Raven shuffled awkwardly as she sat apart from the rest of her team. She had been taken off the mission for her cowardice and everyone was giving her dirty looks. They couldn't trust her now that she had jeopardized the mission.

It wasn't as if this was anything new. She had been shunned throughout her entire childhood because of who her parents were.

It wasn't as if it bothered her. Raven preferred solitude. Still, it was a bit uncomfortable to be met with hostility on a mission. Still, she'd be fine.

Azar suddenly hopped down from the tree she was scouting in and approached her. "Come with me," she spat at her. Raven nodded silently and followed after her.

This should be fun.

OoOoOo

Damian leaned against the door that connected his room to his sister's. "Celeste, I'm sorry," he apologized for the millionth time. Really, it was hard for him to apologize once. Didn't she know how special she was to him. "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Silence. That wasn't like her. Celeste wasn't a bitter person and usually didn't stay mad at him for long. He must have really hurt her feelings this time.

He sighed. "Alright, I'll go pack some books for our trip," he told her. "We don't have much time, so I'll be back to help you pack soon." He grabbed his bag before walking off.

OoOoOo

Raven stayed a few paces behind Azar, honestly afraid of getting too close. The woman was angry, sure, but she was more disappointed and that was honestly worse. Azar had been the only person she could call a mother growing up. She didn't want to let her down.

Azar finally spoke, "I had faith in you, Raven." She inhaled deeply. "I suppose I was wrong."

"You aren't wrong," said Raven quickly. "I can do this, Azar."

"You've never been on a mission before," Azar reminded her. "You're inexperienced. I brought you because you're magic is the strongest of all of us. You have a great gift, but it takes more than that.

"There's an instinct among our people. A moment of truth, some may call it. And in that moment, you hesitated."

Raven clenched her jaw firmly. "I won't hesitate again," she insisted.

"You will," her leader insisted firmly. "I see now that you're still just a child. You are riddled by emotion, your heart isn't hardened enough for this. You don't have what it takes."

She sighed. "I messed up," she admitted. "I see that, Azar. Because I let that human go, we're all in danger. But since it was my wrongdoing, shouldn't I make it right? Shouldn't I be the one to correct my own mistake?"

Azar shook her head. "I'm afraid it's much too late for that."

Raven gestured to her wrists. "I bound myself," she reminded her. "My heart for Aza-"

The older woman grabbed her arms firmly, stopping her. "You shall be unbound when the mission is complete," she snapped. "The best way to assist in this mission is to stay out of the way." She pointed to a nearby rock. "You will wait here quietly until the task is done."

Raven's eyes were narrowed, but she reluctantly sat herself onto the rock. She knew that once the woman made up her mind, there was no changing it.

"If we aren't back by sunrise, go home," instructed Azar before stalking away.

Raven lowered her head. She mad messed up more than she had thought. Now she had no honor, unable to serve her people. And what was an Azarathian without honor? She looked up at the palace, her targets just a few hundred feet away. This was her mistake. It only seemed right that she was the one to correct it. She knew what she had to do.

With renewed rigor, Raven stood to her full height. "I can fix this," she vowed. Without a moment of hesitation, she broke off into a run towards the castle.

OoOoOo

Damian wondered the library, searching for something that might tell him something about the Azarathians. He wanted to help his mother and father in any way he could. But it didn't help that he knew so little about their enemies.

He scanned the shelves for something useful, until a light lavender book caught his eye. He grabbed it, reading over the cover. It was titled, "Lost Secrets of Azarath." He opened it, but the pages started flipping on their own. He gaped in shock at the book before sighing in annoyance.

"Zatara, that's not funny," stated Damian in irritation.

The older woman revealed herself, chuckling in amusement. "I thought it was funny," she remarked. She held up her wand. "Wolb." The book pushed further away from them, a gust of wind coming from the magician.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm glad to see you're having fun," he drawled sarcastically.

"You should have seen the look on your face," teased Zatanna.

Zatanna Zatara was the castle's expert in magic and sorcery. Most pegged her as a simple magician, but that was what sealed her enemies' fate. She was the most skilled magic user in the kingdom and a good friend of both his parents.

Damain huffed. "I bet you love that you have abilities that others don't."

She shrugged. "Everyone has magic in them," she explained. "Though some more than others." She pursed her lips. "I wish that your mother would let me teach your sister magic. She has so much potential."

He raised an eyebrow. "Celeste?" he asked. "What potential does she have?" Sure, she was powerful, but Amazons didn't specialize in magic.

Zatanna tilted her head. "You mean you don't know?" At his confusion, she blushed. "Whoops. I probably wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"Well, now you must tell me, Zatara," urged Damian. "She is my sister, after all. How am I going to keep her safe if I don't know of her abilities?"

