1Chapter Two: Family Reunion

Raven closed her eyes tightly, knowing that her powers were uncontrollable at best, and for the moment could be considered non-existent. She knew what was coming even before he spoke.

"Bless the blade that slays you."

She heard him laugh evilly, and could sense his movement. So this was how she was going to meet her end, at the hands of a phantom from her past she could barely remember.

However, the blow never came. She heard a roar, and felt something fly over her. A thud, a cry of surprise, and then nothing. She opened her eyes, and saw something she had hoped she would never see again.

It was huge, and furry. Somewhat resembling a humanoid cross between a wolf and a bear. It's roar was echoing, and haunting.

Beast Boy.

It was the form he had taken... When his anger, his animal instincts had taken over. The form that had both nearly killed and saved the dark sorceress.

Mael managed to give out a cry of surprise before both he and the now-angered changling toppled off the roof. Beast Boy slashed at him viciously with his claws, and the sorcerer was so shocked he couldn't fight back, not even when the monster's jaw clamped down on his shoulder.

If he was human, every bone in his body would have shattered under the force of hitting the ground. But he was far from human. He looked at the new monster in a mixture of confusion and rage, "What are you?"

However, as the thing continued to tear at his cloak and body, he sighed, "No matter, it's time I beat some sense into you. You'd make a good pet! Keal Sin Bal!"

Beast Boy was flung off, black tendrils jumping around his monster body like electricity. However, much to Mael's amusement, he got up almost emmediatly, and charged again, emitting a deafening howl of challenge.

This just amused Mael further, and he stopped Beast Boy in mid lunge, holding him in the air. He smirked, "Hmmm, what to do with you. Ah, I think I know."

He commenced to take Beast Boy, and slam him hard into every semi-solid object in the area, again and again, the force of it growing each time. Finally, Beast Boy managed to grab a rock off the ground, and throw it at Mael, catching him in the face and knocking him down. Taking the chance, he leapt onto the fallen sorcerer. He slammed his heavy fists into the fallen body mercilessly, again and again. Until he was lifted once again by the man's magical powers.

Mael stood up, eyes burning with hatred, "Now you die!"

He slammed Beast Boy's head into the ground repeatedly, hard and in rapid succession. The sound was almost pendulum-like in it's regularity. Slowly the changling started to turn into his normal self. His body was limp, his eyes closed and face blank. Mael forced him into the ground, slowly crushing him, like a bug.

Raven looked to the others, who were still unconscious from the previous attack on them. Then she looked back to Mael in horror, "You're going to kill him!"

The sorcerer looked up at Raven with a smirk, "No princess, did it ever strike you that might possibly be the point?"

Finally, as if bored, he tossed the green changling to the side. He rolled down the hill, onto a rock. He wasn't moving.

Satisfied, Mael levitated back up to Raven, "Well then, now it really is just you and me isn't it? You're pitiful allies are either dead or dying. I think I should send you to join them, so you can face the black of death together. Would you like that Princess Rasemune?"

"My name is Raven!" She yelled, lashing out in her fury. The spell simply bounced off with no effect.

"A rose by any other name is still a rose. The same goes for a demon. As well as a half-demon. Not that it matters what your name is when you die. I doubt your father will care if I kill you now."

He sent a bolt of power that literally ripped the air as it traveled for the stricken sorceress. However, before it hit another cloaked figure appeared, stopping it.

"But I care."

Mael narrowed his eyes, and his voice dripped in hatred, "You!"

"Yes, me. Now I'm giving you one chance Kirheinse, leave."

Mael actually stepped back, as the aura flowed over him. Familiar, and yet different. He could tell what it was a mile away, "Oh Einderan you poor diluted fool. You may defeat me, you may even kill me. But you will never win this little 'revolution' of your's. Give up, your father is willing to forgive you if you return."

Raven looked at the two in confusion. The face of this new man was covered in a black cloak, but the voice sounded so familiar! Why couldn't she remember?

"Ha, yes. I'm going to fall for that one again. Last time I found my heart almost being ripped out by, hmmm, who was it now... Oh yes, it was you."

