Another day at Canterlot Academy came as the students continued their academic life. Since the duel involving Sunny and Roll, the former was improving daily. So much so that even Scootaloo was impressed by how far the girl was getting in such little time. Of course, she couldn't have done it without Roll's help, and she had to give credit to Mario. Despite his behavior and attitude, the girl was thankful to the boy for lending his help to adjust her deck and providing some monsters for her Extra Deck.

Most of the students were in class when the P.A. system went off.

"Good morning, students. I want to start by saying that our season for sports has officially begun. Anybody interested in trying out for any teams, please sign up on the school board located outside my office for further instructions." said Principal Celestia as some students looked at each other with interest. "In addition, we'll be holding a special event next month. An event called Friends and Family Day. A day when family is invited to see the wonders that our school has to offer. Plus, for those wanting to participate in duels, know that the Duel Arena will host some spectacular duels for all to see."

Celestia's next announcement caused even more chatter. With the principal addressing that, many seemed more excited about this special event. Well... apart from two individuals who had different expressions from each other.

Later that day, Vice-Principal Luna spoke with the two individuals in their home.

"Now, as you both know, Friends and Family Day is next month. And considering the situation with you two. I know..."

"Don't bother," said Mario as he was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. "Even if they did, it's not like they give a shit about their kids."

The boy scoffed as he got up and began to head upstairs. Luna and Roll watched as Mario disappeared from sight.

"Forgive my brother, Vice-Principal Luna. It's just... there are issues he's dealing with. Especially about one of our parents." said Roll.

"I understand," said Luna. "Well, if there's anything I can do to make next month more... comfortable for you two... please let me or my sister know."

"I will," responded Roll.

Luna then got up and took her leave. Roll then looked at the stairs as she made her way up. She approached their bedroom as she opened it to see her brother lying down and facing the wall like he always seemed to do.

"Big bro..." spoke the girl, hoping to get a response from her older sibling, but nothing.

Roll sighed as she closed the door, allowing her brother some peace and quiet. The girl leaned against it before she slid down and buried her face into her knees.

"Brother... I wish you were like before..."

(Past memory)

A stadium was shown as tons of people were filing in. Families, couples, and even groups of fans were all racing into the giant building as they were looking to get to their seats to watch the incredible duel that was about to take place. Among them was a woman walking as she held the hands of her two kids.

"I can't wait to see Dad perform," said a younger Mario. "I hope he wins."

"Dad has won his last 98 duels. He has a 95.56781% chance of winning from where he stands," responded a younger Roll.

"It's actually 95.56781920%, Roll, dear. You forget to carry the one," responded the woman to her kid. "But either way, regardless of the outcome, your father will always be a winner to us."

The trio entered the building and was led to a private VIP section. The kids let go of their mother's hand, rushed to their booth's railing, and looked out of it. They could see how big the arena was as they looked at the many people in the stands. The many signs and posters showing their support and love for their father.

"Wow!" said the duo, taking it all in as their mother sat in her seat.

"Where's Dad?" asked younger Mario.

"He's right here, son."

A voice was heard as the kids turned, and there stood their father.

"Dad!" exclaimed younger Roll as the girl hopped off and ran to her father.

"How's my daughter?" said the man as the girl jumped into his arms when he bent down. "Ready to see your father do what he does best."

"Yup," responded younger Roll as her father carried her as he walked to her brother and mother.

"Hey honey," said the woman as she got up and kissed her husband.

"I can't believe these many people are cheering for you, Dad," said younger Mario as he continued to look out into the crowd.

"They're not just cheering for me, son. If you listen closely, you can hear they're chanting another name. Know what that name is..." said the man as he looked at his kids, which they didn't know. "Yours."

"Me?" said younger Mario as he was confused.

"One day, when you are your sister are dueling in front of a crowd of people, they'll be chanting your name. The sound of their yelling filling the rafters and the cheap seats all the way up. The excitement that you get from them showing support. One day... you both will experience that." said the man as he looked at his kids, both seeming to take the words spoken by their father to heart.

