Disclaimer: (Insert witty comment here)

A/N: Hey Dragons star I forgot to respond to that review of the second chapter. First, if you want long, check out the first chapter of my "Harry Potter and the Exchange Student." Second, I agree completely with you on Raven being paired with the other TT guys. And about the "too powerful" thing, I like to take my time and develop my character slowly. I'm not just going to lay his entire life and soul out like a book. It takes time for any of my original characters to open up to the people around them, especially potential love interests. To explain more about the dreams to the rest of you I'll just say that each of the Teen Titans are having the same dreams for different reasons. Sword sort of guessed wrong when he implied that his presence had unlocked a new power in each of them. But that's all I'm saying about that for now.

Chapter Four: Disadvantages

            The Teen Titans stood in the den. Each of them had headaches and the dreams they all had to keep them company. Sword had them all standing at points around a circle as he stood in the center. He was chanting in a lost ancient language. They were about to enter the realm of Xith. The chant was speeding up and Raven, sans cape, could feel a light breeze. She looked out of the corner of her eye and noted that the windows were all shut tight. Sword finished with a final sharp word and they were no longer standing in the den of Titan Tower. They were now in a barren wasteland.

            The air was dry and windless. The hard ground was a bloody red color and was covered in a thin layer of dust. The smell of stagnant water and rotten flesh hung limp in the atmosphere. It was hot and arid. The Titans looked around at their new surroundings in disgust.

            "What reeks?" Beast Boy waved his hand in front of his nose and grimaced.

            "I'll tell you later," Sword was staring off into the distance, "We have to find a place to hide."

            "Why?" Robin was busy trying to analyze the dirt.

            "Because," Sword pointed towards the horizon, "That thing can kill even me."

            The Titans all looked in the direction that Sword was pointing and saw it. It was huge. It stood several hundred feet high, and several thousand feet long. It was a long serpent like creature with numerous needle-sharp legs. It was half raised into the air and it showed its near hundred number in arms each ending in nine-fingered claws. Its head was apelike twisted into a grotesque mixture of pain and anger. It was heading straight for them. "Follow me!" Sword rushed off towards a cliff face to their left.

            The horror that was chasing them was far off so despite its great speed it couldn't catch them as they ducked into a small cave opening. Once inside Cyborg switched his flashlight on. Sword led them into a small gallery in the bowels of the caves. It took them nearly fifteen minutes to reach the small vaulted room. Once there they saw that the gallery was naturally lit by light filtering in through multicolored gemstone veins. Everyone stared in awe.

            "Look but don't touch," Sword cautioned them. He placed his back against the wall and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Raven looked closer and strained her ears. Sword was breathing very hard and was clutching his stomach.

            "Why do you look so winded?" Worry and concern lined her face. He looked up at her and let a pained smile slide across his face.

            "Would you all like to know why this world is like this?"

            "What does that have to do with your condition," Raven was worried that he wouldn't be all right.

            "It has everything to do with my condition." Everyone took seats near him and he began his story. "First, you might have noticed that I have been doing some fairly extraordinary things since I met you," everyone nodded. Raven was sitting the closest to him and she tried to edge closer to him without anyone noticing. "I have been performing what are called Mana Arts. Most people call it magic." He paused to catch is breath. The refracted light was dim and it made the atmosphere just right for storytelling. "What most people don't know is that all intelligent beings are born with the ability to use magic. While people and other intelligent life forms can use it, everything else produces magical energy called Mana." He looked around at his audience. Raven got the impression that he had learned to tell stories from a master of the art.

            "Mana, like all energy must be managed properly. If you use too much you will cause a Mana Drought. No one will be able to use magic and the land around you will become dull and almost sickly." Sword's voice reverberated off of the walls, giving it a rich and mesmerizing quality. "If you don't use any it will stagnate; like water left sit for too long. That is what happened here." He paused once more to catch his breath and by now Raven was almost on top of him. She put a hand on his shoulder and he smiled at her.

