Chapter 11: "True Friends"

Sitting on her bed, Raven was pouring over another large tome, hands pressed into her crossed ankles, brow furrowed with concentration. Dozens of books in various sizes were open all around her, more on the ground of her room, with stacks still scattered everywhere. In her research-binge she'd almost turned her dark, private corner of the tower into a striking likeness of Beast Boy's room.

This time she stopped, her eyes sharpening, and she reached over, tracing a few sentences with her left index finger, muttering the words unintelligibly. She paused again, turning thoughtful, and finally sat up, looking off as she carefully considered the information. "He would be the key… but it seems risky…" She looked down, shifted that book aside, and pulled another close after briefly wandering her eyes over the closer collection of already open texts.

Rapidly flipping through a few pages, she found what she was looking for, and then burned her eyes into it. "So it should work, even indirectly. Risky though… for everyone." She closed the book, exhaling as she considered it. "It can work, and I don't have anything better." Raven nodded to herself, and slipped off her bed, quickly walking out of her room, down the hall to her left.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy was jamming to music in his room, piles of clothes near his bed and the middle of the floor, favoring the left side as one faced in from the door. He was hopping and twisting his green, wiry body like a monkey (without actually turning into one this time), a huge set of headphones leading down a long wire to a personal stereo system he'd burrowed from Cyborg (who had replaced his with a mega-phonic system that could liquefy steel…). He didn't even hear it when his door knocked firmly once.

Outside, Raven's eyebrow twitched as she let her knuckle down from the door. "Beast Boy!" she shouted through it in her usual irritated, harsher tone. When she received no answer this time, she exhaled, and put her right hand to the door, letting her soulself pour through briefly. "Figures…"

The door rushed open, Beast Boy happening to keep his back to it as he danced, muttering random noises with the beats to whatever song he was enjoying. Raven stood behind him for a moment, dryly watching him hop left and right, and finally reached over, pulling the head-phones of his head with a little yoink.

Beast Boy shot into the ceiling with a yelp of surprise, staring down as his cat-claws dug into the roof. "Raven? What's the big idea?"

She held the sound-spewing headphones up in her hand as she looked up at him, unfazed. "We need to talk."

Puzzled, her green friend dropped down, reverting fully. "About what? Did I mess something up…?" he asked dismally, his shoulder slumping.

Raven shook her head, serious and calm as the head-phones floated over to his stereo wreathed in shadow. The darkness leapt off, twisted the power off, and returned to her hand before she actually explained. "This is serious, so I need you to focus."

Not fond of being patronized, Beast Boy glowered, but stood silently.

"I may," she firmly emphasized, "have found a way to bring Terra back." Her friend's eyes widened in soft shock. "It's complicated and dangerous… and the only way it could possibly work is through you."

Beast Boy blanched, sweat-dropping. "Me? Why does it have to be me? Sometimes I don't even put my clothes on straight!"

Idly, Raven pondered Beast Boy with his pants on his head and his shirt on his legs, promptly shivered in disgust with a sweatdrop, and then focused on him seriously again. "Look, the spell is powerful, but it can only work through a powerful emotional bond, and the subject, Terra in this case, has to be willing to come back. We get one shot, and that obviously leaves you as the best chance for her return."

Beast Boy hopped up and down in exasperation. "But I can't do magic, Raven! How am I supposed to help her if-!"

"I'm getting to that," Raven growled through gritted teeth. He meekly clamped his mouth shut. Raven calmed her mood as well, and then continued, "I will be casting the spell, but I'll have to act as a conduit for you and Terra to connect within the spell. If she's willing, I can use your connection to each other to reanimate her body, if she's not… Hopefully you can persuade her, but you have to understand the possibility that she won't want to."

Finally very serious himself, Beast Boy frowned a bit. "Why wouldn't she want to come back?"

Raven looked down sadly, sighing. "We're messing with very mysterious and supremely powerful forces, Beast Boy. If she's happy where she's wound up, if she's not just frozen as stone, then we shouldn't make her give it up for us. On the other hand, even if she wants to come back, we may be making some very powerful beings very angry by pulling her out of where she may be."

Focusing back into her friend's eyes, she added, "And the spell itself is very dangerous. If you're not completely focused on Terra, if you get lost, if I do, we could all wind up as stone. It will take immense will-power to get out of this spell once it's started, Terra coming along or not. I'm willing to do my part, however risky, but we have to decide if you think you can take this risk."

