And now for something a little different! This oneshot is a bit special for a few reasons: it's the first Moments piece to focus mostly on Honorary Titans, my first shot at a "backstory"-focused piece (which I should probably specify is more or less whole cloth; I barely know the first thing about the Thunder and Lightning of the comics, but I don't think the show took the same route with them, so I based their background entirely off of what we know from the show), and my first foray into writing framed stories. Also, while it is written to stand alone, it doubles as a tie-in to my chapter fic Postcards from Tokyo. Hi Postcards readers!

For those of you curious about the mythology being referenced in this oneshot, there will be some additional author's notes at the end that go over the relevant details.

"We are Thunder and Lightning! We may do whatever we please!" – Lightning, Forces of Nature

Storm Shelter

The private karaoke room wasn't as crowded as the main bar outside, but that didn't make it any less full of energy. Seven young heroes filled the space, alternately nibbling on snacks they'd ordered, flipping through songbooks in search of a fun and familiar piece, or taking their turns at the mic (with varying degrees of skill).

The karaoke bar was a humble establishment in the Chiyoda City ward of Tokyo. It wasn't planning to remain humble for long – not when it could boast having the attention of a visiting superhero team that was currently very popular – but the important thing was that it had good food, an impressive music selection, and a chance for the aforementioned superhero team to get some privacy.

Right now, Cyborg had the mic. He had an impressive singing voice when he put his mind to it, and most of his teammates were busy enjoying the show. Beast Boy was among them at first, but it rarely took much for his mind to wander.

The sources of his distraction were seated on the couch across from him. It was by pure chance that the core Titans had run across Thunder and Lightning during their impromptu Tokyo vacation, but the seven of them had enthusiastically agreed to take advantage of their mutual trip and spend some time all together. Lightning was currently poring over a songbook, while his brother looked over his shoulder and occasionally suggested possibilities.

Aside from Starfire, they were the only ones who could read the Japanese entries.

Beast Boy couldn't take it anymore. He leaned forward and said, "Okay, spill. You said you guys are actually from here?!"

The two brothers started and looked up. "Well…" Lightning considered. "Not here exactly, but we hail from the general region, yes. Why?"

Cyborg had finished his song and passed on the mic to Starfire, who was busy trying to coax Raven into joining her for a round. He wandered over to join the group as Beast Boy went on.

"Why? Maybe 'cause you never mentioned it before! So, what, you decided to take an extended vacation and one night you just… pop down and go wild on some bridge in California? Why'd you suddenly decide to go mad with power on another continent?!"

Thunder winced and started twiddling his thumbs. "I would not call it 'mad with power.' Honestly, we were very… naïve in those days."

Cyborg sat down and raised a brow. "Ya know, that only raises more questions. I'm kinda with BB on this, you two sound like you have an interesting story. Feel up to sharing?"

Thunder and Lightning shared an uncertain look. "You really would not believe us if we told you," the latter said.

Cyborg and Beast Boy just smirked at each other. Cyborg turned and pointed at Starfire, who had given up on her ladies' duet and was now singing solo from the group's designated 'stage.'

"She's the princess of an entire planet, and she was actually its empress for a few hours once after she won the crown from her tyrannical sister in single combat." He moved his finger to Robin.

"He literally grew up in the circus, but he can't tell us much more than that because he has to keep his adoptive dad's civilian identity secret. Mostly 'cause said adoptive dad is Batman."

On to Raven. "Her dad is such a powerful demon that a lot of people consider him a god of evil, and she was pretty much born to be an Antichrist. We all dealt with that issue last year."

Cyborg turned back to the group and leaned back into the couch, folding his arms with a smirk. "You get the idea. Me and B here probably have the least weird backstories, and just look at us. You really think we can't handle it?"

Thunder and Lightning just stared at them for several long moments. Lightning muttered something under his breath that Beast Boy couldn't quite hear, but he thought it was something like "Why did we ever think we could fight these people?"

Thunder cleared his throat. "Well then, I guess you do have some… experience with the unexpected. Brother?"

Lightning sighed and fidgeted. "Oh, all right. Still, to understand us, you first have to understand how the powers that be work around here. Tell me, are either of you familiar with Japanese kami?"

The nice thing about living in a sky castle built for storm deities: lots of sturdy, damage-resistant construction and designs. The downside to living among such durable surroundings is that they don't do much to impart a sense of caution.

Raitaro, son of the storm god Raijin, watched silently as his own sons got into yet another excessively noisy sparring match. Lightning and thunder crashed together quite literally, shaking the building to its very foundations, but not a piece of furniture toppled, nor were any delicate ornaments even available to be smashed in the chaos.

"Look, Father!" Raitoningu called in the slightly antiquated Japanese typical of the family. He jumped up, his shining yellow body transforming into his namesake lightning and crashing into the opposite wall quicker than the eye could follow. As he re-formed, he boasted, "Grandfather has taught me much in the ways of travel!"

