"Over the past week, roughly 40% of the population in Zephyr Heights has vanished. Sources say it's directly related to the flashing purple lights when big monsters suddenly appeared near the now-collapsed General Hospital and stadium. Authorities are encouraging everyone to be cautious when outside and to remain safe at all-"

"What's the word on your end, Juniper?" asked Isaac as he silenced the TV and listened to what his agent told him on the phone.

"It seems everyone is in a state of panic. The Duel Monsters committee is considering putting it on hold until this issue is resolved. I guess your cover story is working better than you expected."

"So it seems. I just didn't expect Opaline and her forces to cause a worldwide panic," responded the World Champion. "Based on how they came after my kids this time, things are accelerating rapidly."

"How are they?" asked Juniper.

"We got home late last night. Right now, they should be getting up. As for me, I've told Twilight that I will head over to Maritime City to see how things are going. And to meet with my associate."

"Do you need me there?" asked Juniper.

"I can handle it myself, Juniper. I don't want to put you in harm's way."

"Alright, then. If you need anything, just let me know," answered the agent as the call ended.

Mario awoke from his sleep as he sat up. To his initial shock, he was surprised to see that he was back in Haven's estate before he recalled the events of last night. The sudden evacuation of the hospital, to the many people who turned into flashing lights of energy that were absorbed and used to power the monstrous beast that he saw with his mother, to them escaping the collapsing building as they drove toward the woman's mansion. When they arrived, it was late, so their mother's best course of action was to get some rest and reconvene in the morning with the others.

The boy got out of bed and began walking toward the door. Just as he was about to reach for the handle, it popped open, and he was tackled to the floor, landing with a thud. He gave a painful shout as he wondered what had collided with him. To his surprise, it was none other than Pipp. The girl had wanted to check on him ever since she was informed by one of the servants about his arrival late last night.

"What the hell, chica!" exclaimed Mario, lifting his head to see the girl on top of him, hugging him.

"You're okay…"

"Of course, I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be-"

The boy was silenced as the popstar princess captured his lips with hers. The interaction caused both teens to close their eyes as Pipp held Mario's face. The boy then sat up with the girl beside him as the two broke their contact. The girl leaned in to rest her head against the boy's chest as she hugged him. Mario felt the warm touch of the girl as compared to the past; he didn't mind it, but now… he welcomed it. Even more so, he put an arm around Pipp so that he could pass it through her hair as he could smell the scent of her shampoo. It was refreshing and lovely as his senses enjoyed it, and the small touches of perfume she had on that wasn't too overbearing.

Why am I liking this more than I used to?

"I'm glad you're safe," said the pop star, and it filled her heart to know that her friend and crush was okay.

"Y-Yeah. S-Sorry that I worried you," said Mario.

"That's a first."

"What is?"

"You apologizing for worrying us," smiled Pipp with a chuckle.

"Y-Yeah… I guess it is," responded the boy, as it was clear he wasn't the same as before.

Mario, you have friends who will support you until the bitter end. Don't be afraid to rely on them or ask for help. It's not a sign of weakness.

It was clear the words his mother had told him a few days ago had directly affected Mario and his character as he was now looking at Pipp differently.

Downstairs, Haven was in a chaotic state as she'd been receiving nonstop calls from all over the city, each wanting answers regarding last night's events and more missing people. The woman felt she would tear her hair out as she did her best damage control. Twilight was sitting on the opposite couch on her laptop; the card designer was reviewing some of the research Sunny's father gave her as she was putting the final touches on the presentation for the kids.

"I swear to god, these Shadow Duelists are ruining my life!" yelled Haven as she flopped on the couch opposite Twilight and let out a stressful sigh.

"I don't think they planned to ruin your life this way, though," smirked Twilight.

"I know I didn't want Pipp or Zipp to partake in this, but given how much trouble they're giving me and this city, I hope they succeed!" stated Haven, hoping things could return to normal.

At that moment, the kids began to enter the foyer, and Haven excused herself from answering some more calls that came in on her earpiece. Mario entered with Pipp, and the two were shown holding hands. The girl released her grip on the boy before kissing him on the cheek and sitting on the couch. The boy then saw Izzy as he approached the girl.

"Hey, Izzy," said Mario, tapping the girl on her shoulder to get her attention. "Can we… speak privately for a moment?"

