[Chapter 6]
The table was silent that night. Solor shifted his eyes over to Edward, before glancing over at Vilea and Susie. The mood was tense, and from what he could tell, his team was not happy that the Grand Darkness was here. Nightwing was definitely upset from the news, but agreed to let her stay, since Solor vouched for her... and he heard what would happen if anything went wrong.
When Edward told Solor that his Circle was wanting to send Rachael over, he said that it was okay... but to wait until after dinner. They needed to deal with Vilea, and he wasn't sure the team would react well to suddenly having two Ravens during this time. Edward agreed with the dragon's logic.
After a few moments, Vilea turned to Susie, who was sitting on the other side of the table, "Could you pass the salt over?" The shaker was over by the hatchling, and she glanced up. Raven moved to pass it for her, but Solor stopped her. After a moment, Susie used her powers to move the salt over to her biological mother, while Vilea watched. "Thank you", she said politely, but her eyes showed that she was thinking. She didn't even use the shaker, but set it down carefully next to her plate, which caused Susie to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"So... Vilea... how is your clan doing?" Nightwing asked politely.
"Oh, you know", the dragoness said cooly, glancing over to the leader of the Titans. "Recovering from a war we've been having for millions of years, only to be defeated because Lair sought out the aid of super-powered mortals and because my daughter's father vaporized my father in a single blast. Now I'm in charge, and I have to keep my clan in line for anything that might happen, including outraged humans attempting to kill us after we willingly, publicly signed a peace treaty forcing us to stand down and not interfere with Lair business or pull the strings of a mortal war ever again."
The words caught everyone off guard for a moment... until Beast Boy spoke up. "So... relatively good?"
"Yes, I'd have to say it's nice to not lose soldiers anymore", Vilea admitted. "I no longer have to tell children that their parents are not coming home."
"Or telling parents that their child is with the First," Edward commented, "I know that feeling all to well. It doesn't get any easier regardless of who gets that task. And, at the risk that you think I am cold hearted, if the day ever comes when I stop caring about my soldiers in Lair or my mortal friends or, for that matter, the mortal world when I am the Grand Fire...I would want to be told that it's my turn to pass my powers to my heir because when I lose that part of myself, I lose what it means to be human. Then, I will want to join my loved ones at last."
"Do you personally tell loved ones?" Vilea asked.
"Sometimes," Edward replied, "Other times, I ask a member of the Death clan to make the notification to the next of kin. I do that to remind the soldiers that if Lair's commander is willing to do distasteful things like that, then, they are also expected to do that when asked."
"Why did my counterpart relocate to Lair anyway?" Vilea asked.
"She wanted to and the other members of the clan were on board," Edward replied, "Vicky could have done what you decided to do and stayed in the Dark Lair or an alternate location. The Circle would have been fine with that decision as well. But, with her clan in Lair, it makes the meetings a little more... compassionate, if I had to choose a word. It's because of her that plenty of dragons aren't punished as severely, since she brings perspective to her kinsmen."
Vilea nodded, biting her food lightly. "Hm... I suppose you had something to do with her rejoining, then?"
"I did, but, I did not push the issue. I was forced to kill one of her children during the final hours of the war, and that took its toll on me. So, imagine her surprise to see that I was begging the Grand Light to spare her final daughter, my Soskrein. She was so moved by my act of mercy, she willingly surrendered, and once her father was killed, formally asked to rejoin Lair", Edward explained.
Vilea listened to his words, thinking carefully. "Hm..." she mused. "Well... I can see how she may feel she owes you. You showed mercy when anyone else would have executed her on the spot. Not only that, but you saved her last child as well. I commend your bravery. Tactic-wise... there was a probability that letting her see your weakness could have backfired, but... I'm glad she had the common sense to not attack you, if it meant she got to be a part of her daughter's life."
"Had she attacked me, Heiress or not, I would have been justified in ending her life," Edward said, his voice suddenly icy, "And I flat out told her that. I could have attacked you earlier for openly showing your weakness, yet, I did not and will not. It goes both ways, Heiress."
"Like you're such a stellar example", Susie muttered, stabbing into her food lightly.
"Soskrein..." Solor said in a warning tone.
"It's alright, Filkiin", Vilea said dismissively. "I know, I'm not the best mother in the world... but then again, you're not the best child, either", she shot at her daughter. "You refuse to even acknowledge what you are."
"Say that again", Susie said, growling. "I know who and what I am, mother. I am Soskrein, daughter of Solor and Twilight dragon." Edward put a calming hand on Susie's shoulder, silently supporting her.
"Are you truly?" Vilea asked. "Is that what you think? Or is that what you think I want to hear? I know that, genetics-wise, you are a Twilight dragon, but is that how you judge yourself? I've been watching you, Soskrein, and I know your heart now."
"You know nothing about me", Susie said with an angry stare.
"Now, Vilea, perhaps we should-" Edward started, only to be interrupted.
"You don't see yourself as Dark at all", Vilea said matter-of-factly. "You see yourself as a Light dragon who has been cursed with a very... very Dark heritage. And you squash any selfish thought, any petty insult you wish to say, because you want to make your father proud of you. You want him to love you, but you don't think he'll ever love your Dark side. How close am I, my child? Did I hit the nail on the head?" When Susie could only stare at her in response, Vilea let out a low chuckle. "You are truly naive."
"She's also 12, Vilea," Solor reminded her, "Tell me, aren't all dragons practically fresh out of their egg naive about things? Don't tell me Dark Daddy didn't chastise you for being naive for the first few centuries of your life?"
Edward merely smirked. It wasn't his place to really say much at this point. Besides, even this was valuable intel since he freed up the space in the communicator's SD card.
