OK, so to top it all of I'll explain the situation to those who aren't able to clarify for themselves;
One: Slade shows up, but it's him in the body of a child him about 12 years old or over, haven't a clue yet what to add...
Roko was an evil side to the prince Richard/ Roku, his mother called him Richard and his counterpart evil dad's been calling him either. He was supposed to be one; a bad influence on the kids.
And lastly: Becoming a helper of Lord Roku as an evil catalyst, he was a light catalyst to help his friends he met on his journey. That was how he met the guardians and was turned. Easier said than done right? Uh uh.
Arianna, Ravenna and the guardians, Alice and her old counterpart Arisu were all once allied or against the king or his son and family. Ok, so enjoy the story some more!
/A/
Chapter:9; Covered Faces, The Dragon Attacks; A Rabbit Stumbles.
/
"And, if you and I were to be these...lover-
\
"Oh!" The doors opened and startled the two one of heart love doves...
"Sorry, Dude! Is that...And why is Raven all wet-
Wah!"
"We are trying to talk about something here!" Raven tapped her foot with crossed arms in his way.
"Way sorry, is there any food left-
Shhh!" All of the Titans in the tower, that included Robin and Mal the traitor pants shushed the little green elf man. "OK, OK, carry on." He used a fake English accent to make himself sound differently from when he'd first arrived.
"Rob? I think it's time for supper, the boys all think we should...eat now?" Malchior knew this much tension wasn't good during nighttime woes. He'd have to break them up; wizard style.
/M/R
"Um, shall we-
Not, now Malchior!" Robin was trying to break the chains that held him from seeing her, he could not miss this opportunity. They'd all have to answer to the past selves that were to bring about disaster. Roku, he barely knew what the guy looked like or whether he and Slade would again meet. Face to face...
B/Roku wasn't unsure of the ploy he'd concocted this time. Checking his layout of a floating map before him, Shadow sighed. As the made by magic map collapsed into itself so did the dragon lord in man skin and attire of an extremely different person.
He wore red and black as his main fashion statement, enriched with the finest silks and hardest leather buck hide, He wore the attire of the best of the east and the west of another Europe. Another Asia. These were his homelands separated by indifference. Brought together by sheer force. No one had his/her right any longer. Roku would soon change that...
Flapping around his cloth clothing took to his leave, rest did not belong to immortals or within their daily living. Shadow sat in the seat of an armchair. He was right hand now, yet...how could the half blood son and daughter truly make his master happy? They would not, not after how he had suffered at lord Roku's puppet's hand; what was his name again? Roko!
How the brat had maddened the young counterpart as they the villainous bunch had seen through their own crystal ball. He, the tiny youth would be controlled once the young Ri-chard was sent back to his emerging place in life. Life as a warrior and king, who didn't want that?
Seriously was his liege plotting to bring him- Richard home from the lost planes. Those titans wannabe nothings would get in their way. Veronica was yet to arrive in Gotham city. "Ha ha, lady Bethel has made a mark yet, no?" He chuckled from the seat for his leaving lord to hear.
"Why are you so tense? My team of hunters will bring him back. Be it here, or to his one true home..." Cloaked in fatigue the human nature of this faint behavior was growing. Soon Slade would remain his loyal bodyguard, for he'd tried to break their pact without hesitation. A true soldier. He could not bring this information to the lady Veronica for she would wreck everything!
But while gathering his hand into a fist he replied;
"You worry to much, much has yet to be done. Let the child survive the journey back to the forsaken plane." Smiling he opened the door wide to his study. I have a prisoner, he'll not escape bondage from me." As he said this even the hairs on the neck of the shadow rider stood on edge.
Shadow swept his hair away from his long pale face.
"Sire, if it is only the case, then why should the team of good be 'on the edge?"
