A series of posters were being put up among the school hallways. Once the last poster for the hallway was put up, the janitor began walking away as several students crowded about to read the poster. Among the sea of students was Zipp, as the girl was at the front of the horde.
"One lucky student will be nominated to attend a banquet honoring the World Champion as he receives his 7th Duelist of the Year Award in his 15-year-long, illustrious career."
"7th award? Wow!" said Zipp, amazed to hear that, before she returned to reading the rest of the poster.
"World Class Pro Duelist and graduate of CHS."
"Duelist of the Year? That's like the biggest honor you can get as a pro duelist, apart from being inducted into the Hall of Fame of Duel Monsters itself," said Zoom as she was with Zipp and looking at the poster.
"Well, there's no doubt who the lucky student will be," said Thunder.
"Who?" said both girls.
"You," said Thunder as he pointed at Zipp.
"Me?" said the girl.
"You're the captain of the soccer team, along with a few other sports. You're the top duelist in Ms. Applebloom Synchro's class. Not to mention you solved the mystery of the destroyed flutes. Plus, your mother is the most recognized businesswoman in the world." said the boy. "You got this in the bag."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," said Zipp as all three turned back to look at the poster, which showed the image of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl with determined looks and arms crossed.
Nearly all the students were gathered in the auditorium as they were anticipating the announcement of which lucky student would be attending the banquet of the World Champion when he would receive his award. The students were chatting as Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna came on stage. The principal tapped the microphone.
"Testing, testing, testing. Is this on?" asked Celestia as she tapped the microphone, which sent a feedback pitch through the room as all the students covered their ears. "Oops. Sorry about that." The principal cleared her throat as she prepared to speak. "We are for a special purpose today. Nearly 15 years ago, the World Champion graduated from this school."
"All hail, the World Champion!" shouted somebody as they were excited.
That remark got everybody to now chant the same thing as Luna and Celestia rolled their eyes before she tapped the microphone, which sent another feedback that got everyone to stop yelling and cover their ears.
"As I was saying," stated the principal before glaring at the student who started all the commotion. "Yes, it is something to be proud of. To know that the current World Champion once was a student like you all and walked these halls once upon a time. But it also serves as an expectation for those wanting to continue their Duel Monsters journey once they leave this institution."
"And as you've all heard, the World Champion will be receiving the Duelist of the Year Award and therefore has requested that we, the facility select one individual who will have the honor of being present for the event," said Luna as she took over and pulled out an envelope. "So... without further ado, the student unanimously decided by the school staff is none other than... Ms. Sunny Starscout!"
"M-Me?" said the girl, shocked to hear that.
Applause rang out, and cheers were heard as they supported the girl selected to attend this special event. Sunny was still in shock as she stood up and looked about, all the students smiling and continuing to clap for her.
"Go on, Sunny!" said Hitch as he supported his best friend.
The girl smiled at her friend before making her way toward the stage. She got on and approached her principals as Luna gave her the invitation and allowed her to step to the podium to say a few words.
"Um, wow... I... don't know what to say. I guess, um, thank you. Thank you very much." smiled the girl as she got even more applause.
"I thought for sure you were gonna be it," said Thunder.
"Eh, I don't care," said Zipp as she looked at Sunny. The girl was just happy that her friend was getting this great honor, which was enough to put a smile on her face.
Sunny stepped back from the podium and gave a small wave. Celestia approached the girl and led her away, leaving Luna to dismiss the students.
"Congratulations on this honor, Ms. Starscout. You must be joyous."
"A little. Along with confusion."
"What's there to be confused about? The entire student body agreed that you should be the one to attend the event. "
"Really?" said Sunny.
"Well, along with other key factors. Such as activities, academia, community service, etc. In short, we figured you were the best representative of what it means to be a student of CHS."
"Wow! That's... a lot to take in. I... thank you," said Sunny, as hearing that made her feel proud.
"You'd best go pack your things. The bus that will take you will leave tomorrow morning. I'll send you some more details regarding the event." said Celestia as Sunny nodded before heading to her dorm room.
The girl was in her room as she had her suitcase on her bed. She had been given a list by Celestia of what to pack as she would spend some time with the World Champion before the banquet event. Sunny was looking in her closet as she was deciding which dress to wear for dinner as she couldn't decide. A knock on her door was heard.
"Come in!" said the girl.
"Hey, Sunny. Just wanted to check on you. How are you holding up?" asked Hitch as the boy entered the girl's room.
"I don't know, Hitch. I can't decide what to wear. What do you think?" asked the girl as she presented the two outfits to her friend.
"I'd say the left one. It would compliment your eyes."
"Thanks," said Sunny as she was grateful for the boy's opinion and put the dress in her suitcase.
The girl grabbed a few other things she planned to bring, and with one tug of the zipper, she sealed her suitcase and placed it next to her bed.
"There. Finally finished," said Sunny as she flopped onto her bed back first and stared up as Hitch was seated beside her.
"You a bit nervous?" asked the boy.
"A little," sighed Sunny as she sat up. "I am glad for this experience but can't believe I was chosen. I'm not the most popular kid in school."
