Chapter Sixty: "True Story"
"So what are we going to do?" Starfire asked.
"I have a plan, but I'm not sure it'll work." Raven stated.
Terra rolled her eyes, "I just want Beast Boy back." She said aggravated.
"Do you guys have a Game Station?" Beast Boy asked, laying his body half on the bed half hanging off.
Keyda's hair was somewhat messed up, she looked extremely stressed and pushed beyond her limit.
She sighed, "No Beast Boy, for the millionth time we do not have such devices." Keyda said dryly.
Beast Boy moaned in aggravation, "What am I suppose to do all day if you don't have anything fun for me to do?"
"Beast Boy, you will have much to do once you are bind to Kayla. You will not have time for such games and items." Keyda explained.
Beast Boy jumped up from his current position and began jumping on the bed, Keyda shook her head at the sight.
"Is that what I'm in for? Work work work?" Beast Boy asked.
Keyda nodded her head, "Yes."
Beast Boy stopped instantly, he wasn't expecting that answer, "I can't do that! I wasn't born to do work."
Keyda gave him a strange look, "Surely that must not be true; you help save your city everyday."
Beast Boy laughed, "Ya, but that's fun."
"Everyone understand what they need to do?" Robin asked, standing up from his seat.
Starfire giggled, "This should be very simple."
Raven looked from her team to the window, "Just remember, it may seem easy –" she looked back at her team, "But it won't be."
"Alright, we all need to go back to bed. We know it'll take Beast Boy a really long time to get all that information devoured. So let's get some sleep." Cyborg smiled.
Everyone got up and started for the double doors. As Robin, Starfire and Cyborg exited Terra stood in front of Raven, letting the door close so that they couldn't hear what she was about to say.
"Once this is over Raven, stay away from Beast Boy or I'll make you wish you did." Terra stated harshly.
Raven leaned in closer, "It won't be your choice to make Terra. It's Beast Boy's."
Raven walked around Terra and continued down the dark hall.
Keyda was finishing the instructions that Beast Boy needed to perform the binding ritual, or more known here on Earth, the wedding rituals. "Unlike your wedding rituals, a binding ritual is much more, complicated. You share more than just a home or a bed. You share each others pains and pleasures. You will become one within two bodies. If one feels pain, so will the other. If you die, then so will Kayla and vice versa."
Beast Boy didn't like this, but he continued to listen, after all, he was going to be here a long time.
As they finished up Keyda sat down and gestured for the tired Beast Boy to do the same.
"What am I going to learn now?" Beast Boy asked exhausted with learning.
Keyda smiled, "The next lesson is fairly easy. All you must do is watch your back. You must wear this at all times." She handed him a rather strange looking pendent.
"What is this?" he asked, looking at it curiously.
"It will protect you here in the Shadow Realm." Keyda said simply.
He lifted his gaze from the pendent to Keyda, "From whom?"
Keyda's face now showed no signs of emotion, "Many Shadows here do not approve of Kayla and wish for her to leave us for good. They wish only for the old ways."
Beast Boy looked at her with concern, "What old ways?"
"You may wish to relax during my story, for it is long and much explaining is in order. Do you think you will stay alert for it?" Keyda asked seriously.
Beast Boy smiled, he sat up and pulled earwax out of his ears, "I'm ready."
Keyda took a deep breath, "Long ago, before you were born, Kayla was a great leader. You may not know it, but we Shadows are neutral creatures, we do not fight for Good nor do we fight for Evil. We only care about loyalty and trust. Kayla was wedded to a Shadow man. He seemed to be her perfect match, if such a thing exists. They got, what is that term you use, ah, married. As you know once you do the binding ritual, you are now once. Well, the beginning of there lives together went well, that is until her husband went and married another Shadow girl behind Kayla's back. Years went by and Kayla still had no idea that he was with another girl. One day she found out, how is unknown, but she did. Kayla didn't know that they had done the binding ritual as well, and without such information she had the girl executed. Needless to say, that also killed him, and since they were binded, Kayla was killed too." Keyda paused, taking in another deep breath. "Many of Kayla's loyal subjects begged the God of Death to bring her back. Kayla had no heir to take her place, and without an heir the Shadow Realm would die. The God of Death answered them with a simple, but great spell. The spell was to bring Kayla back from the Land of the Dead."
Beast Boy's mouth dropped, "You mean I'm going to marry a zombie queen!" He screamed.
Keyda looked at him strangely, "I don't know what a zombie is, but she is as alive as you are. Anyway, the only side affect of this spell was that she was dark. She was angrier and I guess you would call her Evil. Since she has broken the neutral balance that we are so accustomed to she has bestowed upon us an evil curse."
"What curse is that?" Beast Boy asked.
"Since she has tipped the scales in favor of Evil, the Shadow Realm will slowly die. As you can see, we have very few men and many women. The women that you see are old, but they do not age like your women do. They will slowly die and are Realm will be gone. As long as Kayla lives, the curse will take its toll." Keyda looked at Beast Boy, "You are tired. I shall let you get some rest." She got up and walked out of his room.
Beast Boy's mind, for the first time, started to think. He ran to the mirror, "Beast Boy your one smart guy." His smile quickly faded, "But what will the Titans do once they find out what's happen to me?" He took his arm and with one fowl sweep, he knocked everything off the dresser. "They won't care." He looked at himself, "Raven doesn't love me, and so what do I have to lose? Absolutely nothing, that's what."