A car pulled into the mansion; the driver's door opened, and out came Mario. The boy went to the other side. He opened the passenger side door, and there sat Pipp.
"You good?" asked the boy.
"Y-yeah, I think I can walk," responded the girl as she felt some of her strength return.
"Come on."
Mario offered his hand as he helped Pipp get out of the car. The girl was still a mess as she stepped out and felt her legs wobble. She took a step forward but almost fell before Mario grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in close to his chest.
"Just… gotta get used to it," chuckled Pipp nervously as she stared into Mario's eyes. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," said the boy.
Mario looked at Pipp as he moved some strands of hair from Pipp's face before caressing her cheek with just his thumb. The girl acted on her own as she pulled the boy in and pressed her lips against his. The teens closed their eyes as Mario wrapped his arms around Pipp's waist and held her tightly while Pipp had her arms around his neck. The teens continued their kiss as a limo was shown pulling up before them, which snapped them out of their moment. The pair removed their arms around each other as they saw the limo driver get out and quickly go to the back door; it opened with Haven getting out, followed by Isaac. Mario gasped when he saw his father, but by the battle bruises he had, but by the small bandaged-up wrist as Haven was trying to help her client.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm fine, Haven. I've faced worst before," said Isaac to the woman as he could walk off the pain easily.
The business woman then looked over and saw her daughter standing alongside Mario as she gasped upon seeing her appearance. Haven quickly went to her daughter, as did Pipp, as she hugged her child.
"I was so worried," said Haven as she tightly hugged her daughter.
"I'm… fine, Mom," said Pipp, struggling to breathe in her mother's death grip.
Watching them was Isaac as the World Champion smiled. He was thankful for telling Haven her daughter would be fine and that she could hold her child once again. Mario approached his father as he looked at his wrist.
"You did good, son," said Isaac as he put his hand on Mario's shoulder to thank his son for watching out for Pipp.
"I guess," muttered Mario as he half-looked his father in the eyes. "Seems we need to talk about things."
"Let's check on your sister first," said Isaac, as he knew that based on what happened today, it was time to talk about what was happening.
The group entered the mansion as they made their way to the den. Upon entering, they saw Roll next to Twilight as Zipp was shown on the couch.
"Zephyrina!" said Haven as she rushed to her other daughter and crushed her in a hug.
"Mom!" said the girl as she couldn't breathe.
"What happened?" said Twilight as she approached her husband.
"Well, you know, had a typical run-in…"
"I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about this!" said Twilight as she held her husband's bandage wrist as she was more concerned about that then all the scuff marks that were on him. "I'm used to you going intense in a duel."
"Yeah, well, a little sprain. Nothing major, in fact… the pain is starting to fade," said Isaac as his wrist didn't hurt as it did before.
"Well, glad you're okay," said Twilight.
"Same thing happened to you?" asked Roll to her older brother.
"Well, it was, until Pipp decided to jump in the line of fire," said Mario as he looked at the popstar teen.
"Listen, Zipp showed me that article about Mom's business. I think it's time we tell them," said the girl to her sibling.
"Well, I'm glad that you're both safe," said Haven as she rubbed her daughter's head.
"I think it's best if we all discuss today's events in the morning," said Isaac, as almost everybody agreed.
"Yes, of course. Come along, dears," said Haven as she led her children away and told some maids to clean them up and take a hot meal to their rooms.
"Kids, you guys go to your rooms. I'll be up there to check on you in a bit."
"Okay, Mom," said Roll as she and Mario began to leave.
Once the kids were out of sight, Twilight let out a deep sigh as she leaned on the head of the couch. Isaac saw his wife's concern as he approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I can't believe this is happening. I thought we were done with crazy adventures and magic when we graduated high school. 15 years. Fifteen years of us living our lives, starting a family, raising kids, and now… it seems the whole world needs saving." stated Twilight as she vented out some stress.
"I get it, honey."
