A/N Aha! Another story! I just finished Identity Crux, and even while I was writing those final chapters, this sprung into my head. Hope ya'll like it. xD OH! And Raven's a bit OOC, but I tried not to have her be like that, honestly.
Um...Please review, and don't flame and I'm very sensitive when it comes to criticism. But I'm working on it. Really.
Summary: AU. It's time for Jinx to take her reign on the throne as Queen of Vault, but there's a hitch: they expect her to get married. Will she be able to get along with her husband-to-be, while building up her kingdom to legendary heights? Will her advisor and teacher Raven be able to help her, even as she tries to build up a team of infamous knights?
Pairings: MalJinxKFRav AquaRaeRedX (Psst! Don't know who 'Rav' is? She's in the comics, so not really an OC) There's also some RaeMal, but just a bit.
I used 'Vault' instead of 'Jump' because it sounds cooler and puts you in the mood of the story. Well, at least I think so.
I do not own Teen Titans, or anything else for that matter...
"You're aiming too low."
Jinx didn't dare to look at her mentor, focused on the black beast in front of her. Her eyes glowed a brilliant pink, the energy moving down her arm and encasing her sword in a cherry aura. She sprang forward, slashing at the dragon's legs, not paying attention to her sword slicing through the beast, already focused on her next move. The beast stumbled forward, and Jinx twirled back, before pressing the sword up through the dragon's head from under its jaw.
"How was that, Raven?" Jinx grinned, wiping sweat from her pale face. She slid her sword back into its case, pulling her pink hair out of her eyes. Raven didn't say anything, her eyes glowing white, the black magic dragon dissolving back into the witch. "Killed it good and dead."
"Not before this, this, and this." She said without feeling, slashing her hands in front of her, encased in dark energy. Jinx flew back, hitting one of the many trees surrounding them, her eyes widened as wounds opened over her body. A slice on her shoulder. A bruise in her stomach. A broke leg. Her eye swelling shut. A few of her ribs snapped into bits. As soon as the pain came, it was gone, leaving the young woman gasping as she fell to her knees.
Raven floated to the ground, gently walking beside her and helping her up. Her violet eyes were soft, with slight apology but mostly worry. Jinx hated that look. She pulled away from Raven's hold, sitting on a rock, taking deep breaths. She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. She was shaking. She really hated when Raven used her magic on her.
"Jinx, that would have been fine against Dr. Light and more than enough against the Mammoth, but we're not fighting either of them." Raven said, and Jinx nodded as she listened. "We're going up the great and powerful dragon-"
"I know. I know!" Jinx interrupted, flipping her hair from over her face to her back as she looked at Raven. She was breathing heavily, bags under her eyes and her cheekbones sharp. She had been training in the forest for days. She didn't know anything else than forest life, so that wasn't a change, and neither was learning under Raven, who had taken her under her wing years ago. However, lately the training had escalated to levels Jinx had never imagined, her body aching and head throbbing.
"Look, I got the sword out of the stone."She began, throwing the sword from her side on the ground. "I've slain every beast you told me to, to prove to everyone I'm the right heir to the throne, and they believe it now. But this dragon…It hasn't killed anyone, has it?"
"…Not in a while."
"Or destroyed villages?"
"Well, no…"
"Stolen or horde treasure?"
"In a different sense…"
"Then why do you want me to kill it, Raven?"
The witch sighed, kneeling down to pick up the sword. She wiped it on her dark cloak, before handing it over to Jinx. The young woman took it gently, feeling guilty for throwing it on the ground without any thought. She really did love the weapon-it was so pretty, and functional-and it had been many a time the only thing with her in battle. She pulled it out of its case, looking at her tired reflection in the blade, turning it at an angle to see Raven's sad reflection as well. She looked directly at the witch, who slowly sat beside her on the stone.
"The dragon." She sighed, not looking at Jinx. "Has many different faces. Not only as a beast, but as a man."
