Adjusting Angle

"Huh. I guess the right term for it is 'natural' magic." Zatanna is sitting on the beach chair by the pool, watching him practice. "I mean, you're not really even using any spells… are you?"

Kaldur shrugs, brow furrowed in concentration as he pulls more water into the construct he is forming. "It is more a matter of mental discipline than procedural acquiescence." He replies. "By this point, it is largely instinctive, though larger… volumes of water and more…" Sweat beads on his forehead, "…complex forms require… more focus…"

"Ah," says Zatanna, and falls silent for a few moments as Kaldur strains to pull a few more drops out of the pool. He manages two more before losing his grip on the element, and it splashes back into the pool.

It takes him a moment to realize he's absolutely soaked Zatanna, but she waves off his attempted apologies. "Yrd em." She says.

"What would the term for your magic be?" asks Kaldur, watching as the girl steps off the bench, completely untouched by the water.

Zatanna shrugs. "Just magic."

Kaldur raises an eyebrow and Zatanna hastens to explain. "I mean, I don't really know what other people would call it. I learned about natural magic and spells and elemental control and crystals and necromancy and what-have-you, but my stuff… it's just magic."

But Kaldur's eyebrows just raise higher. "You mean that your arts defy classification? That they tie into very essence of the mystic forces?"

"I guess." Zatanna shrugs. "No need to make too big deal about it, though."

Shaking his head, Kaldur gazes at the girl in wonder. Everyone on the team knows Zatanna is powerful, but Kaldur feels at time that Wally and the others don't quite appreciate HOW powerful she is. To them, magic is just magic, a whole mysterious field that they don't understand and don't try to. They accept that Zatanna can do the things she does, but the process itself doesn't interest them.

Kaldur knows better. As a student of the mystic arts, he's familiar with the demands of magic, understands the particular sort of training and preparation it requires. His own long, torturous training to gain a mastery of even such elementary toys like the watershapers gives him a hint, and just a hint, of the sheer power Zatanna wields. She's possibly the most powerful sorceress on the planet.

Currently, though, the most powerful sorceress is looking thoughtfully at the water at her feet. "Saltwater…" she muses. "You use saltwater?"

"I was raised in it." Kaldur shrugs. "It is the form I am most familiar with."

"But when you're on missions…" presses Zatanna, "I've seen you use freshwater, city water, sewer water. The forms don't seem to matter to you, really. Can you use any kind of liquid?"

The question makes Kaldur blink, and it takes him a moment or two to come up with an answer. "I don't… believe so." He decides finally. "I suppose I have never exactly tried, but… I do not think it would answer. Possibly it could be done, but it would take a great deal of focus and concentration. Even other forms of water took me a great deal of time to grow accustomed to, when I first came to the surface world."

Zatanna grins at that. "That must've been awkward."

Smiling back, Kaldur nods. "It was most discomfiting, and very nearly fatal on several occasions. My king had to spend some time convincing me that the water in cities was actually water and not some other bizarre liquid." He frowns momentarily. "And then he had to teach me the differences between that and the OTHER liquids found in cities."

"Oooohhh…. Even more awkward." Zatanna actually laughs.

"Indeed. One of many embarrassments I suffered upon my first acquaintance with the surface world." It is good to hear her laugh, and Kaldur searches for something else to amuse her with. "It took me some time to fully grasp the concept of walking—occasionally in missions I would reflexively leap into the air and attempt to swim…" He adopts a shamefaced expression and hangs his head. "…it did not… always answer."

It's not really a laugh, more of a giggle, but it's still good to hear. "Ouch," says the girl, covering her mouth with her hand. "Remind me why you wanted to come up here to begin with?"

Kaldur shrugs, feeling a trifle uncomfortable at the change of topic. "I wanted to see and experience the surface world. It sounded so strange and exciting… I wanted to go there, and fight beside my king."

"Heck of a field trip." Zatanna raises an eyebrow. "You and Aquaman are here over half the time. How does your… your family feel about that?"

There's just the tiniest hitch in her voice, but that's not what makes Kaldur pause and consider. He looks away. "That… is fortunately not a concern for me."

Zatanna's eyes widen ever so slightly, and her mouth gapes in a small oh. There's a short silence.

"I'm sorr…" Zatanna starts to say.

"Do not trouble yourself." Kaldur waves her into silence. "You have nothing to apologize for." Her, of all people. He heaves a breath. "In any case it does not much matter. I know nothing of whoever my mother—or father—was."

Zatanna nods quietly at that. "You're lucky." She says softly.

"So Roy informs me," comments Kaldur, giving her a shrug. "I suppose I will have to take his word for it."

There's another short silence. Kaldur can't tell if she's struggling with her own thoughts, or debating asking more about his own past. He chooses to decide for her. "How are you… adjusting?" He asks.

She takes the easier interpretation of his question. "Settling in alright." She answers, with an attempt at a smile. "Red Tornado's not much one for personality, and M'gann and Conner…" She rolls her eyes. "Well… they've been kind, but they're a bit… distracted."

"Indeed."

"But overall, pretty well." She sighs, glancing around the room. "Batman's reportedly looking into getting me enrolled at Happy Harbor High… I still can't believe it's actually called that. I've got my stuff more or less organized. Robin's been stopping in every so often to ask how I'm doing and such…"

Kaldur nods. The boy wonder's interest in the young sorceress is obvious. "You might find it helpful to talk things over with him. He may have a certain… understanding of your plight."

Zatanna looks at him. "You think so?"

It's a sort of rule in the mountain not to question Rob about his identity or history, but at the same time there's an unspoken understanding that Batman isn't his father. It's possible, of course, that he has an arrangement like Wally has with his uncle Barry, but Kaldur somehow doubts it. And Robin's reaction to the magician's loss is curiously… revealing.

He hesitates to speak further on a matter that is quite simply none of his business. This time, Zatanna decides for him. "It's just… I don't really know… any of you guys, really." She sighs. "This place… it seems more like summer camp than any sort of…" She bites off whatever she was going to say and looks away for a moment. "How long did it take you?" She asks finally, glancing back toward him. "To… adjust?"

"I was not in your position," says Kaldur gently. "I did not have a family to lose." He pauses as she absorbs the words, and then adds: "But I did have a family to gain."

A/N: REVIEW! I'm writing on this series like crazy, hoping to finish it before the Season ends and makes all my work irrelevant, but I can always use extra motivation. Feel free to drop me a line to tell me what you hate or love about the story, or even just to let me know you're there!

So, Zatanna is pretty awesome. I'm very much intrigued with what Young Justice has done with her character... so far as I know, there has NEVER been an incarnation of Zatanna that's at Grayson's age instead of Bruce's. She's never even really had what you'd call a "teenage" incarnation, all her heroing work was done as an adult, albeit a young one. But for all that, the show has made her into a very convincing character who is both completely a teenager and completely Zatanna. Fascinating stuff.

Incidentally, Zatanna IS one of the most powerful people in the DC universe-she can practically summon the Spectre-but obviously she's not quite at that level in the Young Justice series. But Aqualad does say SorcerESS. Obviously, Klarion and Dr. Fate outrank her, but there aren't nearly as many woman magicians in the DC universe.