Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Those rights belong to a number of people—DC comics and Cartoon Network come to mind as possibilities. So give all credit to them, assuming you can figure out who it is. My money's on DC. The characters Tobias Geminasu, Sai Xiang, and Shadow Darkholme were created by a friend of mine. Yukada was created by me using the theme of Tobias as a basis.
Author's Note: The entire series is based at least partially on my Teen Titans website, which can be accessed by going to my homepage if you are so inclined. Despite this, it can still be read by anyone who is not a member of the website, so don't be discouraged. Enjoy!
Warriors of the Sun
In a time of desolution, that magnificent temple stood strong, a dark haven filled with immense power. The beast watched eagerly from his place of power, knowing that entire legions were fighting and dying because of him. He took pleasure in this wanton destruction, noting the strength of his influence. His cold, calculating stare quickly took in everything on the battlefield below, noting that his forces could nearly claim victory. The demonic entity he had summoned seemed incredible in power, and it was with this creature that he decimated the opposing armies. And soon, the beast would reign supreme over all...
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"Titans, go!" Robin shouted to his team, directing his team as they engaged in battle. Leaping over a large metal tendril, the Boy Wonder hurled forth one of his explosive energy disks, noting with satisfaction that it quickly crashed into the foe's shell...but his sense of accomplishment quickly turned to chagrin when he saw that the attack had no effect. Kardiak remained strong.
The biological creature had escaped from it's containment cell, wreaking havoc in Jump City with incredible ferocity. The Titans, having been the only ones that could defeat him on previous occasions, rushed to the scene, but things weren't going well.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven chanted, weaving together her spell and releasing a torrent of telekinetic energy at the creature, blasting Kardiak backwards momentarily before one of it's tendrils slammed into her, knocking the child of Trigon to the floor.
"Raven!" Starfire shouted, raging across the room with charged Starbolts and blasting away at the tendril, which had begun to wrap around it's victim. The severed limb of Kardiak began to twitch on the floor before ceasing function, and Starfire landed beside her friend with a grim look on her face. "She is fine," the princess shouted out to Robin, "but I fear Kardiak is very angry!"
"She's right," Cyborg noted grimly, sending another glance towards the foe before he loosed another round of missles. "Kardiak's been beaten by us several times. It probably wants to get revenge."
"We can take him down," Beast Boy promised, shifting into the form of a wolf as he tore into another of Kardiak's tendrils, puncturing it. "You're up, Terra," he called once he had resumed human form.
"Thanks, Beast Boy," the Markovian princess called gratefully to her friend before taking a single step backwards. Standing on one of the powerful ley lines of the Earth, Terra drew in it's natural power, augmenting the strength with which she could manipulate the geological terrain. Pushing at the limits of what the Earth could do, she shoved aside those boundaries and brought forth a large blast of dirt, rocketing forth at tremendous speeds, directly towards Kardiak.
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The beast stood at the window, watching the desolation below. "The warriors," he murmered, noting a group progressing through the battle, easily defeating all opposition. Their power was great, and enhanced by their respective talents. The beast smiled. Things would be interesting indeed...
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"Terra!" Beast Boy shouted, rushing to catch her as she fell. Her attack had been strong, but it's focus was one-dimensional, completely dependent on Kardiak remaining in a certain position. When the monster moved, Terra was left defenseless--the amount of power and determination she had poured into her strike could not easily be recalled, and for a few moments, she had no guard. During these moments, Kardiak struck, it's tendrils slamming into her chest.
As the green changeling caught her crumpled form, a tear slid down his eye, as his examinations did not immediately reveal signs of life. But soon, a choked breath escaped Terra's lungs, and Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief before turning back to Kardiak. "I'm gonna take you down," he swore, shapeshifting into the form of a mighty polar bear. Letting out a great roar, he charged, timing his rush so that he would collide into Kardiak at the same time that Starfire's energy blasts, recently fired, slammed into the monster's back. Such a two-pronged strike would surely decimate Kardiak, or, at the very least, weaken him.
