The Titans are understandably nervous when we return to the real world.
"Raven?" Robin asks.
"It worked," my daughter told her leader. "The curse was lifted from Malchior. He's not a threat anymore."
"The curse may be lifted but are we sure he's not a threat?" Robin is plainly not a trusting young man. "He was evil a long time. Just because he's free of Trigon's curse it doesn't mean he's a threat."
"Mal's our friend," Atlas glares down at the smaller human. "We aren't leaving him imprisoned now."
"If Mal deserves to be caged then so do I," Mae-Eye whispers. "I have done horrible things too."
"We all have," I admit.
"Robin, I promise you the Champions will be responsible for Mal's behavior," Arella states, slipping between our robot friend and the Titans' leader. "Let him out. Please."
"Robin." Raven's voice is gentle, devoid of her usual sarcasm. "We have to extend a little trust or this was all wasted."
The Boy Wonder frowns again, but he nods his head. "Titans, be ready. Just in case."
Cyborg nods, his hand turning into that white sound cannon of his. Beast Boy becomes a gorilla. Starfire's hands glow with power. Raven hovers into the air.
"Now, Raven."
"Hezberek Et Morine...Gost Wenthen Verbis Nex...Ind Obrium, Bis Pendrule...Paran Sic Cortis Rex!"
"Nicely done, daughter," I congratulate her. "Excellent pronunciation."
"Thank you, Father."
This magic feels different than mine or Raven's. Or even Mae or Mal's.
"The sorcerer who created the curse was from Earth," Raven explains.
"Oh."
"He was very powerful."
"Indeed." It made me curious about the mages of this world. I knew there was magic here, of course- even before Raven had been born- there had been mages here. That was how Arella had found her way to my world. The bookstore tomes were different … tended to focus on the universal constants of magic that were the same from plane to plane.
"You have that look on your face," Arella tells me, squeezing my hand.
"What look?"
"The 'I just found out something new and I want to learn all about it right now' look." She chuckles. "You always were curious."
"One of my few virtues."
"Be virtuous some other time. Right now we're about to welcome a friend back to the real world."
"Yes, love."
She suddenly grows teary eyed. "You know, I thought I would never hear you say that again. I never thought I would see you- or any of our friends- ever again."
"I know. Arella-"
"No, Trig. Don't apologize. Not again."
"Sorry."
"What did I say about apologizing?"
"Not to do it again?"
"Yes. That."
"Sorry..."
"Now you're just playing with me."
I smiled and kissed her forehead. "Every chance I get."
There was silence for a few minutes.
"Did it work?" Robin asks.
"It didn't take this long last time," Raven mutters. "Did I do something wrong?"
The book flies open.
A shimmer of light flies out of the center of the book and turns into the human form that Mal has always favored.
"I'm … free?" He touches his face. Then he looks at the book. A look of purest hatred comes to his face, and I can feel him gathering the magic to destroy it … and then he lets it go. "Raven?"
"Yes, Malchior?"
"Thank you so much." His face is lit up with such honesty, such gratitude. "Thank you all for helping me."
"Your welcome," Robin says cautiously.
He picks up the book- and then hands it over to Raven. "You should keep this. Rorek was very wise. You could learn a lot from his spell-book And if something should happen and I turn evil again, you could use the book to imprison me again."
"Um … thanks."
"Oh that's never gonna happen!" Atlas walks over and pats our dragon friend's head. "You're way too nice to turn evil without a curse!"
Mal blushes.
Arella walks over and gives him a hug as does Mae. They both kiss him on the cheek at the same time. "We missed you, Mal."
He blushes.
I try not to feel too jealous.
"Um … hi?" Terra comes over and shyly waves a hand in his face. "I'm Terra."
"Hi. I'm Malchior. My friends call me Mal."
"I'm pleased to meet you." She smiles at him. "So … what's it like being a dragon?"
"Normally, pretty good." Mal smiles at her and scuffs his foot on the floor. "Right now, I want to just change back to my real form and go flying ..."
"That sounds cool!" Terra is very enthusiastic about it. "Let's go!" She grabs his hand.
"Um, guys?" Beast Boy says in a hesitant tone of voice. "Believe me, I know how much fun flying is, but I don't think Jump City is quite ready to see a giant dragon flying around in broad daylight. Maybe we can postpone that till tonight?"
"Oh yeah. I guess that makes sense." Mal rubs a hand through his hair. "I guess if flying is out, I am pretty hungry."
"What do you eat?"
"Um … this is going to kind of sound silly."
"Dude, you're a dragon in the shape of a guy who used to be an evil dragon. I don't think there's too much you can stay that's going to top that."
"Well... I do eat coal. For my fire. Beyond that … well I'm a vegetarian."
"Really?" Beast Boy's eyes go so wide that I'm almost positive he's shape shifting.
"Yes. Just not a fan of killing things for food, you know?"
"Dude!" Beast Boy puts an arm around his neck. "We are going to be such great buds! Let me introduce you to the modern miracle that is Tofu!"
I watch in amusement as Beast Boy drags Mal away.
Terra scowls.
"You could go with them," I suggest. "I'm sure there's something in the kitchen that isn't tofu."
"If you're sure-"
"Go ahead."
"Guys! Wait up! I'm hungry too!" She races after them.
"I'm feeling a little hungry myself," Cyborg mutters. "Maybe some pancakes ..."
"Um, Cyborg?" Atlas doesn't really have the facial features to look embarrassed, but his voice give him away.
"Yeah, Atlas? You want a rematch?!" Cyborg grins at him.
"No. It's not that. It's just … when I was … cursed … I hurt my friend Spike. I treated him horribly. I want to apologize to him- but I have to find him first."
"I get you. Come on, then. Let's see what you and I can turn up on the internet."
"Thanks."
The two metallic figures lumber off.
"Robin ..." Starfire murmurs suddenly. "Why don't you and I show the Mae-Eye around the Tower."
"She's been here before ..."
"And they call him a detective," Raven whispers to her mother.
"Oh, I would love for a tour of the Tower," Mae-Eye says in far too loud a voice to be realistic. "Why don't you show me around the Tower … Robin and Starfire. That would be lovely."
"Oh? Oh!" Robin says as the light finally dawns in his eyes. "Right. Come on, ladies. Let's go. I'm sure you'd love to try out our training room, Mae ..."
"I'm sure I would," Mae says with absolutely fake enthusiasm.
We watch them leave.
"Well, that was convenient," Raven observed. She's still holding Rorek's spell-book "What do you suppose that was all about?"
"I'm sure our friends just wanted to give us some space," Arella reaches out to Raven and lightly touches her cheek. "You've grown so much since I saw you last ..."
"That tends to happen, Mother." Even so, Raven leans into her mother's touch. "I missed you. Even when we were on Azarath together, I missed you."
"I missed you too, Raven. More than you can ever imagine." She hugs our daughter closer and reaches out with her free arm. "Trig."
I know what she wants and reach forth to embrace my family.
It feels good.
"So what do we do now?" Raven asks. "We've saved your friends, and Mom isn't dead, and we're a family again- not the most functional one around, but we are a family."
"I've been waiting to ask your father that same question."
"Atlas wants to find his friend Spike. I imagine that could take some time."
"Some," Arella admits. Her eyes don't leave my face. "And after that-"
I sigh. I don't imagine either of them are going to like what's on my mind.
"Father?" Raven asks, looking up at me. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, my daughter. It's just ..." I sigh again. "I helped my friends, but there's something else I have to do, and I have no idea how I'm going to accomplish it."
"What?" Raven asks.
"My world. Somehow … some way … I have to restore my world back to normal."
I sigh again.
"Or die trying."