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

28. New Day, New Adventures

New Day, New Adventures

The following morning, everyone in the kingdom awoke from their beds feeling refreshed and full of vigor. Truly, the merriment and joy they experienced during the ball the previous evening were all an unforgettable experience. Down in the banquet hall of Castle Shadowmane, everyone sat together for a hearty breakfast; all while openly declaring that they never felt such unparalleled amounts of joy in ages.

"Tell me about it" Amethyst said while giving a prodigious yawn, "but to tell you the truth, guys; now that I'm human, eating all that food...suddenly doesn't feel quite as good as it used to." Not long after this was said, several other Gemfolk made similar statements while also adding that it felt difficult to rouse themselves from their slumber. In response to all this; Greg Universe, who appeared dressed in his usual Beach City attire, gave a light chuckle and said "now you know how us humans feel almost everyday, guys."

"Master Universe speaks the truth, Gems" Queen Elbenor interjected suddenly, "what you are currently feeling are but a few small examples of how humans and all other organic life functions." Upon hearing these words, the Gemfolk suddenly felt a slight twinge of regret suddenly flow through them before casting mild yet annoyed glares towards the Elven royals. "On the one hand, I...don't really mind being half human like Steven now" Pearl murmured, "sleeping during the evening like humans do actually feels...kind of nice."

While everybody either found the elegant Gem maid's words somewhat surprising, a few among them could sense she still held some concerns regarding her new temporary existence. But before anyone could question her on it, Sapphire appeared and beat them to the punch; bringing up the one issue Pearl currently had with being partially human...namely eating. "UGH! Yes, it's true; I'm still having a hard time adjusting to that" she groaned, "I know I need to do it or else I'll die...but feeling that stuff slide down your throat still feels bizarre to me!"

While everyone chose to be respectful of Pearl's concerns; Amethyst, in spite of herself, laughed merrily and hugged her arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, P; you'll get used to it...eventually" the wee Quartz maid stated, "just remember what Steven said, 'just focus on the taste and flavor of the food.'" After giving the statement some thought, Pearl realized that her charge had a good point.

At the same time, however; it would prove difficult to remember such advice while spending the next year as a half-human being. "At least we still have our powers, right" Spinel exclaimed while suddenly bounding into the room like a spring, "I mean...look at me; as long as I can still stretch and bounce, I'm okay with this." Everyone laughed pleasantly at the Gem's statement while she bounced about the room, mentally praising her for finding a silver lining behind what some of her kind thought was a "dark circumstance."

Then, at that moment, Cyborg came marching into the banquet hall with several plates in his arms; proudly announcing that he made it all himself. Almost immediately, many among the crowd were prepared to charge towards the cybernetic teenager and snatch away every plate he held. But they were soon stopped by White Diamond, who insisted that they all wait until Steven woke up to join them.

"You mean the lil' dude hasn't woken up yet...aw, man" grumbled Amethyst, "now that you mention it, the rest of the guys aren't here either!" No sooner had this been said, Zoro proclaimed that he and the remaining Straw Hats were used to Luffy sleeping in later in the morning. "That's true, Zoro-kun...but it's unlike him to still be asleep when someone's announced that breakfast is ready" murmured Nico Robin, "do you think he and the others are...okay?"

After taking a moment to let her words process, everyone looked around the great hall and noticed that none of the champions were standing with them in attendance. At the same time, they noticed that Raven, Sam, Connie and the rest of the young ladies had yet to join them as well. It was here that they suddenly remembered the events of the Champions' Ball just last night; particularly, the rather...emotional moments between the two groups.

"Someone should probably go check on the boys real quick" Nova suggested, "see if any of them still feel okay after what happened." Without pause, everyone nodded in silent agreement and made their way up towards the guest wing of the palace. As for Cyborg, he felt rather flustered that they weren't coming to sample his breakfast meal right away and he threw down his chef's hat in mild frustration.

"You better be resting your feet from dancing or somethin', B" he grumbled mentally, "because if my honey-glazed sausages, scrambled eggs and pumpkin spice pancakes get cold because you're too lazy to wake up...I'm gonna be mad!" With this thought in mind; Cyborg followed behind the others up the stairs, only briefly stopping to tell those remaining behind to not touch anything on the banquet table.

Once everyone had left, Spinel cast a slight glance over at said table and soon felt an odd combination of sensations within her form. Her brow was sweating slightly, her newly formed stomach was giving off a soft growl (almost sounding like a slumbering Lion) and her mouth was salivating so greatly, she gave her lips a slight lick. Of course, she did her best to try and ignore these sensations as best as she could...but to no avail.

"Man...I'm really not going to get used to this 'hunger' thing humans deal with" Spinel grumbled softly with irritation, "maybe...maybe if I just sneak one little bit of those sausage thingies, I'll be able to wait for the others to return." Within seconds; her usual goofy grin shifted into a devious smile and, after making certain no one else was around to see her, she slowly stretched her arm out towards the Banquet Hall. Inch by inch, Spinel's hand stretched until it was merely inches away from the table.

But before she could obtain even one of the sausages, the wee Gem heard a voice that exclaimed "I SAID HANDS OFF THEM SAUSAGES, GIRL!" With a yelp, Spinel immediately retracted her arm as fast as she could...which resulted in her inadvertently slapping herself at full speed in the face! As she sat in her chair, grumbling painfully while rubbing her sore nose; Spinel demanded to know who was shouting and how they knew what she was doing.

"After years of cookin' for my team, I'm used to people feeling impatient about waiting to eat" Cyborg's voice called from the hall, "plus...I saw you going for them a second ago." This proclamation not only surprised Spinel but every other guest at the table, who wondered how the lad was able to see their actions from his location. That's when they heard it, the faint yet still rather noticeable sounds of mechanical gears turning; something Peridot recognized all too well.

Then, upon taking a quick glance behind her; she soon spotted what looked like a glowing red eye peering from beside the doorway and blinking. When everyone else finally caught sight of the aforementioned eye, those like Pearl or Nami accused Cyborg of being a Peeping Tom and threatened to throw their food stuffs at it. "Move along, Cyborg" ordered Robin, "hurry up and get Beast Boy and the others out of bed before your meal gets cold."

With these simple words; the cyber-teen retracted his eye from the doorway and soon, everyone could hear the sounds of heavy footfalls racing down the hall.

(Line Break)

After almost five minutes of walking, Cyborg had finally reached the final set of guest room doors in the hall and was making his way towards one of them. "Hope y'all are in good spirits, my dudes" he thought to himself with a mix of concern and mild annoyance, "otherwise, y'all better have good excuses for being late for breakfast." With this in mind, Cyborg reached over and gave one of the doors as soft of a knock as he could...but no answer was heard from inside.

He knocked on the door again, this time with a touch more force; which sent a light echo across the way...but still, there was no answer. When Cyborg prepared to knock for a third time, a shadow suddenly appeared over his head; causing him to freeze mere inches away from the door. Confused, he cast a glance above him and caught sight of what looked like a small yet rather dark cloud hovering over his head.

"What the hey...where'd this come from" he murmured confusedly, "and just how did a cloud suddenly appear in..." Just then, Cyborg's train of thought came to a halt when his cybernetic eye glanced down towards the door's keyhole. There, he caught sight of what looked like small clouds that appeared no bigger than a rabbit's cottontail.

As each one slowly seeped their way out, Cyborg noticed that they seemed to be hovering above him...before meshing themselves within the girth of the strange storm cloud. "Oooh...kay, this looks pretty suspicious" murmured the robotic teen warily, "I should probably leave before this thing..." Suddenly, a soft rumble emanated from the cloud; which gave Cyborg just the right idea of what it truly was.

But just as he was about to make a swift retreat, a spark appeared from the cloud and then (ZAP) the poor fellow suddenly felt 50,000 volts of electrical energy surge through his being. On the one hand; his cybernetic half was able to...slightly dampen the effects and at the same time, feel empowered by them. But on the other hand, the sheer magnitude of the lightning strike was still relatively painful.

Within seconds, the sounds of Cyborg's pained screams echoed through the hall and down into every other space of the palace; the banquet hall included. As a result; nearly every hero present rushed to the scene, the instant they heard the screams. When they arrived, Starfire was the first to spy Cyborg; who was lying upon a burnt patch of carpet on the floor and twitching violently.

"BY X'HAL'S GRACES! Friend Cyborg, are you alright" cried the alien princess as she flew towards her friend's side, "what fiend has done this to you!?" With a quivering hand; the fallen Titan pointed to the cloud that still hovered over him and then, it vanished into mist. Naturally, many of the people in the hall were quite confused as to how such a thing could appear indoors.

But before any of them could have a moment to study it properly, the cloud turned into a wisp and blew away out the window. "Okay, I'm getting to the bottom of this" Pearl said firmly, "whoever's in there, they better be ready for a fight...because that's what I'm going to give them!" With that; she drew out her spear from her gem, took it in hand and approached the door.

Without hesitation, she swiftly kicked it open and gave a fierce yell; hoping it would frighten the alleged intruder in the room. What she found instead, was something so surprising that it almost made her faint. Before her was a simple king-sized bed, which was a rather typical sleeping space within the palace guest rooms. But what truly left Pearl flabbergasted was what was lying in the bed...or rather who was lying in it.

It was Monkey D. Luffy and the Lady Nami, both of whom were lying beneath a disheveled blanket and looked as though they had been through quite a tussle; as evidenced by their rather equally disheveled hair. Of course, this coupled with the fact that Nami hugged said blanket rather closely to her body gave Pearl the exact idea of what was happening.

