The Contest of Champions

by Alexpv22

Throughout the vast reaches of the multiverse, heroic champions are being summoned for an unknown purpose. Where will these champions arrive, who is calling out to them, what purpose do they have for them and most of all; will the champions work well together, upon meeting one another? All this and more will be answered, when the trials begin and the champions test their mettle

9. Chapter Nine: Champions of the Realms

The Champions of the Multiverse

Sometime later, everyone followed the Shadowmanes down into their kingdom; where they found themselves wandering about what looked like a rustic yet...quaint little village. Some buildings, like those of business establishments, looked like something out of the Middle Ages. While the houses where some families lived in seemed to look like Viking-style longhouses, mead hall style buildings or cottages straight out of Scotland or Ireland.

But as surprising as the otherwise charmingly rustic look of the village was, our heroes were quite confused by everyone's choices in clothing. All around them; every man, woman and child was dressed like they were from the Middle Ages. "Okay...this is weird" murmured Chiro, "Gibson, can your scanners detect if we've gone back in time after we've entered the portal?"

Without pause, the blue monkey took out his device and attempted to do just that. But much to everyone's dismay; each time he tried, they could hear him mutter confusedly and with great annoyance. "This...This is impossible" he grumbled, "every time I try to learn the date, the results are still the same; March 23rd of 2019."

To say that this revelation both shocked and baffled everyone would be a tremendous understatement. But not long after that, Cyborg and Tucker performed the same date checks on their scanners. Within moments, the result was the same as Gibson's; March 23rd.

"That...That's not possible" cried Peridot, "how could that be the date and year, when everything resembles something from the humans' Dark Ages?!" Upon hearing this comment; Thaylog politely interjected in saying that unlike the human medieval era (otherwise known as the Dark and Middle Ages;) the Elven people and all the races beyond their kingdom were quite prosperous. "How can you say that" questioned Jazz, "without automobiles, electricity or tech of any kind; how could any kind people hope to survive?"

Thaylog and his family laughed heartily at the teen's comment and quickly assured her that everyone was more well off than she assumed. "We Elves, for example are well-connected with the natural world; to start with" Elbenor explained, "which means we are capable of understanding the world around us and have the power to help bring new life to it...observe." Before anyone could speak up, the elven queen waved her hand over a nearby flowerbed like she was moving a paintbrush.

After performing this gesture three times over, everyone watched in awe as the flowers suddenly began to blossom in a matter of seconds. "How...How did you do that" questioned Gibson, "in the few small things I've read on sorcery, most magical abilities require spells to utilize them." Elbenor smiled warmly at the primate's keen knowledge and clarified that his words rung true.

"However...there are those, like my people or the fair folk, who do not require spells or charms to work with magic" she explained, "it is part of us...our very life force, if you will." For some reason, something about the queen's words seemed to captivate the Gemfolk that were present. As beings of light, they also possessed abilities that were considered "mystical" in nature.

But unlike those who require a spell book, incantations, talismans or charms to utilize their power; they simply relied on harnessing the light within their gemstones. "Through the use of our nature magic; we help nourish the crops, attend to the animals that help provide for us and heal one another in times of need" Gabriel stated, "for example; our guards are well on their way in healing the folk of Shuggazoom and all their protectors, as we speak."

Upon hearing him mention the people of Shuggazoom City, Chiro and the Hyperforce's earlier calmness swiftly gave way to fear. "You've seen my people, Your Highness" the young lad asked, "where are they, which way did they go?!" After eventually calming down Chiro, the Shadowmanes informed him that his people were brought up to their home.

"If that is where they are, lead the way" Garnet said bluntly yet kindly, "I'm certain they're all fine." Confused, Nova questioned how the tall Gem was so sure about their fate; to which she simply smiled and replied with "Future Vision." "Hold up...'Future Vision," as in...you can predict the future" questioned Cyborg, "if that's true...what's going to happen next?"

Without missing a beat and with a sly grin upon her face; Garnet said that within the next twenty seconds, Tucker would make an attempt to flirt with Lapis and Nami. As a result, the former would use her water powers on a nearby fountain and spray him in the mouth with it. At first, the young man in question disbelieved the "prediction;" before going over to make his move.

"Hi, I'm Tucker Foley" he said while throwing an arm around Lapis and Nami's shoulders, "that's 'T.F.,' as in 'Too Fine.'" Now, after being forced to fuse with Jasper, there were moments where Lapis disliked people invading her personal space. As a result, she would then respond by assaulting them viciously with fists shaped from the water.

But thanks to the likes of Steven and Peridot, she had become more open around others and even friendlier. Still, she disliked being touched without any consent; much like any other woman would (Nami especially.) So, just as Garnet predicted; the group soon passed by a fountain in the square.

Then with a wave of her hand, a snake-thin strand of water rose up and blasted Tucker square in the face; causing him to stumble backward slightly. While everyone stared at the scene in bewilderment, Garnet lowered her visor slightly (revealing her three eyes) and winked at them with a smile. "Okay...two questions, the other one's for your friend" Tucker asked while spitting out water, "One, how did you know that would happen and two...WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?!"

Before any of the Crystal Gems could answer, Gabriel stepped in and revealed that Garnet's "powers of foresight" belonged to that of Sapphire. "Sapphires are known throughout the Gem Homeworld for having the power to see into the future" he explained, "she is also the second part of what makes Garnet who she is." Alas, this explanation left everyone feeling more confused than before.

"Wait...so, you're saying that Garnet is two people" questioned Jack Fenton, "are we talking a 'Two Midgets in an Overcoat' situation or..." Almost immediately, Steven shot down the ghost hunter's idea before he could finish it; proclaiming that Garnet was wearing no such clothes. "However...you may be right about the little people thing" he murmured with an uneasy tone, "that depends on how you look at things."

Before anyone could speak up, Garnet's body suddenly started to glow and everyone could see the stones on both her hands glowing as well. Then, her form began to shrink down to about near Lance's height before seemingly "splitting" in two. When the light faded; where Garnet once stood, everyone saw two young ladies standing before them.

