"Alright, Hitch, you can do this," said the boy as he stood before a set of doors and cleared his throat. "So, Sunny… ah, no! Sunny-bunny, no, don't call her that. Sup, Smoothie Girl. You and me… Oh, who am I kidding? I'm not Mario! I don't have his cool and swagger."

The teen took a deep breath as he looked at the notepad he had in his hands. He eyed what he wrote before recalling his friend's words about asking his girl out on a real date. Hitch closed his eyes before he put his hand on the handle and turned it. He opened the door, and before speaking, he paused to see the sight before him.

"Oh, hey, Hitch!" said Sunny, calling out to her boyfriend.

"Sup, Sheriff!" said Zipp.

The boy had expected Sunny to be alone so they could have a few minutes to themselves at breakfast, and he could ask her out. However, it seemed all the other girls, minus Mario, were already up and seated in the dining room. The boy's plan to ask his best friend out was put on hold as he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of their other friends.

"H-Hey, girls," said Hitch, putting his notepad behind him as he approached the table.

He sat by Sunny, who served him a plate before kissing his cheek.

"I made your favorite," said the girl.

"Thanks, Sunny," said Hitch as he smiled at his best friend before she began to eat.

"So, about Mario…" started Sunny to the group.

At that moment, the doors opened, and the boy in question walked in. Mario sat at the dining table and began loading his plate of food. Sunny looked at her friend, and given how yesterday had played out with Zipp and her intentions to regain his confidence, she was a bit hesitant. Once Mario had his food, he began to munch on it, not seeing the look Sunny was giving him.

"What?" said the boy as he finally looked at the girl.

"Just wanting to see how you are after yesterday."

"Fine," said the boy, taking a bite of his hotcakes.

"R-Right. So… Mario, what do you think of your friends?" asked Sunny.

"I tolerate you, Smoothie Girl. Hitch is obsessed with rules, Rich Girl has boy problems, Chica only cares about her followers, and Izzy's basically a pet," answered Mario.

"Arf!" barked Izzy with her hands bent as she raised them as if begging.

"Good Izzy," said Roll as she began petting her head like a dog before shoving some cereal pieces into her mouth like a treat.

"Welcome back, Lover boy," said Zipp as he smiled.

"It's good to be back," replied Mario. Sunny was ecstatic that her friend was returning to his old self.

Twilight was pacing back and forth in her room as she nervously bit her fingernails. It'd been roughly 19 hours since her husband last called and left that message that he would take care of something in Maritime City regarding Opaline and her forces. She recalled that he said if he hadn't responded in a day, then to finish preparing the kids, but she had told her husband that when he finished what he did to come home to them immediately. Twilight's anxiety was through the roof as she debated on whether or not to pick up the phone and call her husband herself. She had to have faith and trust her husband was okay and would contact her when he could. But… the thought weighed on her mind.

"Please be okay, honey," muttered Twilight as she rubbed her arms.

A while later, Hitch was in the foyer as he tried to go over his plan to ask Sunny out. The boy was struggling with how to ask his girlfriend out, as he couldn't seem to work up the nerve to do it. Every scenario in his head, he struggled to get the words out.

"Sunny, I just want…"

"You want what?" said Roll, slapping her hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Ahhh!" barked Hitch as he fell over from the sudden sneak up by the girl. "Roll, don't do that."

"Sorry, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity," the girl smirked before hopping onto the couch and landing on it before looking down at her friend on the floor. "Fixing on how to approach Sunny for a date?" stated the teen, looking at Hitch's notepad on the couch.

"Trying to is the better word," responded the boy as he still lay on the floor.

"Every think, maybe, I don't know… just go for it. She's already your girlfriend, Hitch. I'm sure if you just ask her out on a date, she's not going to reject it," responded Roll, giving some sound logic to help her friend.

"Yeah, but I don't sound like an idiot when I ask her out."

"Could've fooled me," muttered Roll with a smile.

"Why can't I practice going on a date?" said the boy.

"I mean… what's stopping you?" replied Roll.

"Huh?"

