It was a normal morning as the group was busy with a special little holiday tradition...Thanksgiving.
"Okay, looks like everything's going good so far...apart from no turkey." Hope said.
"No worries, I got Vector, Usopp and Natsu hunting for one." Jexi said.
Meanwhile in the forest below…
"Guys, I beg you again, please don't hurt the cute little turkey." Fluttershy said.
"Forget it. We're eating turkey one way of the other." Usopp said putting a platter on the forest floor. "Okay, stuffing, potatoes, dressing. Okay, turkey. You're little friends are waiting!"
"You really think the turkey's gonna walk right into that obvious trap?" Fluttershy asked.
"I definitely would. As for a turkey, they will too cause they're so stupid." Natsu said.
"And when it gets close…." Vector said pulling out and cocking a shotgun.
"What was i thinking, coming along on this?" Fluttershy said.
"You wanted to try and stop us from hunting a meal." Vector said. "But killing turkeys are a valuable part of life like… earning money or beating on a kangaroo."
"I'm just gonna….head back now." Fluttershy said going back up to the ship and seeing everyone gathered.
"Hey, didnt want to see an animal bite the dust?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"No. I know they are main staples of thanksgiving meals, but...i dont need to see one get shot." Fluttershy said.
"If you want, we were just about to rummage through some old memories, reflect on the past stuff we did before we came here." Hope said.
"Like how I traveled with the Hyrule Army when I thought you all were dead?" Fluttershy asked.
"Not like that but…" Hope said. "Memories of our own personal lives. Like USApyon and Inaho doing the rocket."
"Uh… why me first?" USApyon asked.
"Because you used Yokai to power each individual part. And it was so funny to see you fail at every location quiz." Hope said.
"You recorded those?!" USApyon asked.
"Well, INaho did give me some of them. Look, this the one where you were doing blizzaria and you were skydiving."
On the quiz, Inaho miraculously got the sauna correct as her chute opened as USApyon crashed to the ground, making a lot of the group burst out laughing.
"Oh come on. I mean, it's not that funny." USApyon said nervously.
"It is kinda funny. Heres another one. Like when you tried to go for Ferdinand and ended up in the mud." Hope said showing the USApyon in the tape doing such.
"Grrr. You little…!" USApyon said touching his buttons.
"Oh crap…"
VADER MODE.
"Duck and cover!" Pinkie said as USApyon fired rapidly.
"See? This is why you never make USApyon mad!" Hope said.
He calmed down after a few minutes.
"Okay, I admit. I did mess up a couple times due to Inaho's luck." USApyon said.
"But it was worth it. You completed the rocket right?" Hope said. "This right here, is my favorite part."
He pressed the remote again showing the completed rocket and USApyon running around it happily.
"The professor's gonna be so happy he's gonna dance when he sees our ship!" USApyon said.
"I remember this part. I was so happy." USApyon said.
"Gotta say, you know how to make a rocket. Guess being with Inaho wasn't all bad." Hope said.
"Here comes my favorite part." Usapyon said as they saw him get into the rocket.
"So uh… did it ever fly?" Lucy asked.
"I had some help." USApyon said as it then showed Blazion, Statiking, Blizzaria, Furdinand and Poofessor as well as Vader Mode USApyon pouring their energy into the rocket as it broke right through the stratosphere.
Everyone cheered as Usapyon was proud.
"I cant believe we weren't there to see that." Luffy said.
"But in the end, I was happy. The professor, he saw it. He even got back into making those rockets. I'll never forget that moment." USApyon said.
"I'm really glad he did, buddy." Hope said.
"Okay, who's next for memory lane?" Fluttershy asked.
Vector came in for a moment before grabbing some explosives from the back. "Be back in a few. Gonna have turkey soon." he said walking out.
"And thats your cue to stop him." Jexi said.
"It is." Fluttershy said running after him
In the kitchens, Sanji and Teruteru were cooking together.
"Man, all of this looks good. With all the food were making at breakneck paces I doubt we'll even need turkey." Sanji said.