Unfortunately, Kardiak was quite a bit faster than its appearance might lead others to believe. Unable to pull back in time, Beast Boy was caught completely off-balance when Kardiak shifted to the side, and Beast Boy fell to the same fate as Terra. Kardiak's tendrils slammed into the underside of the chest of the polar bear, causing Beast Boy to be thrust upward, directly into the Starbolt blasts. The changeling, slumping into unconsciousness, involuntarily shifted back to his human form and slumped to the ground, his clothes charred.
Robin swore under his breath when he saw this. Raven, Beast Boy, and Terra were down. Cyborg was busy blasting his sonic cannon at Kardiak, with no visible effect. Only Starfire seemed to be having any sort of worthwhile input: facing off with Kardiak, her Starbolt swipes acted almost like a sword, slashing into the creatures tentacles and severing them. For a moment, the Boy Wonder thought that, perhaps, things would work...but he was forced to eat his words when he saw Starfire slammed into the ground.
Reaching into his utility belt, he brought forth two Birdarangs, one in each hand, and released them in Kardiak's direction. No effect. How could they be losing? Kardiak had never been able to stop them before. They were getting sloppy. Grimacing, Robin extended the staff-baton, swinging it expertly at Kardiak's flank.
He found it difficult to breathe when one of Kardiak's metal tendrils wrapped around his neck, threatening to crush it. He struggled, noting through fading vision that Cyborg was trying to rush forward to help, but with no success--Kardiak's many appendages could keep many people busy at the same time, and it was this challenge that Cyborg was facing. Feeling hopeless, Robin could think of no way out of this. Things weren't good...not at all.
There was a slicing sound that seemed so far off, but suddenly Robin found himself able to breathe as the tendril around his neck fell away. Gasping deeply, he coughed, trying to take in as much air as his deprived lungs would allow. Even as he did this, he peered up to see something he hadn't expected. Somebody unknown, garbed in some sort of black battlesuit, was fighting Kardiak, dodging all of the creatures tendrils with shocking ease. The Boy Wonder turned to look at Cyborg, a questioning expression on his face, but Cyborg's responding stare indicated that he didn't know who this mystery man was, either.
"Slow!" the stranger shouted, pointing the sword in his hands directly at Kardiak, and Robin could almost feel as if the energy around him was being redirected. Robin watched as Kardiak suddenly staggered, moving almost not at all, and then the stranger dove forward, between the stalled tentacles, and slammed his fists into Kardiak's core at a striking angle. Letting out a roar, Kardiak seemed to be released from that strange stasis, before falling onto the ground in defeat.
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The floating citadel faltered for a moment, shifted slightly by a sudden surge of energy. The beast glanced around, peering behind him at the group of seven warriors that had appeared. "We've come to destroy you and end your tyrannical reign!" the hero shouted, raising his katana in a battle stance. The others behind him, a mixed group of warriors, expertly drew their weapons--swords, explosives, bows, and more. Their faces were hard, and their raw power levels ran together, almost as if they were covered by one powerful aura.
The beast gave a wry grin, slowly drawing his own weapon: a frightening scythe of incredible size, adorned with gems of power. "You've done well getting this far," the beast congratulated the group, stepping forward slightly and allowing his own power to come forth. "But I'm afraid your mission is all over. The Darkness commands all, and the fates are against you!" Raising his scythe up high, he channeled the darkness, drawing forth the powers into his body and releasing them, forming them into his own warriors. His personal champions of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Energy, and Spirit emerged from a portal of shadows, standing behind the beast in a formation for battle. Lowering his scythe, the beast took his own battle stance. "Shall we?" he asked in a demeaning tone, before swinging his scythe.