One had bright scarlet skin, burgundy irises, a thick build (despite her small size," a gem on the palm of her left hand and dark burgundy hair. She wore what looked like a stone gauntlet in her right hand, had a headband wrapped around her head (thus giving her hair a more round at the top and thick on the sides) and wore a ring on the middle finger of her gem hand. She had a maroon and brown tank top, mid-thigh length burgundy shorts and short pointed boots on her feet.

Beside her stood a beautiful little woman with a lovely floor length gown that showed off both light and dark blue colors. She had long pale blue hair with bangs that covered up her face, long gloves that ended at her elbows, a pair of prominent lips and wore a ring over the middle finger of her gem hand (much like Ruby.) She then presented herself before the other heroes, smiled and greeted them graciously with a curtsy.

"Greetings, humans and beings from other dimensions" she said in a soft yet cool voice, "I am called Sapphire and the Gem beside me is Ruby, my trusted bodyguard and...my wife." This reveal threw the heroes for a loop, while the Shadowmanes simply smiled warmly at them. "Wait a minute...how can you two be together" questioned Otto, "you're both girls...at least, I think you're girls."

Before anyone could chastise the green monkey for his naïve yet rather blunt comment, Donella quickly intervened. "While Gems are not typical living beings like you all and my kin, their kind chooses to embody the form of females" she explained, "the exact reason why this is so is...unknown to even us." While this explanation did help shed some light on Steven's friends, a few of the other heroes still questioned Ruby and Sapphire's relationship.

"The ways of Earth may still confuse me, even after help protect it for so long" Starfire stated, "but on even my planet, romantic/intimate unions were often between the male and female." Sensing everyone's confusion, Gabriel quickly explained that Gemfolk had no true concept of different genders on their world. As such, any sort of unions were always between two "females."

"Don't act so stuffy about it, guys" Sam grumbled apprehensively, "true love is beautiful...even if it's between two beings of the same gender (presumably.") While there was some ring of truth in the former Goth's words, a few of the other heroes still found the situation...a tad out of the ordinary. "Be assured, Lords and Ladies; your discomfort was once equally shared with Gem society" Gabriel interjected suddenly, "however...the law was more directed towards forbidding two Gems of different types fusing into a new being."

Upon hearing the word "fusing," Danny asked if the young elf was using that as a term to describe some form of "Gem intimacy." "To an extent...you are correct, Master Danny" Gabriel replied, "on their world, fusion is considered the truest emotional and spiritual connection between Gems." The moment this was said, Sapphire politely took over and explained how in order for Gems to fuse; they must be in complete sync with each other.

"Once two Gems are of equal mind and emotion, they can form together into an entirely new experience" she said with a bright smile, "observe." After exchanging a loving grin with her wife, Ruby; the two Gems joined hand-in-hand and then, Garnet soon reappeared. All other eyes, with the exception of the Diamonds and Crystal Gems members, stared in awe at the sight before them.

"It's unreal" thought Tucker, "it's like...it's like they're a living embodiment of a ship from a TV show!" Just as everyone else was about to question Garnet more on how her existence worked, Steven noticed Yellow Diamond giving the Stink Eye at something. "What's wrong, Yellow" he asked with concern, "are you still having issues with Garnet's idea on fusion?"

In an instant; Yellow took notice of her behavior, shook her head and smiled uneasily at the boy. "No...it's not that, Steven" she murmured, "it's just...there are people following us." Upon hearing this; Steven looked behind her and noticed several young elven children following their group.

With this in mind, he made his way over to Gabriel and informed him of what was going on. "Don't mind them, Stew-Ball" Greg said reassuringly, "I've seen my fair share of 'fish out of water' stories in movies, they're just cautious around strange people is all." Thaylog nodded slightly in agreement to Mr. Universe's statement, adding also that something similar happened when the Titans accidentally arrived in their kingdom.

"Well, how do we make them stop staring at us" questioned Blue Diamond, "follow up question...how is it that you know so much about all of us, creature?" With that inquiry, everyone began asking the Shadowmanes the same thing; some more demandingly than others. "Peace, friends" urged Thaylog, "all will be revealed soon...but first, might we offer you all a change in wardrobe?"

While some, like Sam or Nami, took mild offense to this suggestion; presuming the Elf King had issues with their own clothes, others thought it was a good idea. "My uniform is still in tatters, after the battle with Skeleton King" Chiro thought, "maybe a change in wardrobe would be good." Meanwhile, Steven and Connie immediately agreed to the idea; wishing to look as "cool" as everyone else there.

At that moment, Queen Elbenor took notice of some of the others who felt hesitant to agree in a clothing change and smiled. "Give it a try, friends" she urged kindly, "our tailors may have something to your liking." For a moment or two, no one seemed to answer her until Nami let out a disgruntled groan and finally relented.

"Fine...we'll do it" she murmured, "but if I find them feeling any of us ladies in the wrong places, they're goin' DOWN!"

(Line Break)

Within moments, everyone arrived at the shoppe; where two elven tailors were seen measuring some of our heroes up for their new outfits. At the same time, another pair was hard at work; sewing and crafting garments in a variety of styles. While everyone else waited to be fitted, Prince Gabriel fulfilled his promise and began to read from a pile of books that lay stacked beside him.

The tome he was reading from in particular had a golden cover and on the center was the familiar sight of the infamous "Crystal Gem Star." On the back, Steven saw the familiar sight of the revised Diamond Insignia. As Gabriel opened the book, he urged the tailors to continue their work while he read.

The first tale or two he read were those of the Gemfolk's invasion of other worlds, colonizing them and harvesting their resources to create more of their kind. From Gabriel's narrations alone, everyone felt quite horrified by what they've heard so far. But it wasn't long until the Elf Prince showed a particularly unique feature the books possessed.

After a brief moment of mental focus and after waving his hand over the cover's symbol, the illustrations suddenly projected off the page; almost like holograms. Upon looking at the images in question, everyone grimaced and recoiled at the sight of the many hollowed out planets shown on the page. "And here I thought the people back home abused the planet" Sam muttered in disgust, "this is just...sick!"

