Disclaimer: Let's see...teddy bears...YES! Dolls...YES! Lifetime supply of
chocolate....DOUBLE YES!! Teen Titans...*sighs* no...But I will trade my lifetime
supply of chocolate....any takers?
Following Shadows-Chapter 11: Do You Believe In Forever?
Raven bolted up from her bed, her senses going haywire. Something in the tower was wrong. Very wrong.
Nightwing stirred beside her, curling into a tight ball. Making sure she didn't disturb him, Raven slipped out from under her covers, and glided across the room to the door. Opening it, she walked out.
The hallway was dark, no sign of the others. Going forward, Raven could feel the evil shadow in her dreams all around her. It was everywhere, the essence of it seeping into her skin and making it difficult for her to breathe. On she went, not really knowing where she was going.
Reaching the kitchen, Raven realized that the bad sensation was fading. She was about to go back to her room, when something stepped in front of her.
When she saw who it was, she sighed with relief. It was only Eclipse.
"What are you doing here?" She asked a bit apprehensively. There was something in the way he was watching her that made the hairs on her arm stand up. "Aren't you meant to be hanging out with a bunch of bats right about now?"
Normally, that would have gotten Eclipse laughing, but he just stood there, staring at her hostility.
"Eclipse? If this is one of your sick jokes-"
Suddenly his eyes flared up, glowing a bright red.
"Are you ready to die?" Hissed an demonic voice coming from his mouth. He smirched, showing teeth Raven didn't even know he had.
Stepping back, Raven calmly said, "I don't know who you are, but you have until the count of ten to get out."
Opening his palm, Eclipse chanted, "Torraic, Arazth, MOLTAC!" And he was incased in shadows, making his red eyes even more threatening.
Then in an abrupt move, he sent a frenzy of fireballs straight at her. "DIE!"
Teleporting behind him, Raven whacked him with a chair.
Snarling, he threw a dark bolt of power at her that would have hit her full on, if Robin hadn't thrown himself in front of her.
"Robin!" She cried, watching as he crumpled to the floor.
Before she could blow Eclipse's head off with all the rage that was building up inside, Starfire went for him.
"THAT WAS NOT A NICE THING TO DO!"
Green beams off light shot from her eyes, Eclipse barely managing to dodge them. Throwing a bolt of his own energy at her, Starfire fell to the floor.
Raven watched, helpless to move, as each of her friends came up against her brother, only to drop in front of him.
Looking up at her he smirked, "You will never escape us."
And then he hurled a ball at her.
*******************************
Raven bolted up from her bed, her senses going haywire. Something in the tower was wrong. Very wrong.
Nightwing stirred beside her, curling into a tight ball. Making sure she didn't disturb him, Raven slipped out from under her covers, and glided across the room to the door. Opening it, she walked out.
She needed to find Eclipse, even if it was just to reassure herself that he wasn't really evil and that it had been another bad nightmare.
Avoiding the kitchen, Raven headed for the roof.
***************************
Robin sat by the ledge, mulling over his thoughts.
The way Raven had looked at him...
What she thought of him was important now. He had never really noticed, but Raven was like him in a way. He had respected her ways, and in return he felt that she respected his decisions as Leader.
Now however...
Before he could think about how much she stuffed up everything he knew, he heard the door open.
Turning, he saw it was Raven.
She looked around, saw him and was about to leave when he called out.
"Raven?"
The uncertainty in Robin's voice stopped her. He was sitting by the ledge, his eyes glowing from the light.
"What?" She asked, more harshly then she intended. Seeing him, staring at her like he wanted to do more than call her name, made her feel uncomfortable.
But in a pleasant way.
Motioning for Raven to join him, Robin asked, "Am I a bad leader?"
Sitting down hesitantly, she shook her head. "No, you're not."
"Was what I said before wrong?" He was looking out at the water, not meeting her eyes.
Raven paused before she answered. "No, it wasn't."
Tearing his vision from the harbor, Robin looked right into her eyes, his face drawing closer.
"Do you hate me?" He whispered.
A lump in her throat, she whispered back, "No, I don't."
