Hello! I'll bet that a lot of you are surprised I updated this again. Well…I am, so just stick with it! Just kidding, I'm close to finishing and I'm ready to just get it over it. Heehee, I feel great. Review time!

Mazoku-Princess: Yeah, I know. I love it when I do that. Yes, cliffies are perfect to PO your readers.

K.C. Raven: You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome. Sorry, I had to stop, but that was the best place to do it.

ELM-Tree10: Great! There's more Rob/Rae in this chappie. Enjoy!

nunofyorbiz: No, but that's a great idea for the sequel. Thanks!

That's it. I guess I should have waited if I wanted more reviews, but I'm impatient to finish this. Oh well. I'm uping the rating because of the swear words Robin uses in the begining, but that's it. Sorry! Anyway, follow the RRE rule!

Chapter 8: Answers

A shout of anguish filled TK's ears as he woke. It took a while to remember where he was, but then it all came back to him. The party planning, the attacking robots, a masked man attacking Raven and Kari, Robin unconscious and beaten, and then the fire.

He jumped up, despite his wounds, and saw Robin slamming his fists against the wall, crying. "Damn you, Slade!" he shouted as TK ran up. "Damn you! You just had to take her for that stupid prophecy! You just had to rub salt in the wound!"

By now the rest of the Titans had woken up and watched as Robin cursed Slade with everything he had, which was quite a lot. Finally, he collapsed on his knees. "I love her." He said. Everyone gasped, no one so much as Starfire. "We share a link to our minds. We know each other's secrets. I saw what kind of person she was and fell in love with her."

"But…but Robin." Starfire said, eyes wide with horror. "What do you mean? What did our dance those many Earth-years ago mean to you?"

"I'm sorry, Star." Robin whispered. "It's just…I had a crush on you when we met, and that dance thrilled me, I'll admit. But ever since my link with Raven, I've seen you as a friend only. I'm sorry."

Starfire couldn't take it anymore. She fled, flying away with tears in her eyes.

Robin didn't even notice. "Now I'll never be able to tell her."

Next thing he knew, TK was kneeling in front of him, sapphire eyes looking into the white lenses of Robin's mask. "Don't give up hope, Rob. We can't give up on her yet. She's like my sister. I already lost one of my siblings, I'm not going to lose another."

"As long as you believe that she's alright, she will be." Kari said. "I speak from experience. And Raven's a tough girl. She'll be okay until we find her."

"You would do well to listen to the Children of Hope and Light." Said a new voice.

"Everyone's head snapped in the direction of the voice. A woman stood in the destroyed hallway. Her skin was pale, her hair was raven, and her eyes were deep violet. She was dressed in a blue and silver shaman's outfit with a silver scepter in her hands.

"Who are you?" Robin demanded as he, TK and Kari rose form the floor.

To saw her answer was unexpected would be an understatement. "I am Raven's mother."

As jaws fell to the floor (literally), she turned to TK. "I see my daughter has been taking care of you since we last met."

"What are you—?" TK began, but the shaman tapped her scepter on the ground. An image crossed his mind, and he dropped to his knees again. "It was you…"

"Okay, just what is going on?" Cyborg demanded.

"The attack…"TK muttered. "You…saved me…"

Flashback

The terrorists had just finished with their disgusting murder of Ms. Takaishi, and TK was next.

"How should we get rid of the kid?" one asked.

"Let's hang him." Said another.

"That's too American." Said yet another. "Lethal injection."

"How? We don't have any poisons."

"We still have some gasoline. Let's just burn him like his mother."

"You won't touch him." This voice came as a surprise; it was female. They looked to see the shaman in front of them. "You will not touch the Chosen One of Hope."

"Shoot her." Said the boss. Then he gave a wicked grin. "Now why didn't we think of that before? Go for it, boys. I'll kill the kid."

The woman's eyes flashed. "You will not harm him!" she said as she tapped her scepter on the ground. "Azerath metrion zinthos!"

Shadows leapt from her scepter and grabbed all the guns from the men's hands. "Huh. I see why Raven likes that spell so much."

Then she held up a hand. "Quizilous!" All of the men dropped like they had been hit over the head by a sledgehammer.

The shaman walked over to the shaking TK, stepping over the pool of sick he had made during the burning. "Come on, honey. Let's get out of here."

"Why?"

She stopped in her tracks. "Excuse me?"

"Why did you save me?" TK asked. "Why didn't you leave me to die with my family?"

The shaman hesitated before she answered, "You are needed to save my daughter."

"I don't care."

"If you don't, the world will be destroyed." She said. She bit her lip, then said reluctantly, "Your friend Kari will die, die a very painful death."

She was fighting dirty and she knew it. She stepped forward and put her hand on TK's head. "You cannot remember meeting me. Sleep, and when you wake, you shall be at your friend Kari's, with no memory of your rescue."

TK slumped against the ground, knowing only welcoming darkness.

End Flashback

The shaman smiled. "I took the memory of your rescue because you couldn't know of me until your time came."

Then she turned grim. "The prophecy told at my daughter's birth is coming to be. But what she nor her father knows is that the world has a chance. 'Anger will take Darkness, but a strand of Light will battle Anger, and Hope will be her guides. As Hope loves Darkness and Hope loves Light, Darkness will join the Light, and Anger will be defeated forever.'"

She looked at where Cyborg and Beast Boy were standing. "I'm afraid that only the chosen ones can save my daughter. I apologise, but you cannot help."

Kari stood from where she had knelt beside TK. "I want to help. In the week I've been here all of the Titans have become my family, even Raven. And Raven helped to bring TK back."

"Raven is like my sister." TK said, standing next to Kari. "No power in this world or the Digital World can stop me."

"I'm going to!" Robin shouted. "There is no way that I'm going to stand around when there's a rescue party going after Raven!"

The shaman smiled. "Of course you're going. Takeru isn't the only symbol of Hope in Titan's Tower. Didn't I say that Hope would be Light's guides?"

She met Robin's eyes. "You are also a symbol of Hope: to your team, to your city, and to your mentor. You are also chosen to save my daughter."

"I'll do it." Robin said immediately. "I love her, and I won't lose her to anything."

"Good." The shaman smiled and backed away. "I have served my purpose, the rest is up to you. Good lick."

She tapped her scepter on the ground again, and disappeared.

The Titans were silent until Cyborg and Beast Boy began to walk away, talking about fixing the Tower while Robin, TK, Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon sat there in silence. Robin turned to the other two. "Well, let's get something out of the way before we go." He took off his mask, revealing ice blue eyes, and help out his hands. "My name's Tim Drake."