Festival of Interdimensional Peace

-:-

Superboy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Nightwing, Kitty and Johnny were the last ones to arrive at the meeting place, which according to Ember and Writer, was to be expected.

After they had found a large enough table near one of the many themed pavilions, not far from the Main Stage, the groups began to recollect what they saw or heard. It was then that Pandora had walked up to them and offered for a few of her 'warriors' (she was appalled at the fact Beast Boy had called them her servants) to bring back food for the Team.

While waiting for their lunch, a few of the heroes decided to ask Pandora some questions in order to pass the time.

"So how did you meet Phantom?"

The four-armed ghost grinned with pride and began to retell the story of how the Box Ghost had stolen her legendary box (with all the world's known evils) and how she had ended up meeting Danny while trying to reclaim it.

By the time she had finished retelling the story, the food had arrived. But that didn't stop the heroes from asking her more questions.

"So why do you call Danny your son? I thought his mom was al-OOMPH," Kid winced as he was elbowed in the stomach. "-human?"

Pandora grew dark as she spat venomously at the ground beside her.

Superboy and some of the other members shared worried glances, as they thought that the speedster may have gone too far.

The Greek warrior glared at the space in front of them with menacing dark red eyes. "That- woman- is not worthy of such a label! She has failed her duty as his blood mother and therefore shall not be granted that title in my presence."

There was a heavy and tense silence as they waited for Pandora to gradually calm down.

"Sorry I asked?" Kid attempted with an unsure tone.

The woman sighed and cleared her throat. "I am sorry, I am still- bitter- towards my son's previous home life. As for your question, Kid Flash, I am his godmother, self-proclaimed of course. But he doesn't seem to mind… thus why I continue to call him my son."

"Uh, cool, I guess… did you guys - uh - hang out often?"

Superboy noticed that the change of topic seemed to improve her mood significantly.

"Oh yes! Before he moved, he would try to visit at least once every other week. We would talk for hours Living Realm time and would train and spar every so often as well. One could never be too prepared for battle as I liked to tell him."

"They spared?" Beast Boy whispered to Artemis.

"Have you met us?" The archer whispered back with a raised eyebrow.

Superboy watched as the young shapeshifter's eyes roamed over the Team as though he were seeing them for the first time. "…Noted."

Nightwing cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the whole group. "I have another question if you don't mind."

Pandora chuckled and waved her hand towards the Festival. "There's no need to ask for permission here, ask away, child."

"Does Phantom and the Heir not get along?"

This is when Pandora's face turned into one of genuine confusion. Similar to how Danny did, the dark-haired hero noted.

After a short silence, she tilted her head slightly and asked, "What makes you believe that they may not get along?"

Aqualad straightened his posture as he took over. "During our stay with Lord Frostbite and Princess Dora, we had asked what the Heir was like. At first, we didn't realize they were only joking, however, Danny had no input the entire time. He neither played along nor defended the Heir. Which then led us to believe that perhaps that did not get along."

Superboy was slightly unnerved by how still Pandora went, simply staring at Aqualad without any emotion present.

It wasn't until a crowd erupted into a burst of laughter in the distance did she finally move and closed her eyes in thought.

"I see…"

She put on a smile again as she stood up and addressed them. "To answer your question, young Atlantean, I don't believe there is a feud or disagreement between them. But-" she turned to leave. "I shall ask him to make sure, as I am curious to know myself."

Miss Martian stood up from her seat with a concerned expression. "But, wouldn't you know? You are his godmother, so you must've known him for a little while, right?"

The tall ghost turned to them with an unreadable expression. "There are things that even I do not know about my son… I've known him for almost three of your years."

The Team was then left to their thoughts.

Artemis let out an aggravated sigh. "I guess that just confirms that something is up, huh?"

Superboy watched as Nightwing crossed his arms. "And not just with Phantom, it seems that the ghosts, well, the ghosts that are close to him at least, also seem to be keeping something to themselves. Looks like we're going to be having a little chat when we get back. Superboy-"

"I'm not an errand boy," he interrupted with a slight glare. "If you really want to know, just ask him yourselves."

