ACT 3
Rage revealed herself fully now, walking out of the burning forest which the Dragon had so recklessly set aflame. An eerie dark silhouette walked out of the blaze, emerging unscathed by the intense heat of the flames.
An uneasy silence broke out between Raven and her emotions, only to be broken by Happiness.
"Hey four eyes!" She waved cheerfully, chuckling at her own joke.
Red Raven gave a growl, turning her head fiercely towards Pink Raven and giving her a deathly glare. Her power was overwhelming, so much that even the turn of her head had sent a shockwave of wind through the crowd of Ravens.
"Ok…I'll be quiet now." Pink Raven began shrinking back from Rage.
"As I said," Rage said with a tone of impatience. "You will need my help."
"Pfft, like we need help from the likes of her." Bravery brushed Rage's offer off.
"Sh…quiet, don't let her hear you, she'll get angry." Timidness replied, scared.
"She's hatred, she's always angry." Intelligence said smugly.
"Oh. Right." Happiness commented.
"I thought you were happiness, pinky, not stupidity." Rage sneered.
"AHAH, good one!" Happiness clapped her hands and laughed joyfully, then stopped as she realized what Rage had just said. "OH."
"Why should I trust you?" The original Raven stood up in front of the crowd of emotions now, asserting herself in front of her own rage, the very manifestation of everything she had wanted to escape.
"Because I have the power, you know that. Unless you want him to run rampant through your mind forever." Rage pointed towards Malchior, who was already beating another one of Raven's emotion flat into the ground.
Then a dark grin appeared on Rage's face. "Deny it all you want, but I'm a part of you."
"I don't want anything to do with you." Raven scoffed.
"Just like you didn't want anything to do with him?" Rage jerked her head towards the dragon.
"Just an inconvenience." Raven replied flatly.
"Nevertheless, if we hope to get him out of here, we must work together. You must learn to embrace your heritage, just like I did. If you want to achieve your true potential, if you want to save your friends. It's the only thing you can do."
"I'll be the judge of that."
Raven raised her palm into the air now, which began glowing with magic. The other emotions nodded, gathering around Raven and hovering just slightly above the ground.
The emotions began spinning around Raven now, faster and faster until they became coloured blurs. Their airspeed became so fast, that eventually, all six colours faded into white.
A flash of brilliant light obscured Rage's view now, and within seconds, the last emotion, purple Raven, was sucked out of Malchior's grasp, dissolving into a bolt of energy and cackling into the swirling vortex where Raven was.
When the smoke cleared, there were only two Ravens left.
Rage, and next to her, was Raven, standing in a circle burnt into the ground, her robe and hood completely turned to white.
The huge dragon, his prey gone, turned around to see the two Ravens. A dark chuckle went across the beast's face.
An admirable effort, but pathetic nonetheless. The dragon drew back its neck, then lunged forward, releasing a ball of flame.
Raven replied by lifting an energy barrier in front of her, absorbing the explosive force of the blast, which dissipated into several waves of searing heat.
She threw another black energy beam at the dragon, which exploded into smoke on its wing. While at the same time, her eyes glowed black as she focused on her next spell.
The very ground itself seemed to shake as an earthquake reverberated around the crater where Malchior was. The crumbling of rock and stone was heard as slowly, but surely, the entire cliff side that the Titans were standing on began lifting into the air, surrounded by a cloud of black magic.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven slammed both her hands down, throwing the huge mountain towards Malchior.
The dragon however, was not without his own tricks.
Necronom, Hesberick, Mortix!
Black cackling magic appeared from the dragon's arms, spreading throughout his body just as the huge slab of earth and rock collided with his body. The dragon was un-phased though, for the magic layer around his body simply burned through the huge block of earth, causing it to split into two as it passed Malchior.
Raven watched in surprise, at the relative ease with which Malchior had blocked the shot.
Your powers, remember? The dragon chuckled, then formed two black discs of dark magic in his hands while at the same time, charging his mouth for another breath of fire.
Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!
The black magic in Malchior's claws began cackling, forming tendrils that shot out at Raven. Before the sorceress could even respond, she was tied up in the bonds of her own magic. Raven grunted, trying to break free with her own spells, but to Raven's surprise, Malchior was using her powers more proficiently than she ever considered him capable of, and so the restraints were too strong for her.
