Priestess Aishisu: I know the elections are over (and I'm very happy about it, too ::eyebrow twitches::) but in this story it's still October, so that's why Cyborg and Robin are still arguing over it. There's really no point to it, I just liked the idea for some reason.
Raven A. Star: Loved it even though most of this chapter was answers to reviews. Heh...
I love that song! '' I heard it on the radio last night!
sings song while waiting for next chapter to come
Priestess Aishisu: I love that song too. I sang it in theater with Haley Wood. She used to be my friend, but after I beat her in a singing competition, she started telling my deepest secrets to anybody with ears but twisting them horribly.
(She said I raped someone! Can you imagine? Me and my sister were the ones who—you know, I'm going to shut up now. I can tell you the details via email, if you want, but kids might be reading this) I even named some fanfictions after the song, including the three 'Bright Eyes'—I named this one after it! ::Hums song::
samuraistar: What the crap?! The girl just disappeared? Let me say how so wonderful I think you're making Raven. Her dancing, her lovely voice, her outfits, her pictures, everything!! I wholeheartedly tip my hat to and applaud you!! More roses for you, and I wave my lighter to you!! (Even though I don't really have one, hee hee!) ' Anyway, please keep going!! You write her so beautifully!
Priestess Aishisu: ::Smiles at roses and tries to tie one into way-too-long hair because it matches dress but fails due to hair being too silky and thick::
BlackShield: Sorry I didn't review last chapter. I was experiencing technical difficultites... aka the server was shot. The story is still awesome as always. Cyborg acted so in character, it was almost scary. I like the singing thing that Raven did... your stories are just so... believable. That must be part of why I love them...
And as for the universe thing (which, scarily enough, I actually READ - though didn't really understand) and such... I am cowed, astonished, amazed, a little scared, and quite humbled before your incredible intelligence...o0
-BlackShield-
Priestess Aishisu: At least you're not claiming I cheat like some girls I could mention. The lucky thing is I look about three years older than I am so most people believe I'm just a smart sixteen-year-old rather than a brilliant thirteen-year-old who gets grounded for an A–
angelicdhampir2oo4: Ehehehe. I thout you'd asked, Sorry! In any case, excellent story... But I've got to go. I'm in class at the moment reading this... And my teacher is about to start yelling. E- mail me some time. I'd like to talk with someone else who is interested in time/ fourth dimension stuffus. Salute!
Priestess Aishisu: ::Blinks:: Asked what? I don't remember asking anything…sure, I'll email you? What's your email?
DarkGoddessRaven: Plans for Help me changed. read Evil when it gets to chapter 10. I have it written down on paper so there will be cyrae. lol.
Good story.
um...is cyborg going to talk to raven?
Priestess Aishisu: Which Cyborg and which Raven?
TheDarkestGarden: Very good story! Very original idea, I can't wait to read more! I love the connection with evanescence and Raven, lol. Anyways, I cant wait for you to update!
Priestess Aishisu: Thanks. Neat name by the way. I could make a fanfiction by that name if I added spaces…
Fading Into Darkness: Interesting twist...really unique. Generally speaking, I find it doubtful that people can pull off fics where a character is dramatically changed (like Raven being a singer) but this is one of those moments where I was wrong. You pulled it off excellently. Particularly liked that part at the end with Cyborg in the music store.
Priestess Aishisu: Same with your name, no spaces required! And I am very proud of my skill to take something people thought impossible and make a success out of it, whether I myself like it that much or not, like with Raven/Cyborg (one of my biggest prides is being the first to write a Raven/Cyborg)
KageOni1: Sorry i was so...annoyed. Must feel good for RAVEN to sing and dance, and raven must be glad to see her future self. however, who is this girl who does this to cyborg an raven? KUTGW
Priestess Aishisu: Well, I'm writing, so I'm really the one doing everything. ::Mysterious little smile which those who know me know it means I have a huge secret and am not telling::
TheExcellenceOfExecution: Happy Belated Birthday. Great Chapter! I patientlly wait for your next update.
Oh yeah, I hope your hand heals soon. Sorry I'm not there to sign your cast.
Priestess Aishisu: Thanks. I'm not getting it signed anyway, since I don't like keeping my hand still long enough for somebody to write on it. One of my best friends did make me a sticker with her name on it and put it on the cast though.
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"Kerry!"
"Bush!"
"Kerry!"
"Bush!"
"Kerry!"
"Don't be a hater, vote for Nader!" Beast Boy said brightly, jumping up between them with a bright and silly grin, only to immediately be yelled at by both.
"Shut up, Beast Boy!"
"Sorry…"
"Kerry!"
"Bush!"
"Kerry!"
"Bush!"
"Yo, the dude started a war, man!" Cyborg yelled, glaring fiercely at their black-haired leader while Beast Boy slinked away, chastised.
"Better than taking chances," Robin protested.
"He killed something thousand people over weapons that didn't exist!" Cyborg pointed out, metal fingers clenching into two fists.
"And what if they did exist, and he hadn't?" Robin asked. "What then?"
"But they didn't exist!" Cyborg protested.
"That's beside the point!"
"How so?"
Raven groaned and flung a pillow at the door. "Keep it down in there if you want to live!" she screamed. Under her breath, the purple-eyed enchantress muttered, "I spent months listening to this nonsense already, the last thing I need is to relive all of it."
