Chapter 9: Prelude the Mockingbird
Beast Boy came back into the room with a small suitcase in one hand and a bag with all the charts she'd asked for in another. He gently scooped the frail girl up in his arms and carried her to her room. Raven did not meet his eyes the whole time he carried her and chose to remain with her eyes glued to the floor as her lay her on her bed.
"Thanks… I need to be a lone for a minute… go tell the other's we're leaving for the week… and that we'll be fine. Just like I told you earlier. Don't go into detail. I don't want them to know… that I'm dying… that Trigon is winning…" she glanced up at him and he looked hesitant. She sent him a meaningful peek and he left. "Azerath, Metrion- Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos," she shuddered and willed the thoughts of the oncoming trials out of her head. She didn't want to think about what she was doing to him. She chanted her verse again and a small bag floated over. It was black and emblazed with a gold raven on one side and on the other Poe's poem The Raven was embroidered in the Azarian language, also gold thread. She waved a delicate hand towards her closet and several cloaks and leotards and other articles of clothing floated over in a black bubble. She neatly folded them and laid them in her bag, hesitating to zip it up.
"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos," she muttered again. Her mind portal mirror and a curious looking crystal floated over along with a small leather-bound book. She refused to look at the inscription on the cover of the tiny book but instead shoved it to the bottom of her bag hastily, sending a paranoid glance at the door. Beast Boy was not back yet… that was good. She then gently laid the amber colored crystal in the bag and zipped the bag shut. She frowned as she looked at her mirror. "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos," she stated firmly. The mirror's glass remained smooth and unmoving. It did not swirl and shift to become the portal to her mind as it should have. She furrowed her brows and tried again. Still, no portal. "Azerath, Capria, Disornay!" she snapped angrily, reverting her mantra to her native Azarian tongue. The mirror did not change. She opened her bag again and added the mirror to her load. She then waved her hand and a small bottle of Thyme floated over and she lay it in the bag. When burned, the Thyme let off a soothing scent which often helped her reach her center more quickly.
Beast Boy entered her room again, followed by the other titans. She nipped her bag up quickly and looked back to her concerned friends. No matter. What needed to be done would be done. Except for… she looked guiltily at her hands. She shouldn't be doing this to Beast Boy… he was her friend.
"Friend, we are informed you shall be leaving our planet for a week to resolve you situation… so while you are gone, Robin, Cyborg and I shall journey to Tamaran where we will await your return. It is… closer to your destination, I believe…" She sent Raven a knowing glance. Starfire was a close friend to the dark girl, despite their differences. She should have guess Star would have been the first to land the idea that Raven would be heading towards a spirit realm such as quadrant three. Tamaran lay just on its border, barely within Quadrant 2. Starfire herself was much more connected with the spirit type magic like Raven possessed then most knew. She didn't talk about it much. Raven looked curiously at Robin who seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion. Raven was his kindred spirit and they were brother and sister by mental bond so obviously he would have had some idea as well. It seemed only Cyborg was completely clueless.
Raven nodded quietly and beckoned Beast Boy over. He came to her side, still clutching his suitcase and the charts. She reached up and gently placed her hand on his forehead. Teleporting both of them such a far distance as they were going would require her to be in closer contact with her companion. "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos, Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos, Azerath, Capria, Disornay!" she chanted. The two glowed black and then warped up into the shape of a large black raven which flew up towards the ceiling and disappeared through a silver portal.
The two appeared in the middle of a large field of lilac grass. Beast Boy rubbed his head and look curiously at Raven who was sitting on the ground beside him, resting her head in her hands wearily. "Where are we?" he asked.
"Azerath. We are on my home planet, Azerath. We spend the night here and search for someone who can lead us towards the veil of the Royal Planet tomorrow. I need to heal myself, anyways," she sighed. Raven struggled to her feet and found herself unable to levitate. She sighed again and quietly accepted Beast Boy's support to walk. They went in silence and soon found Raven was much too weak so Beast Boy resorted to carry her. And that was that.
Will it end,
That I could grow old,
In peace.
That I could remain guiltless...
And utterly without fault,
To the one I love.
Author's Note: Short Chapter but it's an in between chapter. One of those chapters right after and right before something cool happens... in this case the thing that happens... is Lark. Who looks... surprisingly like a certain x-titan. Something tells me Raven's past has a thing about coming back to haunt her and in the worst ways too. Oh well, guess I'll just let you read the next chapter to understand this fully. By the way, sorry the poem is so short but it's more of a philosophical, reflective sort of piece. I hope to hear your reviews! ;)
