Disclaimer: Don't own the Teen titans
A/N: nothing to say, so … moving on!
Enjoy!
--
Watch What You Say
"Why was it denied access!" Raven demanded as Dante furiously tried to find the answer; it didn't take long for him to reply with a frustrated growl.
"The Power Jewels don't have enough energy to hold the Island up at its original height."
"So … what now?"
"The Skyline will drop a good percentage from where it's hanging now."
Raven's brows narrowed trying to understand the point he was trying to make, "Meaning …"
Dante looked up from the computer, "Meaning brace yourself, we're going to down about 14'000 feet from the original 36,000 the islands at."
"About?" Raven emphases with much worry and concern laced in her tone, Dante gulped.
"Uh … yeah …"
"Wouldn't the sudden decrease in altitude knock everyone out?"
"Not the people in the Safe Houses, above and below the surface … we're SOL right now."
"Great …" Raven growled and gasped when she was shaken to the ground, both her and Dante falling over when they felt the ground below their feet betray them. Shaking violently, Raven could already feel the drop and so did everyone up above, the Shadows Dragons having the brain to know the Island was going to collapse took to the skies and evacuated the Skyline.
While the undead Dragons were given a direct order from their new leader(s) to split after feeling the Earth crumble; Syndella, Malchior, Saligia, Liora, and Annamika along with many other fighters noticed the retreat. The five dragons trying to hold up the shield dropped it immediately to allow for the enemy to flee, and left it off when they realized a huge problem. At least Syn did and snarled while trying to hold her body up from the shuttering Earth.
It honestly felt like it was about to rip itself apart!
With the rising sun over the horizon and the quick approaching sunlight that was drowning the Island with light in order to fully see the aftermath of the bloody battle from the night before. Syn hovered in the air with her anti-gravity boots in order to keep her from even falling and glared at the ground while her future father eyed her wearily, "Dante! What's going on! I thought you were trying to keep the Island a float! Why is it still falling?"
"It's going to stay in the air … just … 14,000 feet lower."
"14,000 feet! What the hell are you doing down there! I thought you knew everything!"
"That is a very idiot misconception Syn!"
"Well is there anything I can do?"
"Yeah, brace yourself."
"Oh very funny, the dragons have just retreated, whatever you did worked."
"Good to know there's still a bit of – AH!"
Down in the Core the Earth shook so back it actually knocked Dante into a wall, slamming the side of his head into the corner of a control pad. Momentarily knocking him unconscious, he phased back and forth till he felt he was back in the realm of reality and snarled. Clearly annoyed with the shifting ground he decided to be smart like his mother and stay on the ground. Trying to get up wasn't working so hot.
All the while within his head he counted down the seconds, the minutes, the millimeters, the kilometers, inches, yards, and feet until the Island reached its final destination. When it did the ground settled, nerves rattled and the sensation of the shaking island still coming over most, Raven sat up and leaned back against the wall, adrenaline still on high she slowly, carefully brought herself to her feet. Dante, having recovered faster held out a hand to help her to her feet and Raven gladly took it.
With little too not effort at all Dante lifted his future mother off the ground and held her still when she swayed threatening to fall over she sighed nodded an okay for him to let her go. Hesitantly he stepped back from her and seeing that she was fine, he walked over to the computer and eyed it cautiously. Syn entered his mind once more, "Are we still alive? What's the verdict doc?"
Dante sighed in relief and nodded his head, "We'll live … but I want to be absolutely sure and double the amount of power that's being fed into the Power Core. Is the new barrier up?"
"Up and strong … in fact, I think you guys should come up here and take a look at this … the sunrise is amazing behind the barrier."
Dante smiled and looked over to Raven watching as she closed her eyes and tried to steady herself and calm her racing heart, chuckling to himself he pulled away from the computer and walked back to Raven, "You want to go up to the surface? Syn tells me that the enemy retreated, we can fully calculate the damage and everything."
Raven shot an odd look at him, "Retreated? Just like that? Really?"
"Yep, but they will be back if Ellris is still out there." Dante added dejectedly, but took his mother's hand and vanished in a blink of an eye only to reappear at the top of the highest structure still standing on the Skyline.