"Well, what's not to believe? For as we've been friends, I know you better than anybody. You're smart, funny, and beautiful, and you have a kind heart and a natural aura that draws people together. As Principal Celestia said, you embody CHS. Most people would do anything to be in your shoes right now, so consider yourself lucky. I know I am."
"Aw, thanks, Hitch. You always know what to say and how to cheer me up," said Sunny as she hugged her friend tightly.
The boy smiled and wrapped his arms around her as he held his childhood friend tightly. He caught a whiff of her hair as it gave off a lovely scent as his hands ran through them. The pair hugged briefly before they broke apart, and Sunny lifted her hand as Hitch knew what that meant.
"Up high, down low, hitch it to a post. Flip it sunny side up and on a piece of toast!" said both friends.
The two touched their raised hands together, lowered them, and touched again; he switched arms and rested his hand beneath hers, miming flipping a pancake; she clapped her hand onto his. The routine finished as she did a playful nudge and giggled.
"Thanks," said the girl.
"Anytime," responded the boy. "Well, I'll leave you to get some rest. You got a big day tomorrow."
"Night, Hitch."
"Night, Sunny."
The boy exited the girl's room and closed her door as Sunny sighed. She looked over at her desk as it was a photo of herself and her father. The teen touched the frame as the smile on her face grew.
"Hitch is right. I should enjoy this," stated Sunny.
The next day, Sunny was shown putting her hair in its usual style and putting on her signature outfit. The girl approached the photo on her nightstand and pressed two fingers to her mouth before planting them on the photo.
"Goodbye, Dad. I'll be back soon. Wish me luck." said the girl as she said goodbye to her father before grabbing her backpack and putting it on her shoulders. The teen then grabbed the suitcase near her bed and began to pull it behind her as she exited her room.
Sunny was making her way to the school's parking lot as the shuttle bus that would take her would be there. Upon arriving, Sunny gasped as waiting for her there were her friends. The girl smiled as she made her way toward them.
"There she is. The girl of the hour. Congrats!" said Izzy as she threw some confetti into the air and blew a noise maker.
"Thanks, everyone. But you didn't have to see me off."
"But we wanted to. By the way, when you meet the World Champion, mind snatching me an autograph. Have him make it out to Zipp Storm."
"I'll see what I can do," chuckled Sunny.
"I am so jealous of you, Sunny. You get to meet someone as famous as the World Champ. That is tots the highlight of your life. It can't get any better than that. Make sure you enjoy your 15 minutes of fame."
"Right, Pipp," responded Sunny, a bit confused. She then looked about and noticed that neither Roll nor Mario was present. "Where's Roll and Mario?"
"They wanted to be here. Well, Roll did, at least. But something came up. She did say that she wishes you have a fun time." said Hitch.
"Oh, well, if you see them. Tell them I said thanks. And goodbye."
"Don't worry, your pretty little head, Sunny. We got you!" stated Pipp as she began to text Mario what Sunny said.
The sound of the shuttle bus was heard as it rolled into the parking lot. Principal Celestia appeared as she urged Sunny to get on.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Sunny?" said Hitch.
The girl hugged each girl and said goodbye as Izzy tried not to cry. Sunny approached Hitch, and she immediately hugged her childhood friend.
"I'm gonna miss you."
"I'm gonna miss you too."
The two friends kept their embrace a bit longer as their friends, apart from Izzy, had smirks on their faces at seeing the two holding each other. They broke apart as Hitch stepped to the side, and Sunny grabbed her suitcase and began to climb the stairs. The driver greeted the teen with a cheerful smile and a tip of his cap as she smiled back. She looked inside as the shuttle bus was nicely decorated that it looked more like a tour bus. A bed in the back for privacy, a living room, TVs, a bathroom, and even some tables and a kitchen.
Sunny sat by one of the couches and looked out the window as she saw her friends and principal all waving. The girl waved goodbye, sad to leave, even for a few days, but knew they wouldn't want her to pass up this opportunity. The bus then closed its doors as it began to move and drive out of the parking lot. Sunny opened one of the windows and stuck her head out as she continued to wave. The girl kept waving until her friends and the school were well behind her and out of sight.
Watching the bus leave the parking lot from up on the roof were Roll and Mario. The siblings saw their friend leaving, and Roll wished she could have been present to say goodbye.
"Sunny's going have the time of her life."
Mario scoffed as he turned and walked away. Roll saw how her statement affected her older sibling as she sighed and leaned over the roof's edge.
"Big bro..." muttered the girl.
About twenty minutes into the ride, Sunny was already starting to see her surroundings change as the urban setting slowly turned into a suburban before entering a rural environment. Sunny had her head on her hands as she looked out the window; she sighed as her boredom finally got to her and lifted her head before closing it. The girl looked about while trying to figure out what to do when she noticed a device on the nearby table.
The teen approached it and picked the device up. She touched it as it whirred and came online.
"Greetings, Ms. Starscout."
"H-How do you know my name?" asked the girl as she placed the device on the table and talked to the person contacting her.
"Forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Juniper Montage. I work for the World Champion as his agent. I was the one that organized this shuttle. I hope you find everything to your liking."
"It's alright," said Sunny, looking about the bus.
"I know this all must be sudden, and you're still processing all of this. But I can assure you that the time you spend with my client will be one that you'll tell your friends when you return," stated Juniper. "Now then, let me go over some details with you."