"Excuse me, sir? But it's time," said one of the event staffers as they fetched him.

"Alright, time for daddy to go to work," said the man as he kissed his daughter's cheek, to which she giggled before doing the same to him. "Give me one for good luck." Younger Mario extended his hand as he bawled it into a fist and alternated it with his father by placing the other on top of each other before meeting in the middle with a fist bump and pulling away.

The man put his daughter down as he turned to his wife, who gave him a good luck kiss as he held her. She winked and spoke to him before he left with the staff out the door. The kids then sat in their seats next to their mother as the lights dimmed, the titrations came on, the camera began to roll, and the spotlights around the stadium turned on. The kids heard the crowd get louder and louder as the MC announced their father as he showed up on the screen, making his entrance on the dueling field below.

"It's time to duel!" spoke their father as he said his line.

(End of Past Memory)

Roll finished recollecting the past memory as it made her smile. The girl wished her brother was like they were before when it was much simpler when he was... happy. A time when he was his normal self.

Zipp leaped into the air as she headbutted a soccer ball. The girl passed it to another student running along the field as he scored a goal. The coach saw this as she wrote on her clipboard and made some notes. The next thing shown was an obstacle course as the coach blew her whistle to signal the athletes to take off. They sprinted from their starting position as they leaped over the hurdles before taking their respective balls and doing their next set of drills.

Zipp sat by a bench as she was sipping from a water bottle. Two more others joined her as they were taking a break.

"How can you still keep going, Zipp?" asked a girl named Zoom Zephyrwing, who was also a classmate in Zipp's Synchro class.

"Been playing sports since I was a little kid. My mom owned the soccer team in our home, so she signed me up without asking my permission. Safe to say, I liked it cause whenever I'm out in the field, I feel like I'm... I'm..."

"Flying?" said the other person, a boy named Thunder Flap, another of Zipp's classmates and friends.

"Y-Yeah, that's a way of putting it," responded the heiress to her pals.

"Alright, rookies. Break's over. Time for you all to give me 50 laps around the school!" said the coach as she blew her whistle, and everybody got up and stood at attention.

"Yes, Coach Spitfire!" said the kids as they addressed their coach like a drill sergeant and began taking off to do their exercises.

"Heh. I love my job," smiled Spitfire as she took great pride and pleasure in making these kids sweat and sometimes suffer.

Mario was walking in the hallways with Roll as the boy was looking to head home for the day while his little sister was heading to band practice which she signed up for.

"So, big brother. Any clubs you've signed up for?" asked Roll.

"I'm not interested, Roll," responded Mario. He wanted to avoid bothering with any afterschool curriculum, even if his principals and teachers tried encouraging him to join in and show some pride for the school.

"But..."

"I said no, sis!" responded Mario as he walked away. "Good luck in band practice. I'll see you later."

"Okay..." sighed Roll as she entered the band room.

The girl entered the room as some students were seated, waiting for the arrival of their music professor.

"Hey, Roll!" said Sunny as the girl raised her hand and waved it to signal for her friend.

"Hey, Sunny," said the teen as she was also taking the same thing.

"What's the matter?" asked Sunny.

"Why would anything be the matter?" responded Roll.

"Cause you have that expression that tells me when something's bothering you."

"That obvious, huh?"

Sunny nodded as Roll set her backpack down next to the chair and took a seat.

"It's just my brother. I'm trying to encourage him to participate in something to show school pride, but... he's being rather stubborn."

"Yeah, Mario can be... a bit... headstrong," said Sunny about her older sibling to Roll. "But... maybe he just needs time or find something he likes. I'm sure he'll discover something that he'll enjoy."

"Alright, class!" said the band instructor as they entered through the door.

The woman wore a dress with musical notes as a cello was shown. She placed her papers on the table before grabbing a music stand and adjusting it to address the students seated before her.

