After his date with Rarity, Isaac's weekend went by in a blur. He soon found himself getting ready for school as he put on his signature look and left to CHS. He didn't meet any of the girls or Rarity all morning. The first half of classes went by smoothly; Isaac was at his locker getting the supplies he needed for his next class when he heard someone shouting.
"Hey, Isaac!"
Isaac looked at who was addressing him and it was none other than Rainbow Dash. She was being followed by the rest of their friends minus Rarity.
"Oh, hey Rainbow. What's the matter, you seem a bit steamed?"
"You're damn right I'm steamed. Time to make you pay, traitor." Rainbow then raised her fists and tried to hit Isaac, but he quickly moved out of the way.
Rainbow continued to throw punches trying to land one on Isaac but he was able to get out of the way every time. Eventually, Isaac had caught both of Rainbow's fists with his hands and was trying to get her to calm down. The rest of the girls had finally caught up and arrived just in time to see Isaac trying to restrain Dash.
"Calm down, Rainbow! What's going on?". Isaac was concerned on why she would be suddenly acting this way.
"You know exactly what you did! Don't try to deny it!"
"Simmer down, Dash. This has nothing to do with you, it's Isaac's business and he can be free to do what he wants." Applejack had come from behind Rainbow Dash as she was yanking her out of Isaac's grip as she pulled her back.
"Let me go, Aj! He needs to pay!" screamed Rainbow Dash.
"What do I have to pay for!?". Suddenly there was a voice that came from behind Isaac as it made its presence known.
"What is going on here!? Rainbow Dash, I would have expected better behavior from my friends." The person speaking was none other than Rarity who was wearing her normal outfit but this time she was now wearing the hairpin that Isaac had bought for her on their date.
At this point, Isaac totally confused at what was going on that he couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, somebody better explain to me what the hell is going on here?"
"Don't worry about it, darling. Rainbow is just upset that we went on a date together without telling any of our friends. I told you Dash that it's none of your concern, I'm allowed to date whoever I want. Besides you're probably just jealous that I got to go on a date with Isaac before you did." Rarity was giving her friend a bit of smirk as she saw Rainbow's entire reaction change.
Isaac was still trying to understand what was happening. He thought it was weird that Rainbow was getting angry for going on a date with Rarity. It seemed like a dumb thing to get mad at, so he asked Dash if what Rarity was saying was true.
"Is it true, Rainbow? Are you mad at me for going on a date with Rarity? Did you want to go on a date with me?"
"No. Of course not. Why would I go on a date with someone like you?" Rainbow did her best to try to play if off cool, but she still had a bit of red on her face. Secretly, she was a tad bit jealous that Rarity had managed to go on a date with Isaac. Not to mention the fact that she actually kissed him. She was kicking herself on the inside for not being fast enough to do it first.
The rest of the girls just merely had a smile on their face as they tried to cover their laughs as how Rainbow was trying to keep her pride. Isaac didn't fully understand why the girls were laughing but was thankful that they were all back to being friends. After that unexpected encounter, the rest of the day went by as normal. Pinkie was putting the final touches on hosting the costume party that she had planned for the school. She managed had to get everything done, but she still needed some last minute insight. So she decided to ask Rarity and Isaac for their opinions of things. Rarity proved really useful in telling Pinkie on what designs would really bring out the holiday spirit in everybody; meanwhile, Pinkie just kept asking Isaac on who be wanted his opponent to be at the event for the special duel. Isaac still didn't have an answer for her to which she was freaking out. Once she was calmed down, she assured Isaac that she would find someone to challenge her big bro to a duel. It seemed that no matter how many times Isaac told Pinkie they weren't actually brother and sister, she just simply smiled and carried on like her usual self. After Pinkie left, Isaac and Rarity began talking as they walked to their next class.
"So you told the girls about our date, huh?"
"Yes, I hope you don't mind. It's just I only told them about us going out the day before; most of the response I got was rather positive, although Rainbow was a different story."
"I can tell, she seemed pretty pissed about us going out. Almost like she wanted to be the one to be in your place."
