//------------------------------//
// Cat and Mouse 
// Story: Searching for Six Ponies (And Discord if I Feel Like It) 
// by Coltsguy 
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As it turned out, our game of tag was basically a full contact sport.

That was plenty evident when as soon as I was in range, Beast Boy morphed from the pterodactyl he was using to fly straight to a big-ass gorilla to bash me. I jumped back to avoid the overhead smash and instantly started to regret this course of action. I barely had the time to react to an ebony-encased trash dumpster flying in from my side. I threw up a slender half-shield and managed to block it. I then dropped the shield and teleported back about a tenth of a mile from the action.

"Dude!" cried Beast Boy. "How are we supposed to catch him if he keeps teleporting all over the place?"

"You're not supposed to catch me!" I yelled back. "This is tag and the Titans are it!"

I emphasized that point by turning around and running like I was trying to put out a fire with the wind speed.

"He wants to play tag," I heard Robin say, "then let's all tag him for real."

'Not really your best one liner, Robin.'

I looked up into the night sky and, using that for reference, I teleported up to the roof of a building. I then ran from one end to the other and prepared an illusion spell. The second I saw one of them crest over the edge, I let it fly. In retrospect, it was more perfect that it was Starfire carrying up Cyborg. I intentionally made it miss them and hit the side of the roof. It then made almost the entire roof look like it was on fire. It made a brilliant contrast to the time of day, despite the full moon that was out. I then decided to say something I've always wanted to say.

"The roof! The roof! The roof is on FIRE!!!"

I actually heard Cyborg laugh and he actually kept it going.

"We don't need no water! Let that mother burn!"

That was as far as he got before Starfire let out a loud gasp.

"Cyborg! Why would you wish to let an innocent person stay on fire?"

I laughed as he tried to explain it to Starfire. However, I decided to wave it off, so to speak. By that, I mean that I dissipated the illusion before things got out of hand.

"Don't worry. The fire wasn't even real."

I then snapped my fingers. Soon after that, a pair of dish tubs landed on each of their heads.

"That, however, was very real."

I didn't get the time to laugh as I quickly felt myself get tied up. I looked down to see Robin's grapple gun had tied itself around me. I almost teleported away, but realized that it may take Robin along with me and I wasn't exactly sure where that would leave him.

Instead of doing that, I tried a shield spell. I threw up a half-dome shield in the direction that the rope came from and, to my satisfaction, it cut straight through the rope. It had the unfortunate side effect of dropping Robin halfway up from his ascent. He was saved from a nasty fall from Ryouga catching him in a leaping maneuver.

I took the opportunity to teleport away from the scene. As I thought, the rope tagged along for the ride. I tried powering out of the rope and only halfway succeeded. It didn't break like I wanted, but it loosened up enough to get it off of me. Once the rope was off, I teleported one roof over to keep up some distance.

Too bad that all it did was bring me closer to an awaiting Raven.

"You have some odd power that overcame my own powers. How did you do that?" she asked impatiently.

"It's chaos magic," I answered truthfully. "You have to take it in stride. Think of it as a life lesson. I had to. Chaos and harmony are two sides of the same coin. You can always use one to counter the other."

"My magic isn't like that."

"Just because it's demonic in origin doesn't mean it isn't formed logically," I countered.

"How do you know about that?" she asked in an almost frantic manner.

"Geez, lighten up Raven. Here, I'll help."

I snapped my fingers. Her outfit was instantly transformed into a full-length, strapless black dress. The sequins that adorned it shone brilliantly in the moonlight. She simply cocked an eyebrow.

"How is this supposed to lighten me up?"

"Well, you can ask Ryouga to rip it off of you later," I said and waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

I watched as her face lit up in a brilliant crimson in the moonlight. At the same time, I heard a loud thump behind me and spun around to see said martial artist faceplanting on the roof. Next to him was an angry bird named Robin and a barely containing his laughter Beast Boy. Not too far behind them were Cyborg and Starfire. I was a bit surprised that I hadn't seen Terra yet. Did they leave her behind?

"Will you stop playing around and give us answers!" yelled Robin.

"Nnnnnope," I said and grinned.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!"

I had no idea what Raven was doing, but I knew if she was chanting her words of power, then I needed to GTFO! I turned on my teleportation and fled to the streets below. I briefly looked at my coin to check my bearings and turned to the correct heading.