The Palace had collapsed … well … most of it anyway, it wasn't completely gone, it could still be rebuilt and Dante smiled at the thought he and his sister had contributed to saving a special part of history. Looking out to the sunrise he sighed and flopped onto the roof, dangling a leg over the edge feeling at ease and serene. Raven sat next to him and gazed at the destruction, "The city's destroyed …"
"Nothing that can't be rebuilt." Dante reassured and rest a head on her shoulders, purring slightly and closing his eyes, Raven stayed still unsure what to do she gave Dante an odd look as he reopened his violet eyes and continued to stare at he rising sun, "you know … you once told me … if it's bitter at the start … it's sweeter at the end. You know when you told me this?"
Raven sighed and relaxed, seeing that he wasn't going to get off her shoulder she scanned the burnt, destroyed, nearly annihilated city and asked silently, absentmindedly without thinking of his response at all, "When did I say such a thing?"
"When a'meo left …" Dante answered distantly, sitting up and finally standing, Raven raised a brow and blinked thinking to herself as she stood up with him, What's – who's A'meo? Dante stepped closer to the edge of the building and looked around contacting his sister he smirked when she told him where she was and he turned to his mother, "Let's go."
"Where?"
"Check on everyone else to see if they're alright."
That sounded like an excellent plan to her, with a nod she took his hand and they vanished once more from their location to stand in front of a small building Raven was familiar with being a small safe house. Dante pulled away from her and walked around the building calling for his sister while Raven stepped into the Safe House, a relived smile swept over her face when she spotted all her friends were still alive. Albeit beat up, bruised, scratched, disheveled, and exhausted – even Starfire and she seemed to be the one in a much better condition than everyone else in the House.
Beast Boy and Cyborg were lying on their beds, awake, but moaning at the massive pounding headaches from their earlier knock out. Starfire, trying to do as much as she could to sooth their pain, Robin poking at the odd looking gunk that was smeared on the gash on his arm, X looked up to Raven and winked, smirking that winning grin. Rorek yawned and smiled warmly at Raven, "Ah, Miss Raven, it's a pleasure to see that you're alive and well."
"Alive yes, "well" … not quite," Raven chuckled along with Rorek and walked up to him, kneeling before him she gestured for him to show her his side and winced when she lifted up his shirt. A huge angry bruise was well evident and as she moved away allowing for him to relax just the simple move made him hiss. Though feeling a hand on his cheek, his ice-blue eyes found her warm violet orbs and he smiled weakly as she whispered, "Glad you're still alive as well."
Moving from him and walking over to Starfire Raven asked what she needed, but all the Tameranian did was fling her arms around her friend and crush her in a bone wrenching hug, "Oh friend! I am so glad we have all made it! I was beginning to worry when you have not come back or answered you calls though your communicator! We have survived the night! I am so overjoyed that we must celebrate our victory!"
"Star!" Robin worried when he saw Raven turning blue, "Star let her go she can't breath!"
"Huh?" confused for a second Starfire gasped and immediately let her friend go, "Oh! Raven! I am sorry! Forgive me I have let my excitement get the better of me."
Raven coughed and quickly distanced herself from the alien, stumbling back a bit, but catching her footing she nodded, "Yeah … control that … ow …"
Just as she was reaching her arm around to massage her side, Raven held her breath when she felt familiar arms snake around her waist and pull her against his chest. Sighing and surprisingly purring right along with her mate, Raven leaned her head back on his shoulder as he kissed that mark on her neck. Then kissed her temple whispering softly into her ear, "Mind telling me why these strangers get to see you before I do?"
Raven turned around in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck, smiling as she looked up into Malchior's metallic black eyes that were once again at that one angle. Turning them silver gray she tilted her head, "You know they're my friends, don't be jealous."
"Oh, I don't get jealous," planting a kiss that promised many things, it felt like one of those kisses that should be a little deeper than he allowed for. Pulling away he held back a chuckle when she let out a low whine, one where only he could hear and he bared his fangs, "I get even."
Raven felt Cyborg's protective eye on her and she pulled away for her friend's sake feeling Malchior's linger hand on her waist as she turned to tend to her friends, "Remind me never to make you jealous then."
"See I told you!"
"We're 17 years in the past, don't give me that!"
"But he's still the same! So cough up the dough!"
"What dough? We never bet on anything! And even if we did, we never shook on it!"
"Ooo if Nai'isha were here …"
"What? Nai'isha's still a toddler remember? What's she gonna' do to me."
"Oh, what she does best to your pansy ass."
