Teen Titans – Side Stories and After – Snippets; Foxes Upon Foxes and Magical Girls Galore

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Ah, so this is an M theme, and I wanted to go back to something a bit more….explicit; off week so it's a stress reliever for me. Let me know if this is entertaining at all! Just trying to get through to next month. Turning a year older on first day of winter for this snow queen. Will be trying to work on the Court of Owls and shorts on and around that time. College in Jan very possibly. Oh, and this is Roku meets Lori in the arcs previous…this is the forbidden myth unleashed.

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Myth of Magic and Woe; Part One

Wet as ocean waves, the poor dejected prince bobbed afloat, right upon the rocking shoreline. The hem of his tunic unwound itself as he coughed, trying to find his breath and bearings before the tide could cast him back into those freezing waters.

Scotland. He was lost, forsaken. This new realm was everything he loathed and yet it beckoned him to stay. To never leave the arms of the isle until he was sure he would drown back beneath the first start of winter's frost.

The dragon. Well, the false, now hated lord, took to his path and carved up it. He trudged as a kelpie covered in sea greenery. That he could ever impersonate a god, for he had been one once before.

A child of mysterious origins; and the student of a demon queen of sin, now a nearly turned piece of art – so he had fled when she'd changed him in body and heart, to find a way to surpass his mentor. He tried to impersonate a dragon relic of the East. Of fire, so he won the position squarely, yet was still cast out by its relic of wind and wood – the fae, Bao Shi lan.

He'd even gotten to meet the creature called "A" in the Ethereal void, only to be lectured and tossed into this bleak land of wood, tree, and mist….

He did not like it. There was no sun to shine today, it was cold and dreary as his face had once seemed brighter. He recalled some happiness then...

He hung his head and ended up walking up to a cobble path that led to an unkempt outpost. The path was coated in a thick fog, while one could be spirited away on that path.

Head security, guards littered the walls, for this was a castle no grander than a mud hut to him.

"Who goes?" The guard to his right up above the turret's wall, called down to the bedraggled traveler.

"I am just a humble old man who wishes to leave this realm quickly. I do not wish ye any such harm." The damned deity reject spoke in their tongue, expecting his mind to shatter by the trick.

"State your true business, for this plane is protected by the goddess of the moor. The Lorelai is quiet until she is tormented…"

He squinted up at the guard, only to see that this was not a man in armor, but a shape shifter that took now on the form of a large bird. A crow, an ill omen of what was to come.

~ You shall not travel far. The illusion that gods can witness holds power over ye. The one to undo time and space, our lady of time is displeased. You must return to your world, do not tread….go back! ~ It crowed. ~ Go back to your time, or lose your heart to the water – maiden!! ~

More crows turned up as the castle soon vanished. Not crows, Ravens too. And then it became clear.

The wise Merlin or King Arthur of the later decades had sent this word, to have the intruder leave their home to be. The bird was protecting something.

A, Lorelai….

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She sat upon her balcony and looked below. There, in her mind's eye, a traveling soul would come hither. She'd not reject him…How the woman worried, for he had to be the one she'd tried desperately to forget ever existed.

(Ok, so in the past, Princess Lorelai Ainsley was a hereditary sorceress and princess of ancient spirit world's Scotland. Her Great Grandfather, Richard Ainsley (Noted that is Rokuro's western name in the arcs I had from New beginning up to current,) and her mother made her child Lori a part of the Lunar (Crescendo) Sect (like Cici) when she came of age. Being an esteemed priestess, she traveled to other realms of the east and west to learn magic and understand her grandfather's gift. Thing was, her magic was lunar, while his was solar magic. Interesting, since Aiden is more apart of this – anyway! The story earlier went that Raku ( Now Lord Roku of spirit world directional west and under element of fire, ) took over Bao Shi's role and stole his position to gain power. He needed enough to become a Universal being and basically, to topple their rulers for making his life and others' a living hell. So, he is booted from his role, gets to finally meet Lady of Time and Ethereal maiden of creation, "A," but she tosses him back to lose his ability to travel through time and space for an allotted period. He is a solar being, but Raku is as we now know, more to Lunar and Cosmic (Spoiler.) Lori saw a version of Roku in the east and he assaulted her on a quest, so she is actually terrified of him. But? Will he trick her into saving him from expiring in this new world? His story here, does not end on a happy note, to be warned.)

