The clock rang. The sun was coming up on the horizon. The little beams of light made their way and landed on Canterlot. Today was a special day for many reasons. While most of the world was anticipating the Worlds Collide event to host the beginning of the Invitational Tournament and the main event for the World Championship, the students of CHS were preparing for their eventful day. The Fall Formal. This big event for the school was rich in history and was finally here.
The campus of the school was shown as it was quiet. Soon, an alarm went off; a hand was shown extending as it hit the button and silenced the noise. A groan was heard as Mario stood up. The boy got out of his bed and approached his bed as he opened the curtains to look at the school and the campus grounds.
"Ready," said the boy.
"Ready," stated Hitch as he was shown looking at himself in the mirror.
"Ready," stated Zipp as she returned from her morning run.
The three teens then began to get themselves ready. Zipp pushed play on her phone as she put on her headphones. The music began to play as it illustrated all three getting ready ahead of their big game. Mario opened his closet and began looking through his different clothes. Hitch was in the shower as steam was rising from the curtains, and Zipp was shown running through the nearby forest as she jumped over some logs on the dirt trail and pumped herself up.
The trio wasn't the only ones getting ready as everyone else was also getting ready, apart from Izzy. Four split screens were shown as the girl was fast asleep and mumbling in her sleep. Mario was now shown reaching into his trunk as he pulled out his Duel Disk; he also noticed the gift that his father had given him. The boy hesitated for a bit before he grabbed it and looked inside. Soon, all three soccer players looked at themselves in the mirror as they fixed their hair, ensuring it was ready. Zipp grabbed her hairspray and shook it before applying some as Hitch and Mario applied some gel.
"Ready!" said all three teens.
They each soon began to put on their jerseys and uniforms. Zipp pulled down her shirt as Hitch tied up his shoes, and Mario applied his shin guards. The boy took the object inside the box as he saw it was a small necklace. He hesitated a bit before grabbing the gift from his father. Giving one more look at himself, he nodded, grabbed his gear bag, slung it across his body, and exited his room.
"Ready," said Roll as she was shown leaning against the wall to the side of her big brother's room.
The girl was already dressed in her marching band outfit as she spun her hat on her fingers. Mario nodded as the two began to head out, with Roll reaching over the couch to grab her stuff and shut the door behind them.
"Ready," said Sunny as she packed her instrument and headed out the door to meet the others.
"Ready," said Pipp as she was in her cheerleader outfit and looked herself over.
The social media girl took one quick selfie by adding a caption and posting it online. She put her phone into her satchel purse and headed out the door. Nearly everybody was shown walking toward their destination as they were prepared for the day ahead. Well... almost everybody.
Izzy was still sleeping when she fell out of bed and landed with a thud.
"I'm ready!" said the girl as she awoke and saw the time.
She quickly dove into her closet as a few sounds were heard. The girl exited in her outfit and dashed out the door until a hand returned to grab her backpack and shut the door.
Several buses were shown in the parking lot of CHS. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna were helping to direct traffic as they gathered each student to their designated bus. Mario arrived as he spotted the massive crowd of students; he soon felt a hand on his shoulder as he turned to see Zipp.
"Ready, lover boy?" teased the girl.
"Ready," responded Mario.
"You two, get over here!" shouted Spitfire as she noticed the two teens. "We got a game to win!"
"Yes, Coach!" responded both teenagers as they made their way to their commanding officer before she yelled some more.
"Go, Canterlot Wondercolts! Fight, fight, fight! GOOOOOOOOOOOOO CHS!" shouted the cheerleaders as they did a quick cheer and ended it with a pyramid.
"Excellent work, everybody!" said Pipp as she saw her team doing their routine. She applauded their work as a clearing throat was heard; the girl turned to see Vice-Principal Luna standing there.
"I commend your commitment to ensuring you and your team have your act ready. But perhaps you would like to make the game," stated Luna as she gestured for Pipp and the rest of the cheerleaders to get on the bus.
"That's an excellent idea, Vice-Principal Luna. Girls, let's go!" said the girl as she was a bit scared of the woman and quickly told everybody else to get on.
Roll was looking out her bus window as she merely chuckled at seeing Pipp nearly getting yelled at by their Vice-Principal. She was soon joined by Sunny, who sat next to her.
"I am so excited for tonight!" said Sunny as she couldn't hold back her squeal.
"Me too. So, what will be the plan for today?" asked Roll as Sunny had sent them all a text message to their group chat last night about creating a schedule for today's festivities.
"Well, to start, we're all going to Seacrest Country High School for our Fall Formal game. With all of us doing our part, I'm sure we will win the match. Then we head back to CHS, and the Invitational Tournament Prieumum Live Event should start, so we'll gather to watch that. Then we have the appointment Pipp set us up with at Mane Melody to prepare for the Fall Formal. And after that, it's a fun night!" said Sunny.
"Well, at least we'll see my dad perform ahead of tonight's event," said Roll as she was looking forward to seeing her father duel ahead of their school's event.
"Does everybody have their things?!" said Octavia as she entered the bus.
"Yes, Ms. Octavia!" stated the students.
"Then let's go perform and show some Canterlot High School spirit!" shouted the music teacher as her students cheered. "Let's go!"
The driver nodded after hearing Octavia's declaration as he pulled the throttle and began to head out of the parking lot to their destination. The bus behind them that the cheerleaders were on began to head out and practice their chants. The only bus left was the one the soccer team was boarding. Mario saw the other two leave as he looked out the window. The boy took a deep breath as he mentally prepared for the big game that was upon them. The teen reached into his shirt as he looked at the necklace his father had given him as he eyed it. The boy brought it to his lips and kissed it for good luck.
"Hey!" said Zipp, who was seated behind the boy. "You good?"
"Yeah, just... getting myself psyched, is all," said Mario; he put his necklace back behind his shirt to avoid the girl seeing it.
"Everybody ready to kick ass?!" shouted Spitfire as she shouted to her soldiers.
"Yes, Coach!" responded the players.
"Then let's go!" said Spitfire to the driver as he nodded from the sudden shouting he got from the woman as he turned the gas on and began to make the bus move.
The bus began to rumble as Mario watched the others, expressing excitement. The boy took a moment to look out the window as he rested his arm against it. Watching the last bus leave, Celestia and Luna waved goodbye to their students as they exited the parking lot.
"Alright, committee! Let's get to work on transforming the auditorium for the Fall Formal tonight!" stated the Principal as she turned to the entire party planning committee to instruct them to finish decorating the place. The students nodded as they prepared for when the others would return ahead of tonight's special event.
It was only a short time before the buses arrived at their destination. Soon, one by one, the students all began to file out. Mario stepped out, taking a moment to see the field before him. The Seacrest County High School field was bigger than the field of CHS, along with the massive bleachers, which could house more people. There were spotlights on top of the stands used for evening games. There was a small rumbling as their opponents were already getting ready.
"Alright, team! Follow me!" shouted Spitfire as she led her players to the locker room.
"Let's do this!" said Hitch as he appeared beside Zipp and Mario.
The boy put his hand out as Zipp, in the middle of the two boys, gave them all a fist bump up top as they all began to follow the others. Their friends all began heading to the field as they got into position. The students of CHS were shown in the locker room as they were getting ready. Mario was sitting on a bench with his arm resting on his knee as he applied some tape to his wrists. The boy used his teeth to break it off as he tapped his wrist to ensure it was firmly in place.
Mario took a deep breath as a million thoughts ran through his head. Everybody else was doing something to help calm their mind. Zipp was in the corner as she had her headphones blaring music into her ears as it was pumping her up. She soon received a tap on her shoulder as she put the headphones around her neck and turned to see Zoom. The girl leaned over and whispered to her friend that Spitfire was coming.
"Heads up! Coach is about to be here!" shouted Zipp as she stood up and got everybody's attention.