Beast Boy blinked, looking at Raven with wistful shock. After a moment, she realized he was surprised at her, and she grew puzzled. "Uh… Beast Boy?"

"You're… willing to risk that much for Terra?" he asked slowly in response.

Raven glanced down to the side. "…She still had goodness in her, you were right, but I turned on her. I need to make amends for that." She looked into his eyes again, resolute and sincere.

The green Titan smiled with an unusual amount of sincerity and depth. "Thanks, Raven…" He straightened a bit, serious himself, "I'm ready to do anything for Terra. Just tell me what I have to do."

The young woman smiled back gently, nodding. "After I do, we have to check with the others, too. I just had to talk to you first."

Beast Boy nodded. "You're right." He glanced down and around with a faint blush and nervous laugh. "Maybe we should talk about this somewhere with a visible floor?"

Raven smirked. "Follow me."

(Later…)

Not an hour later, the whole team was sitting at the round-booth table, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Rith openly shocked at Beast Boy and Raven's plan. Robin immediately focused on the practical. "How exactly does this spell work? Why is it so risky?"

Raven started, "Effectively, Terra used up all of her life force, turning her body to stone. We're waking her back up, but we have to make a strong connection with her soul, in other words, someone she cares about very much."

Beast Boy jerked a thumb into his chest. "Which is me, of course!"

Everyone sweat-dropped, and Raven continued, "It's so dangerous because if we lose control, the same thing will happen to us. Our life forces will vanish with the spell if not properly finished, turning us both to stone. So I have to stay focused on the spell itself, Beast Boy has to try to get in contact with Terra inside her body as quickly as he can, and try to get her to come back. She's most likely still in there, but so disconnected from reality she may not even remember us."

Everyone listened carefully, and then Robin replied, "You're sure there's no safer way?"

"Not for Terra." Raven calmly added, "Beast Boy and I are prepared to do our best, but don't want to abandon you guys either. If you're not willing to take this risk, we'll stand by that decision."

It was not an easy decision to make for any of them. While everyone wanted to give Terra her chance, risking two more Titans in the process was a very unpleasant prospect. Finally, Cyborg spoke first. "…If I could help her, I would, too. I say you guys try it," he said with a nod.

Starfire poked her index fingers together fretfully. "I do not wish to lose more friends, but I do not wish to abandon Terra either… If it was in my power to help, I would… so I must agree too. If there is any way for me to help, please let me know."

Raven smiled gently. "Your support will be more than enough."

Robin leaned back, uneasy, but slowly nodded. "I can't justify not giving her a chance either, especially since I'd do anything I could, too. I'm behind you guys."

Gradually everyone settled their gazes on Rith. He smiled gently. "Raven's discipline and Beast Boy's devotion? How can you fail?"

It lightened the mood wonderfully, both the Titans mentioned blushing a bit for their own reasons. Still smiling, Robin asked, "Is there anything you two need before you try?"

Raven stood up, signaling the others to start rising and spreading from the table. "I need to meditate, prepare myself. We should plan for tomorrow unless something comes up. Think you'll be prepared, Beast Boy?"

The green Titan nodded seriously. "For Terra, I'll be ready right now."

The pale girl smiled in an almost motherly manner. "Focus and calm yourself, Beast Boy. If you really want to help Terra, you're going to need to think carefully on your connection with her, and get some rest. It will be a trying spell."

Starfire floated up with anxious curiosity. "Might we watch this spell, or can we help any other way?"

Raven answered, "It would be best if just Beast Boy and I were in the cavern, but we'd appreciate having the rest of you on-hand. Assuming we succeed, I don't think any of the three of us will be ready to move any time soon."

Cyborg grinned. "The T-Car will be ready for ya then."

Beast Boy grinned back, and Raven smiled again with a tip of her head before quickly leaving to meditate. Her powers had to be perfectly in control if she could at all manage it. Rith let her go without complaint, understanding her need for focus, and was actually smiling. Miracles just waiting to be wrought by your hands…

The other Titans spread through the tower shortly thereafter, both anxious and excited about what the next day might bring.

(Later…)

The stone face, frozen in a cry of exertion, pain, and justified fury. Raven reached out, focusing her powers to reach into Terra's hidden mind. Her heart sank through her stomach as a crack reached her ears. She drew her hand back, time seeming to move so slowly as Terra's statue-body sheered down her anguished face, and suddenly shattered into pieces. Raven's eyes flared, and she screamed.