Unsurprisingly, everyone else shared in her views; which made the Diamonds feel rather ashamed. Then, Gabriel continued the tale at the point where Pink Diamond was given her own colony; the planet Earth (Steven's Earth.) "Mind you, Pink did not perform any of the harvesting herself" Elbenor stated, "she merely...oversaw the 'workflow' of the Gems and machines that did so, as well as monitor any new Gems that emerged."

In the eyes of those like Danny or Beast Boy, they addressed such a position as a "glorified desk job" and Pearl couldn't help but agree. "I was the one who inspired her to go see the earth for herself" she explained, "to do this, she...she took on the form of a Rose Quartz." At first, everyone wondered why she spoke so hesitantly about the event.

But when they saw the intense looks in the three Diamonds' eyes, the reason became all too clear. "So...you were the one who gave her the idea" questioned Blue, "what I don't understand is...why didn't she simply go down as herself?" With this inquiry, Steven interjected and revealed what Pearl once told him and Sapphire.

Because of Pink's status as a Diamond; she feared her presence would intimidate any Amethysts, Jaspers or Quartzes emerging from the Kindergarten. "That was when Pearl suggested her taking on a Quartz Gem's form" he stated, "she thought if Pink came as one of them, they'd be more comfortable in her presence." This explanation seemed to please the three Diamonds quite a bit and they gingerly urged Gabriel to continue.

"'For many a day; Pink, known then as Rose Quartz, did walk amongst the planet'" he explained with a profound tone of voice, "'yea, she grew to love the myriad wonders it contained; its natural wonders, the beasts that dwelled within the natural surroundings and of course, the human creatures that dominated the land.'" As the tale continued and she gazed upon the beautiful sights of Olde Earth, Blue Diamond suddenly felt a twinge of remorse run through her...or perhaps, guilt. "Oh...what fools we've been" she thought scoldingly, "I cannot believe we were so willing to destroy such beauty...Pink was right to leave us the way she did."

As the tale went on, the tailors were in the midst of measuring everyone for their outfits; starting with Team Phantom. "I don't know about this" grumbled Tucker, "I don't want to end up looking like a Drama Club nerd." Danny couldn't help but agree with his best friend; fearing that he'd end up feeling like a joke, after he was suited up.

"Do not worry, lad" said one of the tailors, "we have plenty of clothing styles to choose from, simply tell us which one catches your eye most of all." With that said; he gestured at a collection of garbs, garments and robes ranging in a variety of styles. Some of the outfits looked like casual medieval clothing, others looked like clothes ancient northern warlords would wear.

When he looked over in Sam's direction, he noticed that she had her eyes on a gown that seemed to resemble something from Feudal Japan. "Can I ask a quick question, Gabriel" Danny inquired suddenly, "if...I may call you that." The Elf Prince smiled, nodded and beckoned the young ghost boy to speak his mind.

"Cool...So, not to seem rude or anything" Danny began, "but what's with all the variety in the clothing choices, considering the manner your own people dress?" Gabriel chuckled softly and said that his people had become allies with all manner of creatures, over the millennia. "As we grew closer as friends and allied kingdoms, we offered up samples of our cultures to one another" Thaylog added, "clothing being such an example."

Intrigued, the Diamonds asked how many other kinds of people and creatures existed within their world. "Scores of them, Your Ladyship" said one of the dressmakers, "there are the tiny yet elegant fae folk of the Sprite, Faerie and Pixie clans; the stout yet strong Dwarf craftsmen of the mountain halls, the cunning yet mysterious Dragoon warriors of the Far Eastern provinces and countless others." As they listened in on the story, Connie and Sam came close to bursting with joy.

As lovers of fantasy novels and mythology as a whole, the idea of seeing mythical creatures was nothing short of a dream come true for them. Of course, while the latter did spend her High School years helping her best friend (now boyfriend) fight ghosts; they didn't hold a candle to creatures like Dwarves, Elves, Dragons or Faeries. Suddenly, her mind snapped back to reality; as Gabriel continued reading from the Crystal Gems book he held.

Sometime after reading about Pink's defection from Homeworld, he spoke of her new life as Rose Quartz. Said life involved learning more about the earth, inspiring other oppressed Gems to join their cause and of course, bonding (and at times becoming intimate) with ancient humans. Then came the moment that caused nearly every one of Steven's compatriots to tense up, including himself...the alleged "shattering" of Pink Diamond.

The others meanwhile, weren't quite so shaken up by it all. But they still found the whole thing to be a shock, nonetheless. "Back home, the court of law would call this a frame-up" Danny stated, "at least...I think that's the right term." Gabriel nodded slightly in response before informing Danny that he was correct.

"In her efforts to bring an end to the war, Pink Diamond presumed that her destruction would cause the forces of Homeworld to retreat" he said sullenly, "but alas...all it did was provoke the Diamonds to perform one final act of retaliation." After saying this, Gabriel turned the page and began reading a passage that spoke of a bright light. "'With great vengeance in their hearts, the remaining three Diamonds channeled their power and unleashed a blinding light upon the Earth'" he said stoically, "'and while this strike didn't destroy them, it changed nigh every Gem upon the planet...forever!'"

After once more, focusing his mind and power; the illustrations on the page then showed what looked like horrible monsters invading Steven's home of Beach City. "What the actual Hell are those things" cried Usopp, almost causing the tailor to poke him with a needle, "they look like some sort of horrible mutants...or something out of a horror story." With a heavy heart, Steven and the Gems said that his assumptions were correct.

"Because our bodies are made of light, we require a great deal of mental strength to create our forms" Pearl explained, "that blast, once it hit, did something to affect other Gems mentally; thus turning them into those monsters." Upon hearing this explanation, Antauri faced the Gems and questioned why she and her comrades weren't changed from the blast. "That...was thanks to Rose and her shield" Garnet replied, "though she could only save the three of us, if she hadn't...well, you get the idea."

