Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, but I do own the name Kenneth and the Shadow Dragons, Malchior's father, the Queen, the elves and the world they're all in.

A/N: Um … why don't I cut to the chase and have you guys read the story … here you go …

Enjoy!

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It's a Small World After All

Malchior spun around to whip his spiked tail to his father, but the older dragon jumped and flapped his wings. Going airborne, he flew high enough to come back down in order to slam into his son. Malchior sucked in a breath and threw a large amount of fire and magic his way. His father brought up at wing to shield and Malchior found him self pinned to the ground roaring pain as giant claws ripped at his soft unprotected underbelly. Many of the Shadow Dragons flew around then like vultures roaring and waiting for the younger of the two to die.

It wasn't going to be that simple.

Gathering all the power he could muster, Malchior sucked in another breath before his father could strike him down with a final blow. He transformed his hot fireball into a powerful white energy beam and shot at the older dragon. Roaring and jumping off, Malchior canceled the attack and rolled to his feet, head bowed and stomach in so much pain. His scarlet red eyes blinking back to its origin, he was weakening. Up on his feet he turned around and crouched, trying not to let the wound on his underbelly get the better of him.

He glared at his father and transferred pain into anger to fuel his rage that'll give him strength.

It always worked.

Head held high and tail swishing back and forth, waiting for his son to strike, the Sire frowned when he could feel strong emotion radiating from the younger dragon. Odd of any dragon to be collecting power from emotion, but why be bothered? It was just an upstart clouded young mind, nothing to fear. Jerking his wings wide open the Father of the two jumped back and crouched down as well, "Come, come now Malchior, we're not hunting for lizards anymore. This is your time to prove to me you're stron –"

"Shut your mouth!" Malchior roared, "I've heard enough!"

Claws dug into the dirt and kicking it up, Malchior leapt for his father, but just as his father had down the same and expected for him to swipe his claws. Malchior curled and transformed into his human form and dropped to the ground, his father swiping nothing but air, Malchior ran as fast as he could around his father. Skidding to a stop behind him and curling his hand into a tight fist he gathered his magic's strong enough to have it spark and shock him.

The younger shot his hand to the air opening his palm as if calling forth to the skies he commanded the skies to gather, and the storms to rage just as he was, "Thor'undred Mortious!"

Wings being the only part of his dragon form on his back, Malchior flew into the skies to escape his father's swat of his giant tail and flew higher. The winds grew stronger, the skies darkened and the clouds grew menacing. Growling, Malchior felt his life force being sucked dry as his power spell took away all it could for the spell to perform. In the mean time Malchior tried to maneuver the best he could from his father's attacks until he felt it … his attack moment, and an opening. Throwing has arms over his head and glaring scarlet anger at the older dragon. Malchior roared as the skies sparked and a powerful lightning strike came down on his father.

The dragon screamed and roared at the same time making it sound like nothing of any world. Malchior grinned at the suffering, pain filled dragon, transforming into his true form, Malchior didn't wait for en ending to his father's suffering and attacked. Jumping his father and bring his claws up he tore at his wings, but belly, his throat. All ruthlessly with no intention of letting up, he wanted him dead, he wanted blood.

Natural instinct kicked in and his mind was clouded with thoughts of nothing but dominance and victory.

He was going to win at all coasts.

Mouth opened wide with glistening fangs dripping with hungry and poisonous saliva Malchior shot down faster then a cobra and grabbed at the base of his father's neck. Clamping down with no intention of letting go, it took the seven other Shadow Dragons to strike him off to save their commanding officer. Knocked to the side and rolling, Malchior got to his feet and snarled at the other's that dared to go against him.

That dared interrupted him as he was rightfully claiming victory.

That dared to defy him.

That dared to interrupt an official challenge.

They'll all pay!

Malchior …

The dragon jerked back when his head suddenly pounded hard when his name was called by a distant voice. Her voice … Raven …?