"But aren't you curious too?" Beast Boy asked.

Superboy crossed his arms as he looked away from the group. "…I'm not curious enough to go digging my nose into somebody else's business. Knowing him, he'll tell us when he's ready."

"And if he doesn't?" Aqualad's voice chimed in.

"The truth always reveals itself, one way or another."

The clone whipped his head around to find Clockwork standing beside the table.

"Clockwork!?"

"Whoa!"

He watched as Beast Boy unceremoniously fell out of his seat.

The ghost didn't even bat an eye. "Apologies Garfield, I did not mean to startle you. As for your questions, everything shall reveal itself in time. While I cannot share the paths ahead, I can at least reassure you that Daniel has his reasons for not sharing everything at once."

Artemis scoffed bitterly. "It wouldn't be the first time someone didn't tell us about something important until the last minute when it really mattered."

"And yet, he still had faith in you… when the time comes, remember to have faith in him, the same as he did for you."

Superboy blinked and the ghost was gone, leaving an awed and weary group of superpowered teenagers alone with their thoughts.

"You know? Now I know what Danny means by Clocky being too cryptic, it's kinda frustrating…" Kid Flash growled out.

"Frustrating or not, that sounded like a warning. Which means we need to remain alert while we're here."

Superboy raised an eyebrow at Nightwing's warning. 'Aren't we supposed to be doing that already?'

Before anyone could comment, Ember and the rest of the guides returned.

"Whatcha guys talking out?" Ember asked with a teasing smile.

"Eh nothing, so what's next?" Beast Boy asked with renewed enthusiasm.

"Well, we could explore a little more…" Kitty offered.

"Or?"

A mischievous excited smile appeared on Ember's face. "Or we could get good seats for the first tournaments."

A wave of excitement and curiosity rolled through the Team.

"What kind of tournaments?"

"Oh, all kinds! They have jousting and armored horseback battles-"

"-they also have swordsmanship and archery-"

"-Oh! And don't forget, they sometimes have realm-specific tournaments too. Like the FarFrozen's Blizzard Games, they're the best!"

"Don't let the people from Hades' hear you say that, or Skulker for that matter, you know how defensive they get over their Pit of Flames."

"I personally prefer the sorcery duels-"

"Yeah but those don't count since they're really just sparring and showing off, there's no sport behind it."

"You would prefer quieter tournaments wouldn't you, Writer?"

"Wait wait wait-"

The ghosts halted their bickering and looked toward Kid.

"Did you guys say Hades? Like, the Greek God of the Dead, has had run-ins with Wonder Woman and tried to take over the world with monsters, Hades?"

Ember put a hand on her hip as she raised an eyebrow. "I don't know about taking over the world- at least not Dipstick's. But yeah, that's the guy. He's supposed to be arriving sometime tomorrow, just in time to see the Blizzard Games take off."

"What are the Blizzard Games?"

"It's-"

"It's a game for adrenaline junkies."

Superboy and the Team turned around to see a familiar black and white crop top jumpsuit and mismatched gloves. The girl smiled with mirth in her glowing green eyes and her glowing white hair tied back in a ponytail as usual.

"Dani?!"

The Team again turned away and noticed their own ghostly teammate walking towards them with a surprised look in his eyes. Following behind him was a cyclops and another unfamiliar ghost.

"Danny!" The younger Phantom exclaimed excitedly.

Danielle tackle-hugged Phantom, who almost fell over from the sheer amount of force behind the tackle.

"It's been a while! What are you doing here?!" The older Phantom exclaimed happily.

"Same as everyone else of course! And to see your dorky face!"

Phantom pulled her into a headlock and started messing up her hair. "You have the same face you dork!" he retorted with a chuckle.

The team members noticed some of the ghosts and people around them were watching with awe, while others looked choked up or relieved. Beast Boy had even gestured over to the cyclops and they caught him wiping a tear away from his one eye.

"I guess he was just a big softy," Beast Boy whispered to Kid.

Superboy would have to ask them later what they meant by that. However, his thoughts were interrupted by his super hearing picking up some of the conversations around them.