"Excuse me, Syn?"
"Come off it Dante, you're one true weakness are kids and you know it! You can never say no to her!"
Raven nervously sucked in a deep breath and Malchior gave her an odd look, a knowing agreement was reached and Raven turned to Star who shot the door an odd look. The argument wasn't what threw her off; it was the way Malchior and Raven both left after hearing the argument continue. X and Rorek looked at each other, Rorek more so filled with an uneasy queasiness in his gut as Malchior walked passed him.
The two exited the Safe House and walked around, maneuvering through the wreckage and what not to reach a clearing where Syn and Dante stood glaring at one another. Never caring that the other two Dragon Lords and their Mates were watching with much amusement or distrust (Kizer). Raven and Malchior glanced to each other and slid down to the two who looked up to their future parents and cleared their throats.
Dante whose wings had opened during the argument fluttered nervously and folded over his shoulder. Hooking at his collarbone he took notice that the other Lords and Ladies were around eyeing the two – now four since Malchior and Raven joined them. Fixing up his glasses, Syn next to him nervously eyed her claws and tried her best to fix up her hopelessly wild hair.
In the middle of all the nervous fiddling, Kizer grew impatient, "Explain yourselves … what is the meaning of this?"
"We warped through time," both Syn and Dante answered in unison, neither seemed disturbed by it.
Annamika saw that Kizer was going to try and control the questioning and before he could let in a second question she spoke up, "Who do you belong to?"
Dante answered this time, refusing to let Syn mess this up he bowed low in response; "We belong to Lord Malchior'oru Ellris'omus of the Southeastern lands and Lady Raenell Roth of the Western lands."
Liora, the Topaz dragon raised an elegant brow, even though she was covered slick with blood, dirt, and clothing no worse for wear – everyone was the same. However Liora still managed to hold herself with a noble air as she asked with a voice that chimed an air of seriousness, "Lady Raenell Roth? You speak as if she is the heiress to Lord Bruno's kingdom when I know he bears no child neither has a mate."
Syn sneered, she never did like Liora in the future, "We speak in respect for our Mother and future Grand-Mistress to the Southeastern lands."
Kizer snarled in outrage, Liora snorted in amusement, while Annamika and Shyah looked at one another in shock and confusion. Kizer jumped down from his perch and landed before the two, Malchior defensively stepping up to the angered dragon, "That! Is unacceptable! Since the beginning of our time there was no crossbreeding. I have agreed to Lord Shyah to give you back your lands, but this? NO! I detest the very idea of it!"
"You don't like it, I really don't care." Malchior shot back with a growl that sent a shutter down Syn and Dante's spin, even Raven – in fact, the three of them never saw Malchior livid. Maybe Raven back on Azalon, but the mad that he is now? Nope, that compared to nothing, eyes already glowing scarlet, and coming SO CLOSE to ripping another's heart out and literally eating it, Kizer snarled.
"You will watch your tone with me, hatchling."
Without warning, and Raven honestly didn't know if it was uncalled for or not, but Malchior sucker punched Kizer right in between the eyes, the force alone threw the dragon back and slammed into a pile of rumble from a destroyed building. Liora gasped and glared at Malchior, jumping right for him, Malchior had no qualms with grabbing her around the neck with one hand and throwing her weightlessly in the direction of her mate. Annamika or Shyah did nothing to stop the sudden aggression, though they did shiver the same as Syn and Dante when they saw the malicious grin on the Black Diamond's face, "You know … I've gotten really sick and tired of you telling me how to run my life Kizer, now, if you don't mind I'll take it from here."
"Impudent wretch!" out of the rubble Kizer leapt, but never got a shot in when Shyah jumped down the same as Annamika both in their true form snarling and hissing at the enraged drake.
Shayah swooshed his tail back and forth in great agitation, "Kizer, you have crossed a line that never needed to be crossed to begin with. Your attitude is a disgrace and an embarrassment to what you claim to represent. Not everything you want will go your way, or have you forgotten that the very universe itself doesn't revolve around you."
"Go home Kizer," Annamika, as softly and calmly as she could muster instructed to the dazed confused drake, "it'll be good if you take the time to rest … the same with you Lady Liora, before this gets out of hand."
