I have to apologize: it's pretty hard for me to find the time to write this fanfiction, but I will get this done! I'm sorry that you have to put up with such long intervals of writing.

I made a reference to the episode, "The Beast Within". I thought that "the Beast Within" was such a touching episode so I couldn't help but mention it. Although Malchior/Raven is at the top of my list, I find Beast Boy/Raven very entertaining as well.

I wanna finish this chapter so that it appears on Christmas least. Gotta get to work!

We'll see if that ever happens.

Enjoy!

Kree.

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"Beast Boy claims that you've been talking to him," Robin began sternly, staring straight into the eyes of the apathetic half demon girl.

"To whom?" she asked with feigned confusion. This was getting a little old.

"To Malchior."

She had a gut feeling that she had already known what this was about. Robin had called the Titans to an emergency meeting in the living room and now they assembled in front of the TV on the couches. By the look on their faces and Beast Boy's refusal to acknowledge her presence, she deduced fairly easily that they incident this morning had not been kept a secret. She had prepared herself for this scenario and had everything set up right after Beast Boy stormed out of her room. The stage was read y but was she willing to lie to her friends again?

"No," her voice was even and calm. "I have not been talking to Malchior. Quite honestly, this question has become rather tiring."

"We'd hate to probe into such personal issues…" Robin winced, "but Malchior is very dangerous. And maybe he could be a friend to you now, he's still an enemy to us until he's proven otherwise."

"Beast Boy has told us of the voice he heard in your room this morning," Starfire moved closer to Raven's side.

"And it's not the first time either," Beast Boy interrupted. Raven would not give him the icy glare he was expecting. She had to play the part.

"We've all heard voices coming out of your room for several weeks," a contorted line shaped Cyborg's lips.

"Raven, we just wanna know if you've been talking to him," Robin crossed his arms, his voice strong yet sincere.

"I'm afraid…" Raven stammered, staring out the massive windows the led to a moonlit city view. "I'm afraid that I've burned him a few nights ago, actually…"

"But you were talking to him this morning!" Beast Boy jumped to his feet, flailing his arms in the air. "I know it was his voice! I could never mistake it for any other creep!"

"Well, I think you just did," Raven added a slight of irritation into her manner. "The creep I was talking to was a priestess from Azareth. I've been trying to keep in contact with some old relations more than usual because my mother has been sick…" she sighed. "I didn't feel like telling you the truth because I didn't want to distress you with burdens I had to go alone."

"That's a lie!" Beast Boy exclaimed turning from one Titan face to the other. "She hasn't been talking to them, she's been talking to Malchior."

"Beast Boy, would I lie about my mother?" On the contrary, I suppose I would.

"Maybe not, but you'd certainly lie about Malchior," Beast Boy sneered.

"Then let me rephrase," Raven's eyes searched for the right impression. "Would I lie to you?" Her voice was almost mesmerizing when it lowered to that of the softest silk. Deep inside, a soup of guilt stirred inside as she continued to blatantly lie to her friends.

"Raven, that trunk in your room… that's where you keep Malchior, right?" asked Robin. She nodded, turning her glance from her friends. "Do you think you could show us the inside of this chest?"

"Sure, although I don't what good it would do to show you," Raven stood up and motioned her friends towards her bedroom. "You'll probably just think I moved it somewhere else."

The Titans got to their feet and hurried behind Raven as they headed for the exit out of the main room. As the two automatic doors hissed swiftly to their designated side, the five friends stepped into the hallway and made their way through the half lighted passageway. They followed their dark, introverted friend to the entrance of her room. Her hand released a surge of black that surrounded the door with her name engraved on it, causing it to slide to the side. She led them into the abyss of her room, mentally creating tiny spurts of fire to ignite at the wicks of the tiny candles set up all around. The other Titans were not used to such dim light as they squinted to distinguish the objects in her room.

"Don't touch anything," Raven ordered monotonously. Some things just could not change, acting or not.

As she approached the chest, her movements graceful and steady, she held out two of her hands. After murmuring her three trademark words, the lock snap off and the trunk top swung open. Her surrounding friends leaned in to take a look inside and indeed, they spotted books, notebooks, and other trinkets, but not Malchior.

"She's right!" Beast Boy burst out. "She's certainly damn right that I think she moved it somewhere else! Come on, guys! Don't be so stupid! We'll find it in her room! She didn't burn the book, it's in here!"

"You will not touch my room," Raven grit her teeth with a harsh glare.

"Beast Boy, we're not gonna invade her privacy like that. This is her room," said Robin sternly.