Everyone suddenly felt a cold chill run through them, all agreeing that they wouldn't wish such a fate on anyone. "Okay...so; we know about the Gems of Homeworld colonizing the universe, we know of their war with the rebels, and how Steven was born" Parm summarized while being fitted, "but if they are the cause of it all, why are these...Diamond ladies here with Steven now?!" At first, Steven hesitated in telling them; proclaiming that no one would believe him, if he did.

"Kid...my friends and I have seen much stranger stuff before" Zoro chuckled, "and this was before we ended up here, so...go ahead." With a small smile upon his face, Steven sighed and said that he simply "talked to them." "That's it...you 'talked to them'" questioned Franky, "no fighting, no debates...you just chatted it out?"

Steven shook his head with a small smile and clarified that before the end of it, there were moments where his friends and the Diamonds acted hostile towards each other on Homeworld. "It was only me who chose not to raise my hand against them" he stated, "I mean...they're like my mom's family; so, that made them mine too and you can't fight your own family."

This statement was met with the sudden joyful laughter of one, Monkey D. Luffy; who proclaimed that "it's natural for families to fight." "I mean...I've fought with my brothers and Grandpa since I was a kid" he said with a proud smile, "I wanted to prove I could be stronger than..." Then, in an instant; the young pirate king's smile gave way to a deep frown.

While many of the other heroes questioned this change in his mood, the other Straw Hats appeared just as forlorn as he was. Even now; talking about his brothers was a difficult thing for Luffy to do, at times. Just as the atmosphere was slowly on the verge of becoming far too grim, the tailors finished measuring the members of "Team Phantom" and the dressmakers ushered them into the changing rooms.

Afterwards, the tailors called for Steven and his compatriots to come up next. "Don't worry about measuring us" Pearl said while she browsed the different clothing styles available, "we've got ourselves covered." Upon finding a kimono-style gown she found appealing; Pearl studied it intently for a few moments, snapped her fingers and her clothes instantly changed into that very gown.

But compared to the original (which had a mix of red and yellowish-orange colors,) Pearl's own showed off light and blue colors. The body and sleeves showed off a magnificent light-blue, while the hems of her sleeves and bottom of her gown showed of dark ocean-blue colors. On the back of her kimono was a golden star and on the right breast-side, everyone could see what looked like a rose blossom.

Needless to say, she looked rather elegant in her new outfit. "That's a really nice look, Pearl" Greg complimented, "the best part is you don't have to be fitted for it...unlike me." With a soft smile on his face, Steven assured his father that he had nothing to worry about.

"Your son speaks the truth, Sirrah" said one of the tailors, "we have made clothing for a variety of peoples of all kinds and sizes, you are in good hands." While still feeling a little self-conscious, Greg still decided to trust everyone and went up for his fitting.

(Line Break)

After a while, everyone was properly fitted and had changed into their chosen choices of attire. All that remained was to see if everyone approved of their new looks. "Well, my friends; what do you think" inquired Gabriel, "do you find your attire acceptable?" No sooner had he said this, a purple and red blur suddenly whizzed slightly overhead.

A split-second later, Starfire appeared before a mirror and found herself marveling at her new dress. She was now wearing purple gown modeled in the style of a Medieval English princess, sported a light and dark purple braided headband around her head and wore a necklace with a glimmering jade crystal at the center. Judging from her demeanor alone, she appeared utterly giddy over her new look.

"OOOH! I feel simply adorable" she squealed, "I look like the Princess Rapunzel...but with shorter locks of hair." The Shadowmanes chuckled lightly at her comparison, pleased that the Titan enjoyed her new look. When the time came for everyone else to show themselves, their reactions were...somewhat mixed.

"Dudes, I could totally see myself wearing this back home" Amethyst chuckled while admiring her Dwarven-style dress, "imagine the looks everyone will give me back in Beach City." From across the room, Pearl proclaimed that Amethyst certainly would get looks from people back home...just not the kind she might want." As Amethyst began looking over herself in the mirror, Garnet soon stepped out of the dressing room.

Now, when the moment came for her to make a selection; Garnet surprised everyone by choosing to create an outfit that combined two different styles. For her top, she chose a typical leather bodice with a sort of maroon color (which she said best represented Ruby's side of her persona.) As for her dress, she formed something that resembled the skirt of a Scottish noblewoman's gown.

When everyone saw the blue color of the skirt, they immediately knew it was to honor Sapphire. Needless to say; in the end, her new look turned out perfect. The only thing that remained unchanged was that of her three-pointed visor.

Next, Steven came out dressed in a sort of Halfling's clothes; which made Starfire think that he looked like "The Hobbit." It didn't take long for her to realize that she was comparing Steven to Bilbo Baggins...and she wasn't too far off. From the hooded cloak that covered his curly head of hair, dark pink waistcoat, red jacket, breeches and his sandals; he certainly had the look of ol' Bilbo...save for the lack of hair on his feet.

"Hmm...you know, this could be a good look for me" Steven said with a satisfied grin, "don't you think, everybody?" Without hesitation, the Crystal Gems happily sounded off in agreement; even the likes of Bismuth, Peridot and Lapis approved it. "I'm glad you like your look, Stew-Ball" cried Greg's voice shyly from the dressing room, "as for me...I feel too ridiculous to come out."

No sooner had they heard him, Steven and the Crystal Gems started chanting for Mr. Universe to leave the room and show them his look. Eventually, The Diamonds decided to join in as well; feeling that it was appropriate to take part in such things. As Greg listened to them from inside the small room, he found himself torn between giving in to their calls or just hiding in there.

In the end; he relented and, after taking in a deep gulp, exited the changing room. His clothing seemed to slightly resemble the outfit he wore in Pink Diamond's human zoo long ago. But underneath the blue vest; he had a long, loose-fitting shirt that fell above the knees. Around his waist was what Amethyst, Peridot and even the Diamonds considered to be a skirt.

But Gabriel quickly informed them that it was something made to resemble a kilt, which was a garment worn by the Scottish and Irish folk of the human world. Instead of his sandals, Greg wore a pair of thick leggings; ones that seemed to resemble those of ancient Vikings. Upon seeing it, Lion was a tad put off at the sight of the traces of fur on Greg's boots.