            "In your world people like Starfire, Terra, Beast Boy, and Raven," he gestured to each of them in turn, "have powers that they are naturally able to use. Each time they use one of their abilities they use a certain amount of a certain type of Mana. This keeps a balance that has to be maintained. You use Mana, and the trees, birds, grass, and water all make more." Everyone was engrossed in the story except Raven. She was busy making sure that Sword wasn't getting any worse. She noted that he was getting better if nothing else. "The demons of Xith never learned to use their magic. This resulted in Mana Stagnation. The land couldn't bear the weight of all the Mana that had accumulated so it began to suffocate and die." Demons don't need that much to live. They feed on each other to survive and so they didn't care about the land."

            "So what does this have to do with your condition," Raven was still slightly worried.

            "Since I have arrived in your realm I have used a tremendous amount of Mana. When I came here I was overwhelmed by the foul presence of the rotten Mana here."

            Robin pulled his knees up to his chest and held them there, "But we saw you destroy that demon that was chasing us."

            "I didn't destroy it. I only sent it back to its original place of existence."

            "So you didn't kill it."

            "I'm sorry to say that I'm not as powerful as you must have thought." He looked around with a genuinely apologetic look on his face.

            "So," Raven said, "How are we going to get the Lost Innocence back?"

            "I'll have to work it out. We'll hide out for the equivalent of two days while I work out a strategy. To put it lightly were the away team and the Daemons have the home field advantage."

((()))

            It was later. Raven couldn't tell how much later, but she knew it was later. The other Titans were off in the caves keeping occupied until Sword came up with a plan. He was sitting alone in the same spot with thoughtful expression on his face. Raven thought that it was a perfect time to talk to him about what she had seen in his eyes. Robin and Starfire were in another small gallery doing naughty things in private. Cyborg had gone off to make a map of the caves while Beast Boy and Terra were off alone as well. Raven couldn't say exactly but she suspected that those two were being naughty as well.

            She strolled over and sat next to the thinking object of her affection. He looked around at her and smiled. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Raven was surprised at how perceptive Sword was. She had kept a straight face and never let anything slip in her façade. How did he know?

            "I want to talk about what I saw in your eyes." She watched his face for any sign of regret or apprehension. There were none. He kept a calm face as he replied.

            "Are you sure you want to share it with me? You'll be the first you know."

            "Yes," she was becoming more and more nervous as each word left her lips. She was becoming tense.

            "Well," he prompted her, "What was it?"

            "I saw," she bit her lip. She was right on the edge of it. "I saw you and I holding each other. You were badly injured and you were talking to me." She felt a tear fall from her eye and land on her cheek. "I couldn't hear what was being said and you were bleeding badly. We were in some sort of room that was just like this cave and then we were transferred to Titan Tower. You were clutching your side and your cloths were in tatters. You broke the connection before I could see the rest."

            "I see," he said, "Well it appears that I will be fatally wounded in our confrontation with Cargan. Was there anything else you saw?" She thought back and tried to find anything she might have missed.

            "No," she said, "That was it." She watched him go back to thinking. "Are you feeling any better?"
            "Not much," He looked at her again, "I think I'll take a nap." He closed his eyes and took off his sunglasses. He leaned back into the rough stone of the cavern wall and grunted in discomfort. Raven then got an idea. She scooted close and let his head fall onto her shoulder. He appeared to be fast asleep already. He stirred just a little as Raven moved her body just right to let his head slide into her lap. He stirred again and laid flat on his back, but didn't wake.

            Raven began to stroke his hair as he slept and started humming. It was a tune she thought she had forgotten. Her mother had hummed it to her when she was still just a baby. The hours passed and Raven felt content.