"First off, my name is Octavia Melody, and I'll be your Band instructor," said the woman. "For those that may not know, I am that Octavia Melody, who has sold concert halls worldwide and performed for some of the best musicians. Now I know some of you may be wondering why or how someone as famous and well-renowned as me would be doing here in this school. Well... truth be told, I was once a student here."

The students chattered as they were surprised to see that the famous musician standing before them was once a student like them all these years ago.

"Now, now... we can talk about my musical career later, and I'll be happy to answer any and all questions that you may have. But for now, let's get down to business. Who here has ever played or had any experience playing a musical instrument?" asked Octavia as some hands shot into the air.

After parting ways with his sister, Mario was shown at his locker as he closed it. The boy was looking to head home to get away from all the activities that were taking place today. He could see many students attending the clubs they signed up for, the sports teams meeting up, and even Pipp and Izzy at their own event as they signed up for the cheerleading squad. The former did it to support her older sister, who was on the soccer team, and to help her social media image as she became the head cheerleader. And Izzy just followed her to be a good friend. Plus, it seemed to be the only club that could contain her energy. As for his sister and Sunny, they wanted to take part in Band as they figured they could show their support for the school through musical intermission.

Mario himself just wanted to be left alone and do his own things. The boy approached the exit as he stepped through some doors. He was heading back to his dorm when he passed by the soccer field. The teen was so lost in his mind that he didn't realize the danger he was in until someone snapped him out of it.

"Hey, look out!" shouted Zipp.

Mario heard that and instinctively looked upward. Coming at the boy at high speed was a soccer ball that would hit him in the face and result in getting a mark near their eye. The other players shouted for him to watch as Mario stood his ground. The boy's face was zoomed in as he squinted to show determination.

The teen leaped up as he made contact with the ball using his head. He landed as the ball's momentum was lost upon impact and directed itself upward. It was coming back down as Mario began to use his feet to alternate it and keep it up in the air as he concentrated on juggling the ball. The others were shocked that he managed to hear their warning, but Spitfire, her shades lowered slightly as she took a bit more interest in seeing the boy's movements.

Mario then finished juggling the soccer ball before he kicked it. It sailed over to Zipp as the girl caught it in her hands.

"Heh, nice kick," said the girl with an impressed smile.

"Thanks," responded Mario.

"Damnnit, Thunder! What did I say about looking where you kick!" shouted Spitfire to the boy for almost hitting a bystander. "Drop and give me fifty!"

"Yes, ma'am!" saluted the boy nervously as he got down and began to do his punishment as the others all returned to their practice.

Mario continued his leave when he was called out to.

"Hold on there, kid," said Spitfire as she got the boy to stop, wanting a moment to speak with him. "That was some fancy footwork. Haven't seen that since I was a student here. You got a name, rookie?"

"Mario," responded the boy, turning to address the woman.

"Mario, eh?" said Spitfire, again lowering her shades and looking at the teenager before her. Safe to say, she knew who the boy was, but... that was for another time. "Well, rook. Seeing as how you got some skills. Care to try out for the team?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not much of a team player. I work best alone. Besides, I don't want to take anyone's spot simply because I'm treated differently." Mario said as he began walking away.

"That's a shame. Cause, see, I don't treat anybody differently than others. I recognized talent and hard work when I see it. And I make sure to give props to someone when I see how much effort they put in. I don't give a shit if you're the president's daughter or your mother works at a fast food joint. In here, on this field, you're all equal. Only those who bust their ass will rise above the others and show they have what it takes to grab that brass ring."

Mario stopped to hear Spitfire's words. The boy took in what the woman said, how she didn't care about who someone was, where they came from, or what their parents did. All that mattered was that you showed what you could for all to see, as that could decide whether or not you had what it took to rise up.

"Finished, Coach Spitfire," said Thunder as he stood before the woman, bent over as he was a bit out of breath from doing the fifty pushups.

