*rubs temples in dismay* I am so sorry... aside from the delay,
everything's going back on track. The epilogue comes after chappy 12. I'm
rather proud of this chapter.
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 12
Leaving a trail of blood droplets behind, Raven ascended to her quarters clutching at her open wound. She closed the door behind her and locked it, making sure no one would come in. Sitting on her bed, her eyes transfixed on the wound, she began to hyperventilate. Not once in her life had she felt the need to let go of such an emotion as sorrow. She has felt it, but never expressed it.
And she wasn't about to.
Raven clasped her bedspread in pain and started to let out a few deep breaths, trying to become faint so she could just end it all. End all the misery, confusion and grief. Her injury grew worse as she allowed the blood to run to the ground.
A knock on the door disrupted her.
"Raven?! We know you're there!! Please, open up!" BeastBoy called out, followed by another few knocks against the metallic frame.
A much gentler knock followed. "We merely wish to see if you are in need of any assistance," Starfire said as welcoming as she possibly could, but it still came out a bit shaky. "If this concerns Omen, maybe--"
More desperate knocks interrupted Star. "Open the door, Raven!" BeastBoy cried out unsteadily.
Raven refused to get up. Maybe if she stayed silent until losing consciousness, they would go away. She muttered 'Zinthos' as quietly as she possibly could and transformed into a raven. A large gash could still be seen near her abdomen and the pain was relived in a different way again. Ducking under her covers, she ignored BeastBoy's cries and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Rae, but I have to do this!!"
There was a thundering crash as Raven's bedroom door fell and a surprised cry uttered from Starfire. BeastBoy had rammed the door open as a rhino and morphed back to normal to find a large red puddle forming beside Raven's bed. As if Raven's room itself wasn't petrifying enough. He and Star stared down at it wide-eyed, thousands of images going through their minds.
"...Raven...?" Starfire said reluctantly, afraid that she would receive no answer.
BeastBoy marched over the bed and pulled up the covers, only to jump up in surprise. "Ohh, ew! Th-There's a dead bird on her bed!!" he yelled. "Wait a minute... bird... raven..." He gasped loudly in realization and fear. "OH MY GOSH!" BeastBoy picked up the raven's fragile body, shuddering at its labored breath. She was still alive, but barely. "Don't give it up, Rae. You have to keep living! For Omen's sake! For the team's sake! For--" he paused, trying not to break down. "For MY sake..."
He felt Starfire's hand touch his shoulder anxiously. She stared at him, a bit afraid of BeastBoy's unusual behavior. If he let this moment upset him all too much, there's pretty much no hope for Beast either. But sentiments aside, Starfire half-smiled at the green changeling. BeastBoy's caring side isn't something you saw way too often. And like an answer to a silent prayer, Raven thoughts were heard.
'I loved him, guys...' she confessed in her audible thoughts. 'I loved him so much...'
That was the last they heard of her as her black, beady eyes shut tightly and darkness consumed her.
~\~/~
'~Raven~' a soothing voice called. '~Raven, come~'
She did not recognize the voice, but as she listened to its melodious tone, Raven found peace. She found happiness. She opened her eyes to be welcomed by a ray of light in a foggy atmosphere, its source unknown. Looking around, she attempted to find the melodious voice.
'~Raven... I'm right here~'
Raven turned around slowly, anticipating it to be the voice of an angel. But what she found it to be shocked her beyond all belief. Standing before her in the middle of this odd atmosphere, was her team's trusting little golden bundle.
"Omen," she stated in shock.
Omen stood on all fours, pulling out a doggy grin; the kind of face that would always make Raven smile on the inside. '~Yep. Surprised you, eh?~'
"But... but I thought I could only speak to birds..."
'~Well, you never tried to extend that power any further. You could have been able to not only hear me, but talk to me as well~'
Raven looked at him dubiously. This was coming from the dog.
'~Raven, why are you giving up?~' Omen said, sounding distressed.
"Huh?"
'~Since I met you, you were never a quitter. But here you are, willing to give life up just because I gave mine away for you?~'
Raven could not respond. A knot was forming in her throat.