A funny thing happened, the king let out a mellow laugh which made the demon soldier even more tense! It was so cool, cold and evil that the girl in from a messaging round stared up at the lord dragon. As if with her big eyes asking only for him to listen to her. And to quite the evil guy routine for a teeny sec...
/
"My name is Piper Pipette of the Royal Court of The Eternal." she said with amber eyes shining up to him. She bowed then stood tall to salute her noble lordship. Even evil had recognition as godly outcasts...
Her green curly top hair and tan messenger suit swirled about around as she made it clear that she wasn't all business. The floppy ribbons in her hair that bounced and the fire in her eyes faded as she zipped away to grab a handshake from the famous Shadow in the workroom.
"Wowy!" She exploded with giggles. "A vampire? Never seen one in person huh, boss?"
"I assure to you sweetie," chuckled a smug looking Shadow. "I am but a vampire blood, though our lord's brother the Count does see me as the masterful life taker - as I am."
\\\\\\\\\\\\\She let go of his hand, the glasses on the tip of her nose dropped from her face clumsily. "O-o-psie!" she stammered as the words her other master and lord had spoken sunk into her gut and the feeling of anticipation worsened. Fumbling with her glasses blew her good business woman cover! And, during the time Destiny of the council of Eternal had allowed precise time to slip away due to an evil lord and his mission; poor Piper had acted like a childish fan of a hero...hero...
"Oh yes! I almost forgot about that!" She skipped back over to the door where she'd carelessly left her letters, scrolls and spells.
Turning from the pack she held out the letter to the king of dragons. Roku blinked and with a frown tore the letter from her at that very moment it had been pointed at him.
"Hmm,...let me see...Your Destiny Lord of Fate wishes for me to meet with him within his own palace? Oh, this is very good news." he rubbed his chin with a thought or two traveling within his mind. "Yet, I cannot attend until I have my heir back, so...-
Scroll to he this! "
The Pipette girl was, happy to scratch with her pen a new reply by the other Eternal's request.
"Uh huh, Uh huh..." She stopped in a silly way as the pen fell from her hand.
The prophecy was written before, but poor Piper knew not what she was about to confess to Destiny that she had, in fact on Roku's beck and call scribbled something that in the god's eyes could be seen as treacherous...uncanny, single minded-
"….but, b-b—but..." Roku stared at the little week soul that slouched now still holding the piece of paper while trembling as the room began to spin...-
"Piper, Pipette? Miss Piper!" He was leaning close into her fearful breathing space. As if pondering her fears all of the time.
"Why?" She squeaked in a hoarse whisper. Drenched in cold sweat she walked back to her door of safe solitude, going home now... " I cannot write th-
"You can, and you will!" Roku walked towards her slowly. "Your king commands it..." She slowly proceeded to the door.
"D- destiny is her son! You will never have that power-
"He already may have power, thanks to the Richard boy of Wayne's" Smiled the devilishly handsome and grinning Shadow Rider. His black ebony locks made to appear over his eye.
"The selfless act wasn't enough on our part, Missy. Maybe I should receive payment...Perhaps I'll find the mere child and have him translate that rite for me!"
"N-no!" she gasped, helpless.
"Then do what you do best dear, write out that spell!" Now he was grinning, beaming from ear to ear, and the real dragon of terror was causing a numb feeling to her legs as she collapsed, it had been done./
Sighing she felt the shivers loosen her from a fearful grip.
"I'm finished, then... let me now bring this to my lord-
"I did not say that you could leave," Roku interlaced his fingers plainly so that it was calculating, cruel, and he was waiting to pounce.
"I will receive payment for that's what you finished writing down in the fine print, my dear..." Why was he closing the door with dark magic?...His fingers traced a star and chain link in the air when he did this, stars die too.
Nononoo!" Banging on the door still did not release the magical binds that held her from returning to the palace she'd been born.
Falling flat onto her knees something was going to befall her...he did not want her to leave without knowing the real plan. But first...