He just stayed where he was, watching her intensely. Lifting his hand, his fingers brushed her cheek. Instead of pulling away, Raven sat there, her heart thumping loudly. Robin's face was so close...an extra inch or two, and they'd be...
She should stop this. They shouldn't...this would lead to their end.
But no matter how much she tried to, Raven found that she couldn't move. She didn't want to move.
Robin's breath on her cheek was sending a tingling feeling up and down her spine, making her close her eyes.
'Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look at hi-'
A warm palm rested on her cheek. Opening her eyes slowly, Raven looked up at Robin, afraid that if she made a sudden move, he'd disappear.
Gazing at her in a way she didn't want to name, he whispered, "Do you believe in forever?"
Forever? What lasted forever?
"No," She said, pulling back from his touch. "I don't." Standing up, she walked towards the door, wanting to get away from Robin and the complicated emotions he brought up.
Pausing before she opened the door, Raven added over her shoulder, "I have trouble believing in tomorrow sometimes." Then she left.
Watching the door close behind her, Robin sighed. He had done it again. "What's the matter with me?" He muttered. With a jolt, he remembered how close they'd been to kissing.
Well, he'd just have to try again later.
****************************
Eclipse wasn't there the next morning when Raven went to the kitchen for breakfast. She frowned as she remembered her nightmare. This wasn't good.
"Yo Rae! What's up?"
Glaring at the annoying zit of a changeling, Raven said coldly, "Don't you have a group of parasite's to go back too?"
"Ouch! That hurt!"
Raven smiled slightly.
Throwing a couple of his revolting tofu patties, he began asking if she wanted one, when she cut him off.
"No. I do not eat fake meat. We have been through this."
Beast Boy sighed. "I suppose that means that you won't come with me to the Zoo, either."
Staring at him she asked, "You wanted me, as in, me, to go to a Zoo with you?"
Nodding his head, Beast Boy looked up at her hopefully.
Gritting her teeth, Raven muttered, "Fine."
*****************************
6 hours later, Raven slammed her bedroom door shut. That monkey otherwise known as Beast Boy had transformed into every creature he saw at the Zoo, attracting unwanted attention (at least for Raven) and embarrassing her.
Starting to calm down, Raven meditated.
She was just getting into the rhythm of it, when she heard something shatter.
Opening her eyes, Raven frowned. The glass from her window was everywhere. Looking around for Nightwing, she saw that he was on top of her bookcase, his fur standing on end.
She went to move, when strong arms wrapped themselves around her.
"Guess who?" Raven stilled. That voice...it was...but why would he be....
In a sudden movement, she was hurled across the room, hitting the wall with a thud. Sliding down onto the carpet, Raven groaned.
The now recognizable form of her brother stepped up, sneering. "Did you honestly think that you would get away with defining me? Did you think you could escape me, daughter? Did you?"
Raven glared up at him, her control just managing to stay intact. "I'll never be with you. Never." The venom in her voice became thicker. "Is there really an Eclipse, or was he just a trick?"
Trigon laughed. "Eclipse is real. But once I am done with you, I'll make sure that he is punished for trying to protect you."
He moved forward then, his arm raised, when he suddenly bent over, crouching in pain. "Arrrggghh!"
Eclipse's voice broke through, cracking as though in agony. "Stop it! Stop it! You can't have her- NO! I won't- YOU CAN'T! RRRAAAAVVVVEEEEENNN!"
Screaming, his mouth opened wide, a thick black shadow poured out. It swirled around the room, hissing.
"I WILL WIN!" Then, it vanished.
Eclipse lay there, panting, as Raven pulled herself up and went over to help him.
"Sorry." He said weakly, looking up at her as she examined him for any wounds.
"For what?" Frowning, she noticed that he was bleeding on his left arm. Gently pushing up his sleeve, she saw that he had a deep gash, starting from his wrist and ending at his elbow.
"For pushing you and Wonder Boy apart"
Raven shook her head defiantly. "How could you push us apart, if we were never together?"