"Sure," smiled the girl as she got up and followed Mario to the hallway so they could talk.

The two teens were in the hallway as Mario pulled out something from his blazer. He showed it to Izzy as it was the stone she had given his father to give him as a way to help him heal, according to her beliefs. Izzy saw the crystal as if her message had been passed on.

"Oh, boy, this feels weird," said Mario for what he was about to do. "Look… my father said you gave this to him to give to me."

"Uh-huh," nodded the girl.

"And I… I appreciate it."

"Huh?" said Izzy with a tilt of her head.

"I appreciate you being concerned for me, Izzy. I, uh… I really do. And… I'm sorry for making you worry about me." said Mario. "So, I just want to say thanks. And here."

The boy presented the girl with the stone she had given him, holding it out for her to grab. Izzy looked at the crystal as she took it.

"So, there you go," said Mario, finally deciding what to do and looking to head back inside.

"Thanks."

"Hmm?"

The boy stopped and looked at the girl as he didn't expect her to respond.

"I'm glad it helped," smiled Izzy.

She then did something unexpected as she went for a hug. Just like with Pipp earlier, Mario didn't do what he normally would. He would try to get Izzy off of him any other time, but he didn't even attempt to push the girl off this time. Granted, her embrace was tight, but he'd gotten used to it. Plus, she was worried about him following his defeat with Rose, so it was natural that she was grateful that her friend was safe. Still… it felt unusual for the boy to return the gesture as he put an arm around Izzy and patted her back.

What's wrong with me?

Once Izzy released her hold, the two entered the foyer again. Twilight caught a glimpse of her son and Izzy entering, and she smiled, seeing the new aura around her son following his incident. Once the two joined the others, she began her presentation and gave the details of the past week with her children's run-ins following Opaline's Shadow Officers.

A plane was shown touching down on a runway as it came to a halt. The doors of the private jet opened, and Isaac emerged. The World Champion adjusted his cap and tightened the strap of his backpack over his shoulder as he walked down the stairs. The pro duelist was in Maritime City, hoping to meet with an associate regarding Opaline and her forces. As he drove through the city, he took in the people and saw their expressions; to think that they didn't know that an evil sorceress was underneath their noses and planning to turn this place into a warzone with all these innocent children rubbed him the wrong way. That's why he needed to do all he could right now to help prepare the kids for when they go into battle. As he left the city, he made his way onto a road that led to the bay area. Compared to the massive city filled with people, the small bay area town offered a more calm and quiet tone. There were some shops and other things, including a massive lighthouse that overlooked the town as he eyed his destination. The World Champion pulled to the building as he knocked on the door.

"I'm glad you made it here safely," said Argyle as he poured some tea.

"I appreciate your hospitality, Argyle," responded Isaac as he took the teacup and blew on it before taking a sip.

The pro duelist was meeting with Sunny's father, who had been in Maritime Bay for some time, to help him and his wife stop Opaline.

"So, you and Sunny used to live here?"

"Yes. The bay gives me a sense of clarity and serenity from the hustle and bustle of the city life you're used to. Plus… this is where I met my wife."

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that," said the World Champion, knowing how hard it must've been for the man to lose his wife.

"I appreciate it. But… I've learned to move on. I still keep her memory and have something else to look after. How's my little girl?"

"Sunny is doing well. She's extremely talented; I'll give her that for someone living where Duel Monsters isn't heavily featured. She's picked up the game real quick. Her and Hitch."

"I'm glad to hear that. You know… I don't know if she's told you this. But growing up, she always admired you. Looked to you and your wife as role models of sorts. Every time you were on TV, she couldn't help but watch you. In some ways… I think she might've wanted to become a duelist because of you." said Argyle as Isaac listened to what the man was saying about his daughter. "And in a place like this, that's a rare dream. Few and far between. Which is why… I'm glad we moved to Canterot City. I knew CHS could allow her a chance to realize that dream of hers. And she did… 'cause she got to meet you this past year. Thank you."

"I think I should be telling you that. Thank you… for creating a beautiful daughter," smiled Isaac.

"By the way, you and Twilight have been married for 15-plus years, right?"