There was no hidden threat in that last sentence. It was clear, and very, very sharp. Raven started to back away from them as she felt the power growing.

"Not even you can stop Trigon's arrival! This world will fall just like all the others!"

"It doesn't matter how many worlds you enslave, or how many people you kill, we will stop you."

Mael shot a ball of black energy at the new figure, but it stopped in mid-air. The figure told Mael, "Give this message to 'king' Trigon. His days are numbered. I'm going to send him back where he belongs!"

With that, the figure sent the energy back at Mael, after charging with some of his own. It hit the evil sorcerer, knocking him back. He gave an unearthly scream, and dissapeared.

Raven looked up at the new figure, who's face was still hidden in shadow. His voice was so familiar, but from where?

"Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, my friends..."

The figure looked down where Raven directed, and saw the motionless changling. He nodded and lifted the small form up gently, raising him up to the tower with his powers. He gently laid Beast Boy down. Raven started to cry at what she saw.

He wasn't moving, and his face was a bloody mess. His uniform had been ripped, and his arm was bent at a very awkward angle.

"Beast Boy..."

The figure kneeled down and put his hand on the small changling's forehead, "You're friend is still alive, but only just. He needs healing, quickly."

Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg started groaning, and looked around dazed. They didn't know what had hit them, but it had hurt bad.

Robin spoke first, "Raven? Who is this- What happened to Beast Boy?"

"He needs help, please we have to take him to the infirmary."

Cyborg picked up the broken, green body and carried it into the tower, "Already on it Rae. Starfire, I'll need some help."

"Right."

The two hurried with their fallen comrade into the tower, leaving Robin, Raven, and the still concealed man alone. Raven stood up, finally bringing her emotions somewhat under control, "Who are you?"

The man went down on one knee, and took her hand. She could hear the panic in his voice, "Please, forgive me. I didn't want to come here, but we had no where else to go. I'm sorry I had to drag you into this. We need your help."

"My help? What could I do for someone with your power?"

"I am the leader of a group of resistance fighters against Trigon the Terrible. We were hiding on another world, when his soldiers attacked. We weren't prepared, and had to abandon it. We suffered many injuries, and losses... Our supplies are almost gone, we need food, water, and shelter for my soldiers and refugees."

Robin walked up to him, "How many are we talking?"

"About a hundred soldiers, and some thousand refugees. Please, we have no where else to turn."

"I'll have to make some calls, but I'm sure that we will be able to provide what you need."

"Thank you. I'm in your debt. Thank you so much..." The relief in his voice was enhanced by the growing of black auras around some pieces of rubble on the roof of the tower, but they were dissipated before anything bad could happen. Robin walked off to make some emergency calls.

The cloaked man stood up, and as if on cue another, shorter cloaked figure appeared beside him. He told it, "Bring the worst wounded here. The rest will have to make due where they are. Tell them that we are welcome here."

The new figure bowed, and teleported away. Raven finally managed to ask again, "Please, your voice is so familiar. Who are you?"

The cloaked figure turned to face away from Raven, pulling his hood back. His hair was dark brown, and shortish in length. He told her, "I suppose it has a been a while since Azarath. But surely you remember..." He turned, revealing eyes the same color as Raven's, and sporting a similar jewel on his forehead, but his was blue. His face resembled Raven's in a way, "Your big brother."

Raven blinked a few times, before smiling and throwing herself at him, "Einderan!"

He hugged her back, "It's nice to see you well sister. I'm sorry I had to bring this upon you."

"Bring what?"

He sighed and stepped back. His eyes were deadly serious, "The war. My war. My revolt against our father."

"But how can you stand against him?"

"I have about one hundred soldiers, men and women from various worlds both already enslaved and those who are sympathetic to our cause. Many of them came from Azarath, a few from Mystell, and a few others. About a third of them are half-demon, like us. The rest are human spellcasters. The demon armies of our father have never faced an enemy as dead set, determined, or as well prepared as we are. But they caught us off guard, during a celebration, the day of our first victory against them. We drove them back, and managed to escape. But as the presence of that dog Kirheinse suggests, we were followed."