Malchior …

Raven! Where are you? Raven! He came back, his head, his sense of reality came back and the taste of blood was evident on his teeth. Licking it up, Malchior shook his giant head and brought his claws up to look at his claws … blood, dragon blood, his father's blood. Confused for a moment, Malchior shook his head once more and looked around to find the Shadow Dragons were still standing guard of their master as he lost his true form. Back into his humanoid version, Malchior did well to fall into his own when his senses picked up his father's voice called to him. Huh?

The Shadow Dragons stood down and looked to their master as Malchior dashed to the group. Though he got warning snaps and growls from the former dragons, Malchior ignored them all and slowed to a crawl when he neared his father's brutally beaten form. It didn't faze him a bit, the deed was done, and he regretted nothing. However, his father hardly looked like he was dieing … no … the wounds Malchior inflicted upon him were nothing. They'd heal in a day's time. No matter how lethal they were.

The father sighed and closed his eyes, "You won … how did that happen?"

"Maybe I'm just better." Malchior sneered, baring fang disrespectfully, "Now, where's Raven and the others, and why where they taken? Start talking!"

The Shadow Dragons growled warningly at the young dragon at his disrespect, Malchior just snarled at the lot of them. They had no place to be growling at him, even if he was younger, he did just win a challenge. They backed off, but glared at him keep a close watching of the hatchling. Malchior snorted and glared at his father who snickered, "Ah … yes … the deal … let's see, I have them … and I was told to deliver them to the Light Elfin Queen on the other side of this godforsaken world."

"What the hell is the Queen want with them?"

His father sighed tiredly and closed his eyes, "Find that out on your own … my job is done here."

Malchior raised a brow, "I'm still alive, that little cut you gave me isn't enough to stop me. I'm not dieing anytime soon ya know."

"Right … I was told to destroy you …" his father grinned, Malchior gulped, it was like looking into a mirror. They looked too much alike that Malchior had to wonder if this was what Raven or anyone else had to feel whenever he grinned the way his father was at the moment. Unsure, nervous, and startled … it was unsettling, " … but I was never given the specifics of the time … so as any other villain might say … I'll be back."

Malchior snorted, "I'm no hero, but you take what's mine and you have to answer to the owner. Now return them … and I'll be waiting." With a flick of his black hair, Malchior turned and snarled at the females that stood in front of him to block his way out of the whole. They spread their wings wide and hissed, retracting his claws and growling loudly to the point he was close to roaring. The females were stubborn enough to stay still, yet one bark from their master and they backed off.

Offended, Malchior snapped at the both of them, baring his impressive fangs they pouted and flicked their wings in annoyance. Considering him nothing more then a child, they refused to show any respect of credit to the hatchling, Malchior didn't care and glared at his father warningly who weakly raised a hand and flicked his wrist to the sky. In mid air three black wholes appeared and in a flash of blinding white light the stolen fell to the ground while the Seven Shadow Dragons and his father vanished.

Forgetting them for a moment, Malchior ran to the three and knelt next to Raven who rubbed the back of her head, "You alright?" he asked, surprisingly to Raven so softly he seemed almost … fearful.

Violet eyes blinked slowly as if to try and regain her sense of normality as she looked up to metallic black hues, then glared. She was back, "I was sucked into a Shadow Dragon's hell! What the fuck do you think!"

Oh-no … she was angry …

"Shit! My head!" X shouted and turned to glare at Malchior, "I'm getting sick of falling here lizard, what the hell's going on!"

Rorek sighed and shook his head trying to gain his bearings, "Shadow Dragons … and Ellris'malchron!" the wizard turned to give Malchior a quizzical, "Is that not your father Malchior?"

Malchior cut at his throat telling him to shut up, but it was too late, Raven and X caught on and both shot shocked looks at Malchior, "FATHER!"

Both head and ears pounded and Malchior found himself ducking down behind Rorek to try and escape the two's sudden flare of anger. Rorek looked back at the cowering dragon and rolled his eyes. Stepping aside the wizard didn't want to have anything to due with the troublemaker who chuckled nervously as he shrugged, "I can explain?"