Everyone looked forward as Spitfire made her presence known.
"Well, here we are! Now I could give you an inspirational speech about doing your best. And that if you all do well, I'll take you out for ice and pizza. Well, tough shit! 'Cause I ain't do that!" shouted Spitfire. "I'm here to train winners. I ain't here to be anybody's Mama! I ain't here to be anybody's emotional support! I ain't here to be anybody's friend! You want a friend, go get a dog!"
"She really loves saying that line," whispered Thunder to Hitch as Spitfire heard that and glared at the boy.
"Alright! Hitch, you're going to be goalie for the first half!" stated the woman. "The rest of you that I've talked to. You know your positions! Now let's get out there and kick some ass!"
The students all cheered as they began to file out. Zipp looked back as she saw Hitch and Mario, the former putting on his goalie gloves and applying his shin pads.
"You boys, ready?"
"Sort of," said Hitch nervously as he tied his shin pads.
"Lover boy," said the girl.
"Yeah," Mario said as he hopped off and tossed the tape to Hitch as he began to head out of the locker room.
"That's what I like to hear," smiled Zipp as she eyed the boy leaving and marched out.
The entire field was filled with spectators who had come to watch both schools compete. Spitfire was shown leading her squad as they were emerging from the tunnel and taking it all in. On their side were the cheerleaders and marching band. Mario spotted his little sister as he gave a quick wave, to which she returned before continuing to play.
"Give me a Z! Give me an I! Give me two Zs!" shouted Pipp as she instructed her squad; she shook her pom-poms. "What does that spell?"
"ZIPP!" shouted the rest of the cheerleaders.
They soon began to do some flips and somersaults as they formed a pyramid with Izzy at the top and blew a horn as it made a sound.
"Ug, this is embarrassing," groaned Zipp as she tried to hide her face from her sister, turning all attention onto her.
The ref blew the whistle as the assigned players began their way to their positions. Hitch stood on their side in front of the net as Thunder and Sprout were the right and left fullbacks, and Mario was starting as the Center Back. As for Zipp, she was up at the front playing Center Midfielder, and Zoom was placed in front of their opponent's goal as a Striker.
The referee in the middle of the field talked with both captains. He held a coin as he was instructing both girls to call it. Zipp gave her answer as the coin was tossed into the air. Nearly all eyes were on the small object as time seemed to slow down: the coin falling. Zipp had a bead of sweat falling down her face as the coin landed and spun on its side before falling to a side. Everybody waited to see the result as only the two captains and referee knew the answer.
"CHS!" said the referee as Zipp let out a sigh.
The ball was placed as the girl had her foot on the ball. The whistle was blown as the game began. Zipp began to kick the ball to another teammate as the marching band and cheerleaders began to act. From where he was stationed, Mario could see Zipp and Zoom leading the charge with the other forwards as they passed the ball from one player to another. They managed to get close before the ball was stolen from Zipp and began to dribble toward their goal.
The boys, now seeing their opponents coming at them, prepared to defend and try to kick the ball back to their offensive players. Mario readied himself as he could see the player coming at him. The teen could see in the girl's eyes the way she was dribbling the ball; she was planning to kick from his left. Mario noticed that and prepared to counter, but, to his surprise, she faked the boy out as Mario extended a leg out to take the ball, but she changed direction at the last second with such precision and zoomed past the boy.
Mario turned to try and catch up as the girl managed to slip past Sprout and Thunder and was looking to score. The boy picked up his pace as he began to slide; the girl kicked the ball just as Mario approached her, but he was a second too late. The soccer ball sailed through the air as it sought to go in. However, Hitch leaped and just swatted the ball away with his hand. Nearly everybody cheered at Hitch, managing to defend the ball; Mario quickly captured it and began to dribble it forward. He jumped over someone trying to steal the ball from him before kicking it to Thunder, who avoided another player and passed it to Sprout. The boy managed to kick it out of their territory as Zipp got it and reached the opponent's goal.
The girl used her feet and thighs to get past the defensive line expertly. With that, Zipp had a clear shot as she took the chance and kicked the ball. The ball sailed, and the goalie slid to try to stop it, but his momentum wasn't enough as his foot just grazed the ball as it slid past him and into the goal.
"GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!" shouted the announcer.
The entire side of CHS exploded into a cheer as Zipp got to her feet and fist-pumped herself. Pipp saw her older sibling's happiness as she instructed her squad to do their special chant for her.
"Zipp! Zipp! Zipp! She's our star! When she shoots, she doesn't miss!" said the cheerleaders.
"Yeah, woah! Zippster!" shouted Izzy through the megaphone.
The girl smiled a bit at the cheering she was getting as she turned her attention back to the game.
Following Zipp's score, the game was becoming more and more fierce. Seacrest County showed they weren't just some pushovers as they scored plenty of goals. The score was 5 to 6 during the first half, with CHS trailing by one point. After a quick regroup, Spitfire had Mario and Hitch move to the front with Zipp as she saved her best offense for last.
Hitch stood face to face with his opponent as the ball was given to his foe. The whistle was blown as Hitch quickly stole the ball and began to run ahead. He could see many were closing in as he kicked the ball up with his foot and kicked it overheard to Mario running alongside him.
"Mario!" shouted Hitch as he headbutted the ball.
"Thanks, bro!" said the boy as he dribbled the ball closer to the net.
Mario kept the ball close as he spun around with the object as many tried to slide and steal it from him. He was getting closer when he saw the defensive line blocking his possible shooting attempt. However, coming up from behind was Zipp as the girl skidded to a halt at the right corner.
"Heads up, Zipp!" shouted Mario as he kicked the ball with his foot and shot it toward the girl.
The girl saw the ball coming at her as she mentally prepared herself. The girl's teammates had set up everything for her to unleash her signature move to score. Zipp let out a deep breath as she jumped to chest bump the ball to get it to stop. The ball fell, and the girl caught it with her left foot as she spun around quickly while carrying it. The teen spun at a maximum rate until a mini tornado appeared. Hitch and Mario knew what that meant as they watched the girl execute her patent move as it curved toward the goal. The goalie was unprepared for the move as he couldn't even reach where the ball would block it.
"GOAL!" shouted the main announcer.
"And CHS ties it up. Give it to an assist by her teammates. Zipp Storm strikes again!" said the other announcer.
"Out of the way, for goodness sake! This old team ain't got no brakes!" shouted Pipp and Izzy, along with the rest of the cheerleader squad, as they celebrated Zipp for scoring another goal.
"Nice one!" said Hitch as all three ran back into position.
"Couldn't have done it without you two!" said Zipp as she turned around while running to address her teammates for helping set her up to score a goal.
The game kicked into overdrive after Zipp scored a goal to tie them up. The girl scored three more goals, and even Hitch scored a point. The final moments tied the score, with both sides having 9 points. And there were only three minutes left on the clock; both sides were starting to run on fumes as Hitch, Mario, and Zipp had been managing to keep up with their opponent's offensive team as for five minutes prior, the ball was stuck in the center as neither side could get a firm hold on it. Eventually, it was kicked out of bounds, and we now find ourselves in the situation.
Hitch was standing off the side as he had the ball in his possession. He was holding the ball above his head, trying to find a clear shot on who to pass it to.
"So, what happens when times run out?" asked Sunny.
"Well, if nobody scores in the next three minutes. Then it'll go to penalty kicks. And whoever can be the first to score wins." said Roll.
"Come on!" shouted Spitfire as Hitch took quite a while to figure out where to throw the ball.
"Hitch!" shouted Zipp as she signaled for her friend.
The boy looked to where his captain was as he finally decided. He threw the ball to where she was and dribbled it toward the goal. The girl managed to avoid the two players trying to corner her as she stopped the ball and herself as the two went past her. She then kicked it over to Mario as he was carrying it. The clock had now gone down to 90 seconds as CHS looked to seal the deal. Mario passed the ball just in time as the player coming him slid under his legs to attempt to steal the ball. The boy lost his balance as he quickly recovered and rolled to a knee.