"But you want to be"
She shrugged, concentrating her powers on closing his cut. "What I want, and what I get are two different things. If all I ever receive is his friendship, then I shall be grateful that I have it."
He stared up at her impassively. "Don't ever settle for second best," Watching his wound heal he added, "I'd rather see you with the goodie- goodie who cares more than he realizes, than that loser of a waiter who wastes his time writing poems that don't even make sense."
"To you, it didn't make sense. To me, it was a great compliment. He's won several awards for his poems down at The Well."
"Yeah, whatever. Now be the doting little sister that you are, and help me up."
He was just about to sit down on her bed, when her door burst open.
Standing there, was the most hideous version of a cow she'd ever seen.
"Eclipse! Get to the roof!" When he hesitated, she yelled, "NOW!"
The demon in her doorway smiled viscously.
"Ready to play?"
****************************
Robin was just sitting down, listening to Starfire and Beast Boy argue about the pitfalls of Fluffy the Happy Kitten being pulverized into a bloody mass of fur and gore, when Eclipse dropped into the conversation.
Literally.
"Sorry" He gasped, as Beast Boy fought for air beneath him. Getting up, he saw Robin.
"Before you go psycho, I thought you should know that Raven is about to be squashed by a over-grown version of Daisy the Pudding-Making Cow." He stopped, and his mouth quivered. "You've got to help her, or she'll be killed."
Desperately looking up at the Boy Wonder, he said, "Just forget about everything you hate about me, and get your bony ass down there and save my sister!"
And then he was gone.
"Titans, GO!" Ignoring Starfire's and Beast Boy's curious stares, Robin dashed for the stairs.
*****************************
"Take, THAT!" Throwing a chair at the enemy, Raven teleported to his side, confusing him.
"Where'd you go- Ugh!"
The chair made contact with his face, shattering on impact. "Why you little- Ouch!"
Stepping on Eclipse's athame, the demon stumbled back. He looked up from his aching foot, and snarled at Raven.
"That's it! I don't care what he says, you are going to pay!"
Rolling his hands around in front of him, a huge pulsating ball of purple flames appeared.
"DIE! You little wench!"
"Raven! No!"
And before she could stop him, Eclipse jumped in front of her, taking the full blow.
The power from the ball soaked into his skin, making him wince and bite his lip, trying to hold back from screaming.
Dropping to his knees, he managed to mutter, "Get him between the eyes." Before collapsing.
Raven glared up at the creature, her eyes starting to glow red. The air around her started to crackle, glowing from the power she was giving off.
"I hope that you like the dark," she whispered, her voice a menacing threat. "Because where you're going, daylight doesn't exist."
Throwing all her energy into a small, piercing bolt, she aimed straight between his eyes.
It hit its target perfectly, making him yell out before he exploded, the bits left of him evaporated as they touched the ground.
Raven lost her demonic glow, and kneeled by Eclipse's side. Holding his head up, he smiled faintly at her.
"I was the...black sheep of t-the family, s-so you k-know."
Raven didn't laugh.
Still not losing his smile, he managed to choke out, "One day, o-one day, you W-WILL laugh at m-my jokes."
Containing her tears, Raven whispered, "Don't go. Please" Eclipse frowned at the venerability in her voice. "Hey," He said. "Don't be upset."
Seeing that his coaxing wasn't working, he breathed, "Believe in forever."
Then he stopped moving.
"Eclipse?" Raven asked, afraid that he really was gone. "Eclipse? If this is one of your sick jokes..."
He didn't stir.
"Eclipse?"
"Raven? Oh my god-" Robin was at her door, saying something, but she wasn't fully understanding him.
Looking up, she noticed that all the Titans were standing in her doorway.
"Go away." She said dully.
"Dark Girl-"Cyborg started.
"GO AWAY!" The mirror on her wall cracked.
"Come on guys," Robin said, watching Raven fight with her grief. "Give her some space."
The others backed off, but he stayed there, his heart aching for her.
Eclipse was dead.
'The only thing that lasts forever,' Raven thought, looking down at her brother's face. 'Is misery.'
The mirror shattered completely.
AN: Geez... poor Raven, she cops a lot. Sniff... I liked Eclipse...