Almost playfully, Raitoningu followed this up by volleying a few bolts of electricity at his brother. But Sanda proved ready, a small dense cloud forming beneath his feet and lifting him clear of the attack. His laugh was a low rumble that rolled through the room.

"That is nothing. Look how skilled I have become with the cloud spell Great Uncle Fujin taught me!"

Raitoningu cackled. "That cloud spell is slow and weak, brother. Lightning is faster than sound and wind alike!"

Sanda responded by clapping his hands together, sending another shockwave through the castle and pushing its main force forward to knock his brother over. "That does not matter if you do not think fast enough to avoid me!"

As the two of them continued their battle, Raitaro let out a low sigh. "Boys," he started, stepping forward.

No reaction. Raitaro's eyes narrowed, pulsing light, and his voice boomed outward as he again said, "Boys."

That got their attention. Sanda dispelled his cloud, and he and his brother both dropped lightly to the floor.

Raitaro frowned thoughtfully. "It is good that you are both learning, but have you thought to use these powers for anything other than showing off or disturbing the household?"

Raitoningu puffed out his chest. "You wound us, Father! You know that we have been using our powers to help Grandfather make the most magnificent storms."

"Yes, but only storms? Have you ever thought to grace the fields and towns with a gentle shower, or perhaps a heavier rainfall that brings the Earth much-needed water without excessive amounts of wind and thunder?"

Raitoningu just scoffed. "Where is the fun in that? We are mighty gods of thunder and lightning, not gentle rains."

Raitaro let out a tired sigh. Beckoning his sons to follow, he said, "Come. You two are of age now, yet it seems you have acquired only your grandfather's most destructive impulses. I believe it is time for you to make the same journey I once did, and live and learn among the mortals for a while."

The three of them made their way to the castle ramparts, and Raitaro gestured out over the wall and down to the Earth far below. "Tell me, what do you see?"

Sanda and Raitoningu leaned over the wall and peered down. "A city!" the latter cried out. "And a big one, too."

Sanda grinned. "Magnificent." Turning toward his brother, he added, "Just think of what fun we could have in such a place!"

Raitaro frowned. "That is… not what I meant."

Raitoningu ignored him completely. "Yes! Father, we must travel down to the human city where we may continue practicing with our gifts."

"I… That is only one option. I was going to show you four different places from which you can choose to live and learn."

Sanda and Raitoningu looked at each other. They communicated their thoughts though expression alone, in the way siblings sometimes do.

"No, that is fine. We most definitely want to go to the city," Sanda said.

The streets of Tokyo were eerily quiet when a massive lightning bolt struck down unexpectedly from an overcast but otherwise calm sky. Sanda and Raitoningu scanned their new home eagerly.

"What strange colors and sounds!" Sanda marveled as he scanned up and down the deserted road, from the streetlights and neon signs to the faint music still filtering in from a few hastily closed shops. "I wonder where all the humans have gone."

"What does it matter?" Raitoningu retorted, striding forward and charging up his hands. "This will be an excellent chance to see what we can do in this realm."

With that, he flung a pulse of electricity into a nearby pedestrian light. Sparks danced up its metal pole, and the lights flashed brightly for a moment before a fuse blew and they darkened completely. He cackled.

"Most amusing! You try, brother."

Sanda grinned and held out his own hands. Before he could bring them together, though, the ground around them shook and a deep rumble filled the air.

Raitoningu clapped. "Impressive! This city will be great fun."

Sanda just frowned. "That was not me."

In that moment, a sudden wind buffeted the pair from behind. No sooner had it settled than their shadows became blotted out by a much larger one as the ground shook again. They turned around to find that a massive, two-legged dragon had landed in the street behind them, huge wings draped over nearby buildings and one of its two growling heads craned to peer at the intruders.

Sanda recovered from the intimidating sight first. "Forgive us, but I do not believe we have met," he said, bowing respectfully. "We are Sanda and Raitoningu, grandsons of the Mighty Raijin. Perhaps he is a friend of yours?"

In response, the dragon head roared and lunged at him, jaws snapping. Sanda yelped and dove out of the way, and Raitoningu took a reflexive step back.

A moment later, though, the latter's eyes narrowed. "I do not care who you are, beast," he declared. "Nobody attacks my brother!"

With that, he threw the most powerful bolt of lightning he could muster at the dragon. The bolt punched a hole clean through its shoulder…

…Which then proceeded to seal itself in a rapid series of flashing colors. All that Raitoningu accomplished was to draw the attention of both heads on himself.

The two brothers froze for a half a second. Then Sanda put a hand on Raitoningu's shoulder.

"Brother? We should probably go."

"The injury resealed itself? It sounds as though you came across one of the Commander Daizo's creations."

Beast Boy jolted at the sudden interruption and turned to see that Starfire had joined their little storytelling group. Robin was on stage now, but Beast Boy had been so engrossed that he hadn't even noticed the change.

