AN: Well, here is the next chapter. This one will be followed up by an epilogue. Thank you to all my reviewers! I've most appreciated your feedback and loyalty to the story. Please read and review.
Disclaimer: Still only own the idea of the story, not the Teen Titans.
Chaos. The castle had become chaos. The large double doors had been smashed open; pieces of the wood littered the marble floors. Man fought with the enchanted items of the castle...while the "beast" fought with a man who was intent on ending his days.
Garfield growled ferociously and then dodged another swing of the man's blade. Why he fought, he did not know. She was gone...what was there to live for?
This man and others from the village had arrived, torches and all sorts of weapons in hand intent on one thing and one thing alone. He'd watched them storm up to the castle, a battering ram being held by the strongest of the men in the group, their leader shouting commands.
Robin had dashed into the room in a panic, warning his master and begging him to leave. Garfield wouldn't hear of it – this was his castle, his land, and his life to end. Robin had bid him ado and then organized whomever he could into a small army to help fight the townspeople.
Raven had nodded her thanks to Bee before commandeering that horse. She had held tightly onto the reigns, clicking her tongue as they started to rush off. She needed to be near him. Raven need to get to Garfield before anything else happened to them. It took her a while but finally she got to the castle and was starting to rush in, still on horseback, screaming, "Garfield!"
An agonizing roar came from the upper floor. The man had struck a hard blow, blood quickly saturating the shirt Garfield wore. He lost his balance and then was pushed out onto the balcony, going straight through the double glass doors.
The sound of glass breaking and a harsh rainfall echoed throughout the castle. Raven looked upwards before she dismounted and then took off in a hard run up the stairs and towards where she had heard the noise coming form, screaming for him once more, "Garfield! Please Garfield!"
The voice she heard in return to her cries was not the one she had wanted. Instead it was that of Monsieur Todd. "You're hardly worthy of my time! Given up already!? Haha! Well, at least I'll have one trophy that nobody else has on my wall!" He raised his sword, preparing to strike the final blow to his prey.
Raven had made her way to the room, looked inside, and rushed forward, seeing Garfield's predicament. He laid on his side on the marble balcony, blood and rain mixing on the cold surface. No, she thought. She couldn't lose Garfield too. Raven couldn't say exactly when he'd become more than a friend to her, but her heart leapt into her throat at the sight of his injured state.
Raven grabbed a chair that had been knocked over on the floor and she threw it with all her might at the man responsible for her mother's demise, trying to stop him or at least distract him so she could land hard upon her knees, throwing herself across Garfield's neck so that it couldn't be cut without her being killed as well.
He regained his composure. "Move out of the way, you little thief!" He spat, anger showing in his eyes.
Raven lifted her head as she looked up at Jason Todd, her eyes searching a bit before she spoke, "I'll do no such thing. I love this man more then anything. You could throw me into jail till I'm old and frail enough that I cannot fight you, but I will not let you kill him. You will have to go through me first!"
Jason watched her, sword still above both of them...and then he slowly began to lower it. He saw the girl's look of surprise and inwardly smirked. What a fool she was to think that he'd let such a prize go to waste just because she had intervened.
However, Garfield was no fool, he knew what the man was going to do and at the last moment, when that steely look appeared in the man's eyes once more, he pushed her out of the way and took the blade into the chest, letting out a roar of pure agony before he fell to his knees and then backward, now lying on the floor in a state of shock, struggling for breath, the heat of his own blood soaking his fur.
Raven screamed out when Garfield pushed her out of the way and she fell against the stone. She picked up a piece of loose glass and threw it hard towards Todd, her anger guiding her aim, and it hit him in the chest, sending him back into the wall and he knocked out. She moved towards Garfield, breathing hard as she pressed her hand towards where his face was then downwards as tears started to fall.
"N-no…Garfield. Please," she pleaded.
"H-he...wo-would've...killed...any-anyway," He managed to get out between labored breaths. "I…couldn't...let him...kill you." He coughed and then found it harder to catch his breath. She'd said she loved him...then why was he still in this form? Was it too late? Had time run out before his sacrifice?