"I'm so glad he has someone, dear."

"It would be a lonely afterlife if he didn't."

The clone raised an eyebrow at the comments but decided to wait to ask about it.

"Alright, alright, nothing to see here folks!" Danielle announced as she brushed herself off after escaping her cousin's hold.

Some of the ghosts chuckled but continued on their way nonetheless.

Danielle turned to Phantom with a slight embarrassed smile. "That aside, I missed you cuz'."

He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled back. "I missed you too. Are you going to participate in the Blizzard Games this year?"

She scoffed and brushed his hand off her shoulder playfully. "And risk getting hit by a hail ball the size of a bus? I'd rather take my chances by sitting next to Lady Margaret."

Both of the Halfas shivered with discomfort.

"Who's Lady Margaret?" Zatanna asked curiously.

"Oh trust me, you don't wanna know. Danny here got lucky this year since last I heard she got a ghost flu or something and couldn't make it."

"Is she mean?"

"Worse, clingy." Both of the Phantoms synced with annoyed expressions.

"Yikes. That bad?" Z chuckled.

Kid sighed and stepped forwards. "Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting bored just standing around. Dani?"

"Yeah?" Both Phantoms asked.

Beast Boy's tail flicked unsurely. "Uh, that's gonna get confusing…"

Both Phantoms looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation before turning back to the Team.

"Just call me Danielle. At least when we're both in the same place," the younger Phantom suggested.

"Got it. Anyways, do you know any cool places? Like jackpot shops or stops that only someone that's been here before knows about?"

A mischievous smirk appeared, "Looking for good souvenirs, are you? Yeah, I know a few. Wanna check them out?"

"Heck yeah!"

Phantom smiled. "You guys go on ahead, I'll have to regroup with Frostbite and Dora soon to prepare for the Blizzard Games tomorrow."

"You're going to participate?" Kitty asked with wide eyes.

"Oh heck yeah! I'm totally gonna watch this one!" Ember exclaimed with mirth and excitement in her eyes.

"What's so special about it?"

"Well one, I might get to see Dipstick face-plant like everybody was telling me happened last time he was here."

The Halfa blushed a bright green, to which Superboy couldn't help but crack a small smile.

"I didn't see the lingering lump of ice on the ground…" The teen tried to reason, whispering just loud enough for Superboy's advanced hearing to hear. Thus making the clone even more amused.

"Two, it's absolutely chaotic!" Ember continued with a mischievous grin.

"How does it work?" Zatanna inquired with a curious smile.

"There are two teams, both from two separate Realms, unless no one wants to participate, then it's just the FarFrozen guys. Each team has 5 minutes to construct a base for their side of the arena which holds four items. Then that's where the fun happens. Two people are allowed to guard their base for each team, while the other members go out and try to steal the other team's items and score points. The first team with all eight points, or with the last man standing, wins."

"Oh, so it's like Capture the Flag," Miss Martian commented with a small proud smile. Probably proud that she knew what that reference was.

"Yes and no. During the entire game, the other members can attack you with snow and ice," Danielle replied.

"So it's Dodgeball and Capture the Flag, got it," Kid concluded with a know-it-all tone.

"Sounds interesting, can any of us participate?" Nightwing asked.

The ghosts all shared a look before a few had devious smiles. "Yeah you could, but you should probably watch it first, just to get the hang of it," Johnny offered.

"I don't know, maybe we should let them." Kitty snickered.

Ember gasped dramatically next to Phantom, "And risk us getting in trouble for not being responsible guides?"

The Halfa just rolled his eyes with a slight smile.

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked with a nervous flick of his tail.

"Would we even get a chance to participate? I thought we had to sign up before the events took place?" Aqualad inquired.

"So long as it's before the game starts, it's fine. But, You guys will see what we mean. As for the question from before, yeah, the Pit of Flames and Blizzard games are more like everyday games than tournaments. They happen every day around specific times, that way multiple people have a chance to participate."

"Great One!"

The team looked over to see Frostbite waving Phantom over.

"That would be my cue. I'll see you guys later."

