hey, this is the third chapter. thanks for all your reviews!
well, i'll be answering a few reviews, but if you have any questions, just put it in the review and i'll respond to it:
okay, Kuroya, thanks for your offer, but it's okay...i'll work along with this. Sorry if my grammer is distracting. I guess i'll have to work on that a bit.
and to Dust-in, chill out, it won't be a robin/raven thing. Honsetly that paring will never happen! but birthmark definitely make sure that this season, Raven is in the spotlight!
Aio-chan14, Malchior is found in the episode: Spellbound.
keep reading!
Hush – silence; the Titans saw the mark on Raven's arm. Raven held her hand close to her. The mark was burning now. She had a lash right across her cheek and several bites and scratches from Beast Boy's attack. Beast Boy was spitting red liquid out. The red liquid was Raven's blood.
"W-what is that?" Robin asked.
"A mark…Malchior gave it to me." Raven replied. "Remember when I was attack when I was meditating?"
"Yes." Starfire answered after aiding Beast Boy.
"After that, I realized that he gave me a mark – I don't know how…but he branded me. He means to come back for revenge." Raven said.
"But, why did I do all that weirdo freaky stuff?" Beast Boy shuddered. He couldn't really remember much. Just a blur, like a dream almost. At least he hoped it to be a dream. Raven held her arm. Blood was still leaking from the minor wounds she received from Beast Boy.
Raven managed a laugh. "Malchior, after I bounded him to the book, he's been through my dreams and somehow found a way out."
"Malchior – the dragon?" Starfire asked. Raven nodded. "He is free?" Raven shook her head. Confused, Starfire allowed her friend to continue.
"Because my spell wasn't as strong as Rorek's, Malchior was able to haunt me in my dreams. Then he found a way to possess things that have physical power – or even humans."
"Then how did he hurt you up in the roof?" Robin asked. Raven thought about it.
"Malchior no longer has a body of his own – he uses others things as a body. That time – he used wind. When powerful enough, wind can cut the flesh," she croaked.
"He doesn't have a body of his own," Beast Boy repeated. "So he used me."
"Looks like it, doesn't it?" Cyborg replied. "By the way, what was that weird word you shouted at first?"
"That was a counter spell for the possessed." Raven answered. "I don't know how to fully stop him from doing that again, though."
"We will find him!" Starfire declared. "We most definitely will not let him escape."
"But, he already did," the young Azarathian closed her eyes sadly. "When – when I did the counter spell, I forgot that whatever was doing the possessing will be expelled. Because of what happened, I – I forgot to trap him."
"So where is he now?" Robin asked. Raven shrugged.
"Just about anywhere," she replied softly. Her head ached. They've been talking that they forgot Raven was still hurt. Everything's so hectic now. Not only are they trying to control all the baddies that were let out, now the have to find a misty-ghost Malchior. Worse yet, it seemed to Raven that it was all her fault. As much as she wanted to deny it, it seemed true to her.
"Where shall we start the search?" Starfire asked.
"Why bother?" Raven's voice was irritated. "He can be anywhere."
"The safety of the town." Robin replied. Typical of him to put the safety of this town first, but it was their job. "How does Malchior look – "
"Like a white fog." Raven finished without looking up. Raven got up slowly. "I'll try to track him." she whispered, without another word, she left the living room.
Hurrying after her, Beast Boy got up. He couldn't help but feel guilty for what happened to Raven. The scariest thing was the mark. Malchior branded her. That seems sick and wrong but why has Raven kept everything to herself? Didn't he ask her to tell him if something was wrong? Beast Boy paused – did he? Shrugging, he ran after Raven who was walking fast for an injured person.
"Hey! Wait up!" Beast Boy said even though he could've caught up. He just wanted to catch her attention. Raven turned around slowly. Her eyes were unemotional as always but this time it brought chills to his heart. "Is everything all right?"
Raven let out a sigh. Beast Boy mentally kicked himself. Stupid question! Of course everything isn't all right – come to think of it, it was hellish. She looked straight into Beast Boy's eyes. "I don't know what to do," she admitted.