"You better!" Raven snarled in his head and hovered over him as if ready to tear him limb from limb, Malchior moved from her evil glare and backed up into X who shoved him.

"Go ahead scale face, explain!" Malchior blinked and raised a brow; something seemed oddly strange about the way Kenneth was standing. Almost … regally, even with the Red X costume. Without the mask he looked … almost … like a sense of authority to fear. It irritated the dragon, but more confused him.

Rorek shook his head, "I told you, lying will get you nowhere, now look. I almost pity you."

Suddenly, Raven turned on him, "Don't open your mouth Rorek, because just like Malchior you've been the one holding an important piece to this puzzle. So after him you'll fill in the blanks! Understood!"

Rorek blinked … then blinked again, stupefied by Raven's sudden enraged posture. The wizard shook his head and nodded, "Al – right … how did you figure it out?"

Raven sneered and pulled away to stand next to X who was letting her handle the coaxing-answer thing. Crossing her arms in front of her chest she glared at the two, "You both really think I'm stupid … don't you?"

"Not at all –" both where silenced once more, but this time by X.

"Aw shut up! You've been caught, now start talking!"

Malchior looked to the sky and shook his head, This night can't possibly get any – I'm shutting up now. Glancing to Rorek who looked at him with a raised a brow. There really was no choice between the two – or rather four – Raven and X were getting answers and it wasn't to be evaded. Rorek sighed; he knew it was going to come to this … he just wished Raven hadn't found out like this. She was smart, never once did he think she was stupid in anyway.

They both shrugged, Rorek gulped, "Fine … but let us find a better place to talk … this is too open and we already encounter too many enemies here. Let's head to the cliff, I thought I saw a cave engraved in there somewhere."

X huffed, "Yeah, right, maybe it's a way out. God I hate magic."

With that Malchior crouched to the ground then shot up high in the air bounding towards the cliff, Rorek took off on foot not to far behind. His long silver white hair glistening under the moon that shone brightly after Malchior's elemental attack had cleared up. Raven levitated as fast as she could to stay with the two and X, surprisingly enough was holding his on foot. Taking long strides and going just as fast as she, Raven looked down at him and found her self impressed.

For a human to keep up with a demon, a powerful wizard with half a dragon's heart and a dragon in general … Raven sighed and kept up with the racing duo. Obviously they wanted to be as far from them as they could, but Raven wasn't annoyed. Simply agitated that they'd do such a thing, after all they were going to be confessing everything. If it took the whole night then so be it. It was their fault for not being completely honest.

They reached the cliff.

Malchior took up the job of hoping all over the side to see if there was a cave, only to find one close to being underground then anything else. Looking back to the others and calling them to hurry, it didn't take long until the four of them squeezed into the opening and found that it wasn't just a cave … but an underground cavern. A small pool of water that Rorek suggested was fed by maybe a lake just above on the cliff.

Raven dismissed it and sat herself on a face dangling her feet over the water that the edge perched her over. X plopped himself close to the entrance, on alert if there was anything to come and check them out. Malchior laid himself on a flat corner, closing his eyes, taking a moment to relax. He sighed and reopened them to stare up at the ceiling of the rather large cavern. Not big enough for his dragon form, but still pretty impressive.

Rorek took a deep breath and sat on another corner who his back against the wall, too tired for words he shook his head and forced himself to stay awake. After all, he still had a bit of explaining to do. Especially with that look Raven was giving them all. X was the one to break the silence, "Alright … let's start with Malchior, since I already know that Rorek over here's a replacement prince for the elves."

"Replacement Prince?" Raven glared suspiciously, "What happened to the prior prince?"

Rorek opened his mouth to answer, but Malchior took that upon himself, answering quickly, too quickly for Rorek's tastes, "Killed trying to protect a human girl that he fell in love with. It happened quickly when the Dark Elves stormed the Palace of Tears when the time of the Elves can to a critical point and the humans started to emerge as the dominate species."