"Oh, hardly. You cant have a proper Thanksgiving meal without the main poultry." Teruteru said.
"Have you seen what they're using?" Sanji said pointing out the window to show Vector with explosives.
"Yeah...somehow I don't see us having much turkey after those." Teruteru said.
"Y'know, we both have a lot in common, Teruteru." Sanji said.
"That we do. Were both chefs, feeding hungry mouths. But I think I'm a little different than you in the case of a restaurant." Teruteru said.
"Oh really? Enlighten me." Sanji said.
"You were taken in, mine was a family owned business. You been cooking as a kid, I've been cooking since age 3. The way I see it, I got more experience than the fanciest chefs in paris." Teruteru said.
"I cant argue with ya there. But the thing is, we aren't competing. You started cooking because it was in your interest to help your family. You wanted to cook just to feed hungry mouths and see the smiles on their faces. I never got that moment. Not with the old geezer back on Baratie." Sanji said.
"I know, he always worked you hard, right? I saw the memory footage when Hopes buds went back to that day Don Krieg raided. After the battle, it was fierce with you and Zeff."
On the screen that appeared, Zeff smashed a bowl of soup on the floor.
"Hey! You call this Soup? It tasted like salt water!" Zeff said.
"Cram it, you old geezer! It's just as good as anything you've ever cooked." Sanji shouted.
"In your Dreams, boy! You couldn't outclass my cuisine in a million years!" Zeff snapped back as Sanji left the room.
"You really didnt have to bring that up…" Sanji said.
"But Zeff did care about you, right? You over heard him talk with Luffy and the others." Teruteru said.
"Yeah. In the end, he cared and that's that." Sanji said.
A loud boom was heard outside.
"Ow! I hurt myself!" Usopp shouted.
"We're not going to get a turkey before noon." Sanji sighed.
"Wanna improvise, you and me?" Teruteru said. "The way youre at now, i think the both of us could make Zeff proud, wherever he and that restaurant of his is."
"We're gonna have to." Sanji said.
"And we need a meat substitute fast, or you know who's gonna be missing something on her diet…" Teruteru said.
"I have something to keep her busy while we think of something." Sanji said taking out a Faux Roast Pork. "Made this during my first cooking battle. Potato wrapped with bacon and marinated. It tastes close to a real roast pork."
"You make such good recipes. You should teach me sometime." Teruteru said.
"I'm always up for it." Sanji said.
In the gyms, Hope shifted to sparring with Neko maru. While fighting, he made sure not to damage the outside.
"Man, this is a good sparring practice. Remind me again to put more of these in." Hope said.
"I'll make time for it in your schedule!" Nekomaru said as Hope blocked another hit. "You're blocks are weak. Raise your arm to your face if you want to better block hits."
Hope did so and got better defense.
"You sure know your stuff, Ulimate Team Manager. All those stories about disarrayed teams coming out of the gutter and winning thanks to you are no joke." Hope said.
"Of course they aren't. I trained the best. Baseball stars, figure skaters, rugby teams, I've trained them all and they won!" Nekomaru said.
Hope countered and blocked more strikes from Nekomaru. "Hey, Nekomaru, I was wondering...why did you become a team manager?" Hope asked.
"Ha. So you want a hero's story huh? Well, have a seat." Nekomaru said as they sat down. "Well, guess it started back in the hospital. When I was young, I was diagnosed with a heart defect that left me confined to a hospital bed. Doctors told me I'd only live to be 20 and I couldn't play much sports. It was in the hospital I met someone with the same defect like me. Daisuke. He was a manager for a baseball team and lots of his trainees would come visit him till the day he died. He never got to see his dream complete, so I took it upon myself to train it myself. After leading them to the championship, I kept on training. The training built up my muscles and help me train athletes like they were my own kids. And that...is how you see the team manager that sits before you."
"Wow, I didnt know you started out that way." Hope said. "Then again,I guess makes you a great addition because you see us like family. Thats just what Jexi does, and I wanna be the same. Its great to have you here so you can help us get better." Hope said.