'~I could have saved myself, ya know. I could have run away from that blast. But instead, I gave myself up so you could go on. Please, Raven. Please live on. Don't do it just for me... do it for BeastBoy~'
"BeastBoy?" Raven managed to say. Many images flashed through her mind. She owed so much to BeastBoy. He had been such a great friend ever since she had discovered her new power. And as she thought of him, she found herself smiling for the first time in awhile. Omen trotted over to her and Raven knelt down and hugged the golden retriever once again. Omen barked happily and Raven grinned. "...I'll do it..." she promised. "I know someone whom I owe to very much."
~\~/~
Her eyes fluttered open and not even two seconds passed before she could hear the green changeling's joyous voice once again.
"You're awake!!" he cried out, sitting beside her as she lay in the bed of the recovery room.
"I'm aware of that," she muttered and looked at the surroundings. "How did I get here?"
"After you blacked out, you turned back to your human form. I carried you over here and Robin took care of your wound."
Raven tilted her head to see her bandaged hip. Some sort of anesthetic must have been placed on her, since she couldn't feel the fiery stinging any longer. She'll have to thank Robin later on. "Thanks... to both of you..." she said lowly. "What about Starfire?"
"She and Cy are searching for a good place to put..." he paused and looked down sadly. Raven held up her hand, letting him know he did not have to explain. Everyone was clearly shocked enough for the day. BeastBoy changed the subject. "Well, anyway, mad scientist lady's back in jail. They must have put like 10 straightjackets on her, dude!" he beamed between laughs, recalling the memory.
Raven smiled slightly at his comment. Megara wasn't going anywhere soon, that's for sure.
She thought her eyesight was playing tricks on her when she saw BeastBoy trying to hide his teary eyes. "I really thought you were gone for awhile there," he said.
"Sorry," was all she could say.
BeastBoy snorted. "Sure you are. You were probably wishing you were dead, too."
"I was. But then I realized; 'I just can't leave my favorite mentor behind, now can I?'" she said seriously.
He looked up and grinned, still finding some sort of pleasure about Raven calling him her mentor... even if she was just joking. "Thanks for sticking around," he said, not having the nerve to say something else as Robin came into the room.
"No problem," she replied with a monotone, but with a soft smile as well.
----------------------------------------
To Be Continued...
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 12
Leaving a trail of blood droplets behind, Raven ascended to her quarters clutching at her open wound. She closed the door behind her and locked it, making sure no one would come in. Sitting on her bed, her eyes transfixed on the wound, she began to hyperventilate. Not once in her life had she felt the need to let go of such an emotion as sorrow. She has felt it, but never expressed it.
And she wasn't about to.
Raven clasped her bedspread in pain and started to let out a few deep breaths, trying to become faint so she could just end it all. End all the misery, confusion and grief. Her injury grew worse as she allowed the blood to run to the ground.
A knock on the door disrupted her.
"Raven?! We know you're there!! Please, open up!" BeastBoy called out, followed by another few knocks against the metallic frame.
A much gentler knock followed. "We merely wish to see if you are in need of any assistance," Starfire said as welcoming as she possibly could, but it still came out a bit shaky. "If this concerns Omen, maybe--"
More desperate knocks interrupted Star. "Open the door, Raven!" BeastBoy cried out unsteadily.
Raven refused to get up. Maybe if she stayed silent until losing consciousness, they would go away. She muttered 'Zinthos' as quietly as she possibly could and transformed into a raven. A large gash could still be seen near her abdomen and the pain was relived in a different way again. Ducking under her covers, she ignored BeastBoy's cries and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Rae, but I have to do this!!"
There was a thundering crash as Raven's bedroom door fell and a surprised cry uttered from Starfire. BeastBoy had rammed the door open as a rhino and morphed back to normal to find a large red puddle forming beside Raven's bed. As if Raven's room itself wasn't petrifying enough. He and Star stared down at it wide-eyed, thousands of images going through their minds.
"...Raven...?" Starfire said reluctantly, afraid that she would receive no answer.
BeastBoy marched over the bed and pulled up the covers, only to jump up in surprise. "Ohh, ew! Th-There's a dead bird on her bed!!" he yelled. "Wait a minute... bird... raven..." He gasped loudly in realization and fear. "OH MY GOSH!" BeastBoy picked up the raven's fragile body, shuddering at its labored breath. She was still alive, but barely. "Don't give it up, Rae. You have to keep living! For Omen's sake! For the team's sake! For--" he paused, trying not to break down. "For MY sake..."