"Well, you just said you'd like to practice going on a date. The way I see it, nothing is stopping you from doing it."

Hitch took a moment to register what Roll said. In his mind, a clock was ticking slowly before it struck midnight, and he let out a loud ring as he now understood what she meant.

"Roll, that's… a really smart idea. You're a genius,"

"Yeah, I know. I get my smarts from my mother," said the girl, playing into Hitch's boasting of her with a smile. "So, what's the game plan?"

"Well, I need to ask somebody to help me out. I doubt Zipp is gonna want to. Izzy might be a bit… eccentric for this task. You'd think Pipp might be able to help me?"

"Yeah, if she's not busy with my brother. Or… you could just ask me for help," said Roll, looking at her friend.

"NO!" said Hitch as he immediately stood up and slowly backed away from the girl.

"What's the matter, sheriff?"

"No way. I'm not asking you."

"Why?"

"One word: Mario. That's reason enough alone."

The boy was terrified of asking Roll for her help as he knew that her big brother was enough of a threat for any guy who was looking to potentially ask Roll out, as he'd have no problem beating their ass.

"Alright, counterpoints: One, it's a fake date. Two, he doesn't have to know. Three, I'm doing this because you're my friend, and I want to help. Four… you desperately need help."

"You could've just left off at three. Why'd you have to include that last one?"

"Because I don't pull my punches, sheriff," smirked Roll. "Hitch, you should know me by now. Have faith in me. Do you trust me?"

The boy took a moment. He knew the girl's element was trust, and it was her strong suit. Looking at his friend, he didn't see any way out.

"Alright."

"Don't worry, Hitch. I'll make sure you're back in one piece for Sunny," Roll smirked as she patted his right cheek. "Be ready in an hour."

Roll tossed his notepad at her; he nearly fumbled it before getting a firm hold of it. He then took a deep breath, hoping this practice date could help him. An hour later, the two teens met at a restaurant that Pipp had taken them to before, as they figured it'd be the best place to help the boy with his conversation skills. The two entered as they were seated and brought to a table; before Roll could speak, Hitch immediately pulled out the chair for her as she smiled and appreciated it.

"Alright, you've got the first step down. Be a gentleman," said Roll before they were given glasses of water and a menu to look over.

"How are you doing so far?" asked Roll.

"Not sweaty," answered Hitch.

"I'll take it. Usually, when you're on dates, you ask each other about their interests and what they like, something to gauge them. But since you've known Sunny your whole life, we can forget that part."

"Right. So, what should we talk about?"

"See what's on her mind recently. I know we got the whole issue of taking down Opaline and her forces, but… see what else has been weighing on her mind as of late," suggested Roll, taking a sip of her water.

"In that case, what about you?"

"Pardon?"

"What's been on your mind, Roll? I know you're glad your brother is back to normal. But… how are you feeling about all this? Especially after that guy and the incident in the hospital," asked Hitch.

The boy caught the girl off guard, as she didn't expect him to ask her that question. She nearly coughed her water out but caught herself before setting her glass down.

"Well, it's… complicated. I'm glad Mario is back, but I don't know if you noticed this when he was down. But… was he a bit more… friendly than before?"

"Y-Yeah."

"That's how he used to be. And I'm seeing glimpses of that again. Maybe it's a sign," said the girl, hoping her brother could become what he used to be.

"As for what happened in the hospital regarding Bolt Switch? I don't know, Hitch. He says he has some personal beef with my father. Saying he did something to his father, but I don't believe for one second that my dad intentionally harmed his. Even if it was in a duel, my father isn't the type of person to go off the rails. I don't know what Opaline has whispered into his ears, but I know the truth. My father would never be that type of person."

"I believe you, Roll. And I'm not just professing that because you're my friend. It's like you said, I trust you. And you're the most trustworthy person I've met. Even in our introduction, I could tell you were someone I could rely on. And I'm glad we met. I believe you if you say your father isn't at fault. But… if I could play devil's advocate for just a moment… what if… what if part of it is true?"

