lostmoonchild: Okay, here's another chapter ready to go for your viewing pleasure. This chapter has actually been working itself out in my head for a while so it's all good to go.
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything else unless I say otherwise.
Chapter Ten
The first two things that registered with the group when they got to Azarath was the scent of death that hung in the air and that everything looked dead. "This is the more uncivilized part of Azarath." Raven told them with a small shrug as if the scene didn't bother her. "Don't go anywhere alone for any reason and trust nobody."
Alynn giggled as she floated in the air, her eyes dancing with excitement. "We're home, Sister. We're actually home!" Alynn laughed happily before smiling. "We should introduce them to Mother. She'll like them, I bet she will!"
Raven stared at her sister before sighing. "You're getting her then."
"Not without you."
"I'm not leaving anybody alone for any reason. Before we go back to Earth we'll stop and see Mother."
Temporarily pacified, Alynn nodded slightly. "This is where you were born?" Starfire questioned anxiously.
Raven nodded slightly before answering, "Yep, this is where Alynn and I were both born. There's one rule here and that's kill or be killed."
"That seems to be an unpleasant rule." Starfire told her friend.
"It's the only one that's worked." Alynn answered lightly as if she were commenting about the weather.
Robin frowned slightly, clearly bothered by the single rule. "Hasn't anybody ever tried working towards a peaceful resolution?" Robin questioned.
"Peace doesn't exist anywhere here."
The group stared at the two girls before starting to walk. "So, uh, where are we going now?" Beast Boy questioned. "Somewhere safe?"
"Safe enough. Nobody's stupid enough to mess with Grandmother and if you're smart, you'll call her Grandmother too."
They came to a small house and saw a small boy no more than five playing outside with a skull that still had some dried blood on it. "Human." Raven and Alynn said automatically.
The boy looked at them and stared, his deep red eyes staring in amazement at the group. Raven nodding towards the house and said something in Azarathian before the boy nodded and ran inside, calling in the same language. "Don't let yourselves be alone with him. He'll try to eat you." Alynn warned the group. "Literally."
They watched as a woman left the house, her bright yellow eyes watching the group carefully. "Sister?" Cyborg guessed.
Raven smiled a bit before answering, "Nope. That's Grandmother."
Disbelief crossed the teens' faces as they looked at the woman. She looked to be in her freaking twenties, not old enough to be anybody's grandmother. Of course, demons did age differently than humans so maybe she was old enough to be their grandmother. "Raven. Alynn. Welcome home." Grandmother said as she pulled the two girls into a gentle hug. "I knew dat you'd come sooner or later." She smiled as she released the two girls before giving each of the other teenagers a hug. "Welcome, dears. Come inside, you mus' be exhausted. Inter-dimensional travel isn' easy for anybody. Heaven knows dat I still ge' tired jus' goin' ta Earth. Come on, don' be shy."
They followed the woman inside, amazed when they saw that the house had about three others inside, including the boy that they saw outside. "Girls, ge' dem somet'ing ta drink Dey mus' be t'irsty." Grandmother scolded Raven and Alynn lightly before looking at the four other teens. "Take a seat, dears."
Raven and Alynn hurried into another room while the four teens sat down at the table. "Um, this is a very interesting home that you have." Robin said as he looked around.
"I knew dat Raven and Alynn woul' be coming wit' some friends so I tol' the older ones, "You lot go ou' and catch some food. Yer sisters, dey be comin' wit' some frien's and I don' wan' not'ing dat runs on two legs on my table." and dey all listen so well."
Beast Boy made a face before asking, "Do you have anything vegetarian?" He looked confused when Cyborg hit him. "What?"
Grandmother laughed before answering, "You ask Raven, she'll bring yeh somet'ing. She knows where all da good plants are."
The two girls came back into the room with some glasses and a couple of bottles. "Raven, I wan' you ta go ou' 'fore dinner an' ge' yeh green frien' sem plants." Grandmother told Raven with a stern look.
"Yes, Grandmother." Raven answered as she poured the drinks. "Grandmother saves these drinks for when she has guests from another dimension. Watch out, more than one glass will knock you on the floor."
It was then that they realized that they hadn't even properly introduced themselves to the woman. "I'm-" Robin started but got cut off when the woman shook her hand at him.
"I know who yeh are." Grandmother laughed. "No nee' to fre', dears. No one come t'rough meh door wi'ou' meh knowin' who dey be."
Despite the woman's accent, it was easy to understand her. "Raven, yeh go ou' and geh wha' I tell yeh ta ge' righ' now." Grandmother said sternly as she looked at the teenage girl.
"But-"
"Don' yeh 'bu' meh. Ge' goin' now."
Raven nodded slightly before promising that she'd be right back. "Yeh younger ones go ge' da fire goin' now."
The younger ones nodded and took off out of the house, chattering eagerly about the guests. "Is there something that we can do to help?" Cyborg questioned.
Grandmother smiled warmly at them before answering, "Yeh don' worry abou' nothin' while yeh are here. Be foolish, wantin' ta figh' again't Trigon. Not da firs' time dat he be facin' dis."
"It is not?" Starfire questioned. "Then why is Friend Raven and Friend Alynn pulled into this?"
"Dey be his daughters. Not'ing more, not'ing less. Dey woul'a foun' a reason ta come back. Take a demon from Azarat' but ne'er Azarat' from a demon."
"So you don't mind that they're killing each other." Robin stated.
"Tis in ou' nature ta kill. Raven, she be a good girl. Her and Alynn's mot'er, a good woman tha' tau't dem ne'er ta kill unle' defen'en demselves or someone dat dey be wantin' for deir own." Grandmother smiled warmly at them as she rubbed Alynn's cheek. "Dis one be mark fer deat' sin' she be born. Coul'a gone and kill Raven whe' dey be li'l bu' she hol' not'in' again't Raven."
Alynn smiled as if she had been complimented instead of told that she was going to die. "It's okay," she said when she saw the looks on their faces. "I'm happy that I got to spend time with my sister and to meet you guys. Raven's always known, that's why she always gives me what I want."
What would it be like, knowing that someone was going to die? Living each day and looking at the person you knew was going to die and there was nothing you could do about it? When Raven looked at her sister, did she feel sorrow at the knowledge that she'd be the one to continue on while Alynn's life was cut short?
The sound of screaming reached their ears before they could ask anything. The group rushed outside, staring in shock when they saw a couple of young men that looks to be in their late teens attacking the girls. "Get away from them!" They heard Raven shout as she charged at the two.
As soon as the words left her lips, the fight was on.
lostmoonchild: Wow, Grandmother's way of talking was actually kind of a pain to write. I actually (and I shit you guys not) had to say what she said out loud and take out or add any sounds that made sense. Of course, it's probably easy to see what she was saying but if anybody's having any trouble then drop me a line and I'll tell you exactly what she's saying. Anyway, read and review, flames will be accepted.