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"Who are you?" Robin asked, moving forward towards the strange man who stood over the fallen Kardiak, wiping his blade on the grass. The question was blunt, and perhaps undeserving--after all, this person had just saved their lives--but it was out of Robin's mouth before he could stop himself. The other Titans, standing up groggily, looked at the newcomer with a confused look on their faces.
"Hello," the stranger said with a nod. "I'm Tobias Geminasu, the...a lost wanderer," he answered, seeming to change part of his answer as he said it. "I...happened to see you battling, and that you weren't doing so well. I had to step in. I hope you didn't mind."
"You hope we didn't mind?" Cyborg repeated, incredulous. "Man, you saved our butts back there! High five!" He held up his hand, waiting for Tobias to celebrate with him, but the newcomer merely glanced at the hand with a slightly puzzled look on his face. After a moment of looking awkward, Cyborg lowered his hand and put it behind his back, trying unsuccessfully to save his dignity.
"We've got to thank you," Robin said, offering up his hand to Tobias. This time, the newcomer accepted the gesture, shaking Robin's hand politely. "I'm just glad you happened to be here. I don't know what would have happened otherwise."
"Robin," Starfire suggested, "Why do we not invite this Tobias Geminasu to our Tower for dinner in gratitude? I shall prepare the delicious Tamaranean celebratory meal of Grak-Nok!"
Beast Boy blanched slightly at Starfire's suggestion. "I like the first idea, Star," he said carefully, "But why don't I cook?"
"I'll help," Cyborg said. "I don't want some crazy vegetarian meal again."
"Come to our Tower for dinner, Tobias," Robin formally offered. "You saved our lives, the least we can do is save your stomach."
"Alright," Tobias accepted, glancing at everyone's grateful expressions. "I shall...come for dinner."
The meal was delicious. Cyborg and Beast Boy actually managed to work together in preparing an exquisite meal, with vegetarian options on the side. Tobias politely ate his fill, noting that the dinner manners of the Titans weren't the most...refined. Beast Boy and Cyborg devoured their meals without any sort of restraint, and Terra's behavior wasn't much better. Starfire, seeming to mimic her friends, attempted to do the same, but occasionally seeemed confused as to how to eat certain items. Robin wasn't nearly as bad, but only Raven seemed to actually have polite dining manners.
"So, friend Tobias," Starfire said with glee, bits of food on her face, "How did you come to be here in the City of Jump?"
The newcomer was momentarily taken aback. He had not been expecting any of the Titans to ask such forward questions...after all, he had come from a much more reserved place. But perhaps it was time to come out into the open...lay all of his cards on the table and see what the Titans chose to do.
"I'm glad you asked that, Starfire," Tobias answered after a moment, trying to phrase his words carefully. "I come from a ti--a place, far away, where there was a struggle. I was on one side of that struggle, and things weren't going so well. It...eventually got to the point where I had to leave, to find somebody that could help."
"And you wound up here," Raven surmised. "Let me guess--you want us to help you."
Tobias remained silent for a moment. Raven had seen directly to the heart of the matter, setting aside all of the disguises in the story. He wanted their help. "Yes," he said finally. "I need you to help me."
"Why didn't you just ask us?" Robin asked, frowning.
"You have to understand--this isn't something that's done lightly," Tobias tried to explain. "The situation isn't good. We desperately need help, and I couldn't risk that you would refuse. I needed you to agree to help me. So I tried to get on your good side, and befriend you. When I saw that you needed help against Kardiak, I seized the chance to help you out, in the hopes that, later, you'd agree to help me."
The Titans were silent for a moment, each of them thinking. Tobias's movements had been a bit more calculated than they thought, but did that make them any less sincere and genuine? Did that make his need any less real? Whether he had helped them out of personal gain or not, he had still helped them. "Okay," Robin decided, looking to the others to see if any of them had any objections. They did not. "We'll help you."