"I just can't afford to believe that, Hitch. I just can't," said the girl, putting her head down.

The boy could see how this issue was affecting his friend. He felt guilty for bringing it up, so he grabbed her hand.

"Hey, I'm sorry I-"

"No. It's okay, Hitch," said Roll, smiling at her friend.

She returned the gesture and squeezed the boy's hand as it held hers.

"I appreciate you asking me this. It felt like I needed to express my thoughts and let them out. And you're the perfect person for me to vent to. Thanks, Hitch."

"No problem."

The two friends smiled as they released their hold just as the waiter came to them and took their orders.

Mario lay on the estate's front lawn, looking at the sky with his hands behind his head. He replayed everything that had happened to him, from his mood to his regained confidence. The boy was now fully on board with helping his friends and sisters take down Opaline and her forces. His past with Rose was in the past, and he had to focus on the future and protect it.

Rose…

"Is it okay if I join you?"

Mario opened his eyes and stared at Pipp, bent over with her hands on her legs. The girl smiled as she looked at her crush.

"Not at all," smiled Mario as he sat up and rested his arm on his leg.

Pipp came behind the boy as she rested her arms over his shoulder. The boy didn't even push the girl off; he let her do her thing while the two watched the sky and clouds roll by.

"It's a nice view, isn't it," said the girl. "I hope we get to see it again."

"Yeah," Mario said as he took in the view. "Hey, Pipp… thanks again. I, uh, I really appreciate your effort in helping me get my mojo back."

"Just living up to my name," said the girl, leaning in and kissing his cheek before completely hugging him and resting her head against his back with closed, blissful eyes. "We can't save the world from imminent doom without you, you know."

"Yeah, I know. The same goes for you, Pipp."

"So… when do we leave?"

"Hey, you guys!"

The pair turned as Izzy was approaching them.

"Hey, Izzy," greeted Mario.

"So, are you really coming with us?" asked the girl.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," smiled Mario.

"Awesome! I can't wait to see us beat those dark meanies. It's gonna be so cool, and we got you, Mario!"

"Thanks, Izzy," smirked the boy at how she was trying to hype him up.

Haven watched the kids from her window. The businesswoman looked concerned, as she was still against the idea of her daughters having to go to war. The past events in Zephyr Heights showed how serious this threat was. She still wished her children didn't have to be a part of this, but it was useless in changing their minds, especially Zipp's.

They're so young to be caught up in all this.

Roll and Hitch had finished their lunch and were continuing their practice date.

"Alright, so you know Sunny like the back of your hand. You two are basically a married couple at this point,"

"Seriously!" exclaimed Hitch, not liking Roll's comment about his friendship with his girlfriend.

"Calm down, sheriff. So, look at these places and tell me what you think Sunny would like?"

The girl stepped to the side as they stood before a huge plaza of shops. The boy looked at the many buildings and imagined what his girlfriend might like.

"You narrowed it down?" asked Roll.

"Karoroke, since I know, Sunny loves to sing, and she's got one hell of a singing voice. I mean, when we performed for the kids' birthday party, god, the way she sang. She sounded hot while looking hot."

"Okay, Casanova, focus. Come back to reality," said Roll, snapping her fingers to get Hitch out of his daydream about his girlfriend. "What else?"

"Well, she likes to do puzzles, so I think the escape room building is a good place for her."

"Okay, what else?"

"Well, I know she loves ice cream. And that ice cream parlor is a good place to end the date."

"Alright, looks like we got a game plan, sheriff."

At that moment, the girl's phone began to ring. She pulled it out, as the contact was her mother.

"Hey, Mom. I'm with Hitch. Is everything okay?"

The girl listened to her mother, and Hitch looked at her, trying to understand what they were saying. The only clue he could get was Roll's look of concern.

"We're heading back now," said Roll as she ended the call.

"What happened?" asked the boy.

"We need to get back to the estate. Now," said Roll as she began to turn and walk away. Hitch was left in the dark as he just followed suit.

The two teens returned to the estate and saw their friends in the main living room. The girl's mother stood before a laptop, where her AI assistant projected many hologram video cameras. She typed away on her device.