"Oh." Jinx said in surprise. Her eyes suddenly widened with realization, her eyebrows shooting up. "Oh!"
Not even a bird chirped in the forest as Raven nodded, tucking violet hair behind her ear. She didn't look sad anymore, back to cold and emotionless as usual. Perhaps more pensive, her elbows on her knees, her chin resting on her hands. A cold wind blew through the thin trees, light pouring in between thick leaves. Jinx pulled down the sleeves of her black dress, not used to see infallible Raven so…fallible. In truth, she looked no different, not a single tear or pity-worthy word spoken. Just the knowledge of it was so unearthly.
"So that's why. For revenge." Jinx finally spoke up.
"No." Raven said quickly. "I let it out. I have to trap it again."
"It's alright." Jinx stood back up, a grin on her face, hiding her surprise. "Besides, we've got to make sure he doesn't take another girl, right?"
"Jinx, if you're only-"
"Raven, you honestly think it matters either way? I was going to kill it anyway. Just felt like whining."
"…Alright." Raven stood up as well, her eyes glowing white as black energy surrounded her. Jinx couldn't help but to groan, looking up at the terrifying beast her friend had turned into. "But no breaks."
Dark clouds moved over the horizon, the early morning rays from the sun having little effect to brighten up the sky. A spider crawled across the sleeping girl's face, and Jinx yelped as her eyes glowed pink under closed lids and sent the creature flying into the air. She could take monsters, enemies, days and days of training, but spiders were just something else. Raven shook her head, already clean and dressed, watching her pupil rub her groggy eyes and suit herself up and get something to eat.
"Don't." Jinx said, Raven raising a single eyebrow as Jinx checked herself for any more bugs. She grumbled under her breath, pulling her back into two separate sections out of her face. "I can't wait for a bed…"
"After this." Raven agreed, floating above twigs and roots Jinx made her way around just by instinct. As she began to focus and become aware, dread filling her stomach, she began to trip, heading into unfamiliar territory.
"Couldn't you teach me how to fly?" Jinx grumbled, looking up at her teacher. Raven didn't respond, knowing it was just how Jinx expressed her fear and nerves. She was about to kill a dragon that had brought Raven down, well, emotionally at the very least. Which was probably worse than physically, Jinx thought, which just sent her shaking a bit more.
They walked, well, Jinx walked for hours. Raven gently floated beside her, moving branches out of her way, the storm clouds sending a chilling wind and keeping Jinx awake. Thunder began to rumble in the sky, but Jinx walked on, having stopped stumbling long ago. The fear had numbed out long ago, once she realized they weren't anywhere near to the dreaded dragon.
"What was that?" Jinx suddenly asked, pausing and looking around. She rested her hand on her sword, Raven's eyes sweeping the area. Jinx jumped as she heard a full on yell, then jumped off the path and running towards the sound.
"Jinx, the dragon." Raven called after her, not moving from where she floated.
"I'll just be a moment!" Jinx called over her shoulder, hearing Raven's sigh. She raised her pace, sprinting so she could get back to Raven. The dragon would wait-it had no idea she was coming, after all, right? She could pause to save someone, and besides, it would help get her nerves out.
Unsheathing her sword, Jinx jumped in without a second thought. Her eyes glowing a blinding pink, she slashed her way through the small cluster, who had immediately brought out swords and crossbows at the sight of her. In a few quick moves and flips, they were on the ground, in more pain than damage. She wasn't even panting when she was finished, but her nerves were calmed down as she slid the sword back to her side.
"Thank you."
Jinx almost jumped, turning to the voice. Her throat tightened at the man. He was tied to a post, looking down at her with sky-blue eyes. Half his face was covered, but long, white hair fell past his shoulders and a smile danced on his face. So he had been the one who was screaming-she assumed it to be a girl, since it typically tended to be one, and she found it to be a nice change to rescue a guy. A pink flush illuminated the pink circles on her cheeks, preferring this one at least.