"In all honesty, I should be the one thanking you. Akane, Peko, Fuyuhiko and I were the Remnants main fighters. Always being despair against the remaining lights of hope itself. But its cause of you...I got new purpose." Nekomaru said.
"Yeah." Hope said as they got back in the ring. "And that just makes me wanna live up to what you see even more."
"I was just about to say that. Show me your hits next, all you got!" Nekomaru said.
In the forest again…
"Well, we don't have a turkey, but I do have third degree burns cause of you." Usopp said.
"Oh be quiet. I'm scoping the area for a turkey." Vector said using a sniper rifle.
"Can we just stop this? Youre acting like idiots." Fluttershy said.
"We're not leaving until we get ourselves a delicious and plump turkey." Vector said.
"Uh…" Natsu said seeing a market near by. "Aren't they just store bought?"
"There was a market here?!" Usopp said.
"Okay, new plan. Lets buy one, so I can get out of these woods." Vector said as the four ran into the store. Looking all over, they saw one turkey left.
"Thank god. There's one left!" Natsu said as they ran.
As Vector grabbed it, another hand did as well, it belonged to a familiar kangaroo that glared at him.
"You…" Vector glared back.
"Oh boy…" Usopp said.
"A fight! Now let's party!" Natsu said leaping in as the three crashed around and Fluttershy caught the turkey.
"Lets just pay for this and let them duke it out." Usopp said.
"Good plan." Fluttershy said before seeing a pair of hands take it. "What the?"
She then saw it was Flux. "No way. Every other store is out and this is my turkey." Flux said.
"Gimme that turkey!" Vector said as they caught him up in the brawl. "You have guns, hunt one for crying out loud!"
"Like I'd waste a bullet on a stupid animal when I can buy one." Flux said.
The two then began fist fighting before the kangaroo swiped it up and ran toward the registers.
"Mine!" Vector and Flux said as they tackled him as the both punched and kicked.
"It's gonna be a long day…" Usopp thought.
In the labs, Tails was working with compounds that were different colors.
"Okay, just isolate the problem in the side effects…" Tails said as Akane walked in follow in a trail of Faux Pork.
"Hey tails." Akane said eyeing the compounds. "Oh hey, i remember those. Thats the stuff Teruteru made. Doping Corn Syrup."
"Yeah. He wanted me to try and make more of it, or at least try." Tails said. "But first I needed to separate the unwanted side effects, as in the sudden fainting, the weird affection swings, even increased reflex and causes hentai themes. You know, maybe I should consider tossing it out now that I am hearing myself outloud."
"Yeah, I tried this stuff once if you can believe it." Akane said.
"You did?" Tails asked.
Akane sat down and Picked up one of the vials. "It was on the second day we were gathered as a whole class for the first time." she said twirling it.
"Let me guess, you and Nekomaru were sparring and were making a mess of the room." Tails asked.
"Yup, huge craters, holes in the walls, smoke comin outaa everywhere. Our fights get intense sometimes." Akane said.
"So you took this during it? Hey, maybe you can help me correct this stuff. Help me out, what happened next?" Tails asked sitting down.
"Great, this'll help me remember. Yeah, we were going at it just like that until Nekomaru knocked me down." Akane said.
Meanwhile outside in the woods, Vector was running with the group as they ran from an angry kangaroo after them.
"Why can't you leave us alone? I won fair and square!" Vector said.
"You kicked him in the pouch, grabbed the turkey and ran." Usopp said.
"Still a brave victory." Vector said.
"Just keep running!" Natsu said.
"Okay, here's where it gets interesting." Akane said as they saw her knocked down with Teruteru getting close before the two saw the four break through the window.
"What the?" Tails said.
"Uh...afternoon." Vector said. "We got turkey!"
"And that crazy Kanga roo!" Natsu said as it leapt through the window growling as it focused on Vector.
"Dont hurt us!" All three of them said.
"Stop!" Fluttershy said as he stopped. "Er...can you speak?"
"I can." the kangaroo said.
"So what's your name?" Tails asked.
"I'm Joey. I'm the guy who kicks the ass of this jackass." he said pointing to Vector.