"But she's lying to us all! Dude, she is definitely talking to that Malchior creep again! You should see those pictures she was painting this morning while talking to him!" ranted Beast Boy.

"You want me to show them? Fine," she motioned to the closet doors. They vigorously swung open as a train of paintings, large and small came gliding through the air. There were some of the terrible black dragon they remembered fighting, others of a creature that looked somewhat like a mummy wrapped in pieces of paper. Lastly, there was a picture of a white haired young man dressed in elegant armor with a black scarf covering half of his face. Awestruck by the beauty and mystery of her artwork, her friends kept silent for a few moments, admiring the strokes of her brush on paper.

"Raven," these are beautiful!" Starfire exclaimed. "I did not know such a creature could look so… beautiful…" she whispered.

Raven found herself agreeing with her Tamaranean friend. She too, found the dragon to be quite extraordinary, quite beautiful, despite his evil nature. Putting on the most miserable expression she could muster, she began the second act. "It's so hard… I want to hold onto him so badly. He meant so much to me and you all hate him. I know that I have to hate him too, but…" she hesitated. "Malchior was my friend… and I miss him so much. I had no other choice but to destroy him, but I miss him so much…"

Had she done it? Had she been convincing? It seemed as if she had won over their sympathy by the look on their faces. Although her composure was calm, she portrayed her misery with just the right amount of energy. In a way, she hadn't been lying when she said that she desperately wanted to hold onto him, despite her friends' hatred and her own self awareness of the danger he presented. It hadn't been too hard to lie about that. In a way, it was almost like expressing her true emotions for the first time.

Raven felt a hard, metallic hand rest lightly on her shoulder. "Hey Beast Boy, why don't you just lay off. Leave her alone. She's having a hard time coping as it is," rebuked Cyborg, his voiced soft and gentle, yet protective of his violet hiared friend.

"Raven has gone through enough torment because of Malchior's betrayal. You do not have to add onto her torture," she declared.

"I can't believe you guys," Beast Boy shook is head, putting his hands to his face. "She's lying, I tell you. We all know it, so why do you keep listening to her?"

"Beast Boy, I said, lay off," Cyborg said sternly.

"Malchior's still alive! And I'll prove it!" Beast Boy yelled as he stormed out of the room. The four friends looked around at each other.

"Perhaps I should go after him?" Starfire suggested.

"We all should," Robin paused and then looked to Raven. "I understand if you're a bit shook up and you don't want to."

Raven nodded. "I'll try to confront him a little later. I-I… just need put my paintings away…" she stammered as she headed for the nearest one, picking it up with her hands rather than using levitation.

Cyborg and Starfire rushed through the door and walked into the hallway but Robin stepped a little closer to Raven. She winced a tiny bit, and she hoped that he would not notice, although the top of chest suddenly slammed with a splash of black.

"Raven," Robin's voice was low as he looked into her eyes, displaying a visage of empathy. "Please, please take care of yourself, all right?"

She swallowed hard before nodding. Robin smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Just remember that we're all there for you. Always."

She certainly wished that's the way she felt. She knew her friends cared about her but lately she couldn't see it. It was wrong, she knew. The void in her heart should not have existed.

That's when she realized Malchior had heard everything she said about him. He was still in the room, listening to Robin as he had listened for the last few minutes. There was no way she could face him about the words that previously came out of her mouth. "Robin, I'll go with you," she spoke quickly, her eyes regarding Malchior in a secret compartment in her dresser. So she followed her leader out of her bedroom, but her mind was contained within the room she had just left.

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Her slender fingers waved over the small crack that resided on the side of her closed bedroom door. Footsteps, soft and light, kissed her carpet floor as she moved across it. The heart in her chest would not let the rest of her body catch up to its pace, nor would it slow down to assimilate with the orthodox tempo. She had gained the ability to clamp her mouth to keep any sounds from escaping but she could not help the racing feeling in her heart.

Although it had been only a day or two since she had last entered this room, it seemed like an eternity had passed. In those previous dark hours, she had experienced a terrible side of Beast Boy, been kidnapped by an irritating villain called, Adonis, who had turned into a beast, and laid in unconsciousness for many an hour. When she had fainted, her friends did not bring her to her bedroom, but to the infirmary. Her dark eyes scanned the room she had been away from for more than usual. Her belongings had not been moved since she had last left, to her relief.