Malchior, his prey nicely tied up, let loose another stream of fire, this one hitting Raven dead on. The titan let out a short scream as she became engulfed in the fire. The pain was unbearable, burning through every fiber of her body and mind.
At that moment, Raven lost her focus and fell from the sky, sliding across the broken ground, groaning in pain.
The dragon took to the skies now, giving a triumphant roar.
Oh….hurt aren't we? But don't worry, it will soon be over. Your friends are defeated, and I will finally be free. Not only that, I will leave you a broken mind, and your friends will spend the rest of their days treating you as a helpless vegetable. How does that sound Raven?" the dragon gave a monstrous roar of a laugh, spreading its wings out as it hovered abover her.
But then again, your friends will be trapped here with you, so I guess you'll be having company after all. The dragon took one look at the four unconscious titans, giving her friends a dark glare.
"NO!" Raven turned around, her entire body bathed in black energy. Within seconds, the energy rose up into the sky, forming a gigantic soul self that matched even the Dragon in size and wingspan. The giant Raven let off one long, tortured screech just before it crashed into Malchior, forming a swirling dome of black energy that kept expanding, as if it would explode.
The violent magic however, stopped suddenly, disintegrating into random pieces of black before finally being absorbed back into the caster, the Dragon Malchior.
Raven, breathing heavily from the last attack, found that she barely had the strength to stand up, let alone stand, and so she fell back onto her knees, beads of sweat dripping down her face.
"You know you can't defeat him." Rage landed next to Raven now, speaking calmly, as if oblivious to the fact that a fifty-foot dragon hovered above them, readying for its next strike.
"You know what you need to do. If you want to save 'our' friends."
Raven gritted her teeth at that last remark, she did not want to even consider this an option, but now, it looked like she had no choice. Gathering her remaining strength, Raven began standing up weakly, focusing her remaining energy as Rage stood beside her. The two Ravens began chanting….
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" Raven began.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…." Rage continued.
"Carazon Rakashas Endere…" A swirl of black and red energy appeared around the two girls, who stood side by side as they chanted, their eyes glowing red.
"Vaserix Endrien….…" Raven hesitated, pausing for a second.
"Finish it." Rage said darkly. "If you want to save your friends."
"Trigon, Trigon, Trigon!"
The swirling mass of black energy turned red now, surrounding Raven as it ripped violently through her body. Raven arched her back in pain as the red magic flowed into her, filling her eyes full of black and red aura, until finally, it just stopped. Leaving a thick cloud of dust in its wake.
As the smoke cleared, Malchior watched with curiosity, only to see Raven emerge, only this time, the white was gone. Raven was back inside her blue cloak and black outfit.
Underneath her hood however, the titan looked up to reveal four red glowing eyes.
Raven gripped her fists intensely, which were already cracking with bolts black energy, while Malchior only watched with amusement.
How cute, is this the part where I'm supposed to be-
A huge black soul bird appeared next to Malchior, wrapping the huge dragon in it's embracing wing. Eventually the soul bird dissolved into black magic, forming a claw that trapped Malchior to his place in the sky.
Impossible, I have your power!
"This isn't my power." Raven replied emotionlessly, advancing towards the dragon.
She walked forward silently, carving a fiery path in the grass and trees she passed, each one burning to a crisp the second it came within five feet of her. A sickening hiss filled the air as the once beautiful green fields began burning with sulfur.
"Do you have any idea what you did to me?" Raven said feriously, her four menacing eyes glaring at the dragon. She gripped her fist next, intensifying the pain Malchior was feeling as the giant raven claw increased its death grip on the dragon.
The beast roared in pain, then with great strength, spread out its arms and wings at the same time, breaking free of its bonds.
Malchior chuckled, as if he were unaffected by the pain..
I made you give up the only freedom that you ever had in your life. The freedom to feel, to express yourself, to feel 'normal' like everyone else. To be honest Raven, I like you a lot better this way.
The dragon breathed a fresh stream of flame towards Raven, who simply brushed it away with one swipe of her hand. Malchior however, took this time to swing at Raven with his massive tail, knocking Raven back and crushing her against the remains of the mountainside, knocking the rest of the rock formation as the mountain crumbled into a huge cloud of rubble and smoke.
Raven groaned, lifting a rock up to emerge from the rubble, only to see Malchior walk towards her, each gargantuan step shaking the very ground.
This is your fate Raven, your life. To be forever cursed by the very powers that make you special, trapping you in a prison you cannot see, feel, nor escape. It will always be there to haunt you Raven, just as I will always be.