Hitch now had the ball as he was charging ahead as someone was about to take the ball.
"Hitch! Give and go!" instructed Zipp as she was on the other side of the foe.
The boy knew what she meant as he kicked her the ball and ran past the player. Zipp got the ball and kicked it past the player as Hitch got it and continued to run. Everybody was impressed by the expert move and teamwork from the pair, as it seemed Hitch had a clear shot. However, someone came in from out of nowhere and tripped the bohy unintentionally as they kicked the ball away, and he fell forward. Hitch tumbled onto the ground, and he hit the dirt hard.
"Hitch!" shouted Sunny as she saw her friend fall.
Zipp retrieved the ball from going out of bounds as she looked to run it in. However, she was soon ganged up and couldn't evade the players as she lost her balance and started to fall forward. She put her hands out as she hit the ground like Hitch.
"Zipp!" shouted Pipp as she saw her big sister fall and was concerned.
She and the other players fell into a pile as the ball continued rolling. Zipp noticed it and tried to stand up, only for her to fall back as it seemed she stood up too fast and didn't give her body time to adjust to being knocked down. The girl could see the ball continued to roll as she tried to crawl toward it.
Mario noticed his teammates down as he also saw the ball. The boy took a deep breath, got up from a knee, and began to book it. He was taking deep breaths as he zoned in on the ball as one of Seacrest County's players grabbed it and looked to pass it. They kicked the ball toward one of their teammates, only for Mario to intercept and headbutt it away. The teen was now taking charge of the situation as he rainbowed the ball over several players and quickly appeared behind them as he headed toward the goal. One last player was before the goalie, as Mario could not get the ball past or around him. So... he had only one option. The boy stopped and kicked the ball into the air as he jumped and twisted his body to kick the ball upside down.
Everybody saw what happened and followed the ball toward the net. It flew with so much momentum that the player couldn't do anything to block it. The goalie noticed the ball coming as he tracked its movements, and he lunged seconds before it passed the poles. Time had run out as a whistle was blown. Silence overcame everybody as they waited to see what the result was. The goalie was shown as he dove for the ball and stopped it. Yet, despite blocking the shot from Mario, the ball was past the goal line. Meaning that it counted.
"It's in!" said the ref.
The whole place erupted.
"CHS wins it all!" yelled the main announcer.
The entire band began to play as loud as they could as the cheerleaders screamed at the top of their lungs. Mario, who was on a knee and turned his back to the goal, merely lifted his head. The boy didn't know that he scored until he heard the noise. The teen looked about as the crowd celebrated his win; he stood up and looked at the scoreboard as it showed them winning.
His teammates approached Mario and praised him for winning the game. The boy looked to the side as he saw Spitfire sporting a smile; the woman gave a thumbs up to the boy as this was one of the few times she showed emotion. It finally registered in the teen's mind as he took in all the noise and praise. He looked to see Roll as the girl smiled at her big brother, to which he returned the expression.
You feel that, Mario? Take it all in. Enjoy the moment because it'll live with you forever.
Mario heard his father's words, and he understood what he meant. He waved to the crowd as he began to head back toward Spitfire.
"Good job, superstar!" said Spitfire, praising Mario as she walked away.
Mario felt a sense of pride hearing that as everybody began to follow their coach. The cheerleaders and marching band began to file out, and Mario soon felt a pat on his shoulder.
"Nice one, bro!" said Hitch.
"You as well!" said Mario as he and Hitch shared a quick bro hug as they walked.
The busses arrived to pick up the students of CHS as they all began to board the vehicles. Mario was shown getting on the bus upon entering; he received more praise from his teammates as he walked down the aisle and thanked them before taking a seat. Zipp soon joined him as the girl decided to sit beside him.
"Awesome job, lover boy!" said the girl, praising her teammate.
"It was nothing compared to you. Even Hitch scored a goal."
"Yeah, I may have scored most of the goals. But you got the winning shot. That blows away all my other shots. Admit it, lover boy. You're the star of today." said Zipp as she playfully punched the boy in the arm. "So, now you have to show up tonight for the Fall Formal?"
"Why's that?" asked Mario.
"'Cause everybody gonna be expecting the star of today's game to be present. Don't want to let your fans down, huh," said Zipp.
Mario could only smile as he looked at the girl. Eventually, all the buses arrived back at CHS. During that time, Mario had fallen asleep as a small bump in the road awoke him. The boy blinked as he slowly gained his vision; he looked ahead to see the other seats and felt something leaning against him. The teen turned as he spotted Zipp, who had also fallen asleep and was leaning her head on his arm as she was fast asleep.
"Hey, rich girl. Naptime is over," said Mario as he gently nudged the girl's shoulder to get her to wake up.
"Five more minutes," stated Zipp in her sleep.
The girl now wrapped her arms around Mario as she imagined him as a pillow and nuzzled her head against his arm. The boy couldn't free his arms as she tightly gripped him.
"Hitch!" said Mario as he caught his friend's attention just as he passed them in the aisle. "A little help."
"Uhh..."
"Just get her off of me," stated Mario to his friend, who didn't know what to do.
The boy put his arms on Zipp's shoulder as he tried to pull the girl off his buddy. However, that was proving difficult as Zipp had a tight grip on Mario, almost like he was her favorite stuffed animal she didn't want to let go of. Eventually, the grunts from the boys began to stir Zipp; the girl yawned as she slowly opened her eyes. Surprisingly, she blinked several times as she saw Mario and how close they were.
"Hey," stated the boy with a blunt tone.
"Hey," responded the girl in a confused and unsure tone. She then noticed Hitch's hands on her shoulders as she eyed her friend. "Um, what's going on..."
"Do you want to know?" asked Mario.
"No, I'm good," said the girl, releasing her grip around Mario allowing the boy to breathe.
Mario was relieved as Zipp quickly gathered her stuff and hurriedly walked out of the bus to avoid the red on her cheeks from unintentionally cuddling the boy next to her. Mario exited the bus and was met with another roar and cheer from the marching band and cheerleaders; the boy quickly waved to acknowledge them before Pipp quickly embraced him.
"Congrats!" said the girl as she hugged her crush and looked at him.
"Uh, yeah, thanks," said Mario as Pipp decided to give him a quick peck on his cheek as she released her hold and winked at her crush.
Mario sighed as he rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand before his sister approached them along with Sunny.
"Nice work, big bro."
"Gees, everybody is making this a big deal," stated Mario.
"Well, it is. You won us our Fall Formal game," said Sunny.
"Speaking of Fall Formal," stated Pipp as she looked at Mario, wondering if he might attend the dance after becoming the star of today's game.
Before the boy could respond, Zipp alerted the group.
"Hey, the event's about to start!" shouted the girl.
The Duel Arena building was starting to fill up with students while the auditorium was busy being decorated with the final decorations. Celestia and Luna had bought the Priemum Live Event and were hosting a live screening. With some time to kill, the group attended the live screening and watched the event. Even Mario had decided to watch mainly because he wanted to see his father get his fix and lose. Soon, everybody's attention was turned to the big screen as the event began.
"We are live from Las Pegasus. And this is Worlds Collide!" said one of the main announcers. "This event promises to be one of the biggest. Packed with 16 duelists from around the globe, all vying for a shot at the World Champion!"
"And speaking of the World Champion, he has his hands full tonight," said the other announcer with an English accent. "Tonight, the reigning champion, the Prince, takes on the juggernaut in Walter! Walter has chopped down every opponent before him in five minutes or less. Can he do the same to the Prince? Has time run out on the World Champion?!"