"Yes, well Rainbow can be a bit overprotective of her friends. She just worried that you would do something to hurt is all. Although, she seems to also harbor similar feelings for Isaac as well, even if she tries to deny it. In the end, she'll have to come out and admit to it."
"Hmm, did you say something, Rarity? I couldn't hear that last part you were talking about."
"Oh, nothing. Just reminding myself that I need to take care of something later." Rarity tried to put on the best fake smile she had to not draw any more attention. Thankfully Isaac seem to buy it as he didn't push anymore on the subject.
"Still, I'm glad to see you wearing that pin I got you."
"Why of course, darling. How can I not wear such a special gift? You gave me something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I can't tell you how much it means to me." Rarity then gave Isaac a kiss on the check as she raced to her next class.
Isaac once again stopped in his tracks as he had brought his hand to where Rarity had kissed him. It took a while to get used to being kissed by a girl but in the end it made Isaac happy as it gave him a warm feeling. With that he began walking once more as he made his way to his next class. The rest of the day went by with everybody attending their classes. After his last class had ended early, Isaac was going to go in search of the girls as they wanted him to see about some of the cool functions of their duel disks. As of this morning, everybody had managed to get their hands on the new duel disks that were being handed to CHS. After they had witnessed Isaac's duel with Sunset, they couldn't wait to try these things out, especially Rainbow Dash. As he was walking around the school, Isaac managed to pass a room that caught his eye. When he opened the door, he managed to see what was inside. It was the musical room as it had tons of instruments, microphone stands, and even a couple of musical sheets scattered around near the piano.
Isaac had never been in this room, so when he saw the many instruments he was amazed with how many were in this room. He remembered how the girls had told him that they wanted to form a band together and had asked Isaac to join. He initially denied their request as he felt it was wrong to include himself on the girls' personal thing. Ultimately, the room was bring back memories of when Isaac used to play. He eventually saw a trumpet on a stand it reminded him of how much fun he had playing it. He picked it up and tried to remember the lessons he had when he first started playing it. After a couple of warm ups, Isaac found that he still had it in him as he played an exercise he was familiar with. Isaac then remembered a holiday that was coming up and how he would always play this song for his family.
Meanwhile, the girls were making their way to the music room to practice. This time Sunset had accompanied them. They were telling her about the encounter they had this morning.
"So let me get this straight, Rainbow was trying to attack Isaac because she was jealous of Isaac going on a date with Rarity?" Asked Sunset who had a sly smile on her face.
"No! It's not like that, I was just making sure that he didn't do anything to hurt Rarity?"
"Oh really, you sure it didn't have to do with you feeling like Isaac should have asked you out instead?"
"Shut up, Sunset. What could I see in a dork like Isaac? He's an egghead." Rainbow was doing her best to change the subject but it seemed to fail as she was growing red from embarrassment and a bit of blushing.
"Ignore Rainbow, Sunset. She's just dealing with it in her own way. By the way, did I mention this lovely pin that Isaac got me for our date? Doesn't it look lovely?"
"Yes, Rarity. You've been talking about it nonstop every 30 seconds. Hey y'all, do hear some music playing? And singing?" Applejack placed her hand to her ear to get a better sense of where the sound was coming from; eventually everybody else had heard it to and began to find the source of it. They made their way to the music room as they were surprised. They knew that nobody was using the room as they had booked it for themselves, so what could be going on in there. They all peeked their heads slightly in the room to see what was happening; the sight before them was something they weren't expecting. There was Isaac playing the trumpet and he was singing a tune that was not only amazing but beautiful at the same time.
After Isaac had finished playing his song, he returned the trumpet back to its stand and let out a sigh. It was that moment he heard clapping and a voice behind him.
"That... was.... Awesome!!" said Rainbow who was impressed with what she saw.
Isaac looked behind him as he got startled a bit by the sudden noise. He saw that it was none other than the girls who were also clapping as they showed their appreciation for Isaac's performance. It made Isaac a bit embarrassed that he had to have other people listen to him.