"Do not worry, noble beast" Gabriel said reassuringly, "that is simply hair clipped from the manes of the guards' horses after their last grooming session." After hearing these words, Lion's demeanor softened and went back to napping on the floor. Back with Greg, he stood before the group in stone-cold silence; appearing as shocked as a deer caught in the headlights (as they say back home.)

After what felt like ages, he cleared his throat and asked for everyone's honest opinions on his look. "I think it looks quite nice" said Blue Diamond, "I especially adore the little dress you have on." That was it...that was the phrase that people like Amethyst, Luffy, Artha, Danny and even Peridot needed to cave in.

With furious tears of joy streaming down their faces, they suddenly fell to their knees and burst out in mad fits of laughter. As expected, this noise made Greg feel utterly embarrassed with himself. "I knew I shouldn't have picked this" he grumbled, "but it looked so cool, at first glance!"

Upon sensing his discomfort, one of the tailors appeared beside him and said he made a wise choice. "Warrior skirts such as these have been worn by a number of warriors in the northern nations" he stated, "many of them mighty chieftains." While this description did fill him with some confidence, Greg admitted he still felt a tad weird in a kilt.

"You've got no reason to complain, buddy" Jack Fenton's voice exclaimed loudly, as he exited his dressing room; "at least your clothes fit!" As he stepped out the door, Jack suddenly found himself tugging viciously at his tunic; in a desperate attempt to make it comfortable. Queen Elbenor took notice of this and, with a quick snap of her fingers, helped magically adjust the size of the man's attire.

Upon feeling less restricted, Jack heaved out a great sigh of relief and gave the queen a thumb's up in thanks. From The Straw Hats to the Hyperforce, everyone found themselves liking their new looks. Soon, only six members of their group were left to show themselves and much like Greg; they too were hesitant.

"Connie, come out" Pearl urged softly, "I bet you and the ladies look really cute in your dresses." The moment she heard the word "cute," Sam let out a growl from inside the room and proclaimed that is what she was "trying to avoid." "C'mon, girls" Beast Boy begged, "don't be shy...you're all among friends here."

After a moment or two of silence, one of the doors slowly opened and Connie shyly stepped out of the dressing room. She was dressed in a small suit of armor that was made to resemble a Medieval Indian Rajput soldier. Needless to say, almost everyone felt quite surprised by this; with the exceptions of Steven and the Crystal Gems.

"That's an...interesting look, Connie" Greg said with a hesitant smile, "but I don't think your parents would want you dressed like that in public." The young teen chuckled softly at him while patting her trusty sword at her side. "Isn't that kid a tad young for a sword" questioned Zoro, "then again...I was around her age when I took up sword lessons; so, who am I to talk."

As Connie took her place beside her friends, everyone waited for the other ladies to come out. After listening to a great deal of chanting, begging and even some small amounts of chicken calls (courtesy of Amethyst and Beast Boy;) they finally caved in. "ALRIGHT ALREADY, WE'RE COMING OUT" they shouted in unison, "just...stop with the noises!" After a quick warning from Nami, where she said she'd punish anyone that laughed at them, they finally revealed themselves to their friends.

"Well...what do you think" murmured Raven, "be completely honest with us here." The other ladies echoed the same request unto everyone, all while doing a bit of a spin; causing their dresses to flow elegantly. Sam was dressed in a black and white dress with long sleeves, a white webbed headdress, a black necklace strap around her neck that held a small pearl at the middle and a purple bodice with black and white Asian dragon designs. Raven's outfit seemed to resemble that of a monk out of the Shaolin Temple...or Dungeons & Dragons.

The material of the clothing was somewhat loose, which helped provide Raven mobility. She had a blue sash with golden stripes around her waist, her shirt was a deep blue color with gold and red lines and the hem, wore a pair of small yet comfy black shoes on her feet and her pants helped show off every curve on her hips and legs. Raven also had a pair of bracers around her forearms, which suited a sorceress like her very well.

The next to show herself was Nami, who was dressed in a long blue dress with shoulder-length sleeves, a blue cloak that was slightly cut short at the bottom to ensure she wouldn't trip over it and the bosom area of her bodice was done in a "V" shape; which gave enough space for her cleavage to show. Much like Raven, she also wore a pair of form-fitting pants. But these were loose enough to provide comfort and mobility for her.

The only thing that remained unchanged were Nami's original sandals, which she still wore on her feet. Jinmay was the next to present herself, sporting a simple yet elegant magenta-colored dress. Her pigtails were undone so that her hair could be styled into a braided ponytail and she wore a pink headband.

Finally, Kitt Wonn stepped out of her dressing room; causing her dragon to look on from outside the shoppe at the window. Unlike the other ladies, she chose to dress in a less feminine way. She appeared to be wearing a sort of huntress look; complete with a hooded cloak, metal arm bands, a leather corset, brown boots and a yellow shirt underneath her corset.

Slowly and shyly, the six ladies stood side-by-side in a lineup before their friends; a deep blush slowly creeping up on each of their cheeks. "Well, guys...be honest" murmured Connie, "how do we look?" While some kept their responses simple with things like a thumb's up and compliments like "lookin' good," "how pretty" or beautiful; there were some who acted...a tad overzealous.

"MY SWEET NAMI-SWAAAAAN" cried a lovestruck Sanji, "YOU LOOK EVEN MORE RADIANT THAN BEFORE!" At the same time, Tucker Foley appeared on the verge of having s heart attack from the sight of so many lovely ladies. Parmon Sean meanwhile, did his best to compliment them respectably.

But upon inspection, everyone could see that he was feeling quite bashful about it. While all of these compliments were happily welcomed, the ladies only desired the opinions of one particular group. "So...what do you and the guys think, Steven" Connie murmured, "do we look okay?"

Without a second thought, Steven happily embraced her into a friendly hug; all while proclaiming that she looked "absolutely awesome." Meanwhile, the other five gents appeared to be utterly awestruck at the sight of their friends. "Wooow" Beast Boy thought dreamily, "I mean...Rae has always been pretty, to me but now...she's drop dead gorgeous!" Similar thoughts ran through the other boys' minds as well, even Luffy found himself feeling enchanted by Nami's new look.

