Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans; everything in or related to Teen Titans belongs entirely to Warner Bros. I'm just using the elements in Teen Titans for a personal non-profit fan fic work so don't sue me or leave me in a room alone with a Rage Raven.
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Teen Titans: "The Forgotten Night"
Author: Namuro
Pairing: Robin & Raven
Episodes Relation: Haunted
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The Forgotten Night
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BOOM…!!
As I lie still on my bed, loud booming of thunder could be heard from outside the windows as rains kept pouring in, blurring the scenery of Jump city.
"How are you feeling today Robin?" Asked Starfire with a concern look in her sparkling emerald eyes from the side of my bed.
"Kind of better." I lied with a straight face to not worry her. "I'll be back on my feet before you know it, so don't worry Star."
"Wonderful! I am glad to hear you are recovering well!" The alien girl jumped up and down with joy.
I wonder how long I was out cold for since the incident, that horrendous incident. The night Slade came back to haunt me from his fiery grave, the night I almost lose my life fighting his phantom. If it wasn't for everyone's help, especially Raven, I wouldn't be here thinking about this now. I don't remember much about what happened back then, but from what Cyborg told me Raven dove into my mind and reasoned with me how Slade wasn't there, that he wasn't real but a product of my fractured mind that can't let go of the villain. Truly, if it wasn't for her, I would have been dead…
"Yawwwn…" Starfire stretched her arms upward with her mouth wide open and a tiny drop of tear seeped out of the corner of her eye as the clock struck midnight.
"It's late; you should get some rest Star." I suggested to the worn out girl. She had been caring for me all day long and I was truly grateful.
"But what of you Robin? What if you are in need of a glass of water to drink or you want to go to the boy's room…" Starfire asked looking even more worried. "Are you certain you are in no need of taking care of?"
"I'll be fine. It's you who could use a good night's rest." I told her with a faint smile.
"…Very well, I shall see you tomorrow then. Good night Robin." She waved goodnight and turned the light off on her way out.
"Goodnight Star." I bid her farewell and closed my eyes.
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I listened to the clock as it sounded 2 am. The loud thunder could still be heard clearly along with the drumming rain that seemed to keep on going forever. I laid awake thinking if whether this has anything to do with that two guys, Thunder and Lightning. But the real reason that kept me wide awake was the aching pain in my whole body, bruises and cuts that were just recently healed still stinging regularly. I tried to ignore the pain and forced myself to sleep under my warm blanket. Suddenly, the door of my room slid open and a shadowy figure slowly approached my bed without a sound. I moved slightly to face the night intruder.
"How are you feeling…?" Said the raspy voice.
"…Raven?" I blinked my eyes trying to see her face better in the dark. "What are you doing up at this hour?"
"…Just checking on you…What's the problem?" She said in a dry voice with her eyes still fixing on mine.
"Uhh…I just…didn't expect you to come see me, especially this late." I replied nervously.
Then as I finished speaking, you started to remove your hood off, revealing the soft violet hair that waved and shined against the moon light. The pale skin that was hidden away most of the time and the big, bright deep blue eyes that seemed to hold many secrets within. You sat down gently on the bed right next to me, though you were so light I couldn't feel the extra weight on my bed. You brushed you thin bangs off your face and turned to look at me once more.
Somehow, I thought you looked quite sad.
"So…How are you feeling?" She repeated the unanswered question.
"Huh? Oh right, I…well…" I stuttered for some reason.
It was a really weird feeling that overcame me. The moment I saw you under the blue moon light with the sad face of a lost little girl who seemed as if she had lost something most precious to her. I was completely mesmerized at the expression you have never shown anyone before. I felt like I want to reach out and comfort you.
"I, I'm better!" I lied for the second time. "No need to worry."
"Robin…" She muttered softly. "How are you feeling?"
When you asked me for the third time as if you saw straight through my lie, suddenly, I felt this warm and peaceful sensation in my chest. It hurt, hurt from all the feelings I kept to myself alone, not telling anyone. Your concern for me, though it wasn't shown through your expression but I could sense it from your voice, was so sincere and heartfelt. I knew then I could be honest with you…
"…Actually, not really…my whole body is still aching…" I answered her as honestly as I can.
"I see…" She nodded lightly. "Robin…I'm sorry."
"Huh? What for?" I raised my eyebrow in puzzle.
"That day, when you were…not yourself. I couldn't do anything; I didn't even believe you…" She said with a sad voice. "You were always there to help me out. But…I couldn't do anything for you then."
"It's okay Raven." I comforted her gently.
"No, it wasn't Robin! You almost died!" She raised her voice, shattering the glass bookcase nearby. "When I entered your body, seeing through your eyes and saw how real Slade was to you. I was shocked…I keep thinking why didn't I believe you sooner. I could have done something. And now…look at you…"
Though it was dark but I could have sworn you looked as if you're about to cry. I've never seen you like that before and it pained me to see it.