Malchior breathed another stream of fire now, this one calculated to finish the fight off once and for all. The huge pillar of flame emerged in front of Raven, at least three times bigger than the previous ones, and Raven prepared herself for the attack.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" A huge black bolt emerged from Raven, hitting Malchior's flame blast with full force. The two attacks cancelled each other out, while Raven and Malchior continued their contest of strength, one minute the black beam was pushing the fire back, while in the next minute, it seemed as though Raven would win.
Both combatants grunted under the strain, while in the center of their attacks, a nexus of swirling energies began building up, turning into a whirlwind of fire and black magic.
"Get out of my mind…" Raven grunted with strain, all four of her eyes blazing with fire. "and……" She focused even harder now, gathering even more energy around her, so much that a pillar of black flame was forming around her, incinerating everything that was beside her. Trees were torn violently from their roots, flying into the maelstrom of forces, while every blade of grass exploded into flame around her.
It's much too late for you Raven. Malchior focused his own strength now, forcing Raven's black magic back even more with his fire attack. I am your better
At that instant, just as it seemed Raven was about to lose, Malchior was blindsided by a series of exploding attacks that knocked him broadside. Green starbolts, exploding bird-a-rangs, and a blue sonic beam that scorched Malchior's face.
WHAT!
The dragon turned now, and saw the four other Titans standing on a nearby hill, all recovered from their fight.
"Get out of here!" Raven shouted, charging her own power to match Malchior, pushing the dragon's attack back.
"We can't let you do this alone!" Cyborg shouted from above the roar of the flame.
There wasn't time to say anymore though.
Eventually, the power was too much, and both Raven's and Malchior's energies exploded, sending huge shockwaves that threw Raven and Malchior back from each other. The four other titans reeled back from the huge blast of wind, trying to dig in but they too, were swept away into the air. A huge blinding white flash appeared over the battlefield, followed by a monstrous roar as the earth split open from the huge explosion.
As the dust settled, Raven found herself lying far away from where she once was, her bruised and battered body still smoking from the last attack. She tried to stand up, but found that the last attack had utterly exhausted her.
Immediately across from her, lay Malchior. The huge dragon was equally wounded in the last exchange, his wings were littered with scorch marks and scarred wounds, while his body too, wasn't without its share of bruises and burns.
It was a dead tie.
Even wounded however, Malchior was still laughing, the full confidence of a villain who knew that he had grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat.
You may have prevented me from destroying you and your friends Raven, but you will not prevent me from achieving my goal. You forget, I control your power, I still hold all the cards.
The dragon gave his hand a weak wave as he casted the next spell.
And now, you will not prevent me from gaining my freedom.
The ground once again began shaking, quivering as Malchior got up and rolled over onto his knees, the dragon gave his wings an experimental flap, spreading them out and creating a huge gust of wind in the process.
In front of Malchior, a large mountain began rising from the ground, with pillars of rock emerging to form columns that bent in the air. As the stone formations met, they twisted together, forming in the shape of the gigantic portal.
The other titans regained their footing now, and Beast Boy and Cyborg instantly recognized the portal that Malchior had created. Without wasting a time, the remaining titans charged towards the wounded dragon, but Malchior was only a step away from the portal, which led to the real world. Already, an image of Jump City, with the T tower and ocean, was forming within the blackness of the portal.
Raven tried to stand up, gripping her wounded shoulder weakly, but she found that she had no strength to stop Malchior, could only grit her teeth as she watched the giant monster crawl away from her.
The dragon did not have the strength to stand, so he crawled, dragging his gargantuan body slowly along the charred ground, closer and closer towards the image of the outside world, his ticket to freedom.
Before he could continue however, energy began to materialize in front of Malchior, in the shape of a red raven, until finally, its castor appeared. Rage, smug as ever, gave Malchior a grin as she landed right in front of him, the last thing that stood between the dragon and his freedom.
Get out of my way…….we had a deal. The dragon said weakly.
Those words, clearly audible to Raven, came as a shock to her.
Rage nodded. "So we did, but I'll be honest with you. I just don't like you."
With a malicious grin, she gave her hand a wave, and the image of the outside world shattered from the portal, replaced by the hellish image of another world, one filled with char and pillars of burning flames. All dominated by four glowing red eyes which emerged in front of the portal.