Of course, when she saw him staring; she presumed her captain was being "pervy" and warned him not to "do anything funny...or else." "I'm not being funny, Nami" Luffy said innocently, "I just think you look...really pretty in that outfit." In that moment, Nami didn't know what caught her off-guard the most; Luffy's unexpectedly sincere compliment or the fact he said it why blushing.

In any case, she still welcomed Luffy's words and thanked him for them.

(Line Break)

After an hour or so of fitting and browsing, everyone was now suited up in their new clothes and ready to explore. "Thanks for the new threads, Sir" Danny said with a smile, "how much do we all owe you for them?" Much to everyone's surprise, the tailor insisted that Danny and everyone else keep hold of whatever money they had.

"Consider it a gift from us, everyone" one of the dressmakers stated, "it's not everyday one is in the presence of legends." With that said, everyone said their goodbyes and left the shop. But as they resumed walking through the village, everyone quickly started talking amongst themselves about the dressmaker's comment.

"Did she really call us legends back there" Steven inquired, "I've been called a lot of things...but never that." Peridot, who was also dressed in a Halfling ensemble, said that she must've said that after hearing about their adventures in the prince's book. "Speaking of which; you have yet to explain as to how you know so much about us, little Elf creature" Yellow Diamond said firmly, "how much longer must we wait?"

The prince smiled up at the former patriarch and then, he pointed towards something in the distance. Upon looking up ahead, they saw a magnificent palace with banners hanging over its walls. These banners showed an image of a magnificent oak tree surrounded by a series of interlocked colored rings.

"Welcome to our home, friends" declared Thaylog, "welcome to Castle Shadowmane." At first; Gibson, Jazz and even Sam felt libel "correct" the king on the difference between a castle and a palace. But they were so enamored by the building's size and design that those thoughts swiftly faded away from their minds.

"Quickly, follow us inside" urged Donella, "everyone is waiting patiently for us in the Great Hall." Before anyone could question the princess' statement, she and the family hurried towards the gate; urging the guards to open it immediately. Once they did, our heroes were met with a most astonishing sight.

Inside was a tremendously large great hall filled with all manner of elves, humans and other creatures. There were Dwarves dressed in fine battle armor, centaurs, satyrs, all manner of magic users (like wizards and sorcerers) and Amethyst spotted a group of beings within the crowd that seemed to look like (in her words) fish people. The males had deep-green skin tones; while the females' own looked a bit like a bluish-green.

But both groups appeared to have similar physical traits; such as scales, finn-like ears, gills on the both sides of their necks, bulbous eyes and webbed hands and feet. Upon seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces, Gabriel approached them and introduced the aforementioned group to them. "These are creatures known as Nix or Nixies, within the Human World" he explained, "but for centuries, the peoples of our world often called them Aqua-Dwellers."

Upon hearing the word, Gibson suddenly found himself snickering while also saying how ridiculous the name sounded. These comments did not go unnoticed unfortunately, as the monkey would soon learn. No sooner had Gibson started giggling, a male aqua-dwellers' ears started twitching.

As he listened in on the primate's laughter and comments, his webbed hands clenched tightly into fists and he stomped over to it. The moment he saw the creature's shadow looming over him, Gibson's laughter quickly ceased and he gazed upwards in a nervous sweat. "Forgive my intrusion, little creature" the aqua-dweller growled, "but do you find something about my people...amusing?!"

Despite being a creature of the sea, everyone could clearly see a burning fire of rage in the male's eyes; which caused Gibson to cower slightly. "Please, don't hurt him" Chiro pleaded while taking a defensive stance before his friend, "he meant no offense; he's new here...just like me and my friends." As the creature turned his gaze up towards the boy before him, his earlier anger quickly gave way to alarm.

Then, much to everyone's surprise; he and all the other creatures in the hall suddenly took a knee and bowed their heads before them. "Okay...this is too weird" Amethyst murmured, "I can't be the only one who thinks this, right?"

Before anyone could answer her, a series of small yet colorful sparks suddenly floated over to them and began whizzing about their heads like fireflies. As would anyone else in such a situation, Luffy was just about ready to swat or squash one of them...had Princess Donella not intervened. "Stay your hand, Master Luffy" she said firmly, "lest you risk accidentally killing these innocent fae folk."

No sooner had she said this, the "glowing lights" quickly faded away; revealing scores of small winged creatures. Some possessed odd skin pigmentations and pointed ears, others looked like little humans with butterfly wings. Either way, everyone was simply mesmerized by these little things.

As she gazed at the legions of creatures within the room; Connie Maeheswaran's eyes grew so wide with amazement, one could clearly see the stars in her irises. "OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH" she cried while fanning herself frantically, "so many different mythical creatures, all in one room...I just...I thought...I can't..." As she felt herself teetering on the verge of hyperventilation, Connie let out a long yet raspy breath for air.

The whole time this was happening, Steven watched her with a coy smile; find Connie's "nerdgasm" moment to be quite adorable. "You gonna be okay, girl" questioned Amethyst while trying to hold back a laugh, "if not, we...we could take you back home." No sooner having said this, the small quartz gem watched as Connie fell to her knees and clutched at her shirt; all while crying "DON'T TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME!"

Not long after that; Sam, Tucker, Danny's parents, Gibson, Parm and even Peridot found themselves giggling like gleeful madmen at the sight of the crowd before them. "How...How can this be" questioned Maddie with a broad grin on her face, "you're all supposed to be fake, nothing but myths and fairy tales." The moment she said this, a soft yet deep voice suddenly chuckled.

"Is that really what humans think of us now" the voice asked, "I believed the man you call 'The Bard' once said 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'" The heroes soon found themselves frantically looking around them, trying to find out where the voice came from. Then, at that moment; Blue Pearl let out a loud shriek and pointed up towards one of the windows.