The bus soon entered a city as the front sign said: Crown City. Sunny looked out the window as she saw the sights and sounds. Many buildings were as high as she could look, and many walked on the sidewalks. The bus was currently stopped at a light as Sunny peered out and waved to some kids playing hopscotch as they waved at the teen before the bus began to move.
At the same time Sunny was arriving, someone was in another part of the city. A person was shown working out as they were doing some laps on the track in the upper level before they transitioned to doing the obstacle course as they moved about and lunged over some obstacles. They slid under a bar and touched the button at the end as a blare rang out. The nearby trainers approached the person and began wiping the sweat off.
"Excellent work, Isaac," said one of the trainers as she grabbed a bottle of water and began to feed it to him while sitting down.
"Thanks," said the World Champ as he began wiping himself off the sweat he had built up.
"Well, the system is reset, Mr. World Champion. Shall we do another run?"
"Fraid not. I'm supposed to be meeting with the student from CHS. In fact," said Isaac as he looked at his watch, "they should be arriving at the hotel right about now."
Isaac gathered his things as he exited the center and headed toward the hotel. At that point, the shuttle bus was pulling up to the front of the hotel as it stopped. The doors opened as Sunny walked out with her backpack and luggage. Waiting for her was Juniper as the woman titled her glasses to see the teen.
"It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Starscout."
"Likewise," said Sunny as she shook the woman's hand.
"Come along."
Juniper turned and began to walk toward the hotel doors as she touched her tablet. Sunny followed the woman as they entered the building. They got onto an elevator as Juniper pushed a button, and they began to go upward. The elevator then had a clear view of the city as Sunny pressed against it to see the view as she couldn't get enough. The elevator stopped at the top as Juniper and Sunny got out; they walked down the hallway, and a clear view of the city top was to their left. The pair approached a set of doors as Juniper pulled out a card and swiped it.
The door opened as Sunny was let in first; the girl gasped at what she saw. The hotel room she stayed in was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. There were tons of pillows and comfy sheets, a balcony, high-definition TV screens, a private bathroom, and a service bell to a servant on deck 24/7.
"Oh my gosh!" said Sunny as the servant present took her luggage and backpack and placed them on the bed for the girl.
"Yes, Mr. Isaac thought you'd like to be comfortable during your stay. Now then, I'll leave you to settle in. He should be arriving soon." said Juniper as she whispered something to the worker as he nodded before she left.
Sunny was out on the balcony as she couldn't believe this special treatment she was receiving. After exploring a bit of the room, Sunny was on her bed as she had her notebook on her knees and was writing in it. The girl is detailing her trip up to this point as she planned to share her experience with her friends when she returned.
"Writing a story? Or is it a love confession?"
Sunny stopped writing as she looked up from her notebook. She gasped as her eyes widened at what they saw. Standing there, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, was the World Champion himself. The girl closed her diary and got to her feet.
"It's you... the World Champion."
"Please, no need for formalities, Ms. Starscout. Just call me Isaac." said the man as he got up and approached the girl. "Nice to meet you."
"It's an honor, Mr. Isaac," said Sunny as she stuck her hand out to shake the World Champion.
Isaac kept a close gaze on the girl before him.
"You know... you remind me of someone," smiled the man. "So, you like books?"
"Absolutely!" said Sunny as she grabbed her diary and showed it to the man.
The cover was decorated with tons of stickers, making Isaac smile. He took the diary and flipped it to the page where Sunny was writing; he skimmed through and saw the details of the girl documenting her journey to tell her friends back home.
"So you're the student that Principal Celestia and the entire faculty nominated?"
"Yes, sir. Although I find it hard to believe,"
"Why is that?" asked Isaac as he sat on the bed and paid attention to the girl.
"Well, Principal Celestia said that the entire school staff made the decision based on one's academia and involvement in the community, but I... just don't know... it feels like I haven't earned it," said Sunny.
"So you think there are other candidates that are more worthy than you?" stated Isaac.
"In a way," confessed Sunny.
"Maybe you're right."
"Huh?"
The girl looked at the pro duelist with a confused look.
"Maybe there are more worthy candidates than you. And yeah, maybe they should be the ones standing here. But they're not. You are. You have something special that the entire school staff saw. And that something is why you were chosen." said Isaac. "One thing I've learned throughout my career as a duelist is some people are born with a special talent. And if you have that special talent, whatever it may be, you need to fulfill it to its fullest potential. What your special talent is? Well, that's something for you to find out. But I know you'll live up to it. It's why they chose you."
The girl let the words spoken by the World Champion sink in. Sunny was thinking hard about what was said as she recalled how Celestia and the entire staff unanimously voted on her to be the one. They must have trusted her if they thought of her without a second doubt. Maybe she did have some special talent.
"Now then, you must be hungry from your long trip."
"A little," said Sunny as her stomach betrayed her and gave a growl.
"Heh. Come on. I know just the place," instructed Isaac as the girl grabbed her satchel, slung it over her shoulder, and put her diary in it.
They arrived in the lobby as Juniper was waiting for the pair. They exited as a limo was waiting for them. Sunny was amazed at seeing the vehicle. Seeing the girl freak out brought a smile to Isaac as the driver got out and opened the door; the teen quickly got in, followed by the man and woman.