"We're adults. We're not kids or teenagers going on adventures like the good old days. We have responsibilities. And one of those is making sure our kids are safe."
"I know, honey. As much as we'd like things to return to how they were, we have to face reality. Some evil force is hell-bent on using Shadow magic to take over the world. So, for now, we can't ignore it. We have to deal with it."
"Can we?" said Twilight as she looked at her husband.
"Well, not entirely by ourselves, but… we'll do our part," said Isaac as he grabbed his wife's face and kissed her. "I'm sorry. I promised you that I wouldn't make you worry again. I'm sorry." Isaac kissed Twilight again before pulling back. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," said Twilight as she sighed. "I guess it's time we sit down and talk with the kids."
"Yeah."
"Okay," said Twilight as she looked at the bandaged wrist of her husband.
She put her hands on it and began to unwrap it slowly. The World Champion looked at his wife's hands as she removed the protection and exposed his hand. Isaac flexed his hand as the pain from his strained wrist was nearly gone. He smiled before pulling Twilight in for another simple kiss as the pair had their foreheads touching each other.
"I'll go check on the kids. Make sure they're okay," said Twilight as she left.
Isaac watched his wife leave until he turned to approach the sealed fireplace as he looked into the fire. The flames reflected in his pupils as they seemed to burn even brighter. The World Champion sighed, pulling out his deck and looking at it, hoping that whatever was to come, they could be victorious.
"Need anything else, sweetie?" asked Twilight as she sat on Roll's bed and addressed her daughter, who was all ready for bed.
"I think I'm good," said Roll as the maid took away the glass of finished milk and plate of chocolate cake crumbs. "Listen, Mom. There's something I should tell you."
"Whatever it is, can wait till we speak in the morning. All that matters is that you're safe. Try to get some sleep, okay?"
"Okay, Mom," said Roll as Twilight leaned in and kissed her daughter's head.
"I'm happy to have a daughter like you," said Twilight as she rubbed her child's hair.
Twilight smiled before reaching over and turning off the lamp next to her daughter as it darkened the room. The teen then got all snuggled under the covers as Twilight headed to the door and looked at her daughter before closing the door and exiting the room. She then walked next door, stood before it, and knocked.
"Mario? Are you still up, sweetie?" asked Twilight as she didn't hear anything. "I'm coming in."
The woman opened the door and saw her son sitting on his bed. He was hugging his knees and looking at the deck he held in his right hand. Twilight smiled before sitting beside her son and putting an arm around him.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" asked Twilight.
"Nothing," responded Mario.
"Mario. You know I don't like you lying. Tell me. I'm your mother. You can trust me. I won't get mad. Too much."
"It's nothing, okay."
"Alright," said Twilight, not wanting to pressure her son. "So, how's school? Are you doing well in your classes? No trouble, I assume? Meet some friends?"
"I guess," stated the boy.
"Well, that's good. Having a group of friends that you trust is an important part of friendship."
"Friendship, huh?" said Mario, setting his deck on his nightstand.
"Get some rest, okay? We'll talk in the morning," said Twilight as she kissed her son's head before getting up. "I love you, my son."
"... I love you, Mom," said Mario as Twilight smiled before shutting off the light and leaving her son to sleep.
Twilight shut the door quietly before returning to her and Isaac's room. Upon entering, the lavender-haired bookworm saw her husband seated at the desk with his duel disk in front of him. The World Champion was talking with Juniper as she was informing her client about the upcoming overseas tour that she booked for him in a few days.
"... And let's not forget about the Super Showdown PLE."
"Right. The biggest event in all of Duel Monsters," said Isaac as he knew how important of a live event it was.
"Indeed. Well, I'll let you go. We'll talk when we see each other in a few days."
"Take care, Juniper."
The call ended as the image of Juniper disappeared. Isaac turned in his chair and let out a sigh as he saw Twilight.
"Big trip?" said the woman.
"Three-week European tour. And about 35 appearances I have to make, not including performing," said Isaac as he was already starting to work despite the start of the new year.