Dragons are naturally born stubborn and hotheaded, however when they stand back to observe the situation fully, trying to concentrate on what is good and what is right, and what has to be done. They usually always go for the "what has to be done" method and do so without question or apologize. Kizer and Liora were the same as any other dragon, so with little words – in fact they spoke none at all – they transformed themselves into their true forms and took off.
Shyah and Annamika morphed back into their human state and turned to the ticked off Malchior, Annamika walked up to the unsure demoness and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Sorry for that … it shouldn't have gotten that far."
"Malchior," Shyah narrowed his scolding eyes on the Black Diamond who tried his best to settle his rage and hold in a growl to respectfully take Shyah's warning, "you know full well the consequences of your actions today, just pray that Kizer doesn't advance on anything too drastic. We shall finish the rest of this discussion some other time, for now, Annamika's right, we all need rest, it's been a long night. Anna."
Annamika leaned down – being a few inches taller than Raven – she kissed her on the cheek and waved at the two stalk still twins, "Have a good-day!"
With that she followed her mate off the Island, leaving Malchior, Raven, Syn, and Dante standing in the middle of the clearing with mixed emotions. All settling on one, confusion, looking at one another, Dante gulped and cleared his throat. Fixing his glasses, Syn looked up to the sky and began to whistle occasionally stopping to fix up her magazine clips and clean her bloodied swords. Malchior and Raven glanced at one another and Raven decided to take the lead and narrowed her eyes on the two, "Okay … we almost got into serious trouble because of you two, now mind explaining to us how exactly you warped time?"
Syn gave her mother a look then glanced up to her brother, who was thinking for a moment how to explain in the lamest term, she just blurted the answer with a nonchalant shrug and the flashing of her right wrist. Around it was a silver charm bracelet with seven charms dangling off of it, "Let's just say I like to go where I'm not supposed to go. With in these charms hold a specific amount of Kry'onic Powder Diamonds … An'Saligia gave them to me!"
"You mean you stole them from her," Dante growled and Syn snarled in retaliation.
"I didn't steal it! She knew I took it!"
"Yeah, because she saw Death's Hourglass empty!"
Syn sneered and rolled her eyes at the same time snaked her head and snapped her fingers in her brother's face, "Oh, so you're just going to blame that whole mess on me?"
Dante scowled, "Syn, stop lying! You're not helping your case any!"
"Stop it!" Raven shouted, and the two twins immediately shut their mouths as their future mother growled at them both and marched up to Syn, "Alright, you got a hold of the Kry'onic Diamonds, now tell me why you two came back in time."
"It was an accident," at once they both explained.
This time Malchior raised a brow, "An accident? How do you "accidentally" jump back precisely 17 human years to the past?"
Syn jerked her head back and Dante chilled when she tilted her head in confusion, "17 human years? Who said "human" we jumped about 17 demon years cause Nai'isha was born."
Raven's expression was the same as Dante's, though Dante looked more like a deer caught in the headlights – in this case a deer caught in a lie – because Raven turned to Dante and narrowed her violet eyes on her supposed son, "You said it was human? 17 demon years is the equivalent of 700 human years! Why did you lie?"
Dante fixed his glasses once more and nervously darted his violet eyes from the ground, to the sky, to the rubble, never really connecting with Raven as he tried to explain his reason for false in formation, "I … uh … I did it so to not confuse you any more than you were earlier, we were in the middle of a war zone … and –"
"Enough, I get it, but I don't like it." Raven growled and Dante shot Syn an agitated look she just shrugged in confusion, not quite sure why he was glare at her she sneered and snorted. Raven looked back at Malchior and tried to imagine for a moment … 700 years … he smirked and chuckled amusement knowing exactly what she was thinking. She rolled her eyes and gave Syn and Dante an odd look, "Okay … so … who's Nai'isha?"
Syn smirked and chuckled, "Oh, little Nisha, she's your youngest daughter! 5 years old, you're going to fall in love with her when you finally have her! Hell I think I'm jealous of her because you act as if she's your favorite of all your kids."
Malchior blinked and couldn't help to ask the question Raven just didn't want answered, "All? You mean out of the three of you?"
Dante was about to slap a hand over his sister's mouth to shut her up from telling them far more than they needed to know, but somehow she appeared right next to Raven. Leaving Dante to fall flat on his side as she causally explained, "Not just the three of us, Dante and myself are the eldest out of … oh … let's see there's Sebastian, Lara, Xavior, Marcellus … um … 21 – er – 22 forgot about Aysha, but don't tell her I said that she'll kill me."