"Raven, it wasn't your fault. Beside, you were the one who saved me." I placed my hand on her shoulder gently to show my sincerity. "If you hadn't done what you did, I wouldn't have snapped out of the hallucination in time to realize the truth. Your words kept ringing in my head telling me that Slade wasn't real. I owed you my life." I said with a smile on my face.
"…I see…" She replied monotonously.
"Anyway, I've been wondering about this for a while. When you were in my mind, what did you see in there, Raven?" I tried to change the subject to lighten up the mood.
She stared into my eyes for a few seconds before turning away to look out of the windows.
"Not much, just your memories." She murmured.
"So, you know about my past then?" I asked looking at the side of her face.
She looked back at me and nodded. "I didn't mean to intrude though."
"It's alright." I chuckled. "What about you then?"
"What about me?" She looked puzzle at the question.
"Your past…"
Before I could finish my sentence, another loud boom of lightning roared outside the windows, deafening the whole room. Then silence consumed and there was a long pause between us like you were reluctant to share your inner secret with me. I was about to tell you that it's alright and that you didn't have to tell me anything when you spoke up.
"It's only fair that I tell you, I guess…" She brushed her hair as she began to tell.
"I came from another dimension, from a place called Azarath where a community of Pacifists lived in isolation from the earth. I lived with my mother and was raised by the monks of Azarath and a guardian called Azar."
"What about…your father?" I asked not knowing she tried to avoid mentioning the person.
"He's…well, he's not the sort of person you would want to be with…Beside, he's not around anymore…" She said the last part quietly.
I wonder if she meant he had passed away or something but decided to let her talk on. It's a rare opportunity to see Raven talked this much, especially about herself. I wouldn't want to miss a thing because she was the only one who I didn't really know anything about.
"My past wasn't that pleasant, I spent all my time training under the monks in controlling my powers and emotions as they are the source of my powers. Then someday, I…I just left and join the Teen Titans. That's pretty much about it." She adjusted her cape as she finished the tale.
"Yeah, I remembered the first time I saw you." I went nostalgic for a while.
"But you know…" I looked into the deep, purple pair of eyes that gleamed in the dark. "I never thought you're the type to talk!"
"Well, I'm not." She replied bluntly with her usual tone. "It's just…I feel comfortable talking to you, like I can share anything with you. Beside, you're a good listener unlike the other three…" She smiled slightly at the last part.
I felt happy to hear how you would pick me as your conversational partner, knowing how you usually hate all kinds of interaction with other living beings.
"Yeah, try telling Beast Boy something and the whole city will know it in seconds!" I joked to your compliment.
"Heh heh." She smiled and laughed quietly.
It was wonderful to see Raven like this; I never had a chance to talk with her personally before. She just seemed so distance and anti-social all of the time. She would prefer to be alone and sank down to her books. But underneath all that, she was an amazing person.
As I was thinking, the clouds outside the tower had cleared up, revealing a bright star filled night sky. The thunder and rain has disappeared as if they were never there. The moonlight beamed in and shone on your body, illuminating the curves on your petite and fragile figure, highlighting your pure, pale smooth skin. Your front bangs glimmered and dazzled in the light as you combed them behind your ears and the crimson gem on your forehead glistened, creating a mysterious aura about you.
I was dumbfounded.
I never imagined you to be this…perfect. Unlike any other girls, you were like a concealed beauty of a thorny black rose that none dare touch. You were as sharp as the thorns and yet as delicate and graceful as the buds.
I had never notice you this way before until tonight…
Before I could say anything I noticed you gazing at me, emotionless as always. Then you started to close your distance between us, closer and closer until I could feel your warm breathing.
"Robin…I…" She whispered slowly and quietly.
SPLAT!!
Suddenly, I felt something warm splattered onto my face which started to drip down. I wiped my cheek to find the thick liquid was blood. I quickly looked back at Raven.
I couldn't bring myself to believe what I was witnessing right before my eyes.
An armored arm had drilled through the caped girl's slender body, deep red blood was slowly pouring out of her mortal wound and from the corner of her mouth. Her cloak was drenched in her own blood, dying it red like that of the red riding hood.
"R…Robin…" She gasped with her blood stained lips.
As I sat there paralyzed in fear and shock, a large dark figure rose from behind Raven's bloody body.
"Hello Robin, how are you feeling?" Said the cold and disgustingly familiar voice.
"Slade!!" I yelled in disbelief.
I could not believe what was happening at that moment, Slade was just an illusion, how did he come back and how could he had attacked Raven?