"That main event is to come. But... we still have to kick off the first rounds of this tournament. And remember... the tournament winner earns a shot at the World Champion, whoever they may be after tonight at Crown Jewel in under three months. And let's start this event by kicking it off with the first duel of this tournament!"
The camera panned to the field behind the announcers as one of the participants was coming out. It was none other than Applejack as the woman waved a bit to the crowd before walking down the walkway toward the field. Applebloom, who was watching her sister and the rest of the family, remembered when she got the news about her older sister being asked to participate and was excited for her. As for Hitch, the boy was laser-focused on the country gal after his encounter with her.
"So, who do you guys get?" asked Zipp, wanting to make a little wager.
"I got her!" said Hitch as he answered without thinking.
The others raised an eyebrow as they looked at their male companion. They were surprised to hear that Hitch had a dog in this fight as they didn't think he cared much about the winner. Their attention was turned back to the screen as the tournament began. One by one, the first round of duels went by as the sun was lower than when the live event began. Out of the 16 duelists, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Indigo Zap, all made it to the next round.
It was time for the main event after nearly two hours of intense dueling. Nearly every student in CHS was anticipating this thrilling matchup.
"Alright, Roll, Mario. Your father is about to be on," said Sunny.
"Pull through, Dad," said Roll.
Mario scoffed at how he could care less; he had only cared about one thing. And that was seeing his father get his fix and lose. And speaking of the World Champion, Isaac was preparing for his match in his locker room. The World Champion was seated in the darkness as he held his cap in one hand and rubbed his neck with the others. There was some stiffness and soreness as he could already feel the pressure from this match. Soon, the lights turned on.
"Ready?" asked Juniper as she checked on her client.
"Just about. Mind helping me?" asked Isaac.
The woman smiled as she approached her client and massaged his shoulders. Isaac felt the hands of his assistant, and within seconds, Juniper managed to relieve him of the tension he was feeling.
"How's that feel?" whispered the woman into Isaac's ears.
"Better. Thanks," said the duelist to his agent for her assistance.
He stood up and placed his cap on. Juniper presented her client with his Duel Disk and deck as he slotted the cards in and strapped on his device. The woman then grabbed his hoodie and put it on Isaac to wear as a cape. The pair then began to leave as they headed toward the area under the stage.
Everything went black in the arena. Darkness filled the arena as soon as a single spotlight came down. It showed a conductor waving to the crowd before turning around and revealing a massive orchestra. The conductor tapped his stand with his baton as the musicians picked up their instruments. Everything was silent as the conductor counted before waving his baton.
The orchestra began to play Symphony No. 9 in E minor as the grand piece echoed throughout the arena. A shadow outline was on the ramp in front of a white canvas. The figure stood with his arms behind him as he looked straight ahead. The lights of the arena came back on as Walter was shown wearing a ring general trench coat; he began to walk down the ramp with a dignified pose as behind him was his manager, Mr. Lee. The man was walking to the dueling field; each step was in synch with the music playing to signify that a mighty battle general was here for victory.
While the World Champion's opponent was making his entrance, Isaac and Juniper were in the corridor as the woman talked with the stage crew about any final adjustments to her client's entrance. Isaac then noticed a figure leaning against the wall; it was none other than Aj as she wanted to speak with her friend before he went out.
"It's been a while, huh, city slicker," stated Applejack.
"You as well, country gal," smiled Isaac.
"Hope you watched my duel. 'Cause I'm gonna be the one to challenge you," stated Aj.
"Is that right?" snickered the World Champion.
"Like hell, she is!" stated Rainbow as she appeared behind the pair. "If anybody is gonna challenge Isaac, it's me!"
"You already had yer shot, Rainbow! Now it's mah turn!" growled Applejack as the two rivals from their younger days got in each other's faces.
"Seems things haven't changed from high school," said Isaac as he got both women to look at him. "And speaking of the past, let's not forget, when I was the champion at CHS, I beat you, and I beat you."
"You all done with this reunion!" shouted Indigo Zap as she got all three to look at her. "Only one person is gonna challenge you, champ. And you're looking at her."
"Please. You couldn't even beat me last time!" scoffed Rainbow as she got in the face of her other rival.
"You got lucky! I guarantee if we dueled again, you wouldn't win!" responded Indigo.
"Then why wait? Let's go right now!" declared Dash.
"Isaac!" said Juniper as they were waiting for him.
"Listen, girls. It doesn't matter if it's you, or you, or even you," said Isaac as he pointed at all three women. "At the end of the day, the result will still be the same. I will walk out as World Champion, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
The trio all glared at the World Champion as he smirked. Soon, a loud bass drop was heard, signaling to Isaac as he smiled.
"You hear that? Now, if you'll excuse me. Watch how a main event is done," taunted the World Champion as he turned and got on a platform. It began to slowly rise as Isaac kept his cocky expression, causing the others to all glare at him until he was out of sight.
Out in the arena, a band was shown as a drummer began to play his drums. The other members soon joined him as they all played their guitars and began to shred as the lead singer appeared and instructed the crowd to clap. The audience clapped along to the rhythm as even the students of CHS were also joining in with the melody. While waiting on the field, Walter and his agent kept a scowl and looked at the entranceway. Soon, the band reached the end of their little improvisation session as the crowd and students in CHS clapped. The leader of the band waved as a massive bass drop was heard to signal the entrance of the World Champion. Soon, the band played music as Isaac rose from the center of the ramp. The song played as the entire crowd sang along.
[Isaac rose from below as he smiled, and the crowd erupted and got louder. He felt the energy from the people as they began to sing him to the field. He then began to walk, as it wasn't just the people in the arena singing.]
Adrenaline in my soul
Every fight out of control
Do it all to get them off their feet
[Sunny was smiling as she began to sing along with the crowd, despite being the only person as many looked at her with looks. Especially her friends.]
Crowd is here, about to blow
Waitin' for me to start the show
Out the curtain, lights go up
I'm home
"Sunny?" said Zipp as they all looked at her for singing along.
"One sec, guys," said the girl to her friends as she turned back to the screen in time for the massive part coming up. "Whoa!" She screamed as loud as she could to match everybody else in the arena. All shouted the chorus as Isaac stopped and extended his arms out while leaning back during the "Whoa" as fireworks went off behind him.
(Whoa)
"Great, Dad. Now you've corrupted Sunny's mind with your addiction," scoffed Mario as it disgusted him. "You junkie."
My father said
"When I was younger
Hard times breed better men"
(Better men)
You took it all away, I give it all away
Can't take my freedom
Here to change the game, a banner made of pain
I built my kingdom
[Isaac kept walking toward the field as he played to the crowd and did some passing slaps to the audience near the ramp as he kept his eyes on Walter as the man awaited his opponent. Sunny was still singing along as a few more students began to join in and also sing the World Champion to the field.]
Now you bow to me
You took my dreams but not my name
You'll follow me until the end
I am my kingdom
"Come on, guys. Sing! It's fun!" said Sunny to the others to join in. Everyone, apart from Mario and Roll, shrugged as they soon began to sing along. And they admitted it was pretty catchy.
Lights go down, I'm ready now
Tear this roof off for the town
Gonna give 'em what they came to see
Hear the crowd, on their toes
Ready for me to start the show
Out the curtain, lights go up
I'm home (whoa)
Once more, Isaac leaned back with his arms out during the "Woah" as it was much louder than the previous one. More fireworks went off from the top of the arena as they shot into the air. Walter eyed the World Champion as a joke that he was a showman rather than a duelist as he played to the crowd more than he cared about this great sport. He looked forward to dethroning the Prince and restoring honor to this sport.
Isaac kept his gaze on his opponent. The World Champion kissed his necklace as he stepped onto the field and stood face-to-face with Walter. The two duelists stared into the eyes of each other as they tried not to show any sign of weakness. The crowd was feeding off the energy as it was clear whose side they were on. Soon, the official separated the two as they kept eyeing each other.