"To me, it feels longer. But, there isn't a day that goes by that makes me regret asking Twilight to spend the rest of her life with me," said Isaac as he glanced at the wedding ring. "To think that dueling changed my life and allowed me to meet the girl of my dreams. And now… we have a beautiful family together. I owe my life to this game, this craft, because it's given so much and asked for so little in return. I guess you can say that's one of the reasons why I have a busy schedule, why I choose to be the top social media drawer for this game, to be that top star. To give back to the game that blessed me."

"I heard what happened in Zephyr Heights. How are your kids doing?"

"Mario's healed up. He's tough, but he won't let this set him back. If anything, he'll use it to get stronger. I know my son. And as for Roll, she's like her mother. She gonna keep fighting with her friends. Let me ask you this, Argyle. Do you believe Sunny to be destined for great things?"

"Isn't that every parent's dream?" responded the man as he adjusted his glasses.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… how do you feel about Sunny being chosen to protect the light from this evil force? You probably didn't have much say in her being selected."

"Whatever my daughter does, I support 100%. That's what her mother would do if she were here," stated Argyle. "Now then… while I was waiting for you. I did a bit more research."

The historian sat down, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to Isaac. The World Champion opened the envelope, finding some papers inside. The duelist looked through the papers, seeing old records, drawings, and photographs of the marks on the kids. He also saw the mark that Opaline's top officers had, as there was a bit of writing next to it.

"I'm sure you know this, but just as the kids have marks to protect the light. So does this Opaline and her forces. You had two encounters with her top officers. Well, those officers of hers wield incredible power. Moreso than any of the minions they have. And with that power, they can draw upon the darkness and produce some powerful creatures."

Isaac looked at some of the black and white pictures as he could faintly make out what looked like a dragon and the other a goblin-stein monster that attacked the general hospital in Zephyr Heights.

"Two you've encountered. But there are still others. There's the one they call the Destroyer, the Prophet, the Terror of the Skies, the Thorn Dragon, the Undead Giant, the Siren, and lastly, the Beast of the Land. It is said that these seven powerful creatures can lay waste on the land and leave destruction in their wake. They can only be tamed by those who bear the Mark of the Shadows. As such, they require great power to fuel them."

"Power… like innocent souls," stated Isaac.

"It would seem so. Those missing people in Zephyr Heights, they're not gone, but moreso… they're trapped. Sealed in the beasts."

"Is there a way to bring them back?"

"I'm not sure," the man responded to the World Champion. Nothing he read mentioned what happened to anybody whose energy and life force were absorbed into these beasts of power.

"What can you tell me about these Shadow Officers?" asked Isaac.

"Only those deemed worthy by the darkness are granted these powers. Similar to how the kids have been granted the power of being assigned as the guardians of unity, these officers are known as the bringers of chaos. That's not all; just as the kids each represent a part of a certain aspect of unity, so do these Shadow Duelists."

"Who are they?"

"I'm not sure. But they're each assigned a codename. Wrath, Pride, Animosity, Despair, Fear, Deceit, and Hate." explained Argyle as Isaac looked at the pic of ancient text written on a carved-out tablet.

Kindness, Creativity, Bravery, Courage, Trust, Love, and Hope… Wrath, Pride, Animosity, Despair, Fear, Deceit, Hate…. Opaline, what are you after?

Isaac kept looking at the ancient writing being presented. A crow looked at the World Champion from one of the lighthouse windows. The crow's glowing red eyes as it took off, leaving some black feathers to fall off.

A dark space shows a table with some candles lit. At that moment, a crow flew in and sounded before landing on someone's wrist. The crow disappeared as it was absorbed into the person's hand. When they opened it, nothing was there. The cloaked figure then removed its hood, revealing white hair.

"It seems the World Champion is here in our territory," said the evil sorceress as she eyed her crystal ball.

"I bet he's planning on trying to find us," said another cloaked figure.

"Should we take care of him, Mistress Opaline?" asked another cloaked figure at the table.

"No, Obsidian. I already have another plan in mind."

"Let me at him! This is the moment I've been waiting for!"

"That arrogance of yours can never defeat someone like Isaac, Bolt!" growled Opaline as she eyed one of her soldiers. "I've already arranged something for the World Champion. In the meantime, all of you carry out the final preparations. We're just ready to make our presence known to the world."

