Once upon a time, there was a princess born into a happy kingdom.
Her parents had long looked forward to having a child, and her birthday was celebrated by everyone in thier kingdom. She was adored, the light of day shining on her every day on her life. She was beautiful and radiant, a fairytale princess that minstrels wrote songs about. Hair like spun gold, lips red as blood. Yes, she was perfect.
The king and the queen loved her like nothing else. She grew up held close to her father's heart and her mother's smile. Everything was light and happy, and the princess grew to become the great beauty of legend. And on her sixteenth birthday, she was wed to her handsome prince, her childhood sweetheart.
The princess was a happy girl, every day a new miracle to look forward to.
There's only one problem with that; That girl isn't me.
My story is the exact opposite. I was brought into the world by an alien queen and one of the most reviled demons in all of existance. My childhood was plauged by fear and anger, and I couldn't restrain my emotions. My mother was terrified of me, and my father wanted nothing to do with me beside the dark prophecy told at my birth.
My people were scared of the darkness of my father's magic. Perhaps I was a princess, but that story and the tale of my birth have about as much in common as a fish and a panda bear. On my sixteenth birthday, I caused the distruction of my home.
If not for my friends, I would have nothing left. They're the only light in my tale of darkness.
No, my life is not perfect and happy. If you want a story like that, you've come to the wrong place.
An explosion rocked the tower.
Robin sat up from the couch, flipping over the top. He dashed toward the source.
"Hey, didn't that come from Raven's room?" Beastboy asked, hot on his heels.
"I think so."
He kicked open the door, a burst of smoke wafting through the open space.
"Robin!" Cyborg called from down the hallway. "How's Raven?"
"Raven?" He pulled his cloak over his mouth.
"I'm okay!" She called, coughing. "I guess I don't have my powers back under control."
He threw open the window, choking on the fumes. They made thier way to the door, gasping in lungfuls of the (mostly) clean air.
"Woah." Cyborg said. "You okay? Any injuries? Burns, scrapes, abrasions-"
"I'm fine." She stated, obvious annoyance in her voice. "I can take a little explosion, you don't have to worry about me."
"Little?" Beastboy stated.
"Yes, this was not a small accident. Maybe a purification ritual is in order-" Starfire pitched in.
"If you purify me, I will light on fire." Raven growled. "I'm fine." She slammed the door.
"Well, that was odd." Robin stated.
Beastboy bit his thumb. The green titan's boyish face looked deep in thought. "She's been in there since that whole freaky thing with her dad-"
"Maybe it's just best to leave her alone." Robin stated.
Raven cautiously picked up the mirror. She looked into it, staring into the reflection. It began to blink in tandem with the gem on her forehead.
This time, there wasn't an explosion.
Raven sighed, touching the gothic frame. The room still reeked of smoke.
She could feel energy inside her, bouncing around rapidly. Her body had yet to settle down from that fight.
Having her powers ripped away and restored had an obvious effect on her control. A simple levitation spell had her slamming into the roof.
She set the mirror down, taking a deep breath. Carefully, concentrating on her energy, she murmured the incantation.
"Azarath... metrion... zynthos."
No explosion. She levitated a foot from the ground, in that familiar pose. Deep breath... exhale.
"Azarath... metrion... zynthos."
She let the spell fade, standing from the floor.
Raven looked around the gloomy room, her superior vision helping her see the dark room in perfect detail. Her eyesight was far superior to a human's.
There were locked trunks, containing some of the darkest artifacts from her home world. Piles of books were neatly stacked, most of them read and reread. A massive shelf stored more books; ancient, heavy tomes. There was little furnature, a few small tables and a chair at a dark looking, ornate desk. The carpet was a faded purply blue, and the walls were white.
Raven flicked on the light.
"Still creepy."
She sat on the edge of her bed, pulling off her cloak. The young hero stretched, laying back on her bed.
There was a soft knock on her door. "Raven?"
She pulled it open, quickly flicking off the light. "Yeah, Beastboy?"
He waved his hands apologetically. "Just checking to make sure you're alright. Um, you are, right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She stated. "Thanks."
"Um, goodnight." He said.
She hesitated a second, closing the door.
Raven fell back on her bed. "Finally, sleep."