"No problem, I'll keep an eye on these guys," Danielle winked.

"What do you mean to keep an eye on- HEY!"

Superboy turned to see that Danielle had already taken off, Beast boy and Kid Flash dashing after her.

"Wait for us!"

"You guys wanted to see some cool shops! The last one there buys us lunch next time I visit!"

"Oh, no fair!"

The other team members chuckled as they followed Ember, Kitty, and Johnny 13 toward the Northern Arena.


Kingdom of Aragon

-:-

The first day of the Festival of Interdimensional Peace had concluded. The Team, Princess Dora, Frostbite, and Danielle, all returned to the Kingdom of Aragon safely and without incident. Upon their arrival back, Dora and Frostbite had one last meeting with Danny, privately, before turning in early, leaving the Team and their ghostly teammate and his cousin to themselves in the Dining Hall.

"I'm glad you guys enjoyed yourselves, despite the last-minute guide thing," Danny smiled.

A few of the members shared looks with each other.

Kaldur folded his hands together. "Actually Danny, there is something we'd like to discuss with you."

His smile faded as he shifted in his seat and looked around the table with concern. "Did something happen?"

The Atlantean gave him a reassuring wave. "No, no nothing like that. We just had some- concerns- about some unshared information."

The half-ghost quickly steeled his expression as a slight panic rose in his chest. He raised an eyebrow and tried his best to come off as more concerned. "Such as?"

"Such as the strict 'no fighting' rules," Dick interjected.

'Wait, what? Is that what this is about?'

"What about it?" Danny asked hesitantly, though internally relaxing slightly.

"Wouldn't that have been important to share?" Aqualad inquired with a concerned look.

Danny shared a look with Danielle, who shrugged in return. He turned back to Kaldur with a frown.

"To be honest, it didn't cross my mind. But, don't you think, logically, that would've been a given? It is a peace festival."

"Given or not, it would've been better to know this beforehand from you, rather than almost complete strangers." Dick retorted with a stern tone.

The Halfa was taken aback. 'Did it really matter that much to them?'

"Sorry… it just didn't cross my mind," he apologized with an unsure frown.

Kaldur offered a forgiving look. "It's fine, though next time, please try to keep things like that in mind. We wouldn't want to accidentally offend someone or cause trouble at the Festival for simply not being aware of something that could be considered fundamental."

Danny nodded guiltily. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Since we're on the topic, what exactly is considered 'fighting'?" Zatanna interjected.

"Oh that's easy," Danielle jumped in. "Technically it should be called the 'zero violence rule'. Fighting would be considered 'actually getting physical with another person'. If you were to threaten someone, depending on how severe it is, you could be escorted out of the festival grounds or just be given a strict warning."

"And if it ever did become violent?" Kaldur frowned.

Danny sighed bitterly. "Then you and the kingdom you represent can be eternally banned from the Festival of Peace. If a fight were to go too far and someone was killed, the murderer would face the same fate by either the Ghost King's or Time Master's hands."

The room went still.

"So basically, it's 'follows the rules, risk getting kicked out for eternity, or be killed'. Great world you live in Ghost Boy." Artemis commented with an aggravated sigh.

The teen shrugged. "Hey I didn't make the rules, I just follow them."

"You? Following rules? I think a pig just sprouted wings somewhere," Artemis retorted.

Danny rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. "Haha, very funny. Like any of you guys are the ones to talk. Your team wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the fact that you directly disobeyed Batman's orders to stay put."

"Touché, Ghost kid. Touché."

Some of the team chuckled and the tense atmosphere seemed to evaporate.

The speedster yawned and stood up as he stretched. "Come on you guys, I'm ready to sit back and relax after a day like that."

"Wally is right. Go ahead and hit the showers, I think we could all use a little rest," Dick ordered.


"Today was… fruitful."

"Yeah well, the real crowd is going to start getting here tomorrow. And I don't know about you, but if I'm not allowed to cause any chaos with that many around, this whole trip is going to bore me!"

"Have patience, Klarion… besides, this trip will be anything but boring… and I am quite looking forward to it."