Mario was out in the estate's gardens, sitting on a stone wall with his arm resting against his leg. Following the presentation from his mother, it was clear the coming threat was more serious than they expected. With the details of his duel being told to the others and Roll's encounter, the group was shaken, knowing their enemies' power. The boy was lucky that he was still here in this realm, as the next time he would have to fight, Rose would not hesitate to get rid of him.

Rose… even if I partake with the others- I'm not sure anymore if I even have it in me to win this war.

The boy looked at his hand as the flashbacks from his duel with the girl played in his mind. Opaline's plan of his confidence slowing crumbling was succeeding.

"Now my monster… blast my ex!"

"There's nothing I can do! I can't stop this attack!"

"Mario!"

The boy felt his fears return from just remembering the details as he had to grab his shaking hand with his other.

"Hey!"

The boy's attention was grabbed as he turned and saw Zipp approaching him.

"Hope I'm not bothering you."

"N-No, it's fine."

Zipp didn't fully believe Mario's response as she also saw a glimpse of Mario's hand shaking; she figured the boy had some PTSD, given his duel with his ex.

"So… how are you feeling?"

"Much better. Thanks, by the way."

The heiress was slightly taken aback as that was the first time she had heard the boy thank her for doing something like caring for him. In a way, it felt strange, not only to the girl but to Mario himself.

"Yeah, well… what are best friends for, right?" chuckled the heiress as she leaned her arm over the stone wall.

Hearing that from Zipp reminded Mario of his mother's words about friendship in his hospital room.

"Y-Yeah, we are friends," said the boy.

"Okay, are you messing with me?"

"No. Why?"

"You seem… I don't know, different than normal," stated the girl.

"I'm still the same old Mario."

"In that… how about we have a duel? You know, to get you back into spirits?" suggested Zipp, hoping that a duel between them might help shake off some of the rust he had after being bedridden for quite a while.

"Uh, m-maybe later. If you don't mind, Zipp. I just want to be alone for a while. Sorry."

"O-Oh…" said the girl as she didn't expect Mario to refuse her challenge.

The boy just got off and began to walk away as he put his head down and his hands inside his blazer pockets. All the while, Zipp could only watch on as the sight of her friend shook her, knowing he wasn't the same duelist as before. Twilight watched the interaction from one of the estate's windows as she knew what her son was going through. She experienced it years ago with her husband when they were Mario's age, and she was seeing it happen again.

"Here you are, Miss Twilight," said Izzy as she appeared before the woman with something in her hand. "I managed to help restore Mario's damaged duel disk using your advice."

"Thanks, Izzy. I'll make sure he gets it. You're really talented with tools, you know." said Twilight as she took her son's repaired duel disk that Izzy had offered to fix instead of her. "Tell me something, Izzy. Where have you lived for most of your life?"

"Oh, I come from Bridlewood. It's on the outskirts of Canterlot City."

"I see… tell me, what do your parents do for a living?"

"Well, I live my godfather. He runs a tea shop in the city. He's taken care of me my whole life."

"Mmm. I'm sorry to hear that," said Twilight, as it was clear the girl didn't know who her parents were, or they possibly passed away when she was young.

The girl didn't seem quite too bothered as she turned to leave. Twilight took a moment to herself as she approached her laptop to turn it on. On her screen were photos of her kids' friends as she sat down and looked at them. After hearing Izzy's background, the card designer couldn't help but feel some sadness as nearly all her kids' friends had at least one parental figure they didn't have around. In the case of Hitch, he had neither, as the only relative he had left was his grandma. It saddened Twilight that only her kids were lucky enough to have both parents still around. Regardless, she couldn't let her sadness for the kids get in the way of their mission.

Mario had been more or less the same in the past few days. Whenever Zipp tried to get him to duel in hopes that it could get him back to how he was, he'd always decline. There was no doubt that the boy's confidence was rocked to the ground, and not even a friendly duel could get him out of this state of mind. However, despite that, his entire character had changed. The teen was a bit more talkative among the group and showed far less aggression than he typically would've done. Zipp didn't know if she liked the new version of her friend as there was something she did miss about the old Mario, regarding strapping on his duel disk and throwing it down.

The girls were all gathered at the Zephyr Heights Megamall as it was fairly close to closing time, not to mention the sky was grey and covered with clouds. A flash of lightning occurred, followed by a loud and sudden boom. It began to rain moments later, causing some people outside to book it. The girls were shopping for some stuff inside one of the furniture stores, which had been renovated to become part of a boutique. Well,… two particular individuals.