Meanwhile, Luffy rose up from his pillow with a prodigious yawn and lazily wiped away the sleep from his eyes before finally noticing everyone looking into their room; Pearl among them. "Ugh...What's with all the noise, you guys" groaned the young knight/Pirate King, "I was in the middle of such an awesome dream!" Upon hearing this, the Straw Hats outside all groaned softly and questioned if their captain had been dreaming of food...again.

In response, Luffy puffed up his cheeks in irritation and proclaimed his dream was about "something much better than food;" which actually left everyone feeling quite surprised. "I was dreaming I was sleeping on the softest clouds ever, flying through the sky" he sighed blissfully, "and that I had the sexiest woman in the universe sleeping in my arms along with me." Mere second after he said all of this, Nami's face turned the brightest and deepest shade of red before she decided to give her captain/lover/future husband a playful shove.

This was followed by her softly yet firmly telling him to not be so vocal about their "private business," despite how flattered she felt by the lad's earlier comment. As the couple continued exchanging playful slaps and banter to one another, the minds of the remaining Straw Hats were racing with many thoughts. Among them was one simple yet all important question (at least, to someone like Sanji;) did they actually...get intimate together.

"I don't see how that's any business of yours, Sanji-san" Nojiko said scoldingly, "but...seriously, did you guys...do it or not?" As her cheeks started to flare an even deeper shade of red than it was before, Nami felt unsure of whether or not she should share such delicate knowledge openly; least of all, to someone she considered family. "Luckily" for her, though; Luffy held no qualms with such things...but he made certain to do so in a more reserved manner.

"Once we get back home, Nami and I will get married the first chance we get" chuckled Luffy with his signature grin, "so, I thought we could...test out being in the same bed together as a couple, if ya catch my drift." This statement alone was all that the crowd needed to properly understand what had transpired between the couple. Needless to say, however; those like Sanji and Genzo were both prepared to lecture Luffy on "deflowering" Nami (or rather thrash him for it.)

But before either of them could move into the room, a series of arms suddenly sprouted out from the wall and held the two gentlemen back. "Thank you for the assistance, Lady Robin" said Queen Elbenor with a light bow, "now, gentlemen...please keep your voices down; there are other people still asleep." No sooner had she said this, everyone wondered if the other champions were also in the same position Sir Luffy was in.

Of course, such a thought filled the likes of Doug and Priyanka with a light sense of dread; leading them to believe their daughter might be in a similar "position" with Steven. With this in mind, they swiftly made their way towards one of the other guest rooms and started banging their fists upon it. Naturally, Mr. Universe and the spirit of Pink/Rose were the first to try and stop them; insisting that the children were fine...but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Kids...Kids, come out here" Doug shouted whilst pounding his fist against the door, "it's breakfast time and it's not like you to sleep in this late, Connie!" For almost a minute, he knocked at the door as hard as he could; desperately trying to awaken whoever was inside. What happened next was something no one could've expected...all except for Garnet.

Speaking of whom; after listening to Mr. Maheswaran pound away at the door for another minute, she quickly took a few steps away from both the door and the crowd. But before anyone could question the permafusion Gem on her behavior, there came a sudden rumble from within the room. Although it was muffled, many believed it sounded rather animalistic in nature; which meant that Lion might have been in the room with the children.

At the same time; the Crystal Gems also knew that if that was, indeed Lion and if he was making that noise...he did not sound very happy. But before Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl or even Greg could tell anyone this; a loud roar erupted from within the room. Mere seconds after, the door was suddenly blown off its hinges and flew across the hall; slamming itself up against the wall.

As expected, everyone wondered just what could have caused such a thing to happen (once their overall shock died down, of course.) "It's Lion...or more specifically, one of his powers" Pearl explained, "according to Steven, his roar is capable of both creating portals...as well as destroying buildings with sonic blast." With these words, everyone in the hall suddenly went as quiet as a group of church mice.

The only sound that could be heard was Lion's soft yet irritated growls. Finally, with an annoyed look upon his face; the pink beast glared at the group and said "keep it down out there, will ya...we're trying to sleep!" With great caution, everyone looked into the room and saw that Lion was lying curled up comfortably on the floor into a ball.

At the same time, they noticed that Steven and Connie were also lying with him; both of whom were nestled comfortably up against the beast's plush mane of pink fur beneath a blanket (which many presumed Steven helped to provide.) Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence; Pearl cleared her throat loudly and spoke. "Uh...yes, we're all well aware that you're all sleeping" murmured Pearl warily, "b-b-but we only wanted to call Steven and Connie down to the feast hall for breakfast."

At first, no one expected Lion to say or do much of anything in response besides give a small grunt or yawn. But upon hearing the word "breakfast;" his ears suddenly perked up, his eyes went wide and his tail started wagging about with excitement. Before long, he was already pushing himself up off the floor and giving his limbs a good morning stretch (much like how any cat would.)

Unfortunately, the very instant Lion started moving; Steven and Connie soon feel off him and landed unceremoniously upon the floor. As expected, this fall was enough to finally rouse the two of them from their slumber. But after they swiped away the sleep from their eyes, both Steven and Connie glared up at Lion in annoyance; demanding an explanation for being so rudely awoken from their rest.

"Sorry, lovebirds but I had to do it" the pink beast chuckled playfully, "not only is it time for you to get up for breakfast...but having the two of you sleeping on my mane was getting a little uncomfortable." While this did seem like a valid excuse; Steven, who was now giving himself a good stretch, proclaimed that Lion could have simply licked him awake instead.

Connie meanwhile let out a yawn, noticed that everyone was standing at the doorway and shyly greeted them with a wave. Her parents, though still suspicious of their child sleeping so closely with her "boyfriend," smiled back at her and waved as well. "Now, all we gotta do is get the others outta bed" Cyborg stated, "and...something tells me that they might be in the same positions Luffy, Nami and these two were just in."

Straightaway, Steven was prepared to defend himself in saying that nothing "too intimate" happened while he and Connie slept. But before he could say even one word, Cyborg and the others had already gone off towards the other guest rooms. Upon looking inside each of them, nearly everyone gasped and giggled with delight at what they found.

Firstly, they discovered Raven sleeping soundly on her bed with what looked like a small green kitten lying atop her waist. It did not take very long for the Titans to learn what (or who) the creature truly was and they found themselves chuckling softly with delight. Elsewhere, across the hall; Lance and his father, Connor found Artha within one of the other rooms.

As expected, not only was Kitt lying contently in his bed but both of their dragons appeared to be resting on both sides of the floor as well. Connor could not help but smile at the sight, mentally thinking that they all looked like one happy family. Then, all of a sudden; Beau let out a great yawn and smacked his lips tiredly while fluttering his eyelids.

When he noticed the others staring at him from the doorway, the dragon gave a soft grunt and nestled himself back into his sleeping position; only to be rudely awakened by Wyldfyr a split-second later. "HEY! C'mon, can't a dragon have some sleep around here" Beau roared at the female in annoyance, "I mean...our riders finally quieted down after all the wrestling they were doing last night!"

Upon hearing this from the beast, both Connor and Parm's faces suddenly flashed a light shade of pink while Lance simply scratched his chin in confusion; wondering why his brother would be "wrestling" someone. As for the couple in question; after hearing the noise Beau and the others have created, they begrudgingly roused themselves from slumber and greeted everyone while yawning. "Hey, guys...good morning" Artha murmured tiredly, "that was some great party last night, huh?"

Rather than question his son on why he and Kitt were in the same bed, let alone the same room; Connor chuckled softly and gestured for Artha to follow him downstairs for breakfast.

(Line Break)

Elsewhere, the Monkey Team had finally managed to locate Chiro; who had just woken up on his own from his bed. Before entering his room, the team expected to find Jinmay beside their leader in bed. But when they opened the door, they were surprised to find that Chiro was the only one present within the room.

"Hey, kid; got any idea where Jinmay might be" questioned Sparx, "I mean...it's not like we thought you two were...getting busy or whatever." Before the red primate could finish his statement, he was suddenly struck in the face by a tail...a yellow one to be precise and was thus sent flying 'cross the floor. It was here that everyone noticed Nova standing with her arms crossed and her face bearing an irritated scowl.

"Could you be anymore crude, Sparx" she groaned bitterly, "they're kids, Chiro and Jinmay aren't ready for...that kind of stuff yet." No sooner had he heard the wee primate say this, Franky chimed in and proclaimed that everyone had "urges," including children Chiro's age. "NOTHING...happened between me and Jinmay when we went to bed, I swear" the lad openly professed, "we may have...cuddled a little in our sleep but that's it!"

The moment Chiro mentioned the word cuddle, nearly every female present smiled brightly at him and cooed under their breath; making him feel even more self-conscious. Then, all of a sudden; Jinmay appeared from behind the group dressed in what looked like a nightgown. Rather than question why so many people were outside in the hall, she swiftly rushed into the room and greeted Chiro with a hug.

"There you are, kid" chuckled Sparx, "we were just talking about the two of you a moment ago." After giving the red primate a knowing look, Jinmay reiterated Chiro's earlier words and assured everyone that nothing "lewd" happened between them. "I left just as the sun was rising and flew down to the bathhouse in the village" she stated, "nothing like a good soak to wake you up in the morning, right?"

Upon hearing mention of there being a bathhouse in town, several ladies gushed with excitement; appearing eager for some pampering. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, y'all" Cyborg interjected, "but right now, B-Fast is probably stone-cold in the feast hall...so, we best go get somethin' to eat." Not needing to be told twice, Chiro and Jinmay leapt out of bed; ready to have a good meal before seizing the day.

