WHAT'S HAPPENING, EVERYBODY? It's me, samuraistar! I've returned to once again regale you with my fan fiction! Yaaaaaaaaayyyy! A little note for you: For all you movie fans, there are several references scattered through the chapters. Try and guess them. And for all you manga fans, you may recognize a few references to "Ceres: Celestial Legend" in the later chapters. (Travis and Terra will not be featured in this story, because I felt like it.) And of course, you know about the huge reference to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." So without further ado, the most exciting fan fic (in my humble opinion) I've ever written:

The Rose of Notre Dame
Chapter 1: A Frightening Meeting

Merlina and Umbra left the jewelry store. Umbra was proudly wearing a pink collar with a gold heart charm on it. The charm had a T in the middle in the style of the Tower. Umbra strutted the streets with her tail in the air and her chest puffed out. Merlina giggled at her pet.

"I guess it's safe to say you like your present?" she assumed. Umbra looked up at her owner.

"It's the nicest thing I've ever owned!" she piped, "Thank you, Lina!" Merlina scooped her up and rubbed foreheads with her cat.

"Nothings too good for my pet," she fondly said as she set her back down, "Happy birthday." Today was Umbra's fourth birthday in cat years. In human years, she was about 29. (Confusing, I know. I don't know anything about cat years, okay? Just go along.) Anyway, so Lina gave her a new collar as a gift and now they were walking through the streets back home. Suddenly, Merlina froze up. Dark magic had gotten a hold of her, rendering her immobile and nearly defenseless; but only nearly, because Umbra was with her. Umbra's fur raised, her tail erected, and her claws were halfway out.

"Who's there?" she demanded with a hiss, "Show yourself!" The only answer that came to her was a net shot out of nowhere, ensnaring her. A teenage boy stepped forth. He wore a gray shirt with black long sleeves, a red dragon on the front, and baggy gray khaki pants with Japanese sandals. His hair was black, and his eyes were a dark, marble gray. He approached the cat, who was struggling in the trap. Umbra caught him in her eye and hissed at him.

"Coward!" she spat in her creepy, similar-to-Chrysalis Eater-voice, "You..." she struggled in the net, "think this...stupid...thing can...hold me?"

"A black hisser," the boy said, "what a coincidence. Doris!" A black snake appeared from the neckline of his shirt and coiled around his neck and down his arm, sniffing the air with her tongue. The boy commanded her, "Doris, guard." The snake slithered off him and circled the writhing cat with her snake eyes. Umbra still struggled, but watched Doris with equally watchful eyes. The boy turned to Merlina.

"What kind of name for a snake is 'Doris'?" she asked defiantly.

"What kind of name for a cat is 'Umbra'?" he countered, "At any rate, I'm not here to play games with you. I'm here to take you away." He lifted her chin.

"I'm quite comfortable living here!" she said, "Who are you!" He looked darkly at her.

"I'm surprised you don't know," he answered, "yet I'm also not. You witches don't care who's hunting you, as long as you can get rid of them." He circled her once as he said this, then faced her again. Lina couldn't break free; this magic was beyond her knowledge. He continued.

"My father was the leader of the angry mob that invaded your island. I wanted to come, but he wouldn't let me. He is in the insane asylum because of YOU! You made him think demons were crawling all over him! He's out of his mind, thanks to you! So I swore revenge. I made my way to the city and watched you. You're a Teen Titan; it's hard not to. I was just waiting for the right time..." he glared in her eyes.

"...and it's now." Despite her fear, Merlina had to ask, "You hate witches. Why do you carry witchcraft with you?"

"To defeat my enemy," he answered, "I must become my enemy. But this is a high level of Black magic that exceeds your own."

"How do know that?" she wavered.

"I stalked you," he said bluntly, "I know a lot about you." He then snatched her wand out of her dress, brushing his hand against her.

"What are you doing?" she panicked. He put her wand to her throat.

"Say one word," he quietly threatened, "and I will spurn your memory forever." He then did things to her that will not be mentioned here. Let's just say he didn't keep his hands to himself. What was worse, he had her in the beginning of an alley, where no one would see his attempts to ahem you know. Umbra flailed and meowed her head off, but no amount of caterwauling would get Doris or her master to relent. Umbra got an idea and pushed her charm, which conveniently doubled as a communicator/locator.

It made a beep, and she yelled for Daniel to get down here immediately! The boy clung Lina to him and said softly, "They call me Tobias." (A/N: Pronounced "Tuh-bye-ess.") Before he could take his harassment too far, though, he was tackled into the street by Daniel in a red samurai robe. Daniel kicked him away and released Merlina from the boy's spell (being on as high a level of light magic as the boy was of dark.)

"DANIEL!" she cried (literally) in relief. Daniel put himself between her and the boy, who faced him. Daniel was seething.

"Give the lady her wand back," he quickly said, "now." Glaring at the intruder, the boy Tobias slowly held out Lina's wand. Dan snatched it and gave it to her.

"Now get out of my sight," he bit his words off. Doris, never moving from her post, hissed and clacked at Daniel. Tobias didn't move.

"You think I'm kidding?" Daniel shouted, "GET OUT OF HERE!" He shot Tobias with a wave of red light that lifted him and stabbed him with pain that drew a cry of "No more!"

"That's enough, Daniel!" Robin said as he and the others appeared (having also picked up the cat's signal.) True to his team, the furious wizard violently dropped Tobias with a jerk of his wand. He landed on his feet.

"You're gonna die, Merlina Rose!" he swore as he pointed at her and backed away, "even if all Paris dies with you!" Turning to run, he yelled over his shoulder, "Doris, return!" The snake slithered away at his heels. Danny grabbed his sister.

"Are you okay?" he asked urgently.

"Oh, Daniel!" she broke down in tears and crumpled in her brother's arms, telling him all that he'd done to her. Daniel listened in furious silence. Starfire freed Umbra and held her, stroking her fur and cooing to her with soothing words of comfort. Umbra wanted nothing more than to hunt their attacker down, or even just scratch or bite something, but she patiently lay in Starfire's gentle hold, realizing how tired she was.

"Happy birthday to me," she softly and sadly purred to herself.

"Is Umbra okay?" Lina asked.

"She is fine," Star said, "for now. She is very sad, but she is asleep. Merlina, who was that?" Lina stared into space.

"Just another witch hunter," she dully said. Raven, Robin, and Beast Boy then got a hold of her and herded her to the T-Car. Daniel stood alone on the sidewalk for a while, then conjured his Nimbus cloud and flew home ahead of everyone else.

"Whoever you are, Tobias," he said, "I'm going to find you. I will hunt you down like the animal you are."

Author's Review:
Whoo! As far as I'm concerned, this is shaping up to be a pretty good story! What do y'all think? About Tobias sexually harassing Lina, I didn't go into detail with it because it was too nasty, and I don't write stuff like that...not in detail, anyway.

Sorry I've been away so long. School's murdering me. My writing's the only thing that even keeps my sanity IC. I promise you all, though, this is going to be the BEST fan fiction story I've ever written. That's just my opinion so far, but I'll let my readers/fans/whatever be the final judge of that. (wink!) Until next time!

Cordially Yours Forever,
-samuraistar