"Alright, you two. You know the rules. Once someone's Life Points reach zero, the duel is over. Now, then, you may shake hands if you wish. Other than that, return to your side of the field to begin." said the ref.
"Good luck," said Isaac, extending his hand for Walter to shake.
Walter kept his gaze on the World Champion as he extended his hand. After a while, the man grabbed Isaac's hand with a firm grip, and he flinched a bit from the pressure.
"I will break you," muttered Walter. He released his grip on Isaac's hand as he walked toward his side.
The World Champion chuckled as he shook his hand and headed to his side.
"You good?" asked Juniper, wearing a headset as she contacted her client.
"Yeah, I'm good, June," said Isaac to his Duel Disk, letting her know he was okay. "Time I beat this juggernaut."
"Alright... the World Championship Duel will now... BEGIN!" said the ref as he gave the signal.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said the Duel Disks.
The Duel Disks auto shufflers kicked in as they shuffled the cards of the duelists. Soon, energy card trays projected from the Duel Disks as on the screens, their portraits appeared. It soon stopped on Isaac's, indicating he would get the first move.
Isaac's Life Points: 8000-
Walter's Life Points: 8000-
Turn 1: Isaac (Hand 5)
"Prepare yourself, Walter. Because it's time to duel!" shouted the World Champion as he drew his card and looked at his hand to figure out his move. "Now... I'll begin by playing Magician's Valkyria(1600/1800) in defense mode!" A female sorceress appeared as she twirled her staff in her hand before taking a stance.
"Then I'll activate Graceful Charity. I draw three cards and discard two."
"Draw a million cards. It will not save me from crushing you!" stated Walter.
"I end my turn with a facedown."
Turn 2: Walter (Hand 5)
"My draw!" stated Walter as he drew his card. "I play the continuous spell card, Beastborg Fusioner! Thanks to this, once per turn, I can Fusion summon a 'Beastborg' Fusion monster using monsters I control or in my hand. So, I'll now fuse my Panther Warrior and Dark Sentinel." A swirling vortex appeared behind the man as his two monsters were sucked in. "My new Monster will take the savagery of a jungle hunter with the attack strength of a high-tech combat machine! I Fusion Summon the most dangerous mercenary you've ever faced! Beastborg Panther Predator(1600/2000)!" Out came a monster split down the middle as it had Panther Warrior on its right side, and on the left side, its entire body was covered in machine parts.
"Panther Predator's special ability activates. So you take damage equal to half of its attack points. Quasar Beam!" shouted Walter as a beam of energy shot from his monster's chest and made contact with Isaac.
Isaac's Life Points: 7200-
"I set three cards facedown."
Turn 3: Isaac (Hand 4)
"Then it's my turn, and I'll start by playing field spell, Magician's Salvation. Thanks to this, it allows me to set my Eternal Soul trap card from my deck," stated Isaac as his card ejected for him to grab as he set it facedown. "Then I'll discard one card to special summon my Apprentice Illusion Magician(2000/1700)!"
"I reveal my facedown, Beastborg Medal of Steel Chain! With this trap, any monsters you special summon can't attack, change their battle positions, or be destroyed in battle!" Walter's facedown flipped up as a chain shot out and wrapped itself around Isaac's magician as it was rendered useless.
"What?!" said nearly all the CHS students, surprised to hear that.
"That's not all my trap does. If you take any damage, your monsters lose that same amount."
"Lovely," mocked Isaac. "Now, since I summoned my Apprentice Illusion Magician, her ability lets me add my Dark Magician to my hand. Next, I'll switch my Magicians' Valkyria into attack mode. And then boost her power with this spell card, Mage Power. Now, she gains 500 extra attack points for every spell and trap card I control. And I currently control three!" stated Isaac as his monster gained more power(1600 → 3100). "And she's not bound by your trap, which means she can attack your Beastborg Panther Predator!"
Isaac's magician spun her staff as she charged her attack and aimed it at Walter's monster as it was taken out.
Walter's Life Points: 6500-
"Nice! Even if Dad can't special summon any of his monsters, he can still bypass that trap," said Roll as she admired how her father didn't let his opponent's trap affect him.
"Clever, but I'll turn that tactical maneuver to my advantage using this. I play my other facedown, the trap Beastborg Medal of the Shield! For every 100 points of damage I take, my Shield is awarded one medal. Since I lost 1500, I gained fifteen medals." Soon, fifteen medals appeared on the big metal shield, neatly lined in a row. "And even though you destroyed Panther Predator, I can still harness its special ability to bring back the monsters used to summon it. Panther Warrior and Dark Sentinel are back in play."
"In that case, I end my turn!" said Isaac.
Turn 4: Walter (Hand 0)
"It's my move! And since my Carrier Sentinel is the only card in my hand, I can summon it to the field. And since it was successfully summoned, its special ability allows me to add a Beast-Warrior monster from my deck to my hand. So I'll take my Pitch-Black Warwolf." stated Walter as his card slid out for him to grab. "I then activate Beastborg Fusioner! I fuse my Pitch-Black Warwolf and Carrier Sentinel!" A swirling vortex appeared behind the man as his two monsters were sucked in. "Prepare for a Beastborg that rules the battlefield with shock and awe! I Fusion Summon! Advance to the front lines, Beastborg Wolf Kämpfer(2200/1500)!" Out emerged another half machine, half beast warrior monster as it roared.
"And now my Wolf Kämpfer's ready for combat. And I'm going to get it primed for attack by activating my Beastborg Medal of the Shield. By sending it to the graveyard, it pumps up Wolf Kämpfer's attack points by 100 for every medal on the shield(2200 → 3700). And to further my tactical advantage, I'll activate my other facedown, Beastborg Medal of the Blade. For every hundred points of damage you take, my trap will be rewarded with one medal."
"This can't be good," replied Isaac as Walter's monster was now stronger than his magician.
"Now, Wolf Kämpfer! Attack his Magician's Valkyria!" instructed the man as his monster lunged forward and took out Isaac's monster.
Isaac's Life Points: 6600-
"Now, Wolf Kämpfer's special ability activates. Since it dealt damage, you lose 300 more Life Points!" stated Walter as another energy beam hit Isaac in the chest, and he fell to a knee.
Isaac's Life Points: 6300-
"And remember my trap, since you took damage, your remaining monster loses attack points equal to the amount of Life Points you just lost!" stated Walter as Isaac's other monster lost some strength (2000 → 1100). "Now, Dark Sentinel attacks your Apprentice Illusion Magician!" Walter's other monster fired its guns around Isaac's monster as he lost more Life Points and weakened his monster even more(1100 → 700).
Isaac's Life Points: 5900-
"And my Beastborg Medal of the Blade grants me thirteen medals for each 100 Life Points you lost!" stated the man as he got thirteen medals to appear on his trap. "And now I activate my Dark Sentinel's special ability. Which allows me to destroy your Eternal Soul that you set!" Walter's machine fired a laser, cutting Isaac's facedown in half.
"I end my turn."
Turn 5: Isaac (Hand 3)
"It's my move!" stated Isaac as he drew his card. "And I'll play this, Monster Recovery. Now, I can draw a new hand by shuffling every card and all the monsters I control." The World Champion's monster disappeared as he put his entire hand on his deck. The auto shuffler kicked in as he drew five cards to help him, hopefully.
"One of the cards I've drawn is my Palladium Oracle Mahad(2500/2100)! And by revealing him, I can summon him!" shouted Isaac as out came a magician wearing Eygptian garments as the face of the person resembled his Dark Magician.
"Remember my Beastborg Medal of the Steel Chain trap card! Any monster you special summon is rendered useless!" stated Walter as Isaac's magician was bound in chains.
"I end my turn."