Vilea snorted, "Yeah, like He had the time to really take part in my upbringing. He spent his life wanting revenge on Lair and what happened? The Mosquito destroyed him." She then sighed. "But that is not here and now. What's important that you know, Soskrein... is that your father loves you very much. Nothing you could do could ever make him hate you. You will butt heads, you will fight, you will say things that either of you may regret... but despite how you were made, despite what you are, he loves you all the same because all of the little pieces of what makes you are simply a part of you, and he would not have it any other way."
Solor gave a gentle smile, seeing a sort of happiness (and relief) enter Soskrein's eyes. Edward removed his hand in the meantime. She lowered her head a bit, and the Light Heir wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "She hit that nail on the head, baby girl. I will never stop loving you. So please don't ever be afraid to be you... that's my favorite part of you."
The others also smiled and Nightwing said, "That goes for all of us, Susie. We love having you around the Tower and you bring out the best in the team. I won't speak for Edward, though, but, something tells me that he's in agreement."
"He's right, Susie," Edward replied, "You are a Twilight Dragon and having both Light and Dark in perfect balance puts you in a unique position. It's not a curse unless you allow it to be. It's something that Vicky and Starborn had to teach me. It's part of your heritage, and, you have to learn to use your darkness to your advantage. It will take something that you have a lot of...Time. You have parents who will take that time to teach you how to live with the Darkness and will teach the Darkness to live with the Light. And, I will have to hope that your birth mother will also take that time."
Susie looked happy, though.
"But, Susie," Edward finished, "You need to forgive Vilea. If your dad can look at her without wanting to kill her and has forgiven her, you can to. The first step in moving on from a grudge is to forgive the other person and stand by that. That's another reason why the Dark Clan back home is allowed within Lair. There had been enough hatred and grudge holding. It was time to let it go."
Susie let out a soft sigh. "I'll try, Edward. But... it's not something I can let go of easily. I may not be able to for a while."
"And that is fine", Vilea said. "I have done things that I'm not exactly proud of. And at the time I didn't regret what I've done to your dad, but... he's been the better dragon, for sure." She brought her napkin up to her mouth, dabbing her lips gently before pushing out her chair and standing up. "I should get going. That's the first step to controlling your powers; accepting that you are not just Light, but Darkness as well. If you focus on that, mastering your powers will come easily for you, Soskrein. But I shouldn't stay much longer; my clan needs me."
Solor stood up, walking over and offering his hand. "Thank you for stopping by; I hope that we can spar again, soon."
Vilea nodded, shaking his hand. "Of course, Filkiin." She grew a mischievous smirk, moving up and gently kissing his cheek, causing his eyes to grow wide. "Take care of the half-pint for me; I'll be checking in on her from now on."
Solor sputtered, unsure of what to say, as the dark dragoness moved around the table, patting Susie's shoulder. "And you be good to your dad. Despite the fact that he's a Light bug... he's doing a great job with you." She then formed a Tear, smirking at the team. "See ya!" she cried out, before walking through and vanishing.
"I had no idea she was going to do that", Solor immediately said, his face turning bright red. "Raven, you have to believe me, that was a huge shock."
Raven only smirked, patting his shoulder. "Relax, 'Firefly', I know she didn't mean anything by it. She was just trying to mess with you."
Edward merely burst out laughing, "Man, this is going to be rich. You know I'm taking this back home."
"You do, and I will melt all the ice cream", Solor said, his face still bright red. "Don't think I won't, I've done it before."
"Come on, Solor...You know once I leave, this timeline goes bye-bye anyway!" Edward said. He tapped a button on the communicator that sent a pre-typed message for his Raven to come on over.
"Besides," Edward smirked, "I think someone will be arriving any moment."
At that very moment, a Tear opened right where Vilea vanished, and the team stood up, surprised. Susie moved to confront whoever was walking through, but Solor stopped her, smirking. "Don't worry, sweetie... I authorized this one."
A moment later, Rachael emerged and seeing her husband, floated over to greet him with a kiss.
"Guys," Edward said, "Meet Rachael, my wife. Sweetheart, say hi to this universe's Titans."
The native Raven stared in awe, floating next to her husband. "Whoa..." she said.
Solor's jaw dropped a bit. "We've seen her in pictures, but the real deal..." He placed a claw on his head, sighing a bit. "Now I kinda wish that this timeline wouldn't get erased. Two Ravens..."
"You know only one of them is in love with you, right?" Terra mentioned.
"Yeah, but just the idea was impossible until yesterday. Can't have too much of a good thing, after all", Solor defended, shrugging.
"Oh, Solor?" Edward said with a smirk, "Azarath Metroin Zinthos!" They watched as the Ice Cream that was being held hostage was shipped through the Tear which closed a second later.
"Now, let's see you try to melt my team's treat," he said sticking out his tongue.
"You..." Solor said before hitting Edward with a Three Stooges move.
"OW OW OW!" Edward said.
The look on the immortal's face though told Solor that it was not a good idea.
"Solor," Rachael said, "My husband's pretty good at a certain game played in Lair."
"You mean..." Solor realized.
Susie's eyes lit up, "Dad...I think you made yourself the Prey."
"Well..." Solor's face puffed up, as he seemed to want to say very choice words. But instead, he opted to open a Tear and vanish into the darkness, while Raven sighed. "And there he goes... well, he'll either be hiding or plotting to try and take you down. Susie, do you want to help him or hunt him?"
"I'll hunt him down this time", Susie said with a grin. "So, I'm a Predator with Edward."
"Fine, I'll play prey with your father then", Raven said. She turned to Rachael. "You and I need to sit down and talk after this game is over, though. I'd like to hear more about your world."