"Close your eyes, and see only mist in the forest..." The spell Roku had woven would create a zombie messenger to deliver the scroll to the gods of the heavens, then destiny would go to them for answers. First to seek help from Roku. The girl goes missing and comes out a soldier. Basic brainwash solution. Never to see the same sun as the rest of the world...
"You really do not care to find the time for Destiny?" asked the king's servant Shadow. "He holds the key to capturing...thee Time."
"No, no. The Piper girl has her mission all ready set for her."
Now to sit and wait...
/C
After supper in the tower late that day Starfire pondered as she lay against the 'now clean' kitchen table. Raven had just washed up from the incident by the bay. As she laid out her clothes for the night, there was something other than the drowning that was still fresh in her mind.
Robin looked better than the few times she'd seen him relax- and in front of Malchior instead?
She shook her head, no way was that magician good news. They could never get along that well before he'd met the other! Yup, just an average day in the life of-
~Nibble, Crunch
Raven had been ready to find comfort while dreaming sweet dreams, that sound made her face quickly twitch and turn.
Beastboy! Must have been up for a midnight snack...it wasn't too late though. ~Nah, couldn't be...could it...?
It was coming from the wall in her room where her mirror sat. On the left from where she stood by, listening for the culprit...Raven put her ear to the wall that the sound was loudest from. Her ears itched with anticipation as her eyes never moved an inch. They grew wide when she'd discovered the sources potential reason.
~Scraaatch-ch-ch-ch~
An animal had gotten lost? Was it another flying, skittering pest? But the wall...how was it possible to hear?
Calm down its just a-
She screamed though it wasn't able to reach Beastboy who'd gone to the kitchen that night. When he passed her room the sound bounced off a wall and fell to his ears. Rae? He rubbed his eyes and yawned. It's late... are you ok?-
As he was about to knock while still half snoozing the sound and fuzzed blur of someone falling into his arms made him perk up. Raven had been attacked by a swarm of rat demon aura creatures. Things that made footprints all over her room so that she would fear them even more. A miasma spiritual smoke screen filled the room and knocked her back in to the door and she was in shock to even remember the rest...heaving, Raven shook.
"They came like an army of bees...i was drowning again!"
/
"Cyborg...Cy?" Raven called as her voice trembled a bit.
"Cy!" BANG, BANG, BANG!
"Open the do-
"What! I am tryin' to close my eyes for once. Can't you see I'm tired of going back to-
Raven? He exclaimed as he faced her instead of Bb. "Weren't you going to bed before-
My room's been infested. With rats."
Whaa!" He seemed taken by the response. "UH UH, no way! This place is designed to keep those things outside, we live on an island for goodness sake! How did they find a-
Portal." Bb and Raven said in monotone together. "Seriously! Then we've got to war-
"They...aren't real rats." Raven asked Beastboy to put her down just through mind speak. At first he did then wanted to ask her how she'd used it.
"Oh, gotcha..." Sighing, the older teenager decided to take a look at the situation and to end the little thing's coming and going parade.
/
"The door isn't locked...and you said they pushed you through it?" Cy asked. Raven pointed to the lock filled with goop like the monster of Shadow's.
"They sure smell bad! I can smell the stink from over there too-
Did you shower tonight B?-
What's that gotta do with- !
The door slid aside, the lock breaking and loosing control. It fizzled and sparked a bit before leaving the others to a messy chaos of squeaking, chewing terror rats!
"Ewwwwwww! Why is this happening!
Raven pressed on into the scratching clawing rat nest. They were not using just her books to make them from, but her bed and clothing as well. "No!" She gasped aloud. Her eyes were sad as she shed not one tear, not wanting to know what these guys were after.
"This is, odd..."
Star! Don't come in!" Cyborg pushed the girl back gently to let her take in the way the three teen's emotions were. "Were you doing the cleaning of spring, Ra-
EEP!" One slipped by her foot continuing its rampage yet missed the opportunity once Starfire shot out at the little thing. I'm sorry I'm-!
