" asked Zipp.

"It's my Mom... She's here."

Outside, the limo pulled into the mansion as it passed through the gates.

"So, you've been doing well in school?" asked Twilight.

"Yes, Mom. I've maintained my GPA above a 3.5," said Roll.

"That's my girl," smiled Twilight at her daughter inheriting her smartness.

The limo stopped in front of the estate as the driver got out and opened the door. The three of them got out as Twilight took in the mansion before her as Isaac got his wife's luggage.

"Fancy," said Twilight as she grabbed Roll's hand and walked with her daughter to the entrance.

The pair approached the door as it was opened for them, and they stepped inside. A servant was given Twilight's luggage as it went to drop it off in Isaac's guest room; once they removed their winter gear, Twilight stood in the main lobby of the giant mansion as she spun around to take it all in.

The woman then heard some footsteps as she turned to look at the top of the stairs. There stood Mario as the boy left to meet his mother; Roll looked between her big brother and mother as she waited to see what would happen between them. Watching from behind one of the railings was Pipp and Zipp, as the girls were interested in seeing how Mario would handle his mother. The boy took a deep breath as he walked down the stairs and approached his mother.

"H-H-Hi, Mom," said Mario, struggling to get a word out.

"Mario. My little boy," said Twilight as she nearly shed a tear at seeing her son.

Mario also tried not to cry but just approached his mother and hugged her tightly. Twilight felt a sense of happiness as she held her son and rubbed his back while kissing the top of his head. The boy released a few tears he was hiding as being in his mother's embrace caused him to release. Roll smiled at seeing her older brother embracing their mother, which reminded her of when Mario was happy being with his family.

"I've missed you," said Mario as he continued to hug his mother.

"I've missed you as well, sweetie," said Twilight as she continued to nurse her child as if he were a baby.

The two sisters watching from their hiding place also had smiles on their faces. Seeing their friend hugging his mother made them feel all warm and fuzzy as they each recalled similar memories with their mother.

"I still can't believe the kids didn't tell us about them nearly getting expelled!" said Twilight as she sat on the bed.

"Believe me, I already gave them an earful," said Isaac as he removed his shirt to retrieve a different one from the closet.

"Suspension! I thought they would never do something like that," said Twilight as she rubbed her forehead.

"Settle down, honey. We're here to enjoy ourselves," said Isaac as he looked at his wife.

"I just... those kids are starting to grow up and need to understand..."

"Twi, it's okay," said Isaac as he approached his wife and bent down by the bedside to grab her hand and address her. "We'll figure things out. We always do, right?"

"Yeah," smiled Twilight.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?" said Isaac as he kissed his wife's hand.

"Every day," smiled the woman.

"And I mean it. Things will work out. They always do for us." said the World Champion to his wife.

"Okay, honey," smiled Twilight as Isaac removed his wife's glasses and stroked her cheek. He pulled her in for a deep kiss as she wrapped her arms around him.

The day soon came faster than expected as the entire city of Zephyr Heights looked forward to Haven's grand estate party. Tons of news and media outlets were all hurrying to get their station to the mansion to report it. The businesswoman had invited a small band of musicians to play for the guests as classical music echoed throughout the mansion. The entire place was booked from top to bottom with guests; upstairs, the kids were in Pipp's room as the girl was getting ready for her small performance.

"Why do I have to dress up?" groaned Zipp as she tugged at the collar of her dress. "I'm not even performing."

"Because it's mom's party. She wants us to look good," said Pipp as she added some golden earrings.

"What about what I want?" said Zipp.

In Mario's room, the boy was getting himself ready. While Pipp wanted him to wear something fancy, the boy rejected it and instead would wear a plain t-shirt with a red jacket over it and some jeans and sneakers. He knew most guests would object to it, but he didn't care. The spotlight wasn't on him; it was on Haven and whatever her big announcement was. After making sure his hair was good, he strapped the acoustic guitar around his body and headed out.

In the mansion's ballroom, tons of guests were shown mingling and talking with each other. Soon, Haven got everyone's attention as she held a microphone.

"First, I want to thank everyone for coming to my esteemed Gala. Enjoy the hors d'oeuvres." said the woman as she got some applause. "Now then, I have an important announcement to make. One that is truly news breaking. And that is... I have acquired a wealthy business acquisition. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the World Champion of Duel Monsters and the person I have chosen to sign and sponsor!"

Some gasps were heard as they didn't believe what the businesswoman said. Soon enough, the doors opened, and Isaac came along with Twilight. She wore a blue celestial-style dress with a beaded and layered skirt in various shades of blue. It also had mini teal-colored wings on it. She had her arm around her husband, who wore a black tux and a fedora with a red band. The many guests were stunned to see the World Champion and the most successful card designer walking arm in arm at Haven's party as they knew of their power and influence.

