Finally! Some reviews!

BloodCri: Thanks, girl! You rock hard! Be sure and tell me when your friend starts up that fic with Lina in it, 'kay?

Marksman's Grip: No offense taken. ;) Thanks for reading! PLEASE continue to do so!

And now, chapter six!

Chapter Six: The Palace of Justice and the conversion of Doris
Neither the strongest horse nor the swiftest cheetah could have gone as fast as Daniel Rose did as he fled to the Palace of Justice on his flying nimbus cloud. He had read the priest's mind for directions and did not tarry.

Finally, he reached it and leapt off his cloud. He stormed into the prison (no guards?) and called out for his friends.

"Raven?" he called, "Beast Boy! Cy, Star, Robin, where are you?"

"Daniel!" came the distressed cry of two familiar feminine voices.

"Girls?" he shouted as he followed their cries, "Where are you?" He ran into a cell room to find Starfire and Raven in flimsy white dresses with silver manacles on their wrists that blocked their powers, held together by two chain links only. Star had had some difficulty holding Raven up. From the looks of it, Rae had looped her arms over Star's neck, being weakened by the tormentors. Also from the looks of it, Star had endured a bit of torture herself! He rushed to them, horrified!

"Raven!" he gasped, "Star! What did they DO to you?"

"You are familiar with the Iron Boot, yes?" Star said with her eyes full of tears and hurt in her voice. Danny's face paled. He saw she was standing on one foot.

"I'm getting you out of here," he said, unlocking their cell, "Girls like you two deserve so much better than this." He took Raven in his arms, bridal style.

"I'm sorry, Rae," he softly cried, "I let you down." They started running to the boys' cell room. Star led the way, limping on her right foot.

"That is not true, my friend," she said, "You are doing what you can to save Merlina, as are we. Now come, quickly!" They found the boys' cell room. Robin saw Star limping.

"Star!" he said, "What hap—?"

"There is no time, Robin!" she said as she unlocked him, then Beast Boy, (they were both in white burlap shirts and pants) then Cyborg (he wasn't). All were cuffed the same way the girls were. There was no time to release them, so all Daniel did was restore their clothes to normal before he led them out of the room. Robin carried Starfire piggyback, on account of her nearly crushed foot. Daniel carried his own beloved yet tired Raven with a broken wing. (Okay, not really. Just thought I'd put in a poetic touch!)

No sooner had they exited the awful building than they found themselves surrounded by (you guessed it!) teenage boy priests. Two boys in front of them stood aside to let in Tobias. He was still in his robe.

"TOBIAS!" Daniel yelled after he handed Raven to Cyborg and as he charged the boy priest. He turned his wand into a katana sword and it met Tobias' own curved samurai sword. They stood with their swords locked.

"Where is my sister?" Daniel demanded, "What have you done with her?"

"Nothing yet," answered Tobias, "but come sundown, she will burn, followed by you." Daniel gave an angry yell and the two fought with their swords with much skill while the priests guarded the defenseless rest of the Titans, who rooted for Daniel all the time.

"Give it to him, Danny!" Beast Boy cheered.

"Show him how to treat ladies!" Cyborg said.

"Do be careful," Star cautioned, "and kick the back of his side!"

"Don't give up, Danny!" Robin said, "You can do it!" Raven was too tired to yell, so she shouted in her mind. Tobias kept swinging at Daniel, trying desperately to draw blood. He got mad.

"Are you just fiddling with me now, or what?" he asked Daniel as they circled.

"I just want you to know you're doing well," answered Daniel as he spat, "I hate for people to die embarrassed." They locked again.

"I guess," Tobias grunted, "you've seen 'The Princess Bride' too, huh?"

"Enough times," said Dan, "to learn Spanish fencing." They jumped back. Daniel had his sword in his right hand pointed over his head and held up his left hand, palm out.

"So why don't we use it?" Tobias challenged. They both turned their swords into Spanish ones. Daniel's looked like Inigo Montoya's from the above mentioned movie.

"I have to say," Tobias commented, "You don't look quite right fighting European while dressing Japanese. Why do you always wear those baggy samurai clothes?"

"They make me feel comfortable," he answered, "Now quit talking and fight me!"

Meanwhile, at a lake in a forest, Umbra was in a pickle.

Well, a cage, really...A wooden dome-shaped cage with barely enough room for her to stand up. The rope suspending it was set to lower any minute. And who should be watching her but Doris!

Umbra paced the cage, her mind racing. She couldn't use her communicator charm; the others were no doubt indisposed. It would be no use to cry for help. There wasn't a human for 10 miles, only a snake that wouldn't help her if she'd asked.

Then it struck her. She had claws! And there was a lock on her cage door!

Quickly, she unsheathed a claw and began to pick it. Doris uncoiled, startled.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, for all animals understand each other. The cage started to lower.

"Doris," Umbra meowed as she picked frantically, "What you're doing is wrong! You don't belong with Tobias! Just look what he's done to me, an animal like you!"

"Tobias is my master," said the chilled-voiced snake, "He takes care of me."

"But don't you see," Umbra persisted, "what a hypocrite he's being? He takes care of you, but he's killing me! If he was as good a master as you've perceived him to be, he'd treat animals equally; all animals! Even witches' cats!"

Doris flicked the air thoughtfully. The cat had a point. Of course, she could be trying to trick her. But unity is one thing that binds the animal kingdom together, predators and non. (Well, maybe not. But just go along with it.) The cage was getting dangerously close to the water. Now water started to get around Umbra's heels. Doris panicked.

"Hurry!" she clacked. Just as the water reached her shoulders, the lock broke and Umbra scrambled up on the cage and jumped onto the ground. The two black animals faced each other. Umbra's eyes were narrow; Doris' were wavering. Umbra's tail flicked like a whip, from her bottom down to the tip; her trademark of a tense moment. (silence) Finally, the cat spoke.

"If you come with me, Doris," she said, "and promise to cause us no trouble, and hunt for your food only, and never kill an innocent human, I will make you a free female."

'Free,' Doris thought, then asked sarcastically, "Do I have a choice?"

"Yes, my friend," Umbra answered, "There is always a choice. You can help me rescue my family, (crouch) or die here and now." Umbra knew she'd hit a weak spot. Doris closed her eyes in thought. She flicked her tongue a few times, then raised her head.

"I will choose freedom," she said. Umbra's eyes softened.

"Wonderful!" she softly said, "By the way, my name is Umbra."

"I am Doris," the snake nodded, though Umbra already knew her name.

"Come, Doris," she meowed as she ran off, "we have a family to rescue and evil priests to vanquish. There will be blood tonight!"

Author's Reivew:
Actually, there won't be blood, just a WHOLE WORLD OF HURTIN'! Anyway, do y'all like this one? Okay, so the Titans being a cheer squad is kind of lame, but I wanted to do something. And the lines from "The Princess Bride" are a little weird, but I'd been watching the movie for a while at the time, so there you go.

I'm really glad I did at least half a chapter centering around Umbra. It's a big step up for her, characterwise. Doris does join their side, but doesn't live with them. Obviously, Travis isn't here either, but oh, well. Review, please!