"Raven, you really should focus on escape," Rachael said with a smirk, "Anyone else wish to partake in this friendly game?"
"I think we'll sit this one out", Nightwing said, smirking. "This looks like a game between family, this time around." Raven, while he was speaking, had vanished into her own spell, seeking out her own hiding spot.
"This will be interesting," Edward said after his tongue healed a little bit.
"Where would they hide?" he asked Susie.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she said, "Shall we?"
Edward thought about is and said, "Honey, take the roof and western limb, Susie, take the upper floors and eastern limb and I'll cover the rest of the Tower and outside areas. Feel free to check outside as well, though. But, this Solor hates being tickled, so, let's play this game without the tickling aspect. Simple capture only."
Solor, meanwhile, had taken shelter in a vent close to the main entrance of the Tower, looking around. He knew of the alternate rule, since Edward had told them, but he knew that he couldn't let the older dragon catch him off guard. He made sure his scales were deployed, keeping him protected, but kept his wings and tail retracted, since he knew of his twin being a victim to hornet stings before.
[Hon, how are you doing?] he heard his wife call out. He stayed silent a moment, probing to see if Edward, Rachael, or Susie could hear them.
[I'm in a safe spot, so I shouldn't be caught so easily... heck, I can probably catch Susie or your counterpart off-guard if they come nearby. But I'll need to be careful if Edward walks by... he's craftier than some dragons I know], Solor finally said.
[Same here] Raven told him. [I'll be alright as well... I'm near Cyborg's T-Car. They shouldn't come near here without making a lot of noise first.]
Edward was the one looking in the lower levels of the Tower, though, but, was at a slight disadvantage due to Solor's use of a Tear to start the game, and his scent was not available as a result.
He decided to expand his senses a bit and see if that would help. But, after a minute or so, he draw a blank and kept up a physical search.
He got close to the garage and shifted to a quieter form since he figured that there was a bunch of stuff in there besides the T-car and Cyborg would have some defenses deployed...mainly to keep Beast Boy out.
When Raven heard nothing at first, she decided to probe out and see if Edward or Rachael were nearby. She was careful, and once she got a reading on their locations, quickly pulled back again. Really hope Edward doesn't... well, why should I hope that? Of course he knows when I'm reaching out, he's married to my counterpart. Craptastic. She glanced out from her hiding spot, in the tool-cabinet near the T-Car. I might be able to get out of here if I teleport, but I risk having Rachael catch me... or Edward. He can move faster than me... Eventually, she shook her head. Well, if I do get caught, I should be on the other side of the tower... and hopefully force them to look in the wrong area so we win. Time to play risk...
Once she heard the door to the garage open, she immediately called on her powers, moving towards the dining room again. Of course, her soul-self was visible, so Edward got a glance of the black bird fleeing the vicinity.
[Rachael and Susie,] Edward called out, after sensing that the link was blocked from Solor and Raven [Raven's on the run. Look out for her soul-self.]
[Which way is Mom heading?] Susie asked.
[I only got a quick look at her soul-self. It headed upwards,] he replied.
Raven arrived back in the dining room, seeing her team still sitting there. "I was never here", she told them.
"Hon, you hear something?" Beast Boy asked, giving Raven a wink as he addressed Terra.
"Nope, don't think I did", Terra replied, as the empath made a hasty retreat, heading for the gym while Rachael came down from the roof just a second too late.
"I won't bother asking if my Prey came through here," she said, "Be glad I don't." The smirk, though, told the guys that she wasn't totally serious as she headed out the door.
"Whew!" Beast Boy said, "Edward's wife, even joking, seems to be someone we don't want as an enemy."
"You're not kidding," Cyborg said, "given how long they've been together, her powers would be amplified as much as our Raven, if not more."
Susie was also heading for the Gym, though, just from the other entrance and as she entered, she spied Raven entering.
Crap! she thought and tried to turn to flee, only to hear her daughter chanting the mantra and Raven found herself tied up.
"Sorry, Mom," she said, "You're caught fair and square."
"You're not gonna tickle me, are you?" Raven asked.
"Nope," Susie said with a smile, "Edward's being merciful and said 'No Tickling.'"
Raven smirked, "Thanks."
[My mom is caught,] Susie sent out, [Now to find my dad.]
[All right, Susie,] Edward's voice replied, [He's a crafty one. Do me a favor, though, please. Ask Nightwing to sound the alarm when he feels time's up.]
[Why not flush him out that way?] Rachael asked.
[Not really fair play to use the alarm to fool him into thinking there's a sudden mission. Nightwing can announce through the PA that the game's over anyway after the alarm sounds.]
Raven, meanwhile, reached out to her Solor. [Sorry, hon. They got me.]
[Really?] Solor asked. [I didn't feel any panic on your end, besides a very brief moment.]
[They're not going with the alternate rules they play with], she told him. [We're safe from them today... just don't assault him again. I don't think he'll be fair if you do the same thing again.]
[First, take me now!] he groaned, [I was kidding around with him.]
[I think he knows that,] she said calmly, [I get the idea that they play this back home as more of a training exercise than a game. I didn't sense any malice, that's for sure. Now, to talk your daughter into untying me.]
[Where did you end up getting caught?] he asked through the link.
[In the gym... jeez, this looks embarrassing. All the mirrors are adding to the humiliation.]
[Don't worry, she'll let you go soon. I've got a plan], Solor said, deciding to play offensively now. He began moving through the vents, heading for the gym (and making sure that he wouldn't make enough noise for the Predators to find him).
[What's the plan?] she asked.
[If I tell you, you won't enjoy the surprise], he said with a smirk. [Just try to throw them off; tell them I'm outside the tower, hiding on the northern beach.]