"Ever wonder why it's called, 'the forbidden door?'" Red Raven laughed darkly, within seconds, strands of red magic began reaching out from the portal, forming dozens of tendrils that wrapped around the dragon's body. Malchior grunted as chains of magic bounded his legs and arms. He tried to fly away but the magic had already tied his wings together.
Malchior was shocked, and now found himself being dragged towards this new portal, which led into some other dimension. He turned now, trying to crawl away with his remaining strength, but the pull of the demonic magic was too strong, little by little, the dragon inched closer and closer towards the doorway, his claws desperately digging into the ground, in an almost panicking fashion, to grab onto anything.
The dragon grunted.
No! You can't……do this!"
"Watch me." Rage smirked, her eyes glowing red. More red coloured tendrils shot out of the doorway, these ones wrapping around Malchior's neck and shoulder, until finally the dragon's body was forced into the portal. Before he was completely pulled in, Malchior lunged out of the portal defiantly one last time, just as he roared his last words, in screaming agony.
NOOOOOOO!
With that, Malchior disappeared into the portal. The red image of horror instantly vanishing in a flash of smoke as the dragon passed through.
Rage stopped now, landing in front of Raven, who was still pulling herself up, struggling with her wounds.
"You………" Raven glared at Rage accusingly. "You planned this from the start."
Rage didn't say anything, instead she gave a sinister grin as she turned to face Raven. The four red eyes glaring maliciously at her. Rage did not reply, before Raven could say anymore, Rage simply disintegrated into a bolt of red energy, which crackled back into Raven's body. Another flash followed, a small explosion of smoke obscuring everyone's view.
When the screen cleared, Raven found herself too weak to stand, an icy grip began swelling up inside her. She looked down, saw beautiful green fields of her once-free mind, all of them fading behind a black curtain.
She collapsed.
"Don't worry Raven, we've got ya." Beast Boy said reassuringly, Cyborg ran up to the two, helping Beast Boy prop Raven back up. The two titans knelt down as they held her head in their arms.
Her vision was blurred, and she was only able to make out vague shapes, but the voices were clear as day.
"Are you alright?" Robin asked, Starfire behind her, eagerly bombarding her friend with questions.
Before Raven could answer any of them however, another earthquake shook the ground, this one much more powerful than the last ones. Cracks began appearing in the ground, tearing the very plain apart. Fires began spreading all over the land now, engulfing whatever trees remained.
The sky, once peaceful and green, was now beginning to deepen into twilight. The skies turned into a black and red darkness that tore through the heavens, as if an eclipse was happening.
The very ground the Titans were standing on began fragmenting. Slabs of rock were torn from the ground, and lifted into the air, while the very earth began splitting into many fragments. Violent gushers of flame and darkness began erupting from the ground.
Everything was collapsing.
The series of events snapped Raven back to reality. True to his word, Malchior had left a final gift. The moment he left Raven's mind, it would start collapsing.
"Raven! What's going on?" Robin shouted.
"There's no time, you have to leave now." Raven said weakly.
Robin protested "Not until we-"
"NOW!"
Raven's eyes glowed white now, and with wave of her hand, all four titans were wrapped in black energy. Before anyone could say anything or do anything, they were being hurled towards the forbidden doors, which showed the image of Jump City once more.
As the Titans entered the portal, the last thing they saw was Raven, standing alone in the middle of a burning wasteland, the vast desolate plain which was now her mind.
----------
"Ugh….." Cyborg rubbed his head in pain. "Where are we?"
The other titans groaned weakly, still recovering from their trial, but a few more seconds to recover and focus told them that they were back in the infirmary.
"Dude, what just happened?" Beast Boy asked, but none of the other Titans replied. Instead they all stared at the infirmary bed, where Raven was still strapped down.
All their eyes were now focused on the heart-monitoring machine, which was emitting a flat beep as it flatlined.
Raven's heart had stopped.
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It was all gone now. The beautiful trees and green grass that once graced the realm of her mind, all gone, along with the freedom she had once enjoyed.
Just like that.
Raven's sense came back slowly, one at a time. The first thing she noticed was that the gentle summer breeze was gone, replaced by the searing hot blast of sulphur and smoking char, like a giant hairdryer blowing straight into her face.
She looked around now, and saw the familiar barren ground that she had been familiar with for most of her life. The sky, once clear and blue, was now a collection of red and black streaks, all under the veil of a gloomy darkness. All around her, the landscape had changed, where there was once trees, plants, life, there was now rock, all twisted into jagged and unnatural formations. In the sky above her, a mini-archipelago of asteroids floated quietly in the sky in disarray.