"Did I say stop, rookie!" shouted the woman.

"No, ma'am!" saluted the teen.

"Now run fifty laps around the block!"

"Yes, ma'am!" saluted Thunder as he began to pick up his knees and run.

"Poor guy," muttered Mario seeing Thunder having to be put through Spitfire's torture.

"So, what do you say, kid? Care to give it a shot, at least?" said Spitfire, extending her arm to the field where the other students were trying out.

Mario glanced at the other students as he saw them. For a moment, he closed his eyes as he remembered something from when he was younger.

The boy opened his eyes as he grumbled under his breath. Cursing that he had to remember that lesson from him of all people. Soon he took a deep breath before addressing the woman.

"Alright. I guess it couldn't hurt," said the teen giving his response.

The other students trying out were on the field, bouncing their respective soccer balls between their feet, when they saw Spitfire coming with Mario in tow.

"Alright, girls and boys, we got one more person gonna try out with you all. Now, all of you get ready to run some drills!" shouted Spitfire as she blew her whistle, with Mario being closest as his ears rang for a bit, to which he had to put his hands to them.

The others all began to head over as Mario finally got himself to stop shaking.

"Hey, thanks for earlier," said Zipp as she approached the boy.

"No big deal," responded Mario.

"Name's Zipp."

"Mario."

"So, you gonna try out?"

"Don't know. Maybe I won't be around long," the boy said to the girl; they heard Spitfire's whistle as she threatened to have both stay behind to put everything away.

With the addition of Mario, Spitfire continued her tryouts. The students subjugated to her intense workout as she wanted to see who had what it took to be on the team. From the beginning, Spitfire had kept an eye on Zipp as seeing the girl move reminded her of someone she once knew. However, Mario was also making some waves as he proved to be just as good a player as the girl. Meanwhile, in the background, Thunder was still running the laps Spitfire had him do as he was nearly out of breath.

"Alright, last one!" said Spitfire as she blew her whistle.

On the field were Mario and Zipp, as the woman had everyone paired up to play a small game of first to five to see if they could use all they had learned.

"Alright, you ready?" said Zipp as she held the ball and set it down.

"Yeah," responded Mario nonchalantly.

"I'll let you start with it first," the girl said as she passed the ball to him.

"You sure you want to do that?" responded the boy.

"Yeah," responded Zipp, not seeing the hidden meaning. Hopping on her feet, ready to counter whatever he might attempt.

After five seconds or so, Mario shrugged as he made his move. He dribbled the ball off to the side. Just as he suspected, Zipp was ready and sidestepped to block him. But he was also ready and faked her out by darting in the other direction. Surprisingly, it worked, and Mario dribbled the ball to her goal as best as he could.

"Not so fast!" cried out Zipp. She raced over to the goal to guard it and hopped on her feet to ready herself.

With a swift move, Mario kicked the ball toward the goal. Zipp dove to block it... and missed. The ball sailed right by her feet and into the net. The girl was in awe at herself. As for Mario, the boy held a smug smile, as it seemed the girl had made a huge mistake giving him the ball first and underestimating him a bit. Zipp kneeled on the ground and looked at Mario before chuckling; the girl turned her head while wagging her finger as she laughed.

"Heh, this guy," smiled Zipp. It seemed that Mario had no regret kicking a girl's ass, and... she liked that.

She got up, brushing the grass off of her clothes. She got the ball from the back of the goal.

"Alright, superstar, you got lucky." she smirked, "Let's see how you do on defense. And this time, I ain't holding back."

"Oh, you mean you were?" smiled Mario smugly.

"You son of a bitch," muttered Zipp with a smile as she started to like the boy more and more.

Even from watching from the side, Spitfire could see their small rivalry as she enjoyed it. If there was one thing she knew from being on the team, it meant you had to get better if you had one person to challenge you.