"Raven…?" I looked at the once smiling girl who now slumped in the pool of blood.
"Tsk tsk, Robin. Can you really protect anyone?" Slade mocked with a creepy voice.
"You…You aren't real…None of these are real! Raven told me so!!" I bellowed in a shaky voice.
"She said that really? Why don't you try asking her again?" The masked man teased the trembling boy further.
Slade pulled him arm out of Raven's body and she fell onto my chest. Blood was everywhere; I could feel Raven's warmth leaving her body. None of these was real, yet why did it feel so?
"What is going on?" I felt like my mind was going to shatter.
I embraced Raven close to me and combed her hair out of the way to look at her features. Her eyes were closed like she was in a peaceful slumber whilst some blood was seeping from her soft lips. There were no vitality signs left in her.
She was dead.
"N…no, this can't be happening…" I uttered doubtingly. "It just can't…Raven…"
But the more denial I got, the more convincing her bloody body became to me. I could feel tears streaming from under my mask. I hugged her tighter.
"So? What did she say?" Raven's killer asked with laughter in his eye. "Oh, I'm sorry; I forgot she can't answer you back because she's already DEAD."
At the word, I screamed at the top of my lungs. The pain was unbearable and there wasn't anything I could do to prevent it. But no matter how much I cried, the nightmare won't ceased to be. Everything around me went black along with the laughter of the mad man echoed in my ears.
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"Robin?"
"Robin, what's going on?"
In the bedroom of the Teen Titan's leader, sat Raven on the bed trying to figure out what had happened to her friend. She was engaging in a gleeful conversation with him before he suddenly dropped and went unconscious. She shook the senseless masked boy again and again but there was no response.
"Robin, what happened to you?" Raven thought as she checked his body. "His temperature is dropping fast and his heartbeat is racing!"
"Robin, no…" She breathed out the words as she was figuring out what to do. Then an idea came to her. "Wait, maybe I should try that again."
After calming herself down, Raven hovered above Robin, sitting crossed legged with her hands outstretched resting on the knees. She began chanting in a deep tone, "Azrath Metrion Zinthos!" At the last incantation, her astro form left her physical body and entered Robin's.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in a place surrounded by total darkness. The levitating girl landed when she noticed a black & white tiled floor that spanned out as far as her eyes could see.
"I've been inside his mind before…but it wasn't like this the last time. His mind was filled with darkness, yet it's the darkness I'm familiar with, it felt comfortable and safe. But this place…it's cold and lonely, grieves and despairs have taken over his mind completely. But what is the cause?" Raven pondered on the matter as she followed the chequered road.
As Raven trailed further along, she could hear someone crying a distance away. She quickly flew towards the source of the noise.
When she got there, she saw a costumed boy about her age holding onto someone, sobbing softly by himself. She landed next to him and spoke up, "Robin, I finally found you…" But her speech was cut short when she saw the person in his arms, "Is that…me?"
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"Raven…I…I…how could I let this happened to you…?" I sobbed to the cold body I'm holding onto, never wanting to let go ever again.
"Robin…" Suddenly a voice came up and I looked in its direction.
I glanced over to find the blue-robed girl with the violet hair standing beside me: Raven. I was there on my knees not knowing what to say but felt glad whole heatedly that you're there still alive and well, standing before me. But then I looked down at the girl in my arms.
"What's going on here?" I thought out aloud.
Unexpectedly, the Raven in my arms melted and turned into hideous big black ooze. It shot out tentacles that wrapped me tightly to keep me immobilized.
"Ughh…Argggh!!" I grunted, trying to break free but to no avail.
The blob started to pull me down into the floor, into the pit of darkness down below and the more I struggled, the quicker I sank like I was in a pool of quicksand.
"Robin, hold on!" Raven said as she began to meditate.
Then as I sank down half way, I heard you chanting those so ever familiar words I heard so many times; it soothed me to hear them again. A black raven rose up from her body and flew toward me with great speed; it sliced the tentacles on my torso with dead on accuracy, setting me free. It then went back to rip the dark lump into tiny pieces that melted away.
"Robin, are you okay?" Raven said as she quickly helped me up.
"Raven…is it…is it really you?" I asked with the hope in my mind that I was right.
"It's me, Robin…" She answered in that dry, monotonous voice of hers with a small smile on her face.
I could tell from her voice, her scent and her aura that it was really her. My eyes were brimming with tears as I took her into a close hug.
"Raven, it's really you…" I whispered softly, glad for the reunion.
Raven's face reddened but she didn't say anything back, she simply returned the hug as she put her arms around my back.
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After Raven filled me in on what had really happened, it had became clear that I was once again under the influence of the drug Slade planted on me in our last battle and caused me to hallucinate that night. Though the drug was removed but it seemed the after effects still lingered. Raven explained that when she entered my mind the last time, it might had caused the drug to further altered its effects, causing me to hallucinate in the deeper level of my mind.