"All that's left now is to get the Ghost Chi...I mean, Danny out of his own bed" Skulker stated, "anybody know where he might be sleeping?" In response, Gabriel revealed that the young lad in question was only two doors down from their current location. But just as the Fenton Family was prepared to go retrieve Danny, King Thaylog asked them to hold back for a brief moment; claiming he had something to tell them.

"Before you go off to find Sir Daniel, know this" he began, "do not expect to find Lady Samantha lying beside him in his chambers." As expected; this sudden reveal left many feeling a mixture of intrigue, confusion and mild dread. Did something happen with Sam and if so, was Danny aware of it? With this question in mind, Jazz decided to be the first to go and check on him.

Upon arriving at the door, she gave it a light knock; hoping her brother might answer. Much to her surprise; the very instant she did this, Jazz heard someone mutter the words "it's open" from within the room. She did, of course recognized the voice immediately and opened wide the door to find Danny sitting hunched on the left side of his bed.

His hair appeared disheveled, his eyelids were drooping and from the state of his evening clothes, it looked as though he had been through a fight. "Danny, what...w-what happened to you" Jazz asked with great concern, "were you attacked in your sleep, did you have a nightmare...or did you try some of the hard cider they were serving at the ball last night?" With a roll of his eyes, Danny pushed himself out of bed and confessed that he did have a difficult night sleeping...but it wasn't caused by drunkenness.

"Okay, Bro; you're not making sense here" Dani murmured confusedly, "if you're not drunk and if you didn't fight anybody, then...that means you...oh, crap." Within seconds, the young lady's train of thought came to a halt and everyone could see her face flaring a rather deep shade of red. Of course, this did not go unnoticed by the others and they soon started asking Dani what she was thinking of.

"I have a pretty good idea about that" Jazz murmured uneasily, "although, I wouldn't feel comfortable saying it out loud." Under normal circumstances; Danny would feel rather bothered, any time his sister would make a sort of "wisecrack" or comment about him. But due to his current state of mind and spirit, those thoughts faded almost instantly; resulting in him giving a simple grunt.

"For the record; last night, Sam and I actually did try to...uh, you know...get intimate together" Danny muttered, "but that only lasted for about a half hour before we...before..." Straightaway, Team Phantom and their ghostly allies could sense an aura of great dismay emanating off of the young hero; the more he tried to speak. Of course, anytime they tried to learn what was troubling him, Danny would turn away and insist that "everything was fine."

It was here that Sir Steven took a step forward and insisted that everyone give the ghost child room to breathe. With that done, he faced Sir Daniel and asked Danny to share what was on his mind; insisting that he not hold anything back. "Take it from me, I know from experience what it feels like to hold in any kind of emotional issues you have" Steven murmured with an ironic chuckle, "so...what's on your mind?"

For a minute or two, Danny didn't say a word; which left his loved ones feeling more anxious than ever. Then, after letting out a heavy sigh and running a hand through his hair; he finally decided to speak. "Like I said; after the ball ended and everyone went off to sleep, we tried to...get a little cozy together in our bed" explained Danny, "you know, see if it could 'reignite the spark between us?'"

Although everyone seemed to understand him, some like Daniel's family a few other adults present felt that Daniel and Sam were "much too young" to engage in such passionate behavior. But upon studying the lad's current demeanor, they could sense that compared to the other couples present; Danny and Sam's night may not have been quite as...blissful as they presumed.

"Before anything else is said; tell us one thing, dearie" Ida murmured while rolling her scooter into the room, "where exactly is my granddaughter?" Without pause, Danny let out a sigh and assured everyone that all their questions would be answered. But he insisted that they sit down for breakfast first before then, proclaiming that his stomach was "practically eating him alive from the inside."

"Of course, my friend; that is precisely the reason why we came here" Gabriel chuckled, "the food is ready in the feast hall and everyone is anxious to fill their bellies. With these simple words, Danny pushed himself up out of his bed and followed everyone back down the hall. However, he stopped for a moment took a glance back at the room over his shoulder; as if expecting Sam to suddenly appear...but she never came.

After that, he resumed his way down the hall with the others; eager to put some food into his belly.

(Line Break)

"She needed some space...that's it" Amethyst exclaimed with a mouth full of food stuffs, "that's what's got you feeling so down in the dumps this morning?!" After taking a moment to brush aside his initial disgust of the Gem maid's table manners, Danny sighed deeply and gave a small nod in reply. The moment everyone returned to the feast hall and sat down, they were amazed by the fact the meal was still piping hot.

It was here that Clockwork appeared and revealed that he used his "Time Out" ability over the table the moment everyone left. This meant that everything would still smell and taste as fresh as the moment the cooks (as well as Cyborg) brought it out. However, during the meal; Danny shared what else had transpired betwixt himself and Sam after their "moment of intimacy."

For a moment, they seemed very much in love but after almost an hour of intimacy; the young lovers realized the unfortunate truth...they simply didn't feel it. "According to what Sam told me; after that trip into the Mindscape, she had 'a completely new outlook on things between us'" Danny murmured sullenly, "she saw just how different we were and how often we seemed at odds with one another." At first, Team Phantom was prepared to dismiss the lad's worries; tell him they were all in his mind.

But all too quickly, they were reminded of every moment the duo seemed to be at odds with each other; both on and off the field. "But you're teenagers, Danny; it's expected to not see eye-to-eye on a lot of things" Mr. Grey stated, "therefore, I don't see anything all that concerning between you and Sam." While he very much appreciated the man's kind words and faith in his relationship, Danny felt it did little to ease his worries.

This led everyone to think that his and Sam's relationship would soon be at an end...but the ghost child quickly assured them otherwise. "We aren't breaking up over this, guys...trust me" Danny insisted, "however, after everything that's happened; Sam and I agreed to...take a break and give each other some space." No sooner had he said this, he added that this desire for space was the exact reason Sam wasn't with him in the guest room.

"As for where she is, Sam said she was going out for a walk" Danny stated, "although...why she chose to go for a walk in the middle of the night is beyond me." After this, all was quiet for a moment or so; which gave everyone else a chance to contemplate on everything that they've been told. Finally, Youngblood raised his hand slightly and asked Danny if he had any idea where Sam may have gone off to.

"We happened to notice a shadowed figure walking about the gardens while we were on guard duty, at that time" a guard interjected, "perhaps, she could still be there?" Without pause, Thaylog asked for a pair of soldiers to go out to the castle gardens and bring Sam in for breakfast; if they happened to find her. Once they left, all was quiet once more; save for Lion and Beau gnawing at some meat bones they were given by the palace cooks.

Finally, Danny let out a sigh and openly asked the table one simple question...what happens next? "He's right, guys" Beast Boy stated, "after everything we've all been through and everything that's happened; I dunno if business can go on as usual, once we're all back home." With this statement, the heroes soon felt cruel reality suddenly wash over like a sudden downpour; thus making the scene appear even drearier.

No one could deny the truth behind such words, in the end and everyone started discussing ideas on what they should do upon returning to their respective worlds. "Well, I already know what I wanna do" chuckled Sir Luffy, "I'm gonna start living life like a Pirate King should, just like Roger!" No sooner had he heard these words, the spirit of Gol D. Roger suddenly let out an uproarious laugh; appearing pleased with his "successor's" plans.

"Me...I guess I'll be heading back to the Dragon Racing Academy, when I get back" Artha sighed with a smile, "at least things will be a bit easier for me, now that everybody knows I'm the Dragon Booster." Almost immediately, Danny gave a chuckle at the lad's words and warned him to "expect the unexpected;" when it came to his hero identity being public knowledge. "Sure, balancing your hero life with your civilian life won't be...quite as hard as before" he explained, "but just wait until the news crews start following you around wherever you go."

While deep down, Danny and his compatriots knew that this was spoken in jest; there was a ring of truth behind such words. If news folk seemed overly invasive into his life after the "Disasteroid incident," saving the very fabric of reality would be a definite sign that they might never leave him be. But, as those like Cyborg or Jazz were quick to point out, such was the life of a hero.

"That's just it...I'm not sure if that's the life for me anymore" Danny said bluntly, "I mean, I'm not quitting being Danny Phantom; trust me...I've already made that mistake once before." Just as the ghost child was about to continue with explaining himself, Princess Donella raised her hand and proclaimed she and her family fully understood what he meant. While being Danny Phantom was a fulfilling purpose; his experiences during the trials, meeting his new friends and taking down the invading villains opened his eyes up to a multitude of new possibilities.

"Perhaps you should consider pursuing your other passion in life, Sir Daniel" said Prince Gabriel, "do you still remember wanting to be an astronaut?" Surprisingly, this inquiry created a sort of mixed response from everyone at the table. Those like the Straw Hats, the Dragon Racers and especially the other Shadowmanes were both confused...yet mildly intrigued by the prince's words.

At the same time; the Titans, Hyperforce and especially the Crystal Gems felt quite eager to hear Sir Daniel's response to such a suggestion. "Did you really want to be an astronaut, dude" inquired Beast Boy, "if so...I say go for it, traveling into space is an amazing rush!" At first, there were a few at the table who appeared ready to question the young changeling on how he knew what traveling into space felt like.

But then, as if he knew they would do this, Gabriel presented the Titans tome from the Royal Archives; which had a particular page bookmarked for them. Upon opening the book, everyone saw that Beast Boy and all the Titans had a history of venturing off into the cosmos together. Thus, those who appeared doubtful earlier immediately withdrew their questions.