Izzy was going down a rack of clothes and supplies and putting some stuff in a bag; the girl had an idea for her latest project and hummed to herself. However, accompanying her was a less enthusiastic person, as Zipp was bored out of her mind.

"Izzy! Can you hurry up? I'm hungry!" shouted the heiress as her stomach growled from skipping lunch.

"Patience, Zipperdoodle. Being creative means having vision. You don't just see what's in front of you. You imagine what it can be!" said Izzy with a dreamful smile, grabbing her cheeks.

"I envy Mario and Hitch for not coming," mumbled the heiress as she wished she'd gone with the boys to the arcade instead of the mall trip, even if they had a huge 80% discount on everything in the mall.

In the beds' section of the boutique store, Pipp was trying out some pillows as she'd been meaning to get some new fluffier ones to help her get better beauty sleep.

"Oh, come on. It's just a pillow," stated Roll, as she didn't need to see why Pipp was making such a big fuss over it.

"I know, but ever since this boutique expanded into home decor, I can't stop thinking about decorating my room," squealed Pipp.

"What are you looking for?" asked Sunny.

"Hard to describe. I'll know it when I see it. But they say the fluffier the pillow, the better the sleep."

"Who says that?" asked Roll, looking at Sunny.

Pipp plopped her back fist onto a bed, landed her head on the pillow, and sank into it. At that moment, a chime was heard over the PA system, followed by a voice.

"Attention shoppers. The mall closes in five minutes!"

"Pipp, just pick something reasonably fluffy," stated Roll.

"Oh, memory foam!" said the popstar diva as she ignored her friend's plea.

Roll gave Sunny a distasteful look while Sunny smiled.

At the estate, Mario and Hitch had just returned from their trip to the arcade. The latter was in the foyer, with a notepad on his lap. He was in deep thought before he grabbed the sheet he was currently writing on and crumpled it up before tossing it away. Hitch tried again on what he was working only for it to fail. The teen crumpled it up and tossed it without looking as a sound was heard.

"Nice throw," said Mario.

The boy turned around on the couch to see his friend, who stood there, grasping the crumpled paper with one hand.

"Working on something?" asked Mario as he sat across from his friend.

"Well, sort of. Any word on the girls? I heard the storm is gonna get worse." said Hitch.

"Nothing," responded Mario.

"Hey, bud. I don't want to be a bother, but can you help me a bit?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever you need, bro."

Wow… Sunny was right… he's… changed. In a way.

"Well, I took what you said… how me and Sunny are together, but we haven't gone on an official date yet. And if the world is gonna end, then- I at least want to experience that."

"I see."

"So… can you give me some advice?"

"Like what?"

"I know it's kinda touchy, given what we learned about your former girlfriend, but… what was your first date like for the two of you?" asked Hitch.

Mario looked at his friend as he let out an inner sigh. As much as he didn't want to bring up the past with Rose, given she was now evil, a part of him wanted to help his bud with his love life. Perhaps his conscience, or maybe because his mark was supposed to represent love, made him feel responsible for wanting to help Hitch.

"Well-"

At that moment, the foyer lights went off, which caught the boys' attention. A moment later, the lights came back on.

"That was weird," said Hitch.

"You boys okay?" said Twilight as she appeared.

"We're good, Mom."

"What happened?"

"Looks like the storm blew out the power. Luckily, Haven has a backup generator input. So I'm going to go down in the basement and check it out. Shouldn't be long, kids." said Twilight as she left.

"Let's hope the girls are okay in this storm," said Hitch as the two looked out of the window, watching the amount of downpour and wind blowing outside.

Moments before the storm hit, Roll, Pipp, and Zipp watched the TVs on one of the electronic displays as the news forecast was on.

"This is the biggest storm ever to hit Zephyr Heights!" said the reporter.

"Now? Like, right now!" said Pipp, fearing her hair and clothes would be ruined.

"Oh, come on, Pipp. They're just being dramatic when they say now. It's just rain and wind." said Zipp. "What could really happen?"

At that moment, lightning flashed, thunder cracked, and the entire mall went dark. All three let out an initial scream into the darkness as they held onto each other.