"So I was right then, everything I saw…Slade…you getting killed…they were all hallucinations." I said as I started to feel better from what happened earlier.
"They were." Raven confirmed. "And now Robin, we need to get out of this place before anything else happens. Your state of mind is unstable and…" But she was interrupted before she could finish.
"I'm afraid you will have to delay your plan." The voice came from behind Robin discontinued Raven's speech as Slade rose up from Robin's shadow and stood tall over him.
"Isn't that sweet, the lone Raven, came all the way here just to rescue her pathetic leader." Slade tormented with his fiery eye fixing on her.
"Slade! You, you tricked me into believing Raven was dead! I won't forgive you!!" I barked at the armored villain who seemingly could care less on what I had to say. I put up my hands, ready to fight him. "I'll take you down!"
"No!" Raven grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from Slade. "You can't fight him in your current state; we have to get out of here quick!" She pleaded for a retreat which was very unusual for her.
"What's wrong Robin? A re you scared that I'll beat you like the last time we met? Why don't you run away then, run back to your safe little spot with the rest of the Titans fools!" Slade taunted with a satisfying look in his eye.
"Why you!" I was ready to pounce but Raven held on to my arm and tightened her grip as if she knew exactly what will happen if she let me go.
"Robin, listen to me please." She pleaded again with desperation in her tone.
I turned to look at her, seeing how badly she wanted me to abandoned the battle and leave with her. I wish I could but I could not run away from a fight, especially from him.
"Raven…I'm sorry." I said as I shrugged her off my arm and headed for Slade.
"Hahhh!!" I let out a war cry as I leapt into the air, pulling out my birdarang that transformed into a sword. I was directly over Slade's head as I swung my sword down at his two-tone mask. But to my surprise, I hit nothing but thin air.
"My, my, you've gotten slow boy." Slade was already above me as he clenched his fists and blew me down to the ground in a loud crash.
"H…how?" I got up shakily, wiping the blood off the corner of my mouth. "How can he be that fast? It's impossible!"
"Try to keep up, Robin." Slade said with his arms behind his back.
"Shut up!" I got up and dashed over to him.
I stepped sideway and scattered multiple ice discs around Slade, freezing the whole area in circular span and Slade stood there frozen in his military stance. I quickly advanced from the side of the chilled opponent and sliced him into tiny frigid shards.
"Let's see you get up from that!" I looked down at the icy bits on the floor as I gasped for air.
"Very good Robin." The creepy voice came from behind Robin again, followed by a hand that reached for his throat. "But not good enough." Slade held the Titans leader higher as he tightened his death grip on the boy's slim neck.
"Ughh…" I was beginning to lose consciousness as air began to run out.
"How pitiful…Good bye Robin." Slade said coldly.
But just when Slade was about to finish me off for good, a black razor thin wall descended between me and the masked villain, cutting his strangling arm off clean. As I fell a black orb surrounded my body and landed me gently to the floor, and when the ball opened up Raven was with me, holding me in her arms.
"Get away from him…" Raven commanded with a ferocious tone.
"How terrifying. Since when are you so protective of anyone else but yourself? Slade said, picking up his severed arm and joined it right back where it once was.
"This isn't good." Raven thought to herself as she formulated an escape plan.
She then summoned a giant raven that carried off the both of us and flew away from the advancing figure.
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It's been a while since Raven took me on a flight away from Slade. I was resting on the back of the black bird while Raven was tending to my wound. She took my cut up hand and pressed it on her forehead, there was a glow from my hand that was absorbed into her skin. Miraculously, my wounds were completely gone and the pain disappeared. I looked at my recovered hand in amazement as she took hold of my other hand.
"Wow, that's amazing Raven. How did you do that?" I asked in astonishment.
"It's one of my powers…I can heal by absorbing in other's pain." She replied quietly while concentrating on healing my other hand.
"That's pretty cool, thanks Raven." I said with a voice full of gratitude.
"Anyway, do you know what happened back there? Why couldn't I do anything to Slade? Everything I threw at him was useless." I sat up to let her heal my bruised shoulder.
"Robin…" Raven put her head onto my shoulder. Knowing that she was so close to me only to heal the wound, yet I was blushing a little as her soft hair caressed my chest. She continued to speak, "You see, everyone has their inner demon that spawns from our rage. When we lose control of ourselves, rage consumes us, which also mean the inner demon has taken control over us. That's why sometime people change when they get angry…I have spent my life learning to control rage through meditation…along with all of my other emotions." Her hand trembled a little as she mentioned the last part.
I felt like I understood her better and better. I put my hand on her head and gently stroked her hair.
