Thanks for reviewing my last story! I know it was good, but I'm sure this one will be even better!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, that's up to DC and the Cartoon Network, but if I did, they would look as if they were actually aging as the show progressed and Robin and Starfire would've been married by now, or at least would have kissed!

Lament of a Black Bird

Different. That's what she called herself, and that's how she always felt.

Burdened with unexplainable abilities and a dark destiny, she walked among everyone knowing what she was capable of and despising the one person responsible.

Her father.

She hated him, what he was, what he represented and what he made her. A "freak", a "weirdo", a "witch".

That last word stung her the most, not the word itself, but the fact that someone she once thought close to her had used it to describe her.

She was surrounded in darkness, her eyes closed as she drowned out everything taking place outside the confines of her own private hiding place, the forbidden room that NO-ONE was allowed to enter.

Drowning out the high-pitched squeal, drowning out the booming exclamation of triumph, drowning out the authoritative scolding and drowning out the annoying whine of defeat. Especially drowning out the annoying whine of defeat.

Here, in the darkness, she could be at peace. At peace with herself, at peace with the world and at peace with her friends.

She saw nothing. She felt nothing. She knew nothing. There was only her, and the darkness.

She never thought of the brave leader, of the happy princess, of the cybernetic hero, of the green shapeshifter. Especially not the green shapeshifter.

Footsteps approached, although she never heard them. She didn't even hear the alarm that had gone off, which facilitated the footsteps to approach.

A knock. She didn't hear it. Another, but she didn't hear it either. More knocking proceeded, then a voice.

"Raven, we got a call. It's Downtown, Plasmus is terrorizing the Jump City Day parade."

Then that was it, no more darkness, at least for now. She opened her eyes, rose and then left the one place in which she could truly be at peace.

She was once again a freak, a weirdo, a witch. She was once again

Different.

The End