Thunder (Sanda? Whatever, they never used Star's Tamaranean name either and it wasn't like the boys had asked to be called anything other than Thunder and Lightning) shrugged. "That seems likely. We did not know it at the time, though… We mostly just thought we had angered another kami."

"Some of them take the form of dragons," Lightning clarified. "…Although come to think of it, this would explain why he looked so odd."

Cyborg rested his chin on a hand. "So, I take it the dragon scared you off and that's why you didn't just stick around Tokyo?"

Lightning blushed a little. "Mostly. Although of course, we did not want to admit that."

Raitaro let out a low sigh. "I hope this has taught you two a valuable lesson in practicing caution and respect."

Raitoningu huffed. "Sanda did show due respect to that rude fellow. He was the one who attacked us."

Raitaro frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose that is true, to an extent. Still, perhaps now you will consider taking more time to decide where you will go on the Earth?"

Sanda's and Raitoningu's faces lit up. "Oh, but we already have!" the former said. "We wish to travel abroad, to experience the entire world! And we will begin by journeying across the mighty ocean to the east."

"We will settle on the first great city we see there," Raitoningu jumped in. "It will be such fun."

Seeing the look on his father's face, he hastily added, "And quite the learning experience too, of course."

"…That is still not what I meant." Raitaro's frown only deepened. "And it is a long journey. I would need to call in a few favors to help you two cross the ocean."

"We can help with that," Sanda offered. "Please, Father, there is so much we have yet to experience of the Earth."

Raitaro considered both of his sons for a long moment. The eagerness on their faces was clear, and for once it was an eagerness to explore and learn, not simply to show off or spread chaos. Perhaps, he must have thought, they could still gain the wisdom they needed from such a trip.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to the boys, he nodded. "Very well. All I ask is for you to remember that this will not be our family's domain. Do not anger the locals."

"And… Well, you all pretty much know the rest," Lightning finished.

The now much more crowded couch was silent for only a moment before Raven spoke up. "Yes. You successfully made it to our city and the first thing you did was anger the locals."

Lightning put up his hands. "In our defense, I think our father had been referring to the sky's locals."

Thunder elbowed him in the side, and he cleared his throat sheepishly. "But it was still wrong of us. And I suppose we broke his rule – entirely by accident – later in any case. Thunderbirds can be surprisingly territorial."

Beast Boy just grinned. The fact that his friends were less 'metahumans' and more 'sky spirit-god-guys' should probably have shocked him more, but that was before Trigon happened. So instead he merely said, "Sweet."

After a moment's thought, though, he turned in his seat. "Hey Robin!"

Robin looked over from where he'd managed to squish in next to Starfire. "Yeah?"

"You do realize this means you can't ever lecture me about responsibility again, right? Because I was the one who taught responsibility to these guys!" he said, pointing to Thunder and Lightning.

Thunder pursed his lips. "It is rude to point."

Beast Boy's grin turned sheepish as he put his finger down, but the exchange set off a small wave of laughter in the group.

"I think you have your answer," Robin said wryly.

Cyborg took a moment to look around and then clapped his hands together. "Well! This was certainly fun and all, but I think we've been leaving that poor microphone alone just a little too long. What do y'all say we start on that duet contest?"

There was a general murmur of agreement, and the group started breaking off into pairs to pick out what they were going to sing. Beast Boy grabbed a music binder and started flipping through it while he waited for Cyborg to finish ordering more snacks, but he couldn't help but smile to himself when Thunder and Lightning suddenly high-fived, apparently settled on a song.

From what he had seen of them, their little learning experience hadn't turned out bad at all.

A/N: Why yes, that is discount King Ghidorah with a missing head you see there! I thought it would only be fitting to follow Trouble in Tokyo's example of using nods to Japanese pop culture for its ink monsters.

This whole thing started when a video by the excellent Overly Sarcastic Productions mentioned that Thunder and Lightning bear a suspicious resemblance to Fujin and Raijin, Japanese kami (in this case gods, though the term can also refer to similar concepts like spirits) of the wind and thunder and a similar duo of destructive but ultimately heroic brothers. It wouldn't quite fit for them to outright be Raijin and Fujin, in part due to a difference in domains (Raijin controls both thunder and lightning while Fujin, again, controls wind), but it seemed suitable for them to be related to the former. This is where Raitaro comes in – in addition to being Raijin's son, he seems to be mostly known for a particular folktale in which he went down to Earth and lived as part of a humble farming family for a time, helping them out with his gifts and learning about hard work and unconditional love in the process. It would follow that he'd go on to try and send his own sons on a similar journey... even if they didn't quite start out with the same wisdom he had. Meanwhile, the thunderbirds mentioned at the end of the story come from the mythology of several Native American tribes; while the exact details of their nature vary, the general idea is that they're massive and usually protective birds also associated with storms.