Sunny continued to hold her in awe as she saw the limo inside with comfy and fancy leather seats, overhead lights to stimulate a party atmosphere, and some candy and snacks. The driver got in and began to drive the passengers away.
"This is amazing!" said Sunny as she played with all the buttons as the lights changed colors and the windows rolled up and down.
"Push that button," said Juniper as she sat next to the girl and instructed her to push the yellow button.
Sunny saw the button and did what was instructed as a table appeared with many fruits and vegetables. A blender was also present as the girl squealed.
"A smoothie maker!" said Sunny as if she was in heaven.
The girl began to grab the different fruits and vegetables as she put them in the blender and pushed the button as the machine began to turn them into smoothies. All the while, Isaac was smiling at how excited the girl was.
"You made the right call to install that smoothie button," said Juniper as she sat beside her client.
"I want her to have the best experience possible," said Isaac with a wink to his agent as he adjusted his cap.
The limo soon arrived at its destination as the door opened and Sunny peaked out. To her surprise, the place they were at didn't seem like a restaurant but moreso an arcade. Sounds of machines could be heard as tons of people with children began to head in. The girl was a bit confused as she thought they would get something to eat; she saw Juniper ushering for her to follow them as she did so.
They entered, and once again, Sunny had her mind blown. The arcade was full of many fun activities, like laser tag, a trampoline area, an arcade room with many machines, and a plaza on the second floor full of shops and restaurants. The girl followed the adults as they took the escalator to the second floor and began to head toward one of the restaurants.
They headed to a pizza plex as many families were having fun inside. Juniper pulled her client aside as she had to make quick phone calls; he nodded and went inside with Sunny. They arrived at a table, and a waiter brought some menus and glasses of water.
"Here you go," said Isaac as he pulled out a slip of laminated paper and slid it forward. "An all-access pass to this place."
"All access?" said Sunny as Isaac kept on wowing her every single time. "I... I don't know what to say."
"A simple thank you will do," said the World Champ. "Oh, and feel free to get whatever you want. I'll cover the bill."
"Wow. This is all so surreal. I'm amazed you're doing all this for me." stated Sunny at how much money the man was throwing at her.
"Money is nothing to me. Besides, I want to make sure you have plenty of stories to tell your class when you return. So, Sunny, tell me about yourself?"
"Well, I've grown up with my dad for most of my life. My mother passed away when I was just very little."
"I'm sorry to hear that," responded Isaac with some sympathy for the girl for losing her mother so young.
"It was tough, but my dad assured us we'd get through. My dad has a history degree, but in actuality, he runs a smoothie stand."
"If your father has a university degree, why does he run a smoothie stand?" asked Isaac.
"He wasn't cut out for a university career or teaching. His research wasn't going anyway, according to his fellow scholars. But his biggest thing was he wanted a steady income with regular hours. I think he meant he wanted to spend as much time with me as possible."
"I can understand that. A job is a job. Those are hard to come by these days. People think being a pro duelist is easy. It's also a tough business. Having people sponsor you, being able to sell out arenas just by the mention of your name. All the media you have to do. People think I go out, put on a show, and boom. Easy payday. It's a lot of work on my part to make sure everything goes well." said Isaac.
"I never knew that. I just assumed from what I've seen that all you have to do is just play your cards and let the monsters do the work," said Sunny.
"Well, it's not that. Here's something for you to write down in your diary to tell your classmates," said Isaac as Sunny pulled out her notebook and pen as she prepared to write down what the World Champ was about to say.
"I love this game. I love Duel Monsters. To be a pro, it's hard work, no joke. But to be not only successful and have a career that you can look at 20 years from now and be proud of it. You gotta have that reason on why you do this. I mention that I love this game, but this is a job. And yes, as much as it's me just doing events and dueling. It's also a regular job. I'm being paid to do what I love, and people count on me to show up. For this kind of job, I can't just phone it in or half-ass this shit. I have to give it my attention and focus 100%. No two ways about it. If you don't love something, why even do it to begin with. I love this game, the fact that I can make people happy, and every little aspect that Duel Monsters brings to me and my life! I love the look on people's faces and the smiles I put on for everyone. It warms my heart when I'm pulled to the side, and people say... Thank you. I've- I've openly said all the time, you want to buy into my stock; this is what I believe in. You work hard, show up on time, stay loyal to those who support you, and respect enemies and friends. That's my stance. By the way, I don't ever give up. Either you're in, or you're out. Never asked you, 'Hey, you need to do this, you need to do that.' So many times, people say, 'Ahh, I- I hate your character, but I totally respect you.' That is- that's it. That's my legacy. That's what I want. I don't agree with you, but I respect you."
"Wow," said Sunny as she let all that sink in while writing it down.
The girl looked over what she'd written as the words spoken by the World Champion rang so true.
"So, tell me about your friends?" asked Isaac.
"Well, we're a lively bunch. First, there's my friend, Hitch. He and I have been best friends since we were kids. We did everything together. In fact, he's the one that comforted me when I was feeling nervous about this trip."
"Sounds like a nice guy. You like him?"
"W-What?" stuttered Sunny at the sudden question by the pro duelist.