Raven turned to Susie. "If you want to catch your father, you might want to tell Edward and Rachael that he's outside on the north shore. He's hiding among the rocks there."
"Why are you telling me?" Susie asked, feeling suspicious.
"Because I got caught because I moved, trying to get them to look somewhere else", she told her daughter. "Now that I'm stuck, I'll get loose faster if Solor gets caught now."
Susie gave an understanding smile. "Alright, fine, I'll tell them." However, she only half-believed Raven. [Mom says Dad is outside on the northern beach. I'm not sure she's telling the truth, but could one of you at least check it out?]
[I wouldn't put it past Starborn to try this trick,] Edward said after a moment, [Your dad would be a crafty sucker if he's trying to throw us off the track. But, it's still something to check out. Give me a few minutes.]
He teleported outside to the beach and flew over it reaching out with his senses and getting nothing.
[As I suspected,] he said after a few minutes, [He's still in the tower itself...but, where?]
Susie, however, didn't respond. After a moment, Edward felt the familiar presence in his head, as Solor chuckled mentally. [One Predator has been caught... only two to go.]
[Dang it, Dad!] Susie called out. [That's not fair!]
[Hey, I'm outnumbered here. Might as well make it fun. It's not like Raven can rejoin the game; she's technically 'dead'.] Solor smirked as he addressed Edward and Rachael. [You better hope I'm similar enough to your brother; otherwise, this game will go very differently than you expect.]
With that, he cut off the mental connection, leaving the two Predators wondering where he went now.
[I have an idea where he is, hon,] Edward said, [He's not going to be in an easy place to locate. Remember the times when we'd be teaching the girls this game and some of their unconventional hiding spots that actually allowed them to win?]
Rachael thought about it for a moment, [You think he's using the ductwork?]
[It's possible,] Edward admitted.
He teleported to the Gym and saw Raven still tied up, along with Susie.
"Since you two are out of the game," Edward said smirking and took out his communicator, "And since you can't hold my treats hostage or melt them to goo, smile for the camera, ladies...and no use of powers to stop me." He took a quick picture, and put the camera away.
He then reached down and untied the two "prisoners".
"You're lucky that we won't remember this", Raven told him, "or else that communicator would be gone."
Susie let out a sigh. "Sorry, Edward... he got the jump on me. He was using the ducts, but he's on the ground now... I just don't know where he went."
"Ok," Edward said, "I didn't hear that from you. And, Raven, my dear, you can't deny me some side memories, right. I ... have to remember this for all of us."
Raven caught the hint of sadness and relented, "I understand, Edward. Go find Solor, though. This is supposed to be fun." She gave him a quick hug, which was returned.
Solor had made sure to run through the halls as much as possible, knowing Edward might try to follow his scent. So, he made sure that he spread it as far as he could, covering as much ground as he could before picking a closet for a hiding spot, looking to catch either Edward or his wife. He still had his scales up, not wanting to be caught off guard at all, and watched carefully for any shadows, hoping he could catch one of them by surprise.
Meanwhile, Edward was indeed trailing Solor's suddenly detectable scent and morphed to a beagle. In fact, he looked a bit like Snoopy, of all beagles!
Edward caught what was the strongest scent and headed that way. However, he wasn't expecting his prey to jump out at him as he ran by, catching the beagle by surprise as he elicited a loud, startled bark. Next thing they knew, Edward was tied up by a vacuum's power cord, and Solor looked rather pleased with himself.
[Better luck next time, Ace Pilot], Solor told the visitor, giving a smirk. [Now to track down Rachael and end this game...] He quickly ran down the hall, knowing that Edward would either use his own powers to free himself, or call to Rachael for help.
[Two down, one to go], he told his wife.
[I noticed], Raven said to him. [Our link is practically humming with how happy you are. You're pleased you managed to get the jump on him, right?]
[More I got some revenge for my twin], Solor told her. [Whenever Edward would jump him with a game, he'd likely panic too much and get himself caught eventually. This was, more or less, a victory for him.] After a moment, he thought of something. [Please tell me the security cameras got that...]
[We'll find out later, just try your best to not give your position away to my twin], Raven told him.
Meanwhile, Edward was rather annoyed at his problem, but, that didn't stop him from morphing into a cat to free himself.
[You OK?] Rachael asked.
[Just peachy,] he groused, [Solor caught me.]
[You're kidding me, right?] she asked.
[Fraid not,] he said, [I'll be in ops. Hopefully the klaxon will go off before you get caught. At least it's you vs Solor, now. Maybe you can try one of your tricks on him.]
[He's married to my twin, but I can try something], Rachael mused. [His emotional vibes are different; he's calmer than Starborn usually is when an impromptu game like this pops up. I'm not sure I'll be able to get him like Starborn.]
Rachael was focusing on combing the tower, trying to find a trail she could follow. In the meantime, the native Raven began talking to her, and she enjoyed the company.
[So, what's life like with Edward?] she asked.
[Probably similar to your life with Solor], Rachael told her. [He's a very loving man, very kind and compassionate, but not afraid to put his foot down if he feels someone is doing something wrong or being treated unfairly. There's rarely a lot of down time when you have a dragon for a husband.]
[I can attest to that], Raven noted. [Having a dragon child is a handful, too. Though you know that with Yolstav, don't you? Considering what Edward has told us.]
[Yes, she was. What was raising Soskrein like?]
[Interesting. Considering that, from what I understand, she didn't venture out much in your world, that's a huge difference here. Around the tower, for the first couple of months, if something went missing, it was probably because Susie stole it. Including some... personal items of mine.]
[She didn't], Rachael said, a growing smirk forming on her face.
[The purple lacy one], Raven confirmed, letting Rachael hear a light giggle. [Poor Solor was so embarrassed when he returned it to me... though I think he had no idea he'd see it a few more times later the next year.]