An image came sneaking into her mind, conniving terrible plans to torment the half-demon with her emotions even more. There, before her eyes, she saw Beast Boy sitting on the rocks, just outside the Titans Tower, his back turned to her. She barely noticed the roaring sea, a spectacle that usually enchanted her. Her only thoughts were of Beast Boy and how months and months ago, Terra had sat here and talked with him. She had been hesitated to walk down next to him because of that memory. It was a nerve-wracking thought and Raven found herself utterly distracted as she began to comfort her green friend, but nevertheless, she had kept calm. Nevertheless, she had a decent conversation with her friend who had been very edgy around her lately.

She found that she felt somewhat exhilarated by the memories of this past situation. Her friends had done everything in their power to rescue and protect her while she was in such a helpless state. She had doubted their concern and care for her. And yes, there were great amounts of shame lingering in her chest, but she could not help but feel overwhelming relief and even a hint of ecstasy. They had done everything in their power to help her, one of their best friends, one of their own. She felt renewed by companionship, something she hadn't felt since the Titans very first began.

"Raven!" Her pondering was suddenly interrupted by the muffled voice that came from the secret compartment in her dresser. "Raven!" Malchior's voice called again.

With two hands, she motioned towards the book stand and Malchior's book from her dressers.

The book stand slid in front of her bed while the book flew and rested softly in her right hand. Opening the white book to its designated page, she placed Malchior on the book stand and sat on top of her bed.

"That was rather unwise of you," her voice was somewhat scolding. "What if it had been Beast Boy who entered the room? Or another one of my friends? You would have been discovered for sure."

She had expected a quick-witted answer of his, something customary. If not that, she expected him to tell her that he was able to sense her presence, whether it was through magic or by study of her habits. But neither reply came and she was shocked to hear the hesitance in his tone.

"I…," he paused. "I heard you scream before. I'm not sure where you were, but I heard you scream." There was such amazing sincerity she could not comprehend. She refused to believe this genuine worry and remembered that he had been a deceiving young man. "What happened?" he questioned. "Why haven't you been here?"

"Well," she took a breath, trying to decide where to begin, "do you remember how Beast Boy was acting very moody lately?"

"The green skinned jerk, of course I remember." There was the Malchior she was used to.

"Do you remember when we fought Adonis?"

"This is more of us two reminiscing than you giving me an explanation, isn't it?"

"All right, I'm getting to the point," she rolled her eyes. "During that battle, Beast Boy got into contact with some chemicals. It set off a reaction in his DNA, causing him to transform into a monster at crucial points of emotional distress."

"Wow. That sounds very intellectual. My intelligence must be rubbing off on you."

"Do you want me to continue?" she glared, but her lips curled at slight amusement. "Adonis was also doused in the same chemicals that caused the same reaction in his body. He snuck into Beast Boy's room one night and I came in to check out what was going on. I saw Adonis as the beast and-"

"Screamed?" His manner didn't seem as taunting as she thought it would sound.

"Beast Boy tried to fight him but Adonis ran away," she continued, trying to make this as brief as possible. "I was knocked out soon after that. Beast Boy chased him into the city, as did the Titans, but they didn't realize they were chasing Adonis, rather than Beast Boy. When they finally found me unconscious in Adonis's mouth, they fought him, Adonis ran away and they found Beast Boy's body in the darkness. Because I was unconscious, I could not tell them Beast Boy tried to save me and it was Adonis who kidnapped them. My friends believed Beast Boy was guilty and interrogated him. He grew angry, transformed, and sought Adonis. I woke up and revealed the truth and Adonis was defeated."

"I bet you're more than happy to get a bit of peace and quiet for the first time in awhile."

"Yeah," she nodded and then with a smile, she said, "I just talked to Beast Boy. I think things are getting better between us. He was really angry with me when I denied your existence and made everyone believe me, but I think we're getting closer again. I'm glad too, because I hated the tensions that were growing between us," she sighed. "He has no idea how much I value him as a friend."

"Then he hardly seems worthy of your friendship," Malchior said acidly and Raven could have sworn she heard jealousy twisted in his words.

"Malchior, I have been proved wrong for the first time in many, many years. I have never felt happier about any other misjudgment. I believed that my friends did not really care about me and that I was alone, you know this. Although I have other hints and clues before, this incident was the most obvious and convincing proof of their camaraderie."

"I apologize if I insulted your friend." He hardly seemed like he meant it.

She had sensed much from these few minutes of conversation; much that she would have liked to ignore and deny. "I'm afraid I must retire early. I'm very tired and although I have been unconscious, it feels like I've hardly slept at all."

"Then I bid you goodnight, fair maiden."

"Goodnight," she nodded as she closed the book. The names he called her by never failed to entice her and shake the very grounds of her chest. Still, as much as she loathed his affection, whether it be feigned or genuine, she cherished his compliments, lived and breathed on it as much as it poisoned her.