Unfortunately, I was rooted to the spot by a cavalcade of rocks at my feet. I guess that they had Terra covering the ground level. Although, I was under the impression that she was sticking with Ryouga right now. In fact, I thought that as of the last update I had read online that the Titans were off-world headed to Tamaran for that botched takeover by Blackfire and that Terra and Ryouga were out in the woods for a trip with some kids. Then again, just like Rebel Against the Night was in the future, this might be in the future in this fic as well. Oh, wait, this was right about the time that the video of Jinx defeating Killer Croc was making it's rounds. I bet that was the origin of the laughter with Supergirl, Mousse, and Shampoo back on the Watchtower.

I shook my head hard. That wasn't the time to be thinking this through. I looked around to see if I could find Terra. I took too long, it seemed, as I felt an open palmed smack on the back of my head. I was then somehow turned around right into the face of a glaring Terra.

"Hey! I asked if you are going to surrender now! Well?"

You know, seeing her in the show was one thing, but seeing her in person was another. On television, she looked as skinny as a rail. In real life, while not much different, you could see the structure of her person as more than just skin and bones, She had actual muscle tone hidden away in that stick figure. Not to mention that she had some really nice almost ice blue eyes.

I managed to think all of that in the course of a couple of seconds. Then, I reacted by grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her into a hug. As she struggled a little, I spoke to her in a calm voice.

"No matter what anyone else says, you are a hero. You may have lost your way, but you found your way back. Just don't go all googly-eyed for Ryouga. He's got a crush on Raven."

Something sappy with something corny. It did quell her, though, so yay for that. I then teleported down the road a ways with her in my arms. After that, I let her go when I realized that my feet had gotten free as well.

"Now, I have to go help my friend who also needs help to find her way back," I said to her while she was still looking dumbfounded. "Go ahead and follow me there if you want," I said and ruffled her hair.

I then looked up and teleported back to the rooftops. It was a brief respite with Terra that I think she might have needed. Who knows though? She might already have what she needs with Ryouga and Beast Boy giving her the support she needs.

I looked down at my watch and noticed that it had been about eight and a half minutes since Mousse took off without me. I decided that he had enough of a head start and picked up my own pace. However, not before checking my heading again and waiting for one of the Titans to get within earshot so that they knew where I was heading.

After a few more seconds, Starfire was the first one to show up carrying Ryouga in her arms. I wasn't sure why, but then again I didn't really need to know that badly.

"You all need to hurry up if you want to catch me you know!"

I saw them advance on my position and tried to hurry out my next words.

"If you lose me, I'm just headed in that direction!" I yelled while pointing where the coin had led me.

In a blinding fit of speed, Ryouga actually closed the distance enough to almost get me as I barely managed to teleport away by a few hair's breadth. I had only ended up teleporting one rooftop away because of the scare that had given me. I hadn't put up my shield and I had no idea how much power he could really put into one of his punches. His Bakusai Tenketsu technique could destroy boulders with a mere poke. I didn't want to find out if my enhanced durability was that enhanced.

I was about to teleport away again, when Starfire started to hurl her starbolts at me from above the other rooftop. Feeling playful again, I started hurling magical orbs at her starbolts. I wasn't sure if they would overpower the starbolts or not. However, my goal was attained when each of the two contacted and detonated each other.

After not stopping with her attack, I knew that she was keeping it up so that the others could swarm my position. I knew then that I should have kept teleporting away instead of matching her in order to keep the building intact. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Ryouga jump over the long gap between the two buildings and land on the one I was defending while rolling to even out the force. That was pretty cool. On the other side of my vision, I could see Robin jumping up over the edge of the building to land on the roof as well, and even though I couldn't see any of the others, I could tell that they were probably surrounding me as well.

As if on cue, Starfire's attack ceased. I finished intercepting all of the attacks that she had throw and tensed up for an oncoming assault. I looked around and, sure enough, everyone except for Terra was now surrounding me. I decided to bring up a shield in this instance instead of teleporting away. It was more to the point that I was worried that they would try something that I couldn't avoid even by teleporting.

"We have you surrounded! Give up now!" yelled Robin.

"For what reason? All I've been doing is running away from you guys. I haven't even committed a single crime yet."

"Titans Tower is technically a privately owned property. We can charge you with trespassing," Robin said smugly.

"That is lame and you know it," I replied.

"We can also get you charged with accosting Raven," he said with a smirk.

"What? You mean for changing her outfit? You ought to arrest her for grand theft sexy."

I heard Beast Boy and Cyborg chuckle a little at that. I also think I saw Ryouga grumble a bit at that.

"Besides, I can claim self-defense on that easily."

I decided that this was getting a little too lengthy. I gathered up some magic and cast an illusion spell over my shield spell to throw them off of my trail. It was then that I think I noticed for the first time that my spells weakened when casting other spells. I flat out couldn't cast my illusion spell together with my invisibility spell, but I thought that it was because the two were incompatible somehow. It seemed that drawing out magic to fuel other spells actually weakened the spell that I was currently using.