"I'm just messing with you," chuckled Isaac. "Continue."
"My next friend is a girl by the name of Zipp. She is an incredible duelist. She couldn't get enough when she saw your duel against Ms. Rainbow. Talking about seeing two great duelists go back and forth. She's watched that duel on repeat at least 70 times and counting." said Sunny.
"Glad to have a fan," smiled Isaac.
"I have another friend. Her name is Pipp. She's obsessed with social media. Always wanting to follow the latest trend and works at Mane Melody."
"I know the owner of Mane Melody. I sometimes hire her for some outfits I wear when I duel," said Isaac.
"Oh, then there's Izzy. She's... energetic to a certain degree. It takes her time to register some things, but she's smart. And creative. She can make anything out of junk. Literally."
"Interesting."
"Oh, I can't forget about Roll and Mario. Brother and sister. They're both tough duelists, and they managed to avoid suspension."
"Suspension?" said Isaac as his voice changed slightly, which could only be heard if you listened carefully.
"Yeah, apparently, they were found breaking curfew and on abandoned property. So Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna told them they'd have to win a tag duel to avoid being suspended."
"I see," stated Isaac as he sipped his water.
"I'm glad they didn't leave because they helped me to create my deck," said Sunny.
"So... you play?" asked Isaac.
Sunny opened her satchel and began to dig in. She pulled out a deck of cards and looked at it.
"It's not much. I mean, compared to yours, you probably have an unbeatable deck," stated the girl.
"Can I see?" asked Isaac.
He stuck his hand out as Sunny placed her cards in his hand. The World Champion was now looking through Sunny's cards as he examined what the girl had. Sunny tapped her fingers on her table, fearing the pro- duelist's opinions. Soon Isaac finished his examination and placed the deck back on the table between the pair. Juniper made her presence known as she finished her phone calls. Isaac snapped his fingers to his agent as she bent over, and he whispered into her ear. The woman nodded and adjusted her glasses before she left.
"Um," said Sunny as she saw the World Champ command the woman who was walking away.
"Let me ask you, Sunny? What summoning method are you currently enrolled in?"
"I'm taking the Xyz course."
"Now let me ask you this, why did you decide to make this deck?"
"Well, it has to do with this," said Sunny as she dug into her satchel again and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
Isaac grabbed the folded thing and unfolded it to reveal the poster she had shown Roll when they constructed her deck. The World Champion saw it as he looked at the woman on it and the name.
"My dad gave me this poster as a birthday. And included in that poster was this card," said Sunny as she flipped the top card of her deck to reveal Rilliona, the Magistus of Verre. "So, I'd figured I wanted to make my deck around this."
"Heh. It all makes sense," mumbled Isaac.
The World Champion then reached to his side as he unclipped the top of his deck box. He then presented Sunny with something.
"Tell me, what is this?"
"T-That's your deck," said the girl as she eyed the stack of cards held in the man's hand.
"Really? Cause to some, this is just a waste. A child's game being played by adults."
"No! That's your deck, your symbol of power, cards you use when in battle and call upon the monsters inside as if they were servants and you the master they serve. And you will need them to fight on your behalf." explained Sunny.
"You're a smart one. But if I said by you looking so close at it, you're less likely to see."
"Huh?" said the girl, confused by what was said by the pro duelist.
"Let me try a little magic trick with you," said Isaac, holding his deck for Sunny to see. "I'm going to flip through this deck. And I want you to see one card. Not this one. That's too obvious." stated Isaac as he referred to the bottom card. "Pay close attention."
He then began to flip through the deck of cards.
"That was too fast. I'll do it again," said Isaac with a smile as he did another flip through the deck just a tad slower than his first one. "Now... did you see one?"
"Yes," answered Sunny.
"Do you have one in mind?"
"Yes."
The World Champ smiled as he began to shuffle his deck with a quick hand before he spread his entire deck out and fanned out his cards so Sunny could look at them all.
"Now, do you see your card here?"
"No," answered Sunny truthfully.
"That's because you're looking too closely. And what did I tell you? The closer you look..."
"... the less you see," said Sunny.
Isaac smiled as he threw all his cards into the air. Sunny watched them as they were falling and, revealing the ceiling above her as it, showcased the card she had in her mind as it was Isaac's Dark Magician. The girl was amazed again as she looked at the World Champion, who gave her a smile. The card on the ceiling fell, began to float, and landed in her hands as the other card of his deck combined into one stack. Isaac then reached over to grab the card from Sunny as he had one last trick to do. He slid his thumb and revealed that Sunny was holding two cards as he also revealed his Dark Magician Girl.
The girl was having her mind blown repeatedly. No matter how many times she thought she'd seen it all, Isaac kept upping the ante. The World Champ pulled the top card off his deck and threw it in the blink of an eye as it curved and traveled in the air. It headed toward a string that set off a chain reaction, and soon, the ceiling above them opened up as balloons dropped. Sunny stood up, laughing and smiling; Isaac caught the card he threw without looking, resulting in Sunny clapping.
"WOW! That was... that was..."
"Magic," said Isaac with a smile.
"Yeah!" said the girl as she enjoyed what the man did.
"Glad you liked the show. It's been a while since I've made a kid smile," muttered the World Champ, that last part to himself.