Zipp tossed the ball down, and before it could register in Mario's mind, she kicked the ball up with the top of her foot and headbutted it over her head. She bolted to the ball, and Mario did his best to keep up. He chased after her as she expertly dribbled the ball. She wasn't three-quarters of the way across the field before she kicked it hard, and it flew into Mario's goal, bringing the score to a tie. Zipp glanced back at the boy with a smirk and her hands on her hips. It was a rather alluring pose, but Mario quickly refocused his mind back on the game as it was now his ball.

Mario jogged to his goal and got the ball. He didn't know as fancy tricks as Zipp did, but he knew how to fake someone out. He moved his foot as he was about to kick it, and it worked exactly as planned. Zipp strafed to the side, and Mario seized the opportunity by kicking it in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, she was too fast, and his kick was too weak. She stopped the ball with her knee and, in an expert move, kicked it up with her foot and headbutted it right into the boy's goal. Mario glanced back at the ball and back at her. His eyes widened at how she expertly executed the play in such a pinch. Zipp stood heroically with her hands on her hips and that signature smirk.

"Nice try," she said.

Mario gritted his teeth as he went back to get the ball. Now he was fired up. He scored one goal; he could score another, At least one more. While the teen was firing himself up, Zipp saw the boy display his grit, and she was beginning to admire his resolve. He didn't stay down for long whenever he was kicked down, as he popped right back up with a determined look. That grit, that never say die attitude, never give up. Mario placed the ball down and decided to just kick it. With all of his might, he gave the ball a good punt, which Zipp blocked and kicked right back into his goal, earning her a third point.

With a heavy sigh, he went back to get the ball again. Now, he wasn't wasting any time thinking. He was going to wing it again. Without a second thought, he threw the ball down and began dribbling over to Zipp's side of the field. It caught the girl off guard by some miracle, and he got to pass her! His eyes were locked onto the goal, dribbling as fast as he could. He was almost there. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and tripped, falling flat on his face. Zipp was just about to get it before Mario quickly got up, swiftly using his knee to push it out of her reach and buying him just enough time to regain control of the ball. He chuckled in his head at the sound of Zipp growling behind him. Mario kicked the ball into her goal abruptly, bringing him to two points. Now it was his turn to look smugly at his opponent.

Zipp gave Mario a look of annoyance as she got the ball. The boy kept himself on his toes, waiting to see what she'll try next. The girl turned around and quickly kneed the ball over his head. At least, she tried too, but Mario used his head to block it and miraculously hit it back into her goal, bringing the score back to a tie. Zipp's eyes look more determined than ever. She got the ball and stared the boy dead in the eye.

She dropped the ball, maintaining eye contact with the teen. She smirked and kicked the ball under his legs before Mario could react. As soon as he realized what had happened, his face heated up. Mario could hear Zipp laughing as he chased her. Inevitably, with the goal vulnerable, she scored again.

Mario did not wait to see her smirk at him, headed straight for the ball, and wasted no time dribbling it over to the other side of the field. Zipp tried to stop him, but Mario managed to thwart each of her attempts. He got past her and kicked the ball at the halfway line, scoring another point. The boy turned to glance at the girl, but she was already heading for the ball. His heart was pounding. This was it. Four to four. The next point wins. Zipp's stare was filled with ice-cold determination and zeal. It was like looking in a mirror. She began dribbling the ball expertly, blocking every one of Mario's attempts to steal the ball.

Nevertheless, he kept trying. When it became clear that he'd never be able to steal the ball from her, he decided to go on the defensive. Mario sprinted to the goal to guard it, hopping from side to side to prepare himself for anything she may do. Furling her eyebrows, she kicked the ball, and he dove in its direction. But he missed, and it went flying over his head into the goal.

"Alright, that's game!" shouted Spitfire as she blew her whistle.

Zipp was celebrating her win by doing a fist pump. The girl then saw Mario as he was on a knee. The boy picked himself up and dusted the grass off himself; he merely looked at the girl before walking off the field.