She stared at him for a few seconds before sighing. "Okay, fine," she agreed. "As you know, Diana's father, King Hades, was powerful. Some say that his magic rivaled the Dragon King's. Well, let's just say that there was a reason he died the day before your sister was born.

"On his deathbed, Hades bestowed his power onto Diana. But because she was pregnant, all that power went to Celeste instead. That's why she was born almost two months early."

Damian blinked. How had he not known that? So his sister had all this power that neither of them knew about? Why were their parents keeping that from them? "You mean to tell me that Celeste has magic like you?" he asked.

Zatanna reluctantly nodded. "Yes," she answered. "She's a fire elemental, just like the old king was." She sighed. "Poor kid. She obviously doesn't want to be Queen. She never even gets a choice."

He grimaced. "I'd switch places with her in a seconds."

She suddenly gasped, touching her index finger to her nose. "That's it!" she exclaimed before running off.

Damian stared after her before groaning. "I will never understand how women function," he grumbled.

OoOoOo

Back in his room, Damian knocked on Celeste's door. "Celeste, we need to get going," he called to her. "It's almost sundown. We're leaving soon." No answer. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Celeste?"

He bent down to open the door made for Liberty, peeking through it. Her room was empty. "Shit!" he hissed.

"Prince Damian?"

Damian's eyes went wide as he looked up to meet the eyes of a guard. "Can I help you?" he asked coolly, playing the part of the pompous prince.

"Queen Diana wants to see you alone, Prince Damian," the guard told him. He sighed in relief at that. What a disaster it would have been if she has asked for both of them.

He nodded. "Of course. Lead the way."

OoOoOo

Raven hopped through the trees, careful to not be seen by any guards. She had a cloaking spell on, but that didn't make her invisible. She knew what she had to do. She had to take out the targets herself, even if it killed her.

Once she was out of the woods - literally - she soared up to the roof of the castle. Being right above the wild waved of the river made her nervous, but she had to press on.

After all, it was her heart for Azarath.

OoOoOo

Damian opened the throne room door carefully. "You wanted to see me?" he asked her. His father was no where in sight, which may have been a good thing or a bad thing, he wasn't sure.

Diana - tall, regal, and beautiful as always - turned and smiled brightly at him. "Come in, Damian," she beckoned.

He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and slowly approaching her.  He bowed. "My Queen," he greeted formally. Though he often referred to her as "Mother," he rarely did it in her presence. It was almost never just the two of them and he never knew how people would react.

She gave him a stern look. "Damian, there are no need for formalities. When we're alone, just Diana is fine." Her eyes seemed to be pleading for something else, but he didn't catch it.

Damian rose from his bow. "Of course."

Diana sighed. "Damian, I know I'm not your biological mother," she admitted. "but I want you to know that I love you just as much as I love Celeste. Despite what others may think, you are just as much my son as she is my daughter."

Damian actually blushed. "I... have always considered you my mother," he confessed. 

She beamed at him. "That makes me very happy." She took out a scroll and handed it to him. "I've explained almost everything here. Hopefully, you'll understand our actions one day."

He looked up at her. "You mean that you're sending us away because the Azarathians are going to kill you and Father."

Diana looked at him sadly, placing her hands on his shoulders. "War is full on uncertainty," she explained.

Damian knew this, of course, but it didn't make things any easier. "Why can't you do something about it?" he asked. "Why not just make peace with them?"

She sighed. "It's not that simple," she told him softly.

He gently pulled away from her. "It seems that simple to me," he retorted. "No one wants to lose their people. Why can't everyone just agree to stop fighting?"

Diana took his chin in her hand. "There are centuries of history," she reminded him. "Generations of wrongs and crimes on both sides." She lowered her head. "You must see that no side is completely innocent. Even I have had my share fair of wrongs.

"My son, I have done terrible things. At the time, I was completely convinced they were necessary. Now, I'm not sure. But I do know that there is a price to pay for the decisions I have made."

"There must be a way to fix things," insisted Damian.

She shook her head. "It's too late. No one can change the past."

"But your the Queen," he pointed out. "You have all the power!"

Diana chuckled. "I thought that when my mother was Queen," she told him. "but it's actually the opposite. A child has much more freedom than a queen."

Damian clutched the letter in his hand. "I shall return and give this back to you this weekend," he promised.

She smiled sadly, tears welling in her eyes. "Take care of your sister." She turned away from him. He stared at her for a moment before turning to exit the throne room.

As he was leaving, Diana approached him. She looked down at him, her eyes softer than he'd ever seen. Without warning, he lunged himself into her arms, enclosing his arms around her middle. She returned the hug tightly, running her fingers through his hair.