A question nagged in the back of Raven's mind, "The refugees, are any of them from Azarath?"

"Quite a few."

"Please, is my mother?"

Einderan sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Raven, I'm sorry. You're mother didn't make it. Trigon killed her with his own hands, right in front of me."

Tears threatened to overtake Raven again, but she fought them back, "So Mael was telling the truth."

"Forgive me, I wasn't able to stop him..." Einderan said, hanging his head slightly.

Raven shook her head and smiled, "I always knew deep down, but I hoped I was wrong."

"Hope, it betrays us all at some point."

Suddenly Raven's communicator went off, and Cyborg yelled into it, "Yo Raven! Beast Boy is banged up real bad! I can't do anything, we need you to pull some of that healing stuff you do!"

The young sorceress's eyes went wide a moment, and she exclaimed, "I forgot about him! Oh no, I might not be able to help now..."

Raven ran down to the infirmary, her brother right behind. When they got there, Raven stopped dead in her tracks.

Beast Boy looked worse. His face was swelling, his cuts staining the bandages that covered them. His arm was in a cast, and his heartbeat was erratic. After overcoming the shock of seeing her friend in such a state, she hurried over and began to use her magic to heal what wounds she could.

She grimaced in the effort, as her emotions were still battling for control. She was still in charge of her powers, but only just. Raven closed her eyes to try and fight back tears, but couldn't. They started slipping down her cheek, "I can't stop it, there's to much damage for me to repair."

Einderan walked over, throwing his cloak to the side so it wouldn't get in his way. He put his hand over Ravens, "I'll deal with his major injuries, you just fix what you can."

Raven looked up at him, then nodded. Her hands glowed with a white light as she started repairing the changeling's cuts and swelling.

Einderan closed his eyes, and started doing the same, but his hands glowed an extremely light blue. He passed the light back and forth over Beast Boy's head and chest, healing the damage done inside of the body.

Cyborg watched in amazement as Beast Boy's vital signs started to strengthen, and stabilize. His wounds started to close, and his swelling went down. His bone's healed, and after what seemed like only a few minutes Beast Boy looked like himself again.

Einderan sighed, and said, "Now for the spark of life."

He snapped his fingers, and a small, white light flicked down onto Beast Boy. When it touched him, his body was covered in a brief surge of bright light. Then his eyes slowly flickered open, "Where, where am I?"

Raven's entire face lit up, and she hugged Beast Boy tightly. Starfire and Cyborg's jaws dropped right to the floor. Beast Boy was frozen in shock.

Black auras started creeping up around various expensive looking pieces of equipment in the room. Einderan looked around, and started dispelling them with waves of his hand and snaps of his fingers. Finally after about five seconds of this, Einderan told her, "Raven, calm yourself. I'm going to miss one of these eventually."

She jumped back as if just discovering Beast Boy was on fire, trying desperately to conceal the growing red in her face, "Sorry, I just thought that he wasn't going to..."

Beast Boy eyed her curiously, "Thought I wasn't going to what?"

"Live." Einderan explained almost casually. Beast Boy's face paled, his body going rigid.

"No! I'm to young and handsome to die!"

Einderan flinched at the volume and pitch of the changeling's voice, "You're fine now, and don't do that again."

Beast Boy started rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "Oh, sorry. Hehe..."

Meanwhile, Robin had called his old mentor Batman. The dark knight of Gotham actually seemed pleased to hear from his old partner, "Hello Robin. How are things in Jump City?"

"Batman, I need help."

"With what? What's wrong?"

"Have you ever heard of something called Trigon?"

"Trigon, a powerful demon, supposedly only five below Lucifer. Also known as Trigon the Terrible, Trigon the Enslaver, and Trigon, the Ender of Worlds."

"Good, that will make this easier..."

Robin commenced to give his former teacher an overview of the past events. The return of the new invincible Slade, the marks on Raven's body, the 'Prophecy' foretelling the end of the world, everything. Batman listened carefully, knowing full well that the boy wonder wouldn't lie to him.

When he finished, Batman was silent for a long time. Then he said, "You should have told me about this sooner."