Raven had no idea why she was still here….still…alive. A second ago, her mind was collapsing, now, it was….this.
A flash of red light appeared in front of her, followed by the cackling roar of thunder. A storm was starting, somewhere in the far off distance.
Raven checked her vitals now, feeling her wrists and giving her hands an experimental grip.
How did I survive?
A blast of wind immediately answered her, blowing her cape as it came from behind her.
But this was a different kind of wind, it was different from the intense and inhospitable air that spewed from the fires around her, no, this was a pleasant breeze…..cool, gentle…..comforting.
She turned around now, to investigate the source of the wind, and right in front of her, was a solitary patch of trees and flowers that had been untouched by the scar torn into Raven's mind, a small island of beauty and life that sat in the chaotic maelstrom of flame and ash.
For some strange reason, Raven felt the urge to walk towards it, some silent force that beckoned her onward.
As she took her first step into the small patch of forest, she was already feeling uncomfortable. There was an eerie feeling inside her that made her feel like she was being watched.
After a few more minutes walking through the trees, she came across a clearing, which blossomed with thousands of beautiful flowers, each one more radiating than the last. There were roses, red, white and yellow, while in the center, were dozens of small patches of sunflower, geraniums and poppies.
She knelt over now, and picked up a small rose in her hand, and she saw that it was already beginning to wither and die.
This small forest did not have much time left, like everything else in her mind, the flames would consume it.
Raven shook her head now, throwing the flower away in disgust. She did not know why she was even here, there was no point now, there was no point in anything anymore.
As she turned to walk away, a voice rang out behind her.
"I believe you dropped this, fair maiden." It was that voice, already etched in the back of her mind. The one that always made her feel like she was understood, cared for, perhaps, even more.
Instinctively, black magic began rippling through her hands, shrouding them in darkness. Raven turned around now, expecting the worst, but it was not the dragon.
Instead, it was a young man in a silver suit of armor, emblazoned by a black M. His face was concealed by a black scarf, and all Raven saw were those clear, crystal blue eyes, and long, flowy white hair. In his hand, was the rose that Raven had discarded, and the knight leaned forward, offering it back to her.
Raven swiped with her hand, brushing the rose aside and scattering it's petals into the wind. Her second hand was already focused for an attack.
"Don't you dare go near me." She said it as if it were a death threat.
"Please Raven, you don't understand-" The Knight began.
"No Malchior, I won't fall for this anymore. Not now, not ever."
The man shook his head. "How can you still believe that Raven? Did you not see the dragon get banished from your mind?"
"You have you ways." Raven said fiercely, backing away from the man.
"You can put your mind at ease Raven, I am not Malchior." He approached her now, bowing politely as he got close. "Sir Rorek, knight of Nol, at your service."
"How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know this isn't just another trick?"
"You are right to ask those questions Lady Raven, rest assured, this is no trick. There is no spell binding you to your mind, if you wish, I can send you back, whenever you want." The knight replied sympathetically. "But, I just want to help."
"You have the same voice as him." Raven said suspiciously.
"Or perhaps? He had mine. You must remember Raven, that it was my book the dragon was trapped in. All my memories, thoughts, even feelings were all available to him."
"If you're Rorek, how are you still here after a thousand years?"
"Magic allows you to do these things dear lady. To be more specific, when I trapped the dragon in the book, I placed certain…safeguards within its bindings, to ensure that the wretched creature would never escape again. I, or should I say, this projection of me, was one of those safeguards. I was surprised, to say the least, that you managed to break the curse. You are as powerful as they say."
"I don't believe you." Raven replied back, trying hard to resist the sympathetic voice from the man.
Rorek nodded. "Of course, because he and I share the same voice, the same voice that he used to make you believe him."
"I cannot say anything that may help distinguish us in your mind, but I can at least do this." Rorek reached around the back of his neck now, untying the scarf and lifting it to reveal his nose and mouth.
It was different now for Raven, back then, it had only been Malchior's paper body that she had connected with that voice, but now, standing in front of her, was an entirely different person. His pointed nose and small mouth adding to the charming blue eyes.
For the first time, Raven truly saw the face behind the voice she had always dreamed of, the handsome knight.
