I'm back! With part 3! Not gonna talk much, so just enjoy, will ya?

Chapter 35

She should have known. Raven had once heard an old monk say that rage was the heart of a demon. Of course then it was to advise her not to let anger and hate consume her own heart. None the less, there it was… the jewel of Rage shining out from the open cavity of the demon's bloody chest. Though it did not look like the other jewels. This one was much larger, to the point it was the size of a real heart. "I may only be able to grab the ones on it's back," Arella warned her daughter. "You'll have to get it's heart."

"And the orange jewel," Raven added. When Arella gave her a questioning look, she explained, "it ate it." Arella nodded gravely.

"I'm going to lead it this way," she said. "Be ready."

Before Raven could respond, Arella was running for the beast. The monster growled, then lunged at her with fangs bared. Arella froze in place let the beast get close to her before jumping to one side. As the demon flew past she reached for the pink gemstone. Her fingers just grazed it, but slipped away with the demon. The beast kicked back one foot while balancing on it's decent arm. The kick hit squarely in Arella's abdomen. She stumbled back. The demon pounce up, but ignored Arella. It's good eyes were solely on Raven. It yowled yet another battle cry as it ran towards her.

It took everything in Raven not to be bowled over by the force of the demon's attack. Unbalanced from her crushed foot, however, she was forced back dangerously close to where a bolder crashed down. The quack from the impact shook Raven footing that it took leaning against that very same bolder to stop herself from falling onto her back side. The beast's claws made for Raven's face, but she raised the sword to counter attack. This time, the demon no longer grasped at the blade. The cuts on it's hand had finally taught it to rethink what it was doing.

Raven seethed at the new pain from the demon's claws digging into her hands as it held the hilt. With the monster's added handle on the blade, the weapon's purity aura vanished. Both warriors noticed this leading one to grow fearful while the other grinned mischievously. Raven slightly jumped as the beast's fangs snapped inches from her face. It had been her natural reaction time that had spared her. Only her strength in wielding the sword stood between her and it's snapping jaws.

The bloody rain poured harder, soaking through her mother's cloche. Raven suppressed the need to shiver from the cold as the demon battled to over power her with the sword. Every time there was the smallest give, it's jowls would come horrendously close to chomping down into Raven's flesh. Out of the storm, a stone club swung into demon's head. The blow was enough to distract the hellion, but not stray it from it's task. Raven watched from the corner of her eye as Arella repeatedly beat at the monster's head with the stone mace she hand gained from the debris. The beast quickly grew tired of her action. Without warning, it's head pivoted a 180 turn shocking both mother and daughter. It caught Arella's swing in it's teeth before she had the chance to register the demon had turned it's head completely around. She pulled a couple times, but the demon's grip was fastened tight. As thunder roared overhead, another sound became known. The sound of the stone weapon being crushed in the beast's jaws. The demon's deep laughter haunted them. Raven looked down into the open chest wound at the jewel of rage so close, and yet… wait.

In what was possibly her most insane idea yet, Raven slipped her one hand free from the demon's clutches. Then, it shot into the wound grabbing two of the demon's ribs. The monster yowled. It's slashed face turned back to her. It lunged in to clasp it's fangs into her neck, but Raven locker her elbow keeping the monster at arm's length.

Not sure how else to aid her daughter, Arella grabbed the gems in the demon's back. Though they were embedding in it's skin, it was not deep enough to be a hassle. At her pull, the brown jewel dislodged from the beast's shoulder. The pink one lay more stubbornly in place. More out of reaction than actual thought out attack, the demon's hand unhooked it's claws from Raven's other hand. In one swift movement, it turned with great force to back hand Arella. The Azarthaian woman was tossed to the ground, hitting her head on stone debris. She almost disappeared into the flood that had been the blood river.

"Don't interfere," the demon hissed.

"Keep your hand off my mother," Raven retaliated. The demon looked in time to see Raven's eyes glowing white before she swung the sword across it's exposed neck. Though the sword itself only grazed the flesh, the powerful aura emitted from the blade dug far deeper. The beast's features were that of a silent scream that only came out as a gurgle. The blood bubbled and oozed from it's neck as it vainly tried to cover the injury. As the demon began to stumble back, Raven let go of it to hop over to her mother.

"Mother," Raven called in concern. Raven carefully pulled her mother from the ever rising river. "Mother, are you alright?" She had to yell to be heard over the grumble of thunder and the crashing walls. Arella stirred the slightest before opening her eyes. She looked up to her daughter. Arella settled herself against one of the stones. "Don't worry about me," she finally spoke. "I am already dead. This will do nothing to me, my child." Arella carefully took Raven's hands in her own. Seconds later, she was letting go leaving the tiny brown jewel in the palm of Raven's hand. Raven glanced between the gem and her mother. Then, her vision started to blur.

"Raven?" Arella's voice was growing distant.

"No!" Raven gasped as she realized she was once again waking up. Without warning, a sharp pain shot through the side of her face. Raven blinked. She had fortunately not woken. She looked up to see her mother shaking her own hand pained by the blow she delivered. "I think slapping me works," Raven commented shortly. "Mirna had done the same thing to bring me back earlier."

Arella did not feel amused to her daughter's joking demeanour. "We must hurry," she advised. "Now, where did the beast go?"

Raven looked back to where she had left the demon. Sure enough, Arella was correct; the demon was no where to be found. She hobbled over to the spot it had stood moments before to be sure it did not just sink into the river. She could not see anything in the thick blood. "Raven, behind you!" Arella's sudden shout startled Raven. She turned quickly, but not quickly enough. The demon grabbed her injured foot, and pulled. She had no time to intake air before she was submerged in blood.