"What's going on?" said Hitch.

"That's what we want to know," said Sunny as they sat.

"Mom, what's the matter?" asked Roll.

"It's your father, sweetie."

"What happened to Dad?"

"Well, the good news… he's okay. I was worried since I hadn't heard from him in 24 hours, and he gave me instructions on what to do if I didn't hear from him then. Thankfully, he called just moments before I contacted you. The bad news…"

"Yeah?" said Zipp.

"Listen to this."

Twilight pushed a button on her laptop as she played the call she got from her husband.

"Twilight, it's me… if you can hear this… then things are really bad. Maritime City- is a ghost town. Opaline and her forces have taken everybody here. She's waiting for us… it's safe to say the time has come. Get the kids ready… war is coming."

"Wait- what did he mean by Maritime City is a ghost town?" asked Sunny.

"Look."

Twilight pushed another button, as she now had live satellite footage of the city. The kids looked at the hologram projections, and sure enough, they saw the entire city from different sections. Not a single soul was in sight. Nothing remained. The shadows that had appeared and taken everyone were long gone, replaced by emptiness. Seeing the city so barren left Sunny and Hitch speechless, as their once former home was essentially gone.

"It seems Opaline has set the battlefield, and as a result, she and her allies have taken everyone living in the city to the shadows. She sent out this."

"For those that don't know me, let me introduce myself. I am Opaline Arcana. And what you see before is a display of what's to come. My allies and I have taken everyone from Maritime City, and we will continue to do so across the world till there is nothing but darkness and chaos. And I take my rightful place as ruler of this world. Unless your so-called guardians can defeat me and my allies in sacred combat, there's no stopping me. So… guardians- I'm waiting for you. The battlefield has been set. The war between light and darkness is here. Now then… what are you waiting for? Come and defeat us- if you can!"

After Opaline's transmission ended, the teens all took a moment and looked at each other.

"So, everyone we know is gone?" spoke Sunny.

"Hold on, if everyone was taken. How is he still able to contact you?" asked Zipp.

"Well, my husband and Sunny's father were able to escape the shadows that took everyone. In other news, it seems the Bay Area wasn't affected. So the few people that are still there are okay. But… without any excavation, they seem to be trapped."

"My father is there?" responded Sunny.

"Yes. My husband asked for his help. With how quickly Opaline struck, it's clear there's no time left. Tomorrow morning, you all head for Maritime City," said Twilight.

The sudden announcement drew dread and worry in all the teens. Hitch stood up and immediately grabbed Sunny's hand as he led his girlfriend away for a moment of privacy.

"Hitch, did you hear? Our home… we-"

"Sunny, I want you and me to go on a date."

"Huh?"

The girl was not prepared for what her boyfriend said. Hitch stood before her with a determined and serious expression as he grabbed Sunny's hands.

"Look… I know it may not be the best time, but after what we just saw and heard, if this is gonna be our last day together, I want to make it one to remember. Sunny… will you go out with me?"

"Hitch…"

The girl raised her hand to grab her boyfriend's face as he held her while looking into her eyes.

"Yes," responded Sunny.

Nightfall had fallen on the city as Sunny stood before the mirror in her room, admiring her appearance. The only difference was that instead of her regular jacket, Pipp had kind enough to lend her a denim cropped long-sleeved short jacket to wear for her outing with Hitch.

"Look at you, girlfriend," said Roll who sat on the girl's bed.

"I'm a bit nervous. I've never seen Hitch so serious. I guess hearing what happened to our old home has him worried that he wants to make tonight special."

"I can't blame him. Tomorrow we're going into battle. And there's a possibility we all may never come back."

"Roll, thank you. I'm so grateful to have met you and the others. I've never had friends like you guys, apart from Hitch. And I so badly want all of us to see through safely. Thank you."

The girl hugged her friend as the two shared an emotional hug.

"I'm glad I met you, Sunny," responded Roll.

Outside, Hitch stood before the car Zipp lent him, and he kept looking at the window of Sunny's room. Mario stood on the other side of the car as he twirled the keys on his finger.