((()))

            Raven, the other Titans, and Sword all stood at the entrance of the caves. The blood colored dust still stretched from one end of the horizon to the other. It was still day, if you wanted to call it that, and the group was getting ready for a long trek across a wasteland. Sword had explained that his trench coat had a few useful qualities about it. The pockets had been enhanced so that massive amounts of anything could be stored in it. Now it carried mostly water and food rations. Raven found herself staying very close to her close-mouthed crush. She didn't know if he liked her in the same fashion as she did him. Right now though she was content to be near him.

            They began their hike across the veritable dessert before them searching for a certain ridgeline. The group stopped periodically for rest stops, making camp, and to let Sword search for the presence of the coal black diamond that would save the Titan's world. On one of these "probing" stops, he would pull out a small, amber colored, stone tied to a string. He would chant a few words and it point it in several directions until it glowed bright blue. He would then place it back into his pocket and they would continue their trek.

            After several "days" of hiking they had stopped to make camp again. This time however Sword took Robin aside and spoke with him. Their conversation lasted for several hours and Robin came away with a very amused smile on his face. That smile became even more exaggerated when he looked at Raven. This confused the hell out of her. When she asked him about it he just shrugged and gave an evasive excuse. This confused her even more. Robin hadn't concealed anything from the others since the "Red X" incident.

            The same thing happened each time they stopped for camp with each of the others as well. Each time Sword would take one of them aside and talk for a few hours. Each of them came away from the conversation with very amused looks directed at Raven and when she asked each of them they too gave lame excuses. She couldn't figure out what they had talked about. And why wouldn't anyone tell her what was so damned funny? She was confused and frustrated. What the hell was so bloody damn amusing?

            While the other Teen Titans looked amused Sword became increasingly edgy. He looked more and more nervous and high strung with each passing day.

((()))

            The halls were more silent than ever. An air of triumph mixed with peril hung in the nonexistent atmosphere. Raven was running once more. Her powers still wouldn't respond.  She could see the end of the hallway. She could see light coming from the end of the dark walls, floor, and ceiling. She ran faster and faster and the light grew steadily closer. She was almost there. She could almost feel the freedom from the confines of the four solid barriers that kept her going in one direction.

            She took the last few steps and found herself in a large round crevice. The arena opened to a magnificent violet sky. She looked around and found that there were no exits. Even the one she had come through had disappeared. She found a small table in the center of the arena.

            On this table she found three things. One was a small golden box. It was intricately decorated with beautifully curving lines, leaf like pictures, and a small, unlocked latch. It was delicate and entrancing. The small box glinted invitingly in the wonderful light.

            Next to the box was a jewel. It was as big as a man's fist and was cut in the most complex shape Raven had ever seen. Each of the even breaks made a side. Each side was identical to the others. There were so many sides that Raven lost count every time she got to thirty. It was multihued and she guessed that it was even more valuable than any gem in her world.

            Finally, just off to one side was a large iron key. It was dirty, dented, battered, and bore what looked like teeth marks. It looked very old and at one time it had probably been shiny and new. The end that was used to open whatever door it went to was old fashioned. It looked as though it dated back to the late eighteenth century. The opposite end was very beautifully worked into the shape of a heart. This part too had its dents and scrapes. It looked as though this heart had gone through hell and back.

            Raven looked up from the table to the opposite side of the arena. She was very surprised to see her friends, the other Titans, standing in a row in front of her. Behind them a large ironbound door, as battered and worn as the key, shut in place. Raven tried to speak and acknowledge her friends but she could not utter a sound.

            Robin strutted forward and stopped at the opposite side of the table. "You must now choose. You must choose what your reward will be. We have been waiting for you and we have all chosen ours. Know that the decision is very difficult. Some of us followed our instincts, others their sense of duty. Whatever you rely on we wish you good luck." Robin turned and quickly strode away.

            Cyborg hulked forward next and stopped where Robin had been moments before. "Know that all of these items are priceless and each is reward enough. Choose wisely. Which of these do you want the most? I wish you luck in choosing that which you have sought from the beginning." He too then turned and strode away.