"I know, I know, but I thought that we could handle it-"

"This isn't a game! We aren't talking about the fate of Jump City, we're talking about the fate of the world Robin! Did it ever occur to you that I might like to know about a prophecy saying the world will end, and it starting to come true?"

"I know darn it! I messed up, and I'm sorry."

Batman sighed, "It's alright, I trained you to be too much like me. Now then, what exactly do you need my help with?"

"So far we don't know how to stop this prophecy from coming true. If you and the Justice League could try and look into that, I would appreciate it greatly. However, we have a more pressing problem."

"A more pressing problem?"

"Yes. A few minutes ago a man named Mael Kirheinse attacked the tower. He nearly killed us, and he did it with ease... but that's not the point. We were saved by a man, who claims to be the leader of a resistance coalition against Trigon. Apparently he and his people were ambushed by Trigon's forces, and only just managed to escape here. I need help providing food, shelter, water, and medical assistance for several thousand refugees."

"Several thousand? Robin, do you know what we're talking about?"

"Oh shut up 'Bruce'," He said, only mouthing the word 'Bruce', not actually saying it, "We both know that you have the money and resources. Besides, it's for the fate of the world."

Batman smiled. He was going to do it, Robin knew that he would. The dark knight wasn't a cruel person. It was something of a test, "Alright 'Grayson'," Batman said, mouthing the name similarly, "But I'm not sure how long this will take."

"I understand, I'll tell him."

"One question. Do you trust this man?"

"He saved us Batman, I don't have much else to go on. If this is a trick, then it really makes no difference than if he had never showed up at all."

"True. I'll contact you later, ending the transmission."

"Right. Goodbye."

Robin turned from the monitor, and almost ran into someone. He stepped back in surprise, drawing his staff, but found that it wasn't necessary.

It was a girl, with long silver hair and strikingly sharp, green eyes. She was a little shorter than Robin, and actually didn't looked a few years younger. Yet he could see experience in those emerald orbs. She wore clothing similar to Raven, but this new girl's was light gray, and her cloak had a diagonal streak of green on each side of it.

She jumped back, almost as startled as he was. A cushion on the couch exploded into a cloud of... whatever they put in couch cushions.

"Oh, forgive me." She said quickly, her voice both high pitched and soft.

"It's ok, I should be used to it by now. Wait, how did you get here?"

"I came through a portal, how else?" She explained, as if it were the most obvious question in the world. She held the same neutrality as Raven without the sarcasm.

Suddenly more people, in mostly black cloaks, appeared about the living room, through the black shadow portals. Some were laying on their backs, motionless, being carried by others. Some were giving off cries of pain. The rest were running back and forth, healing and trying to find places for the wounded to stay.

The girl turned to Robin, her voice now extremely hard and cold, "We need rooms to place these people in."

"We don't have many spare rooms, there are a few open for guests. Wait, there is the training level. It doesn't have separate rooms, but it is large, and most of the stuff can be cleared out. There are also training mats to lay them on. Will that work?"

"Perhaps, show me. Freya! You and Biggs come with me."

Two people, a boy and a girl obediently came forward, and Robin lead them to the training area. The spellcasters used their power's to move the heavy equipment to the side, and quickly spread out the mats on the floor. The girl in the white cloak sighed and nodded, "This will have to do for now. Biggs, go tell the others to bring the wounded here. You, is there any more room?"

Robin thought a minute, "The hanger, but honestly it's not really fit for anyone to live in. There's nothing for them to lay on, and is pretty dirty."

"We aren't looking for a place fit to live in. We're looking for a place to survive in. Freya, stay here and help with what you can. You, take me to this 'hanger'."

Robin obliged quickly, striding to the elevator once more. One the way down, it was silent, until he told her, "By the way, my name's Robin."

"My name is Frista."

The elevator stopped, and they got out. Frista looked around the hanger, sighing, "Again, this will have to do. Stand back."

Robin did so, and she stuck out her hands, which glowed gray. Instantly a wind swept through the room, picking up all the dust and stray liquids, as well as any other thing that Frista deemed unwanted. Robin hit a button, letting the doors slide open, and everything was blown outside. The girl nodded, then told him, "Thank you."