Raven wanted to walk closer to him, to caress his face with her hand, and hold his hand, but she hesitated. She wanted to trust him, but she just couldn't still. It was something she never wanted to talk about again, and she didn't want to talk about it now.
"Ok, you're two different people, I get that now. So, send me back, please." Raven said dryly, although she tried to best to make it not sound like she was pleading him to.
"And so I will Raven, but there are things I want to talk to you about. Namely, I must offer my apologies. You were wrongfully tricked by someone impersonating as me. And well, you know knights, with our chivalry and all, and I can't help but think I am responsible."
Raven shook her head, fighting hard to hold back the tears as she felt the old wound opening up again.
"No, you don't have to apologize, you don't have to do anything." She said softly.
"I cannot do much my lady," Rorek stepped forward now, brushing a strand of Raven's hair of his finger. "but perhaps I can help ease the pain, even by a little."
"I don't think you can do much now, Malchior's done the damage." Raven gestured at the blood red sky.
"True, but perhaps there is something else I can help you with. The feelings that had made you feel confused and lost these past few nights."
Raven froze now, remembering that singularly embarrassing moment with Robin just last night. The embarrassment however, soon turned to another type of feeling as soon as she remembered that scene with Starfire.
"I thought I had something….felt something for someone…" Raven said miserably as she turned away from Rorek. "And now, I'm not sure if I'll ever know what it meant. I have to meditate again, to control my emotions…." She said the last line with rank bitterness, clenching her fist tightly.
"It is true Raven, that Malchior has placed you back in that prison, in your mind. But expressing emotion isn't as important as feeling emotion, that is something no one can take from you." Rorek said comfortingly.
"What's the use of that?" Raven replied chidingly. "I'm still a prisoner, still trapped."
Rorek nodded sympathetically.
"A prison is a horrible place Raven, and I too once found myself inside one, torn away from the ones I loved, watching helplessly as my other friends suffered the same cruel injustice. I was a young lad then, too weak to do anything about it."
"Did you cry?" Raven, surprised that she was sympathizing with Rorek, could not help but ask.
Rorek nodded, "Yes, I did, and I suppose the situation isn't much different with you. But I will tell you Lady Raven, no matter how much we cry, no matter how much we wish for it to go away. The prison remains, so there is only one thing we can do."
"What is that?"
Rorek placed his hand gently on Raven's shoulder.
"We make the best of it."
"That still doesn't offer me any help with my problem." Raven said flatly.
The Knight gave a gentle smile, continuing on. "It is true that you have strong feeling, that you may think it is love, those feelings are not false of course, but you must come to realize that there is more than one kind of love."
"More?" Raven asked, genuinely confused. She was so sure of the feelings she had towards him, how could they be false? How can he presume to know what she felt.
"But, how do I know, it is true?"
"I cannot pretend to know how to read your mind Raven, that is something you must learn in life. The line between friendship and love is hard to spot, but I have a feeling you will know when the time comes. You are still you, and no curse or hex can ever change that."
"Why does it always have to be this difficult? Like everything else in my life…." Raven said with a tone of gloom.
"It is never easy, but I believe that you will find your way. You are strong, I have full confidence in that." He gently caressed Raven's cheek with his soft hand.
"Be happy with who you are now Raven, However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship, and in that respect, you will find that you are a very lucky person, despite what you may think."
The conversation was interrupted now, as swirling flame tore into the once peaceful sanctuary of trees and flowers. The hot slap of wind erupted over the carpet of petals, burning them all away.
Soon, the patch of green was gone now, and behind Rorek, was a gigantic wall of flame, devouring everything in it's path.
"I'm afraid that I have used up my time here Lady Raven, my spell, despite its power, has already begun to weaken." Rorek said slowly, taking one long gaze at Raven, as if he wanted to remember this last impression of her.
"Wait." Raven urged, a small hint of vulnerability in her voice. The Titan tried hard to fight back the tingling feeling in her eyes.
"Please…" She pleaded. "Don't go, there's so much I want to say….so much more I want to know about you."
"Raven, I am just a projection, a spell, and no matter how powerful a spell is, it too, must succumb to the passage of time."
Raven shook her head fiercely, reaching out with her hand, and holding Rorek's
"You saved my life, I don't care what happens." She said softly. "You're still real to me."
She stood there now, gazing into his eyes.
"Raven…." Rorek stood there, Raven's hand still grasping his, a tone of regret in his voice.
