MoonDeity: I have decided (by inspiration) to write a serious fic. Please review and tell me what you think. It is a bit sad...
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.
Ebony Sky
Bright flashes lit up her head. The flashes were waves of pain; and the pain came from everywhere. She tried to open her eyes, but nothing but waves of red passed through her vision. Pain blurred her senses, and all she could hear was singing metal in her ears.
And The Question burned in her brain. That searing problem, the thread of thought that had occurred just when everything had seemed right. It was made of guilt and jealousy, and it just wouldn't go away like all the others. Her body convulsed again, her spine arching as blood came up her throat.
Then came the wave of nausea. Starting from her toes and climbing up her body in a blood-chilling path, she felt as if her brain would burst from it. After it passed, she relaxed, and let her body go limp, the Savoir darkness swallowing her up into unconsciousness.
--------------------------------------------
Robin and Starfire hovered worriedly around Raven. She was laying on the couch in the front room, blood from her many wounds dripping onto the carpeted floor. They were looking for a sign of life still moving in her body. Starfire was biting her lip, trying to be brave and not cry, but it was hard for her. The Tameranean never knew death on her planet, and it tore her up to see Raven lying so still. Robin's face was grimly set. He would not show any emotion.
"Oh Raven...please wake up, please...please..." ,Starfire prayed.
In the other room, Cyborg was containing Beastboy. After the battle, the Changeling was torn, confused, sad and most of all, angry. After all, it was his beloved Terra that attacked her. And after all, he had to choose; choose between the blonde girl whom invaded his life and took his love; or the purple-haired goth who he was always trying to make laugh. And he had to kill her...but not before she had hurt him.
Cyborg finally wrestled the screaming green one onto a table and snapped the steel bonds in place. They were in the android's special lab, a dark room with beeping electronics. Cyborg flipped a nearby switch and bright electric light poured on the shrieking Changeling. Beastboy was wrestling at the metal trap that held him to the table.
Foam flecked his lips as he screamed out Raven's name. And Terra's. The pain from the wound Terra had inflicted upon him was making him crazy; as well as the angst from the fact that he had killed the woman he loved. And in his mind, he had gotten the idea that he WAS Terra. And he wanted to kill her again for hurting Raven.
Cyborg shook his head and wiped a tear that had escaped down his cheek. Shoving the thoughts of Raven and Terra to the back of his head, he took up a huge bottle of iodine and poured it over the gaping wound on Beastboy's torso. The Changeling's screams rattled the surgery instruments on the shelves, as steam curled up from the disinfectant.
Cyborg sighed and took up a pair of tweezers. It would take forever to remove the pieces of stone from the open wound. But he had to do it before he could sew it up. And with every shard he removed, the louder the screams got.
---------------------------------------------
In Raven's state of unconsciousness, she was reliving the battle.
The Titans had been called out on another alert. Terra had just been sworn in as a Titan, and this call had interrupted the victory celebration. The location of their criminal was in an abandoned quarry; unusual, Robin admitted, but Terra could be trusted now. He didn't doubt her powers, or her potential as a super hero.
They came into the entrance and faced off against their opponent. It was a huge rock monster, not one of Slade's creation. Its body was made with granite, marble and other rocks. As soon as it spotted the Titans, it began to hurl rocks from the palm of its hand.
Robin shouted the battle cry and the Titans scattered. Starfire flew up to it and started peppering it with starbolts. But the emeralds disks had no effect, and the rock monster brought her down with a swoop of its arm. She plummeted toward the ground and landed on Robin.
Cyborg's turn was next; he used his sonic cannon. On the other side, Beastboy changed into a rhino and attacked his leg. The monster roared with fury and brushed them off like flies.
Raven flew at the rock creation, her hands glowing with black energy. She raised them up and brought up boulders from the quarry. She shot them at the beast at bullet speed.
But the rocks suddenly stopped, and instead of black light surrounding them, a familiar golden glow took place. The rocks turned fully around and came for Raven. They hit the stunned goth hard, and her body crashed down in front of her friends.
