You may wonder why I am writing this story instead of raven lynn morrigan who wrote the original. My cousin decided that the stories written by hand she had left untyped up were way too crappy to even bother with and that included the sequel to Blood Lust, which you need to read under her account before reading this one. You wouldn't even be getting this sequel at all if I hadn't rescued it from the trash along with the others. I got permission from her to rework it, and the others, as long as I posted them in my own account. So here it is. One final note there was a bad guy in her first draft of this story but that is what my cousin hated so much about it and why it was never finished. It was overly complex when it didn't need to be so I stripped it down to the heart of the story.
Blood Lust 2
*~`'´~*
Three nights later Robin stands outside of Raven's bedroom as the sun begins to set. The team has gotten little sleep as they have frantically searched for a way to stop what the vampire did to her. He stops as his communicator goes off when he is about to go in. "What is it Cyborg? Did you find something?"
"Raven's friend Goth is here. He wants to speak to you...says its too important to wait."
"I'll be right there Cyborg." Robin sighs as he turns from the door. and walks down the hall. Whatever is going to happen to Raven is sure to happen soon and if she is going to attack someone looking for blood he would rather it be him here rather than having her unleashed on the city. He looks up as he enters OPS. "Goth..."
"Let me guess you were going to offer yourself to her when she wakes up."
"Yeah, I-"
"-That's noble of you, but it would be better to let me be there with her. She needs her own kind rather than potential food sources right now. It would be best if you all clear out for awhile, to the far end of the island away from the tower at least."
Robin looks down at Silkie who crawls by without so much as a hiss at Goth. "You're a...but he didn't...I've seen you out during the day."
"I must have been Rorek's evil the creature sensed and his hold on Raven, I am not evil. Do you always believe what you see in the movies? I also see myself in mirrors everyday and I eat garlic bread with my spaghetti. I should have seen that monster for what he was before he got hold of Raven. No one can stop what is happening to her, but I can help her when she awakes."
Robin nods. "OK. I will get the others out of the tower."
*~`'´~*
Goth ventures into Raven's room just as the sun sets. He hangs back in the shadows waiting for her to awaken.
Raven snaps awake with the setting sun. The lust for blood is so strong she can barely control herself. She gets up venturing over to the mirror. What she sees is long white hair, red skin with black tiger strips and large fangs. She buries her face in her hands to avoid the sight. "No...this isn't right...they should have killed me to stop this!" She looks up when she hears a noise. The only thing she sees in the mirror now is her normal reflection and that of someone else behind her. "Goth? Stay away! I don't want to hurt you."
"You couldn't hurt me. I came to help you."
"Help me? You don't know what this is like. There is nothing you can do to help. You shouldn't be here. Please go away before-."
"-you are so very young. I'm sorry I should have recognized what Rorek was and stopped him before he could do this to you."
"How could you?"
"I know more about what has happened to you than you think, Raven. There is a reason you aren't tearing me about to drain every last drop of my blood."
Raven whimpers as the desire in her comes on stronger than before. "Stop it please! I can't...I don't want to-"
"-My blood wouldn't help you if you tried it. Its not what you need. Your sire should be here to teach you all of these things, but since he is no more I will guide you so that all you fear will not come to pass."
"Guide me? How?"
"I intend to teach you all that you need to know."
Raven takes a good long look at Goth. She steps closer to him. She can sense the others somewhere far away on the island, but Goth is different from them. Raven draws deep from his scent realizing that there is no life giving force in his blood. "You're a-"
"-Vampire? For a very long time now. I don't stay in one place long but when I realized you were half demon it was my intention to stick around and protect you from my kind. Some of the oldest and most powerful have become to stealthy for even me to recognize."
This is all too much to fast for Raven and her thirst for blood has become too great for her to ignore. She uses her powers to escape the tower but rather than prey on her friends nearby she manages to force herself into the city.
Goth may not have her powers but he quickly follows her blending into the shadows of a nearby alley to watch what she does.
*~`'´~*
The scent of blood from so many people at once overwhelms Raven as she stops on a crowded city street corner. So many people she could take any one of them right here and no one could stop her but as much as she lusts for the blood coursing within their veins she has no desire to harm anyone. Distracted in her internal struggle as she wanders among them she steps off the curb and down into oncoming traffic.