"My mother signed your dad!?" said Zipp as she and the others peeked from behind the curtain.

"I... can't believe it," said Roll.

Even Mario was at a loss for words at seeing his mother get on stage with Haven as he approached the businesswoman. He stuck his hand out to shake Haven as they turned to the cameras for them to snap as many pictures as possible. One of her assistants approached the pair as they presented the contract for Isaac to sign. The World Champion grabbed the pen and signed along the dotted line for all to see. The deal was set with that signature, and the entire world now knew.

Haven and Isaac posed for more pictures as many reporters tried to get a word in with either of them on this historical moment.

"People, people, I'll be more than happy to..."

Haven's voice faded in the background as Zipp, Mario, and Roll pulled back from the curtain.

"I'm... shocked that dad is signing with your mother, Zipp."

"I guess she really wants to up her business," said the girl, amazed that her mother convinced her friend's father to be a part of her company.

"Speaking of business, where the hell is Pipp?" said Mario as the girl was nowhere to be found.

"I'll go find her," said Roll as she left to search for their friend.

"So, you feelin' nervous, lover boy?" asked Zipp as it was just them.

"Please, I don't get nervous," said Mario as the girl smiled at that comment.

"Uh, guys, we might have a problem," said Roll as she reappeared.

"What?!" said both teens.

Pipp was screaming as she was with a maid who was checking her mouth. The girl tried to communicate but could only let out sounds.

"Just keep your mouth open, Pipp," said the maid as she checked on the girl's mouth.

"Piop, what happened?" said Zipp as they found the girl.

Pipp made sounds as she pointed to her tongue, which turned out to be swollen.

"Oh, my god, it's huge!" said Mario as they saw Pipp's tongue.

Pipp made small whimpers as she tried to speak.

"How could this have happened?" asked the maid.

"The Chinese gargle!" said Zipp as she recalled something her sister found out about, to which Pipp pointed at her older sister to confirm it was that.

"The what?!" said both Mario and Roll.

"Ms. Zipp, what are you talking about?" asked the maid to her mistress' eldest daughter.

"She found some website that shows you how to make this special Chinese herb garden that's supposed to help you sing better," confirmed Zipp.

"Well, she must have had an allergic reaction to it," said the maid as she continued to check Pipp's tongue. The girl made more sad noises after hearing that.

"Pipp, are you ready, dear?" said Haven as she appeared.

"I'm afraid, Mistress Haven, your daughter won't be able to perform," said the maid.

"What? What happened?" said Haven as she saw her daughter's swollen tongue. "Goodness, what happened?"

"An allergic reaction," said Zipp.

"Will her tongue be okay?" asked the businesswoman.

"Well, her tongue is obviously engorged, and oh... it's throbbing erratically," said the maid as she looked at Pipp's tongue.

"Throbbing erratically?!" repeated Roll as everyone was concerned.

"So, she's not going to be able to perform?" asked Mario.

"Absolutely not!" confirmed the maid.

Pipp gasped as she grabbed the maid by her dress and shook her while making sounds.

"Stop talking, Ms. Petals! Your tongue could burst!" shouted the maid to get the teen to stop shaking her as Pipp gasped hearing that.

"Is that true?" asked Zipp to the maid softly.

"No, that was just to get her to stop," said the maid as Zipp smiled.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," said Haven to her daughter.

"I'm gonna take her to get treated," said the maid as she led Pipp away.

Pipp then looked at her Zipp as she shook her.

"Pipp, stop!" shouted Zipp.

The girl whimpered and tried to speak but remembered what the maid said about her tongue. She then pulled out her phone and texted her older sister's phone. As she heard it, she pulled it out. Zipp read it, and her eyes widened before looking at her younger sister.

"No! No way! I'm not doing it, sis!" exclaimed Pipp as she got on her knees and begged her eldest sibling.

"What is it?" asked Haven.

"She... wants me to take her place."

"What?" shouted Mario, hoping there was no performance so he could ditch the party.

"Do you know the song she was gonna sing?" asked Haven.

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Then it's settled!" spoke Haven. "Zephyrina, you're taking your sister's place."

"What, no! Mom!" shouted the girl.

"Take her to wear something she likes!" said Haven as she snapped her fingers, and three more maids appeared to lead Zipp away.

"No, what, Mom! No!" shouted Zipp as she tried to break free.

"Do it for your sister, Zephyrina!" said Haven as her daughter was kicking and screaming while being manhandled by the maids.

"Alright, so that's taken care of. So..."

"I... need your help."

"Excuse me?" said Mario as he looked at the woman.

