Disclaimer: It's really up to you if you want to read a boring disclaimer, but the story is so much more interesting.

A/N: So many questions and so little room for answers.

Vincent – What are you talking about? Your computer has enough memory.

Kev – First off, this computer doesn't belong to me. I have to crash the one that is being given to me because it's operating system sucks. Then I have to install Windows.

Vincent – I just hope you remember to backup your stories.

Kev – Yeah, yeah I will. Even so I can't answer every question or I'd never get the story written.

Vincent – *Chuckles to himself* Wait until all of those female reviewers find out about your dating status.

Kev – Look, just because I'm 19 years old and have never been on a date in my life doesn't mean there isn't hope. *Looks horrified* Did I just say that out loud?

Vincent – *Laughing very hard and unable to answer*

Kev – Oh well. My secret is out. To the review replies!

purtymanagirl58 – I would like to think that I am doing something worthwhile with my time. Thank you for your compliments. Yes it is sad isn't it? I'm nineteen-years-old and I have never had a girlfriend. I think I have always been shy around beautiful women. I could only talk to those who were either not my type or already had boyfriends. I made some good friends. The problem lies in my low self-esteem and the fact that my mother moves a lot. At least I'm going to get into college! Yes for everyone interested I will be attending Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Maybe I will see some of you there. Or maybe I won't.

Lady Karmina – It is ok to let out your inner personality. I can't ridicule you for being weird because I am weird myself. I eat scrambled eggs with maple syrup covering them and I like my bacon the same way. You don't have to hide behind your social mask. Don't worry about missing chapters. Read them whenever you get a chance. As for updating every day that's an easy answer. I don't have a social life. Right now I live on a backwater road somewhere in Pennsylvania and it is an hour walk into the city proper. I don't like the way my mom teaches driving so I have to wait until the next visit with my grandparents before I can learn enough to get my license. I'm really glad you like Kale. I don't do everything the way he does but he closely resembles my personality.

Amaya – But you do know someone like that…Me! Too bad we will probably never meet face to face. Oh well. At least you can enjoy reading about Kale. Maybe someday people like me will be commonplace.

artemisgirl – Welcome aboard. Glad to hear that you like the story. I thought you might be at least mildly astonished. Most people are. Just because most guys are big jerks who like explosions and football doesn't mean that people like me don't exist. I do still like explosions. I was born in the 80's. I know that there aren't very many guys that are understanding but there are some of them out there. Most of us are hiding our soft sides from those other guys. Good luck finding one.

BuzzibeeAKA-WRAITH – We have another new reviewer. Welcome to the wonderful world of the Teen Titans. The animated series on Cartoon Network and Kids WB is very well done. It is extremely entertaining. There aren't any words that can really do justice to what the show's creators have done. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fic.

Dragon star – I'm glad you asked that. Cid is my insanity. Before I had my thirteenth birthday and had my first muse move into my brain Cid was in there making everything a mess. At first it was a running battle with him but the more muses I obtained the easier it was. By the time my sixteenth birthday rolled around I had him subdued. I created 'The Box' as a prison for him. As long as I keep him contained I am the caring and understanding person I like to be.

Chapter Ten: Memory Lane

            Raven had levitated Kale to his bed. In his weakened state she knew she wouldn't have been able to wake him up. She needed to get more information about this Darkform person. There was only one thing to do. She sat down on the bed and took his hand in hers. She then gently pushed her mind out towards his. After a few moments of probing she found a way into his mind.

            She found herself floating in a dark space. There were memory "screens" everywhere in the black emptiness. All of the ones here in the outer mind held the same image. Black armor covered the person's body. Spikes protruding from the shoulder and knee plates made the figure even more intimidating. It held the hilt of a long sword in one gauntleted fist and the tip of the blade in the other. A chain mail hood covered the figure's head. Adorning its face was a very plain and ancient looking theater mask. Its large eyeholes were slanted downward and in. The mouth of the copper mask was arranged in an angry frown. The mask seemed to fit the face like a second skin but it kept its flat, plain appearance.

            Raven shuddered as she looked on the imposing figure of what she knew must be Darkform. She averted her eyes from the ghastly figure and floated further into Kale's mind. The fear he felt was palpable here in the outer mind. Soon she came to a pulsating veil. It was a glowing barrier of shimmering gray light. She approached it carefully. She had learned from experience that the inner mind, which lay beyond this barrier, could be dangerous if she were not prepared. She took a deep breath and slipped slowly through the veil.

            It felt like lukewarm water was rushing over her. She was still dry but her skin felt cooled. She looked around to see more 'memory screens' around her. Each screen showed a different scene. Raven floated to one of the screens and watched. A cozy little tavern sat in the middle of the field. Nothing happened for a moment. And then the door swung violently open on its hinges. The door hit the outer wall with a loud clack and two large men appeared carrying another person. They pulled a heave ho and tossed the person as far out into the field as they could. When the young man landed Raven could clearly see that it was Kale.

            Raven left as the scene restarted. Wandering through the field of scenes from Kale's past she saw many things. She encountered a screen showing Kale being stoned from a village of small green skinned men. They wore only loincloths and carried primitive clubs and spears. Another screen showed Kale being shoved roughly out of the gates to a town by sword wielding guards. Yet another showed him being shunned by a tall man with distinctly elven features.