Little did Rachael know...Raven was homing in on her position. It wouldn't be long until Rachael would be captured as well, giving the home team the win.
[How is his anger issues?] Raven asked, [He told us about an incident in Japan.]
[He lost himself to the Darkness,] Rachael said, [Malchior moved to kill my twin and when I protected her, Edward got her to safety. My shield collapsed, killing me instead. From what I was told, he went nuclear and incinerated Malchior with his lightning. Starborn tried desperately to stop him from destroying Tokyo and failed. Soskrein managed to get through. But, the price he paid was high. Maldriin sacrificed a century to revive me...But, Edward fell into a deep depression for almost a year. Since then, I don't care what he says, he gets close to totally losing it, I'm intervening. He was banished from not only Lair, but, the Circle was so angry at him that they told him that he was not allowed to return to that universe until Vicky and Starborn said it was OK. It was either that or they'd execute him...and told the Teen Titans that if they brought him back, their lives were forfeit.]
Raven could sense the underlying sorrow in her twin's heart, though.
[So, he takes more after a Light dragon, despite that he's part of all clans,] she noted.
[Yep,] Rachael said, [He's learned to live with his Darkness, for Soskrein's sake. He really loves her.]
[I can feel that love, even though it's some's been transferred onto our daughter], Raven told her. [And she cares very much for him as well. It is nice to see such a caring family. I am dreading when he has to leave even though when our past selves catch up to this moment in the timestream, it will go away forever.] There was a pause, before Raven finally spoke up. [By the way... you might want to look up.]
"Oh..." Rachael looked up and saw a smirking twin a second before the capture was made.
[We win, dear] Raven said to Solor. [Rachael got caught.]
[You rejoined the game?] Solor said, chuckling. [That's not fair, love.]
[Well, you were taking forever to find her], Raven stated. [I just decided to speed this up; I'd rather be sitting down over a cup of tea and talking about our worlds, not running around and playing a very elaborate game of Hide and Seek.]
[Don't ever let a dragon hear you call it that], Solor told her. [We came up with Predator and Prey first, after all.]
Raven relayed the message to Susie and Edward as well, before releasing Rachael. "Sorry", she said with a smile. "I didn't want to wait five more minutes to get a chance to sit down with you."
"It's all right," Rachael said, returning the smile, "had I not wanted to let you track me down, we would not have been talking anyway. Not like this counts anyway. Want to head for ops? I could use some herbal tea as well. Maybe get Edward some? He really does enjoy it, especially if you have some Earl Grey."
"I think we have some of that," Raven said, "The guys like it once in a while, but, given that it's getting late, maybe something relaxing for me. Probably some chamomile or like that."
The two floated back to the kitchen, and it was obvious that the team had dispersed, the others leaving the room and finding something else to do. Solor and Edward both arrived as well, while Susie opted to head for bed; she had school the next day.
"Hi, ladies," Edward said, "I take it you are getting to know one another a bit?" He had already made some tea and offered it to them.
"Here you go," he said, "Fresh herbal tea. Both relaxing Chamomile tea."
Raven was surprised for a moment before taking a sip. "Very nice," she said, "Thank you."
"Not a problem," Edward replied.
"See what I mean?" Rachael said to Raven, "Kind, compassionate and considerate."
"Why can't you be more like Edward?" Raven teased her husband, while he grumbled a bit before wrapping his tail around her waist, pulling her close to him.
"That won't work on me", he said. "You love me for me; I can sense it in your head."
"Don't ever worry about that, then", she teased him. "I remember you getting jealous when Aqualad visited us."
"Solor...Jealous?" Rachael said, "Did Aqualad survive?"
"He survived", Raven said. "Solor was actually on his best behavior, but I knew the vibe of envy. Eventually, he pulled me into a passionate kiss, to show Aqualad that I was taken. Of course, Aqualad didn't know I was claimed as his mate; I wasn't wearing a ring back then."
"You should have seen Edward then," Rachael said, "When our Solor was missing, some morons tried to steal Star away. When they didn't take 'no' for an answer...They saw how protective Edward is of his sister-in-law. But, some guys before I married Edward saw hints of his own jealousy. When face to snout with an annoyed Edward, they tended to get the hint."
"It's a good thing that most of them did," Edward said, "I really did not relish the thought of knocking them into the next state. Then, there was one guy who, even after Starborn returned made a play for her. That sumbitch was dropped at the South Pole for a few hours when I was done with him. Starborn even warned him that he had no say in what I would do. I picked him up the next day and he was willing to apologize."
"Good thing he did, then", Raven said. "Your Starborn is a little more mellowed out... or maybe just a bit more confident in his mate handling herself."
"I don't lack confidence in you", Solor said defensively. "I simply don't have any confidence in some idiot who takes one look at you and decides to try something based on your looks. I don't chase off every guy who talks to you, remember?"
"Yeah, but you do feel jealous", Raven counters, though her lips curved into a smile. She seemed to enjoy teasing him a bit.
"Of course I do; you're my wife and mate. Anyone wants to try anything, they have to go through me. I love you, and nothing will change that."
"I feel the same towards Rachael," Edward said, "Heck, the first time Plasmus attacked her and knocked her out, he found out how angry I was capable of becoming back then. He learned a lesson, that's for sure."
"Considering you threatened to take it out of his hide," Rachael smirked, "That was the day he told the others that we wanted to be together."
"I see what you meant, Rachael," Raven said, "I would call that putting one's foot down."
"Actually," Edward said, "I froze Plasmus and after Cyborg shattered that shell, his human host was told that she'd best be all right...or else."