"Oh, no problem." She smiled, biting her lip.
"…I really do appreciate this, fair lady." He said after a moment, sending Jinx's smile widening. "But if you could untie me-"
"Oh, right." She said, a hot flush of embarrassment rising up on her face as she darted behind him. She held her hands out over the rope, her eyes flashing like neon carnations before they parted. He stepped away, cracking his neck and rubbing his wrists.
"So…What was that about?" Jinx finally asked, jogging to his side.
"They wanted a sacrifice. Good thing when you came when you did." He said, gently kicking one of the fallen men with his foot. He looked back over at Jinx. "That was some impressive magic there…I never introduced myself, did I? Or you."
"I'm Jinx. And that was nothing, my tutor-" Jinx's eyes widened, remembering Raven waiting for her back on the path. "-I'm really sorry, I have to go now, um, will you be alright?"
"I'll be fine, go ahead."
"It was nice to meet you."
"Or rescue, either works." He chuckled, then pulled a paper flower from his sleeve. "See you again, Jinx."
She flushed and took it, hiding it inside her dress as she ran back to the path. She looked back over her shoulder, watching him look down at his captors, before he was out of sight. In the short time it took to get back to Raven, it had begun to rain in heavy drops. She was holding a semi-sphere of energy over her head, and Jinx darted underneath it.
"You could have started fighting in dry weather." Raven pointed out as Jinx squished through the mud.
"But I saved a life." She smiled.
"That took longer than it needed to."
"He was a sacrifice."
"He?"
"Yeah. What's wrong with guy sacrifices? Who says girls can only be tied to stakes? That's entirely unfair…"
Raven just shook her head as Jinx went on, rolling her eyes. A line of lightening shook the sky, but neither of the pair flinched. Jinx was cold, but Raven kept her dry, and her boots kept her toes warm even as she stomped through the mud. She hugged her arms around herself to keep herself warm, but she knew when she started fighting she would warm right up. She stuck out her lip in a pout when she realized she had never gotten the man's name, but thought of his eyes anyhow. She loved blue eyes, and she slid her hand inside her dress, fingering the rose.
"We're here." Raven finally said, stopping in the air. Jinx looked up, having been focusing on her feet, her jaw dropping. In front of them was a palace, of the blackest stone framed with purple flowers the color of Raven's eyes. Jinx looked back to her, who seemed entirely un-phased by the palace.
"It lives here." Jinx said bluntly, pulling herself together.
"If men can be sacrifices…"
"That is entirely different from a dragon living in a palace."
Raven shrugged, moving forward. Jinx continued walking, entirely confused as she kept herself under the shield protecting her from the cold rain.
"So what, we're going to knock on the door?" She demanded. Raven simply shrugged again.
"Is that what you want to do?"
"I don't know!" Jinx sighed, the pair stopped in front of a massive door of black stone. Purple gems sparkled in pairs, and as Jinx took a closer look the door was of iron-but molded, a story of two figures intertwined. The gems weren't just decorations, they were eyes. Raven's eyes. What was this? She looked back at Raven, who kept her chin held high as she stared at the door.
"Well, why not?" Jinx muttered, snapping her knuckles against the cold iron. The door snapped open, and the numbing fear in Jinx's stomach wasn't so numb anymore. It tossed and turned, making her nauseous, but she just kept her hand frozen to the hilt of her sword.
It was the dragon itself. Tall and proud, black and purple, with glowing red eyes peering down at both on them. Was it Jinx's imagination, or was it smiling?
"Raven, Raven, Raven." It cooed, and Jinx suddenly felt anger snapping from Raven. She was no empathy, but she knew Raven enough and had been around the emotionless girl so much the sudden burst of emotion was shocking. "Still as beautiful as ever, are-"
"God, can't he just shut up?" Jinx snapped, her eyes glowing pink as she lunged for the beast. She kicked at its long neck, sending it skidding back as they fought in the flawless white marble of the endless great hall. She flipped back, pulling her arms into her as she flung herself away from the stream of orange fire coming out of the dragon's mouth.