"No problem. Should I go and get your friends and tell them to start bringing people down?"

"I don't think so. Hopefully your training area will be enough. We will only bring the wounded down here if we absolutely have to."

It was a hectic night. Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy were all scurrying back and forth at the command of the healers. Fetching food, water, blankets, everything they could find. It must have been four or five o'clock in the morning when everything was in some semblance of order.

Robin sank down on the couch. Honestly there was really no other place to sit. The emotions of some of the mages had gotten a little out of control, and while most of it was dispelled by the tending spellcasters, some of the furniture and equipment had been hit.

Cyborg and Starfire came up and sat down as well. The tall half-robot was tired, driving back and forth for supplies. It had been a long night.

"So man, what do we do now?"

"We wait. There isn't much else we can do." Robin told Cyborg, sinking further down onto the couch.

"I agree. I wish there was more that we could do to be of service..."

"It can't be helped Star. Besides, these guys seem to know what they're doing." Cyborg told her.

A portal opened in the floor, and Frista's top half appeared through it. She looked very angry, and motioned with her hands. Suddenly with a scream Beast Boy flew up through the portal, flailing his arms and legs.

"And keep him away from the injured ones! Hmph..."

With that, she went back through the portal. They all stared at Beast Boy disapprovingly. He looked up at them.

"What?"

"Alright BB, spill it. What did you do?" Cyborg asked.

"I was just trying to cheer them up!"

"And causing mass destruction while you were at it."

They turned to see Raven and Einderan walking towards them. Raven explained further, "Beast Boy was telling jokes and being an idiot. He made them laugh, and it was all that we could do to keep the Tower from exploding."

"So that's what that was." Mused Robin, "I thought it was an earth quake..."

Raven sat down also. All of the Titans were now staring at Einderan, who sighed and walked over and sat on the table in front of the couch, "Alright, I'll answer any questions you want now."

"First off, who are you?" Robin asked.

"Oh right, I never really introduced myself did I? My name is Einderan, leader of the resistance against Trigon as you know."

"You were speaking as if you knew Raven. Why?"

Raven answered that one, "He does. Einderan is my brother."

The Titans were absolutely boggled by this. Beast Boy was first to speak, "Alright miss mystery girl, since when do you have a brother? And why didn't you care to mention it to us?"

"Um, since before I was born. And you never asked if I had a brother."

"But still!"

"You didn't know Starfire had a sister until Blackfire showed up." Raven pointed out.

"That is true. Please, brother of Raven, who was that man that attacked us earlier?" Starfire asked.

Einderan gritted his teeth, and clenched his fists, "Mael Kirheinse, as he told you. An ambitious Lieutenant in the service of Trigon. Also a coward. Sorry I didn't get here sooner."

"S'alright man." Cyborg said, "I'm just glad you showed up."

"Something that's been bothering me. That Mael guy beat all of us, Raven included, at pretty much the same time. How is it you beat him off?" Robin asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You're powers are similar to Raven's, and yet you have more than all of our powers combined?"

"Ah that, yes. Well, I'm older you see."

"By what? Two, three, four years at most?"

"I doubt it. I don't really know how old I am."

"Wait, hold up." Cyborg exclaimed, "How can you not know how old you are?"

"Well..."

Raven decided to explain again, "Einderan was found by my mother a little before I was born. He has some sort of amnesia. And no one is in any real position to tell how old he is because he hasn't aged a day since I saw him last."

"So, you two aren't really brother and sister?"

"Yes we are." Einderan said simply.

"How do you know for sure?"

He put a hand over his heart, "Trigon's blood flows through my veins. Of that I am certain. And he just doesn't call anyone 'my dear son'. I think I was born on Azarath like Raven, but to a different mother. Then something happened to her, and I lost my memories of it..."

"Can't you just use one of those magic mirror thingys to go into your mind and find the memories?" Beast Boy asked.

"Of course. But that would require I delve into my sub-conscious. Let's just say it would be a few thousand years at least before I got back out. If I got back out at all. And how do you know about the meditation mirrors?"