"Our inner demons take many different forms, yours seemed to resembled that of Slade due to your obsessive hatred for him. When you were under the drug's influences, you grew weaker both physically and mentally. In you weaken state, your emotions became unstable, especially rage. When you lost control of your rage, your inner demon became stronger, that's why Slade appeared invincible to you" Raven explained as she tilted her head back but still let me keep stroking her hair.
"So, I'll just have to be strong-willed in order to beat him, is that it?" I asked her hoping for any slightest chances in beating my inner demon.
"Probably" She replied as she looked up at my face. "But I'm not letting you do it. I'm taking us out of here."
"But I need to settle this now! Isn't it a right thing to do to learn how to beat your inner demon?" I pulled my hand away and grabbed her shoulder, demanding an answer.
"It's too risky. Not everyone can completely conquer their inner demon, if you fail…you could die…" She answered in a sad tone. "I can't let you do it. Please just leave this place with me now…"
"Who said you could leave so soon?" Suddenly a voice came out of nowhere as the carrier bird was cut in half and threw its passengers off into the air.
I landed on my feet in time and caught the falling Raven. "That was a close one" I sighed a relief then turned around to see my demon.
"Raven, Raven my dear. I can't let you take Robin away now when the fun is only beginning. You could leave if you want to, but he stays." Slade said as he took up his military pose once more.
"Raven…he's right, get out of here while you still can. I have to settle this feud right here and right now. Even if it costs my life." Having made up my mind, I commanded Raven.
"I dragged Raven into this mess, my obsession with Slade caused all of these problems in the first place and I need to fix it somehow. I will not allow my very own mind to be the cause of her demise. She has to leave this place quick." I thought as I gathered my courage in facing the masked demon for the second time.
"But Robin...you could die! If you're gone, who will lead the Titans?" Raven said nervously.
I walked over to the anxious girl and put my hands on her shoulders, gazing right into her eyes, "Well, you'd make a pretty good leader."
I was not lying, Raven would definitely make for a good Teen Titans leader. She had many potentials and capabilities that will hold the team together and lead them in the right direction. She might not look it but her actions speak louder than words. I would certainly trust her with my position.
Then the next best leader would be Cyborg as he knows all the tactics and strategies in pulling off operations by heart and he has a strong determination. Starfire…she could be a good leader but I can't really see it happening anytime soon. And Beast Boy, I don't even wan to go there, he might just rename us the Teen Tofus.
"Now go! It's an order!" I commanded her with a serious tone.
"No." Raven stated firmly. "Thanks for the compliment but I'm fine with you as the leader." She said with a little smile.
"Robin, I'll distract Slade while you head for the exit." She said as she chanted her incantation, creating a portal rift at the spot where she had came in from previously.
Even if I'm gone, the team can still go on but they cannot do it without their leader. Your team needs you." She then took hold of my hand and whispered, "Be safe, Robin."
With that Raven pushed me aside and flew straight at Slade, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She ripped up the tiled floor into pieces of dark blades and charged them at her enemy. But Slade easily knocked all the incoming debris with his bare hands.
"How touching, is his life worth sacrificing yours, Raven?" Slade asked with a deadpanned tone.
"More than you'd ever know!" She replied as she charged in, grabbing his face with one hand and slammed her other energy-filled palm onto his armored skull, cracking it.
"Yahh!!" Raven delivered one after another ferocious attacks and her eyes began to glow red. As Slade struggled to keep himself steady, Raven delivered her finishing blow by upper cutting him in the chin sending him off balance. Then she wrapped him in the dark energy stream, twisting his torso, breaking his bones with sickening crunch and hurled the broken remain up into the air. There awaited a giant black hand that smashed the rising body down to the ground, creating a huge crater with dusty clouds everywhere.
As she landed to check on her result, she saw a hand popped out of the smoking crater climbing its way out followed by the rest of the body. Slade stood up and raised his cracked masked face that shattered and fell to pieces, revealing the true identity of the mad man.
Raven was stunned to see the face, "R…Robin?"
"Hey there sweetheart, were you expecting somebody else?" The boy wonder doppelganger laughed manically.
The evil Robin took advantage of Raven's surprise by rushing in and tripped her down, pinning her on the floor with one of his hand gripped firmly on her bare neck.
"Say, you went to all these troubles, even sacrificing yourself to save ME, what's up with that? Are you like…in love with me or something? Heh he he he!" He said with a twisted grin on his face, gaping at the restrained girl who blushed at hearing the words.
"I…I…" Raven tried to speak back but could find no words coming out.
"Well be happy, at least you get to die by the hands of the person you cared the most! You must be overjoyed, see you my sweet Raven." The evil being smirked devilishly as he raised his free hand into the air, forming it into a bladed claw and swiped down at his victim.