Turn 6: Walter (Hand 0)
"My draw! And now I activate my Beastborg Fusioner to combine my Panther Warrior and Dark Sentinel to resummon my Beastborg Panther Predator!" stated Walter as his Fusion monster was back in play. "Now I use my Panther Predator's special ability, Quasar Beam!" A beam of energy shot from the monster's chest as it collided with Isaac, dropping the World Champion to a knee.
Isaac's Life Points: 5100-
"And since you lost 800 Life Points, I gain eight more medals!" stated Walter as his trap got more medallions.
"You sure love medals, huh?" stated Isaac.
"Now, he's up to twenty-one medals," said Zipp as she noted how many Walter had acquired.
"And since you took damage, my Beastborg Medal of the Steel Chain reduces your magician's attack points by 800!" stated Walter as Isaac's magician lost some of its strength(2500 → 1700).
"Now I think I need to power up my monster even more. By sending Beastborg Medal of The Blade to the graveyard, my monster gains 100 attack points for each of its medals for 2,100 extra attack points!" stated Walter, as his monster was nearly as strong as his other monster(1600 → 3700). "Now, Panther, engage the enemy. Cyber Panther Slash!" His monster lunged forward, swinging its sword at Isaac's helpless monster.
Isaac's Life Points: 3100-
"And remember, my Beastborg Medal of Steel Chain makes it so your monster isn't destroyed. And whenever you take damage, your monster loses that amount from its attack points!" stated Walter(1700 → 0).
"His monster has zero attack points!" said Zipp as nearly everybody gasped at how weak the larger foe was making the World Champion.
"Now, Wolf Kämpfer, your turn to attack! Finish him off!" shouted Walter as his other monster lunged forward, looking to deal the final blow.
"By discarding my Kuriboh, I take no damage from this battle!" shouted Isaac as he sent away his furry little monster; it reappeared and grew in size as it took the hit for his teammate and held the attack off.
"A mere stalling," stated Walter, amazed that the World Champion was hanging on by a thread and survived the deadly blow.
"And Walter had the World Champion on the ropes!" shouted one of the announcers as the crowd gasped to see how weak one of Isaac's most powerful monsters had become.
"I told you I would break you!" the World Champion's foe stated. He would drop the rest of Isaac's remaining points with one more attack. "I set one card facedown."
"This is bad!" said Izzy as she and everybody else could see how much in danger the World Champion was.
"Finally," muttered Mario to himself. Seeing his father so helpless and backed into an unwinnable corner made him smile. The reality check that his old man deserved was finally going to happen.
Turn 7: Isaac (Hand 3)
"It's my move. And now I'll sacrifice my Palladium Oracle Mahad to summon my Dark Magician Girl!" stated Isaac as his favorite female magician appeared. "I then play Sage's Stone, which, since I control Dark Magician Girl, allows me to summon my Dark Magician from my deck!"
"Too bad he's useless, thanks to my trap!" said Walter as a chain wrapped around Isaac's Dark Magician to render it useless.
"Next, I'll play this, The Eye of Timeaus! Come forth, Timeaus!" shouted Isaac. A giant wind blew over the field, and a dragon appeared with a scar over one of its eyes. "Timeaus, fuse with my Dark Magician Girl!" shouted the World Champion. His two creatures appeared as a light occurred before it died down to reveal a brand new creature. "I Fusion Summon, Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight(2600/1700)!" Out came a Dark Magician Girl as she rode on Timeamus' back, and she dawned a silver outfit that not only resembled her previous outfit but also looked like a suit of armor; instead of her trusted wand, she wielded a sword.
"Reveal facedown! Beastborg Medal of Crimson Chain!" shouted Walter as his card flipped up. "Thanks to this, any monster you summon from your Extra Deck is also rendered useless. In addition, you can't activate any spells or traps!"
"No spells or traps!" exclaimed Pipp.
"So... he's lost?" said Sunny.
Nearly everybody was silent as they saw Isaac's new monster also be bound in chains, as there was nothing he could do to save it. A hush came over the crowd as they thought the same thing; it seemed that Walter had trapped the World Champion and was moments away from winning.
"Any last words?" asked Walter.
"Yeah..." smiled Isaac as he lifted his head.
The World Champion's Duel Disk began to shine as everybody wondered what was happening. Soon, two monsters appeared in a mirage-like state as they stood beside the World Champion. One of the monsters had a dark red magician's outfit with a flowing short cape, while the other had a blue outfit and donned a long cape.
"You can't use any spells or traps!" stated Walter.
"Then it's a good thing it's neither of those. If you recall, when I played Graceful Charity during my first turn, I had to discard two cards from my hand. And now it's time I use them. First off is my Savant Magician." stated Isaac as he pointed to the magician on his right who wore the red garments. "By banishing her from my graveyard, I pay 1000 life points each for every spell or trap card I destroy. So your two traps are gone!" stated Isaac as his teen female magician powered up her staff and summoned a lightning bolt to strike Walter's facedown.
Isaac's Life Points: 1100-
"No!" said the man as he was surprised that Isaac had gotten rid of his game-winning combo and freed his monsters from their chains.
"Now I activate the ability of my Mortal Savant Fluegel. By paying another 1000 life points, I can retrieve one spell card and summon one monster from my graveyard. So I resummon my Palladium Oracle Mahad!" shouted Isaac as he held his card out, and his monster reappeared.
Isaac's Life Points: 100-
"Then I'll play the spell I got, Mage Power, and equip it onto my Dark Magician Girl, the Dragon Knight. So now she gains 500 extra attack points for every spell and trap card I have in play, raising her attack by 1000 points!" stated the World Champion. "And finally, I play this. Excalibur, and by equipping it to my Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight, her attack points are doubled, plus an extra 500 thanks to Mage Power!"
"For a grand total of..." said the teenagers as they heard what was said.
"8200 attack points!" said Walter as his eyes widened at Isaac's monster's strength.
"Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight, attack Wolf Kämpfer!" shouted the World Champion as his magician and Timaeus began to charge their attack. Her sword glowed as the dragon opened its mouth, and both fired their attacks into one as it headed toward Walter's strongest monster and was blown away like nothing.
Walter's Life Points: 2000-
"Palladium Oracle Mahad, attack his Beastborg Panther Predator!"
"My monster has more attack points than your magician."
"Then let me introduce you to Mahad's ability. Whenever it battles a Dark-type monster, its attack points are doubled!" smiled Isaac(2500 → 5000). His magician leaped into the air as he aimed his staff to fire a powerful spell that destroyed Walter's remaining monster as the man looked away.
Walter's Life Points: 700-
Isaac's magician returned to the field as the World Champion eyed his opponent, who was still standing. Soon, the monsters Walter used to Fusion summon his destroyed monsters appeared as they stood before the World Champion.
"And so you lose. Because on my next turn, I'll resummon my Panther Predator, and thanks to its ability, you lose attack points equal to half of its attack points," stated Walter as his fusion card wasn't destroyed during Isaac's move, meaning he made a mistake of not getting rid of it.
"Too bad you're not gonna get a next turn," chuckled Isaac lightly as he tapped his Duel Disk.
"You have no cards left in your hand! You can't do anything to stop me!" stated the juggernaut.
"But I got cards in my graveyard," corrected Isaac as his Mortal Savant Fluegel reappeared. "By banishing my Mortal Savant Fluegel and giving up half of my Life Points, I can switch all your monsters into attack mode, and then my Palladium Oracle Mahad can attack again."
Isaac's Life Points: 50-
"No... no!" said Mario as he couldn't believe what he saw.
The boy was furious at his father for finding another way to survive and win. The crowd was now cheering at the top of their lungs as Isaac's magician prepared one final attack and aimed its staff at Walter and his field of monsters. Within seconds, the spell was fired, obliterating the entire field as a light show occurred. It caused everybody in the crowd to look away as Walter was taken off his feet and to the ground.
