Glad people are liking the story! It's not flowing as nicely as I would like, and the pacing seems (as usual for me) off a bit, but I love the idea for this and the mysterious Candyman villain, so I'll keep at it.

Thanks again to all those who reviewed!

In response to Rhys Davis...

Since I'm afraid I don't know what legend you're speaking of in reference to the whole 'speak his name three times' thing, the answer is no. He has no relation to that.

You do, however, get to see the Candyman in this chapter! Woo! Hope people like it!

Chapter 4: Partycrasher

"An archery contest?" Cyborg asked to the rail-thin man at the booth.

"Yes," replied the man, "Unfortunately, we only have one spot remaining in the line up. The prize is a very popular one! Being able to sit with the Queen at her banquet table is quite the honor."

Cyborg looked over at the other three titans. "Well?"

"I'll do it," Robin stated with a nod, "I have some training with bows and arrows." It was true; his training in Gotham had him being familiar with all types of weaponry. Of course, 'being familiar' and actually being able to hit the broad side of a barn are two totally different things.

"Just sign here, sirrah!" the man said, shoving a parchment towards the Boy Wonder who dutifully signed it. "Excellent. Go to the waiting area. You'll be called when it's your turn." The man looked Robin over critically. "Do you have a bow and quiver?"

Robin shook his head, "No, I don't."

The man pursed his lips, "Mm. Strange that you'd want to enter this contest then. Oh, well. Here, you can borrow mine. I just happened to bring it with me." The man reached down underneath the booth and pulled out a large bow and quiver of arrows. Robin examined them curiously.

"These are quite high quality," he stated, feeling the weight in his hands, "But... they don't feel quite right somehow."

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," Cyborg stated with a shrug, "We're lucky that guy allowed us to use it in the first place."

"Yeah. Lucky." Robin made his way over to the indicated waiting area, taking a seat on a bench beside the archery range. The other titans merely stood and watched with the crowd. Each contestant stood and took his mark, one after another, but none of them could hit the bullseye.

Finally, it was Robin's turn.

He took paused and took careful aim, pulling the drawstring back on the bow. The crowd was silent and hushed as Robin waited for the right moment to let go. With a twang, the cord sent the arrow cruising through the air before penetrating the bullseye perfectly. The crowd let out a cheer of elation, but the expression on Robin's features was more confused than anything.

"Woah!" Beast Boy exclaimed as Robin approached, "It's Robin Hood!"

Cyborg couldn't help but groan at the pun; Raven's lips twitched just briefly.

"That shouldn't have hit," Robin stated flatly on his return, giving the arrows and the bow back to the registrar, "I should have lost. The shot was far too much to the left. I shouldn't have hit the target at all, much less the bullseye."

"I guess the wind was with you," Beast Boy stated cheerfully, "But it works to our advantage, anyway! We can sit with Star now."

"No, something isn't quite right," Robin said, frowning, "Everything is too coincidental. There just happens to be contest available that will get us close to Star? I don't have the equipment to enter it, so I'm loaned the bow and arrows? And I hit the target when I shouldn't have?"

"It's a dream," Raven stated practically, "And a fairytale of some sort. I told you this place plays by it's own rules. Wildly improbable things may happen."

Robin frowned but nodded. Somehow that explanation couldn't resolve the nagging feeling in his gut. It just seemed far too perfect; there had to be a reason for it.

The team then walked towards the guards, prepared to accept their prize when they were stopped. "Where do you think you all are going?"

"Uh, to sit with Queenie?" Beast Boy replied, "We won the contest!"

"Only one of you entered, and only one of you won. Only one of you gets to go."

The group of teens all looked at one another. "We should follow the rules, at least for now," Raven advised.

Robin paused then looked towards the others for confirmation. They all nodded. "Go ahead. We'll wait here." Robin squared his shoulders and walked past the guards, heading for Queen Kory's banquet table.

There was a spot prepared right next to Starfire's avatar in this dream realm, the place of honor for the contest winner. Robin was motioned to the seat by one of the knights which he took dutifully, peering at the strange form of Starfire beside him.

"Let the feasting... BEGIN!" the same cryer from before shouted from the dias, causing the massive crowd to once again erupt in cheers. The parade grounds of the walled city was filled with a throng of people and picnic-like benches full of food. Cyborg and Beast Boy shrugged and dived into the mass of food, the green titan careful to avoid any of the meat products. Raven simply sat quietly, politely refusing any food that was offered to her.

"This salad's not bad," Beast Boy stated, chewing thoughtfully and looking over at Cyborg, "A little... strange tasting, but not bad. How's the death food?"