"So I guess that meant your kind was pretty much fucked as well huh," Kenneth sneered, eyes drooping just about to fall asleep. Which would explain why he wasn't at all startled when Malchior snarled warningly at the human.

Raven started again before a fight could break out, "So explain to me why it is that Rorek was chosen?"

"No body knows," Malchior shrugged, "he was just chosen right after I was ensnarled in that damned book."

"After?" Malchior moved to give Raven a look, She's questioning everything.

"Yes, after."

A pause, either she expected either he or Rorek to continue with the explanation or to think because of the thoughtful expression her face took on. Malchior continued with his eyes closed as if trying to remember his past and figuring out how to put it into words. Raven spoke up again, "So … what's your relation to the prince and the girl."

Suddenly Malchior's lazy aura took on a sharp turn for tension, Raven felt it, and it was all too noticeable to hide. Especially when he cleared his throat and shook his head, "Uh … my relation?"

X cracked open one eye in curiosity; the dragon was suddenly acting strange.

Malchior held his breath, First my name … now this … who the hell is feeding her this information? Still startled, Malchior gritted his teeth and held his head, stay calm, stay calm … yeah, that's what he kept telling him self, but he was still in a bit of a panic. He didn't know how much she already knew, so that sort of forced him to tell the whole truth. The whole truth … does she need to know the whole truth? I keep lying to her … maybe … maybe I should … but then … then she'll never trust me afterwards. Gods why does emotions have to be so bloody complicated!

"The girl … I was her … her servant so to say," Malchior started with a shrug, " … she was a sorceress that I had the unfortunate pleasure of running into … I became her pet to do her biding and until her darkest desires were full filled I was on a tight leash. She wanted revenge … and she wanted … the prince. It wasn't hard to give her both, all I had to do was tell the prince to seek her out, go and extract the revenge for her and she'll fall head over hills for him. It worked like a charm …"

Rorek scoffed, "You manipulated them, slimy snake."

Malchior growled, "Say what you will, but the fact of the matter was they where having an affair long before I came around. I just pushed it in the right direction."

"Or in the wrong one," Rorek pointed out, "remember the prince and the girl both perished due to the siege of drow storming the castle."

"So why did the dark side storm the castle?" X asked half-heartedly, barely staying awake.

Rorek shrugged, "Who knows, many reasons."

Malchior sneered, "I don't think so, they stormed the palace because they were afraid their kind were going to be wiped off the face of all existence. It was the era when the growing population of humans was driving the elves into hiding, and there were much quarrel between the elves to cause the drastic split. It was only a matter of time before a confrontation as such took place to turn history around."

"And the Sapphire?" Raven questioned, "What has that got to do with anything? Didn't the prior prince say to take it if anything where to happen to him?"

Malchior narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Raven, there was no way – no way she could have just "figured" that out. No way. Although, due to the lack of motivation to think up something imaginative to hide the truth from her, Malchior shrugged once more, "Yes, and just when I was going to retrieve what was rightfully mine after the tragedy at the Palace of Tears he – " glaring and pointing at Rorek who raised a brow and blinked, as Malchior glared, " – barged in and started to challenge me. So I was never able to take it."

X opened both his eyes and glared at Malchior, "So that's why you showed up the night before. That Sapphire thing … I wasn't stealing it from the Queen or Rorek, I was stealing it from you. Wasn't I? You weren't going to lock Rorek in it after all; you were just keeping your promise to the prior prince. "

Rorek snickered, "Very uncharacteristic of you to even consider keeping a promise."

Malchior scoffed, "I'm a dragon not a damned goblin. I do have morals."

"So I suppose lying just isn't one of them," Raven sarcastically droned and Malchior shot her a dry look of his own.

"Not all of us are perfect my dear."

Raven shrugged, "No … but not all of us are liars and curse placers now are we? I find it awfully ironic that Kenneth here is the only one that's hardly keeping a secret considering he's the thief of this group, Malchior."

"Are you trying to suggest something?" Malchior sat up and held his glare with Raven's dry look, who quickly turned dark.

"I don't know Malchior, who's the liar here? Me or you, because I most certainly know it isn't me."