One man, oblivious to who she is in the unfamiliar dress and long hair, reaches out and grabs her arm pulling her back up onto the curb. "Careful miss." He pulls her back away from the street as he notices how dazed she appears. "Are you OK?" He leads her to some old crates stacked up next to an alley. "Sit here and rest. I think I better find you some help-"
Raven looks up unable to fight the craving any longer. She seizes his arm before he can walk away. "-Follow me if you really want to help."
The guy wants to panic but something about the girls voice is so seductive and alluring. He follows her into the alley fully entranced by her.
She forces against the wall and leans close to his neck. The scent of the blood coursing through his veins is intoxicating. As her fangs lightly brush against his neck Raven suddenly realizes what she is doing pulls away at the last second. She collapses to her knees sobbing.
Goth steps out of the shadows and touches the man's forehead. "You will remember nothing that happened here tonight. Go on your way." He looks down at Raven as the man walks away dazed. "Come. This is a habit you need not indulge to survive. There are better ways, safer ways than succumbing to the blood lust."
"Blood lust..." Raven echos him weakly in a voice dripping with disdain. "...why couldn't they just kill me?"
"You're friends love you and didn't want to lose you."
"Better for them to lose me than have to me become so half breed demon vampire monster lusting for blood."
"I admit the lust is a struggle for me even to this day. It was almost impossible to ignore at first as well. Only the weak succumb to it and you, Raven, are not weak." He takes her hand pulling her up and in the blink of an eye they are on a rooftop. "Look down. Look closely at all the people scurrying about below. See what most mortals never will."
Raven marvels at the abrupt change from the street to being up on a building looking down. Suddenly she can see the auras surrounding them all. In the dark of night they are almost blindingly brilliant. Some of those auras are strong, large, and bright. Others are weak, smaller, and have a faded washed out appearance.
"When you need to feed go only for the strong. Never prey on the weak and only take a little."
"The aura is their life essence."
"That's one way to put it. The loss of a little life essence is quickly replaced by the strong with no harm to them. The loss of blood on the other hand is vital to their well being...even a half demon such as yourself must have been slightly anemic at some point in your life. Mortals don't recover from that so quickly."
"Why do we crave blood if there is another way?"
"I know of no vampires who could answer that question. Those among us that regularly partake of the blood to must avoid the sun or perish in its light...almost as if it were a wrong so great they are doomed to destruction if they commit it...they must forever cower in the darkness to survive. And if they come upon one with diseased blood then they must spend their eternity in a poisoned shell."
"I don't want that to happen to me. What do I do?"
"Of everyone who has ever become a vampire, I think that transition will easiest for you. Your powers give you an edge. I have no doubt it will be easy for you to master. You must remember to only tap into the strong, take only what you need when you need it. If you will forgive me for the seeming lack of trust I would like it if you didn't venture near people without me for awhile. I say it because you are my friend and I care for you. You are young by our standards and the young are at their most careless when it comes to fulfilling their needs and quickly give in to their desires."
"I understand." Raven shudders remembering the vision of herself she saw in the mirror. "I welcome any help you can offer."
Goth lightly squeezes Raven's hand which he still holds. "Come."
Raven suddenly finds them back on the street. They walk along as if they were merely a couple on their way to the movies. No one takes note that there is anything different about them, but Raven can't help but marvel over the many shifting colors brightly dancing about them. She doesn't understand how they could be oblivious to it. She stops with Goth near a bus stop.
He leans close to her ear. "Watch carefully." Goth steps closer to one man a little farther back from the main group.
Raven watches wide eyed as she focuses on Goth. She had been so engrossed in all the people that she never paid attention to the aura surrounding him. She watches the pale bronze color surrounding him sends out small tendrils toward the man that embed themselves into the other man's brilliant red one. As she watches the man's red aura fades slightly but Goth's grows to a large brilliant bronze.
Goth pulls back his aura leaving the man in peace as he turns to Raven.
She follows as the continue into the shadow detouring into a nearby alley way. "Wow..."
"Just a small pin prick is all it takes."