Meanwhile, Danny appeared to be in a state of deep thought; as if mentally debating with himself about the elf Prince's suggestion. Then, after a while; he slumped down in his seat and heaved out a heavy sigh; softly confessing that he wasn't sure what he might do next. "I mean...I still remember how much I wanted to become an astronaut like you said, B and I do wanna go for that officially, one day" Danny explained, "but I just...I dunno."

Straightaway, the Shadowmanes could sense that he was withholding his thoughts and urged him to speak his mind; as did the others. "Like I said, everybody...I don't know what to do next" Danny exclaimed, "I mean, I feel like if I go off and pursue my passion; I might be abandoning the people of Amity Park again." Mere seconds after he professed these thoughts; the ghost child added that they were the sort of things Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Valerie...or anyone from Amity Park might accuse him of.

With this thought in mind, Danny felt obligated to remain in his hometown and forever act as its champion; thereby sacrificing any other endeavors he desired before. Coincidentally, Chiro expressed similar feelings of uncertainty for not only his own future but whether or not he should pursue one outside of his hero work. "The Monkey Team and I have spent so much time protecting people from threats like the Skeleton King" he said with a sullen tone, "now that he's gone...I don't know what to do with the rest of my life either."

Upon taking the lad's words to heart, the Monkey Team suddenly felt a twinge of regret eating away at them from the inside; as if a creature was crawling about within their bellies. Deep down, the team knew that they all shared a hand in the anxieties their friend/leader was now feeling. At first, those like Antauri or Nova considered ignoring these thoughts; standing by the belief that they were meant to "stand forever vigilant" in the name of keeping the universe safe.

But then, they were all suddenly approached by not only the Overon Royals but their creator (the Alchemist) as well; with the latter of whom choosing to come and speak with the champions directly. "Your friends are correct about one thing, my young friends" the Alchemist said with a tender voice, "a champion must always be ready to help those in need...but this isn't limited to just your homeland." After this, Avery and Elyon took each other by the hand and proclaimed that they sided with the "lanky fellow's" beliefs; adding that a champion should aid those in need wherever they may go.

Despite however truthful everyone's words of encouragement were, both Sir Danny and Chiro still felt unsure of it all; wondering what their teams were thinking on the matter. As if sensing this, Gibson approached Chiro and presented him with a tablet; containing a schedule that he himself designed...with some assistance from Nova and Jinmay."On it, you may notice two spaces with text colored in red" he stated, "one of them is for a one hour training session while the other is a patrol time slot."

Upon examining the schedule more closely, Chiro noticed that outside of the two aforementioned spots Gibson pointed out; every other space on the schedule was clear. This, to him meant that he would now have more freedom during the day to do whatever he pleased. But to make certain his assumptions were correct, the lad proceeded to question his team. "We told ya you were about to get credit where it's due, kid" chuckled Sparx, "consider this a sample of that."

Following this, the Alchemist stepped forth and revealed that he was the true mastermind behind Gibson's schedule; stating that it was now time for his dear monkeys to find other paths outside of being their world's protectors. "While there will may always be danger afoot in this or any universe, never forget one thing" he said stoically, "that there is more to life than being the battlefield." Following this; Antauri, once more expressed his apologies for placing so much pressure upon his shoulders.

Since the day he and the rest of the team gained their new enhancements (along with their new purpose,) it seemed as though they had lost something important to them...their free will. "Our cybernetic parts may make us stronger and more capable creatures, in the long run" Nova said bluntly, "but...I dunno, something in our robo-brains seems to force us to keep fighting and training...because that's what we're meant to do!" The instant these words escaped the primate's lips, she suddenly fell to her knees...and started to weep; not a deeply emotional sobbing spell, mind you but a soft yet sorrowful one.

It was as if that her robotic brain was punishing her for every word she was saying...but Nova knew it had to be done. As if sensing this might happen, Chiro rushed to her side and took the wee primate into his arms; softly whispering affirmations into her ear. "Nova...you're not 'just a machine,' you're also flesh and blood just like me" he said matter-of-factly, "You have just as much of a right to think for yourself as humans do...all of you."

Upon taking the lad's words to heart, the rest of the Monkey Team smiled with pride; apparently pleased with the sort of fellow he had grown into. As for Jinmay, she was so overcome with joy at her love's boldness that she threw herself into his arms; all while showering his cheeks with a flurry of kisses. But as much as Chiro loved her affections, it did little to ease the uncertainties within him. "For so long, I've spent my days traveling from planet to planet; prepping for all sorts of battles" he murmured, "now...I don't know what to do with my life anymore."

In response to this, Jinmay shared yet another kiss with him (this time on Chiro's lips) and proclaimed it didn't matter where he would go or what he might do next; all she wanted was to take that journey with him. The Alchemist chuckled heartily at this scene and seconded the robot maiden's words, adding that it was just as important for the "Chosen One" to care for himself as he did for the universe. "I agree with this this fellow wholeheartedly" said the spirit of Mark Logan, "there is no shame in taking some rest every now and again."

As much as it pained his heart to do so, Garfield was prepared to retort against his father's words...until he felt his mother's hand rest tenderly atop his lips. "It doesn't matter what Robin says, dear" she cooed softly, "you boys may be heroes...but you're still human, even with your powers and all humans deserve some time to unwind a little." Upon considering both of his parents' words, Beast Boy suddenly felt himself tearing up slightly; not just for the fact he was happy to have them in his life once more...but that even as spirits, they always had his best interests at heart.

Meanwhile, a few other people from the group had some of their own statements to make about the matter at hand; one of them being the spirit of Gol D. Roger. "If only Mr. Fenton's mates o'er there had the same feelings about free will as you do, Chiro-san" grunted the spirit of Gol D. Roger, after he guzzled down a pint of ale; "it's like I used to say, 'a captain may listen to the advice of their crew...but he mustn't let them do their thinking for them.'" At first, Danny was prepared to argue with the ghost pirate's words; to tell him he was no captain of any sort of crew anymore.

But then, the doors suddenly opened wide and a pair of guards saluted a young lady stepping into the dining hall. As Danny turned to face the newcomer, he saw that it was actually Sam; who seemed to have a rather stoic/sullen look upon her face. This led him to believe that the early morning walk she took didn't help with...whatever may have been on her mind.

But in spite of that, Danny still did the respectable thing and greeted his lady love with a tender embrace; which actually caused Sam to grin a little. "Uh...Hey, Sam; did you, uh...did you have a nice stroll outside" Dani murmured hesitantly, "breakfast is ready, if you're feeling..." Just then, the wee lass' train of thought came to a sudden halt when she felt a hand rest upon her shoulder.

She turned to the side and saw her adoptive father, Jack looking down at her with a mildly firm stare. From this expression alone, Dani could clearly see what he was trying to tell her; to let Danny and Sam have a moment to clear the air between them.

(Line Break)

For what felt like ages, the young couple stared deeply into each other's eyes; giving many at the table the impression that they were having a romantic moment. But in reality, neither Danny nor Sam knew what to say or do next; preferring to simply savor their embrace for a moment longer. Then, after almost five minutes of momentary bliss; Sam gently pushed herself away from Danny and stared into his eyes.

Within them, the ghost boy could see that she was currently experiencing a plethora of emotions within her mind; distress being the most noticeable one. When he finally asked what was wrong, Sam let out a sigh and apologized to Danny for worrying him. "Sam...you've done enough apologizing to me for one lifetime" chuckled the ghost boy, "and for the hundredth millionth time, I say to you...I forgive you!"

Sam chuckled softly under her breath with a light smile, admiring how easily Danny could help ease the tension in a situation; even just a little. But all too quickly, her laughter stopped and she took her boyfriend's hands tightly within her own; as if too afraid to let go. "Danny...I meant what I said earlier this morning, before I got out of bed" Sam murmured, "after everything that's happened; after everything that's been seen, said and heard...I think we need some space."

In that moment, this short yet still quite impactful phrase created a wide variety of reactions from those seated at the table. The Shadowmanes all stared at the couple with great intrigue, wondering just where their conversation would go next. Meanwhile, the members of Team Phantom felt a sensation of horror flow through them; fearing that what Sam might say next might emotionally destroy Danny.

As for the others, those like Steven shared some of these exact thoughts; believing that Sam was mere seconds away from severing ties with Danny for good. But before he could do anything to stop them, Garnet quickly held him back; insisting that they would be fine. "Trust me, this will be good for both Danny and Sam" she said stoically, "and in case you're wondering how I know that...Future Vision."

With those two final words, Steven's demeanor eased up slightly and he decided to put his faith on his guardian's power. As for Sam; as if sensing everyone's concern, she decided to try and provide a slight explanation behind her earlier statement. "Rest assured, everybody; I have no desire to break things off with Danny" the Goth teen insisted, "I just think...we need some time apart to help clear our heads a little, you know?"

In addition to this, Sam revealed that she happened to be standing right outside the door mere moments ago; specifically when Gabriel reminded Danny of his "former dream" to become an astronaut, one day. "I also overheard what you said about me, Mister" Sam said with a firm scowl, "something about me calling you 'selfish' if you decided to leave town and pursue your dreams of space." No sooner had this been said; everyone at the table, with their mouths stuffed with food, stared at the Goth child with a collective expression that seemed to say "is he wrong?"