Upon looking over in said direction, everyone gasped in shock at the side of a large golden eye looking on at them through the window. Curious to see what it was, they rushed out the gate and hurried over to the eastern side of the palace. There, they saw a sight that almost made even Yellow crumble with fear; a dragon.

Its golden scales glistened in the afternoon sun, its legs were as thick as trees, the horns upon its head looked like rock spikes and its wings were so large in size, the whole palace could be enveloped beneath their shadow. As the beast directed its gaze towards our heroes; Usopp, Chopper, Otto, Peridot and Parm fell to their knees and repeatedly begged it not to eat them. Then, much to everyone's surprise; the dragon suddenly broke out into a booming fit of jolly laughter.

"You have no reason to fear me, little ones" he said with a smile, "my kind do not eat humans...or whatever manner of creatures the rest of you may be." While they were quite relieved by this news, our still felt intimidated by the dragon's size and tone of voice. "What manner of creature is this" questioned Blue Diamond, "in all the planets we've...visited, we Gems have never seen anything quite like it."

Upon hearing her question, someone from inside the palace approached the diamond and volunteered to help explain to her. "What you see before you, Madam is one of our world's mightiest beasts" he announced, "behold...the mighty dragon!" This statement caused one Lance Penn to shout out shrilly in disagreement; proclaiming that the creature wasn't like any dragon he'd seen.

"These are real dragons" he said while petting Fracshun tenderly, "You, big guy are...well, I don't really know what to call you!" After hearing the lad's comment, the golden beast took a glimpse down at Beau and the other Penn racing dragons. Now, Beau had stared deep into the eyes of many intimidating creatures; back on his world.

But when he saw the intense look of the golden dragon's eyes upon him, he suddenly quivered like a hatchling. "These...things are not true dragons" the creature scoffed, "they look more like oversized nags with scales." At first, Beau and Wyldfyr felt the desire to defend their honor at such insults.

But alas, they were far too nervous to so much as growl at them. Sensing that things were escalating terribly, Gabriel stepped in-between both sides and bowed his head at the dragon. "Do not mind them, old friend" he said respectfully, "they come from a world where their sort of dragons differ from your kind."

Afterwards, he introduced the group as the Penn Racing Team of Dragon City to all the creatures gathered before them...only to be met with laughter and murmurs of disbelief "Are they really the champions you spoke so highly about, my Elven friend" the dragon asked, "because they do not appear all that impressive." Feeling his pride being slandered, Artha growled at the creature and took hold of the amulet around his neck.

"What are you doing, scale-brain" Kitt hissed scoldingly, "if you put that on...your secret will be exposed!" Unsurprisingly, the young lady's warnings didn't go unheard by the Shadowmanes; who immediately informed them that everyone in their realm already knew who Artha Penn truly was. "Before you ask...come with me" Gabriel instructed, "we shall show you all exactly how we've come to know about you."

With that, the elven royals gestured towards the right side of the hall and urged everyone to follow them. While still feeling confused, our heroes did just that; wondering just where their hosts were bringing them to. In time, they came into a room that was filled from top to bottom with scores of books.

If seeing the various numbers of mythical creatures earlier didn't bring Connie close to having a conniption, this certainly came close to that. "I...I can't believe it" she murmured in awe, "I've never seen so many books in all my life!" The likes of Jazz, Sam, Nico Robin, Gibson and even Blue and Yellow Pearl couldn't help but agree.

"These are no ordinary books, my friends" Thaylog stated, "the room we stand in now is known as the Royal Archives." He went on to explain that every piece of history, every legendary event and every known tale through out their realm was chronicled and stored within this library. "But then; some, like me, have taken up an interest to study the histories of realms beyond our own" explained Gabriel, "this includes each of your respective worlds."

After saying this, he then placed each of the books he had earlier back on their shelves. When everyone saw the many books upon the shelves bearing their symbols, they came close to fainting. Then, Gabriel led them to something that hung on the back wall of the room.

At first glance, it looked to be nothing more than a simple mirror. But after inspecting it more closely, Blue Diamond could see that it was actually a giant gemstone with a golden rim around it. "Pray tell, young Elf" she inquired, "is this some sort of gem and if so...why display it this way?"

After taking a moment to compliment the diamond on her keen eye, Thaylog explained that the mirror was actually a large Seeing Stone. "It is a special kind of gem that allows us to peer into any part of our realm and beyond" he stated, "it also allows us to look into periods of history within each realm...observe." Everyone watched in silence, as the elf king touched his hand upon the gem's mirror-like surface.

Then, he clenched his eyes tight; indicating he was in the midst of some deep mental focus. For a while, nothing seemed to happen and some like Peridot or Luffy were ready to ask how long the process would take. That is, until someone noticed faint images appearing on the stone; seconds later.

At first, no one was able to make it out what they were looking at. But then, everyone suddenly heard the sounds of voices coming from the stone...some rather familiar ones at that. Within moments, Steven and his compatriots realized that they were hearing their voices from the Seeing Stone.

Eventually, the mirror's images became much clearer and everyone could see what looked like Peridot speaking with a hologram. "What you see here, friends is an image of the past" explained Queen Elbenor, "specifically the moment where Miss Peridot called her superior, Yellow Diamond...a 'clod.'" Intrigued by this, everyone soon began to crowd around the mirror; while wee Peridot seemed to cower behind a nearby plant.

Yellow Diamond in the Seeing Stone: "You have failed at every stage of this mission. Your only chance to redeem yourself is to obey this simple order. You are to leave the Cluster to grow. It will tear apart the Earth, and I will take immense satisfaction in erasing that hideous rock off of our star maps! IS! THAT! CLEAR!?"

Peridot in the Seeing Stone: "I won't do it! I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!"

(Steven and the others smile)

Yellow Diamond in the Seeing Stone: "What do you know about the earth?!"

Peridot in the Seeing Stone: "Apparently, more than YOU, you...CLOD!"

(Yellow Diamond glares in anger)

Upon seeing the look on Past Yellow Diamond's face; Luffy, Beast Boy, Otto, Artha and even the Penn Crew's dragons burst out laughing. Meanwhile, Yellow simply pouted bitterly like a child, all while murmuring "it's not that amusing." Once the image faded, Gabriel explained how that was the moment where Peridot "became" a Crystal Gem.

