Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.
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A gentle breeze blew on the lofty mountaintop summit. The sky was virtually free of clouds and the temperature was pleasant. The gentle sound of a guitar being strummed wafted through the air, interlaced with mirthful laughter and friendly banter.
Jericho sat on a rock as he continued to pluck the strings on his instrument as Kole and The Herald sat in front of him, eating a picnic lunch while Gnark sat nearby eating a special lunch Kole had prepared for him.
"This was a great idea; I wonder why we don't get together more often." Kole enthused.
"We should invite the Titans to join us." The Herald chimed in. Immediately the mood on the mountaintop changed.
"Haven't you heard the news Herald?"
Kole proceeded to explain the latest news from the Tower to the trumpeter. Once she concluded he was visibly disturbed by what he had heard.
"I've never felt so useless." He finally commented. "I can fight supervillains, but how do we fight an economic crisis?"
Jericho put his guitar down.
"What disturbs me is that Slade is now considered a hero, an economic savior in Jump City." He signed to his friends. "He is my father, but I do not trust him."
The group fell silent as the unfortunate truth they wished would go away reared its ugly head.
"Maybe we should call them, see how they're doing." The Herald volunteered as he reached for his Titan communicator. Before he could flip it open it chirped, signaling that there was an incoming call. He flipped it open and frowned when we saw a shrouded figure on the communicator's screen.
"Who are you?" He barked. "Identify yourself!"
The hidden figure replied in an electronically scrambled voice.
"I have your parents." The mysterious figure replied. "If you wish for them to remain alive, you will do as I say."
The screen panned to the right and The Herald saw that the threat was not an idle one. His parents were bound and sitting on a small couch, while two men whose faces were hidden behind ski masks pointed their weapons at their heads.
"Don't listen to them son!" The middle aged man shouted before he was pistol whipped by one of the thugs and was rendered unconscious. The screen panned back to the mystery figure.
"What do you want!" The Herald snarled. "If you hurt them you'll pay!"
"Whether or not any permanent harm comes to them is entirely up to you." The scrambled voice replied. "Will you do as I say?"
"I'm listening."
"Good. Here is the deal. I need to travel between dimensions, possibly several times. Once my journeys are complete I will release your parents. Do you accept?"
"Like I have any choice." He snarled. "But don't even think of double crossing me. If you do I'll have every Teen Titan hunt you down…"
"Do not tell the Titans about our agreement." She interrupted. If they find out the deal is off and your parents will die. Do you understand?"
"Yes." He replied somberly. "When do we start?"
"In one hour. Meet me at this address in Los Angeles." She answered as text appeared on the screen. "And come alone."
The screen went blank and the young man flipped his communicator shut.
"You aren't really going there, are you?" Kole asked.
"What choice do I have? They have my folks." He lamented. "But how did they find out who my parents are? It's supposed to be a secret."
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Raven and Beast Boy silently got ready to go have dinner with Arella. Raven had found a package left in the living room that contained a Matriarch's outfit for her. She shunned the immaculately white cassock and cape and dressed in her signature Titan costume instead.
After snapping shut the clasp on her cape she took her lover and fiancé's hand in her own.
"Ready Gar?" She asked him.
"So were gonna tell her?" He asked.
She nodded.
"Yes. I'll ask her to schedule the ceremony ASAP, so we can go home."
He hugged her and released her with a sigh.
"The guys back home are totally gonna freak out when we tell them."
"They will." She agreed. "But it will be a good kind of freak out."
"We hope." He replied as they made their way to Arella's apartment.
The walk down the hallway was silent as the young couple pondered everything that had happened in the span of just a few hours. Beast Boy felt a shiver of both excitement and anxiety travel up and down his spine. He had just proposed to and made love with whom in his opinion was the most beautiful girl in existence and they were going to tell Arella that they had agreed to wed. He had no idea what to expect at the dinner that awaited them in this topsy turvy world, but he knew that with Raven at his side he could handle anything it threw at him.
At least that's what he hoped.
Raven placed her palm on the reader and the door to Arella's apartment opened. A female butler met them in the foyer, greeting Raven while ignoring Beast Boy and led them to the dining room.
"Ah Raven, punctual as always." Arella greeted her.
Beast Boy stiffened as he saw the crowd of Matriarchs seated around the table, all of them wearing the phoniest smiles he had ever seen. An old crone, a woman who looked to be at least 80 years old stood up with surprising vigor and walked up to Raven, shaking her hand.
"Welcome home dear! You have no idea of happy I am to see you!"
"Thank you, Xanathia." Raven replied hesitantly.
"Nonsense, it should be us thanking you. Were it not for you my dear Azarath would be lost."
