"Alright, you girls ready?" Cyborg asked. The two girls were sitting on a lab table, looking around.
"What exactly is that thing going to do?" Young Bumblebee asked. Cyborg was hooking himself up to a machine.
"Just sit still alright. You'll get some candy afterwards," he muttered.
"Really?" she gasped.
"Mariana, you doing okay?" Cyborg asked.
"Of course," the half-Atlantean nodded. "I trust you with all my heart."
"But, you've never met him before," Bumblebee muttered.
"I've met him a few times, and if it wasn't for him…I wouldn't even be here," Mariana smiled at her friend and held out her hand. "Do you trust me?"
"Alright, I trust ya," Bumblebee sighed placing her hand into the half-Atlantean's. The two girls faced forward and sat perfectly still.
"Alright, let's go," Cyborg nodded, pointing his arm blaster at them. He shot them with a white light, blinding himself for a moment. When the light had cleared there was a light fog covering the room. "You girls okay?" he coughed.
"I'm better than okay, Sparky!" Bumblebee smiled, flapping her wings. "You did it!" She hugged her friend tightly, thanking him. "Mariana you okay?"
"I'm fine," the girl answered, sliding off the table. "Are daddy and papa still here?"
"Yeah, they're outside waiting for ya," Cyborg nodded.
"'Daddy and papa'?" Bumblebee asked in shock, looking at Cyborg.
"Oh yeah, you're gonna love this," Cyborg smirked.
The door opened and Mariana stepped outside, coughing. There were only three people outside waiting for her.
"Marina Freccia!" Roy gasped, hugging her quickly.
"Papa!" Mariana squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Roy lifted her up, holding her close before setting her back on her feet.
"Good to see you back to normal," Garth smiled, kissing her cheek.
"I know! But it was fun being six again," Mariana smiled. "I've missed nap time."
"You're a hero, you don't get naps," Sunburst huffed.
"Hi Sunburst!" Mariana greeted, jumping up towards the girl. She wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist and pulled her out of the air. Sunburst sighed and gave her a hug back.
"Good to have you back Mariana," she muttered.
"Where's Chance?" Mariana asked.
"Right here," the boy smiled, running up behind her. He held up a plate with a small cake. "Got it from France," he winked. Mariana's eyes widened at the cake and she took the fork, eating the thing in one bite.
"Cake is so yummy! I love cake!" She cheered. The door opened once more and Bumblebee exited, looking away from Roy and Garth.
"I guess Cyborg told ya," Garth smiled.
"Yeah," Bumblebee nodded. "I always had my suspicions that your fights were just sexual tension, but I never dreamed that I would be right!"
"Alright, somebody go get the twins and I'll turn them back," Cyborg called from inside the room.
"A Belgian chocolate cake," Chance smiled, placing another plate down in front of Mariana. He ran off and came back with another chocolate cake, and a strawberry one. "Chocolate cake from Switzerland with raspberry filling and a strawberry cake with blueberry filling from Japan."
"Yummy!" Mariana cheered, taking a bite of the Belgian cake. "It's so good!" she smiled.
"Glad you think so," Chance smiled, sitting next to her.
"Mariana," Garth called, walking over to them.
"Can we have a moment with our daughter?" Roy requested.
"Sure thing," Chance nodded, standing up and leaving. Garth and Roy sat down next to their daughter, looking at her seriously. Mariana noticed their expressions and frowned, placing her fork down.
"Yes?" she asked.
"We have to leave," Roy told her simply.
"If we don't leave soon we will never be able to return," Garth told her. "It's the spell that Raven used. We can go back in time, but only for a limited time."
"So…you have to leave again…" Mariana sighed, looking at both of them.
"Don't look so sad, Marina Freccia," Roy smiled, undoing her braid. He combed his fingers through it before messing with it once more. "We'll still be here, our younger selves."
"But, they don't love each other yet," Mariana frowned.
"They will, soon," Garth promised her, stroking her cheek. "Roy and I will fall in love, and we'll have you. You'll be named Marina Freccia and will be our little princess, no matter how old you get."
"Now, what does Marina Freccia mean," Roy smiled, combining two small braids into a half-ponytail, and then braiding that.
"Ocean arrow," Mariana answered. "It's Italian."
"Exactly," Roy smiled. "'Ocean' for daddy, and 'Arrow' for papa."
"Now, who named you?" Garth asked.
"Aunty Bumblebee," Mariana giggled. "You two were arguing over a name and she got mad and suggested it to end the fighting."
"How were you born?" Roy asked softly.
"Uncle Victor combined your DNA and created me," Mariana answered quietly, lowering her head.
"Exactly, nothing will change," Garth smiled. He cupped her head and made her look at him.
"Or do you not trust your dear old dads?" Roy smiled, pulling her into his lap when he finished her hair.
"I trust you," Mariana smiled.
"Good," Garth nodded, rubbing their noses together. "But, papa does have a present for you."
"Really?" Mariana gasped, looking at her redheaded father. "Oh! What is it papa?" She asked excitedly, clapping her hands.
"Calm down," Roy chuckled, taking a small staff out of his belt. He pressed a button and the staff extended, curving. Mariana's eyes widened as a chord came out of the top. She pulled the chord and placed it in a small hole in the bottom. The chord was sucked in and tightened, turning into a bow.
"That's so cool!" Mariana gasped, jumping out of her father's lap and admiring the bow.
"There's a supply of chord in the bow, if it breaks, you just have to put it in the other side and it will tighten," Roy smiled.
"You can also tighten it yourself and make the chord into a weapon if you ever run out of arrows," Garth told her.
"This is so cool!" Mariana cheered.
"Garth, Roy, we should get you home now," Raven told them. She led the three of them to the circle of candles.
"Hey, how about, when you get home, we go camping next to a lake?" Roy winked.
"I think that's a nice idea, what do you think?" Garth smiled at his daughter.
"Only if you promise that it's the three of us!" Mariana declared. "And you can't leave! Someone else will have to take care of the city!"
"Of course," Garth nodded in agreement.
"That's a given," Roy smirked. Mariana smiled and jumped forward, hugging them both.
"I'm gonna miss you," she whispered.
"We already miss you," Garth whispered, hugging her back.
"Be back soon, okay?" Roy smiled, hugging her as well.
"I'll try," Mariana smiled, giving them each a kiss. She let go of them and ran over to her teammates.
"See ya," Sunburst waved.
"Don't worry about her, she won't be alone with us," Chance smiled. Raven sprinkled the dust she had created to connect the candles. As she connected them, the candles lit up. She closed her eyes and held out her hand, reciting the spell. "Umbara talorka shimka finite tiet." Raven recited. The flames jumped up and flew to one another, creating a ring of fire. "Shitana umkasku redyt implynk to ramu!" She shouted. Her eyes turned white and she was surrounded by a white glow. A white portal appeared beside them.
"Well at least this time I won't fall," Roy muttered.
"I told you not to piss her off," Garth smirked.
"Bye daddy, bye papa!" Mariana smiled.
"See ya," Roy smiled, walking through the portal.
"We'll see you when you get home, Mariana," Garth smiled, walking through. The portal closed and Raven fell to the ground once more.
"Cake?" Mariana smiled, holding out the cake from Japan.
"I don't normally eat sweet things, but fine," Raven nodded, taking a bite of the cake.