Walter's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Isaac
"And the World Champion wins!" said the main announcer as Isaac dropped to both knees and released some exhausted breaths from a tough fight.
The crowd roared and cheered as music began to play.
"He did it!" yelled Sunny as she nearly fell out of her seat until Izzy caught her as she was that excited.
[The World Champion looked about as sweat rolled down his face. He was taking in the admiration and applause that the crowd was giving him for n being able to return from an unwinnable situation and prove all the doubters wrong. It made him smile as he stood up.]
Adrenaline in my soul
Every fight out of control
Do it all to get them off their feet
Crowd is here, about to blow
Waitin' for me to start the show
Out the curtain, lights go up
I'm home
"WHOA!" shouted the crowd as loud as they could as Isaac leaned back with his arms extended and shouted that out.
Fireworks went off from the top of the building to celebrate Isaac's latest title defense. The announcers were commenting and putting over how much of a fight it was as the applause continued. At CHS, Celestia and Luna smiled at seeing their former student again prove himself as he continued his reign as champion. However... during the whole celebration, Mario had left in a rage.
The boy slammed his fist against a set of lockers as he growled. The teen tried to get the result out of his head of his father winning, but he couldn't. The boy was hoping his father would quit his addiction finally, but that didn't happen. Mario looked at the necklace his father had given him as he yanked it from his neck and looked to throw it on the ground. However, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted to stomp on the gift his father gave him after that performance, but a part of his brain was stopping him. Ultimately, he sighed and just left for his dorm.
"I think it's safe to say they worked as you planned," said Isaac in his private locker room and sat on the couch as he had his Duel Disk on the table before him.
"Glad to hear that, honey. And congrats on your win," said Twilight as she contacted her husband following his victory.
"I couldn't have done it without you. We're a team," said Isaac to his wife as he thanked the woman for her help in giving him those two cards to use in his big-time duel against his opponent.
"Um, Twilight..." said Moondancer offscreen as she told her friend about some issues they had to take care of for their company.
"Alright. I'll be there," said Twilight to her friend. "I need to get going, honey. I'll talk to you soon."
"See ya!" smiled Isaac as the video call ended. His phone then began to go off as he saw the contact and smiled again. "Hey, sweetie."
"Hi, Dad!" said Roll as she was at her dorm and wanted to call her father after his big duel. "I saw your duel. Well, me and my friends did."
"I see. And tell me, were you nervous?" asked Isaac.
"A little. But I knew you would win. That combo you pulled out at the end was amazing." said the girl.
"Glad to hear that. And are you and your brother behaving?" asked Isaac to his daughter.
"We are, Dad. We're about to go to our Fall Formal."
"Fall Formal, huh? I remember that," smiled the World Champion as he remembered his Fall Formals from back then. "Well, just make sure that you make it a night to remember. You will reflect on these moments in your life years from now. Okay?"
"I will, Dad."
"I love you, my little cinnamon Roll," said the World Champion to his daughter.
"I love you, Dad," said Roll as she hung up.
Isaac smiled after the call ended when he heard a banging on his door.
"Come in!" said the World Champion.
"Hey, Champ! Are we going to eat or what?!" shouted Rainbow as she was getting impatient and hungry.
"Calm yer horses, Dash. Let him talk to his kids. God knows how worried they must have been to see him almost lose. Well... one of them." said Applejack as she appeared in the doorway.
"Yeah, thanks for saying that's the only reason my kids called me because I nearly lost and not because they want to congratulate me on my victory," responded Isaac to the pair as, it caused Dash and Aj to smile at their friend.
"Well, hurry up! I'm starving!" stated Rainbow.
"I'm the one paying!" said Isaac, slightly annoyed that they ganged up on him to pay for their meal, given he had the most money.
"Damn right, you are!" snickered Applejack.
"Fine, but you two are covering the tip!" snickered Isaac as he walked past them as they all left to meet up with Juniper.
After Roll ended her call, she looked at the necklace she had. Sunny soon approached her.
"So?" asked the girl.
"He was checking on me and my brother. And gave us some advice that we should treasure this night."
"Man, you're so lucky to have a father like yours," stated Sunny.
"Sunny! Roll! Are you ready? 'Cause Pipp is driving me crazy asking where we are!" shouted Zipp as she knocked on the door.
"Yeah!" said Roll.
"Let's hurry! Knowing Pipp, she wants to make sure we're the talk of the town," said Sunny.
She and Roll began to head out as the latter stopped momentarily to look back. The girl looked at the stairs, wondering if she should try to convince her brother to come, but figured not to bother him. The girls met up with Zipp as they prepared for Mane Melody. As for Hitch, he showed up a bit later as he had to take care of some things. When he arrived, he was immediately confronted by Jazz.
"Where were you? You're late!" shouted the girl as she got in the boy's face.
"I had to take care of... Woah!"
"No time!" said Jazz as she began to push Hitch to a changing room to get him into his suit. "The girls are nearly done, and you're not dressed for your date with Sunny."
"Date? You know it's not an actual date, right, Jazz? It's moreso we're going as a friend group. She just said it's that to get all the hungry girls off my back." said the boy.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But still, look presentable," said the girl as they arrived at the changing room and gave Hitch several suits. "Now, hurry up!"
"Gees," said the boy as the door was shut in his face.
As he exited the changing room, the teen eventually found an outfit he liked. He returned to the main entrance, where Rocky was waiting as he dressed.
"No, Mario?" asked the boy.
"Guess not," responded Hitch.
Soon, the rest of their group came out and wore their outfits. Though Zipp had refused to come out as she was against wearing something this girly, in the end, they all formed a chain and yanked the girl from inside the changing room. Eventually, the limo that Pipp rented arrived as it began to take the teens to school.
The moon was high in the sky, and the music from the auditorium could be heard from around the block. The students were arriving, and each was dressed to the fullest. The limo pulled up, and the teenagers stepped out and headed to the auditorium. The place was full of students mingling with each other. When they first stepped in, they saw thousands of streamers and decorations, and balloons were scattered everywhere. There was a DJ booth with music playing and a place in the corner for people to take photos. The first thing they did was take a few pictures as a group.
Then, a tapping into a microphone was heard as the students turned their attention to the stage. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna were on it as they wanted to say something.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Party Planning Committee for making this possible. In addition, thank all our Canterlot High Wondercolt students for winning today's game," stated Celestia as the students applauded the woman with her statement.
"Now then, I hope you all enjoy tonight. And don't forget, you still have time to vote for the Fall Formal Princess and Prince," said Luna as she let the festivities happen.
The students cheered as the music was turned up, and a few began to hit the dance floor. A while in, the party was turned into a massive congo line as Izzy started the tread while the others watched from the sidelines. During the night, tons of students voted on who they wanted to be: Fall Formal Princess and Prince. One of the candidates for Fall Formal Princess was Pipp, as the girl had done a ton of advertising and campaigning on her socials to convince people to vote for her. As majority of the party's attention was focused on Izzy leading the line, someone was shown entering through the door.
The person was shown wearing dress shoes and dress pants as they panned upward to show a suit and a fedora with a red crimson band around it on their head. It was Mario as the boy had shown up and was adjusting his sleeves before he stepped forward. Several students noticed his presence as they stepped aside and allowed him to walk as they murmured. Roll noticed her brother as she turned and acknowledged him.
"You came?"
"Yeah," said the boy as the girl hugged her older brother.
The others all noticed Roll's brother as the boy popped a small smile.
"So, what you show up, lover boy?" asked Zipp as Mario turned to look at the girl.
Mario took in the girl before him as she was dressed in a white dress with matching shoes; he admitted it made the tomboy look pretty.
"Well, it's like you said. Everybody is going to be expecting the player who scored the winning goal to show up," smiled Mario. "You look nice, by the way."