"My word, Isaac that was simply beautiful. Why didn't you tell us that you had that musical capability?" Rarity was swept off her feet by Isaac's singing. It kind of made her a bit dumb for not finding a chance to get Isaac to sing on their date. Nevertheless, she was glad she got to witness this with her friends.
"I'll say, that was mighty fine singing partner. But what exactly were you saying; more important, what were you singing?"
Isaac then sat on the steps with the rest of the girls taking a seat next/around him. "Well first off, what I was speaking was another language: Spanish. I told you girls that I've come from a Hispanic background, so you can expect me to speak another dialect. In terms of what kind of song I was singing, it was more of a ballad song. See this song is special to me and my family because each year we sing it to celebrate a holiday that's significant in my culture. Let me explain it to you girls, the song I was singing is all about remembering your ancestors. It's about remembering the people in your life who are either alive or have passed; it lets us know that as long as we keep those individuals in my our mind/heart then they will always live on."
The girls were really interested in the information that Isaac was talking about. It made them think about their own family ancestors.
"Wait, you said you and your family celebrate a holiday. What holiday is that?" asked Fluttershy.
"The holiday that my family celebrates is called Día de los Muertos. It translates to 'The Day of the Dead'. It's a day where we honor our friends/family members who have passed away. See while Halloween is more about terror and has a dark tone, Día de los Muertos is full of color and vivid traditions. See the belief is that on that day, the border that separates the spirit world and the real world is dissolved. Marigolds are believed to be the pathways that guide the spirits to their ofrendas. The flower’s vibrant colors and scent attract the departed souls. During this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink, dance and play music with their loved ones. In turn, the living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations, and leave the deceased’s favorite foods and other offerings at grave sites or on the ofrendas built in their homes. The most prominent symbols related to the Day of the Dead are calacas which are skeletons and calaveras which are skulls. During contemporary Day of the Dead festivities, people commonly wear skull masks and eat sugar candy molded into the shape of skulls."
The girls were really invested in what they were hearing from Isaac as he talked about a part of his culture. Pinkie was having a huge smile on her face because of the many parties that Isaac was saying that people threw as well as all the food they made for their family members. Rarity wasn't even creeped out with the idea of what people would wear because she knew it was to honor the family relatives that were gone. In addition, the way Isaac described the festivities caused her to imagine her designing some costumes for people to wear. Applejack was just intrigued by the idea that celebrating family was considered a holiday in Isaac's culture. She began to picture herself and her family honoring the idea of their family legacy; maybe she could potentially see her parents. Fluttershy was admiring the floral part of holiday and how it served as a guide to allow the lost souls to find their way to the land of the living to enjoy themselves with their loved ones. Rainbow Dash and Sunset were more so interested in the kind of music people sang to show their loved ones they still held onto their memory. Overall, the girls all found something that they could relate to about Isaac's culture and it caused them to have a smile on their faces.
"Wow, Isaac. That was a really interesting story. It kind of makes me what to get involved in something like that." said Sunset who was intrigued because from where she came from they didn't have a holiday like this.
"Yeah, it's one of the many traditions that my family loves to do. In fact, every year I look forward to it; it allows me to be able to see the spirits of my dead ancestors and wish them luck that they're doing okay and that as long as we hold on to their memory they will never be forgotten." Isaac then took out his deck and looked at his Dark Magician as a thought began to form. "You know in a way, Duel Monsters is kind of similar in that we're playing with the spirits of monsters. And as long as we hold onto to their memory and remember that they will always be with us, then we'll never forget them." Safe to say that what Isaac was saying seemed to have made sense to the girls in a way. "Anyways, it seems you girls were about to start practicing, so I'll leave you be."
Isaac grabbed his stuff and was about to leave the room. However, Dash had caught Isaac by the arm and told him to stay.
"Hey, now are you ditching us? Come on, after that amazing performance and a history lesson that even I'm intrigued by. Why not stick around and sing with us for a bit?"