"Oh," responded the heiress as she should've kept her mouth shut.

"Guys!" shouted Sunny as she appeared with Izzy by her side as the two had the flashlight on their phones.

"Over here!" said Roll, pulling her phone out to do the same.

"Looks like the power is out. Guess the mall is locked," said Zipp.

"So we can't go home!?" exclaimed Izzy as she started to panic. Zipp smiled sheepishly after the others all glared at her for saying that.

"It's okay. Izzy. It's not like we're trapped in here forever. I'm sure they're a way to turn the power on. Every mall should have a backup generator in times like these. We should try to find it." suggested Sunny.

The girls began roaming the mall in the dark, using the light on their phones as their guide. Eventually, the group climbed a flight of stairs, pushed a door open, and approached what looked to be a console.

"I think this switch activates the emergency generator," stated Roll as she grabbed the lever and pushed it up.

In a second, sound began to occur as the screens and monitors in the office turned on. The others smiled, knowing the sound of the generator starting up meant they were survivable.

"Lights," said Roll, pushing a button on the console that made all the lights in the mall turn on, giving the girls a clear view. "Shops, Escalators, Main Gate."

As Roll pushed the other buttons, everything else was given the power to operate. However, nothing happened when she tried to push the button to power up the main gate. As she blinked, she heard only an error sound. She pushed it again to get the same sound before she began to rapidly button-mash it aggressively as it continued to make that error sound.

"Come on, pedazo de mierda!" shouted Roll as she slammed her fist on the button, hoping that would get the power to go. She then sighed as she turned to her friends after her little outburst. "Nothing's happening."

Sunny said, "Maybe we can open the main gate with these keys." They saw a set of keys hanging on the wall.

"Worth a shot," responded Zipp as they all left to head to the entrance.

The girls all walked past the many stores that were now open as they approached the entrance to the megamall. Izzy hopped toward the door with a keyhole in the side and stuck one of the keys inside, as it fit perfectly.

"And… viola!" said Izzy as she turned the key, hoping for the door to open.

However, nothing happened. The others all looked at her as she turned back to the keyhole and turned the key. Yet the same thing happened.

"Is viola French for still trapped?" mocked Zipp.

"The locks must be electric and not connected to the emergency generator. I think we're stuck here," said Sunny as they looked up to see the glass ceiling dome as rain fell

"Well, at least we can call, huh? Is anyone getting a signal?" asked Izzy, whose phone had no service.

The others pulled out their phones and checked as they had the same thing as Izzy.

"The storm must've knocked out phone service," said Sunny.

"No service!" yelled Pipp as she felt like she would have a meltdown.

"Sure, we're trapped, but look at the bright side."

"What bright side, Sunny?" responded Zipp.

"We're trapped in a mall. It's got everything."

"Except crowds of annoying people… huh, I always wondered what it would be like to have a mall all to myself," said the heiress as she started to see Sunny's point and look around.

"Like being trapped in a museum. Like that one movie," said Roll.

"Yeah, except if you break something, you can actually buy it," stated Izzy. "Mall party!"

The girls then began to enjoy the huge megamall to themselves. One activity got them all on another person's shoulders as they jousted and battled using plastic noodles. They then began to stand in front of some of the clothing mall display windows as they imagined themselves wearing the outfits. For Izzy, she imagined being a robot as she looked at a large mech suit. Zipp even made it a personal challenge for her as she was shown running up the opposite escalator while the others cheered her on, going up, and Izzy slid down in between. They soon came to a photo booth, and all five took silly photos. They soon stopped at a sweet stand as Pipp and Sunny tossed some cupcakes at Zip,p who caught all of them in her mouth. Roll looked at her friend, who simply pulled out some money and left it on the counter to show she would pay for the stuff she had just eaten. The five were now all in a circle as they held hands and jumped around while spinning before they came to a halt 15 seconds later.

"Now what?" asked Izzy as things had gotten stale.

"It looked more fun in the movies," said Roll, as being trapped wasn't quite living up to the hype they expected.

The girls all sighed as they didn't know what to do.

The group was now in a pizzeria, and Pipp was shown walking around, trying to get a signal on her phone.

"One of the perks of being locked in is unlimited bubble tea," said Zipp, presenting a tray of drinks to the others. "At least that's a plus, right."

