I don't own any of the characters, except Elrich. I don't own the poem(which is actually a song) that Raven uses in the poetry contest.
Raven had been here many times before; it was her favorite club. The dim candlelight and dark walls and tables gave the place an overall feeling of gloom and hopeless depression, just the way Raven liked it. There really was no light in her world. Her mother was dead, and her father was constantly trying to control her thoughts, filling them anger and hatred. It was all she could do to suppress them. The one ray of light were her friends. There was Starfire, the Tamaranian princess, though she was a bit too cheerful for Raven's liking. Cyborg, a teen with cybernetic implants, was loud and quite obnoxious. Beast Boy, however, took the cake when it came to obnoxious. He always bothered her and was always cracking jokes and trying to impress her. Of course, she always shot him down. Some of the things he said were truly funny, but the continuous threat of her father kept her from showing any true emotion.
Raven sat down at the table near the front, her usual seat. It was located in front of the stage, where attendants to the club could read off their own, depressing poetry. Currently their was no one up there, but the poetry contest was about to begin. She was an entry, and had been working on a special poem for the past two weeks. First, she really needed a drink of tea. It always helped to calm her. She approached the counter in the corner and ordered a cup of lemon and chamomile tea. This place was the only place in town that sold it, so she came here often. She returned to her table right before the contest started. The order of contestants was announced. Raven would go third. Each contestant went, each with a depressing poem about their unforgiven souls and eternal torment, the usual. But Raven's was different. Her's was about something beyond herself. Her's was about love.
They announcer called her name, and she approached the stage. She stepped up to the mike. Raven drew back the hood of her cloak, cleared her throat and recited her piece.
"You're giving me too many things lately. You're all I need. But you just smiled at me and said-"
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the building. Everyone fell to the ground, shaken by the sudden quake. Another explosion went off, this time knocking over chairs, tables, and glasses. The explosions were happening outside! Raven quickly placed on her hood and flew through the building and out the door. Across the street, a robbery at Julie's Jem Emporium was under way. The culprit was none other than The Great Mumbo, a magician who turned to a life of crime after his audiences died away. Using super powered stage magic, he was capable of pulling huge heists, and pulling things on the Titans as well. Raven knew how to deal with him, but would have preferred the entire team to be there with her. No time to get the others though, she thought to herself.
She reached the store just in time to see Mumbo trying to make an exit.
"Thank you, thank you, you're just too kind," Mumbo called to his literally captive audience.
"Sorry Mumbo, but the show isn't over yet," Raven replied as she picked up a nearby newspaper dispenser with her own magic. She hurled it at him, but he managed to duck just in time.
"Ah Raven," Mumbo called, "I was hoping the other Titan's would be here as well, so I could destroy you all together. Oh well. By the way, Raven I want you to meet my doves. You know what they say, 'birds of a feather flock together'," Mumbo cackled, as he lifted his top hat and released a flurry of red-eyed doves, all of which headed straight for Raven. She flew up, hoping to get some distance between herself and the mad birds, but the flock flew too fast to get away. Mumbo just stood on the ground, howling with glee. Raven flew down to ground and picked up two trashcans. She moved one in front of herself and the other behind her. The doves flew at her, and as they did, she brought up the first trash can, and all the birds slammed right into it. As soon as they did, Raven brought the other one around from behind her and put the two trashcans' openings together, trapping the doves inside. Raven grinned mischievously and flung the two cans right at Mumbo, knocking him off his feet and into an alley. Raven floated down the alley, and hovered in front of Mumbo. He stood up, looking terrified at her, then suddenly stood up straight and said politely, "Well done Raven, I take my hat off to you," and went to remove his top hat. Raven beat him to it, and with a quick word, she had the hat in hand. Mumbo seemed worried, but in a movement that Raven couldn't see, slipped a card out of his sleeve and threw it at her. It exploded, and thousands of colored scarves wrapped around her faster then she could react. They trapped her arms, legs and covered her mouth, so she couldn't speak a single spell.
"Now," Mumbo said triumphantly, "to make you disappear for good!"
He waved his wand, and Raven waited for whatever was in store for her. She closed her eyes tightly, and hoped it wouldn't hurt.
"Mumbo," Mumbo started, but then there was silence. Raven slowly opened one eye and turned her head upwards. What she saw took her completely off guard.
Mumbo was high in the air, hung off a fire escape by a thick vine that grew out of the ground at the foot of the building, through a large crack in the pavement. The vine that held him up gagged his mouth. He struggled to get down, but the vine was too strong.