She flew upright on her bed, a cold-sweat on her skin as she gasped, horror still clinging to her young face. Raven moaned, holding her head with her hands, her cloak off on a chair. "Calm down… I will hurt her if I'm not in control." She steadied her breath, but her eyes remained tightly shut. "I can't give Beast Boy a hard time about mental discipline if I can't keep a handle on my own."

Still, the raw visual of her nightmare was unsettling, especially after defeating Trigon so recently, just escaping inflicting a fate very like it on all her friends, on the world itself. She needed to meditate, and she wanted fresh-air. Pulling her cloak to her hand with her soulself, Raven quickly left her room, walking briskly through the tower, up stairs, and finally opening the door onto the roof.

She stopped short, blinking in surprise at seeing Rith meditating in the center of the roof himself. It was the middle of the night. Raven eased back a step, remembering his meditation method for replacing sleep when he simply couldn't do so normally. "Rith?" she called aloud, keeping her voice low. If he didn't already know she was there, she didn't want to interrupt him so bluntly.

When he didn't reply, she realized he was definitely keeping his powers focused with meditation to allow his body rest. Raven chose to leave him be, and walked over to the right edge of the roof, where she sat down, and slowly started to calm her mind down, whispering her chant instead of speaking at her normal volume. The additional breath-control actually helped her focus a little better, which was a relief.

A few minutes later, Rith exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing as his powers reached beyond himself again. His eyebrows rose abruptly as he realized Raven was on the roof with him. Then he calmed into a sympathetic frown. Three guesses why she can't sleep… Still, her voice was so soothing he found himself not wanting to go back to his room. Her rhythmic chant remained soft, even for her voice, steady and strong, yet gentle. It almost made her 'glow' to his senses.

Idly, he wondered how deeply her focus had gone in the time she'd used. With a smooth push of his control, he cast Raven into a soft bubble of silence except for her own voice and body. She was not disturbed, and he used the point of focus to move back into meditation himself.

After a half-hour since she'd stepped onto the roof, Raven eased her chanting to a stop, and only then realized she couldn't hear as she usually could. Her eyes focused to her left as she realized Rith must have started silencing the area around her. She closed her eyes with a faint smile. It was so… relaxing to know there was someone who understood her as well as he did. He didn't try to barge in on her business, but was always there when she needed him, even if she didn't think so herself.

"Listening?" she whispered gently, keeping her eyes closed.

Rith blushed a bit, relaxing his power smoothly enough to let her ears adjust to hearing the world again. "Yes. I apologize, did I disturb you?"

"Not at all," she was still smiling. "Could you not sleep?" Some sincere concern and empathy softened her warm whisper.

"Not tonight," he simply responded, sounding perfectly at peace, not annoyed in the slightest. "Anxious?"

"…Yes. I dreamt that Terra shattered when I came close to her body." For some reason the admission just rolled off her tongue to him, and she didn't even feel awkward afterward.

Rith frowned empathetically himself. "How awful… but not unexpected. Your concern does you credit."

Raven managed a faint smile, tipping her head down. Knowing he'd sensed her gesture, she let her mood turn more somber and said, "I'm afraid I may be rushing myself."

"Do you honestly think you could master the spell any better in any reasonable amount of time?"

"All practice helps, but…"

"You know you understand it."

Raven exhaled carefully. "…Yes."

Rith stood up, causing Raven to open her eyes and look around to him. He walked up to her with a gentle smile, and sat down on her left casually, setting his staff down on his. "So it's just the fear of failure that's holding you back?"

She looked out guiltily. "I don't like to…" She sighed. "Yeah, I'm afraid."

"I'd be rather worried about you if you weren't," he admitted candidly. "You, of all people, know how to control your fear, however. What do you need from me that could help?" He turned his face to her with a gentle smile remaining warmly on his lips.

Raven found herself blushing and looking down from him with a mildly embarrassed smile. "…Just sitting here with you helps a lot."

His eyebrows rose softly in honest shock, and then he smiled again. "I'm very glad."

The pale girl remembered something with a mischievous smile, and looked at him easily. "Sorry if I embarrassed you too much with that kiss, by the way…"

A pink glow grew on his cheeks, but he laughed in good humor, dipping his head. "Don't worry about it. You just surprised me."

She smirked a bit. "Good. Well…" she started to stand up, "I better get back to sleep, considering tomorrow."

He stood up with her, nodding. "Good night, Raven. Sweet dreams."