"Three weeks overseas. That's quite a thing," said Twilight as she went to her suitcase and pulled out a laptop.
"I got to start packing. Not to mention, the kids are returning to school the day after tomorrow," said Isaac as he flopped on the bed and looked up. "Feels like this break went by fast."
"Well, at least we got to spend some time with each other," said Twilight as she also lay on the bed and rested her head on her husband's chest while looking at the ceiling.
"How are the kids?" asked Isaac as he put an arm around his wife.
"They seem to be alright. Just worried about their reactions when we discuss things," stated the bookworm.
"It'll be alright," responded the World Champion as he sat up against the pile of pillows with his wife as she set her laptop before her. "Need to respond to some emails?"
"Actually, I was looking to do some research," said Twilight.
"About what?"
"Well, about that weird pendant these Shadow Duelists wear. I remember reading something from the Zephyr Heights library when I was there today. And I think I might have something."
"This should be interesting," stated Isaac as he pulled Twilight in closer. "What'd you find?"
The pair got all cozy as the married couple spent a good portion of the night researching the potential lead that Twilight may have discovered about their enemies.
Mario was shown exiting his room as the boy was looking to head to the dining room. He was heading to the place when coming around the corner was Zipp. The pair stopped in their tracks as they saw each other.
"Hey," said the girl.
"Sup," responded the boy.
"So, uh, listen. I never got to say this to you, but, uh. Thanks for looking out for my sister." stated the heiress.
"I don't know if you should be thanking me. She kinda jumped into the line of fire when I didn't want her to," explained Mario.
"Even so. You kept an eye on her while you two were out. So I have that at least to be thankful." said Zipp.
"Well… you're welcome," said Mario with a shrug.
"And… well… I'm glad you're okay as well. I'd be kinda worried if something happened to you, you know," chuckled Zipp nervously while playfully shoving Mario's shoulder. "Don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you around to give me a challenge?"
The girl retained her nervousness laughing while looking at her friend. It soon ended as she found herself approaching the boy and wrapping her arms around him into a hug. Mario felt the girl placing her head close to his chest as he put his arms around her and returned the embrace. The heiress relished being in the boy's arms as while she wasn't one for touchy feelings, she was indeed worried about Mario and was glad that he was alright.
"Is this gonna end anytime soon?" spoke Roll.
The girl stood a few meters away from her older brother and friend as Zipp's face lit up. She saw Roll and pulled back to look at Mario. In an instant, her face turned bright red from both being close to him and embarrassment; Zipp's instincts took over as she quickly shoved Mario off of her however, she put a bit too much power in her push that it caused the boy to fall down on his back.
"Ow! What the hell did you do that for, rich girl!" shouted Mario as he sat up and rubbed his back.
"Sorry," said Zipp, as she didn't mean to do that.
"Well, I forgive you. But I'm not sure my back does," stated the boy as he stood up and held his back.
"I'm sorry about that as well," apologized the heiress. She quickly left to avoid making this situation any more awkward while Roll gave a light chuckle seeing their friend rush to get out.
"You really know how to pick'em, big bro."
"Whatever," responded Mario to his little sibling as he continued to rub his back as they made their way to the dining room.
Once breakfast was over, everyone was gathered in the living room as Mario and Roll sat on one couch with Zipp and Pipp sitting across from them and their mother sitting in a chair beside them with Cloudpuff in her lap. At that moment, Isaac entered the room and made his presence known.
"Where's Mom?" asked Roll.
"Your mother will be joining us soon, Roll. She's just doing something."
"Alright, since we're all here. Let's talk about it!" stated Zipp, wasting no time in addressing the elephant in the room.
"I concur with my daughter. Despite her unladylike language," said Haven as she continued to pet her dog. "Who were those individuals who attacked us at the clinic?"
"They're called Shadow Duelists. Well… at least that's the name given to them by their leader," said Isaac.
"So, who's their head honcho?" asked the heiress.