Raven nearly fell over, "22 … "kids"."
Dante growled and tried to dust off the dirt from his pants, but only succeed in spreading the dirt everywhere and huffed in defeat. Glaring at Syn he sneered, "Reunions are a mad house, and yes we're all from the both of you."
"Both of us!" Raven gestured to her and Malchior and even Malchior was trying to wrap his mind around the idea of 22 kids and after a while concluded that it was quite possible. Especially being what they were … in fact, he wouldn't be surprised if they didn't have a little more than that.
700 years is a long time to be mated to someone, now that he thought about it. Sensing Raven's slight distress, Malchior couldn't help to chuckle at the shocked look on her face. Wrapping his arms around her and pull her close he rested his chin on the top of her head still grinning, "I'm sure it's not all that bad love, think about it, they're all going to be from you and me."
Raven blushed and closed her eyes, "Yeah … but … wow …"
Syn cooed and leaned her head on her brother's shoulder, "They're just so adorable … you know I've missed seeing you guys lik – ow! Hey!"
Dante growled and poked his non-clawed finger at the side of his sister's ribcage and hissed in her head, "Shut-up this instant, you already told them more than they needed to know! Plus … mani doesn't need to know about that particular time."
"Why not! I'm just trying to help!" Syn argued, "Come on Dante … it's not fair … I mean, I'm still getting goose bumps from when mani broke down after Nai'isha asked where her father was!"
"You tell her now it's going to fuck up what we already haven't fucked up with coming here."
Syn pulled away from her brother and gave him a shocked look of amusement, "You cussed, Dante you cussed! I'm so proud of you!"
Just about to throw her arms around her brother and pull hi into a tight hug, Dante leapt back and perched himself on top of a pile of rubble and growled warningly, "Get back or suffer."
"Stale," Syn scoffed and turned back to her parents and smiled softly when Raven sighed and eyed the two of them like how she remembered she would. It was just so cool to see her parents when they were younger and when her mother was more "carefree" so to say. Speaking of carefree, Syn blurted, "Where's X-juuzo and Rorek-juuzo?"
"Uncle?" Raven raised a brow, but then shook her head, "Hold on, X? You mean Kenneth? He lives all the way to 700 years from now?"
Syn grinned and Dante slapped a hand on his forehead, "Crap, how could I have forgotten X is still around …"
"Of course … I couldn't see it any other way …" somehow that look on Raven's face wasn't a look that she trusted, it was a mix of mischief with cunning and a dash of obsession. Plus her tone … it sent shivers down her spin, Oh yeah … she's Malchior's kid … but what's with her and X?
--
Me: (headphones on and bops head to the music while dancing at her computer desk)
Syn: Wow … we have a début!
Dante: Amazing … (fixes glasses and eyes cimple's computer) primitive really …
Syn: What is she listening to?
Dante: I don't know – (door slams in the background, Dante grabs Syn just as she's about to take off cimple's headphones) We gotta split! Mani and A'meo are coming!
Syn: Yeah! Yeah! I know just hold up I have to tell these … people … something. Okay everyone here's a little lesson on my language: A'meo means Father in dragon. Mani means Mother in demon, so be careful whenever me or Dante speak because we'll be mixing the dragon and demon dialog … A LOT, yeah we slaughter the laws of communication that way.
Dante: You finished? Let's go!
Syn: Why you always gotta be a pansy like Rorek-juuzo.
Dante: Why you always gotta be a nuisances like X!
Syn: Because it's fun!
Rorek: cimple! You in here?
Dante: MOVE! (shoved Syn out the window, he jumps after her after he snatch's cimple's M&Ms and winks are the readers) L8er daez! (Disappears into the night)
Rorek: cimple, (taps her on her shoulders, takes the headphones off to listen to the wizard) just a little question that I must ask. Where's Francesca?
Me: Francesca? Oh, around, she'll be coming back in the next chapter with a little something extra … why?
Rorek: Just asking, X's is wondering and Raven and Malchior are still coming to terms with the turn in the story.
Me: Ah, they'll get over it.
Rorek: Okay then, I got to go.
Me: Mm-hmm … (puts headphones back on, but stops when she realizes her M&Ms are gone) wha – where the hell are my M&Ms! ROREK!