"Okay...look, you may have been in the wrong to act lazy before the Disasteroid appeared, when you lost your powers" Sam groaned, "but I guess...I guess I wasn't any better either." From here, she brought up the infamous Spirit Trial during the contest; as well as the "walk down Memory Lane" everyone had during their venture within the Mindscape.

During both moments, it was suggested that both she and Tucker seemed to only value Danny when he was his superhero self. Such an idea seemed preposterous, at first but after the latter experience; Sam realized that there were...some truths hidden within such a claim. "Listen, Danny; I liked being with you as part of 'Team Phantom' because of the differences we were making in the world" she sighed heavily, "but I realize now that...that we all need to be free to lead our own lives, wherever we may choose to go."

After this, Sam reached her hand inside of her bodice and started fishing about for something; which caused the likes of Sanji and Sparx to eye her naughtily. Upon noticing this, Nami soundly struck her fellow crewmate atop his head with her Clima-Tact while Nova swatted her tail against the back of Sparx's head with a resounding "thwack!" Naturally, this knocked the two gents to the floor but neither of them was rendered unconscious by such discipline.

With this dealt with; Sam resumed searching about her bodice for...whatever she was looking for until at last, she found it. Upon bring out her hand, she presented the item in question out to Danny; a small ring with a golden band and a jade stone at the center. Underneath the band, everyone could see that a name had been etched into the metal; one that many mistakenly read as "Wes."

"Who the heck is this 'Wes' dude" inquired Spinel with a mouthful of mini sausages, "and why does Sam have his ring on her?" While she was rather disgusted by the Gem maid's display of poor table manners, Sam swiftly disregarded them and the comment regarding the ring; choosing to focus on what she needed to say to Danny. Without pause, she opened up one of his hands and placed the ring into it; which made everyone feel even more confused.

But before anyone had the chance to speak, Sam politely urged them to remain silent; insisting that she say her piece first. "Whatever you decide to do, wherever you decide to go next; just...promise me you'll keep that ring safe" she murmured, "you know...in case you decide to come back someday." While some within the crowd still appeared lost, it did not take very long for Danny to sense the hidden meaning behind Sam's words.

With a smile on his face; he pocketed the ring safely, held the young Goth by the shoulders and lightly kissed her forehead. This sudden gesture surprised Sam, at first but she swiftly felt touched by it and held Danny tight in her arms. But then, all too quickly; their wholesome moment was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of Valerie lightly clearing her throat.

"As long as we're throwing out apologies here; I feel like I owe you a boatload of them, Danny" she murmured with a slightly shameful tone, "not just for the time I've spent hunting you but for making school life an even bigger hell for you by comparison." Just as she was about to resume her speech, Valerie's nerve suddenly started to waver; which felt rather uncomfortable to her, after years of appearing tough and fierce amongst her peers. It was here that she looked to the likes of her father, Dani and even Gabriel's family; hoping one of them would have anything to help her along.

Instead, all they did to help the poor girl was offer up a series of calm breathing gestures; which they believed might help ease her mind. Thankfully, after only four breaths; the idea proved successful and Valerie was finally ready to speak once more. "Remember when we were handcuffed together by Skulker, way back when" she inquired, "remember how I said you were insensitive and uncaring...I take it back, all of it!"

While a small part of Danny's mind felt thankful to hear such words from his former foe/lover, he still shook his head and claimed that she was right to say such things about him. But Valerie remained undeterred, adding that he had so many reasons to feel so viciously about her that day (along with so many others.) "I'm gonna get to the point...life utterly sucks in Amity Park" she said bluntly and without emotion, "not just mine but yours, Sam's, Tucker's...the list goes on."

The instant this was said, Prince Gabriel arose from his seat and said that the "younglings" of Amity should feel thankful for what they have; homes, families, good food, warm beds to sleep on and so on. But Valerie quickly interrupted him midway through, insisting that while she and others were thankful for those blessings; their society had utterly corrupted nearly everything else. "I mean...school life sucks, the teachers are barely capable at their jobs, some of our parents get paid peanuts while slaving away at theirs...and to top it all off, many of us teens are petty as sin" she grumbled, "I mean, I once wanted one of my former friends to hurt Danny...just because he accidentally caused some soda to spill on my $579 top."

Upon hearing all of this, several people at the table either choked or spat out their beverages in shock; while everyone else simply glared at Valerie in disappointment (her father chief among them.) "I do not know what shocks me more...the price the Human Realm places on a single piece of clothing or the fact that you were willing to hurt someone for accidentally soiling it" gasped Princess Elyon, "I assume Sir Daniel did it on purpose?" As if expecting her to ask this, Avery shook his head and told his wife that the incident happened while a Dash Baxter was chasing Sir Daniel down the hallway.

"Apparently, the fellow felt bothered by a poor grade he received on a test" he explained, "so much so that he sought out to vent his aggressions out on Sir Daniel." The entire table echoed with the soft murmurs of disappointment and mild outrage at this news. Meanwhile, far back on the opposite side of the table; the aforementioned jock sat nervously in his seat, anxiously toying with the remaining food on his plate.

After this, Valerie professed further regret unto Danny for other instances of hostility she showed him. "I had no right to assume that weird ghost dog was yours" she grumbled, "but...like the shallow bitch I am, I did; all because the pup and (to a lesser extent) you wrecked Axion Labs and cost my dad his job." Once more, the table erupted in a series of alarmed murmurs and cries of shock.

But the one who appeared the most distressed by this reveal was Damon Grey himself, who was staring at Danny with a silent look of disbelief. Although the memory of him losing his place within the Research & Development department of Axion Labs was a painful one; after being reinstated by Vlad, it faded overtime. That being said, he was surprised to see the sudden arrival of Danny Phantom (then known as "Inviso-Bill") and the later destruction of a piece of laboratory equipment that followed.

Now, after seeing the reveal of the ghost boy's identity and learning about what really happened on the day in question...the poor fellow's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. One part of Damon felt he should scold the lad for what happened...but he realized that such behavior would only make him appear as blind and vengeful as his daughter was. In the end, he chose to hold his tongue for the moment and continue in listening to his daughter's confession.

"After that day, I felt nothing but anger and hatred for ghosts everywhere" Valerie muttered bitterly, "and at one time, Danny...you were one of them." There was a light murmur of both agreement and understanding from those at the table, many of whom claimed they were fully aware of the young lady's feelings towards the undead already. "Maybe...but it doesn't make how I acted anymore morally right" Valerie grumbled with shame, "what's worse, it only made me act even pettier towards my peers in school."

Thinking quickly, Danny tried to ease the poor girl's grief by insisting that he was just as much at fault on the matter; recalling all the days he barely made matters any easier for her with his own poor behavior. "You had every right to be mad at me, though" Valerie exclaimed, "Sam was right, I was rotten to you guys and I practically gave people like Dash and Paulina the freedom to hurt you." With this confession, a rather startling circumstance began to occur; something that no one (particularly those within Team Phantom) had seen from her.

Soon, Valerie's usual firm demeanor cracked and tears started seeping down slowly from her clenched eyelids. But before anyone could help calm her down, she continued with her self-deprecating tirade. "I shot you, tried to kill you on multiple occasions, tried to make you look like the bad guy and worst of all...I tried to make myself the victim during all of that" she stated, "I've spent so much time...trying to justify what I did...and look where it got me." That was it...with that final statement, Valerie's resolve had fully shattered; causing her to fall down to her knees and cry.

All was quiet for what felt like ages, after that; save for the soft weeping of the young huntress. Then, everyone watched as both Danny rushed over to Valerie's side while Mr. Grey left his seat and followed after him. Once he was close enough, the latter gentleman enveloped his daughter in a warm embrace; softly whispering comforting words into her ears.

"Honey...what's done is done; we cannot change the past, no matter how much we might want to" he said in a firm yet soothing tone, "but the fact that you're apologizing like this...is proof in itself that you have changed for the better." Not long after this, Danny seconded Mr. Grey's affirmations; expressing how proud and honored he was given the chance to actually get to know the real Valerie when they were a couple. "Sure, we had some rough patches back then" he confessed, "but I'm just happy we've moved on from that and became friends...I mean, we are friends...right?"

After taking a moment to wipe some tears away, Valerie stared up at Danny in silence for what felt like an eternity. Then, she gave him a smile and without saying a word; she offered up her hand to him. Slowly but surely, Danny took Valerie by her hand; expecting the gesture to be some sort of handshake. Instead, what happened next took not only him by surprise but everyone else as well.

In one swift movement, she pulled Danny down to the ground and shared a most loving embrace between the two men she cared most about. "So...I'm guessing this means we're officially square now" the ghost boy murmured shyly, "we can go back to being friends again?" With a small yet sly smile on her face, Valerie decided to answer Danny's inquiry in the most playful way she knew...by kissing him on the cheek.

This gesture did not go unnoticed by the others, especially Sam; who was currently doing everything in her power to not fly into a blood rage. When Valerie pulled away, she then gave Danny a light shoulder punch and murmured "friends for life, Fenton...friends for life." "Amazing how the Great One is able to win over those he once considered his rivals, is it not" chuckled Frostbite, "many of us ghosts are proof of that."

No sooner had this been said, Zoro commented how he had seen his captain achieve a similar feat...which was then followed by Peridot professing how she, Lapis, Bismuth, the Diamonds and all Gemkind felt a similar situation happen after meeting Steven. "Friend Beast Boy seems to a similar affect on those around him as well" Starfire interjected, "strange...though the six of them come from entirely different worlds; in many ways, they seem very much alike."