            Terra skipped forward and stopped in the same place. "I have endured a personal hell for most of my life. I betrayed you and your friends once and here is my payment for that hateful deed. Your life has been worse than mine. One of the objects on this table will one day bring you true happiness. One will make you rich. One will take away all of your pain instantly. Good luck in choosing. May you attain what you seek." She turned as well and followed the others.

            Beast Boy sauntered over and took his place. "We have all chosen and we have all taken what we thought was right. Robin, who no longer has Slade to begrudge has chosen the love of another that was freely given and the life of vigilant watchfulness over the people he has sworn to protect. Cyborg has given up the chance to be fully human again to pursue a way to make mankind safer. Terra, who has never known true friendship has chosen a happy life including someone she now fully trusts. I have turned away infinite wealth and increased power for a chance to finally be myself. And Starfire has chosen the knowledge she needs to fit in on our planet. Now you must choose. Be well and follow your heart." Beast Boy followed his love to make room for the next speaker.

            Starfire happily floated up to face Raven. "We have chosen what will make us happy and you will do the same. Through these years we have created a bond with each other. Our bonds are stronger with some more than others. We have chosen what we knew was best. It is your turn as yours is the hardest choice to make." She followed the others and the last figure stepped forward.

            The cloaked Raven stood with her hood down. "You must now choose. Hurry as there is little time left. Each of these things is priceless and invaluable. Only one is what you ultimately seek. Choose now." Raven looked at each item in turn. The box emanated soothing waves of comfort. The jewel felt smug and shifty. The key just felt right. The key opened the door at the other end of the arena. Whatever was behind the door was well guarded and very fragile. It had been hidden away for so long and yearned to be free. Raven knew that she was the only one who could give it the freedom it deserved. She reached out and took the old battered key. She then walked to the door and placed the key in the lock. She turned it and it clicked loudly.

            The door creaked nosily as she pulled it open. Sitting in the middle of the floor was a man. Raven recognized him immediately. Though he was dressed only in a plain shirt and pants she knew it was Sword. This Sword was thin and frightened looking. He held his knees to his chest and rocked back and forth. He looked up at Raven and his eyes showed fear. "Are you here to hurt me?" His voice quavered as he said it.

            "No," Raven soothed, "I won't hurt you."

            "The others were really pretty too and they said the same thing. They all hurt me and left me. I came in here and made a key. I made it so that only the one who could help me heal could use it." He rocked back and forth as he talked and he was very afraid. "All the others came and led me around. I thought they liked me but they only wanted things I didn't have. They wanted money and fame. They wanted power and jewels. They took what they wanted and they broke my heart. After they all did the same thing I made a place that only the one I could be with could enter. Are you the one I have been waiting for?"

            Raven took one look into his eyes and saw everything. Women flaunted their figures and toyed with him. They took what they had wanted and left him for other amusements. She saw in those eyes a nineteen-year-old boy trapped by the fear that he would never find a woman who could actually truly love him. She saw that this man had lived centuries searching for the one thing he didn't have. He sought something that meant more to him than all of the riches in the world. He had devised a way to turn away those who did not love him. They could choose between the items on the table. If they wanted power they could open the box. If they wanted money and fame they could take the jewel. Only the woman who truly wanted to love him would choose the key.

            Raven dropped to her knees and hugged the fearful boy. And he hugged her back.

((()))

            Raven was rudely shaken out of sleep by something warm and fuzzy. She opened her eyes to fine two things. One was a hairy green dog nudging her awake. The other was a bottle of aspirin for her splitting headache. The hand holding that bottle was gloved in black leather. Attached to that hand was Sword.

A/N: Okay that was longer than usual. See if you can figure out where this chapter came from. Not in any book or move or game ever written. It came from somewhere that you cant see or find on a map. Tell me what you think. I appreciate all criticism and encouragement. NO Flames. If you don't like it then you shouldn't be reading this sentence. Hasta Luego!