The Titans turned to Terra; whose hands were glowing golden, her head bowed. She raised it up, and through the strands of yellow hair, the Titans could see a vicious smile, one of a villain. She gave a maniacal laugh and summoned a rock-lift. It took her up to the monster and she perched on his shoulder.
Upon her command, her rock creation picked up Raven, who was knocked out.
"T-Terra...?"
The blonde turned to her stuttering green lover, his hand reached out to Raven.
"Terra...what are you doing?!"
Terra gave a thin-lipped smile and motioned to her monster. The rock creation began to squeeze Raven, but while it did that, his mistress addressed the Titans.
"Poor Titans, I hate to see you so stunned..."
Beastboy ran up to her and yelled.
"Terra! Let Raven go! Why are you doing this?"
Terra sneered at Beastboy, then directed the monster to squeeze Raven harder. The goth gave a little gasp and coughed up blood. Her ribs were splitting.
"Do you want to know WHY? Because of her!"
Terra pointed to Raven, who was struggling for air. She directed her comments to the Changeling.
"You loved her more! I know, because I watched you every day. You were always trying to make her laugh, you were always flirting! You love her; don't deny it!"
Beastboy opened his mouth to protest, but a small scream from Raven captured his attention. Terra noticed, and summoned a stone from the ground. She threw it at Raven, and it hit her squarely in the chest, tearing a hole in her bodysuit. Beastboy ran up to the rock monster, waving his arms.
"Terra, stop it! You're hurting her! Come on, you know I love you!"
"Oh really? Well, now you have to prove it. I am killing her; and you have to choose! Choose between me and her!'
Terra summoned another rock and hit Raven with it again.
"I'll kill her! If you want her to live, then you will have to kill me! So choose!"
The monster threw Raven over a pile of stones. Terra encased Beastboy in a rock cage, and rock-lifted them both over to where Raven lay, bleeding on the ground. The monster started to battle the other Titans, holding them off. The blonde deposited her lover by the stone mountain and took her place over the semi-conscience Raven. She placed a booted foot on the goth's chest and pressed hard over her wound. The pain was incredible. Raven screamed out, but was choked by torrents of blood. Another rib cracked, and Raven vomited blood from her throat. Blood spurted from newly formed wounds. Terra smiled at the shocked Beastboy.
"Aww...what's wrong? Don't like decisions? Maybe I can narrow down the choices for you."
Terra removed her foot and summoned a spiky rock from the quarry pit behind her. She brought it up high, and sent it down to lodge sickeningly in Raven's thigh. The goth screamed again and her body compulsed like it was being whipped. Terra turned to the Changeling. He was on his hands and knees, silent tears were pouring down his face as he watched Raven's body be wracked with pain. Annoyed at his reaction, Terra pulled a rock from the earth with her powers and sent it flying into Beastboy's gut. The force sent him flying off his feet and he landed hard, clutching his stomach. Terra stabbed Raven again with a on...you know I love you...please, don't hurt her..."
Terra gave an angry scream and sent another rock into the air. This time, she brought it crashing down straight on Raven's chakra. Black lightning rushed out of it, and broke the rock. Blood seeped from the edges and Raven looked stunned. She knew she was going to die. So, turning her head to one side, she reached out her fingertips toward Beastboy. Tears slid from her violet eyes, mixed with blood from her forehead.
"Beastboy...I..." she whispered his name through cracked lips, her voice hoarse. She parted her lips to continue, but black streaks were invading her vision. She tried to fight it and ask Beastboy something; a question she had on her lips since the day Terra had invaded his life. But the black streaks spread out and filled her eyes, until all she could see was black sky. The ebony sky she knew so well, the starless, Azarath sky. Beastboy screamed her name and stood up, one arm around his torso stopping the blood. His eyes were dark. He faced Terra, his body quivering with anger and passion.
"Terra, I loved you so much," he whispered. "But you weren't there like she was. I love you both, but you hurt her. I'm sorry Terra. This is for Raven."
