Warning: Chapter may be more mature than others due to minor dark themes

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline and any original characters. Everything else belongs to DC Comics.

Raven stirs under Malchior's watchful gaze. Her eyes open and meet his. Purple meets Onyx. Confusion meets Concern. Fear meets Regret. Anger meets Remorse. Purple meets Onyx.

"Why? Why bother healing me?" She asks, surprised that her voice isn't hoarse and that her throat doesn't hurt.

"Why didn't you tell me Rorek was chosen for you?"

Raven sighs. "Because eventually I chose him anyway. I believed Rorek's story over yours. How could I face you after believing him so easily? Besides, I am in love with him," I think, "and we will be bonded."

"You had every right to believe Rorek's story." Malchior sits next to her. He raises his hand to caress her cheek. She flinches when his soft touch brushes against a bruise. "Look at what I did to you," he whispers to himself. "You're better off with my brother."

"Can you honestly say that? Do you not realize that you aren't the only one in the wrong? It was my fault as well, Malchior. It was Rorek's fault too! Can you honestly say that I'm better off with either of you?" Raven asks desperately.

"No, you're better off with neither of us."

"You're wrong."

"No, I'm not, but I'm too selfish to allow that. I'm not letting you go back to your team, or my brother. I'm keeping you here, with me, either through your own free will or by force. I don't care which, but you aren't leaving."

Raven stares at him, and finally her injured body sags with resignation.

Malchior stands in front of her. He places his hand on her forehead, covering her chakra. "No," she whimpers, "don't take it from me."

"Shh," he tries to placate her, "I'm only binding them."

Her body convulses as he erects walls between her soul and her magic. He takes away her ability to meditate. He binds her magic, making it impossible for Raven to heal, teleport or cast spells. The only magic he leaves is the magic that will keep her alive. Her bond, the bond that is shared between Raven, Malchior… and Rorek.

"So how do you know all this about Azarath?" Cyborg asks Jinx. She's intently examining Raven's meditation mirror, and Cyborg is working up the courage to apologize to her.

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

"Haven't figured out what?"

"Why Raven is hesitant to fight me? Why are magic abilities are so similar they cancel each other out?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about."

Jinx shakes her head smiling a little. "I'm Lorna, Raven's half-sister. Same father, different mothers'."

Cyborg stares. Jinx delivers a small thump to the back of his head. "Come on," she says, "let's go find your teammates. I'm ready to cast the spell."

"They're casting a locator spell," Malchior says with annoyance. Raven smiles lightly. "Mad that your plans are being thwarted?"

"Thwarted? Do you honestly think a simple locator spell will get through my wards?"

"If the caster is who I think it is, then yes, I do."

"Oh, and who do you think the caster is?"

Raven meets his gaze, smirks smugly, and refuses to answer.

"You're saying they're in a different dimension?" Beast Boy asks in disbelief. Jinx nods.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. This is incredibly dangerous. I need to contact Rorek, we're going to need his help with this."

"You know how to contact friend Raven's betrothed?" Starfire asks, excited at the idea of meeting her friend's lover. Jinx nods slowly.

"Of course I do. We're from the same place after all."

The Titans stare at her. "Oops…" Jinx murmurs. "Guess the cat's out of the bag."

An hour or so later Jinx has contacted Rorek. The mage appears before them, obviously injured. "What's going on, Lorna?" He demands. "We're in the middle of war."

"And you're injured while Raven is missing. I'm tending to your injuries and then we're storming the castle… literally."

"Wait, if Malchior is one of the kings of the dragon realm, why isn't he helping fight?" Robin asks Rorek and Jinx. He's still reeling from the sudden onslaught of knowledge. Rorek is Raven's fiancée. Malchior used to be Raven's mentor. Jinx is Raven's half-sister and her real name is Lorna.

"Because Malchior isn't a king of the dragon realm, not anymore. Rorek is the sole monarch. Malchior's titles were stripped when an… incident occurred. That I truly have no business in telling you. It's between Raven, Rorek and Malchior. Anyway, Malchior was sent to live in a small area on the edge of Azarath. We believe he's plotting a rebellion, but have no way to be sure," Jinx says as she continues healing her future brother-in-law's injuries.

"How did Malchior get his hands on Raven?" Rorek asks through gritted teeth. Whether he has clenched his jaw in anger, or pain, no one can tell.

"When he changed back into his dragon—" Cyborg begins to explain but Rorek cuts him off. "Malchior was in his mage form in front of Raven?"

"Yes."

"And she didn't breakdown?"

"I don't know how well you know your girl, Rorek, but Raven isn't the type to break down."

"She is when it involves the mage that tried to destroy her."

Raven whimpers in pain. The lack of meditation is causing pains in her mind, both physical and imaginary. It doesn't matter that she currently has no access ot her magic, actually that makes it worse. Being cut off from her source of power is driving her insane, and Malchior is making no move to stop it.

Raven's show of emotion is triggered by not being able to meditate. When she can't meditate she becomes emotional, whether she wants to or not. Of course, she's remained as stoic as possible, but one can only deny pain for so long, and so well.

"Why did you attack me back then?" Raven asks during a moment of strength. Malchior looks down at the sorceress from his place leaning against the wall. "Because I was protecting my kingdom," he says shortly.

Raven shakes her head. "How so?"

"Trigon was only going to attack our kingdoms if we didn't hand you over. I made the choice. I figured you were better off dead than being tortured at Trigon's hands and forced to become a portal. I knew you would rather die than be responsible for the death of two realms."

"That wasn't your decision to make."

Her moment of lucidity is gone. Soon enough Raven is again convulsing in pain, slipping into unconsciousness and drawing herself into a dream world.

"So you've found out the truth about Malchior's attempt on your life," the white gown muses. Raven shakes her head. "Who are you?"

The white gown smiles. "I am Azar. I represent Yin. I am the negative, the passive."

The black gown then steps forward. "I am Raza, Azar's counterpart. I represent Yang. I am the positive, the active. For your purposes, we are your guides. It is our duty to show you balance, to help you along your path. A path that stands on edge."

"Is Malchior telling the truth?"

"That is not for us to tell you, but for you to decide. I think it is obvious that you have a choice to make, Rachel. Remember, there is no way to change destiny yourself, but there are ways for others to decide your future."

Raven shakes her head. "That makes no sense!"

"It wasn't meant to. If it did, it'd be far too easy. Where is the entertainment in that?" Raza asks. "Think, young immortal, on the choices that lay before you."

Raven sighs. "I'm never going to get a straight answer from you."

"No, you aren't. But you will get a straight action. We are going to undo some of Malchior's hold on your magic. Insanity on your part will do no one any good. You'd destroy the world instead of a few realms."

A chant in a foreign language left the women's mouth. Raven felt warmth flooding her, pain decreasing, walls falling.

"Thank you," she gasps before leaving the dream.