"I have my opinions of you, boy. But tonight is a special night for me. So... I'm willing to overlook all my prejudiced notions of you if... you perform with my daughter." said Haven as she was willing to swallow her pride this one time for asking the kid of her client for help.

"Seriously?" said Mario as he looked at the woman.

"Come on, bro. Just do it. You know Mom would say to help out." said Roll as she encouraged her brother to go through with Haven's request.

The boy sighed as he couldn't believe he was going through with this.

Once the matter was resolved, Haven returned to the ballroom, where she found Isaac, who was with Twilight, talking to some people.

"Excuse me, everybody," said Haven as she pulled Isaac to the side and whispered into his ear.

The World Champion turned to look at Haven as she smiled and nodded before leaving him.

"What's the matter, honey?" asked Twilight as she saw her husband's facial expression.

"It appears that there's been a change in plans," said Isaac to his wife.

Behind the curtain, Zipp was now pacing back and forth. The girl had gone through several wardrobes, all of which she hated. Eventually, the tomboy girl decided to stick with something simple and wore a red semi-casual dress with black leather pants as Haven was too busy to argue with it and just let her wear it. The heiress could hear the crowd's noise as it seemed to be getting to her.

"So, rich girl. You ready for this?" Mario asked as his acoustic guitar was around his body.

"I think so," nodded the girl as she seemed to have gotten rid of her jitters.

"Good. I'm proud that you're helping out your sister," said the boy.

"Thanks, Mario," said the girl as she playfully punched his shoulder.

"Alright, let's go set up," stated Mario as he and Zipp went to get in position.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there's been a slight change. Singing tonight with her friend is my daughter and future heiress to Zephyr Heights, Zephyrina Storm! I couldn't be more proud of her." said Haven as she stood before the curtain.

The crowd applauded as the curtains pulled open to reveal two microphone stands; only Mario stood behind one of them with his guitar in hand. The boy looked confused while most of the crowd clapped, apart from the boy's family, who saw his look and Haven. The businesswoman smiled while slowly approaching the boy and spoke softly.

"Where's my daughter?!" said Haven.

"I don't know. She just took off," said Mario as Zipp ran just seconds away from the curtains opening.

Haven now had a worried look after hearing that. She then looked at her guests as they seemed to be waiting. The businesswoman tugged her dress collar before approaching Mario to address the crowd.

"Um, there's gonna be a slight delay in the entertainment," said Haven, chuckling nervously. "So, keep enjoying your hors d'oeuvres, and I'll be right back."

"What do we do?" asked Roll.

"How should I know?" said Mario as Pipp was still recovering and Zipp was nowhere to be found.

"Kids, let me handle this. You two go find your friend and bring her back," said Twilight as she approached her children.

"You sure about this, Mom?" asked Roll.

"Sweetie, do you know who your mother is? Now go!" said Twilight as Mario sighed to assist Haven in finding Zipp.

Twilight smiled, seeing her kids leave to help their friend. She then approached Haven and whispered something to her before getting on the stage as she switched her usual glasses for a replica one.

"Owloysius!"

"Owloysius here, Madam," said Twilight's AI assistant as her glasses came online.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" spoke Twilight as she stood on the stage. "I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to showcase some charts and plans for our company." Twilight got some interested chatter from the folks as she turned around. "Pull up the plans, Owloysius."

"Certainly," said the AI as he projected from Twilight's glasses blueprints and her entire PowerPoint presentation for Twilight to talk about.

After they left the ballroom, Mario and Roll split up. The latter went to check on Pipp and inform her of the situation, while the former decided to go to the first place to look for the girl. And his instincts proved correct as Zipp was in her room. The girl was shooting some hoops with a basket hanging off her door. It seemed the pressure of performing for everyone got to her as she couldn't handle it and ran away to avoid her problems. After making her latest basket, the door opened as Mario appeared.

"Hey," said the boy.

"Hey," said the girl as she grabbed the ball and sat on her bed. "I'm sorry I left you hanging."

"Ah, it's good," said Mario as he closed the door and leaned against it with his hands in his pockets.

"A part of me really did want to do it. Mostly because Pipp is my sister, and I would do almost anything for her. But as soon as I heard my mother announce me as the future heiress, I just... panicked." Zipp said, sighing.

"I get it. Everybody is afraid of something. You know, when you asked me if I was nervous, I responded that I wasn't. Well... that's not completely true. Sometimes I do." said Mario. "Sometimes, there are moments where I'm afraid. Fear is a natural part of us. It's what makes us human. But my father once told me that if you let fear dictate your life, you give up. And the only real mistake you can make is giving up."

"The only real mistake you can make... is giving up," repeated Zipp as she looked at her friend, who gave a genuine and caring smile. "Thanks, Mario. I need that. I... I think I'm ready to give it another shot."