To the reviewers: I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU goes on 77 times... Yes, that's done the job.
Following Shadows-Chapter 11: Do You Believe In Forever?
Raven bolted up from her bed, her senses going haywire. Something in the tower was wrong. Very wrong.
Nightwing stirred beside her, curling into a tight ball. Making sure she didn't disturb him, Raven slipped out from under her covers, and glided across the room to the door. Opening it, she walked out.
The hallway was dark, no sign of the others. Going forward, Raven could feel the evil shadow in her dreams all around her. It was everywhere, the essence of it seeping into her skin and making it difficult for her to breathe. On she went, not really knowing where she was going.
Reaching the kitchen, Raven realized that the bad sensation was fading. She was about to go back to her room, when something stepped in front of her.
When she saw who it was, she sighed with relief. It was only Eclipse.
"What are you doing here?" She asked a bit apprehensively. There was something in the way he was watching her that made the hairs on her arm stand up. "Aren't you meant to be hanging out with a bunch of bats right about now?"
Normally, that would have gotten Eclipse laughing, but he just stood there, staring at her hostility.
"Eclipse? If this is one of your sick jokes-"
Suddenly his eyes flared up, glowing a bright red.
"Are you ready to die?" Hissed an demonic voice coming from his mouth. He smirched, showing teeth Raven didn't even know he had.
Stepping back, Raven calmly said, "I don't know who you are, but you have until the count of ten to get out."
Opening his palm, Eclipse chanted, "Torraic, Arazth, MOLTAC!" And he was incased in shadows, making his red eyes even more threatening.
Then in an abrupt move, he sent a frenzy of fireballs straight at her. "DIE!"
Teleporting behind him, Raven whacked him with a chair.
Snarling, he threw a dark bolt of power at her that would have hit her full on, if Robin hadn't thrown himself in front of her.
"Robin!" She cried, watching as he crumpled to the floor.
Before she could blow Eclipse's head off with all the rage that was building up inside, Starfire went for him.
"THAT WAS NOT A NICE THING TO DO!"
Green beams off light shot from her eyes, Eclipse barely managing to dodge them. Throwing a bolt of his own energy at her, Starfire fell to the floor.
Raven watched, helpless to move, as each of her friends came up against her brother, only to drop in front of him.
Looking up at her he smirked, "You will never escape us."
And then he hurled a ball at her.
*******************************
Raven bolted up from her bed, her senses going haywire. Something in the tower was wrong. Very wrong.
Nightwing stirred beside her, curling into a tight ball. Making sure she didn't disturb him, Raven slipped out from under her covers, and glided across the room to the door. Opening it, she walked out.
She needed to find Eclipse, even if it was just to reassure herself that he wasn't really evil and that it had been another bad nightmare.
Avoiding the kitchen, Raven headed for the roof.
***************************
Robin sat by the ledge, mulling over his thoughts.
The way Raven had looked at him...
What she thought of him was important now. He had never really noticed, but Raven was like him in a way. He had respected her ways, and in return he felt that she respected his decisions as Leader.
Now however...
Before he could think about how much she stuffed up everything he knew, he heard the door open.
Turning, he saw it was Raven.
She looked around, saw him and was about to leave when he called out.
"Raven?"
The uncertainty in Robin's voice stopped her. He was sitting by the ledge, his eyes glowing from the light.
"What?" She asked, more harshly then she intended. Seeing him, staring at her like he wanted to do more than call her name, made her feel uncomfortable.
But in a pleasant way.
Motioning for Raven to join him, Robin asked, "Am I a bad leader?"
Sitting down hesitantly, she shook her head. "No, you're not."
"Was what I said before wrong?" He was looking out at the water, not meeting her eyes.
Raven paused before she answered. "No, it wasn't."
Tearing his vision from the harbor, Robin looked right into her eyes, his face drawing closer.
"Do you hate me?" He whispered.
A lump in her throat, she whispered back, "No, I don't."