As she rested her head on her pillow, she realized that it was a very good night indeed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

W.B. Yeats was a genius, she agreed as she finished the poem. Her fingers traced the words on the page and smiled to herself. Sinking into the comforts of the large black couches in the Titans Tower main room, she closed her eyes. This simple fact was non-arguable: W.B. Yeats was a genius.

She decided to reread the poem and hear the words dance on her lips. It was the only way to fully appreciate its beauty:

"All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old,

The cry of a child by the roadway, the creak of a lumbering cart,

The heavy steps of the ploughman, splashing the wintry mould,

Are wronging your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart.

The wrongs of unshapely things is a wrong too great to be told;

I hunger to build them anew and sit on a green knoll apart,

With the earth and the sky and the water, remade, like a casket of gold

For my dreams of your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart."

Glancing at the title, "The Lover Tells of the Rose in His Hearts," she was suddenly interrupted by thumping footsteps that were trying too hard to be stealthy. They were headed towards the stairs that led to the entrance and exit of the Titans Tower. There was a strong scent of cologne in the air, Red Spice that she couldn't help but caught in. This had been going on only because she had let it. She would continue to turn a blind eye to it only if she could confront him of it now.

"Hey Cyborg," she called out. "You better call her and tell her you're going to be a bit late."

Cyborg had never been an excellent liar when he talked about girls because the expression and look on his face gave him away almost immediately. The words usually stumbled out of his mouth which led to further proof that he did not speak the truth. "W-what do you mean, Raven?" he stammered with a shrug. "I'm going out to meet Robin and Beast Boy at the baseball game-"

"Robin and Starfire are at the movies right now. Beast Boy is still sleeping in his room."

"Well, Beast Boy is going to wake up soon and he knows when to meet me."

"Quite frankly, the cologne gives you away more obviously then the rest of your pathetic excuses. Why don't you call her up? I promise, I won't be long," she motioned him over to take a seat next to her.

"Hey Jinx? I'm going to be a little late. I promise I'll meet you there at the same place," Cyborg spoke into his arm. He trudged slowly towards Raven and then sank into the black couch. "How did you know?" he asked without a passing second.

"I've seen you sneak out for awhile now. I've even seen you out on actual dates on a few occasions when I've been in town. It's been two months, hasn't it now?" she mused.

"And you haven't told them?" his eyes widened.

"Of course not. Your personal affairs are your own, even if Jinx," there was still revulsion in her manner as she said the name, "is part of them."

"I'm surprised that you're not mad," he raised an eyebrow.

"I must admit, I don't like your choice of girls," she frowned. "But I'm nowhere near furious. I trust that you know how to handle the situation and be aware the she is still an enemy."

"You know," Cyborg began. "It's funny. You, me, and Beast Boy…"

"Yeah?" it was her turn to cock an eyebrow.

"Well, we all know what it's like to love someone we're not supposed to. As in the enemy, I mean."

"I don't love Malchior," she blurted quickly, ignoring the sudden pang in her heart. "I've never loved Malchior."

"All right, then we all know what it's like to like someone we're not supposed to," he corrected himself. "It's hard, you must know. Whether or you're with them or somewhere else, you know that it's right but it's wrong… When you look into their eyes, you know they're the only one you could ever find yourself in and the only one you could never find yourself in…" he rambled. "Does that make sense?"

His words chilled her. She had found more truth than she had originally been seeking to learn. Nodding sadly, she replied, "yes, in a strange sort of way, I understand everything you said."

"Raven," he took her hand with his own large mechanical one. "You can tell me, I'll keep your secret. Have you been talking to Malchior?"

"No, Cyborg," she shook her head. It was easier to lie this time with fewer words.

He took a breath before beginning to speak. "Raven, you know I would fight him for you. I would fight Malchior. But in this situation, there is nothing I can do. This is your fight. And you must fight yourself to either accept or reject him."

"I burned Malchior, if you don't remember."

"And I stopped seeing Jinx," he rolled his eyes. "You can't stay in the middle forever, Raven. You're going to have to make a decision sooner or later."

"And I already have. I will let go of him." And it was true. She was very intent on burning him sometime in the future.

"And I'm just reminding you that you don't have to." He put his arm around her. "Raven, you're just like a sister to me. I'd hate to have you cheat yourself of the only person who can make you happy."

"Besides you, you dolt?" she blinked back tears but there was a grin on her face. They shared a warm embrace for a few seconds, something although they weren't accustomed to, that felt appropriate and just right. When they finally let go, she gave him a light tap on the back. "Don't keep your girlfriend waiting too long."