"Thanks. It's... fine. Definitely not my style, but you know." said Zipp as she took a look at herself as she didn't hate it as much as when she first saw it. "You look pretty good yourself."
The two shared some smiles as they stared at each other. Soon, Mario felt a hug from behind him as Pipp decided to embrace him.
"Hey, handsome," smiled the social media girl.
"Oh, gees," said the boy as he wiggled from the girl's embrace as he turned to see her all smiling and gawking over him like some lost puppy.
"So, care to dance?" asked Pipp as she grabbed Mario's hand.
"I'll pass. Not much for dancing," said the boy as he removed the girl's hand.
"Aw, come on," said Pipp as she tried to pull the boy with her to the dancefloor.
"I said I'm good," responded Mario as he began to walk away, and the girl sighed.
The rest of the night was filled with tons of dancing and laughter. Soon, the time came as Vice Principal Luna appeared and was about to announce the winners for Fall Formal Prince and Princess.
"To begin, the winner of the Fall Formal Princess is..." said the woman as she got a drum roll as almost all the girls leaned in. "Ms. Pipp Petals!"
"Oh, my glitter!" yelled Pipp as she couldn't believe she won.
Her friends and everybody else all clapped at the girl for being nominated. The girl couldn't believe this was happening as she approached the stage and stood before Principal Celestia, who pulled out the tiara and placed it on the girl as she giggled like a toddler. The social media teen turned to her classmates and waved to them; the girl noticed that Mario had silently walked out of the door.
Mario had decided to sneak away for a bit as everyone was distracted by the crowning of the Fall Formal Prince and Princess. The boy went to the stairway and began climbing them; he soon came to a door at the top as he opened it, which led to the school's roof. The teen stepped onto the roof, feeling the cool air blowing in his face. He sighed as he began to walk toward the edge as he could see the city in the distance. The music could be heard briefly, but Mario wanted to clear his mind.
The boy gazed about as someone soon joined him. Roll had noticed her older brother leaving as she went after him; the girl waved at her elder sibling as he just sat on the ledge.
"So... what's on your mind?" asked Roll as she sat beside her big brother.
"Nothing. I just wanted some air. Getting kinda crowded in there." said Mario as he was shown playing with his necklace.
"You're wearing Dad's gift?" said Roll as she noticed it and looked at her necklace.
"It was just for the game. You know, good luck."
"Then why are you still wearing it?" asked Roll.
"None of your business, alright. I'll take it off eventually."
The girl chuckled at how her brother acted, as she was glad to see he was himself. The two siblings just sat silently as they looked up at the sky, seeing the stars and moon high above.
"Hey, big bro," said Roll as she broke the silence after quite a while. "Why did you decide to come? I thought you didn't want to."
"I... I... well, you know, I had to make sure that nobody tried to make any moves on my little sister," said Mario as he rubbed his neck and looked away.
"Now I know that's bullshit. I can take care of myself and any guy who tries to make any attempts," said Roll, reminding her brother that she could hold her own and some in a duel. "So..."
"I... I... M-Mom called me. She... persuaded me to go." confessed Mario as he'd gotten a call from his mother about going to the dance. "She said that these moments are the ones that I'm gonna remember the most. So she told me to go make some memories."
"Funny... Dad said the same thing to me. Guess they both know how special this night is." said Roll.
"Yeah," said Mario as he had a smile.
The boy wrapped his arm around his sister, pulled her in, and held his younger sibling. Mario kissed Roll's head as the pair continued to stargaze for a bit longer as a shooting star streaked across the sky.
The two siblings soon returned to the party to avoid worrying their friends. They arrived as some slow music played, and a few students were paired up on the dance floor and holding each other close. The pair spotted their friends near the buffet table; Izzy was stuffing her face full of sprinkled cookies.
"Hey, you two. Where'd you guys go?" asked Zipp as she noticed neither was around when Pipp requested music and dance partners.
"Nowhere special," responded Roll.
"Alright, everyone. One final dance, and then we'll call it!" said Rocky as he and Jazz were the DJs and put on one final slow song. The girl then grabbed the boy as they began to join in with the others.
"Come on, Hitch! Let's hit the dance floor!" said Sunny as she grabbed her childhood friend's arm and dragged him away to have fun like when they were little.
"Ughhhh..." groaned Hitch as he didn't feel like doing this.
The group chuckled at Hitch's misery. Soon, Mario felt a tap on his shoulder as he turned to see Pipp standing behind him, the girl wearing her Fall Formal crown with her arms behind her back.
"Would you... Maybe... dance with me?" asked the girl as she was looking to shoot her shot.
"Ugh. Look, I..." said Mario as he was about to decline when Roll bumped her shoulder behind him.
"Come on, bro. It's just one dance. It's not kill you." said the girl to her brother softly to accept Pipp's request.
"I hate you," whispered Mario to his little sister as she smiled before turning to Pipp. "Fine." groaned the teen.
Pipp nearly squealed as she grabbed his hand and dragged him away; he was amazed at how strong the girl was. The others all lightly chuckled as they watched from the sidelines. Pipp had dragged Mario to the dancefloor as she turned to face the boy; he was still displeased about this as he placed his hands on Pipp's waist as the girl had her arms around his neck. Soon, the pair began to move to the music as they swayed to the gentle melody. Roll had one of the biggest smiles when she saw her brother dancing with Pipp, which reminded her of his old self when he was happier.
Pipp was living a dream, the girl not only winning Fall Formal Princess but now having a chance to dance with her crush, despite his pleas of not wanting to. To the girl, she felt like she was in a fairytale as she was dancing with her Prince Charming. She looked at Mario, who kept his gaze on the girl as they kept on moving and spinning.
"I thought you hated dances," asked Pipp.
"I said I'm not a big fan of dances. I didn't say that I didn't know how to dance," said the boy as he had been given lessons from his mother when they were younger.
"Well, I'm impressed," said Pipp as Mario pulled back to spin the girl before bringing her back.
Spotlights shined down on each couple dancing as Mario began to twirl and spin Pipp even more. He grabbed her waist and hoisted her up to spin, which made the girl smile even more. He soon set her down as they reached the song's end and dipped the girl halfway. Pipp smiled as Mario pulled her back up and removed her hands from his neck. The boy looked to walk away when Pipp grabbed his hand.
"What?" said the boy as he had already honored her request.
Pipp then leaned in and quickly pecked the boy's cheek.
"Thanks," said the girl.
She walked away as Mario ran his fingers across his lips before sighing as he returned to the others. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna gave one last thanks to the students as everyone began to leave. The group all said their goodbyes as they headed back to their dorms.
"Now that was a fun night, right, big bro?" asked Roll as they entered their dorm.
"It was alright, I guess," said Mario, trying not to show too much enjoyment.
"I see Pipp enjoyed herself," teased the girl to her older brother.
"Shut up," responded Mario as he threw one of the couch pillows at his sibling.
Roll laughed as Mario popped a quick smile at his little sister. The girl then approached her brother as she hugged him. The boy returned the embrace of his sister as he placed his head on her head.
"Guess Mom and Dad were right, big bro?" said Roll as she broke the embrace.
"Yeah," said Mario, who couldn't argue with that.
The two siblings soon headed to the bed as the stars they saw earlier twinkled. A full day of festivities and events as it all ended, and to Mario's surprise, he admitted this was an experience that he would always look back on for the rest of his life.
Author's Note: The Fall Formal for our group has turned out to be a fun time that will be remembered. And, on that same day, Mario and Roll's father has managed to survive his latest challenge after coming this close to losing against a tough opponent and keeps his title as World Champion. However, much to the boy's dismay, he's not happy about that. Also, with the Fall Formal now taking place, we're official a quarter of the way through the group's first year of high school and there's a tone more things to come. On a side note, it's the eve before Chapter 5 comes out and everyone is excited for what's to come. I know I am as it'll give me some ideas for this story.