Raven giggled gently where she stood. Then, seeming to consider something, she came closer, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Rith," she whispered.

Powerfully overwhelmed by the close, engulfing rush of her voice, her gentle embrace, her head resting on his shoulder, Rith finally managed to put his arms around her shoulders, patting her hair very carefully. He whispered back, "Thank you…"

She pulled back, smiling, but actually had tears in her eyes. She sniffed quietly, wiping her eyes. "You've done so much for me… I don't want you to think I've forgotten just because we finally beat my father."

Rith reached up with his right hand, and caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. The soft sincerity in his expression and the gentleness of his touch were making Raven blush as she looked into his sealed eyes. "Sweet Raven, you've thanked me more than enough for what little I've done."

When his hand came down, she self-consciously reached up to the same cheek, adorably embarrassed, but also appreciative. It only made him smile more fondly before he pulled her hand very softly from her cheek, and, cupping it with both of his own, touched her fingers to his lips. With an affectionate grasp of her hand as he looked up, he smiled again, and said, "Good night, my lady."

She slowly let her hand back as he let go, smiling in kind, a faint blush still glowing on her pale cheeks. "…Good night, Rith. I hope you can fall asleep."

He actually giggled. "Me, too."

The random humor helped her recover from the almost ethereal intimacy they had just shared with a soft laugh of her own, her eyes closed with happiness. With a final tip of her head, grateful and bidding him farewell, she flowed back into the tower, leaving a smiling Rith standing in the moonlight. He tilted his head back, and basked in the cool air and sound all around him. Such a precious young woman…

(Later…)

With a soft screech of breaks, the T-Car eased to a halt near the path leading to Terra's cave. Robin sped up on his bike, quickly stopping near the car as Cyborg and the others got out. The leader of the team slipped off his vehicle, taking his helmet off. "Are you sure you want us to wait this far away, Raven?" Sincere concern kept his voice serious.

Already with her hood up, Raven nodded as Beast Boy stepped up beside her, abnormally quiet. "If something does go wrong, I'm afraid you guys can't do much about it."

It was disquieting information, but not unexpected. Starfire, Cyborg, Rith, and Robin silently bid the other two Titans farewell with waves or nods, and Raven led Beast Boy down the path, her cloak lapping at her calves.

In his own fear of screwing up, Beast Boy looked at Raven with a renewed level of respect. Yeah, she was probably more anxious about this spell than usual, but he realized she had to deal with his kind of mental discipline all the time. He could barely focus, even for Terra's sake. Simply put, he was terrified that he would be the one who failed Terra, but the very real nature of that fear made him serious and focused.

Moving through the tunnels, they soon came out into Terra's cavern, the stone girl frozen in her last moment of bitter-sweet victory over a volcano and Slade at once. Raven drifted right up to the statue, actually stepping onto the platform with Terra, on the left side as Beast Boy watched. Raven looked back to him with her lavender eyes. "Come on, Beast Boy. We need to start…"

There was a softened aspect to her voice, a deep sympathy for his situation that made Beast Boy feel closer to her, even if just for that moment. He steadied his breath, and stepped up in front of Terra. A pained expression formed on his face, but then he glanced to Raven as the pale girl put a hand on his shoulder and Terra's. She spoke gravely, but without anger, "You must focus, Beast Boy. All the memories of Terra you can muster, every good feeling, all your friendship and trust. Terra is your world in this moment. You must bring her back. Leave the spell-casting to me in your mind. Only by handling our tasks properly can either of us succeed here."

Swallowing, he nodded to her, and then looked into Terra's stone eyes. Pressing his lips together, he reached up, touching Terra's shoulders, his left hand just a little apart from Raven's own. He closed his eyes, and concentrated. He remembered Terra hugging him on the roof of Titans Tower, laughing with her over pizza, even just playing games.

Raven's eyes closed, but her soulself flowed out from her hands, engulfing the trio in a confined sphere of intimate energies. She followed Beast Boy's heart out to Terra, and then reached further, using the forces of the spell to contact Terra herself… if she was there. There was a rush of sensation from the fallen Titan, and Beast Boy almost thought he heard her breathe. Raven's eyes flared open in the darkness of the spell, and she continued to guide the two beings together. Terra's presence was sluggish, gentle, and dreadfully faint, teetering on the edge of void.