A single tear ran down Diana's face as Damian nestled into the crook of her neck. This might have been the last time she'd ever get to hold her son.

OoOoOo

Raven was able to sneak onto the castle roof without being seen. She took a minute to catch her breath before looking out to the horizon, glaring slightly. "You're wrong about me," she said firmly. "I can do this."

She pulled her hood over her head. "I will do this." She entered the castle swiftly, she didn't have a minute to lose.

OoOoOo

As Damian walked through the long corridors, he had the odd feeling someone was following him. Thinking it was his sister, he kept walking with a smirk on his face. "Well, here I am, all alone," he drawled sarcastically. "I do hope no one sneaks up on me."

OoOoOo

Raven followed him quietly, her magic at the ready. She wasn't sure if this was her target or not, but she couldn't take any chances. She had to complete her mission. Just a little further, a bit closer-

OoOoOo

Damian turned around, the smirk still on his face. "You know stealth isn't your-" He stopped when he saw who he was dealing with. Despite what he had previously thought, it wasn't his sister.

No, it was a girl. She couldn't have been that much older than him- about a year or so. But she didn't look like any girl he had ever seen. This much was clear when she took off her hood.

While he was firm in the fact that his mother and sister were the most beautiful in all the kingdoms, this girl was a close second. With her pale - almost gray - skin, jet black hair, and amethyst eyes.

It was by these eyes that he could tell she was an Azarathian.

Damian kept a straight face, but on the inside he could feel his panic rising. She was here, probably to kill Diana and maybe his father. He couldn't let that happen. "You're Azarathian," he stated.

Raven matched his indifference. "And you're human," she said back. She stared at him, trying to get a read on him. He was definitely nervous... Could this be one of her targets? It was definitely possible.

He took a stance. "I hope you don't think you're killing the Queen."

She mimicked him, her hands glowing with violet magic. "I hope you don't think you're going to stop me."

Damian studied her, cursing himself for forgetting his sword. Because of this, he was definitely at a disadvantage. "I guess we're both out of luck, then."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to die, you know," she pointed out. If they weren't sworn enemies, she would have been fascinated by him. Was he truly willing to die for his queen? "You just have to lead me to who I'm looking for. That's all."

He needed to lead her away from the main castle and pray to whatever god was out there that Celeste wasn't in the outer areas. "You'll have to catch me first." With that, he took off running.

She cursed to herself, chasing after him. In all honesty, she should have seen that coming. As she trailed after him, Raven had to admit that he was fast. Very fast. She was almost struggling to keep up.

Almost.

As Damian started onto the bridge, he caught sight of two guards. "She's Azarathian!" he warned as he ran past them. "Stop her!"

The guards sheathed their swords in acknowledgement, only to be flung to the side by the Azarathian's magic. He rolled his eyes as he began to run again. Fools.

Damian sprinted up the spiral stairway to the adviser's office. "Slade!" he called. "Rose! Anyone!" As he burst through the door, he made a fatal calculation and tripped, skidding into a table.

Raven approached him. "You don't have to die," she repeated. "There are only three targets tonight."

His eyes widened slightly. "Three?" he parroted. He had assumed that Diana and his father were the only two. Who could the third...? He gaped in realization. Oh no... The other target was Celeste. They were here to kill his little sister!

"I'm here for the King and Queen," Raven told him. "And I'm also here for their only heir."

Not as long as he was still breathing.

Damian looked at her, disgusted. "Why harm an innocent child?" he spat. "Why hurt someone who's done nothing to you?"

She glared at him venomously. "Humans cut down the King of the Dragons and destroyed his only egg, the Dragon Prince!" she shouted at him. She held out her still-glowing hand. "Justice will not be denied."

He looked up at her for a moment, then nodded. "I see," he accepted. While he understood why the Azarathians seemed to be so upset, he wasn't about to let harm come to his sister. "I suppose you've found me, then."

He closed his eyes before opening them again. "I am Prince Damian, son and only heir of Queen Diana and King Bruce of Themyscira."

Raven nodded. "Very well," she accepted, approaching him.

Damian inched away, backing up until his back hit the wall. He was looking for a way out of this, so that he could find his sister and get as far away from the assassin as possible, but he found nothing.

At least if he had to die, he would do it for the person he loved most in the world.

"I'm sorry," Raven apologized, eyes shining with regret. "Believe me, if there was another way, I would take it. I don't want to kill you, but I have to."

"Why?" asked Damian, obviously stalling. "You must have a moral compass. You must know that this is wrong."

"An assassin doesn't decide right and wrong," she responded. "Only life and death."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Clever," he commented. "But how will this solve anything?"