"What do you mean? You did him in once, you can do it – " he started.
"It's not that easy!" Raven admitted. "Last time, it took almost all my power, that's why I didn't remain the way I was! I obtained the knowledge but not the power! This time, if – if I put him back in his place, I might as well give up being a Titan!"
"What?" he exclaimed. Raven sighed. She knew it was true. Last time, she reverted back to her normal shade of power because it took her a lot of energy to force Malchior back in. She hated this. This time, without any newfound powers, she'll be…useless afterwards.
"I'm not lying," Raven said. She started to walk on. "This is my fight, so leave yourself out of it." Harsh words clashed into Beast Boy's ears. He clenched his hands together and released it again. There must be something he can do! Raven sighed again, louder than this time. "There's nothing anybody can do, but me. Just don't make it worse."
"We can help if you let us!" he protested. Raven shook her head and entered her room. Beast Boy gritted his teeth until his jaws hurt. "THERE IS!" angry, he punch the wall with all his strength and anger as motivation. Raven looked up; she heard the crash of the punch. Raven sighed sadly as she pulled on another jumpsuit and cloak. She walked out and looked at her friend in the eyes.
"I'm sorry, but there isn't one way where you can help – or any of them," she whispered. Eyes wide with rage and sorrow, he turned his back on his friend. "Beast Boy, there really isn't a way. Fighting the truth is only going to – "
"I know!" he shouted. "It's only going to make it worse…but we can always try."
Raven's eyes lay opened. "But we can always try." Beast Boy's words echoed in her ears. Will they try or will the abandon her? They know that's she a half-demon and they swore they would be there for her no matter what.
"Promises doesn't matter in such a position," she whispered to herself. Gently, tears squeezed out of her eyes. The tears stung her eyes painfully. Wow, she's crying for probably no reason at all. She wrapped her arms around her head as the tears continue to fall. Despair and pain gripped her heart. To bind Malchior would mean that she will no longer be in the Titans – she'd be useless. She doesn't want to be useless – alone; she wants someone to be there for her. But will there always be someone by her side?
"They can always try and try harder…" she cried. "But it'll never work."
"Right you are, Raven." Malchior's voice was clear in her head. Angry, she threw his voice out of her head with all the force she had from anger.
Since this outburst, the bookshelves shuddered and the books came tumbling down. A heap of old, ancient books laid clustered in a pile. Dust roses from the fall – some of these books were quite old. She frowned, holding her breath from inhaling the dust. Raven waved her hands in front of her to clear the air. Coughing, she crawled out of bed and levitated the shelf back to its place and the books flew into position.
Lying back in bed she thought of what she had said to Beast Boy. The only way to stop Malchior is way above her knowledge. And she can only tap into such power is to give up her gift. 'If I let it be…' Raven shook her head angrily. "No," she said aloud. "I won't let what I want get into the way of what's best…for everybody."
A normal day for Raven since all this had happened. But everything was normal except her. She felt her heart sink and only rise up slightly for a breath then sink back down again. She sipped her morning tea and scurried back into her room.
Opening a book, she read about what she need to do to trap Malchior again. Without giving up her power. Reading along, she found out that it was much too long to turn into White Robe Raven again. And she wasn't strong enough to summon her emotions out of her mirror to combine it within herself. Sure, they can come out when she calls, but she doesn't have enough to merge with them. She looked down, depressed and let down.
"Stupid book!" she roared sending the book with its tattered page sailing through the air and hitting the door. With a bang, and a cloud of dust, the book fell down and closed neatly on the floor. The dust circulated the air then dissipated. That made her think how was Malchior able to escape from the book?
"A link," she placed her fist down onto her palm when she remembered. That book was able to reach out and link to other books. It found spells…spells to make sure he can come out – just not with a physical body. But how do I put him back in?"
A buzzing noise rang through the tower. Robin's calling for the Titans to meet for…no other than training. Their weekly training. After much force, they finally (more like Beast Boy) agreed to have a weekly training to work on their skills. Getting the book and throwing it onto her bed, she walked out and went down to the basement and out to the obstacle court. Modified and changed to be harder, they were ready.