"Just remember, you're not gonna be up there alone. You got me. So... if you mess up, we both do." said Mario.

"If that's your way of cheering me up, then... I appreciate it, lover boy," said Zipp with a smile. "Let's go do this."

"Let's," said Mario as he opened the door and allowed Zipp to exit first before he followed her.

Back in the ballroom, Twilight was continuing her presentation to the crowd.

"And so, by the time we reach our 2nd yearly quarter, our profits are expected to be above the substantial level..."

Haven snuck on stage and whispered to Twilight to tell her the news. The woman nodded as she had Owloysius close everything down.

"Thank you, Mrs. Sparkle, for informing everyone," said Haven as the crowd clapped for Twilight's presentation. "Now... for a very special duet, please help me welcome my daughter, Zipp Storm."

The crowd clapped and cheered as the curtain pulled apart to reveal Zipp and Mario standing beside each other. The girl saw the many faces as the pressure got to her, but she tried to get her nerves to calm down. As the girl looked at her friend, Mario was already beginning to strum his guitar.

"I don't know about this," said the girl.

"Don't worry. You got this. Just... look at me." said Mario as he continued to strum.

Soon, he transitioned to the melody of the music as Zipp took a deep breath and began to sing.

[Zipp]
When you're on your own
Drowning alone
And you need a rope that can pull you in
Someone will throw it

[Mario]
And when you're afraid that you're gonna break
And you need a way to feel strong again
Someone will know it

[Both. Now feeling more confident with Mario by her side, Zipp grabbed the microphone on the stand confidently as she sang with the boy in unison.]
And even when it hurts the most
Try to have a little hope
That someone's gonna be there when you don't
When you don't
If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder
If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile
If you wanna fly, I will be your sky
Anything you need, that's what I'll be

[As they sang, Zipp turned to look at Mario. The boy did the same as he looked the girl in the eyes while playing his guitar. The pair kept their eyes on each other as they got closer, and it seemed like they were singing at each other.]
If you wanna climb, I'll be your ladder (I'll be your ladder)
If you wanna run, I'll be your road (I'll be your road)
If you want a friend, doesn't matter when (doesn't matter when)
Anything you need, that's what I'll be
You can come to me

[Zipp sang the last line as she got a bit lost staring into Mario's eyes. A warm feeling occurred in the girl as she looked at her friend.]
You can come to me, yeah

The duo ended their song with Mario doing one last strum. The crowd clapped and cheered the pair for their special performance. The crowd's roar snapped the teens out of their gazing trance as they realized how close they were and where they were; they merely smiled and waved as they got off stage.

"I did it! I can't believe I did it!" said Zipp, ecstatic to know she conquered her fear.

"See, I knew you could do it," said Mario as he turned his guitar around and smiled at the girl.

Zipp couldn't control her body as it acted on its own, and she hugged the boy. Mario was taken aback but soon wrapped his arms around Zipp as he returned the embrace.

"I'm glad you were up there with me," said Zipp as she pulled her head back but still had her hands on the boy's arms. "That was incredible! I... I feel like I can do anything."

"Glad you feel that way," said Mario.

Zipp kept her gaze on the boy as her body took over again. Zipp leaned in in the blink of an eye as she captured Mario's lips with hers. The girl brought her hands from on his arms to cusp both his cheeks as she leaned into the kiss. Mario fell under her spell as he closed his eyes and returned the kiss from the girl.

"Hey, bro. Oh," said Roll as she turned the corner and stopped to see her brother and Zipp. She had her jaw drop at the two of them.

After ten seconds, Zipp pulled back from the kiss as he opened her eyes to see Mario. She tried to process what she had just done, as did Mario, who was left dumbfounded. At that moment, Zipp regained control of her body and quickly ran away, leaving the boy alone. Mario watched the girl disappear as Roll approached her big brother and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey!" said Pipp as she appeared from around the corner and saw the siblings. "Thanks for covering for me." The girl hugged her crush as she closed her eyes.

"Y-Yeah," stuttered Mario, looking down at the girl holding him as he brought his fingers up to rub his lips. He still remembered Zipp kissing him fresh in her mind.

"Oh, boy," said Roll dreadfully at the situation of her older brother and the two sisters.

As for Zipp, she stopped running once she made her way to her room. She opened it and entered as she remained there for the rest of the night. Nothing but quiet.

Author's Note: Well... it seems the holidays have gotten a bit more interesting. First off, Twilight has finally joined her family and the touching moment that Mario shared with his mother when he saw her. Then Haven's Gala party and her announcing to the entire world the signing and sponsoringof the World Champion to the surprise of everyone, including the kids. And lastly, the sudden moment of what went down between Zipp and Mario and what's sure to cause some trouble with Pipp.