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The fierce clang of steel upon steel rang out when the hero raised his sword to block the scythe of the beast. Around the citadel, the six soldiers faced off against the dark warriors. Things weren't going so well--little by little, the soldiers began to falter. Despite their skills, they were only human, and their opponents were dark entities charged with elemental power. There could be no comparison--the soldiers would lose. Far below the citadel, the armies of the world had begun their retreat--the war was lost. The fate of the world had never looked worse than in that moment.
"This world is mine to destroy," the beast said, slamming the hero to the ground, "and the heavens themselves are next!"
Bleeding from his wound, the hero staggered to his knees, struggling to stand up. "No," he said, rising with his sword held high. "For the sake of the people...for the sake of this world...I will not fail!"
The citadel rocked in the sky, almost as if hit by an explosion, and then the hero lunged. His body and blade, illuminated by some strange light, seemed to pierce the very core of the beast, and for a single moment...the tides seemed to turn at last.
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"So where is this enemy of yours?" Starfire asked the strange Tobias, hovering on a cliffside where the Titans all stood. Tobias had brought them here, saying that he needed their help...but the enemy was nowhere in sight.
"We must wait for somebody first," Tobias said, nodding his head in a signal of respect for the Tamaranean princess. "My team-mate, who will be of great use to us in this struggle."
"Ah," Starfire said, nodding her head, even though she only understood half of what was going on. She didn't think that it was Earth custom to be this vague about things, but perhaps she still had a lot to learn.
"Tobias!" came a shout from behind them all. The Titans turned, half expecting the ninja's mysterious foe, but instead they saw a strange man running up, shifting a pack on his shoulder as he sprinted up the slope. "Are these them?" he asked his friend when he arrived, glancing at the Titans with a curious glance.
"This is them," Tobias said. "They call themselves the 'Teen Titans'. They've agreed to help us in the battle." Turning so that he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the newcomer, Tobias addressed the group. "This is Sai Xiang, one of my team-mates from...from the original fight," he explained.
"'One of your team-mates'?" Cyborg asked, noting what the words implied. "Does that mean there are others?"
"Yes," Tobias asked, nodding his head. "There were seven of us in full, but after the first battle with our foe, we were...scattered. I do not know where the others are." Before the Titans could ask him more questions about the subject--which he knew they would--Tobias spoke again quickly. "Sai has managed to uncover the current location of our enemy," he informed them, neatly redirecting the topic. "Raven, your power should be able to teleport us there easily."
The sweeping power of Raven's soul self easily deposited the eight people on the small cove, just off the shore of the Jump City bay, as per the instructions of Tobias. "Where are we?" Terra asked, stepping forward on the sand and looking around. She could see only see the city through a thick haze now...turning in the other direction, she noted that the haze covered that view as well. "This is strange. There wasn't any visible fog back in the city."
"The fog is his way of keeping himself hidden," Sai spat in disgust of the enemy that he knew was so close now. "Raising this sort of barrier is of no difficulty to him."
"Your enemy, you mean?" Robin asked, trying to keep things straight even as he leapt up onto one of the rocks to get a glimpse at the rest of the small island, in an attempt to get his bearings. "Judging by what I can see of the city, I'd estimate that we're directly southwest of the Tower," he said dubiously, trying to make a conclusion.
"Yes, our enemy," Tobias said, nodding once more. "He is here, most likely inside the cave. We must be careful...the darkness will intensify his power."
"Perhaps," Raven said, her eyes glowing, "but he's not the only one that knows how to use the darkness to his advantage."
"Shall we go, then?" Starfire asked, drawing forth a Starbolt in her hand to help light the way. The combination of the light from the Starbolt, as well as the green light that now emerged from her eyes, kept things on a fairly visible side, especially when assisted by Robin's flashlight and Cyborg's illuminating eye. Prepared, the eight people began their sojourn into the cave.
"It's disgusting," Raven said as they delved deeper into the darkness. "I can feel the hate in here. This person's not exactly the nicest guy."
"No," Tobias said after a moment, as if thinking of something. "He isn't."