While on the surface, this shared trait between the six champions did seem impressive; many felt the idea was preposterous (if not shocking.) Among them were the likes of Kitt, Nami, Raven and Sam; who all suddenly murmured in unison "no way...one reckless, bull-headed yet still charismatic goofball is enough for me but a multiverse of them is just pushing it." The instant this thought was spoken out loud, the ladies all looked to one another in confused silence; unsure of what to say or do next.

But after a while, Connie and Jinmay playfully broke this silence; expressing how the lads weren't the only ones who shared much in common.

(Line Break)

Once everyone had their fill at breakfast, sometime later; the moment finally arrived where everyone would need to return home where they belonged. The first to depart were all the visitors from across the realm who came to witness the contest. They all bowed, said their goodbyes and wished the champions well; some choosing to be a touch more...intimate in their farewells.

One such example was Marina, a mermaid from a far off forest kingdom called Avilar. Of course, at first; no one seemed to believe the buxom maiden's claims...until she decided to take a quick dip into one of the fountains outside. The instant they saw her lovely legs shift into a scaly fishtail, all the naysayers immediately withdrew their skepticism.

Once her true identity was revealed and her "land legs" had been restored, Marina wasted no time in mingling with any guest whom she found "appealing enough;" be they male, female or otherwise. Of course, her eyes felt drawn towards Master Sanji most of all, whose lovestruck mannerisms seemed to bring Marina to a fit of laughter. Within moments, they started to commingle with one another; growing fond of each other's company.

Alas, when the moment came for the Champions to leave; the mermaid was beside herself with distress with the idea of Sanji leaving. "Please, dear Master Sanji; do not go just yet" she wept openly, "I haven't had the chance to show you the lakes and rivers of Avilar." The whole time Marina behaved this way, she clutched Sanji's head so closely into her bosom that many fear she might risk suffocating him.

But before anyone could so much as approach the pair, Sanji glared at them with blazing eyes; vowing to hurt anyone who would dare disturb his blissful moment. "Unbelievable...even here, he still acts like a perv" Nami groaned while facepalming herself, "but at least he's found someone who's got a mind as naughty as his." Luffy chuckled in agreement with his new fiancé's words, kissed her cheek softly and warned her that plenty more naughty moments may arise; once the two of them become Pirate King and Queen.

"Slow down there, big man; slow down" chuckled Cyborg, "let's worry about that business when you get back home." With that said, everyone resumed saying their farewells to all of their newfound friends and allies...once they managed to separate Sanji and Marina, of course. "Good travels to you and your crew, Sir Luffy the Strong" Drakon said while saluting the Straw Hats, "may the winds and the open sea carry you safely wherever you may travel."

Following this, several members of the barbarian's tribe all shared similar blessings unto the other champions; while also expressing their hopes in seeing them all return to Overon someday. With his iconic Cheshire Cat grin flashing wide across his face, the young Pirate King-to-be thanked everyone for their kindness and shared a quick high five with Drakon. Of course, the barbarian chieftain didn't quite understand the gesture and was unsure of how to respond.

"It's okay, dude; that's just a friendly gesture we use back in most of our worlds" Beast Boy suddenly interjected, "we also do things like chest or fist-bumps." To demonstrate; he casually approached the centaur prince, Valerious and lightly bumped himself up against his chest plate. Naturally, the gesture came as quite the surprise to Valerious...but he still found it quite amusing, nonetheless.

"The Human World sounds...so much different than how it was when our ancestors once lived there" he chuckled, "perhaps, we might consider venturing there to see just how much has changed." No sooner had this been said, several others sounded off in agreement to the idea with the children's voices appearing to be the loudest among them. Luffy laughed merrily at this sight and confessed he would love nothing more than to show everyone what his own world is like.

"As long as we're talking about visiting different worlds, I insist you come and see mine as well" Steven added, "heck, I could show you Lil' Homeworld while you're there." Upon hearing the lad say all of this, the Crystal Gems and Mr. Universe suddenly ceased their cheering and stared at the lad in silence. Yet from their expressions alone, the Shadowmanes could sense an aura of hope radiating off the lot of them.

"Yo, Steven...from that kind of talk, it sounds like you might be...I dunno, planning on coming back to Beach City" Amethyst murmured softly, "I thought you were gonna go back on the road after you gave the Diamonds a tour of the town." With these few yet simple words, a wave of realization suddenly washed over Steven; as if a Lapis Lazuli doused him with water. Before agreeing to the contest, before even coming into this strange yet beautiful world; Steven was only paying a brief visit to his old hometown of Beach City.

He only came there to see how much had changed since his departure after the "Corrupted Steven Incident," as well as lend a hand in giving the Diamonds a glimpse of human culture; as Amethyst revealed. But after that; he, originally sought out to resume his plan to explore the land...hoping to find his own place in the world. Now, after everything that has happened and seeing just how much he meant to those he loved; Steven realized that he was...having second thoughts.

Then, at that moment; his gem started to glow brightly and the ethereal form of his mother suddenly appeared before him. With a light chuckle, Steven leapt into his mother's arms and proclaimed that it might take some time for him to get used to such occurrences in the future. "That's understandable, honey...but what you need to understand is this" Pink Rose stated, "it doesn't matter where life takes you or where you choose to live, what matters is that we all want you to be happy...no matter what."

Mere seconds afterward; several members of the Crystal Gems (past and current,) their human allies and those from Homeworld all sounded off in full agreement with the former Diamond's words. The whole time this went on, Steven found himself looking over them all with a stoic expression. Meanwhile, deep within his mind; the lad's thoughts were flooded with all of the memories he had shared with every one of them...the good and the bad.

While the sight of the bad thoughts ultimately caused him to flinch with disgust, it was the countless amounts of joyful memories that filled him with the most joy. Within all of these, one common thing could be found; that in spite of everything, his family stood by him through thick and thin. He loved exploring the world and discovering new things, especially about himself...but he grew to miss being around those he loved.

Thus, after giving it a few moments of thought; Steven wished to make an announcement to all his family and friends. "On the one hand; I'm still planning on seeing the rest of the world, one day and finding my own path in life" he stated, "but...as the old saying goes, all roads lead to home and I've been really missing mine lately." This announcement caused many of Beach City's citizens and especially the Gemfolk to gasp softly in surprise; while Greg, Connie and the Crystal Gems eyed the lad with great hope in their eyes.

After immediately taking notice of this, Steven let out a chuckle and went straight for the point; that he planned on making his return to Beach City as swiftly as possible. "Bear in mind; once I get back to town, I've gotta notify the landlord of the last place I stayed in that I'll be heading home permanently" he added, "then there's getting all my stuff together, gassing up my car and finding a new place to..." Before he had the chance to finish, Lion suddenly pounced on top of him and started showering his face with happy kisses.

Then, the Crystal Gems followed suite by enveloping him in the grandest of all group hugs ever known. "I think you can worry about all that business at a later date, Sir Steven" Giggled Oceana, "in any case, your family seems more than pleased with the news." While he was still being bombarded with affection, Steven let out a hearty laugh and proclaimed that his family appearing "pleased" by his news was putting his situation mildly.

(Line Break)

After a while, the Champions resumed saying their goodbyes unto the people of Overon; vowing to, somehow/someday find a way to visit the realm again. "Rest assured, lads; you all will always welcome here" King Thaylog said fondly, "but as we told the Titans after our first meeting, if you cannot find us...we shall find you, one way or another." Under normal circumstances, such a statement would fill our heroes with dread; especially the likes of Robin, who often fell victim to his own paranoia on more than one occasion.

But after being in this world for sometime and learning some of its secrets, they knew that they had nothing to fear. "Until then, if you so wish to visit each other's realms; I may know of a way" Prince Gabriel interjected, "to help show you this; might I ask for your lion companion to come forward, Sir Steven?" Although the request seemed a tad odd, at first; Steven gave a nod and gestured for Lion to approach.

Much like his partner, the pink beast also felt perplexed by the prince's request; wondering what business the elf prince wanted from the likes of him. Regardless, he was still grateful for the delicious meal everyone gave him and agreed this would be Lion's own way of repaying them. With this in mind, he took a moment to stretch like an oversized house cat and made his way towards Gabriel.

Afterwards, all of the Shadowmanes gathered 'round the beast in question and held their hands over him; all while chanting in their native tongue. At first, nothing seemed to be happening; which made the likes of Jasper and Zoro assume that their friends were being swindled. But then, after a short while; both the horn and the Shadowmanes' hands started to glow a bright green.

Within seconds, another series of strange runes started to appear on the on Lion's mane; almost resembling the ones on Steven's horn. Then, the Elven royals suddenly stopped chanting and the mystical glow from their hands faded away soon after. Once this was all finished, Gabriel thanked Lion with a light pat atop his head and sent him back over to Steven's side.

"Um...Okay, I think I've already made that promise but...you got it" the lad murmured confusedly, "but what exactly did you guys do?" The Shadowmanes chuckled softly to one another with amusement and then, Gabriel explained that they added a sort of...power boost as it were, to Lion's own abilities. "You are all aware of how his roar can help generate portals anywhere he desires, yes" he asked the crowd, "thanks to my family's magic, he can now create portals between realms...except for this one, of course."

For a brief moment, everyone (the Crystal Gems in particular) felt both confused yet concerned as to why Lion's new power was restricted from opening portals into Overon. But, as if he knew what they were thinking, Thaylog explained that travel into their world through the tree portals was a power only elves and high-level spell-casters from their realm knew. Any other method to gain entry into Overon restricted, after what happened with Skeleton King.

