The library was far less ominous during the day, Robin noted as they made their way through the dusty, dingy shelves. The light wasn't exactly strong coming through the grimy windows, but it was certainly better than Cyborg's flashlight alone.

It didn't seem to put Raven at ease, though. Her poise, stiff and almost hunched, didn't shift once during the short walk to the back of the building.

"It might not work," she murmured suddenly, still moving forward.

Surprised, he looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"When I eradicated Trigon," she began, not facing him, "there's a good chance I eradicated any traces of him from myself as well." With her hood down, he could see her glance at him from the corner of her eye for an instant before returning her gaze forward again. "If this is the case, I won't be able to open the passage that leads to the chambers."

"Actually, I don't think you'll have to," he responded, stopping and gesturing to the wall where a gaping hole remained. "Seems without the magic, it can't remain sealed."

Raven grumbled something unintelligible, following Robin as he stepped through the hole and began to descend the staircase. Every so often, he would glance behind his shoulder to ensure she was still with him. Normally, it wouldn't have been necessary, but her steps were so light he could never be sure if she had just phased away and left him alone.

They finally reached the bottom, and Robin stepped into the antechamber with a only a split-second of hesitation.

Raven, however, looked as though she would need more convincing. She stood several steps above him, biting her lip and eyes unsure. "Robin… I'm not sure about this," she said, unable to keep her gaze in any one place for very long.

Robin withheld the urge to sigh and ascended a few of the steps so he was just one below her – at eye level. He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring way and extended his hand. She looked down at it, unease still present in her eyes. "It's okay. The magic is gone – it won't happen again."

Raven raised her eyes to look at him for a moment, as though trying to determine whether or not he was lying.

The thing was, he couldn't lie about something he didn't even know the answer to.

Slowly, she put her hand in his and allowed him to guide her back down. As they both step foot in the antechamber once more, he saw her wince, screwing her eyes shut as though expecting the spirits to chant those words that would always haunt them both.

They didn't, and finally Raven opened her eyes, slightly widened in surprise as she looked around once more.

But Robin didn't want to dwell too much here. "C'mon," he said, pulling them forward once more.

The wall that Robin had smashed through was… well, still smashed through. As they began to descend the stairs, Robin began to wonder what was going through Raven's head. Was she angry? Upset? Or just lost in memories?

He didn't have to wonder long.

"Robin, why wasn't this place demolished between last year and today?"

He shrugged. "I figured some relic of what happened should remain."

"You can't possibly enjoy those memories."

"In a way… maybe."

She stopped dead on the step above him, leaving them at eye level again. "Why?"

"Everything that happened last year…" he shrugged. "It brought me closer to you."

Before she could respond, he had turned and was descending the stairs once more.

It then occurred to her how foolish she was being – she could have them both down at the bottom in a matter of seconds. Without asking, she extended her soul self around her, making sure to pick up Robin before diving down the middle of the tower.

She alighted on the ground just in front of the winding staircase, withdrawing her aura and allowing Robin to fall, quite ungracefully, back to the ground.

"Warn me next time, would you?" he asked, looking quite disgruntled as he stood.

Her only response was a twitch of her lip.

But then, what goes up must come down. She turned away from Robin to take in the room. The hand, once ominous and grim, was still a pile of rubble in front of the tall staircase that had allowed her to ascend to her place as the gem.

It was all so clear in her mind. She cringed, remembering how easily she had given up and how she had let Trigon destroy everything she held dear.

Well, almost everything, she mentally corrected, thinking of the Titans. But they still suffered because of her.

She turned back to Robin, about to give him a piece of her mind for bringing her here, but she was surprised to see his face was just as pained as she felt. "It's like it all just hits you like a ton of bricks… again," he muttered. "Did I really just stand there and do nothing?"

Was he blaming himself? Raven frowned. "Why do you sound guilty?"

"Because I am. Raven, I made so many mistakes… if I had just figured something out, maybe it wouldn't have happened." He looked up from his feet to search her face. "Raven, if I could have only convinced you that you didn't have to become the portal…"

He was blaming himself. And for her shortcomings, no less!

"Look here, Boy Blunder, you were not at fault here. I was the one stupid enough to believe I had to go through with my 'destiny.'"

Robin shook his head. "A good leader would have eased your doubts. I did not. A good leader would have kept you safe. I…" he swallowed. "I did not. Not from Slade, not from Trigon, and not from yourself." He ran a hand through his hair. "I failed."

Raven was dumbfounded. Here was Robin, the boy who hated to be wrong and had to have his way… and he was apologizing for failing to protect her?

He was about to speak again, but Raven held up a hand. "Stop. Even if you are at fault, as you seem so intent on proving, I definitely have at least some of the blame." She took a deep breath. "So I suggest a compromise. We both failed. We both made mistakes. You apparently failed to protect me – " here she rolled her eyes, " – and I brought suffering on the entire world. And we can both safely conclude that Trigon and Slade had parts in this. Agreed?"

Now it was Robin who looked surprised. "Yeah… I guess."

She smiled. "Good."

And just like that, a whoosh of air was let loose from her lungs. With it came a sense of peace, and a quiet in her mind that could only be one thing.

Closure.

"Raven?" Robin's voice drew her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Would you kill me if I hugged you?"

She blinked, then chuckled. "C'mere, Boy Blunder."