He felt Starfire's hand touch his shoulder anxiously. She stared at him, a bit afraid of BeastBoy's unusual behavior. If he let this moment upset him all too much, there's pretty much no hope for Beast either. But sentiments aside, Starfire half-smiled at the green changeling. BeastBoy's caring side isn't something you saw way too often. And like an answer to a silent prayer, Raven thoughts were heard.
'I loved him, guys...' she confessed in her audible thoughts. 'I loved him so much...'
That was the last they heard of her as her black, beady eyes shut tightly and darkness consumed her.
~\~/~
'~Raven~' a soothing voice called. '~Raven, come~'
She did not recognize the voice, but as she listened to its melodious tone, Raven found peace. She found happiness. She opened her eyes to be welcomed by a ray of light in a foggy atmosphere, its source unknown. Looking around, she attempted to find the melodious voice.
'~Raven... I'm right here~'
Raven turned around slowly, anticipating it to be the voice of an angel. But what she found it to be shocked her beyond all belief. Standing before her in the middle of this odd atmosphere, was her team's trusting little golden bundle.
"Omen," she stated in shock.
Omen stood on all fours, pulling out a doggy grin; the kind of face that would always make Raven smile on the inside. '~Yep. Surprised you, eh?~'
"But... but I thought I could only speak to birds..."
'~Well, you never tried to extend that power any further. You could have been able to not only hear me, but talk to me as well~'
Raven looked at him dubiously. This was coming from the dog.
'~Raven, why are you giving up?~' Omen said, sounding distressed.
"Huh?"
'~Since I met you, you were never a quitter. But here you are, willing to give life up just because I gave mine away for you?~'
Raven could not respond. A knot was forming in her throat.
'~I could have saved myself, ya know. I could have run away from that blast. But instead, I gave myself up so you could go on. Please, Raven. Please live on. Don't do it just for me... do it for BeastBoy~'
"BeastBoy?" Raven managed to say. Many images flashed through her mind. She owed so much to BeastBoy. He had been such a great friend ever since she had discovered her new power. And as she thought of him, she found herself smiling for the first time in awhile. Omen trotted over to her and Raven knelt down and hugged the golden retriever once again. Omen barked happily and Raven grinned. "...I'll do it..." she promised. "I know someone whom I owe to very much."
~\~/~
Her eyes fluttered open and not even two seconds passed before she could hear the green changeling's joyous voice once again.
"You're awake!!" he cried out, sitting beside her as she lay in the bed of the recovery room.
"I'm aware of that," she muttered and looked at the surroundings. "How did I get here?"
"After you blacked out, you turned back to your human form. I carried you over here and Robin took care of your wound."
Raven tilted her head to see her bandaged hip. Some sort of anesthetic must have been placed on her, since she couldn't feel the fiery stinging any longer. She'll have to thank Robin later on. "Thanks... to both of you..." she said lowly. "What about Starfire?"
"She and Cy are searching for a good place to put..." he paused and looked down sadly. Raven held up her hand, letting him know he did not have to explain. Everyone was clearly shocked enough for the day. BeastBoy changed the subject. "Well, anyway, mad scientist lady's back in jail. They must have put like 10 straightjackets on her, dude!" he beamed between laughs, recalling the memory.
Raven smiled slightly at his comment. Megara wasn't going anywhere soon, that's for sure.
She thought her eyesight was playing tricks on her when she saw BeastBoy trying to hide his teary eyes. "I really thought you were gone for awhile there," he said.
"Sorry," was all she could say.
BeastBoy snorted. "Sure you are. You were probably wishing you were dead, too."
"I was. But then I realized; 'I just can't leave my favorite mentor behind, now can I?'" she said seriously.
He looked up and grinned, still finding some sort of pleasure about Raven calling him her mentor... even if she was just joking. "Thanks for sticking around," he said, not having the nerve to say something else as Robin came into the room.
"No problem," she replied with a monotone, but with a soft smile as well.
----------------------------------------
To Be Continued...