Cyborg chewed thoughtfully on something that looked like a chicken leg. "Kinda the same," he replied, "Doesn't taste quite right. Definitely not chicken. Still not bad, though, I guess."

"That makes sense," Raven offered, eyeing some of the smörgåsbord curiously, "You're probably tasting what Starfire thinks the food should taste like, or how she herself experienced it. It's her dream, after all, and not being human it's unlikely that she would have the same palate." She paused in thought, "That might explain the whole storybook atmosphere as well. Perhaps something she's seen or read while on earth?"

Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at Raven, looked at each other, then shrugged, attacking their meals anew.

Meanwhile at the royal banquet table Robin watched 'Queen Kory' silently, searching for any hint of recognition. This mission would be easier if she remembered something about her real life. Unfortunately, he found none. He observed her as she ate silently, not speaking a word.

Finally, he cleared his throat. "Queen Kory?"

She looked over and fixed him with those familiar green eyes questioningly.

"May I ask you a question?"

She nodded.

Robin hesitated. Why wasn't the normally vocal alien girl speaking? "I want to know about the 'Candyman'."

Instantly, the babble of voices at the table ceased, all eyes now on him. Starfire herself looked rather pained and... afraid?

"Please, it's very important."

Queen Kory pursed her lips before nodding and motioning to one of the knights. A length of parchment and a quill was given to the alien girl and she quickly wrote something down, passing it over to Robin. The strange sigils on the paper were quite alien to the Boy Wonder but, even as he stared at them, his vision blurred and seemed to twist the shapes into recognizable letters.

'What is it you wish to know?'

Robin paused, considering the question. "Who is he? Where can we find him? What are his weaknesses?"

Queen Kory pursed her lips again then wrote on the paper once more.

'A being of pure evil. A monument to past mistakes and continuing shame. No one sees him willingly. He has no weaknesses.'

Robin read the note and frowned slightly. "There must be something--"

Starfire slammed her hands down on the bench in fearful anger, quickly scrawling a large 'NO!' on the parchment and underlining it. Robin's face creased with sympathy as his friend looked ready to burst out in tears. Several of the other people at the table glared at him. He was about to apologize when there was a sudden shout from the direction of the gate.

A mud-encrusted woman stagged through the gate, wild fear in her eyes. "He's here!" she shouted, "Close the gate! Close the gate! The Candyman comes!" The woman collapsed on the ground as the throng of people erupted in a mass of panic, running in seemingly random directions in blind flight. Guards quickly moved to close the massive doors of the gate, one stopping to drag the unconscious woman from harms way.

"Protect the queen!" shouted one of the knights as Starfire stood from the table. The other knights formed a protective circle around her, all drawing their weapons.

Beast Boy looked up from the strange-tasting pie he was eating and looked at the pandemonium, a piece of the orange treat smearing his cheek. "What's going on?"

His only answer was a roar from behind the city's walls and the sound of something very large bashing against the gate. Archers lined the walls and fired down repeatedly at the unseen enemy. Another roar was heard when several of the archers suddenly screamed and flew from the walls as if struck by some massive force. The gate began to splinter and crack as it gave way, the rest of the archers retreating from their positions on the walls.

Robin had already gathered the rest of the titans in front of the gate, ready to face whatever monster my erupt through the doors.

When the door finally gave way, they were quite suprised.

A huge hulking figure strode into the courtyard, surveying the scene with coal black eyes. Or, more accurately, Oreo cookie eyes. The main body of the creature was lumpy and flowing with a sheen to the white surface like molten chocolate. Down the front of the barrel-like chest was a neat line of huge gumdrops, bisecting the creature. It's thick arms and fingers ended in curled candy-cane claws, the ends sharpened to wicked points. A sneer rose on the noseless face, exposing rows and rows of sharp candy-corn teeth, a blood red licorice tongue sliding malevolently over the nubs as black chocolate ichor dripped from the orifice. From the top of it's head spiked two ice-cream cone horns.

The titans stared blankly at the figure towering above them; it was, literally, a Candy Man.

"Oh, c'mon!" Cyborg stated incredulously, gesturing to the creature, "You have GOT to be kidding me. THIS is the horrific 'Candyman'? The ultra-wicked being of pure evil? He looks like a left over Christmas decoration!"

"People of Hershae, hear me!" the Candyman boomed in stentorian voice, thick and oozing with hate and malice, "I come for Queen Kory! Give her to me willingly and I'll spare your meaningless little lives. But I will have my quarry!" The black cookie eyes narrowed, "I will take everything from her... peice by piece."