"Sorry, Dash. But this is your thing with the girls; I don't want to interrupt something like this. But if it makes you feel better, I'll stay and listen for a bit." Isaac then leaned against the wall as he watched the girls set up and perform a couple of hit songs. They all had a catching tune as even Isaac was moving his head to the beat and snapping his fingers to the tune of the song. Safe to say that for the rest of the day, Isaac and the girls enjoyed themselves as they rocked to some music.
After their little jam session, Isaac found out that the girls would be performing a little song at the costume party that Pinkie was planning for the school. Despite that, they didn't know what song to perform for the entire school. They thought they could just find one that they could all jam to, but since they heard that Isaac possess a decent set of vocals. They wanted him to take part in it, at least as a male singer part. Isaac told them that they shouldn't worry about having me be the reason they couldn't pick a song to perform. However, the girls were insist that Isaac would join them as they wanted him to get a chance to show others his talent other than dueling. Isaac didn't promise them anything, but did say that he would at least help them find a song that they could perform for the school. Then they departed ways as they each headed home.
Once Isaac made it home, he then went to his room where he lied down on his bed. It was then his Dark Magician's spirit came out as it sensed that his master was contemplating something. Isaac just had his eyes focused on his ceiling as he caught Mahad in the corner of his eyes.
"You seem to be troubled, Master? Is everything alright?"
"Hey Mahad. I'm just thinking about some things?"
"I assume you mean about the holiday that you told the girls about. I must say, it's rather an interesting ritual. Suffice to say we had similar practices in ancient Egypt, especially for the great pharaohs that ruled over the kingdom. When the time came for them to pass on to the next afterlife, we would offer them gifts and many priceless treasures that were also laid to rest with them so that they remember their previous life and know the people that support them when they were alive. Even in ceremonies, we would do some kind of offering to provide guidance/protection for the great kings and warriors that were lost."
"Seems traditions/cultures change over time, even among different societies. However, they still have a common similarity in that we still try to remember our fallen comrades and ancestors." Isaac and his Dark Magician then shared a smile together as they looked each other. For a second, it seemed like time had reversed back to ancient Egypt and there was Mahad wearing his Egyptian garments and Isaac was wearing a similar outfit to a pharaoh. After that, Mahad bid farewell to his master and returned to his card. Isaac then sat up and began to do some research on what songs he could give to the girls for them to perform for the party.
The next day at school was a rather explosive one, well at least for Pinkie. She was running around the place getting things ready for the party that would take place at the end of the week. While she was putting up her decorations, she got Isaac to act as a sort of supervisor to make sure that she didn't go overboard. Isaac just simply let Pinkie do her thing; eventually Pinkie was starting to become exhausted as she was working nonstop to get everything ready. Isaac then decided that as the role of 'big brother' he needed to make sure that his 'little sister' didn't overwork herself. Eventually, he called her over to get some rest.
"Hey, Pinkie. How about getting some rest? You're running low on energy, even for you."
"Maybe you're right, big bro." Pinkie then hopped/skipped over to where Isaac was sitting.
"Again, I'm not your actual brother."
"I know but you act like it and as the little sister it's my job to watch over you and clean up any messes that you leave behind." Pinkie just gave Isaac a pat on his head before pulling out a cupcake from her curly hair.
"That's not how it works, if I'm the older sibling then it's my job to watch over you! I'm suppose to be the one to clean up after your mess." Isaac was trying to do his best to explain this to Pinkie without losing his mind.
"Ahh, it's nice that we finally see eye to eye. Thanks big brother, but don't worry little sister Pinkie will be here to keep you out of trouble." Pinkie just gave Isaac a smile as she took a bite of another sweet. Isaac on the other hand was losing his patience as well as his mind. He felt like his head was going to explode, if he even tried to understand he knew his brain would be fried so he decided to let it go and just chalk it up to regular old Pinkie Pie nonsense. Nevertheless, Isaac decided to get his mind off of things by having a duel with her to which Pinkie was happy to agree to. They pulled out their cards and began to play on the floor; as they were playing Pinkie was asking Isaac some questions.
"Hey Isaac, I've been meaning to ask it's alright, if at the costume party I can incorporate some things from your culture?"
