A/N: Here I am, with another story. I'd like to apologize to everyone for not updating Betrayed Apprentice in a long time, but I'm kinda stuck at a point there. Don't worry; I'm trying to overcome that obstacle. In the meantime…this is an idea I've had for a couple of days now…so, the summary said all I wanted you to know. Enjoy and review.
Disclaimer: Not…own…Teen…Titans…
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"Raven….I've been waiting for you,"
"You're the best thing that's happened to me in a thousand years,"
"You are dark, and darkness is often misunderstood, but I feel like I understand you,"
"I truly appreciate all that you're doing for me Raven,"
"True, the spells I've taught you are very powerful. There are those who fear power, so they call it dark. But for people like us such distinctions do not exist. Without these spells we can never truly be together. Enchanted pages, or no, I'm still trapped within this book…and you are still alone. Is that what you want Raven? To be alone?"
"My sweet Raven…it's time,"
"Oh, dear, you're not going to cry, now are you? I know it hurts, but you'll just have to accept the truth. It's over! I got what I wanted, and I don't need you anymore!"
His words still echoed in her mind. They were like poisoned daggers, piercing her heart, tearing it apart. Her only hope of being accepted, of being loved turned out to be nothing more than lies and deceit. She was glad to lock that book away, with its imprisoned creature, but somehow she still wished it could be different.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
"Raven? It's me," Raven easily recognized Beast Boy's voice. To her surprise, it was much more serious than she'd ever heard. "Look…I'm sorry,"
This confused the pale girl. Of all the things she'd thought he would say…of all the possible things he could say…this was something she'd never expected. She almost instinctively moved closer to the door. She knew her voice would be too weak, her chest still filled with pain.
"For what? You're not the one who…," she couldn't finish the sentence. There was too much guilt hidden in the ending. She was the one to blame, the one foolish enough to fall for Malchior's trap.
"No. I'm sorry that…he broke your heart," Raven knew that he was sincere this time. No pranks, no jokes. He truly meant each and every word he said. And this seemed to renew the torment in her shattered soul.
"I know it was all a lie. But he was the only person who ever made me feel like I wasn't…creepy. And don't try to tell me I'm not," her voice was missing its usual edge, its hidden strength. She felt ashamed, that she could be so weak.
"OK, fine. You're way creepy. But that doesn't mean you have to stay locked in your room…You think you're alone Raven. But you're not,"
This made Raven think (one of the few times Beast Boy's words made her seriously think). Perhaps he was right. Her room, her sanctuary that had always protected her from the outside world was too empty for her at that moment. She wanted to make sure he was right. So she pushed a button and the door slid away, revealing a young, green boy standing in front of her. And as if commanded by a higher power she stepped forward and tightly hugged him. She felt his body tense as the changeling was shocked by her sudden display of affection. But he soon eased up and hugged her as well, though not as tightly. After a few moments they both let go.
"Thank you," Raven whispered as she brushed a few strands of her purple hair away from her face. She didn't look into the boy's eyes, not sure she wanted to see his expression. But in her own way, she was grateful he was there for her.
"You're welcome," he said in a much happier, friendly voice. "Remember, if you need anything, just talk to any of us. We're your friends, Raven!" and with this said, he walked away.
Raven watched him walk down the dark hallway and as he disappeared behind the corner she went back to her room, a plan already forming in her mind. But she would need to consult it first.
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"RAE!!" the girl in the bright pink cloak squealed as she saw her unexpected visitor. Immediately she rushed towards her and embraced her so strongly, the poor visitor almost felt her bones crushed.
"Hi, Happy!" was all Raven could say to the overzealous emotion. Finally she managed to break free of the pink Raven's suffocating hug.
"It's so awesome you've come! I gotta show you how I've redecorated my realm, now that Malchior's gone! I've even removed that huge poster of the wizard you thought was Malchior, but instead turned out to be Rorek and I've repainted the sky and…" Happy's mouth was sealed shut by Raven's palm. Beside the fact, that mentioning Malchior's name still hurt her, she was in no mood to talk to the second most despised side of her personality.
"I need to see Intelligence!" Raven said calmly. Happy just nodded and grinned.
"Alright Rae. But be sure to come back here once you're finished talking with them! I wanna show you some new kinds of pink butterflies I've created!" she yelled after the leaving Titan.
"Yeah, right," Raven remarked in her monotone as she flew towards her destination. It didn't take her long to finally see the rock island floating in the darkness where she was headed to. It was one of the easiest places to find, as there were huge stacks of books on it and a lone figure wandering around, picking up books randomly, flipping through some pages, then moving on to the next book.
"Hey there…doing some research?" Raven asked as she landed. The figure dressed in a yellow cloak turned around and adjusted her glasses. The look of her eyes was much more mature than her physical appearance.
"Just the usual categorizing of thoughts and memories," the figure answered as she put the book she was holding down on a pile of opened books. "I understand there's something you wish to discuss with me,"
"Yes. I want to know if it's possible for one of YOU to come to surface for one day at a time, with me regaining control of my body at the day's end?"
The question surprised Intelligence, but not for long. "Why would you want that?" she asked.
"You already know the answer," Raven replied in a serious tone. Intelligence nodded and walked over to a pile of thick books. She picked up some of them and sat down on the ground. Using her powers she opened them all with a wave of her hand. She quickly searched for the information required and in less than a minute she seemed to have found what she needed.
"According to this, you should have enough control to let one side of you to take over for extended periods of time, while you would be able to return back to your body whenever you want," Intelligence explained.
"Sounds good,"
"The only problem is, that your conscience can't perceive the world during that time,"
"So, I wouldn't know or remember anything that's happened?" Raven asked.
"Exactly," Intelligence confirmed. "But you know what's going to happen if you do what you're planning to do, don't you?"
"I know. But it's for the best," Raven said sadly.
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"Well, that should do it!" Cyborg said as he welded the door back in its former place. Malchior's rampage managed to 'scar' the tower…his beloved tower, the one he'd built with his own hands. His friends insisted they'd help him repair the damage caused by the ancient dragon, but he'd let them perform only minor tasks. Except for Beast Boy…Cyborg didn't let him do anything…not after making a huge part of the roof collapse, while he was supposed to screw in a light bulb a few days ago. No one figured out how did he do it, and Beast Boy was uncharacteristically silent when asked about it.
"Beast Boy, can I talk to you?" Raven asked the green changeling who was sitting on the couch in the common room, switching through TV channels. He was startled by her silent arrival, but remembering their talk from last day he agreed.
"Sure Raven. What is it?"
"I…can't believe I'm gonna say this, but…I need your help,"
"Really? Cool! What can I help you with, Rae?" he almost exploded with happiness. For a split second Raven almost regretted her choice. But Beast Boy was the one who told her how the entire team saw her in the beginning, so he would be the one who could tell her what she wanted to hear.
"Can you help me be less creepy?"
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A/N: Well, you might've noticed, that I'm using a different set of 'emotions' than most stories. I'll be using the list from Wikipedia, as it seems a lot more logical to me. After all, you couldn't really call knowledge an emotion, right? Anyway, the rest of the story should be a bit more light-hearted. But who knows? Every time I go and try to write something it turns into a totally serious, or angsty story…Figures… Well, what did you think? :)