SLASH!!
"Arghhh!!" The dark Robin shrieked in pain as he stumbled back handless. A few meters away laid a grotesquely deformed claw on the floor with a birdarang impaled on it. When the handless villain got up to look at the direction of the attack's source, he was greeted by a metal reinforced boot that sent him flying, landing with a loud thud on his head.
"Get off of her." I said as I helped Raven up.
"Robin…What are still doing here? I told you to go!" Raven asked as she struggled to her feet.
"No way, you're leaving with me, together!" I stated firmly. "Beside, you already exposed my inner demon for who he is, I'm not afraid anymore!"
"Well, well, this should be interesting…Why don't you show me what you got, bird boy!" The masked duplicate bellowed a challenge.
Both of us took out our birdarang swords at the same time as we headed for each other and clashed our blades with a bright burning spark. We engaged in a sword combat of equal strength, agility and skills, whatever I did, my evil counterpart copied right back at me. T he battle raged on like it would last for eternity.
Though our strengths are on par but unfortunately, I still couldn't control my emotions to that level of Raven yet and I'm beginning to lose concentration. My energy was fading fast as I felt my opponent's growing rapidly. It was hard enough just to keep up my breathing, I was in a dire situation.
"What's the matter, getting tired? How about I put you out of your misery right now? Then I'll send our pretty little friend over there to keep you company later!" The doppelganger sneered with a wide grin across his face as he swung his sword down aiming to split me in half. I quickly blocked the death blow with my weapon just in time.
I was in a pinch as my strength began to fail me and the weight of my twin's sword was starting to come crashing down on me. Eventually, his sword will carve through my sword and my body.
"Don't worry, I'll make it quick and painless, seeing that you are like a brother to me. But after I'm done with you, I'll be sure to take my time enjoy torturing our cute friend Raven and make sure that she loves every seconds of it!" The sick twin shared his future plan as his blade began to chip through my sword.
"Nghhh…!" I grunted with my teeth gritting, trying my hardest to push back the sword. But I couldn't concentrate as I kept thinking about what the sicko would do to Raven. "I…I can't do it…" I could feel my upcoming eradication.
"You can do it Robin!" I came to my senses at hearing the words, knowing I couldn't let her down, I forced myself again up against the formidable foe. Suddenly, I felt Raven's presence inside me as dark power began to serge through my veins. I could feel what Raven within me and together we began chanting in perfect synchronisation, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A stream of dark aura flew out of my body and enveloped my sword, greatly strengthening it. I pushed my dark self away, breaking his sword into little pieces.
"This is it." A pair of dark ravenous wings sprouted from my back as I took to the air with dark energy flowing all around me. I zoomed in on the dazed enemy and slashed him in half with the final blow. "It's over." I said without looking back.
"Heh heh heh, that was impressive. But remember, I am and always will be a part of you, I'll keep coming back." Said the disembodied body as he began to disintegrate away.
"See you around…" The Dark Robin gave his final half ludicrous grimace before completely disappeared into nothing.
I said nothing as I landed back on the solid ground. The wings and the power aura vanished away before I knew it. I put my birdarang sword back into the utility belt and walked over Raven.
"Thanks Raven…you saved me again." I gave her a sincere smile.
"Just glad that you're okay." She replied back with the raspy but caring voice. "But you know Robin, you have a pretty nasty side to yourself, maybe you should consult a psychiatrist." She made her infrequent dry humour with a playful smile.
I returned one right back at her, "Maybe I'll have to consult the expert, you!"
"Let's go home Robin." Said Raven as we began to make our way to the portal.
But suddenly, the place shook violently and the floor started to crumble away, falling into the dark void deep down below. We ran as fast as we could when the floor below Raven dissolved, pulling her in to the pit.
"Raven, take my hand!" I quickly reached my hand out to grab hers. "Hold on!"
I could feel the strong current of the dark rift pulling Raven down, if I don't hurry, we'll both get sucked down. But the problem was I barely had any strength left in me after the battle.
"Ughh, the pull is too strong…I can't fly away…" Raven thought as she realized how bad the situation was. "But at least I can save Robin."
"Robin, let go of my hand!" Raven shouted at me as both of us began to drift toward the dark whirlpool awaiting at the bottom.
"I'm not letting go! I told you before, we leave together!" I tightened my grip and tried harder to pull her up against the strong current.
"Robin…Thank you…" Raven put up a brave smile as she took one last affectionate look at her leader before shaking her hand off, letting her body sank to the never ending darkness. "Thank you…for caring so much about me."