At that moment, Juniper returned as she had a small box. The woman set the box in front of her client and opened the lid. Isaac then reached into it as he pulled out some cards. He grabbed Sunny's deck and placed them on top before shuffling the stack.
"Here you go. Consider this a gift."
"R-Really?" said the girl, shocked that the World Champion was just handing her cards for her deck.
"Take them. They're all yours," said Isaac as he grabbed Sunny's hand and placed her deck inside her hand.
The girl couldn't believe this. There were no limits to how many surprises the World Champion had in store. The way he acted and was having fun and playing with her, it was like... like... he was treating her as if she were his daughter. Sunny just smiled as she thanked the man sitting before her.
The trio then began to have some lunch as Sunny was having the time of her life. Exploring the plaza as she went on all the rides and played all the games. All the while, Isaac and Juniper watched the girl have the time of her life. They soon stopped by the gift shop. As Sunny picked out gifts for her friends, she noticed some people asking for Isaac's autograph. Juniper had a marker ready and gave it to her client. The man began to sign some prints while giving the kids high fives. The girl looked on, amazed that despite him showing her the time of her life, he was still willing to take a couple of pictures and sign some prints.
He has a busy life and can still make time for a couple of pictures.
The teen was starting to slowly have a new role model. Once all the prints were signed, they all began to head back to the hotel room as it was getting late.
"Did you have fun?" asked Isaac as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah. The most fun I've ever had," responded Sunny as she was all tucked and ready for bed.
"Well, I still got a bit more surprises to show you," smiled the man as he pulled out his deck and the flick of his hand, threw the top card as it hit the light switch.
The lights dimmed above Sunny; the ceiling was now starting to shine like the night sky as constellations appeared. Glow in the dark, stars shined down onto her covers as Sunny smiled and giggled. He then got up and said good night to Sunny as the girl smiled before falling into a deep slumber.
The days to follow were filled with excitement. Each day, Isaac had a new activity for the girl, from riding on a yacht to an amusement park to even rollerblading. The teen was having the time of her life, all while Isaac kept smiling at the girl enjoying herself.
"My client will only accept if you meet his terms," said Juniper as she spoke into her earpiece.
The woman was handling some business for the World Champion as the pair were at a nearby picnic table with food baskets.
"So, Mr. Isaac. I'd like to know about something.
"Fire away."
"How did you know this is what you wanted to do?" asked the girl.
"I didn't. I mean, I knew from a young age that I loved this game. But I never knew how much I loved it. I've had almost all the cards in my deck since I was a kid. I have a saying, and that is: Put your trust in your deck, and it will trust you."
"Put your trust in your deck, and it will trust... you," repeated Sunny as she wrote that down in her diary. The girl put her pen down and took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Um, Mr. Isaac. Can I ask you for a favor?"
"Anything."
"Can you... can I... have a duel with you? Please?"
"Sure thing," smiled Isaac.
The two then pulled out their cards and placed them on the table. They each grabbed the other to shuffle before returning them to their rightful owner.
"Feel free to make the first move," said Isaac as he drew his cards and allowed the girl to go first.
"Okay, then," stated Sunny as she drew the top card and looked at her hand. "I'll begin by playing my Summoner Monk(800/1600) in defense mode." The girl placed her card sideways on the wooden table. "Then I activate my monster's ability once per turn; I can discard one spell card from my hand to special summon one Level 4 monster from my deck. However, that monster can't attack this turn."
Sunny showed the card to Isaac as she placed it above where her deck was positioned. The girl grabbed her deck to look through and find the card she wanted. She made her selection and placed it on the table next to her other monster before shuffling her deck.
"I choose my Magical Exemplar(1700/1400). Then I'll overlay my monsters to Xyz Summon my Rilliona, the Wondrous Magistus Witch Wardrobe(1000/2800, OLU: 2) in defense mode!" said Sunny as she stacked her two monsters on top of each other and placed her new monster sideways on top of them. "I then place one card facedown and end my turn."
"Very good, Ms. Starscout," said Isaac as he drew the top card of his deck.
The man looked at the card and his hand as he made a face. He glanced at Sunny as the girl had that cute, innocent smile. He debated whether to do what he should do as it wouldn't end well for the teen.
"Don't hold back," stated Sunny, wanting Isaac to play his best and not try to let her win.
"You sure?" asked the boy.
"Positive."
"Very well, I'll begin by playing this, the Tuner monster, Enchantress of Melody(900/1800)."
Isaac placed a monster on the table as the image showed a beautiful young girl with crimson-colored eyes, a determined and gentle look, and mid-length dark brown hair tied into two twin tails to a ribbon that lay on her shoulders. She wore black robes and a cloak, wielded a silver staff, and kept a short sword sheathed around her waist. Underneath the cloak, she wore a low-cut blouse, ultra-short pink miniskirts, and burgundy boots that stopped before her kneecaps. She also wore some leggings that stopped halfway to her thighs as she still showed off her fair smooth skin.
"After that, I'll activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards. I'll follow it up by playing the continuous spell card, Dark Magical Circle. So now I can look at the top three cards of my deck, and then I can reveal a 'Dark Magician' related Spell or Trap card or the monster itself, add it to my hand, and put the other cards back in any order I choose."
