Disclaimer: When I am rich enough to buy TT I'll let you know…

Chapter 1: Quoth The Raven

Raven waited with baited breath. It had been a long time. Longer than she'd had to wait for anything ever before. Yet it all seemed worth it.

She picked up the mirror she had grown overly fond of recently. Black twisting knaves looked back at her, reflecting her most inner thoughts. Her reflection was just barely visible, demonic amethyst eyes that slowly bled crimson.

A wicked smile shuttered onto her lips, the twisting of the mirror stopped. She pressed a rogue strange of hair behind her ears. It was time.

Drawing up her most sickeningly calm façade Raven dropped the mirror. Its now worthless pieces crashed to the floor. Reflections of a broken soul…

Her steps were light, almost as if she were pure. Yet her heart was stained passed all pain and forgiveness. They deserved punishment, all of them. She was just the one to pass their punishment, their judge in death.

"Raven!" Came a cheery voice. The Tamaranian came into view, smiling as she floated closer. Her green eyes reflected innocence, an innocence that had already caused her too much pain.

"Starfire, may I show you something?" Ravens voice was mockingly sweet. The girl too naive to notice simply shook her head, her flaring red hair swishing slightly. Raven, with hood still up smiled wickedly, none of which Starfire saw.

She turned and headed back down the hall. The patient girl followed, mindlessly chattering all the way. Raven didn't even pretend to listen; it wouldn't matter in a few minutes. Nonetheless she was glad the other titans seemed busy, she would have had a hard time explaining herself.

The two headed down the tower stairs she morning light fading the further down they journeyed. Down and down into the deepest depths, where only old equipment was held. Starfire seemed to get more timid the further down the two went, darkness was not her thing. The slinking shadows did not help and Raven had no taste for pleasant conversation.

"Friend what is it down in this creepy place you must show me?" Starfire hugged herself, the sudden cold raising her orange skin.

"Have you ever heard of The Raven?" The girls voice was empty, a simple question.

"Friend are you not the Raven?" Starfire tilted her head in the most cute of gestures. Raven simply smiled and lowered her hood. They were far enough down no one would hear and it was just about dark enough.

"It is also the name of a bird." Raven gesture to the girls shoulder. She felt a sudden weight and turned to see.

The girl let out a small shriek of surprise, but the raven did not move, its beaded black eyes watched the Tamaranian at an uncomfortably close distance.

"Oh they are not too unpleasant." Starfire pulled up a relieved smile. The way the trip had been going she had feared the worst. She was glad it was only this black 'raven'.

"Indeed, it seems you have made yourself some friends." Ravens smile grew impossibly wide, a gruesome change to her features. Starfire startled at a birdcall. She spun around to greet a mass of birds, all silently sitting on the floor. Most were bathed in shadow.

One started forward, its cry calling to the bird still placed on Starfire's shoulder. Then there was another, and another, and another.

"Raven, may we leave I am most uncomfortable." Starfire edged back slightly as the birds began hopping forward, more shrill cries called out.

"I'm sorry that's not an option for you." The girls voice was cold and almost gleeful. Starfire switched her attention to look at Raven. What was wrong with Raven? In this light she almost seemed…

The bird on her shoulder cried out, louder than the rest. Everything snapped to silence. Death seemed to parade in the air. Raven was eager, while Starfire trembled trying to hide a fear.

Starfire felt something prick on her neck. "Ow!" She yelped a hand flying to her neck. Pulling back she found a frightful red liquid on her fingers. The bird had pecked her. Frantic she attempted to shoo the bird. Its black wings flapped silently as it took flight. It disappeared into the shadows that moved around Starfire.

"Quoth the Raven, Nevermore." Starfire heard Raven hiss, it was like a demonic chant, horrifying in its simplicity. The birds moved forward, one pecked at Starfire's boot, a few took air.

Starfire shrieked watching the birds get nearer. She flung her arms in a madness to keep them back.

A raven sat back on her shoulder; it was the same one as before. Its black eyes greedily watched her neck. Starfire had not noticed, she was consumed by the ravens that had begun spreading blood spots along her legs. She struggled to move back but the birds behind her kept her in place. Sheer terror kept the girl from flying, there was no happiness here.

The bird bit into her neck again and Starfire's cries grew more hoarse. She tried to hit them, but in blind fury her Star bolts were a sloppy miss. They cascaded off hollow walls bring the bird cries to a symphony.

Another raven landed on her opposite shoulder its beak making punctures to her costume. Tears welled and fell from the girl's eyes. Why was her best friend doing this? She did not understand.

Blood dripped from the tears in her clothing now, droplets falling down her orange skin mixing with salty tears. More birds moved in closer as she fell to her knees. Her head was spinning and she worried about feeling so weak, surely it wasn't safe to continue loosing blood.

She felt more stinging until finally her body went numb. There was only the soft caress of more blood spilling down from her neck and arms.

Starfire desperately looked to her friend, had she forsaken her? Raven stood mesmerized at the sight, a wicked grin present. Traces of red easily found in her eyes now that her cape was down.

"Rae?" Starfire's voice had lost its bubbly mixture it was a droning whisper.

"Nevermore…" Raven whispered back, pure delight in her every movement. She stepped back, fading into the shadows.

Starfire was alone now, the tears no longer coming. It seemed inhuman, even to an alien. She could see the ravens, now spread around with glowing red eyes. Strangely they had four red eyes. She let out a breath feeling the scythe of death at her pulse; deep red blood was still flowing from her wounds. It was unnatural for the blood to keep spilling like that.

Starfire remembered Raven, not like how she had just seen her, but as a friend. What had happened to her? Why did she not help her?

With her last thought her mind stopped processing. Her body could not produce enough blood. Ungracefully she fell to the floor, her green eyes open, now coldly watched the shadowed ceiling.

A raven swooping down where the others had vanished. It perched itself on the girls now unmoving chest. Its eyes glowed a demon red before fading to the sullen black.

Its call could be heard echoing the sound of the dead…

A little short, this is my first piece uploaded. It will be four chapters and possibly an epilogue. I hope it seemed eerie enough…

:Bloody Fae: