Disclaimer: I don't own teen titans. Just Swift. ^^;; (*is getting fed up
of typing this*)
***************************************
Chapter five - The message
"What Raven? What did you see?"
Beastboy looked anxiously at Raven's frightened face. Swift was gripping Raven's shoulders in a melodramatic fashion.
Cyborg was behind Swift, looking at Raven in a worried way. Robin and Star were doing the same.
Raven took a minute to take all of this in, before crawling back onto the couch and rubbing her head. The others looked as if they were about to explode with the suspense. She ceased her rubbing and looked at them sternly.
"I guess I'd better tell you Ashelba's message, huh?" Raven said, as the other titans and Swift clambered back onto the couch around her. They were all leant in eagerly - nervous yet strangely excited.
Raven eyed them all fondly, before speaking again.
"Ashelba was always the cleverest of the two sisters. My own mother, and Ashelba, when they were growing up, created a special thing. Whenever they had been naughty and were going to be in trouble, they used to speak in..riddles. My mother taught me a bit. It was a clever ploy, to be able to talk between themselves...a type of coded language."
Raven paused. The faces around her were all staring, a mix of emotions, at her. She deliberatly looked at Swift.
"Mother told me about this. I was never taught it though. I thought it was just a funny childs thing." said Swift pensively.
Raven shook her head. "No, thats the point. From then on, anytime that Ashelba and mother were in trouble they would speak in riddles. And that is what she told you, Swift. Cleverly, so that if you told anyone, in your ill state, it would be uncomprehensible."
There was a silence in the room, as each person gathered their thoughts and took in what Raven had said. Beastboy broke the stony silence.
"So, what DID the message say?" he said nervously. His instincts told him it was something bad. Real bad.
Raven looked at him, caringly. "I'll tell you, but I doubt you'll get it."
Cyborg cut in on the tense moment. "I doubt any of us will get it. But you gotta try, Rave."
Raven nodded solemnly. "As you wish," she said slowly, and then began to reel of the riddle.
"To the girl who is a bird, Let my message now be heard, My daughters life is just a ploy, To create evil and destroy, The evil one he lies in wait, His power now is just too great, He seeks you out through night and day, So that he can have his way, He wants you to suffer his wrath, For taking that treacherous path, Beware, my dear, for now he comes, You are not safe nor are your chums, There is one way to skip bad weather, The two sisters stick together."
There were frowns on the foreheads of all in the room. Beastboy especially. He cleared his throat in an agitated way.
"'To the girl who is a bird...' thats you Raven." said BB triumphantly. Raven nodded. She smiled at his triumphant look.
"I understood a little of it. Its really the last line that gets me. 'the two sisters stick together.'" Swift murmered uncomfortably. "Does that mean Arella and my mother?"
Raven shrugged. "I don't know, Swift. I just don't know."
Robin had been intently listening. The boy wonder loved deciphering codes and stuff. His brow was furrowed in intense concentration. Starfire looked at him admiringly. To her it had sounded like a lot of silly words. She didn't dare say that out loud though.
"Wait." said Robin, in determined tones, seemingly snapping out of the 'trance' "'the evil one...' is that...Trigon?"
Swift gasped horribly. Raven nodded gravely. "I believe it is indeed Trigon. He's coming."
She swallowed nervously. "He....is coming for me."
*
Swift screamed loudly. The whole tower began to shake.
"AHHHH!" she screamed. Everything was moving terribly. Cyborg, who was closest to Swift grabbed her arm gently.
She relaxed at the sudden touch. She gasped a little, then caught her breath slowly.
"He....won't....get....you..." she panted. "I'll....die....first."
Raven smiled at Swift. 'So selfless.' she thought, as she stared at her cousins tense face.
"I'll second that." said Beastboy suddenly. He grabbed Raven and held her tight. "He's not going to hurt you. Not again. I won't let him."
Cyborg looked at the meant-to-be couple and sighed. All of a sudden he felt really left out. Love was a strange word in his vocabulary. Yet the more he witnessed it, the more he wanted it. He sighed again.
Robin clenched a fist. "Noone's going to hurt anyone. We'll stick together. Till the end."
Cyborg smiled at the titans. "Yeah! We're a team. If Trigon wants Raven, he'll have to go through us." He turned his arm into the plasma blaster and waved it in the air.
Raven smiled softly at them all. "Thank you...my friends." she said, her heart nearly bursting with happiness. Her solemn face showed nothing. But she tightened her grip on Beastboy.
Swift didn't look as though she shared this courage in the slightest. Instead she looked angry to the point of exploding. There was a battle raging inside of her. Her face flickered a million emotions and her eyes glinted angrily. She stood up, her cape billowing out behind her, her black hair flowing behind her. Her face had lost it's healthy tan and was red. Her eyes shone a green never before witnessed by the team.
"Its my fault, Rae. And I'm going to sort this out. There is no sense in you and your friends getting hurt." She strode towards the door. Raven didn't even look up.
"No." she said simply. Swift stopped and turned around, the anger fresh on her lips and mind. She glanced angrily at her cousin.
"What?" she said, sounding frustrated and upset. Her fists were clenched until the whites of her knuckles were visible.
"I said No. And thats final. You don't go near Trigon, until I say so." said Raven, head averted. There was a tone in her voice that said 'dont mess with me'.
Swift being Azarathian too, stood her ground. "Raven, there is no sense in you dragging all these guys into this. I'll deal with this. It's my problem."
For the first time, the connection between the two was visible. They were really very alike. Just unnoticably so. Raven stood up, head averted still, but now a new edge to her voice.
"You are not going to sacrifice yourself for me or anyone. It's not fair. Trigon is after me. And the titans are part of the package. Swift, if you do this alone then I will lose you and I don't want to." Raven's head turned slowly, and she lowered her hood. For the first time ever, on show to all, were the tears on her cheeks, running down like waterfalls.
There was so much emotion expressed in that face, it was futile to resist her words. Emotion wasn't huge in Raven, but when some was shown, caution was needed.
Swifts big green eyes softened. Her fists unclenched and she shook them out. Sighing she reached up and fiddled with her hair nervously. Finally she put her hands on her hips and looked at the sad face. "I......." she began uncertainly.
Her eyes became stonier again. "Pfft. Fine." she retorted, trying to keep her pride. Taking a couple of paces backwards she turned and walked out of the door.
Raven stared after her, even after the door had slammed, her eyes were transfixed as she glared at the spot of air. Beastboy touched her shoulder gently.
She turned to him sniffing. "I...I need to be alone." she managed, before walking off in the direction of her room.
The other four titans watched in terror as the cousins dispersed.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Ravens door slammed, and she walked over through her dim and dark room to the bed. Plonking onto it she lay down.
'C'mon, forget it. Remain calm. Emotions are under control.' she told herself firmly until she really believed it. Ignoring the smashing sounds she closed her eyes and stayed like that until she felt better.
Then, wiping her face, she sat up and began to try and decipher Ashelba's riddle.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"Uhhhhhh..." said Beastboy, as the door slammed upstairs. "What do we...do I...should we...."
"Shut up, dawg." said Cyborg irritably. Starfire looked at the others calmly.
"I suggest that we go and look for Swift. We know that Raven will be fine, she is simply upset. But what will Swift do? She seemed so very angry with herself." She paused, realising that she was in the limelight for the first time in a while.
"I believe that Robin, you should go down into the park and that end of the city, Cyborg go down to the mall. Beastboy and I shall scan from the skies, but seperatly so we cover more ground. What do you think?" Starfire said, feeling happy with herself.
Robin smiled at Starfire. "I think thats a great idea." She blushed, and looked at the floor. Robin turned to the other two.
"You guys, remember she could be very fragile in nature. Treat her carefully. BB - no jokes."
Beastboy raised his eyes to the heavens but sighed. "Sure. I wouldn't have anyway..."
The others rose to their feet and wandered outside. They each went their seperate ways in hope of finding Swift, before something bad happened.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*
By a big river, a girl with black hair sat looking out across the horizons. Her face was a mess of regret and sadness, but her head was held up in pride.
*
Swift threw some stones across the waters, watching them skim the dark surface. She sniffed as the stone sank down into the merky depths. Her feet were in the cool water, and she wiggled them gently.
Her head was throbbing like someone had hit her with an anvil. The wind blew from the east, ruffling her hair and making her close her green eyes.
She pulled the cloak around her, and felt the soft material glide between her fingers. She kept her eyes firmly shut, although the wind had died down.
'My world was a perfect place, my life was good, and I had all the love I needed. In a miniscule moment all that has been torn away and shattered inside of me. The world is a dark and dismal place, with no love and evil all around.' she thought, as a tear leaked out of her closed eyes.
Swift felt although her heart had been ripped out from her chest, her mind swirled with memorys and hopes, long gone now. All that she once knew was lost forever and she had no way of bringing it back.
Well, maybe one way.
'But now I've blown that.' she thought miserably. 'Raven must hate me. I came back, bringing memorys and then I burdon her, then I bring news of her father. Now I have gone and upset her further.'
She pulled her feet out of the river, and stretched them out to dry in the autumn sun. The warmth felt so good on her tired legs. She clutched the cloak ever tighter, feeling that maybe if she squeezed it hard enough she would be back on Azarath again.
But to no avail. She opened her eyes and was brought back to reality with a smack.
'It would be better for everyone if I was dead. For mother, so she wouldn't have to worry about me. For Raven, so she can go back to her old life.' thought Swift as she stood up. Suddenly the river looked so calm and fresh.
The world around her was crumbling in despair and agony, and yet.....the cleanliness of the river enveloped her, and she suddenly had an impulsion to jump. End it all, once and for all.
She stepped forwards slowly, her toes on the edge of the embankment. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Looking up, she saw the bright sunlight, and the blue sky. She blinked as she looked down again, seeing the dark calmness of her fate.
"Goodbye." she said, bending her knees to leap. Her eyes were closed again.
Suddenly, behind her she heard a noise. It sounded like a bird of some kind. A..A..Raven...
She stopped and turned around, seeing a green Raven flying towards her. She squinted, and watched as the soaring bird changed into a boy. Beast boy.
He ran towards her as she turned her head again, preparing herself to jump. She sighed as she bent her knees again.
"Dude...Swift?" came the pained voice behind her. "What are you doing?"
*************************************
Yayyyy! More evilness in an evil cliffie! ^^
Repliesssss -
Classic Cowboy - I hope that it lived up to your expectations. *bow* I hope you enjoyed it! ^^
A purple otter - Mailed you! and thanks, its cool! ^^
patriot1 - thanks! ^^
Animelover14 - XD hehe, thats good! Heh, well I hope you dont repeat it again now after this cliffie! ^^
Moey25 - Awww you are a sweetie! ^_^ Thanks, I hope you like the rest of the story!
Bill - Thanks as always ^^
warprince2099 - heh, hope you enjoyed this chappy. ^^
Leviathan680 - Hehe, oh no another one! Please dont kill me O_o;;...^_^
Hum, well thats all for now! Catchas laters! ^^
Ja! ~*Chibi*~
***************************************
Chapter five - The message
"What Raven? What did you see?"
Beastboy looked anxiously at Raven's frightened face. Swift was gripping Raven's shoulders in a melodramatic fashion.
Cyborg was behind Swift, looking at Raven in a worried way. Robin and Star were doing the same.
Raven took a minute to take all of this in, before crawling back onto the couch and rubbing her head. The others looked as if they were about to explode with the suspense. She ceased her rubbing and looked at them sternly.
"I guess I'd better tell you Ashelba's message, huh?" Raven said, as the other titans and Swift clambered back onto the couch around her. They were all leant in eagerly - nervous yet strangely excited.
Raven eyed them all fondly, before speaking again.
"Ashelba was always the cleverest of the two sisters. My own mother, and Ashelba, when they were growing up, created a special thing. Whenever they had been naughty and were going to be in trouble, they used to speak in..riddles. My mother taught me a bit. It was a clever ploy, to be able to talk between themselves...a type of coded language."
Raven paused. The faces around her were all staring, a mix of emotions, at her. She deliberatly looked at Swift.
"Mother told me about this. I was never taught it though. I thought it was just a funny childs thing." said Swift pensively.
Raven shook her head. "No, thats the point. From then on, anytime that Ashelba and mother were in trouble they would speak in riddles. And that is what she told you, Swift. Cleverly, so that if you told anyone, in your ill state, it would be uncomprehensible."
There was a silence in the room, as each person gathered their thoughts and took in what Raven had said. Beastboy broke the stony silence.
"So, what DID the message say?" he said nervously. His instincts told him it was something bad. Real bad.
Raven looked at him, caringly. "I'll tell you, but I doubt you'll get it."
Cyborg cut in on the tense moment. "I doubt any of us will get it. But you gotta try, Rave."
Raven nodded solemnly. "As you wish," she said slowly, and then began to reel of the riddle.
"To the girl who is a bird, Let my message now be heard, My daughters life is just a ploy, To create evil and destroy, The evil one he lies in wait, His power now is just too great, He seeks you out through night and day, So that he can have his way, He wants you to suffer his wrath, For taking that treacherous path, Beware, my dear, for now he comes, You are not safe nor are your chums, There is one way to skip bad weather, The two sisters stick together."
There were frowns on the foreheads of all in the room. Beastboy especially. He cleared his throat in an agitated way.
"'To the girl who is a bird...' thats you Raven." said BB triumphantly. Raven nodded. She smiled at his triumphant look.
"I understood a little of it. Its really the last line that gets me. 'the two sisters stick together.'" Swift murmered uncomfortably. "Does that mean Arella and my mother?"
Raven shrugged. "I don't know, Swift. I just don't know."
Robin had been intently listening. The boy wonder loved deciphering codes and stuff. His brow was furrowed in intense concentration. Starfire looked at him admiringly. To her it had sounded like a lot of silly words. She didn't dare say that out loud though.
"Wait." said Robin, in determined tones, seemingly snapping out of the 'trance' "'the evil one...' is that...Trigon?"
Swift gasped horribly. Raven nodded gravely. "I believe it is indeed Trigon. He's coming."
She swallowed nervously. "He....is coming for me."
*
Swift screamed loudly. The whole tower began to shake.
"AHHHH!" she screamed. Everything was moving terribly. Cyborg, who was closest to Swift grabbed her arm gently.
She relaxed at the sudden touch. She gasped a little, then caught her breath slowly.
"He....won't....get....you..." she panted. "I'll....die....first."
Raven smiled at Swift. 'So selfless.' she thought, as she stared at her cousins tense face.
"I'll second that." said Beastboy suddenly. He grabbed Raven and held her tight. "He's not going to hurt you. Not again. I won't let him."
Cyborg looked at the meant-to-be couple and sighed. All of a sudden he felt really left out. Love was a strange word in his vocabulary. Yet the more he witnessed it, the more he wanted it. He sighed again.
Robin clenched a fist. "Noone's going to hurt anyone. We'll stick together. Till the end."
Cyborg smiled at the titans. "Yeah! We're a team. If Trigon wants Raven, he'll have to go through us." He turned his arm into the plasma blaster and waved it in the air.
Raven smiled softly at them all. "Thank you...my friends." she said, her heart nearly bursting with happiness. Her solemn face showed nothing. But she tightened her grip on Beastboy.
Swift didn't look as though she shared this courage in the slightest. Instead she looked angry to the point of exploding. There was a battle raging inside of her. Her face flickered a million emotions and her eyes glinted angrily. She stood up, her cape billowing out behind her, her black hair flowing behind her. Her face had lost it's healthy tan and was red. Her eyes shone a green never before witnessed by the team.
"Its my fault, Rae. And I'm going to sort this out. There is no sense in you and your friends getting hurt." She strode towards the door. Raven didn't even look up.
"No." she said simply. Swift stopped and turned around, the anger fresh on her lips and mind. She glanced angrily at her cousin.
"What?" she said, sounding frustrated and upset. Her fists were clenched until the whites of her knuckles were visible.
"I said No. And thats final. You don't go near Trigon, until I say so." said Raven, head averted. There was a tone in her voice that said 'dont mess with me'.
Swift being Azarathian too, stood her ground. "Raven, there is no sense in you dragging all these guys into this. I'll deal with this. It's my problem."
For the first time, the connection between the two was visible. They were really very alike. Just unnoticably so. Raven stood up, head averted still, but now a new edge to her voice.
"You are not going to sacrifice yourself for me or anyone. It's not fair. Trigon is after me. And the titans are part of the package. Swift, if you do this alone then I will lose you and I don't want to." Raven's head turned slowly, and she lowered her hood. For the first time ever, on show to all, were the tears on her cheeks, running down like waterfalls.
There was so much emotion expressed in that face, it was futile to resist her words. Emotion wasn't huge in Raven, but when some was shown, caution was needed.
Swifts big green eyes softened. Her fists unclenched and she shook them out. Sighing she reached up and fiddled with her hair nervously. Finally she put her hands on her hips and looked at the sad face. "I......." she began uncertainly.
Her eyes became stonier again. "Pfft. Fine." she retorted, trying to keep her pride. Taking a couple of paces backwards she turned and walked out of the door.
Raven stared after her, even after the door had slammed, her eyes were transfixed as she glared at the spot of air. Beastboy touched her shoulder gently.
She turned to him sniffing. "I...I need to be alone." she managed, before walking off in the direction of her room.
The other four titans watched in terror as the cousins dispersed.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Ravens door slammed, and she walked over through her dim and dark room to the bed. Plonking onto it she lay down.