Isaac picked up his deck and knew immediately which one to grab as he took it and shuffled his deck.
"I'll take this one, Dark Magic Expanded. Next, I'll play Strength in Unity. Then I'll play Advanced Ritual Art, so now I can Ritual Summon a monster by sending Normal Monsters from my deck to the Graveyard, so I send my Dark Magician so that I can Ritual Summon, Magician of Chaos(2500/2100)!"
Isaac put down a card that had a dark blue color scheme.
"Now my Dark Magical Circle's second effect activates when I summon Dark Magician, I can banish one card you control, and my Magician of Chaos becomes 'Dark Magician' when it's on the field or in my Graveyard. But that's not all; my Strength in Unity now activates. Since I Ritual Summoned using Dark Magician, I can now banish a second card you control. So I'm banishing both your monster and your facedown."
"What?" said Sunny, shocked at how Isaac easily destroyed her field.
"Next, I'll play Monster Reborn to bring back my Dark Magician (2500/2100). Then activate my Enchantress of Melody's effect, so now I can roll a die, and whatever number it lands on, I can either increase or decrease a monster's level on my field by that amount."
With a finger snap, Isaac made a dice appear in his hand. He gave it a simple toss as it dropped and bounced a bit before landing on the side with one.
"Now I'll decrease my Melody's Level from 3 to 2. And with that, I'll tune my Enchantress of Melody with my Dark Magician. And when I use Dark Magician as a Synchro Material, he counts as Level 6 instead of 7. So now I tune my monsters together!" I Synchro Summon, Dark Sorcerer Magician(2500/2100)."
The World Champ placed a card in front of him with a white color card scheme. The image was that of a spellcaster with white hair and garments dressed in an indigo/purple color scheme. It wielded a staff and was surrounded by bits of stardust and magical rune symbols.
"I now play the second to last card in my hand, Dedication through Light and Darkness, so I'll tribute my Magician of Chaos to summon my Dark Magician of Chaos(2800/2600). And when my Dark Magician of Chaos is summoned, I can add a spell card to my hand, so I choose my Monster Reborn, but I'll play it to bring back my Magician of Chaos."
Just like that, Isaac now had three monsters on his side of the field, as poor Sunny was defenseless and could do nothing.
"I now play the final card in my hand, Dark Magic Expanded. Now I can give a DARK Spellcaster on my field an extra 1,000 Attack Points this turn, so I choose my Magician of Chaos," said Isaac as his monster now had 3,500 Attack Points. "And with that, I have all my monsters attack, and you lose all your life points."
Sunny gasped as she dropped all the cards in her hand. The girl was left a broken mess as her mind registered what had happened. The fact that the World Champion beat her, but not just beat, destroyed her. And all in one turn!
"Sunny. You good?" asked Isaac as he waved his hand in front of her but was not getting a response. "Uh-oh."
"One turn, one turn, he beat me, one turn," mumbled the girl as she tried to get her brain to work.
"Sunny, are you okay?" asked Isaac as he had to get up and bend down by the girl's side as he was now concerned for her well-being.
He didn't expect the girl to hug him as Sunny's arms wrapped around him.
"That was amazing! I couldn't believe my eyes. Thank you."
"You're welcome," said Isaac as Sunny let go of him. "Sorry for OTKing you. But since you said don't hold back, I kinda..."
"Don't be. That's exactly what I wanted," said the teen as she sat back down and pulled out her diary. She began to detail her experience battling the World Champion as she wanted to tell her friends back home when she returned.
After a few more rounds at Sunny's request, they all had to prepare for the banquet event. A limo pulled up and exited Isaac in a suit; he put his hand out for Juniper to grab as she was dressed in an evening gown. He put his hand out again as, this time, Sunny exited in the dress she packed. The girl put her hand over her eyes as the cameras were too much for her. She felt something grab her other hand as Isaac began to guide the girl with him into the building.
Inside were tons of guests all dressed up for the occasion, as the banquet hall was massive. Sunny took in the interior design of the building and the massive chandelier hanging in the center. The trio was led to their table, and they all sat down.
At CHS, Pipp gathered everyone to watch the event as they looked to see Sunny. Mario wasn't present as he said award shows were not for him. Or at least, that was the excuse he gave the girl.
"Look, there's Sunny!" said Hitch as they noticed the main camera pan about the room and spotted his childhood friend speaking with Isaac and Juniper.
"Look at her. She's happy," said Zipp.
Soon the banquet host appeared on the stage as he spoke into the microphone podium.
"And the moment we've all been waiting for. The recipient of this year's Duelist of the Year Award. Please welcome now, World Champion Isaac."
The crowd began to clap as he got up from his table and approached the podium. He shook the man's hand before being awarded the trophy as he looked at it.
"Lucky #7, huh. 7 times I've been awarded this trophy. And it makes me happy to know that I can put quality matches for all of you to enjoy year after year. I'm really grateful to have a place to entertain you all. And no matter how many awards I win, the greatest feeling I'll experience is when I drew my first card. Thank you."
The audience clapped after hearing the speech from the World Champion.
"And I also want to give a shoutout to my special guest. Ms. Sunny Starscout, nominated to be here from CHS," said Isaac as he pointed in the girl's direction as the crowd began to clap for her. The girl smiled and waved to the camera and the people.