"You think she'll stop me?" The dragon laughed, whirling its tail around and flinging Jinx to a wall. She gasped for breath, stars flickering in front of her eyes. Her hand was still tight around her sword, her knuckles pearl-white as she fell to the ground.
"You couldn't, after all." The dragon grinned, holding Raven in its tail. Her eyes were glowing white, and marble crashed from the ceiling, crushing the dragon under its massive weight. Raven wormed herself out of its tail, arms of black reaching for the dragon.
Jinx pushed herself off the ground just before the dragon broke free, jumping onto its swinging tail. Throwing herself off, she stabbed the sword down into the base of its neck, scalding, and orange blood dripping around the sword. In a jerking motion, it flung her from its back, and she gracefully flipped and slid back into a steady stop. With a snap the dragon popped the sword from its back, and it clattered across the other side of the room.
Her hands glowed pink as she sent powerful crescents at the beast, darting around its legs as Raven blasted him with brick after brick of marble. He hit her with a blast of fire and she fell to the ground, just as Jinx reached her sword. Alighting it pink, she jumped and swung it right at the beast's head as it crouched oven the fallen beauty.
"And that's how we do it." Jinx snarled, piercing it through both its eyes. She swung again at its head, its bones too strong for her to break, even as she channeled more chaotic pink energy through the sword. It roared with pain, snatching her with a long claw and slamming her down against the ground. Even blinded, the sword yanked from her grip, the dragon brought its hind leg down on her blade, crushing it into pieces.
"Do exactly what, my dear?" The dragon laughed, rearing up a blast of fire as Jinx fought against its grip.
"This, goddamn bastard."
The dragon turned to Raven's direction, floating above them all, holding a white book and muttering in strange tongues Jinx couldn't hope to understand. The dragon let go of Jinx, racing for the spell-casting girl. Springing to her feet, Jinx charged her hands with pure energy, shooting a hole directly through its wing. Twirling and flipping, she made her way on the beast's back once again, struggling to keep its wings together and pulling back, sending the beast spinning in circles as it attempted to move off the ground.
With a final cry the dragon dissolved into the book, Jinx falling from her place on the beast to having nothing beneath her. She laid dizzy and exhausted on the ground, Raven slowly floating down beside her. A layer of clammy sweat covered the witch's face, and she sat beside Jinx, her hands glowing blue as she healed gashes and bones Jinx didn't notice because of the adrenaline rushing through her veins.
"Nice spell." Jinx grinned. She moved her freshly healed leg, looking at Raven. She held out her hand. "We did it."
"Yeah." Raven gave her a small smile, squeezing her hand, then pulling her up from the ground. Jinx walked over to the remains of her sword, still having a slight limp from a bruise in her side. She bent to her knees, picking up a piece, until they all glowed black. She looked back to Raven, who had all the pieces floating in front of her.
"We can't go back with this." Raven sighed, looking to Jinx. "Ready for another trip?"
"Sure. But can we teleport?" Jinx asked, looking at the raging storm outside. "If you can." Jinx added, reminding herself that Raven had just banished a dragon in a book with long forgotten magics. It came out as more of a challenge, however, and Raven raised her eyebrow.
"Just this once." She said, accepting the task, raising her arms as a black raven engulfed them both. With a feeling of doing a dozen back flips in a row, ending on her feet without knowing up from down except that her feet were on something solid, the trip ended. Jinx almost wished they walked. Almost, being the key word, turning into being glad they teleported.
They were much farther than Jinx had expected. She could see the storm in the distance, large, sparking clouds sending down torrents of rain as the warm sun shined above them. Jinx sat down in white sand, her pink eyes gazing at the ocean before them. It was perfectly clear, a brilliant sapphire blue, and Jinx could see fish under the sparkling surface. It stretched before them endlessly, a welcoming silence around them-of birds and animals, peaceful and whole.