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It was nearly midnight when she heard her door slide open. In an hour she was supposed to wake up and talk with Malchior. It seems that she would have to wake up slightly earlier than her schedule usually had her. She jumped out of her bed and grabbed her dark blue cape, swinging it around her body. Holding her hands out in defense, she prepared herself to meet the intruder.

"Who's there?" she demanded the darkness. Although there was no distinguishable figure, she could hear the breathing of another living person in her realm. She could feel the presence of one who was unwanted.

"Please do not be afraid, Raven of Azareth," the voice of a woman soothed the nerves in her body, but Raven could sense the harbored venom in her tone.

It was then that she saw her, the stranger, the intruder. In her hands was a golden staff where a claw at the top held a colorless orb, a frightening mist clouding its transparent interior. The woman lowered the black hood from her head to reveal her face. She was the most breathtaking, beautiful woman she had ever seen. Although it was the dark of night, her exquisite complexion outshone the darkness and its curtain. Her long, golden hair was tied up at the top but it meandered down her back towards mid thigh. Amber eyes that glowed through the black. She was young, maybe eighteen or nineteen years old. Those eyes of her held many more years than her body. There was no beginning to her loveliness and no end. In fact, as the stranger stood in front of her, Raven, herself felt plain and uncomely in her presence.

"How did you get in here?" she questioned.

"I let myself in. As a sorceress, there are no limits to my entrances. Your security system cannot restrain me," she smiled.

"Who are you?" Raven did not like being on the clueless side of opposition. "What business do you have with me?"

"My name is Sagira the Ageless, have you heard of me?" one side of her lips began to curl.

"I have read your story in many history books as well as in mythology and legend," Raven replied bluntly. "However I did not think you would be able to sustain your life due to the lack of magic in this current time."

"Oh, I've been able to manage," she placed two hands on her staff. "The magic in my staff has kept me going for many centuries. However, its power is dwindling and I need to restore it to its full strength," she paused, taking one step towards her. "I believe that we can help each other. I desire magic and you…" she smiled, "revenge on one who has wronged you."

"Revenge?" How could Sagira have found out? "Revenge on who?"

"I have heard about the dragon in your possession, the one called, Malchior," she explained. "Dragons have an immense amount of magic, enough to keep me young and alive for a few more centuries as well as provide other magical artifacts in its hide and organs-"

"I'm afraid the book in which he was trapped in was burned many a night ago," Raven interrupted icily.

"And I'm afraid that this is impossible. Malchior's book can only be incinerated with dragonfire," Sagira mused. "Oh come now. I'll even throw in some dragon hide into the deal for you to make what you wish with it."

"Malchior is gone. He is dead."

"No, Raven of Azareth, he is in your dresser," her eyes gleamed triumphantly.

Her cheeks flushed with crimson as the objects in her room began to rattle with black power. "Get out of here! I will make no such deal with you! Find other dragons to drain but get out of my sight!"

Sagira dissolved into the air almost instantly but she still felt her spirit in her bedroom. The atmosphere was suffocating, not one of emptiness that Raven was accustomed to. "I do hope you'll change your mind, Raven," her voice echoed in the room. "Until we meet again…"

It was then she decided that she hated Sagira.

Raven waited a few minutes before opening a drawer and pulling Malchior's book out. She jumped onto her bed and turned through its pages, stopping in the center of the book. "Malchior, what do you know of this Sagira?"

L

"Although I never had the pleasure of meeting her, I heard of her ambition. She too, sought the world in her hands but never had enough power to accomplish what she wished. Strong in magic… not as strong as me of course, she would have been able to had it not been for my own conquest. I suspect she has not been able to gather enough magic since."

"So what do you think of her request?"

"I say, I don't like the idea of being an accessory."

"Please be serious, Malchior. She is a threat not only to you and me, but to the world. She will come back for you."

"Why don't you just destroy me then? She can't get me that way."

"You never told me that you could only be burned by dragonfire," she shifted her eyes.

"You never asked what kind of fire was able to burn me. You know," he hesitated. "You could always release me as well. That way, it would not be in your hands to hand me over."

"Nor could I be able to hold you in this prison. Malchior, I cannot release you."

"Yes, Raven," he sighed. "I know."

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Wow, I'm finally done. Christmas, weak laugh yeah right. Well, at least I finished and I'm posting it up.

Finally, a little of the plot at the end. Hope you guys have enjoyed.

Thanks to all who have reviewed and supported me. It's nice to see a Review Alert in the mailbox to cheer me up.

Plz review!

Kree