"Looks like Sunny's gonna be more popular when she returns," stated Zipp, as she could only imagine how much attention she would draw from the other students.
After the banquet was over, the trio returned to their hotel room as tomorrow morning, they would fly back via airplane. They would stop at a terminal where a bus would take Sunny back to CHS while Isaac and Juniper had to get on another flight for another event the World Champ had to attend. Not even 24 hours after receiving his award, Isaac was already back to work.
"Do you ever get tired?" asked Sunny as she sat in bed with the covers over her, with Isaac's cap in her hands.
"Of what?" asked Isaac as he sat on the girl's bed.
"Of all the traveling, the work you do. Constantly moving. It seems like you don't have any time to yourself."
"I know it looks that way, but I actually have some moments to relax. Like these past few days, spending time with you has been a vacation. Did you have fun?"
"Yeah, the best I've ever had."
"Then I did, too," smiled Isaac at the girl. "So, ready for all the attention you'll get when you return?"
"No," answered the teen honestly.
"You'll be fine. Just promise me something, Sunny. That you treat those new cards, I gave you with respect. That you treat your monsters not as servants fulfilling their master's obligations. But moreso as comrades on a battlefield. Take a moment to speak with your cards. You never know, maybe... maybe they might hear what you're saying."
The World Champ looked away for a bit as in front of him were the spirit of his Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl; the pair seemed to smile as they heard what their master was saying to the girl.
"Promise me that?"
"I promise," said Sunny.
"Good. Now, get some rest. We've got a flight to catch tomorrow morning." said Isaac.
He grabbed his cap from her hands and placed it on the girl's head, allowing her to sleep with it for the night. He shut off the lamp, tucked in the girl, turned on her side, and closed her eyes. The girl drifted off to sleep in seconds. Isaac looked at the girl as he smiled; he stroked the top of Sunny's forehead and pulled away some loose strands of her hair peeking from his cap. He leaned in and kissed her forehead as Sunny smiled in her sleep. Isaac quietly left the room as seeing Sunny reminded him of something.
The next morning saw the trio leaving the hotel as Sunny finished packing when the bellhop came in and grabbed her suitcase. She followed the worker to the elevator; waiting in the lobby were Isaac and Juniper. With the limo set to take them to the airport, they all got in and drove off. Sunny was again amazed at seeing a private jet rented out by the World Champion for their flight. On the plane, Isaac was with Juniper as he answered some fan mails while Sunny explored the entire plane and saw its cool things.
It wasn't long before the plane arrived at its terminal. The plane was getting ready to change to its new course as Isaac and Juniper were outside with Sunny. The shuttle arrived as it would take the girl back to CHS while the pair headed to their next event.
"Well, I hope you had a fun trip, Ms. Starscout."
"I did. The best ever. I can't wait to tell my friends about it." Sunny responded.
She gave a hug to the woman as she returned the embrace. The teen then looked at the World Champ as he bent to her eye level.
"Thank you. For this amazing time."
"Heh. I should be thanking you. Sunny... you gave me something I haven't experienced in quite a while. As much as I gave you the best time of your life, you also gave me the time of my life. So... thank you, Sunny."
The girl hugged the man as he wrapped his arms around the teen. The two smiled as the time they spent with each other would be memorable for the pair. They soon let go as Sunny grabbed her suitcase and backpack before getting on the bus and giving one last wave to the pair for giving her a fun time. The shuttle began to take off, and the girl kept waving until they were out of sight.
Once Sunny was gone, Juniper and her client turned to enter the terminal and head to the jet. Upon approaching their plane, Isaac pulled his phone out and began to contact someone.
"Hello?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought they did."
"Were you really gonna suspend them if they lost their duel?" asked the man.
"Apart from looking out for my students, I have a job, Isaac. Just as you have yours."
"Yeah, I know," said the man as he sighed and hung up.
The pro duelist then climbed the stairs, exited the plane, and took off. Sunny was on the couch on the shuttle and had her diary on her knees. The girl flipped through it as it was filled with tons of pictures and writing detailing her journey. She flipped a page as she stopped to look at an image. It was a photo that showed her on Isaac's back as he gave her a piggyback ride and them smiling. The caption under it read:
"Thank you, Sunny. For giving me a wonderful time and a feeling that I'd never thought I'd get again. Hope our paths cross again someday."
The girl smiled after reading that as she would remember this adventure for the rest of her life.
Author's Note: Now the title I had trouble coming up with to fully describe what this chapter is about, but I eventually decided on it. It's something to describe an experience that almost everyone has had with their family, especially between parents and their kids. In addition, there are different levels of money: There's throwing money, there's FU money, and then there's "I can do whatever the hell I want" money. The amount of money that Isaac was showering Sunny with, safe to say, the World Champion was ballin. However, despite all the things he did to make Sunny have a great time, there was something hidden and subtle that was mentioned. Plus, it seems Sunny had one of the best times of her life, despite her asking Isaac for a duel and him beating her in one turn. She still had fun and the photo at the end is something she won't ever forget, and not just for her. Overall, hope this chapter was able to make you feel something and it sets up some massive things for the future.