Solor raised an eyebrow. "Well, if I were human... I would call that extreme. But I can't really say that, can I." He gave a smile. "I'd probably do the same if I could."
Raven smiled. "Well... you kinda did, fighting Trigon one on one. I think even he was surprised you did so much against him."
"You should have seen my fight against that mother effer," Edward said, "His sons kidnapped me and for a while were able to cancel my powers. He even had the home turf advantage, but, once one of his sons made a mistake, I was able to break loose...and unleashed Hell on Trigon. That fight made Bloodbath look like a slap fight." He scowled as he remembered the rest of it.
"I gored him multiple times and when his sons were killed, he made a desperation play, only to encounter a rather large bull impaling him. Rachael almost died coming to my rescue. The teleport through the dimensional barrier caused both of us to pass out. But, Trigon left a bit of his essence in my then girlfriend. His evil started to take hold again within Nevermore.
"When he attacked and hurt Timid, that signed his death warrant. But, Rachael captured me and the team in her soul-self and disowned me and what we share. You do not want to know how that ended for Trigon."
"Probably very badly", Solor said. "I fought Trigon in my full size, fighting him with my claws, teeth, and at the time, green flames. I was able to lay down a lot of damage, but it was my then teammate that managed to push him out of our reality. But... it was during that whole experience that I realized I loved her, and after we got back home and she had cut her hair again, I asked her out. When she asked me why, I told her it was because I was afraid I'd never get a chance again."
"You're right," Edward said, "Within Nevermore, once I freed myself and the team scattered, Trigon found out just how incredibly angry I can be...as I ripped his Oblivion Damned throat out! Turned out that it merely banished him from my home universe."
Raven shuddered, "I did sense some residual anger here. It tells me that you and Rachael are more than soulbound. Let me guess, one of the emoticlones calmed you down that day?"
"It was Love," Rachael said, "She pushed the other Titans aside and was able to get through. There's times when Edward only allows a select few to even get near. But, after his extensive therapy a decade ago, those extreme reactions don't happen as often and only reserved for dragon on dragon fights...luckily."
"Let's talk about something else, please," Edward suggested, "I am trying to leave the past where it belongs. I have done things in my rage that I am not proud of."
"Many of us have", Solor said. "But it could have been worse. Perhaps there are questions Rachael has for us?"
Rachael smirked and said, "The questions I could ask would take a decade to answer from both of you."
"For example, Edward's reports thus far have the team and Circle curious. He mentioned that the War here took longer to end and went into some detail, and his relayed recordings back that up, but, they are lacking a more...personal aspect."
"What do you mean, dear?" Edward asked, puzzled.
"Like what else is changed? Like the Justice League, how dragons are seen here, was there a battle of DC? The list goes on."
"The Justice League... well, they're not on the best terms with Lair", Raven said for her husband, who was glaring a bit at that. "Solor and Superman had some... conflicting viewpoints back in the day, and they can't seem to get along. They can push these views aside if they need to work together, but Superman thinks that dragons are just angry beasts, based on what he's seen Solor do. And while the Justice League is trying to help us out, with Superman and Batman both glaring at us every time we visit, it makes it hard to work on negotiations."
"Then, I think Solor and you both have to show Superman and Batman that even an angry dragon can change," Rachael said with a smirk.
"And, Solor," Edward said gently, "Please do not take offense. Rachael and Raven here need to talk. I think Rachael is here not just for moral support. Something tells me that the Circle asked her to do some additional recon."
"I am fine with that", Solor said. "Perhaps we should head to the roof, or to our rooms. I can stay up for quite a while, but I understand if you wish to end the day for now. If she's willing to do some additional recon for your Circle, then I will not stand in the way."
"Actually," Rachael said, "The Titans were wanting me to come over here and the Circle graciously concurred. While Edward can focus on the bigger picture, I'm able to talk to the team here. I doubt I would be welcomed at Lair, and, I'm fine with that. I think Edward was objecting to your glaring in my direction, though."
"Ooops!" Solor replied, scratching the back of his head, "Nothing personal, Edward... it's simply a sore subject for me."
Edward waved it off, "No worries. This does extend my mission, though, by a few days, but, we have to get back before the girls wonder if we are coming back."
"Soskrein's got that covered, dear," Rachael said, "She was looking for a reason to spend time with her cousins and sibling. Callie and Yolstav were thrilled that Komi and Susie both went over to visit... along with Kreinyol. They all know it's just a temporary thing."
"How did Starborn react to that?" Solor asked. "If he's like me, he won't want to be too far away from his mate for too long... especially after being forced to leave her side for ten years."
"He had to bite his cheek to keep from jumping into the Tear after her; he has plenty of Heir business he needs to catch up on", Rachael responded.
"I'd imagine so", Raven stated, a small smile on her face. "Whenever I left to visit Melvin and her brothers, Solor would insist on coming with me. Though I think it's partly because he almost kidnapped them, he cares for them so much."
"Really?" Edward asked, smirking. "How did this happen?"
"They came to the tower for a visit", Solor told Edward. "They had met Raven during the Brotherhood days, and while I was gone. When I returned, they came for a weekend, and while Raven was happy to see them, I ended up watching over them for a long while, along with Soskrein. Once it was over, Melvin accidentally called me Dad... and, well, I didn't want them to leave at that point."
"It took a lot of convincing to get him to let them go... literally. He had them wrapped up in his arms and he wouldn't put them down, because he knew the minute their feet touch the floor, they'd have to leave", Raven said with a giggle.
"I know that feeling all too well," Edward said, "Those three kids are adorable, regardless of their age. In fact, Bobby and I have teamed up several times when the Brotherhood was trying to take them in both universes. They consider Rach and I to be their parents, but, are happy with the monks as well. The Brotherhood finally got their fill of trips to the Poles to literally chill out and rethink their need to prey on the kids.