"Ehh!" responded the others.

"No signal still! This pose always works!" exclaimed Pipp as she stood on a table and extended her phone to get some service. "What's happening out there?!"

The others kept their heads bored on the table as Izzy placed something on it. The girl had turned a napkin into an origami rose petal.

"Now that's talent, Izzy," said Roll, picking up the thing and looking at it before passing it to Sunny.

"Thanks," said the girl before her stomach growled. "But I'm hungry."

"Well, we are in a pizzeria. We could make something," suggested Roll.

"How? The ovens don't work!" said Zipp.

"The ovens may require electricity, but the stoves don't," said Sunny as she got up and approached the kitchen. She turned it on as a crackle was heard before a small ignited. "Dinner coming right up, girls!"

The girl then began to work on making some food for her friends. Sunny was shown rolling some dough out as she poured some shredded cheese into a hot pan and stirred it. The others watched their friend cook as the scent alone meant it was delicious. Sunny soon finished her cooking and walked to the table.

"Pizza dough breadsticks," said Sunny, presenting a plate of breadsticks from some leftover pizza dough and a cup of fondue to accompany them.

"Mmm. That fondue smells amazing," said Zipp as she smelled the cheese.

The others grabbed breadsticks and dipped them into the fondue. They each took a bite and immediately enjoyed what Sunny had made.

Roll awoke as she lifted her head from resting on her arms. She let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes.

"Ugh, I had this crazy dream; we were trapped in a mall overnight," said the girl as she blinked to regain her field of vision and saw the others all sleeping with their heads down at the table, apart from Izzy, who was napping in a separate chair. "Oh, good. I wasn't dreaming."

"I don't hear any terrible mall music, so the power must still be out," responded Zipp as she awoke.

"And our phones are completely dead," said Pipp as her screen wouldn't even come on.

"I can't believe nobody came to get us out," sighed Sunny.

"Maybe us being trapped is the least of our problems. What if… what if the storm blew the whole city away!" exclaimed Izzy as she imagined Zephyr Heights being blown away by a hurricane in a cartoonish way.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what's happening outside," mocked Zipp.

"There are some positives to storms. They replenish water supplies," stated Roll.

"Without my phone, I don't know what's going on!" screamed Pipp, nearly tearing her hair out. "What's going on outside!"

Pipp stood up and violently shook Sunny when they heard a loud thud. The sound caught the group's attention, and they all looked in the same direction.

"Someone's trying to get in the front gate," said Roll.

"A wicked witch?" stated Izzy in fear.

"That's impossible," responded Sunny.

"You're right, Sunny. It's zombies!"

"Izzy!" yelled the others as they all looked at her.

"I got this!" said Zipp, punching her palm with her other fist.

The girls began to approach the main entrance, and Zipp held a hockey stick in her hand. Upon seeing the door, some dark figures appeared, attempting to enter. The heiress took a defensive stance, prepared for whatever appeared.

"It's three witches. All bad!" said Izzy, holding onto Sunny.

"Izzy…" exclaimed Sunny as she couldn't breathe.

The blinds of the main entrance raised as the doors were unlocked and slowly began to open. Sunlight entered as it hit the dark figures, making it hard to see. Zipp began to charge forward when a voice called out, raising her hockey stick.

"There you girls are. We've been looking all over for you!" said Twilight.

Zipp halted, and everyone took a moment to realize the situation. Haven and two other security members stood alongside the card designer, glad to see them. Roll approached her mother and hugged her.

"Sorry we took so long. They just declared the roads safe to drive," explained Twilight.

"Ah, a fully charged phone! And WIFI!" exclaimed Pipp as she snatched the device from her mother's hand and seemed happier than her mother. She then realized the look Haven gave her as she chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, and hi, Mom."

Haven just sighed at her daughter's antics.

"Hope you all weren't too worried," said Twilight.

"We weren't," Sunny answered, as despite being locked in, she was definitely going to remember this experience.

Author's Note: It seems the girls had their own fun adventure of being locked in a mall overnight during a fierce thunderstorm. And it seems Mario is slowly changing his attitude as he's become more friendly and more open with his friends compared to how he originally was. Meanwhile, his father is with Sunny's father doing their own digging regarding Opaline and her forces as some interesting facts have been revealed.