"Why are we here?" Jinx asked impatiently, trying to hide her awe.
"To see an old acquaintance. He lives in the lake." Raven answered simply.
"This is a lake?" Jinx demanded, disbelieving. She reached out and touched the clear water, quickly bringing her hand back as the surface began to cloud over. It foamed and bubbled and Jinx sprang to her feet, Raven calmly standing in the sand beside her. Jinx's pink eyes darted from Raven, who was never bothered, to the waters becoming as violent as the storm they had just left.
"Who has disturbed my lake?"
The voice wasn't loud or booming, if anything, to Jinx it sounded quite kind. It was stern and demanding, but not threatening in the least. The water twenty feet in front of them first turned into a whirlpool, before the head, then torso of a stunning man birthed out of the water. He was propelled out entirely, standing upon the water that calmed and quieted, long black hair falling to his elbows.
Totally ink-black eyes focused on Jinx, staring upon him with unhidden awe, a kind smirk on his face. His eyes shifted over to Raven, the smirk sliding off his face and his flawless, pale skin wrinkling as he scowled. Raven tilted her chin up, as if she was facing the dragon once again, so Jinx's couldn't help but tear her eyes away from the man and to her companion.
"Raven, have you met him before?" She whispered, her eyes darting back to the man.
"Yes, we have." He interrupted, Jinx paling as he heard her words. "But that was long ago. Why do you come here, we had an agreement, did we not?"
"Yes, we did, Aqualad." Raven said, her voice tired. The broken sword floated to the man, and he held out webbed hands, gently taking the pieces as he kept his focus on them. "And I honor that still, but I was hoping for a favor."
"A favor? Why? What for?"
"To fix the sword of the future Queen of Vault."
"Her?"
The man walked on water, reaching the very edge of the sword. Raven nodded for Jinx to walk forward and she did, her blood pounding nervously in her veins. He seemed kind and meant no harm, but he still made her slightly scared. He bent down, looking into her eyes, and she forced her feelings back down and looked straight into his. So she was scared. But she wasn't going to let him see that. She tilted her chin up, straightening her posture.
"I see." He smirked, stepping back. Jinx suppressed a sigh of relief, staying at her spot at the water's edge.
"Will you fix it?" She asked, biting her lip as she looked at the pieces. It hadn't hit her yet that her sword was lost to her, but now it had, and she felt a deep sense of loss and that something was missing. Which it was, and she didn't want a replacement. Raven clearly knew that, too, or she wouldn't have brought her here.
He stared at Raven, and she stared right back. Not a word passed between them, by voice at least, Jinx wasn't close to naïve enough not to know they were conversing without them. She watched the exchange, both of them occasionally blinking, no expression crossing their faces. After a while, Aqualad nodded, gliding back on the water's surface to a deeper part of the lake.
"For Vault." He finally said, his eyes locking with Jinx and a warm smile crossing his face. She couldn't help but to smile back with relief.
"Thank you." She said gratefully. He looked back to Raven.
"So you will leave when this is done?"
"As we agreed." Raven confirmed, and Aqualad sunk back into the water. Jinx immediately turned to Raven, her eyebrows raised.
"So you and him…?" She hinted, curiosity burning in her veins.
"It was a long time ago." Raven said. "Far too many years to count."
"To count?" Jinx echoed.
"I'm much older than you think, Jinx."
"Now you tell me."
The sword broke through the surface of the water, sending rainbow droplets around them as it arced through the bluebell sky. A soft smile fell on Jinx's face as she reached out, catching the hilt with one hand. She muttered a soft 'thank you' once again, turning the blade in her hand and inspecting it from every angle. It was flawless and better than before, she could feel power within it sinking into her, along with her own wanting to mingle with it.
"What do you want to do now?" Raven asked, Jinx's eyes never leaving the blade. She smiled, looking at her reflection.
"What else? Go home."