"Y-you should have, Garfield…T-that way I wouldn't…be loosing you…I would be going with you," Raven stated, lowering her head downwards to press it against his furry form as she sobbed softly. "Garfield…please…I need you."
There was a moment of just labored breathing before he'd speak again. "It-It does...doesn't...hurt...anymore," Garfield said and he used his last bit of strength to look to her, keeping his flagging eyes open. "Raven, I...lo-love...y-you."
Everything grew dark...and then, there was nothing. Garfield closed his eyes and slipped into a darkness that was too sweet to deny. The sound of his last breath leaving him occurred just as the sound of footfalls occurred. Raven didn't turn to look at them; she knew by their gasps that they were Victor, Bee, Robin, and other servants.
I was too late, Raven thought and the tears began to fall harder. Her fingers touched his face, looking to his peaceful features for a moment before she would whisper, "N-no…o-open your eyes." When he didn't she clutched him against her as she started to wail, "No! Please! Don't leave me alone!"
It seemed as though he was gone forever, but suddenly from above, thunder rumbled, a harsh wind blew, and a bolt of lightning struck the marble, but it did not break. As if the bolt had turned into it's own being, the golden light crawled along the marble, over to the two, and into Garfield's still form. She still held him, holding him tightly against her, as she would move to press her head down upon his chest, wishing that she could die this very moment to be with him again. Her lips parted as she sobbed harshly.
The light seemed to seep into his form and suddenly a large burst of light would come from around him, with a push so hard that it moved her away from him. His beastly form slowly began to disappear, paws shifting into hands, his face being restored to what it had once been, and with a final ray of light, the breath of life was put back into him, causing him to gasp as he returned from the dead.
Raven watched what was happening to him before she would scoot herself back to press her back against the wall, her eyes watching him for a moment and trying to register what was occurring.
"Gar-Garfield?"
He didn't register her voice at first. He wasn't sure what had happened but he was back to his old self, he ran his hand over his face then through his neck length hair, then looked from hand to hand. I'm…I'm human. He finally looked to her, his eyes meeting her gaze.
"Raven...It's me," He said, a grin curling his lips. "I'm...free..."
She wrinkled her brow just a bit before she would move her fingers outwards to touch his features. She was scanning them for a moment before she would search his eyes.
"Garfield...I-I don't…understand."
He moved his hand out to cup her face gently. "You love me and I return the affection fully. It broke the spell,' He said gently. "Everyone shall be free of it." And that's exactly what was happening. All around the castle the former knick-knacks and whatnot's were turning back into their human selves.
Raven closed her eyes for a moment at the feel of his touch and her lips would curl into a soft smile as she spoke, "Though you do not have fur you still touch the same."
Save for in one way, he thought. He moved himself closer and then leaned in, placing his lips upon hers lovingly and engulfing her in a passionate kiss. Raven gasped against his lips but she would kiss him passionately, her fingers moving upwards along his features before she would press her hand against the back of his neck softly.
He pulled back after a moment, his forehead resting on hers, his eyes closing as he let out a sigh. "I love you, Raven Roth."
She would sigh softly against him, as she would search his face for a moment before speaking, "I love you, Garfield Logan."
Her eyes searched the features that weren't quite known to her yet, her fingers tracing over his jaw line and up to push back some of his hair before she moved closer to him to press her forehead against his own once again. She was shaking, tired from her journey of sneaking into the prison, getting Kori out but not her mother. Raven hadn't been there to save her mother then almost loosing Garfield only to find that he was alive and as human as she was. She couldn't stop the tears then, now crying out of pure joy, her lips parting as she started to sob against his shoulder.
Garfield wrapped his strong arms about her, holding her close, and couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. He was free to start a life with the one woman he loved. Two hearts becoming one, two lives entwining to form something beautiful. He couldn't ask for anything more wonderful.
Next up...the Epilogue! Please R&R.