"Oh, uh, I kinda started looking around Raven's room once, and I found this mirror. So I picked it up, and it kinda sent me and Cy into her mind."

Einderan glared at him for a long time. Beast Boy thought he would be crushed under that fierce gaze.

"That actually brakes about seven different laws you know, accident or not."

Raven stopped him, "Hold on Einderan. They saved my life while doing it, because my rage got loose..."

Einderan nodded slowly. That made sense.

"Alright, now I have three technical questions. One, how long do you plan on staying?" Robin said, deciding to cut to the chase.

"That depends, at least until our wounded are healed."

"Fair enough. Two, how powerful is your force?"

"Together, at full strength, incredibly powerful."

"Now third, how strong is the force that you said was chasing you."

Einderan's face fell, "I hope to lead them away before they arrive. It is a force of 1,000 demon soldiers, each about half as powerful as Mael. Plus 50 lieutenants, each approximately Mael's power. And finally I'm sure they have a General, who is almost to my level."

"Almost?"

"Almost. I have defeated him before, one on one. But if they bring that entire army against us, we do not have the power to stop it. Not after that ambush. That's why I said I was sorry I brought this war upon you."

They sat in silence for a while, until finally Cyborg asked, "How long do you think it will take them to track you down?"

"That depends really."

"On what?"

"On how ambitious Mael Kirheinse really is. It is standard procedure to send a single scout to every planet that a retreating force could escape to. One. Now that Mael knows of our presence, normally he would report back to the army. If that happens, I give it a few of your days for them to gather the army and prepare the energy for a portal massive enough to allow them to come through at the same time. However, if the little rat is as power hungry as I think he is, he will try to defeat and/or capture us on his own. If that's the case, it could be months, even years before the army figures out where we are, or even where he is."

"What? But wouldn't the scouts report back they didn't find anything?"

"No. A demon scout doesn't report back unless they have found the enemy. They search the surrounding worlds, then if there is no trace, they search the worlds around that. And then the next set of worlds. And the next, and the next, until they find the enemy."

"Sounds a bit ineffective."

Einderan shook his head, and looked at the floor, "No, it's quite effective. They follow every trace, every clue, everything. They don't stop, they don't rest, they do not miss anything. They are like blood hounds. They will hunt you, and hunt you, and hunt you until they find you, dead or alive. Mael is proof of that. He was looking for us, when he found Raven."

Suddenly, the sun crested over the horizon, spilling light into the tower. Robin sighed, "I think it's time we rested for a while, don't you?"

DEEP IN AN UNDERGROUND CHAMBER

"Hello?"

Silence. Mael frowned, "I know you're here."

"Who are you? And how did you find this place?" A voice asked from the darkness.

"I am Mael Kirheinse, Lieutenant of the Ender of Worlds, Lord Trigon the Great."

"Are you now. Well, what would you be doing here pray tell?"

"I am hunting a group of refugees. Rebels as it were. Enemies of Lord Trigon who try to resist his rule."

A small chuckle echoed about the room, "Are you talking about the Teen Titans?"

"Hmph, hardly. If those are the ones who surround Princess Rasemune, they barely rank on the scale of enemies to Trigon."

"Rasemune?"

"Apparently she is also called Raven on this world."

"Ah, dear Raven. She tries to resist her destiny, but she will serve her purpose, whether she likes it or not. Yes, they were the Teen Titans. But if they weren't who you were speaking of, who was it?

"His name is Einderan, the leader of a resistance movement. Actually it would be Prince Einderan. The son of Trigon."

"And what would he be doing leading the resistance I wonder?"

"Pitiful human emotions corrupted him."

"Ah I see. Well, I can sense that you are in the service of my master. I take it you wish my help in apprehending these rebels?"

"Or killing them, yes. You will receive due credit for your help."

A ring of fire appeared, revealing the figure in the dark. His armor was black and gray. His mask was half completely black, and orange on the other half, with small slits for the mouth. Only the orange side of the mask had a hole from which an eye looked. And on his forehead was a burning symbol, an 'S' with a dot at the top and in the middle.

"My name is Slade. I am at your disposal Lieutenant."