Raven's Eyes

Raining Dreams

A/N: Eh. I'm back again. Writing this little Teen Titans mini-fic (it'll be 3-4 chapters, max) for some guy at my mum's work... he has restored my faith in growing up. You see, not ALL adults are mature stiffs. Some are neat and still watch cartoons and read fanfiction. Yeah. That'll be me in another 20 years. Anywho. I'll start writing now. For the record, I'm using references about Rae's past from BOTH the animated series and the old, original DC comic.

Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own Teen Titans. DC Comics and Cartoon Network do. But mark my words, I will own the rights to EVERYTHING someday, Teen Titans included! BWAHA-hack-HA!

Chapter One:

Age Five

Rachel Roth stared out at her surroundings with curious blue eyes. She held her mother's hand, a new, dark violet dress swinging around her ankles. She glanced up, frowning.

"What's wrong, mommy?" she inquired. Her mother looked very troubled, but said nothing. They were walking down a long hallway, made of red stone. It was very hot and dark, and Rachel was having a bit of trouble walking. The little girl sighed, looking around. She'd been told she was seeing her father today, but not why. She sighed and quite openly began to pout. She wanted to go home and read one of her picturebooks.

Arella looked down at her child, frowning. "Rachel. Remember, control. You don't feel things. They make bad things happen. Remember what happened last time?" Rachel took a deep breath, trying to expell any emotion from her small form. A difficult task when you're five. She had seen her father, the demon Trigon, a few times in the past, and had never found herself being particularly fond of him. In fact, the last time she'd seen him, he'd made her cross and one of the pillars near him had fallen. He'd gotten angry and sent her away again. She mentally winced at the memory and worked harder to be emotionless. They walked into the open chamber. Her father was sitting on a throne of stone. Three things could be gathered about Trigon at first glance: He was very large, very red, and very intimidating.

"Arella. Daughter." he boomed, surveying them with demonic eyes.

"Trigon." Arella said, sinking into a breif and reluctant curtsey. Rachel mimiked her mother. Arella sighed and released her child's hand, nudging her foward.

"Have you learned to control yourself?" Trigon inquired as Rachel shyly scuffed up. She nodded, the violet ribbon in her black hair bouncing with the force. He continued to look at her. "Yes, you will do nicely." Rachel frowned.

"Do what?" she said, swallowing curiousity. It came out nicely deadpan. Now she had to supress pride over her doing a good job of not showing any emotion. She was met by a faint breeze ruffling her hair. She looked up to see a swirling abyss. Her mouth gaped.

"I hearby claim this child as my heir!" Trigon shouted and the abyss shot a beam of firey light at Rachel's small form. She screamed, and black engulfed her, but was quickly dissapated. "From this moment, she will be known as Raven, Daughter of Trigon, Princess of Azarath!" Rachel, or Raven rather, screamed in terror again. Her blue eyes turned a stunning violet, and her pitch black hair turned a color to match. Unnatural human colors. A sign of demonic parentage. She was lifted off the ground, still screaming her head off.

"Bringer of the Apocolypse!" Trigon bellowed. Arella watched, biting her lip at her child's screams. She should have been expecting all this, but a mother can never prepare for her child's pain. A gash formed in Raven's forehead, and something sparkling came down from the abyss, shoving itself roughly into the gouge, stopping the blood. A red gem. Raven continued to scream even as the pillar faded and placed her gently on the ground. She screamed, falling to her knees, utterly terrified. Things began to fly around her until Arella managed to wrap her arms around her screaming daughter and calm her. Trigon watched smugly.

"So fate has been reinforced." Trigon said, watching as Raven stopped her shreiks, trembling in her mother's arms. The stones and other small debris that had started to fly around fell limply to the ground. She reached a small, abnormally pale hand to her forhead. There wasn't any real sun in Azarath. She took to feeling the gem now embedded into her flesh, like one would if they had just gotten their ears peirced. She felt something sticky around the stone, pulled her hand down to inspect, and whimpered. She was still bleeding.

"Mommy..." she whispered. "Mommy, I want to go home. I'm scared."

"Calm yourself, Rac...Raven. Remeber how you were taught. Deep, cleansing breaths." her mother replied softly, eyes on Trigon. Could they leave? Raven closed her eyes and began to breathe as she was told. Arella watched Trigon for several moments, before scooping her daughter up and starting out with her.

"She is no longer your child, Arella." Trigon said as Arella exited. The woman stopped, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth. "She is my heir, and she shall be dealt with as such." Several moments of silence passed, and Arella stared off again. She walked quickly all the way to the dark and twisted place she and her child called home, placing Raven down on her bed. The little girl was still breathing slowly and deeply.

"Rache..." her mother paused. It would be hard to start calling her by another name. "Raven. Are you still awake?" Raven opened her violet eyes and nodded. "If you are calm, you may stop." The child returned to normal, thoughtless breathing. "Come with me."

Raven got off of her bed and followed her mother into her mother's bedroom. "Look at yourself, Raven. This is the new you." Arella said, watching as her child stood before a tall mirror, inspecting herself. Raven's hand once again flew to the gem, and then she pulled out a lock of purple hair, inspecting. She was silent for several moments.

"Why, mommy? Why do I look like this now?" she inquired. Arella stopped for a moment. How could you explain to a five-year-old that she was to bring the apocolypse to Earth?

"Because, your father wishes it." she said simply. Good enough for now.

"Will I ever change back so I look like you again?"

Arella sighed and shook her head. "I'm afraid not, darling. This is the new forever you." Raven continued to inspect herself. She twirled in the mirror a few times, looking at her hair, eyes, and forehead.

"Mommy... will you read me a story?" she said finally. Arella blinked. No more questions as to why it had happened? No emotional outbursts?

"Yes," she said slowly. "Of course, dearest." Arella took her daughter into her arms, placing her on her bed, selecting a book of fairy tales from the nearby shelf. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful maiden who did battle with a horrible dragon..."

A/N: Bah. That was depressingly short. Oh well. Next chapter will be better. I swear.