I was just glad that the illusion was in place since my appearance was of sheer, dumbfounded confusion.

"That doesn't matter. We want answers and you are going to give them to us!" Ryouga suddenly yelled out.

"Oh come on," I said casually while judging my next teleportation. "That sounds more like you threatening me than trying to do the right thing here."

"We're only using force because of your evasive behavior," answered Robin. "If you would just give us some answers, then we can talk things out."

The diplomatic route eh? Normally, I'd be all for this. However, I'm too concerned over how far away Mousse is and what condition Rainbow Dash might be in to do this right now. Though, making them come along this way could be helpful. Or harmful too, I suppose.

I shook my head to clear those thoughts away. They were just distracting me.

"Like I said to Ryouga," I said while energizing my teleport spell, "I'm just headed in the one direction right now. That's where the coin is pointing, so that's where I need to head right now."

Whatever came next, I didn't hear it. I took that moment to teleport a good distance away from them on the street level. I knew I had to make good time because I was willing to bet that Mousse was really hoofing it in the direction I told him to go.

I then had a thought occur to me. If Cyborg had taken to the rooftops to go after me, then what happened to his T-Car? I memorized where I was right then and teleported all the way back to where I had originally waited for them. Sure enough, sitting not too far from that spot was the T-Car. I grinned manically knowing that I was probably going to have to come up with an excuse as to how I was in the car when they spotted me.

I walked over to the car and teleported both the car and myself back to the place from before. I then tried to open the door and, to my surprise, it was unlocked. I then got in, closed the door, and put on my seat belt because that is driving basics. After checking the mirrors I went to start up the vehicle only to remember that this isn't my car so I don't have the keys.

Well, I thought that might be the case so I came prepared...with MAGIC!!! A quick snap of my fingers and she was purring like a kitten. Wait, that was actual purring. I looked to the passengers seat and sitting there was mountain lion. Yeah, it was a freaking mountain lion. It was just sitting there staring at me. After a few tense moments of staring, I managed to snap my fingers and make it...

Well, it turned into a normal house cat, but that was a big improvement over a freaking mountain lion. I watched as it got up and jumped into the back seat...

And straight into the waiting arms of Terra.

"I'm just borrowing the car," I said haphazardly.

"Sure you are," she deadpanned back at me.

"Well, since you're here too, then I guess you'll be coming along for the ride. Make sure you buckle up."

As she actually did as she was told, I snapped my fingers and this time managed to make the car start. After checking the parking brake and all the mirrors again, I shifted into gear and we were on our way.

"So... since we're taking a trip together, will you tell me why you're doing whatever you're doing?" asked Terra.

I sighed before answering her.

"I guess that's fine. Basically, I'm from a different universe and I'm tracking down my friend who's also from a different universe. A bunch of crazy stuff happened and she, her five friends, and the being who caused it have all been flung into other different universes. Now, I'm going from one to the next in order to bring them all back. She is number five on my stops. I don't know exactly where she is, but the coin hanging around my neck points me in the direction I can find her."

She looked at me a few moments before responding.

"You know, if you had just said that in the first place, then we would have helped you instead of trying to catch you for some answers."

I let out a long sigh.

"Yeah, I know. I was just getting tired of explaining it to everyone I came across today. It can get very annoying to have to say the same thing to everyone you come across. I agree that-"

"Who jacked my ride!?!" I head an angry Cyborg yell.

"I just borrowed it! Lighten up man! I'll give it back when I get there," I said to the disembodied voice.

"Well, now you committed grand theft auto," I heard Robin say. "Now you are a criminal."

"Oh please. If I was doing something wrong, then Terra would have stopped me by now. Instead, she's sitting calmly in the backseat petting the kitty," I said while lacing that with as much innuendo as possible.

"WHAT!?!?!?!" I heard in stereo.

"Don't worry," I said while suppressing the urge to burst into laughter, "it's not a mountain lion anymore. Now it's just a harmless house cat."

I heard Terra start to laugh in the backseat and I soon followed suit. It was stopped by the sound of a thunk on the roof of the car. I looked on as somehow Mousse stuck his head on the driver's side window. As I rolled it down, I noticed the look on Mousse's face.

"Sorry Mousse, it took a little longer with the Titans than I thought it would," I said apologetically.

"That isn't what this is about. I believe I found your friend."

"That's great!" I exclaimed.

The look on Mousse's face soured at that.

"I'm afraid she's in trouble."