"Sure.... why do you need to ask me though?"
"Well, I just wanted to be respectful of your background and hoped that I wasn't disrespecting you by doing something that either upset you or caused you to feel secluded from others."
"Pinkie, I shared my story/culture with you girls because I wanted to open your eyes on a different part of the world. Plus Applejack kind of asked me based on my performance of the song that I sang. As to you disrespecting me, you could never do that. You're the kind of person who will do anything to put smiles on people's faces; you know how to have a good time and I know who to call if I ever need a hype man, or in this case, a women."
"Ahh, thanks big bro." Pinkie then gave Isaac a hug to which he just merely used his hand and patted her arm.
Soon it was the weekend and it was time for the costume party. Everybody had taken the time to dress up, some students even dressed up Duel Monsters which really showed the school spirit among the students. The girls were all dressed up in unique outfits that Rarity had designed. Pinkie had decided to dress up as a chicken which was odd; Applejack had gone with a scarecrow costume and has genuine straw/hay embedded into her outfit. Fluttershy had gone with a Little Bo Peep outfit as she had a cane to go along with her outfit; Rainbow Dash has decided to dress up as an astronaut for the evening. Sunset had gone with werewolf/vampire costume and was wearing some dark eyeshadow, and lastly Rarity was just wearing one of her fancy dresses that she happened to make. They were all enjoying themselves as they were preparing to perform for the party. Pinkie really outdid herself as she not only incorporated Halloween theme but als Day of the Dead theme. Nevertheless they were about to go on stage when they began to go over a sound check.
"Well, everything seems ready, is everyone good to go?" Asked Rainbow to which the girls gave her a thumbs up. Just then she noticed that Isaac was nowhere to be seen. "Speaking of being ready, has anybody seen Isaac? I haven't seen him at all, I know that he's preparing for the duel but I doubt he missed our performance."
"Maybe you should look behind you, Dash." The sound coming from behind her was enough to make Rainbow scared as she jumped a few feet in the air. Isaac couldn't help laughing as he saw how terrified he made the great Rainbow Dash feel. Their friends even were trying to hold back a laugh as they found it hilarious that Isaac managed to get a scare out of Rainbow. In terms of Isaac's costume, he was dressed as a superhero that had his name on the front and wore a cape. After the group had assured Rainbow that they were just joking, Isaac gave them the song they would be singing and told them that given how he had an understanding of how the beat went; he would help them by singing the lead vocals with the rest of the girls giving him backup. Once the plan was discussed, they gave started to signal that they were ready and appeared before the stage. The song/music started and once the beat picked up Isaac made his way on stage and began to sing into the microphone.
After the song had ended, the group gave a bow as their fellow students gave a thunderous applause. Soon it was time for the exhibition duel and it took a while before Isaac changed back into his signature look and grabbed his duel disk as he made his way back into the room and prepared for his match. The rest of night went by smoothly with everybody having a fun time and Isaac enjoying himself. He had managed to defeat his opponent and keep his rank as champion; after that he continued to enjoy the rest of the party with the girls. Once the party had ended, everybody made their way home as they enjoyed themselves. Isaac thanked Pinkie for a good time and the girls for putting on a good show. The following week was the actually Halloween Day. However, for Isaac he was more concerned with the following day as it was the Day of the Dead.
True to Isaac's word, he and his family had their dinner table laid out with tons of candles, flowers, and tons of favorite foods that their ancestors liked to eat. Then even had a picture/portrait of their dead relatives and made sure that they each had marigolds, so that they could be able to allow the spirits of their family to pass into the land of the living and enjoy themselves. They then turned in for the night as it was getting late; as Isaac began to make his way to his room, there were spirits of people that began to manifest as they took in all the sights and smells of the treats left behind. The spirits looked around as they began to mingle with other members of their family that they hadn't seen in a long way. Ultimately, they saw Isaac as he was leaving the room and together they all had a huge smile on their face as they were happy to see someone in their family legacy who not only was turning into a great duelist but was also destined for great things.