"Alright, fall in!" said Spitfire as she called for everyone to gather.

By then, Thunder had managed to finish running his fifty laps. He arrived and fell flat on the ground.

"I said to be back here 30 minutes ago, Thunder!" shouted the coach as he was too tired to respond. "Anyways, I'm here to tell you the final results of the tryouts."

Spitfire then ran down her listen as she revealed the final roster. Some students didn't make the final cut, but Spitfire told them to take it with pride. To not let this sting of defeat deteriorate them and to try again next time. Among the people to make it were Zipp, Thunder, Zoom, and even Mario as a late addition; it seemed the Spitfire saw the same thing the girl saw when facing the boy on the field; his grit and passion for never giving up.

"Alright, for the rest of you that made. Congrats. But don't expect me to give you a medal or something. That's stuff only for winners. You want a friend? Go get a dog!" shouted Spitfire. "Anyways, practices are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Our scheduled games take place on Friday. Drop by my office tomorrow, and I'll need your sizes for jerseys and cleats. And any medical reports for shit like that. Dismissed."

The students all began to disburse as Thunder was still lying on the grass, out of breath, and passed out.

"Zoom, carry his ass out and tell him the news when he wakes up," said Spitfire as she walked over the boy's body.

"Great," groaned Zoom as she grabbed her friend's arms and began to drag him off the field.

Mario was sitting on a bench as he was tying his shoe.

"Hey, good game," said Zipp.

"Thanks."

"So.. where did you learn to play like that?" asked the girl as she sat next to the boy on the bench.

"I used to play when I was a kid. Haven't played since then," said Mario as he zipped up his backpack.

"Well, you got game, I'll give you that. Can't wait to start playing with you," said Zipp as she extended her fist.

Mario looked at it as he stood up. The boy took a moment before extending his fist and bumping it into the girl's.

"See ya around," said Mario as he slumped his backpack over his shoulder.

"See ya," said Zipp.

As Mario slung his backpack over his shoulder, an object fell out of his bag. He didn't notice it, but Zipp certainly did, as the small deck box was on the grass. She picked it up and tried to call out to the boy.

"Hey! You forgot-" Zipp was attempting to get Mario's attention, but he was soon out of view.

Zipp looked at the item in her hand as she took the top cover off to reveal a deck of cards inside. She took the first card inside out and flipped it around to see it. The teen looked at the card as she looked in the direction Mario went in.

"Zipp... cool girl," said the boy as he was heading back to his dorm. A small smile on his face.

He made it to his home and stepped through the door.

"Where were you? I thought you'd be here!" said Roll as she was let out of band practice and was surprised to see that her older brother wasn't there.

"I had tryouts," said Mario as he headed for the stairs.

"Tryouts? Huh... you mean... you joined a club," said the girl with a smile forming on her face.

"It's a sport, not a club, sis."

"It's still extracurricular. You actually joined something!"

"Not of my own free will, I'll say."

"So, did you make it?"

"Yeah, I made the soccer team. Happy?" remarked the boy to his younger sibling.

"Yes! This is perfect! Sunny and I are in Band class and will play at all your games. And Izzy and Pipp joined the cheerleading squad. So they'll be cheering for you. This is great! We'll all be together like one big group!" expressed Roll.

"Great," groaned Mario as he was climbing the first steps.

He soon felt something from behind as Roll hugged him. The girl was happy that her brother had come out of his shell and was participating in something. It was progress, even if he didn't fully choose on his own accord. Progress that... maybe... she would get her old brother back. Mario sighed as he popped a small smile for his sister.

Author's Note: Seems Mario is slowly coming out of his shell. Even his sister was recalling when they were younger and how much happier he was. Seeing the appearance of several more familiarfaces and Mario starting to get his smile back, being a part of the soccer team and at the same time, meeting Zipp as the two seem to have hit off pretty well.