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A/N:
Chapter Three: Beautiful Darkness
Warehouse number thirteen was silent. The dimensional rip had vanished and with it went Slade. The androids that served the criminal mastermind stood awaiting commands that they would now never receive. Sword stood with clenched fists. Raven and the other Titans looked on in awe. Not only had the Lost Innocence been stolen, again, but also Slade was gone for good. Sword was breathing very hard. Without warning he cried out in a fit of rage and pulled his sword free from its sheath. The blade whistled through the air as it destroyed one metallic man after another. He destroyed all of the androids and several boxes in his tantrum.
Raven wasn't sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. It seemed that between destroying one target and the other Sword's weapon would change. At first it had been just a straight bladed long sword. After destroying maybe five androids the sword had transformed into a blade with a saw-toothed edge. It had even changed into a Japanese katana. It seemed that Sword was starting to calm down.
He re-sheathed his sword and turned to the Titans. "We need to return to the tower. I must plan and gather information before I call the Reaper."
((()))
They had gone back to Titan Tower. Raven sat in the shadows while Sword answered more questions. They were asking him what the little thing that took the diamond was. He called it an imp. They asked if this meant that it was impossible to seal their world. He told them it wasn't impossible but very difficult. Raven listened as he explained to the others what everything meant. When she perceived that the questioning wasn't getting anywhere she spoke up. "What is the 'Reaper'?"
He sighed, "The Reaper is a powerful being that will answer questions if they are posed in the right way. Very few people have survived their sojourn with the Reaper. I have called him several times." Sword sighed again and stood up. "I must make preparations for the summoning. I will be in my room if any of you need me."
Raven watched as he left the den. She watched as everyone else left to attend to menial tasks while they waited for Sword to come up with a plan. She then stood herself and made her way to her room. She was deep in thought and for the second time that day she found herself in Sword's guest room. He was sitting on his bed when she walked in. Raven noticed where she was and began to apologize as she backed out of the room.
"No," he said, "You can stay if you like."
For some reason she felt herself drawn to him. She wanted to stay. "I'm really sorry," Raven apologized again, "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Her hood was up so he didn't see her embarrassment. He looked at her and frowned.
"Why do you hide yourself in that hood?"
"What?" No one had ever asked her that before. "I just don't…" she fumbled around for something to say.
"Is it because you don't think you're pretty? Are you ashamed of the way you look?"
"No," how could he have known what she had hidden for years? How could he have known that she didn't consider herself pretty? She knew she wasn't ugly, but she wasn't as pretty as Starfire or Terra. "Yes," she sighed and sat next to him.
"Why?" She didn't know why but she felt at ease around her new friend.
"Because I'm not pretty," she sighed again, "I know I'm not ugly but I'll never be as beautiful as Star or Terra."
"So that's why you are always hiding in the darkness." He smiled at her and she felt herself become warmer, "You shouldn't doubt your beauty. Here." He reached up and pulled her hood down. She almost stopped him when she put her hand on his. He did continue after she put her hand down. He unclasped her cape and let it fall to the floor. She immediately looked away from him, a blush slowly creeping up her face. Then she felt his hand cup her chin. It was warm. She looked at him and found that he had taken off his tight fitting, black leather gloves.
"There," he said, "I don't se anything to be ashamed of." Raven blushed even harder. "Why should someone so beautiful hide in the shadows?" Raven couldn't say anything. No one had ever called her beautiful before. "I have to make preparations to summon the Reaper." She got up and picked up her cape. Sword grabbed the article of clothing and pulled it away from her grasp. "I believe you dropped these earlier." He placed the forgotten bag of chocolate chips in her hand and ushered her out of his room.
((()))
Raven stood in her room leaning up against the door. She was in a daze. Sword thought that she was beautiful. No one had ever called her beautiful. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't even pull out of her revere when she heard strange and ominous noises coming from the room across the hall. It had been just too much to handle in one day. She was so confused.
Raven wanted to save the world but she found herself not caring what happened as long as Sword thought she was beautiful. She was still pondering the conflict when the door she was leaning on slid open. She fell and landed on her back staring up at a fuzzy green elf. The dead man known as Beast Boy told her that Sword needed to see them in the main room. Raven chased him the entire way there.
When Raven arrived in the den she found the other Titans waiting for her. Beast Boy took up hiding behind Cyborg. Everyone turned to look at her. Sword had a soft smile on his face as he watched her. She walked calmly to the couch and sat down. The others did the same. Sword looked them all over and smiled again as he looked over Raven.
"I have some good news and some bad news."
"What's the good news?" Robin always asked the important questions.
"The good news is that there is a way to get the Lost Innocence back and seal the realm off."
"And the bad news," Cyborg asked.
"I have to enter their world to find it. And that is extremely dangerous."
"What do you mean 'I'," Raven asked.
"I mean 'I' as in I'm going alone."
"You're not leaving without me," She said.
"Yea," Beast Boy sounded indignant, "This is our world ya know."
"Look guys," Sword said in a pained voice, "I can handle it really."
"Forget it," Robin at last put his foot down, "we're going and that's final."
"Fine," said Sword, "We leave in the morning."
((()))
Raven was running again. She was in that same dark hallway. Her powers again were not working. And she was once again alone. It felt as though she had been running for hours. She knew she couldn't give up. She knew that whatever it was that she was trying to find was important. Raven stopped to rest in a large room. She sank to her knees to catch her breath. She heard a noise and looked up at a person standing in front of her.
Her eyes widened as she realized she was looking at herself. The Raven in front of her was wearing the cape with the hood up. She had left her cape off. The caped Raven helped the searching Raven up from the ground. She backed several steps away and spoke. "Is this what you want?"
"What?"
"Do you really want what you seek? Do you want what he is willing to give?"
"What am I seeking? Who is willing to give it to me?"
"He is willing to give it to you. Do you really want it?"
"I don't understand?"
"You must choose yes or no. Do you want what he is willing to give you?" The room's walls began to close in on the two Ravens and the caped Raven asked again. "Yes or no. Do you want it? You must hurry!"
Raven watched in panic as the walls continued to close. It was getting narrow and soon it would squeeze her to death. The caped Raven was blocking the only exit. She had to choose. She just trusted her instincts.
"Yes!" The walls slowed but did not stop.
"Run," the other Raven leaped out of the way, "Hurry before it closes entirely!" And Raven ran. She almost didn't make it as the walls shut tight behind her. She was once again at the end of a long hallway.
((()))
Raven shot up in her bed and looked at the clock. It was five o'clock in the morning. She had another splitting headache. She once again sought the medicine cabinet for some aspirin. She crawled back into bed and tried to fall asleep again. She couldn't sleep anymore. She spent the rest of the night wondering what it was that who was willing to give that she wanted. It had to be Sword but what was he willing to give? What was it that she wanted?