"Raven!!" I was about to jump in after her when an ebony hand rose from the hole and grabbed me in an unbreakable grip. It ushered me to the exit portal. "No! Let me go! Raven!!" I screamed out her name as the crumbling scene started to fade away…
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"Raven!" I woke up in a panic with my face drenched in sweats, dampened my elastic mask. I found myself back in my bedroom in the Titans Tower where it was still dark out and it was quiet all around. When I fully came to I quickly scanned the room for Raven and found her lying unconscious on the floor next to my bed. I jumped down from my bed not caring about the wounds on my body, held her up and tried to wake her. "Raven, Raven!" I kept calling her name but there wasn't a slightest response from the dark haired sleeping beauty.
I leaned onto her chest checking for any present vitality signs to find there were none, no heartbeat, no pulses, no breath. It was like a nightmare came back to haunt me when I first saw Raven died in my mind. I cannot let this happen again. Not this time.
I laid her down gently in the middle of the room where it was more airy and began the procedure. I lifted up her chin up slightly and held her nose with one hand as I opened her mouth. I looked over her ashen colored skin and her soft full lips, I was blushing like mad but decided this was no time to be embarrassed. I tilted my head back, took a deep breath and bent down slowly onto her face…
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In the midst of the darkness, a drifting cloaked figure was visible from afar.
"Ahh…Where…where am I?" Muttered Raven as she began to wake up.
"Am I…dead?" Her voice was unusually calm as if she had already expected this.
"Well, it's not as bad as I imagined to be. At least I can get all the peace and quiet I always wanted. No strange cooking that blows up from Starfire…No lame jokes from Beast Boy…No disturbing loud videogames from Cyborg…" Suddenly, she could feel her eyes watery, "…No Robin…" She whispered softly as she shed her tears away.
"But maybe this is for the best. If I'm not around then everybody will be safe…from the end of the world…" She kept on talking to herself with tearful eyes.
"I guess…this is it for me. Thank you for everything, Robin…" As Raven accepted her fate, she closed her eyes and let the invisible current carried her light body away into the infinite void of the darkness.
"Raven"
"Raven…"
"Raven…!" The voice had finally caught the girl's attention and she immediately looked around nervously, trying to track down its source.
"Raven…wake up!" said the same voice, clearer than the last. "I won't let you leave me like this!"
"Robin?" Raven finally recognized the voice's owner and she looked toward the direction that the sound came from. She saw a shaft of light shone brightly in the dark realm just above her. As she floated towards the light, a green gloved hand reached down to grab her arm and pulled the damsel out of the darkness.
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Slowly, Raven began to come to and when she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of masked ones staring right back at her. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening, she could feel her lips firmly locked with the boy wonder. Her face reddened like a burning flame.
When I realized that Raven has woken up, I quickly pulled my face away in embarrassment but feeling a huge relief at the same time.
"Raven, h…how are you feeling?" I asked the confused girl in concern.
She said nothing, only touching her soft lips and continued to blush. "Did he…?" She thought to herself quietly.
"Raven, I'm…I'm sorry." I bowed my head down in an apologetic manner. I couldn't bear to face her after what I got her into. "You almost die because of me…I…I let my emotions get the best of me and…and…!"
"Robin…" She stopped me with her usual griming tone. "You don't have to say anymore. You just saved my life…Thank you." She gave me a smile as she rested her face onto my chest.
"Raven…I…" I was trying to say something back.
"Shh…" She hushed me with a soft whisper as she caressed her feather soft violet hair against my naked upper torso. I could feel the hairs on my neck standing up and my face heated.
I said no more as she requested but sat there together with her. I put my arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a close hug. "Raven…I'm so glad you're still here." I thought to myself as I rested my face on her head.
"So am I…"
Just then I could have sworn I heard her voice in my head when she returned the hug as she wrapped her thin, delicate arms around my body.
We sat there, feeling like forever as if time itself had stopped its ever moving cycle to give us all the time we needed to be together. It was quiet in my room with slight breezes of coming winter wind echoed outside the windows and the sound of soft breathings and nothing more.
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A few days later after the eventful night that nobody else would know, I made a complete recovery. I woke up quite early in the morning and decided to get something to eat as I headed down the dimly lit hallway when I ran into Cyborg.
"Yo! Robin, how 'ya feeling?" The teen machine asked with a wide smile, raising his hand for a hi-five.
"Never better!" I gave him a hard slap as a solid prove.
When I reached the common room, Beast Boy was busy cooking his tofu breakfast set. "Hey Robin! You're all better!" He greeted loudly when he spotted me walking in.
"I was gonna bring you breakfast in bed! Here look, I made you tofu cereals, tofu toasts, concentrated tofu drinks and a tofu omelette!" The green boy had a proud smile on his beaming face when he handed me the vegetarian dish.
"Um…Thanks Beast Boy. They look really tasty…" I sweat dropped as I took the dish reluctantly from the grinning changeling who ran off to cook more non-meat breakfast.