He changed into a large bull elephant and charged, blood from his wound flying behind him like a streamer. Terra shrieked in dismay and threw rock after rock at him, making sure to hit him in the chest wound. But the rocks did not stop Beastboy's anger, and he rammed into Terra. She screamed again and fell. She did not notice that all this time, she had her back to a stone quarry pit. Beastboy's tusks cut a large wound in her chest, so the pain blinded her. The last thing the Changeling saw was Terra's mangled body at the bottom of the pit, before he slumped into unconsciousness.
--------------------------------------------
Raven was lurched suddenly into daylight by the pounding on her chest. Robin was performing CPR on her, his hands pumping life into her broken veins. The Boy Wonder leaned back and wiped traces of sweat from his brow.
"About time you woke up," he forced a smile. "Starfire was getting ready to make pudding."
Starfire didn't laugh; she just sat down on the ground beside the couch and cried. Raven struggled to sit up, but her chakra burned, so she just lay there. Robin picked up the phone to dial 911, but Raven stopped him with her powers.
"No," she croaked. "It is too late. Just..."
Her friends leaned over her, concern written over their faces. Raven turned her head to them, dying to see Beastboy and ask him The Question.
"Just get Beastboy..."
Starfire burst into a fresh bout of tears and ran to a corner of the room. Robin hung his head.
"Raven...he's with Cyborg. He's getting his wounds trea—"
A crashing in the halls beyond interrupted the Boy Wonder. The door to the recreation room burst open in a flurry of smoke and Beastboy, bull- formed, was behind it. He changed back and ran over to Raven, blood from his wound dripping behind him.
"Raven!"
The Changeling leaned over her, his green eyes wide with concern. Raven forced a small smile, but had to turn aside to cough up blood.
"Beastboy...I'm..."
The green one laid his hands on her face and gently stroked her the edges of her eyes. The amethyst orbs were brimming with tears, and they gently slipped out and onto Beastboy's gloved hands. In turn, Beastboy was crying, although he tried to hold it in.
"I'm so sorry...Beastboy...but..."
Beastboy forced a smile, but furrowed his brow when Raven coughed again. Robin kneeled in the background, watching the scene while cradling Starfire in his arms.
"But what, Raven."
Raven's breathing grew incredibly shallow and she had to work very hard to whisper her last words out. The Question.
"Do you...love me...?"
A single tear escaped Beastboy's eyes and slid down his face. It fell on her chakra and the Changeling whispered,
"Yes."
He pressed his lips against hers, almost as if he was trying to bring her back up to the earth. Raven sighed as if she was content at last and would come back, to hang on. But she was slipping down; her feeble grip on life finally gave up. She felt herself slide away, slide away from Beastboy's hands, his lips, his love. She slipped down into the abyss, and left forever. Up on earth, Raven's violet eyes clouded over and she went limp.
Beastboy detached himself from her and gazed into the orbs he grew to love. He was not crying, but he was wondering, wondering what he would do without her, wondering if she loved him back, and wondering if she was really gone. But her amethyst eyes shone no longer. So, very slowly, he closed them forever.
---------------------------------
Raven floated in that black abyss for what seemed like an eternity. She knew she was not alive, but she was not dead yet. So she waited and searched. She knew what she was searching for, but nobody she met had it.
She wanted the ebony sky of Azarath. She wanted to get lost in the endless folds, the starless night. She wanted to sleep forever and be at peace. With no villains to worry over and no emotions to crush. She wanted to remember and forget Beastboy, and never dwell on the question that she had found out too late.
A hand from nowhere startled Raven. She turned and looked at the hand, then at the owner. The darkness melted away to reveal the perfect body of her mother. Raven let out a little gasp and embraced her.
"Mother..."
"Oh Raven, I have waited so long," she held her daughter at arms length and surveyed her through teary eyes. "You have grown up to be so beautiful. I am so glad you are here."
Raven felt her lips part in a smile, and she responded in a half-lie.
"I am happy to be here too, Mother."
Her mother embraced her and Raven held on very tightly. Slowly, the darkness above parted to reveal another kind of black. The two women floated up to the portal, and into night. Still clinging to each other, mother and daughter, forever were swallowed up by that black ebony sky.
The End
MoonDeity: Thank you for bearing with me, kind reader. If you could take 3 minutes out of your schedule to review this fic, it would be most kind. I accept anonymous and signed reviews. Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are not.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.
Ebony Sky
Bright flashes lit up her head. The flashes were waves of pain; and the pain came from everywhere. She tried to open her eyes, but nothing but waves of red passed through her vision. Pain blurred her senses, and all she could hear was singing metal in her ears.
And The Question burned in her brain. That searing problem, the thread of thought that had occurred just when everything had seemed right. It was made of guilt and jealousy, and it just wouldn't go away like all the others. Her body convulsed again, her spine arching as blood came up her throat.
Then came the wave of nausea. Starting from her toes and climbing up her body in a blood-chilling path, she felt as if her brain would burst from it. After it passed, she relaxed, and let her body go limp, the Savoir darkness swallowing her up into unconsciousness.
--------------------------------------------
Robin and Starfire hovered worriedly around Raven. She was laying on the couch in the front room, blood from her many wounds dripping onto the carpeted floor. They were looking for a sign of life still moving in her body. Starfire was biting her lip, trying to be brave and not cry, but it was hard for her. The Tameranean never knew death on her planet, and it tore her up to see Raven lying so still. Robin's face was grimly set. He would not show any emotion.
"Oh Raven...please wake up, please...please..." ,Starfire prayed.
In the other room, Cyborg was containing Beastboy. After the battle, the Changeling was torn, confused, sad and most of all, angry. After all, it was his beloved Terra that attacked her. And after all, he had to choose; choose between the blonde girl whom invaded his life and took his love; or the purple-haired goth who he was always trying to make laugh. And he had to kill her...but not before she had hurt him.
Cyborg finally wrestled the screaming green one onto a table and snapped the steel bonds in place. They were in the android's special lab, a dark room with beeping electronics. Cyborg flipped a nearby switch and bright electric light poured on the shrieking Changeling. Beastboy was wrestling at the metal trap that held him to the table.
Foam flecked his lips as he screamed out Raven's name. And Terra's. The pain from the wound Terra had inflicted upon him was making him crazy; as well as the angst from the fact that he had killed the woman he loved. And in his mind, he had gotten the idea that he WAS Terra. And he wanted to kill her again for hurting Raven.
Cyborg shook his head and wiped a tear that had escaped down his cheek. Shoving the thoughts of Raven and Terra to the back of his head, he took up a huge bottle of iodine and poured it over the gaping wound on Beastboy's torso. The Changeling's screams rattled the surgery instruments on the shelves, as steam curled up from the disinfectant.
Cyborg sighed and took up a pair of tweezers. It would take forever to remove the pieces of stone from the open wound. But he had to do it before he could sew it up. And with every shard he removed, the louder the screams got.
---------------------------------------------
In Raven's state of unconsciousness, she was reliving the battle.
The Titans had been called out on another alert. Terra had just been sworn in as a Titan, and this call had interrupted the victory celebration. The location of their criminal was in an abandoned quarry; unusual, Robin admitted, but Terra could be trusted now. He didn't doubt her powers, or her potential as a super hero.
They came into the entrance and faced off against their opponent. It was a huge rock monster, not one of Slade's creation. Its body was made with granite, marble and other rocks. As soon as it spotted the Titans, it began to hurl rocks from the palm of its hand.
Robin shouted the battle cry and the Titans scattered. Starfire flew up to it and started peppering it with starbolts. But the emeralds disks had no effect, and the rock monster brought her down with a swoop of its arm. She plummeted toward the ground and landed on Robin.
Cyborg's turn was next; he used his sonic cannon. On the other side, Beastboy changed into a rhino and attacked his leg. The monster roared with fury and brushed them off like flies.
Raven flew at the rock creation, her hands glowing with black energy. She raised them up and brought up boulders from the quarry. She shot them at the beast at bullet speed.
But the rocks suddenly stopped, and instead of black light surrounding them, a familiar golden glow took place. The rocks turned fully around and came for Raven. They hit the stunned goth hard, and her body crashed down in front of her friends.
The Titans turned to Terra; whose hands were glowing golden, her head bowed. She raised it up, and through the strands of yellow hair, the Titans could see a vicious smile, one of a villain. She gave a maniacal laugh and summoned a rock-lift. It took her up to the monster and she perched on his shoulder.