He just stayed where he was, watching her intensely. Lifting his hand, his fingers brushed her cheek. Instead of pulling away, Raven sat there, her heart thumping loudly. Robin's face was so close...an extra inch or two, and they'd be...
She should stop this. They shouldn't...this would lead to their end.
But no matter how much she tried to, Raven found that she couldn't move. She didn't want to move.
Robin's breath on her cheek was sending a tingling feeling up and down her spine, making her close her eyes.
'Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look at hi-'
A warm palm rested on her cheek. Opening her eyes slowly, Raven looked up at Robin, afraid that if she made a sudden move, he'd disappear.
Gazing at her in a way she didn't want to name, he whispered, "Do you believe in forever?"
Forever? What lasted forever?
"No," She said, pulling back from his touch. "I don't." Standing up, she walked towards the door, wanting to get away from Robin and the complicated emotions he brought up.
Pausing before she opened the door, Raven added over her shoulder, "I have trouble believing in tomorrow sometimes." Then she left.
Watching the door close behind her, Robin sighed. He had done it again. "What's the matter with me?" He muttered. With a jolt, he remembered how close they'd been to kissing.
Well, he'd just have to try again later.
****************************
Eclipse wasn't there the next morning when Raven went to the kitchen for breakfast. She frowned as she remembered her nightmare. This wasn't good.
"Yo Rae! What's up?"
Glaring at the annoying zit of a changeling, Raven said coldly, "Don't you have a group of parasite's to go back too?"
"Ouch! That hurt!"
Raven smiled slightly.
Throwing a couple of his revolting tofu patties, he began asking if she wanted one, when she cut him off.
"No. I do not eat fake meat. We have been through this."
Beast Boy sighed. "I suppose that means that you won't come with me to the Zoo, either."
Staring at him she asked, "You wanted me, as in, me, to go to a Zoo with you?"
Nodding his head, Beast Boy looked up at her hopefully.
Gritting her teeth, Raven muttered, "Fine."
*****************************
6 hours later, Raven slammed her bedroom door shut. That monkey otherwise known as Beast Boy had transformed into every creature he saw at the Zoo, attracting unwanted attention (at least for Raven) and embarrassing her.
Starting to calm down, Raven meditated.
She was just getting into the rhythm of it, when she heard something shatter.
Opening her eyes, Raven frowned. The glass from her window was everywhere. Looking around for Nightwing, she saw that he was on top of her bookcase, his fur standing on end.
She went to move, when strong arms wrapped themselves around her.
"Guess who?" Raven stilled. That voice...it was...but why would he be....
In a sudden movement, she was hurled across the room, hitting the wall with a thud. Sliding down onto the carpet, Raven groaned.
The now recognizable form of her brother stepped up, sneering. "Did you honestly think that you would get away with defining me? Did you think you could escape me, daughter? Did you?"
Raven glared up at him, her control just managing to stay intact. "I'll never be with you. Never." The venom in her voice became thicker. "Is there really an Eclipse, or was he just a trick?"
Trigon laughed. "Eclipse is real. But once I am done with you, I'll make sure that he is punished for trying to protect you."
He moved forward then, his arm raised, when he suddenly bent over, crouching in pain. "Arrrggghh!"
Eclipse's voice broke through, cracking as though in agony. "Stop it! Stop it! You can't have her- NO! I won't- YOU CAN'T! RRRAAAAVVVVEEEEENNN!"
Screaming, his mouth opened wide, a thick black shadow poured out. It swirled around the room, hissing.
"I WILL WIN!" Then, it vanished.
Eclipse lay there, panting, as Raven pulled herself up and went over to help him.
"Sorry." He said weakly, looking up at her as she examined him for any wounds.
"For what?" Frowning, she noticed that he was bleeding on his left arm. Gently pushing up his sleeve, she saw that he had a deep gash, starting from his wrist and ending at his elbow.
"For pushing you and Wonder Boy apart"
Raven shook her head defiantly. "How could you push us apart, if we were never together?"
"But you want to be"
She shrugged, concentrating her powers on closing his cut. "What I want, and what I get are two different things. If all I ever receive is his friendship, then I shall be grateful that I have it."