Raven lashed out with her good foot to kick the demon. She was satisfied to find her foot connect with the demon's face. The beast surfaced in surprise. Raven could barely see it's silhouette above the water. She swiftly slammed the brown jewel into the hilt of the sword. The power pulsed in her hands. Then, Raven curled her body allowing her to surface from shoulders up. Before she really observed her opponent's condition, she struck out. The blade carved into the solid bone of the monster's breast plate. The demon gargled. It's throat was still pouring forth blood. When Raven drew back her weapon, she made a second and even a third cut. An awkward triangle opening was carved into the demon's bone. It left it's inner organs exposed.

The demon lashed out it's claws, but Raven felt too empowered to let it harm her. She drove the sword deep into the belly of the beast right through to it's back. Unseen by Raven, Arella quickly caught the orange jewel that shot from the monster's body in the attack. The demon bared it's fangs as it drew away. The sudden jerk forced the hilt from Raven's hands. She made to grab for it again, but the demon slashed out again. This time it's claws met her arm and dragged down to her wrist. Raven tried to push herself back away from the beast. The blood weighed down her retreat.

Arella jumped to her daughter's aid once more. As one hand grabbed for the sword hilt the other made for the pink jewel once again. Just as her hand wrapped around the sword's handle, the demon turned on her. It grabbed her neck and lifted her up high enough to leave only her ankles in the river. It sneered before throwing her with immense strength. Arella was tossed clear over one of the stones vanishing from view. The demon almost screamed again were it not for it's open throat. For in the time that it had been distracted with Arella, Raven had yanked the sword from it's new bed. She could not smile at her mother's cleverness as she found the orange jewel within the hilt where Arella had grabbed it.

Then all at once, Raven was picked up by her face and tossed hard into stone. She barely had hold of the sword after the beast's attack. The demon pinned her in place. It's claws dug deep into her collar somehow missing vital veins. In the same motion, the demon's fangs bite down on her side just under her breast. She could not move as it ripped at her like a dog with it's chew toy. It was only when her vision blurred black again for a split second that Raven realized she had to make her move.

Holding back her bodies cry to not move thus making the pain worse, Raven began to use the sword like an axe hacking away at the demon wherever she could. She almost did not notice the pink jewel was starting to come loose from it's place. She had no time to pull it out, the demon moved it's attack.

Raven gasped in shock as she felt the demon's fangs grab hold of her chest. Never in her life of crime fighting had an opponent been so… violating. More out of a woman's anti-predator defence than anything else, she smacked the demon. The forced was enough to turn it's head three quarters of the way around. Raven was beyond livid now. "Pervert!" she yelled as she slashed the sword down to behead the beast. Noting her attack, the demon moved. It may have spared it's neck, but not it's only good arm.

The demon moved away leaving it's arm stuck to Raven through claws. The empath girl chocked down the disturbing feeling that came from having a severed arm continuing to grab for your neck. She pulled it off, and tossed it away. Her injured leg forced her to use the stone as her balance to remain standing. The demon seemed to have wizened to Raven, for it did not come to close. It eyed her wirily. It did not know Arella was attack until she was punching the back of it's head.

The demon swung it's stump arm towards Arella, but she was already evading. In her hand was the pink jewel. "Raven!" she yelled before throwing the jewel to her daughter. With expert reactions, Raven caught the little jewel. The moment she slammed it into the sword's hilt, the sword shone with a new light. It's aura tore through Raven's body making it her own. An intense wind swept around her, and her chakra shone with a light all it's own. Her eyes blazed white and her wings instinctively stretched out from under the cloche. As the aura swept over them the feathers turned from black to white. Her limitation held by her pained flesh became no more.

A new Raven stared down the demon. The beast in turn looked at her with fear in it's eyes. Arella smiled at her daughter. She gave a small nod before vanishing. A silent 'good luck' was lost to the rumbling thunder. Raven stocked forward. Her movement were awkward, however, for even though she no longer felt pain, it did not mean her injuries were healed. The demon coward before her. It backed away as much as it could before the end of their caving in dome met it's back. When it swung it's stub arm, Raven easily dodged and shoved the sword through the shoulder of the stub. The sword even continued through to the stone on the other side. The demon was pinned.

Raven's vision was blurring in and out. Still, she held the sword with one hand. Her free hand grabbed the cut up bones protecting the last jewel. In one swift motion, Raven ripped them away. The demon squirmed in place, but could do nothing. Raven reached into the open cavity once more. Her fingers slide between it's lungs until they wrapped around the large gem stone. She was surprised to find the jewel was beating like an actual heart. The demon thrashed around trying to rid itself of the horrible feeling. Raven glared at it. Then, with all her strength, she pulled. It took the added strength of the sword's power to make the heart move. In a bloody mess, the heart was ripped from the demon's chest. The monster was stunned for only a moment before it fell forward dead. The only think holding it in place was the sword.

The blood rain slowed to a drizzle. The river began to recede as if someone had pulled a giant plug. The walls fell to pieces more rapidly. Raven's eyes returned to normal. Her earlier pain and exhaustion was returning to her. Still, she looked down at her prize. In the palm of her hand, the heart shrank to match the other jewels; though it was slightly smaller. Raven knew it was because without the demon, rage was weak. The world swam around her. Just before her vision went completely black, she set the red jewel with the other eight. The sword's aura recede as though it knew the battle was over. Raven sighed to herself and let herself at long last wake up.

Done! And an awesome chapter no less. I can't wait to get started on the final fight! Hope you have all enjoyed so far. Next time, we check in with the other titans at long last! Reviews are always welcome. See you guys next time.

~Nemarra