"Robin! You have healed!" A loud familiar voice came, followed by a great big hug from Starfire. "I am very glad that you have recovered and are no longer down in the trash!" She said joyfully.
"Uh…Star, I think you mean down in the dump." Cyborg corrected the alien girl's grammar like usual.
"Thanks Star…But…can you loosen…your hug a bit…? I…can't breath…" I gasped as her iron arms began to crush me and I was turning purple.
"Oops, Hee hee hee!" She quickly released me and laughed to cover up.
"We should totally throw a humungous party to celebrate Robin's recovery!" Beast Boy shouted his idea out loud, still holding the spatula in his hand.
"Yeah sounds good, Me and B.B. can cook a super breakfast for y'all!" Exclaimed Cyborg as he put on his chef hat and morphed his right hand into a mixer.
"Yeah, that sounds nice." I decided to let them do whatever they want since it's been a while that we have any party as well.
"Glorious! I shall entertain my friends with a heartfelt melody of a Gloohb-Blah!" Starfire said happily as she flew off to get her alien instrument.
I stood there watching Beast Boy arguing with Cyborg about whether to throw a vegetarian galore or a BBQ bonanza while Starfire was practicing her trumpet-like instrument that sounded like a screeching tyre mixed with scratching fingernails on a blackboard. I smiled with joy to see everyone so happy in the ordinarily peaceful day like this.
Just then, I noticed that Raven wasn't present. I figured there was only one place she would be at this hour.
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The cold morning wind blew hard on my face as I stepped out onto the rooftop of the Titans Tower. I found Raven standing near the edge of the roof, staring at the direction of the upcoming sun. Her deep-blue cloak was fluttering wildly like it was dancing along the rhythm of the rushing wind.
"Hey, what are you doing up here all by yourself?" I asked the hooded girl as I moved closer to her.
"Just the usual…Watching the sunrise…" She answered in her usual icy tone, then took off her hood and turned around to face me. Her hair began to waver along with her cloak and looked as if she had a dancing aura around her.
"So…how are you feeling?" She asked the very same question with the very same tone of voice once again.
"Super." I replied honestly this time. "Anyway, we're having a party down in the common room, do you wanna join us?" I invited her with my hand reaching out.
"…I'll be down in a minute. I want to watch the sunrise first." She said as she turned to the east side of the tower, glaring into the distance.
I was about to walk back to the door when she spoke up.
"…Do you…want to watch it with me?" She asked quietly.
"…Sure." I accepted her offer without right away.
I stood by her side, covering my masked eyes with my hand as the sun rose slowly from the distant, shining brightly over Jump city and lit up the Titans Tower.
I stood still, staring at you bathing in the morning light, your cloak was almost white from the strong eastern ray. Your emotionless face lit up in the warm light revealing the curves on your lips, your nose and your eyes that shone brightly. I always thought you looked best only at night time but this changed my opinion entirely.
You were simply…beautiful.
"Raven…I…" I was about to say something when a shout came from the door behind us.
"Robin, Raven, the party is ready to be initiated. Please hurry and join us in the celebration before the foodstuff is no longer hot!" Starfire yelled as she popped back into the doorway that she had came from.
"Um…" I turned to look at Raven again, trying to finish what I was going to say. But she raised her hand up to her mouth with the index finger pointing upward in a hushing manner.
"Shh…" She silenced me again. "Say no more…" She gave me a smile as if it was an answer to my unasked question. "Go on ahead, I'll be there later."
"O…Okay, see you later, Raven." I gave her a quick smile and headed back to the door, closing it behind me as I ran down to the common room.
Raven stood there alone. Gazing into the endless blue sky. She put her hood back on and traced a finger on her lips, her cheeks reddened as she whispered softly.
"Robin…"
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From the author
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I wrote this fanfic for a Rob/Rae community site years ago and I have planned to submit it to Fan Fiction but never had a chance to until now. The Forgotten night was my first ever fanfic of any kind and I was still trying to develop a writing style when I was writing it, which came out rather messily including the grammars.
I've been meaning to write a lot of TT fics based on Robin and Raven (at least I've got a lot of artworks going on…if you guys are not too busy, please check my arts by following the link on my personal profile page). But ever since I started watching Kim Possible, I was hooked on writing fanfics for the show instead. So I spend all my time on the KP fictions now…to write for another TT fictions at the moment seems to be to hard because I have to watch all the show again to memorize all the characters' personalities and the way they talk and such, which I don't have time for.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story and please tell me what you think, I'd really appreciate for any kind of comments and reviews you can give me. Thanks.
P.S.
Like I said, I'm concentrating on the KP fics now so come check out my KP works sometime okay? Thanks.