"Thats a good name." Fluttershy said.
"Look, Im really sorry about my friend here." Tails said. "But you cant keep hitting him. Why are you even so angry with him?"
"Why? This guy is a genuine jackass. A show off who shows no respect for boxing and before our match, he wiped his sorry butt...WITH THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG!" Joey said.
"That's why he's so angry with you?!" Usopp asked.
"Hey! I don't remember any flag." Vector said.
"Oh no?" Joey said pulling out a portable video player and put a video in. It showed a younger Vector in a rush as he was doing the bathroom dance before seeing the flag, tearing it off and running into a bathroom with it. "You not only ruined it, but smeared the pride of all Australians in the universe."
"Please Joey, I'm sure he didnt mean it." Fluttershy said.
"He did, i know it." Joey replied.
"Look, why dont we just talk this out, Okay? Vector, can you leave the room?" Tails asked.
"Don't gotta tell me twice." Vector said running out.
"Now, lets settle this okay? We dont want you going at it." Tails said. "You cant just hate him forever. You need to forgive him."
"I could...or I could beat him until he stops moving." Joey said.
"Beating someone never is the answer always. Sometimes, you have to make up and see things a different way. Hey, you never boxed with one of our reps in Furious fists redux, how about a proper match with one of them?" Tails aks.d
"I suppose. If either Knux or Yang can give me a good fight, I'll let him have the turkey. They lose to me, I take the turkey and maybe kill one of you uh...him." Joey said pointing to Usopp.
"So who do you wanna fight?" Natsu asked.
"It ain't right takin on a guy who beat Heracross twice, he's no ordinary boxer. I'll take the blonde." Joey said.
"Deal." Fluttershy said.
"Uh...don't I get a say in this?" Usopp said in worry.
"You'll be fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I was just about to go down memory lane with Akane. We'll join you in a bit." Tails said.
"Alright." Joey said as they exited.
"That was weird." Akane said.
"You'll get used to it. Now, where were we?" Tails asked readying the compound again.
"Okay." Akane said as the screen changed to the fight.
On the screen, Chisa burst into the class to see Akane fly into the black board from a blow and make a huge dent.
"Get up, Weakling!" Nekomaru challenged, sparks in his eyes/
"Oh I ain't done yet!" Akane said jumping back in.
"Wow. Does that usually happen when you two go all out?" Tails asked.
"You were more calm than Chisa. Just look at her reaction." Akane said.
"Any one care to tell me what happened to the wall?!" Chisa asked seeing the wall completely destroyed.
"Yeesh. And I thought Zoro and Sanji did a lot of damage, you two went to town." Tails said.
"Our sub even fainted from all the excitement of that duke out. ANyone would." Akane said as they saw on the Screen chisa going in front of Nekomaru.
"Listen up, Nidai! You cant just destroy the school just because you feel like roughhousing!" Chisa aid as Nekomaru glared at her on screen, almost piercing Tails in the lab.
"What did you call it?! This is training in combat situations!" Nekomaru said.
"Oh In that case, knock yourself out." Chisa said surprising the room and tails.
"She has no responsibility for school property…." Tails said as Akane on screen slapped the ground.
"Damn it all! How am i supposed to drop that gorilla?" she asked as Teruteru appeared behind her.
"Well, maybe this could help ya i think, thanks to my Ultimate Pharmacist friend." teruteru said opening a case and putting out the green container. "Here, this should help put a bit of spring in your step."
"DOnt gotta tell me twice, thank you." Akane said grabbing the bottle and drinking the whole thing.
"You drank it all? Doping concoctions are to be taken in small bursts, not like an entire glass of water." Tails said.
"Yeah, not exactly thinkin with my head there but it was so worth it. Check it." Akane said.
On screen, after Akane downed the whole thing, the sensation overtook her immediately and Tails noticed the effects.
"Okay. Rapid muscle increase in arms and legs…" Tails said as she saw her turn red and burst with power with steam coming out. "Hmm… it also a made you exude intense body heat. Also your hair was more straight in appearance…. What was it like having downed the whole thing after?"