"That should hold him," a voice from behind Raven said. Raven tried to turn and see, but the scarves made movement somewhat difficult. She heard someone walk up behind her, then felt a pair of hands untying the knot on her back. As the magic scarves fell away, Raven stood up, trying to get some feeling back in her legs. She turned around to see her rescuer, and received a huge shock. Standing there before her was probably the most handsome young man she had ever seen. His long, dark brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail that ran down to the middle of his back. His pants were loose, and made of dark brown leather, and he wore a forest green tunic. He looked to be about sixteen, with deep green eyes, and a handsome face. On his forehead was a thin, silver circlet with small emerald in the center. His ears came to point. On his back, though, was something that caught Raven's attention more than anything else. A pair of black, feathered wings. They shimmered slightly, like a real raven's wings would.
Their eyes met, and Raven felt the blood rush to her face. She was actually blushing! He spoke to her with a kind voice and a smile on his lips.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, thank you."
"No problem, I happened to be going to a coffee place around here. I heard they were having a poetry contest, and I wanted to watch." His voice had a slight British accent. It sounded very charming to Raven.
"Actually," Raven replied, "I was in the contest, until I was interrupted. I can show you where the place is."
"Thank you," the young man said. He ran his fingers through his hair, and Raven thought she saw him blush a little.
As they walked together out of the alley and back to the café, Raven introduced herself.
"Well, nice to meet you. Raven….that's such a pretty name. I know! How about a pretty flower, for a pretty girl, with a pretty name? That was rather corny, wasn't it?"
"A little," Raven replied.
"I hope this will make up for it then."
And with that, he reached into one of many pouches on his belt. He took something out, then closed his hand around it tightly. As he opened it, he breathed into palm of his hand. He opened his hand fully to reveal a seed. As Raven watched, the seed suddenly spread out roots that wrapped around and intertwined with the stranger's fingers. A lone stem grew out of the seed, and at he end was a single bud. The bud opened to reveal a deep red rose. Each petal was perfectly shaped, and the fragrance was wonderful. There were no thorns though, and the stranger simply tugged on the stem and it came free.
He handed the flower to her, and she excepted it graciously. He smiled at her, then stepped back. He spread out his wings just as Raven looked up from the gift.
"Wait!" Raven called, "I don't even know your name!"
"My name is Elrich, and be sure to take good care of that flower. It's my best work. Just keep it in a vase full of water, and it will last forever."
And with that, he flapped his wings and flew off. Raven sighed heavily. She was hoping that he would listen to her poem. Oh well, she thought, letting her stoic, unemotional side take over again, I probably won't see him again anyway.
Several days later, Raven was in her room, trying to read, when there was a knock at her door. She opened it, and there stood Robin. Robin was the only person in the Titan's tower that seemed to understand her. He was the only one who knew that when she was in her room she wanted to be alone. He wouldn't bother her without a reason.
"Hey Raven, I was just wondering, you went out the other day by yourself, then came back and locked yourself in your room. Did something happen?" His question was reasonable, but Raven didn't feel he needed to know about her meeting.
"Nothing happened," she lied.
"Oh, well if you need to talk-"
"Tahnks," Raven interrupted, then shut the door. She heard Robin walk off down the hall. Then went back to her book. A large shadow flew by her window. Raven jumped, startled by the movement, then hurried over to the window to investigate. She looked around then looked down. At the base of the tower, large letters, formed by groups of Forget-Me-Nots. Raven's room was close enough to the ground for her to tell what they spelled out.
"The Roof" it said. Raven's heart started pounding. Could this be Elrich? Raven quickly flew through the tower, out the main entrance, and then all the way to the top. When she got there, she was greeted by a beautiful, yet strange sight. The entire top of Titan's Tower was covered in cherry trees. They were in bloom, and the pink petals blew off, and flowed through he air. Raven smiled, then gently floated into the grove that had somehow sprouted out of asphalt. She reached a clearing at the center of the tower roof, and there, standing before her, was Elrich.
He slowly turned around, and as he did, he spoke quietly.
"Quiet cherry blosoms blow
Fill the air with love and peace
Silence is the key."
Raven sighed again. He knew how to woo her, and he loved to read and write poetry. He was perfect. Perhaps too perfect.
Elrich approached her, then smiled and held out his hand. Raven placed her's in his, determined not to let herself become too interested in him. She still remembered what happened last time.
As soon as Raven placed her hand in his, he bowed gracefully.
"It is very good to see you again, fair Raven." His green eyes shimmered, and Raven felt like she was blushing again. She removed her hand from his, then decided it would be in her best interests to not let him know that she had feelings for him.
"What are you doing here?" Raven asked abruptly, not worrying about how it sounded.
"Well, after I met you, I did a little research. I found out that you were a part of the Teen Titans. I then realized that I have these powers, but I don't really use them for anything. But after the ordeal with Mumbo, I saw what I could with them. So, I want to become a Teen Titan."
Raven was a bit surprised, but she couldn't deny his abilities. Robin would have to see him in action though.
