By Nyassa Kaiba
Notes: I won't go in depth about my main character's past. Her name is Feralae, and a lot of things happened before this story starts. So I will explain as best I can. Because this thing doesn't seem like a Teen Titans fic at first. It starts in Metropolis, then there's a scene in Smallville, and FINALLY it moves to SanFrancisco, home of the Teen Titans!
Feralae's mother was a superheroine named Wild Wing. Her family lived in Gotham, however, the Joker identified them as a threat and planted a bomb in the family car. Feralae and family were on their way home from the local theater when Batman identified the bomb. He was able to save Feralae, but Feralae's mother, father, and girlfriend died in the blast. Feralae was given a mysterious pendant and an odd looking sword from her mother.
But Feralae couldn't bring herself to stay in Gotham anymore. There were too many memories. Feralae had an aunt and uncle in Metropolis and stayed with them for a year, hiding the superpowers that were her family legacy and training in secret. Then Supergirl found out about Feralae's powers as a "Dragon Mage." Feralae became friends with Supergirl and Superman. But she couldn't bring herself to step into her mother's shoes, and something was calling to her.
Prologue
Dragonchild, dragonchild
Filled with grief,
Your eyes are wild
"Dragon Clan Lullaby"
"So you're leaving?" Superman asked.
Feralae nodded. "Sorry to disappoint you. But there's something out there, or somebody, that's calling me and I can't figure out what it is. Either way, my traveling foot is itching again."
"We'll miss you." Feralae fingered the pommel of her sword. It was carved to look like her clan's sigil, a dragon and phoenix entwined.
"Listen, if you ever need a place to stay and rest for awhile, don't hesitate to bop over to my parent's place in Smallville." Superman told her. "Tell them I sent you."
"I will, but I doubt I'll stay long." Feralae told him.
"You will come back won't you?" Asked Supergirl. "I mean, you're the only teenage superheroine that I've ever met! I always end up hanging around with the grown ups on a mission."
"I don't think I'll be taking up a cape." Feralae sighed. "I just need to do some soul searching."
"Alright." Supergirl sighed. "Don't forget to write okay?"
Feralae smiled softly under the hood of a robe that an apprentice dragonmage always wore. "I won't." She hefted her bag, put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.
Nidhoggr, Dragon Lord of Darkness, and Feralae's Guardian Dragon Nidon flew down from the sky and landed neatly next to her. Nidhoggr ducked for Feralae to mount and she leapt to his neck. "See you!" Feralae pumped her fist in the air and the two dragons flew off.
Feralae traveled all over the U.S., training with and assisting the older superheroes and heroines. She even made it back to the East Coast and Gotham for a little while, but she didn't look for or contact Batman in any way. While he had saved her life, Feralae didn't want to be reminded of that fateful evening.
Eventually, Feralae did make her way to Smallville, she stayed with Clark's parents for six months, the longest she'd ever stopped anywhere on her journey. In fact, Feralae would probably have stayed indefinitely if the storm hadn't arrived.
Feralae came downstairs one bright Saturday morning to find Mr. Kent watching the news. The newscaster was saying.
"The winds of what meteorologists are calling a monster Hurricane have reached over one hundred and seventy miles an hour, and it doesn't appear to be losing steam. It's crossing the United States now, spawning tornadoes and hail in it's wake. The hurricane should reach San Francisco in approximately thirty six hours."
Feralae was watching the screen when she saw it. Storm dragons, hundreds of them in all sizes and shapes. And in the center, rolling his eyes and knashing his teeth was a dragon over a thousand feet long with tiny, vestigial wings. It didn't need those wings in order to fly, it balanced itself with the Earth's magnetic field. Feralae would have known that shape anywhere. Her family had sung the praises of dragons since the feudal period of Japan! Feralae had seen that shape in her family's scrolls too often to not recognize it.
Seiryuu, the Dragon King.
And if Seiryuu were causing a storm, it meant that he was VERY angry. Something had happened to Seiryuu to make him angry and if he were not appeased he would very likely keep making storms until either his rage were spent or his anger was appeased.
"Um… Mr. Kent."
"Yes Feralae?"
"That storm, it's not natural."
"What makes you say that? Don't tell me one of your dragons is causing it."
"In fact, the King of Dragons and several hundred of his followers ARE causing it." Feralae replied.
Mr. Kent laughed. Feralae tapped her foot impatiently. "You're serious aren't you?"
"Damn right I am. Seiryuu's angry. I'm going to need to leave to find out why." Feralae said calmly. "I think it's time I moved on again. I'll come back to visit, but I think San Francisco is going to need me a lot more than you guys will out here."
He nodded gravely. "I'm sorry that you're leaving."
"So am I. Tell Mrs. Kent I'll miss her." He followed Feralae upstairs as she stuffed clothes and assorted ritual artifacts into a several backpacks. "If I leave now I'll be able to make it with twelve hours to get prepared. Nidhoggr and I are going to have quite a time appeasing them."
"I don't quite agree with this dragon stuff, but you've shown me that they exist." Mr. Kent said as he and Feralae dragged the bags downstairs. "And you've shown me that they can do a lot of damage if left unchecked."
"That's right. So you see why I have to go." Feralae strapped the bags onto Nidhoggr's back. "We're leaving wing brother."
The dragon rumbled. "Yeah, I know it's nice out here, but you know peace, if it does anything it doesn't last." Feralae mounted. "I'll call you when I get there!"
Hours later, Feralae had settled into her hotel in San Francisco. The storm was coming, she could sense it. She got off the phone with Mr. and Mrs. Kent and slipped into her ritual garb as fast as she could go. The thunder rumbled outside, the winds howled. Feralae heard the mental murmur of dragons and their anger, their howling, their knashing of teeth.
Feralae ran the whole way to the harbor. It was the only place that Nidhoggr could land to pick her up. "Ready brothers?" Feralae asked Nidhoggr and Nidon. The dragons rumbled ascent. "Good, let's roll!"
The dragons did NOT agree with Feralae. They were angry and they kept Nidhoggr away with gusts of wind so powerful that she couldn't keep up. Feralae was blown across the harbor where she hit something hard and unyielding, and blacked out.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Bad prologue I know. It gets better, just trust me. And yes, the Teen Titans really do live in San Francisco. I looked it up on the DC website. Of course, in the original Teen Titans Starfire was a grown up, Beastboy was an actor before he was a Titan, and Robin quit and was replaced by Superboy. (growls) The Anime was WAY different.