"Oh, Raven," bubbled the ever-cheerful Starfire. "That looks so adorable on you!"
The dark-haired girl simply looked at the bathing suit she was wearing. It wasn't even worth the effort of making a contemptuous glare. "It has daisies on it," she drawled irritably. "Just like every other bathing suit you made me try on." She gestured to the six discarded ones on a nearby rack.
"Oo! Oo! Try this one next!"
"It has daisies."
"Then how about this one?"
"Daisies."
"This one? It is really cute. I am sure everyone will like it."
"…You aren't listening to a word I'm saying, are you?" Raven stripped off the latest floral-inspired article and donned her leotard, draping her cloak over her forearm. She walked out of the fitting rooms and into the racks of bathing suits, browsing through the selection.
Starfire had already selected hers: a daring bikini…with daisies. Raven frowned at it in disapproval. It was…bright. And showed off far too much than she thought a girl should.
Under no circumstances am I wearing anything remotely like that, Raven vowed silently. Besides, bikinis are for exhibitionists. She ignored the tiny part of her that reminded her of her own leotard. Raven finally chose a demure black one-piece. The most "daring" part about it was that it had only one strap along the shoulder. At least the price and color are right.
The two girls had just paid for their purchases when an alarm bell sounded throughout the mall. They saw a young man, no older than they, running from a pair of guards. Those rent-a-cops won't catch him in time, Raven thought. Just a simple shoplifter. Piece of cake.
She raised a hand, black energy forming around it…but then her eyes widened in shock and growing horror. The spells she knew, the spells she dedicated years to mastering—they were all gone! She couldn't force the spells to her will, couldn't summon the magic. The dark-haired girl fell to her knees, completely at a loss.
A few minutes later, Starfire shook her back to attention. "Raven! Raven!" the Tamaranian said worriedly. "I captured the shoplifter, but you just sat here like a rock. Are you all right?"
Raven shook her head, clearing it, and hastily stood up, brushing Starfire away. "I'm fine. I just…got dizzy. Look, I'll meet you back at the Manor, all right?" She hurriedly left the mall, not caring that she left her bathing suit at Starfire's feet.
Raven had to take a taxi back. She tried flying, but like yesterday, she couldn't. She tried again and again and again, hoping that her powers would return like they did before. But she couldn't manage more than a few inches…and only for a moment. Riding in the back seat of a taxi was the most crushing experience Raven had ever felt. She felt so…powerless. What was happening to her?
When she arrived at Wayne Manor, she didn't speak to anyone. The first thing she did was shut herself in her room. Raven was not one to panic, but she really wanted to then and there. So she got some chalk and a large white sheet, spread it on the floor, and drew a meditative circle. She had drawn hundreds of such diagrams when she studied at Azarath; the exercise was almost second nature to her. Or so she thought. Now she couldn't even draw the simplest patterns with any legibility.
I haven't written runes this poorly since I was a child, she thought worriedly. My God, what's happening to me?
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She was about to tell whomever it was to go away, but the door opened and Dick stepped in. Concern was clear on his face.
"Starfire told me you had a bout of weakness at the mall today," she said simply. He closed the door behind him. "Can I get you something? Water, maybe? I can call Doctor Thompson," he offered.
She shook her head and waved a hand. "No, no. I…" She stopped and sucked in a steadying breath. It didn't work. "I lied to Starfire back there. It wasn't dizziness that got me. I can't use my powers."
"What?"
"Look at that sheet. I was trying to draw a magic circle, one to aid in spellcasting and meditation. I used to be able to draw perfect circles, with perfect runes. Now it looks like an oval, and a really wobbly one at that. The runes look like chicken scratches."
"Well, maybe you're out of practice," Dick said lamely.
She turned on him, tears rimming her eyes. Her small lips trembled. Dick stepped back; he had never seen her like this before, on the edge of her nerves. When she spoke, it was difficult to understand through her sobbing. "You don't understand, Dick! I can't use my powers! I tried to stop a shoplifter with a simple holding spell. And I couldn't do it! I tried flying…and I couldn't do it! Something's wrong with me, more than just recovering from an injury. Something is seriously wrong.
Dick didn't know what to say. So he just went up to her and took her into an embrace. He didn't know what he would have wanted if he had been in her position, but he figured a hug would be the next best thing. They sat on Raven's bed. He still held on to her. "It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay. This is probably temporary. Maybe you just need a little rest?"
Raven shook her head and buried her tearful eyes into his shirt. "…Not okay," she mumbled. "Not okay at all. What's happening to me, Dick?"
She kept on sobbing for the next two hours, and he was with her the entire time. Eventually, she fell asleep against him; recovering from a near-fatal wound and crying for so long had taken their toll on her. Dick laid her down and threw a blanket over her. Then he silently left her room.
Raven woke up to the sound of knocking on her door. She groggily looked at the block on the bedside table. Eight o' clock. The night was still young, but she felt so tired. The knocking became more insistent. She forced herself up and opened the door.
"Hey," Dick greeted.
Raven smiled, all weariness suddenly gone, as if he banished it with his presence. "Hey yourself."
Dick scratched his head and said, "Uh, I told everyone that you were really tired. I suggested that we have the road trip for when you're better. They said it was okay."
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault," he said with an ironic smile. It had only been a few days ago when she said those same words to him. He held up a plastic bag filled with rectangular objects. "The others went out to go watch a movie. I volunteered to stick around in case you woke up. But I borrowed a few films, too. Do you want to watch?"
Raven scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, wiping away the sleepiness. "Sure. Come on in." She opened the door wider and let him walk in. "There's a TV and DVD over in the corner," she said. "What movies did you get, anyway?"
"Well," he began, "I didn't know what kinds you like, so I borrowed a bit of everything. Don't worry. No one will mind if we don't watch them all. Bruce's got money to burn, after all. Let's see. I got us some of the classic horror films of the forties and fifties. Some horror flicks from the eighties, too. I got the Star Wars trilogy and Blade Runner in here, so there's your sci-fi. A couple Hong Kong flicks. Always loved those. The Lord of the Rings. And a couple Disney movies." He shrugged apologetically, as if Disney were something to be ashamed of.
"I wouldn't mind a Disney movie," Raven said.
"That's surprising. I wouldn't have taken you for the talking animals and sing-a-long type of gal," Dick said.
"Like I said. Full of surprises. Actually, I've never seen one to its completion. I only saw a few parts. Singing isn't bad. Don't know if I actually like the talking animals. The drawings are nice, though."
"I happen to like the talking animals," said Dick. "How about a compromise? Here's The Little Mermaid. Really old chick-flick type. But it has talking animals and it has people singing."
That sounded agreeable, so they settled at the foot of Raven's bed and turned on the DVD player. Raven found the movie engaging. She normally didn't go for the sappy romance plots, but it was encouraging to see a strong female lead overcome social and—after the Sea Witch's ploy with the voice—physical setbacks to achieve her goal. Even if it was a sappy and romantic goal.
Raven sighed. She could relate to Ariel, the little mermaid. Only, she still had to figure out what to do about her powers. Just thinking about it almost drove her to tears again. It was like thinking about the stump where your arm used to be, and how you won't ever be able to use it again.
But then the movie ended and Dick had to leave. Raven said goodnight, but as soon as the door shut, she realized how alone she felt. Always she had her magic to keep her company, even when she turned away from people. Now she didn't even have that comfort. This time, in the sanctuary of her own privacy, she did cry.