"I had help …" Raven replied as she turned towards her fiancé.
"Oh yes, we heard that you have selected your first Raven. Congratulations!" The old woman beamed while she barely acknowledged Beast Boy's presence.
"You know? How? I haven't told anyone yet?"
The Matriarchs all laughed together. Mayra then replied.
"Why else would you bring a man to our celebration dinner, other than to present your betrothed to us?"
Raven calmed the surge of irritation that was surging through her.
"You are correct. Garfield and I are officially betrothed." She droned in her monotone.
Arella stood from her place at the table and gestured towards a doorway. Raven gasped when she saw a Priestess from the temple enter the room. She then remembered that Arella moved fast.
"Let's complete the formalities then, so we can continue with our dinner meeting." One of the Matriarchs suggested.
Beast Boy leaned over and whispered into Raven's ear.
"Rae, what's going on here?"
Raven took his hand and addressed the assembly at the table.
"Excuse us please, I need to speak with Garfield in private for a moment."
As Raven led him away he could see annoyed looks on some of the Matriarch's faces. She led him to the living room, which was even more opulent than the one in her own penthouse.
"I'm sorry Gar, we've been set up."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"We're supposed to get married right now."
"Now? You mean we won't go to a church or something?" He asked, clearly caught off guard.
"It will be right here, in front of the Matriarchs. That woman who came into the room, she's a Priestess."
Beast Boy looked nonplussed.
"Wow, so like how is this done? I mean, I'm not dressed up nice or anything."
Raven sighed.
"I'm sorry Gar, but this ceremony, it's going to be humiliating for you."
He nodded.
"Oh yeah, husbands and wives aren't equals here. Don't worry Rae; I won't let it bother me."
Raven wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
"When we get home we'll have a proper ceremony, one of equals, with our friends."
The changeling grinned.
"Like Star would let us get away without doing that. So what do I have to do?"
"You'll have to kneel before me. The Priestess will rattle off your vows and ask if you accept them. Once you do she'll then ask if I accept you as my husband, which I will. We will be legally married then."
Beast Boy smiled.
"That doesn't sound too bad Rae. I mean you are the boss…"
"NO! Don't say that, not even as a joke. You know I don't see you like that, and I want that to be clear in the house of Roth, starting with my mother."
"It's OK Rae, I was just kidding, but I'll stop."
Raven released him from her embrace and took his hand.
"Well Gar, are you ready?"
He gave her a solemn nod, after which the two returned to the dining room. Beast Boy noticed that most of the Matriarchs looked annoyed and impatient, as if they were being delayed up by a nuisance or a child throwing a tantrum. Mayra spoke up.
"Raven, we know that you have been away for some time and that Earth customs are different from ours …"
"Do not concern yourself Mayra; I was merely instructing Garfield regarding our marriage customs. He is prepared." Raven replied tersely in her monotone.
"Then let the ceremony begin!" Arella announced.
The priestess, a young woman dressed in s saffron colored robe approached the couple and stood between them. She turned to Beast Boy and in an authoritative voice commanded him to kneel, which he did. She removed a small scroll from her robe's sleeve and unrolled it.
"Your name, family name first." She addressed him.
"Logan, Garfield Mark." He replied as the woman inscribed it into the scroll.
"Garfield Mark of the house of Logan, do you swear to unconditionally obey Raven of the house of Roth, as well as your utmost and unwavering fidelity to her. Do you swear to be her loyal husband, to honor her and to never bring scandal or disrepute to her house and to serve her until the end of your days under the pain of the infidelity curse?"
"I do" He replied.
The Priestess continued writing into the scroll. Once she was done she turned to Raven.
"Raven of the house of Roth, will you take this man as your first husband."
"I do" She replied.
The Priestess placed the scroll on the table. After Raven signed her name on it Arella and Xanathia did the same. Beast Boy was not asked to sign the scroll. Once the witnesses and Raven had signed it the Priestess handed the scroll to Raven and took her leave after telling Garfield to stand up again.
"Well, now that has been taken care of we can get down to business…" Arella began.
"Not yet mother." Raven interrupted.
"What is it dear?"
Raven turned to Garfield and threw her arms around him, while kissing him passionately. The table was engulfed in scandalized murmurs. Raven then released her new husband.
"Raven!" He mother addressed her crossly. "We know that you've been living on Earth so we will overlook this impropriety." She then gestured at her butler. "Hera, please take Raven's first to the husband's table in the kitchen …"
"No!" Raven interrupted. "He is staying with me."
Raven saw some of the Matriarchs rolling their eyes while her mother blushed from the embarrassment Raven had forced her to endure. Feeling even more defiant she held her husband's hands as she addressed him.