            Nearly all of these scenes were of Kale being denied the chance of a peaceful life in these peoples' societies. There were one or two that weren't bad but they too ended with Kale's expulsion from a town or village. She floated forward until she came to another pulsating veil. This one was colored silver.

            Raven knew that this passage led into the 'sanctum'. It was a place in the mind where all emotions were increased tenfold. The person's strongest memories were held here be they good or bad. Raven was afraid of this wall. She had never heard of a telepath that ever returned from the sanctum. Because of this no one really knew what happened in the sanctum. She was afraid for her sanity, but she was even more afraid of Kale being taken from her. She took another deep breath and thrust herself through the veil.

            This time it felt like she was swimming through quicksand. When she emerged on the other side she was gasping for breath. She stopped for a moment and rested. She was becoming tired. She needed rest. She took a look around while she rested. She seemed to be in a nursery. At least fifty cribs with sleeping infants were in the small, dark room.

            Raven was standing in front of a crib with a tag marked "Zevex-Prince of Erathor." She watched as the child's eyes opened. She could see that they held the innate curiosity of all infants. Soon however they began to glow a silky white. The glowing increased until it was almost blinding. When the light finally subsided Raven took another look into the infant's eyes.

            They were not the same as before. What she saw was heart rending. The child's eyes held intelligence. There was far more intelligence in those eyes than there should have been. She felt a pain in her chest as she watched the baby boy reach down with his barely formed fingers and grab hold of the tag on his leg. He placed his tiny thumb over the identification pad and creased his brow in concentration. The tag flashed and changed, as did the paper marking the bassinet. Both now read "Kale Syger-Orphan."

            The scene dissolved and the blackness returned before another scene took its place. Raven now stood in a children's playroom. Nearby a small child with brown hair sat building skyscrapers out of wooden blocks. He sat quietly humming a tuneless song to himself. After some time three little girls approached him. The little boy backed away in fear. The girls just laughed as they grabbed him by his arms and legs and dragged him over to an empty trash bin. The little boy struggled but could not get free of the older girls' grip.

            The three girls, one redhead and two brunets, tossed him into the rather large bin. The girls then walked away laughing. The scene blurred and changed. The light that had been streaming through the windows had been replaced by moonlight. A nurse from the day care program walked into the room carrying a large bag filled with trash. When she opened the lid she found the little boy sitting inside crying softly. She placed the trash bag inside and lifted the little boy out and scolded him for hiding from everyone. She then carried him off.

            This scene too dissolved. The pain in Raven's chest was growing. It felt as though someone was trying to push a blunt object into her. Another scene appeared. She was now standing in what seemed to be a library. A little boy of about ten years old sat against the wall reading an ancient looking book. Raven bent over his shoulder and looked at what he was reading. Several lines of text were written in a language she couldn't understand but the little boy was more interested in the pictures.

            He placed his thumb onto a small mark under the picture of two people dancing. When he did the pictures started moving and dancing. Raven immediately recognized it as the dance that Kale had shown her and the other Titans. The little boy watched the dance repeat itself over and over again. After several minutes she heard voices and saw flashing lights. The little boy looked up from his book and panicked. He shoved the book into a tattered backpack and hopped out of a low window and ran toward a grove of trees.

            The pain in her chest increased again as the scene dissolved. Raven didn't know how much longer she would last. But the scenes continued. Standing in a forest she saw the same little boy sat against a tree facing a clearing. In the center of the clearing Raven could see several men and women dancing. Again she recognized it as the dance that Kale had shown her. She watched as the dancers wavered and disappeared. The little boy's face was tear streaked. As he sat quietly sobbing a little animal, somewhat akin to a completely black raccoon, crawled up to him and nuzzled his hand. The little boy stroked the animal's fur as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "My name is Kale," he said, "Do you want to be my friend?"

            The small critter purred in answer and climbed into Kale's lap. The scene blurred and changed. It was later in the night. Kale and his companion were asleep and all was silent. Then a blood-curdling howl pierced the night. Kale shot awake in an instant, fear clear on his face. He pulled out two tools that looked like spikes with handles. One in each hand he punched them into the side of the tree he had been sleeping against and began to climb.

            While he made good progress, the black raccoon-like critter was not faring so well. The creature's claws were too short and couldn't grip the bark of the tree very well. Just as Kale reached a branch high up a blood colored wolf ran into the clearing heading straight for the tree. Seeing that it couldn't get to the boy it went for the next thing it saw, Kale's friend. Raven could clearly see Kale's tears as his first friend was devoured.

            Raven couldn't take it anymore. She closed her eyes and stumbled forward as best she could. After a while she felt herself slide through something warm and fluid. She opened her eyes and looked around. Behind her stood a shimmering golden barrier. In the center of a small dark space a person was curled up into a ball.

Raven had entered Kale's Core.

A/N: Wow. That was…just wow.

Vincent – Snap out of it. You are talented. Why do you have to be amazed at yourself when you write something good?

Kev – I don't know. I just don't know how I could write something like that.

Vincent – Well you can. Now its time to say goodbye until next chapter.

Kev – All right. See you everyone. Be sure to leave me a nice review. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Vincent – We want to know what you think. We need to have your input to keep the story going.

Kev – Until next chapter! Ciao!