Upon her command, her rock creation picked up Raven, who was knocked out.
"T-Terra...?"
The blonde turned to her stuttering green lover, his hand reached out to Raven.
"Terra...what are you doing?!"
Terra gave a thin-lipped smile and motioned to her monster. The rock creation began to squeeze Raven, but while it did that, his mistress addressed the Titans.
"Poor Titans, I hate to see you so stunned..."
Beastboy ran up to her and yelled.
"Terra! Let Raven go! Why are you doing this?"
Terra sneered at Beastboy, then directed the monster to squeeze Raven harder. The goth gave a little gasp and coughed up blood. Her ribs were splitting.
"Do you want to know WHY? Because of her!"
Terra pointed to Raven, who was struggling for air. She directed her comments to the Changeling.
"You loved her more! I know, because I watched you every day. You were always trying to make her laugh, you were always flirting! You love her; don't deny it!"
Beastboy opened his mouth to protest, but a small scream from Raven captured his attention. Terra noticed, and summoned a stone from the ground. She threw it at Raven, and it hit her squarely in the chest, tearing a hole in her bodysuit. Beastboy ran up to the rock monster, waving his arms.
"Terra, stop it! You're hurting her! Come on, you know I love you!"
"Oh really? Well, now you have to prove it. I am killing her; and you have to choose! Choose between me and her!'
Terra summoned another rock and hit Raven with it again.
"I'll kill her! If you want her to live, then you will have to kill me! So choose!"
The monster threw Raven over a pile of stones. Terra encased Beastboy in a rock cage, and rock-lifted them both over to where Raven lay, bleeding on the ground. The monster started to battle the other Titans, holding them off. The blonde deposited her lover by the stone mountain and took her place over the semi-conscience Raven. She placed a booted foot on the goth's chest and pressed hard over her wound. The pain was incredible. Raven screamed out, but was choked by torrents of blood. Another rib cracked, and Raven vomited blood from her throat. Blood spurted from newly formed wounds. Terra smiled at the shocked Beastboy.
"Aww...what's wrong? Don't like decisions? Maybe I can narrow down the choices for you."
Terra removed her foot and summoned a spiky rock from the quarry pit behind her. She brought it up high, and sent it down to lodge sickeningly in Raven's thigh. The goth screamed again and her body compulsed like it was being whipped. Terra turned to the Changeling. He was on his hands and knees, silent tears were pouring down his face as he watched Raven's body be wracked with pain. Annoyed at his reaction, Terra pulled a rock from the earth with her powers and sent it flying into Beastboy's gut. The force sent him flying off his feet and he landed hard, clutching his stomach. Terra stabbed Raven again with a on...you know I love you...please, don't hurt her..."
Terra gave an angry scream and sent another rock into the air. This time, she brought it crashing down straight on Raven's chakra. Black lightning rushed out of it, and broke the rock. Blood seeped from the edges and Raven looked stunned. She knew she was going to die. So, turning her head to one side, she reached out her fingertips toward Beastboy. Tears slid from her violet eyes, mixed with blood from her forehead.
"Beastboy...I..." she whispered his name through cracked lips, her voice hoarse. She parted her lips to continue, but black streaks were invading her vision. She tried to fight it and ask Beastboy something; a question she had on her lips since the day Terra had invaded his life. But the black streaks spread out and filled her eyes, until all she could see was black sky. The ebony sky she knew so well, the starless, Azarath sky. Beastboy screamed her name and stood up, one arm around his torso stopping the blood. His eyes were dark. He faced Terra, his body quivering with anger and passion.
"Terra, I loved you so much," he whispered. "But you weren't there like she was. I love you both, but you hurt her. I'm sorry Terra. This is for Raven."
He changed into a large bull elephant and charged, blood from his wound flying behind him like a streamer. Terra shrieked in dismay and threw rock after rock at him, making sure to hit him in the chest wound. But the rocks did not stop Beastboy's anger, and he rammed into Terra. She screamed again and fell. She did not notice that all this time, she had her back to a stone quarry pit. Beastboy's tusks cut a large wound in her chest, so the pain blinded her. The last thing the Changeling saw was Terra's mangled body at the bottom of the pit, before he slumped into unconsciousness.