Focusing painfully herself, Raven pulled gently on Terra's presence, helping Beast Boy reach to it with his warm emotions and friendship. At last, Terra caught a glimmer of Beast Boy's outstretched self, and flared more clearly to life. Raven grasped the two beings in the spell, and pulled them together with a rush of strength and life. The rest was up to Beast Boy…

He felt her immediately, no doubt in his mind ever attempted to rise. Her shy warmth, deep guilt, and pained memories. Terra! he called out desperately, trying to get her to respond.

Beast Boy…?

It was so faint and vague he barely made it out, but it was her. He burst with happiness, and it flowed out to her as easily. Terra! Yes! It's me! We're friends, remember?

So long… It had been so long for her, she felt so tired. Why was he calling to her, why did he sound so frantic? She needed to rest, it was so much effort. Terra felt lost in a deep body of water, too far down to swim up, the weight pressing her further down, always pushing, however softly. …Beast Boy… I… need rest… Gimme… five more minutes…

He almost panicked, his focus shivering. Raven gritted her teeth, straining to keep the spell together. Beast Boy poured his memories and feelings out, feeling almost hollow as he tried to reach. Please wait! Terra, I know you're tired… You deserve your rest, but please listen!

Why wasn't he cracking any jokes, why did he sound so serious? Terra moaned as painful memories panged in her heart. Slade, the Titans themselves, Beast Boy… pinned as a wolf by his foot, by her power. Slade controlling her body, her power, her choices, turning on her only friends. Nooo… she moaned in deep pain, but it drew her back to some portion of reality, an image of her finally forming to Beast Boy's perception. She was kneeling down in front of him, in her Titan costume, not Slade's armor, clutching her head weakly.

"Nooo… I've done terrible things… I don't want to do anymore…"

Beast Boy tried to reach out to her, but found her impossible to touch, his arms too weak as they grew closer to her. He knelt down in front of her. "Terra, please. I know it hurts, but it's okay. It's me, Beast Boy, your friend. You did the right thing! You took Slade out, you stopped the volcano with all of your power!" he spoke powerfully and sincerely, his eyes wide and frantic, searching her walls of hair for a response, any sign of hope. He could feel Raven's strain, like a hook in the back of his chest threatening to yank him away from Terra.

Terra shivered, the sound of muffled tears clear in her soft gasps. "I… tried to destroy all of you…" Her head shook violently, spraying golden hair every direction, yet keeping her face invisible. "I'm a terrible person! You guys trusted me!"

Terra!

Something changed. Beast Boy's voice thrummed with power, and he suddenly reached out and grabbed her shoulders. Terra's head snapped up in the darkness, her tear-stained eyes wavering as they gazed into his in shock, her lips trembling like a frightened kitten. Beast Boy smiled with desperate kindness. "Terra, please stop talking like this… I won't lie, you did turn on us, you hurt us really badly, but sometimes that happens between friends. The difference is that friends make up! You took responsibility, Terra! You took control! You beat Slade! Please don't give up! You can come back!" he finally shouted happily, still afraid of what might go wrong.

Terra gazed into his eyes with hushed awe for heart-beat after heart-beat. "…Come back? …But I… You'd… take me back, Beast Boy? Even after I turned on you…?"

Her green friend just grinned right back, the light, heart-warming grin she loved so much. "In a second."

Terra started to cry again, but was smiling gently as she knelt pitifully between his hands. "…Yeah… I believe you… You were always so nice to me, Beast Boy. Even… even when I was with Slade you didn't turn on me completely, after I attacked all your friends…"

"Our friends," he emphasized for her. "We're all ready to forgive you, Terra. Look, I'm not saying there isn't a lot to deal with, but we can work it out, okay? I mean, come on," he started lightly, trying to control his fear as the pull in his chest intensified, "what are friends without arguments every once in a while, right?"

Terra pouted pathetically, such deep sadness in her tear-filled eyes that Beast Boy was almost crying himself. "…I'm so lonely… but I deserve it after what I did…"

Beast Boy breathed, and pushed himself closer, wrapping his arms around Terra. She gasped, her mouth opening as her eyebrows rose, tears falling down her cheeks. "I think you deserve to be with us, Terra… It's not like I haven't made mistakes either, big ones. I want you back, we all want you back. Heck, Raven's the reason we're talking right now. She's doing everything she can to help you, Terra."

The scared girl shivered. "R-Raven is… doing this for me?"