"Okay...that actually makes some sense" Amethyst quipped, "but can you believe it, Steven; now, we have the power to travel through dimensions...we can go anywhere we want!" As the wee Quartz Gem giggled and laughed merrily at the idea of traversing the multiverse, Steven's focus was fixed more on the other champions. Before coming into this realm, the lad always believed he was alone in his struggles; the only being in the universe who struggled with trying to "fit in" with two different sides of himself.

Then, he met the others who seemed just like him; heroes from other universes as strange as his own but filled with the same familiar struggles he knew all too well. Their worlds each had dire threats, fantastical lands, strange beings with otherworldly powers and civilizations who endured periods of great wars...wars that were caused by even more complicated (if not pettier) issues than that of the Gem War. Thus, even with the prospect of visiting each of their worlds was now possible; the idea of saying goodbye to such people hurt Steven greatly.

"Well, if we're gonna say goodbye for now; best give them something they'll remember you by" he murmured softly, "I just hope they'll like it." With that, Steven took in a deep breath and approached his fellow champions as casually as possible. It was here that Luffy caught sight of him and greeted the lad with the happiest of cheers.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy and Danny exchanged a three-sided high-five with the lad; all while chuckling like a couple of merry fools. "Gotta say, it's gonna be a bummer to say goodbye for now" the young changeling stated, "but hey...if you ever happen to pop by Jump City, come by to the Tower and say hi." After this, Danny made a similar offer unto both of the lads; proclaiming that he was eager to show them what the Ghost Zone looked like."

The next to speak was Artha, who boasted that the Dragon Races his people held within his realm were just as exciting of a thing to see; if not more. "I'll make a note to do all of that; in the future, guys" chuckled Steven, "but until then...I wanna give you something." Before anyone else had the chance to speak, the lad had already opened up his Cheeseburger Backpack and started rummaging through it.

Mere seconds later, Steven had found what he was looking for and presented them to his fellow champions; badges. When asked where he obtained them; Steven explained that the village blacksmith, Sellion had a hand in helping create them for him. "Consider it my 'Going Away Gift' for each of you" he stated, "or...maybe a 'See-You-Next-Time Gift' instead."

After handing out all of the badges to everyone, the other champions and their compatriots went about examining them closely. It was here that they discovered that the badges all had a familiar symbol painted on them...the Crystal Gems' Star (Steven's Star.) "This symbol looks just like yours, Friend Steven" murmured Starfire, "why would you...wait, does this mean..."

Upon seeing the joyful glow in the alien princess' eyes, Steven believed it was time to reveal his surprise. "Guys...I had so much fun meeting you all, getting to know you and fighting alongside you" he said wistfully, "therefore, as my final duty as the 'New Pink Diamond' and leader of my team; I hereby name you all...honorary Crystal Gems!" With this decree; every member of Steven's team/family, both past and current, let out a hearty cheer of joy.

(A quick shot series of split-screen images of everyone performing action poses while wearing their new star badges flashes by)

For a moment or so, everyone whispered softly with approval about their new badges...all except for the other champions. When Prince Gabriel asked what was wrong, Beast Boy replied in claiming that Steven had "copied his idea." But before anyone could question the lad's words, he gave a whistle and Cyborg tossed a box over to his open arms.

Upon opening it, everyone could see an entire collection of metal badges; similar to the size of Steven's own creation but different in design. It was here that the Shadowmanes realized that these badges all bore the Titans' "T" symbol, Team Phantom's crest, the Penn Racing Team's golden star and the Hyperforce's emblem. "If we're gonna be members of your team, dude...it's only fair you become part of each of ours too" Artha chuckled, "is it a deal?"

Just as Steven was about to answer, Lion suddenly appeared and went about giving the other champions' sloppy tongue kisses; which they didn't seem to mind. Meanwhile, Starfire proceeded to give him one of her famous bone-crushing embraces; all while making certain to not crush his gemstone. But while this scene was quite wholesome, one thing seemed out of place...where was Luffy's gift from the collection?

"Just give me a sec on that, okay" he called out from the kitchen, "I've just finished filling up everybody's cups." As expected, the other champions and their camaraderie were all left confused by these words; wondering why Luffy would be pouring drinks for all of them at a time like this.

(Line Break)

After almost five minutes of waiting, Luffy returned to the Great Hall with his two brothers following close behind him; each one holding what looked like large drink trays in their arms. Atop of each tray were what Sam and Raven recognized as Sakazuki drinking cups, the sort of dishware one would drink Sake from. After they had carefully placed the trays down on a nearby table, Luffy called everyone over for a drink.

That's when everyone realized what the lad was doing; he was planning on proposing his famous Bonding Toast, the same one he shared with his brothers so long ago. "Before we leave, I want us all to share one last drink together" Luffy requested, "this way, you'll all officially be part of my crew; even if you're in other worlds." At first, the other champions wanted nothing more than to honor their new friend's wish and share in the toast.

But then, they brought up one glaring and fundamental flaw in the idea; Luffy's beverage of choice. "As wholesome as your Bonding Toast sounds, dude...I feel I should point out that some of us aren't really that fond of alcohol" Danny stated, "and Sake is one of the strongest alcoholic drinks in this or any universe." At first, Zoro was prepared to offer up a snappy rebuttal to the lad's reasonable complaint; all while claiming that "booze" (as he chose to call it) was the best kind of drink for having fun.

But Luffy quickly interrupted his first mate before he could say any of this, assuring his fellow champions that only one of the cups had Sake in it; namely his. "For everybody else, I poured in a little bit of that sweet cider we had last night" he explained, "all that matters is that by sharing this toast...we're all one big happy family of weirdoes!" As the rubber man laughed heartily at his comment, the other champions could not help themselves and decided to join in; with their friends and families following soon after.

Once everyone calmed down, however; they took their cups in hand and raised them all aloft. Afterwards; Luffy looked towards the ceiling and proclaimed "TO NEW FRIENDS, NEW ADVENTURES AND NEW LIVES FOR ALL OF US" in a most cheerfully boastful voice. Without even the slightest pause or delay, everyone echoed his words with equal fervor and toasted their cups.

"Well said, Sir Luffy the Strong" chuckled Drakon, "very well said, indeed!" As everyone went about drinking down their beverages; Spinel, having swiftly guzzled her own cider, asked to have but a small sip of the sake Luffy's crew was drinking. Of course, both Steven and the Diamonds (Pink among them) urged her to resist but Spinel simply shrugged off their pleas with a "don't worry" hand wave.

"I may not have all my Gem strength right now, thanks to the Shadowmanes' spell" she said boldly, "but there's nothing that can make me flinch." With that, Spinel took her cup in both hands and downed the sake in one swift gulp; noisily guzzling every last drop. Alas, she would soon realize too little too late the folly of such actions.

Three to five seconds after the Gem finished her drink, Spinel started biting her lower lip and her face suddenly flew into a series of cartoonish yet disgusted expressions. This went on for a full ten seconds before she started spitting at the ground and wiping off her tongue. Try as they might, no one could resist slipping into a fit of laughter at the sight of this; even the Diamonds found it all amusing.

Eventually, Spinel's sporadic behavior ceased and she sat herself down in a nearby chair; all while heaving out heavy breaths. When she had finally calmed herself down, the wee Gem glared at her drinking cup and whispered four simple words; "that...stuff...is...evil!" "Now you all know how I felt about eating" Pearl chimed, "but...since I'm half-human for now, I suppose I'll have to get used to it."

King Thaylog and his queen laughed heartily at her words and assured her that satisfying one's hunger or thirst would actually feel quite splendid...so long as she avoided alcohol, of course. "Dooley noted, Your Kingly-ness" Spinel droned with a tired smile, "I'll try to remember that the next time I think about drinking any other human stuff." No sooner had this been said, Dr. Maheswaran approached her with another drinking cup; one that was filled with warm herbal tea.

Upon taking this beverage in hand, Spinel gave it a slow sip and...her pigtails suddenly drooped low and a tender yet satisfied murmur of delight escaped her lips. When she was finally finished, the wee Gem proclaimed that it tasted "loads better" than the drink Luffy was having. "I know Raven likes that tea stuff...but I've never gone around to trying it myself" grumbled Beast Boy, "heard it tastes too much like chalk or wet grass."

Raven groaned softly under her breath and rolled her eyes at her lover's statement, mentally questioning who told him such things or where he happened to read them. But then, she realized that if they were going to be together; compromises were to be made...on both sides. "How about I make a little deal with you, Garfield" she offered, "next off-day our team has, if you agree to come to at least one poetry reading or bookstore that I enjoy; we'll do something you enjoy...deal?"

For a few brief moments, Beast Boy thought over Raven's offer carefully; which made the remaining Titans feel all the more curious. Then, with a light smile upon his face; he gave a nod and sealed Raven's deal with a kiss (albeit a quick one.) Naturally, such a gesture almost made her feel quite upset; along with Ladies Nami and Sam as well.

But before Raven could raise her voice in protest, Garfield's smile grew and he proclaimed "get used to it, Rae-Rae." "He's right, lass" chuckled a dwarf warrior named Kagan, "so long as the two of ya are lovers, expect to receive many affectionate gestures from him; warranted or no." Despite however much she wanted to disagree with the bearded warrior, Raven realized he had a point.

That being said, she made certain to let Beast Boy know that such behavior could go both ways and she was more than ready to make her point now. With a flick of her wrist, a series of black magical tendrils appeared from within her cloak and proceeded to drag the young changeling in her direction. Then, everyone could see an extra set of eyes forming on her face; which meant that her demonic nature may have been taking hold of her.