He stared up at her impassively. "Don't ever settle for second best," Watching his wound heal he added, "I'd rather see you with the goodie- goodie who cares more than he realizes, than that loser of a waiter who wastes his time writing poems that don't even make sense."
"To you, it didn't make sense. To me, it was a great compliment. He's won several awards for his poems down at The Well."
"Yeah, whatever. Now be the doting little sister that you are, and help me up."
He was just about to sit down on her bed, when her door burst open.
Standing there, was the most hideous version of a cow she'd ever seen.
"Eclipse! Get to the roof!" When he hesitated, she yelled, "NOW!"
The demon in her doorway smiled viscously.
"Ready to play?"
****************************
Robin was just sitting down, listening to Starfire and Beast Boy argue about the pitfalls of Fluffy the Happy Kitten being pulverized into a bloody mass of fur and gore, when Eclipse dropped into the conversation.
Literally.
"Sorry" He gasped, as Beast Boy fought for air beneath him. Getting up, he saw Robin.
"Before you go psycho, I thought you should know that Raven is about to be squashed by a over-grown version of Daisy the Pudding-Making Cow." He stopped, and his mouth quivered. "You've got to help her, or she'll be killed."
Desperately looking up at the Boy Wonder, he said, "Just forget about everything you hate about me, and get your bony ass down there and save my sister!"
And then he was gone.
"Titans, GO!" Ignoring Starfire's and Beast Boy's curious stares, Robin dashed for the stairs.
*****************************
"Take, THAT!" Throwing a chair at the enemy, Raven teleported to his side, confusing him.
"Where'd you go- Ugh!"
The chair made contact with his face, shattering on impact. "Why you little- Ouch!"
Stepping on Eclipse's athame, the demon stumbled back. He looked up from his aching foot, and snarled at Raven.
"That's it! I don't care what he says, you are going to pay!"
Rolling his hands around in front of him, a huge pulsating ball of purple flames appeared.
"DIE! You little wench!"
"Raven! No!"
And before she could stop him, Eclipse jumped in front of her, taking the full blow.
The power from the ball soaked into his skin, making him wince and bite his lip, trying to hold back from screaming.
Dropping to his knees, he managed to mutter, "Get him between the eyes." Before collapsing.
Raven glared up at the creature, her eyes starting to glow red. The air around her started to crackle, glowing from the power she was giving off.
"I hope that you like the dark," she whispered, her voice a menacing threat. "Because where you're going, daylight doesn't exist."
Throwing all her energy into a small, piercing bolt, she aimed straight between his eyes.
It hit its target perfectly, making him yell out before he exploded, the bits left of him evaporated as they touched the ground.
Raven lost her demonic glow, and kneeled by Eclipse's side. Holding his head up, he smiled faintly at her.
"I was the...black sheep of t-the family, s-so you k-know."
Raven didn't laugh.
Still not losing his smile, he managed to choke out, "One day, o-one day, you W-WILL laugh at m-my jokes."
Containing her tears, Raven whispered, "Don't go. Please" Eclipse frowned at the venerability in her voice. "Hey," He said. "Don't be upset."
Seeing that his coaxing wasn't working, he breathed, "Believe in forever."
Then he stopped moving.
"Eclipse?" Raven asked, afraid that he really was gone. "Eclipse? If this is one of your sick jokes..."
He didn't stir.
"Eclipse?"
"Raven? Oh my god-" Robin was at her door, saying something, but she wasn't fully understanding him.
Looking up, she noticed that all the Titans were standing in her doorway.
"Go away." She said dully.
"Dark Girl-"Cyborg started.
"GO AWAY!" The mirror on her wall cracked.
"Come on guys," Robin said, watching Raven fight with her grief. "Give her some space."
The others backed off, but he stayed there, his heart aching for her.
Eclipse was dead.
'The only thing that lasts forever,' Raven thought, looking down at her brother's face. 'Is misery.'
The mirror shattered completely.
AN: Geez... poor Raven, she cops a lot. Sniff... I liked Eclipse...
To the reviewers: I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU goes on 77 times... Yes, that's done the job.