Beast Boy nodded into her shoulder. "Please come back, Terra… We miss you… I miss you…"

A rush filled them both as she suddenly surged against him, her arms coiling around his shoulders in a soft rush of heartfelt gratitude and relief. She sobbed into his shoulder, Beast Boy wiping his eyes with his gloves behind her head. Finally, she smiled past him, patting his hair. "…You're giving your all for me, Beast Boy… Thank you."

He tried to hide his tears, keeping his voice light. "Hey… no problem, right?"

"Right," she answered, smiling, still crying herself. "…I'm having trouble moving, but if you help me, I'll do everything I can to get us out of here." There was new strength in her voice, her heart rekindled by friendship and trust freshly proved.

Beast Boy couldn't resist a surge of joy himself, and quickly stood up in front of her. "You got it!" He gripped her hands, the pair smiling into each other's eyes, and then strained. It was like some huge weight tied her down, but slowly, almost painfully, she started to rise off her knees.

Terra winced, fresh tears dripping down her cheeks, but she wouldn't give in. Beast Boy, Raven even, they'd all done too much for her to give up. She strained, then gasped with fright, her strength faltering despite her determination. "Beast Boy!" she yelped, looking into his eyes.

He caught her firmly, smiled, and then warped into a massive gorilla. He roared, and Terra laughed as she was wrenched free of whatever held her back. A loud chime pierced the shadow-world, and suddenly light engulfed them both.

Raven's head leaned back, her body shivering as her teeth ground together powerfully. The spell was starting to split apart around them, but so was the stone surface over Terra. Gold light was piercing the gray rock, splitting and fracturing down her face, neck, over her shoulders, down her body, and legs. Beast Boy suddenly flared into a gorilla in real life, and the spell burst apart as Terra exploded out of her stone shell. The gorilla fell back with a surprised shout, Terra weakly gasping as she fell onto his stomach, and Raven cried out, her body losing all its strength and starting to fall away from the stone landing as she moaned weakly.

Wind rushed, and Beast Boy vaguely heard a crumple of clothing as he tried to rouse himself. He started to revert, sitting up slowly as he held the person on top of him gently in his arms, lest she fell onto the rocky ground. Starfire gently landed, smiling as she held Raven in her arms, Cyborg and Robin stepping up behind Beast Boy… Rith at the exit, smiling faintly.

They all smiled down at the blond girl limply resting in Beast Boy's arms, her legs off to his left as he sat there. She was still in Slade's armor, her bandages tattered and worn, but she managed a weak smile, and turned her head enough to look up at the green Titan. "…Thank you, Beast Boy…" She could see Robin and Cyborg up above him, but could barely manage what she'd already said.

Beast Boy just grinned right back, sniffling. "Welcome back, Terra."

Her smile grew warmly, and then she fell asleep in his arms. Starfire stepped up. "Raven, also, sleeps. She has worn herself very thin." A touch of concern crept into her joyful tone.

Robin was just smiling with the others. "It's not surprising considering what you… three just pulled off," he said down to Beast Boy. "Come on, Titans, we have friends who need beds. Back to the tower."

Cyborg picked Beast Boy up to his feet, but the green Titan made himself carry Terra out with them. As they started to leave the cave, Rith smiling as he led the way back to the vehicles, the half-metal Titan had one, very apt, thing to say. "Booyah." The others laughed or giggled, weary as they were. They had their friend back.

Author's Note…)

Not finishing here. I have to let Terra have some fun, too, ya know. Anyway, I have to thank you all for the positive reviews, I really appreciate them, and they do help me get my writing going when I need incentive, so thanks for that, too!

Revision: I'm cleaning up typos and such with reposts of all the chapters, so the misspelling of Azarath and zinthos should be gone from this online draft soon.

One additional point: Someone raised the issue that I don't let Raven handle many of her own battles. I feel the same way, honestly, but I like how the scenes worked in their own rights, and I can't fix them without completely changing the mood of the story. I do apologize for inadequacies like that, and I sincerely hope they aren't too distracting. I felt it balanced nicely in that Raven took out Rith's bad-guy (Dr. Gear), while he helped her face hers (Malchior, Trigon, and Slade). And since the fact that she had friends was so important, I felt that worked better than normal. But you're right, it's a fair point, and I wanted to let you all know that I, as a Raven fan, completely understand that complaint. (Kinda annoys me, too, but, like I said, I'm quite happy with the scenes for other reasons.)

Thanks for reading! I hope these last few chapters (shouldn't be more than three really) keep you entertained. Thanks so much for all the positive reviewing!