"I never expected you to outright ask Sunny on a date after what we learned earlier."

"I had to. If we're going to fight Opaline and there's a chance neither of us make it, then I want our last time together to be memorable."

"I respect it, bro. So, you ain't nervous?"

"A little, but… I'm more determined than ever before. Tonight is about making sure me and Sunny remember this moment for the rest of our lives," stated Hitch as he took a moment to collect himself before looking at his friend. "Hey, Mario. I know I've said this before to you, but I appreciate you helping me. Matter of fact, I appreciate you as my friend."

"Eh, think nothing of it man."

"I do, bud. You've helped me more times than I can count. I really appreciate that. I'm glad you're my bro."

"Hey, right back at you, bud," said Mario as he and Hitch exchanged a quick bro hug and a firm hand gesture to end it.

The door to the estate opened, and Sunny emerged. The girl saw her friends as she proceeded to walk down the stairs.

"All yours, bud," said Mario as he tossed the keys to the car to Hitch who caught it in one hand. "Don't stay out too late."

Mario gave a wink before walking up the stairs as he and Sunny stopped halfway. The two exchanged looks before the girl wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you, Mario. I couldn't ask for a better person to call my brother," Sunny said.

"Well… you're a pretty good little sister yourself, Sunny," said Mario as he wrapped his arms around the girl before kissing her head. "Enjoy yourselves."

The boy then released his arms as he walked past her to the estate. Sunny turned to her boyfriend as she walked the rest of the flight until she came face to face with her best friend.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"You look as beautiful as you can be."

"And you… look as dashing you always are."

The two best friends exchanged smiles before Hitch opened the door for Sunny; she gave him a quick peck on his lips before entering. The boy then entered the other side and began to drive them out of the estate and into town. The drive into Zephyr Heights was a calm and quiet one. Sunny held Hitch's hand, curious to see what her best friend had planned.

The pair arrived at the escape room, where Hitch had explored with Roll earlier.

"Welcome, kids, to the "Jail Break" escape room. Once I close this door, you'll have one hour to find the key and escape. All the clues you need are hidden in this room. I'll be right outside the door. If you absolutely need to leave the escape room before the hour is up, that's the panic button right over there," the employee pointed to the big red button on the wall for the teens to see. "Press it and I'll come and let you out. Now, if you be so kind as to give me your phones."

Sunny and Hitch pulled out their devices as they handed them over.

"Alright, you two. Good luck and happy escaping," said the woman as she exited the cell and shut the door to lock Hitch and Sunny in.

"I know this isn't the "historically inaccurate" escape room themes that you normally enjoy, but I figured we'd have fun regardless," said Hitch as he looked at his best friend.

"It's fine, Hitch. It's still perfect," smirked the girl, giving her boyfriend a quick peck on the lips. "Now let's get to solving."

The time had already begun ticking down as the two teens began looking around for clues to begin their escape. They saw the locker stationed outside and figured it must hold the key to escape. Sunny approached and stuck her hands through the bars, noting that the locker had a combination lock with three number dials. Hitch spotted the bed and saw something peeking out of the side.

"Look. A letter," said the boy as he opened the envelope.

"What's it say?" asked Sunny, peering over her boyfriend's shoulder as he read it aloud.

"Dear Prisoner, The Code is my name. Sincerely, Your PAL."

"Huh."

"The word "PAL" is capitalized. Maybe it's a clue. Maybe the code for the lock combination is P-A-L," said Hitch.

"Wait, there's more," said Sunny, as she noticed and pointed to the bottom right corner of the letter where some small writing was shown. "AB=14."

"What does that mean?"

"So perhaps the letter "A" is in the word "PAL." And "A" and "B" are numbers that add up to 14, right?"

"Right," said Hitch.

"So…" stated Sunny as she sat on the bed to think about the puzzle.