"Like a massive surge of energy through my body." Akane said.
"Hmm… but it also had a bit of illegal nees to it. Hang on, thats it." Tails said.
"What's it?" Akane asked.
"We'll be going up against a lot of bigger enemies, and it'll take a lot more than a few hits. But if i isolate the compounds that make the side effects of the soup null...got it!" Tails said turning the original compound from green to blue. He then put it in a device. "There. I repurposed the doping steroids in the compound and turned it into a full time enhancer for your physical abilities. You wont have all the effects of the Teruteru gave you but you'll still feel the same sensation as that time. It should give you the edge against larger enemies like Heartless or other monsters." Tails said.
"Aw hell yeah. Been wanting to use this again. You know,youre a great guy tails. You improvise on stuff, just like me." Akane said.
"You do?" Tails asked.
"Well sure. I mean, i used to be in the gymnast business for the money. Lots of people would show me these routines to do and follow em. But I'd usually get bored cause it was so easy and didn't really need a whole lotta effort, you know?" Akane said.
"I get it, so you preferred challenges in them right?" Tails asked.
"You got it. Every Time somethin was too easy, I made sure to throw some stuff in there just to pump it up. Then came Hopes Peak, and I was put on hold, honing my skills, challengin Nekomaru, and takin that stuff just do it." Akane said.
"And after Junko processed you, you lost all reason. You were a combat unit for sure, but the way you acted, you were almost like a animal than a human. But Hope, he saved you guys." Tails said.
"Yeah. The kids a good egg." Akane said before sniffing the air and found the faux Roast Pork in the corner. "Gotcha!" she said jumping at it and began chowing down.
"You think youd enjoy this? Youre a great fighter and all, but there are things out there you cant even know to see." Tails said.
"Hey, I said I liked challenges. And like it or not, its great bein up here. Besides…" Akane said. "I think this is what Chisa would want. Now cmon, we gonna see that fight or what?"
"Sure." Tails said.
In a little bit, Joey and Yang were circling each other in a boxing ring.
"Okay. We're playing british rules of street boxing. First one of us to hit the other in the face wins." Joey said.
"Sounds like a plan." Yang said.
"And since you're a girl and have a prosthetic arm, I'm gonna go easy on ya." Joey said.
"Round Start!" Vector said.
"Well this is gonna be…" Joey began before Yang punched him and sent him flying out the window.
"Oh wait he said face. You want another go?" Yang asked.
"I….don't think so." Joey said. "I think ya...broke my arms….and maybe my spine."
"Hey, Joey right?" Hope asked.
"Heh. The blue bloke who tied. So I guess I got nothing to go back with eh?" Joey asked.
"Well, maybe you could stay here and make it up with us." Hope said.
"Whaddya mean?" Joey said.
"All this time, we were reminising on our greatest achivements and pasts. Thanksgiving is a time of remembrance and being with those you care about. It aint about the turkey, the feast or revenge for something that happened years ago. You gotta learn to accept someone and try to do it over again one day." Hope said.
Joey smirked. "Heh. Youre right kid. S'pose I let my pride get to me all these years. Flag was just a knock off anyway, didnt think I'd get mad over it." Joey said. "Say Croc, once I get better, you wanna go at it for real? No anger, no vendettas, just the fight we wanted?"
"Apology accepted." Vector said.
"I didn't apologize." Joey said.
"And I forgive you for that." Vector said.
"You know mate, I think I might just consider staying away from you blokes entirely." Joey whispered to Hope.
"Yeah, not a lot of people get used to this place." Hope said. "Any way, its chow time! Lets cook this turkey and get feasting!"
Everyone cheered as the heroes had their first proper thanks giving feast. It was after everything was said and done that hope got a letter in the mail with the disney royal seal. He opened it.
"The time has come. I request the presence of Twilight Sparkle and Aqua in my chambers. It is time."
"Yen Sid."
"Well, its about time." Hope said.
To be continued in Dimensional Heroes Secrets: Dream Drop Distance