Malchior shook his head and stood up, "Why don't you just come out and say it Raven, you blame me for what's going on don't you? You think I'm going to turn on you again, don't you? Go ahead, say it since you're so sure of every little thing!"

His voice echoed through the cavern, startling Kenneth to fully wake up and sit back unsure if the pair's quarrel. Even Rorek raised a brow and kept his mouth shut, Raven just scoffed and turned away, "Sit down Malchior and stop running your mouth about things that just don't matter. What we're trying to figure out here is why the queen is after not only Kenneth, you and me, but Rorek as well since he's supposed to be the replacement prince here."

"So just like that you're going to change the subject?" Malchior growled.

Raven turned and shot a hidden glare at him, "The subject was never changed. Just took an unnecessary detour."

Malchior leaned against the rock wall, "So I'm unnecessary now, is that it?"

"If you want to be blunt about it, yes," her words were cruel, harsh, and cold. Malchior steeled himself from it … but somehow it hurt him so bad when she said it, he found himself suddenly unable to hold her gaze without flickering every now and again, "I have enough problems as it is I don't need you to occupy mind space that doesn't need to be occupied. As far as I'm concerned Malchior, from day one since "That Day" trust is far from what I can give you and what you can earn anymore! Forgiveness isn't anything that's possible for me to give either, so you're shit out of luck where it concerns me! Now … back to the subject … at hand."

Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam … countless hits, countless batters he took, he couldn't hold against her words anymore. They were just … they were all so … Malchior never knew it was possible from the get go, but he was suddenly getting the feeling of what it was like to be lost. Nowhere to go … nowhere to turn … everything felt like he was in an enclosed space … hard to breath, hard to think, why was that?

Why did her words hurt so much?

Wasn't he supposed to be the dragon here watching her squirm?

So why was it that he was the one getting hit here?

On the side, Rorek cringed when a sharp stab – small, but a stab never the less was felt in his heart. A hand shot up to his chest to clutch the grungy dirty shirt he was wearing and gulped, glancing to Malchior he noticed the dragon with a distant look on his face and frowned. What was with the pain? Looking over to Raven who was staring heatedly at the pool of water her own eyes seeming watery. He shook his head and dismissed it for the pool, but he knew something was wrong.

It was between the two, and he wasn't going to get involved … the tension between either of them was thick, so he decided to break it, "So … if the red sea sapphire is supposed to be for Malchior … why was it that the Queen is after our heads? And how do you know so much about the past?"

"Hold up," X sighed and rubbed his eyes and forehead to try and stay awake, "hold up a sec, I think we over looked something. Back up at the Opera House … Gale-gard … he said something about that Queen supporting the lives of the Drows with money … she's known about their existence since the beginning of a thousand years. The time when Malchior over here was locked in that book, and about the same time the prior prince and his main squeeze where executed."

Rorek raised a brow, "Executed? Why would you use such a word?"

"I call it as I see it," X frowned and shook his head, "I don't think this queen is as innocent as she makes herself out to be. I don't know about you guys, but I smell plot."

Malchior, knocked out of his slight depressed state nodded his head slowly, "Yes … back when I was still around and on the human girl's leash I caught wind of a message that the Queen sent to gather a large army of sorts. No one knew why … but the drow's feared that shed use it against them."

"Which would lead up to the drow's storming the palace," Rorek noted, "Make sense."

"No," X shook his head, "think deeper, think darker, because my brother didn't just disappear or die. He was murdered … right after he tried to steal the Red Gem on Azarath. He was killed right in front of me, and left me with Stephanie – she was my mother and a year after my brother she was killed. Get this, two years after I was born my father was killed after he abandoned the family … all murdered, I don't give a fuck what the cops say, I know what I saw and they're not accidental. Fernaco knew something."

"About the Elves?" Malchior blinked and shook his head, "How?"

X shrugged, "Beats the shit out of me, I mean if you take the time to think about it. How the hell did he even know about Azarath? Let alone speak the language."