"Speaking of Lair, did they have any instructions for us?"
"Nothing specific", Rachael said. "I'm mostly here for the Titans; the Circle likes how the reports are going so far."
"That's good", Edward said with a grin. "At least then I know I'm doing a good job. Tomorrow, we will need to head for Metropolis, I think."
"Why would you head into Superman's turf?" Solor asked, "It's not like he'll welcome a dragon there."
"I shouldn't have any problem there," Edward replied, "Just because you and he have a poor opinion of one another, doesn't mean that we'd butt heads."
"Your funeral," Solor said, "He simply does not like dragons, even though he will set that aside at times to work with us. Just trust me, Edward; it's probably for the best that we leave well enough alone."
"What about Gotham?" Rachael asked. "Does Batman have the same prejudice?"
"Not quite, but he does not like that I killed so many dragons", Solor responded. "I wish I could have done it his way - taking them out without letting them die - but that would only give them more anger and hatred, and give them a reason to come back."
"Wow," Edward replied, "Starborn took the opposite track during the Battle of DC. He used his blessing to boost his own strength, and fought off almost an entire army by himself, breaking bones and leaving a lot of Dark dragons unable to fight."
"You said that you had a rebellion within your world, correct?" Solor asked. "Perhaps some of them were the dragons that he incapacitated. A battle like that would sound... insulting to a Dark dragon."
"It was a short lived rebellion," Edward said, "There were several Dark Dragons that refused to believe that Oblaan had not only been defeated, but, killed. Nightmare was one of them and he made the mistake of sending me here at a critical juncture of Rachael's pregnancy. One of his fellow Dark dragons recovered his headless corpse and warned Vilea that there was a retribution to be had. I suspect that had this been allowed to continue, the war would have continued. They tried to reignite hostilities, but, Lair's forces overwhelmed the rebels. When Malchior was killed, the rest of them that were injured or otherwise unable to battle wisely gave up. Those that refused were killed or badly injured before they were banished.
"Some did admit that they were insulted that they did not get a warrior's death afterwards. But, they were appeased with the chance to obtain true honor someday."
"Then I suppose that your world is better, in a way, for it. Despite some... personal angers, I think your world may be so better off because of that rebellion. There are still many loose ends that I wish to tie up here; Slade... what to do with Malchior's book... reintegrating the Dark clan into Lair... many of these things will take a very long time to do so." Solor gave a deep sigh. "Some of them, possibly, will be resolved long after my team is dead."
"Personally, I would put Malchior's book in another dimension and forget it exists," Edward said, "He is far too dangerous to ever be given a chance to escape. Failing that, wrap the book in heavy irons and tossed into the Challenger Deep. See what 7 miles of water does. I can't even dive that deep on my own. Or maybe send it with a deep space probe or some other interplanetary probe that may be destined to be crashed into the surface of a comet or asteroid or planet. Personally, he's well beyond saving. He will target Raven first if he's released. In both universes, he's a rotting corpse.
"Slade, you killed him, so, move on from that. Jericho's a good kid to have around, and, hopefully you'll sway his sister onto our side. She's got some mad mercenary skills learned from Slade that the team could use. The longest project, would be the Dark clan coming back into Lair. I know you don't approve fully of what happened there, but, what's done is done, brother. It is working out quite well regardless. Vicky is doing a masterful job of making sure that her clan isn't causing trouble in Lair. The Dark whelps in the orphanage get along well with the other clans. Sahqo is happily running that and making sure that the kids get along."
"He's running the orphanage there?" Solor said, eyes widening a little, "Who set him up with that?"
"The Circle did," Edward said, "He showed up at the Tower one day to apologize to Starborn for everything. Over there, he's been clean and sober for like 70 years. Father took him back to Lair where he said good-bye to your mother and faced the Circle. I wasn't there for that hearing, but, he got quite a bit of community service in lieu of any harsher penalties. Well, he loves working there and a few years back, the Circle agreed to let him run it full time. The whelps adore him and enjoy being able to climb on him. The first time I was there, they were all in awe as some climbed on me and Starborn as well. And the surprise Predator and Prey game was quite enjoyable as well. Kreinyol was heavily pregnant, so, she sat out. Didn't matter, I tried to look like Soskrein and she saw through the disguise. One of the few times I've been gracious in defeat. Then again, Predator and Prey, while a game for hatchlings and whelps is a good training exercise as well, so, I'm not going to get annoyed at losing. Unlike some Dark dragons back home, that is."
Solor sighed, sitting back. "Wow... this is a lot of news. I wish someday that I could share such amazing stories with you as well. However, I know this will all end as soon as you leave. Of course, I invite you to visit again someday; perhaps more changes will need to be reported to your Lair. And if you are easily able to become family here, despite us not remembering you, I have no doubt you'd be able to do it again."
"Solor," Edward said with a smile, "Your history has unfolded quite differently and I would spend as much time learning all the differences, but, I know that the longer I stay, the longer this realm is shut off from the others. If three weeks resulted is a decade long block, I can't risk more than a week here. I know that Starborn is more than capable in watching over my girls and I am counting that towards repayment of his debt. We cannot stay longer than a day or two more. I suppose a call to the Justice League is in order as well as a visit to Metropolis and maybe Gotham. I haven't decided, yet."
"Sweetheart," Rachael piped up, "The Circle may not want us to stay here too long. Sol stated that it was risky enough allowing me to join you. But, that the risk was acceptable as long as interference was kept low. Meaning that we should not undertake Titan missions."
"I know," Edward said, "If something comes up, we have to hang out here and out of the way of the native team and especially Lair. The Circle was nice enough to grant an audience on the spur of the moment, but, to take an active role..."