It had turned into a puddle of black right before her very feet. "What is going on here?"
"Star," Gulping with the terrible lump in his throat Cy sighed and spoke shakily.
"I don't know how to tell you but...! We can't let them escape, knowing that we can, I want you to blast as many as-
But Raven's room? I-
Please,...Star! Look out!" they'd been conversing at the wrong hour, Robin would be home soon in a few hours too! "No use in animal protection since they're not real animals!" Bb told Raven as he pulled her out of the stuff of rat's nests that he'd slashed through. She trusted not the rats nor the portal that was spiraling against her wall. Coming out of it like a black hole. Spitting out the rats one to many by one.
Soon the things lost form and the windy portal became a vacuum that took them all back to their leader. Shadow, and Slade with Roku...had Robin been taken away? Was his spirit safe from harm, and Malchior- did he know why the rats were here or, what they were initially?
/
Robin lay on a dingy old blanket that supported him also as to cover his side. Mal lay on his back fast asleep making a smooth whistling instead of a normal snore. He was a fighter too! As the teen on Mal's other side lay to his side, a jolt of paralysis swept Richard onto the rocky cavernous earth. Swimming in the sea in his vision, someone was at the mercy of a sea serpent! A little girl about the weight of nothing as she levitated into the air in the state of trance magic. It was an ugly site, with all the waves crashing over rocks he was simply enjoying the torment...he could do nothing for her.
Now the child clad in her light blue dressed up gown, with ribbons in her hair and starry eyes and bob do turned to watch as the people of her village called for her to end the sentence upon her so-
A golden light encased her as she lifted up her hand to the sky. Her pale complexion doused in light that was mysterious made her turn to Richard's shadow self within that vision of long ago. Gasping, he tried to swim to her but fell into the sea and awoke in a cold fearsome sweat.
Panting to bring his breathing to its limit he sat up with the sweat trickling softly. He looked down at his feet then his shaking wet palms. As he brought them up the sweat droplet was not a trickle nor a drop, but a mark. A mark that formed onto his skin by the will of his power and spirit..
"Egh!" the thing was once bleeding, it could have been a gash, yes...that left a scar?...
"No more..." Robin started to lay down his head...something else began to make his brain throb as he bunched up into the covers. The sheets were no longer protective of his mind. A girl...that girl with the starry eyes and white snowy hair bobbing as she float up to the...DRAGON?
As the mist surrounded the foggy waters of that sea, the dragon was by all means with the site of...red eyes...four? No one creature, Malchior or R-Ro-
One of the guys on watch in the tunnel made a grunting sound beside a wall. Robin clamped down a hand over his mouth. Eyes not ready to read into this...more sleep would serve...as...
Before he knew it the fog had left to cover as someone else's bad dream. He was already fast asleep...
/:D
Veronica was waiting as a guest of honor at the wealthiest eatery in the city. And by wealthy, she meant it by every critic's best guess.
The place shone like a palace as it made a pretty princess a lot more homesick than usual. Some one, a man with broad shoulders in a fine tailored suit and- oh! Could that be?
Wayne, I presume?" She sat her head to her hands and asked. Bruce would not let up his guard tonight, someone might be watching through a new state of mind, one The Batman had alerted- "Miss, Ferguson-
Hush all of that business talk, if you don't mind; call me Veronica."
"Ok, Miss, eh-em...I mean; Veronica." Bruce seated himself, so far the rumors weren't all bad. She was pleasant enough.
"And they call you Bruce?" My late uncle had that name, so attached to it back in his day.." Giving him a run for, his money would be a piece-of-cake-
"Oh? Do you study into your family history? That's quite new these days-
"Yes, but many of us have forgotten that name calling is a very ancient study." Eyes peering by his head she could see a big bad demon a mile away. Who was spying on her good workmanship?