"Garfield my beloved, I release you from the vows of obedience and servitude. You are my equal and I am proud of that. Also, I swear to forsake all others for you. I will take no other husbands while you live."
Mayra stood up indignantly.
"Raven, you cannot be serious! This is not Earth! You will remove your husband from this room, for he has no place here."
"If he is unwelcome here, then so am I." The sorceress snarled.
The matriarchs all stood up, glaring at the gray woman.
"It is time you learn your place in the order of things Raven." Xanathia hissed at her. "You might have saved us from Trigon, but that gives you no right to be insubordinate! Were you not a Matriarch I would initiate the exile proceedings for you."
"That would suit me fine." Raven retorted. "Garfield and I will return home tomorrow anyway."
"You can't, not tomorrow." Arella interrupted. "There is a celebration for your return tomorrow and the gates to the city will be closed. No will be able to enter or leave."
Raven sighed. "Fine, we'll stay for the celebration. But Garfield will be with me at all times."
Xanathia let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine! If that will make you happy it will be allowed. But if the monos get any encouragement from this we will hold you responsible Raven."
Without saying a word Raven and Beast Boy left Arella's apartment. They quickly returned to Raven's own abode where she placed her hand on the palm reader, opening the door but she did not enter.
"Rae is something wrong?"
She took his hand and gave it a loving squeeze.
"Aren't you forgetting something Gar? We just got married."
A huge smile appeared on his face as he picked his wife up bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they shared a tender kiss, after which he carried her through the threshold and all the way to their bedroom.
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The truck driver sat grumbling in the traffic jam which was backed up almost a whole mile from the bridge that led into Azarath. She had been waiting over three hours now and was almost at the bridge, which was a small consolation to her. She had forgotten about the celebration tomorrow and that the city gates would be closed. Had she remembered she would have got up early to pick up the load of vegetables she was carrying and beat the traffic. It was of course too late to do anything about that and she flipped open her mobile communicator to call home and let her husband know she was going to be late for dinner. It was late in the day and the twilight was beginning to set in and while she chatted with him she failed to notice the dark portal that opened on the side of the road.
A dark masked man with a trumpet and a hooded figure emerged from the dark void and remained at the side of the road.
"That's Azarath over there." He pointed with his trumpet. "This is as close as I can get you, there's some kind of spell that blocks portals into the city."
The hooded figure examined the bridge and the port of entry it led to. The traffic jam was monumental and she could see through a pair of binoculars that the border guards were starting to wave trucks through without inspecting their cargo in order to clear the traffic before the gates were closed.
"I want you to come back to this spot once every 4 hours. If I do not return you may leave after 1 hour and return later. Do you understand?"
"Yes." The Herald replied.
"Do not abandon me here. If I fail to return in 72 hours my associates will execute your parents."
"What if you aren't here by 72 hours? What will happen to my parents?"
"Pray that it doesn't come to that." The scrambled voice replied. "You may now leave."
The hooded figure watched as the Herald stepped into the portal, which closed behind him. Once he was gone the hooded figure pressed a button on her wrist and she was shrouded with an invisibility shield. It wasn't a very good one as it would never get her past the border guards, but she had no problems climbing into the cargo hold of the nearest truck undetected by the bored truck drivers, many who were reading magazines or chatting on their communicators while the traffic slowly inched ahead.
The dark figure's timing was impeccable as the traffic was finally beginning to move. Within a few minutes the truck was at the inspection point. She eavesdropped as the border guard and the driver had an exchange of words.
"What have you got back there?"
"A load of vegetables for Roth Tower." The driver replied as she handed her manifest to the inspector who gave it a quick glance.
"Have you heard the news?" She asked the trucker.
"No, what is it?"
"You're not gonna believe it, but Raven Roth married that green boy she brought with her this afternoon."
"She married an outsider? You know, I always thought she was weird."
"You, me and half of Azarath." The inspector joked as she signed the manifest, handing it back to the driver. "You're clear to go. Are you going to the celebration tomorrow?"
"I don't want to, but my husband won't stop nagging me, so I guess we will."
"Men, can't live with, can't live without them." The inspector joked.
"No kidding, have a good one." The trucker replied as she drove past the checkpoint.
Terra lowered her hood.
"She didn't, no way, she didn't." She muttered as she was trembled with anger.
The geomancer recovered her calm and pondered her next move. She could stay in the truck and let it take her to Roth tower, but decided against that as it would be a good way to get caught. Instead she waited for the truck to pass through the access tunnel and she hopped off of it the next time it stopped. She blended into the crowd and quickly vanished.
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What happened to the reviews? You don't want me to get discouraged, do you?