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She walked to by where the walls turned to crumble and weather away. The castle had changed ever since her mother's passing. The princess only had her father who was too stricken by a curse of grief and woe to have another child to take his place. Lori's rights would not be owed to her until she was to be wed, for a woman queen would not protect the moor of her realm, nor the goddess of the isles that knew Lorelai since she was small.

The princess with her long, aqua violet and black waves felt her eyes lose their luster. Her magic was of the waters to this plane and to the air up above, even with the cool breeze pushing away her desire to romp among the flowers, she still maintained a child's heart and soul without a taint to her – both in body and he pride as a protector of her realm. Right today, she was predicting a change and feared it terribly. She would meet her prince, and for the rest of her days she might then be happy…

"Father is not blind, but ill. And to call me out to do his work? I'm not even of age till the next winter passes…" She sighed. At sixteen, she felt old for her age, but every bit as useless to her line. She was ging to hold that crown and let it weigh her to the earth. She was afraid, and for once she had good reason to run off to be alone by her favorite place in the yard.

(A, and Lori can get in contact with the spirt and astral planes. She is an incarnate or touched by and Aria's magic so in blessing, she can maintain this power. That's why she met Roku, she could see what he was.)

She spoke to younger fae and pixies as if they were a neighboring bunch. The spirit of the old dog she'd buried on a full moon one September, was merrily yipping away in a ghost's body, happy to see its old caregiver. She smiled at the sun, even if it did not blink back at her from behind a stray cloud.

~ We see you are in your proper attire as queen! ~ Beamed one long nosed sprite with a sense of curiosity to its words.

"Yes," Lori smiled back. " I will be crowned, should my father speak with me by tomorrow with the Spirit faction. I am every bit as qualified to rule my people, am I not?"

~ Is that TRULY so? ~ One fae with a flute in hand twirled the object like a baton, leaning back against the same stone wall where she'd gotten to see these delightful beings again.

~ Rheine. ~ (Making up names, ugh.) A female fae in loose leaves and a white robe turned to the fae with his pretty music. ~ Did I catch that, correctly? Why would you act so rudely to the child of the last of the Ainsley line? ~

"I shall wed, one day…A child will protect all of what my grandfather allows of us to be." Lori reassured the two fae wistfully. "You'll see..." And yet, that day should never have been so soon.

/

Singing had her become one with the cosmic structure of life. Of her realm and her emotions. All of the fae twirled and acted as mortal – bound as she'd seen them once, until upon her came her wary bodyguard from the sect of Crescendo. His name was of Eastern blood, called Veravakumu. He had claimed that a prophetic tragedy would find itself at Lady Lorelai's doorstep, so he and his brothers in magical warfare – Wizard Gregory and Price Kayumon, all came to be at her side until the day had waned. Another being known as Aria of the Southern Isles was also beside her, vying for the priestess's attention and pining over Veravakumu who was also a part of her extended family with Price Kayumon. Greg was her dearest companion and he was much closer than her guard dogs. They could transform into warriors in mere seconds, or they could be as human a she felt right now. Surrounded by so many spirit beings, Lori almost forgot who she really was at times. A vassal to A or Aria, should her powers remain greater than her mother had first predetermined.

Horses rode down a hilly slope out to the crossroads as Lori and her companions became a might curious. Verra; as we'll see him as later, looked to Sir Gregory who was wary of this "new arrival. "

"The isles have been calm since…"

Lori's eyes raised to eye the road, as if spellbound she trekked along and walked briskly to catch up to the rider's path in the distance. However, the thing that had brought the soldiers to force their way ahead, had not been a simple warning from some cruel king and his soldiers. It was just one; a haggard man with long locks that reached his ankles and as tall as her allies of the four passages. Veravakumu had Lori stay behind him, as Sir Gregory looked over the figure briefly to see if it was still alive. "He needs attention, quickly. I fear we'll have to barricade him in the lower rooms to be quite sure this guest means your father no harm…Princess." Greg may have been onto something. Lori saw the man's aura and withheld her gasping for later news. Her father did only say that travelers with no such ill will to his company could be welcomed to their village with open arms as long as they needed to get back onto their horse.

A strange thing for a king to proclaim, but her father was in a deep state of mourning, so the lax decree was due to his own regrets in his own lifetime, the fact that he needed a change of clarity.

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The girl looked over as a chamber man and maid both brought medicine and cloths to the poor mle on the bed's brow. He looked to be in a lot of pain, more than his body could withstand. Lori stayed beside her guard dogs and Veravakumu entered the room beside Greg to see what they could of this, character with tall features about his shoulders. Lori stayed by the door to eavesdrop.