"That, Ms. Storm, I have no idea," responded the World Champion.
"And the whole thing about it being real?" asked Haven.
"Shadow magic," stated Isaac.
"I knew it! My detective skills are never off!" boasted Zipp.
"Zephryina!" shouted Haven to her daughter for bragging. "As you were saying, Isaac. What is this Shadow Magic you speak of?"
"That… heh, is a story in it itself," said the World Champion as he decided to sit down in a chair facing everyone. "Kids, pull out your decks."
Mario and Roll did as their father asked, placing their respective decks on the table before them. The World Champion did the same as he placed his stack of cards in front of him. Haven and her daughters were confused by the family's actions as they each pulled the top card from their decks and revealed it faceup next to the stack.
"The game of Duel Monsters is more than just a simple card game that everyone plays. In fact, this 'game' has existed since the dawn of time."
"Beg your pardon?" said Haven as she didn't seem to track what Isaac was saying.
"Hold on!" said Zipp as she pulled out her phone and pressed record. "Okay, go on!" Pipp rolled her eyes at her sister's actions before listening to what Isaac was about to say.
"So, long ago, when the pyramids were still young. Egyptian Kings played a great and terrible game; they were known as the Shadow Games. Using various means of sorcery, they could send themselves into an alternate dimension where their duel would not be interrupted and where cheating was strictly forbidden and punishable by death. In these Shadow Games, the sorcerers' skills would be tested by seeing how powerful the monsters they could summon were and how powerful a spell they could cast to power up their monsters."
"How powerful they could summon monsters, and how powerful of a spell to power them up? I get it. It's like how we play. Sometimes, you play a spell card to give your monster an edge, and sometimes, you sacrifice and bring out an even more powerful one."
"Right on the money, Ms. Storm," said Isaac as Zipp fist-pumped herself for understanding it. "Now then… The power of these monsters could best be harnessed by magical objects called the Millennium Items. They were powerful sources of magic and were created for the purpose of defending Egypt, they were put into the possession of a great Pharaoh and his most trusted comrades."
"Millennium items?" said Pipp.
"Seven sacred treasures that were created from an ancient spell found in a Millennium Spellbook in order to keep the ancient magic of these Shadow Games imprisoned. The seven items were a Millennium Necklace, Millennium Rod, Millennium Key, Millennium Scale, Millennium Ring, a Millennium Eye, and the one the great Pharaoh wore, a Millennium Puzzle."
"Interesting," said Zipp while rubbing her chin.
"Anyways, these Shadow Games erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world. Until a brave and powerful Pharaoh locked the magic away, imprisoning it within the mystical Millennium Items. The ancient Egyptians could have never predicted that their mystical battles would evolve into the most popular card game in the world."
"Okay. I'm… not quite sure I understand everything. But it seems if these so-called Games are back, then it's not a pleasant thing," said Haven.
"That's an understatement, to say the least. These Shadow Games are life-and-death situations. Just as the ancient Egyptians used them to dispose of their foes, so too are these Shadow Duelists and their decks. They want to get rid of people who stand in their way."
"Okay. Okay. I follow everything you just said. But I want to ask the bigger question. Who's their leader?" asked Zipp, tapping her phone against her chin while crossing her arms.
"I wish I knew," said Isaac.
"I think I might know!" said Twilight as she appeared with her laptop in her hand.
"Mom!" said Roll, seeing their mother.
"So for being late, but I managed to find a breakthrough when your father and I were doing some late-night research!" stated the woman as she set her laptop down before her husband and began to type away at the keyboard furiously.
"And what did you find?" asked Haven.
"So, when these Shadow Duelists first confronted my husband, they dropped a pendant of sorts. After doing some tests, I can concur that these pendants are infused with magic."
"Magic?" said Pipp. "As in performers and illusionists?"