He closed his eyes now, the knight's image slowly began fading away in the flames as they consumed the rest of Raven's mind.
"I'm sorry."
With that, he disappeared.
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Raven's eyes widened open now, and she found herself staring into the eyes of her four team mates, all of them looking at her with a face of relief.
"Raven! Oh friend! You have returned!" Starfire jumped in the air, clapping her hands.
"Way to take the big bad dragon down Rae! Gimme a high five!" Cyborg grinned.
"Dude, you were like, totally kicking butt!"
Robin however, had a more serious look on his face.
"Raven, how are you feeling?"
Raven raised her arms now, and saw that she was no longer tied down to the medical bed. She slowly got up, and without even saying a word or changing her expression, walked towards the door. The four other Titans looked on with worry when they heard the last words Raven uttered as she left the room.
"I feel nothing."
With that, she closed the door.
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A week had passed, and still Raven did not leave her room. She had spent all her time meditating, to cleanse herself of the torrent of emotions she had experienced these past few months. Raven had always had nightmares about this, that her father's influence would one day return to haunt her. Now, it was no longer a dream.
As the titan floated in the air, levitating herself calmly to meditate, a whirlwind of emotion began flying through her mind.
She was angry, angry not only for being so weak, but for being so helpless as well. She found that the feelings she had once felt for Robin were now turned into some kind of poison inside her. She didn't want to speak to him, not yet, for she was still ashamed of her lack of will, lack of action at missing her opportunity. And yet, she was also angry, for it was obvious that Robin and Starfire had those feelings for each other, and yet, here Raven was, utterly oblivious to them. The others, Cyborg, even Beast Boy understood what it meant to fall in love, so why didn't she? Why couldn't she? Why was it just her, and only her?
Raven had felt the anger, the frustration at herself and towards her friends, and she found herself almost hating them, as a way of numbing the pain that was now wrapped around her heart. And because of that, she felt ashamed at the same time. Her friends cared for her, she did not have the right to hate them because they understood something she could not comprehend.
Raven sighed, the last emotions completely cleansed from her mind.
With a quiet descent, she landed on her feet, and left her room, the first time she had done so in a week.
The tower was strangely empty, as most of the Titans were outside going about their daily routines, taking care to respect Raven's privacy. For a whole week, no one dared approach her room, or even talk about the subject.
The doors to the titans main lounge opened automatically, and Raven for the first time, noticed how deathly quiet it was without her friends in the room. The kitchen was completely clean, while the gamestation Cyborg and Beast Boy had been playing was shut off, along with the giant TV screen.
Through the window, Raven saw that most of the titans were outside, testing out the new T-sub while it was still sunny outside.
"Um, Raven?" A nervous voice appeared behind her.
Ok, perhaps not all the Titans were outside.
Raven turned around now, and saw that it was Beast Boy, smiling happily, yet in a nervous way, as if he were approaching a lion's den.
"Er…Raven, I know you might not be in the mood," The changeling began rubbing the sweat on his neck, "but I made us some tea, over there."
He quickly pointed to the table, where already, two hot steaming cups of hot tea were waiting for them.
"No thanks." Raven said flatly.
"Aw common Raven! It's Herbal! You're favourite. You know you want to." A lighthearted smirk appeared on Beast Boy's face.
Raven turned around and sighed, "Look Beast Boy, I appreciate what you and everyone have been doing for me. But I'm fine now, I have my emotions in check, I'm not sad or anything, so there's no need for that 'everything is going to be alright' speech for me. OK?" She said in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Uh, of course Raven! Hehe." Beast Boy waved his hands frantically, as if he were expecting Raven to pounce on him any minute.
"But maybe we can just…..you know…..talk?"
Those hauntingly familiar words sent a jolt through Raven's spine, reminding her of the time when she felt appreciated, understood. And although the pain was still there, she could not help but feel Rorek's presence in those words. Perhaps there were more people like him after all…..perhaps she just didn't see it until now.
A soft smile broke on Raven's face.
"I guess I can handle that." The sorceress replied, sitting down at the table and clasping a cup of tea in her hands.
"Then after, we can have a rematch on the gamestation!" Beast Boy jerked his thumb excitedly onto the TV screen.
"Don't push your luck." Raven said dryly, taking a sip of her herbal tea while Beast Boy rambled on about something.
Despite that however, for first time in weeks, Raven finally felt like she was at peace.
"However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship"
THE END XD
stay tuned for Episode 6!