When the girl sat on a specific spot of the mattress, she felt something that made her stand up. Hitch was concerned for his girlfriend as she rubbed her butt as she felt something poke it. She began to feel the edge of the mattress, and to her surprise, she found she could lift it; the two teens saw a book stationed where Sunny sat. Hitch grabbed it and opened it to find another math problem.

"Great if one math problem wasn't bad enough, now we got another one to solve. It's like the freakin' SAT's," remarked Hitch, getting a small giggle from Sunny, finding the joke her boyfriend made amusing.

"Come on, Hitch. Have a little faith. I'm sure we can figure this out."

Fifteen minutes passed as the two teens tried to figure out the math problems they were given but had no such luck.

"I'm starting to lose it, Sunny," said Hitch as he was getting pretty fed up.

"We're close to solving it, I know we are."

"At least one of us has hope," remarked the boy as he sat on the toilet against the wall and leaned back.

He let out a sigh as he stared up at the wall. When he looked to put his head down, he noticed something as he got off and stuck his hand inside it.

"Hitch, really?" responded Sunny in a disgusted voice.

"It's not a real toilet. Besides, look what I found," said the boy, pulling out a flashlight and turning it on. A purple light shone.

"A UV flashlight! Shine it at the walls and ceilings!" stated the girl as an idea began to pop into her head.

Hitch aimed the flashlight upward as he began scanning their surroundings. Eventually, he passed over some hidden writing before returning and shining the light directly on it to reveal the secret message.

"It says "B equals 8." "A" plus "B" equals 14!" exclaimed the girl.

"That means "A" equals 6!" responded Hitch. "So the second number on the combination lock must be 6!"

"What I'd tell you? We're cracking the code!" said Sunny as she wrote down what A meant. "So that means… carry the one, add this- I figured out the problem in the book. "P" equals 2. So now that we know what two of the letters mean, we just need to figure out what the letter "L" equals."

"We've searched the entire room. I don't see any clue left that tells us what L could be," said Hitch.

Sunny looked around and only noticed the hanging calendar in the room. She approached the wall and tried to grab it but couldn't reach it even while jumping. She was determined to get it, as it might hold the clue. She was then taken by surprise when she felt herself being picked up. Hitch came under her and lifted her onto his shoulders. The girl looked at her boyfriend, who smiled at her.

"Need a hand?" smirked the boy.

"You're the best," smiled Sunny. "Just don't drop me."

The boy felt Sunny's thighs around his head as he didn't mind the feeling of having his girlfriend's legs around his head. He put those thoughts aside briefly as he ensured Sunny had a firm support to avoid dropping her. The girl extended her arms up with the boost from her best friend. She reached the calendar, grabbed it, and looked at it before flipping it over.

"Well?"

"Someone wrote the words "life in prison" on the calendar. Hmm. The letter L is on a date. The fifth. Oh! The last number on the lock must be 5!" said Sunny.

"That it's!" said Hitch as he removed Sunny's thighs from his shoulders and tossed the girl up.

Sunny let out a yelp, feeling herself tossed before coming down. Hitch caught her in his arms. The girl felt rushed as she didn't expect her boyfriend to do that.

"Give me a warning next time!"

"Come on, Sunny. You know I'm always gonna be here to catch you," the boy smirked as he gently set his girlfriend down. "Now let's unlock the door."

The two approached the cell, and Hitch stuck his hand through the bars to grab the combination lock. Sunny relayed the numbers to her boyfriend, who spun the dials to match them.

"2… 6… 5!"

A click made both teens smile before Hitch took the lock off and opened the door. Inside, there was a key that they needed to open the cell. The two looked at the time as Hitch grabbed the key and stuck it through the port. Another click was heard before the boy slid the door open, and the two exited the cell. The timer stopped, and they solved the place with ten minutes to spare.

"We did it!" exclaimed the pair, exchanging a high five before doing their signature handshake. "Up high, down low, hitch it to a post. Flip it sunny side up and on a piece of toast!"

The two touched their raised hands together, lowered them, and touched again. Hitch switched arms and rested his hand beneath hers, miming flipping a pancake; she clapped her hand onto his. The routine finished as she did a playful nudge and giggle before sealing the deal with a kiss.