"I wish. No, I'm talking about real magic. Mystical powers." said Twilight. "Powers that can bend people to their will." The woman turned her laptop around for the kids and Haven to see as it showed several schematics that her company had done the tests and provided tons of charts and results. "These pendants that these Shadow Duelists wear are the source of their power. They're able to call on the Shadow Games using these things."
"Okay, but that doesn't answer my question?"
"Zipp!" shouted Roll at her friend.
"It's fine, sweetie. I just getting there. So I did some more digging to see if I could trace the origin of the pendant. And sure enough, I managed to locate its source. As it turns out, it's old. We're talking as old as Egypt itself." said Twilight.
"Figures," muttered Isaac as everything could be traced back to Egypt since it was the birthplace of Duel Monsters. "So, what's the story, honey?"
"Check this out!" said Twilight as she pushed a key, and a small slideshow presentation began to play. "So, long ago, there was a sorceress. She was a talented individual and wanted to learn everything there was about magic. Eventually, her desire turned into an obsession, and soon she came Shadow Magic. She was shown the powers and how they could be bent to her will. She then set out to conquer the world and make it her own."
"So, what happened?" asked Roll.
"A group of warriors chosen to protect the light led a massive army against her. The war was brutal and suffered several fatal casualties on both sides. However, the sorceress was so powerful that even the warriors couldn't defeat her. So, in the end, they gave up their lives to seal away her power and the sorceress." stated Twilight.
"How?" asked Mario.
"According to some ancient texts left by the Egyptians, the sorceress' power was sealed within these seven stones," Twilight's laptop showed the next image as it displayed seven solid rocks.
"So, we just find the stones and stop whoever this is?" said Pipp.
"It's never that easy, Ms. Petals. Take it from my wife and me, it's always a struggle."
"Exactly. Plus, the stones don't exist anymore," stated Twilight.
"Huh?" said the teens.
"See, the stones they were encased to faded away due to erosion. But the Egyptians knew that, and that's why they cast powerful spells on the stones. So that when the initial shape was destroyed or ceased to exist, the essence of itself would still be there. In short, they could become anything they want. Over the course of history, they've taken many forms. Rings, gauntlets, necklaces, even a simple bracelet." Twilight's laptop showed the many recorded records of the powerful stones still existing.
"So, we could just be sitting on one of these precious stones and not know it?" asked Zipp as she pointed to the couch they were on
"Indeed. But there's something else to know. When the stones are all collected, they transform into keys. And these keys unlock a certain chest that contains the sorceress' power. It was sealed and hidden away when the seven warriors fell. Both things were hidden in separate locations. And as of right now, we have no idea where they are." said Twilight.
"Okay. That's a lot to take in," said Pipp. "And I'm not sure if I fully believe it."
"At this point, chica, just roll with it," stated Mario as he just laid back without a care.
"Okay. Evil sorceress, magical powers, and saving the world, huh? YEAH!" exclaimed Zipp as she popped out of her seat. "I finally get my adventure. Just like in the Chronicles of Chevalia!"
"Zephyrina! This is serious!" shouted Haven at her daughter for saying this was a good thing.
"I wouldn't be celebrating too much, Ms. Storm. These Shadow Duelists aren't to be trifled with. You've seen firsthand what powers they contain and how real everything becomes." said Isaac. "The duels you face with them are unlike the regular ones you have at school. It's a literal Shadow Game that you're playing, and the entry fee is your life."
"So that explains the weird Dark Synchro monster."
"Dark Synchro monster?" said Isaac.
"Yeah, the person I faced used some kind of dark tuner and then busted out a dark synchro monster."
"Something like that happened in mine. They used something called Dark Polymerization," said Pipp.
"So, they do have new powers," said Isaac as hearing the sisters confirm these new dark summoning methods meant it was bad news.
"Okay, another question. How come nobody else saw it?" asked Pipp, as she was sure somebody would have noticed her dueling in the parking lot of the mall.
"The Shadow Games have a way of being hidden. Being able to change what other people see for those not involved."
"Well, that explains the train ride," said Roll.