"Wow, Peridot...you really did call Yellow Diamond a clod to her face" chuckled Lapis, "that took a lot of guts...and I respect that." Upon hearing the comment, Peridot suddenly poked her head out from her hiding place and murmured a "thank you" while blushing. "Okay, I've got a couple of questions" Usopp interjected suddenly, "have you been spying on all of us with this thing, why do you have an interest in looking into other worlds and finally...what exactly, is a 'clod'?"

Not long after that, everyone else began asking the same questions...save for the clod example. "There was once a time, centuries ago when humans and magical creatures once coexisted side-by-side in harmony" Donella answered wistfully, "but as all things do, times changed and humans began to see us all as...troublesome, for lack of more civil terms and drove us all away."

Soon after the princess said this, several other creatures proclaimed humans did far worse with the rest of them; ranging from being tortured, experimented on and even being slain. "When I was a lad; my grandfather told me tales of times back in Ancient Greece, where he had seen humans kill many a unicorn for their horns" a satyr growled bitterly, "which leads me to further question why these lot are even here?!" Several other creatures began murmuring similar fears and concerns, while also expressing their wariness in trusting the heroes.

But Gabriel quickly stood in their defense, proclaiming that they were nothing like the humans of olden times. "How can you be so certain, Young Prince" questioned a dwarf named Kagan, "the one lad and his compatriots are pirates...a murderous thievin' lot they are!" This statement angered the Straw Hats, Luffy chief among them.

"HEY! Take that back" he growled, "we may steal gold, bust up a few buildings and maybe take a little food...but we're not cold-blooded murderers!" The whole time he was saying this; Brook, Chopper and Usopp were silently begging him not to say or do anything foolish. "The lad speaks the truth, everyone" Gabriel declared, "besides...you have yet to learn of the good he and his comrades have done in their lives."

With that, he held up a book to everyone; one chronicling a portion of the crew's exploits. This particular tome described their efforts in the kingdom of Dressrosa and bringing down the mad warlord, Doflamingo. "Had it not been for the efforts of these pirates, this kingdom would have sunk into ruin" Gabriel stated, "to this day, they are hailed as heroes, especially Master Luffy and...'God Usopp.'"

Upon hearing the sniper's title, everyone eagerly began reading the book from cover to cover. By the end of it; their minds were swirling with thoughts of amazement, confusion, mild skepticism and excitement. "By the prophets" gasped a wood nymph, "it seems as though these strangers may actually be worthy of being called legends after all."

Upon hearing mention of the term once again, our heroes began to question the Shadowmanes why everyone kept calling them that. "For that matter, why bring us here at all" questioned Amethyst, "what's your game, Gabe?" After taking a moment to silently chuckle at how amusing the nickname "Gabe" sounded, the elf prince decided to get to the point.

It was then that he called for six specific members from each group to come forward; Garfield Logan, Danny Fenton, Monkey D. Luffy, Steven Quartz/Diamond Universe, Chiro and Artha Penn. While feeling quite confused by this development, the young lads still agreed to present themselves and asked what Gabriel wanted from them. "Time and again, against insurmountable odds; you six have helped safeguard your worlds from certain doom" the prince said with a smile, "you've protected innocent lives at the risk of your own, inspired strength/hope in those around you and proved to be worthy opponents against the forces of evil."

As they listened, some of the boys' friends were jokingly hoping that the praise wouldn't go to their heads, while others felt they were "praising the wrong people." "We have seen the histories for ourselves, for sometime and...at the behest of our son, we have agreed that your actions should be rewarded." The moment the word "reward" was mentioned, Tucker's eyes suddenly turned into dollar signs while Nami's became those for "berries."

Not long after that, everyone began presenting possible ideas of what the reward might be.

Nami: "IS IT ENDLESS TREASURE?!"

Sanji and Tucker: "IS IT WOMEN?!"

Yellow Diamond: "Will they...or more specifically Steven be given their own army?"

Lance: "Will they get statues of themselves?"

Amethyst: "IS IT ALL THE BUTTER THEY CAN EAT?!"

After taking a moment to push the idea of Amethyst eating butter out of their heads, everyone resumed questioning what the boys' reward would be. The moment it all began to feel too overwhelming, Steven stood before the prince and pushed everyone back slightly with his bubble shield. "Thank you for your assistance, lad" Thaylog said warmly, "now...the reward we speak of is something of far greater value than treasure, women and food."

With that statement, the others suddenly frowned deeply; feeling their hopes being "shot down" before they took off. "Know this, friends; there shall indeed, be food" Gabriel said reassuringly, "you are welcome to eat your fill at the ball we plan on holding, in the future!" The prince's words continued to please our bands of heroes (that is to say, it pleased some among them.)

But they knew there was something more to all this and urged the prince to continue. "In recognition for your friends' heroism; before the festivities begin, my family and I wish to bestow upon them the highest reward a hero can receive" declared Gabriel, "the title...of knighthood!"

(First AN: YOWZA! Talk about a bombshell and this time, it's a good thing; our heroes are about to become knights! But is there a catch to this reward, will they just be given it like that...and what about the likes of Skeleton King and Moordryd; when will they show up? Tune in next time, to find out)

(Second AN: The event that they oversaw on the Seeing Stone mirror comes from the Steven Universe episode, Message Received; a moment that many consider to be both hilarious and incredible)

(Third AN: For some of the heroes' new looks, I took some inspiration for visual ideas from medieval/renaissance dress clothing designs I've come across and from fanart I've seen. The description of Sam's outfit for example, was based on a picture made by Valerie Kaplan.

Just thought I'd point that out, in case anyone got curious)

(Final AN: Connie's "geek-out" moment, after everyone entered the great hall of Castle Shadowmane, was inspired by a similar moment Twilight Sparkle had in Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship. Considering how much of a book nerd and a fantasy nerd Connie is, I thought the quote was perfect to use)