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In the room, the fire light burned in the stone hearth. Greg sat to the side and used his magic to "read" out the man's pain, only to find it hurt to recall such a memory – a feeling he'd long forgotten, and yet it all passed when it came time for Veravakumu to ask an interesting question.

"You're not a mortal – born." The dark-haired warrior stated this, as the groaning gent at only maybe nineteen, shook his head. "I…was cursed…. blood…. royal…." He said with a raspy breath. "You…must believe me…"

In this world, no one recognized his face. Perhaps he'd unconsciously cast a spell over himself, or this character did not know of him but of Lil, not of her detached child…

"I…must find…. cough...Myself…. She…. she can help me…" He pointed to the window, speaking closely of Lady of Time's realm. Of, "A" and her lesson for having sent Raku to this cold tundra of a world away from his deserted one.

"She? Is this your ally, brother?"

Greg was stopped by Veravakumu's hardened glance. "We cannot read your thoughts. Are you….by chance a magical being as well, or protected by a goddess as you seem to know?"

Raku shook his head. "Cursed…. she betrayed me and I…fell, from my world. I cannot go back…I have lost my hope, my will and my rites…" He grunted and tried to sit up. So many scars from her power. He hated the appearance of his once vile and vain self – image of a dragon lord.

He'd almost had it all…But A…. She wanted him to live among…filth…Well. He had an idea already over what to do about that….

"What world do you speak of, stranger?" Greg asked, curious to know first hand about this man's past.

"It was, a colorful place and red was my favorite shade, there... Life, a flickering flame of hope….and it was all taken away." The hearth crackled on as the man chuckled over his deluded fantasy.

"Well, all rulers must fall, sometime…I may just have to live in peace with knowing that… cough…" He flopped back into bed and moaned in agony at the greatest scar over his heart. (He's talking about the new year's celebration in China and around Asia at the time, so maybe that month was when Bao Shi took her job back. Yup!)

"We imagine that this is true to some, yet have you no parties to contact via the channels? If magic is of your power, it should still exist to some degree." Veravakumu had some prior knowledge of the arts, but Greg stayed pondering. "Red…India of the past? Or Laos, may –

"I do not know…It felt so long…and I fell to this place forgetting even my name."

"No name? Is that –

"A memory we will gladly recover." Greg nodded to his companions. "The king has allowed you permission to remain until we've been able to patch together the rest of your lost fragments."

"Thank you, brothers…" Raku felt the words as dirty spittle on his fiery tongue.

"No need." Veravakumu rose to seek out the exit. "Greg here has the ability to make the unseen become a possibility. Whatever you can recall, he will find it. Be well, gentlemen." With that, the warrior took his leave and paused a few steps down the hall. With a wry smile, he called softly to the one he respected the most besides the King Ainsley.

"You may come out now, Princess."

He turned to see her just behind a suit of armor in the hall, beneath a shroud – cloth she had taken from her mother's room; one that housed her parent's remaining valuable, magic items.

"I want to know his name, someday. He looks lost, like you did." She said this quietly. At sixteen, her arts had blossomed under her teacher's care. Greg had come to Scotland after Lori's encounter with the dark "shadow" in Japan, when she'd learned sutras and all matter of fortune telling from an institute there where she was treated differently for being royal, not for her race or creed.

"I wonder if he will open up to father –

Veravakumu denied this to be true that he could; trying to deter her thoughts from the slim stranger below the castle's walls, he instead knew she'd appreciate his attention for a time in another form.

With a wave, Veravakumu transformed into a creature that looked like a fox, yet was all dog – pointed ears with bands of red and yellow round him, and large red and yellow eyes with dark centers staring back at the princess innocently.

"Can't we agree on giving the guy some time? Lori, you look beat! Let me escort you to your chambers before "Maura" comes waltzing in." He then assumed the role as her pup ally and they took off to the teen's room. The stranger could wait, as long as he stayed well away from the princess and her father. Veravakumu in this form called itself Verra, so it did not care to share the teen woman's attention by far. He'd been given a role to pursue. Lori was to become a vassal of Lady A and a pupil of Aria once she finally took to her full rites within the year, only if she never did one thing.

Gave birth to a child, for the gods' retainers were unable to do so with outsiders.

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Two is going to be a four or more part -er.

Ah, stay tuned?