"You make it look so easy."
"It is with a little practice." He holds his hand out again. "Come lets find somewhere a little less crowded for you to try it."
Raven takes his hand and suddenly finds that the are in the park. "How do you do that?"
"It is something that you will learn it time. I think you will find it easier and it will draw less energy than using your powers to get around all the time. For now we should focus on your learning to feed."
They walk normally until they come upon a small group of people listening to a poet share her work under the stars and sit down close enough to hear but not close enough to disturb them with conversation.
"You can try here."
Raven looks at Goth. "It doesn't hurt them?"
"Some may feel a little tired, but they begin to recover once its over." He points out on of the people. "You are used to reaching out with your powers. Just focus on your own life energy and reach out."
"Are you sure?"
"Go on."
Raven starts to focus on her energy but stops and takes a good look around at all the people. "No, that one is weak."
"Good you've learned well so far. Find a strong one and try it."
"I'm frightened...if I go too far-"
"-I'm right here. I won't let you hurt anyone, but I know you, Raven. You have more self control than that."
She nods and takes a deep breath. She focuses as if she were going to meditate, it doesn't happen all at once but slowly she becomes aware of the energy surrounding her. Raven expects to see the dark aura of her powers but when she opens her eyes she sees a pale bluish-violet color.
"Focus on just a tiny part of what you see. Remember just a small pin prick is all it will take."
Raven reaches out with a small bit of her energy toward a woman with a vivid green aura. When she makes contact with the woman's aura she feels an intense rush of energy and the aura around her instantly grows to an intense indigo.
"That's it, now draw away."
A part of her doesn't want to but she draws away from the woman. It hasn't left her completely but she can feel the lust for blood weakening.
"Very good for your first try."
"I understand what you meant earlier about giving into the desire rather than focusing on the need."
"It is very easy to get lost in the rush it gives you."
Raven turns to Goth. "How long have you been...you know."
"I became a vampire when Goth was used in reference to a race of people. I was a young teen in the wrong place at the wrong time when a vampire's blood lust got the better of him. Maybe he felt sorry for what he did and passed on what made him what he was rather than leaving me to die from blood loss at his hand. Or maybe he just didn't want to be the only one in the area to be immortal.
"Just the thought or watching everyone around me grow old and die is daunting. How do you handle it?"
"Blood lust is something you get used to. Its just a part being a vampire. Watching others around you grow old and die...I don't know any vampire that has gotten used to that. Some have sworn to avoid getting involved with mortals other than when they need to feed."
Raven looks at the group of people as they clap. She is startled to find that the poet has ended her verses with the breaking of dawn.
"Easy. It may weaken you for a time, but it will not harm you."
"But it did before."
"That is because you were beginning the change into what you are now." Goth stands up. "It has been a long night for you. Perhaps you should come back to my place for awhile. It will be well away from mortals for awhile."
"The Titans will worry..."
"I think they will understand you need some time to get used to what you are now."
Raven finds her communicator in a pocket of her dress. "Robin this is Raven."
Robin's voice comes through with a sigh of relief to hear from her. "Are you okay? We saw you leave the tower."
"I'm fine, thanks to Goth. I should go with him awhile...its for the best...I have a lot to learn."
"As long as he takes good care of you. Keep in touch OK?"
"I promise to." Raven puts her communicator back in her pocket and takes Goth's hand letting him lead her along the way.
Can you take the story as a one shot and imagine Raven lives happily ever after with a caring friend to watch out for her? I like it this way and think after the first story by my cousin, raven lynn morrigan, that Raven deserves the hope of peace and contentment as she begins to learn what she is now. In a way its also an homage to my husband. I'm no stranger to addiction. I've done damage to my liver with alcohol addiction. Rehab didn't really help stop it, afterward the drinking addiction shifted to tanning beds which caused skin cancers. Then it was sweets to the extent I ended up developing diabetes. Then it became an addition to work. I dated my husband through that. He isn't the kind of guy that stands up to a woman like me but he did, forcing me to see what I was doing to not only myself but those that love me. As long as I make him happy none of that other stuff I used to get hung up on really matters anymore. So I dedicate this story to my Chucky who was there when I needed him.