"Don't worry, everyone; our little friend is perfectly safe" Garnet said suddenly, "it's best to let Raven do her thing." In response to this, Cyborg immediately cried out in protest; adding that he had seen Raven use her powers enough in such a way to know what would happen next. But once again, the perma-fusion urged everyone to remain calm and let things go about their course; despite however alarming the scene appeared.

Meanwhile, Raven's tendrils had finally pulled Garfield in to the point where the two of them were practically nose-to-nose with one another. But before anyone could take a single step forward to help, they witnessed a sight that caused many a jaw to drop. With a sinister laugh in her throat; Raven pulled Beast Boy forward by his collar with one hand, caressed his left cheek with the other...and proceeded to kiss him.

But while the lad's earlier gesture was but a small peck; her kiss was deeper, more passionate...and daresay hungrier by comparison. It was such a risqué display that several adults proceeded to cover the eyes of any little ones present (Lance Penn, Chopper, Youngblood and even Poindexter among them.) There were many who cried out in protest at this, while others hooted loudly with joy...but neither Raven nor Garfield noticed.

When they had finally broken apart, almost one minute later; the lad's lips were coated with lipstick and Raven (whose eyes were still glowing a light red) purred with satisfaction in a soft yet demonic voice. Ever so carefully, Cyborg asked what had got into the young lady; adding that her behavior made him think she was out for blood. "Don't get your bolts in a knot, Cy" Raven chuckled softly, "I was just showing Gar here exactly what he signed up for, now that we're going to be a couple."

After saying this, her magical tendrils released the young changeling; who proceeded to fall into her arms blissfully like a rag doll. The whole time this was happening, several people questioned why Raven chose to behave in such a manner; if she had no intention of actually hurting Garfield. "If you must know, one of my emotions wanted to have a moment where she could...have some fun with Gar" the young empath announced, "namely Rage."

Alas, all this explanation seemed to do was leave everyone feeling more confused; save for those who were more familiar with Raven's behavioral traits. It was here that Gabriel arrived with the Titans' tome from the Royal Archives, which appeared to have a page bookmarked. Upon opening it, everyone saw an illustration showing what looked like clones of Raven; each one wearing a different colored cloak.

These maidens, according to the chapter, were the personification of Raven's own emotions deep within her mind. "OH...I think I get it now" exclaimed Otto, "they're sorta like those inner selves of the guys we saw in the Mindscape, right?" Without saying a word, Gabriel nodded with a smile; indicating that the primate's guess was correct.

Soon after, he introduced them to the most rarely seen of Raven's "emoti-clones;" Rage. She was described as the most primal, destructive and vicious of emotions Raven had; which everyone fully believed to be true. "Wait...are we sure that thing is Rage" questioned Tucker, "because if so, I dunno why something that embodies anger would wanna kiss somebody; let alone BB."

Rather than feel offended by such words, the lad in question fully agreed with them; adding that he was often the victim of Raven's anger as many times as Doctor Light. "Just because my emotions embody specific parts of me, it doesn't mean they can't feel anything else" Raven said bluntly, "in this case, after everything that's happened; my Rage sees Gar in a new light, now...and she wanted to show him exactly how she felt." As the last nail in the coffin, everyone watched as the young empath faced Garfield with a smile and whispered Garfield's earlier words of "get used to it" in a most playful yet seductive tone of voice.

Then, she pulled up her hood and walked off towards the gate; all while giving her stride a slight wiggle with every step she took. Of course, Sir Garfield took notice of all of this and soon felt his body become overwhelmed with pure bliss before he finally fainted. "Uh-oh, looks like the lil' man's out cold" sighed Cyborg, "who's gonna be the one to carry him back to the tower?"

(Line Break)

Sometime later, everyone was brought back to the forest outside of Overon; where they waited for the Shadowmanes to reopen the portal. In the meantime, the champions took a moment to say one final goodbye to one another. "Just a day or so ago, I had no idea other people like me existed in the universe...so to speak" Steven murmured, "yet after meeting all of you, it feels like we've known each other for years."

After a quick series of high-fives, fist-bumps and playful body slams; the other five lads echoed Steven's words with equal delight. "Seriously, guys; if you ever find yourselves on Shuggazoom, drop on by" Chiro stated, "just look for the giant robot at the center of the city." There were many gasps and cries of shocked disbelief from the others, upon hearing this news; many of whom claimed that the lad was simply making up lies.

But then, at that moment; the great oak tree started shining bright and the Shadowmanes were able to access a portal to one of the other universes...the Hyperforce's to be exact. It was here that everyone caught a glimpse of what looked like a magnificent giant of a machine standing ever watchful over the land known as Shuggazoom City. Upon seeing the aforementioned machine, any and all people who doubted Chiro's words wasted no time in rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

"So...you guys actually live in that thing" questioned Tucker, and...is it like, aware of your presence at all in any way?" Before any member of the Hyperforce could offer up a reply, the image in the tree suddenly faded and was replaced with a most dreary jungle landscape; which they recognized as the Savage Land. "The portal is open" announced King Thaylog, "if you have anything else to say, do so now...we cannot hold it open for too long."

After this, all was quiet between the six heroes and their compatriots; which made the Shadowmanes feel slightly confused for a moment. Then, with broad smiles across their faces; the champions all proceeded to say their farewells in the most appealing way possible...by using their battle-cries.

Robin and Beast Boy: Titans, GO!

Team Penn: Release the Dragon!

The Hyperforce: HYPERFORCE, GO!

Team Phantom: Going Ghost!

Straw Hats: SUNACCHI!

Upon hearing the Straw Hats' cry, many cheered loudly with delight; expressing how powerful it sounded. "Thanks, we picked it up from some friends we made in Wano" Luffy laughed, "fun story...we'll tell you about it sometime." After that, all eyes turned towards Steven and his group; hoping that they might offer up something of equal passion. Instead, the lad decided to leave everyone off with a song; specifically a revised version of a melody he and his family often listened to.

Without delay, the lad took his ukulele in hand and proceeded to play it; which actually caused his family to tear up slightly with wistful nostalgia. Then, without warning; Spinel's long and stretchy arms proceeded to pull the other champions towards Steven. Once they were all standing together, the lad felt the time was just right for him to share his song.

We are the Crystal Gems!
We always save the day!
And if you think we can't
We'll always find a way!
That's why the people of this world believe in
Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, and...

If you're staring with your giant eyes
You can see that there's more of us than four of us!
And each one of our new friends completes us
We'll get together and go out for pizzas!
'Cause we believe in peace and love
We are here for fun!
If you're not then let's not fight 'cause
We've already won!

(Cue montage of all the champions returning home through the portal one by one while the instrumental plays. There are many tears shed, hugs shared and photo ops taken in the process; which fills the Shadowmanes and their allies with great joy. As the Titans prepare to depart, Gabriel reminds them that this was not goodbye; only "goodbye till next time." The young heroes bow their heads in respect to him and re-enter through the portal, the Titans East and the Logan spirits follow close behind them.)

Once they had all left, the Shadowmanes made their return back to the village; eager to tell their people that the champions have all returned safely home. But while they walked, Gabriel took a slight glance over his shoulder and stared at the tree with a faint smile upon his face; as if anxious to see his friends once more. "Wherever life may take you in the future, everyone; never forget one thing" he thought, "to all of us, you are and shall forever be champions."

(First AN: And thus ends our heroes venture into the realm of Overon but do not despair, everyone; there is one chapter left. Until then; be safe, be well and like our champions, stand strong even when times are at their darkest)

(Second AN: In one or two reviews, some people mentioned that I might not have given Chiro and the Hyperforce proper closure on their issues. I hope that was remedied in this chapter and I'm sorry for leaving that out, if I have forgotten that)

(Third AN: Some people who are fans of Danny Phantom may think I'm trying to break-up DannyxSam. But rest assured, while I do have some issues with the show now; I still consider myself a fan of it and its most prominent couple. Instead of breaking them up, I figure Danny and Sam having a bit of space between them might be good to help clear their heads on things)

(Fourth AN: During the battle-cry exchange, I discovered that neither Steven nor his team had one of their own. So, I figured him singing the song would be a good way for him to do his own kind of sendoff. That being said, I do not own the song; that is purely Rebecca Sugar's property)

(Fifth AN: For those wondering, Marina is a mermaid from a forest called Avilar; which is one of the settings within my Overon book series. If her behavior towards Sanji wasn't a clear enough sign, her personality is...just as lustful about beautiful land-dwellers as Sanji's is about beautiful women in general. So, I figured it would be a fun little moment to have them hit it off.

But if you want to learn more about her, I recommend reading my book; The Quest for the Crystal)

(Seventh AN: Since Lion's roar can open up portals that can transport people to as far as the moon, I thought it would be cool for the Shadowmanes to give it an upgrade; to give Lion the power to open portals to other dimensions as well.

If it doesn't make that much sense, I apologize; I tried my best to connect the "upgrade" with Lion's already well-known ability to open specific portals across town and to the moon)

(Final AN: I got the idea for the badges from the MLP episode, The Fault in our Cutie Marks; specifically when the CMCs *or Cutie Mark Crusaders* gave Gabby Griffin a Crusaders badge of her own to wear in place of a Cutie Mark. As for Luffy's toast, it's a common thing he does in both the One Piece manga and the anime whenever he makes new friends or new additions to his crew. So, I figured he would do the same for all of his new friends here; thus making everyone honorary Straw Hats)