"Guys!" came a shout from up ahead--Cyborg's voice. "I think you'd better get over here, quick. There's somebody up here."
"The enemy?" Tobias asked, rushing ahead with the others at his flank.
"No," came Cyborg's reply. "Someone else."
When the rest of the group arrived to where Cyborg stood, they were revolted by the sight. There was a woman chained to a rock, with her clothes in tatters. She was bone thin, most likely a result of not eating, and she seemed barely conscious. Opening her eyes with a struggle, she saw the group, and at first made not even the slightest motion of surprise--as if their appearance didn't matter in the slightest. But then she saw them. "Tobias?" she whispered in disbelief. "Tobias? Sai?"
"Gods," Tobias whispered, falling to his knees suddenly. "Yukada? Is that really you?" He reached out his shaking hand, almost afraid that if he touched this girl...she would flicker away, an illusion. "I've searched so long..."
"You have to get out of here, Tobias," Yukada said, struggling to even speak. Her chest, almost nonexistant, heaved when she did so, a clear sign of the amount of energy it took for her to even say these words. "He is here...Shadow Darkholme."
"I know," Tobias said grimly as the other Titans only stared in confusion. Sai Xiang was somewhat closer, his eyes in awe as he looked at Tobias and Yukada, but even he was at a loss for explanation.
"You know?" Yukada asked, a single tear streaming down her face. "Why have you come?"
"To kill him," the ninja stated simply. "I am going to kill him."
"You cannot," the pale girl whispered. "We have tried, and failed...and even then, you were lucky. Do you seek to throw your life away by returning to him?"
"But Yukada," Tobias said with a smile, touching her cheek to wipe away the tear, "I am stronger now...and I have these new allies. They will help me."
When his hand touched her face, Yukada turned away, deliberately flinching back from his touch. "You are a fool then, to lead these people to their deaths as well," she said numbly. A vacant stare seemed to go into her eyes then, and both Tobias and Sai leaned forward in concern while the Titans could only stare. Then, Yukada blinked her eyes once, jerking back with a shocking display of stamina. "He comes!" she nearly shouted despite her infirmity before collapsing backward against the stone wall.
"Shimatta!" Tobias swore in Japanese, before standing up suddenly and spinning. "Everybody down!" he shouted, drawing his sword.
"What the heck is going on?" Beast Boy shouted before changing to a small squirrel that ran into a corner.
"The enemy is here," Sai said grimly, drawing a kunai. "And that is very, very bad."
"Show yourself, Shadow Darkholme!" Tobias roared, raising his sword as the Titans backed away behind the ninja, looking at each other in confusion. There was no sign of the enemy at all.
Closing her eyes, Raven reached out her thought, probing in an attempt to locate this 'hidden' enemy...then she opened her eyes with a gasp, nearly falling back. "Raven!" Robin shouted, catching her as she fell. "What is it? What did you see?"
"He is here," Raven said, standing up and holding her head with her hands. "And he's stronger than we can imagine."
"Such nice compliments from the pretty girl," came a strong voice from all around them, echoing on the cave walls. Reacting, the Titans comprised a battle position, their backs to each other and their attacks at the ready.
"I must compliment you, Tobias," the voice said as swirls of darkness began to gather in front of the unconscious Yukada. "Not only have you survived your little trip through time, but you've also gathered some of this era's champions. I didn't think you had it in you to raise another team...especially after what happened last time."
"Raven, please tell me that those dark spirals are you doing something," Beast Boy murmered to his team-mate as beads of sweat began to gather on his fur.
"I'm afraid not," the daughter of Trigon said grimly, watching the gathering darkness with determination. If she could just pierce the center of it with her own powers, and dispel the energy surge, she might be able to stop this before it even began.
"I wouldn't try that if I were you," said the mysterious voice, and a dark haze emerged around Raven's body.