"You're from the future. Are they ever going to shut up about it?" Raven asked, glancing up from the book she was reading.
"I wish," Raven muttered, running a brush through her lovely hair. Tossing it away from her, she stood up. "I'm taking a bath," she snapped. "For all I know the time stream is filthy." Not to mention I'll go crazy if I spend another second around the old Titans.
«§¥§»
Cyborg stared in spite of himself. He had just watched the Lies music video (in his opinion, it was better than Evanescence's, especially since Raven and Amy Lee were both better at singing than that guy who had sung in the original version) and it had been amazing.
I never knew she was such a good singer…he thought. Of course he knew that in Azarath she had to sing some things, being the High Priestess, but he had never realized she was actually good at it.
She was also a very good actress. She and Amy Lee had both been social outcasts who became fallen angels or something. He knew the part with Raven running from an angry mob throwing rocks at her wasn't real, but the blood and tears had looked pretty real to him.
It had been so creepy, watching her dash away from villagers, crying and bleeding, and falling upon a tree to disappear in light. And then the girl Amy Lee was pretending to be went through a similar thing, except it had been in present day—so paper and food instead of rocks, and taunting teenagers instead of angry villagers.
It had been so amazing to see the teenage outcast played by Amy Lee walking to the tree, tears streaming down her cheeks, to be greeted by the majestic image of Raven—flowing black dress and black wings and all—who took her…somewhere.
Astonishing. The emotion, the singing, the special effects, the costumes, the music, every little scene seemed to be specially made to evoke some kind of emotion.
Then, with a start, he realized that he would actually see Raven…face-to-face…after over a year…And then what? he wondered. What was he supposed to do then?
He didn't know, but he had to figure it out sooner than later.
«§¥§»
The Titans Tower bathrooms were much smaller than the miniature houses Raven had grown accustomed to bathing in. Nevertheless, she turned the tap so the tub would fill with water and began to strip.
She could still hear them arguing. I hate elections, she thought with some anger. Just a bunch of old white men making ludicrous campaigns against each other by blaming them for this and that while making themselves look good by saying they did this and that.
And it's even more stupid since the president's going to get assassinated two months after winning.
"Just what we all need…" she sang without realizing her lips had begun to move. "More lies about a world that…never was and never will be…"
She didn't keep singing. That had actually been one of her favorite songs to sing, the reason being that she had seen the Evanescence music video for it and it eerily reminded her of herself.
Though she had been a heroine, not a model, and she had never needed her fist to break a mirror.
When the water was at a desirable level, she climbed in and sighed in pleasure as the warm water enveloped her slim frame.
She officially hated time travel. She wanted to forget the past. She wanted to forget the present. She didn't want the future to be real. It all hurt too much.
Lowering to the bottom, she gazed up and could see the surface flowing above her. The little ripples danced across the surface, the light joining it in a beautiful waltz. The waltz of life.
It had taken a long time for her to realize just how beautiful that waltz was. What else was there, after all? The dance of death lead to her father, and death was the only other option.
It was not, as you must have realized by now, that she never thought of what would happen if she was given the chance to do it all over again.
But what else could I have done? she wondered, getting out of the bath. Maybe quitting wasn't the best choice, but I couldn't stay. I would have gone crazy keeping all those emotions to myself!
She conjured up a white silk robe and slipped into it. It wasn't my fault…there was nothing else I could have done…I saved them all…didn't they realize that?
Didn't they care?
It was not that she didn't have regrets. It was not that she hadn't sobbed over the thought of never seeing them again. It was not as if she didn't miss them dearly.
But forcing her to see them again, knowing she wasn't one of them anymore and could never be one of them again…
It didn't really help.
Hopeless tears began to fall from her eyes as she gazed at her reflection.
It was wrong. Everything she had done was wrong.
She loved her life, she was proud of what she had done with it, she was delighted to be free of Trigon, she loved singing and writing and acting.
Without her friends, none of it was real.
Lies. The mirror showed nothing but lies.
That beautiful woman with her piercing eyes and lily-white complexion should be a hideous beast. Without friends, all of that meant nothing.
She missed them. She missed Starfire and Cyborg and Beast Boy and Robin.
She didn't know if Cyborg had gotten over his inhumanity, or if Beast Boy had gotten a mind, or if Starfire and Robin were together already, or if Robin had become Nightwing yet.
She didn't know how they would feel if they saw her today, didn't know if they had gotten somebody to replace her, didn't know if they missed her, didn't know if they still remembered her.
Those people outside, they weren't real. Her past wasn't real. Her future wasn't real. Her accomplishments weren't real. She wasn't real.
It was a lie.All of it was a big lie!
In a fit of passion, Raven punched the mirror which had showed her all of this. It shattered to pieces, some of them getting lodged in her palm.
She could hear the sound of them running towards the bathroom. Her hand was bleeding profusely, but she did nothing to stop the flow. Instead, she clenched her fist tight and sank to the marble floor. The Titans came in to find Raven sobbing on a floor covered in shards of glass, the crumpled silk of her bathrobe wet with blood and tears.
She looked up to see them staring in horror and jumped to her feet, dashing past them to run upstairs into Raven's bedroom.
She wanted…
She wanted her friends, but they weren't her friends anymore.
She wanted to go home, but she couldn't.
She was trapped in a never-ending nightmare.
A nightmare full of lies.
Lies that were destroying her.