"Train ride?" said Isaac as he and Twilight looked at their kids.
"Sweetie, what did you say?"
Roll looked at her brother and just gave a shrug. The girl knew that it was time to tell their parents about their encounter as she cleared her throat.
"So, you remember Mario and me arriving on the train, Dad? Well, we had our own encounter with these Shadow Duelists."
"I knew it," stated Isaac, as he felt something was off when he saw his kids.
"Roll, why didn't you tell us?"
"Well… we just… weren't sure how to tell you. Plus, you didn't tell us about someone breaking into your business."
"That was for a reason. Which is no longer valid if they already tried to go after you two," sighed Twilight.
"So, what do we do? Just sit and wait for them to come get us again?" said Mario.
"Yes," said Isaac. "At the moment, we don't know what they're doing or what they're planning. Or if they even have everything they need. We don't know. But… your mother is working on that."
"I have a few connections that I can reach out to," said Twilight as she turned her laptop around and began to type away at it.
"In the meantime, you kids continue to go about your lives."
"Seriously? You're just asking us to forget this ever happened? Just go back to being teenagers? We can help!" said Zipp.
"I'm not saying that you should forget. We just don't have much information about this sorceress and her little minions. And with school starting up tomorrow, it's coincidently the safest place for you all right now." said Isaac. "However, I promise that once we find more information about this, we will tell you."
"Fine," said Zipp, as she was really looking forward to an adventure.
"Now then, since you kids all have had your run-in with these Shadow Duelists, it's better if you all return to school as a group. As such, Haven has arranged for you all to travel back to Canterlot City by car. You'll be there before you know it. As for Twilight, she needs to get back to her company while researching for these keys. And me… I have an overseas promotions tour that I need to attend. So, I won't be around for a few weeks, kids. But you can still call me or your mother."
"Alright, Dad," said Roll.
"Oh, and one more thing. Ms. Storm, and Ms. Petals, if you both give me your decks?" asked Isaac.
The sisters looked at each other as they just gave curious looks. The girls then pulled out their decks and presented them to the World Champion as he took them and looked at Twilight. The married pair smiled before Twilight opened a separate tab on her laptop and began to talk with her husband as they examined the girls' decks. Eventually, with a snap of his fingers, Isaac made cards appear out of thin air as he distributed them into the girls' decks before handing them back.
"There you go. A little more firepower to your decks shouldn't hurt," smiled Isaac.
"No… way!" said Zipp as she fanned her deck out and saw all the new cards she got from the World Champion and the Lead Duel Monsters Card Designer.
"Oh, my glitter!" stated Pipp as she had to fan herself at the upgrade she got to her deck.
"A little gift from my husband and me. To say thank you for letting us stay with you," said Twilight as she sat on her husband's lap and kissed his cheek.
"Awesome! This is the best gift ever! Can't wait to try them out!" exclaimed Zipp as she was going to shoot up the ranks of CHS with her new and improved deck.
"One thing, girls. I did manage to contact some old associates of mine. I have a feeling you two will like who I've respectively selected for you to talk to. And as for you kids, I'm gonna need the contact info of your other three friends. Let's just say I'm planning something." smiled Isaac as Mario raised a suspicious eyebrow at his father.
"Well, I think we've covered just about everything. Come along, girls. You'd best start packing before the driver gets here." said Haven as she led her daughters to get ready to return to school.
"You two better get ready as well," said Twilight. "You know what I say about being on time."
"To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. And to be late is unacceptable." recited Roll as she had her mother's mentality memorized
"That's my girl!" smiled Twilight as it warmed her heart to see her daughter like her.
"I learned from you, Mom," smiled Roll as she hugged Twilight, who returned the embrace.
"Come on! Let's make sure you have enough reading material on the trip to school!" said Twilight as she led her daughter to her room to pack her suitcase.
Mario watched his mother and sister leave as he looked to do the same.
"Mario. Can we speak?" said Isaac as the boy rolled his eyes before slowly turning to look at his father.