"Come on!" said Hitch, grabbing his girlfriend's hand as they left through the door.

The rest of the night was spent with Sunny experiencing the date Hitch had planned. After their escape room, they headed to the restaurant that he had gone to with Roll earlier in the day, as Sunny was amazed by their special reservation, and Haven managed to get them at the last minute. The two were given a private seating where they wouldn't be bothered and were allowed to order whatever they wanted as she had it covered. The two were treated to a rather delicious dinner, and the two best friends couldn't stop looking at each other and holding each other's hands. They arrived at the karaoke place, where they rented a room. The boy sat there, listening to his girlfriend's amazing singing voice, and he fell in love with her again.

Eventually, the date was approaching its end. The two were now on a hill on the city's outskirts, sitting on the car's hood with ice cream. The two teens looked up at the sky. Without the city lights, they could see a few stars out and about, which gave them a peaceful sight.

"Look at the stars," said Sunny.

"Reminds me of when we lived in Maritime Bay and we could see them every night from there rather than from the city," responded Hitch.

"Oh, look at that constellation," said the girl as she pointed to the sky. "That right there is called the Big Dipper. And the Little Dipper is just a few clicks away from it."

"Oh, I see it," said the boy as he saw what his best friend was making out.

"The scientific names for both of them are called the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor," stated Sunny as she used her hand to point at one constellation and the other. "The Major is the parent and the Minor is the baby. And even though they're stars apart, we can see them both. They're always together, always. It's what my dad told me."

Hitch glanced at his girlfriend. The mention of her dad made her look worried for a moment, but it soon disappeared. However, the boy knew his best friend well and could tell her father was on her mind.

"Hey, you're worried about your father, aren't you?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm glad he's okay. But… I can't help but wonder, what might've happened if he was taken. I don't know if I would've gone through then," said the girl as her mood changed. "To think that Opaline and her forces have destroyed our once home… it's scary…"

The girl felt her uneasiness as she clutched her heart.

"I'm sorry, Hitch. I know you planned for this night to be special, but I just ruined it by expressing my insecurities and doubts."

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here for you, Sunny," said Hitch as he grabbed the girl's hand.

The boy then sat up, grabbed Sunny, and positioned her so she could sit firmly on his lap while looking at him.

"It's okay to be sacred. Like I said with Mario before, I'm terrified as well. But… we have to do this. We have to stop Opaline from doing what she did to Maritime City, Zephyr Heights, Canterlot City, and the entire world. We're not doing this alone, we're going in as a team. Besides… I'm always gonna be here for you. I've got you I love you, Sunny-Bunny."

The boy clutched his girlfriend's hips to emphasize his point that he would always be there to keep her safe. Sunny was touched by her best friend's words and courage, so she threw herself at him and planted her lips on his. The boy was pushed back to lean on the car's hood as he lay there with his girlfriend on top of him as she continued to kiss him. The two teens got lost in the moment as they began to open their mouths and let their tongues dance with one another. They soon broke apart as Sunny stared down at her best friend and graced his forehead with her fingers while using her other hand to feel his abs through his shirt. Hitch stared up at his girlfriend as some strands of her hair got loose and fell by her face; he used his hand to push them back while using the back of it to stroke her cheek, making her coo at the touch of her lover.

"Thanks, Hitch. Thank you for a wonderful night. I'll always cherish this for the rest of my life."

"No problem, Sunny. And I promise you, we're gonna get through this. We'll beat Opaline and her dark forces and bring back everyone taken from us. Count on it."

The bravery displayed by the boy was such a turn on for the girl as she couldn't help but capture his lips again as the two continued their makeout session. In this moment, the two were enjoying a blissful sensation. As the two continued, the scene panned upward, and the night sky shone brightly, as tomorrow, the day of reckoning, was finally upon them.

Author's Note: What a shocking development... Things have now turned from calm to serious. The time has come for our group of heroes to confront Opaline and her forces. Next chapter, it begins. Next chapter, the group heads to Maritime City to begin their fight against Opaline.