"Hnn!" Raven shouted, clenching her hands to her head as it to pretend from the psychic backlash. Clenching her eyes shut, she began visualizing a spiritual chant in her head, drawing on Azar's power...and, with a pale blue light, the dark haze vanished, and Raven looked back up. But the swirls of darkness had vanished...and, in their place was a man. Or perhaps, not a man...but a monster.
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As the hero slashed out with his blade, his entire being pulsating with a mighty light, it seemed like the beast was repulsed, pushed backward in a sort of hesitant fear. The elemental warriors turned, seeing the pain of their leader, and left their own private battles to rush the champion, hoping to quench his newfound power.
When they touched him, however, the light pushed into their skin, and they slowly crumbled away, de-aged from a reverse chronal pulsation. The beast raised his terrible scythe, hoping to deflect the glowing sword, but the hero set his position and pressed onward, slicing directly into the scythe...and total chaos erupted from the strike.
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"Shadow Darkholme," Tobias nearly hissed as Sai gave out a low, almost bestial growl.
"I'm overcome with joy that you remember me," Shadow said, crouching down next to the fallen form of Yukada. "And I'm sure you're just as glad that I was able to find your dear, sweet team-mate, Yukada. I took such good care of her in your absense, don't you think?" As he said this, he took her chin in his hand, pulling her face forward with mock affection.
"Get away from her," Tobias said, pointing his sword out towards the enemy.
"Or you'll do what?" Shadow asked, the mocking joviality gone from his voice now. "You've maneuvered yourself right into my trap, Tobias. And now, I will finally be able to kill--"
The speech of the dark creature was interrupted when Beast Boy, in the form of a rhinocerous, slammed into Shadow's side, knocking the enemy back. "That...was not a smart thing to do," Shadow said, extending his hand and releasing a wave of shadow energy that smashed into the head of the rhino. Shifted back involuntarily to his human form, Beast Boy crashed against the wall of the cave from the sheer force of the blast.
The instant retaliation of the Titans was incredible. As the viridian light pulsated forward from Starfire's hands, an azure ray was emitted from Cyborg's cannon. These twin beams of destruction cascaded forward, erupting into Shadow's chest with such force that the entity was hurled backwards into the wall.
"Titans, go!" Robin shouted, drawing his bo staff and hurling it not at the villain, but at a rock overhang. As the metal rod slammed into the jutting earth, the overhang crumbled, sending a rain of crag down upon the fiend.
While Terra and Tobias both darted forward, prepared to deliver their respective attacks--Terra with her geological bursts and Tobias with his time-manipulative rays--the empathic Raven slid through the shadows, unwilling to enter direct combat with the dark foe again. Instead, she placed her hands on Beast Boy's side, trying to remove his wounds. She bit her lip, knowing that the pain would be transferred over to her, but it couldn't be helped.
Instead of leaping into the battle, Sai stepped back, drawing a peculiar item from his pockets. A crest, marked with symbological power. Pulling his arm back, he released the item, sending it flying forth like a straight edge. As it connected with Shadow, the symbols momentarily flared, and the villain was hurled backwards in a contained explosion.
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As his blade slashed against the dread scythe, the hero felt a surge of power erupt from his form through the weapon, and suddenly, a terrifying vortex was before him. Slashing through the very fabric of time, the hero had unleashed a terrible danger--and, at the same time, a startling opportunity. If the beast could not be defeated...perhaps he could be thrust into this terrifying portal.
He knew not where it lead, but the hero was certain that anywhere was better than here. "Shadow!" he shouted in a roar, speaking the beast's name as if proclaiming a terrible doom. "This is your final hour!" Acting as if he was about to slash, the hero leapt to the side, slamming his foot into the side of the beast, sending the villain flying into the void.
But the fight was not over. The villain had been sent away, yes...but the void still existed. And it was hungry. "Yukada!" the hero shouted to the salmon-haired woman, one of the many heroes at his side. "We need to close this hole--now!"
"How?" she shouted over the din, a sense of hopelessness falling onto her face.