Not Roku again...that vile...-
"Veronica? Miss Ferguson... Veroni-
Sorry about that!" Still easing herself back to this world she thought with a smile. Then asked.
"Would you care if I asked the waiter for two glasses? I'm sure we can afford them!" She smiled with a hidden grin.
"But of course!" Bruce was sure the villain was in wait, this woman though seemed quite peculiar yet...
When the waiter had come by Bruce asked him to bring the food later. They would chat first, you know how's work. Have any ki-
Richard...Dick...he was sure to call. If he didn't then Bats would come calling. He was worried, ever since the last incident with Tokyo and prison and...Some one else annoyed him most of all, Deathstroke. That's who.
"Ok, thank you very much!" She saw as his glass was passed over across the table. "Enjoy sir.."
"Thank you." Bruce replied now knowing that the discovery of the hacking had to wait. But Dick, his ward and partner time and time over, could not. Yet he'd make sure this didn't go anywhere tonight. Besides, the Titans were still safe... right?
/
Red eyes vanished into the night just as the sun was beginning to rise.
This dragon king will not allow you to rest? That is most awful indeed." As a council member of creation Isis did not like to hear bad news, ever since her son had left her in battle ages ago thanks to humans and the demise of her country. She held a grudge on the ending of her rule yes, but this was the fate of the space time itself...time and space depended on her for guidance.
Her power over the unknown forces that held up a serene yet mysterious balance for all to be still and wonder of was immense. Her shoulders tensed as she called to her brother through thought. Seth, was a pest, also an elite of the evil lords. Stopping time in his desert domain of the sands of time. As to whether
he would help her find Richard, that was to mean certain sadness if he could not say..."The foolish rights you have sworn as king of death and timeless sun were of naught, am I well of mind here brother?"
Seth came to her now, the powerful evil aura and intent never left him. Ugh! He was scorned by his people. His pride in ruins, or was it?
Yes indeed sister, I believe every word you utter..." sneering the priestess and sorceress held up a palm and crossed that one with her other arm. It secluded itself from sight. Say no more," Seth slyly spoke. Lying through his teeth.
"There will be no more of his mishaps, I assure you, and sister?-
"What hath thou done to my charge."
Now this threw off the demon. As he almost choked on his lies a power of magic and deceit swept by, the guards of the underworld had him surrounded like a lone wolf to his allies or mates.
Or enemies. The traitors! He could be the king, no...this was a dragon lord's job, here...yes, a lord's work was never done. He'd leave the wife of his enemy and sister-sitter to the dragon king! Then the two would see who'd have the last laugh.
"Ah yes, the powerful prince...i could have guessed that he was within the Titans' care...my mistake?"
He twirled his fingers into the air, a hand to his chin. "Or, let us see...is he truly yours to compare to the origina-
"YES! THIS IS THE MOST! Of course he is unwell at times, so was that son-
She held back her words. Better yet he should also know of her plan to use at much to high a cost. It was unthinkable.
Seth hissed at her. "Yes...that was also the case here...BUT..." His smile was smug and foolish. "The perfect replica is not as best as he seems-
"WE know!"
"BUT..." Seth state. "You do not send soldiers after him, do you? Do you monitor his perfection as well as the infinite possibilities of change?
" His change...?"
She gulped. "This...this is not getting down to the point here brother. You will appear before the council for imprisoning many and defying them all!"
"Including him..."
"Except...Why plot the ways of demise between wars and warriors?" she said asking of the way of his words.
"I am...sickly, sister..." Falling to his knees she almost broke down herself! Rushing to his side her eyes were full. "Why? He, he dost control-
The god wanted of the crime shook his head. "We all bear the mark, dear one...goodbye..." Dust and sand swirled around them, she was the only one left to the hall. He'd never regret the imprisonment of his world-
Their world, was yet to begin...
/
"Robin will be here soon! Be rid of those...things!" She knew they were formless nothing. Starfire's nerves were stopping their rounds but this...was unexpected! Cyborg pulled a goop out of the drawer of Raven's room.