'C'mon, forget it. Remain calm. Emotions are under control.' she told herself firmly until she really believed it. Ignoring the smashing sounds she closed her eyes and stayed like that until she felt better.
Then, wiping her face, she sat up and began to try and decipher Ashelba's riddle.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"Uhhhhhh..." said Beastboy, as the door slammed upstairs. "What do we...do I...should we...."
"Shut up, dawg." said Cyborg irritably. Starfire looked at the others calmly.
"I suggest that we go and look for Swift. We know that Raven will be fine, she is simply upset. But what will Swift do? She seemed so very angry with herself." She paused, realising that she was in the limelight for the first time in a while.
"I believe that Robin, you should go down into the park and that end of the city, Cyborg go down to the mall. Beastboy and I shall scan from the skies, but seperatly so we cover more ground. What do you think?" Starfire said, feeling happy with herself.
Robin smiled at Starfire. "I think thats a great idea." She blushed, and looked at the floor. Robin turned to the other two.
"You guys, remember she could be very fragile in nature. Treat her carefully. BB - no jokes."
Beastboy raised his eyes to the heavens but sighed. "Sure. I wouldn't have anyway..."
The others rose to their feet and wandered outside. They each went their seperate ways in hope of finding Swift, before something bad happened.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*
By a big river, a girl with black hair sat looking out across the horizons. Her face was a mess of regret and sadness, but her head was held up in pride.
*
Swift threw some stones across the waters, watching them skim the dark surface. She sniffed as the stone sank down into the merky depths. Her feet were in the cool water, and she wiggled them gently.
Her head was throbbing like someone had hit her with an anvil. The wind blew from the east, ruffling her hair and making her close her green eyes.
She pulled the cloak around her, and felt the soft material glide between her fingers. She kept her eyes firmly shut, although the wind had died down.
'My world was a perfect place, my life was good, and I had all the love I needed. In a miniscule moment all that has been torn away and shattered inside of me. The world is a dark and dismal place, with no love and evil all around.' she thought, as a tear leaked out of her closed eyes.
Swift felt although her heart had been ripped out from her chest, her mind swirled with memorys and hopes, long gone now. All that she once knew was lost forever and she had no way of bringing it back.
Well, maybe one way.
'But now I've blown that.' she thought miserably. 'Raven must hate me. I came back, bringing memorys and then I burdon her, then I bring news of her father. Now I have gone and upset her further.'
She pulled her feet out of the river, and stretched them out to dry in the autumn sun. The warmth felt so good on her tired legs. She clutched the cloak ever tighter, feeling that maybe if she squeezed it hard enough she would be back on Azarath again.
But to no avail. She opened her eyes and was brought back to reality with a smack.
'It would be better for everyone if I was dead. For mother, so she wouldn't have to worry about me. For Raven, so she can go back to her old life.' thought Swift as she stood up. Suddenly the river looked so calm and fresh.
The world around her was crumbling in despair and agony, and yet.....the cleanliness of the river enveloped her, and she suddenly had an impulsion to jump. End it all, once and for all.
She stepped forwards slowly, her toes on the edge of the embankment. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Looking up, she saw the bright sunlight, and the blue sky. She blinked as she looked down again, seeing the dark calmness of her fate.
"Goodbye." she said, bending her knees to leap. Her eyes were closed again.
Suddenly, behind her she heard a noise. It sounded like a bird of some kind. A..A..Raven...
She stopped and turned around, seeing a green Raven flying towards her. She squinted, and watched as the soaring bird changed into a boy. Beast boy.
He ran towards her as she turned her head again, preparing herself to jump. She sighed as she bent her knees again.
"Dude...Swift?" came the pained voice behind her. "What are you doing?"
*************************************
Yayyyy! More evilness in an evil cliffie! ^^
Repliesssss -
Classic Cowboy - I hope that it lived up to your expectations. *bow* I hope you enjoyed it! ^^
A purple otter - Mailed you! and thanks, its cool! ^^
patriot1 - thanks! ^^
Animelover14 - XD hehe, thats good! Heh, well I hope you dont repeat it again now after this cliffie! ^^
Moey25 - Awww you are a sweetie! ^_^ Thanks, I hope you like the rest of the story!
Bill - Thanks as always ^^
warprince2099 - heh, hope you enjoyed this chappy. ^^
Leviathan680 - Hehe, oh no another one! Please dont kill me O_o;;...^_^
Hum, well thats all for now! Catchas laters! ^^
Ja! ~*Chibi*~