"This is justice!" seethed Raven. She was losing her patience. She had to end this, listening to her heart was what got her in this mess in the first place. "Humans attacked us, unprovoked!"

"So it's alright for you to do the same thing?" Damian questioned.

She relented a bit. "Well... no," she admitted. "But it's not the same thing. Because we're attacking you, provoked."

"But then the cycle never ends," he retorted. "Do you think the kingdom will take losing their prince lightly? No. If I die, someone will decide to get revenge on your people. It will never end."

"Damian. Psst, Damian!"

No. Dear god, not now. He and the Azarathian turned to a large painting hanging on the wall where a very familiar female voice was calling him. "Go away," he growled to it.

"I found something," she whispered back.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking to that painting?" she asked, wondering if being so close to death had driven him insane.

Damian struggled to keep his face impassive. "Why would I do that when it's clearly not a good time!"

...

"You mean because you're with a girl?"

Jesus fucking Christ.

Without taking her eyes off him, Raven moved towards the painting before forcing it open, revealing Celeste with Liberty in one hand and a pastry in the other. She looked between them nervously. "Uh... want one?" she offered to the assassin.

"Kid, get out of here," Damian shooed, hoping his sister would get the message.

She looked up at him with those big blue eyes of hers. "What's going on, big brother?" she asked innocently.

The pieces started to fit in Raven's head as she looked between them. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, clenching her fists. "Amazons don't give birth to boys! You're not the heir, she is! You lied to me!"

"And somehow, that's worse then trying to kill the royal family?"

Celeste bit her lip. "You should be careful, you know," she warned the older girl.

"And why is that?" asked Raven.

She held out her cat. "Liberty doesn't like strangers." Without warning, Liberty lunged herself at the Azarathian and clawed at her face, causing her to stumble back. She turned to her brother. "Damian, follow me! I have to show you something!"

No one needed to tell him twice. Damian jumped into the portrait hole and Celeste closed it behind them.

OoOoOo

The two siblings raced through the catacombs, trying to keep a safe distance between them and the Azarathian (the cat had somehow managed to catch up to them, but he didn't dwell on it). "You're only making this worse!" she called to them.

"Really?" huffed Damian sarcastically. "How so?"

"This way!" Celeste directed them, taking a right at a fork.

They came to a stone wall. "We're trapped," stated Damian in disbelief. "What now, oh-so clever sister of mine?"

She glared at him. "Instead of griping at me all the time, why don't you just trust me for once?" she snapped. She turned to face the wall without another word to him.

She must have still been mad at him from earlier. Go figure.

Celeste began pressing on the different stones and rocks. "Rock, rock, stone, rock, stone, stone, stone, rock, stone, rock, rock-"

Damian squinted at her. "How can you even tell them apart?" he asked incredulously.

She stopped and glared at him again. "Ugh!" she groaned. "You made me press rock instead of stone!" She turned around and began again. "Rock, rock, stone, rock, stone, stone, stone, rock, stone, rock, rock, stone, stone, rock, stone!" She grinned in victory as a spiral staircase began to open up in front of them.

"Whoa..." he whispered.

Celeste - still grinning - ran down the stairs. "Come on!" she beckoned him. He quickly followed after her. Once they were down there, she pulled on a statue and the staircase disappeared. "Yes!"

Damian looked at her. "And you're positive that she won't be able to follow us?" he asked.

She nodded. "It took me over three weeks to learn that sequence!" she told him. Just as she said that, the staircase came down towards them again, the Azarathian at the very bottom stair. "How did you-?"

Raven smirked. "I just pressed all the stones with the jelly hand prints," she told her.

Celeste face palmed at her own stupidity.

Raven approached them, looking around at the different objects curiously. There were jars and jars of different thing. Some of these things were animals, living creatures! How could someone be so cruel?

"What is this place?" she demanded. "Azar was right, there's nothing in humans worth sparing! Time's up. Human's destroyed the egg of the Dragon Prince, there must be justice."

Damian stepped in front of his sister. "You'll have to get through me," he spat. No one was laying a finger on his sister while he was around.

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Whatever it takes."

"Wait!" exclaimed Celeste. "You need to see something!"

She snarled. "I'm not falling for that trick again!"

"There's no trick this time!" Celeste assured her. She pointed behind her to a cloaked object. "Please, look."

Raven supposed that since these were the girl's final moments, she could at least grant her last wish. "Fine," she accepted. "You uncover it. Slowly."

The princess nodded, moving to remove the sheet from the object. "I can hear something inside it. Something alive." Once she finally yanked it off, revealing a large, glowing, blue egg sitting on a stand.

Raven gasped. "It can't be..."

"The egg," said Damian in shock. "It wasn't destroyed."