She rushed to shut the piece, grasping her own goop wad at the last second.
"Throw them through the portal! Hurry!" Her nevous words reached the whole group. "The others had better be later to arrive...Robin cannot-
"IknowIknowIknow! Sheesh, just chuck em'. This is ridiculous! Raaae?" Beast boy did as was custom, though it was not any fun at all! Mad mod nobody was – ummm? Why him? Uh Oh...Star...?"
"You cannot be the dinosaur- he will...-
EEEEEEEP!" The demons had pulled her over and down. The floor was beginning to crumble. She was right.
"Move, everyone, this place is gonna,
WE KNOW!" Raven gasped and fled with her friends to find Starfire.
/
Starfire was troubled by endless black. A darkness swirled about her sights. Her thought stunted, what would Robin do? Where was he?...
~He will not save you...~ A part of her said softly. "Ariana?" Starfire tried to reach out a hand to the faded voice from her spot above the princess. A girl with cold amber eyes and a struggling voice. Ribbons danced around in the background. She was young yet dressed to kill, and Starfire knowingly had gut feeling that this was a trap. Barely one to turn her away...yes she knew. And so did Ariana...!
An orange courage washed her soul. Cleaning it of the past regret and her counterpart's losses. The glow made the little child with ribbon strand hair almost fall back away. Panting that this was not to be. Could not be...
"You are the sworn surviving few...he'll find you, him, and take back the world..." Richard was her enemy's love. Her name was Piper...that was all she had been told. This girl stood in her king's way. A way to the eternal!
She had to leave, she told herself. And speak of the devil, here comes the hero now...she left to the shadows with a frown on her face, cheeks red from running.
"Starfire! Star?" Once the dark had settled the others had been able to track where the creature had taken off to. Raven held a palm to the front of her face. When she saw the princess lying hopelessly on the floor, she gasped.
Star!" Bb exclaimed as if leaping for joy. "Those guys were gonna take you away, and well...we were scared we'd never see you again..."
Cy nod to the others, of course she was able to walk slow and steadily but she still recalled the face of the child from the dark world she'd been kept. Robin was coming home, would be there with arms outstretched, and stories to tell...she would only know when-
~Beep beep.~ The device around her belt pocket made them all crash into one another when the light accidentally turned off.
"Too dark, too dark!" Cyborg switched back on the light from his shoulder. "Phew..." Beast boy sighed then looked up to Starfire and Raven who were looking at the bright com unit screen.
"Hi, have communications ready. An-
What...what's in your hair...Rae?" She turned away to lift up a lock at a time, the stuff fell out of them and crumbled to dust.
"Cleaning the basement floor!" She lied. "The others are just helping out!" she panicked. Fear for her friend's sanity set itself in her head. She'd been able to make him see the bright side of things, for so little time it had been done in..she wished for a miracle right at that moment.
/
Robin bit his lip as the unit severed connections. "That dust wasn't normal, it looked like-
"Hey, Casanova!" Mal's buddies were calling him back to earth again. He always had something to think about. Now, you could never tell what thoughts might arise. A new villain, a new allied team. What else was there to wonder?
"Hey kid! Can you grab that...no, that- ugh." Malchior was trying to move forward. His best student- no, Rorek's best student now lost and his friend in danger...they were going.
"Robin was it? When will you be sure to alert the others, you haven't told them yet..."
Robin shook his head. Sighing he spoke clearly this time. His last words had been mystified. By others emotions. "You can call me what you've been calling me. Richard is Richard without the mask." He smiled without any doubt that it would be rough yet, they'd make it happen.
Malchior wasn't sure he liked Richard's adjusted attitude. It was chilling as well as reliving to know that he'd needed no one to brave or face the caverns. Rock upon rock did tumble down, they were ready and the portal would never close without them.
Robin will be home, finally home...