Raven frowned, she didn't like where X was taking the plot, "Okay … your brother knows something, and out of complete speculation here you think he knew something about the elves –"

"Not speculation Rae," X held up a finger to silence her for a moment, "Fernaco knew something, because he knew where the entrance to this world was … meaning he did have ties to the elfin world. I'm thinking blackmail … it's the only reason why the elves would want me dead, with my whole family."

"Blackmail?" Rorek glared at the ground, "On who? The drows or the queen?"

"The Queen most likely," Malchior sighed tiredly and gave X a look, "I know where you're going with this. You think the Queen killed her own son and the human woman don't you? You think that the Queen staged the whole thing to make it look like a siege and paid the drows to make sure the prince and the girl were killed."

X grinned happy that someone finally believed him, "Exactly … now think deeper because you were supposed to retrieve the Red Gem aka Rea Sea Sapphire from the Prince's death. However unfortunately got your ass sucked into a book before you could get it by the guy that was later to be the replacement Prince … coincidence?"

Rorek gasped, "Ingenious Kenneth! It would make sense, because it was suspicious that I was sent off to kill a dragon that was reported to have killed a noble family on Azarath."

Raven blinked, "That's right … both of you, your home world is Azarath, isn't it?"

Malchior's brow's narrowed as a thought accrued to him, "The girl … her revenge … her family was a family of slaves to a nobleman on Azarath. She somehow escaped, swore on her life that she'd get her family free, but when she did finally find the courage with the prince she went back to get her family. However due to the harsh conditions of the slaves treatment her mother, and older sister both died, leaving her with revenge … she summoned me and that's where the prince's place came into play."

"The nobleman …" Rorek raised a brow, "what was his name?"

Malchior shrugged, "Lord Gar'dof? Something of the sort."

"Gar'dof! Yes! He was the one that called upon me to hunt you down!" Rorek excitedly exclaimed."

Raven sighed, "So what was the girls name?"

Before Malchior could answer Kenneth growled, "Does it matter? We practically figure this whole thing out already! The queens the bad guy, she staged it all, she knew about the affair and decided it was time to end it."

"Or it could be more than that …" Raven said thoughtfully, "… after all we're all tied into this somehow. Rorek and Malchior, you and Fernaco, my dreams and me … it's all too coincidental. Maybe we're missing something here."

"Dreams?" Malchior narrowed his slit eyes at Raven, "What dreams?"

Raven shrugged, training her violet hues to the ground, "The ones that helped me figure this whole thing out … that told on you and Rorek both."

Makes sense now, Malchior nodded to himself, that's how she figured it out … all by dreams? Why dream of us? Of the past? Unless … someone wants her to find out about the past … but who … who could be wanting Raven to dream of this whole thing? Why not Kenneth? He's the one with the blackmailing family.

Either which, Malchior found that he was just too tired to even try and figure it out, sliding down to the soft rocks once more. Malchior yawned and laid down. Rorek followed his lead and sooner or later everyone was saying goodnight and waiting to continue this all later on in the morning. Raven floated off the ledge to join the others, leaning against a wall far enough from Malchior she sighed silently and gulped. Before closing her eyes she glanced at Malchior and tried not to regret.

Was she too harsh earlier?

Or was she just?

She wouldn't know … at least not now, because before she knew it she was out like a light.

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Yay! An earlier chapter, Wah-wooh! It's spring break where I'm at and I guess I'm free to lounge about the compute and type you guys up some chapters. So I hope this one explains a few things … and uh-oh, Raven doesn't seem to like Malchior too much, yet Malchior seems to be a bit more sorry about everything he's done.

So … do you think she was too harsh?

Do you think X's family holds blackmail against the Queen … or is there more reasons to why the Queen might want him dead?

Or is the Queen even guilt at all?

How close do you think these four are connected?

Will Malchior's father return for another début?

Why the hell am I asking you guys!

We'll all have to see what happens next in the coming chapters, aww poor Malchior, I think I just broke his heart in this one. Heh …

L8er daez