"Your daggers!" the hero shouted, grabbing onto a fixture in the wall to avoid the suction of the void. "Use your daggers!"
Realization hit Yukada with a blow, and she looked at the twin blades in her hand. The mystical Knives of Raunzell, from a foreign culture...although she had misgivings about these weapons, the power they possessed was immense. Their magical energies...perhaps they'd be enough to quell this insatiable void.
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'We're actually beating him,' Tobias thought to himself with glee as he leapt away from one of Shadow's attacks before stabbing forward with his sword like a seasoned fencer. 'We can win.'
But he had spoken too soon. As the sword lashed towards him, threatening to strike with dangerous bite, Shadow slid to the side with astounding speed, grabbing the blade in his two hands. "Not again, Tobias," he said grimly, focusing his power into the sword. Slowly, the darkened light from his hands began creeping up the blade, crawling onto Tobias like a infectious disease.
"Master!" came the shout from Sai's lips as he ran forward to his companion's aid. The Titans, also, turned away from the battle momentarily, but Shadow's voice soon stopped their advance. "Careful," he taunted, standing up slowly. "I've just infected Tobias with a dark 'virus'. The shadows will slowly overtake his spirit, burning the soul from within. If you touch him...you, too, will die."
"You monster," Sai said, turning towards the villain with clenched teeth.
"There are two choices you can make," Shadow said, standing strong now. "You can come after me, and let him die. Or you can choose to save him...but I will be gone by the time you have finished. The choice is yours." Slowly--deliberately--Shadow turned his back on the group, walking out of the cave without looking back.
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Yukada stepped towards the void, the daggers in her hand glowing as she gently called upon their hidden power. "I can do this," she said, praying silently to herself as she prepared to touch the blades onto the void lightly, wishing with all her heart that the void would close.
Her feet braced against the suction, she brushed the daggers towards the portal, trying not to get any closer than she needed to. But by then...it was too late. The power of the daggers activated, true enough...but in a way completely unexpected. Latching onto the Timestream within the void, the daggers, caused the portal to expand, and Yukada was caught instantaneously.
"Tobias!" she shouted, holding her hand out towards the hero for aid.
"Yukada!" he shouted, rushing forward to grab her...but as he did so, the glowing light around his form extended to the entire castle, and before the moment had passed...the floating temple had been engulfed in it's entirety.
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"Yukada!" came the shout from the lips of the fallen ninja Tobias as he sat up suddenly from the bed in which he lay. Looking around, he saw only a teenager, costumed and wearing a thin black mask over his eyes. "Robin," he said, remembering now. "What happened? Where is Yukada? Is she okay?" And then, almost as if it had been blocked out, another question hit him. "Did we stop Shadow Darkholme?"
Robin stood up from his chair, walking over to where Tobias sat. "Yukada is fine," he said, checking one of the moniters that was recording the ninja's vital signs. "Her wounds were, all in all, relatively minor. Her greatest problem had been lack of nutrition."
Tobias nodded, glad. "And my other question?" he asked hesitantly, knowing without reason that he would not like the answer.
The head of the Boy Wonder was down as he replied. "Shadow got away," Robin replied, almost in a murmer. "We let him."
"What?" Tobias asked, stunned. "Why would you do that? Do you have any idea what he's capable of?"
"We know," Robin said grimly. "But there was something else at stake. I don't know if you remember, but...Shadow released some sort of shadow plague upon you. It had infected you on a spiritual level, threatening to destroy your soul and sentence you to eternal torment. We couldn't let that happen." He looked back at the vital signs, making a mental note of what they said.
When he looked back at Tobias, he continued his explanation. "You're fine, now," Robin said, and a sense of personal relief washed over the ninja. "Raven was able to use her healing arts to cast away the sickness. But we wouldn't have been able to save you and go after Shadow at the same time...so we let him go."
