Luna Violeta

Violet Moon

Guilty was an understatement to describe the way Raven felt for what she had done to Tear. She was no demonic specialist but she had enough common sense to know that when someone's arms come off its bad. And Tear was in very bad shape by the time Raven had flown him there. Maria was in hysterics and Jacob was angrily barking out order with such urgency that Raven and Cyborg followed them. They got Tear into the sickbay where Jacob was left to tend to his fallen master.

After that Cyborg looked after Beast Boy. The greenest member of the Team was just tired from the fight and his blood lose but that did not stop him from crying out and struggling to get away each time Cyborg applied rubbing alcohol to a cut.

Robin was being tended in the comfort of his own room by his personal nurse; Starfire.

Raven had tried to apologize to Maria for what she had done to Tear but Maria just closed herself into her room. Her wails could be heard through out the tower and only a very livid Demonic yell from Jacob stifled the noise. Since Maria was not accepting visitors at the moment Raven sought refuge in her own room where the wails of Maria and yelps from BB could not be heard.

Just waiting for news about Tear made time drag on forever so Raven occupied her time by sitting on her bed meditating on why she had frozen in the mall when the others hadn't. They all had seen the carnage and smelt the stench of death. The smell of blood had hung heavily in the air. The team was as shocked by the sight as she was, right? They were appalled to see such a horrid display of gore but they hadn't stiffened in fear like she had. Perhaps they were all afraid that they would die but they didn't curl up into a ball and sit there.

Perhaps that was the key. They were afraid for themselves while Raven was just afraid of death itself. That could be the crucial difference. They had fought their fear to survive while Raven had been petrified by her fear. Death wasn't as she had pictured it. It wasn't a graceful sleep like in her dark poetry books. The deaths of the devils were anything but glorified. They had been painful and messy. Deaths in the books were clean and swift or slow and painless, such as falling into a pleasant sleep that would take your earthy troubles away. The deaths that Raven had watched with glazed eyes had been slow, painful, gory and unpleasant to say the least.

Raven understood now why she had frozen and she was ashamed of the fact. She had frozen because she had found death in the real world and it wasn't what she had been led to believe it was. It proved to be the opposite of what her treasured dark books told her and because of those books Tear had gotten hurt.

Raven got off her bed and walked over to her bookshelf. Dark and dreary tomes lined her shelf, books she had gathered because they were like her dark, dreary, and angry with life. All of them had spoken of death at one point or another in their texts and all had glorified the absence of life.

The bodies at the mall and the subsequent battle only showed Raven the blatant truth about death; it was anything but a glorious thing.

Raven stood in her room, a book in her hand, trying to decide what to do. She didn't like what the books had done to her and what they now reminded her of but she also didn't want to destroy them. Regardless of what they now represented to Raven she didn't want to get rid of the works that people had dedicated their lives to.

Diner that night was a very quiet and miserable affair. Jacob was still behind the sickbay's doors leaving the teens without a cook. Maria hid within her walls and rest of the team very wary around Raven treating her like a bomb that would go off without warning.

The only noise to be heard was that of quiet chewing and clattering silverware on chinaware. Beast Boy and Cyborg were too disheartened about the fact they had blood, unholy as it was, on their hands to even joke or even argue about anything. Robin was silent and even with his mask everyone could see he was deep in thought about something. Starfire for once was understanding and was very nurse like in feeding her patient in silence.

Raven, normally glad at the sound of silence, dislike the heavy air around the usually noisy dinner table. She was going over her own thought on several things; how to apologize to Maria and Tear for attacking Tear, what to do with the books and how to apologize to the team for freezing. Several times Raven would start to say something, lose her nerve and take another bite of something to cover up.

Jacob broke the silent buzz of dinner. He looked very tired and rather irritated. His hair was all askew, his suit coat discarded and his shirt opened. "You're out of morphine. Is there any strong alcohol in this cursed building?" Jacob said curtly.

"I'll get some." Cyborg said getting up from the table since he owned the car and was the only one old enough to purchase the said item.

"We're out of morphine?" Robin repeated in disbelief. There was enough morphine and other medical supplies to outlast the Titans many times over even if they kept this new standard of injuries.

"I have no idea what Di'Candra used to attack my master but it has hurt him severely. The amputation of both pincers is only minor compared to the burns. The master's regenerative abilities have slow from his lack of strength and it pains him to breathe. My master is too proud to scream his agony. With all his political enemies he is no stranger to pain and suffering but this is the first time I've ever had to tend to his wounds with him lying down. I hope you wiped the field clean Di', because if word of my master's weakness get out there will be hell to pay for it. If the Infernals don't get you before the that hour is over I can assure you that Maria and I will be more then willing to lay a blade upon thy neck…" Jacob said rather angrily giving Raven a death glare that would put her famous ones to shame. "I'll be in the sickbay. Get me more things to sedate him. An animal is most dangerous when wounded." Jacob told Cyborg before leaving the silent room.

Cyborg hastily exited. The group listened to his descending footsteps into the garage, the opening and closing of T-car's door, the igniting of the engine and Cyborg's quick exit from the building.

"I didn't mean to." Raven muttered to herself but in the dead silence everyone heard. Even Jacob who wasn't all that far down the hall talking to Maria.

The comment sent the already emotionally unhinged Maria off her rocker. She dashed into the kitchen and hurled a pair of white orbs in Raven's direction. Fortunately her only victims were the microwave and a toaster. Jacob was a step behind her and in an instant had her strained.

"Maria, you father isn't dead yet. He wants the weakling alive." Jacob said in the liquid tongue of the Infernal creatures.

"Let go! That's an order!" Maria yelled at Jacob struggling to get her arms free.

"Keep your place fallen one." Jacob told Maria.

Even though none of them understood Demonic the group could tell Maria really, really didn't like the last thing Jacob had said.

Maria glared at Jacob before launching a verbal assault on Raven.

"You bitch! A frightened imp has more control then you do in a real fight. 'Didn't mean to' my ass. Every bit of Energy released has to be done consciously. Why he insists on protecting such a weakling I may never know." Maria snapped at Raven not hiding her hostility towards the purple haired girl.

"Hey. Who are you to judge her? You are just as unpredictable as Raven when it comes to your actions." Robin said speaking up for his teammate. He knew it wasn't the most brilliant thing that he had come up with but he didn't like people bashing other Titans.

"At least I can kill with a clear conscience human." Maria retorted.

"You leave my Robin alone." Starfire said stepping into the argument.

"Shut up bitch. I saw you just knocking out those red bastards. It's your own fault that 'your Robin' has so many cuts on him." Maria replied with a cocky, knowing half smile.

Starfire turned red from embarrassment and rage. Robin held her back with his arms. Despite his weakened condition his touch was enough to keep Star from attacking Maria.

Beast Boy, trying not to be dragged into the furious argument, was edging his way towards an alternate exit to the living room. However Maria spotted him.

"And you, I must commemorate you green one. You had the highest kill tally save for myself and you are handling it well. Perhaps a career in slaughter would a good choice for you. A shape shifting mercenary would be able to fetch a hefty price." Maria said suggestively knowing, from talking with her father, that the green boy really disliked killing.

"It's not like I had a fucking choice!" Beast Boy yelled back at Maria.

"What the fuck is your problem? Why are you tormenting us so?" Raven yelled at Maria.

"Why can't you control something as simple as Dark Energy?" Maria yelled back.

"It's not easy!" Raven yelled in her defence.

"SILENCE!" Tear's voice bellowed through the room with much of his old strength. However the sight that met everyone's eyes made it clear that that shout had taxed Tear greatly as had the evident journey from the sickbay to the kitchen.

Tear was leaning heavily against the doorframe and his breathing was very labored. Jacob, who was still restraining Maria, instantly let was at his master's side supporting him. Maria was quick to follow suit and supported her father from his other side.

"Is there no alcohol in this place?" Tear asked weakly.

"None, though one of them did go to purchase some. He should be back soon." Somehow Jacob managed to put hope in his tone for Tear while making it sound like if Cyborg didn't return soon someone would pay.

"What can you expect in the home of law abiding teenagers?" Tear said with a weak chuckle. "Maria, fetch me a knife." Tear breathed heavily.

Maria swept her way to the knife drawer and returned to her father's side. Tear took the knife and much to everyone's, save Jacob, surprise Tear stabbed himself in his right thigh. His face contorted ever so slightly at the pain but Tear raised an eyebrow at the surprised looks that met his gaze.

"The mind works the same in all creatures. The newest pain is what it concentrates on despite the magnitude" Tear gave the knife a gut wrenching twist, "of all the other pain one may be in." Tear explained with the last part rather labored. "To bed Jacob, Maria. Come Di'Candra. I need to speak with you in private."

A/N: Aren't we all happy? I've update and you guys have pushed this up to 110 (13 reviews for one chapter! happy dance), my second highest review count for a fic. Just 20 to break the old high score. I would also like to say thanks to everyone for reviewing. Special thanks for the 6 of you that placed on your fav author's list and to the even dozen that have me on alert. As you may have noticed I've put the English translation underneath the Spanish title. Now my Spanish isn't the greatest so if anyone finds errors tell me and how to fix it! And would it be to much to ask for longer reviews? I'm trying to get them out of you all with the things below and anyone feel free to reply to any of these:

Willow182 & RedMarch: Yes Maria may seem a little loose in the head, especially in the big battle scene but I believe chapter 18, when she is talking to Raven about the Energies, has the explanation. Notice how she acted all happy and bubbly before the fight? Look back and you just may see the answer.

Fuzzy: In case you missed it that line was a modification from Finding Nemo. "You will be my squishy and I shall call you squishy." Thanks for the review. They say that people do the most amazing things whenever they don't put their minds to it. For example a person under stress, only wanting to get to someone, can lift cars. Some one that just wants to lift a car, 9 out of 10 times can't unless they train for this sort of thing.

Kori ander: Yes, she's a princess. I know but most people don't bring that up as an issue so I decided to go freelancer on that one. I figured that so much of this was original that a little more bending wouldn't hurt. But you are the first to point that out and I applaud you for it. But for my purposes it is better that she's not a princess.

Dr. Evans: Short and to the point as with most reviews. It is good to have you on board as a regular now and hope you keep reading.

Athena884: Ah, Athena, guardian of Athens, goddess of warfare, craftsmen, wisdom and giver of the olive tree. You seem to be understanding of Raven's position so I must be getting across the points I want to some people. Thanks for reviewing and since you are the goddess of democracy, could you maybe make sure we don't get into a mess again in this election?

Terra Basher: I'm pretty sure you just read this for glimpses of Robin and Starfire. I suppose my recklessness in writing has made their relationship a lot hotter then most fics. Well next chapter will be dedicated to you though I'm not sure if I will have to post that the other fanfic site. It's all pending. If I get enough reviews from you all quickly enough I'll go the length of the pitch, the whole 9 yards, etc.

LockDown over and out…