Title: Dancing in the Dark

Chapter One: Distance Between Two

The only noise that Angela Roth could hear was the drip, drip, drip of soft sleeting rain dripping down from the gray clouds. Walking through the bustling streets of Jump City, she was just a face in the crowd, one of the people, just a passerby. On the outside, she looked calm, and tranquil, maybe. But on the inside? She was filled with the anxiety that every mother gets whenever she sees her child for the first time in a long time.

After all, she WAS going to see her child. Her child that was famous across the state for being known as 'The Dark Titan', or the 'Hybrid Girl', or worse, the 'Creepy Titan'. Her child was Raven Roth of the Teen Titans.

Angela, seeing as she was Raven's mother, saw no need to send a letter warning Raven that she was coming. Actually...she didn't even know Raven's real address! She just knew that her daughter lived in a strange letter, a 'T' shaped Tower.

Oh, it had been years since they had been face-to-face, and she wondered what her daughter looked like now. Tall? Short? She wasn't sure, but she knew she would be proud of what her daughter had become.

It was not that she had not wanted to stay away from her daughter, quite the opposite, she had wanted to be close to her, but Azar the spiritual leader of the dimension of Azarath had raised Raven in the temple of Azarath, while Arella was assigned duties in the temple. But then Azar had died and Arella took it upon herself to raise her daughter.

She knew her daughter's distant manner was not intentional, it was a part of her need to control her emotions. Still, it troubled her very much. Angela hoped for the best when she saw her again.

Angela Roth, known to some as Arella, kept her gaze ahead of her, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. she was too anxious to worry about the onlookers who raised their eyebrows, apparently, she resembled her daughter for she heard the word, "Raven" as she passed by a group of people loitering outside a pizza parlor.

She continued walking looking for this "T" that her daughter lived in. Angela knew this was a bittersweet reunion to her, for although Raven was her daughter, and although she loved her dearly she had not been born under the best of circumstances.

"Azarath...Metrion...Zinthos...Azarath...Metrion...Zinthos..." Raven repeated over and over in a chant as she 'attempted' to meditate. But, as usual, a pair of large, forest-green eyes popped into her head, and she was forced to break away from reaching her peace within.

Opening an eye just a crack, she groaned upon seeing Beast Boy's face in hers. "Rae!" he cried. "You're awake! Good. Now I can ask you what I WANTED to ask you." He pulled away, wearing a nervous, but large, grin.

"Which isss...?" Raven asked annoyedly, pulling her hood up.

"Can you be referee?" Beast Boy asked sweetly, holding up the black and white-striped cloak. Raven glared, rubbing her temples, and Beast Boy continued: "Pleeeease? We really need you! Only YOU can count and not get bored fast!"

"Why not Robin?"

"...Because he always walks off in the middle, claiming he needs more Slade research. And don't even get me STARTED on Starfire!" He gave a smug grin, and Raven rolled her eyes.

"The answer," she said. "Is a flat no."

"...WHY?" He threw himself at her feet,shaking her. "We need you, Raven! Pleeeease?"

"No."

"Rae, come on-" Beast Boy persisted.

"Don't call me Rae," Raven snapped. "Just leave me alone, Beast Boy." Beast Boy sullenly walked away.

"And I asked nicely too," he muttered under his breath, tossing the black and white striped cloak aside. Morphing into a bird, he flew across the water. 'What is her problem?' he thought. He spotted a young woman, early to mid-thirties staring out over the water on the other side of the bay. He swooped down and landed beside her, changing back.

"Hello." The woman jumped and let out a scream. Whirling around to face him, Beast Boy stared at her in thought. It couldn't be. He was seeing things. It was impossible.

Her violet, shoulder length hair, gleamed in the sunlight. Her eyes, also violet held a serene, with a somewhat sad look in them. He looked into their violet pools and tried to think of something to say, but found nothing.

"I'm sorry," the woman apologized, trying to calm her nerves.. "I didn't see you there and you startled me."

"Oh, I didn't mean to scare you." He was still staring, until he realized what he was doing, and regained his composure, smiling slightly. "You new around here?"

"As a matter of fact...yes. I'm looking for my daughter. Can you tell me where I can find..." Arella dug into her pocket, pulling out a scrap of notebook paper, and reading an address off of it. "Teetuns Tower?"

"TITANS TOWER?" BB cried, eyes bugging out of his head. "U-Uh yeah, sure. Why?"

"My daughter lives there," Arella told him, smiling proudly.

"...Oh my..." Putting two and two together, he realized that this...had to be...Raven's mother. And her mother pretty, no she was hott! Now he knew why he was attracted to Raven, her looks came from her mother.It was obvious at first glance, but now...now it was just overwhelming...The green teen rubbed the back of his neck. "It's...here, I'll show you." He added, "I live there, too."

Arella went rigid. "You WHAT?"

Bb turned around. "I said, I live there too...something wrong?"

"My daughter...lives with...MEN?" Arella shrieked, dropping the scrap of notebook paper.

"...Uhh..." He flushed. "H-Here, lemme lead the way..."

"I think I'm gonna die," Arella muttered under her breath. Beast Boy gave her a look.

'I wonder what her problem is', Beast Boy asked. 'Why's she so surprised that Raven lives with guys?' He began leading Raven's mother to a ferry that would take them both over to Titans Tower. He wasn't sure that he wanted to fly her over because he didn't want to startle her anyway.

Arella gazed straight ahead at the giant T that was moving closer and closer. After all this time of being away, she felt more than ever the separation a mother feels when she has not seen her child for a long time. She had wanted to visit her on her birthday, but she felt that would have made it worse.

She knew about the Prophecy, she knew more than she let on. She knew what Raven's destiny was, and she would do whatever she could to stop it.That was why she was here, that was why she came.

Quick Sticky: If you can guess who we are without clicking on the profile?