"I know you probably don't fully accept what's happening, and I'm not asking you to. All I'm asking is that you at least believe. Seeing is believing. And don't ever forget, put your trust in your deck, and it will trust you."
"Yeah, sure," responded the boy as he gave a half-cared response.
"Look," said Isaac as he stood up to approach his son and placed his arm on his shoulder. "Just look out for little sister, okay? I would say to keep you and her out of trouble, but given what we just went through, that's out of the question. But… try not to put her in too much danger. And your friends. You've got people here who would give you the shirts off their backs if you asked for it. You have friends who'd be willing to take a bullet for you. Treasure that, my son. That's worth more than any amount of money that we have or any card we can get."
The teen looked at the World Champion as a part of him wrestled with what his father was saying. His Winged Kuriboh appeared as the small monster spirit made a sound with a set of happy eyes while rubbing his owner. At that moment, Isaac's Kuriboh monster appeared as he gave a response to his owner.
"Winged Kuriboh's right, son. If you ever need anything. You want some advice, you need something, or… you just want to talk. I'm just a call away. Don't hesitate." said Isaac, trying to get his son to understand that he is always there for him.
"Don't get your hopes up high, alright. You're still a junkie to me," said Mario, as he couldn't get past that part of his father. "But… I'll give it some thought."
"That's all I ask," said Isaac as he patted his son's shoulder. "I love you."
"Tsk," said Mario as he turned around. "Keep up!" stated the teen to his monster spirit, who just gave a cherry sound as he began to float away behind his owner.
Isaac's Kuriboh made a sound before turning to look at his master.
"I know, bud. He'll come around. I have faith that Mario will understand in time. He's my son. And no matter what happens… I will always love him." said the World Champion.
It was later as the kids were preparing to return back to CHS. Twilight was on the phone with Moondancer, informing her friend about her secret plan to research some things and asking if she'd keep it under wraps. As for Isaac, he was on a video call with Juniper on his duel disk as the agent was informing her client about his upcoming overseas tour. The kids were in the main foyer as they had their suitcases all packed and dressed for their departure. Mario saw his folks talking as he sighed.
"So, lover boy! You fixing for a duel when we get back?" said Zipp as she wanted to get him back from their last encounter and test out the sweet new cards she got to her deck.
"Sorry, Zipp. But Mario will be busy helping me with my new cards," said Pipp as she grabbed a hold of the boy's left arm.
"When was this?" said the heiress.
"I never agreed to that!" exclaimed Mario, though Pipp ignored his response and looked at her older sibling.
"Does it matter? He's in my class, not yours. So, who cares if you and him have a duel?" said the pop star.
"I care, sis!" responded Zipp as she tugged Mario's right shoulder to pull him toward her.
"Hey, watch it! I'm not a piece of rope here, alright!" shouted the boy as he didn't like the sister playing tug of war with him.
"Oh, boy," said Roll as she rubbed her temple, already seeing how things were going to go down between her older brother and the two sisters.
Pipp and Zipp kept pulling Mario back and forth between them as they were trying to decide who would get to him first, as if he was a toy to play with. Before it could escalate any further, Haven and Twilight approached the teens. The front door opened, and there was the car that would take the kids safely back to school.
"Now, remember! Get these kids safely to school without any delay!" said Haven to the driver.
"Yes, Ma'am," said the driver as he tipped his hat to his boss.
"Alright, girls. Off you go. Call me when you get there so I know you made it!" stated Haven.
"Yeah, yeah, got it, Mom," said Zipp before she and Pipp were pulled into a hug.
"I'm gonna miss you girls. Even though this vacation was more… unusual than expected. I'm glad we got to spend time together."
"We liked it too, Mom," said Pipp.
"And Zephryina! Don't forget about your duty of being an heiress."
"Oh, right," said Zipp as that killed the mood for her, knowing her mother was still trying to push her toward that.
"Toothbrush?"