Tobias looked at the bed upon which he lay, so many thoughts entering his head. Yukada was safe...Shadow was free. He himself was alive...Shadow was free. Raising his head to gaze directly at Robin, he spoke in a soft voice. "I think the time for you all to know a few things."
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In the darkness of the void, deep within the Timestream, Tobias looked around for Yukada and the others. He stood in the temple, although the building had nearly been destroyed, and was now being hurled throughout the very rivers of time itself. Tunnels appeared, dragging away everyone Tobias had teamed up with, despite his best efforts to catch up to them...and then, in his despair, he heard a voice. But it was not one he wished for.
"You nearly succeeded," Shadow Darkholme said, standing behind Tobias, his own clothes in tatters. "I was nearly destroyed upon entering this void."
"It doesn't matter," Tobias said, laughing in spite of himself. "You're doomed to be trapped here, deep within the void. Both of us...we will be sealed away for all existence."
"Perhaps that may have been the case," Shadow said, a sinister grin appearing on his face. "But you've altered that fate. By coming here, you've made a terrible mistake...for you've given me a way out." And then, before Tobias could respond, another great tunnel appeared, and Shadow was gone in an instant.
"I've failed," the ninja said, falling to his knees in despair, before he, too, was pulled away by a tunnel...
Centuries later, he awoke in a strange land, stranded across space and time. That conversation...it had been his last memory. But Tobias was here now...and somehow, without knowing how he knew, Tobias knew that Shadow Darkholme still roamed this earth.
And somehow, someday, Tobias would defeat Shadow, once and for all.
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"We were born almost two thousand years ago, in Feudal Japan," Tobias was saying to the Titans as he, Sai Xiang, and Yukada stood together at the center of the living room while the Titans sat on the couch, listening to their tale.
"Most people think that it was, for the most part, an era of isolated incidents," the lead ninja stated, looking at the Titans as he tried to explain everything that had occured. "But such was not the case. The truth was...we were at war."
"Shadow Darkholme was a terrible evil that had risen up, independent from any known nation," Yukada said, taking the role of storyteller. "Soon, he had established his own base of power, with his own cult following. And if he ever needed soldiers, he just summoned them, or created them from nothingness. His armies were unstoppable."
"The many countries of the world united against him, but it didn't work," Tobias said. "He summoned an even greater threat, a terrible monster that could withstand their attacks. The world as we knew it seemed doomed."
"That's where we came in," Sai said. "The seven of us--the Warriors of the Sun--were chosen by a higher calling to stop Shadow. We had each been given powerful weapons and a mission--infiltrate the headquarters of 'the beast' and destroy him at all costs."
"I take it things didn't go as planned?" Raven asked wryly.
"No," Yukada said. "I led them into battle, but Shadow seemed to know that we were coming, and he prepared accordingly. He had powerful allies--elemental soldiers that would obey his every command. We were overrun."
"Then something happened," Tobias said. "I suddenly began to feel exceptionally powerful...and I manifested some sort of time abilities on an incredible scale. Before I knew it, all of us had been pulled into the Timestream."
"And we wound up here," Sai concluded. "All of us were separated from each other--so far, us three are the only ones that have found each other, and in Yukada's case it was partly because of you guys."
"I can't thank you enough for that," Tobias said, and Yukada gave a smile towards him.
"But Shadow is still on the loose," Tobias continued. "And that means our job isn't done."
"There are a number of Titans operatives," Robin said. "We can ask one of them to accompany you, if you'd like."
"Thanks," Tobias said, "but I think that, for now, we need to do this on our own. First, we need to find the rest of our allies--together, we're strong, but apart, we're just prey for Shadow."
"Okay," Cyborg said, "that sounds fair. But if you ever need our help..."
"We won't hesitate to call," Yukada said, flashing a smile to all of the Titans. "Thank you all, so much, for all you've helped us with. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"To new beginnings," Tobias said with a smile, and everyone joined in unison, repeating the sentence with joy and hope in their voices.