"Is not a good idea," Solor said in agreement, "It's a strict rule, actually. Before I was welcomed back to Lair, I would have needed their permission to take part in a Lair mission. Also, they were not happy when I killed Slade. They let it slide, but, was told that it was a one time pass, and I used it up. Any more deaths of mortals at my talons, I would face execution. That probably still stands today; a decade is a short time to a dragon."
"No doubt", Ruuvak commented. "Despite how proud your father is of you, the rest of the Circle is wary about letting you become a member of the Circle, even though they have no say in it. I think some of them may be hoping that your father will change his mind."
"Good luck with that", Solor said with a chuckle. "Even I can't change his mind without some serious effort; even then, he's more stubborn than a mule."
Edward chuckled, "Like father, like sons. If Feylfil really wanted to, he would merely wait and be the last one of the present Circle to step down and the other new members of the Circle would have to respect that he is stepping aside, sing the song and celebrate Solor's ascension to Grand Light and celebrate Feylfil's long life. I know that day will come for me as well. Grand Fire will probably step aside to allow Sol to see one of his sons elevated to the Circle."
That gave Solor a frown. "But, Brother... if your father is as old as mine... he may not have much time left. It takes hundreds of years to really train an Heir. My father is much older than Grand Fire in this Universe... I may not have much more time with him."
"And I am just starting," Edward mused, "I just now know how old my Father is compared to my mentor. I haven't seen any indications of insanity or other mental slippage and, well, I would hope that if I did see that happening, that any member of the Circle would recognize that I speak for the Balance and not for my own gains."
"They would", Solor said. "Mine is a little more strict than yours, but I can assure you that keeping balance is the top priority."
Raven let out a giggle at her husband. "Should we give you two some time alone for dragon talk?"
Solor blushed a bit, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Krosis, lokaal. Zu'u lost kosaan irud. Nii fen ni koros ontzos."
"Hi los frolaaz, lokaal", Raven said in response.
Rachael, however, frowned. "Well, that's one-up on me..."
"You don't know Dovahzuul?" Solor asked.
"It's been slow going, but I'm learning. I want to be able to talk to Yolstav and Callie naturally, no matter what language they're speaking", Rachael admitted.
"You'll learn", Raven said. "I only spent a few years focusing on it, but it helps a lot with Susie."
Edward frowned, "Blast it all! With our link, I should have taught you the language."
"You've been busy with subbing for Starborn", Rachael pointed out. "It's okay, dear, I can learn now that we have some time together."
"Speaking of time together", Ruuvak said lightly, yawning a bit. "It's time for bed for this mother. Solor, will you be joining me?"
"Shortly", he said, smiling. "Perhaps I'll stay up a bit longer, see the stars. Tomorrow's a full moon."
That gave Ruuvak a mischievous smirk. "Well... then I'd better be ready for it, shouldn't I?" She turned to Rachael and Edward, the smirk fading into a warm smile. "Good night, you two... try not to keep up the team", she teased before floating off.
Edward shook his head, "Seriously not cool. When have we ever woken up the team, dear?"
Rachael shook her head, "Try like once a month before my pregnancy.
Solor broke out laughing seeing the sudden embarrassed look on Edward's face and neck.
"At least it wasn't more," Solor said, "More than once, Robin would be pounding on our door asking us to tone it down. Or Beast Boy griping the next day that he was kept awake all night."
"How much of that was you and how much of that was Raven?" Rachael asked, smirking.
"Hey, love is a beautiful thing no matter what", Solor said. "Not my fault that I grew up in a mountainous region that echoes every bloody sound you hear for miles. I was used to everyone finding out what was going on." He then smirked a bit. "Besides... Starfire made the tower shake at one point during her first few nights with Nightwing, she was so loud. I thought we were having an earthquake."
Edward smirked, "I remember those nights as well. If it wasn't your twin and Krein or Nightwing and Kori...both couples came close to being shipped to another dimension by my wife. Then again, you should have heard Beast Boy and Terra! Dang, they could get it on!"
"Don't get me started on those two!" Solor said with a loud bark of a laugh.
However, at that moment, Nightwing chirped up on the communicator. "Solor, do we need to go into explicit detail about what you and your wife have been heard doing? Because I'm pretty sure it'll make a lot of faces at that table turn red."
Solor's face turned a dark red, and he quickly got up. "Well, that's my cue to go to bed. Good night, you two." He beat a hasty retreat, growling into the communicator at his leader (who Edward could hear roaring with laughter).
With that, Edward and Rachael also headed for the guest quarters and called it a night.
Later on, though, everyone heard, "Oh, Edward!"
A certain green changeling groaned, covering his ears. "Not again..."
"Who is it this time?" Terra asked groggily.
"Our guests... one was bad enough, now I have to hear two Ravens at night..."
Cyborg also groaned, "They've got to be kidding!"
Even Solor and his Raven heard that, mainly due to an overactive link.
Solor smirked, "Seems our guests are taking advantage of the situation."
"And we haven't, sweetheart?" was the monotone reply. However, she felt a hand wrap around her waist and pull her close, and a mischievous smirk formed on her lips. "Really?"
"Just put up the spell, hon", Solor said into her ear. "I don't need anyone trying to kill us tomorrow morning for keeping them awake as well."
Raven giggled, and flung a spell to the walls, effectively soundproofing her room.
And, let's not forget Susie! She also heard the ruckus and groaned, "Can I ship them to another dimension?" She rolled over, grabbing a pair of ear plugs and stuffing them as deep as she could before sticking her head under the pillow, returning to dreamland.
Too bad Rachael didn't think of that spell...Both guests were going to have an interesting breakfast!