"Yes, Mom!" said both Mario and Twilight.
"School supplies?"
"Yes, Mom!"
"Reading material?"
"Yes, alright. I'm putting my stuff in the trunk!" said Mario, as he just wanted to get going.
"Just making sure. You know how I am about being prepared," said Twilight as she hugged her son. "Take care, Mario. And keep you and your sister out of trouble. If I find out that either of you two did something to get expelled, I will personally drop everything at work and come have a stern talk with you!" threatened Twilight.
"Alright, I get it. We'll do our best to not get in trouble," said Mario.
"Pinkie promise!" stated Twilight to her kids.
"Pinkie promise," stated Mario as he knew he couldn't go back on his word when his mother said that. The boy wrapped his pinkie around his mother before she pulled him and Roll in for a hug.
"I'm glad we got to spend time together as a family. It makes me so happy to see my kids growing up before me. I love you two."
"We love you as well, Mom!" said Roll and Mario in unison as they hugged Twilight. She kissed the top of their heads as she let them go and allowed them to enter the back of the car.
Twilight waved at her two children as Isaac exited the mansion and approached the car. The window rolled down as he bent over to look at the teens.
"Stay safe, kids. Always have each other's backs. Once we learn more, I'll let you all know." stated the World Champion. "Roll, Mario. I hope you enjoyed our time as a family. Behave, okay?"
"Yes, Dad," responded the girl. Mario didn't even look at his father but simply gave a thumbs up.
With that, the window rolled up as the car began to pull out. The adults saw their kids leaving as they each gave a parting wave and hoped they'd make it safely back to Canterlot City. The girls all looked out the back of the window to see their parents waving as they did the same, all while Mario just put some headphones on.
The drive was a comfortable and pleasant one, as the group didn't run into any complications. A few hours later, they entered Canterlot City. The city was still the same as when they initially left for their winter break, but now, going back, after the small run-in with dark forces, it was clear they were in a different mindset. Zipp was starting to imagine if maybe some dark forces were here in Canterlot and might come after them. As much as she'd believe Isaac's claim that going to school would keep them all safe and distracted, she couldn't help but ponder. The driver arrived at the school building and pulled into the parking lot. Upon exiting, the group saw a few kids already arriving as it was still the early to late afternoon, and they knew most would arrive tonight.
"We're back!" said Roll as she stepped onto the concrete sidewalk path leading to the campus ground.
"Seems like nothing has changed," said Zipp as they all grabbed their stuff and began walking.
"So, I guess we'll see you tomorrow then?" said Pipp as they all had to go to their separate dorms.
"Sounds like a plan. Tomorrow Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna are gonna hold an assembly meeting for our class. To discuss what the semester is gonna be like and then after that, we just need to get out schedules and have the entire day to prep for the start of school the following day after." stated Roll.
"Fine by me," said Zipp before letting out a quick yawn. "Ride made me kinda sleeping."
"Ditto," said Mario as he felt like taking a nap and began to head to him and Roll's private dorm.
"See ya girls tomorrow. And thanks. We had fun spending time with you and your mother during break."
"Well, thank your father for giving us some sweet cards," said Zipp as she headed in the direction of her dorm building.
"Take care, Roll," said Pipp as she headed to the Fusion dorm building.
The girl waved bye to her social media friend before heading to where her brother went. Roll arrived at her dorm building and unlocked it before entering to see that Mario had already raided their fridge and pulled out some food to eat. The girl went up to her room and set her stuff down before plopping down on her bed and letting out a sigh. She was glad to have spent her break with her family, despite the crazy incidents. Now, they were back and she was also excited to start school. Something told her that this semester was going to be way more lively than their previous one.
Author's Note: After all these duels, we are now starting to finally get some info and background on these Shadow Duelists and their group. Though, it seems the time has come for the kids to return to school while Isaac and Twilight continue their own investigation. Not to mention... Zipp and Pipp getting some upgrades to their decks courtesy of the power couple to help them.