An outdoors obstacle was better. Enough fresh air and a good solar-energy obstacle, it saves a lot of energy. It was considered better to the town and for the Titans – because Robin won't make them wake up in midnight to practice.
"Who'll be willing to go first?" Robin asked. At this point, every Titan pretended to be doing something. Cyborg whistled a tune (off-tune, though); Beast Boy gazed at the sky and played with his thumbs; Starfire twisted her foot around the dust and looked down; Raven just…looked straight forward with eyes uncaring. Unfortunately, she looked straight into Robin's eyes. "Thanks for volunteering, Raven." He patted her on the shoulder as the others cheered her on.
"Hooray," she murmured sarcastically as Robin counted down.
"Two, GO!" he hollered. Quickly, beams of lasers and weapons were hurled at her. Without second thoughts, she levitated up and dodged other attacks.
The new obstacle was designed so they can be ready for any villains. Slimy, gooze balls swirled towards her. Shielding herself, she broke through. A net was thrown at her – an electrical net. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she chanted quickly and her dark-colored aura formed a raven around her. The net flew straight through her.
Now it was shooting out explosives and something like Cyborg's own sonic cannon. Forcing the ground below her up, she blocked it and went on ahead. Not seeing the large boulder like material above her, she quickly retreated into the shadows and appeared on top of it. Panting softly, she went towards the finish line. A fist came up and tried to grab her. Eyes turning white, she simply forced them back down where they belong. Finally, she crossed the finish line.
Taking her hood down, she wiped the sweat of her with the back of her hand. She panted as they hand her a bottle of water. She used a lot of energy there in the new course. Cyborg read her time: 1:23. Not bad, he had said. Raven didn't care. She dismissed herself into her room to look up on more research of Malchior's escape and how to put him back where he belongs.
"Raven, it's dinner." Beast Boy said.
"I'm not hungry," she replied not even looking up from her book to look at the door. "Tell them to just leave me something."
"Come on, Rae – Raven, just come!" Beast Boy pleaded. Raven shook her head then thought, 'What am I doing? He can't hear a nod!'
"No," she then added, "Thank you."
"Please, Raven, please!" he begged. The tone was horrible high in his voice. Raven twitched. "You're still worried." He said all of a sudden causing Raven to look up. "You don't need to worry about this. We're your friends! We'll help you! There is a way where you won't have to stop being a Titan!"
Raven's vision blurred. "D-don't try so hard. It won't work," her voice cracked and was choked on tears. "Why do you have to keep trying when it won't work?"
"Because, I'm always going to be here for you!" he exclaimed. Raven dare not open the door and allow him to see her like this. "Rae, please! We can help if you let us. I don't want you to not be a Titan anymore!"
The door slid opened and Raven walked out of the shadows, she looked at Beast Boy with grave, sad eyes. "Beast Boy," she whispered. "Just because I'm not a Titan anymore doesn't mean I'm not your friend."
Beast Boy held her shoulders tightly. "Listen to me, Beast Boy, just…don't ever forget that. You'll always have to remember that!"
"I will," he promised. And to seal that promise, he brought himself closer to the young girl. Slowly, he kissed her lips. 'I'll never leave you,' he promised in his thoughts knowing that Raven probed in.
'I know,' came Raven's thought in reply.
how'd ya like that? heh heh, well, i hope you liked this one! please review! and like i said, any question will go into the review and i'll answer them. If you don't want to put it in the review, contact me. My AIM is lem0neko...although you should know if you just check my BIO! XP well, next chapter will need a little working on! thanks for everybody's reviews! see ya next chappie!
by the way, i really like the phrase, "Just because I'm not a Titan anymore doesn't mean I'm not your friend." i intend to draw a picture of Raven and put that phrase in. And if Hari will let me scan the picture hari, you have to if i draw it!> and if you wanna see it if i did it which i'll say if i did> then i'll send it to ya! have a good day!