--------------------------------------------
Raven was lurched suddenly into daylight by the pounding on her chest. Robin was performing CPR on her, his hands pumping life into her broken veins. The Boy Wonder leaned back and wiped traces of sweat from his brow.
"About time you woke up," he forced a smile. "Starfire was getting ready to make pudding."
Starfire didn't laugh; she just sat down on the ground beside the couch and cried. Raven struggled to sit up, but her chakra burned, so she just lay there. Robin picked up the phone to dial 911, but Raven stopped him with her powers.
"No," she croaked. "It is too late. Just..."
Her friends leaned over her, concern written over their faces. Raven turned her head to them, dying to see Beastboy and ask him The Question.
"Just get Beastboy..."
Starfire burst into a fresh bout of tears and ran to a corner of the room. Robin hung his head.
"Raven...he's with Cyborg. He's getting his wounds trea—"
A crashing in the halls beyond interrupted the Boy Wonder. The door to the recreation room burst open in a flurry of smoke and Beastboy, bull- formed, was behind it. He changed back and ran over to Raven, blood from his wound dripping behind him.
"Raven!"
The Changeling leaned over her, his green eyes wide with concern. Raven forced a small smile, but had to turn aside to cough up blood.
"Beastboy...I'm..."
The green one laid his hands on her face and gently stroked her the edges of her eyes. The amethyst orbs were brimming with tears, and they gently slipped out and onto Beastboy's gloved hands. In turn, Beastboy was crying, although he tried to hold it in.
"I'm so sorry...Beastboy...but..."
Beastboy forced a smile, but furrowed his brow when Raven coughed again. Robin kneeled in the background, watching the scene while cradling Starfire in his arms.
"But what, Raven."
Raven's breathing grew incredibly shallow and she had to work very hard to whisper her last words out. The Question.
"Do you...love me...?"
A single tear escaped Beastboy's eyes and slid down his face. It fell on her chakra and the Changeling whispered,
"Yes."
He pressed his lips against hers, almost as if he was trying to bring her back up to the earth. Raven sighed as if she was content at last and would come back, to hang on. But she was slipping down; her feeble grip on life finally gave up. She felt herself slide away, slide away from Beastboy's hands, his lips, his love. She slipped down into the abyss, and left forever. Up on earth, Raven's violet eyes clouded over and she went limp.
Beastboy detached himself from her and gazed into the orbs he grew to love. He was not crying, but he was wondering, wondering what he would do without her, wondering if she loved him back, and wondering if she was really gone. But her amethyst eyes shone no longer. So, very slowly, he closed them forever.
---------------------------------
Raven floated in that black abyss for what seemed like an eternity. She knew she was not alive, but she was not dead yet. So she waited and searched. She knew what she was searching for, but nobody she met had it.
She wanted the ebony sky of Azarath. She wanted to get lost in the endless folds, the starless night. She wanted to sleep forever and be at peace. With no villains to worry over and no emotions to crush. She wanted to remember and forget Beastboy, and never dwell on the question that she had found out too late.
A hand from nowhere startled Raven. She turned and looked at the hand, then at the owner. The darkness melted away to reveal the perfect body of her mother. Raven let out a little gasp and embraced her.
"Mother..."
"Oh Raven, I have waited so long," she held her daughter at arms length and surveyed her through teary eyes. "You have grown up to be so beautiful. I am so glad you are here."
Raven felt her lips part in a smile, and she responded in a half-lie.
"I am happy to be here too, Mother."
Her mother embraced her and Raven held on very tightly. Slowly, the darkness above parted to reveal another kind of black. The two women floated up to the portal, and into night. Still clinging to each other, mother and daughter, forever were swallowed up by that black ebony sky.
The End
MoonDeity: Thank you for bearing with me, kind reader. If you could take 3 minutes out of your schedule to review this fic, it would be most kind. I accept anonymous and signed reviews. Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are not.